The Great Pumpkin's Visit!

Well, the Great Pumpkin made it to our house this year with a bundle of Halloween surprises! It turned out to be a successful way to come to a decision about the costumes (okay, let's be honest: it was a successful way for me to choose the costumes I wanted, perhaps for the last time!).

I think Henry was pretty happy about the whole idea though. He acted really excited for several minutes, and then he got all wistful and said, "Maybe next year the Great Pumpkin will bring me a boxer costume!" I didn't even know boxer was his top choice in costumes! Maybe next year . . . Anyway, the Great Pumpkin also had this great idea of sending Henry a toy UPS truck in the mail, which made up for any disappointment Henry might have had. Who can complain when there's a new truck involved?

I may be biased, but I think these two boys are the cutest UPS guys I've ever seen!

Ben's great idea: Henry put his candy inside the Amazon box!

The truck turned out to be the perfect prop! Ellis just needed a little help keeping steady as we went trick-or-treating. It was so cute to see him pushing his deliveries along!

Henry's official induction into the world of blushing

Approximately 4 weeks after the final weaning of Ellis, something new showed up in our bathroom. It was something exciting. Something that Henry couldn't remember ever seeing, since he hadn't seen it for nearly 2 years, and his memory probably only goes back 6-8 months. It was in a special blue bag, and each little piece looked like a mysterious surprise -- perhaps a new kind of toy? Perhaps some kind of candy? Each one was wrapped in brightly colored paper -- green, purple, and yellow. Wow, this was bound to be a special day in the Iverson household!

Henry made the discovery while getting ready for bed, and he had something magical in his voice when he announced, "Mom, I see something new in the bathroom! Something I haven't seen before!" "Great!" I replied, staying as far away as possible so as to avoid his gaze. Ben was nearby, so Henry went on to question him about what this special new treat was all about. Ben evaded his questions pretty well, told him he would have to ask Mom about it in the morning, and changed the subject to bedtime stories.

So I had all night to come up with some sort of explanation. It's not that I think everything related to the female body needs to be kept as some embarrassing secret that will forever make the men and boys in my family blush (as both of our dads already do, and probably are right now as they read this post). Perhaps it is better if we let feminine products become part of our everyday vernacular. There's nothing about them that is really embarrassing, unless we make it that way, right?

Then, on the other hand, knowing Henry, this discussion would only lead into further prodding, delving into subjects of female anatomy and babies and how they get into bellies. I wasn't sure I wanted to go there with my 3-year-old. So I tried to think of some kind of fairy-like explanation for Henry's bathroom discovery -- something akin to Santa Claus, the stork, or the Great Pumpkin. Does anybody have an explanation of this sort? I couldn't think of anything! Needless to say, I had a full night to prepare for the morning's conversation, but I woke up completely unrehearsed. I tried hiding the little blue bag (we don't have any cupboard space in our bathroom, and I haven't found a good solution yet), but I didn't take a lot of care concealing my mysteries in the garbage can. Thus, the conversation happened. Imagine me giving each response and then whisking off into another room to try ending the conversation (his curiosity compelled him to follow me).

Hey mom, what are these things that I see in the garbage? These things in the yellow wrappers?

Oh, those things? They're called tampons.

But what are they for?

Um, they're kind of like diapers for mommies.

Diapers for mommies!?! But why do mommies need diapers . . . do they have accidents?

Uh, yeah. Sometimes mommies have accidents. Just little accidents.

But why do mommies have accidents if they're already potty trained?

Uh, just because they are mommies. They just do.

But how do you put them on?

Um, just kind of like diapers.

(he didn't buy that answer)

But I want to see them. I want to open them and see you put them on.

Nah. No. Probably not.

But I really want to see them!

Probably not.

When will I get to see them? When can I open them?

Probably not. You probably won't get to.

But why?

Uh, because. Just because.

I know! Maybe I could look at pictures of them on the computer!

Ooh, probably not.

[Here enters the elusiveness that leads to male embarrassment about feminine products forever more. He is officially scarred for life and will blush at every mention of the word "Always."]

So I know I botched it up, but I still can't think of what I should have said. Any ideas?

Update: In my attempt at a non-offensive picture to use on this post, I came across this gem of a website: http://www.tamponcrafts.com/. This would definitely help break the ice in a fun activity for the whole family! What do you think? Ben, are you in?

Su Trampoline es Mi Trampoline

Check out what our neighbors got! Lucky for us, when you share a house, you share a yard. When one of you takes up half the yard with a trampoline, the other one can't help but jump. I guess that's what happens when su casa es mi casa!

Henry and Ellis are excited, but Ben is in heaven!

Public Service Announcement

Yesterday we had Joy School at our house, and we learned about taking care of the earth. Afterwards, while Henry was playing in the living room, he called out urgently, "Mom, I need you to get the camera and make a show of me and put it on the computer for everyone to see it!" My curiosity compelled me to comply with his request. I dutifully ran to the living room, started the camera, and this is what I got:

Willie Winkie Went a Walking from Ben and Jenn on Vimeo.

The whole thing was his idea, including the dramatic pose and the positioning in front of the Joy School calendar. I really think he intended for it to be a public service announcement about littering. So all you litterbugs out there, consider yourselves reprimanded!

Sneeze-off

Something I love about babies is that they can get so much joy out of things that to us seem mundane. Like a sneeze for example. Ellis thinks they are hilarious! In fact, he thinks they're so funny, that he's started faking them so that we can laugh too:

Sneeze-off from Ben and Jenn on Vimeo.

If that wasn't enough to satisfy your craving for baby tricks, here is another:

Untitled from Ben and Jenn on Vimeo.

A few similes

A few weeks ago, Henry got on a simile kick and we saved some of his best ones. Here you go:

"I feel as sick as bug."

"Ellis is as stinky as a lynx."

"Dad, you're the funnest! You're as fun as a toy! Mom, you're as fun as a ladder."

"You are as tall as a bug that flies, Mom."

"Gnocchi tastes like dead watermelon."

"Dad, get out of bed as quick as a mosquito rubs its wings together."

"10 exclamation points is as excited as when you're going to the store!"

"That meeting was as long as a trailer truck trailer."

Robbie, after getting his hair cut by Jenn: "How do I look?"

Henry: "You look as darn as a bumblebee bam!"

It's about that time

Time to start keeping the bathroom door closed AT ALL TIMES. Last week I also found him standing at the toilet, scooping up water in his hand and trying to drink it -- twice! If you could zoom in on the picture, you would see that he was wearing a shirt that says "Grandpa's Little Sidekick." I'll blame you, Dad. I'm sure this was your idea . . .

Columbus Day

For Columbus Day, we decided to have our annual apple picking day. We started the tradition with Jess & Cindy back in New Jersey and have had to do it every year since! This year we wanted a calm, simple, non-commercial experience, and we were in the mood for a long drive, so we opted for Vermont. It really was the perfect day. 2 boys strapped in car seats for 5 hours can lead to a few minutes of uninterrupted adult conversation, which we don't get a lot of these days. Add to that some irresistible New England scenery, and we'll take it!

This was the drive (pics through the windshield -- not the best, I know):

This was the farm: Green Mountain Orchards in Putney, VT. There was hardly anyone else there, and the apples were plentiful and amazing. We loved hiking around the green hills, stealing views of changing leaves, and tasting all of the apples. It was fairly chilly . . . just enough for the hot cider and donuts to hit the perfect spot when we finally filled up our 1/2 bushel bag.

Now how to use the 1/2 bushel of apples? This is one of my favorite yearly dilemmas. It's not that I don't know what to make. The problem is more a matter of who is going to eat it all. Anyone want to come over for pie, dumpling, apple crisp, cake, caramel apple dip, or applesauce?

Ben's World

I almost feel like I should have titled this post "Pumpkin Ben's World," since the last two posts on here both started with the word pumpkin. You know, keep the streak alive. But, all good things must come to an end, I suppose.

School has started once again and this semester I've got three classes: Contract Theory, Econometric Methods, and Asset Pricing. I know what you're thinking: "What? Only three classes? What does he do all day?" Well, let's just say they're keeping me busy. Probably not quite as busy as last year, but pretty close. The good news is that so far I've only had one dream where the whole dream is just a piece of paper and I'm trying to solve the equation on it (I didn't solve it, by the way, so don't get any ideas about me waking up and writing down the answer!). On top of my coursework, I'm also working on a few research papers and I'm helping a professor develop a course on the financial crisis, which I'm really enjoying.

Actually, I should tell you a story about this professor who's teaching the financial crisis course. I'm pretty excited to be working with him because he's kind of a big wig in the academic world and he recently returned from a 8 month stint at the White House serving in the Obama administration. His name is Jeremy Stein. So, I had been talking to Jenn about meeting with Jeremy Stein, and that evening I came home from school and Henry comes up to me and says, "Dad! Did you talk to Jeremy Einstein?" Yeah, something like that, Henry.

So, that's the Ben update. As I'm writing this out, I'm realizing that there is absolutely nothing exciting in the post at all, which means that there must not be anything exciting in my life right now. You know what? That's okay. I'm loving my life. It's great. I'm learning a ton, and most of it I really enjoy learning. When I'm not in school, I'm with Jenn and the boys. Who could ask for more?

But, if you're still not satisfied, here are two things to think about: 1) If you could reform either the health care system or the education system in the U.S. right now, but not both, which would you choose? 2) The graph below shows that people increase their saving rate dramatically during recessions. This is counter-intuitive: When an individual's income levels falls (during a recession) they should decrease the percent of their income that they save, since they have to use more of their income to pay the bills. Why do we see saving rates increase during recessions? What prevents people from saving during expansions and then spending their reserve during recessions?

Feel free to answer either of these in the comments!

Joy School

Henry is now in his 5th week of Joy School. I just realized I never posted these pictures of his first day! Joy School is the preschool co-op we're doing with 4 other children in our area. The moms are the teachers, and we rotate houses every week. We started at our house, and I must say I enjoyed teaching much more than I ever expected to! The kids are so cute and so sweet. I also love the Joy School curriculum, which focuses on values and learning joy. The lessons are so creative and fun. It's amazing how much fun kids can have on a small budget. They get such a kick out of the smallest things! Mostly I think it's the parent involvement that makes them love it. When else do they get 3 straight hours of their mom's undivided attention? Henry has had absolutely no problem getting dropped off each day and has loved each Joy School house and each teacher. He confessed to me that having it at his own house was his very favorite though.

Look at this kid -- just the shining example of Joy. Actually, I think the whole arrangement has been really good for both of us. I think we drive each other crazy sometimes, and it's so good to have a little break a few times a week. It's been a positive experience all around!

Pumpkin Pancakes

For our Conference Day breakfast, we treated ourselves to pumpkin pancakes with "frosting syrup" drizzled on top, which was just cream cheese frosting with a bit of extra milk, heated up in the microwave. Yum, yum, yum! I just couldn't resist posting a picture of how cute the pancakes turned out (thanks to Amy for giving Ellis these pancake molds from Williams Sonoma). Did Ellis enjoy his first ever monkey pumpkin pancakes? Nope. They went straight from the high chair to the floor, just like every other food item that doesn't have the word "graham" in its name. Maybe next time . . .

Pumpkin Picking

Vote for Henry's Halloween Costume

As Henry gets older and more opinionated, I feel I am definitely losing any sense of power with him. I was thinking this might be the last year I get to choose his Halloween costume for him. Alas, we've been arguing over costume ideas for the last two weeks, and I'm starting to wonder iflast year was the last year I got to choose! We finally settled a bit tonight when I told him he could just write a letter to The Great Pumpkin telling him his favorite Halloween costume ideas. Then The Great Pumpkin would decide on the costume and leave it on our doorstep as a surprise! Yay! He went for the idea and puts a lot of faith in The Great Pumpkin. Here is the letter he dictated:

Dear Great Pumpkin,

These are the costumes I like best:

train

ladybug*

bumblebee*

Thomas (train)*

James (train)*

boxer*

delivery man

UPS man*

car*

Please send me one of those costumes for Halloween!

Love,

HENRY

P.S. I put stars by the ones I like the most! HCI

Wanna help The Great Pumpkin make his decision? Vote on our poll in the sidebar or leave comments here. Remember that we have to come up with a matching/coordinating costume for Ellis. Whether we make or buy it will depend on the costume choice. Thanks for your input!

Labor Day Weekend

Here's what I like:

Living an hour's drive from Yorktown, Maine. Lighthouses on craggy cliffs. Little islands that can only be reached by boat or zipline.

Taking pictures like this and wishing I had a real camera. Dreaming with friends about next year when we're going to spend Thanksgiving in the beachside resort pictured above.

Babies squealing in delight.

Boys and their unfailing ability to get dirty. No matter what.

Picnics on the beach, especially when the water is too cold to feel like you have to get in. Seeing the ocean just to see the ocean.

When other people walk Ellis around (thanks, Robbie!)

When other people play cars with Henry (thanks, Dave). Playing/singing with Amy.

Beastie (a.k.a. Jacob Priest). You'd like him too if you knew him.

Getting together with lifelong friends. These are some of our best ever high school friends, plus one new addition (Dave), who fits in perfectly. It's amazing how nothing in our friendship changes, even though so many other things have changed. We all live in different states now, living different lives. Some are well into successful careers, others are on their way. Some are trying to figure out their own family and marriage; others are professional counselors helping strangers with their families and marriages. Still, we can sit in the living room on a Saturday night, just like old times, just sitting, yet having the time of our lives. I love these people. I also love eating dinner in the North End. I also love that Jacob couldn't get off his phone to smile for the camera.

One Year for Ellis

Several times during my pregnancy with Ellis, I told people that I wished he could just come out of my belly and already be one year old. Okay, so maybe he could be a newborn for a week or two, and then magically transform into a one-year-old. I admit that I'm a wimp when it comes to parenting . . . I don't like doing the hard stuff! And with both of my boys, that first year was hard. Of course, the first year was also full of sweet and wonderful times (as you saw in The Ellis Show), and we have loved every ounce of our little Ellis, but I AM SO HAPPY that he has reached his year mark! My life is finally starting to feel "normal" again. Ellis is getting more independent, not to mention more adorable, happy, cuddly, and funny every day. This is one of my favorite stages in raising a little one (so far). I love to see his little personality developing as he is now trying to find a way to join our conversations and make his own little jokes. I love watching everything babies learn between 1 and 2 -- the way language develops as they discover ways to express what they see, feel, and want. I love watching little tiny under-20-pounders starting to walk (he is SO close) and gain a sense of acceptance with the rest of the world. I love kissing those soft, chubby, ticklish little cheeks. Happy Birthday Ellis!

The bathtub cake (because up until the day after his birthday, the bath was his favorite thing in the entire world. Now he has suddenly decided to hate it!). And "bath" was his first word that was actually attached to meaning. Bat, bat, bat, bat, bat!

We had friends over for a BBQ and birthday cake. We were so happy to have close friends in town, since we didn't have any family here for the big day :(

"I wish . . . I wish Mommy will let me rip her earrings out this time. Just this once!"

Going for the cake . . . a little tentatively

Taking his post-cake bath

the "afterbath" (I couldn't help it)

in his cute personalized hooded towel

Ellis got some pretty great presents (thanks, everybody!)

The Ellis Show

Here it is, the first ever official Ellis Show, in honor of our favorite 1-year-old! I've been meaning to post about Labor Day and Ellis' birthday, but I spent all my extra time working on this. Hope you like it!

As usual, it comes with a mostly-for-grandparents disclaimer. I won't be offended if you don't finish it. But it's so sweet if you have seven minutes on your hands. If you just want to watch for a couple of minutes, skip to the second or third song. Enjoy!

The Ellis Show (Year 1) from Ben and Jenn on Vimeo.

Thoreau

During my morning scripture study today, Henry came and sat across from me. He asked me to pass him the Book of Mormon so he could read it. He started turning pages and then asked, "Where's the Henry David Throw part?" A little confused, I asked him what he meant. He repeated, "Where's the part about Henry David Throw?"

Did I correct him and show him that Thoreau's words are found in the book Walden? Yes.

Do I regret that my son instinctively thought Henry David Thoreau was scriptural? Not at all.

And here is your Thoreau scripture of the day, very appropriate for September 1st, spoken to me over the phone by my dad last night:

Live in each season as it passes;

breathe the air,

drink the drink,

taste the fruit,

and resign yourself to the influences of each.

Love it!