Halloween, take 1

Today we went to East Greenwich for some trick-or-treating along Main Street. The businesses there all offered candy for the kids in costumes. It was so fun! Diego was McQueen, Layla was a monkey, and Drew was Dr. Kardos :)

Afterwards, we went to see Diego's soccer game. Drew really wanted to PLAY soccer too. Once the game was finished, Diego, Drew, and Owen (friend from Drew's school who is on Diego's team) all played together. They were so cute.

The Country

We really do live in the country. This farm is in our backyard - literally. Sometimes we hike through the woods to see it. The owner told me she owns 48 acres of land back there. They sell fruits & veggies, flowers, pumpkins...and it operates on the honor system. What's that, you ask? Prices are labeled and you total up the costs and put your money in a tin can. They trust you! They trust me! It's so cool. I've recently become a regular there. Among my latest purchases: squash, tomatoes, scallions, potatos, a pumpkin. I intend to give them all of my veggie business. If you live nearby, check them out. They're on Lafayette.

Dean...

There are so many reasons why Dean fills my heart with happiness: he is so easy-going, so happy, loves to make others laugh, wears an enormous smile, and was my cuddler for the first 12 months. There's no denying that special bond we have from breast feeding. But I often wonder if part of why I feel so drawn to him is that he kind of looks like me :) And I know I get wrapped up in this looks thing quite often, but being adopted I've never seen a physical resemblance between myself and anyone. So, it's pretty huge. And I do love seeing myself in Dean. Regardless of why...my heart fills with love every time I think of him. Oooo...sweet child o' mine!



And on a side note...Dean walked across the living room today for the first time! GO DEAN!

Columbus Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend in New York. Our drive took 3-hours (not bad!) and despite the fact that it took us an HOUR to find a parking space, we ended up parked right outside Ingrid & Stephen's apt! We walked right into The Hideaway, and found Cheryl sitting at the bar. Yahoo! Ingrid, Stephen, Brett, Bram, and Caddigan were close behind. After a few drinks and delicious appetizers (including deviled eggs!), we hit the liquor store and went to the roof deck. It was a beautiful night. Erik came up to join us as well, bringing a lady friend, but wisely left before the "rock band" got out of control. Yes, Rock Band and Shut The Box sucked away many hours this weekend.

After our late night (bed at 3am!), we were lazy Saturday morning. However, we managed to pull ourselves together and stroll Canal Street...Soho...and back to Tribeca. Another beautiful Fall day in NYC. Can't beat it. On to a fabulous Italian dinner at Pepolinos, accompanied by Chris & Ruowen, where we indulged in more appetizers, tasty meals, and four fabulous desserts!

Later, at Tribeca Tavern, Dennis, Cheryl, Megan and friends met us for drinks. We really enjoyed seeing old friends...and appreciate everyone coming out to meet us.

I've already begun planning my next trip (in my head at least). I'm thinking...November?!?

Writing 101

Drew has begun writing letters. No, not the kind you'd send to grandma in Connecticut, but the kind you'd write to spell your name! And I couldn't be more excited or more proud. Last week he was playing with chalk on the side walk and made the following: D, M, W, O, Q and T. I can only assume this is from the wonderful influence of school (although it also probably developmentally appropriate and this random letter-writing may have occurred regardless) ~ making me love pre-school even more. He can't quite spell his name, but he's half-way there.

The steps of reading & writing according to Drew:
1. Recognize all capital letters and most lower case letters
2. Learn how to pronounce every letter
3. Learn words beginning with each letter
4. Recognize letters by sounding out words slowly
5. Begin writing letters

This is preceeding reading of course. I'm curious to track the development...what is leading to reading and writing. It's quite interesting to me! I bet this is pretty typical, but if not, please share your stories with me!

Pre-school genius

I struggled quite a bit getting used to pre-school. While it's true that DREW was adjusting well, I was not. It's not that I couldn't bare to have three hours apart from him (in fact, that was rather welcomed!), it's that I wanted to be REALLY sure that he was at the right school. As obsessive as I was when searching for a pre-school, I was equally crazed about whether I had chosen well.

I wondered...
Was Drew connecting with other kids? Making friends?
Was he engaging in the activities?
What was he choosing to do during the open play?
Did he participate in circle time?
Was he building relationships with the teachers?
Was he happy???

My concerns were all "normal"...right?

Well, we're about 4 weeks into it and I can tell you this: While he isn't sharing every detail of each day with me (which is hard for me to accept!), he has learned sooooo much.

*Yesterday at nap time I could hear him talking to himself:
"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...what day is today? I think it's Tuesday? Yeah, it is. It's Tuesday?" (It was actually Monday, but that's beside the point.)

*Although he already knew all the letters before he entered school, he now knows all the sounds and what words begin with each letter. At breakfast a week ago he said:
"I like apples. Apple. Apple begins with A. Aaaa... Apple."

*And one of the biggest changes is that he is interested in spelling things!! In the bathtub he'll take the bath-letters and put them together and sound them out. Often they don't really make a word, but we switch a few so they do and he'll sound it all out. LIKE READING!! It's pretty amazing.

*Finally, GOOD manners have been learned. The other night he actually brought his dish from the table to the sink. He asks for a paper towel if he spills something. And he is much better about cleaning up, respecting personal space, and putting things where they belong.

GO PRE-SCHOOL!!

Fall Fun

One cannot deny that autumn in New England ROCKS! Pretty trees and lovely temperatures aside, we've been having so much fun on our family outings. Trips to the zoo...dinners with friends...a visit to Edaville Railroad...and even a potluck dinner at Drew's school. Below are a few of MY favorite pics from the last few weeks.