Toby the giraffe

Happy Halloween!!!! Toby was excited to be a giraffe, but when the costume arrived, he thought it was "a little bit scary." We had his old baseball costume from last year ready to go, but this morning he woke up and was super giraffe-ready. We took these shots this morning on the way to school (excuse the spilled juice box on his belly:)
(Doing a giraffe dance, naturally:)

And this evening, we're going trick-or-treating around the 27 floors of our building and are hoping to meet some nice neighbors!

Have a wonderful Halloween!! xoxo

Happy birthday, Alex!

Alex's birthday was this past Saturday, and I thought I'd share a few photos...
Last year, I was the worst since we were traveling on his birthday and I completely forgot to get him a cake (OR A PRESENT!!!!) so I wanted to make up for it this year. Alex loves cheesecake, so I ordered one from the fancy French bakery Lady M, which is known for its ridiculously amazing cakes. This cheesecake had a cinnamon graham cracker crust and a thin layer of sweetened sour cream on top. Whattup!
We invited our friends over, along with their two kiddos. (Toby and their daughter have been best friends for years.) They had a tough time waiting for the cake to be cut...
Finally, we sang "Happy Birthday," Alex blew out the candle and we dove right in. It was delicious.
The little foursome! Love how Anton is trying to be part of the action. "Hey guys! Back here! How fun is this, you guys?"
The next day, Alex was running errands, so Toby and I dressed up like him and text him the photos as a joke. I think we kind of nailed it, though? Haha.

Hope you guys are having a good week! Happy birthday, Alex!!! We love you!!! xo

Tell a friend: You are a good mama

I was working on a longer post for today, but things got chaotic, so I'll have to run it another day. But meanwhile my sister sent me this beautiful post about telling your friends—and even strangers—that they are good mothers. It made me realize that while I'm always admiring my friends' parenting styles, I rarely say that kind of thing out loud. And it means so much to hear, right?

So to all you mothers out there: You are a wonderful mama. :)

P.S. Six words to say to your child, and do your eyes light up when they walk into the room?

Toby has a cold.

This weekend, Toby sniffled his way around the apartment, doing wildly uncharacteristic things like requesting naps (!) and refusing banana bread. At times, he'd feel better, but on Sunday evening, he started crying and babbling and randomly nodding off while we were talking to him, which really freaked us out. We took his temperature, which had climbed to 105.5! Alex and I exchanged panicky glances and whispered debates over what to do, but in the end, on our pediatrician's recommendation, we gave him a lukewarm bath, a cold washcloth on his forehead and lots of juice, and thankfully his fever broke and he ended up playing rousing rounds of "You Are My Sunshine" on his mini guitar in the living room stark naked. Back to his nutty old self! Thank goodness. These little scares can really knock the wind out of you.
(Here, he's trying to make the best of it, what a sweetheart!!)

Hope everyone you love is feeling well! Maybe we should all go wash our hands:)

Motherhood Mondays: Brushing kids' teeth

When I was twenty three, I went to the dentist and discovered that I had ten cavities. Ten. How mortifying is that? I swear I'm not totally gross. Meanwhile, Alex somehow has never even had one, so, needless to say, we're hoping Toby takes after him. Here are three things that have helped three-year-old Toby get excited about brushing his teeth...
1. My friend Kendra recommended getting a wooden step stool so Toby can reach the sink and brush his teeth like a grown-up (!!!). He likes standing up there so much that we actually have to tell him after a while to step away from the sink.
2. Watch this Elmo video. Warning: The annoying song will get stuck in your head, but kids adore it. We sing the song ("Brush brushy brush brushy brush brush, huh!") when Toby is brushing his teeth and he always starts laughing. And funnily enough, Nicole Kidman, Bruno Mars, David Hyde Pierce, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber are in the video, too.
3. Find natural toothpaste that actually tastes good. The Honest Company—which we love and already use for our household, bath and baby products—just came out with toothpaste for both kids and adults. The adult toothpaste is mint, and the kids toothpaste is strawberry. Toby loves it and even asks for more squeezes onto his toothbrush. And there are no questionable chemicals or artificial sweeteners or dyes.

Any other tips for getting your little stinkers to brush their teeth? If you'd like to try out Honest products, get 40% off a bundle with the code ACOJBundle. Limited to U.S. and Canadian residents, applies to your first bundle order only, and expires October 9th.

P.S. The Honest Company also has the CUTEST diapers.

(Photos by Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo. Thanks, Alpha! This post is sponsored by The Honest Company, whose products and mission I adore. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that make Cup of Jo possible.)

Photos from the weekend

How was your weekend? The crisp fall weather was gorgeous! After a nutty week, this weekend was great and restorative. (Thanks for the sweet comments.) Here are a few more photos, just for fun...
We met this lovely street artist, who Toby thought was Santa. His head almost exploded.
We met some friends at the playground. (Funnily enough, this little guy above was Toby's very first friend.)
Anton has been smiling like crazy! It kills me!
On Saturday evening, we had peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwich picnic in the grassy meadow in front of our new building (where Toby has had all his birthday parties). Anton passed on the sandwiches and instead ate his hands.
These were the views! Since our building is way over by the water, Alex and I were talking about how feels like we live in the suburbs but in Manhattan. It's a funny mix. Looking forward to sharing more photos of our new apartment once we finally get it decorated.
The scene on my desk on Monday morning made me smile.

What did you do this weekend? Hope you had a good one! Lots of love! xoxo

Pinhole Press scribble pad

Inspired by Swedes, we try our best to play outside every day of the year (take that, NYC winters!), but of course there are many cold dark days where you're cooped up inside most of the time. So, I've been brainstorming fun things to do inside this winter to keep us from going stir crazy.

For indoor play, how adorable is Pinhole Press's new giant scribble pad? You put your child's name and photo on the front, and it comes with a pack of beeswax crayons. I have to say, Toby was so excited when I gave this to him! Pinhole Press has lots of other games, including a memory game, 60-piece puzzle and 12-piece puzzle.
Today, Pinhole Press is giving away a $100 gift certificate so you can pick out photo products for both kids and adults. For a chance to win, please visit Pinhole Press and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen tomorrow. Good luck! Update: The winner has been emailed. Thanks for playing.

Would your little ones like this? It would make a great gift, too, I think.

P.S. Our winter goal, and how Danish babies sleep outside.

(Photos by Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo. Pinhole Press is one of my beloved long-term sponsors, and we love their photo products. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep Cup of Jo up and running.)

Conversations with a three-year-old

Three years old is a funny age. On the one hand, Toby seems really grown up, and we'll chatter away about everything from violins to Indian food. Sometimes I almost forget that he's not a fellow 34-year-old. But then he'll bust out something crazy and childlike and I'll remember how little he really is. I love the magical thinking at this age. For example...

“You and Daddy go somewhere tonight?”
“We’re going to our friend’s house.”
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“His name is Scott.”
“Is he a man, a lady or a monster?”

"When Anton gets bigger, you can teach him how to talk and walk."
"I will teach him how to ride a horse." (Ed. note: Toby does not know how to ride a horse.)

"Boys and glulls."

“Plobably."

Toby also has an imaginary friend named Dun Dun. He's always calling him on the phone or asking if we can meet Dun Dun at the playground. He takes their friendship very seriously. We ask him nosy questions about the mysterious Dun Dun, and so far we've deduced that Dun Dun is a three-year-old with a blue motorcycle...

"Where does Dun Dun live?"
"On the Upper West Side. Near San Francisco."

"Where you and Daddy go last night?"
"To a restaurant called Otto."
"Oh, yeah, I love that place." (Ed. note: He has never been.)
"Oh, really?"
"Me and Dun Dun go there."

"What do you guys eat?"

"Chicken and broccoli. And water."

"Me and Dun Dun are going to the park to meet our friends."

"Who are you meeting?"

"Boom Boom and La La."

"Is Dun Dun a boy or a girl?"
"Dun Dun’s my darling."
Toby, I love you, you little weirdo!

P.S. Toby in conversation as a two-year-old.