Fun at the Mall

The mall near us has this great play area that my kids love. None of the other malls in my life have ever had anything like this, its pure genius. Sure its old and the paths in the play area don't always connect and they are taped together in spots with black electrical tape, but the 20 year old carpet is really clean because all users have to remove their shoes, and all the objects are made of this amazing material that holds shape but is still soft and squishy; shiny, yet not slippery when wearing socks.
Emma tried over and over to get on this log; very frustrated when older and bigger kids would just jump right on. Siri runs around with no fear. And I was comfortable watching her from a distance, until a little girl tried to pick her up and dropped her so that she hit her head on the rock-infused wall.




Emma made a little friend, who as it turns out was born in the same month and year as her. They were running around together, holding hands and sitting in the logs with other little girls. It was very sweet.

Lovies

Siri loves her blanket. Ever since she has been able to breath and make sounds, when tired she has put her two middle fingers in her mouth, hugged her blanket and said, "Gully, gully, gully." It is actually very funny, and when we ask Emma what Siri says, she replies, "Gully, gully, gully." I have tried to get her to become attached to a stuffed animal (so I could get some use out of at lease one of them!) but she has stuck to her blanket. If I allowed her to she would walk around with it all day and I'd have my own little Linus, however I don't want her to become TOO dependent on an inanimate object. Perhaps my hesitation is what kept Emma from attaching to an animal. Well, she actually did attach to 2 animals, but we lost the sheep and then I took away her bunny rabbit. This rabbit actually wasn't hers to begin with. I had purchased it in college, when I still gave into my fetish, and then our cat played with it and bit it. When Emma was small I had put on top of the trash, intending to finally get rid of it, but she liked it, and I thought it was cute that she liked it, so I let her have it. The fact that the cat had played with the rabbit always sceeved me out a bit, but the final straw was that Emma sucked on the rabbit's face. I know that this is what kids do, but this was really unpleasant for me, and the smell of the rabbit was unpleasant as well. Not knowing how to break her of this disgusting habit, I just eliminated the problem. Now the rabbit lies comfortably in Emma's box of memories, that she won't actually remember.

Dining Room

This is the dining room. Matt's mom, Helene, helped us paint the walls, and we finally got shades for the piercingly bright gaudy gold "chandelier." The tall cabinet in the corner is a cheapo from Ikea that we bought for our last apartment because it had less cabinet space that our apartment before that. It is really an eyesore, I think, and I would prefer a buffet, but it will do for now. It holds cookbooks and less used appliances, such as the ice cream maker and popcorn maker. My dining room table is from my parents. My dad found it in a thrift store in MN and it has four leaves and came with the four chairs. We had 3 leaves in it the other night, fit 10 people, and it was great. It would actually be tight with another leaf, and I'm not sure my table cloth would still fit, now that I've washed it! Anyway...more rooms to come. :)

Our Bedroom

So, here's our bedroom...finished. That box with the pillows on it in the foreground has since been eliminated! It was the last box and its gone! I finally buckled and went through it even though it was Matt's stuff. I basically shoved it all in his night stand. I kind of want to paint the wall behind our bed the same red that is accented around the room. However, as excited as I am to be allowed to paint my walls, the thought of having to paint it back at the end of our lease is discouraging me.

Busy, Busy, Busy

So, we've been kinda busy, and the last few days have flown by. Matt and I were in California last weekend for a conference and a wedding, and Matt's installation is this weekend, so we are planning for that...being busy makes the time come and go. But, last week we had very nice weather and we walked to the mall, where I was unsuccessful in finding a dress for that wedding that I went to, but the kids were able to play in this great play area that they have in the mall. The next day Emma rode her tricycle to the gazebo, or "gabozo" as she called it. We tried for quite a few minutes to get that word right...it was so funny.

One Room Down

So, this is the girls' room, finished. That is, everything has a place and pictures on the wall. Our bedroom is basically done, also, unless I decide to paint one wall. I will post pictures of it when the large box with Matt's stuff in it is off the floor!

Swimming in Stuffed Animals

To all of you who have ever bought stuffed animals for my kids, thank you, BUT PLEASE, NO MORE! I admit that I, myself, have a thing for the soft, loviness of an unrealistic looking animal, but the maddness has got to stop! And why do I keep them, you ask, well because they're cute, and I have a dream that one day Emma and/or Siri will appreciate them and give them names and want to sleep with them. Every once in a while I try to weed out the animals that don't have any sentimantal value, however too many important people have chosen this gift avenue. Right now they are in a mound in their bedroom and the only playing that goes on is climbing on them...and I guess that's good, too!
Emma quote of the day: "Pirates wear underpants, right Mom?"

Emma's First Haircut

Before we moved to Maryland Emma received her first haircut!

Movin' In

Ok, I'll be honest, I am kind of a neat freak! When I packed up out stuff, back in NY, I put all the pieces of mail that needs attention, to-do lists, etc., in one spot so that I could continue life when we got here. However, I don't think I have opened that box yet! I need to go to the post office to get a package, but I don't want to leave the apartment yet...not unless it will be unpacked when I get back! Siri is not awake yet so I cannot tell you for sure, but its very possible that I will not be movitated enough to go on a walk!
The weirdest thing about unpacking is that there are some things that just will not find a home here. They had a place and belonged on a certain shelf or in a certain box in the old apartment, but they may not fit here. Then I have to find a spot, we'll call it the "refugee camp," to stack all of the homeless items until the essential items are placed first. Then we'll see if there is room for the "refugees" and if there is not, the trash/give away box will be their home. The sad thing is that this sounds a lot like the world.
But on a lighter note...I got a new dresser!