Today at the Met

We went with some friends on a spontaneous adventure to the Met. It was crazy-fun! Okay, mostly crazy!

This one is for the Grandmas...

One afternoon I was in my room feeding/changing/burping Oliver and I heard an unfamiliar sound. After a minute or two I thought I better check it out, just to make sure... (A few weeks ago the kitchen flooded because someone left the water running and didn't instantly check out, "what's that noise?" We are learning!) This is what I found:

My first instinct was to say "no" but then I realized, she's really sewing. I had been working on some birthday crowns for friends and I guess she was watching more closely than I thought.
As I watched her closely I was amazed. She did every step in the right order: put fabric under foot, put food down on fabric, press on the pedal, stop at the edge of the fabric, make sure the needle is up, lift foot, pull out fabric, and snip with scissors. It was impressively odd.

And this is her finished product...all by herself!

Bronx Zoo

Last Wednesday (pay what you want day!!!) we went to the Bronx Zoo. It was so perfect. Not too hot, not too cold, not too crowded, and lots of animals were out and about. Next time we go I think Isabella is expecting to ride on a camel with her daddy...

What We Doing Today?

Most mornings Isabella asks, "What we doing today, Mom?" We've been busy, so busy I haven't stopped to blog. Busy just hanging out, having fun, and LOVING the fall weather. Well, today is a little chilly...and that's why I'm home blogging. Here are a few photos and more posts should follow...

This girl leaves the house prepared!
She almost always has to carry something out the door. I'll tell you, a pair of flip-flops, a makeup bag of finger puppets, and sunglasses are much easier to stuff into my bag than a large baby doll (or scooter)!

Babies!!!
All born within 3 months, and we all use to live within a few blocks of each other. AND three of our husbands are named Brian. Babies are lined up in order of age: Eleanor, Riley, Oliver, & Rial.

One evening Oliver started fussing when I thought he was asleep. This is how I found him when I went to check on him. I was cracking up, and then he was too. How did he do that?! Really!

Brian has started to teach Isabella how to use the camera. Not bad, eh?! Especially considering it is half her size.

Little Bits O' Happiness

Even though I haven't been great at keeping up with the Oma's assignments. I find all her posts so inspirational! I enjoy her writing and her fun, positive outlook on life.

Friday was School of Thought Seminar: Life as an Artform

~Make a list of ten little things that improved your happiness today. (I used yesterday.)

1--The sound of giggling, squealing, crunching, popping as children running down a long hallway covered with packaging bubbles. A good friend did this for her daughter's 3rd birthday party. SO fun!
2--Amazing tap dancers at The Kitchen Block Party.
3--Two babes took great naps while we were out, so Bri and I had a peaceful lunch...of fresh lobster!!! From The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market.
4--Taking photos of little kids at a birthday party.
5--Five straight hours of sleep. Thank you Oliver!
6--Having Brian by my side all day.
7--Walking around the city. Seriously, one of my favorite things to do, but rare now with two kids.
8--Watching/supervising Isabella make birthday cards for friends.
9--Falling asleep at 9:30pm.
10--Getting all the dishes done. (We don't have a dishwasher.)

Right Now

Gorilla gazing at the Bronx Zoo. Perfect morning at the zoo, all the
animals are out.

Right Now

Happened upon the 59th Annual German American Parade on 5th Ave.

Odense, Denmark

I'm a bit behind in posting for Oma's back-to-school, but I'm really loving everything I'm doing.

Here's the prompt for last week's travel lesson:

~Where is your ancestral home? Most of us have roots in several places. Pick one city or country you'd like to visit, find it on a map, and explore some travel websites, just for practice. A few of my favorites are: multi-map, Rick Steves, Cheap Flights, Budget Travel.

photo of Odense, Denmark from here

Hi, I'm Kiasa.
It's pronounced, k-'eye'-sa.
It's one of my ancestor's names, from Denmark.
It is spelled K-I-A-S-A...K-I-A-SA.

Well, that's what I always say (always!) when I meet someone new. But come to find out, just as I was doing some research for this, my name is actually a Swedish ancestor's name. For 30 years I've been telling people it's Danish, but it is Swedish!

I've always wanted to travel to Denmark. I know I'm part Swedish, Danish, Scottish, German and English, but Denmark has always called to me the most (probably because I thought my entire name, Kiasa Keri Larsen, was Danish). My dad informed me that my Danish roots came from a city called Odense (map). (Click here for pronunciation.) One time I even went on a date with a guy who spoke Danish fluently, and I was sure he was the one, just for that reason.

It has been so fun to look up information and photos of Odense, Denmark. It was the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson. My great-great grandfather is Christian Larsen and his father is Lars Anderson, so maybe Hans Christian Anderson is a cousin of sorts. It's a beautiful city (the 3rd largest in Denmark). The castle. And museums. Here's a nice article.

I loved this little bit of research. I've learned more of my ancestry and can't wait to visit Odense now!

Cute Photos of the Kiddos

She put this outfit on one evening after playing outside all day in jeans and a t-shirt. She said she wanted to wear something pretty.

I made this little outfit. It was one of those things I finished during the last few weeks of nesting and waiting for Oliver. Thanks Mom & Anika for all your help!

My New Do

Today, the fabulous Rubi Jones chopped of my hair--as instructed. I love it; so light, so free. I'll leave it straight a couple of days and then we'll see how it looks curly. I'm so excited for something new!

Oliver: 3 Months!

Brian and I still have that "out of the corner of my eye" moments with these baby dolls. Especially when they are found in Oliver's cradle or bouncy seat.

He smiles ALL-THE-TIME! That is, if you are making eye contact with him. Which presents a challenge when taking photos.

The joys of having an older sister.
"Oliver wearing a hat, to get married" she said with a big grin.

~Oliver loves to suck on his hands.
~He is super-duper ticklish; so much so that he giggles when I change his clothes.
~When he takes a bath he gets so excited that he kicks, kicks, kicks until water splashes on his face and he looks at me like, "what was that?!" I laugh, then he laughs and it starts all over again.
~He can capture the attention of a crowded subway. One older woman smiled at him, he laughed and at least 10 people chuckled. I teared up.
~He knows how to stare into my soul and soften my heart.
~It's hard to get anything done because I love to look at him and make him smile...because I'm sure he loves it too.

Going the Distance

Carrying my sweet, big boy Oliver for 41 weeks really took a lot out of me. (Remember this and this.) I feel so fortunate to have had a quick recovery and the summer to work on getting back into shape. I delivered him 3 months ago yesterday. (New photos soon!)

So today I ran in a race. I was afraid I might have been pushing too hard, but I did it and I feel GREAT! It was a 4 mile run in Central park and I finished in 36 min/4 sec. (My goal was 36 min!!!)

Below is a photo from May 2005, when I was in top physical condition. Brian, Spencer and I were on a 300 mile bike ride from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, D.C. I thought that ride was going to kill me, but I did it and I felt so strong. I actually think of this photo often as I'm running in the mornings.

I'm finally feeling strong again and I love it!

Right Now

Waiting for the bus WAY too long on a wet, chilly autumn day.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

THE GOOD: I've been wearing pre-pregnancy pants for a week now. Even though they are really tight, they are zipped and buttoned!

THE BAD: My thick, luscious hair is falling out! It just started and it is everywhere!

THE GOOD & THE BAD (hopefully not the ugly): I'm getting my hair chopped off Thursday night. I have mixed feelings, but now that it's coming out in gobs I'm much more excited for a change. Right now, when I take the time to really do my hair (in my dreams!) it looks great, but that's a whole lot of hair and a whole lot of time! So, I'm hoping it gets done more often with shorter locks.

Back to School: Labor Day

Today is Creative Writing Monday. Oma's lesson: Write Away: Labor Day.

Prompt: Write a paragraph about your philosophy of work. Thought questions: Is work worthwhile for it's own sake, or does it have to have a monetary value? How are you teaching your kids to work? Did your parents make work fun or was it something to get finished before you could have fun?

After a few hours of mulling this over, while cleaning the house, this is what came out:

On New Year's Day I semi-jokingly told my sister-in-law, "I have two resolutions this year. One: have this baby. Two: stay sane." Trust me, of the two resolutions, pushing a 9 pound, 2 ounce baby out of my body was a piece of cake. Since that point of no return, there have been many moments sitting on the couch in a sleep deprived stupor. Fed newborn relaxed in my weary arms. Active toddler requiring, demanding, or sweetly seeking my whole attention. Three days of dishes rotting in the sink. The garbage overflowing with tiny, dirty diapers. The fridge empty.

I sit here, on the couch, in a sleep deprived stupor, drool on the corner of my lips, pitying myself, "Why can't I get all of this done?" "I'm so tired, I'm going to vomit." "All I want is a clean house." "Why won't Brian do more?" (Because a husband who works full-time, does the dishes, bounces newborn and entertains toddler is, clearly, not enough for my irrational sleep deprived mood.) Just as my pity party really starts to pick up I remember what a wise man once told me, "Forget yourself and go to work."

My hesitant thighs lift my heavy body from the well molded cushions. I place Oliver in his bouncy seat, eying him a moment, making sure he won't fuss. I browse through iTunes deciding on It's a Hard Knock Life. Not because it's great pity party music (although it definitely fits the bill), but because it's Isabella's favorite dancing song, and if I put it on repeat it should keep her busy, bouncing up and down, for a good 15 minutes. I rush to the kitchen sink, slide on my favorite pink dish gloves, turn on the steaming tap water and start scrubbing. What seems like moments later, with sweat dripping down my brow and soap bubbles filling the sink I am singing, "You'll stay up 'til this dump shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!" Thoughts of my life, my family, and my ability to work fills my uplifted heart with joy. Tears blur my vision as I watch my smiling Isabella bounce up and down, between the mountains of laundry.


**If you want to help edit my work, I'd love some feedback on this one. Please e-mail me with any editing suggestions.