M A R E N...that spells Maren!

Maren is my bright little star!  She is learning her letters so quickly.  This past week she finally wrote her name (a little help with the N) and I couldn't be more proud!  For her birthday, I bought her a Kumon Uppercase Letters workbook, which has been very helpful and fun.  A long time ago, we got into the habit of singing,"M A R E N...that spells Maren" to the tune of "Frere Jacques."  We tried doing the same to the tune of "Bingo," but it never stuck.  Anyway, singing your child's name to the tune of a song works wonders.  Maren could tell you how to spell her name since she was two.    

The first letters Maren learned to write were M O and Q.  So I get plenty of cute little notes with MOM written all over them.  

On another note, we love Megamind.  So many good quotes (and good music).  Today Maren and I went on a walk/tricycle ride and she was driving like a maniac.  I told her she was nuts.  She replied, "Oh Minion, you're such a pill."

NYC/10 year anniversary

Originally, Chris and I were planning to spend our 10 year anniversary (yikes...where has the time gone?) in Vermont, but sickness and a blizzard hindered that arrangement. Fortunately for me, Chris started a new project in New York working at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. I jumped on the opportunity to make a weekend visit.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
30 Rock Christmas Tree
Central Park
Upper West Side...we loved walking through christmas trees and smelling pine
My favorite...Pearl Soho

Statue of Liberty

i AM three!

Happy Birthday, Maren! (Even though you have been insisting that you are three for the last six months.) We celebrated yesterday with a mini party - just the three of us. Today Maren told me, "And you want a kid - a new one. Because I am grown up." We love our big, grown up girl. Life is so much sweeter with her around.

dog face

Maren: What does beautiful mean?

Mom: It means pretty.

Maren: I think you're pretty, mom.

Mom: Oh, thanks Maren. I think YOU are pretty!

Maren: I think you are pretty like a dog.

Mom: hmm...

boo!

reading with grandma

Harpers Ferry

While Christian's parents were in town last week, we visited Harpers Ferry in West Virginia. I thought I was just checking off another civil war site by visiting the home of John Brown's raid...I didn't realize that so much more history surrounds the town.

• visited by George Washington on his very first surveying expedition at the age of 17
• home of Jefferson Rock
• was the starting place of the Lewis and Clarke expedition.
• was the site of three Civil War battles, the major one involving over 30,000 troops on both sides which resulted in the largest surrender of US troops until Bataan in WWII
• confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers
• part of the Appalachian Trail
• and more

It was also totally gorgeous. It is now one of my new favorite historical spots.

E is for Egg

Maren LOVES preschool. We like all the kids in our group and it is really fun to see what little projects the other moms have come up with. Maren always looks forward to Tuesday mornings (and of course, I do too). I was dropping her off at "school" this morning and hadn't even gotten her out of the car yet when she started this conversation with me.

Maren: Have a good day!

Me: Can I at least walk you to the door?

Maren: Hmmm...

We walk a few steps.

Maren: Have a good day at home!

Me: Okay. You have a good day at school.

We had preschool at our house last week. Each week, the mom in charge focuses on a new letter of the week. And as you can see from our little egg in a frying pan, our letter was E. We also learned "Itsy, Bitsy Spider," "Three Little Ghosties" and "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" with monkey puppets. We read The Wheels on the Bus and Life-Size Zoo. We played with shaky eggs, pattern blocks and this matching game. And lots, lots more.

artist at work

VA State Fair

Last weekend, our family went to the VA State Fair to see Chris's cousin win the giant pumpkin contest. 1019 pounds! That's right, over one thousand pounds. My heart was beating pretty hard when they put that huge pumpkin on the scale. Totally worth the two hour drive and 30 dollar admission fee.