Tyeranasaurus

Perhaps the most adorable dinosaur breed ever, the Tyeranasaurus was spotted this weekend in Brooklyn, New York.  Through steady observation, scientists discovered a great deal about the new species.  

First, she prefers eggs, over easy, for her first meal of the day.

 The Tyeranasaurus, however, is not picky.  Here she is observed eating ice off the sidewalk at the playground.

 She boldly ventures down the slide....

and back up.

 Here she is spotted engaging in daredevil tactics to gain the attention- and gasps- of other mothers at the playground who fear she may fall.  However, her balance proves to be strong, likely due in part to her long tail.

 When cheese crackers are available, she will ignore any distraction- including a full party of two year olds- to eat in solitude.

 She is social with other dinosaurs at all other times, though, as seen here, sharing the art easel.  

 When attending social gatherings, she partakes in the local food options.

 Tyeranasaurus was also observed spending a great deal of time engaged in dollhouse play.

This docile, apparently omnivorous species was heard roaring several times through the observation as well as singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and the ABC's.  Scientists are anxiously awaiting her next appearance for continued study.

Snow Day in Brooklyn!

Saturday, we received our first snowfall of the year.  Tye awoke from her nap to a wintry wonderland.  From reading books and watching movies, Tye knew of snow, but I don't know how much she remembered from last year.  As we walked outside, she gasped and commented on how cold it was.

Tye loved watching her boots leave footprints as she walked.  Almost immediately, she picked up a small chunk of snow from the seat of her bike and put it in her mouth, then giggled as it melted in her mouth.  

Our little play time on the back deck didn't last too long before Tye became really cold (Mama has not yet found snowpants or waterproof mittens for this winter) and we quickly came inside to warm up.  


After that, we embarked upon a family trek to search for a pumpkin during the hardest snowfall of the day.  The wet, icy chunks falling from the sky turned out to be pretty miserable- our faces stung as they were pelted with heavy snow, and our clothes were quickly soaked.  I resorted to keep Tye dry in her stroller with a garbage bag.  We can say we made an effort, though, and we did our best to enjoy participate in the snow.  


As soon as we found what turned out to be the last pumpkin in Fort Greene (and it was therefore, the Charlie Brown Christmas tree of pumpkins), we returned home, warmed up, and carved our pumpkin as the snow continued falling.  This was one snowfall best enjoyed with a mug of spiced cider and a bowl of freshly baked pumpkin seeds, wearing warm slippers and "jamas."  So yes, we enjoyed the snow, after all.

Corner Store Playdough

The longer we live in Brooklyn and the more experience I gain living here, the more I learn to improvise.  Can't carry the dog food home from the store?  Order it on Amazon.  Dryer takes three and a half hours to dry a load of clothes?  Hang them all.  So when I wanted to make play dough for Tye but couldn't find food coloring at any of the local corner grocery stores (or our nearby Target), I thought of one of my favorite recipes for play dough from my teaching days: Jello play dough.  It's a beautiful, smooth consistency, smells yummy, and doesn't require food coloring- perfect for life in our area of Brooklyn, where apparently no one uses food coloring. (I know, I don't use artificial food coloring, either- except for making play dough!) 

Jello Play Dough

1 cup flour (plus additional for kneading)

2 Tbsp salt

3-4 Tbsp cream of tartar

1 small package flavored gelatin (we used blue raspberry)

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 cup water

Combine ingredients in a medium pot or large saucepan, stirring until smooth.  Place the pan over low heat and stir continuously until the texture changes and the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the edge.  Turn dough out onto wax or parchment paper to cool.  Add flour gradually and knead until smooth and no longer sticky.  Store in an airtight container.  If it becomes dry, knead in a little oil and add less flour next time.  

Though I've been wanting to try out play dough with Tye for a while, this was our first experience with it.  She asked to eat it many times and even tried to sneak a few tastes, but did a much better job keeping it out of her mouth than I had expected.  We had a great time playing together, making shapes with our hands and cookie cutters, but Tye's favorite play dough activity was finding small animals hidden within the dough.  She loves the idea of hiding right now and becomes really excited to find items.  When she realized there were animals hiding in the dough, she squealed and giggled with delight, then re-hid them in their "house."   

Play dough is great for a child's development, with opportunities to practice fine motor skills (cutting, shaping, twisting) and coordination (using a rolling pin, practicing cutting dough "snakes" with scissors) and to engage in sensory input- squeezing the soft, squishy dough- that can be hard to find elsewhere.  Plus, as Tye will tell you, it's fun!  

Needless to say, we're going to be making a lot more play dough in the future.  I'm excited to try some natural food colors, like adding/substituting beet juice, green or hibiscus tea, turmeric, and orange peel to the water in other recipes, and turn our improvising into a culinary adventure.   At least I know I can fall back on more Jello in a pinch.

An Abundance of Owies

I don't know if everyone's kids are like this or if it's just Tye, but every once in a while, she manages to fall- a LOT.  The injuries are rarely sporadic- rather, they come in waves.  After weeks without an owies, Tye has had several in the past two days, including two that left big scratches on her face.  

Her forehead was the result of a fall off the equipment at the playground, which is completely unusual for her.  The scratch on Tye's nose happened after a little fall on the small cement area in the back yard.  Her face doesn't tell the rest of the story- the running fall cushioned by a large bush, the fall off the kitchen chair that resulted in a major head bump, the skinned knees hiding beneath her leggings.  


If we were still in Chicago, I'd take Tye to the chiropractor.  After all, after this many tumbles, she is certain to need an adjustment.  But I've also noticed that an adjustment breaks the cycle of injuries.  I realize it could just be the end of Tye's fall phase, or as the old motherly wisdom suggests, perhaps she is finally becoming used to her body after a growth spurt.  The thing is, after months of regular adjustments, the pattern of falls-adjustments-no falls has been pretty obvious.  


Now we just need to find a chiropractor in Brooklyn.  

"Owie on nose."

Why we moved...

Because nothing replaces sitting in Daddy's lap for dinner any night I want.

Playground Explorations

Our trip to the playground yesterday was great fun for Tye.  New equipment to climb, new sights to see, and lots of leaves to collect and throw into the air repeatedly.  Now, if we could just find some other kids to join us at the playground, we'd be all set.

Oh, and remember what I said about Tye learning to smile for the camera?  Well, we have some practice ahead of us...

Thoughts at 26 Weeks

I may be 26 weeks pregnant, but my body believes my third trimester arrived three days ago.  It came on like a ton of bricks- one day, I felt great, and the next, WHAM!  I was exhausted from pushing Tye in the stroller a few blocks, every time I bent over to pick up one of the million items on the floor my belly and back hurt, and by the end of the day, my entire body felt absolutely exhausted, despite my afternoon nap.  With only a week and a half until I officially enter the third trimester, my body isn't that far off.  I just wasn't expecting those typical third trimester symptoms until, well, the third trimester.  Fortunately, I've been surrounded by gentle reminders to appreciate every day of this pregnancy, and I'm truly working on that. 


I'm forever grateful just to be pregnant.  Today, October 15th, marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a day with special meaning to me.  Almost three years ago, I had an ectopic pregnancy that ended in emergency surgery to remove my ruptured fallopian tube.  The devastation of losing a pregnancy is hard to describe and rarely discussed publicly, as if miscarrying is shameful.  I found, though, that by talking openly about our experience, I was introduced to a flood of other women who had lost a pregnancy and even more stories of hope.  I learned that 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage (1 in 3 by some estimates), which helped ease my own feelings of guilt.  Remembering how fortunate I am to have become pregnant with one fallopian tube, and to still be pregnant, being grateful comes easily.


As my pregnancy progresses, I'm thankful for each day that Baby Girl stays inside me.  Much as I did with Tye, I'm reminding this babe daily to "Stay inside until January," our pregnancy mantra.  Some days, I feel as though everywhere I turn, I encounter another story of a premature birth.  A friend just told me of a sorority sister who delivered her twins at 24 weeks.  Loving, concerned friends and family members reminded Tyler and me that I shouldn't be lifting anything heavy during the move, or better yet, shouldn't lift anything (and Tyler has been fabulous, helping me throughout).  With at least three close friends who delivered prematurely immediately following a move, moving was a real concern for us, and one we continue to take seriously (the boxes aren't gone yet!).  I'm thankful that we've progressed into a portion of the pregnancy in which Baby Girl would possibly survive if she was born, but even more, I'm grateful for every day she remains safely in utero.  


I'm also reminding myself to treasure this pregnancy because there's a chance it could be my last.  Though right now, I can say I would like another child someday, I don't know what the future holds for our family.  To assume I'll be pregnant again would also rely on me becoming pregnant again, an uncertain venture for any couple.  When I think about the possibility that this could be my last time experiencing pregnancy, I can't help but cherish each day.  


Since she learned we'd be moving, my dear friend Ines has been wishing for me to find peace after the move so I could just enjoy being pregnant.  Now that the chaos is beginning to calm, I'm able to concentrate on my connection with Baby Girl and finally realize Ines' hope for me, something I didn't realize how much I needed.  All these reminders of how fortunate we are aren't going wasted, either.  I'm grateful for the conception and safe continuation of this pregnancy, and for the wonderfully easy second trimester with which I was blessed when I needed it most.  When my continuously changing body requires me to slow down now, I'll gladly use the extra time to be present in the moment, enjoy the beauty of today, and say a little prayer of thanks.