Playing Tourist in New York - the Cambridge Library

Alicia had a week off of school. Mark didn't really but he decided to take a few days off for some extra family time. We used the long weekend to take a more touristy trip to New York taking our time on the trip over and seeing some of the old family spots and in general just having some laid back fun. Our first stop was the Library in Cambridge, VT. They had a cute little kids area with some excellent puppets that were big hits.
and because he just had to check... Mark found his uncle John Ostrom in the dinosaur book. (no - not the dinosaur - the guy who discovered it!)
The kids naturally have a little bit of the paleontology genes as well...

As Seen and Heard: Alicia on Money and Strangers

Alicia: Mommy, what about my money? When do I get to start making money?

Mommy: Well, when you're twelve you can start babysitting, then when you're fifteen you're allowed to get a more regular job. Until then all your money comes from Mommy and Daddy.

Alicia: But what about strangers? What if a stranger wanted to give me money?

Mommy: Absolutely not. You NEVER take money from a stranger.

Daddy: You don't even go close enough to a stranger for them to ask you. Don't talk to people you don't know.

Mommy: You just have to stay right with the grown-up in charge of you and don't ever talk to anyone or go near anyone unless they say it's okay.

Alicia: Okay, but what about when I'm a grown-up?

Mommy: Well, when you're a grown up you'll probably know better how to tell if a stranger is okay to talk to or not.

Alicia: Yeah, because I'll look and I'll see a tag in their pocket that says "I'm a bad person".

Christmas Cuddles

Shortly after Christmas a very special box arrived in the mail. Grandma B. had been working on special gifts for all of us that took a little extra time but were so worth the wait. As you can see from the pics they've been big hits around here.

The best part is that not only are they cute and cuddly bedtime companions. They're also the key to two very super secret superhero's style.

Introducing the one and only Oblivious Bulldozer

and Super Cool Spy Princess
Mom also made an amazing blanket for Mark and me that I haven't gotten a chance to get a picture of. All three are beautiful as well as soft and cuddly warm. Just perfect for winter in Vermont.

Winter Update... with a lot of random venting...beware

So it's still winter outside, at least I think it is. It's certainly been cold if you count the crazy windchill but still I think we've maybe had a grand total of a foot of snow this year... maybe... and it certainly hasn't seemed like that much because it's mostly been what would be considered a mild drizzle if it was rain. Oh yeah and then there was the week in January where it felt like Spring for sure and it actually got warm enough where we couldn't go out on the pond. Alicia was both excited and devastated by this.

I've been really bad about posting lately. College began taking it's toll on me last semester. All the "free time" I thought I would enjoy with only watching one kid was soon replaced with the need to be a playmate to a two-year old who is perhaps the most stead-fast and sure kid I have ever met - not one deviation from what he wants is accepted right now I'm not so sure this is a good thing - the poor kid can't accept variation of his plans easily for example last night(the extremely condensed version)...
"I want Indi Joe"
"I don't know where he is hunny. "
"I want Indi Joe!"
"I think you just had him, why don't you go look for him."
"WANT INDI JOE!!!!"
"Maybe Indiana Jones is sleeping, why don't you go to sleep and we'll find him in the morning?" "NO, INDI JOE!!!"
"I know hunny, I'm sorry" at last Ryan falls asleep... not to be outdone though wakes up at 4 A.M. and comes and looks for me (not an unusual thing ::sigh:: sleep oh glorious sleep why do you evade me!)
"Mommy, where Indi Joe! Need Indi Joe"
"I know hunny. ::rolls back over::"
"Indi Joe?!"
"::trying not to growl at him:: It's still sleepy time hunny"
"::sobbing:: Indi Joe!!!"
"Ry, it's either cuddling with Mommy or going back to bed, no Indi Joe, so quiet please."
"::whimpering softly:: Indi Joe?"

I'm trying to convince myself that in the long run is self-assuredness will be a good thing... although strangely the one thing that does seem to have an effect on him when he gets like this is Alicia acting like a puppy or kitty.

So anyways, between trying to not feel neglectful towards Ryan and running Alicia back and forth from school life has definitely kept me busy. This term promises quite a bit of writing as well as stretching my academic skills and brain in ways that I'm not sure I'm all too comfortable with. My mentor (personal adviser) e-mailed me back at the beginning of December if I had thought about grad school yet or moving forward with the teaching certificates and stuff I'll need. I still haven't replied because that was just about the time I reached my breaking point where I was wondering if graduation was possible at all. Actually I'm still not sure it's possible.

Okay so that's not true, at least not this week, beginning of last week however I came close to trying to find a hole somewhere and play ostrich but this week has been better. Slow but fairly steady improvement. I know if I can make it through these next two terms it'll be worthwhile and then I get to take a long break and take care of some of the other stuff I've been dying to do like work on my writing, sewing, and scrapbooking, gardening, and knitting, and cooking and all that creative stuff that makes me happy. Who knows I might even take time to read a book just for fun or actually get my house clean for once! Hopefully my kids will forgive me when they're older. Anyways, not so sure how much blogging I'll get done over the next few months. But I'll do my best. The kids are still growing like crazy and despite their craziness they can overwhelm my best defenses with their hugs and kisses.

On a side note Alicia was just cast as young Belle in the school production of Beauty and the Beast. I had to laugh, she's always been my little Bella - my beauty inside and out as it goes. Thankfully I'm not sure yet that she realizes that she's playing the princess even if it is a younger version of the princess. She's already umm... not lacking in self-confidence, we'll have to see how it goes though, rehearsals are going to make for long days after school. I'd kinda been looking forward to using that extra time. I should have known better. As soon as the letter was sent home asking what help parents can be all my theatre days came back to me and I said of course I'll help.

Ostrom Adventures 2009

10. Deb starting and maintaining a blog for a whole year.
9. Ryan delving into the world of terrible 2's.
8. Alicia completely out of diapers.
7. Starting the new year with Kathy, Walt, Kortney, Kayla, and Robert in VA.
6. Deb completing another 5 courses at ESC leaving only 3 more till graduation.
5. Driving down to TN and back this summer to see Grandma and Grandpa Burlington.
4. Mark doing the animation for a local t.v. commercial.
3. Mark graduating from ESC.
2. Alicia beginning Kindergarten.
1. Surviving another year full of ups and downs and craziness - mostly thanks to our loving friends and family. Thanks to everyone who has done so much for us. It was truly a year of great growth for our family and we have been greatly blessed.

Starting off the New Year on the Right Foot

Okay so after sleeping in quite a bit on New Year's Day we decided to take advantage of the cold of winter and headed out to the pond. This was no ordinary trip to the pond however... with some diligence we got a section cleaned off of the snow that had fallen on New Year's Eve Day and Alicia proceeded with her very first ice-skating lesson.

Daddy (of course) was the one to teach her.

After a little while though she felt pretty confident scooting around on her own.

After we got some more ice cleared Mark and I put on skates as well. Mark showed us all up... naturally... while I made Alicia feel much better about herself but proving that falling is okay. After all... the idea of walking on water is still just a bit scary for this Florida girl.


Ryan announced loudly the injustice of Sissy having skates while he didn't. In a classic Ryan move I all the sudden noticed he had disappeared so I went looking around for him. When I got close to the house I heard a cry for help coming from the garage. My instant worry was that he had gone inside and gotten hurt. I should have known better. He had gone on a very specific mission - find Daddy's rollerblades. He did and he had them on his feet and the cry for help was simply that he couldn't figure out how to get up on them and make it out to the pond so he could skate too. He was absolutely furious that I took them off and wanted to put his boots back on him. He actually kicked so much that I couldn't so I took him and left him in the green house next to the pond where we could keep an eye on him and he could play with all of his toys in there. No go... in his socks he came crashing to us through the snow. ::sigh:: he survived but you'll also notice in the picture he refused to wear his hat or gloves... something fairly common for him even when we're outside for a while. I think he believes we should be living somewhere much warmer than VT. (on a side note as he's watching me put the picture of him up here he looks at it and says "Ryan so sad". )

Holiday Joys

So in all the usual craziness of the holiday season with the added benefits of school not ending until the 23rd of December for all of us... Christmas ended up being a very small, quiet affair without any pictures. Christmas Eve morning we drove over to Saratoga to Grandma and Grandpa Ostrom's (and of course Uncle Matt's). Mostly we just enjoyed getting a chance to relax and enjoy the time with family. We watched some movies, made a movie, and of course had a nice Christmas morning opening presents. Thankfully the kids haven't gotten too grabby and crabby about the "I wants" yet and were content to eat breakfast first - a tradition from Christmas with my grandmother Burlington. They both got lots of stuff to enjoy including a remote control car for Ryan, movies for both of them, a new My Little Pony for Alicia's collection, lego sets for both of them, and flashlights - these guys are obsessed with all of the above anyways so it was great!

The holiday fun doesn't stop with Christmas around here though. Every year some friends of ours have a combined Christmas/New Year's Eve Day celebration that allows for the rest of the holidays to be spent not feeling conflicting obligations. We've kind of become extended family so New Year's Eve day we went and had another round of presents and excitement there.

Kind of fuzzy but Ryan was enjoying playing with one of his new planes

Alicia playing with her light up ball... she was quite thrilled at having a second Christmas and more stuff!

Presents were followed by a great game of dodgeball that everyone enjoyed (even me although I was the party crasher hanging out on my computer trying desparately to finish up my final paper for one of my classes... a week late...)

I love that both Ryan and Mark are in the air in this one.

Alicia was right in there playing hard.

Go for it Zed!

When we got back home we took the kids outside and shot of some fire works and let them play with sparklers.


Ryan gave out at about 10:30. Alicia made it to midnight. I think the best comment of the evening was from the newly 9 year old as we were all toasting the new year with our sparkling cider... "Global warming was so last year." He always cracks me up!