Additude

Yesterday I didn't have it in me to be thankful. 
I had taken Addie and a friend to see Winnie the Pooh.  Before we got there I told the girls we weren't getting snacks since we'd be going out to lunch right afterward.  No sooner had we walked in the theater and I was asked for popcorn and a drink and candy.  I inhaled deepy and with little less patience I told the girls "No".  For heaven's sakes the movie, which was all of about an hour long, cost us over $21 to get into, I was not buying $9 popcorn.  During the movie Addie cried and stomped her feet because her friend "hit" her (translate, barely touched her arm).  Obviously money well spent.


At the beach showing Additude



At lunch the Additude continued.  There were tears because the waitress brought dreaded french fries in addition to her requested apple sauce.  There was pouting when she got the red crayon instead of the blue crayon and more tears because the air conditioning was too cold.  As we left to bring her friend home there was an argument in the car over what her Petshop animals' voices sounded like.  And more tears and whining because once her friend went home Addie "just wanted someone to play with her".  The pouting, sobbing and drama were epic -and annoying.

By the time we got home, at 1:30, she was passed out in the back seat.  I lugged her inside, plopped her into bed, swallowed a few Tylenol and curled up on the couch myself.  Laundry and floors could wait...I needed silence.

And silence was what I got, until almost four o'clock when little Miss Grouchy woke up.  Woke up in a much better mood - full of cuddles and hugs.  We played games and checked the mail.  We snacked on grapes and waited for Daddy to come home.  And then she got invited to her buddy's house to watch Toy Story and I got to go to a grown up dinner. 

So I went to bed feeling a bit more thankful.  Thankful that I survived a day a high Additude.  Thankful that my husband suggested a dinner out.  Thankful that my neighbor invited Addie down for a movie.  Thankful for icecream while watching Project Runway.  Thankful that friends are coming to visit.  And hopeful that today would lack Attitude.

So far there have been hugs and kisses and thank yous.  She has been coloring and painting and telling me stories.  Manners have been used.  As I sang along to "Don't Stop Believeing" while Journey performed on the Today show Addie asked me how I knew the song.  I told her I knew it because I was old - You're not old Mama she said.  You're beautiful.

Yes, I think today has the potential to be a better day.

OKI 2011

We have returned and are slowly recovering from another fabulous week in Oak Island, NC.  As of ten minutes ago the car was unpacked and nothing has been put away.  We spent yesterday lounging around enjoying the air conditioning and avoiding the oppressive heat that Cincinnati welcomed us with - longing for the beach breeze.

The weather on the shore was nothing short of perfection, with sunny, breezy days and beautiful nights.  This year the house was brimming with activity - six adults, two toddlers and one infant; for good measure we mixed a teenager into the fold for 24 hours.

We feasted on tuna steaks, fish and shrimp tacos, milkshakes - and in my case - Doritos.  With two pregnant ladies and one nursing mama, the silliness was a bit more understated this time, as was the alcohol consumption.  Without the presence of Phelan, no hard liquor appeared and almost a case and half of beer was packed for the trip home.  Christie and I did good work on polishing off some non-alcoholic beer, wine and champagne, but it just wasn't the same.

The little alarm clocks thought that 6 a.m. was a perfectly reasonable time to start the day and they often could be heard giggling well past bedtime in the room they shared.  Seashell necklaces were made, crab hunts occurred, beach walks were taken and the gigantic sand pit made a late week appearance for toddler entertainment.

Andy played golf twice on two beautiful courses and had one of the best games he's ever had.  There was beer surfing and horseshoes and tidal pool sitting.  For my part, I took a break from my Kindle and dove head first into Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (it was a reread before seeing the final movie) and The Passage (an incredibly good, yet creepy book).  You know it's a good vacation when two 700 pages plus books were devoured.

Now we are planning to shake the sand out of our belongings and settle back into reality.  There is laundry to be done, a refrigerator to fill and bar that needs to get finished being built.  We have play dates to get to and swim lessons to resume.  Just around the corner is "Pretty as a Princess Dance Camp" and a week long trip to see Gramma Kathy in the Berkshires.  Next thing I know the air will be chilly around here and we'll be preparing for the new arrival....and I know I will need a moment or two to look back at these photos and remember the simple magic of the beach.

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I am thankful for:

Seeing this beautiful picture, with a beating heart, while holding my husband's hand and listening to my darling daughter sing a nonsense song.  My word, in a short 20 weeks our lives will drastically change with the arrival of another Neyer princess.

A fresh baked batch of Blueberry Raspberry Banana Muffins.  Oh, the cinnamon brown sugar topping is heavenly.  Not to mention that the muffins baked perfectly in our new gas oven - joy.

Escaping to the neighbor's house for a few hours last night for a M&Ms, popcorn, alone time with grown ups and one really bad movie.

Having a four year old who now takes responsibility for making her own bed.  Now if only her good habit could rub off on Andy and I.

Fresh cut Shasta daisies from my garden - they brighten the kitchen so nicely and are free.

Being told by the vet this week that Mich is a rather healthy cat with a strong heart beat.  While I am thankful for this, Andy was a  bit disappointed.

The smell of freshly cleaned and dried clothes - only two more piles to go and this house is laundry free.

The Tummy Sleeve - it makes my growing belly feel so good, and let's me wear my regular summer skirts - bliss.

This picture, because not only does it perfectly capture two of my favorite kiddos, but it also makes me laugh out loud.

Beginning the 48 hour countdown until I "got my toes in the water, ass in the sand".   Holla!

Another year, Another Princess





Three years old with Cinderella



Four Years old with Aurora

The difference of a year?  Not much.  It's still all about princesses and girliness and smiles and celebrating. 

One 4th birthday party done = one exhausted Mommy.

Goodnight.



And then she was 4

And somehow, three morphed into four.  How are you four?

Just a moment ago your were three...or were your two?  Or my god, weren't you just a few weeks old?  And now you're four.

You have so many ideas and opinions.  You are brutally honest about everything and do not seem to possess a thought filter.  You are still all girl - you are happiest when wearing skirts and dresses and being fancy.  You like to accessorize and beg for swipes of eyeshadow and dabs of lip gloss.

You don't let your skirts keep you from kicking balls, running in circles or climbing as high as you can get.  In the past few months you have fallen in love with the water and have done wonderfully at swim lessons.  Last year you would shriek if you went under water, yesterday you swam around so much under water that your eyes were bright pink for hours.

You love to talk to me, to your dad, to anyone who will listen.  You frequently start conversations with Hey Mom?  I gotta tell you something.  Often times you forget what you wanted to say and you simple say Um, I love you.  I never tire of hearing that - even when you are saying it to stay awake in the car or steal a few more minutes before bedtime or simply fill the silence.

This year you went to preschool two days a week - sometimes those days seemed to stretch on for weeks as I would miss you, my constant companion.  Other times the days seemed to end in seconds.  You made all sorts of new friends and learned so much - from how to ride a tricycle to how to hop on one foot. You came home with stories about Ava, Adam, Lindsay and Henry and loved our weekly carpooling with Nicholas. You can now spell your name, and you've finally figured out how to make a lowercase 'e'.  Your teacher, Miss Sue, described you as kindhearted, sweet, independent and adventurous.  She said you are inquisitive and polite.  At times she said you can be a bit sloppy, which is no surprise given your genealogy.

Your imagination continues to astound me.  You build all sorts of fantasy worlds with themes and princesses and good and evil.  You often play the part of the princess and whoever is around you is relegated to part of queen, prince, witch or creature.  In good weather you log hours out in the backyard - trying to hula hoop or jump rope.  You swing so high it makes my heart stop.  You decorate our patio with chalk drawings and you pick our potted herbs for snacks.  Sometimes you twirl at the top of our small hill and belt out the hills are aliiiive with the souuuuund of muuuusic or you stand in your play set  and warble a dozen different princess theme songs. 

You have a complete love affair with our neighborhood.  You think that Miss Kelsey, your babysitter, is just about the best thing in the world and beg for your dad and I to go out so Miss Kels will come play with you.  You also adore the rest of her family and can often be found hanging on the back fence talking to all of them.  You have buddies across the street who you want to visit every time you spot their car - often we have to go over just to say Hi or you will pout for hours.  Nicholas continues to be your best bud - you two rarely fight and are so kind to each other that my heart often melts.

Family is still super important to you and your face lights up when you talk about them or to them.  On your birthday you got to speak to Aunt Nikki, who was in Spain, over Skype and I though your smile was going to jump off your face you were so excited to see and hear her.  You often request that you get to say Hi to whomever I am on the phone with and you still believe that mom and dad's friends are really only your friends.

You have shown a bit more of your diva side as of late.  There has been some foot stomping, crocodile tears and ear shattering screaming.  In those moments I have to take a deep breath and try to remind myself that you are just trying to figure out your place in this big world.

You have gotten so tall and so big.  You are wearing size 10 shoes and 4T clothes are too small for you.   You no longer ride in a car seat and have graduated to a booster seat, which you think is so cool. The dimples that were on your wrists are no longer and there is not a trace of of those amazing rolls that adorned your thighs.  You're taller than most kids your age and skinny as a beanpole, even though you often eat like a wrestler in training.  The only place I still see traces of your babiness in in your face - I think those cherubic cheeks are going to stay with you, which makes me incredibly happy.

Your birthday party is tomorrow and you keep telling me that it is going be such a special day.  I know that it will be, as you will get to have your pink Aurora cake and more presents and be the center of everything, as you so adore.  But I am beginning to realize that everyday with you is a special day, even the bad days.  You are full of spunk and vivaciousness.  You are honest and sensitive.  You are creative and funny.  You are thoughtful and intuitive.  You have made me and you dad shockingly better people and have brightened our world to technicolor.  This is your last birthday where it will just be the three of us.  By the time you are five you will have logged months of being a big sister - I can't wait to see you in action as a sister.  I have no doubt that you will be patient and kind and embrace your new role wholeheartedly.

You are my still little baby...and you always will be, even though you keep on growing.  Happy fourth birthday, my sweet girl.

McKenna

How is it possible that I have let an over a week go by without talking about the lovely McKenna Maria?

Let's back track a bit - three years ago one of my very dearest friends married one of our best friends. They both have become rocks on our lives - people we rely on for advice and perspective. They were there when we brought Addison home from the hospital and they were there when we slammed the door on the U-Haul and moved to Cincinnati. In short, they are a huge part of our lives.

Keelin and I met in 2003 while both working at a southside elementary school in Chicago. I was the green behind the ears social work intern and she was the most amazing kindergarten teacher I had ever encountered. She was kind and firm, creative and insightful. She spent her days crouched down to the eye level of five year olds. Through out our time working together she kept me entertained with hysterical stories and educated me about the amazing resilience of children. We started hanging out after work - catching dinners and drinks, inviting each other to parties. Karen and I thought she should meet our friend Berto from our Loyola days, because if nothing else the story of their fling would entertain us.

Berto and I met somewhere in the mess that was our freshman year at Loyola. He and Andy were friends well before Andy and I even knew each other existed. They both had horrid roommates, but a fun floor and quickly found each other as they escaped the persons with whom they were assigned to live. In the years that followed they shared an on-campus apartment and Berto became a fixture on Andy's off-campus apartment's couch. We went on Spring Breaks together, proudly used our ids to get into bars before we were old enough, shared retreat experiences. After we graduated LUC we hung together pretty much constantly - late night talks on the porch of my volunteer position, Thursdays at Sports Corner, trips to Indianapolis to see friends, New Years Eve parties where they boys entertained everyone with their costumes and antics. In the past decade and a half we've been through everything together - the good, the bad and the ridiculous.

Keelin and Berto met - nothing clicked. They met again - he bought her McDonald's. The rest is history - three years ago today they married - Andy and I stood up in their wedding. Twelve days ago, they welcomed baby McKenna into our fold. These are two people who are meant to be parents- they are both kind and thoughtful. They have amazing intuition, tons of patience and humorous perspectives. They are gentle and firm, know what they believe and are such a fabulous addition this wonderful club we call parenthood.

When McKenna was two days I got my hands on her - Andy scooped her up last week. She is tiny and pink. She seems to have Berto's eyebrows and Keelin's hair. She barely made a peep when I met her, just seemed to be taking in the world around her. Her parents are doing wonderfully, not that we ever doubted they wouldn't be...and I am dying to get my hands on her again.

Happy 4th

It what 4th of July weekend is all about - backyards, sprinklers, laughter and family.
Following a long afternoon nap, the perfect way to end the weekend? A dip in Uncle Ed's pool.