A BOXER AND 2 BABIES

Adorable...

2009-11-10T21:03:00.002-05:00

When I was pregnant with Aden and very sick with morning sickness that lasted all day long (and required that I eat a fresh cupcake every single day... hence the 60 pound weight gain), Charlie spent a lot of time in my lap looking at books. No matter how bad I felt, we could at least snuggle and read books together. One of the books we read over and over and over and over again was, A You're Adorable. I sang the song (that my Mama taught me) while she flipped the pages. I actually couldn't even look at the book for over a year because as soon as I saw it or started the first note of the song, I immediately felt nauseous... it was like my body associated that book/song with morning sickness. However, Aden has recently discovered the joy of reading and spends much of his time bringing us books and demanding that we read them to him (there is much squawking if we don't... the little tyrant!). Yesterday, he pulled out the A You're Adorable book from the bottom on the book bin and I started singing it to him... and he went completely bat shit crazy! He was dancing and clapping and pointing and shaking his head. When I finished, he immediately made the sign for more about 20 times... simply begging for me to sing it again (which I did of course). After going through this process 3 or 4 times, it dawned on me that maybe somewhere in his little psyche, he recognized this song from when he was in the belly. I just can't come up with any other explanation... the kid LOVES it in a way I just can't explain. I'm just glad it doesn't make me feel like throwing up anymore because I have the feeling I'll be reading/singing that sweet little book a whole lot in the coming months!

Snapshots from the weekend...

2009-11-07T14:20:00.007-05:00

The gift that keeps on giving...

2009-11-05T14:50:00.002-05:00

So after I fought off (so I thought) my own case of conjunctivitis, poor little Aden came down with it. Once he had fought off his nasty infection, I woke up with one eye completely swollen shut. Not crusted shut... SWOLLEN shut (I'll spare you pictures because trust me when I say that it is not a good look). Luckily, Amy knows an amazing opthamologist who just gives out his home phone number and works eye emergencies into his schedule without blinking an... eye (sorry about that). By 9am, I was in the exam room. Most likely, my pink eye somehow managed to infect my eyelid. He gave me more drops and (fingers crossed), I'll look less like a boxer and more like an over-worked working Mama by the end of the weekend. I've become accustomed to the persistent dark circles under my eyes, but this is ridiculous!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:57:00.008-04:00

Much to my surprise... Charlie Ann was a ballet dancer and/or pixie (minus the wings she refused to wear) and Aden was Peter Pan! If you had asked me yesterday, I would have told you (quite confidently) that Charlie Ann was going to be a fierce lion, the Mr. was going to be a lion tamer, Aden was going to be a frog, and I was going to be a princess (you know like the frog and the princess). I'd even had the littles wear their costumes a time or two to be sure they were comfortable and such. However, we woke up on Halloween to a very warm day. It was balmy in fact. Their costumes (chosen in part due to the fact that they would be warm and cozy), were simply not going to work. So at 5:00, I dug into the dress ups and the Mr. and I decided to wear the necklaces that we have been working on this weekend for the Day of the Dead. We headed over to a friends house for some trick-o-treating, yummy food, Halloween cocktails, and very good company. We ended the night with a stroll over the Haw River foot bridge to take in the glow of the pumpkins and big moon. It really was magic...

Bookmarks to my day...

2009-10-29T23:17:00.007-04:00

The day started with Charlie Ann handing me a poop filled diaper as she greeted me in the dim morning light. This is not how I like to start my day. In the process of cleaning it up, Charlie, Aden, and I all somehow wound up with poop on our hands.

***

The day ended with Aden taking a massive shit in the bathtub (the kid does this at least once a month... WTF?!). This is not a pleasant way to end the day. Charlie and I are both getting pretty wary of sharing baths with the boy.

Field trip...

2009-10-28T21:46:00.005-04:00

We joined Charlie Ann's class to a local farm for a fall field trip! I had to leave before we got to the horses and pony rides (Charlie Ann chose not to ride a pony), but I did get to enjoy some sweet potato digging and chicken feeding! I was grateful to have my morning flex time in order to join in on some of the fun...

15 months...

2009-10-27T22:25:00.005-04:00

Dear Aden,

A month ago, you were just beginning to take a few tentative steps here and there... and now you are all but running. It has been so much fun watching you gain confidence in your (still wobbly) stride. You toddle all over the house and yard. You used to so contentedly watch the world go by from the vantage point of the grocery store cart or stroller... but no longer! You want to be down on the ground in the thick of it... the master of your own destiny. And you absolutely resent being told where to go on your little adventures. A walk to the mailbox would take days if I didn't at some point pick up your protesting body and walk a few feet in the right direction. You zig zag all over, stop to touch anything that catches your eye (aka everything), and have been known to literally walk in circles. It makes me crazy... and then I take a deep breath. I appreciate how new this whole world of walking is for you and try to give you enough time and space to revel in your new skill and perspective. Our lives are way too busy and hectic and I try hard to be grateful for and respectful of you and your journey. Toddlers are one great big lesson in Zen Buddhism.

Tonight as I was cleaning up the dinner dishes, you and your sister were playing together. First, she was chasing you around the house catching you by the foot of your pajamas... causing you to laugh (and only occasionally cry) hysterically. Then she pulled the cushions off our living room chairs and created a couple of make-shift trampolines. You bounced on and off the chairs, traded places back and forth, and rolled around on the pillows strewn about the living room floor giggling all the while. It was such a pleasure to watch the two of you play with each other and delight in each other's company. It isn't always easy for you two to get along (just this morning she slammed your finger in the bedroom door), but I am finding that you can entertain each other for longer stretches between the meltdowns. I'm finding that your bond with each other is one of the greatest joys in my life... that and your delicious Buddha belly and scrumptious feet and big eyes!

Love,
Mama

Dr. JLo...

2009-10-25T22:01:00.010-04:00

Auntie Janet came for a visit this weekend! Janet is a friend who lives a very busy life half way across the country, but the second we sit down together with a bottle of wine and a handful of chocolate, it is like she never left (though it does make me miss her all the more)! We stayed up way too late catching up and then the minute we got up the next morning, she began spoiling my kids rotten! I absolutely trust this woman's judgement... so it isn't surprising that she managed to convince me to let her give Charlie Ann a Barbie (a black barbie of course). With or without corrupting presents, she holds a very special place in our hearts!

******

And then today I saw Charlie Ann pretending that her Barbie doll was nursing her Ariel doll (who is pretty much a miniature Barbie doll with red hair and a mermaid tail)... and I was so proud!

Barbie's boobs are apparently for babies!

Casa de conjunctivitis!

2009-10-22T17:12:00.003-04:00

Sick day of the week... number two! This time it's pink eye... good times!

Actually, it has worked out great. This morning, the Mr. took Charlie Ann to school while Aden and I headed out to the minute clinic to get my little problem taken care of with some goopy eye ointment. I was told not to return to work until tomorrow morning. So Aden and I headed home and played. Then we picked up Charlie Ann, got our chimney swept, and have had a jolly good day (except for the gross eyes of course). I do believe Mary Poppins is in order tonight!

Pig tails...
Watching the chimney guys (the vacuum was loud)...

34 months...

2009-10-20T21:23:00.006-04:00

Dear Charlie Ann,

Tonight after your bath, I wrangled your little body into a new pair of size 3T pajamas. The size 4 diapers you and your brother have been in for many months are getting tight these days (surely you'll be potty trained here real soon and won't even need them for much longer... right?!). I feel like you are all gangly arms and long legs. Your little brain has opened up and grown so much since you started school... and now it is as if your body is trying to catch up with your head and heart. In every way you are getting big. The other day at Walker's birthday party, Amy made a comment about the toddlers out in the yard playing... and then realized that the toddlers were actually the little one-and-a-half year olds running around at our feet and the ones playing soccer in the yard were our KIDS. She was absolutely right... and it just blows me away. You are such a kid these days. There is only a tiny speck of baby left in your beautiful round cheeks and long lashed eyes. I'm sure I'll manage to see that little bit of baby in you for the rest of my life, but I promise also to see the child and woman you are to become as well.

You are such a bright and articulate kid... and you have (not surprisingly) some very strong opinions. Sometimes these are at odds with my own very strong opinions. The other day we were at the thrift store and you got your hands on a Barbie for the first time. I looked over and saw you playing with her contentedly and immediately said, "You can play with her while we are in the store, but she is not coming home with us... do you understand?!" You said you did and continued playing happily. This tactic usually works well for us... I remind you a few times and when it is time to leave, you say goodbye to whatever it is you have been playing with. However, when the time came to say goodbye to that beat up old Barbie, you lost your mind in a way I have only seen a handful of times in your life. I'll just say that it was a very long walk to the car. This experience, along with your new obsession with Ariel the mermaid, has done a number on my graduate schooled, feminist self.

I know the power of the Barbie doll... I LOVED mine. If you had big sisters, I'm sure you'd already be playing with them. I guess I just hoped to keep you in a Barbie and Damsel in Distress free world for as long as possible. I justified the Ariel book (a thrift store find that you sleep with every night and have for the past month) and doll because Ariel actually saves Eric a number of times and is a mermaid... not strictly a princess. Although her whole ambition is to marry a prince and abandon her own people for him (so fucked up now that I write it down), we focus on how she rescues him and how strong she is and how well she swims. And you love her... though not because she is strong, but because she is beautiful and has long hair and has been designed to tap into some crazy part of your forming psyche.

I try to counter the messages you are getting from movies and books with a large dose of media literacy and critique, but I know I can't keep you in a bubble forever. I guess ultimately, I want you to be able to deal with and resist our sexist and racist and fucked up world when you encounter it. I'm just not sure how to do this in the face of BARBIE. Just know that I'm doing my very best to get us through this mess... and forgive me when I don't have all the answers. I just look at your perfect growing body and mind... and never want you to feel limited by some bullshit hegemonic societal norm. I realize that this motherhood thing is just going to get more and more complicated as you grow... and I freak out a little bit (sorry to throw hegemony at you before you are even three years old). And then I realize that we'll find these answers together... one Barbie at a time.

Love,
Mama

Sick day...

2009-10-19T14:00:00.005-04:00

Not sure what I have, but I feel like something very heavy has decided to sit on my head. I feel a bit better today than I did yesterday, so I guess I'll head into work tomorrow... but today I'm enjoying a low key day at home with the babies. Sure I'd like to be curled up in bed watching a movie, but sitting in the warm sun watching my wee ones play seems to be pretty good medicine...

Before...

2009-10-17T20:39:00.004-04:00

Some photos from our sweet morning (before it got VERY ugly at the thrift store because I refused to buy Charlie Ann a Barbie):

Worth it...

2009-10-13T21:48:00.007-04:00

This morning was a doozy! Charlie Ann was running around post diaper change when she said, "Mama, there's poop on the floor over here!" Sure enough, Aden was depositing poop all over the floor because his diaper had come lose... most likely while I had been dealing with his sister's shit. That was not a good way to start the day. Then I agreed to make Swedish pancakes (oh my god my kids eat the hell out of some Swedish pancakes) even though we were running late... and I spilled an entire bowl of batter all over the stove top (that was almost as big of a pain in the ass to clean up as the poop on the floor). Needless to say, I did a fare amount of cursing and carrying on this morning.

And then on the way to school, Charlie Ann sang, "Let's go to tree school today tree school today tree school today... let's go to tree school today and maybe we'll have fun!" I asked her what her school was called and she replied, "Tree school... I LOVE MY TREE SCHOOL!"

And in the bath, Charlie Ann explained that, "Boys have peanuts!" I did my best to calmly reply that, "Yes... boys do have penises." Though inside I was secretly dying of laughter.

I guess my point is that they totally make it all so very worth it... even the poop.

*UPDATED TO ADD...
And then Aden pooped in the bathtub (I've never seen Charlie Ann jump so high as she did fleeing the poopy tub). I'm still pretty sure they are worth it, but damn... enough with the poop already!!!

Keeping it in perspective...

2009-10-10T14:50:00.007-04:00

This last week, I attended a two day conference and had to leave the house by 7:30 in the morning. Two nights during the course of the week, I fell absolutely (and almost immediately) asleep while putting Charlie Ann to bed. By Friday night, I was a tired and cranky mess. Those two long days gave me a good dose of perspective. Those two days made me really appreciate what a huge difference two small hours can make. I had no idea that being gone for 7 hours versus 9 hours could mean so much in terms of balance and quality of life. Heading in to work around 9:30 means waking up when my babies wake me up, cooking breakfast and eating it with my family, having time to pack a lunch, and running out for a quick park visit or reading a couple of books before heading into work... those two hours make all the difference in the world for us. They mean having a mama and wife and teacher who isn't utterly exhausted. Luckily, we had lots of help this week… GG came and put in some very long hours with the babies while the Mr. kicked some ass on his dissertation! And we got to go out to a fancy Royster Society of Fellows banquet where I learned first hand what a rock star my hubby is! We even went out on a movie date (though the Mr. had to literally shake me awake in order to get us out the door on time... as I had yet again fallen into a deep slumber while putting Charlie Ann to sleep).

Somewhere in the middle of it all, the babies keep on growing and thriving and making every (exhausting) moment so very worth it!
And sweet little Aden moved a little bit closer to full fledged toddler-hood:

76 X 80 inches of heaven...

2009-10-06T22:03:00.005-04:00

We have ourselves a big old king sized bed! Those of you who have been in our home know that this means our bedroom is now entirely filled with wall-to-wall bed... and it is glorious! Those of you who have had the misfortune of sleeping in our old lumpy futon understand why we are so excited about a bed... and did I mention that it is glorious?! This is the first time in our 11 years together that we have actually purchased a very real and significant piece of furniture (albeit a floor room model for like 70% off). Our home is lovingly decorated in the hand-me-down/college-student style. Which is fine and we don't want to buy a lot of nice stuff while we have young children and/or don't know where we'll put down permanent roots. However, after 14 months of sleeping with at least one if not both babies at some point during just about every single night, we gave in. We have been playing the most ridiculous game of musical beds in this house ever since I can remember. Aden still nurses at least once a night... usually two or three times and I can't do that without sleeping with him some. Charlie was long night weaned by the time she was 14 months old, but I could nurse her all the livelong day (and did I ever)... I can't do that with Aden so I nurse him at night (I want to be sure to get him through this winter with a good supply of mama's milk). Charlie Ann almost always comes and joins us for an hour or two sometime after 6am (she has to wait until it is getting light or the birds are singing). This morning, I woke up to find Charlie and Aden snuggled up together right next to me and it might have been the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It will be even more beautiful tomorrow morning when I don't have a baby foot jammed into my side!

In other good news, Charlie Ann LOVES school...

Weekends...

2009-10-04T15:52:00.005-04:00

I have to say that after years of graduate school and adjunct teaching, weekends had kind of lost all meaning... they weren't really distinct from the rest of the week. I worked when I had time to work... and that work (mostly taking place at home) often happened on Saturdays and/or Sundays. But being back on the "working outside of the home 5 days a week" schedule, weekends are these magical days separate from the week. Now don't get me wrong... I'm not saying weekends look anything like they did pre-kids. One of us is still up at 6:30 or 7... kids must be wrangled, dishes must be done with the clamour of "more juice PLEASE" in the background, floors must be vacuumed, and laundry must be folded and put away (or shoved into drawers as the case may be). Even still, I find that I have this new appreciation for these sweet days that give me a much needed dose of all-day-long-baby-time, an excuse to just hang out and play, and the feeling that a shower is entirely optional.

This weekend, we played disc golf together on Friday afternoon and spent the night in our tent Friday night (sounds really fun in theory, but the reality is decidedly not fun). Saturday, the babies and I went out to an early breakfast/grocery shopping expedition and that night, we went to an outdoor movie with friends. There will be beer and pizza tonight after some park-time and ultimate Frisbee watching. All around lots of fun... however, the most exciting development this weekend was turning our tree fort into a swing set!! We still have some finishing touches (mulch and railings), but the kids have already started to break it in...

Hope you had a nice weekend!

Fall days...

2009-09-30T22:00:00.007-04:00

I think maybe we've reached our stride... or at least we're not losing our minds on regular basis quite so much anymore. We're busy to be sure... but it kind of feels good. I think we have achieved a pretty darn good balance (knock on wood)... right along with the balance found in the season of the equinox. We've been soaking up the gorgeous fall days... getting out to parks, walking on our road, doing a little art here and there on rainy days, and most recently visiting the Haw River to explore the walking bridge. On our second visit to the river this week, we saw a Grey Heron, a Bald Eagle, maybe a shark or two, and definitely a sea monster!

14 months...

2009-09-27T15:18:00.007-04:00

Dear Aden,

A few days ago you had your 12 month check up (Yes... 2 months late! This is what happens when you are the second child... your parents are much busier in general and way more relaxed about stuff like doctor's appointments). You are in the 25th percentile for height (30 inches), the 50th for weight (24 pounds), 90th percentile for your big melon of a kissable head... and growing and developing in your own perfect way... absolutely thriving! I took you and your sister to the appointment and then your Papa met us about half way through so I could get to work and he could take you straight to the disc golf course. Your Papa and I have always been pretty good with the baby hand-off routine, but we've reached a new level of seamlessness over the past few weeks. I feel like we've started to really find our groove! We are both always super busy, but we make sure to carve out some time each day to be together as a family. We almost always eat an early dinner together. Before we dig into whatever yummy meal your Papa has cooked up for us, we hold hands around the table and take a few deep breaths. You love this simple little ritual and find it hilarious when you move your hands up and down causing a wave of arms around the table that inevitably makes us all laugh... and how delighted you are by your power!

You are a little man on the move these days quite capable of walking across the room, but you still appreciate (and often demand) a finger or two to hold. You still much prefer crawling to get around most of the time... and are you ever fast on all fours?! Your most favorite activity is crawling up the stairs... and you sit and wait by the gate pining away for any chance to scale them. When we're at a playground, you prefer climbing up the slide rather than going down it. And you pull yourself up onto the couch a few hundred times a day. Even as you build your body's strength and coordination, you have been busy growing your vocabulary. You drop things on purpose just to have the excuse to exclaim, "UH OH!!" You seek out ducks in order to shout, "DUCK!" Whenever your Papa leaves the room, you put your hands up and ask, "Bapa?!" Dogs say, "UF UF" and cars go, "VROOM!" You are more communicative each day and I love seeing these small windows into that big amazing head of yours!

I was mistakenly in such a hurry for your sister to grow up... but I am equally at fault in not wanting you to grow into the little boy you are so quickly becoming! I'm the youngest in my family and found it so annoying (though admittedly sweet) to be treated like a baby even when I had left babyhood far behind (my sisters STILL try to hold my hand when we cross the street). Now that I have you in my life, I completely understand them... because sometimes I can only see the baby that you used to be. Tonight before bed, you walked (like a drunken sailor) back and forth between me and your Papa a few dozen times. With each step you looked more confident and more in control... and I could tell by the glimmer in your eye that you will be running circles around us in a matter of days. I still see the baby I held seconds after your birth, but I am also thrilled to see glimpses of the big, wonderful boy you are becoming. And no matter what, I love you something fierce.

Love,
Mama

On getting schooled...

2009-09-25T22:34:00.005-04:00

Some things Charlie has learned since starting preschool:

How to pump her legs to go so very high on the swing
Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Open them Shut Them, Toys Away (and other songs that she sings at the top of her lungs at home, but has yet to even whisper at school)
The yoga move, Tree Pose (she was practicing this after dinner tonight)
How to use a fork or spoon to eat her food
How to properly wash her hands with soap and water
That it is best when one person talks at a time
How to use her shirt as a canvas for her artistic expression
How to trust other grown ups
How to navigate through a classroom full of kids
That Mama and Papa always come back

Some things I have learned since Charlie started school:'

Not to worry too much about what I pack for her lunch because she won't eat it anyway
Not to dress her in nice or light colored clothes at school because they are inevitably covered in either mud or paint
That her world has just gotten so much bigger than our little 5 acres and circle of friends and family
That I only get a tiny glimpse of her big new world...

The little garden that could...

2009-09-21T21:51:00.002-04:00

Our very ugly garden that kills tomato plants faster than you can say BLIGHT, somehow managed to produce some quantity of tiny orange peppers, a handful of strawberries, one zucchini, and now carrots! It really is a pitiful little thing, but we love it. And it was delightful to pick a few veggies to throw into a salad that ended up feeding friends at a spontaneous Sunday night pizza party...

33 months...

2009-09-20T21:49:00.004-04:00

Dear Charlie Ann,

The months since having you have generally flown by in a dizzying kind of way... but I feel like this past month contained a year or two's worth of transition and growth. Going back to work full time(ish) has been both easier and harder than I had imagined. I've been so busy for the past few years balancing babies and graduate school/teaching part-time that I was well conditioned for working around the clock (there is no such thing as a day off in motherhood). Back before I had babies, I used to struggle so much to get out of bed in the mornings... but with you and your brother acting as a very consistent alarm clock tag team, I'm almost always up early. On the other hand, I really wasn't prepared for how much I'd miss spending weekdays with you... or how much little things like a morning music class or playgroup meant to me. I do feel grateful to have time in the mornings after getting everyone up and fed to just hang out and play for an hour or so. An early family dinner followed by a trip to the nearby park also help us carve out some important time to reconnect after a day apart. And it certainly helps knowing that you are so obviously thriving in your Papa's care!

This past month, you have really found your stride at preschool. On Thursday, I still had to coax you out of the car, but as soon as you saw your teacher over the fence, you were practically running to get your stuff put away so you could head out to the playground. As soon as we signed you in (put your picture on the ladybug), you made a beeline for the swings. I watched you with so much delight and relief that I thought my heart might just explode. I heard your teacher say, "Do you want to say goodbye to your Mama?" And you ran back to me and gave me a huge hug and kiss and returned to your swinging (legs pumping with pure determination). I was beaming as I walked to my car... what a difference a couple of weeks makes!!

One of the most magical developments this month has been your sudden adoption of a comfort object. You have never been super attached to any particular lovie, but a couple of weeks ago you named your purple zebra Ella Pooh and explained that he made you feel safe. You slept with him and took him to school. A few days ago, you opted for a more practical lovie... Stretchy Frog. I think carrying around a big floppy zebra was cramping your style and a small rubber frog better fit your active life. Your frog goes everywhere with you... the park, the dinner table, and even the bath tub. Sometimes he's a frog and other times, he's your baby. You tuck him into your shirt to keep him warm, nurse him, and sing him songs. You sleep with him and most importantly, he escorts you to school (where you get to look for real frogs in the pond). I'm glad you have worked out a way to feel safe and secure even when your Papa and I are not physically with you... that you have a friend to take over where we leave off. I hope you know that even if we are not always able to be there with you holding you hand, we are always holding you in our hearts... always and forever.

Love,
Mama

Big girl...

2009-09-17T21:39:00.005-04:00

Tonight after work, I took the babies to the park to get some of their wiggles out and to get some quality mama-kid time. Charlie wanted to swing on the big girl swing and sure enough she pumped her little legs and was swinging like an old pro. When did this happen?! When did my baby turn into this long legged girl who swings on the big kid swing?! She is simply growing by leaps and bounds right now... serenading me with sweet and original songs, reading books, telling me long stories about her day, and helping me cook and clean. Every day she asks me, "So Mama... how was your day at school?" Her body and mind seem to be reaching all the way to the sky. She is strong and sassy and caring and daring... and I am in awe of her and what she is becoming...
That little purple zebra she's sitting next to is Ella Pooh... her very special friend who was recently transformed from a neglected stuffed animal into her very own personal protector and best friend (when she isn't carrying around her stretchy frog that is). One of the many surprising side-effects of the preschool transition! Toddlers are pretty amazing and resilient little creatures!

And a great big thank you to GG for coming up to help out this week... your time and energy and love are so very much appreciated!!!

It's all good...

2009-09-16T21:31:00.007-04:00

Charlie was able to say goodbye to me yesterday at preschool with just the tiniest whimper of protest... and then went immediately back to searching for baby frogs in the pond with her teacher. It felt so great to leave her without a horrible pit in my stomach!! Fingers crossed for tomorrow!!
Aden is walking more and more each day, is using his signs all the time (the best is when he makes the where gesture), and is totally saying a bunch of words (dog and go are the most common). I usually get a morning or two a week when he and I are the only ones up in the house and even if I'm tired (he is still waking up a number of times during the night... but I'm okay with it since I'm not able to nurse him as much as I'd like during the day), I love having the chance get to soak up some one-on-one time with him!
The Mr. has been doing an amazing job hanging out with the babies while I'm at school... he's just really good at it. This doesn't come as a surprise, but I'm very glad to be married to such a hands-on papa!
I am feeling extremely grateful for my shorter workday. Just that extra hour or two in the morning has made a tremendous difference in terms of my stress level and quality of life. I'm working harder while I'm at school, but I'm also much happier to be there thanks to the new schedule.

The boys and Jazzy (from when we babysat Arne a few weeks ago... pre-haircut):
Goofing around on the baby slide (I so love it when they play together... though someone almost always gets hurt):

The end of summer...

2009-09-13T16:07:00.006-04:00

I know we have a few days until the fall equinox hits, but for all intents and purposes, summer is officially over. You see, our pool closes its doors today. I cannot even begin to explain how sad this makes me. The pool has become more than just a place to cool off. It has been a retreat... an ongoing family vacation getaway. No matter how grumpy or stressed or tired, a flip off the diving board or trip down the slide provided a swift attitude adjustment. No matter how much laundry or dissertation data we had waiting for us at home... inside those gates, we were as free as birds. For those sweet hours, we were pretty much 100 percent present with out kids and with each other (and as someone who is always doing at least 12 things at once, that is pretty miraculous). We came together both as a family unit and as a community of people who appreciated the sanctuary of this little Chatham county paradise. Charlie Ann learned how to swim. Aden learned to love the water... "diving" in, going under, kicking, blowing bubbles, and even going down the slide. The Mr. and I remembered how to relax and have fun together.

We are trying to think of what we can do to soften the blow a little bit. We've talked about taking a family walk in the evening. We have also started to have a weekly dinner gathering with friends (so far we've tried Monday margaritas/kids eat free at Torrero's and Pizza/beer special at the Italian Pizzeria... and if we do this once a week we will all gain about 30 pounds). We're trying to put together a babysitting cooperative in order to guarantee a once a month date night per couple. Hopefully these little bright spots will add up to fill some of the void... though surely nothing will ever come close to taking its place!

Some highlights from this, our final weekend:

The Mr. totally stole the Fast Slide Glide Contest from Liz who shared her secret weapon only to have it used against her (I was disqualified due to a wardrobe malfunction/unintentional flashing incident).
Charlie almost went down the circle slide solo... though eye witnesses reported that the Mr. immediately dove head first after her and managed to just barely catch up grabbing her hands as they splashed haphazardly into the pool. When she came to tell me of her little adventure, her eyes were still as big as milk saucers from the surprise of it all!

Goodbye Briar Chapel Pool... and thanks for a great summer:

Making progress!

2009-09-08T20:48:00.004-04:00

Today, Charlie Ann spent the whole day at school (without a parent hovering) and she had blue paint in her hair to show for it!!! We put our official and teacher sanctioned Goodbye Plan into effect... 10 minutes swinging with Mama, 1 minute warning, 20 pushes on the swing, a goodbye hug, and a final wave from the gate. The part where the teacher had to pry Charlie's little fingers from around my neck wasn't exactly written into the plan, but I guess it wasn't exactly a surprise either. She cried for 5 minutes and then had a grand time with her friends and teachers. I really do think it is going to be OK. And when it isn't, there are always brownies: