Circa Halloween

Since we were in Turks and Caicos for Halloween, we were unable to partake in any of the usual NYC festivities.  I was especially bummed about missing the Cobble Hill Park Halloween Parade - which is only a few blocks away from our house.  Violet did however get to attend the party at her daycare, which took place the Friday before Halloween. The kids all dressed up in cute outfits (kudos to the mom who dressed her baby as a burrito), carved pumpkins, wrapped each other in toilet paper and baked cookies.  Here are some snapshots from what looked like a very fun day!

In keeping up with tradition, we also went over to Kazhdanchik's house, a few weeks after Halloween, and took pictures of Audrey and Violet in their costumes.  Here are a few more pics:

In a somewhat related note: someone (Lana Weissbard a.k.a Lana Vaynshteyn) recently told me that I have gotten lazy and instead of writing started to mostly post pictures.  This is probably true for multiple reasons, with one being that is is much easier to take pictures than it is to come up with stuff to write about.  The second reason being that I want to reach my 400 page goal before I turn 90.  For those counting, the page total is now 120, which is pretty sad considering that I have been writing for over two years and the last 15 pages are filled with pictures.   

Not Quite Rapunzel

On Saturday, November 19th, I finally bit the bullet and took Violet to get her first haircut.  I can't quite explain it but parting with her first baby hair made me really emotional.  Even though the woman at Mini Max Toys & Cuts barely took off half an inch it was still sad to see those first brownielocks go.  These are the same little curls that were in my womb, and according to my grandma, giving me all that heartburn.  The process itself went smoothly and Violet even got to sit in a little NYC taxi cab chair and watch Dora the Explored on her very own personal TV.  Kids have it good!

Updating the Dictionary

Violet has been repeating anything and everything lately.  Here are some new additions to our little dictionary.

Ya-yet - This is actually Violet and she recently started to say it when you ask her what her name is
Pool - She would say this on vacation when we asked her if she wanted to go to the pool or to the beach
Shoes- she loves wearing my heels around the house
Apple- she is obsessed with apples and can eat them all day long.  Pineapples are also a top choice since they contain the word apple
Plov/Pasta/Pizza - All her favorite foods (or maybe just those she can pronounce)
Da - This is her word for Dora.  Yes, that's very confusing for us since it also happens to be the Russian word for yes.
Doggy- each one has to be pointed out along our walks
Dyadya and Tyotia - The Russian words for aunt/uncle or anyone of the human race.
Kaki? - She tends to say it as if she's asking a question, but it's usually said after the act is done.  Maybe she is asking us if we're interested in changing her diaper?
Elmo/Bird - this refers to the image of Elmo and Big Bird on her diapers
Juice or Pit'- She is a big fan of drinking from adult glasses (not sippy cups) and by that I mean that she is a big fan of pouring liquids all over herself.

Terrible 2's?

Hello terrible 2's, you're here early!  Violet has figured out that in order to get her way all she has to do is scream, stomp her feet and start throwing food around.  Oh, the fun begins!

Turks and Caicos

Nestled between Hispaniola and the Bahamas, you will find the islands of Turks and Caicos.  The British owned islands are easily the best thing to come from Britain since fish and chips.  After a very short and easy three hour flight, you will find yourself in a magical paradise where the sand is white as snow and the water is the bluest blue.  My favorite beaches so far have been in places that are pretty much near impossible to reach (see: Formentera and Labadee) so I was ecstatic to find this little piece of heaven just a hop and a skip away.

It wasn't just the gorgeous beaches, but also our fantastic accommodations at Seven Stars Resort.  From the romantic room with the four post bed and gorgeous ocean views, to the service, to the food, everything was absolute perfection.   It's one of the very few places I would return to in a heartbeat.  Violet was also a huge fan of the trip and was on her very, very best behavior. We had a great little routine that went something like this:

6:45am - Wake up for ALL.  Violet was our alarm clock and made sure no one dared to sleep in.
7:30am - Dressed and ready, we ventured out to the beach for our morning walk

8:30am - Breakfast Time.  Watermelon was Violet's favorite

9:30am - Pool...Beach...Pool...Beach...Pool.....tough life....

11:30am - Violet takes a nap while Gene and I enjoy some cervezas on the balcony

1:00 pm - We walk or take a cab to one of the many tasty restaurants on our list of recommendations.  Violet was even brave enough to try Conch Fritters.  If you haven't tried Conch, think escargo meets squid.

3:00pm -  Pool...Beach...Pool...Beach...Pool...

5:00pm - Head back to our room and get ready for dinner, which we only ate a few times on the trip, since we were so stuffed from lunch.  

6:00pm - Dinner 

8:00pm - Violet goes to sleep as Gene and I enjoy more drinks on the balcony and ultimately pass out before 10pm.