Friday, March 28, 2014

Toohig Tidbits

As I hugged HG one day, I told her, “You are such a good girl- so kind, so smart, so funny.” And she added, “So cute.”

I’m learning that if I want her to eat something new and like it, she has to be involved in cooking it. She helped me make some baked pork chops one night, and as we tasted them and approved of the recipe, I gave her a high five. She piped up with, “We’re a good team!” Now that’s one of those sayings of mine that I don’t mind hearing her echo. :)

“We’re the Toohigs, and we’re silly!”

They are studying the planets, and she was explaining to me how on one side of the world, it’s night, and on the other, it’s day. She said that’s because the side opposite the sun is dark. I asked her how she knew so much, and she said, “Mrs. Gossett!!!!” (in her ‘DUH’ voice).

First time I’d seen her using lowercase letters (they integrated this after Christmas)2014-03-19 19.37.14-2 St. Patrick’s day2014-03-17 08.09.42 You can tell she missed her daddy over spring break.2014-03-17 18.29.48 Tiger Blue Day at school 2014-03-21 07.05.19 Carefree little girl in the back seat2014-03-22 16.46.30 2014-03-22 21.13.35 class- fire truckLooking for rolly pollies with Grandma2014-03-23 12.31.12 For show and tell this week, she wanted to take her pilot wings that were given to her on our trip, and then we made a poster about NYC. Apple slices were her class treat (as a nod to the Big Apple).2014-03-24 07.49.35 I have found my replacement- look who will be organizing Vaco CPE events 20 years from now! She helped Ms. Shanleigh and I get everything set up for our event the next day and was so sad when we finished. Neat freak like her mama!2014-03-24 15.55.26 She asked me to take this pic of her and Rebel at bedtime.2014-03-25 18.49.10 2014-03-25 19.21.26 Clowning around before dance2014-03-26 15.54.42 2014-03-26 15.54.45 The only way Ms. Jill could tear them away from watching “Frozen” to come to class was to promise they’d get to dance to a song from the movie. Ms. Jill said they were going to play Freeze Dance to it, but they decided to ‘let it go’ and just dance. Pretty clever, Ms. Jill! :)2014-03-26 15.58.05 Between school and soccer practice today, we met the Harris girls for ice cream and then played at their house for a while. All three of them were wild little giggle boxes. Needless to say, HG was a breeze to get to sleep tonight as she melted into the bed!2014-03-28 15.42.24 2014-03-28 15.46.53

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Lots of Firsts: 2nd Pres Soccer & Sleepover

Friday night was a big one. We started the night with the opening of soccer season. This time, she’s playing at 2nd Pres with a team of St. Agnes JK girls, and she’s super excited about playing with her friends. We meet at 5:00 on Friday nights (no more late school nights!!!); the first three weeks are practice, and they play games the last four weeks. I had a good time chatting with the moms as well.

Afterward, we met the Words at Casa Mexicana for dinner, and then HG went home with Sallie Key for her first slumber party. We were supposed to do this over spring break, but our NYC plans messed that up. HG was not excited about our trip at first because she would have rather gone to SK’s!

They got in their pjs, made a pallet downstairs, mowed through some cheese balls, and watched all of Frozen. Then, they headed to SK’s bed around 10:15 p.m. After five minutes, HG said she was scared and wanted to go home, but Ginna threw them in her bed with her and they were conked out within minutes. HG even slept until 8 a.m.!

They spent the morning playing outside, riding bikes and Barbie jeeps, and of course, HG was not excited to see us. Not even the bribe of lunch with Baby Addison got her moving. John finally had to pick her up and walk out the door. I think we can consider the night a success!

Shopping with Daddy2014-03-19 14.20.44 2014-03-19 14.27.23Cheesing with Mary Kate2014-03-21 16.53.26-2 This is pretty much what the first 15 minutes looked like- lime green SAA shirts running around like crazy. Mary Kate, Evie, Ally (Evie’s sister), HG, Elise2014-03-21 16.55.28-2 2014-03-21 18.03.53 2014-03-21 18.23.54 Can’t eat at Casa Mexicana without riding the donkey.2014-03-21 19.55.15 2014-03-21 20.30.02

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Spring Break 2014: Philadelphia

Since we were so close to Philly and because Spiffer and HG hadn’t been there before, Granddaddy plotted out a quick day trip down to Philadelphia from NYC on Saturday. Hearing HG try to perfect ‘Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America’ was quite entertaining!

We were able to see the famous Liberty Bell, throw pennies on Benjamin Franklin’s grave, tour Betsy Ross’ house, enjoy a delicious dessert (apple pie and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich) at Red Owl Tavern, and tour Independence Hall. It was quite the history quiz for me from Helen Grace, but there wasn’t anything that Google couldn’t answer. After all the talk about the havoc the British wreaked on Philadelphia during the revolution, I was a bit worried about what she would have said if we’d run into a Brit! We hit all the big highlights and look forward to going back to see more another time soon.

Talked her into closing her eyes for a minute on the drive2014-03-15 10.53.49 Independence Hall2014-03-15 12.57.07-1 IMG_5561 Liberty BellIMG_5566 Benjamin Franklin’s graveIMG_5571 P1040894 IMG_5574 Betsy Ross’ house… I love going on tours of old historic homes (thanks to touring Paul Revere’s house as a child), so of course, I wanted to see hers. I wasn’t sure how interested HG would be, but she was so into it and listened to all the stories we read to her. And she even pointed out words she knew along the way- this reading stuff is getting real, folks!IMG_5579 She liked the kitty cat fountain a lot.P1040898 And while waiting for a tour of Independence Hall, she found some SNOW!IMG_5581 Independence Hall- Pennsylvania Supreme Court chamberIMG_5585 Assembly Room, in which both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were drafted and signedIMG_5586 IMG_5589 P1040892 P1040899 Teachable momentP1040914 Riding Newark’s elevated tram for the first time. I think she may have all forms of transportation covered now!2014-03-16 14.26.51 Let’s go HOME!1904213_10152255991326815_1917238922_n

Spring Break 2014: NYC Part 2

Friday was still cold, but temps into the 40’s (and a lot less wind) made us feel like we were in the Caribbean.

Lunch at Serendipity III, one of my favorite spots. The table in front of that massive mirror and mantle on the right was was where Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack sat in the movie, Serendipity.IMG_5528 We got there at 11:45 and only waited 20ish minutes. We sat at this fabulous table by the front window, and HG (and Spiffer) was thoroughly entertained by watching the activity on the street below. We laughed at the thought of how many tourists’ pics HG will be in the background peeping out the window!IMG_5530 IMG_5531 P1040868 As we left Serendipity, we passed right past a Dylan’s Candy Bar that I’d never noticed. Of course, we had to stop in for some sweets!IMG_5533 She’s now a pro at hailing a taxi.2014-03-14 13.57.00-1 We finally made it to Washington Square, a little gem inside the bustling city. They were filming a tv show, but we could never figure out which one and sadly no celebrity sightings. IMG_5540 IMG_5544 Trying to sneak a peek at the filmingIMG_5545 P1040873 One World Trade Center or Freedom TowerIMG_5546 Chasing GranddaddyIMG_5548 Washington Square had a great playground too. She was ‘making a milkshake’ for me.IMG_5550 Chasing a city squirrelIMG_5556

Chinatown. Glad we did it (for about 5 minutes). Never want to go again.IMG_5557 South Street Seaport with a view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. We didn’t realize that it had been severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy until we arrived to a desolate building and empty pier, but it was a nice view of the river. HG thought there might be whales out in the water.IMG_5558 P1040883 IMG_5560 

We ran HG full steam ahead all day and kept her from a nap, hoping she’d go to sleep earlier, but it meant that we ate dinner at 4:30 in a deli near the hotel, all the way poking her to keep her awake! On to Philadelphia tomorrow morning!