just one of the guys

Only a couple weeks after Teddy was born it was clear how very much he loved his daddy. As time passed the pro bro bias spread to include all the great men in his life.

These days you can always find Teddy drifting toward the grandpas, uncles, or cousins at family gatherings. When he was a baby we assumed there was a feeling of security in their big arms and solid embrace, or maybe he just prefered the sound of a male voice... Now I'm quite sure he likes the engines they gather around, but whatever the reason, he is a happy dude just hanging out and being one of the guys.

At music class only one of the accompanying parents is a man. This lucky daddy has adorable twin girls vying for both attention and lap space during class. Unfortunately, my child also has a fondness for the music padre. Today, Teddy spent most of class sitting at close range and flashing big grins whenever much desired eye contact was achieved. At one point, when his own girls were away for a moment, Teddy charged over to him full speed in hopes that it was finally his turn to be held. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem overly excited by the affections (or demands) of yet another toddler, so Ted hasn't had much success with the newly chosen surrogate.

I guess it's time for our little gappy-toothed jack-o-lantern to realize that not every stranger wants to snuggle against his saliva soaked shirts. I assured him on the ride home though that his daddy would most definitely still have a spot open on his dance card.

a special visitor

The Alcott trio was so blessed to have my dearest friend and godmother to Theodore come out and stay with us last weekend. Lindsey took 4 full days away from her "busy as a bee" schedule to spend the weekend with us in Albany. How very, very sweet of her to share her time with us. Although we see each other every few months, each drawn home to MN for family holidays, there was an extra special element nurtured by having her all to ourselves for a few days.

She got to see Teddy in all of his toddler glory. She helped chase, corral, feed, and entertain. She helped kiss, laugh, and love. And in return he grew to love her. Little ones are still so funny at this age, quick to shy into the nook of mama around someone they don't know well. That eased as the weekend progressed and by Monday he was his normal, playful self. Now of course that she is gone, he is even more smitten! He hasn't stopped looking at a picture I put up of the two of them since she left. He goes over, beams at it, and then looks down the stairs at the front door...unmistakably missing his Auntie Lindsey.

That is my most cherished gift from the weekend. That Teddy now truly knows and recognizes his Godmother. Linds and I, of course, had lovely girl time also. Our relationship too, was watered.

a child's voice

I along with many, many other online followers have fallen head-over-heels in love with the children's choir from Public School 22 in NYC. Teddy runs over full speed if he hears one of their songs start up, I think he likes the facial expressions and soft sway of the children as they sing....he always starts to rock in my arms as we listen. There is something so powerful about the passion of children, it feels like courage.

the flower guys

Since arriving in New York, my (lovely) husband and my (how to treat a mama trainee) son have started a new tradition. On Sunday mornings, they get up together, leave me in bed with my book and head off to go get coffee, doughnuts, and the Sunday paper. The extra special part though is they also bring me back flowers picked out by my blossom loving little boy. Yesterday Teddy picked out huge pink something-or-others and was so proud to give them to mama when he walked in the house.

That's it. That's the whole story....but wasn't it a sweet one? :)

Sending you all a heart full of pink something-or-others from the cute guys above.

music class

This morning Theodore had his first baby music class! After 10 days of a terrible cold, I wasn't sure he'd make it, but he woke up feeling better so we hopped in the car and headed off to school! He is taking classes through the Music Together program. Back in my nanny days I'd been involved in a similar class in Minneapolis and absolutely loved it! As soon as Teddy was old enough I began to seek out the classes again...thankfully I found a whole program here in Albany!

Teddy LOVED class this morning. It's the two of us along with five other little ones and their grown-ups. ; ) We sit in a circle, in the middle of a dance studio, surrounded by mirrors reflecting the smiling faces and giggles of toddlers. We sing songs, dance, play musical instruments, wave a huge colorful parachute.... pure sweetness. At first Teddy was very shy, sitting on my lap and snuggling into my chest. About half-way through the class though he got up and began exploring (yet too timid for actual dancing). Soon he was shaking his tambourine like a mad man, and clearly making attempts at singing along. I think he is going to really enjoy our new Wednesday morning routine!

Here is short video I found by Music Together, it's very much what we did. I'm sure I won't be able to take video in his actual class and post it, as that would inevitably involve other people's children. Darn! :)

Happy rhythms sweet swayers.

back in the groove

After an extended trip to Minnesota, Teddy and I are back in New York with Ryan. We spent 10 days at home and delighted in being there as summer came to a close. Nights spent with the windows open and a breeze coming off the lake and days spent at our land and enjoying family. It was lovely.

Now we're back though. Just the three of us. Going for walks and watching for ducks at the park.

spittin' image

While snapping photos for our "Keeping up with the De Luca's" post, I captured this adorable shot and just can't get over how much Teddy looks like my father in it! They are truly two peas in a pod. I'm often struck by the likeness, but lately I've also started to hear the same thing from friends and family who've recently joined Facebook and are seeing photos of Teddy for the first time. They too are shocked by the resemblance. As my little pumpkin grows I'm beginning to notice not only the physical similarities, but matching mannerisms too. It's in the way he moves and uses his hands. When my dad saw the above photo of Theodore, he said it looked just like his own father. Genetics are pretty darn amazing!

This afternoon Teddy and I are flying home to Minnesota for the Labor Day holiday! Ryan will join us on Thursday evening. I can't wait to be home.

huffy puffy

While living in Colorado last spring, we received a package from Grandma Alcott containing a number or goodies. One was extra special....and his name is Huffy Puffy. Huffy Puffy is a 1963 Fischer Price train engine. Judy's fantastic eye for adorable vintage pieces spotted him at an antique shop. We are so glad she did! Huffy (shortened nickname) has become a household favorite!

At first I was hesitant to give him to Teddy, I didn't want Huffy to end up with a sprained spoke or a loose wheel following an ultra-close baby inspection. After all, he'd seen his fair share of time around the track and his parts had the mistaken appearance of fragility. But after succumbing to what I assumed would have to be Huffy's fate I went ahead and gave him to Theodore while mentally preparing for the bereavement to follow. I'm happy to report, it is now 4 months later and Huffy is still happily chuggin' his days away. He is one of Teddy Bear's most treasured toys and I hope one day Huffy gets passed on to his own cubs.

Bennington, Vermont

Last Saturday, the three of us headed off to an area of Vermont famous for its beautiful trout streams and early 19th century covered bridges. It was lovely! The rivers were crisp, the Green Mountains were gorgeous, and the bridges stunning. Bennington is only about an hour northeast of us, so I hope we make the trip again soon!

The stream we spent the afternoon at was called The Battenskill. It flows under a number of beautiful red covered bridges and has lots of swimming holes.

It took Teddy a half hour to get brave enough to sit and play in the water, but once he did there was no stopping him! The little sweet pea just sat and looked at rocks forever. Doesn't he look like baby Moses!?!

One of the many bridges built in the early 1800's. They found that covering them helped preserve the wood and prevent rot. They were red because it was the cheapest and most protective paint of the day. There were some children swimming in the river, Teddy was fascinated :)

One of the coolest things we stumbled upon was the house you can see in the background. Norman Rockwell lived there for about 15 years during the 1940's and 50's! It is now a B&B, and the three of us must go and stay before we leave the area! It is hard to tell in the photos, but the entire location is very rural. Dirt roads and old farms, kind of amazing that we learned of it at all!

Practicing our two step in an old hall along the river. :)

Well, today Ryan has to work so Teddy and I will likely keep our adventures closer to home. We did go meet Ry this afternoon in downtown Albany for a quick lunch. He snuck out of the plant for about an hour...shhhhh ; ) Heck, it's Saturday folks...let your hair down, throw your hands up, go out to lunch! Wishing you all a perfectly perfect weekend!

I'll leave you with a photo of the cutest baby this side of the Hudson. Last night I told him to go in his bedroom and get ready for "books" (bedtime stories). By the time I got there he was ready alright, with with half the bookshelf on the floor. *sigh*

bathing suit beauties

Mama and Pepsi

Mom,

Last Monday would have been your 55th birthday. All day I'd planned on writing a nice birthday blog to commemorate the occasion. However, when I finally sat down to write, the lump that had been only a small nuisance in my throat throughout the day, quickly grew to twice its normal size. That, combined with an ever tightening "I miss you" chest ache, made writing beyond the bounds of possibility. There are still days when the yearning to lay my head down on your lap, when the desire to see you rock and read to Teddy, take over and everything else falls into the background. Monday was that day.

So rather then writing about a birthday memory from long ago or what I imagine we would have done to celebrate on Monday, I think I'll just say I missed you instead.

Yours always, Katie

And in an effort to not let the resurfaced grief wreck havoc on a gorgeous summer week, Theodore and I hit the pool for a fun, carefree dip on Tuesday morning. I'm excited to report he is really starting to make strides in the pool! The most notable difference was a desire to put his face in the water! It was hilarious, he would slowly bring his little nose toward the water and then shriek and giggle once it touched. I think by the time we get back to MN he will be ready to really enjoy the lake.

The above photo makes my heart melt.... it is just so 100% Teddy. Happy as a lark with a Tupperware full of cantaloupe, raspberry stains on his face, and a little Buddha belly showing the signs of both snack and pool water consumption.

And since this is a blog posting were I seem to be jumping all over the place, I'll make one more bounce back to the birthday arena by wishing my ever so cherished sister-in-law Diane a wonderful birthday. Wish I'd been home yesterday to give you a big ol' heart hug.

Keeping up with the De Luca's

Since arriving in New Yawkk, we've found it a bit of a challenge fitting in with our Italian American neighbors. Ryan's pickup truck along with his aversion to pomade isn't ideal and I need more track suits. However, after changing the spelling of our son's name from "Teddy" to "Teddi" and reforming his dress code, I think we are making more friends. At first I was nervous to send him out to play with the other bambinos, poor baby looked so naked ...no pinkie ring, no St. Francis of Assisi medallion hanging from his neck? Thankfully though, a man at the pool had 3 or 4 extra chains so he gave one to Teddi and told me with a wave of his hand to "fawgheddaboudit." I decided not to mention the chocking hazard involved with a chain around a 14 month old's neck.

tubtime

BRACE YOURSELF. Cute baby in bath. Viewers may be overwhelmed with adorableness. Possible side effects: instant smiles, spontaneous laughter, and just plain ol' joy.

airport anticipation

Ryan left last Thursday for a canoe trip in Wisconsin. Teddy and I had a great time while he was gone, but by Sunday evening we were excited to go pick him up at the airport. Teddy knew Dada was coming home and took his surveillance duty quite seriously, remaining vigilant despite an hour delay in arrival!



Yep, you could say Teddy and I both like to hold him pretty close :)

a time of transition

Teddy's first year has been guided by a strict sleep schedule. It is one area of parenting where I am definately a little over the top. By six weeks old we insisted all naps be in the bassinet rather than a playpen, swing, being held, ect. Better to help him understand that when he's in the bassinet or the crib, it's ni-ni time. We avoided motion-filled sleep (stroller, car seat) and instead worked hard to teach self-soothing techniques and how to put himself to sleep. And in this area, I will go ahead and say....so far so good. Today, he is an excellent sleeper. He lies down awake, happy, and there are seldom tears. So when he started having trouble falling asleep for his afternoon nap, I knew there was a change underway.

I'd been expecting the transtion from two naps down to one nap, and that day is here. We officially made the shift last Sunday, taking the morning and late afternoon nap and combining them into one mid-day snooze. Probably doesn't seem like something that needs to be shared with the whole world, but for us this is a HUGE change in the daily routine. Rather then having to be down for his morning nap by 9:30, we now have the whole morning to ourselves. No nap until 12:30! It feels like the world has opened up with possibility. We can now sign up for some fun little classes, go run errands, do whatever we want! I have lots of ideas and I'll keep you posted....but for now it's just another example of making the transition from baby to toddler. This morning we are off to our favorite park in Saratoga Springs. Hope you all have fabulous Fridays!

PS: BIG birthday shout out to our most favorite 6 year old! Happy Birthday Dexter!! We love you all the way from New York to Minnesota! This is Teddy's most adored photo of you. It is hanging up on our bulletin board near his high chair. He points and giggles at your cool wheels during every meal :) xoxoxo!

sweet and simple

I haven't taken enough video of our lil' pumpkin lately. This morning I decided to pull out the camera and capture some sweetness. Normally when Teddy plays with his tractors he is pretty energetic, loudly making chug chug noises as he pushes the vehicles aggressively across the living room floor. Today though he was so quiet, still, and studious. The peaceful playtime helped him achieve a new accomplishment....

Months ago we received a few "Little People" pieces from Grandma & Grandpa Alcott and ever since he has been trying to figure out how to get the farmer to sit in the tractor. At 13 months, lining the pieces up correctly is still pretty difficult. It's the whole hand/eye coordination thing, tricky tricky. Today was the day though....he did it! As you can tell from the video, he's awfully happy! He just wants to do it over and over again. Such a doll.

the alchemist

Western Coast of Ireland from our trip in 05'

A few weeks ago I read "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho and its truths have been following me around ever since. Whenever words of wisdom reach a deep place in my soul, I like to marinate in them for a few days. Whispered messages are sheer and delicate, so easy to flutter away. Better to hold them close for a bit and let them take root in your own spirit before peppering others with their goodness. So with that said I won't try and spread all the insight I gained from the book, only the fragment that has sealed its foothold on my heart and is ready to stem forward.

We each have specific calling (Coelho uses the word "legend") and to fulfill it should be our commitment. God fashioned each of us with a purpose and a personality to match. Shy. Bold. Humble. Confident. We have a distinct role to execute and satisfy, building the beautiful patchwork quilt that is humankind. What really touched me (the part that sunk into my heart) is the understanding that by not following our true calling we are actually doing a disservice to ourselves, the world, and the Creator.

Ryan and I talk often of our parallel journey and how to live our best life as partners and as individuals. When degree, career, and ambitions become murky and our individual calling lacks clarity, we are comforted knowing part of our calling as partners is to parenthood...and in that layer of our expedition we are living our legend. Yea Teddy!

garbage gems

Old TV stand, turned end table that a neighbor left out for the garbage.

This hobby of sorts started back in Minneapolis. When Lindsey and I lived together we had we had a lovely little alley off the back of our house. It was there we noticed the neighbors would leave out perfectly good items for the garbage man to haul away. Linds suggested we nab the treasures. At the time "retrieve and reuse" was new to me and I remember being a little skeptical (or disgusted) by the idea. However, as time has passed, I've changed my views.

As of current, Ry and I have rescued three furniture items and one full set of golf clubs from certain demise. The lamp and side table are really nothing special, but they served a need in Teddy's room. The third piece of furniture though, really makes my heart palpitate. We managed to drag home an old, vintage-feeling green leather chair. It sits on rollers, a fact that combined with the style seems to indicate its from the 70's. Bodacious.

Our official chair model. Greta was jealous that Omar appeared in the blog last Friday. She wanted a turn.

Push pin detailing.

So the garbage scavenging along with the graveyard strolls should be enough to make us sound like such a lovely family. Ry's not worried about it. He and Big Bertha are out hitting the green.

emotions: as described by teddy ryan

today i was sad because i missed you.


then mom made me laugh, so i felt happy again.

then my best friend came to sit with me, even better.

hope we see each other soon. because i love you.

from, your teddy

the power to choose

Remember, we shape our destiny. Let us not be passive puppets pulled along by the strings of the universe, but a potential-filled partnership with the power to create our own condition.

I wrote that little message for us and posted it on the fridge when we first arrived in New York. At the time we were feeling a little too light, swept away from friends and family by the demands of work 1,200 miles away. We wanted to feel heavy and fixed and grounded. I guess it was good to remember that life is all about choices and even if it doesn't feel like it at the moment....we have the power to choose. Maybe you will get a little burst of empowerment from it too.

Happy Wednesday Sweet Tarts.

a county fair

Following months of diligent practice, Teddy heard barnyard animal noises first-hand on Saturday at the Saratoga County Fair. The pigs were an oinkin' and the cows a mooin'! Teddy couldn't believe his eyes (and ears), he was stunned silent to realize that the animals we read about are actual real things...and they even take visitors!

To be honest he seemed pretty frightened of the pigs. I tired to help him hold onto the gate so he could stare down himself, but he started shaking.

The horses were a completely different story. He loved them, especially when they trotted.

Even more fascinating than the animals were the cars, trucks, and general engine noise. The tractor and truck pulls made him giddy with excitement. Have I mentioned lately how he is completely, madly, utterly in love with trucks?!?

In honor of his obsession, mama and pumpkin went on his very first carnival ride. A dump truck merry-go-round.

The last hour of the fair was spent staring at and touching the enormous wheels of the Massey-Ferguson tractors. I'm pretty sure he would have been happy to do that for the entire day.....

(to my teddy: thank you for a smile soaked weekend. you make us lusciously full.)

a walk in the "park"

Bordering our apartment to the west is a large, mature, beautiful parkway. Okay, maybe a little less parkway and more a memorial site of sorts. Okay maybe not a parkway at all, but simply an old graveyard. When describing places of enjoyment, I tend to romanticize a bit.

Yes, it's true...I enjoy old cemeteries. When I was younger my family went to DeSmet, South Dakota to visit the final resting place of the Ingalls family (as in "Little House on the Prairie"). We spent an entire afternoon driving around to different cemeteries and staring down at the descendants of Ma and Pa Ingalls. I loved it. So I guess I'll chalk my continued pleasure in marble town's up to childhood encouragement to delight in the dead.

Poor Teddy is destined to travel down the same path. A gleeful graveyard stroll in the afternoon seems to have become our norm. I can't help it, I'm fascinated by them and now we have a booming necropolis right in our very own backyard. They are so full of history and mystery. For example......

Exhibit A:

Look at this gravestone with an entire family on it! Everyone passed away in 1882. What happened? Perhaps a devastating fire that destroyed the family farm and its inhabitants? Maybe illness? If so, what kind? Malaria? Yellow Fever? Dysentery? Influenza? Worm Infestation? Goodness, the possibilities are endless. Here is the real mystery though, the wife/mother of the family is not listed among the dead on the gravestone! Is she only one to have survived? That poor, poor woman, to lose so many children and her husband.
(Side Note: Can I just say I love reading the names from the late 1800's. All the Margarets, Marys, Thomas', Williams. Classic. Beautiful. Timeless.)

Exhibit B:

In most shared spousal stones from the 19th century the females maiden name was used for the marker. Why? Peculiar. It seems so contrary to the times. I must praise the practice though, how very convenient for piecing together lineage. I wonder why graves today rarely state maiden names?

Exhibit C:

And how about all the "no name's"? Oh course, it is probable the name wore off with time, but how very mysterious. What happens when the names are not only washed away but the graves themselves are engulfed back up by the earth. How many hundreds of years will the ground remain sacred when the physical fragments are gone?

So you see....saturated with stumpers and secrecy. Fascinating, I tell ya'. Fascinating.

lake george, new york

Yesterday we drove about an hour north of Albany to one of upstate New York's most famous areas, Lake George. Tucked just inside the Adirondack Mountain Park Preserve, it stretches about 34 miles long. It's size, combined with the mountain lined shore made for one of the most beautiful spots our family has ever seen.

Thanks to my MIA status over Father's Day this year, Teddy and I didn't do much to celebrate the incredible father in our family and I'd been on the lookout for a belated surprise. When I woke up yesterday and saw the perfect summer day, I knew Ryan would be itching for some fresh air and new sights. I decided to make reservations at a boat rental and surprise him with a planned day at the lake. It all worked out wonderfully. We rented a pontoon for a couple hours and spent a gorgeous Sunday afternoon enjoying the lake.

Hope you all had relaxing and spirit-renewing weekends as well.