A Pre-Haircut Orange
February 29, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 7 Comments
There’s an orange and then there’s an organic orange.
P.S. Prepare to be inundated with pictures… it’s been far too long.
Growing Old
February 28, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 17 Comments
I must be getting older. Otherwise I would have been immensely embarrassed.
I was walking to my van through a busy parking lot, not really paying all that close attention to where I’m going. I knew the general vicinity of my van and had caught a glimpse of it while walking out of the store. But I was busy trying to fish my gloves out of my purse. A necessity with the air being negative bajillion degrees. I’m rather fond of my fingers in their unfrozen state.
I casually walk up to the door of a van, still pulling my gloves on, and got a weird feeling. I just knew this wasn’t my van. Even though I hadn’t really looked at it closely, I just knew. I nonchalantly walk around to the next van over, as if I meant to do that all along. I resisted the urge to look around, secretly hoping the owner wasn’t the guy who walked out from the store behind me.
Yeah, I was embarrassed. But not humiliated, like I was when I did that as a teenager. I still remember it, probably because I actually tried to unlock the door.
Over and over again.
An All or Nothing Kind of Girl
February 27, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 28 Comments
We are having yet another snow storm in this fine state of Vermont. I growl about it but it is February after all. I should expect this.
To preface this re-accounting, I must tell you I have this quirky thing about me…. when I hear about a storm coming I panic a little. I must go to the store and stock up on six hundred and eighty seven eggs, twelve loaves of bread, twenty-seven gallons of milk, fifteen pounds of butter and enough snacks to feed an army. Just in case.
I’m so weird.
Here is where the problem developed. Daniel had to work late last night and my angel-girl who plays with Eve and Judah for a couple hours in the afternoon wasn’t able to come.
You know where this is going, right?
Remember when I told you that I hadn’t gone shopping with the three kids yet? The day that I had psyched myself up to go we had a snow storm? That I’m a wimp? Well, that is all history, baby….
I decided it was the night – I was going to do it. All three kids and I were going to conquer my fears together. Before I could wimp out I loaded them up in the van ( no small feat in and of itself!) and off we drove through the snow to get it done.
Before we got out to go and shop at the health food store I laid out the “plan.” I’m going to choose to think that my “plan” wasn’t a form of bribery but wisdom from above. Sounds good, right?! Okay, we’ll roll with that. This is what I did: I explained that by their good behavior in the store they could earn a trip to the library. (You have to know I would not have taken them to the library if they had bad behavior. Just ask Daniel. I’m all about following through with what I’ve said. )
Happy screams all around!
In the store we went and they were angels. Seriously. This is the store that causes me to quiver in fear when I think of taking the kids in it. Small, narrow aisles; tons of low shelves perfect for curious hands to grab items from and usually I am buying eggs. All that spells: T-R-O-U-B-L-E. But Judah didn’t grab one thing. The kids held hands the whole time and were very helpful.
Library trip earned.
Happy screams all around, again!
Next was the grocery store. And it was busy. Judah only took one thing off the shelf – a box of pasta. But, he put it right back – no stress. They did amazing again! It really helped to have them hold hands the whole time we were out of the van. That meant only one hand was free to preform mischief… cutting the chances of that happening in half! This time for their good behavior they earned a trip to the tiny grocery store down the road from our house. It is the store where we buy ice cream cones for their after dinner(If they have eaten well) ice cream dessert.
More happy screams!
So, in all I took the kids ( all three, remember!) to the health food store, the grocery store, the library, and the tiny grocery store. In a snow storm. Nothing like easing in, right! I thought about it later that evening and realized it was true to my all or nothing nature.
Go big or go home…
And I couldn’t go home – I had twenty-five pounds of bananas to buy.
Blog Fotofest – Judah
February 26, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 16 Comments
Enjoy!
Blog Fotofest – Eve
February 26, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 13 Comments
Craig’s List
February 26, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 13 Comments
Sunday night we set off to check it out. And oh, what a lovely trip it was. Not really. The baby was screaming her head off, the kids were in high anticipation of our weekly Sunday night surprise, Daniel was having a terrible time finding the movie he had in mind for the kids, and it was getting really late. Oh, and did I mention we didn’t have any definite directions? But it was so worth all the trouble.
One wooden dollhouse with an open floor plan - perfect. A huge bag of wooden furniture and wooden dolls – major bonus!! And I paid just fifty dollars for it. I was more than happy to buy it for that amount of money, but I did feel bad because the woman could have sold it for WAY more than that. The furniture itself is a treasure!
I am so looking forward to my girls playing with it. Heck, who am I kidding…. Judah will be playing with it just as much as Eve and Eliza.
Spinning!
February 25, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 10 Comments
My arms are shaky… My legs feel like rubber bands… My quads are in distress….
I just completed my first spinning class! It was a ton of fun. Totally intense and I really felt like I was exercising! I love that feeling – I think this might be just what I needed to lose the weight. I’ll keep on walking but spinning is what is really going to kick my butt into shape. I detest being out of shape, I feel so yucky about myself. This is going to be a whole lot of work but I am at the point where I will do whatever it takes!
Daniel, being the wonderful husband that he is, watched the kids for me so I could go this morning. The hardest part of all this was getting out of bed. I really hate that part….
Two years later…. He’s still Winnie the Pooh
February 24, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 11 Comments
What a girl my Eve is. Incredibly complex, yet easy to delight. Eve, like most kids, thrives on routine; she loves doing the same thing over and over again, day after day. Eve asks me every morning: “So, what are we doing today, Mama?” She likes to be “in the know” – just like me. I must know ahead of time what my focus needs to be for the day. I like to be very informed; to plan, and be prepared. I have an intimate relationship with my lists. And I have discovered that Eve loves a good list, just like me. Now, when it comes to food… we are on completely different planets. She is her Daddy’s girl straight through.
There is another thing we are very different in. Repetition. I hate it. She loves it. I don’t read books more than once, and movies… I HATE re-watching a movie I’ve already seen. I refuse to do it. Music – eh, I’m okay with listening to the same song a couple times in a row, but then we need to move on. ( Frosty the Snowman – Mom?!)
But my girl… oh, my dear, dear girl. Eve has listened to the same Winnie the Pooh tape everyday for the last two years.
I kid you not.
Side A for rest time and Side B for bedtime. Without fail. There have been maybe three times that we have traveled without bringing the tape deck and tape with us. Other than that I’ve heard the narrator and his little bell that tinkles every single day. Twice.
May I remind you… for two years.
This has not been good for my mental health. But, Eve loves it so I’ve never said a word. Seriously though…. help a girl out! I really need to know that I am not the only one. Tell me about you or your kids… is there anything that must be done every day without fail? Let me know I am not alone….
Or am I? Perhaps Winnie has gotten to me after all.
Good Morning…
February 23, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 9 Comments
You’ve been sweet so far…
A steaming cup of chocolate raspberry coffee, for Daniel…. I only get to smell. But oh, what a smell!
Loving snuggles in mama and daddy’s big bed.
Judah
February 22, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 12 Comments
He’s finally saying his own name! We’ve been trying to have him say “Judah” for the longest time, but he’d only ever say “you“. Now he says “Tu-tah“. He’s so proud of his accomplishment! Completely melts my heart.
Grandma Chips plus a P.S.
February 20, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 15 Comments
This beautiful woman did all… ALL my laundry. And she held the baby and did my dishes, played with Eve and Judah, vacuumed, prepared food and just loved on me.
I want to be her when I grow up.
P.S. That baby you see…. Yeah, she slept through the night last night. I didn’t even panic when I woke up and realized it. I just laid there with a smile on my face.
Let the good times roll.
The End of the Photo Shoot
February 19, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 17 Comments
It wasn’t, perhaps, the best day to try and wrangle five children into an Easter photo shoot. Tarrah and I did it anyways. The shoot didn’t go so well. It was too bad; they were all quite cute in their matching outfits.Because…..
February 18, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 7 Comments
…. there were so many puddles to jump in.
How to find a Good School
February 18, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 18 Comments
This whole school arena is completely new to me. Unfortunately for me, the complexity of finding a great school is elevated by the fact that we are moving into a completely new area. I don’t even know where to start. I will have no friends to ask questions of – no contacts in the area. There is no networking available – and I am all about the networking, so I’m bit scared and feeling stressed!
Eve will be going to kindergarten this year( how is that even possible?!) What I want to know is…. how do I find a good school? What do I need to look for? What do I need to take into consideration? What questions should I be asking? Who should I be talking to?
I know many of you have navigated this area before and I need some advice. I need the tools so I can be proactive about the school search.
Help!
Love Notes
February 17, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 7 Comments
From Mama to Eve….
I tell my kids all throughout the day that I love them. It’s commonplace to hear Judah say eight, nine, ten times a day: “Mama, love you too” and really mean…. “love you, Mama.”
He says this over and over until I answer him. If for some reason I can’t right away, he gets insistent. Until I answer. He must get it through to me that he loves me, but just as much, he must hear that I love him also.
The other day I overheard Eve say to Judah:
“You know what?”
“I love you!”
“Did you know that?”
It was interesting to hear her say those words to Judah, because those are my words. I say that exact quote all the time. But, as I thought about it further, I wondered if they really feel loved. Do I show them I love them? Not just tell them?
It was good for me to work through that in my mind. I know they feel loved, but I think I could show them in even greater ways. More grace, more compassion. Not being so quick to speak but truly listening to the words they say to me.
Because love is an action, it needs to be fleshed out daily, in a thousand ways. I see love’s work being accomplished in the most elementary of ways in Eliza’s life. She is learning to love by being loved. Learning to feel comforted by the comfort she receives. Learning to smile from the smile she sees on my face.
The responsibilities rest heavy on my shoulders.
Motherhood is a daunting task at times.
