Scene VI (The Finale) - Greenleaf Park

Ah! This park was, most certainly, the best park for kids in the 2 - 5 year old range. The equipment was perfectly sized for little kids, which makes for a much less stressful experience for parents (and aunts) and a more enjoyable experience for the kids. What a difference size makes!


Kallie contemplated going down the slide this way.



And, was happy to show you her pretty red fingernails.



Kyle spotted something really exciting and was headed that way!



Of course! Stairs! So fun to climb!



Aunt Cat arranged for Mommy's car to get a little checkup before the trip back home.

A stop by Bodo's on the way back to Aunt Cat's house, and then, as usual, bath time, dinner, a video or two (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! or Mary Poppins, anyone?) and we called it a night, on the last night of the visit to Virginia.

Intermission

Sunday the 28th was a good day. (It's all becoming a bit of a blur at this point, but here's how the day went, I think...)

Later in the afternoon, we went to the Children's Library (as Kallie calls it) downtown and read books. Then, we decided it was time to run around a little, so we walked over to Lee Park for running and stomping on flowers (oh, Mommy tried to stop them!) and looking at statues of men on horses.

Then a quick stop by Aunt Cat's office downtown, looking at the lights and ornaments on the huge city Christmas tree, running on the mall, and then pizza for dinner at Christian's.

Oh, and the M's. Don't forget the M's for dessert. (Kallie calls M&Ms, simply, M's.)

It was a warm day. A good day. And there's not a single picture to prove it!

Scene V - McGuffey Park

McGuffey Park is in North Downtown, one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Charlotteville. A recent renovation has been completed and the city website boasts that McGuffey Park is "one of the premier play facilities in the area". I'm sure all the neighborhood kids have noticed.

We brought some good weather to the park with us this afternoon. No gloves or hats needed, and Aunt Cat was even able to break out her sandals.


Kallie enjoyed building sand castles.



Kyle really liked the swing, as usual - note the happy tongue-out-side-of-mouth expression.



Kallie showed us how to walk and balance on the low fountain wall.



Mommy and kids posed for a group shot, with the church in the background. I took a whole series of these shots, but I just couldn't resist posting this one of Kyle's happy face.

After we left the park, we stopped by our local grocery to pick up fixings for a tofu and veggie stir fry. Kallie declared on our way there, "I like tofu." (Ah, my vegetarian friends would be so proud.) But, that's no surprise because Kallie is a very good eater, and even her brother is coming around by expanding his list of foods tried and liked (I think he's made a lot of progress in this area since I saw him only two months ago).

Scene IV - Virginia Discovery Museum

Kallie had been looking forward to visiting the Children's Museum in Charlottesville. We picked a potentially bad-weather day for the visit.

There was so much to do, we could have easily gone back another day.


Kallie looked at a very colorfully painted live sand crab....



...And found some great tap shoes in the costume corner.



Kyle banged on the large pipe instrument, which was right next to the 10 foot tall guitar.



Kyle loved watching the ball elevator dump the balls into the network of pipes and tunnels.



Kallie and Kyle let Mommy help them at the grocery counter checkout.



Mommy had her picture taken with the nifty internal organ model.



Kallie spent a lot of time checking out the bee hive, which had a tunnel piped to the window so that the bees could fly outside, but not come into the museum.



After we left the museum, Kallie and Kyle both took a ride on the man-powered carousel - something that I've looked forward to bringing her to for months. She really liked it.

Scene II - Christmas Morning

Santa's delivery made for a delightful morning.


Kallie was overjoyed by her umbrella, which she carried around nearly everywhere all week long.



Kyle was given a kid-sized broom, which was fought over - I mean, shared - for the remainder of the week.



Kallie, always the book lover, opened the only two presents that Santa wrapped this year - two books about the Pigeon by Mo Willems - which were read immediately and often.



Kallie found more treats in her stocking, like stickers and a temporary tattoo. Kyle found a glittery ball and a red fire engine in his stocking.



Kyle got a brand new tricycle, which he quite cooperatively traded with Kallie for her tricycle - each seemed to fit the other person better.



After it was all over, they found one more present, which did not belong to them, but they helped to open it anyway.



Kyle's bright smile summed up the mood of the morning.

Scene I - Belmont Park

This is mostly a story of playgrounds. And, presents from Santa. And, the Herrington girls' ability to control atmospheric pressure, even if they can't always control nap times or messes.

Christmas Eve. Grey Skies, cold, no rain.


Belmont Park - big playground equipment, little people.



Aunt Cat is there to lend a hand, and help keep hats and gloves on.



Kallie likes standing on the edge, and it's a long way down!

December 2008 in Charlottesville - The Players

For this December story, set in Charlottesville, Virginia, meet the players:


Aunt Cat, the Hostess with the tiny, mostly-kid-proofed home.



Susan, aka Mommy, the fearless long distance driver, and the all-things-to-all-children go to person.



Kallie, the Girl. "My birthday is in January. I'm two now."



Kyle, the Boy. "Hi!" The happiest-go-lucky kid you'd hope to find.

Friday - Office Party

Lots of baby holding, which was a welcomed distraction during an awkward event.

Peace wishes sent; first annual re-gifting begins.

Start on cleaning/organizing/packing/baby-proofing.

Art purchase, art talk, art friend.

Grandma's pound cake on Grandma's birthday.

Sunday

Feeling mostly better.

Interested to find an article on the birth of Obama's logo, since I was just thinking the other day how his was the first campaign in which I'd noticed a real (and effective, in my opinion) effort at branding a candidate for President.

Discovering that the city/county offer confidential document disposal service. Good thing, too, since I have about 20 pounds of documents that need to be shredded!

Coming closer to a decision about housing.

Long, and long overdue, talk with a dear friend.

Nearly. Dearly.

Plowing through a busy week: end of class, home search, etc.

Anti-climatic end to a good semester, and I'm glad I was in her class too.

Charlottesville podcasts of music and more music.

IY's bulk peppermint = cheap + potent!

Finally discovering my super power (everyone has one!): an uncanny ability to tell time without a clock.

First Snow

Christmas party with old friends, and new friends, and iPhone beers, and Rubix Cubes, and fireplace warmth, and mixing the plain & peanut M&Ms.

Morning walk, La Taza treats.

"I drove 70 miles for a haircut today," she says, shaking her head in disbelief.

Nicky is well, and that is good.

Trying to keep mental space open for 4 more days of A&P thinking.

The moon is half full tonight...

...and it is my mother's birthday. My sweet, kind, loyal, supportive mother - how lucky we all are to have her.
xo

Welcoming Winter

Is it December already? ... It's funny to think about what is the same and what is different from a year ago this month. It's true, that little gem of wisdom a friend once passed on, that everything will be different a year from now.

Love love love my new apple core-er. Never again will an apple go to waste in my home because applesauce is easy!

Card shopping. And conspiring with Santa.

Glad to hear the parents are focusing on fitness.

Back to my morning routine tomorrow, and craving those damn Glorious Morning muffins from La Taza. Here's to hoping they have fresh ones in the morning.