Alexa started preschool on Friday, September 16th. She will be attending a local nursery school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. So far, she has really enjoyed going and meeting new friends. She loves the playground and we usually make a stop there on our way out.    She's pouting because I made her take this picture and she just wanted to get inside!
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It's been a while since I've written here. I guess we've been too busy to keep up! We enjoyed a family trip to Virginia Beach in late June. We visited some historic sites before hitting the beach for a few days. In late July, Alexa, Minna and I made an extra special trip back to Virginia. This time to Chincoteague Island to attend the famous annual Pony Swim. About 2 years ago, Alexa and I discover a children's book, "My Chincoteague Pony," which tells the story of a little girl and the annual event that draws thousand to watch the wild ponies of Assateague Island swim to Chincoteague for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fireman's Carnival auction.  The swim takes place according to the absolute perfect tides. Anywhere between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the last week of July. Of course it was our luck that this year's swim happened at 1 p.m. which meant a very long, very HOT wait as the bus dropped us off at the park at 8 a.m.! At 1 p.m., however, as the flare went off to mark the start of the swim, all of the excitement of seeing nearly 100 horses swim toward the shore made the very long, very HOT wait all worth while. It was an emotional experience. And the story wouldn't be complete without the mention of the mud we had to trudge through to get to the actual viewing area. Sure we could have watched from the comfort of our chairs in the Chincoteague Memorial Park. But we wanted an up close and personal experience. This meant making our way through thigh deep M-U-D! A few calculations and you'd figure out that for Alexa it was nearly waist deep! She lost a shoe, I lost my footing and we nearly lost Minna as we slowly made our way through! Again, seeing the ponies = worth it...even the MUD! In August we made our way to Rhode Island for another visit with Minna and Ptah. We stayed in the same home that we rented last year and kept busy at the local beaches as well as a day trip by ferry to Block Island. Alexa rode the flying horse carousel in Watch Hill, but this year she was big enough to sit on the outside horses and give her best effort at "catching the brass ring." On our last day in RI, Connie, Adam, Sofia and Joseph spent the day with us on the beach and Daddy drove up to see us too. When we weren't traveling, we spent a ton of time just enjoying the summer at home. Daddy (after a ton of hard work and a positive attitude) got our pool open in mid July! I wish I had before pictures...it was awful! We swam as much as we could when the weather allowed. We went to the Land of Make Believe with Aunt Eileen and our friend Christian. We watched fireworks together at CCM for the 4th of July. We had lots of play dates with Alexa's bestie, Kate and her little sister. Denise visited and we took her to the Jersey Shore in search of Snooki! And we spent a bunch of time with Alexa's new and beautiful baby cousin Stephanie, who we welcomed on June 8th.  June 9, 2011   (Delayed post...3/27/11) Winter just seems to want to hang around here for a while longer. I'm not thrilled with the idea, but after too many days cooped up inside (due in part to Alexa's strep throat), it seemed like a good idea to take advantage of the lingering snow outside.    Seems we've been missing out on a lot of fun this winter! Next year, we'll be sure to get out and enjoy sledding more often. But for now, we just want Spring to arrive and to enjoy some sunshine already!
Well, the holidays are over and I can't say I miss them! It was a busy season and, although I always cherish the excitement that it brings to Alexa, it is all so exhausting! That said, we really enjoyed celebrating with friends and family and Alexa made out like a bandit in the presents category! The best present by far, for all of us, has been our new home (blog to be posted shortly about that)! Although it is a work in progress, it's wonderful to have a place to call home and to finally begin settling into some kind of normalcy! Here are a few highlights from the holiday season! Until next year... It was sort of a no brainer this year when it came to a costume idea! For those who haven't noticed, Alexa has a thing for horses! I thought it might be fun to do something a bit more creative than a horse costume. So naturally I turned to Google and discovered a few really cool equestrian costumes.  We left pumpkin picking until practically the last moment, but luckily the weather in New Jersey stays comfortable for a little longer than Vermont and we made to a local farm to pick a couple of beauties! Alexa enjoyed face painting (she chose a unicorn!), choosing a pumpkin and the hayride to and from the pumpkin patch, but it was the hay maze that really made her day! She ran around, climbed over bales of hay and giggled for the longest time!  Alexa and I carved our pumpkins just a few days before Halloween. Tootsie watched us. We began with spoons but it didn't take long for us to dig our hands into the "gooey" pumpkins! Alexa thought it was fun to shape the "guts" of the pumpkins into a pie! While she squished her fingers through the seeds, I searched the internet for a horse design. I found one and began the tedious work of cutting it out. Alexa was so excited and supported me until we got our finished product. She would pat me on the shoulder and say "Great job Mom. That looks beautiful!"  Alexa with her classmates and teacher, Miss Catherine On Friday, October 29th, Alexa's school celebrated Halloween early with a parade and trick or treating in the parking lot. It was drizzling and chilly, but for the few minutes that the kids came out to show off their costumes, none of that mattered. Alexa followed her classmates from trunk to trunk and collected her treats! She didn't carry her stick horse as planned but that didn't seem to bother her. Finally the big day had arrived! We drove to Vermont to celebrate Halloween with friends and family. We were happy to hear that our former town was having a parade and that Jerry and Mary Jane's horses would be making an appearance. In addition, we learned that Eva would be on a float and that we would have a chance to see the entire Colquhoun Family! Alexa had a great time playing with Minna and we even had a play date with "the girls," Charlotte, Bridget and Anna! As for Halloween and Trick or Treating, well that was sort of a bust due to...SNOW!!! Snow on Halloween! It was bitter cold and nobody seemed very tolerant. So we called it an early night. There's always next year!   Alexa, Bridget, Anna and Charlotte  We also made a brief visit to the ECHO center, one of Alexa's favorite places. She calls it the fishy store! We dug for whale bones and Alexa, Minna and Daddy played at the Watershed Way exhibit. Alexa even learned how wind energy is generated into electricity! Pretty exciting stuff!    It's Autumn again and although it feels a little different than Vermont, I have been trying to get into the mood of Fall. We won't be decorating our front steps or windows with Halloween decor this year (Something I really enjoyed doing last year when Alexa had begun to understand the themes of the holidays). We haven't yet picked pumpkins (except for a few in Minna's garden at the end of the Summer) and we haven't gone apple picking, but we have been outdoors enjoying the crisp, cool air. We've found a few festivals and Oktoberfest celebrations to check out in the area too. Alexa is excited to dress up for Halloween (I ordered her costume yesterday!) and she had collected so many acorns that we finally made some crafts with them yesterday!  We spent Sunday afternoon at a local playground. It is brand spanking new and seems to be a local hot spot! Melissa and Ty joined us and we all got a workout in an exciting game of tag. Alexa adores Ty. She enjoys any and all attention from him. Ty, on the other hand, is hot and cold when it comes to Alexa. At times, he is attentive, cooperative (he pretends to look hard when playing hide and seek even when he knows exactly where Alexa is hiding!)t and engaging and then there are moments when he is not as welcoming of Alexa's attempts to hold hands or share a hug. But when I catch a glimpse of the two when they think no one is looking, I catch sweet exchanges of friendship that make me smile and grateful for my friends and the wonderful children they are raising!   My Monkey Girl!  Earlier that day, we went to see animals presented by the Staten Island Zoo in a traveling exhibition that brought us to State Line Lookout Park in Alpine, NJ. We enjoyed views of the Hudson River and New York from the cliffs. Alexa found some additions to her acorn collection and expelled a lot of energy running around as a horse!   Tappan Zee Bridge Last weekend, we went to the Annual Chester Oktoberfest in Chubb Park. It had been a tradition that Mike and I would attend the Stowe Oktoberfest every year accompanied by Scott and Jessica MacNeill. For 8 years, we drove into Stowe to drink beer and eat bratwurst with sauerkraut and potato salad, listen to oompah bands and stroll the historic streets of Stowe for photo ops among the beautifully changing autumn leaves! This year we could not be there and so we attempted to replicate the fun at a local venue! It wasn't quite the same!!! Despite the less than authentic feel, we had fun watching the kids (Alexa and Ty) enjoy the bounce houses and we (Mike, Melissa and I) still ate good food and drank decent beer! And as it turns out, we met a celebrity! It was a good afternoon! But I would be lying if I said I didn't miss Stowe this year!                           Alexa started preschool on September 8th. It was a day she was greatly anticipating. She insisted on a new horsey backpack and a new horsey lunch box. She wore a special horse shirt too! And she was never so proud as that morning when she put that backpack on and headed to the car to drive to school!   I'm ready to go Momma!   Alexa has been in a few daycare settings in the past but they have been mostly in the homes of providers with only a few other children. Coincidentally, two of her former daycare providers have been named Tammy. Both were kind and loving to Alexa and supportive of me. We will always hold them close in our hearts!  Tammy, Alexa and Philo April 14, 2009 As an infant, Alexa was cared for by our wonderful neighbor Tammy. Tammy treated Alexa like one of her own family members. She did "normal" things like going food shopping with Tammy, attending story time at our local library, visiting the playground, and playing with Tammy's children, especially her youngest daughter Eva, as well as all the important developmental activities that Tammy made sure to include in her day. It put my mind at ease knowing she was practically the center of attention and that she wasn't just one of several babies in a larger center.  October 6, 2008 When her time with Tammy came to an end, Alexa spent the summer with me and when I returned to work she began attending Footprints Preschool and Daycare in Shelburne on a part-time basis. She spent her off days with Minna, which was special for them both!  Ms. Christine After a few months at Footprints, I left my job and it was Mommy and Me time for about 6 months! I began to wonder if Alexa was bored spending all her days with me and the search began for a part-time daycare arrangement that would allow her to socialize with other small children. It was then that we found Tammy, another home based provider in Shelburne.  Alexa and Tammy on her last day at daycare! (8/13/10) Tammy's was great! She's been caring for children in her home for nearly 17 years! Alexa enjoyed playing with kids her own age and Tammy was so supportive during the time we were moving. She was always flexible. Alexa enjoyed homemade meals there too! She made some really wonderful friends, Rowan, Kyle, McKenna, Baby Michael, and there was even a Mina there!! It was a good year!  It became obvious that Alexa was ready for preschool when she began writing and learning her letters and numbers. She is curious about everything and most importantly, she wants (and needs) to play with children! So she has started part-time at Flanders Valley Country Day School. Her teacher's name is Miss Catherine and so far, she is more than happy to go! In fact, we just barely make it upstairs before she runs off to find where the other kids have gathered as I hang up her backpack in her cubby! She is even taking her naps with the group, something she hasn't done since she stopped attending Footprints in the late winter of 2009. It's been a positive experience that I hope continues.  It’s been another busy summer for us! Alexa has continued to explore and engage in the world around her! We spent lots of time at the beach. We celebrated birthdays with friends and family. We went on vacations. We discovered new places to learn and play. It’s kept us so busy, I haven’t been able to update this site in weeks! Way back in June, we hit the road for a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. It was a long drive, but proved to be well worth it. We stayed in a beachfront resort that offered a small waterpark. We ate really good food, including a buffet with fresh crab legs (YUM!), frog legs and crawfish (YUCKY!) which I teased Alexa with!! We spent most of the time at the beach. Alexa learned how to ride the waves and we collected dozens of seashells. We visited the aquarium and took a special day trip to Charleston where it was hot, hot, HOT!!! We saw the city by horse and carriage and eventually the heat took its toll on Alexa. She fell asleep mid-ride and didn’t wake up until we were making our way back to the car. Mike and I had a chance to taste some local wine and we checked out some outdoor shopping. It was a great day, although our next visit will have to take place during the winter months!!                                      In early July, Minna, Ptah, Alexa and I went to Six Flags Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom in Lake George, NY. We got an excellent deal, pay for one day and visit the park 6 times until the end of the season! It was a beautiful day and we spent most of it in the water! Toward the end of the day, Alexa rode some rides in the children's area. Minna accompanied Alexa on a roller coaster and learned quickly that she (Minna) DOES NOT like roller coasters! Minna, Alexa and I made our second trip to the park on the 28th of July. It was another hot summer day and we spent most of the afternoon in the waterpark. Alexa had lots of fun on the lazy river. She especially liked it when I was sprayed unexpectedly by water spouts on either side of the river!  Ptah!  Me!                       Minna, Alexa and I joined some of our favorite friends for a very special event at the Fairfax library in early August. Max, star of one of Alexa’s favorite cartoons, “Max and Ruby” visited the library and the kids sang songs, played “Simon Says,” and listened to some “Max and Ruby” stories before doing some painting and having photos taken with Max.             We helped celebrate Ashleigh’s 3rd birthday on August 7th. Despite some challenges during previous play dates, the kids seemed to enjoy themselves that day and took advantage of the sunshine that allowed them to bounce around in the bounce house! The goody bags were a very welcome surprise at the end of the party and Alexa was beat by the time we got in the car to go home!                The garden that Minna and Alexa started even as there was still snow on the ground has produced an enormous amount of veggies this summer. Not only have we enjoyed eating such fresh food, Alexa has been happy to tend the garden and has discovered weeding to be quite a stress reliever!! Oh wait, I find it to be a stress reliever, she just mimics everything I do these days!!! I even found her weeding during one of our trips to the Great Escape!             We recently returned from a week away from home in Southern Rhode Island. We rented a small home nestled in the woods near horse farms and a wildlife management area. The house was a short drive to the beach and close to Mystic, CT. The week was full of excitement, especially the arrival of Uncle Brian! Alexa enjoyed Uncle Brian's guitar playing and she even learned a new song...it goes something like this..."Shake your booty!" It's become an instant hit!       We spent time in the historic seaside town of Watch Hill, home to one of the oldest flying horses carousels in the country. Alexa was reluctant to ride at first, but she eventually took a ride and seemed to really enjoy it.                On a very hot, very humid Tuesday afternoon, we drove to the Mystic Seaport museum where we met up with the Mahoney Family, Adam, Connie, Sofia and Joseph. Adam’s brother and his family were also there, on vacation from England. We spent the day exploring the historical village and despite the grueling heat, we enjoyed each other’s company and took some great photos. Afterwards, we sought out a place for dinner and Alexa ate a piece of Mystic Pizza! The rest of us suffered through poor service and mediocre food while catching up and watching the children play!  On Wednesday, we celebrated Minna’s birthday on Block Island. We took a ferry to the island and relaxed on a beach until the clouds rolled in and the rain came down. Alexa enjoyed the company of two girls who were visiting the island with their family. The three made “birthday cake” with the sand and even created a “bakery” where the served tea and cake to their patrons! We enjoyed a fancy dinner and yummy wine and, of course, sang “Happy Birthday” to Minna before heading back on the ferry.              Mother Nature made sure to end the night on this special note…     Thursday was a perfect day for the beach. We spent the afternoon at the local, Misquamicut Beach. Uncle Brian surfed some waves on the raft. We enjoyed a Rhode Island favorite, Del’s Frozen Lemonade. We built some sand castles and did (just a little) swimming. The jellyfish kept me from getting in the water, but the others didn’t seem to be bothered. Later in the afternoon, our friends Kathy, Lil and Brady-Lyn joined us and stayed for the remainder of our trip. That evening, unfortunately, Alexa became feverish and this persisted for the next 24 hours! I guess the week was finally catching up with her!              Although Alexa was feverish all night, it appeared that she was feeling better on Friday morning and we had made the decision to go to the Mystic Aquarium. Ptah drove Uncle Brian to Boston to catch a plane back to CA. We said good-bye to him and then headed to the aquarium. To my surprise, several of the attractions were outdoors…it was HOT outdoors. Alexa fed the stingrays and saw the beluga whales before heading inside to see the jellyfish, sea horses and other sea life. We caught a show in the auditorium about sea lions and then walked around the remaining outdoor attractions. Unfortunately, by midday, Alexa’s fever was returning and so we headed home early while the other’s had dinner in Watch Hill.  Brady-Lyn & Alexa              I had found out about the NJ Children’s Museum while looking for venues for Alexa’s 2nd birthday party. A year and a half later, on Aug. 28th, Alexa and I finally went to check it out. Located in Paramus, NJ the museum consists of many rooms with themed activities. Everything from a Medieval Castle to a doctor’s office. There is a fire truck and an ambulance, a news room, the Wild West and a Construction room. Alexa was in Heaven! It was hard for her to spend more than a few minutes in one place! Along with Gramma and Aunt Eileen, we spent several hours in the museum and we can’t wait to go back again!               With summer coming to a close, Alexa, Daddy and I decided to embrace to brutally hot, NJ weather and take a ride to Keansburg for a day of rides and water park fun. The Keansburg amusement park is the oldest in NJ. Over 100 years ago it opened and today it has an old-fashioned feel that is unlike any other “boardwalk” in Jersey. We started the afternoon on some of the park’s older rides and before long it was too hot to handle! We walked across the street to the Runaway Rapids water park and Alexa and Daddy hit the waterslides before I could even get my suit on! For the next two hours we kept cool and after some lunch and a quick stop by the local beach (where we viewed Staten Island and Brooklyn), we drove back home.                Alexa shares a joy of city planning along with her Dad. A recent visit to Horseshoe Lake in Roxbury allowed for the creation of a seaside resort (of sorts!). Like father,like daughter!   Labor Day weekend, we took a (windy) ferry ride on Lake Champlain and then went to NJ, where Alexa spent an entire day with Minna playing at Brady-Lyn’s house in Fair Lawn. On Labor Day, Alexa, Minna, Mike and I drove to Stirling Forest to attend the NY State Renaissance Faire! It was a great day to eat good food Steak on a Stake and Turkey legs!), watch a jousting competition and simply people watch!                    Alexa has been so proud of her growing independence, which now includes brushing her teeth and getting dressed all by herself! These days, Alexa insists on doing most things by herself!   Showing off her pearly whites! Alexa’s writing skills have been growing as well. She can write her entire name, Mom, Dad, Chip and Minna. She recognizes most letters in the alphabet and she runs her finger along words when we read together. She continues to enjoy coloring and painting. Spirit is still her favorite movie. We even have the soundtrack for the car now. Alexa sings every song, she knows most of the lyrics and she sings confidently and beautifully! Max and Ruby is the current favorite television show. Alexa loves to mimic Max, using single words to get her point across. For example, she might say “hungry!” rather than using a full sentence or suggesting what she might want to eat!    With her buddy, Ri! Another busy summer full of fun brings us to another Fall. We are looking forward to some big changes this Fall! Hopefully, they will bring with them fun and wonderful memories!
With a little help from Daddy, Alexa caught some waves at the Jersey Shore last weekend! From the smile on her face, it appears that this is only the beginning of many adventures in the ocean! That's sure to make her Daddy happy! He'll be thrilled to have a surfing buddy!       July 4th weekend brought with it some unseasonably warm weather to our neck of the woods. Temperatures in the low 90's kept us seeking relief and the Waterbury Reservoir was just the spot to find it.  Minna, Ptah and Alexa  Building a castle with Daddy  The finished product We stayed cool in the water and built sandcastles on the beach. Several other kids joined in and Ptah helped explain to some of the local kids the art of digging moats in the heavy sand. Daddy joined us later in the day and, using his well honed sand castle building skills, completed the castle! Then "Hurricane Alexa" blew in and unfortunately destroyed many of the waterfront homes and businesses built aside the castle with her storm surge!  Yummm...Ice Cream! Having missed the fireworks the evening before, we were determined to find a display that evening. After a break at home, we went to Hinesburg, a nearby town, to watch fireworks. Alexa was growing tired and I cradled her in my arms as she closed her eyes to rest. It was short lived as the show began with an impressive amount of fireworks, DIRECTLY over our heads! Needless to say, nobody wants to wake up to that. Alexa was not happy and it didn't take long before we were scrambling for another vantage point...one that took us further away from the thunderous noise! Mike, Minna and Alexa went back to the car and watched from inside the hatchback! No amount of convincing could change Alexa's attitude about the fireworks this year. She DID NOT enjoy them!  CRAZY faces!!  Her shirt says, 'Daddy's Little Firecracker'  This is how close we were!  Happy 4th! Here's a photo of Alexa and Eva last year! Glad I hung onto that headband...it was super cute!!  July 4, 2009 | Authormoth·er \ˈmə-thər\- noun 1. A woman who conceives, gives birth to, or raises and nurtures a child.    ArchivesJune 2012 CategoriesAll |
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