Spring is finally here!

Next Stop: Imagination Station

Violet (to me): Lay down baby.
Me: Umm, okay.
Violet: I am going to change your diaper.

Imagination or foresight?

One way ticket to Loserville, please.

We actually did it. We took a day off (an actual vacation day!) to run errands.  Can someone please paint a big LOSER sign on my forehead?  The big day is next Thursday and the big errand is clothes shopping for Gene.  Once a young twenty three year old wearing graphic Express t-shirts and now a mature sexy (almost) thirty year old with dark wash Joe's jeans.  Something tells me this trip won't be so bad.  He keeps reminding me that the purpose of this trip is for me to help him shop, but I might have to make one tiny little peek into Barneys (and Saks...and Jimmy Choo...).  I am so excited about my his shopping trip!

Bedtime Stalling 101

Typically I don't post other people's blog posts but this was so accurate that I had to share. After a little editing to make it reflective of a typical night at the Klayman home, I present to you: Bedtime Stalling 101.

LESSON ONE: MAKE CHANGING INTO YOUR PJS AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE

Run around the house at full speed. If a parent catches you, go completely limp so that you weigh 1000 lbs. If mom or dad succeeds in getting your clothes off, do not let that deter you from making a quick getaway and running around fully naked.

LESSON TWO: A SUDDEN APPRECIATION FOR DINNER

This tactic is best carried out if you have a long established behavior of “not eating”. This way, when you show a sudden interest in nourishment at exactly the same time your parents start the bedtime process, they are genuinely torn between their desire to get you into bed and their fear that you might starve to death.

LESSON THREE: BOOK NEGOTIATION

When it comes to selecting books for bedtime stories, try standing frozen in front of your bookshelf, unable to make a decision. You can also attempt to renegotiate your allotted number of books. If your parent says you can have two, ask for three. If they say three, ask for four. The important thing is to never be satisfied. Lastly, pick the longest book possible or if you are feeling extra daring, pick the book with 100 “look and see” flaps. Those things take FOREVER.

LESSON FOUR: ENGAGE & AMAZE

All day, your parents have been trying in vain to talk to you, to get you to smile for the camera, to count to ten, etc. but you have ignored them. Now is your time. Put on your most devoted smile. Conjure up every word in your vocabulary and try to start an actual conversation. Sing a song. Say “I love you”. Your goal is to make it as tough as possible for your parent to walk away.

Birthday at Little Seeds!

Daddy's Girls

Breakfast of Champions

Happy 3rd Birthday Violet!

Violet,  even though you are only 3 years old, you are already the kindest and most understanding person we know. Your hugs, kisses and I love you's are our life's most precious moments.  May you always have something to smile about and may your happy days far exceed your sad ones.  You have made us so proud and we want you to know that no matter what you do, we will always love you, encourage you, support you and be proud of you.  Thank you for showing us the world through your eyes and thank you for always telling us that we're your best friends.  We love you cookie and can't wait for the adventures in store for us.

Life Lessons (by Gene Klayman)

Setting: We just finished dinner and we are sitting around the kitchen counter chatting and getting ready to eat dessert.  I give Violet about 15 chocolate covered raisinets, which she immediately begins to devour.

Me: Violet, can I have one?
Violet: (covering her plate with her hands in an attempt to hide her chocolate treasure): No, I can't give you one.  I have very little.
Me: Awww, but I really want to try it. Just one?
Gene: Violet, if you share with mommy, I will give you more.
Violet: (hesitantly gives me one raisinet)
Me: Thanks for sharing Violet.  That was really kind of you.
Gene: See, you were nice and shared with mommy and now you get more raisinets. (proceeds to give her 5 more raisinets)
Violet: (continues to munch on her treats)
Gene: Can I have one?
Violet: (excited at the thought of getting more raisinets, she happily gives Gene one) OK, now I need more.  I was a good girl and I shared.
Gene: Sorry Violet, you don't get any more.
Violet: But I shared!
Gene: Yes, but that doesn't mean you will always be rewarded for your kind actions.  Sometimes you will and sometimes you won't, that's just life.  There will be moments when it will eat you up and spit you out kiddo.
Me: (uncontrollably laughing)
Gene: What?  She has to learn at some point.
Me: Yeah, 3 is a good age.

Tune in next week as Gene teaches our kids that bad things do happen to good people.

Baby Tipping

Yes, just like cow tipping, but way more fun.  I can't stop laughing when I watch this video. Does that make me a bad parent?

Violet Klaymandinsky

Tee hee. See what I did there with the title?  OK, so Jackson Pollock she is not, but we are very proudly hanging her art along the walls of our very cramped apartment.  A few more of these bad boys and we will have to start thinking of ways to utilize our ceiling for additional space.  My favorite piece is the black sun in the lower right hand corner. When I asked her why the sun was black, she said, "Mommy, it symbolizes the darkness we see even in the brightest of life's moments."  Actually, she said, "I like black." Honestly, I was just glad she wasn't under the impression that she is filling our house with esoteric neo-Nazi symbols.

Spring is here!

Anticipating a sunny Spring weekend, we packed our bags and headed to Long Island for a little three day getaway.  

Ivy, hold on tight!

Hither Hills Playground

Quality beach time with Ivy (I love that you can see my hand in the sunglasses)

 Hi ya Barbie!  Wanna go for a ride?

Milkaholics

 Breakfast (bacon, bacon and more bacon)

Pleasing Gene 101

Bliss