Other things Norah goes to bed with

Norah has been slowly expanding her bedtime entourage. It started with only her fishy blanket dating back to her earliest days in the swing. The next addition was Fluffy the dog-rabbit from Kimball's ex-girlfriend. Then Lindsey forced Brennan bear into the crib to try and displace Fluffy after the breakup (but mainly because of a deep-seated hate for Fluffy, like unto her hate for time travel). Well, Norah wouldn't have it. Brennan bear got added to the family. Maybe more like a step child than a full-fledged member. Brennan bear is the one that Norah pats to sleep while we pat her to sleep but he doesn't end up in her arms when all is said and done. What really earned him his place in the crib was when he earned the purple heart by taking a full on attack of Norah vomit during her "cry-it-out" counter measures. The next one was Norah's modified "pacifier" that she started going to bed with. It's an Elmo toothbrush which probably doesn't constitute the safest thing you can put your child to sleep with but whatever works. That started after Lindsey and I were shamed by the hygenist for not brushing Norah's teeth enough. When we realized how much she loved the toothbrush we used it as a bribe to go to bed. Unfortunately, it's effectiveness is wearing off. The latest and greatest addition to her entourage was tonight when Norah chose to go to sleep with a bagel. She laid on top of it so we wouldn't steal it like we do her toothbrush half way through the night. Luckily, unlike Fluffy and Brennan bear it will always be easy to find more bagels.

Shave and a haircut...Two Bits

Roger Rabbit can't resist finishing this couplet even when it is most inconvenient for him. I have found that Norah has a similar compulsion when it comes to animal sounds. Norah had a particularly difficult time falling asleep the other night so I started reading books to her. One of her favorite books goes over all the animal sounds. As I read the animals that she knew she would stop crying just long enough to wimper through a "moo" for the cow and a "baa" for the sheep and certainly a "neigh" for the horse. I read the book several times because it was amusing and it made for some breaks in the crying. She eventually went to sleep with the book.

Christmas Pageant

The nursery children in our branch put on a very very short (in every sense) Christmas pageant for our Christmas party on Saturday. 

The Cast included:

Madeline:  Angel

Jalynn:  Mary

Graham:  Joseph

Tale:  Shepard

Roxy:  Shepard

Norah:  Sheep

Lincoln:  Donkey

Eli:  Star

After the pageant all the YSA’s put on a hilarious skit that spoofed the Old Spice commercial with Santa (David Hutchison).  Santa then came out and let all the pageant participants sit on his lap.  They all cried.  It was getting a little late.

First Snow

Our first snow came this year on December 1st and it has snowed about every other day since.  Norah likes the snow but finds her mittens to be very limiting.  I’ll have to take some pictures of Alpha Phi with snow.  I think the house looks beautiful in the winter.

Thanksgiving

We drove down to VA for Thanksgiving to visit Bryan’s family and my sister.  We couldn’t leave Alpha Phi until after 5 pm Wednesday so we drove down on Thanksgiving Day.  Norah happened to wake up at 3:30 am (shocker) so we put her in her car seat and took off.  We made great time and arrived in Ashburn at 10:00 am.  Even though we were very tired it was worth it to enjoy the whole day with Bryan’s family.  Norah with her Aunt Courtney who played with her all weekendNorah and I wearing our matching, door buster hoodies from Target on Friday.  I woke up at 4:00 am to go shopping with my mother in law who is the ultimate bargain shopper.  We had forgotten to pack Norah a coat (I know, what kind of parents forget to bring their child a coat right?) so Susan steered me over to these snuggly deals.  I did pack a coat for myself but decided I needed a hoodie anyway.  Saturday Courtney, Norah and I went to the Zoo with Ashley and Matt.  Bryan was super sick and spent most of the day sleeping.Ashley and Matt made us a delicious salad and burritos for lunch and then Norah and Matt talked on the phone for while and Norah tried on some of Matt’s hats. Okay, on the count of three lets both hang up at the same time:  1, 2,  . . .naw lets talk some more

Later that evening we listened to Christmas music and decorated the tree together.  Norah loved handling all the ornaments and taking them off the tree as put them on.

Camille Visits Ithaca

Last weekend (November 19th –21st) my cousin Camille came to visit.  I hadn’t seen her since before her mission in 2007 so it was wonderful to finally catch up.   

Friday

Camille flew a red eye into Syracuse Friday morning and Norah and I picked her up from the airport and took her straight to Palmyra.  We walked around the Temple and then headed to the Smith Family Farm where we had a private tour since we were pretty much the only visitors.  Walking up to the beautiful new farm house that Alvin Smith built for his parents

After walking through the Farm and Sacred Grove we visited the print shop where the Book of Mormon was publishedThen we finished with Hill Cummorah (notice Norah running around in the background)We didn’t have time to visit the Peter Whitmer farm but hopefully Camille will come visit again so we can go together. 

Saturday we went to the Farmer’s market, toured Cornell and looked at nearby waterfalls.

Camille and me with windswept hair in front of Ithaca Falls.  The coolest part about this waterfall is that it is right in the middle of Ithaca.  It is seriously across the street from Ithaca High School.  When I taught there I could here this waterfall from my classroom. Standing close enough to feel the sprayCamille standing in front of Buttermilk FallsCamille in Treman State Park.  In the summer they place a temporary dam to make this area a large swimming hole.  Where Camille is standing the water would probably be up to her shoulders.  Doesn’t that make you want to go swimming?  If it does maybe you should come visit us. . .

Goodnight Moon

Norah enjoys picking out books for us to read to her at bedtime.  There was a period when she consistently chose There’s a Wocket in my Pocket  and she also went through a Mama Do You Love Me? phase and while she still comes back to group of core favorites it isn’t noteworthy if they aren’t chosen either.  I’m starting to doubt whether there will ever be a day that we don’t read Goodnight Moon.  She never fails to reach for it and usually we read it several times.  She is paying close attention too because she points out the “young mouse” on every colored page in the book.  If you have copy – I challenge you to find the mouse.  I think you’ll be impressed with Norah’s careful eye.  Another little detail you may have missed is the large painting on the left side of the great green room.  It is a scene from from another treasured Brown/Hurd story.  These are very literate bunnies and they even have a copy of the same book on the book shelf as well as their own copy of Goodnight Moon on the nightstand.   

Waters Family Visit

Our friends Mike and Kari drove down from Syracuse with their little girls to visit us Saturday.  Even though it is getting chilly in Ithaca we spent our time outside at Taughannock and the Cayuga Nature Center.  It is wonderful to have them so close.  The trail was very muddy and it looked like the park service was in the midst of clearing away ruble on the trail from a mudslide.  Norah thought the mud puddles were great.I’ve never seen the falls with this much water.  We felt like we were being rained on standing here. 

Norelmo

We’re celebrating Halloween early this year.  Today is Cornell’s Trick or Treat Trail where the kids go trick or treating to all the Greek houses and we also have our Branch Halloween party.  It makes me feel like today really is Halloween especially since Halloween is on a Sunday this year.  I almost said “Happy Halloween” about 5 times today on our walk.  I dressed Norah in her costume this morning so I could take her picture outside before it rains, so without further adieu I give you . . . .NORELMO!

I finished her costume almost two months ago and she has been pulling it out and begging to wear it since.  She loves running around in it and looking at herself in the mirror.  We will probably never get so much use out of another dress up again!  I really hope her Styrofoam eyes last until the party tonight.  She loves sinking her teeth into them and she’s on her third pair.

Update:  Norah thoroughly enjoyed the Trick or Treat Trail.  At first when a sorority girl showed her a big bowl of candy Norah very quietly pick up pieces, looked at them and then put them back but once we showed her she was allowed to take the candy she was very excited.  Unfortunately she usually passed up chocolate for peppermint and butterscotch hard candies but we managed to guide her to better candy a few times.  Norah loved wearing her costume and would even turn and respond when people called out “Elmo” to her.  Here we are on the steps of Alpha Phi with our friends. 

From L to R:  Lindsey and Graham MacLennan, Lindsey and Norah Hicks, Hillary and Lincoln Jones.  Graham was “BatGraham” and Lincoln was James Bond. 

Monday in the Park

Left to Right:  Norah, Madeline, Tucker, Lincoln, Tale

NYC Revisited

The very little girl in this picture spent her Columbus Day weekend exploring a very big city.  Norah covered a lot of ground in her two day visit to see Christy and Jace.  This is Christy and Jace’s beautiful subway station.  And this is a glimpse of the beautiful park that is adjacent to their building.  Norah played at three different parks and theirs was the best.   This is a picture of Norah on a different playground in Central Park.  We chatted with a nanny while we were there.  She was pretty cool.  I asked her if she had kids and she emphatically said “no, I couldn’t be a nanny if I had my own kids.”  I commented to her that the moms must struggle with missing out on all the cute things their kids do and milestones etc and she said “no, they don’t.  They have no idea what they are missing so they don’t mind.”  She stressed that she loved all of her employers and had nothing but respect for them and just said things like “they just want different things.”  It was funny because as we chatted she started to include me a little in her comparisons of nannys to their employers (me being a nanny) and said things like “you and I” or “we (nannies plus me) just don’t care about prep schools.”  She even accompanied the family on vacations which she enjoys unless they are going to Colorado on Ski trips.  Wouldn’t be so cool if you could nanny your own kid (Moses’s mom did) and go on those vacations?  There are seriously nannies everywhere in NYC – and yes you can tell just by looking.  Bryan, Christy and Norah riding on the subway.  Norah thought the subway was awesome and preferred to stand on the floor (with support of course) like a surfer so she could fully enjoy all the turns and stops.  You may notice she has something in her hand – this is a piece of bagel.  A few moments before this picture she tried repeatedly to share it with the person sitting next to me.  He was wearing a hoodie (hood on) and had his head bent down and didn’t look up the entire time.  Norah kept trying to get his attention but he just ignored her.  She eventually finished the bagel herself.    The Brooklyn Bridge.  I’ve always wanted to walk on it and I finally did.  It really is impressive.  I can’t get over that this bridge was intended for carriages.Norah loved running all over the deck of the bridge and was either “playing peek a boo” or “where’s Norah” in this picture.  Norah consulting Christy’s guidebook After walking on the bridge we walked on the promenade, stopped at a park and then headed for Chinatown where we met up with Jace.  Jace ordered us a fabulous lunch in Cantonese which we attempted to finish and then walked off.  We stopped by the Apple Store on 5th Ave. on our way home.

Norah loved the Natural History museum.  There was plenty of space for her to run around and she enjoyed looking at all the animals.  Norah attempting to climb up this pyramid to get the ball Christy and Jace in the Roosevelt Rotunda After the Natural History museum we ate at the Shake Shack and Norah attempted to drink Ketchup After playing at the park by Christy and Jace’s building on Sunday and Monday, Norah had a hard time understanding why it was closed to her on Tuesday.  Even harder to explain to her was why it was still full of children.  Norah watched helplessly as other children played on the slides and swings without her. Still she remained composed as she tried to problem solve.  Then these kind little girls came over and told her that she could come and play after 3 when school was over. But it was no use.  She was devastated.  On the bright side she fell asleep as soon as she was in her car seat and slept half the way home.  Oh and I bought that cute handbag on Canal street in New York.  I heart NY