Extra Photos

These are some photos that I wanted to share...that really have no particular story. Just images of the kids being themselves.

My Brave Knights

We have been going for years to the Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, New York, and it has been an annual end of the summer tradition. When we started going, we were able to spend the entire day there enjoying the entertainment and a beautiful late summer day outside...surrounded by a crowd of people dressed up like Queen Elizabeth, a tavern wench, Highlanders, Pirates, Fairies, Knights...etc. Each year the kids relationship with the Faire has changed. This year Ben decided that he MUST dress up....and of course, Charlotte followed course. It rained pretty heavily on us -- which is funny itself because we were running late, noticed the clouds, Drew said - what do you think should we go back for raincoats? And of course, I said no...there is no rain in the forecast - let's just go. We won't melt. Of course, we didn't melt...but we did get wet and quite muddy. We still had fun though.

Here are some pictures from the Faire and so you can see how "authentic" my little knights were in their garb -- and behavior.




Pulling the sword from the stone.



My fully grown hot-blooded viking.



And his offspring....Does this not look like it is cut from the movie Braveheart?!?!?!?!


Ben got a beautiful dragon painted on his arm. He loves doing this. It doesn't last long, but watching someone paint always inspires his own art -- and he came home and drew a dragon that was obviously influenced by this experience. Amazing.

New Life

Many of you know that I have taken a new job that is a job share. I love it. I sincerely miss my former dean because I found working with him to be so completely fantastic because I respected him, enjoyed his company and really found the work he was doing (improving PK-12 education) to be inspirational. That is quite unique to have a working relationship like that and it was really hard to end...except for the other crazy people who were driving me to drink heavily. Anyway....I am now off topic.

Since I started working this new job three days a week, I have had a little bit of trouble figuring out the new job, the new culture, the new rhythm (that is the hardest word to spell!!)of my week. I think I am on the cusp of understanding it better!!! I have changed my schedule and most weeks I will be working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is great because it allows my work week to be connected and my home time to be connected. The net effect is that I don't have confusion about which hat to wear or confusion about what my focus is for the day.

On Mondays, I keep Charlotte home with me -- Mondays with Mommy. It has been great to just have her around. We have done household projects together, run errands and just spent quite time talking and playing. It is so fantastic to be able to focus on her like this -- and it has paid off hugely.

I have also had more time to be involved with the both of the kids' schools. This was very important to me because Ben was starting in a new school with which I had no knowledge of or relationship. So, I have signed up for potluck dinner help, field trips and helping with class parties. I think he genuinely appreciates having me around too! And I have learned most of the kids in his class name and they have learned who I am.

My favorite thing is working with the kids and books. I have adored children's books my entire life. When I was in high school, I had a part time job at Harbor Books in Yarmouth, Maine. I loved it. One of my chief responsibilities was the children's section...I started buying books for my kids then....so we have hundreds. My specific roles at Ben's school are with library time and the book fair. I love going to help the kids with library time. I help them find books and sign them out and its fun to see Ben there and see how he functions in his school environment.

I am also involved with Lolly's school this year as the class parent. I have attended a field trip with her class too, planned a get together for the families so everyone could meet, and helped with their Halloween festivities. As a matter of fact, at Charlotte's Halloween party, there were several parents helping organize the kids around the party lunch and as I was wondering around helping the kids Charlotte called for my attention. When I turned around she said, "Momma, You a really good helper." Yes, that is the sound of my heart exploding :)

I tell you all of this because I am so excited to have all of this access to my kids -- but also to have the chance to work with a remarkably well organized and aggressive organization that is benefiting my community where I just happened to give birth to my kids. I think I am starting to get the ebb and flow of my new world. I now need to find time to paint the stairs/bathroom/kid's bedrooms/house, weed the yard, exercise, sleep, vacuum my car, organize my house, superclean my house, decorate, buy grown-up furniture and cleave many of our belongings that we don't need any more. Sigh...I think there will always be a to do list a mile long...but I think my kids are feeling like they have me more now than they have before and that is a one thing I can cross off the top of my To Do List.

New School Year

So there are a variety of hysterical (funny and crazed) antics that have happened at the Harteveld house in the last two weeks -- but a particularly funny one happened this morning. At Ben's school, the kids aren't allowed to carry money. In order to purchase hot lunch, we must load his account with cash and then he carries a PIN to school to access the account at lunch. I made him a little slip of paper for his lunch box -- but of course, Master Ben recreated it as a fantastic rainbow colored card. This morning he was a bit stressed trying to remember where it was, and he suggested it might be in his "laundry museum" NO JOKE!!! - after laughing I realized that he might not understand the implications of referring to his clothes hamper as a museum -- as if I leave the clothes in there like ancient artifacts!!!

Summer Highlights

So....how did it become September? We have had a very exciting couple of months. I started a fantastic new job and Drew became a licensed private pilot.

The kids had wonderful summers -- and grew like weeds!!! Ben graduated from Kindergarten -- to date, our best school experience by far! He attended Drama camp this summer and was Michael in "Michael and Meaghan's Cat". His proficiency in swimming is really impressive!! In typical Ben fashion, he developed his own way to advance his swimming skills -- channeling different swimming beings - swim like a sea turtle (underwater breast stroke), swim like a dolphin (plunging into the water from the steps with a big arch in his back) and swim like a mermaid (stacking his ankles and kicking them up and down like a fin). And he lost half the teeth in his mouth.

Lolly started sleeping in a big girl bed -- without a hitch! She played her guitar and wrote songs about all of us. Her comfort in the water grew exponentially! She started out being incredibly hesitant about even getting her toes in the water, graduated to leaping off her grandparents dock to proudly dipping her forehead in the pool. She also rode her first pony -- a huge deal for a girl who is completely obsessed with horses.


Laughing in our new big girl bed


Admiring her new horse jewelry box




Kindergarten graduation

First Pony Ride

The Train Ride at the Zoo



Jumping off Pop Pop and Gigi's dock at the lake

Anticipation

Walking out to the ring with Chuckles

Learning to turn

Determination

Where am I?

A special visit to Gari Melcher's, a famous artist, studio. Very exciting for Ben, who is trying out a painting prop here.

Lolly was begging for a boat ride much of our visit to Virginia. She got one Daddy style

and Pop Pop style.

Ben's gorgeous toothless face

Visits from two of the Uncs



Lolly turned three at the Fire House

A field trip to the Central Park Zoo -- Lolly with her best bud Gavin.

Ben in one of his plays.

Lolly giving Ben flowers from the family, because we were all so proud of him!

The day she wore pony tails...sigh....

Sharing my IPOD to watch Ferdinand the Bull

Look out Sheryl Crow!

A carousal with a dragon!!

First Day of School

I was amazed she didn't fall over with this huge backpack!

Posing

After Daddy prodding to "Smile!"

Getting on the bus.

Sunday in the Park

We had so much fun in the city this last weekend. We definitely chose the winner day of the weekend - sunny and beautiful, but it was not too hot. We decided to take the kids to the carousel, which they absolutely loved and then walk around the park and find a nice shady place to rest and play. We were so lucky because everyone had escaped the city for the holiday weekend - so there were no lines and tons of space everywhere. We stumbled onto a carnival in the middle of the park -- and I got some priceless pictures.

This confirms that Lolly is my future skydiving partner


And that both of the kids will likely take on Drew's love of flying


Ben and I rode the swings. I haven't been on an amusement ride for years and was shocked at how easily I became nauseous -- I was also panicked that my swing would come off the ride and go hurling through the air; thereby forever traumatizing Ben at the mere sight of a carnival. Nonetheless - I got these sweet pictures of him and his jazzy new haircut.

Lolly desperately wanted to ride the cars ride -- which Drew and I were WAY to big to ride, but she had to have someone ride with her because of height restrictions. Ben was designated. These pictures show that he went...but wasn't happy about it - but Charlotte was out of her mind with happiness. I love the one where she is gleefully waving at us.


Lolly and I rode in a red plane behind Ben and Daddy's Blue plane


Then we retreated to the shade and had ice cream. That is my ice cream Charlotte is enjoying - as she didn't like the one she got.


After ice cream, the kids begged to run around on the rocks. They both really love climbing. I can't wait until they get a bit older and we can take them out for some good hikes with climbs.


These are so funny - Charlotte was looking at Ben and decided to give him a smackeroney.




My thoughtful almost three-year old - would LOVE to know what she is thinking about