At Last We Meet

The last time we saw the cottage was September. Since then, it has been knocked down, carted away, and rebuilt.

We've watched all of this progress via photos and movies from Papa Art, but today we got to meet the new cottage in person.

We headed out from Natick early in the morning with a blizzard nipping at our heels. The plan was to make the trip up to Maine and back before the blizzard hit Massachusetts. Snow was already falling as we headed north in Goldie for her maiden voyage to Old Orchard.

We made good time and at around 11:30 we got our first glimpse of the new cottage. We pulled into the snow-filled driveway and scampered out of the car to inspect the construction. We inspected everything inside and out (the furthest we could get inside was the basement). The girls gave the cottage two thumbs up as they played with various bits of dangerous construction materials.

Once Stella and Marni completed their inspection of the cottage, they headed down to the beach. Not surprisingly, the beach was empty (given that it was 21 degrees outside). Instead of people, there were quite a lot of washed up lobster traps and a bizarrely enormous amount of gigantic clam shells.

We snapped some photos and then jumped back into Goldie to warm up. Then... we were off. Heading for home after the shortest visit to Maine in history. We stopped for some lunch and we stopped for some booze, and we didn't hit the blizzard until we were well into Massachusetts again.

It was nice to finally meet the new cottage, in person. "She" looks good. And I don't think it's going to take a lot of time to get use to our new summer home.

Eclipse

I did not take this picture.

Stella's nightly migration from her bed to our bed is not a rare thing. But what is rare is a total lunar eclipse coinciding with the winter solstice.

Last night, just such an eclipse coincided with Stella's migration.

As she was making her way up to our bed at around 3:15 am, I took a look out the patio door and saw the wanning eclipse. I called Stella and Lisa down to see it. Lisa was interested. Stella was a little interested. I told her that it would be 84 years before an eclipse would happen at the same time as the solstice again.

I explained to her that she would be 90 years old then, and that she could watch it with her kids and grandkids. And I asked her to remember her dad when she watched the next eclipse. She said she would.

Tears.

Mortality. Ain't it a bitch.

A Play Date

Stella's first grade buddy, Sasha, came by for a play date on Monday. I have nothing clever to say about this. But I do have two very cute videos. Enjoy.





(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Introducing Goldie

Goldie at Nathan's

Last week our first family car, a 2001 Honda Odyssey, died.

I remember buying the car when Stella was only 4 months old. During the test drive she was screaming her head off in the back seat right next to the poor salesman. This has been the only car that Stella and Marni have known. Their little movie theater and restaurant on wheels.

So yesterday, Papa Art and I went on a mission to find our new family car. Before we left to go shopping, I asked the girls if they had a favorite color for the new car. Stella and Marni agreed on gold as the color of choice.

After a grueling day dealing with sleazy car salesman, a replacement was found.

Last night we introduced the girls to "Goldie", our new 2007 Honda Odyssey. Guess what color Goldie is!

The girls gleefully climbed all over Goldie in the parking lot. The verdict? Two thumbs up!

Today we all climbed into Goldie for our first family ride. After gassing up, we headed for our favorite family destination in Brooklyn... Nathan's in Coney Island.

So welcome to our family Goldie. We hope to spend many, many happy years and miles together. And thank you to Nana Bev and Papa Art for all their help this weekend with the new car hunt.

Priceless

Over Thanksgiving weekend, while at my parents' house, Marni came up to me holding a Bed, Bath & Beyond circular. "Daddy, can I show you something?"

She proceeded to open up to a particular page and pointed out a little pink musical jewelry box that she "really, really wanted". You know... the kind with the wind-up, spinning ballerina that plays Swan Lake.

"Please", she said. And then she shot me the sweetest smile.

I told her I would think about it (stock answer) and she went about her business. Her request was so sweet that I tore out the page and brought it home with me.

That next week I located the nearest Bed, Bath & Beyond. It was Beyond where I wanted to walk, but I was on a mission. So down to 19th Street I went. In the rain. Torn out page in hand.

They were sold out.

But the display box looked in perfect shape, so I bought it.

Last night was the sixth night of Hanukkah and time to hand out the jewelry box.

I gave Marni the package and watched as she ripped open the wrapping. Silence. A stunned, good kind of silence. Not a "what is this crap" kind of silence. Eventually she grasped what she was looking at and her excitement started to bubble over.

She and Stella took the box into their room and proceeded to cram it full of their best jewelry. As they were doing this, I jokingly told Marni how I had to trek all the way down to 19th Street to get it. With lots of drama! She smiled.

The girls continued to play with the box. Stella wanted to make up a list of all of Marni's friends who would want to touch the box. And then Marni could look at the list and decide who could touch it. Teamwork!

Eventually, Marni decided that she wanted to sleep with the box under her pillow. Mom put a stop to that and they found a special shelf to put it where Marni could reach it whenever she wanted.

As bed time approached, Marni mentioned to Lisa... "Daddy walked all the way down the street to get this. I love daddy!"

And that was well worth the $9.95 I paid for it.

Stella Does Rudolph

You never know what your tax dollars may be paying for.

With the approach of the holiday season, it's become time for the girls to start watching their favorite holiday movies. Tonight Stella and Marni picked "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" as their dinner time entertainment.

As we reached the end of "Rudolph", the famous Burl Ives tune began to play. To our surprise, Stella jumped off the couch and began to perform a choreographed dance number to the song.

Evidently the 1st grade music class at P.S. 39 has been working hard to choreograph movement to at least one classic Christmas song. We would never had known this if we hadn't put on one of our favorite holiday films. Who knows what other performance gems have been programmed into our children?

Only time will tell.



This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.

Shepard University

It could be worse.

At least the girls aren't choosing to mimic daddy's bio-noises. Well, actually they are. But that's not what I'm writing about here. The more interesting mimicking is the mimicking of their teachers.

Ever since school started in September, Stella (and to a lesser extent, Marni) has become obsessed with playing the role of teacher. She teaches her dolls. She teaches her sister. She teaches her parents.

Sometimes it's at the easel. Sometimes it's on the rocking chair. Or on the couch. You name the location and it's pretty certain that Stella has set up a classroom.

Lately she's all about tally marks. She loves the tally marks. And she loves teaching about them. Luckily, her little sister loves to learn about tally marks. It's a win win.

But don't mess with this educator. She has learned all the tricks of the trade when it comes to dealing with difficult students. Cross this girl and you may be sent to the principal, or have a note sent home to your parents.



(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular

I know that the holiday season has officially begun when the Radio City Christmas Spectacular commercials begin to air on TV. It usually brings a tear to my eyes.

But I've never actually been to one of these shows. This year I decided it was time.

I took advantage of a special low price for early performances and bought 4 tickets for November 14th.

There was a lot of excitement this morning as the girls dressed up in their favorite dresses. Our subway ride got us to Rockefeller Center early, so we had time to check out the newly erected (but still undecorated) tree. After watching the skaters for a while, we headed in to Radio City. The girls (and their dad) were wide-eyed as we entered the beautifully decorated lobby. I had forgotten how amazing Radio City is.

Our orchestra seats were fantastic and, precisely at 9:59 a.m., the lights dimmed and the show began.

And what a show it was!

The girls (and their dad) were blown away. The Spectacular was truly spectacular. And more tears appeared in my eyes as I watched my girls having the time of their lives.

I think we have a new tradition here.

Pumpkin Time

Last year the girls missed out on Halloween because we were returning from our trip to Germany.

This year we were back in the game!

Marni chose to be a princess and Stella wanted to be a ghost. The princess part was easy. Just grab something out of their dress-up box. Mommy created the ghost costume using a pillowcase, white hat and gloves, and white face paint.

We did our usual trick-or-treating before the Park Slope Halloween Parade with special guest Nana Audrey. Then we watched the parade and eventually joined in as it wound its way to the Old Stone House.

Plenty of candy. Plenty of spooky costumes. Plenty of fun.



(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

The Bubble Sisters

 

Maybe this is why they say never to put bubble bath into a whirlpool tub.

Going Commando

Last Thursday Marni put aside her nighttime pull-ups and went commando. She was very excited about the whole idea and a little freaked out, but so far so good.

Fun at the Outhouse

Last Saturday the Shepard/Asanovic/Stefanoff-Imhoff gang got together for our annual pumpkin/apple picking festivities. For whatever reason, even though the weather was beautiful, the crowds were not huge.
We started the day off right with delicious fresh made doughnuts and then got right into the usual activities of pony rides, hay rides, yummy food, and rolling down hills.

This year we actually added apple-picking to the mix. We started the picking practically at dusk, and had to use really long sticks to reach whatever apples were left this late in the season. And the threat of poison ivy kept us on our toes.

But we overcame these adversities and fun was had by all.

(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Overheard #32

We were ordering in pizza with neighbors and trying to figure out what types of pizza we wanted. Lisa suggested a margherita pizza, to which Stella replied "Yes, a marghertia pizza, but without the booze."

The Shell of the Moment

"Living in the moment" seems to be a very popular phrase nowadays. But I think it means different things to different people.

For me, living in the moment involves slowing down and  drinking in a very special time. Almost like recording it in your brain for playback whenever you want to relive the experience.

I think the first time I tried it was in St. Barts. I was poolside with Lisa at our favorite secluded hotel. It was a beautiful warm day. No sounds except for the rustling of the palm trees. No one else around. The pool was high on a hill and we overlooked the far western tip of the island. I wanted to capture this tranquil moment, so I drank it in and stored it away. It's still pretty much intact. In my brain.

"The Moment" in St. Barts.

There was a day in late August of this year that was also a "living in the moment" moment.

It was one of our last days at the beach. The weather was beautiful and the girls and I decided to take a walk in the surf and look for shells. For whatever oceanographic reason, there were tons and tons of shells washing up on shore this year. Over the summer we filled buckets with clam shells. We found a perfect, large, intact scallop shell. Stella found over a half dozen perfect sand dollars. We even found two live clams and watched them bury themselves in the sand in our bucket.

So whatever marine disaster was happening at sea, we were certainly making out like bandits.

We slowly made our way down the beach. Stella and I knee-deep. Marni off by herself a few feet away in shallower water. Every few minutes we would stop and reach into the water to retrieve another shell. It was very peaceful. Very tranquil. Not a lot of talking. Just the three of us enjoying a relaxing afternoon. After several minutes I paused, looked over to the girls, smiled, and turned the "living in the moment" recorder to the "ON" position. It would be many, many months until we would be able to stroll on the beach again, and I wanted to store this memory for the long cold winter.

The next day I looked through Stella's collection of shells and picked out a nice one. She would never miss it. But I needed it. It traveled back with me to my office where it sits now. I look at it every day. Reach out and give it a little touch. A reminder of a very special moment on a very special day, with my very special girls. It's my Shell of the Moment. Of happy moments to remember, and happy moments to come.

The Official "Best Picture of the Summer" - 2010

This says it all. Fun-loving Stella. Adoring Marni.

Or, check out last summer's photo.

My New School Girl

Our little Marni has at long last made it into the public school system (or Free-K as our wallet lovingly calls it).

Two years ago Marni was a guest Pre-K attendee as older sister Stella entered Ms. Cassen's class. Throughout the year Marni got first-hand experience of how fun Pre-K can be.

Last year we looked longingly at the Pre-K class as Stella moved up to Kindergarten and Marni entered her final year of daycare.

Over the summer we received a call from Ms. Cassens informing us that Marni would be following in her big sister's footsteps with her big sister's Pre-K teacher.

Marni's first day of Pre-K was 1-hour long and Lisa stayed with her the entire time. Day 2 was a half-day and Lisa and I both took her. Marni got a little teary when it got time for us to leave, but a kooky dance at the "goodbye window" left her with a smile.

Day 3 was Marni's first full day. After dropping off Stella at 1st grade (smiling), I hung out with Marni for 20 minutes in Pre-K. There were no tears when I left. Just smiles from the "goodbye window".

And so the moment we have all been thinking about for the past two years is finally upon us. Marni is in the public school system, in the same school as Stella. Single drop-off. No tuition!

Now Ms. Cassens will see exactly how different two sisters can be.

The Cottage's Last Days

We made a rare September journey back to Maine this year in order to prepare The Cottage to meet its maker.

Stuff was taken to the dump. Stuff was dragged out to the garage. Stuff was donated. And, when it was all over, all that remained in the cottage were the two old rocking chairs from the porch and an air mattress. And Nana and Papa Shepard.

The girls did a great job amusing themselves as we did our work. They made a slide out of old mattresses in the front yard. They took a hair-raising terror ride in the back of cousin Linda's pickup truck. And they got to meet a 1700 pound moose made out of real chocolate.

Best of all, we got one more beautiful day at the beach on Saturday. Castles were built. Holes were dug. Sand was thrown. And Stella even found her one millionth sand dollar of the season.

That was the last time either girl will see the The Cottage (soon to be called The Old Cottage). I tried to drum that into their heads a gazillion times, but they just can't understand the concept.

Maybe we will visit The New Cottage under construction in November. If not, we'll see our new summer home in May. Stella and Marni will pick out their room and, hopefully, this is where their children and grandchildren will make their summer memories.

First Grader

Last Wednesday we officially added a first grader to our family. No, I don't mean we adopted a child from Bolivia. I'm talking about Stella!

All signs were good as she bounded out of bed in the morning and excitedly rushed around to get ready. Things remained good as we walked down the street and she happily told anyone who would listen that she was heading to first grade. Things fell to pieces as she caught sight of the building.

"I don't want to go to school!"

Tears.

Meltdown continued as daddy happily met up with his long lost school chums (parents and kids). Having new teacher Ms. Strickler come over didn't help much either. Nor did friends Sasha and Elle who came over to help.

Eventually Stella cried it all out and Ms. Strickler came over and took her hand. Stella almost cracked a smile as she was led away to day 1 of first grade.

Later that morning Stella's pre-k assistant teacher (Ms. Henry) bumped into Lisa who was attending a pre pre-k meeting for Marni at the school. Ms. Henry offered to go check on Stella. When she returned, the report was good. Stella was happily in music class and gave Ms. Henry a big smile when she saw her.

And after class, Stella gave her first day at first grade two thumbs up!

(PS... day 2 of first grade, no tears!)

That's A Wrap

As I sit here in the air-conditioned, sand-free comfort of my Brooklyn lair, it's time to reminisce about the fantastic month of August.

Mother Nature made up for any practical jokes from last summer by providing us with an exceptional summer this year. Over the span of five weeks we only had three or four rain days. Luckily, the supply of summer kid-movies lasted just as long as the rainy days (Despicable Me, Toy Story 3, Cats & Dogs). Only Cats & Dogs was a dog.

This year's list of visitors is impressive:

• The Imhoff/Stefanoff clan
• Nana and Papa Shepard
• Nana and Papa Hoffman
• Aunt Carol and Uncle Norman
• Aunt Toots
• Brian, Jill, Tyler and Delia Hoffman
• Marcy and Hannah Leiman
• Martin, Jennifer, Andrew and Julia Weaver
• Laurie Shayler and Ricardo Leon (aka Sin La Ropa Interior)

And, just to spice things up, we introduced some brand-new destinations and activities:

• Portland Head Light
• Booth Bay Harbor
• The Maine Lobster Festival
• Candlepin bowling at VacationLand
• Whale watching (sans whales)
• Cliff Walk at Prouts Neck

Some memorable moments:

• Stella and Marni can now (with supervision) cross the street and visit Cousin Beverly at will. And they did!
• The girls bonded with Cousins Janet and Julie
• Stella developed a crush on Cousin Nick. So much so that one night they bid him ado by waving their underwear at him from the porch as he headed home.
• Marni singing the Enrique Iglesias song, "Baby I Like It" with her own special lyrics... "Baby I farted".
• The girls declaring that they are Shepards after I explained that Shepards do not wear shoes to the beach.
• The annual "Run into the water and play in the sand in your clothes at dusk when Tyler and Delia arrive" festival.
• Terrified parents letting their kids play with sparklers for the first time.

As always, hats off to Lisa who ran this crazy Bed & Breakfast. It's a tough job running a popular beach destination for 5 weeks with no time off.

In a couple days we head back up to Old Orchard to move out the remaining furniture. Later in the month The Cottage gets knocked down to make room for a brand new, improved, winterized cottage. So many memories. So much history. Hopefully the girls will remember the old cottage. The new cottage is theirs to start all new family traditions and memories with their children and grandchildren.

And now, what better way to wrap it all up, with a collection of photos and videos from the summer of 2010:

(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Crank Calls

A couple of years ago I installed an office phone in the cottage. It works over the Internet and acts just like an extension on the NASFT phone system. This way I can do work from the cottage.

It didn't take long for the girls to figure out how to use the phone. All they need to do is push one button and it rings my desk in the office.

That's ok with me. But it has resulted in about a million phone calls per summer from Stella and Marni. Sometimes they reach me. Sometimes I'm away from my desk and they get voicemail. Stella has a good grasp on the voicemail concept and she often leaves me cute messages. Marni, on the other hand, doesn't always understand that it's not me on the phone... it's a machine.

Here's a voicemail message I received from the girls this week.

Transcript:

STELLA: Hi daddy. Just to let you know, we just came back and, uh, from downtown. And we had an ice cream. It was a long day, now we're getting ready to sleep. Bye bye.

Daddy... no. Mama, Marni and me love you! Bye bye.

MARNI: Hi daddy! Daddy? He's not talking. Daddy?

STELLA: It's the other phone. Marni, it's the other phone. (Meaning, I think, that it's voicemail and not me).


(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Girl Power in OOB

Week 1 in OOB started off with a bang as the Imhoff gurlz (plus 1) joined us for fun in the sun.

We pulled out of Brooklyn on Saturday headed for an overnight stay in Natick. On Sunday we headed up to Maine with Nana and Papa in tow. After a brief stop at the New Hampshire State Liquor store (for mommy and daddy's happy juice) we all pulled in to the cottage by late morning.

The weather was nearly perfect all week with the exception of a gloomy day that sent us up to the Lobster Festival in Rockland and the Stefanoff/Imhoff tribe out to the movies.

Stella and Marni immediately got back into the beach groove and were thrilled when their favorite pink bedroom took shape again.

The 7 girls were great together on the beach and in the cottage. They built sand castles, jumped in the waves, played with their skate boards (what Marni calls boogie boards) and searched for sand worms.

On lobster night, Stella was particularly thrilled to mercilessly chase Jessie and Lauren around with a lobster claw. They don't like seafood.

Speaking about seafood, week 1 was quite a wildlife learning experience for the Shepard girls.

First, they witnessed a strange battle between sea worm and snail. The snail seemed to be the winner as it attacked and took a chunk out of the worm as they hung out together in a beach bucket. Who knew?

A couple of days later I suddenly found a live and large surf clam at my feet in the waves. We placed the 6" clam in a beach pail with sand and water and were fascinated all afternoon as it dug its way down into the sand to hide. Once the tide started coming in we took "Clammy Davis Jr." down to the water and buried him in the sand for safety.

Our marine biologist daughters continued their education at the Lobster Festival at a "touching tank". The tank is only about a foot deep and low to the ground allowing kids to reach in and touch the inhabitants. Stella and Marni were super brave as they held live muscles, star fish, snails, scallops, clams and lobsters. They would not touch the sea urchin though.

On the last day of the Stefanoff/Imhoff stay, we ventured into Portland to take a duck boat tour. Unfortunately, a missing wallet incident caused 5 of the group to miss the tour, but Jenna and Jasmine made the trip because they were riding in our car.

Things got a bit quiet after the 5 girls left town, but cousins Becca and Lily took over and kept Stella and Marni occupied (along with cousins Alex, Janet, and Elise).

Saturday night was "downtown" night. Froggie ride. Other rides. Ice cream at Dairy Queen.

Daddy flew back to NYC at dawn on Monday. Now I get about fifty million phone calls a day from the girls via the office phone in the cottage. Yesterday I was in tears laughing so hard during a call with Marni.

That girl cracks me up.

(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

The Maine Event

Here we go again!

Another summer at Old Orchard Beach is underway. Festivities started on August 1st with Nana and Papa Shepard in tow. Also in attendance was the Stefanoff/Imhoff clan staying for the week at a rental apartment across East Grand Street.

Only two days in and the bonding process between the girls is well underway.Stella has always had a crush on Jasmine, but now Jenna is getting into the act a bit more and things are working out fine.

They're having fun at the beach, fun at meals, and today they had fun at Two Lights State Park where Stella and Marni earned their full mountain goat badges.

How much fun are they having? So much fun that Marni told Papa Art this evening "today was a great day".

Poof. Done.

At the expense of repeating myself... where did the time go? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was blogging about the trials and tribulations of dropping the girls off at summer camp?

Well, somehow it's all over. Poof. Done. Five weeks of matching t-shirts, summertime adventures, and marching songs.

I debriefed the girls in the tub Thursday on their final thoughts about Park Slope Day Camp. They're not big talkers, when you want them to be. Overall impression... good. It was fun. Now can we stop talking about this daddy and let us play with the squirt bottles?

When I told the girls (as I teared up) I was sad that we wouldn't have our morning routine of walking to camp together, Stella reassured me. "That's ok daddy, you can still walk us to school every day when summer is over."

Overheard #31

On our walk to camp this morning:

MARNI: Daddy, this is the restaurant that we are taking you to tonight for your birthday.
STELLA: Marni! It's a secret!
MARNI: Oh. Daddy, pause your brain so you don't remember.

Do Angels Sleep?

Apparently.

Fore!

Stella and Marni watch golfers with cousins Tyler and Delia at Capital Hills in Albany.

Ice-Walking at Tanglewood

For most people, the lure of Tanglewood was the Boston Pops with special guest performer Arlo Guthrie (heard singing in the background).

But for the kids it was all about playing with a pile of ice left behind by a departed Ben & Jerry's ice cream cart.

(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Interesting

For a number of years now I have been observing my two Earthling daughters with fascination.

Recently I have noticed that the older female, Stella, has been acting in a very peculiar fashion.

For no obvious reason she suddenly gets very affectionate, comes over and hugs me, and tells me she loves me. Now that's very nice and all and I really appreciate it, but I haven't been able to figure out why it comes and goes.

Until today.

This morning was a little more frantic than usual as I rushed around trying to get the girls ready for camp. Lisa had left for work already and I was behind schedule.

I don't like to be behind schedule.

I run my mornings with military precision. But today I was not on my game. I hadn't even showered and gotten dressed, and departure time was fast approaching.

Things were getting tense as I implored the girls to put on their shoes and socks. I was clearly getting frazzled while trying to shove Marni's water bottle into her already overflowing backpack. And that's when it happened.

Stella saw how tense I was getting and came over to me. "Daddy, I love you". She gave me a big hug and clung to me.

It finally began to compute.

Stella is sensing when I'm stressed or unhappy and she's trying to tell me that it's ok. And she's doing a pretty good job of it.

So now Stella is beginning to take care of daddy.

How does that make me feel?

Out of this world of course.

The Other Summer Tradition

For the past several years we've been lucky enough to be invited to Joel and Adriene Belmont's summer pool party. The Belmonts are cousins of Lisa and have a gorgeous house up in Hartsdale, NY.

Within seconds of arrival Stella had stripped down and put on her bathing suit. Marni was a close second. Then, for the next several hours, the entire family happily frolicked in the warm pool - taking breaks only to munch on chips or chow down on the delicious BBQ dinner.

(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

The Summer Tradition

A year ago the Shepards and the Asanovics got together for fun in the sun at a local Connecticut beach. This year we kept the tradition alive with a trip to Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk.

After checking out the Asanovic's new trampoline, the group headed for the beach. Marni had never experienced a beach with virtually no waves, so she immediately waded way out to her chest. Stella was not too thrilled with the stony shore, so she hung back on the sand.

As the tide pulled out, the kids grabbed buckets and began an exciting hunt for crabs over by the large rocks. Ian was the designated catcher and Stella was the designated bucket holder. Marni was the designated screamer. Lisa Asanovic was the back-up screamer whenever crabs got a little too close to her toes.

After crab torturing we took a trip to the snack bar for ice cream, followed by a visit to the playground where the girls gave the boys a run for their money.
At some point during the day Stella decided she really liked Tomo. "He has nice hands".

So how did the day go? Pretty good considering that both girls complained on the way home that they wanted to go back to the boys' house.

(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Because What They Say Is So Important!

We here at The Daddy Diary are rolling out the latest in over-hyped technology in order to bring you the latest pearls of wisdom flowing out the mouths of our babes.

The girls now have their own Twitter feed entitled StellaMarniTalk. Based loosely on the hysterical ShitMyDadSays Twitter feed, our feed will bring you the latest kooky kid-talk from Stella and Marni.

If you care enough, sign up with Twitter and follow their feed. Not interested in bothering with Twitter? Then just tune into the Daddy Diary website and check out their latest "tweets" on the right side of the page.

Enjoy.

Happy Campers

And by "happy" I mean "not too miserable".

Ok, maybe "not too miserable" is a little negative. They like their new camp alright. But they just don't like admitting it.

A week into their stay at Park Slope Day Camp, things are looking up.

And by "looking up", I mean no more teary meltdowns at drop-off.

The first few days were a little rocky. Both girls donned their matching camp shirts and put a on a brave front. But when it came to leaving them there at camp, things got a little "intense".

Day 1 was on a Tuesday and both mommy and daddy dropped them off.

Stella was clingy, but ok. I stayed with her. Marni was meltdown city and clung to Lisa till the bitter end. But at pickup they were both happy and told us they had a great time.

I would have a great time too given the fantastic activities that await the kids every day. Horseback riding, swimming at a pool, frolicking at a beach, puppet shows, karate, arts & crafts, amusement parks, and field trips of every imaginable type.

Damn! I want to go to this place!

But our kids are a tough sell, and day 2 was a disaster. Lisa texted me after the traumatic drop-off that she was never doing this again. Both kids had meltdowns and Lisa needed the help of several camp counselors to pry Marni lose.

Later that night I had a "family meeting" with the girls and asked them why they cried when mommy dropped them off, but they are ok when daddy drops them off. The final explanation was that daddy "just did it better".

Now I have my mornings cut out for me as the official kid dropper offer at camp. Daddy's no-more-tears drop-off method is in full effect.

So mornings have gotten better and the kids are having a blast during the day. At pickup Lisa tells me that the girls are happy and that Marni is an absolute animal. Running around, attacking her counselors, and refusing to leave.

In the end it was well worth all the effort that Lisa put into finding Park Slope Day Camp. Stella and Marni will never appreciate how much money it costs to send them to this place. At the end of the day they come home dirty and tired. And happy. Singing songs they've never sang before, and showing us stuff they've learned during their day.

And that's all that matters.

Daycare Grad

Last Friday our little Marni Moo Moo (as she is affectionately known by parents and teachers) graduated from Raindrops Daycare.

The ceremony took place in the blazing hot skateboard park across the street from the school. After performing a couple of songs for the adoring and biased crowd of parents, it was time to hand out the "diplomas".

Carlos, owner of Raindrops, called her the "mayor of the school" as he handed her the diploma. The girl that everyone knows. She is definitely a kid that is hard not to notice.

And now she moves on to public Pre-K. Or "free-K" as our wallet affectionately calls it. For the first time ever we have a single drop-off of both kids to the same place for school. Yippie!

I have no doubt that Marni will do great in Pre-K. She is so ready. Through Stella she already knows the school and teachers. Many of the teachers already know her.

So watch out P.S. 39. Here comes Hurricane Marni. They'll never know what hit them!




(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Unhealthy Competition

Because there isn't already enough rivalry between the ladies, daddy decided to stir the pot a bit last week in the skateboard park.

Bring on the scooter race!

I eventually gave up trying to explain the concept of handicapping to Stella and told her she just had to let Marni go first because Marni is two years younger and one month shorter than her.

So here's the video of their first-ever scooter race. Just between you and I, Stella may have the speed, but Marni has the style.



(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

Kindergarten Grad

Thursday we attended Stella's Kindergarten "Stepping Up" ceremony. Basically graduation without the caps and gowns.

The festivities kicked off with the Procession as each Kindergartner walked down the aisle to their seat. Stella was all smiles. Then some welcomes, the Pledge of Allegiance, some fantastic song performances and then the Presentation of Diplomas.

Once again, Stellie was engaged and having fun. There's a big change in this girl this year. She even told me so later that night.

"Daddy, last year I was scared and shy. This year I'm not. It's amazing!"

Insert here the discussion of how fast the year went. How quickly Stella is growing up. Where did the time go? What a great kid she is. Yadda yadda yadda.

But it's true.

Wasn't it just yesterday that we were fretting over how Stella would do in Kindergarten?

Now I only have one or two more chances to walk my girl to Kindergarten and hang out with her and the other parents and kids in the school yard. I really enjoy the morning school ritual. And summer vacation always seems to strip it away from me.

Oh well.

Next year we start all over again. This time with Marni. Another milestone. Two girls going to the same school! And a year from now I'll be carrying on about how wonderful and fast the year has passed. And so on, and so on...

The Procession:



What Kindergarten Means:



Skidamarinka:


(This post contains video that can only be viewed from the website.)

The Apple of Our Eye

Marni with two admirers at Coney Island on Father's Day.