Back to Beantown

Well, we are back home in Belmont, MA after a totally wonderful Gritton Family vacation to California, followed by a week in Utah. Since getting back we have been trying to unpack and get things organized before school starts for both my boys on Wednesday. It was a perfect summer day today, perfect for an afternoon trip to the farm, and an evening walk to the playground. As we walked around the Beaver Creek reservation (where the playground is) we were completely in awe. What a gorgeous, HUGE, park! And this beautiful oasis is right down the street from us! As we walked through the large fields and over the quaint bridges, all I could think of was the pictures that were waiting to be taken of my kids playing here. I am so excited for this new discovery. Jeff and I already have plans to start up our running program there again tomorrow. (We'll keep you posted on that.)

Oh Sunny Day...

HOORAY for sunshine! I actually am one of those people who likes nice cool overcast days, but after 2 solid weeks of thunderstorms nearly every day, it was sure nice to get the kids to the playground! I had nearly forgotten how adventurous Ollie is on climbing structures. I was close to having several heart attacks as Oliver insisted he was big enough to climb to the top of an 8 or 10 foot jungle gym, and then could climb down all by himself. Maybe I'm a tad bit paranoid, but YIKES! I would have been scared at the top of that thing. He did it though. Who am I to question this boy? I just wish that every once in a while he would accept that he is 3 and not 10.

Waverly Square

As you may know, we recently moved across the Cambridge line to Belmont. Initially I was a little sad to leave Cambridge, where we have been for so long, but excited for our new place. Now that we are most of the way settled, and a little more familiar with our new location I have to say I love it! It has been rainy almost every day since we moved, and when the sun broke through the clouds today, I took the opportunity to get my grouchy kids out of the house. We are right smack in the middle of Waverly Square. What a great place to be!! We walked over to the grocery store to get some lunch things, then to the bank, then crossed the street to the post office to mail off a package. The errands that used to be impossible for me to do with my kids are now much more enjoyable. Instead of getting in and out of the car, everything is right out our front door. Hooray! Now all we're missing is family close by. We have plenty of room now, so hopefully we'll have lots of visitors this fall!

Pickles and The Milky Way

I have to admit that today was a real downer. Quite frankly, it sucked. Emma decided that she was going to cry and whine non-stop for 3 solid hours while I had my friend Jessica and her two girls over for a play date this morning. I am strictly forbidden by Emma to hold any other little children. She totally freaks out. It's not fun. Let's see... then there was a moment where Emma and Ollie decided to squirt their cups of lemonade all over the couch. Oliver tried to tell me he was "just trying to fix the couch." Uh-huh. Yeah right.

Then there was the trip to Target to get emergency binkies for Emma. Somehow our new apartment swallowed up every one of Emma's binkies, minus one really old one that she rejects half of the time. Target was the real low point. In a moment of complete insanity I decided it would be good for the kids to blow off some steam and walk, and left the stroller in the car. We were there aprox. 7 1/2 minutes when the brawl broke out in toy aisle #6 over some stupid game. I dragged both the kids to another aisle to distract them but Ollie stormed off to find his game again. When I firmly requested that he return to his mother's side he (very loudly) responded while shaking his finger at me "LEAVE ME ALONE MAMMA." Great. I am now that Mom in Target that other Mom's stare at and shake their heads because I am dragging two screaming children by the hands out of the store. "BUT MAMMA! LEAVE ME IN THE TOYS!" It is a giant snowball effect with Oliver and Emma. Emma could be the happiest girl in the world, but the moment her brother melts, she starts wailing too. The worst part of it is, that I had to ditch the binkies I had grabbed on our way in. We left sans emergency plugs. I will have to go on a major binkie hunt tonight.

Ahhh... the whole story is not just storm clouds. There is a flicker of light here and there. As I was putting Emma in her car seat leaving Target I said to her "Emma are you a sour little pickle today?" Of course she only responded with her grumpy little grimace. However, a few moments later as I was starting the car Oliver announced "Mamma, Emma is not a sour little pickle." I said "Of course not. You're right. What is Emma then?" He thought for a second and then proclaimed "well...she's just a girl." How sweet! My kids are sweet! Woo Hoo! Alright.... things are looking up now. (Maybe)

We get home from our Target dragon slaying nightmare, and sit down to read some books. There's nothing like a bit of quiet time reading books with the kids. That is... until they start fighting over books and Emma is yelling "MINE!" As if I am floating above my own body, I hear myself once again telling the kids "Hey! You know what's fun about this?? We can do it together!" Why don't they buy it?? It never works. I end up feeling like I am trying to sell someone an awful timeshare in flood country.

Finally we read Emmma's choice "Goodnight Moon" and then follow up with Ollie's choice - one of his space books. We are looking at a page with pictures of galaxies and clouds of gas. He says "that's the Milky Way Mamma." And it is. I told him that was the Galaxy that we live in. He gets a sad look on his face and starts to whimper a little bit. When I ask him what the matter is, he tells me "Ahhhh... but Mamma, I don't want to live in the Milky Way. I want to live in another Galaxy!" I just wasn't sure how to respond to that so I changed the subject and we had a nice conversation about Buzz Aldrin and his friend Neil.

I completely adore Oliver's mind and his love for space. He wakes up every morning with something spacey as his first words. Every day he tells me he is a big boy, and just wants to be big enough to blast off in a real space ship. I don't doubt for a single second that one day he may very well be walking on the moon. I guess I have things bigger than meltdowns in Target to worry about.