Bike ride

Annie has been begging for a ride in the bike trailer, and today we finally got a chance to do it. It was one of the coldest days of the year, but lucky for us, still in the 50s and 60s. We took a bike trail to a local playground, where Steve, Ivan and Newton would go by car to meet us.

Annie talked nonstop through the whole bike ride. "Momma! Why are you standing up on the bike? That's not safe! Can I do that too?" "Mommy! Two bikes went past!" "Momma! Momma! Look at the water! Are we going in there?" "Momma! Momma! My head hurts." "Mommy, umm, where's Daddy?" And on and on and on. Eventually we came to this:

Annie: Mommy!
Me: What, Annie?
Annie: Mommy, I am talking to myself. Because I LOOOOOOOVE to talk!
Me: Yes, that is pretty obvious.

Once we got to the park, I took Ivan for a little ride and found myself with the opposite problem:

Me: Ivan? Are you having fun?
Ivan:
Me: Ivan?
Ivan:
Me: Ivan? Ivan are you doing OK? Are you having fun?
Ivan: [whispers] Yes.

Ivan and Annie both wanted to ride home with me. I usually don't go for this, because they have to squish together and end up fighting and screaming the whole way. But today I couldn't bear to disappoint one of them, so after a stern lecture on the consequences of fighting (no more bike rides! EVER!), I labored home with 70 pounds of kid in tow. Miracles of miracles, they didn't have a single spat. Instead, they sang the ABCs, played with their stuffed animals, and reenacted scenes from Dora the Explorer. I wish they had been such good passengers when they were each about 15 pounds lighter.

Mountains

The whole family recently spent a long weekend at a mountain cabin (or cabinet, as Annie and Ivan would say). There wasn't much snow, but the kids were still excited to do a little sledding and build a (very) small snowman.








The next day had even less snow, so we took the kids for a walk by the lake.





There were a few impromptu games of ring-around-the-rosey along the way.



Our cabinet had a beautiful view, and we were treated to some pretty spectacular sunsets.



Minus our one trip to urgent care (Annie had yet another ear infection), it was a wonderful trip. Can't wait for next year.

Train

Ivan adores his trains, and this one, which "goes by hisself," totally rocked his world.

Disneyland

When I was a kid, Disneyland totally rocked my world. My school's annual "Disneyland Day" was preceded by weeks of frothy planning--which rides would we do first? Which treats would we buy? How could we maximize our roller-coaster to time-in-park ratio? When the day finally came, I was giddy with excitement and gleefully spent twelve exhausting hours running up and down and all around the park.

Last week I relived some of that excitement when we took Annie and Ivan on their first trip to Disneyland. I'm pretty sure I was far more pumped about it than they were.

We arrived on a perfect, 70 degree, Southern California morning.



After a rather unfortunate trip to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Annie: "TOO FAST! TOO SCARY!"), we hit the flying Dumbos.



Annie, who has great love for other people's mommies, insisted on riding with her Aunt Erin.



Nanny and Paige had their own Dumbo.



Later we took a ride on the Jungle Cruise. Annie was still trying to be adopted into Erin's family, and therefore did not want to take part in our photo.



The kids loved Autotopia. It fulfilled their wildest dreams of fleeing their car seats and taking the wheel.



Annie and Ivan were super excited to see Pooh and Tigger, two characters that they actually recognized (we're not big on Disney, despite my youthful love for Disneyland). Unfortunately, the kids lost their nerve when it was our turn to approach them. After demanding that Daddy hug Pooh bear first, Annie still wouldn't say hello. Ivan, meanwhile, refused to loosen his vice-grip on my shoulder.



We still forced them to pose with Tigger! We are such good parents. This trip to Disneyland was all about reliving my memories, after all.



Here we are waiting for the Toon Town rollercoster. It was much faster than Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! Something I learned: just because the kids say they want to do something doesn't necessarily mean they should!



And finally, here's Ivan in Minnie's house.



It was a very, very good day.

Aspirations

While driving Ivan to the pediatrician last week (in round twenty of Zimmerbabies versus flu season), I realized that he had never been seen by a male doctor. I tried to prepare him for the experience:

Me: Ivan, we're going to see Dr. Smith today. Dr. Smith is a boy. Did you know boys can be doctors when they grow up, too?
Ivan: Uh-huh.
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Ivan: I want to be a daddy.
Me: Why?
Ivan: So I can eat daddy food.
Me: Daddy food?
Ivan: Yes, like chips. I want to be a daddy and eat chips. And I will share with Annie and Ivan.
Me: That sounds like a good plan.
Ivan: And I will sit in the daddy chair.

I later asked Annie what she wanted to be when she grows up; she said she wants to take the train to the big city and work in an office. She's going to take a big bag on the train, just like I do, but hers is going to be filled with toys.

Pretty good plans, I'd say.

Aunts

Ivan and Annie loved playing with their east coast aunties over the holidays, and it seemed like the feeling was a little bit mutual.

Joys of parenting

Having children is both far better, and far worse, than I ever imagined it would be. There are many, many wonderful moments to record, but I though I'd treat you to a taste of parenting's dark side:

Annie (rejecting the eggs I made her): I want a bagel with hummus.
Steve (making bagel): OK, but we don't have hummus.
Me: Do you want cream cheese or peanut butter?
Annie: NO! I WANT HUMMUS!
Me: Annie, we just don't have any. You have to pick something else.
Annie: NO! I WANT HUMMUS!
Me: Annie, we don't have any. That's it.
Annie: I want you to go live in a different house!
Me: Huh?
Annie: I want you to go be someone else's mommy and I want a new mommy!

Sigh.