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Thought I would share a few pages I've worked on this week.  Maeve's lovely bridal shower and our day at the museum yesterday and Fancy with her snails.

(totally swiped the new signature from Beth!!)

Mid week musings

I think I'm on course for another random post. A college friend had this link posted on facebook, and I had to share: Awkward Family Photos. I honestly haven't vetted the site, but the first few entries cracked me up. I've taken a few lately that seem somewhat awkward to me, but after seeing these I feel much better! I'll take a stiff dad over these any day.

Bugs. Why is it that when we have these little kids that we love so much, we're willing to entertain thoughts we otherwise never would? Such as: "true, one child is very allergic to dogs, but surely we can make it work." OR "maybe I can find a secure habitat and Fancy could have [insert disgusting bugs other than ants here] as pets." Can you keep ladybugs or bess beetles as pets? I'll find out for ya.

I'm constantly amazed by the things Fancy can and can not see. Tell her to bring me my purse that is sitting right in the middle of the kitchen table, a pair of socks from her drawer or her coat that is hanging on the hook - "I can't find it!" Take her outside and within minutes she is finding snails 1/4 the size of a pony bead amid the flowers in the garden. Her eyes must have macro lenses.

These must have been brand new baby snails she was finding
They were so cute when their heads popped out.

Fancy was a little put out that one of the snails would not stay on the leaf. He must have had somewhere to be. He was really swift for being so tiny!

Hunting for more in the grass (which can I just say is quite green, finally!). She is starting to look so grown up to me, and this picture shows just how leggy she's getting!After much debating over whether or not to house her snails in her bug keeper or to return them to the garden, she decided they would be happier in the flowers. She's looking on after dispersing them. Quite content. Doesn't she look like a proud snail mommy? :)

And here's Rella.
She's just cute. And maybe this will be one of the last pictures of her in a diaper. She's showing interest in wearing her new "uh-ne-pess." Mostly on top of her diaper, which doesn't seem to help with preventing dirty diapers, but it's a step.

I think I'm being offered s'mores, so bye!

Big Surprise!

This was one of those things that makes it really fun to be mom and dad. Geof has been working with the guys at the drum shop on finding just the right drum set for Hi-Hat. The "big boy" drum set he got a couple years ago has just been beaten into the ground, and the more we hear him play on the big kit at his lessons, the more his set at home was sounding like a toy. So tonight Geof called Hi-Hat out to help unload groceries from the van, and when he opened the hatch, Hi-Hat found a shiny new silver Ludwig drum set waiting for him! He could hardly believe his eyes. He was so surprised and the joy on his face was priceless! He giggled, jumped, danced and gave us each big hugs and genuine thank yous. He has thanked us over and over all evening. It took a while to get the new one set up on the stage, but as soon as it was ready he had at it. What a difference! It's going to be a bit noisier around here from now on. I'm hoping to take a little video of him tomorrow. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity.

And I can't remember if I posted these pictures - we had a little photo shoot with Fancy's preschool friends who are all in the same dance recital together. Fun!

Wrap Up

Whew - it's Friday!  This week should have been a breeze what with my day off and all (and what a nice day that was!!).  I really have nothing to post about it, because I really did nothing!  I did get my hair cut, but if you're on facebook that's old news.  Here's a picture just in case. 

Anyway, on Tuesday Rella clung to my leg and whined all day.  I was thinking it was payback for sending her away with Dad on Monday (which I know she thoroughly enjoyed because she's been talking about the zoo all week and telling people she saw a "girr-aff" (which she didn't) and a "lion, he was seeping in the grass.  he need wake up!").  Wednesday she was still clingy and fussy and green gunky, and she said "boo boo my ear mommy." So off to the dr.  No ear infection, probably something viral, but came home with antibiotic I could give her later in the week if no improvement.  Yesterday, no improvement.  She has become my permanent fussy ankle weight who seems to be subsiding on icee pops.  So I gave her the antibiotic and she broke out in immediate rash.  So no more medicine, dr wants to wait until next week to try something else, and we're back to general fussiness.  Poor baby and I need another day off!

Fancy has benefitted from my discovery that Dillards has REALLY cute summer sundresses for girls at VERY reasonable prices.  It was like shopping in the sherbet section of the freezer case.  She's much more willing now than she used to be to wear dresses on days other than Sundays.  Yesterday I pulled out a skirt I bought online (not from Dillards, but very cute) that she had immediately poo-pooed, saying it was too big, too long and she would never wear it.  She put it on over her dance clothes and immediately fell in love and wore it the rest of the day.  I was loving it!  Totally different look for her.  I tried to get some cute pictures, but she wasn't really into it.  I did manage to come away with a few I liked. (hmmm.  I just realized that as I type, Rella is cleaning out my jelly bean dispenser.  Guess icees and jellybeans are today's specials).

  

(so hard to believe she only has 4 days of preschool left!)

We went to dinner one night this week - I think on Tuesday when Rella had been on my leg all day and I could do nothing to scrape together dinner.  I think we decided we are done with the big chain type places.  The food is always just ok, probably awful for you, and is always the same.  We've been trying to eat local more often when we go out, so next time we'll be heading back downtown for sure.  Our current favorite is the Flying Biscuit, which is actually a small chain, but oh, so good and feels local.  Here's the sign outside big chain eatery that cracked up Hi-Hat.  Oh, and another reason to go to the Flying Biscuit is that they have awesome murals painted on the ceilings, and they have all the paint cans of the custom colors they use for the murals on display.  Last time we just happened to be sitting under the color "the bees knees."

OK, this post is quite dull and even more random, so may as well throw in another random picture.  Thanks to the magic of the DVR I never ever watch commercials.  For some reason I caught the commercials last night and I was mesmerized by the flying m&ms.  And for some reason I had my camera on my lap.  I'm pretty sure I had a bowl of ice cream after seeing this commercial.

And now, little Rella, whose mouth is STILL full of jelly beans, and who is STILL wearing her jammies and will probably wear them to carpool in 5 minutes, is grabbing my arms and saying "stop it.  stop it."  Guess I should sign off this dull post and go get Fancy from school.

'bye.

Drinkin' My Coffee from a Fine Bone China Cup.

Yep. That's what I'm doing right now. Not from a plastic coffee mug with a questionable lid in my van that I have to will not to spill down the front of my, again, questionable t-shirt thrown on for carpool or trips to to the post office/target/doctor's office/craft superstore/elementary school/preschool/grocery store. Rather, I'm in a quiet office with possibilities for the day quite endless (until 8pm, that is). BECAUSE GEOF GRANTED ME THE DAY OFF FOR MOTHER'S DAY!!! Does he know me or what?

From 8am to 8pm the days is mine. He headed out with the kids in the drizzle for a day at the zoo, and hopefully the weather will clear for them a bit. But if not, he assured me he would come up with alternate plans and not be back until after 8! Now don't get me wrong. I love my kids to pieces, and I am so grateful that I can stay home with them and be hands on with all the minutia of their little lives. But I'm an introvert by nature, and I just need some alone time to recharge. And I think we will all be much better off with a recharged mommy. And the kids are going to have a great time with their daddy.

I heard one of those funny "moms don't work" pieces on the radio this weekend. A couple snippets that made me laugh out loud:
"My wife goes to the bathroom. Our 2 year old clings to her knees. Using a bathroom with a 2 year old on your knees should be a rodeo event . . .When she gets back to our apartment, my wife can finally relax. She does laundry; pays bills; stays on hold with the credit card, Internet and phone companies for 45 minutes because the bill is wrong, while our 2-year-old swings from her neck like a chimp; resets the wireless service; changes diapers and light bulbs; buys food; picks up toys; cleans the fish bowl and hermit crab habitat; organizes closets; cleans what our cat coughs up; schleps to the storage locker; tries to take a shower but can't because our 2-year-old can't find her stuffed dog; picks up our 6-year-old from school and takes her to ballet; makes three meals and innumerable snacks; calls our mothers and sends them photos of their grandchildren; and wipes up milk, water and diaper spills the way Red Adair put out oil fires . . . She has four minutes a day to herself and eats only Cheerios that fall on the floor. . . Our daughters feel free to cough up and sneeze things into her hands . . . [but] she knows that in these times it's a gift to be able to be a full-time mother. You know: just to be home with the kids."
My weeks have felt like these lately (oops, there's the phone. I'm not answering...), so this day of rest for me is truly a gift. What will I do with myself? You'd think I'd have a long list ready, but I am not a list person, and I have been living off daily lists for about 3 weeks, so part of my joy for the day is to have no list. I can just go with the flow, which is the true me. I might work on some scrapbook pages. I might work on the preschool graduation slide show and dissolve into a puddle of tears. I might curl up with the pint of Karamel Sutra ice cream that is mine (ALL MINE) and watch tv. I might shop for matching size 2T and 5 sundresses for Ben's wedding. I might go to the bookstore and browse through books with more than 20 pages, no pictures and small type. I might get a People magazine and enjoy another cup of coffee. I will get a haircut and let someone else do the shampooing. I might order some pictures for the guest bedroom. I might take a nap. (oops, was this a list? i must disregard) I most definitely will miss the kids and be thankful for Geof, who knows me so well and knows all I need. And he ought to, as yesterday marked 15 years since this cute boy called me after school and asked me if I wanted to be "a thing."

And now I think it's time for a shower. Without a tiny little face and hands constantly plastered against the glass. Without those hands opening the door to ask questions or just to make sure I'm still there. Without those hands rifling through my makeup drawer and applying mascara and eyeshadow to the front of her shirt or her hair. And tomorrow, when I see that little face with shimmering blue cheeks and mascara streeks in her hair, I'll be able to smile, tell her she looks gorgeous, squeeze her tight and appreciate the blessing of being home for these kids.

Between the Rain

Sometimes it's worth it to get on your belly in the wet grass and mulch between rain storms. I was satisfied.

In Fourteen Hundred Ninety Two, Slumber Sailed the Ocean Blue

It's been a busy weekend, and we still have church, a birthday party and the Bulls game tomorrow. We started on Friday night with a slumber party for the kids - I was slated for sleeping over with Fancy, and Geof was staring down the barrel of a night in Hi-Hat's trundle bed. :) I popped 3 bags of popcorn and made a pot of hot chocolate (at Fancy's request), and we settled in on the mammoth for some canine hijinks in "Hotel for Dogs." Cute movie. Hi-Hat loved the contraptions and hee-hawed his way through the whole thing. Fancy liked the dogs, but I think she was really just biding her time for the sleepover part of the slumber party. As soon as the credits began rolling she jumped up and said, "is it time for the Columbus party?" We were all out by 9:30!


This morning we all headed out for Hi-Hat's 3rd t-ball game. I'm still not keeping track of the score, but I have a feeling the Red Sox won. They were a bunch of 6 year olds who really had it together! But Hi-Hat got 2 hits and 2 runs, and he's really working on his hustle when running the bases. He's caught baseball fever and we're having a lot of fun at games together.

After the game, Fancy and I came home and got all fancied up for our afternoon at the ballet. We have season tickets for the Carolina Ballet, and today was Coppelia (this while Geof had the other 2 at the school carnival - no pictures, but the report is that they had a great time). T o make our outing extra special, Fancy and I went to lunch, and I wanted to go somewhere nice since we'd be all dressed up. I asked her for suggestions, and here they are ranked in descending order of "fanciness" (according to me):
1. Tony's Pizza
2. Chick-fil-A (Tony's only ranks fancier b/c they play Italian music on the sound system; otherwise not at all fancy)
3. The popcorn machine at the dry cleaners. Seriously. (and NO, we've never had lunch there before - or any meal for that matter!)
We ended up at Panera (Panero's, as she calls it). That is not what I call fancy, but she really wanted a ham sandwich and Panera works for that. Then on to the theater. Once settled into our seats, Fancy was surprised and thrilled to find a school friend sitting a few rows away, and the girls spent each intermission singing and dancing together, emulating the dancing they had seen on stage. A very nice and successful afternoon, and we're really looking forward to Beauty and the Beast. It's fun having this girl!

(the theater seat ate her)

overnight!

We've had a super busy and super fun weekend so far, and I'm hoping to do ALL the pages for it tonight, so there will be a post to follow soon. BUT, I wanted to post one picture of my little Rella who has managed to grow hair OVERNIGHT! Seriously, it's like it just appeared this week when we weren't looking (and if you noticed all her hair a while back and think I'm in la la land, I'm probably just now noticing it due to my recent busyness). And it so blond and curly! I love it. I'm thinking I'll keep it short and curly and with bangs. She feels like a bangs kind of girl. Here's the fluff at the game this morning.