Trains, Toys, Dolls & A NEAR-BEAR'NAPPING!

Ok so we were going to go to the Salem Children's Museum but ended up going to the Wenham Children's Museum instead!! (psst, you're not supposed to take pictures while in there... "supposed to" being the operative phrase. LOL

So it's this little place FILLED with antique train sets & doll houses & vintage TOYS etc! Momma took LOTS of pictures! *grin*

First... TRAINS! There's trains set up at different stations of ACTUAL places all around our area, Beverly, Salem, Danvers, Hamilton, Wenham etc... it was REALLY NEAT TO SEE! The train sets are all assembled & each station has a little 'red button' to press to get the train to start & AWAY WE GO!! =) I LOVED IT!


We then decided to take a break from the trains & head downstairs to their little 'play room' where they have a table top train set to play with. Bear was REALLY EXCITED to come with me to check it all out!


It was all fun & games until I realized that I felt a tug at my hands & looked down to find that Bear was GONE! A little boy about my age thought that it would be ok for him to just TAKE MY FRIEND!!!! CAN YOU EVEN???


When Momma got Bear back for me you can imagine that it was a bitter sweet reunion... I thought I had LOST MY BEST FRIEND! Many tears were shed and an ear was nibbled on once we were reunited! Bear even looks like he's SMILING! (at least that's what Momma says...)

That same little boy who STOLE BEAR tried to then GIVE ME A HUG?
UGH!!! Go away kid, ya botha' me!

Bear & I WORK ALONE! We're a team of 2... GET IT?
Let's just MOVE ON, shall we? Ok, THANKS MOMMA!



Momma thought it would be fun to go look at the vintage TOYS! She was right too, it did cheer me up to see these kewl things! But why is it that we can't take them home?? I want those two dollies on the pull toy! Mommaaaa pleeeeeeeasssseeee???




Then it was on to the DOLLS & DOLL HOUSES DISPLAYS! Man I think Momma had more fun in this section than ANYONE DID! Check out some of the kewl things we saw! THANKS FOR BREAKING THE RULES TO TAKE PICS MOMMA! hehehehe


Nearing the end of our visit, we went to check out the 'night train' exibit... SO KEWL!


And finally, before leaving Momma noticed this oldfashioned kewl lookin' music box!!! We got some quarters out & started that bad boy UP! IT WAS SOOOO NEAT!!! Little mice DANCED at the bottom! I LOVED IT SO MUCH THAT WE PLAYED IT TWICE!!!!!!



Hey, those are pretty KEWL! I'm kinda in a trance... who knew little dancing mice had that effect on people! Man I gotta get me some of those mice... but where in the world do they shop for their Tutu's?

To EVERYWHERE & back!

So I'm thinking of going to the Salem Children's Museum tomorrow & wanted to call my babies; Emma, Abi & Sam (Abi next to me, Emma right behind me & Sam in the way back) and let them know that I'd be there & maybe their new Nanny Lacey would take them so we could all meet up & have some fun together! I pick up the phone, dial their number & the following is the conversation I had with the kids:

Emma: Hello?
Me: Hi! Is this Emma?
Emma: YES! HI NANNY!!!
Me: Hey baby, how are you? Nanny misses you SO MUCH!
Emma: Nanny, Abi and I were playing with the food in the kitchen set & then Sammy came in & made a big huge mess and now the sink is full of dishes and food!
Me: Emma, that's ok ... that stuff is meant to be played with, just have fun now & be sure to pick it up before you go to bed tonight, ok?
Emma: Sammy just came into the room & then ran right back out again! I don't think he wants to say hi yet Nanny...
Me: Awwww , that's ok Emma, is Abi there? Does she want to say hi?
Emma: Nanny, I think that Lacey is coming tomorrow but maybe I could see you again soon at Kid's Stop?
Me: Sure Emma, we could plan to do that soon, that would be fun. Is Abi there?
Emma: Nanny, here's Sammy!

Sam: HI NANNY! *laughing* BYE NANNY!

(footsteps trailing off in the backround...)

Emma: Here comes Abi Nanny, I LOVE YOU BYE BYE!!

Abi: *giggling* Hi Nanny!! Um, Nanny?... I miss you!
Me: *smiling* Hi baby, I miss you too sweetie! Do you know how much?
Abi: Well I miss you to the SKY and back!
Me: Aww sweetie, I miss you to the MOON AND THE SUN AND THE STARS & BACK!
Abi: Well Nanny, I miss you to the moon and sun and stars and SKY and back!
Me: *tearing up* Aw baby, you know what? Nanny misses you to CHINA and back!
Abi: (determined not to be outdone...) Well Nanny, I miss you to EVERYWHERE AND BACK! TO ALL THE HOUSES ALL OVER EVERYWHERE AND BACK!
Me: *tears falling now* I know sweetie, I know, I love you so much too, and I miss you forever!
Abi: Nanny, tomorrow I am gonna call you and talk to you again ok? I love you so much! How's Ruby?
Me: *smiling again* Ruby's doing great sweetie! She's in bed now sleeping.
Abi: Nanny, but what did she wear today for clothes?
Me: Hmmm, let's see, I think she wore a purple striped shirt with grey stretch pants...
Abi: *audibly happy over the phone* NANNY PURPLE IS MY FAVORITE COLOR EVER!!!!!!!!
Me: I know baby, I know!
Abi: Nanny, I really miss you, I want to see you tomorrow!
Me: Abi, tomorrow Nanny is going to go to the Childrens Museum with Ruby & Kayla and Danny too. Maybe Lacey could take you all there for a little bit... ok?
Abi: OK NANNY! I WILL TELL HER IN THE MORNING!
Me: *smiling big* I love you baby, I'll talk to you tomorrow ok?
Abi: (yelling to her mom) I'm all done Momma! I don't know how to hang the phone up!
Me: Abi, it's easy honey, go slow & just take the phone & put it back where you got it from, ok?
Abi: But Nanny, I got it from EMMA! (DUH!)
Me: Ok baby, well where do you think Emma got it from?
Abi: ... from the table.
Me: Ok, now just go slow & put it gently back down on the base on the table ok? You'll be fine baby, just take your time ok?
Abi: (screaming back to her Momma) I CAN DO IT ALL BY MYSELF! ... Bye nanny, I LOVE YOU !
Me: I love you too baby, bye bye.

*click*
Me: *full of tears & pride for my beautiful little friends who I miss more than I can even put into words!!!*

EMMA ABI & SAM, I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!
TO EVERYWHERE & BACK!

-Nanny

Mirror kisses...

AN ODE' TO TERESA!!!

This is TERESA...

She's one of the wonderful people from my agency,
Faith International Adoptions, out of Tacoma Washington.

I was fortunate enough to have her with me while in China to get Little Miss Ruby Cate (aka: CHEEKS!)
Teresa made the trip FUN because she completely not only tolerated my sense of humor but she could DISH IT OUT JUST AS WELL if not BETTER than me!!! I LOVED THAT ABOUT HER! hehehe She's got a quick wit & a sense of humor bordering on 'wiseass' but that's what makes her SO FANTASTIC! I just got off the phone with her & it was so nice to hear her voice again & catch up with her to see how she's doing. AND EVERYTHING SOUNDS WONDERFUL over there in FAITH LAND! ;) I promised to send her a tape of our trip soon & include with it some special
GOODIES that she is to HIDE IN HER DESK DRAWER!
Woman, it was a TRIP talkin' to you this morning & I hope you'll check back OFTEN & COMMENT here & there cuz it's always nice to hear from you! RUBY CATE & I MISS YOU BUNCHES & BUNCHES! TAKE CARE & WE'LL TALK AGAIN SOON!

~XOXOXO~

PS: Aren't you glad I convienently 'misplaced' the pic's of the GIANT NOGGIN EATING HAT? hehehehe You KNOW that picture cracks the shit outta me BUT I WOULDN'T do that to you, not on my blog! HAHAHAHA (but I may use it next year in our christmas cards... not sure ye!) HA! ;)

LATER GATER!!!

REPRESENT!!

BOSTON RED SOX, BABY!!!

The many faces of LOVE... <3

Silly time with my NONNO!

Tonight my Nonno & I got SO SILLY! He gave me my first ever ride on his shoulders & when he marched around the house with me & bonked my head on the ladybug hanging from my ceiling fan! I just LOVED IT CUZ IT MADE ME CRACK UP LAUGHING EVERY TIME!



My Nonno is so silly ! He knew how much I loved being on his shoulders so he just kept trotting around the house with me until I wore him OUT!


Yiiiipppppeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Nonno THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!



Man I'm tired... I gotta have a sit down here in this neat Rocking Chair that Momma bought for me at a yard sale & it was all old & falling apart, UNTIL my Nonno FIXED IT ALL UP AND PAINTED IT SO THAT IT LOOKED BRAND SPANKING NEW! I love it!!!



Don't I look so cute in my chair Nonno? THANK YOU FOR FIXING IT FOR ME! IT'S MY FAVORITE SEAT IN THE HOUSE! (aside from your shoulders!)



Man, we gotta do this again sometime REAL SOON! TI AMO NONNO!!!!!!!! XOXOXOXOXO

Playtime afternoon...

Sleeping Beauty...

Nanny/Momma runs a TIGHT SHIP!

... ok, so it's 7:37pm & I've just successfully put miss Ruby Cate down for what will be the night. She's not asleep yet however, she's doing her 'I'll keep this up until momma comes in & saves me from this crib' cry which to be frank, isn't much of a cry as it is more a 'whiny dragged out moaning' kinda cry. Sorry kid, Momma was a Nanny way before she was a Momma and I don't play that game! (sadly for you) LOL I also REFUSE to play the 'pick up' game... if something she's playing with falls to the floor by genuine accident, of course I'll pick it up & give it back to her, but if she deliberately chucks said item & sends it barreling to the floor to see if she can make her Momma bend over to pick it up? I don't think so, nope, sorry babe, no can do... Momma doesn't play that game... EVER! This Nanny, turned Momma runs a TIGHT SHIP. Part of that tight ship is the 15 minute rule... none of this co-sleeping stuff for this family. Ruby has slept in her OWN crib since the very first night we became Momma & Ruby! Hell, even Ebenezer has his OWN bed! Ruby knows that bed time means just that, bed time. No games, no playing, no back & forth in the crib/out of the crib crap for me, no way, no how, not a snowballs' chance in hell! Now, this is my own personal choice & to those of you who chose to sleep with your children in the same bed, your life, your choice, your rules. It just was NEVER an option for me & won't be, ever. Now, someday when she's older, if she wants to have a fun 'sleepover' night with Momma & we both sleep in my bed for a special treat, totally different, but it's when she's older & she knows that it's just for a special treat.
She's only 16 months people, at this age, she doesn't get 'special treat' she only gets that she 'wants it' and if I start caving in now, there's NO turning back. So, back to my 15 minute rule... babies cry, it's a fact of life. It won't kill her, harm her, scar her for life, etc... it's crying, it happens. So, I put her jammies on her, get her & Bear all snuggly warm & toasty with their matching blankets, we read a book of her choice, usually 'goodnight moon' and then it's in the crib she goes. I then put her Baby Einstein CD (on repeat play), walk over and kiss her several times, tell her how much I love her, & then do the same to her beloved friend Bear & then it's LIGHT'S OUT & GOODNIGHT! She usually only cries for a few minutes, but I remember the first time I did this here upon returning home, I had family & friends question my tactics of letting her cry it out. I said to them, ever so gently but very firm & to the point: "Ruby is tired, she's crying BECAUSE she's tired... if I allow her cries to get to me & I go in & get her out of the crib, all I've done is TEACH HER that her CRYING gets the desired effect she's looking for." Which is why I do NOT get her, rather I let her cry for up to 15 minutes. Nine times out of ten, my child is asleep in under 8 minutes, EVERY TIME! The off chance that she's still up crying for longer than the 15 minute window, there's most likely a reason for the tears; (she's dropped Bear out of the crib, she's pooped her diaper, her foot is twisted inside her feetie pj's etc...) so then I WILL go in & tend to whatever the problem is but once that's fixed, she goes directly right back into the crib & it's bedtime again. By my answer, most could tell by the tone of my voice that I meant business & honestly, why question a nanny with over 15 years experience on how to parent a child? That would be like me questioning my accountant on how he does my taxes, c'mon! It was my job of choice for years because I LOVED WHAT I WAS DOING & if I may say so, was DAMN GOOD AT IT! I've raised more kids than I have hairs on my head & I'm still very close to ALL of them! It's wonderful and before you all jump down my throat (ugh she thinks she's so perfect...) on the contrary, I never claimed to be perfect, however I do know that I'm good at what I do & it's spilling over obviously in the way I parent my daughter. So maybe the way I do things wouldn't necessarily be the way you chose to do them & that's ok... again, different strokes for different folks, right?
All I know is that as I'm typing this, I am hearing the soft sound of breathing coming from my daughters monitor & I know that I'm obviously doing something right.

G'night all & remember to PLEASE give a SHOUT OUT if you haven't done so already... I LOVE reading all your comments! =)

-Momma ( & one very sound asleep, all snuggled up with Bear, Miss Ruby Cate)

A Ruby & her Bear...

Ah... True Love! ( does it get any better than this???) *grin*

AND REMEMBER: Don't forget to give a SHOUT OUT and let us know where you're all tuning in from! Ruby & Bear WANT TO KNOW! =)
Thanks to those of you who've commented already! We love HAVING YOU HERE! ;)