June: You Can't Always Get What You Want

We're well into July now. So much so that June almost seems like ancient history. It was a busy month to say the least. And to say that the weather was a disappointment may very well be an understatement. A separate Father's Day post is coming, with a guest author to boot. I'll cover everything else here.

Weekend one turned out to be a bake-a-thon for me. Back in the fall I was very involved in our church's services auction. In addition to writing and editing the catalog I donated some French pastry to the cause. The assistant minister turned out to be the highest bidder and much to my surprise wanted all three pastries offered on the same weekend. In order to facilitate this, Esmé spent a day at the temporary day care with whom Kristopher's company has an arrangement. I was apprehensive about her going there. Other than the occasional hour or so at the nursery at the gym, Esmé hasn't had too much exposure to that sort of thing. Well, she handled it like a champ. She walked right in, took the teacher's hand and hardly looked back to wave "bye-bye." She lunched, snacked, napped, painted and played.

Here's some eye candy, er, pastry...




The next week brought a visit from Nana. For the most part the weather cooperated and we were able to take in the Statue of Liberty and the zoo. A visit to Nonnie and Pop-pop was also on the agenda. Kristopher and I managed a night out as well.




Nana's visit led into Kristopher's stay-cation week which turned out to be a bit of a wash, unfortunately. At every turn we felt we couldn't win. If the weather wasn't foiling our plans, then it seemed the fates were. We attempted a day in Central Park only to find the parking situation so dire that we had to turn around and go home. Then, since Esmé kept talking about "riding the pony," we dashed off to the Turtleback Zoo only to find the gates closed earlier than expected. Esmé was so distraught. As we turned the car around she kept listing the animals she had hoped to see, "Otters, sob, birds, sob, piggies, sob, Esmé ride the pony, sob..." It was heartbreaking. So we took her to Petco, the poor man's zoo. It did the trick. "Look Esmé, hamsters!"

With more rain in the forecast Kristopher wound up working from home a few days in order not to waste his vacation days. Still determined to give the girl a pony ride and make up for the Petco fiasco, we did take a day to visit a new zoo, Van Saun Park Zoo. After confirming that kids as little as Esmé could take a pony ride, we cued up for the big event. The only requirement since she was under two was that one of us would have to accompany her in the rink. As we waited our turn we both started to notice the condition of the rink: an absolute sea of mud. The poor pony could barely lift his feet. The handler was in Wellingtons which were caked. I was wearing flip-flops. Kristopher, his leather Cole Haan loafers. Hmmm. Then I remembered that the zoo had a carousel. So, yes, once again we pulled a bait and switch on our daughter.



Fortunately she didn't seem to mind.

Apples & Trees

So yesterday morning after cleaning up the breakfast dishes I wandered into the living room to see what Esmé was up to. And this is what I found. Mind you, we don't make it a habit of keeping coasters on Esmé's play table. This means she had to seek one out. And who could blame her? I mean those sippy-cup rings are so unsightly. Much more troubling than crayon scribbles, that's for sure. Of course this gives me hope that her Elizabeth/Kristopher DNA will predispose her to all sorts of other tidy behaviors. I see a future of toilet lids left in the down position. Shoes thoroughly wiped on doormats. Napkins in laps. Sinks free of toothpaste blobs. Of course, I'm getting ahead of myself now.

Mother's Day, Memorial Day, etc.

Mother's Day was absolutely perfect. We spent the day in Brooklyn, first revisiting a favorite breakfast spot followed by picnicking in Prospect Park with the Klopfers and Grandma and Grandpa. A visit to the zoo and a spin on the carousel were also on the agenda. We finished up the day at another one of our old neighborhood spots, and somehow we still managed to squeeze in some gelato, too. Like I said, absolutely perfect.

Well if Mother's Day was a banner day for me, then I could only describe Memorial Day weekend as Esmé's dream weekend come true. Let's see... we had Sofia's birthday party combined with an Ethan and Ella sleepover. I mean what more could any little girl named Esmé Lilly Takacs want, besides, maybe an endless supply of snacks always within reach.

We kicked off the long weekend in true holiday fashion with a popsicle. This new experience wasn't lost on Esmé. She already loves ice. Now her world has expanded to include flavored ice. I mean... wow.



Sofia's party was a blast. It included friends both old and new and plenty of cake. Birthday cake. Cupcakes. Lots of sugary goodness. The rain held off and as soon as the festivities wound down, Ethan and Ella turned up, suitcases in hand.


We introduced the kids to English muffin pizzas– a concept that was a little old-school for them, I think. And finished out the night with a movie (Bedtime Stories) and popcorn. Ethan and Ella will remember their Aunt Lizzie fondly for her "popcorn blanket." For now it's a novelty, a big picnic blanket spread out on the living room floor where (and only where) they can munch away. Later they'll see it as one of the many manifestations of their dear old aunt's overly anal-retentive behavior. Oh well. At least my couch has lived to see another day fingerprint free.

Speaking of our couch, Kristopher re-staged the picture from our last sleepover in November. You can view the original here.



In the morning we walked to the diner for pancakes. Then burned off the excess sugar at the local park. The Klopfers and Grandma and Grandpa hit the Turtleback Zoo while Esmé recharged with a nap. Then we finished the day with dinner on the patio.

So it looks like the summer is off to a good start.

I'm a little teapot...

A few weeks ago we had a little tea party on the occasion of Ella's fourth birthday. Esmé saw to every detail, even the menu. There were heart-shaped sandwiches: cheese and cream cheese and jelly. A curly carrot salad. And sweet tea, of course. The girls wore tiaras and enjoyed chocolate cupcakes with whipped pink frosting for dessert. I kept it together despite the fact that food was being consumed in my living room by people who are not known for being able to locate their mouths on the first or even second or third tries. Both I and the living room survived. And a fun time was had by all. In fact, Ella invited us over to her house for a tea party, assuring us that her tea was quite tasty, "It tastes just like water," she said.



To file in the funny things Esmé says/does department... the other night I was warning Esmé to stay away from the stove because it was hot. Next thing I know she's standing in front of it, blowing madly. Naturally. After all, this is what we tell her to do when her food is hot.

All the live-long day

WARNING: the following post is for mature audiences only and contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Big news today. Esmé has successfully used the potty for its intended purpose. In other words, not as a hat, a place to hide her toys or as a means for climbing on things. Lately she's shown a lot more interest in actually sitting on her potty. The new ritual has been to sit on it after her evening bath while brushing her teeth/chewing her toothbrush. The toothbrush is how we bribe her to stay on the seat. Otherwise she hops right off with an "all done" before anything could possibly happen.

And to date, nothing has happened. However yesterday morning she started talking about "poo-poo on the potty." I sort of shrugged it off since, well, with a 20-month old you get a lot of that kind of potty talk. But then later she started in with "poop, poop," something she brings up when her diaper has become a hot mess. So assuming it was time for a change, I brought her upstairs. Before I could get her on the changing table, she made a beeline for the bathroom and started tugging at her clothes. It was then that it dawned on me. "You want to go poo-poo on the potty?" I asked. She responded with that "well, duh" look of hers. Quickly I popped her on the potty. Honored her request for verse after verse of "I've Been Working on the Railroad." All for about 20 minutes. Nothing happened. But it occurred to me that at the very least, toilet training has officially begun.

Then this morning came and again the potty talk. This time I didn't waste any time. I got her back in the saddle again. Found myself again belting, "Dinah won't you blow, Dinah won't you blow, Dinah won't you blow your h-o-r-n..." And wouldn't you know it, she peed. Right in the potty. I greeted this development with such glee that I think I might have frightened her a bit. And she was still rather stuck on the idea of "poo-poo in the potty." She's such an overachiever.
So proud!
But then she happily called Daddy to share the big news.

Easter, etc.

Now that we have a little person in the house I'm becoming more aware that holidays are no longer simply "deadlines" on the calendar by which time I need to have certain gifts purchased and cards filled out. No, now I need to start thinking about the build-up leading up to the holiday. I need to decorate, talk things up, get a general holiday buzz started around the house. For Christmas this was fairly easy. The tree sort of forces you to get in gear ahead of time. But Easter caught me off guard. I realized that we were sorely lacking in the Easter decoration department. Thanks to Nana we at least had baskets, but we needed something more. So here's our hommage to springtime in general and Easter specifically...



A wreath for the door. Esme calls the forsythia "schmee-schmah" which happens to be what she also calls our neighbor, Cynthia. You see the connection.








Some eggs that my mom and I painted. You can get the play-by-play here.












The basket Nana made for Esme last Easter.




Easter was a little touch and go for us. Esme was fighting a low-grade fever the days leading up to the holiday. Plus she was definitely experiencing some major tooth discomfort. I'd dare say the worst yet. The night before Easter she hardly slept at all and consequently we didn't either. She napped most of Easter morning, and we wondered if we'd even make it out of the house and down to Aunt Stephie's and Uncle Kevin's at all. We did fortunately, and Esme was able to join her cousins on the egg hunt...




Of the 100+ eggs hidden in the yard, Ethan naturally took home the lion's share.













Ella kept right up, though. Here she is hunting for eggs among the "schmee-schmah."














At times Esme seemed a little exasperated with us adults. Here we were gesturing wildly at these plastic eggs, forcing them into her little hands when there was a perfectly good swing set that needed her attention.





Though brisk, the day was beautiful. We enjoyed an excellent leg of lamb with roasted potatoes and asparagus. Mmmm.

Road Trip: D.C.

So we decided to take a road trip down to Washington D.C. En route we stopped in Dundalk, Maryland to visit with Ruth and Jay. Ruth fixed us a delicious lunch then treated us to an afternoon at the Baltimore Aquarium. Both were thoroughly enjoyed and much appreciated. Esme loved the aquarium as well as having the opportunity to get to know Ruth and Jay a little better.

We hoped that an afternoon strolling around the aquarium would land Esme squarely in the nap zone, and that she'd use the time in the car traveling to our next destination, our hotel in Alexandria, to catch up on some sleep. Of course Esme, as always, has her own agenda. Instead she thought the time would be better spent requesting and re-requesting and then re-re-requesting all the varieties of snacks I had neglected to pack. I finally appeased her with a piece of cheese which she decided made a better balm than mid-afternoon treat. By the time we'd reached the hotel she and her car seat were thoroughly lathered in cheese.

We had just enough time for a dip in the hotel pool before dinner. Dinner was at Hard Times, a restaurant recommended by D.C.-insider and all-around great gal, Christy. It really fit the bill. Kristopher and I dined on Texas-style Chili Mac with Cheese while Esme enjoyed the same, only hold the chili.



The silver-lining to Esme's lack of afternoon nap was the ease with which she fell asleep and then stayed asleep in her hotel crib. We all woke refreshed and ready to face the day and a packed agenda.


After breakfast we took the subway to the Mall where we headed straight for the Museum of Natural History. They have a hands-on exhibit which was perfect for Esme. Here she is exploring the inside of her daddy's nose and trying her hand at reptilian dentistry.


From the museum we headed back out to the Mall. Already we were impressed enough with Washington as a family destination that we resolved right then and there to make it an annual ritual. With that in mind, we snapped this picture.


Consider it the start of a new tradition.

Early April is the perfect time to visit Washington. Our visit happened to coincide with their annual Cherry Blossom Festival. And though we skipped the parade, we didn't want to miss the blossoms themselves, so we headed down to the tidal basin to take them in.
















From there we headed out to the National Zoo. We figured that a healthy dose of museum-quality stimulation and fresh air would inevitably lead to some sort of stroller nap come the afternoon. Though once again Esme proved us wrong, she was a trooper just the same and really enjoyed herself at the zoo. She was able to get quite close to a pygmy hippo as well as an orangutan. Upon coming face-to-face with the hippo, Esme seemed a bit frightened, though later she did ask for "more hippo" and even used the sign-language for "more," something she reserves for her most urgent requests, like snacks. Kristopher and I were quite taken by the pandas. And lions are always something to see.



We had read about a kid-friendly restaurant in the neighborhood called Lebanese Taverna, so we headed there next. We had a delicious dinner with lots of tasty mezza and kabobs and, of course, plenty of RICE.












Another good night's sleep and we were ready for some more sight-seeing. As we wanted to make it home by dinnertime we only had enough time for one monument. We decided to make it the National Cathedral. Before heading up there we hit our "usual" breakfast spot (usual in the sense we dined there Saturday as well). A good, diner-like meal could be had there, so it really fit the bill. Typically when we dine out Esme often finds the surrounding tables to be far more interesting than her own, and this meal was no exception. She was so taken by the table next to ours that eventually we all started chatting. As it turns out they were from Phillipsburg. They knew Kristopher's parents quite well. Small world.

So after a stop at the Cathedral it was north on 95 with a quick stop for lunch in Baltimore. As we pulled into the Inner Harbor, Esme started shouting "Fish!" So I guess the Aquarium did leave quite an impression on her. Once again our hopes for a car-nap were in vain. She did fall asleep once. For five minutes. Oh well.