cincinnatalie

Colin's First Day of Preschool

2010-09-15T20:32:00.002-04:00

Monday was Colin's first day of preschool this year. An old pro after last year, he bounded into the room and went straight over to the play kitchen, where he announced to the instructor's assistant that the kitchen "needs a cutting board."

2010-08-13T22:06:00.006-04:00

Last week we took the boys to Toys R Us, and while playing at the train table that of course is not even as good as the one we have at home, but yet seems much more exciting to Colin, I noticed these Early Engineer trains.

So now I know what Graham will be getting for his birthday.

Pictured here is Rosie, who is one of my favorites because A) She is female, and B) She has such a mad crush on Thomas, which mostly seems to go unrequited.

But back to Graham. I'm struggling a little because Colin's obsession with Thomas has bled over to both of his parents, and we all LOVE Thomas. But what if Graham wants to like something else? Is a love of Thomas predestined? What if Graham decides to like something really lame, like Dora the Explorer, or super annoying, like The Wiggle s?

Hoss

2010-08-05T22:08:00.001-04:00

CR_KCPortrait-424, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

My boy is big. I just weighed him, and he's 23 pounds. He's actually taller than he is chunky.

He's a baby; I think his little fat dimples are adorable. But tonight at Graeter's, I heard a dad point him out to his kids and call him a "hoss."

I don't know; I'm OK with someone he knows calling him a name that's meant to be a dimunitive. But a stranger calling him "hoss?" I'm not sure.

That's alright; by next year he will beat the CRAP out of anyone who calls him a name.

The Wedding Video

2010-07-31T21:20:00.001-04:00

DSC_0026, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

We just celebrated our sixth anniversary. Normally, you might watch your wedding video on that day, but not us. Why not? Because we watch the wedding video EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

That's right. Colin is obsessed with the wedding video. From the brides' preparations to the guests arriving to the dancing, and everything in between, he's seen it all, probably hundreds of times.

He likes to recognize people, laugh at Boppy's jokes during the welcome, or Uncle Bill's jokes during the toast. He also loves to watch Mommy dance to Brick House (I won't say having your preschooler watch you dance over and over is not a tad bit creepy), and he also, apparently, has every song from the reception memorized, which we realized tonight when he heard "Let's Hear it for the Boy" and immediately recognized it as "from the wedding video!"

Learning about Geography

2010-07-26T21:59:00.002-04:00

Colin is, on some level, grasping geography. He likes to talk about how Nana and Boppy live in Ashland, Kentucky, and Uncle Davey is in Lexington, Kentucky. Every river is either the Ohio River, or the Colorado River. The beach is in South Carolina, and the Island of Sodor is across the ocean.

And then there's Indiana. In Indiana, you can see the real Thomas, and you can buy fireworks. That's not to be confused with India, where his "Auntie Andrea" lives.

July 4 parade

2010-07-19T16:01:00.001-04:00

IMG_3914.JPG, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

What is more patriotic than signing a petition on Independence Day?

Graham's First Snow

2010-01-07T21:32:00.001-05:00

IMG_3007.JPG, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

In my umpteenth attempt to start blogging again, here is a pic of Graham's first snow angel! It snowed 4 inches or snow in Cincinnati today. Graham seemed to like the snow, but only for a few minutes. By the time I got out the Flip video, Graham was crying so loudly it drowned out the audio of Colin playing.

One of "Those Parents"

2009-05-19T20:58:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine was joking on her Facebook status about how boring her kids’ soccer practices are. I replied, “Do you really have to go to every practice these days?”

Someone replied, “Sadly, where we live, if you don’t stay you’re one of ‘those parents.’”

I’m THAT parent. I plan on dropping my kid off at soccer practice (not when he’s three, because I think three-year-old soccer is a bit much. But when he’s six, and I have to run an errand, I will.)

I love my son. If I didn’t love kids, I wouldn’t be having another one in November. And I care about his safety, but I also think you can’t keep your kids in a bubble.

My parents were in town today, and we went to Burger King. A dad there wouldn’t let his six-year-old boy play in the indoor playplace because he is a self-described “hypochondriac.”

I happily enjoyed watching my 2.5-year-old son, Colin, climb up as far as he could, and then almost get stuck, and then ask for help getting down. I didn’t sanitize his hands on the way out.

Finding My Voice

2009-05-18T20:00:00.001-04:00

So, my boss thinks I should start “really blogging.” And by really blogging, I guess he means more than every two months or so. It really doesn’t make sense why I’m not already blogging. I love to communicate. I have a lot to say. I microblog all day long on social networking sites (except during work hours, naturally). And, I’ve always wanted to be Kathleen Parke r when I grew up.

But where do I start? I decided that the first step was just to just type down my thoughts, and see where my streams of consciousness might lead me. Do I want to write about my daily life as a mom? Should I just ramble on about current events, and offer my political/ironic/petty/insightful take on the news of the day? Is there anyone who would be interested in both?

We’ll see where this goes, if anywhere. We’ll see if I can keep this up, even for a week. Day one, check.

Colin Cuddles with Thomas Magazine

2009-03-19T12:51:00.001-04:00

Colin Cuddles with Thomas Magazine, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Colin loves everything Thomas, including his magazine subscription that Aunt Cathy got him for Christmas. He can only have magazines in his bed since he likes to rip books if he's in his crib.

The other night we found him like this, clutching to the magazine. (It was dark; this is flash.)

Colin Enjoys Some Light Reading

2009-03-06T21:56:00.002-05:00

"Tribes" by Seth Godin. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my nightstand. Colin decided he'd like to read it and started it tonight. He grabbed it and said, "I read a book," proceeded to open it to a page with a header that had "C" for Colin, and he was sold.

Sunset

2009-03-02T20:51:00.002-05:00

Sunset, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Our photos from the Nicaragua trip are up and on flickr. I'm probably still going to do a major digest version, but it might be a while. :)

Lago Colcibolca, Nicaragua 2009

2009-02-20T20:12:00.001-05:00

Nicaragua 426, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

We just returned from a two-week visit to Nicaragua. I'm in the process of editing the photos to a manageable number that folks might want to see. I'll post them when I have them.

We had another great trip, and Colin had a great time with his grandparents. Hasta pronto.

Christmas Morning--Train Mania!

2009-01-02T21:41:00.002-05:00

The video speaks for itself.

Elmo Slippers

2008-11-20T22:10:00.001-05:00

DSC00481, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Colin insists on sleeping without shoes and socks. Fine at night, but not for naptime when he's wearing regular clothes. So, we tried Elmo slippers. Nana bought them; GaGa got him to wear them. But, he still wont' wear them to bed. Oh well!

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

IMG_3433.JPG, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Colin the Monkey hopes you'll check out his slideshow of pics from Halloween 2008.

Colin Builds Monkey at Kate's Birthday Party

2008-10-26T11:16:00.002-04:00

IMG_3211.JPG, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Kate celebrated her third birthday with a Build-A-Bear party. Colin created a Lumberjack Monkey that he named "Ee-ee."

You can view all of the photos from flickr.

Another Cute Pumpkin Pic!

2008-10-05T22:53:00.001-04:00

DSC00367, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Until I get all of these photos reorganized, this will have to do.

Down on the (Pumpkin) Farm

2008-10-05T22:51:00.001-04:00

DSC00389, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

I'll post some more links later, but we had a lot of fun this weekend at two different farms celebrating fall and all things pumpkin.

Colin's Birthday

2008-10-05T22:50:00.001-04:00

IMG_2907.JPG, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

So, I'm trying to catch up and meanwhile switching back to Flickr for photos (yes, you were right, Matt Chandler), but here's a cute snapshot from Colin's birthday.

Colin Celebrates Birthday with his Crossroads Friends

2008-09-19T21:28:00.002-04:00

From Colin Celebrates his Birthday with his Crossroads Buddies

Mommy brought cupcakes into Colin's daycare at Crossroads this week to celebrate his birthday with all of his friends. Daddy came, too. You can see all the pictures if you click on the big one. Pictured here is Colin's class and the preschool class, and baby Cate is in the background. Brady had already gone home for the day.

Colin Starts Busy Saturday with the Wall Street Journal

2008-09-07T15:41:00.003-04:00

From Colin reads the WSJ

Colin had a busy Saturday, reading the Wall Street Journal, then going to the zoo with Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Laurie and finally heading to church and then out to Noodles and Company for some mac and cheese. The link to the album is on the big pic; for some reason the formatting isn't working correctly if I link the thumbnail photos.

Colin's Latest

2008-08-29T19:06:00.004-04:00

From Colin Late Au...

Even though Colin is with my parents right now, I thought I'd share a few recent photos. First, Colin is with his buddies Jacob and Ethan (left to right) for a backyard swim party. The other photos in this album showing one of our weekend rituals: going to Country Fresh Produce, where he insists on taste testing an apple. He says "apple" the second we hit the parking lot. Finally, he's out for a ride in his dump truck.

Colin Learns to Spit

2008-08-22T22:18:00.002-04:00

From New Album 8/2...

Out of all of the things Boppy has taught Colin, from dance moves to "driving cars," the most practical one is probably the all-important boy skill: the art of the spit. Colin, who enjoys teeth brushing as long as he's in charge of it, just recently added spitting to his regimen, thanks to Boppy's modeling.

Elmo is Not Meant to be Eaten

2008-08-15T22:07:00.002-04:00

From New Album 8/1...

Grandma brought Colin an Elmo cupcake after dinner. At first, he wasn't sure what to think. Then, when he realized that Elmo was chocolate cake under the icing, he got excited. But, once the cupcake was gone, Colin said, "Eh-oh Elmo. Go?" Which meant, "Where did Elmo go?" And then he started crying. That's the last Elmo cupcake.

Yum....Brownies!

2008-08-13T21:32:00.002-04:00

From New Album 8/1...

Colin visited Grandma's recently, where she let him help her make brownies, just like his daddy used to do. I think Colin is sold on the merits of baking. Here are some other fun pictures from the same day. You can click on the picture above to visit the album.

Playgroup at Brooklyn's

2008-08-01T15:38:00.004-04:00

Colin went to Brooklyn and Lincoln's house for playgroup this morning. He never got around to swimming, but he did enjoy eating (of course) and playing on the swingset and in the sandbox. You can see more pictures here.

Roman's Birthday

2008-07-28T16:04:00.002-04:00

Colin's buddy Roman just celebrated his second birthday at his house. Roman, like his daddy, is already an amazing cook, as shown here. He also knows how to get down to Stevie Wonder. Colin, at 22 months, isn't far behind Roman in his talent development, I'm quite sure.

Popsicles

2008-07-18T14:03:00.002-04:00

Colin really like popsicles. The other day, he got one that was so big, he had to hold it ON the popsicle, because the wooden stick was too far down. Enjoy the frozen goodness.

Colin's Haircut

2008-07-11T21:59:00.003-04:00

Colin got a new haircut today at Cookie Cutters. Between his sucker, Elmo video and pink car (his choice), he barely noticed. We had to take off his shirt to dust off all of the hair.

Colin and Coke

2008-07-10T20:17:00.002-04:00

Colin loves Coke. Of course, he's never even tasted it.

I don't know what it says about Mommy and Daddy, but he can't get enough of Diet Coke cans, two-liter bottles and 20 oz-ers. He also likes to take them out of the 12 packs and create towers with them. Here he is with one of his latest creations.

Sweet Baby Girl Carter Caroline

2008-07-10T20:11:00.003-04:00

I visited sweet baby Carter Caroline today. She slept the whole time, and Rebecca looked amazing. I got Carter a onesie that said "I wanna rock and roll all night and potty every day."

If you want to see more pictures, check out my facebook page, or email me and I'll send them.

Kate's Latest Pics of Colin

2008-04-05T14:18:00.003-04:00

colin308-55, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Our friend and professional photographer, Kate, took some photos of Colin hanging out in Adventure Club at Crossroads. You can view them all if you go to flickr.com/nataliehastings. You can check out Kate's blog here.

This Little Sailor Loved His Easter Basket

2008-03-30T09:32:00.002-04:00

IMG_1861, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Colin LOVED the wiffle balls he got in his Easter basket last weekend. I think he liked them more than his sailor suit...I finally got all of the photos up on flickr.

Colin Enjoys a Chocolate Sucker

2008-03-28T16:06:00.003-04:00

Okay, I'm mostly just testing out how video will work on here...but Colin is indeed enjoying a chocolate sucker. Or is it a lollipop? I'm not sure how you define it. It's more just chocolate on a stick. It came in his Easter basket, and it was messy.

St. Patrick's Day parade

2008-03-16T23:24:00.001-04:00

03-15-08 220, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

I went to Chicago this weekend and hooked up with my long-time friend Aparupa, who is moving back there after B-school. We got to see the river green (sort of) and saw the St. Patty's Day parade.

It's amazing how everyone is Irish in mid-March. Even Barack Obama, and a little Chinese boy we saw with his Ireland flag.

Here we are sitting precariously on a construction road barricade watching the parade.

Birthday Parties are Yummy!

2008-02-25T14:10:00.002-05:00

IMG_1307, originally uploaded by ilovefab4.

Colin attended Brooklyn's second birthday party and thoroughly enjoyed his chocolate cupcake.

In fact, he had a piece of Elmo cake, a chocolate cupcake AND he tried to eat Mommy's cupcake.

Fun at Recreations Outlet

2008-02-06T21:29:00.001-05:00

Colin and his playgroup checked out Recreations Outlet a few days ago.
It's a swing set showroom, so we brought the outdoor fun inside.

The swing sets themselves are hilariously ridiculous, with most of them selling for 6 to 10 grand ON AFTER-HOLIDAY clearance. I think Colin can have a nice metal swing set with a climbing dome.

At the Children's Museum

2008-01-18T14:36:00.000-05:00

Jeff and I took Colin to the Duke Energy Children's Museum on a Saturday recently. They have this infant garden where they literally gate the kiddos in, and there's a gatekeeper to make sure no one crawls or runs his way out.

I was showing Colin how some of the playground stuff worked (sadly I still fit in it).

Otter's Totterville

2008-01-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

...or whatever it's called. Since I'm trying to get this going, I'm going to borrow from my photo archives from the last few months. This is Colin with buddies Brooklyn and Jackson (and Emma in the back) enjoying the water table at Otter's Totterville or Totter's Otterville, whatever the place is called.

Colin drank so much water, and poured so much on himself, that I had to remove all of his clothes and let him run around naked and beg an employee to dry his clothes in the industrial dryer.

Luckily, this place is in Kentucky, so the no shoes, no shirt, no service rule didn't apply.

The End of an Era

2008-01-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

Last week, I turned in my VW Beetle, Daisy, for a 2008 Ford Escape...in Kiwi Metallic, of course. When I bought that car in July of 2002, I could never have imagined that within four years I'd be married with a child. So, I didn't consider how having a tiny trunk and two doors might not be the best decision. Besides, I HAD to have one.

Well, after 15 months of cramming Colin in and out of the back seat, I decided it was time to "grow up." Kind of like switching my email to one with my name instead of "ilovefab4," it's just one of those inevitabilities of getting older, I guess. But no more mature, I promise.

At any rate, this awesome guy at my church named Mike who owns a Ford dealership totally hooked me up. After leaving 3 other dealerships in tears, it was an amazingly positive experience buying from his dealership. Here you can see me turning over my keys to him, and him giving me the new keys.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-10T11:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I still need to figure out the formatting, but here are some pics from Christmas. Colin loved wrapping paper, Christmas trees and cookies. Presents he couldn't care less about. You'll also see my friend Natalie's new baby, Park.