Life, and All That Surrounds It

Bedtime routine is a really important part of my daily life as parent. It had never really all that important to me before Hannah. I'm someone who normally goes bed at a reasonable hour (10-11:30) but I had never had any sort of routine. I try to get to bed early (9) one night a week and I love staying up late occasionally if I get absorbed in a good book/movie/game/website.

But kids are creatures of habit and I've become a big believer in the theory that they do best when you set expectations and then meet them. Hannah is really incredible in that she can stay up late if we are out with friends but we sometimes pay for it a day or two later when she is out of rhythm and just not herself. She thrives when she gets to bed by 8:30 and will usually sleep until 7 in the morning (she also needs a solid 1 1/2 - 2 hour nap in the early afternoon).

We have pretty much settled on our bedtime routine that we try to follow as often as possible. Somewhere in the 7:30-8 range we give Hannah a bath and put on pj's (usually Dora pj's these days) and then we read books. We try to set limits on the number of books (usually in the 2-4 range depending on the length). After the books are read, she gets into her bed and we turn out the lights. It's an overall framework for bedtime but with a lot of variation (sometimes no bath, sometimes she falls asleep in the car if we've been out, sometime we read a dozen books).

At this point is the one part of the routine that almost never varies: we sing "Hush Little Baby" to her (we have memorized the lyrics so it doesn't matter that the lights are off). I'm not sure how we started on that, but it's become a standard. And we don't use the typical lyrics, we use a great version in a book that we have that is less materialistic that the original:

Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long

I wanted to record the lyrics here so we'll remember them years from now (and so you can sing to her if you are ever babysitting):

Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's going to show you a humming bird.

As that moon drifts through the sky,
Mama's going to sing you a lullaby.

I'm not sure how long we'll continue, but I have a feeling this routine will continue for years to come.

Posted by Pete at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hannah had a special treat this weekend as she got to hang out with all of her cousins. Jeanne's brother and his family were up from Texas and so we had extended family time on both Friday and Saturday (including her sister's family) . Liam and Maddox are 3 and 5, but Hannah tried to keep right up with the older boys and they were great to let her tag along.

We all went to the Boston Children's Museum on Friday afternoon which was great for the three kids to run around and get some energy out. The museum was less crowded than last time we were there (weekday vs. weekend) and Hannah was more comfortable with the exhibits because the older boys led the way showing her how things worked. She obviously couldn't do all the climbing and exploring they could, but she did her best to keep up and never got frustrated. It was really impressive seeing her take her cues from them but at the same time be able to know when she had had enough and move onto something else. This video of dancing to the lights on the floor shows her right in there for most of the time, but then getting tired before the boys are done:

Saturday was a gorgeous fall day and we spent hours outside playing in the leaves. The adults got the kids to build a scarecrow (although the adults were a little more into it than the kids) and Hannah got to jump in the leaves and enjoy fall for the first time. She seemed to love it (again because her older cousins were into it) although she immediately wanted to brush the leaves off her coat when she was done. She may be into outdoor play for a while but she is still a neat girl at heart.

I grew up seeing my cousins once or twice a year and we realized this weekend that Hannah will probably have the same experience. As long as we make the effort to get together regularly it will be great to see how they grow together. I'm sure she'll always be the younger cousin trying to tag along, but I have a feeling that she'll continue to be able to keep up enough for everyone to have a great time. At least until middle school when they'll want nothing to do with her for a couple years.

Photos from the weekend:

And here is another batch of pictures from last week including some great fall pumpkin shots:

Posted by Pete at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

5 years ago today Jeanne and I were married. Many of you were there to celebrate with us; many of you we've only gotten to know since (we would have invited you, honest). Our memories of that day are so wonderful. Despite the overcast skies that opened up to evening rain, the colors of the Vermont foliage were beautiful and provided a perfect backdrop and reinforced why we had chosen a fall Vermont wedding.

I'm not sure that we made any life predictions at the time, but I can't imagine that we knew what the next five years had in store for us. Moving from Brookline to Quechee and now back to Massachusetts our relationship has strengthened and grown as much as it has changed. Having Hannah around for the past 2+ years has changed everything, and yet as I look back at our time together B.H. (before Hannah) I realize that communication and openness were just as important for us then as they are today. It's just that today we have to compete for time to talk with a very vocal toddler.

I can't even begin to imagine what the next five years will be like, but I'm sure it'll continue to be fun and exciting. Who knows where we'll be living or working, how many siblings Hannah may have, or what our life will be like (thinking of a 7-year-old Hannah is really too much for me). Whatever the years bring, I am really looking forward to the ride.

So Happy Anniversary, Jeanne! I can't wait for the next five years!

Relive our wedding celebration with photos of that wonderful day:

Posted by Pete at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

One of the fun parts about living closer to civilization is all the kids activities that exist in the suburbs. It's not that we didn't have toddler activities in the Upper Valley, but the classes and services available in suburbia are at a totally different level. One of those activities is toddler sports.

The indoor soccer facility where I've been playing is about 6 minutes from our apartment and it turns out that they have toddler classes during the days. Since Hannah and Jeanne both have Mondays off they were looking for something to do and found a great activity for her.

The Lil Cubs Squeaky Sneaker program for 2- & 3-year-olds has a Monday morning class that Hannah and Jeanne have been going to for the past few weeks and having a blast. Each week is a different sport: soccer, football, tee-ball, track & field so far. Hannah has loved running around on the big field and once the weather gets cold it'll be a great way for her to get indoor exercise.

One of the things that has surprised us is that Hannah is one of the few kids who follows the directions of the "coach" when told to line up or sit in a row or wait her turn. She seems anxious to follow direction (something we give credit to daycare not to us) but doesn't seem surprised when most of the others just run around in circles. It's really fascinating seeing how good she can be when given direction (now if only she'd listen to her parents).

She was great at kicking the soccer ball; she learned to tuck the football under her arm while running with it; she managed to whack the ball off the tee and run generally towards a base (not necessarily first); and she learned shot put (with a tennis ball), discus (with a frisbee), and hurdles (with 3-inch foam obstacles) and we can't wait to see what is coming in future weeks.

With our interest in sports and general athleticism I have no doubt she'll be athletic in some capacity (although I am not looking forward to the endless dance recitals that I see in my future) and it's really fun to see this side of her coming out so young. Don't worry, we're not planning to be obsessive suburban parents pushing her to fulfill our longing for athletic achievement. Although if she wants to become the next tennis prodigy and carry her loving parents all over the world, who are we to get in her way

(The lighting in the facility is not conducive to good action shots, but we'll keep trying)

More photos from the past week:

Posted by Pete at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)