Happy Summer everyone! I’ve been terribly
remiss in keeping this blog up to date, and have not posted since March of
2013. As a result, I’ll break this post
in two- this one is March 2013 to present, but only includes photos until
January 2014. I’ll post Feb- June 2014
photos in the next blog. Also, the photos are in no discernible order.
To start with, my favorite funny stories:
To start with, my favorite funny stories:
Oliver says to me:
Mom, this pillow smells like Dad. Like
rotten bananas and two plump hot dogs.
Me: ????
Chris to Liam: Did
you eat your cereal? Liam: Have I been
sitting here at the breakfast table? Is
my job to eat cereal? Then I must have
eaten my cereal. (The bowl was full.)
The boys both call an
ambulance an “ambliance.” Any word
ending in “ern” is pronounced “rin.” For
example, the Green Lantern is the Green Lantrin.
One day during the winter, Oliver complained that his tongue hurt during dinner. Chris and I were concerned and did some checking on him, but Liam smugly laughed. He then informed us that the reason Oli's tongue hurt was that he got it stuck on a window. This was concerning and confusing until we got the whole story: Oliver enjoys licking the bus window. Sadly, that morning, his tongue had moved to the window ledge and gotten stuck a la The Christmas Story. Not only did we have to show our child the frozen-tongue-stuck scene from the Christmas Story, but we also had to order him never to put his mouth on a bus window. His response was to ask how he would ever clear the frost? He was quite upset with us.
One day during the winter, Oliver complained that his tongue hurt during dinner. Chris and I were concerned and did some checking on him, but Liam smugly laughed. He then informed us that the reason Oli's tongue hurt was that he got it stuck on a window. This was concerning and confusing until we got the whole story: Oliver enjoys licking the bus window. Sadly, that morning, his tongue had moved to the window ledge and gotten stuck a la The Christmas Story. Not only did we have to show our child the frozen-tongue-stuck scene from the Christmas Story, but we also had to order him never to put his mouth on a bus window. His response was to ask how he would ever clear the frost? He was quite upset with us.
Liam enjoys anything
Star Wars, ninjas, reading, riding bikes, ice cream, dancing to rock and roll,
playing piano, and playing soccer. He
makes the noises “pew pew pew” and “pshiew,
pshiew” a lot. Really. A lot. He also lost a ton of teeth.
Oliver likes most of
the same, except he is less prone to fighting like a ninja for a good portion
of the day. His favorite sport is
basketball (??? He’s never actually played it), and he really likes swimming. He makes the same noises as Liam. This may be a six-year-old thing. Both of the boys are also into cooking with
their dad. My biggest recent
contribution in the kitchen has been tripping over stools left by the boys.
It is a very
beautiful thing to span your hand across the chest of a child and touch the
delicate web of ribs, feel the whisper of breath in and out of lungs, and hear
the soothing beat of a small heart. I
know that this a fleeting age, and perhaps that is why I love it so much. Liam and Oliver love learning and playing and
people. They have awesome friends and
great imaginations. Life is good with
six year olds.
In May, we saw the
beautiful Genesee Valley bluebells on a death march hike with the Giorgi and
Maggie and Dan. Chris traveled to Utah
to hike with Scott Giorgis for a week, serving as a pack mule/back-country chef
for Geneseo’s Geology department. Scott
told some funny stories about Chris attempting NOT to micro-manage the students (this qualifies as torture for Chris),
and also turning such ingredients as rice and orange juice into delicious meals.
In June, the boys
finished their day-care program, and had a wonderful graduation ceremony. Perhaps next time I can get the time right,
and actually make it to the ceremony.
(I’m trying to make light of this, but I still have massive shame/horror
over the misread of the pre-k schedule.) Chris, Scott, Ben and Tony, along with Scott's brothers, hiked the
Great Range in the high peaks of the Adirondacks. They hit every peak save Marcy in a grueling
20+ hour march in 90 degree weather and rain storms. The same weekend, Jonathan Ivers played with
Liam and Oliver while I did the Conesus triathlon with an awesome bunch of
local sport fanatics. I hope one of
these years Ollie and Liam will join me.
The first time I ran a 5K, a seven-year-old beat me. Just sayin’.
We also hosted an
end-of –year Gay-Straight Alliance picnic for my brave students who formed the
club at York this year. Despite some
unfortunate negative backlash, my students behaved with grace and poise, and
have begun something hopeful and supportive at York.
July was one of those
perfect summer months that fly by in the blink of an eye. Oliver and Liam joined a soccer club- and all
of the five-year-olds actually started understanding how to play the game. Ish.
There aren’t many things cuter than a bunch of small sweaty creatures chasing
after a ball with no clear purpose. They took swim lessons in Avon, but those
were not quite as fun or successful.
We spent an idyllic
long weekend in the Catskills at the Ivers’ cottage camping with the Laablens,
the Giorgi, and of course, Aunt Judy, Uncle Marty, Aunt Pat, Geoff Bartholemew,
and Zio Jonathan. Many foods, water fun,
camp fires, hikes, etc were enjoyed.
Grampy and Babcia
Ivers, along with Judy, Marty, and Pat took the boys for almost two weeks in
mid July while I went to Costa Rica (with Tania and Maggie) and Chris (poor,
poor Chris) worked. The boys went
fishing, sang songs, completed art projects, and even went horse-back-riding
with their cousin and resident animal whisperer, Emilie. (I enjoyed myself quite a bit in C.R. with my
friends. We hiked and went up in the
canopy and checked out waterfalls and swam in the ocean. Pura Vida!)
At the end of July we
made a voyage to Vermont to visit the Girdwood-Allens and the Nguyens. We spent our time eating good food, seeing
Astrid, Stella, and Skylar, meeting Kaia V, and visiting with our good old
friends. (I am saying both that we have known you a long time, and that you are old.) By the second day, Liam and Oliver had
blended in with the locals, even adopting their “Vermont Casual” dress
code. (They wore nothing. They loved it.) Love you guys.
August started with
our annual pilgrimage to the high peaks region of the Adirondacks for a week at
the green house with the Giorgi, Bailey-Jonses, and the Laablens. This is my favorite week of the year. All the kids have an absolute blast running
around, hiking, swimming, making S’mores, and taking outdoor showers. The “adults” have fun in many of the same
ways, but we usually throw in a little home-brewed beer, and perhaps a
beautiful rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.
At the end of the
week, we travelled immediately to the Catskills for the Lake picnic. Liam and Oliver rocked the kid's games. It was lovely to see everyone again.
September brought a
great and wonderful change in the Ivers’ household: Liam and Oliver started
KINDERGARTEN!!! Liam was in Mrs.
Bennett’s class with Lena Jones, and Oliver was in Mrs. Haigh’s room with his
new BFF Noah French. Liam’s favorite things
about school this year were math, ice-cream days, and field trips. Oliver’s favorite things were play-time,
field trips, and his friends. My
favorite parts were the concerts. The
amazing music teacher put on spectacular Christmas and spring concerts that
were adorable. Plus, each Kindergarten
class performed a play in the spring- Oliver was Boa Constrictor #1, and Liam
was Alien #2. Both boys loved school and
had a wonderful year- and Chris and I have nothing but excellent things to say
about Geneseo.
In September, the
boys also started piano lessons with Mr. Clough and love it. This culminated in two concerts- one holiday,
and one spring performance. Also
adorable.
October brought
Oliver and Liam’s SIXTH birthday (and Gammy’s 70th!)! We had a big, awesome party with a bounce
house and a bunch of young and old friends.
My Aunt Kathie and Uncle Tom McGinley came in from out of town, as did
Chris’ Aunt Judy, Marty, and Aunt Pat.
We made a shark cake- and thankfully got some help from my old pal Lipa
Pattison.
During all of this
time, Aunt Nanny took the children to the Strong Museum and Chucky Cheese more
times than I could stomach. Thanks Aunt
Nanny! You’re the best!
November brought an
old-fashioned Thanksgiving. The whole
Ivers/Funke clan headed to the Catskills for a long-weekend feast. Chris, Rene, Jonathan, and I took care of the
majority of the food this year, thus the baton was passed to our generation. We enjoyed spending time
with Judy, Marty, Rene, Cameron, and Caryl and Don, as well as the rest of the
Ivers for a relaxing and filling time.
The lake was quite beautiful frozen.
New Years Eve was
smaller and earlier than usual! I
suppose we’re getting old and boring? I
still loved it. Next year, Liam and Oli
vow that they’re going to stay awake until midnight. On New Year’s day, we met with my Birthday
boy Dad to eat dinner in Batavia, and the boys had a nice overnight at Pop-Pop
and Gammie’s to start the year. Which happened to be the coldest winter ever.
In January, the
Babcia and Grampy came to Geneseo and spent a week taking care of Liam and
Oliver while Chris and I headed to Cozumel (for a luxurious week with Dan and
Maggie- spent scuba-diving, eating REALLY GOOD food, looking at Maya ruins, and
relaxing.) When we returned, we all
attended the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony, in which Jonathan was singing.
Very excellent!
In February, we took
a wonderful trip to New York City to visit our dear friends Harry, Dina, Simon
and Noah Marenstein. It is so nice to
see these awesome people! The boy’s
favorite part was riding the subway from Queens- under the river- to
Manhattan. Liam was a bit disappointed
not to see fish and marine plants out of the windows, but enjoyed himself
nonetheless. We reminded Oliver not to lick the window on the subway. We told him NYC subways are WAY out of his league. We ate good food, visited the Hayden Planetarium and Science
Center, walked around, and played Simon’s cello. We love you, Marensteins!
February was also the end
of our new fantasy football league (thank goodness.) Maggie Cashman won. Poppy, our dear dog, turned NINE this
month. Huh? Where’d that time go?
In March, we
celebrated St Patrick’s Day by taking the children to the drunkest public
parade I’ve ever witnessed. The Giorgi,
Jonathan, and Tony and Lena joined us.
Evidently, Rochester had a long, hard winter, and consequently, every
drunk teen in the city showed up in fighting form for this parade to get out of
their homes. We were able to get the
kids out without too many injuries, and received this stunning advise from a
slurring teen on the street: “Hey kidsh, shtay in school!”
March also saw my
annual Culture Night- and this year we had our Ghanaian friend Yahaya and his
group of musicians and dancers headlining.
The York students looooved it.
A few shout-outs:
· Scott Giorgis won a Fulbright
Scholarship to teach in Chile for the Spring semester of 2014! The whole Giorgis family is relocating to
Concepcion for six months. Congrats, and
we’ll miss you!
· Ben Laabs won the Chancellor’s research
award for the SUNY system!
· Dan and Lara had a baby named Margaret Beatrice! Welcome!
· Eva and Gregor also had a baby named Frida! We are so excited to meet you!
· Jonathan Ivers has relocated to
Rochester, and had a cool long-term substitute position this year.
