In pursuit of balance

As if I didn't feel old enough already

2012-02-13T10:39:00.000-05:00

Children help us mark the time. We vividly recall (nearly) every moment of their young lives. We remember when they couldn't reach the counter top. And when they fit into newborn diapers.

So just looking at our growing children already tells us that they are growing and by extension, we are aging.

We don't really need too much 'help' to realize that we are aging.

Wyeth recently really brings this home.

His favorite stuffed animal, by far, is Webbie. Pictured here.

And here:

Webbie is his 'son'. And he is his Dad. Of course. Seren is the mom. (Ignore the incest in that statement) And me? I'm the grandma.

At least once a week, when I put Wyeth to bed, and he needs something from me, he will yell from his bed, "GRANDMA!!! WEBBIE NEEDS YOU! GRANDMA!"

Thanks.

I will now go and pluck out the grey hair.

Elevators and Alligators

2012-02-03T16:39:00.000-05:00

When we were in Michigan back in November, Wyeth and Seren wanted us to read a sign like this to them over and over every time we got into the elevator.

Last night we were in a shopping store and took the elevator. Wyeth notes, "Mom! Remember! In case of fire, do NOT use the alligator."

Initials

2012-02-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

Seren's initials are S.A.A.

A few months ago, she wrote the following on a piece of paper and said, "Look! My initials!"

A.S.S.

Hee-hee.

The Wallet

2012-02-03T09:02:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday our family was out hiking. And by hiking, we mean partly walking. Partly digging for 'bones' in the dirt. Partly nagging our kids to walk a little more quickly.

Regardless. We were out.

And we found this gorgeous wallet. Right there. In the path. Social security card, all his credit cards, the works. Beautiful leather.

After our hike we put his address in our GPS and found his home. I walked up to the home, as the designated wallet returner, and knocked on the door. As soon as the door opened up, the woman said, "YOU FOUND IT!"

She was in her late 50s. She was so excited! It was her husband's wallet. She immediately hugged me. Asked me to come in. Offered to buy me coffee. And then proceeded to tell me about her husband.

"He has done this before! I could kill him!" She then yelled to her daughter to call both her husband and her other daughter to call off the search. "They are out there looking. And my husband knows he will be eaten alive if he comes back empty handed. Oh! He is having a midlife crisis. He bought a mountain bike! A mountain bike! So I told him to take some ID with him. He is 59! He should have ID! So what does he do? He takes the whole wallet! And then drops it! And this has happened before. He travels for work and once I had a policeman call me from Kansas City. My heart nearly stopped. The police? They had found his wallet. My husband was fine. Didn't even know he lost it. Oh! I could have killed him!"

And on and on. And I was just laughing because this woman obviously loved her husband but was clearly beside herself. And she was my kind of woman- the hugging kind!

She insists on getting my phone number and address. I give her both. She leaves me with the following words. " You saved our marriage! I'm not kidding! You are going to heaven!"

When I laughed she added, "Ok! You are going to heaven but not soon!"

I get back in the car and we head home. The kids are full of questions. As always. 15 minutes later, the wallet man calls. I didn't pick up because I didn't recognize the number. He leaves an equally hysterical voicemail, "Thank you. Thank you so much for your kindness. I don't know what to say. Thank you. My family thinks I'm a dumb ass. But thank you."

What a riot!

Fast forward to Wednesday. I get a card in the mail. Beautiful penmanship. And in it? 75 dollar gift certificate to Olive Garden!!? WHAT!? Are you kidding me? I couldn't believe it.

AWESOME. Totally, totally unnecessary. We did the right thing! But so so so much appreciated!

As my father would say, "I'll be damned. How you like them apples?"

End of Weekend

2012-01-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

We do a lot in our weekends. I love it! Some are more fun than others. This weekend brought a big train trip to Philly to attend the Chinese New Year.

Here is our January weekends in review.

New Year's Countdown to Noon with friends:

Mom turns 35!

We hiked. We always hike.

And it snowed last weekend. The only other time this winter? On Halloween. WACK!

One month into 2012? I'm feeling good! YOU!?

Proud

2012-01-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

So maybe every blog post is one mom's way of saying, "Look at me. Look at us. We have something to tell the internet." I try not to make mine brag happy. But I'm sure I fail. And I'm mostly ok with that.

Today I am proud of Seren.

I'm proud of Seren because the girl can read and write. It is amazing to see her just take off!

I'm also proud because 2.5 years later she decided that she would just give up her pull ups. Well, that isn't true. We discovered that she was scared to death of going to the bathroom at night. We installed flashlights and many nightlights last week. Still no dice. But we told her that when she was ready, we'd like to give up her pullups. She and Wyeth could have a contest as to who get out of diapers/pull ups first. We even threw in the idea of a pretty pony purchase if she could be dry for 7 nights. She was so excited to wake up every day this week. DRY. Six nights in a row last night!

Tonight for the first time in her entire life, she went to bed in undies. I'm confident she'll be dry. She hasn't mentioned the pony.

I'm proud because she tries new things. Not always with gusto at the start. But she does them! This weekend, we tried basketball.

I laughed until I cried. Full on tears, people. It was hysterical!

And I'm proud because with all of the reading, trying new things, learning the ropes of school and being a big sister, I see her as an infant. If I could tell the post partum mom that really, "It would all work out." I would.

At the same time, I'm still worried. We have miles to go before we sleep. She isn't grown for goodness sakes! Just wearing undies to bed! We have miles to go!

But for now, I'm just proud.

Gendered Sandwiches

2012-01-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

The cute things that the kids say just keep coming! There is no way to write it all down or record it. But here are a a few.

Wyeth says 'schene' for 'machine'. As in 'this lawnmower? It has a schene in there to make it work.

He also says 'noculars' for binoculars. and 'Bitamins' for 'vitamins'.
****
Wyeth started forced potty training last week. He has to sit on the potty for 10 seconds twice a day. I swear I wouldn't force and just let it 'happen' after my experience with Seren. But he has shown NO interest. So far, he is 'ok' with sitting there. He gets sticker. Just for sitting! Pathetic! But we are working on it!
****
Seren got her booster seats two weeks ago. Still seems strange to not have the five point harness. She was just too tall for it! And it was unsafe. We splurged and got her our first Britax for the main (daddy) car and a cheap one for my car. She looks all grown up back there.
****
The kids are missing Christmas. Wyeth and Seren frequently talk about elves. And our lights on the outside of our house are still up. They still request plugging them in. We do from time to time. Wyeth announced last night, "I want Christmas. But we have to do Easter. Then we have to do the beach. Then we have to do Halloween. Then Thanksgiving. and THEN Christmas." It is a long wait, Buddy. A long wait.

I personally miss Christmas but I also really miss the beach!
****
Since Thanksgiving Wyeth has asked me about why I work. I said, "To make money. So we can do things and have some fun." He suggested, "You work so we can ride on the Hucklebyberry rail road?" (the Huckleberry railroad is in Michigan and he loves it.) So according to him, up until yesterday, I toil at my 40 hour work week so we can go on a railroad trip/ride. But yesterday he said, "But we did the Hucklebyberry rail road! Why else you work?"

I responded to keep our house, to have food, to put gas in the car.

He said, "Daddy doesn't work because he doesn't need his own house. We share the house."

Gosh! Life is so simple.
***
The strike is over! Thank goodness! She has been to school twice now. Since December 22nd, she has now had school for a grand total of 6 days. What a month! Kindergarten has been rougher than we anticipated!

***
On Saturday, I was making sandwiches. I called out, "Seren! Do you want a grilled cheese? Wyeth? What about you?"

He stomps in with his pouty face on. "NO, I don't want a grilled cheese. I want a BOY cheese."

What a goofball!

"Friends"

2012-01-19T13:47:00.000-05:00

Oh, the meaning of a friend. A long standing question. For me at least. There are facebook friends. Work friends. Social friends. Neighbors that are friends. Close friends and then that inner circle, friends that are your chosen family.

All of them are wonderful.

I love how young kids talk about friends. Anyone that is Seren's age is a "friend". See that other girl at the playground/beach/park/shopping mall playarea? A friend.

"Well, I met some new friends today."

She is in gymnastics (hysterical) and the new session just started up. Her take on it, "Mom! Guess what? I now have 8 gymnastics friends."

I love it. It is so simple. And so universal.

It will suck when she realizes, as we all do, when we mature, that not everyone is really your friend. Lord, the girl drama I see on the horizon!

But for now, I'll take it.

Journaling Time

2012-01-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

I have always been a person that has journaled. I love it. It is totally different from blogging but meets my needs to get words OUT.

I started journaling when I was 12 and still have all of the pink diaries (with locks) to prove it! I like the quiet time. Since children, this blog has been more of an outlet than my journals. But I still cherish my time to sit with my notebook and just WRITE.

Each weekend when Wyeth naps, Seren has some quiet time for about 30 minutes (or longer) and then I go upstairs to get her. She is known to ask, "What is our special adventure today?" She clearly cherishes the alone time with me. And I do too. While she used to take a "quiet break" for over an hour (since the day she turned 4), we replaced this with a shorter nap since November when we realized that in order to meet our own academic goals, we had to take on this learning thing head on.

Anyway, I digress. Our weekend adventures are anything from playing a card game, to running to target, to picking up pull ups at the grocery store. The key is that we do it together. And we have fun. I love her hand in mine. It is a special time.

In early January, I had the bright idea of combining my two passions: journaling and time with my kid! So she and I both packed up our journals, our pens and headed to Dunkin Donuts. (OF COURSE!)

She loved it. I cherished it! We both had a blast. I managed to fill 3 whole pages of hopeful thoughts concerning the new year. She finished a whole page. She had one entry about 2011 and one story about 2012.

Her little face giddy with excitement just about made my proud momma heart burst.

This life thing? I like it.

Three Year old Stats

2012-01-12T11:10:00.000-05:00

I took Wyeth to the pediatrician's for his well visit last night. It became a prolonged affair. My 5:45 pm appointment started at 7:03 pm. Ugh!

He didn't want to be weighed. So I weighed us. Then I weighed me without Wyeth. After all of that, he weighed in at 32 lbs and 6 onces.Ish.

He also refused to have his height measured. NO!

So I had to measure him in the room using a little tape measure. He was 38 inches. Ish.

So that places him at 60% in height and 55% in weight.

I just looked at my blog for Seren at 3 years. She was 38 inches tall which was 73% for girls and 32 bls 4 ounces which was 66%.

I find it fascinating that they were the same height and weight! Wonky! I worry more about what he eats (or doesn't eat) than I ever did with Seren. And on the boy scale, he is still on the shorter side. Somehow this gives me a bit of hope.

Not that I can control a darn thing about height!

So...he is still in the crib and still firmly in diapers. And still, by many accounts, eating a 'toddler' diet.

But we love him. What a munchkin!

We are blessed to have two healthy kids. I try not to take that for granted.

Next Birthday

2012-01-10T14:17:00.000-05:00

I learned two things so far on this birthday day.

1)I should wear more skirts. A colleague who I see not every day but many days just said, "oh my gosh! You have legs! You never wear skirts!"

2) I should stay home on my bday next year and get a massage. I like working and love celebrating my bday with people. But seriously? A day off to just sleep in and get a full body massage? That sounds like birthday material, doesn't it? Plus, Seren is on to something when she said to me today, "Oh no! This is SO unfair! You have to work? On your birthday!?"

36! That will be the year of the skirt and the birthday massage!

I'm actually having a blast of a bday day. And Sam and I celebrated really well this past weekend. We made dinner at home, drank wine and listened to hip hop music. Hysterical! Then we slept in as the kids were with my parents. Then everyone came up and my parents surprised me with going out for a lunch and giving me a big cake.

Awesome!

The celebrations continue as my friends will be taking me out on Wednesday and I have plans on Friday and Saturday too. I'm making this a week long affair!

Last night I ran three miles to make sure I can still do it. I could. Whew.

35!? Bring it!

What I do during the day

2012-01-10T11:05:00.000-05:00

Whoot!

A report that I worked hard on all last year FINALLY was released!

Happy and proud over here!

http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP_2012_02.pdf

Overheard

2012-01-08T10:07:00.000-05:00

Wyeth and I had a 'knock down' fight in late November about him sitting at the table. He would just get up from the table and walk around.
Hmm. Nope. Not having it.

Since the crying fight, he asks every time.

"Can I please be up-cused?"

(a nice mix of, "Can I please get up?" and "Can I please be excused?")
LOVE IT!

Community and the New Year

2012-01-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

January!

New month! New Year! New year of my life! On Tuesday, I turn 35. 35! And I love the thought. I have a grand theory about headed towards 40. I have yet to meet anyone who is in their 40s that doesn't have all of their sh*t together. It just seems to be a good age. Many of life's major decisions are made. 40 year old women are incredibly confident. They just KNOW life by 40.

So I have five more years to get my stuff together.

People laugh at this theory of mine. But I think there is something to it! Then again, I also thought when I was 16 that life would be figured out by 21. Yeah, right.

But anyway, for now, today, the idea of 35 is kinda cool.

I'm always one towards introspection but this new year, I've taken it to a whole new level. There are many factors in my life that are working very well. I have two healthy kids. I have a great husband who is also my best bud. I live in a safe community. I'm trying not to take any of that for granted.

But there are also some reasons, good reasons, to make some changes. My daughter's school is one main one. And my job is another. I'm not going into it here. Wish I could! I could use the 'release'.

The bottom line? We are doing some serious thinking.

But thinking doesn't mean action. It just means, at this time, thinking.

****
Those issues aside, I'm very excited that "Community" is my one word for 2012. It may have been my 'word' last year but I don't care. I am going with it again this year. How to create it? How to foster it? How can I create a work community, a neighborhood community and how in the hell can I find my church community?

Life exists outside these walls. Lots of needs are in the world. And lots of people need people. Facebook can only get me so far. I want coffee friends. I want the kind of community where you can say, "I am one egg short, can I borrow one?" I want to trade kids for afternoons so other tired parents can get their work/errands done.

I have very specific examples of what I want to see for my kids' lives and for mine. But creating it takes some additional work. But I'm game! I'm motivated! I get so much energy from people. From people coming together. To do anything! Build a house! Have a potluck! Celebrate achievements!

In December, I organized a potluck at work. Simple. But beautiful. The week before I threw a party for a friend who just finished her MBA during one of the hardest years of her life. Easy. Awesome.

In January, we hope to do some service activity for MLK day. I also hope to have more pizza dinners with our friends. And more coffee! And so far, so good. I hope I can use this blog to keep me accountable. The challenge is that measuring my success in creating community is hard. I know it when I see it. Other goals (like running 2 more 5ks) are more quantifiable.

What about you? Did you make resolutions?

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

What a total and utter blast! We really had a great, great Christmas! We are so blessed! Blessed by family, friends and good health.

Christmas eve this year was the longest day ever! We had some very little bits of last minute shopping to do on Saturday so we divided up and conquered on that front. And then we were all set to do our annual tradition of opening Christmas gifts with Bill and Linda via Sykpe when we got a text that Linda was in the hospital with a broken finger! We were initially relieved that it was 'just' a broken finger. Linda has had her fair share of hospital stays and is scheduled for more surgery. So while we were sad she was in pain, we were relieved that it was a 'simple' injury! (easy for us to say!) So instead of opening presents in the morning, we had to come up with plans b and c.

Not easy. Excited kids. Errands done. Gifts wrapped. Cookies made. So we did crafts. The kids were in great moods! And all of us were so freaking excited!

Some how the hours passed. The radio played Christmas carols. We sang right along as we had done all season. Every once in a while Seren would turn to me and say, "Santa is coming TONIGHT!"

At 4 pm, we headed off to church. We never go to this church. As those who have read may recall, the missing church home continues to bother me on a weekly basis. But this church has a great little service for young kids. It is loud. It is short. It is FULL of squirmy excited bodies. PERFECT!

We walked in and were immediately asked if we wanted to be Shepperd. Seren shyly nodded 'yes'. So she was given a costume and set to work being a Shepperd. She took her role very seriously. But did wave to us several times from stage. She beamed! Wyeth was very intent on listening to the songs. When we sang a Christmas carol he knew (most of them) he would say, "I KNOW THIS ONE!"

By 4:30, the whole thing was done. The kids were invited to visit the 'stage' and look at the manager and straw. They had a blast.

We went home and had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of "different ethnicity". This is purely Sam's idea, of course. The first year, we had matzoh ball soup. Epic fail. The second year we had a labor intensive Finnish meal. The third year, this year, we had Filipino meal. Excellent! Our family, while keyed up for the upcoming day, was slowly working into a more relaxed rhythm. We have been going, going, going. Sam taught two classes at night since October and we all have been fried. So not only were we looking forward to Christmas, we really looked forward to being together.

Anyway, with dinner consumed, we heard from the grandparents that she was home from the hospital. The kids each received five gifts from their grandparents. I have to say I was VERY proud of them. No fighting. No tearing at paper. Waiting for the other to open first. And then being VERY gracious when they opened the gift. The kids were THRILLED! And the grandparents liked seeing them on camera in 'real time'. What a blast!

Then we put our pjs on and waited for Santa on the fire truck. And waited. And waited some more. Sam and I would try to go check when the sirens got louder. But Seren got more and more nervous. At one point, she was shaking. Literally shaking from the excitement of his impending visit.

At 8:20, he finally drove up our street! We waved. Yelled! Cheered! Merry Christmas!

I cried. Again. Of course.

We wrote a note, left out cookies and carrots, said goodnight and that was that!

Sam and I finished up in no time flat. We were ready! But then I was the one who was too excited! I couldn't sleep! I couldn't wait to see the gifts that Santa brought! What excitement! What build up!

Seren woke up first around 6:15 and Sam went to get her while I got the tree ready and made some coffee. It was here! Finally! CHRISTMAS!

They read some Christmas stories and sang some songs. Wyeth woke up around 6:45 and by 7:00, they made it downstairs and saw the tree and all of the presents.

Seren wanted to immediately open her big gift. She just knew it was the one that Santa brought. Wyeth wanted his mysterious gift too. We did make them wait for the 'big gifts'. But they loved the wait! There were yummy goldfish snacks, fruit snacks and other small treasures in their stockings. Then there were so many other fun things to open! They had a blast!

Seren, especially, loved it all. All of it. She was sad to see that indeed, our elf, Beck, had flown home with Santa. Santa's note confirmed it.

In terms of 'big hits': Wyeth LOVED the 'refurbished' cell phone from my friend Cassie. Loved that! He also adores his chapstick, which he calls his "lips" from Santa. His new bike was also a hit! So much so that Christmas morning, all four of us were out riding our bikes in our pjs. Awesome! Seren loved the doll, her Barbie and her doll bunk bed. Oh, how she wanted that bunk bed! And there it was! She also enjoyed the hexbug!

I was proud that they were gracious. And thoughtful in waiting to open things and making sure they each took turns. Seren was a gift giver this year. She went 'shopping' at school. She then lovingly and with MUCH tape, wrapped up presents for all of us. I got a "gorgeous" ring. Sam got a snow globe. Wyeth got a two gifts. The first was a toy dog. The second gift was a zhu zhu pet. And he LOVED it. She was thrilled to give us our gifts.

A bit of a sad moment came when Seren realized that Dad and I didn't get anything from Santa. We explained that he doesn't give adults gifts. That made her feel better. Another sad moment for us came when Wyeth wasn't so gracious. He adamently dismissed gifts that were "clothing". This became a problem when my dear brother gave him a pair of slippers later in the day. He opened them up and then threw off the paper saying, "I don't like these poopy slippers! These are poopy!" Thank God that Uncle John laughed and took it in stride.

We went down to my mom and dad's home right before lunch to spend two nights at their place. As we left on Christmas morning, we noticed that the reindeer had left behind some of the carrots! Chewed carrots were in the driveway! Once there, it was great to finally see my brother and to enjoy the holidays with family. My father made a beautiful train for Wyeth. Talk about love! Wyeth hasn't stopped playing with it since Christmas day! They treated us to amazing meals, generous gifts and extra snoozing. We went on a long walk at a local college, ate a traditional Swiss meal and had fun with new toys. And the gifts kept coming! It felt like a vacation! It was great to just enjoy Christmas but also to chill from the stress and anticipation of the holidays.

I definately felt a sense of relief on Christmas night. We had made it to Christmas and through Christmas without anyone being gravely ill. The kids had a blast. And we didn't break the bank. Yay thrift stores! And we are overwhelmingly, abudently blessed.

Christmas 2011 rocked.

What a magical age. They believed it all. Drank in the magic and took us along for the ride. Santa's elves. His reindeer. The whole thing. Loved it!

(pics to come)

Holiday Prep 2011

2011-12-22T10:11:00.001-05:00

We love Christmas around here. We love the music. We love the LIGHTS! And we have had our fair share of doing super fun things to get us in the holiday spirit.

Wyeth's birthday was the 3rd. We celebrated well. Then on thte 4th we got the tree. And the lights went on the house! We decorated that weekend. We love our stockings. Our little lit houses and our nativity creche.

We have established some great traditions around here. The first is that the kids get a holiday themed book every night to open starting December 4th. Sam picks these up for about .25 or .50 cents throughout the year. It is great to read a holiday story each night. We also have four advent calendars this year! The problem is that we are always behind! I never knew a family that couldn't focus on doing the advent calendars! We have our two 'usual' ones but this year we also recieved two more! Four calendars is a lot! Not surprisingly, the one with chocolate is always opened first!

We did several events this year that were new. They included:

A holiday event that had cupcakes and a horse drawn carriage. Pure fun! The kids loved the clipity clop noise. And the ride was long which was great! We saw Santa that night and Wyeth didn't flip out. Much. Score!

We also went to Washington Crossing to try to see Washington Cross the Delaware. They do this on Christmas day but they do a 'dress rehersal' earlier in the month. The water was too high and we didn't actually cross the river. But we had fun pretending! Seren insisted on bringing her doll too. In the doll stroller. "Fun" trying to see colonial houses with a doll stroller! OY!

That night we sang Christmas carols and saw Santa.It was great to sing carols in the cold night. That was one of my favorite actitivities.

And some old traditions too.
We went out with my Mom and Dad to see some holiday light show. We also went out to dinner which was a really nice treat!

This past Satruday, we made homemade cookies. Which was really a disaster. Not the mess. The fighting. Ridiculous! At one point, we all 'took five'. We went to our seperate parts of the house and just sat down and did our own thing. That seemed to help a ton. Once refreshed, we started again.

The following day we went to Philly to see the John Wanamaker Light show. Pure nostalgia for me. I went every year as a kid and saw the exact same lights. Awesome. We also tried out the train display at Reading Terminal Market. The kids LOVED pushing the buttons and making the trains 'move'. We aimed low that day. After the cookie making experience the day before, we wanted to set our sights low. Glad we did. Wyeth picked out a cookie to eat and then promptly decided that was NOT the cookie he wanted. A full on HUGE meltdown ensued!! It was so sad to see him so beside himself. It was one of those public tantrums that builds and builds. We (sam) had to hold him crying his eyes out down the cold city streets of Philly. Horrible.

Enjoying the lights:

After nap, we delievered Christmas cookies to our neighbors. This is an annual tradition as well. And a great one! We have a lot of older neighbors. The kids loved running from door to door and saying Merry Christmas. Seren had a 'list' which was so sweet. After we visited each neighbor, she would cross off the name. (Her mother's daughter!). Wyeth just focused on running. That and asking when he would get to eat MORE cookies.

We have one more holiday fun event which is a live nativity. That is tonight. We shall see!

And now we are coasting! Nearly everything has been wrapped. The cards aren't quite done but mostly done. I hope to 'finish' tonight so that the next three nights can be focused on sitting in front of the tree, relaxing and drinking wine.

Bed Transition: WE aren't ready

2011-12-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

I remember distinctly fearing what would happen when Seren moved out of her crib and into her big girl bed. I read blogs. I read about locks being locked. Crying. Toys being thrown. Horrible nights of night waking. We postponed it. But then we had a second one on the way. And we wanted her to have her bed for fear she'd feel "replaced" when we stuck the wee one in her crib. So at 27 ish months we moved her into her bed.

We said goodnight.

And that was that.

No word from her until morning.

If I blogged about it, I'm sure I didn't say much. Less the sleeping gods strike me down and make me eat my words.

Done. In one night. No transition.

Fast forward. Wyeth is now three. He sleeps in his crib every night. But he doesn't like it. Particularly painful for him was the nights he had to sleep in a pack and play over our Thanksgiving break. He was NOT a fan. And why should he be? He barely fit.

Nightly we would hear, "I don't like this poopy bed. This is too small. This poopy bed is way too small."

We all were relieved when he was back in his "big" crib.

Every night for about 18 months, Wyeth takes a long time to 'unwind'. He sings. He talks. He plays. He cries out for me to get him a drink of water, a book and/or a wooden hammer (Don't ask). He usually needs 45 minutes to go to sleep. He passes out around 9:15 pm. Ridiculously late. I imagine when we drop the nap, he'll be out like a light.

But how in the world will he be when he has freedom? Last night he took his wooden hammer and tried to "Get out of these bars". "I want to play. I want to get out of here. I don't like these poopy bars". Then he started to say, "It is too long! I have been in here sleeping for way too long!"

Really, buddy, you have been SLEEPING too long?

When we finally get up the nerve to put him in a bed, what strategies do you have? Seren slept there until the next morning. She STILL calls us in.

Wyeth, I imagine, will be playing with his trucks. Reading books. Rooting around in his closet. Maybe we do both- drop the nap and transition to the bed at the same time. What about that?

Either way, I predict chaos.

I've been wrong before. So lets hope I'm wrong. But OY.

Sense of Self

2011-12-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, despite the fact that it literally was pitch dark, I took the kids on a much needed walk around the block. We were bundled up as the winter air has come our way. Wyeth was on his tricycle and Seren couldn't decide what to ride so she rode in a stroller while I pushed.

We have to head up this huge hill to get back home. And Wyeth just kept riding and riding. His little muscles working themselves out! UGH! But he was so dedicated to the pursuit. So diligent is just pushing on.

Seren noted their differences. "Wyeth is super strong, Mom. I can't get up past that second house. But look at him! He is still going! I always stop right there. But he didn't."

We jointly complimented Wyeth and his strong muscles. She was enthusiastic in her praise, "Good job, buddy! That is a big hill!"

We got back home and parked the vehicles in the garage. Seren said, "Isn't that funny mom? He is littler than I am. But does that hill all by himself. And it is kinda funny too because in my class, I'm taller than lots of kids. But they do stuff that scares me. I don't do those things that they can do. Even though I'm bigger."

I told her we all have our strengths. And that she does other things well. But there was that sense of being self aware which was new for me to see. That sense of 'hmm, I do things differently'.

Seren has always been cautious. A thinker. Not a do-er. A sense of 'let me just take this in a minute. And then I'll decide if I want to give it a try'. While she has grown in her sense of herself- it is within limits. She knows her limits. She, like her mom, is a scaredy cat through and through.

Oh these beautiful creatures I share my life with. The personalities. The sense of self. The sense of what is within their comfort zone and what is outside of it. Constantly changing. Amazing.

Thanksgiving Post Two

2011-12-09T09:28:00.000-05:00

Once we actually got to Michigan, we had a really good time! Sam's parents bought a new house that was full of amazing adventures! We took walks in the 12 acres that they just bought. It was warm for Michigan.

We also brought along our trusty ice cream scoop. Ya know. Just in case.

The kids also took amazing bubble baths! Wow! Their tub has jets! I put just a tiny bit of soap in there and then this happened!! Holy bubbles, bat man!

The day after Thanksgiving, we did two super exciting things! We helped my in laws find and cut down a Christmas tree! The weather was amazing!

Wyeth liked this little one:

They ended up with this beauty!

We also took the family on a train ride. It is, for me, the 'first' Christmas event of the season. Since Wyeth is Mr. Train, it is a very important part of the trip for him too! And it did not disappoint. Last year we were FREEZING! But this year, it wasn't as cold. And since it was the first night of the season, there were fireworks! Fireworks!! In November! It was just amazing!!

They were a little loud.

The rest of the week was full of small but fun adventures. Coffee and cookies out.

Experiencing the joy of a first canoli!

Playing in thier big house.

Just being together.

All good stuff. All of it!

Seren's First Christmas List!

2011-12-08T14:52:00.000-05:00

In all of its glory!

I'll translate:

To Santa
From Seren

Dear Santa, Thank you for the doll you gave me last year. I named her Rosie. My christmas list this year is:
* A pony that goes in a pony bed
* A baby doll
* A baby doll bunk bed with the name Rosie on the top and the name Juliet on the bottom (these are the names of her two favorite dolls)

Hysterical!

Wyeth Turns 3!

2011-12-03T07:11:00.001-05:00

Dear Wyeth,
Today, without my permission, you turned three. I can't get my mind around how this happened. But I am thrilled for you!

You have continued to add such joy into our lives. I can't recall our lives without you in it! This past year you have perfected the art of talking. We are so glad to hear it! You can talk a mean streak. Especially if your sister isn't around to interrupt. You have also really enjoyed creative play. You and Seren both have created worlds in your imaginations. Just this week you became convinced that there is a water slide at a local science museum. You have asked us all to go and can't wait to slide down it in your bathing suit!

You are still my cuddlebug. Something I'm so grateful for. I can still hold you in my arms. Rock you while singing you to sleep and hold you in my lap. Sometimes when meal times are particularly painful for you, you request Dad or Mom's lap. And find comfort there.

You love to sing. Music is something you are very attuned to. You pick up songs quickly. Which doesn't mean that when you and Dad attend the community class you sing aloud. Nope. No public singing. But when you get home, we see your dance moves and hear your show stopping hit singles.

You have two favorite phrases right now. One is more of a sentence. "I show you something!" The world, gratefully, seems to be a place of endless wonder and excitement. People coming through our door are always shown the newest and most exciting 'find' in our house. You lead me, holding my hand, several times a day through the house to something fun. A puzzle that has been completed. A new book purchased at the thrift store. A new picture completed.

The other more popular phrase we have heard frequently during the fall is 'poop'. Saying the word poop just about brings you to your knees in giggles. It is especially funny while 'modifying' songs. As in 'twinkle twinkle little poop." This isn't something I will ever understand. But you sweet boy, think it is hysterical!

You are also a helper. If we need 'help', we call on you. To do the dishes. To help us vacuum. To pick up toys. You are very good at lending your services. And we love it!

Unwillingly, I started a habit this year of saying 'thank you' to you while I put you and Seren to sleep. As in, "Thank you for playing with me today. Thanks for helping Daddy and I." And you and Seren both have responded in kind. I love hearing what you are grateful for. It is usually the most basic and simple things. And I love hearing your expressions of gratitude.

We got an insight this week into how you think of yourself. Daddy asked if you needed help doing a task with a book. You responded, "No. I think of myself as a smartie."

Self esteem? Check.

And while you have grown in your sensitivity to others, your creative play and musical gifts, you remain a stubborn non eater. You also have expressed NO interest in potty training. And we still have you in a crib. You eat like an 18 month old. Carbs. Dairy. No veggies. Some fruit. Mom and Dad haven't fought you too much on this but am growing increasingly worried. And the potty training is more of a lack of effort on our part than yours.

Perhaps it all is just our own lack of willingness to see you grow up.

But you do anyway.

Your birthdays, like your sisters', are bittersweet for Mom and Dad. A sense of time passing us by. A sense that maybe we haven't been as "present" as we would have liked. And with all of the travel I have done recently, I have a sense of guilt as you are launched into another year.

But I do know that we love you. Fiercely. And we are proud of you. And that you bring us joy. We got you a singing card this year. This is VERY important to you. The one I picked out was "you are the sunshine of my life". How appropriate!

Happy Third Birthday, Wyeth. Thank you for picking us as your parents. We are so lucky to have you in our lives. We love you!

Thanksgiving Post 1: A lot of time in the Car

2011-12-02T09:03:00.000-05:00

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful! Time with eachother. Time with our family. Time spent sleeping in. A bit. Time spent sick on Sam's part.

And most notable: time in the car!

It is a 12 hour drive to Flushing, MI. And a 12 hour drive back. The kids did GREAT! Seren self occupied her time VERY well. She read. She played dominoes. She colored. Wrote a story. Fought with her brother.

Wyeth struggled a bit more. "How long I sit here? I don't like sitting here. I like playing."

We broke up the trip. Staying in "fancy" (cheap) hotels and enjoying the pools. We drove to Ohio the first day- to Youngstown. And then made it to Sam's mom and dad's home the next day. On the way back, we stayed in PA in Monroeville. Seren said, "Wait! They moved the hotel!? You said the hotel was in Ohio!" As if there was only one hotel and it could be moved. :)

They said a lot of funny things on the trip. Many of which I wrote down. Here is a scene of us in the car. This is from the beginning of the first day! We were able to take lots of time off this year. I worked from 'home' on Monday and Tuesday but we were with Sam's Mom and Dad from Sunday through Sunday! Very nice!

First hour pics:

And here I am at the end of the first day!

More family pics when I blog next time! We had a blast! The kids really enjoyed the adventures in Michigan and so did we!

Sissy is now Seren

2011-11-16T21:01:00.002-05:00

Sadly, that time has come. Wyeth now formally calls Seren, Seren.

We still find ourselves calling her Sissy.

Why do kids grow up?

Parenthood

2011-11-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

Pretty much everynight I think to myself the same exact thoughts. And they are completely paradoxical.
"Parenthood rocks my world. It is so much more fun than I ever imagined."
"I better try to be here. Now. In the present. I'm going to miss it all in the blink of an eye."
"I'm blessed."
"This sucks. This whole thing is just exhausting! It is like my life is one long ass to do list."
"I'm so tired. All I want to do is just take some time for myself. Screw everyone else' needs. I'm tired."
"This is the best. I am proud of my kids. The way they take on the world. Thier imagination. Thier creativity. The way they engage ideas."
"If I have to come home and deal with any more screaming, I may just scream."

How do we hold all of these thoughts at the same time? How do we create space for each of them? For gratitude and blessings on the one hand and the acknowledgement of our own exhaustion and needs on the other? It is like a daily roller coaster. Add in some guilt about not being with them enough (which rides its own ups and downs) and some stress about not being "good enough" and wow- it is amazing that our heads don't pop off!

I work to try to create space- consciously- to enjoy it. To enjoy it all. To laugh at my kids' antics. To giggle as they talk to themselves (or thier stuffed animals) through the monitors at night. To laugh when they laugh. To run after them and just tickle them. I do a good job of this.

But I also struggle to just "do" all of the time. And no one can be positive and upbeat all of the time! They are 2 and 5! It is ridiculous around here! It isn't calm. Or peaceful. Or zen like at all.

I think it is amazing that I think all of those thoughts on a daily basis. And how I end up the day depends on which emotion gets spun on the "spinner of parental emotions".

Whew.

It is just parenthood.

Fighting for Air time

2011-11-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

Remember how much I fretted that Wyeth had delayed speech? That as he approached two we had about 11 words under our belt?

That has changed 180 degrees.

And I kid you not, my children FIGHT for air time.

The best 5 minutes of my day are also the work five minutes of the day. It is the moment I walk in the door. Now, as it gets colder, the kids don't greet me at the car door. They (not so) patiently wait inside. And I open up the door. The noise begins. I am greeted with huge, amazing hugs from very short people. Who sometimes seem shorter having spent the day at the office with regularly sized people.

And I swoop them up into my arms. Hugs all around. My purse and briefcase aren't even set down yet. It is amazing. Absolutely amazing.

And it also sucks.

Each kid then begins to tell me everything about their day. AT THE SAME TIME. And they start to fight. And cry. Big tears about why they can't tell Momma something. Or if the big story is a shared story (in that it happened to both of them) then real chaos ensues. It is horrible! They hit each other yesterday because Wyeth was interrupting Seren. And Seren was telling the story too fast. And it was a mess.

And I haven't even come inside the doorway yet.

I'm thrilled to hear it. And to hear it all. Every last detail. About kindergarten. About time at the playground. About the latest thrift store find. About the new table in their room upstairs.

But man.

Any ideas on the welcome home process and how it can so smoother? Any one else's kids fighting for "air time"?

Then there is my poor husband. Who, by the time I make it through the gauntlet of emotions just getting from the front door to the kitchen, only gets a weak "hello" and limp hug from me.

Whew.

5k run- Autism Cares

2011-11-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

Remember how I joined my local gym for 10.00 a month? Remember how my brother suggested I run a 5k to have a goal?

Goal accomplished!

My colleague from work, Jessica and I set our minds to it and ran a good 5k on Saturday! And extra triple bonus? It was for Autism Cares. A local non profit that provides education and resources to local families who have children with Autism.

Autism is pretty near and dear to my heart as my godson, Lucas, or Luki, has been impacted by it. His parents are true rock stars! And he inspires me in lots of ways!

My parents, my hubby and my kids came out to support me on! It was a beautiful day. Freezing but beautiful! And we did very well!

The best thing? I wasn't exhausted at the end. Just ready for more. Good stuff! Good stuff!

October Wrap Up

2011-11-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

It is Mid November. MID November! And I haven't recorded a darn thing!

I didn't tell you about painting Wyeth's bedroom from a lovely shade of purple to a great blue. It took us over two weeks painting at night to do it. We slept on a futon. Wyeth slept in our room. It sucked but it looks great! "After" pics to come.

I didn't tell you about date night out with good friends, Christine and Jason. Like high school double dating! It is much more magical now that we have to coordinate two sitters!

I didn't tell you about the Dollie birthday party I planned with our neighbors from down the street. Pizza and cake were served. Each special doll (or turtle in Wyeth's case) was sung too. Good times!

I didn't tell you about the freak snow storm that surprised us with 3 inches of snow!

I didn't tell you about the fact that my long time friend from California, Krysta, came to visit us for two days.

I didn't tell you that my best friend Andy got snowed out of her house for 10 days without power and escaped down to PA for the adventure. That meant we got to treak or treat with her! We also joined up with our good friends Christine and Jason. 6 kids under 6! AWESOME!

I didn't tell you about Halloween! About the fact that we went to join my parents in the community parade that I did as a kid. And despite the snow, loved it. My parents dressed up too!

I didn't tell you about the fact that early in the month we realized we were in the SAME CLASS as 'white meat".

I didn't tell you about the hikes and outdoor adventures we went on. Full of fall beauty.

I didn't tell you but I meant to.

Overheard

2011-10-19T08:24:00.000-04:00

Two nights ago Seren woke up at least 3 times having bad dreams. Dreams about spiders. Bugs. You name it, she dreamt about it.

I put her to bed last night and she said, "Mom, something must be wrong with my dream catcher. The bad dreams keep going through. I think the dream catcher is clogged."

**
I put Wyeth down two nights ago and did my usual, "I love you, Wy guy. Have a good night sleep. I love you so much."

His response was something like, "Night, night. I love you Megan." :)

I then heard little giggles coming from the dark corner of his crib.

**
Other updates: When will we move our wild boy from his crib to a big bed!? I don't want to do this. The child takes at least 30 minutes to unwind at night. He talks to himself. Sings. Plays. I can't imagine that a bed will help that 'quiet' time!

Seren lost her second tooth yesterday! Crazy! She is relieved. Now she can 'eat' again. Ya know, because she was sustaining herself on smoothies and all liquid diet.

Crush on my Barista

2011-10-18T09:06:00.000-04:00

I have a confession. I have a major crush on my barista. I see him daily. And he is so cute! He always knows what I want, how much sugar I should put in and he delivers my beloved coffee to my outstretched hands with a warm smile. I know this sounds awful considering I am happily married, but he is just an amazing part of my daily routine.

And sometimes he doesn't even wear pants!

I love this daily part of my morning rountine!

Still Love the Beach

2011-10-17T11:37:00.003-04:00

Happiness

2011-10-16T22:21:00.000-04:00

I'm halfway through Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project. And I love it! She has some great ideas! I can relate to many of the themes in the book.

Between reading that and training for my little 5K, I seem to be in a happier spot. In fact last weekend when I was NOT in a happy spot and being grouchy, Sam said to me, "Just go run. You will feel better."

He was right. Of course.

So I'm running and feeling a little bit better about the state of my body. But not by much.

And our house is slowing getting into shape. But not by much. (Our bathroom light blew out two weeks ago...I have taken dark, dark showers).

And our friendships exist where they didn't before. But they aren't the "old friends" that know you when.

So a lot is better. It is just that I'm impatient. Impatient for it all to 'fit into place'. Which it never will. And it really isn't supposed to. Because if it did, where is the journey? What fun is life?

And I really don't want to wish away these days. These days are just amazing gifts! And I have two healthy children, an able mind and body and an amazing husband. And I can already see how my five year old will one day be 15. And suddenly being silly at the dining room table won't bring peals of laughter but eye rolling.

But I think happiness is something you have to DO. Certainly that is one of her messages. That we have to think the way we want to feel. The other key message that I have learned but need to learn time and time again is to just be me. That's really all I can be. I'm fairly authentic. People feel I'm genuine. But I always worried about how I'm perceived. Too insecure? Too nerdy? Probably on both accounts. I'm working on just getting over it and being Me.

I feel like since June, I've been working on a lot. Thinking a lot. Thinking about options. Moving forward. The path is totally undefined. I can't even discern what I'm moving forward towards. I just feel like I'm moving. Searching. Seeking. And that feels good. We are getting things done at our house. Things are getting cleaned. Decisions are being made. Small ones but decisions none the less. I feel less 'stuck' even though for all intents and purposes nothing has really "changed". Perhaps it is the running that has made a difference. Perhaps the kids are getting to an age where they actually are more independent which creates some free space in my brain. I don't know what it is.

I'm just happier.

I'll take it.

The First Lost Tooth

2011-10-13T00:13:00.001-04:00

All week it wiggled. It moved. It bled. It gave me the 'willies'. It brought drama. Much drama.

The loose tooth.

On Sunday after a full weekend of playing outdoors in goregeous weather, Seren and I came in from the playground. I got her a nice cold juice. Thirty minutes past and Sam said, "Wait! Seren! Open your mouth."

And just like that...it was gone.

No blood. No tears. No yanking.

The problem was...it was GONE. No tooth to save. No tooth to share with the tooth fairy. Just...gone.

We jumped for joy! This was SUPER exciting! Man was it a moment! She beamed with pride! Yes! She was an official big kid.

At night, I sat with Seren as she wrote the tooth fairy a note. "Dear Tooth Fairy. I lost my tooth. Please bring me a present. From Seren." Seren was worried that the tooth fairy woudln't have a pad a paper or pencil. So she left both of them out. She said, "Well, I wouldn't want her to fly all over the house looking for it!"

There were many questions about the tooth fairy. What did she do with all of those teeth? One theory is that she picked the best ones and would make them into her own teeth! (??) She was excited about the whole thing.

ANd I got to play tooth fairy! In my tiniest hand writing, I wrote a tiny little note. I thanked Seren for her thoughtfulness to leave out the paper and pencil but that I flew with my own size paper. (Very tiny). The tooth fairy left four quarters and a necklace for a present.

Seren woke up the next morning, Monday morning and just beamed! Wow! Present! AND she wrote a note! She read it and was amazed about how tiny it was.

It is all lies. The whole thing.

But seriously? I love it.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Of Fairies and Pirates

2011-10-05T12:33:00.000-04:00

There is a huge debate going on inside our house these days. What is an appropriate 'boy' costume.

On one side of the debate if the newly minted kindergartener who has decided that girls can ONLY be fairies, ballerinerinas or princesses. That's it. And only girls can be these things.

On the other side is the nearly 3 year old little boy. Who adores his sister. And pretty much anything she does. He too has decided to be a fairy princess.

We are talking about gender a lot these days.

After two weeks of insisting on being a princess, Sam bought a pink tutu and I got high heels and wings for his costume. It was coming together. We were fine with it! Seren would deal!

And last night he said, "I be pirate all day for Halloween."

Typical.

Teeth

2011-10-05T12:29:00.000-04:00

A new milestone!

A wiggly, jiggly, very much LOOSE TOOTH!

I can't believe it! And the sight of it made me mist up. I remember when that bad boy came IN.

And Seren, in full Seren fashion, has taken to this news like the true Diva she is. "Mom! I can't eat hard foods. Not now. I have a loose tooth. I have to eat all of my food from this side of my mouth. See? See what I mean? Because this tooth, this one, this one is loose. So I just can't eat anything right here."

What are they 'into'

2011-09-17T20:48:00.000-04:00

Seren, age 5 years and 4 months:
*reading
*sleeping without her bedrail (we took it down in August of this year)
*eating tons
*growing tons
*dolls- all of the time playing with dolls. Her favorite is Rosie. Her grandmom gave her an outfit with a matching doll outfit! Hysterical! She and Rosie wore the outfits to school on Friday for Show and Tell
*Bossing her brother around. We are trying to cut down on this. She is constantly correcting him. Telling him he is wrong. I worry about his self esteem! Geez, girlfriend, LAY OFF!
*Singing- loudly and sweetly
*Gymnastics- we started this summer and just signed her up for 14 more lessons. She seems to really, really enjoy it. When she can focus.
*Tennis- we signed her up for only 5 lessons. We shall see. It is a completely foreign experience for her.
*Less drama now. Still the tears come but only when really exhausted.
*Being in Kindergarten and learning all of the new schedules. 'We have gym today. Library tomorrow, etc."

Wyeth: 2 years and 9 months
*Dolls and purses- still loves them both. Less with the dolls and more into the purses. And still loves rocking the high heels. He wore a purse to the local high school football game.
*Cars- matchbox cars rock Wyeth's world. I hate matchbox cars and can really only enjoy them for a max of 5 minutes.
*Trains- still into trains. Any kind of training. He has his wooden train table in his room and between the cars and trains? He is one happy boy.
* NOT potty training. As in, nope, no thanks, NOT doing it.
* Eating is slightly better. But only slightly. We added apples. Ta da!
* Still going to bed late. His naps are still at the 2hour mark which means he doesn't really settle down until 9 pm on most nights.
* Still in his crib- WE have no interest in moving him. Just sounds like a total and utter nightmare about to happen.
* Riding his tricycle
* Candy. Wyeth would eat candy all day if we let him. After a over indulgence in July, we have not had candy in our house. It is a diaster. Talk about sweet tooth! In August, at the mean mention of the word, Wyeth lost his stuff. It wasn't pretty. My best friend, Andy, can attest.

We started watching TV on a daily basis in February of this year. I had to go to work earlier and Daddy needed to shower. It was a good run while we were at it. They now watch 30-45 minutes a day when Dad gets ready. That works for all of us. Curious George is a favorite.

That's the snap shot for tonight!

What a Week!

2011-09-17T20:35:00.000-04:00

Whew!

We are still adjusting to life on a 5 day a week schedule. Kindergarten continues to go well-ish.

Last Saturday I flew to Denver Colorad to spend some time with friends and family before attending a professional conference. What a total blast! My brother picked me up at the airport! SO good to see him. We then drove about an hour into Boulder to meet up with dear friends for dinner.

Sunday it was sunny. Again! Amazing!! After 11 inches of rain, I needed to see that sun! My host, Whitney, made a breakfast that was out of this world! Man! It was delicious! Then we went hiking. I can't tell you how good this felt! And sleeping without monitors was heaven! I crashed so hard. So good to feel so comfortable with old friends. It is an experience you don't take for granted!

Then my brother picked me up and we headed two hours towards Vail. I was there Sunday through Wednesday. It was beautiful! What a great week! A good conference, great food, good wine and just amazing mountains! I also presented a paper which was a first for me! I just had a blast. It was such a different week!

I got home at 9:30 pm on Wednesday. WHich was a long time away from teh kids- esp since I didn't have much of a weekend with them. THen, at 6:50 am on Thursday, Sam left to hang out with his parents. His mom and Dad are moving homes so he went home to load the truck. So the kids went from Dad being in charge and solo parenting to my mom and dad parenting while I was at work to me parenting in the evenings and today. I can't believe all of that was in one week.

We saw an amazing rainbow on Thursday night! Just one of those rainbows that takes your breath away!

In other news, Wyeth can only get a word in edgewise when Seren isn't around. Sam said he frequently talks all of the way home. Non stop from kindergarten drop off. Tonight, after I put Seren down, he gave me an oral dissertation on lightbulbs and how some need to be replaced. But not all of them. The child is a trip!

It was a full week! Sam returns tomorrow. Vail was amazing. Nothing like seeing my brother and my 'Boulder family' to make me smile wide. All four of them made me laugh so hard! What a total treat!

Next up is Rochestr NY and Arizona! Whew!

Falling from Grace: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

In my 'other' life I was a born again Christian. Kinda. I was super religious. Church weekly. Bible studies weekly. And then I was a progressive Christian. Super invovled. This time in stead of reading "Lady in Waiting" which was a good about saving yourself for God, I was marching with my church in a gay pride parade in San Fran.

And then kids happened. And then church tried to happen. We church shopped for over two years. A full on committment to it. Every week a new place. We couldn't find home. Then Wyeth happened. The morning naps screwed up going to church in the morning.

And then nothing happened. It has been a long, long time since we have gone to church. And this is fodder for another post. A meaningful one in which I really express what a lack of a spiritual home means to me. I miss the community. I miss the sense of purpose. I miss the songs. I sometimes watch my old church's services on a live feed stream and cry. I miss it a ton.

But I note my past now as context.

We have fallen from grace. Far, far away from any religious training.

Seren figured out how to read the song "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear". You know it.

Teddy bear, Teddy bear,
Touch the ground.
Teddy bear, Teddy bear,
Turn around.
Teddy bear, Teddy bear,
Show your shoe.
Teddy bear, Teddy bear,
That will do.
Teddy bear, Teddy bear,
Run upstairs.
Teddy bear, Teddy bear,
Say your prayers.

Seren and Wyeth act out each phrase. So they touch the ground, turn around, show their shoe, run upstairs, etc. They sit at the piano and sing this song to each other. When they got to the phrase "Say your prayers", Seren had nothing. No gesture. She sat there and said 'hmm'. She was trying to figure out a gesture for that line.

That was sad enough to me as it was. No folded hands. No head bowed. She doesn't have that as context because we haven't taught it.

Then she pulled down her pants at the waist line and pointed to her underwear.

WHAT?

I then figured out her mental process. "Pairs of underwear. Pairs. Pairs sounds like prayers. That MUST be it!"

She now does this consistently when she and Wyeth sing the song. He pulls on his diaper.

Did I mention we haven't been to church recently?

Unsettled

2011-09-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

While we had a fabulous long weekend of fun, beach days, trips to the orchard, time with friends, time with my parents, this 'short' week has felt incredibly long.

I feel totally unsettled these days. Some of it has to do with the weather. The earthquake, the hurricane, the possible tornado warnings and now more and more rain which has led to massive flooding has left me feeling a bit down. Combine that with home renovation, the anniversary of 9/11, the fact that there is a new terriosist 'threat' and the start of kindergarten, and I just feel like nothing is really 'the way it is supposed to be'. A bit of the 'unsure' feeling that no one likes.

Did I mentioned it has rain like 10 inches of rain in Philly in the last week? Not an exaggeration!

Kindergarten continues to go 'ok'. I had low expectations. And I guess it is living up to them. I feel a sense of not providing for her in the best way I can. It is hard when I see amazing pictures of stimulating classrooms. And I know that there is better out there. MUCH better. Loving teachers. Classrooms full of books and animals. Where a kids' mind can just EXPLODE with excitement. Her preschool was like that. That is why we chose it. And now we just aren't seeing that. At least not yet.

I have to remain open minded. But I am not a fan. The kindergarten teacher, during orientation, stood in front of a huge group of excited, nervous, adorable 5 year olds and didn't address them. Seriously? I would have said "HELLO KINDERGARTENERS! WELCOME! DO WE HAVE A YEAR FOR YOU!" Nothing. Not so much as a nodd to the kids! I know the meeting was for us but she seemed burnt out and exhausted at the START of the year.

And there is no communication what so ever. No weekly bulletins. No daily check ins at pick up. Nothing. We can't figure out if the lame coloring picture in her folder is 'homework' or not? And we were told to buy 3 folders for the year only to have them returned to us. Does she need them? When you have to rely on a 5 year olds 'take' on everything, we are left with a lot of question marks. Seren insists that they will never have recess. And with a short day, that could be true. But who knows? We have no sense of the schedule either. Are we to wear gym shoes every day? When do we pack the art smock? Ya know? These are stupid frustrations but for parents like us who WANT to know how everything is going, we feel a total and utter void.

I hope that the classroom preparation has improved because when I visited nothing was up. Not thier names on thier cubbies. Nothing. I saw about 15 books. I have spent over two years in kindergarten and first grade classrooms for my work. I have a pretty good idea what a classroom should contain and I have to say that it is bare bare bones.

BUT! She loves it! I mean, she is excited about everything! MOM! We have gym here! MOM! We get to have show and tell just like at Breezy Point! Mom! There are five boys. Two boys sit at my table. And I made two new friends! Mom! I learned a song. SO...she is happy.

She loves it. We are TRYING to love it and be open to an amazing year. But see?

Unsettled. I'll shut up. We are privleged to have a school to attend. We are lucky that WE care so much about this. And Seren loves it. Which is really all that matters. We have to let go. This is all about loosing control of things. And I need to be ok with that. It is all a process. It will evenutally stop raining. The house will one day be put back together. And for goodness sakes, we are an amazing family.

It is just that sense of 'blahs' that are haunting me.

The exciting news is that I leave to spend time with great friends and an amazing brother. I leave tomorrow. I'm so lucky to have amazing people in my life. Really? What do I have to complain about.

Riding his Tricycle!

2011-09-02T08:35:00.000-04:00

Finally! Wyeth's legs can properly reach the pedals of his little tricyle! It is amazing! He LOVES the freedom! He is a man on a mission with his bike. I love to see his determination. I went for a walk this week with both of them on thier bikes and realized for the first time, that I was actually WALKING while they were riding! It was amazing!

Pretty much every day after dinner, I hang with the kids. And during the summer, that means we play outside. We play basketball. Or do the stomp rocket. Or do hoola- hoop. We talk to neighbors and the neighborhood dogs. And they usually want to go around the block. I encourage this but inevitable, Wyeth decides, about 5 houses down, that he wants to switch his vehicle. And we have to go back. Or Seren decides that the hill is too steep. Or she wants her scooter and not her bike. Or I just get grumpy becasue going around the block takes a good 30-40 minutes and I usually end up covered in sweat as I push Seren, pull Wyeth, push Wyeth and pull Seren.

UGH.

But I continue to do it! And this week? AWESOMENESS on the bike front! Seren is totally confident in her new bike helmet and better adjusted bike. Off! And Wyeth's legs have grown! He just needs a new helmet and he is set to go! As for me, I could forseeable drink a glass of wine while I follow behind. :) Ok, maybe not yet but you get my point!

Summer rocked!

Winter in Summer!

2011-09-02T08:27:00.000-04:00

In the winter when it was snowing, my kids got out all of the summer stuff and had a beach day.

When it was 95 degrees in August, my kids decided it would be awesome to play 'winter' after dinner.

So they bundled up. They have done this several times this summer! Ridiculous! And funny!

The difference with this time is that they wanted to then go on a bike ride. Remember, it was 95 degrees out! My neighbor can attest to the fact that Wyeth refused to take his coat off. Seren realized pretty quickly that this winter in summer thing was for the birds. But Wyeth? He was GAME ON! He was SOAKED with sweat by the time we came home.

What goofballs!

Sign up your daughters (or sons) now!

2011-09-02T08:20:00.000-04:00

I like to think we are a progressive family with our politics. We try at least. So I'm very pleased when Wyeth decides to just help out around the house and do the dishes. It is SUCH a help!

Just about every night, he just pitches in!

See what I mean?

On a related note, this is what I came home to one night. Three happy faces. Three aprons. I'm a lucky working mom!

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Bon Appetit!

NYC!

2011-09-02T08:11:00.000-04:00

After we got back from Cape Cod, I worked a few days and we had a fun playdate with friends. I then went to Iowa for a week! Iowa rocked! It was calm. Relaxing. Friendly. And I was there for the huge Iowa State fair! So I got to hear all about 'butter on a stick' which sounds disgusting! Anyway, it was a fun and busy week 'on the road'.

We came home and packed up the kids to head to Brooklyn, NY to spend some time with Sam's good friend Mitch and his partner Kenton. They are just amazing! Mitch is a super chef! And Kenton couldn't be much sweeter if he tried.

When we usually visit, we make it a day trip. Brooklyn is about 90 minutes away so it isn't so bad. But this time thier friends had a free apartment available. They were trying to sell it but it hadn't sold it so they allowed us to 'camp' in thier empty apartment. Score!

We had grand plans for our weekend. We'd take them to Times Square! Ride the subway! Etc, etc. In the end, it POURED RAIN all of Sunday and by the time we got there on Saturday, we had to deal with tired kids. So we didn't do any of that! But we spent time with good friends and visited thier garden plot.

I'm always amazed how children enjoy simple pleasures. Sam and I are trying to raise kids to truly find mystery and wonder in all of things around them. I am most proud when they get a big 'kick' out of simple things. From thier perspective, Brooklyn delivered on amazing treats. First of all, the concept of an apartment blew Seren's mind.

"Wait! There are families behind every single one of these doors? Are there animals in there too? Like cats? Do people in apartments have cats!"

And then there was the old fashion elevator inside the building.

"Wow! They have thier own elevator! We get to ride it? They ride it every day!??"

They also loved that we stayed in our own apartment. It was one of the worst nights we have had a long time. "The city that never sleeps" was certainly true for us! My god! The noise of the road was loud. And then add in a huge thunder storm and lightening. Wyeth was up for over 2 hours. We were wondering at 2 am if we should just pack up and head home! But we all went back to sleep and the night was salvaged.

Did I mention it poured?

And we all had an amazing breakfast on Sunday. It was a huge treat to be with such kind, loving friends! Thanks so much Mitch and Kenton!

August 3, 2011

2011-09-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

On August 3rd, Sam and I celebrated 9 years of marriage! 9! We celebrated a few days earlier when we were up at the Cape. Mom and Dad watched the kids in the afternoon and Sam and I went on a terrific hike! (Thanks Mom and Dad!) It was gorgeous and went all the way to the beach. Just amazing!

We then changed in the car. Something we used to do all of the time on our day long marathon dates in California and went out to a very nice dinner. It was just so peaceful. No yelling. No crying. Just a very lovely dinner.

9 years have come and gone pretty darn quick. I'm a lucky woman to have found someone amazing to share my days and nights with.

Happy Anniversary, Sam!

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-30T21:46:00.003-04:00

August came and went! I have about 17 blog posts to write on August alone!

But today- TODAY was the first day of kindergarten! The real thing! And we were nervous and proud. Mostly proud.

Leading up to it- all summer- our little school lover adamently said she was not going to kindergarten. Change isn't something that Seren really embraces. She even said that last night, "I"m just not going to go."

I knew she was just nervous. And she amazed me by being really articulate about how she was feeling. "Well. I'm a little excited and a little scared." Then, as the day, today, got closer she would say, "Well, I'm a little excited and a lot scared!"

We had Kindergarten orientation last Monday. Which was totally disappointing. The classroom wasn't ready. The cubbies weren't labeled. The teacher wasn't very inspiring as she focused on the logistics and not the learning that would happen. She also didn't address the amazing group of excited little kids sitting in her classroom! The teachers are also on the verge of a strike. So there were teachers picketing the Kindergarten orientation.

Sigh.

Today, she slept in and woke up excited! And we loaded her back pack with about 2 pounds of requested materials (including clorox wipes, kleenex, pencils, snack, erasers, etc!) and headed out. We took the mandatory first day of school pictures which I totally remember my mom taking. And we set off, as a family, for the school. It is about an 8 block walk to the school. So all we went. The backpack got heavy, however, and I had to help with that. Once I put it on my back she exclaimed, "Now I can skip, Mom!"

Wyeth has been quite sad about this transition. He doesn't understand why he isn't going!

"I no go to Kindergarten? Why I no go?" and "Sissy go everyday? Why she go everyday!"

So while this really is just a 3 hour program 9 blocks away, we are all being thrown by the transition a little bit. For all of July and August, Wyeth and Seren have hung out pretty much every single day. So Wyeth too is missing his buddy.

I was more than a bit emotional getting her ready. And just like the day of orientation, the closer we got to the school building, the tigher her grip on my hand got. But when the moment came, we slid on her bag and hugged her tight. A wonderful and warm teacher greeted us at the door and said "You look beautiful in your dress! Are you ready for kindergarten!? Who is your teacher?" And with tight hugs, we said goodbye. And she walked down the hallway holding a teacher's hand.

Just like that.

NICU to Kindergarten in seconds flat. Non nursing preemie to reading kindergartener. I couldn't be more proud of who she was but also what we have done as parents. For this learning curve of parenthood has been steep.

She left down the hallway and mom bawled.

But they were happy tears too. Life is just too amazing. Too hard to really wrap your head around. Too many changes. Too many choices. And all of it- even the really hard times- is amazing.

So THAT is what it is for

2011-08-17T08:42:00.000-04:00

Today the kids were watching me get dressed. They were sitting on my bed and I was putting on my bra.

Wyeth: Mom! What's dat?

Me: It is my bra.

Wyeth: What it do? What for?

Seren: Wyeth, it is so mom doesn't spray milk all over us.

Wyeth: Oh.

Seren: Did you know buddy that we used to suck on those? Yup. That is how we got our milk.

Wyeth: We got our milk?

Seren: Yup.

Me: But now you get it from the fridge. Thanks Seren for explaining it.

Cape Cod 2011

2011-08-09T22:11:00.000-04:00

We spent 12 days as a family in Cape Cod this year. 12 whole days. And the best part?At the end of it, I wanted more time.

We took off and headed up to West Hartford to visit the fabulous Levy family. We then all headed off to Cape! We had our toes in the sand by 12:30 Saturday the 23rd and pretty much lived on the beach everyday through August 1st.

Awesome.

Not everyday was suny. We had a few days of rain. We improvised and did arts and crafts. Score!

There were many highlights as a family:
** I could actually relax this year. And did.
** I drank good Pino Grigio and ate great brie.
** We had some great icecream
** The kids played together as a group of four- VERY well.
** Seren and I took showers in the outside shower everyday and then I dried her hair in a towel turban. She called this 'fancy hair'.
** Both kids loved the beach.
** Both kids started to use the boogie boards this year! Score!
** Sam and I had an amazing date night- a beautiful hike to the beach and a great, great dinner out. Anniversary number 9!
** Being on the beach at 5:55 AM with two kids wearing thier pajamas and toting pails.
** We saw whales and seals in the evenings on the beach. One night we were passed by a family with two little dogs that were in harness leashes. While the three of us were geeked out by the whales, Wyeth saw this and came running up to me. Breathless he said, "I SAW REINDEER!" Apparently, seeing the dogs in the harnesses reminded him of Santa's sleigh.
** Time with my best friend Sam and my best friend Andy is a great deal!
** TIME OUTSIDE IN THE SUN

We took over 500 pictures. None of which have been edited. And since there are so many, I most likely won't ever get to it! But we took good ones. I just don't have time to really mess with them. But I will! Because I took the time to take the 500 pics!

I have had a hard time recently so just being able to unwind, unplug and just recharge felt so, so, so good.

I had that 'after vacation, I need to change my lfe/attitude/everything' feel for approximately 24 hours. And then the grind called! But it was seriously what I needed. Naps. Good food. Sleep. Family and sun.

PERFECT!

Confidence

2011-07-21T09:28:00.003-04:00

Dear Seren,
I can't believe how much you have grown since you turned 5. Not only are you super-tall girl but you are so much more confident! It is amazing to watch you take on your world. Just since graduation, you have tried your first swimming lessons. And loved it. You have also tried gymnastics. And loved it. You make friends wherever you go. And you just join in! Your entire being at this time in your life, is just full force GO! And you live and love so well. I admire you so much.

I was putting you to bed last night. I was rubbing your back and singing to you as you clung to Rosie. As you drifted in dreamland, I was left thinking about how much you have grown. You aren't shy anymore. You aren't hesitant. You make friends. And I love to see you in this new amazing space.

At the same time, I was overwhelmed by a sadness. Someday someone will tell you that you aren't smart enough. That you can't do something well. That your ideas are 'dumb'. That you are too fat. Or too thin. Or that by being passionate about something, you don't 'fit in'. And if you are like everyone else, you'll start to question yourself. Question your own inner strength. Question your talents. Your beliefs about the world. And you won't be able to just join into groups and say 'I'm Seren! Let's be friends'. Because while the world SHOULD work like that, it doesn't. At least not right now. Maybe it will when you get older. Maybe you'll work to make it so.

And the kicker is that Mom and Dad can't do a darn thing about these messages you'll soon hear. You'll hear them at the bus stop. Or in elementary school. And I'm left worrying. About how we encourage the passion, independence, confidence and creativity you currently have. We so want to protect your heart. But we can't. And you'll have to figure out on your own terms how to be true to yourself. And how to love that amazing body and mind of yours.

So for now I'll sit back and just admire the person that you are. The confidence that you have. And I'll wish quietly and passionately that you'll carry some large percent of that confidence with you well into your 20s and 30s. That is one of my main wishes for you. And I intend to work to make sure it happens.

Love you,
Mom

Overheard

2011-07-18T20:27:00.000-04:00

The kids have been saying some funny things recently.

Random:

"I don't want to be a grown up because the Easter Bunny doesn't give baskets to grown ups."

Deep Thought:
I couldn't go to sleep last night. I had a scary thought.

me: what did you think about?

I was thinking I was going to die.

Me: What? Why were you thinking about that sweetie?

I don't know. It just popped into my head.

Funny
I was coming home today and had to laugh at how different my two 'worlds' are. In my work world, at 4:30, I was finishing up a meeting about TANF legislation. By 5:10, I was greeted by my son who was wearing a blue skirt. He yelled:

MOM! I am wearing high heels!!

The dance party began shortly thereafter.

Funny take two:
Wyeth is allowed to eat two gummy vitamins. We watched him eat them both. He went back for vitamins 3 and 4. When we admonished him, he said that he hadn't eaten them. "Where they go?"

Buddy, they are in your belly! You ate them.

"I eat them? Where?" He then proceeded to pick up his shirt and look in earnest for the missing vitamins.

Two year olds and five year olds? They rock. It isn't going to be this funny again. And so many daily things are just MAGICAL at this age. I hope my children always have a sense of wonder and enthusiasm. I just don't think it will be this natural.

Air

2011-07-15T20:39:00.000-04:00

Tonight it was my turn to put Wyeth down. We have a cute routine. We read one big family story and then we split up. Wyeth picks out books and 'hides' them under the pillow. Picking them out always takes a while. There is usually chin scratching and a lot of 'hmms'. Once we pick them out, he pulls them out from behind the couch pillow- one by one- as I act surprised! I love this phase of childhood. Where no matter what I do, he laughs. It makes me feel like Louis Black! I'm hysterical! I don't want the easily amused, quick to giggle phase to pass. Not at all. Sigh.

Anyway, we were about half way through the four stories and 3 songs routine when he passed some gas.

"Woah, buddy! What was that? Gas?"

"No. That was just my bottom."

Miracles in Maryland

2011-07-15T08:40:00.010-04:00

I haven't been blogging recently. And I miss it. It has been one heck of a month! A good month with the family- Sesame Place on the weekends, new swim classes for Seren, gymnastics for Seren, short work trips, time in the sun at fun places like Howell Living History farm, first time seeing fireworks for Seren, fourth of July celebration with friends and just living in the summer. I'll try to back post becuase I finally have some pictures! But for now, a recap of our trip to Maryland!

My uncle Ken and his wife, Elena live in a suburb of Baltimore. We love visiting them and last weekend was a huge hit! We had a total blast! I took off part of Friday and we scooted down there and arrived by 4! Score! Elena made an amazing meal and we just relaxed with them. The kids were so happy to be on a trip!

Saturday we got up bright and early (Wyeth woke up frightened out of his mind at 5 am!) and headed to the Inner Harbor in Maryland. They took us on a fun water taxi! Wow! A boat! It was a glorious day! And we were SO happy!

They even got stamps on thier hands!

We took the boat to Fort McHenry and we poked around there. In and out of 'tunnels' around the fort.

We then took the boat back. At this point, Wyeth had been up for about 7 hours and was fighting sleep. He was sitting up and his eyes kept closing. We knew that if we let him sleep, he wouldn't nap and we'd be screwed for the rest of the day! So we kept poking up! Horrible! Seren, meanwhile, decided she had enough of being polite and turned into a pill. She insisted on laying on this center consel of the boat. People were resting thier feet on it and she kept rolling around and invading other people's space! So rude! We were getting fed up with this whole thing! And it was one of those moments where you'd like to just yell at her but you don't because you are in public. But then you feel bad that you are in public and your daughter isn't being so polite! OY!

The boat stopped at another stop and Elena and I ran off the boat to grab sugar and carbs. That helped! And our kids were ok to make it back for lunch and nap. Nothing like a snowcone and a pretzel to get you moving!

The afternoon was lovely. Everyone rested!

And that afternoon a miracle happened! Seren played with a dog! A dog! A big dog! Seren has been TERRIFIED of all things doglike. Big dogs. Small dogs. It is a huge issue for us. She SCREAMS and scampers up us! On Easter morning, we went for a walk and there was a dog in a TUTU and THAT scared her. We have 'issues'.

But not with Eubie. Ken and Elena are huge animal fans and are so good with kids and animals. Elena showed Seren how to play with thier dog Eubie. And she did! I just stood there in amazement. Before too long she was throwing the ball to him. Back and forth. With confidence! And then she just played with the dog all on her own in the backyard. Are you kidding me!? She laid on the dog. Pet the dog. Learned how to scratch him behind the ears. It was amazing. Purely amazing.

Wyeth got up from his nap and we headed out to dinner! What a treat! Pasta! Fries! For Wyeth, restaurant=fries. So he was happy! And the kids were really, really well behaved. Which was awesome! Naps help.

We finished up our awesome day by getting ice cream! This was Wyeth's first ice cream. It was actually yogurt- but whatever. He thought it was the best!! Check out how he insisted on eating it!

Sunday morning brought time with our friends, Amy, Jeremy and thier new baby Benjamin! What a riot! They were uber awesome first time parents and let my kids hold the baby. This was a first and a highlight for Seren. (I actually held the baby but Seren 'helped'). She loved it! And Wyeth was just captivated. "Why he touch my nose? Why he squeeze my face!? Oh no, he hold on my shirt!"

At one point, I had all three of them on my side of the table. I couldn't tell whose hands and feet were on me but there were a lot of them. It was a blast!

We went back and joined Ken and Elena at thier pool for swimming! Perfect!

This too was good! Wyeth has been resisting water this year. We couldn't figure out why Sesame hasn't been a big hit. But time at the little baby pool splashing around has cured him as well!

So, first time on a water taxi, first ice cream cone, being comfortable in water, first time holding a baby (other than Wyeth) and learning to play with dogs= miracles in Maryland. Thanks so much Ken and Elena! Thanks too to Amy, Jeremy and Benjamin!

What a blast!

2, 6, 29

2011-07-02T20:55:00.000-04:00

Today Wyeth is the exact same age that Seren was the day he was born. The exact age.

2 years, 6 months and 29 days.

And that blows my mind!

He seems so much younger! Or maybe I just want him to be younger in my mind's eye.

She stated talking much earlier but now Mr. Chatterbox has caught up.

He just seems so little. Doesn't he seem younger than she was?

There is that odd feeling that happens. You kiss your older 'baby' goodbye when you are going into labor or about to have the next baby. And when you hold the newborn, suddently, in an instance, your first child just looks HUGE. Like they are ready for college.

So maybe that is what it is.

What an amazing thing to think about! I am remembering a lot about that birthday for some reason. It isn't anyone's birthday! Just the fact that he is the same age she was when he burst into my world.

And while I'm reflective and maybe a bit wistful for that time, I'm damn glad I'm not trying to nurse a newborn tonight.

Just saying.

Graduation from Preschool

2011-06-16T08:19:00.004-04:00

Monday night was a big night. Seren said goodbye to her first school. Preschool. Breezy Point. Sam and I sweated out this decision. And we paid a good amount of money to attend. And it was worth every. single. cent. It was the best! Preschool, in our opinion, sets the stage for future learning. And is critical to the early years!

Seren had the same teacher for two years in a row. And while I rarely saw her because the program is only in the morning and only 3 days a week, and Sam did the drop off, she is an amazing woman who saw Seren for who she is and who she will become.

We loved the school! We loved the teachers!

And we loved the other families! I've become quite close to two other moms in the class and our friendship has extended to getting together for playdates, dinners and coffee. The other moms and Sam have arranged playdates through the beginning of August to encourage our three daughters' (and our families') friendship.

Leaving has been hard. And I've been quite emotional about it! It is the growing up thing. It is going into the unknown. It is tough stuff! And Seren hasn't been easy going about it either. She cried that she didn't want to say goodbye to her teacher. It has been an amazing two years! I can't believe they are over!

Monday night the kids performed. The school rented (?) a local community college to have the graduation services. All three preschool classes performed. Each class did two songs. In short, it was hysterical! There were those that didn't sing. Or move. And basically just stood motionless. Then there were the kids that were BELTING out the 'song'. Then there were the girls that flashed the audience by lifting up thier dresses, the boy who picked his nose, and the girl who gave a big kiss to the boy next to him. The whole thing was a riot! I laughed!

Seren rose to the occasion and did the dance moves. Quietly. But she did it! And she was SO excited to be on a big stage. She got her diploma too! What a night!

As I went to bed that night, I prayed that this would be the first in many graduations I'd see. Middle school graduation. High school. College. Graduate school (?). But no pressure, little one. For now, enjoy the moment with your buddies and your special flowers.

We love you!

The graduate!

Hard goodbyes!

Flat Tires

2011-06-16T08:10:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday night, I drove the 20 miles south to my home in Pennsylvania. When I left New Jersey, the little 'low tire pressure' light was on. Ah, no big deal. Buicks are overly sensitive.

I drove at about 65 miles a hour. 5 miles from my home, two cars started to honk and wave at me frantically. The other drivers were mouthing "TIRE!".

Oh dear.

A little 'low pressure' turned into one big ole flat tire.

I limped home with my hazards on and found a gas station. I filled that bad boy up, had dinner with the kids and then took Wyeth to Pepboys.

He was in 7th heaven.

There is a waiting room that we had all to ourselves. And if you stood on the little ledge you could peer into the autobody shop where they worked on the cars. I stood on that little ledge with my little boy in my arms and man, did we have fun.

He is just about to break full force into the "WHY" phase of life. So he had about 10001 questions about what was happening to the car. What is going on? Why is the car up? How get car up? Car come down? Car come down now? Oh! Tire! Why that man do that? Why that man hurt our tire?

And on and on and on.

It was simply fabulous! What a great date! We watched and talked. The total cost for my flat tire was $0.00 as they simply had to plug the tire.

I thanked the worker for all of his help in fixing our tire. Score!

As we left Wyeth held my hand and said, "Great show! Great show! See new-new tire show tomorrow?"

That is what I love about kids. An adult perspective on the day would be "Crap! A flat! Are you kidding me!? This sucks!" And we'd go to Pepboys, sit there in the lonely oily smelling room and wait the nearly 50 minutes for the tire to be fixed. We may even complain on facebook about the fact that our night is being spent at Pepboys. Then we'd thank them and go home.

For Wyeth? This whole thing was an adventure! It was a SHOW! He got to see something brand new! He got to be with mom and mommy only! And it was fun! Man was it fun! He hasn't stopped talking about the 'new new tire show' since.

Love it!

Working out

2011-06-08T08:48:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm still at it. My summary of the experience so far:

1. I have a lot more miles to go before I start to feel in shape.
2. This takes a lot of time. As in a lot of time.
3. While I am sucking wind during the experience, it feels great afterwards.
4. And finally, why in the world did I think I was 'out of shape' as an 17 year old? Seriously?

I'm having some middle age body issues recently. Like maybe I should get my teeth whitened. And maybe I should buy a better bra. Or find something with 'LIFT'. And why is my skin saggy? And isn't that another grey hair?

Oh well. That just means I have lived well! I'm lucky to have hair. I'm lucky to have boobs. Not everyone is so lucky. So I'll just keep doing my little workouts and focus on the fact that life is GOOD!

Seren's Bday Recap

2011-06-07T08:14:00.009-04:00

Seren turned 5 on the 4th of May but we celebrated her birthday with her friends on the 22nd of May.

Like last year, we had a big fun party in the park. Unlike last year, the weather was freezing. This diminished my enthusiasm to some degree. I kept worrying that 1)people wouldn't come 2)that it would pour rain and 3)that people weren't having fun.

But that being said, in the end, the kids had a great time doing what kids do best: PLAYING!

Sam and I set up for about 45 minutes prior to the party. This was hard. We had to deal with my 'party anxiety', the kids were running around and we didn't have any helpers. But we manged to set up the chalk, the bubbles, the two tents, and cover up all 10 tables.

The kids arrived and set to work playing in the tents. We then had the kids make a mask using just a wooden mask from Michel's' and markers. I didn't think this would be a hit. It was kinda 'lame' as a project but they really got into it!

After more play, we had a scavenger hunt. With the help of some parent-friends, we broke the teams into groups of 4 and everyone had to find 'nature' themed things. We gave the teams hints and then they had to figure out the riddle and identify the nature item. A bug. A leaf. Draw a flower. Make a rubbing of the leaf, etc. What a riot! They really got into it! So that was great!

Then it was time for lunch. We fed the adults up right with tuna salad and chicken salad. Chips and some fruit. And the kids had nature themed (via sand which cutters) sandwiches, chips and fruit. Easy!

And then we had our cake before letting the kids play at the playground. We were so happy that our friends could come to celebrate with us! What a great class!

My father, the artist, was also busy doing face painting for the kids.

His first 'customer' was Wyeth who decided to do his OWN face. Good grief. He LOVED face painting. :) My dad did a great job!

Us playing a version of musical chairs that we called 'musical leaf!'

I was too stressed about the whole thing. I had just been in Texas for a week, then in Cleveland through Friday night of the second week and the party was on Sunday. But in the end, after two hours of coloring, and playing and cake eating with her preschool and neighborhood friends, Seren turned to me and said, "Mom! That was the best party EVER!" So, it was so worth it. SOO worth it.

We gave the kids 'bug boxes' as favors in lieu of candy. Everyone seemed happy to have a little magnifying glass, tweezers and 'bug catcher' to take home. My parents saved the day by cleaning up while we played a few last minutes with the kids. Thank god for help!

If I do say so myself, job well done, Hague Angus family. It was fun to be outside in the park having a big fun party! So glad that we could enjoy and that it didn't rain! What a group effort!

Five year old stats

2011-06-06T09:20:00.002-04:00

Seren and I went to the pediatrican on Friday for her five year well visit. A month late due to insurance requirements. Whatever. Close enough.

She is 41.8 lbs which is 50%
She is 3 feet 8 inches which is 75%.

Wasn't I just saying that she was born at 5 lb, 8 oz and 18 inches long!?

She was a happy bouncing kid there! So happy to be five and talking the doctor's ear off about everything. Touch wood, we hadn't been there since June of 2010! The only time we came in was for a flu shot! Is that wild or what?! We had a great winter! Which means I've just jinx myself for next winter.

She didn't do well on the eye exam. We'll keep that in mind. I had glasses by the 2nd grade so we shall see. And she was stubborn about the ear exam. (Ironic, right?) Maybe her listening ears really don't work!? I told her, "Look. Kiddo. Ya gotta do this right. It is important." She straightened up and then responded to the beeps in her ears.

Oy.

I can't get beyond the fact that this is the last week of preschool. Just can't get over it. I feel sad and emotional about this transition. Which isn't surprising to me.

A long fun summer stretches before us and I have many reasons to be excited. She is going to continue to thrive. And I'm proud of her. But our preschool 'cacoon' is over. Our little safe bubble of nice kids. Excellent teachers. Caring families. And the 'real world' is beginning in September.

Flash back to September 2010. First day of preschool. Year two.

The taste of rejection

2011-06-06T08:25:00.002-04:00

We had a rough weekend. I don't really know why it was so rough but it was. The kids seem to be moody, tearful and unsettled the entire weekend! That being said, on Saturday we did go to Sesame which always puts a smile on thier faces. It is so close! We have already gone about 6 times this year! Score!

Sunday we took a family hike which was nice. We met a friendly horse. We picked flowers. We chose our favorite rocks to hike with. We wore cool sunglasses. Our family does a lot of these hikes/walks. It is a good time to just get away.

Sunday night, I took the team on a short walk around the block. Which takes us approximately an hour.

We saw a 12 month old baby. Seren decided we should go say 'hi'. She really enjoys little kids and is very good with them. Very protective. So that was fine with me. We introduced ourselves to the mom and the baby. And then Wyeth picked two flowers for the baby. He held them out to her chubby little hands and she swiped them away. The flowers (weeds) fell to the ground.

In that saddest little voice, he came back to me for hugs and reassurance. "Baby no take my flowers. Baby no want them?"

Oh buddy. The first taste of rejection.

He moped a bit. He couldn't get over the fact that someone wouldn't want his flowers (flrrs).

He got home and told dad the same story. "Dad! Dad! I give flrs to baby. Baby girl no want them. Sad."

The he summed it by saying, "Hard to be two."

Which had both Sam and I laughing.

"Hard to be two."

I say that to him all of the time. When he cries. When something is just unfair. When something is frustrating. I say, "Wyeth. It is ok. I know. I know. It is hard to be two."

Somehow, "hard to be 34" isn't as cute. Just as apt but not as cute.

At least we made the list

2011-06-04T20:37:00.003-04:00

I put Wyeth down tonight. He was wearing Monkey pjs and being his usual hysterical self. The child is just so funny. Doing the normal things. I don't know if it is the adorable age, the language and words that he is still learning or just him but man, we could eat him up most days.

"Good night, Wyeth, I love you."
I love you Mommy.
"Aww, buddy. That is the best." I replied.
I love Daddy.
I love Sissy (seren) too.
"That's really nice Wyeth. I'll tell them."
I love that lamp.
I love that lamp.
I love that lamp too!
I love the train table.
I love the rug.
I love blue baby.
I love webby.
I love......

Like I said, at least we made the list.

Sweet dreams buddy!

The importance of picking out the right pair

2011-06-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

Seren and her underwear.

Dear god.

It has to match the outfit she is wearing that day AND the activity.

On Saturday, I was getting her dressed. And she picked out the beloved Mini Mouse undies. Then she turned to me and said,

"Wait! It is Memorial day today?"

"Nope. That is on Monday."

"Well! Then forget these undies. I have to save them for the holiday!"

There you go.

Visions and Dreams

2011-05-27T07:49:00.002-04:00

Seren for a few months now aspires to be a "Grammy". In a class project, everyone had to draw a picture of what they wanted to be when they grew up. There were princesses. Firemen. Policemen. Pizza makers. And doctors. And Seren wanted to be a "Grammy".

Two nights ago, this came up again. So I asked her about it. "Why do you want to be a Grammy? What about a Mommy?"

"I don't want to be a Mommy. I just want to be a Grammy."

"Why, sweets?"

"Because I don't know how to have a baby, Mom. I don't know about that."

"Well, no one knows what it is like to have a baby until you have one."

"I don't want it to hurt. I think I'll just be a Grammy."

:) How do the kids get these ideas?

Meanwhile, since the kids and Sam came back from Flint, Wyeth continues to talk about "Jo Jo". Sam and I have no idea who or WHAT Jo Jo is. But he makes a daily appearance. It isn't an imaginary friend. Because sometimes Wyeth will be talking (and he is a chatty Kathy TOO!) and he will burst into laughter, finishing the story with "JO JO!".

I'll keep you informed if we ever figure out who or what Jo Jo is.

Speaking of imaginary friends, I asked Seren how "Strawberry and Snoozy" were doing. (Those are the pink elephants that live in the back yard.) She said that they were "fine" and that they would be "back" for the summer.

I'll let you know how they are doing when I see 'em.

Onions

2011-05-25T10:47:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about onions these days.

Two weeks ago I spent five days in El Paso Texas on the border of Texas and Mexico. I was there on work. I was interviewing representatives from an organization that provides services and vocational training to farmworkers.

I can't say much more about the project than that. But what I can say was the life of a farmworker is insanely difficult. Physically. Emotionally. Financially. These are all US Citizens who, due to lack of choice, are picking America's crops. These migrant workers move with the crops which is hard on families and very difficult on a child's education.

I spent some time with both current and former farmworkers who gave me a very good idea of their lives as workers. They would get up at 2:30 in the morning and wait to be chosen for a truck that would drive them through the night to a farm. The farm could be in New Mexico. It could be in Texas. The workers sleep during the ride. At 6:00, the day of picking begins. Sometimes they are paid by the hour. Sometimes they are paid by the piece. The workers would work in pesticide treated fields, in the hot, hot sun, sometimes without bathrooms, toilet paper or water. The day ends and they are returned home. They would fall asleep for a few hours and then go back to a center to do it all again. The pressure to perform is amazing. If you are too old or are not at the center early enough to be chosen to work that day, you aren't paid. Workers talked about the constant pressure and anxiety they felt.

The crystal clear moment came to me when interviewing one man. He is clearly a success story. After 40 years in the fields, he got his GED and some training and now teaches a construction class at a local community college. He is thrilled with his new life. He has a steady job. He has steady hours. He sleeps. He sees his children. And as he put it. "My entire life has changed! I used to make about $5,000 a year and now I am rich! I make 20,000".

The sentiment behind it warmed my heart. The reality of his statement stopped me in my tracks.

For Seren's bday party this weekend, I washed about 12 tomatoes. The entire time, I kept thinking about who picked these tomatoes. Where did the tomatoes come from? How much was an individual paid to pick them for me? In El Paso, the workers cut a lot of onions using huge scissors. Exhausting work meant that sometimes they would cut themselves in their haste to work quickly under crazy conditions.

There is more to say here. There is much more to the story than I'm writing about. And it all gets very political very quickly.

All I'm saying is that I've been thinking about onions an awlful lot lately.

The Five Year old

2011-05-24T09:08:00.001-04:00

From Bill Angus. Sam's Dad. Of course.

Birthday, Field Trip, Mothers Day

2011-05-18T22:26:00.005-04:00

Seren celebrated her bday on her bday by having cupcakes in school (always a big hit) and then going out to dinner for her bday with Grammy and Poppy and us. She picked Friendly restaurant.

Really? You sure? Friendly's?

But when we got there, the drain pipe didn't work and the restaurant was closed so we ended up at TGIF. (shoot!)

The next day I joined the preschool on a big class trip to NJ Garden State Discovery Museum. Sam took the kids earlier last spring. Seren and her class were SOO excited. The best part, hands down, was the bus. They had never been on a big yellow school bus before and WOW did they have FUN! Awesome to see them bouncing around like that! At one point, there were four little girls in one seat! And after 5 years of carefully strapping them in car seats, it was wild to see them 'free' in the school bus.

I had a good time with the class. They are a great group of kids. And Seren had a good time too. I sat next to one of my 'mom' friends which is always nice! What a riot. It was good to spend time just enjoying the little things. What a riot! The bus was very memorable!

Friday at the office, I had to prepare for two full weeks of travel. Back to back site visits. Leaving the office was not easy at all!

And then, all of a sudden, it was Mothers Day! May has been a blur. And I have taken some good photos but all of them are in our camera as we haven't been able to download. Pics to come!

Here are some good ones of Mothers Day with my mom and dad. We went to a beautiful garden called Chanticleer! It was the last day of sunshine in May! (Seemingly) The kids surprised me with cards and gifts. And my mom and dad treated us to a yummy yummy lunch at home and some rest.

I can't believe how fast this is all happening. My work life has been really challenging with the two trips and I feel like it is a blur. Only 3 more weeks of school and then the big K. I still can't get over that. Between that huge milestone and turning five...sigh.

Happy Fifth Birthday Seren!

2011-05-04T22:02:00.000-04:00

Dear Seren,
You turn five today. Five! Five. I can't even begin to wrap my brain around all that this year has brought us and just how fast time flies. I can clearly remember being handed an infant, OUR daugther and thinking, 'what am I doing?' And I still feel like that. I also remember, right after you were born, talking with parents who had five year olds and thinking that those parents were LIGHT years ahead of me. That it would take 'forever' until this tiny, little, 5.8 lb baby could do things like sing, dance, talk, hug, and tell jokes and complex stories.

But those years?

They went fast.

Seren you continue to talk a blue streak. We love it. Most of the time. You tell us about your day. Your adventures. Your dolls' adventures. You tell us memories you have. Dreams you had the night before. You share it all with us and we love it.

You have such enthusiasm. You always want to do new things! And take adventures! Most of life is one giant adventure! I love this about you! You embrace the small things in life and I love seeing the many blessings of this world through your eyes.

You continue to be super bright. Your reading makes me so proud. You just breathe in books and words and stories. It is an amazing thing to see you read aloud. I just sit there next to you and my mind is just filled with joy. How did you do that? How did you figure it all out?

Four has brought you another year of part time preschool. A chance to learn to befriend friends and negotiate social situations. I worried when you were two. You were so shy. So withdrawn. You just observed children. Carefully. Very carefully. And didn't want to really engage them. You still prefer adults to children. But you have fallen in love with your friends at school. And seeing your confidence in social situations grow is very exciting! You also are less fearful of new expereinces. Unless the new experiences invovle a dog. That? You are still scared to death of! Any dog. Any size. Even ones that wear tutus.

But I digress.

This year you have learned to read, made good friends, and been a good sister. You also have pushed our limits to see just how far you can go. You also tried soccer twice. You are loving riding your bike (with training wheels), playing with your dolls, creating stories, practicing your letters and being your wild and wonderful self. You FEEL everything. You are very sensitive. To many many things. This strong reaction to things can be difficult to deal with as you just want things to be one specific way. The world, sometimes is frustrating and hard. But you are learning that and working through it. And my gosh, you seem to have grown inches! Our tall girl.

Today when you woke up, right at 6, you called through the monitor. "It is my birthday! Please come up singing! And please bring the muffin!" Ah yes, you love this tradition. With bleary eyes, Daddy and I shuffled into your room where you excitedly waited. The candles lit, five of them shoved into a blueberry muffin, we sang Happy Birthday to you. And you were pleased as punch.

And so were we.

You then announced that your new pajamas which are way too long for you, "fit better" now that you are a "big five". I don't know about that kiddo, but we sure do love you.

May you always know how much you are loved. Always. By your friends. By your family. Always. Happy fifth birthday, our big girl. Continue to be the enthusiastic, bright, thinking, person you are now. Dream big dreams, love bug. We'll be here cheering for you.

We love you so much

Mom and Dad

Show me the Mommy

2011-04-29T09:08:00.001-04:00

Happy Mommy on Easter Day with adorable guy on her shoulders.

Phrases

2011-04-27T08:20:00.002-04:00

Wyeth breaks my heart (unintentionally). Every.single.morning.

"No momma. No go. Stay home."

When he says this, about three times a day, it flattens me to the earth.

***
Seren has a phrase which makes me laugh even though she says it in pure frustration.

"MOM! You are bugging on me! How am I supposed to play when you are trying to brush my hair! Stop bugging on me!"

***

Last night Seren was ruminating about the Easter bunny. "Mom, ya know what? Santa and the Easter Bunny are just really, really nice. Because they give us things that you and Dad say 'no' to. It is so nice of them! How do they know what we want!?"

***
I am the new celebrity in the house. Everyone wants me to put them down to bed. This celebrity status will not last long. But I do love it. Wyeth adamently argues, "Mommy me down. Daddy sissy down." (Translation: I want Mom to put me to bed and I'd like Dad to put Seren to bed.)

Again, it won't last long. The good. The bad. Nothing lasts too long.

Easter Recap 2011

2011-04-25T08:07:00.006-04:00

Easter isn't a 'huge' deal in our house. I never really understood how the Bunny was related to the historic/religious event. And we didn't 'see' the bunny at the mall growing up so I guess I'm continuing on some of those non tradition traditions.

But we managed to have a really nice Easter!

On Saturday, we got up in the pouring rain, put on Seren's fine Easter dress (sent from Grandma) and headed down for a fun egg hunt in Narberth (where my parents live). They had a blast looking for the eggs that my parents had hidden all over the first floor. Seren would look and squeal! Wyeth would find an egg, open it up, eat its contents and then go look for another. No delayed gratification here, thank you very much! My parents had stuffed them with crackers, stickers and other fun trinkets.

(no time like the present! Find an egg, crack it open and EAT the yummy stuff inside!)

Then my parents had a treasure hunt for their gifts. They each got a beach chair and had to follow crepe paper throughout the house until they reach the end of it. What fun!

So that was a blast!

Then we all piled in our respective cars and headed down to Newark Delaware to spend time with my Aunt Elena and Uncle Ken. We met at a fun, funky restaurant and really enjoyed our time and meal together.

Sunday they predicted rain and lots of it. But guess what? It was GLORIOUS! We had a blast outdoors. As a result, we are all exhausted today but it was just perfect!

Seren woke up very excited to see what the Bunny left her. "Mom! I don't think I can wait one more minute. I really don't think I can!" We had to wait several more minutes. But dressed up to the nines at 7:15 am, we all went downstairs to see what the bunny left. So many lovely things! The baskets were hidden so we had to find them first. And the excitement that ensued was contagious! We opened gifts and explored what he left us. Both of them really enjoyed it.

Opening gifts from grandma and grandad:

Found Seren's basket!

Wyeth and his basket:

At the bottom of the basket, when it was obvious that there were no more gifts she turns to me and says, in a sad little sort of voice, "I guess he didn't leave a kitten."

It was a sad moment but I couldn't help cracking a smile. I think she expected to really find a purring kitten under all of that plastic 'grass'!

Oh well, the other gifts made her happy. (Mid bounce of sheer joy at getting a bell for her bike)

Then we went on a big egg hunt. Dad hid the eggs while we finished up breakfast inside. And then we went wild looking for them!

(Can we go NOW!? Is it time NOW?!)

(Find egg. Eat contents. Find another egg. Sit. Eat)

Happy Easter 2011

Show Me the Mommy: Memory Lane

2011-04-22T08:34:00.003-04:00

Growing up we were very fortunate to have excellent family friends who lived in Watermill, NY. "Aunt Jane" is my mom's best friend from college. And every summer we would go up and visit our friends in the Hamptons. Aunt Jane's mom, "Aunt Gwen" was like a third grand mom to me. (And I know the logic of the "Aunts" makes no sense)These two women and their sisters were another family for our family growing up.

During these summers, they would let us stay in one of their amazing family beach houses. Some summers, my parents would paint the beach house in exchange. Or work on the pool deck. Since my parents were both teachers, we would stay in Long Island for 6 weeks at a time! What an amazing way to spend our summers. Truly, truly. I had a set of friends up there so my summers included sleep overs and birthday parties too.

My brother and I both have fond memories of time spend on the beach. We just played in the sand all day long. And we played in the dunes. I remember going to sleep in the houses with the sound of the ocean in my ears. I can still 'smell' the house we stayed in if I close my eyes. Lobster eating, eating crepes made by George Nelson (another family friend), dancing on the deck, finding a nest of baby bunnies, having the blue fish 'run', taking showers outdoors with frogs hopping about, bike riding on long, open roads past the family farms, and boating with family friends. So many memories! We were so lucky that their family opened their homes to us!

Just before we got pregnant with Seren, Sam and I stopped by Long Island- at Sagg Beach. And snapped a few pictures. At that point, it had been years since I had visited. And the houses had changed. The Hamptons are famous for being the homes of the rich and the famous. Billy Joel. Etc, etc. But for me,the Hamptons are synonymous with simple beaches, family friends and many fond memories.

Update

2011-04-20T12:16:00.003-04:00

Wyeth:

When do boys stop talking about poop? He has started. When does it stop?

When do boys stop picking thier noses? He has started. When does it stop?

Wyeth continues to be a giggle machine. Making hysterical laughing sounds at the drop of a hat. And it is contagious! I'm the worse and getting some laugh out of him and then not being able to stop myself. Doing it again and again just to hear his sweet laugh and voice. I want to get that laugh on tape! Included in our 'song list' is a made up song that I HAVE to sing about poop. Gross! And hysterical. He continues to be a picky eater and goes to bed too late. But he is happy.

Seren
She is our mimic. Doing lots of things we do. Including doing her 'taxes'. Daddy printed out an extra sheet and she is insisting on filling it in. She has listed her teachers as he 'dependents' and listed her day school too.

We were not given much financial aid for the private school we applied to. So...public school here we come! The sadness of this hasn't really hit me yet. (not the public school experience per se but the kindergarten part). Ok, really, it is rolled into one.

Seren is all drama, all of the time. She pulls it together when you give her a good stern pep talk. But last night, I left her upstairs for about 2 minutes while I helped Wyeth with his request for raisins and crackers. And I hear her moan, "Oh God. No one helps me in this world."

Seriously??

She is really getting into reading. Sam said it well, "We can tell she is trying to read because she is struggling wit the words." For a while, we couldn't tell if she had memorized the book or started to read. Now we know! It is exciting and I'm thrilled and so proud of her! Such big stuff!

Her birthday party will soon be upon us. Unreal.

She is playing soccer at a fun local league. No stress. No 'soccer under the lights' like we had in the fall. Just playing and being goofy. We love it. She is even playing! Bonus!

Seren is still wet every morning. What are other moms doing about this? Or are all May 2006 kids night trained? We aren't. At all. Clearly.

Sam:
Working on publishing his book of poetry!! Stay tuned for links!
Looking for work that is meaningful
Holding down the fort and being an amazing sport
Running weekly

Me:
Managing to breath more often.
Taking time out once a month to not put the kids down and have dinner out with girlfriends.
Running twice a week.
Starting on planning another Habitat build day.
Working on internalizing the great quote from the Velveteen Rabbit, "It doesn't happen all at once. You become."

I take pictures. Many pictures. I'm sad they haven't made it the blog in many weeks. Part of it has to do with our new camera. Pics to come next post.

Three (two) Little Words

2011-04-13T08:06:00.001-04:00

I, of course, have been telling Wyeth all of the time since the moment he was born that I loved him. That we love him. That I love him.

As I tucked him in last night into his crib, I did the usual hugs and kisses after stories and songs. "I love you buddy. Good night Wy wy. I love you so much."

And then it happened!

"I too."

Bliss.

Time. Almost Five.

2011-04-08T09:14:00.003-04:00

Seren's fifth birthday is coming up.

Five.

Five.

FIVE!

It has put me in a melancholy mood. Combine that with the fact that our Kindergarten situation is less than ideal and I'm feeling pretty emotional about sending my 'baby' to White Meat School.

I don't know what it is about parenting. Daily there are parts I just wish she'd grow out of. Her squirmy body. Her yelling. The whining. His throwing food on the floor. His tantrums. The fights. The yelling at each other. And there are parts I don't want to ever leave. I love that she holds our hands. I love that the kids imitate us- that we are like rock stars in thier minds. And I sometimes say to Sam outloud, "It isn't always going to be this good. They won't always want us near."

And it helps me focus on the PRESENT. The here. The right in front of my face reality and challenges and sheer joys of parenting.

When I put them down to sleep- and the singing through the monitors is replaced by quiet, I sometimes want to just go into thier bedrooms, scoop them up and hold them. Hold Seren's long, dangly legs that seem to almost reach the floor. Smell Wyeth's hair. The peach fuzz long since replaced by silky straight hair.

This is what we do. We clean. We love. We kiss. We scold. We encourage. We parent.

And at the end of the day, when exhaustion just takes over and dishes need to be cleaned and it is quiet, and I just want to fall into bed...in my heart of hearts, I look forward to doing it all over again. The next day.

Fabulous

2011-03-28T08:19:00.002-04:00

My weekend started Thursday night! I went out with new friends for dinner and wine at an amazing sushi place. What fun! It was such a nice treat to not do the dinner, bath, bed routine and just enjoy hanging out.

Then Friday I took a day off! Woot woot! And met my mom for a morning massage. Followed by lunch and a few hours of shopping! Wow! What a treat that was! No work. Just a mental health day. It was so needed! And the massage was just AWESOME! Nothing like it!

Saturday we all got up and headed to the Franklin Institute which was great! I hadn't been there in decades and forgot much of what was there. It is a bit above the kids' head as it is a Science Museum aimed an older set. But they both really enjoyed it. They had a planetarium show that starred Big Bird and Elmo! Score! I loved watching the kids crane their necks at the wide screen and wave at Elmo.

Then we drove to my parents home and dropped the kids off around 12. They were all packed up and ready for a night of fun with Grammy and Poppy. And Sam and I headed back to our house in a very quiet car. Very quiet. It was so lovely. Then of course, instead of napping and passing out which we should have done we quickly:

mulched the garden beds
vacuumed out of the mini van
cleaned the bathrooms
installed a new shower curtain
replaced the other shower curtain
donated old clothes
vacuumed the whole house

And then got dressed for a night of dinner and dancing! My company was having its holiday party- in March. It was a 'swing into spring' party. Despite the frigid temps, it was quite lovely. Sam looked so sharp and I cleaned up well too! We stayed out 'late' until 11. So nice to have a real dinner, drink wine and dance! Like real adults. But you'll have to believe me because there was no one to take our picture.

Sunday I picked the kids up while Sam did some work on the garden. And we headed to see a private kindergarten option. We applied and threw our hat into the ring but I'm not hopeful that we can swing it. But it was lovely to see another option. And what I loved about it was how much kid-focused art there was on the walls!

Seren and Wyeth loved their night away. They had many stories to tell us. It was really refreshing for all! Thanks again Mom and Dad!

This week will be busy and the next few months will be heavy on travel! I'm already planning another mental health day soon!

Tradition: Weekend Snack

2011-03-23T07:50:00.002-04:00

The last post was a vent about how challenging Seren's behavior has been. I remember last April/May I thought I was going to have to sell her- her behavior was so crazy! So I anticipate it getting more crazy as we move forward. Then I think it will be fine again.

The thing is, she is soo delightful one on one. She is this little love. Full of questions. Full of ideas! Full of conversation. And she bounces! It is just hard to get that one on one time in the evening. So as a result, it can get ugly. Quickly.

And just this morning, before 7 am, she had a major meltdown over not being able to read us a story. It wasn't that we didn't want her to, it was that SHE HAD to hold the book. And Wyeth wanted to hold the book too. Tears. Sobbing. Heaving shoulders. At 6:55 am. Sharing a life with a little brother is mostly fun. But not fun all of the time. Sometimes I feel that having two disadvantages both kids! On the other hand, they love to play together and he is her constant companion. "Wy! Over here buddy!" And he just follows along. Like a love sick puppy.

This is all to say that I appreciate the one on one time I get both kids. Every Saturday and Sunday, Seren and I have a tradition of a special snack.

She 'naps' for an hour each day. She goes down when Wyeth does. She pretty much sings and talks. And reads. And reads to her dolls. And looks out the window. And sings some more. For an hour or more. And then, when she comes down, on the weekends, we have 'hot coco and crackers and cheese."

I make her hot chocolate and bring out crackers and cheese. And we talk. And we snack. She tells me about her adventures. What is on her mind. And I give her my attention while we snack.

It is lovely! And I appreciate just seeing HER for her.

What amazes me about this age is the paradox. She is so grown up. So tall. So articulate. So funny. So independent. Able to dress herself. Make and butter her own toast. And just thrive. At the very same instant, she is still in pull ups at night. Still wants me to sing her to sleep. Still uses a sippy cup. Still clings to her pink stuffed 'baa baa' sheep that she has slept with since she was two. And still so little.

There will soon be a time when she won't want to have hot coco and crackers and cheese. So for now, I'll put in a little extra chocolate and enjoy.

Another First

2011-03-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

Last night Seren and I had a great time playing from the time I got home at 4:45 until 6:15. Then it got ugly. We are getting a lot of back talk. A lot of rude, non listening behavior. A lot of calling her brother 'stupid' and 'bad boy'. It is driving me up the wall.

And I feel like I am not quite being an effective parent with my discipline. Time outs ceased to be effective about a year ago. Now we start taking her dollies as punishment. But that is kinda lame too. (Although it is effective). I'm playing with the idea of marks on a piece of paper and if there are fewer marks, she gets a sticker. If there are more, she gets something taken away.

I don't know. I haven't researched this. I'd be open to ideas. All of this 'stupid' talk really gets to me.

ANYWAY, this is all to say that she was driving me nuts last evening. And vice versa.

She turns to me and says with anger spewing from her lips, "I can't wait to grow up and move out of here. I HATE living here!"
I tried my hardest not to laugh. I succeeeded. I calmly said, "I understand you are angry. That's ok to be mad."

"Yay, and Wyeth, when you grow up, do you want to come too!?"

Ahh...another first. Growing up is so bittersweet.

Running

2011-03-16T11:44:00.002-04:00

So I finally joined a gym this month. Yup. You read that right. A $10.00 a month gym but a gym! I had to go check it out THREE times before I got the nerve to sign up. How pathetic!

I used to run. A lot. But since I birthed Seren, I haven't had regular exercise. And I think the jury is still out whether this will help. But I'm going with it.

So far, so good.

I've made a few observations and learned a few lessons.

1)I don't like it when women wear thongs to work out. When it is just obvious? Gross.

2)I don't have the right 'gear' for this. My stuff is some hiking clothes, some old t-shirts, a pair of old yoga pants. I look like a goof. Then again, at my gym, I fit right in with looking 'off'. See lesson learned number 1 for evidence.

3) I cannot drink water while running. Others can. I have decided it has more to do with the type of water bottle I'm using than my 'coordination'. (ahem).

4) Ear plugs that go around your ears/wrap around are essential. I spent more time holding on to my ear phones last night than focusing on my breathing while running.

5)I'm out of shape but that is kinda the point. We bought season passes to a local amusement park- Sesame Place- and if I go, I have to be in a bathing suit for most of the day. This is good motivation. That and the fact that seared into my minds' eye is the image of my butt from last summer. Ugh. I deleted the pic from my camera. But lets just say, the damage was done.

6) I'm thrilled to have this part of my life back (at least temporarily!) After 8 weeks on bed rest, there wasn't much muscle tone. I think it has stayed that way since Wyeth was born. Time to make a change!

7) I have no idea how much to stretch and when. And which muscles. No one there seems to stretch. Aren't you supposed to warm up for 5-10 minutes. Stretch and then run? Or is that circa high school 1995 guidance?

Wish me luck in keeping this up!

"Self"

2011-03-14T21:06:00.002-04:00

Wyeth is Mr. Independent. He wants to serve himself. He'd like to pour milk. He'd really like to put on his own shoes.

I got it Mom and Dad, I can do it myself.

So we here the battle cry of "SELF" quite freqently.

I love it. It means we are working to foster a sense of independence!

Now just ask us about how the whole 'use the potty' thing is going...yay, not so much!

He also continues to go to bed much later than I'd like. Since about October or November, he frequently needs between 30-45 minutes to fall asleep. He sings to himself. He chats. He talks to his stuffed turtle. He'll read a book that he has chosen. But it takes until 9 or 9:15. Which just drives me nuts! But he is thriving so I guess he is just a night owl!

Just seems way too late for a little one!

Pork: The Other White Meat

2011-03-07T08:11:00.003-05:00

On Friday morning, we went to register Seren for Kindergarten at our local public school. We have had our reservations about the school in general. But who doesn't? It is the great unknown! And then I have my reservations about just sending my 'baby' to kindergarten! We looked into the school where she currently attends and while we LOVE it, it only offers a full day kindergarten and is quite pricy. As long as Sam is home, we don't really need full day kindergarten. The public school offers a half day program and is FREE and we'd get to know our community better. And I'm a public school advocate.

Anyway, so we already were feeling pretty emotional about this whole thing.

We get there with the requisite birth certificate, social security card, proof of mortgage, utility bill, etc., etc. And this is a whole team experience! Seren quickly gets taken to the kindergarten room where she is playing with other kids. She looks at us like "Hmm. What am I doing here?" We quickly explain and go stand in a long line. Once we get through the line, we stand in the office line. Once we leave the office, we sit down at a laptop to fill out more forms. And then fill out paper forms as well and then go and stand in the line we first stood in when we arrived!

Yah. It was that fun.

Meanwhile, Wyeth is demanding a "momo" which is his word for a granola bar. Since we didn't expect this little trip to be the fun "adventure" that it was, we don't have a momo. Or anything edible. He starts getting impatient. Sam and I start getting really impatient as our 9:30 start time has quickly become 10:30. And then nearly 11:00.

During this fun, Seren is being evaluated down the hall to make sure she knows her alphabet and the numbers 1-10.

Two parents in front of us is another family. Also waiting. Also getting impatient. He, however, is an alum of the school and the staff recognize him! He also is tatted up from head to toe. Lots of big beautiful tattoos. Lots of color.

I don't have a problem with tattoos. I have problem with gang signs but not tattoos in principal.

BUT

What I read on his forearm is huge, bold and black tattoo ink made me stop in my tracks. It read:

"I am 100% GRADE A, Pure American, Born and Bred WHITE MEAT"

Hmmm!? Lets re-read that tattoo.

Cue over-reaction on my part.

Is this some Aryan Nation we are sending her too? Does he really think that anyone that isn't White isn't American? Does he really think he is Grade A WHITE MEAT!? Does he really think that? Do his children think that? That no one else of different races has anything else to contribute?

Why are we sending her here? What message is this sending?! I want her to be exposed to many different ideas. Many different people in her life. Many different view points. People of different sexual orientations and faith traditions. I want it all- including the craziness that comes with diversity. I don't want to raise her in a bubble. But I'm not sure a 5 year old can navigate bigotry.

And then of course I'm being completely judgemental in my own thought!

Lets just say that after we finally made it through the 1.5 hour maze of forms, immunizations and tattoos, I cried myself all the way to the office.

I'm not ready for her to be a 'big' kindergartener. And I'm not sure this is what I want. My friends all told me, and they are right of course, that this is one person. The school doesn't think this. Most likely the great majority of the parents don't think this. And my dad pointed out, this man with the tattoo may not even think this anymore. I know all of this rationally. I really do. And this would just be one more viewpoint for her to be exposed to.

BUT...I'm not being rational. I'm being emotional!

So what do you think? Overaction on my part? Or would you too go home and do some googling on home prices in the 'other' district?

Blast from the past

2011-02-28T09:03:00.003-05:00

Then: Wyeth 3 days old. Seren 30 months.

Now: Wyeth 25 months old. Seren 55 months.

Still reading to her little brother.

New names

2011-02-25T20:28:00.002-05:00

We didn't give our kids easy names. Nope. Not familar at least. Pretty easy to say and spell but 'unique'.

We have been wondering what Wyeth would come up with in terms of pronouncing his own name.

And as of this week, according to Wyeth, I gave birth to "Sissy" and "wrr-wuff" (kinda like werewolf for 'wyeth')

Sissy and wrr-wuff, I love you both!

Work continues to do a number on my self esteem. The work is happening. It is but it has been a tough month! A long ass 28 days if you ask me!

We have completely adjusted our family schedule so I can arrive early, avoid traffic and then work a little longer as I face a deadline. The good news is that I'm out of the house without too much drama. Leaving at 6:45 doesn't leave too much time for drama. But it has also meant that this week I left twice without saying goodbye to Seren due to her sleeping in. (She wasn't feeling well). So that stinks. I write her a note and she calls me immediately when she wakes up. But, the good news is that when I come home from the office, it is much earlier and I have been doing some good PLAYING.

I just wish my own mental stress allowed me to relax more and just DO the work instead of second guessing myself. ALL OF THE TIME. Oh well. In time.

Meanwhile, outside of stress work land, life is going well. We are busy thinking about Seren's 5th bday (What to do?) and realizing that kindergarten is coming up before we know it. I'm still in shock about that; we register next Friday. NEXT FRIDAY!

INSANE!

Weekend here we come!!

Gratitude

2011-02-15T07:45:00.002-05:00

I have been working lots recently. As it getting to the office at 7:20 and then working at night after we put the kids down from 9-10:30. Not fun. And it is wearing me down. And I'm not even sure if it is worth it. But I can't be Debbie Downer. So I have started to think of all of the things I'm so grateful for.

* Babies that stay inside. I have two friends on bedrest- both with twins- and it is working! I'm so happy for the families. I love seeing babies COOK and grow.

* Carseat warmers. I love that my Buick comes with butt warmers. They are the best! Especially with this nutty winter we have had.

* Dunkin Donuts Coffee. Need I say more? It is fueling this report.

* Valentine Dance Party last night- the kids and I cut a groove last night. All four of us wore red yesterdday- what amazing sweeties I live with.

* Extra daylight. Have you noticed? The other silver lining that comes with my early commutes is that I get to see the sun rise it all of its glory. Wow! The colors are stunning. So glad I get to really 'see' that.

* Good friends: Nuff said

* Good health: we always take it for granted but shouldn't.

* Family: my nuclear family that makes me smile daily and our extended family that acts as our support system. Couldn't do 'life' without them.

What are you grateful for today!?

Digging Deep

2011-02-10T15:01:00.002-05:00

I was putting Wyeth to bed last night when he picked his nose. But he didn't quite finish the job. It just made it worse. Nothing like boggers coming out of my kid's nose to make me squirm and just HAVE to get it! So I started to dig deep.

At that point, Wyeth looked at me and spoke his very first phrase/sentence.

"No Mamma. Yuck. MY nose."

And that my friends, is why we become parents! For Hallmark moments like that!

Show Me the Money

2011-02-09T07:19:00.002-05:00

As a working mom with a stay at home husband, Seren often asks me why do I need to go to work? And what do I do there? She continues to 'cancel' work for me during these snowy days. She draws a picture of me at my desk and then writes a huge X through it. "See! Work is cancelled!" Do you think if I show this to the VP he'd understand?

When the questions about why I have to go to work come, I sometimes explain to her that I'm working so we can have money. And we need money for things like our cars, groceries, our home, etc. And that Daddy works too, he just works from home.

Last week she asked me, "Ok, so you go to work to get money. But how come you never come home with any?"

I had to laugh.

I think she thinks I should walk in the door at 5:15 with a wad of Benjamins in my purse.

Two Words and Oscar Worthy Performances

2011-02-07T21:00:00.002-05:00

Wyeth finally, finally, is saying two word phrases pretty consistently.

NO GO.
Bue tuck (blue truck)
Momma coat (mom's coat)

Etc. SO that is a huge for us! GO Wyeth! The words are coming fast and furious. I am loosing track. This week brought: 'my' as in 'my hat'. And 'nuff' for 'enough pasta'. So I am relaxing a little bit on this. The other thing I'm proud of is that he can recognize the alphabet. As of this week, he knows all but four of the capital letters. A, G, L and Q confuse him. Not bad for 26 months.

The tantrums continue to come and go. I read a book a long time ago by the man known as the doctor of Happy Baby- Dr. Karp. In the book, written for toddlers, he suggests that you are to throw a fit if your child throws a fit.

I tried this about three weeks ago and it works like a charm.

Last Saturday my mom and I were trying to leave Burger King bounce house. Or whatever the heck it was. [I hate these things!] But after several weeks of snow and rain, it suited us just fine. In fact, the kids LOVED it. Leaving was not going to be an easy sell.

Wyeth did NOT want to leave. He did NOT want to put his coat on. He did NOT want to put his shoes on. He was mad and not having it. Little feet stomped. Tears flowed. The works.

I managed to fold him in half and stick him in his car seat. My mom, Seren and I headed away from Burger King with screaming boy.

And then I just acted like he did. I made the same tone scream he was screaming. I stomped my feet. I moaned. I scared the hell out of my mom who didn't know what I was up to! I hit the steering wheel with my hand. Oh I did I "cry"! I howled! I really did an amazing job of throwing a fit like a toddler.

My mom 'comforted me'. I sniffed back the tears.

And Wyeth just sat there with an expression that read, "What the hell? My mom has really flipped her lid this time!"

End of tantrum.

I'm jinxing this by writing it but it has worked every time. So far. Thanks Dr. Karp!

Splunking

2011-02-02T09:10:00.004-05:00

Thanks for your notes of encouragement after last week's depressing post. We are making it through. Last week picked up!

And we are lucky that we have had a great January! From New Year's eve celebration, to ice skating with the kids, to sledding, to our weekend in Baltimore, to my bday party celebration, to our photoshoot and time with our city friend, to three birthday parties and even more sledding. (One foot of snow last week will do it!) GOOD times!

Last Friday, I returned from work to find Sam and the kids giddy to show me Wyeth's room. Oy boy. Now what?

Sam had the kids watch the Planet Earth video on caving. Then after talking about caving and what it would be like, he created a 'cave' in Wyeth's bedroom. He set up a ton of our stuff and draped blankets all over it. Then the kids put on mining 'helmets' and crawled underneath it all. Through a tunnel, into our play tent and then UNDER the train table.

They were all smiling and sweaty from all of the activity by the time I got home. I, of course, joined them.

It was a blast! Go Sam for yet another an amazing idea!

The 'cave'

Already in

Going in the cave

The miners

One of the cute miners

Tough Stuff

2011-01-25T20:50:00.002-05:00

Parenting is tough stuff. The last two nights have sucked. And I can't tell you why. My frustration level is through the roof. With everyone. And everything!

My job has been...challenging. I left the office with this one single thought:

A little kindness, humanity and humility goes a LONG way.

And it is damn true! Our company/culture needs to say the following more often:

I'm sorry
Hello! How are you?
Thank you

Seriously! This isn't rocket science! Get yourself together! Pretend you graduated from preschool! Play nice! Make friends! Apologize for mistakes you make and always say 'thank you'!

Grr.

Then there is the home front. What on earth is going on here? Not only am I not home full time, I struggle with the 3 hours that I do have with them. And my husband makes dinner! So I don't even have that frustration/challenge. I just slide in the door, give hugs and start munching. I'm so lucky! I try to give Sam the next few hours 'off' so the he can not do childcare but rather, do his part time job. But we always come together to do family story before bed.

We switch back and forth who reads and we switch who puts each kid down. "Whose on who tonight?" is asked every night. The kids usually remember if Mom put them down last time or if Dad did.

Anyway, the point is we have had this routine since Wyeth stopped nursing (regularly) around 10 months. We share these responsibilities evenly and it works for us. But tonight Dadda just HAD to get Seren out of the bath. And Wyeth wanted Dad to button up his pjs. Only Dad would do. And they both were crying. What am I? Chopped Liver? And can't Sam just get a small break?

So tonight, like last night, I snapped at them.

And I instantly feel minuscule.

I've been blessed with these two kids and I still get frustrated? And I'm only there for 3.5 hours? And even that I can't manage?! I don't even deserve these two blessings if I can't pull it together.

I hate when I feel that rage. I'm better at recognizing it in myself and often take steps to defuse it...but I can't underestimate how insane that feeling is.

So what is it? What is it that is irritating me? Just a lack of feeling valued at the office? At home? A sense of wanting more but never, ever making the time to do other things that are important to me?

I remember having to do a class project on happiness when I was in fifth grade. We had to interview people about what made them happy. My dad said, "Doing what I want, when I want to."

I thought at the time, that was an oversimplified version of something else. Right? He had more than that on the subject, right? That was all he had? Really?

Let me tell ya, I get that now.

Tomorrow my heart will be full of gratitude and this little venting post will be published and I will have moved on. But for now I feel like I'm not being 'seen' for what I bring to the company and what I bring to the family. And the combination sucks.

Suburban Weekend Away

2011-01-24T14:13:00.002-05:00

Our good friend, Mitch, and his partner, are trying to decide when to have kids. And what it is 'really' like. So Mitch asked if he could spend Saturday night at our house. They live in a foodie paradise in Park Slope. He knows all of the bands. They go to concerts. They eat out. A lot. They READ the New York Times. They go to places like Hong Kong. And here he was asking us if he could see how 'we' live in suburban Philadelphia! So, of course, we said yes!

Welcome aboard!

Seren woke up at 5:30 am on Saturday asking me when Uncle Mitch was going to come to our house! And this question pretty much continued the entire day, until he DID arrive around 5:30 in the evening. Our Saturday, I took the kids to Picture People. This was a first for me. I typically get very nervous trying to get the 'best' shot. And making the kids look perfect. But since I'd found a Groupon, and was already getting a deal, I relaxed. A little.

Wyeth, Mr. Two year old, wanted nothing of it. Seren was there- hamming it up. Smile? Sure. Tilt my head? Sure. Move my legs to the side instead of FLASHING my undies? Sure.

Wyeth was Mr. Cling.

After a good 10 minutes of trying to persuade him, the photographer turned to me and said, "We are going to have to reschedule. Or, you are going to have to get in the shot."

Ugh.

But not my face. Nope. My legs.

I was covered in two HUGE white blankets. One covering my legs and one covering my torso and neck. Wyeth sat facing me and Seren sat next to me.

And that is how we got the shot!

Anyway, I did that with the kids while Sam did some on line grading. Then we came home after a lunch 'out'.

When Mitch arrived, Seren was beside herself with excitement. She had to tell him EVERYTHING! She had made a card for him and already picked out what GAME she was going to play with Uncle Mitch. "He is here!!! Yay!!"

Dinner was normal dinner. Wyeth ate little. Seren ate a good portion. They complained. They talked too loudly. They didn't really eat what we ate. And they had fun. It was loud. Sam, Mitch and I barely could have a conversation.

The best part was when Mitch earnestly turned to me and said, "This whole thing...this, right now? What we are doing? Is this like normal?"

YUP!

"And you know he has a noddle in his hair, right?"

YUP!

But we had fun! Once the kids were bathed, we spent the evening talking and drinking wine which was awesome. Sunday we got up and went to the local children's museum- Please Touch in Philadelphia. We have a membership there so it was a lot of fun to just enjoy it as a family.

The weekend went by quickly, really. And soon it was time to say goodbye to Uncle Mitch. I was proud by how quickly they warmed to him and wanted to share their lives with him. And both Wyeth and Seren held his hand as we explored the museum.

Having young kids is just so INTENSE! There are some moments where I just can't handle the lack of downtime. But man, I wouldn't trade it. And seeing our loud family life through someone else's eyes was a really unique perspective.

Great weekend over all! Including the noodles in Wyeth's hair.

Snapshots

2011-01-18T21:30:00.003-05:00

I use this blog to try, desperately, to capture the intimate details of my life with two toddlers. But facebook posts, videos, blogs and digital cameras don't do it justice. There isn't a way to capture this fleeting experience of childhood. And every night as I kiss my kiddos goodnight, I try to think about the special moment of the day. The moment when I was really present. I've decided that the most amazing sound ever is the sound of my children laughing. And the best touch ever is the feel of my children's soft skin. And I love trying to capture the little moments that make my life as a mother spin.

Some Seren snapshots:

I taught her 'eeny, meeny, miny moe' which she has used frequently to make decisions regarding which book to read at night, etc. But her version is hysterical. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. If the tiger wants to eat good food, eeny, meen, miny, moe." ETC.

Tonight I was washing her hair, which she loves (sarcasm). And she said, "MOM! You know I hate this whole thing! And it always gets in my eyes! I just wish my eyes were at the bottom of my face and my mouth and nose were up top! That way, the soap and water wouldn't get into my eyes! GRR!!!"

Seren also likes to play the 'Mermaid' game. This is the game where Wyeth and I need to 'search' for a mermaid. Wyeth and Seren are always in the bath tub when we play this game. I say something like, "Oh! Wyeth, I hope we can find a beautiful mermaid! One with long, dark, curly hair and beautiful green-blue eyes! I just hope we find one! Sigh. Oh wait, what was that!? Did you see that? Was that a mermaid!?"

And so we cautiously, oh so cautiously, approach the mermaid. Turns out, the mermaid speaks Spanish! So we have to speak in Spanish. (Which is quite limited to asking the mermaid' What's the weather like today?' and other items I have learned from preschool Spanish). With much relief, the mermaid likes us AND she wants to go home with us.

We play this game every time we bathe the two of them. And it thrills Seren to no end! What a riot!

The other night, Seren and Wyeth found the beach bag. It is the dead of winter, of course, and so we have no need for beach shoes, swim trunks, etc. But that didn't stop them. Nope. They took all of their clothes off and each put on two swim suits. They then proceeded to 'splash' in the ocean and 'lay out' on their beach towels. I was the one 'slathering on' sun tan lotion.

The two of them have such amazing imaginations! Seren can get lost in her pretend play. And Wyeth can too! While Wyeth's play is less verbal, he covers the sound effects portion of pretend play. Water 'whooses' and toast 'pops'. He will also 'wash' his hands in his kitchen sink and come up to you asking to dry off his hands! As if he really needs a papertowel.

These minds that I live with always amaze me. Figuring things out.

Wyeth too is having a verbal/cognitive explosion. Finally! He is still only stringing two words together at once. But we love it! "Two crackers" is his most favorite refrain. "Blue truck. Blue car. Hot touch." That sort of thing. But he is getting it! And as of two weeks ago, he LOVES letters! He is constantly pointing them out. S! X! T! E! H! So that is VERY exciting for me.

Lastly, for now, Wyeth does two things at night every night which I love. First, he puts books under a couch pillow. And every time he pulls one out for me to read, he yells PISE! (As in, surprise!). Awesome.

And secondly, when I sing him to sleep, he finishes the phrase or line of the song. This duet singing is my most favorite activity. Seren did this for so long and I love it. And now it is Wyeth's turn. I love singing the Rainbow Connection. "The lovers, the dreamers" and then Wyeth chimes in, "and me." Ohh, the sweet moments that make me laugh, smile, and cry...sometimes all at once.

January has brought a sense of reflection. But I can't find the emotional or physical space to really do it justice. In time, in time. But while I'm reflecting on life goals, family goals, and big dreams, I'll take the moments of clarity where I'm truly present playing the Mermaid game, finding letters or singing lullabies.

Good long weekend

2011-01-17T20:57:00.002-05:00

I'm going to try to forget about the fact that we don't get another three day weekend until MAY and focus on the fact that we had a really good time the last three days.

On Saturday, we all loaded into the trusty Buick and drove a short while to Baltimore, MD to visit my uncle and aunt! We also stopped at the Dansko outlet! I drooled over the inexpensive (but oddly sized) Danskos! We arrived just in time for lunch.

We put the kids down for rest/nap and then when everyone woke up took them to the playground! It was still cold but so fun to run around after a morning in the car. They had a good time.

My Aunt and Uncle are just so cool. They always are doing something to better the world. My Aunt is a full time therapist at a school for young girls/women, my uncle is a retired teacher and still is a Big Brother to someone he met 10 years ago! Awesome! And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

They treated us to an amazing Indian dinner. And after bed, we settled in to watch part of a movie. During the visit, the kids were a little off. They were excited but sleepy. And Sunday morning, Seren was just plain rude and sassy. El and Ken are very understanding and non judgemental about well...everything...but Seren was ridiculous! She was just tired- she woke up early- but after all of these lessons about manners, etc....nothing was 'sticking'. Oh well, once we got the troops moving, she felt better. Less PMS. I swear...this four year old is going to be one heck of a teenager!

We went to the fabulous Walters Art museum which was a gorgeous architectural masterpiece. And the kids loved it! We have taken them to see art before but they really got into it. When we got out on one of the floors, we were met with a large Crucifix at which point Seren yelled out, "Wow! An Indian!" We tried to explain who it was. But she had way too many questions. "Why is there that pin in his foot? And one in both of his hands? What is on his head?"

My UCC background couldn't really do these questions justice. :) Time to brush up on the art of explaining world religions to four year olds!

Anyway, after strolling around the art, we joined the rest of the kids in this great Kids Art room! Unreal! They each did a craft, got to do dressup and we just had a really good time! All for free to honor MLK day! Wow!

We had a lovely lunch out and then had to say goodbye. We had to jump back in the car. Seren was asleep instantly. So was Wyeth. Sam and I even had a little chatting time!

I love being close to family. While I'm not always in love with the East Coast, trips like the ones to see my Aunt and Uncle or up to see long time friends just can't happen if we were to move out West again. And staying connected with those who loved you then and love you now is good stuff. Very good stuff.

Today we woke up early..."we" meaning the kids and I! And I got to take Wyeth to his little music class! What a treat!

My parents then joined us and we went bowling! This was on the family 'to do' list for January-March. What a hoot! We played bumper bowling and we also used these little ramps/shoots. Seren bowled at a friends' 5th bday party last weekend and enjoyed it! So we tried today as well.

At one point, my mom, dad, Seren and I were all trailing Wyeth! The two year old!? Pathetic!

But we had a good time!

It was a great three day. Time with my family, my parents, my uncle, my aunt and my kids. Good food.

Good times! Here is to more long weekends in 2011!

I'm a winner!

2011-01-11T22:00:00.002-05:00

Laura made my week/month by honoring my wee little blog with the award of the Show Me the Mommy contest!

Wow! Sweet! And what a total blast it was to be part of the contest! She mailed me a gift card to Starbucks! Seriously? How much does this woman rock? Laura is such an inspiration to me- in so many different ways. I'm glad my little post touched her! Congrats to the other winners as well!

See!? 2011- it is going to rock! :)

34 years and a New Year

2011-01-11T21:42:00.002-05:00

I am delayed in my blogging. And I'm delayed in my reflection on the New Year and my goals.

But I AM 34! Yahoo! Yesterday was my birthday and I really relished the new day/new year. Life is too short to be caught up in gray hairs, wrinkles, sagging boobs and big butts! 34! Yes! It feels very good! Two healthy children, one good job, a loving family, friends who love me and lots of laughter. I'm blessed! What more can I ask for!

I feel like 2011 is going to be a big year. I don't know why. I really don't. But something BIG and exciting is going to happen. I just know it!

Then again, I also said to Sam yesteray, just ten days into the New Year, "How are we going to get more organized, spend less money, build a bigger community, do rewarding/meaningful work, live in the moment and get in shape? How are we supposed to do all of that this year?"

At which point we just giggled. Seriously? We aren't. But we'll hope to!

I posted this quote from Obama on my facebook page today but I'm really taken by it. I don't know when he said it or in what context but it speaks to me.

"Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. ... Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential."

I'm hoping 2011 is the year I realize my true potential! Watch out world, here I come! :) Who is with me!?

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T22:27:00.015-05:00

We had a complete blast! Unlike Christmases past, we had no puking, no plumbing problems, no huge meltdowns, no infant babies.

It was the best Christmas!

Seren woke up at 5:15 on Christmas morning. Yikes! Complaining of a stomach ache! The anxiety and lack of sleep had me panicking about a possible stomach bug all over again. The 'stomach ache' was sheer excitement! We made her wait up there until 6 am. She was in and out of sleep.

We woke her up with big Merry Christmas cheers! And then talked about whether Santa had visited or not until Wyeth woke up at 6:45.

We put on the tree and the kids came down. They loved that the tree had been trimmed by Santa! They ran to see if he ate the cookies. Seren was enthralled by the idea that Santa wrote her a note back. And the stockings were stuffed! She started bouncing up and down. "He stayed here and played with our stuff? And trimmed OUR tree?" We started with the stockings. And everyone loved the goldfish crackers. They happily munched and ate the fish.

Seren was particularly impressed that Santa remembered our cat Jordan. [Note, we actually totally forgot about this member of our family. Christmas eve found us crawling around out garage trying to find some random cat treats and wrapping in the Santa paper at 11 pm!]

Wyeth fed the cat a cat treat.
Seren fed the cat a cat treat.
The cat was happy.
Wyeth fed HIMSELF a cat treat.
Wyeth was not happy.

Here is a picture of him as he stood stunned by what just happened. Note the cat treat bag.

After about an hour of opening stocking stuffers [really!??], we had breakfast. I couldn't believe how slow the gift opening went. I was proud in that they didn't tear through it but it was kinda painful too! On Christmas eve, we started a new tradition with my in-laws. The kids opened presents with Bill and Linda via skpe. See below. It was the best! The kids LOVED it and it was fun to celebrate Christmas early with my in-laws. See them on the screen?

They got her a fairy house and she just LOVES the fairies!

They loved all of the gifts but Seren and Wyeth did a little bit too much "MORE" and "MINE" during the experience. We talked to Seren about this on Christmas Eve. That Christmas was about giving and sharing and not just getting. We also reminded her of how lucky she was to get gifts at all. We may have come down a bit more on the scrooge side but in a family that lives with such abundance, I don't want her to forget that some families had really no Christmas this year.

Anyway...back to the breakfast of banana shakes and other treats. We returned to the gits. The kids just loved it all. And we played with each item as it was opened up. Seren was really excited for some of Wyeth's gifts and asked if she could help him with the packaging when he couldn't open it himself. And Wyeth loved the excitement.

We had one minor meltdown and one MASSIVE meltdown. The mini meltdown happened when I took his goldfish cracker container and wrote an innocent 'W' on the side of it to distinguish Wyeth's crackers from Seren's. Fail. OH my holy gosh! I should have been put in prison for that crime! Crying and banging of feet happened.

The second massive meltdown happened when we tried to change him out of his pjs into his Christmas clothes. He had a massive meltdown. There was snot. There were tears. It was horrible! He DID NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF HIS PJS!!? Guess who was still in his pjs at 6 pm that night?

Seren and Sam wrote me poems for Christmas. I love these special poems. Sam writes a poem everyday. LINK. And when they write together, she dictates and he types. I loved mine and got all teary eyed with the emotion of the gift. So special!

But the main theme this Christmas was the real magic of Christmas! For Seren, she asked Santa for one gift this year. A 'doll bench'. This would be a place where her dolls could sit. On a bench. She asked for this time and time again. She asked Santa, when we saw him, for this item every time. She also threw in a 'new dolly' one time but the consistent item was a bench for her dolls.

After the stockings and breakfast, the monologue from Seren went something like this.

"Where is my doll bench? I thought Santa was not going to wrap it. But I guess he did. Or maybe I didn't get it. That's ok... But maybe the doll bench is here. Somewhere. Ya know, for my dolls."

After about 20 mentions of said 'doll bench' in about ten minutes, Sam and I looked at eachother and 'found' the one from Santa! The thrift store strikes again! Score!

Santa also gave her some lipgloss in her stocking. "Oh! Cool. Markers!" When I explained what they were she exclaimed "LIPSTUFF!!! JUST WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED!" THe other huge exclamation concerned, of all things, underwear. "Oh Mom! He must have known that I needed this. THis is really, really good! "

Seren also didn't leave Wyeth out of the mix. She was a bit concerned that Wyeth, Mr. not so verbal, might be worried that Santa wouldn't know what to bring him.

"Its ok Wyeth, even if you didn't tell him what you wanted, he knows. He knows you like cars and trucks and trash. He really knows these things. You'll see"

And Santa did know what Wyeth wanted!

After we opened about 80% of our gifts, the kids were overwhelmed. They ate goldfish in bed while Sam and I packed up for our trip down to my Mom and Dad's. We spent two nights down there and really enjoyed ourselves!

We finally arrived around 12. Santa had come there too! And my mom and dad spoiled us to gifts, salmon dinner, wine, raclette another night...and time with family.

After running around like maniacs with Uncle John after Christmas dinner, my mom had the kids do a little yoga! Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

The entire month of December brought us so much joy! We loved it all! We loved how much time we spent as a family! And we weren't stressed. Wyeth's bday was low key. And so was Christmas! I managed to get out my Christmas cards, succeed in not mailing a single thing at the US Post office and really enjoy the time! A full on success!

We can't wait for next year!

Love it

2010-12-24T22:21:00.002-05:00

I just love it. I love it all. I love the fact that my son sits in the back of the car and yells WOW at each of the houses that are lit with Christmas lights. He even yells WOW in our driveway when our lights are on.

And Seren screams at the top of her lungs INFLATABLES whenever we see them.

Unfortunately there are many in our neighborhood.

It is a cheap thrill really. Sam and I took the kids about three or four times this holiday season- they had a complete blast. Truly. And so did we. Just listening to Christmas songs and looking at super tacky lights.

I have loved every second of it! From Seren searching with her binoculars to find Beck, to thier new Christmas pjs, to the 10001 times we have seen Santa this season, to the gift wrapping and on line shopping to the topper of the holiday season, seeing Santa drive by our house in a fire engine.

He came late this year around 8:45! And we were so worried he wasn't going to come down our street. Seren already made peace with this. "It's ok. I already saw him." She had convinced herself but Sam and I started to worry about budget cuts and maybe the township couldn't make Santa drive down all of the streets.

When he finally came on top of that HUGE fire engine with the sirens blaring, we raced out in our footie pjs, coats flung on shoulders, running into the cold night.

And we waved and cheered and jumped up and down.

And of course I cried. I cry every year. Nothing better than seeing my children giddy with the magic of Christmas. And it won't be this way every year. And one day it will be Sam and I, in our jeans, looking out the window waving to Santa. Or casually sauntering out with coffee cup/wine glass in hand. But this year, it is about racing, being giddy and waving our little hands off, screaming SANTA!

Because we won't see him again, of course, until next year. With my new 3 year old and my 5.5 year old.

Life is so short and so magical.

Merry Christmas!

Crap work week but Christmas here we come

2010-12-23T08:34:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday I heard that I did not get a promotion I hoped for, longed for and worked for.

I can't go into it but man, it was a total total blow to my self esteem.

There are many factors at work here. So I did some crying. Did some venting. Did some more crying. Hard not to feel like a failure!

But we'll see.

But last night Uncle John and my parents came by for dinner. It was just what I needed! Seren just ate up John's attention. When I came home from the office she yelled out, "MOM! Your brother is here!!"

So fun!

So it IS Christmas. It is about time with family. It is about just being together. Work is very important to me and being valued at this place is something I crave and deserve. But at the end of the day, there are bigger fish to fry. There are people and life goals and dreams that mean more to me. The biggest motivating factor, of course, is my family.

I'm excited to see Seren and Wyeth's faces when they open up thier gifts. I'm excited to drink wine with my parents. To have fondue with my family tonight! To sit by my already dry Christmas tree and just breathe.

We all just need a break!!

Have a Very Merry Christmas!! May we all have germ free days and lots of relaxation!

Seeking Community

2010-12-21T08:43:00.003-05:00

I come to this thought time and time again. The need to be surrounded by people. Real people. With real food. Not cyber friends or facebook posts which are just a daily stream of my "friends" thoughts.

I crave connection.

And I always think back to my days in California. Where I didn't have kids and Sam and I were still 'new'. The true mark of friendship, in my book, is the friend that can just stop by. Knock on the door and come in.

I had several friends out there that I could do that with.

And it was lovely. And they would arrive on my doorstep. And I'd open the door and welcome them in. To my messy house. To my imperfect meals. And we'd just talk. And share things. Share newly made bread. Fresh cookies. Fresh flowers. Othertimes we'd drink wine and share fondue. Those moments are now 6 years ago. Six long years. Six great years. Full of sleep deprivation. Early mornings. Diapers. Fun. New discoveries. Great victories. Small (first) steps.

I wouldn't trade.

But.

I'd like some more community.

I think sometimes the computer enables us to hide behind the screen. Not reaching out. Not checking in on people in any real way. Not dealing with the reality of the messiness of life. And babies and kids make it harder. It is all about logistics. "Ok, if I were stop by, would I get home by nap? How would she be? If I brought him with me, would he melt down? What are her kids doing now? I'm sure I'd be interrupting. Oh. Forget it."

So I don't stop by. And I don't connect.

Somedays I have a big ole pity party about my 8 weeks on bedrest. It was the most isolating and stressful experience of my entire life. I had great support from friends. Daily emails, weekly check ins. But my friends weren't there in the flesh. Holding my hand. Sitting next to me to have a meal with me. And I craved that 'in person' sense. It wasn't as if they didn't want to be there- it was just that many live far away! I was so grateful for Umy, Andy, Rachel, my parents, and Whitney who met me at my house/at the hospital and sat with me in my 'sitting room'. Those moments were such GIFTS.

And I want to "be there" for others that are having a hard time. Or just need some respite. I want to be the person who drives in the car to arrive to say "I'm here. Let me know how I can help."

I want that. I want to do that. I want my kids to grow up in a house where that does happen. Where friends and family do 'drop everything' to be there.

But my dear friends are up to 3,000 miles away!

So my hope is that 2011 is the year of community. Not just friends but deep, real community. The open the door and welcome to my messy house type of friends. Where cleaning is nice but optional.

The bulk of this shift is within myself. And letting go of trying to be perfect. It will take putting myself out there with people. Offering up experiences to connect. And seeing what happens. The logistics will still be there. Naps will still need to be thought about and addressed. But my community can't just extend to 6-7 people.

I read on a blog last week that she described her life as a mother as 'shrinking to the size of a teacup'. I could relate to that as I became obsessed with sleep schedules, feeding patterns. But I know and she knows that life is bigger than that. There is much more outthere. Much more to experience and do. And it is possible with kids. Of course it is! Some of my most richest, most community minded moments surround my life with my children and husband. I don't want to say that it is either "rich community" OR "time with wee ones." That is oversimplying and unfair.
But I do hope that 2011 is the year of extending myself OUTWARD.

I feel like something BIG and hope filled is going to happen in 2011. I'm just not sure what yet. Join me!

Fondue anyone?

2 year stats

2010-12-17T16:10:00.001-05:00

Wyeth is 27 lbs and 34.3 inches tall....which means he may be 5 foot 9 according to on line calculators.
He is 50% W, 50% H
100% loveable

Show me the Parents

2010-12-17T08:49:00.003-05:00

There is no doubt about it- life with two young kids can be tough. It is the physical demands but the emotional demands as well which can be so challenging. The 'are we doing this right' thinking exhausts me. And I think those thoughts on a daily basis.

Often at the end of the day, I feel frustrated. What the heck got done today? Why have I only added to the to-do list? When do we just relax?

And when do I fit in time to just hang with Sam? This is increasingly a concern because he works at night on his part time job. And we are getting used to not hanging out!

So we continue to work to find little slices of time. To sit. To chat. To say, "Hi person I live with. How the heck are you?"

So this 'show me the mommy' post is also 'show me the parents'. Because seriously behind all of this- the work, the preschool decisions, the discipline, the fights about hair, the baths, the tantrums, the dishes, the home renovations, the bills, are two folks who are partners who love each other.

Damn cute, I tell ya. Damn cute.

Come on ride the train, the Choo-Choo Train

2010-12-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

For Wyeth's second birthday, we took our family and my parents on a choo-choo train in West Chester, PA. We took him the day after he turned two and we had a blast!

The train wasn't a steam engine like the one we took in Flint but that didn't matter to Wyeth. And it was FREEZING inside the train. The website said it would be 'heated'. And it was, technically. But man, my toes were almost numb by the time we got off the train!

All that being said, we had a wonderful time! Santa and Mrs. Claus joined us on the train and there were some (off key) musical singers as well. The train stopped and everyone got off the train to get a chance to talk with Santa. It was a very beautiful, old station called Glen Mills. Just charming. When Seren saw Santa her face just LIT UP! It was the BEST. What a gorgeous little girl. A true believer this year!

We then finished up our train trip and went to lunch at a local diner.

We then went to my parents home for nap/rest. When Wyeth woke up he was greeted with a wooden train that my father had built for my brother 30 years ago! He loved it! My parents also purchased a Thomas balloon which was the hit of the day for both Wyeth and Seren.

We then had a simple pizza dinner and had cake.

It was a small celebration but it was perfect. He had a blast and we all had a wonderful time! What a great, great way to celebrate TWO!

Picture overload:

And my favorite of the birthday boy himself:

Holidays done right

2010-12-13T20:41:00.002-05:00

We have had a busy busy 13 days of December! But we have celebrated the upcoming holidays is so many fun ways!

December 3rd brought Wyeth's Second.

We took him on a choo-choo train to celebrate.

We bought the tree and decorated the tree and the house the following day

We decided on a family pic and puchased the cards

We have taken the kids on fun family drives to look at the lights. Cheap thrills! Seren yells 'INFLATABLES' at every inflatable Santa/elf/train/snowman we see. WYeth yells out WOW! WOAH!

We saw the Nutcracker

We made homemade Christmas cookies and delivered them to neighbors wearing the
Christmas hats my parents bought the kids.

We saw Christmas lights in Flint in November,

We have donated toys for kids that are needy- Seren helped pick them out

We have celebrated the magic of Christmas with Elf on a Shelf

We have done the advent calendar- but often are a day behind

We went to Holly NIghts in Pennsbury Manor- candlelight walks with hot cidar and friends

We bought Christmas presents

We open one holiday book a day. Sam, over the year, has collected 10 cent of 25 cent books at the Thrift Store. A total of 33 books. WE started November 22nd. He has dutifully wrapped this used treasures and the kids trade picking one out to open each night. Then we read that book during family story! Love it!

But we have really just enjoyed being together. No newborn. No bar exam looming. Just the four of us.

And it isn't over yet! As Seren told me yesterday, "I am giving my favorite cookie to our neighbors because Christmas is about giving, Mom."

How right she is! We get caught up in elves and Santa because it is truly a magical age. And we love it too! But I think that Seren is getting the real message in this nuttiness as well. I'm proud of the kind person she is becoming. She is a good friend and a true blessing to us.

Can't wait for more!

The Elf on the Shelf

2010-12-09T08:59:00.004-05:00

We didn't buy this product last year but this year my mom and dad purchased the Elf for us. And we LOVE it. Absolutely up our alley!
We love this little guy!

The story is that the Elf (who each family has to name) keeps watch over children's behavior every day and goes to Santa during the night to tell him about how the kids have been doing. The Elf comes with a story that lays out the rules. The main rule is that kids can't talk to it. That and that he can't talk back.

The elf arrived on December 4th. Seren named it Beck. The first night I found her talking to it quietly. I felt like saying 'Welcome Beck. Congrats! You picked a verbal house!'

And oh my gosh- we LOVE this elf! We love it because it is fun and magical and SILLY. And we love Beck because he is motivation for behavior modification. Seren screamed (as usual) during our morning hair tussle. I pointed to Beck and said, "Remember! The elf is watching."

Not a peep from her. Not an 'effing peep.

Bless the elf!

She tries it on Wyeth too. "Remember Wyeth! Don't scream and push me. Remember Beck, Wyeth? Do you?" (All while pointing at the elf with one hand and her other hand on her hip).

Beck is less effective with Wyeth.

The first day Seren said to me, "I heard him! I did! I heard him come in the front door! Do you think he is in my room? Let me check to see if my magic wand is where I left it. Oh yup. It is. Never mind. I don't think he is in here...."

And the magic begins. One simple story. One idea about a magical elf and Seren was off and running in her mind! It was simply amazing! She worries about Beck's arms being too weak to hang from the tree/chandelier/bookshelf. She also asks so many questions about how he uses his magic to climb and jump to high places. And when Seren and Wyeth spent a night at my parents' home this past weekend (YAY!), she was very concerned that we would look for him prior to their arrival home.

So far Sam and I have only screwed up once. We were bringing the kids down for breakfast when I realized that Beck hadn't visited the north pole last night!

I yell out, "Sam! E-L-F!"

In a quick minute, Sam grabs the elf, whispers, "shit" and finds a new place for Beck to hang from.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, I distract the kids with the "amazing" new piece of Tupperware. We were all clear.

Whew.

We love the elf! So much fun!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-08T09:10:00.007-05:00

Before we race towards Santa and Christmas, I wanted to post about our lovely time in Flint Michigan to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Last year we drove to MI- a long 13 hours one way. Seren loved the hotels we stopped in both ways and so did we but after only an 8 hour car trip with Wyeth which included vomitting due to his own frustration, we took my in-laws generous invitation and flew to Michigan. What a life saver that was!

The trip to MI was great. Wyeth sat on my lap for the two flights. The first flight, he INSISTED on sitting on his own (non existant) part of the seat. We were sitting next to a young 20 year old guy. He was totally cool with the squirming, kicking Wyeth sharing his itty bitty seat. Once Wyeth fell asleep, I dragged his tired tush onto my lap and everyone was cool. The second flight, Wyeth and I sat next to a rathr large woman so there wasn't much 'seat' to share. That was fine with Wyeth- he even proceeded to 'drive' his match box cars all over the woman's leg! I was horrified but again, the woman was gratious and laughed.

We made it! We spent the better part of Thursday through Sunday eating and playing. But mostly eating. My mother and law indulged us with a completely full fridge and sam and I did our best to eat it all! The dinner itself was yummy and heavy on the carbs- just the way we like it!

We had some great evening adventures and were spoiled rotten by dinners out! Sam and I treated the family to an adventure on the Huckleberry Railroad which had to be my personal highlight. What fun! We bundled all up and saw some wonderful light displays aboard this old steam engine! It was a total blast!

We really enjoyed just all being together! Bill, Sam's Dad, also took some great famiily photos. We have so much to be thankful for: our health, our family, and our friends. At the end of each day, that is what life should be about!

We celebrated Thanksgiving!

We sat around and did cozy things:

We watched electric trains!

We trimmed the Angus family tree:

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We spent time with our family:

We saw a big choo-choo!

We celebrated two milestones! 70! and 2!

We had a great time!!