What I'm Watching.

Fall has always been my most favorite time of year! I love that it represents a new school year, it's my birthday, it's Javi's birthday, the weather gets cooler (sometimes), I get to start wearing scarves and boots (not yet this year...), there are so many fun outdoor activities during Fall.... but the number one reason I love Fall is because new seasons of shows start! I get really into it. 

Here's what I plan to watch:

Monday:

The Big Bang Theory - I sort of can't believe it's been 10 seasons of this show! But I still love it and at this point, need to see it until the end. Plus I want to know if Amy says "yes"!

Young Sheldon - We watched this the other night and it was cute! I like that Jim Parsons narrates the show and thought the actor who plays the younger version of Sheldon does well. We'll continue to watch!

Kevin Can Wait - I never watched this last year BUT when I found out Leah Remini joined as a full-time cast member, I was intrigued. So I went back and watched a few episodes. I haven't watched the first episode but I plan to. I love them together. King of Queens is one of my favorite shows ever.

The Good Doctor - I loved this. Every time I see him I think of Norman Bates -- but I thought this show was really well done. I'm excited to see where they take it.

Tuesday:

This Is Us - This show makes me so sad and then happy and then depressed and then hopeful. Pretty much every emotion is felt while watching. I didn't watch last night's episode yet -- but this weekend, I'm all about it.

The Mick - So funny! We watched all of last season and it's a show that we literally laugh until we cry.

The Middle - I just think this show is amazingly funny. I'm pretty sure I haven't missed an episode... ever!

The Mayor - We just watched this and loved it! ABC on Demand has a sneak preview before the show starts in October and it was well worth watching (if you like sitcoms).

Wednesday:

The Good Place - I love Kristen Bell! This show is a pretty neat concept and I'd like to know how they're going to approach season 2. 

Riverdale - I never read the comics but I really like this show. I binge-watched the first season on Netflix over summer break and I can't wait for this to start.

Seal Team - David Boreanaz and Max Thieroit?! So excited! Sean thinks it looks a bit too political/propagandish but I think it looks good!

Thursday:

Will & Grace - I mean... come on! I have to watch to see what this is going to be like. It was one of my favorite shows back in the 90s (ha!).

How To Get Away With Murder & Scandal - These are shows I watch with friends and they are such fun soap dramas to watch. I highly recommend them.

S.W.A.T. - I hope this is good! I mean he left Criminal Minds for it (which is why I no longer will watch Criminal Minds -- how do they always lose characters and then act like it's the same?!). It looks decent so I'll give it a try.

I don't typically watch anything Friday-Sunday. So that gives us plenty of time to catch up On Demand over the weekends. 

In addition to all these -- I did recently just finish a whole bunch of shows -- in anticipation of all these ones starting up!

What are you watching?!

Blue is the new white.

When Sean and I first started looking for a house, back in 2013, I wanted a very specific style of house: a white one, with black shutters and a red door. I was told over and over again that I was being too specific but the very first house we found was a white house, with black shutters and red door and it was the house we bought. But it's been a few years and this 1950s house was looking a bit tattered and torn. (We're still trying to wrap our heads around this whole homeownership thing.) We were told when we moved in that we'd need a new roof right away -- well, it turned out to be okay for the last 4 years but it was definitely time to improve. The bushes out front were becoming unruly, no matter how we tried to tame them and the overall look of the outside had been neglected because we tried to focus on the inside. Well the outside look matters! So this summer, we paid a bit of attention to it.

It's definitely a change!

We started off by removing the overgrown bushes, then had the roof redone, the screen porch redone and lastly the house was painted. We decided on Admiral Blue (Benjamin Moore) because we've been toying with the idea of moving and all the houses we saw and liked were blue. We figured why not make this house all we wanted it to be rather than uprooting ourselves while searching for something we can create here at home. We still need to paint the front door -- though we got a nice clear glass door that really opens up the look -- plant some landscaping and probably get some shutters though that's still debatable. And we're in no rush... the neighbors must love us. :)

We chose to close off the bottom part of the screen porch for safety reasons. Javi (and the cats) were running full force into the lower screens and I was so worried Javi would fall right through! I think it looks so much better this way and I love the lattice because you can't see our lawn stuff from the street. I mean, no one wants to look at that...

Next we paid some attention to the weeds under the front deck. I say "we" super loosely because I had nothing to do with this at all but I love the way it looks now. :) It's a whole lot neater, at least!

We also paid a bit of attention to the left side of the house. This area known as the jungle was ridiculous with weeds and overgrown plants. We had it all chopped down and removed (just like we have every year though it's just grown back in the past), but this time we had new "loam" (had no idea that was a fancy word for dirt) delivered and then tried our hands at grass seed. I'm now a professional grass seeder. 

:) I'm not quitting my day job or anything to become a landscaper but it's a vast improvement! At least now, we can walk all the way around the house -- I heard that's important in case of emergency!

In the backyard, we collapsed our unused septic tank so that the yard could be flattened. It's hard to tell in the photo below just how high the hill was and how big of a hump we were dealing with-- but it was silly and unnecessary. We lost our fire pit in the process since that was positioned right on top of the unused septic tank. We definitely need to buy more loam and plant more seed because a lot of it didn't take. But that seems like a problem for future Sean and future Jasmine -- like in the spring of 2018. I mean winter is coming...

All in all, I'd say it was a successful summer for outdoor home improvement projects! And now to finish up some indoor projects before this baby arrives... :)

Second birthday party.

Today is Javi's birthday! Last night, I shared his second birthday letter (from me) on the blog but today I wanted to share a bit about his birthday party!

We originally wanted to have a "Taco Twosday" party for him but ultimately decided on Mickey Mouse when the party store had nothing decorative for taco twosday but tons for Mickey! It was the right choice. We put up the few decorations we got during his nap (though he didn't nap... isn't that always the way on busy days?!) so when he came back down stairs and saw everything he was in awe and so excited! He loved the Mickey banner and balloons, all the plates and napkins and it was just perfect!

We didn't throw as big a bash as his first birthday and we had to be inside because we just planted a lot of grass seed in the yard but our parents came and some of my family who he just loves to be around! He couldn't contain himself once he saw the gift bags in his playroom and he just started tearing into present after present. He was very excited to see that so many of his gifts were Mickey related. :) He also got some blocks and a train track set, play-doh, star wars models, coloring books, stickers.... the generous list goes on and on! What a lucky guy. :)

His most favorite part of his party was definitely blowing out his birthday cake candle... as you can tell. He kept wanting it lit again so he could blow it out again... and again. I had big plans to make a fancy Mickey Mouse birthday cake but I couldn't figure it out! So he got a round cake with a drawn on Mickey from frosting. :)

He had such a happy day during his party and today (his actual birthday!) and that's just the best thing of all.

Letter three.

Javi,

Tomorrow's your second birthday. :) We've come a long way from those sleepless, weeping (me... not you) infant days but most of the time I still consider you my baby. Unless I want you to be doing something. And then I tell you, you're big. It's confusing, I know. :) 

Time is just moving. And you are growing. You started school two weeks ago and every day you come home with a new word. Your most recent sentences have been "mama's white car", "mama's room", "door locked" and "dat me" (while pointing at your own picture). You love school! And I'm so happy about it. We were nervous about the change between daycare and school, the longer days and the further commute. But you've been so strong about it all. Most of the time I fall apart after work but not you. You jump out of the car and immediately declare that you're going to "prae" which is your version of "play" and not actually "praying". :) You love music and singing and love "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Mr. Sun". I love the way you say "sunshine" and "thank you" and I could listen to you say those words all day. 

You are so capable and independent. Most of the time, when we offer our help, you pull away from us and sometimes you grunt something under your breath as if we're driving you crazy. And other times, you melt in our arms and pull on our hands and make sure we're paying attention and coming your way and seeing you. Trust me, we're paying attention and we see you. We always see you. You walk with such purpose, talk with such innocence and observe with such keen sight. You're such an imitator.

You are sneaky. Boy, are you sneaky! You sneak up on us and creep and crawl through the house playing and scaring us. You hide in the hall closet and jump out as we walk by. The other day you hid on the other side of the basement door. Not so safe (you nearly fell down the stairs) but you were really proud of yourself when you saw the look of horror on my face that you actually scared me.

You are happy. You wake up bright-eyed and laughing and like to play in your crib. When I come in to get you, you pretend to be asleep except I know you're not because you're smiling from ear to ear. Then you jump up and down and all around and dive into your mattress. You love when I playfully cover you with your blankets and rub your back and pretend it's time to go back to sleep even though it's morning! You love Frank, your stuffed animal, and he comes everywhere with you. You call him "RiRi" and we all have to give RiRi kisses when you request them. 

You are busy. You move from one activity to another, one toy to the next, and keep going and going all day. My favorite days are the ones we get to stay home but I think the house is too small for you. You love to run and be free and be on your own. You love your after dinner walks with Buh-pa, riding your bike and most recently, pointing out our newly painted "blue house" and "baby grass". You always want to play outside. Whenever we walk out to the car, you make a turn to go to the backyard. But you don't stay there. If we turn away for even a second, you're already in the neighbor's yard. Especially if the neighborhood kids are out. When there are kids around, you are right in there with them. It doesn't matter how big they are. You're there and you're keeping up.

You are cuddly. After a long day, you tell me "big bed" and that means you want to snuggle upstairs in mama and daddy's bed. We turn on the AC and fan, change into comfy clothes and watch movies. You're a bit demanding with your movie choices. After a few minutes of something, you ask for something new. Our entire Netflix account is geared for you now :) You still love Mickey, Curious George and most recently, Winnie the Pooh.  

You are possessive. Not over your things -- no. But if other people touch things that don't belong to them you notice. If I hold daddy's phone you yell "no! daddy's phone" and take it away and return it to its rightful owner. You do it with shoes, sunglasses, and any other belongings you notice. You also value equality. Not yet in the broader sense of the word; however, if one person in the house has shoes on -- everyone needs to. If someone changes clothes, you need to change clothes. When I touch my belly and talk about our new baby -- you touch your belly and proudly tell me there's a baby in your belly, too. You don't want to miss out or be in the dark about anything. 

You are well-traveled. In your short two years, you've been to 18 states and 1 island (twice). You've been on planes, trains, buses, boats, ferries -- I think we just need to try a taxi. You love going places and doing things. You're such a good sport and you're really good to us. You have the ability to go with the flow (of course, we all have our off days) but in general you are just so good. You're playful and witty and smart and resilient and so perfect. 

I know you'll continue to grow and change because it's inevitable. But I hope you remain just as you are at the same time. I love the way you are. I love your age, your personality, your drive and cuteness. I hope you have the happiest of all birthdays, love bug. 

I can't wait to see what two brings. 

Love, Mama 

The pumpkin patch.

Last month, as we were driving home from Florida we took time to make a list of all the fall activities we wanted to complete and we even went as far as to put these activities into our joint calendar. ha! One thing we knew we wanted to do was visit a pumpkin patch! Last year when we went to the pumpkin patch in mid-October there weren't any pumpkins left! I looked up the best time to go pumpkin picking... and turns out mid-September is perfect! Who knew?! I can't guarantee the pumpkins won't rot before Halloween but we shall see!

We thought we'd take out Javi's radio flyer wagon for the first time! It seemed like a good vessel for the terrain and how perfect that we didn't need to carry a toddler.... or pumpkins! Luckily, he loved his ride and the whole thing made for some really fun pictures. :)

We went to a farm that's a pretty close to our house. It was really crowded but apparently everyone was there for apple picking (not pumpkin picking) so we pretty much had the patch to ourselves. Because it's so early in the season, the paths to walk through weren't yet cleared and the grass (? is it grass) was really tall. I was a bit worried about ticks so I stayed on the outskirts. :) But Sean jumped right in.

I can't wait to continue with our fall festivities. On the agenda is apple picking (and baking), a weekend trip to Maine, a day at the zoo and a 5K (should be a bit interesting since I'll be 29 weeks at that point). Not to mention getting ready for the new baby (setting up a nursery, etc.), re-doing our upstairs bathroom and purging our basement. Some things are clearly more fun than others. :)

Thirty-one.

 I turned 31 today!

Last night, Sean and I celebrated by going out to dinner and to the movies. We saw It -- and I was so scared! I remembered most of the scenes so I knew exactly when to look away (!) but it was still scary. Today we did a lot of errands but we also had ice cream cake twice, I got to choose what to have for lunch (Outback) and we tried to take a family photo (it was only mildly successful).

Javi thoroughly enjoyed blowing out my candles (again and again and again). You might say he's practicing for his very own birthday celebration -- next Saturday (though his birthday isn't until the 20th). The lucky guy had ice cream three times on his mama's birthday. :)

Getting ready for Montessori school.

Tomorrow, Javi joins one of the toddler classrooms at my school. I'm excited about this (and a bit nervous, if I'm being honest) but I'm really looking forward to seeing him throughout the day on the playground and in his Montessori classroom -- which is right down the hall from mine. He hasn't been in "school" before even though I called his daycare a "school", and he's jumping from a 3-day a week program to a 5-day a week program -- so it's a really exciting time for us in the Duffy Household!

(Javi spending time in my 3-6 classroom!)

Even though I teach older children there are things I suggest the parents in my classroom do to ease the transition of attending full-time school (for the first time, or after a long break), and in a Montessori setting. Javi's been at home with us for about 3 weeks and here's what we've been doing to prepare for the new school year:

1. We've created as many opportunities for independence, as possible: I know firsthand that Montessori schools inspire and encourage a certain level of independence in children even younger than Javi. At home, it's really easy to do everything for him (basically it's easier and more time efficient for us) but at school, I know he won't be the only child and it's not easier for the teachers just to do things for him. We've let him try to do things for himself from the beginning, but this summer we've put an emphasis on this type of independence -- putting on and taking off his socks and shoes, dressing himself, giving him an expectation or a direction once and trusting that he follows-through. We've put away his highchair and he eats all his meals on a normal dining room chair (and we continually ask him to come back to the chair every time he gets up!). We've also broadened his "yes-space" to a larger area of our home, and we've taken down most of the safety gates and have started encouraging him to go up and down the staircase without holding our hand -- knowing that at school he'll have a large, multi-floor campus to maneuver through -- even with teachers by his side.

2. We've been talking about his new school, and new teachers: About 3 weeks ago, his new teachers sent him a postcard in the mail with their pictures on it. I quickly put it up on the fridge (at his height) and every time we walk by the fridge I point to the photo and say their names again (he can sort of say both, by now!). The teachers of most toddler Montessori programs complete home-visits and ours is no different. So about 2 weeks ago, one of his teachers actually came to our house and spent time with us in our home environment. It was not only nice to get face-to-face time with a teacher but great for Javi to see us interact with her and for us to ask any final questions about his classroom, the routine, phase-in, etc.

3. We've purchased, gathered and labeled everything he needs for school: Javi got a backpack for Christmas last year and it's a great size for him so he's going to continue to use it but there were a number of other things listed that he didn't have -- a lunchbox, a water bottle, indoor shoes, etc. For the past month, I've been slowly picking up these things as I see them and he's been practicing unzipping and zipping both his backpack and lunchbox and trying on his new indoor shoes. This evening, I put those items on our table along with a bed sheet and blanket (for rest time), diapers and wipes, 3 extra outfits, his sweatshirt, outdoor shoes, boots, etc., etc., etc., and wrote his name on every single thing. Every single thing. Every single thing. At school, things get lost all the time so hopefully I'll be able to scoop it back up again if his name is on it.

I'm hoping that all these things, coupled with his 2 week phase-in process where he only attends school for an hour and 15 minutes each day will help with his transition to a new routine, teachers, friends, school, etc., etc., etc.! He has a lot happening for him in the next few weeks and I'm really excited to see how it turns out.

Cazenovia, New York.

Last weekend we traveled to upstate New York for my cousin Emily's wedding. The setting was a beautiful farm and it was so nice to spend time with family, be outside and watch a wedding! It was Javi's first and it was a perfect introduction to such a special event as there were so many great, kid-friendly things -- horse rides, a kids tent with coloring and bubbles, lots of space to run and play and even a hayride! We had so much fun!

Weddings are such an exciting time and I just love them. Javi was definitely a fan of all his cousins and he couldn't get enough of all the kids and animals on the farm! We were sad to leave a bit on the earlier side (it was already way past his bedtime!) but so happy to end the night with a hayride! And on the (7 minute) drive home...

Critz Farm, New York.

Last weekend we traveled to upstate New York for my cousin Emily's wedding. The morning of the wedding, we -- along with another cousin Lindsey (+ her family), needed a little outing -- or rather, we felt the other hotel guests needed a break from our company :) I searched online for a great place to spend time with toddlers and I stumbled across Critz Farm -- a playground open all day, a farm, a petting zoo, a brewery... I mean, it was really the perfect place. When we arrived the brewery wasn't open (it was like 9:30AM) and either was the petting zoo part but the playground was, the grassy area for running was so big and the petting zoo animals were just right there! We spent 2 very fun hours on the farm and the whole time we were amazed that no one else was there. Before we left, Sean and Tim made it up to the brewery and said the beer and cider was great, too.

The point of our outing was to tire out the kids so they'd nap before the wedding. Obviously, it didn't work out that way -- because there's never a nap time guarantee but they all rallied for the wedding (post to come!) especially after being out in the hot sun for hours and hours.

Delray Beach, Florida.

We've been home from Florida for a little more than a week. Even though we didn't go down there for the best reason, Sean's dad is sick, we tried our best to squeeze in as much family time as possible in between doctor appointments and spending time with Sean's dad. We managed to explore a number of places. 

We attempted to go to the beach one morning. It was actually all that I talked about for 4 days -- and then when we got there, to my surprise NO ONE was there! I was amazed. I thought, for sure, that it would be packed. We carried all our stuff -- a beach blanket, sand toys, food and drinks, a diaper bag -- you know, all the stuff that is "unnecessary". Well, apparently, no one was on the beach because they're smart and know that it was way too freaking hot at the beach. Like... so... hot. I thought I was going to die and made us leave within 45 minutes.

We also spent an afternoon at Wakodohatchee Wetlands. It was a really cool place to walk around and Javi was obsessed with seeing all the birds and turtles and fish and we even saw an alligator! I was a bit scared of the alligators and it was really hot (that's sort of a theme when talking about our trip -- it was hot) but it was really nice and I highly recommend the walk!

 It was so hot that ice cream was a necessity! And ice water especially through a straw. :)

We ate out for nearly every meal. One of the best places we went was Rok Burger and I loved their fried pickles. Javi wasn't totally into being at a restaurant at the time but he pulled through.

The best place we ate at (3 times) was El Camino. Every time Sean gets back from Florida he talks about their tacos and I finally got to experience them. They are really amazing and since we've been back and have gotten tacos -- we've compared them to these ones. So good!

The absolute best outing we made was to Lion Country Safari. Javi is loving all things animals right now and they have a drive-thru safari park along with a whole list of other things we didn't have time to see but hopefully one day we'll get back. If we lived close by I imagine we'd spend a lot of time there!

Lion Country Safari from Jasmine Duffy on Vimeo.

As you can tell... lions are loved around here.