Nothin' Like a Good Radio Flyer

When I was a kid I had a Radio Flyer wagon, just like a lot you did (I imagine). It was old, the paint was a bit chipped and there might have been a spot or two of rust. I remember riding it down the steep sidewalk in front of the house using the handle like a steering wheel, going faster and faster and hoping with all I had that I wouldn't lose control and go face first into the pavement. Another time my brother and I had the great idea to fill the old wagon with mud and coat ourselves in it from head to toe. As the clay-like mud dried, we realized our idea wasn't so great after all. And I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure there was a time when we tied the wagon's handle to the back of one of our bikes.
 





Norah Grace has a newer, more comfortable, plastic model with fold up seat backs. It's bigger than the old one and waiting for her in Kentucky. Over the years she'll make her own memories with her own Radio Flyer with whatever sibling(s) and cousins (cough cough) come along. My wish for them is that they are as lucky as we were to make all these memories without stitches as reminders.

Yes, Norah's Radio Flyer is in the states, but she isn't completely deprived of wagon fun here in Germany:

 

Cheeky Little Thing

 

Norah Grace the baby sticking out her tongue when her Pop Pop and Gigi weren't looking. 

Photo taken during an Ireland road trip in April, 2012. 

 

 

Norah Grace the toddler sticking her tongue out in a Leipzig park in May, 2013.

 

And, as the cliché goes: They grow so fast!

Adventures in Teething

Not fun.

I'm pretty sure any parent would agree that those two words sum up the teething stages in a baby/toddler's development.

First, they're obviously in some pain, which is rough for them and us--for two reasons: we never want our kids to be in pain and they can get reaaaaaaaaaaally fussy. Combine that with some sleepiness from a rough night of mouth soreness and you're in for a great time.

Then, you've got the drool. Their mouths are like faucets, a never ending stream of slobber that gets on their shirt, your shirt, the teddy bears, the floor, and if you aren't careful you'll be wiping it off your face after rough housing.

When haven't even gotten to the fun part, yet. It upsets their stomachs and you find yourself changing some of the nastiest diapers yet. Can't forget about the low-grade fever, too. You'll feel their forehead and swear they're sick.

Tylenol is their friend. So is a good teething ring.

The best part about it all? It happens twice. It starts with the front teeth and then, a few months later, the molars start peeking through.

But, like so many other things, it's a stage that eventually comes to an end. The particular stage has an added perk: once they get through this one they get to eat better food.

Another Sick Day

Yesterday Norah's daycare called and told us we had to come pick her up because she was having some stomach issues. She and I stayed home today and went to the doctor. It turns out she's not sick--her stomach is upset due to teething (I'll get to teething in a later post). I was pretty productive today, even putting an addition on Norah's cardboard playhouse. Who needs to spend loads of money on expensive playhouses when there's nothing like a few cardboard boxes to bring joy to a child? 

 

So Tired...



 

...yet so hungry! Her determination to finish her meal in the face of exhaustion is admirable. Usually she emerges from the fight victorious--messy, but wide-eyed and victorious. There are times, though, when she fights the good fight but is defeated, succumbing to the exhaustion of a big day. She's carried from the high chair, unconscious or nearly so, and wakes up hours later in her own bed, ready for another round.

Babyfood wins by knock out.

 

 



 

Another loss by knockout.

 

 

 

This battle against a peanut butter and banana sandwich went back and forth until the referee had to call a stop to the fight, her ability to safely chew and swallow in question, leading to a loss by TKO.

 

 

 

She was carried to bed, drifting in and out of slumber until finally lapsing into sleep.

 

 

Our Little Coffee Shop

On Sundays, Amy, Norah Grace and I sometimes walk to the city center and back through the parks that make up so much of Leipzig. Towards the end of our walk, Amy once remarked that we should bring a notebook with us because of all the great ideas we have when out in the fresh air. Much of the time, these ideas are simply elaborating on ideas we've already had. One we've been tossing around for a long while comes up time and time again--sometimes even in our daily conversation.

Opening up our own shop.

It would be a coffee and pastry/handmade baby and children's clothes/used book shop in small seaside town New England. Amy would sell her awesome kid's clothes both online and at the store and I would bake the food.


We would open early in the morning to sell coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls and maybe donuts to folks on their way to work.

Maybe we would give away a free cinnamon roll with every cup of coffee on Mondays because cinnamon rolls are simply a good way to start the week and free is even better. We would have comfy, overstuffed chairs and couches for people to sit and read the used books they find on the shelves and sip their coffee (or tea) they bought at the counter..

There would be a local authors section and matte paintings for sale on the walls to support regional artists. We could sell our own prints of photos we've taken in our travels.

Saturday nights would see local musicians on a small stage in the corner playing for the tourists during the summer and locals during the off-season. Maybe we would have a fireplace to make the shop cozy on chilly New England evenings.

It could be called Norah's Nook, just like the online shop Amy already has going.

We're dreamers, but more often than not those dreams become reality...they just might take a little while.