my kids are hilarious

MMM! CHOC-OH-WIT!!!

Henry’s dream comes true.

winter snow

It’s finally cooled off here, hopefully for the rest of “winter.”  Enjoy this gorgeous song along with me, will you?

we laughed, we cried, etc.

In case you need a good cry, listen/watch this song by Steven Curtis Chapman.  His daughter was killed in an accident last year.  Her name was Maria.  This song pierces me and scares me and gives me hope and it's gorgeous. 

Now, if laughs are all you're after, check this one out.  This video reveals aspects of my children's personalities that are very interesting. 

tenth

Yeah, I am 14 years old and read the Twilight books and saw the first movie and enjoyed them all. But this is still HILARIOUS. How adorable is Taylor Swift?

tender-hooks (tenter-hooks? whatever.)

That's how I feel these days. I wait for the other shoe to drop, the ax to fall, the stuff to hit the fan. Right now my attorney is handling the traffic ticket, the insurance is (I hope) handling the property and bodily injury liability claims. My body is in a constant state of tension. Occasionally my mind allows itself to function normally, like a person who is capable, cheerful, and not in a CONSTANT STATE OF PANIC. But then I move my body and it all comes flooding back. The lights, the van in front of me, the BAM of the Cadillac hitting me. I relive my last lawsuit, remember the day I got served with papers the day after Christmas on our way out the door to the airport demanding $200,000 of me. I can't come through THE INTERSECTION in the same direction as I was going that night, not even when someone else is driving.

Yes, I've talked it out with people - OVER AND OVER until if I have to tell the story one more time I'll shriek. Yes, I practice deep breathing, relaxation and prayer. Yes, I've taken more Unisom than I'd like in an effort to sleep more deeply and restoratively. (Never more than 2-3 times a week.) Yes, I have a feeling it's going to take a very long time to feel free of the fear and anxiety that's taken root.

We went to a soul-rocking concert on Saturday night. I've been glad to listen to this song on repeat since then. All I need is a sunrise, just a moment of dawn.



(I know my more emotional posts really make some of you, if you're still here, uncomfortable. I won't say I'm sorry about that.)

believe it or not, she's walking on air

evening giggles

5 years/60 months/1825 days

Dear Henry,
Today you are FIVE. FIVE. Let me say that again - FIVE. This birthday of yours, this milestone has hit me particularly hard, in a way that none of your birthdays ever have - not even your first. It's probably because you are about to start kindergarten this August, and I am realizing that no, we can't just go to the aquarium when we feel like it on a random Friday because the school district attendance policy will frown on such absences. There's a major stage of your life about to end and a new one beginning that scares me, sends my mind to a place that I never knew I could go. Dooce said a lot of the things I'm thinking in her letter to her own 5 year old:

“I cannot wrap my head around the idea that you've been in our lives for five years, that seems impossible, wasn't it just yesterday that they yanked you out of my womb and placed you trembling onto my exhausted chest? I come back to that memory of you often, your right arm extended toward my face, the two of us meeting for the first time…

Your fifth year was by far the best yet, and not just because you are almost totally self-sufficient, although that does help quite a bit. There came a point in the last year when we felt like we were home free, like well, she can dress herself, pour her own cereal and read instructions, what's left for us to do? And now that you've got Wikipedia, do you really need two aging and out-of-touch busy bodies trying to guide you through life? Who's fact-checking the parents, am I right? It's like our only purpose now is to make sure you don't end up taking a job that requires the removal of your clothing, a job that could just as easily be accomplished by repeated viewings of E! True Hollywood Story. I'm thinking we're needed from here on out for the sole purpose of driving you to and from birthday parties…"

We exploded your entire world quite thoroughly in September when your sister arrived. You adapted so well and I’m not sure you really remember what life was like before Maria was born (and truthfully, neither do I). Your love for her is such a pleasure to observe and I sometimes feel like my heart is about to jump out of my chest when she smiles at something you’ve done. There’ll be times coming, probably as soon as she can walk and talk, when your now unconditional pure love for her will be adjusted as she breaks your toys, rips your books, and spits up on something of yours. Later she’ll want to tag along with you and your friends, and it’ll probably tick you off. I promise those hard times will not last. Treasure your sister, please.

Last night I told you the story of the day you were born and of how much you were wanted and waited for. You were mostly concerned about the sandwich your daddy had bought 5 minutes before they told me I was ready to push, the one he’d left on a windowsill outside the room – did someone else take it? Was it still there? I’m not surprised that this was your focus.

The other day when you were running from the end of the water slide back around to the beginning again, the freedom and joy on your face was so gorgeous. You have transformed in so many ways from the beginning - your shoulders have broadened, you have real hair on your legs, your baby belly has all but disappeared. THANK GOD your hands still have those little dimples instead of knuckles, otherwise I might not recognize you as the baby I birthed.

Son, you’ve brought your father and me so much joy, laughter, fatigue, exasperation, love, and fulfillment. You're so grown up, and we're so proud. Every time you call me Mom instead of Mommy it's a little catch in my heartbeat. Again, Dooce has said it better:

“You have changed so much since that first morning you spent with us, a morning that altered my life so drastically that sometimes it still feels like I'm catching my breath. I imagine that I won't ever stop feeling this way, won't ever stop having a portion of my brain dedicated to the thought of where you are and what you're doing, won't ever be able to escape the constant, nagging hope that you are happy and fulfilled. My pulse is forever closer to the surface of my neck because of you, because of my responsibility toward you, and I can't thank you enough for the dimension that this has added to what it means to be alive.”

gifted & talented

coming up with pithy titles is exhausting.

Henry and Maria had some fun this weekend... Henry had a friend over (the visit was sadly cut short by a mysterious puke episode on Henry's part - he was totally fine 2 hours later!), they watched a movie:

Maria had some fun in the stroller...

Yep, they're still blue...


Henry is a patient photo subject:

AND, she's done it! Maria is consistently rolling from back to front. I tried out the stop-motion movie feature on my new camera to show you her new-found abilities:

my beloved

hope you've got 4 minutes and 31 seconds... I promise it won't be time wasted.

legos and sitting up

Well... hello.

I haven't posted as often because I seem to have my hands busier these days. Maria is a peach of a kid and we are enjoying her SO much. She is very smiley and has begun to laugh, and it's the most awesome sound. Then she fusses and it's not the most awesome sound. Henry switches from usually being the most wonderful and happy child to occasionally being a whiny, emotional wreck. I can't believe how many times Timon and I have spoken the words "Santa's watching!" in the past few weeks. It's terrible. Bad parents.

With Maria being much more active, it's been hard to maintain nursing during the day, especially while I'm at work. I still breastfeed her first thing in the morning and last thing before bed, but she gets bottles during the day. We only have a few bags of freezer milk left, and then we'll move on to formula. I alternate between feeling tremendous guilt over stopping when I COULD continue and being incredibly pleased with the months she's had receiving breastmilk and relishing the freedom and extra time I have. I'm sure there are those out there who'd call me selfish for stopping, and believe me, I've been through all of that in my head. I agonized for some time, and have come to feel peace about it all.

Enjoy this video of Maria attempting to sit up, and Henry making a dog out of Legos. Sorry it's so dark. We were enjoying the ambience of the tree when Maria started performing, and forgot to turn on another light. You'll get the idea.

little full... lotta sap.

On Saturday we made our annual trip off the concrete grid to cut down our Christmas Tree at the nearest tree farm, one hour and 15 minutes away. It was a lot of fun this year with Henry wanting to operate the sawsall. Here is the tree he thought might be best- Sorry, son - you'll be smacking that tree trunk with that stick for a LONG time before it will fall.

Here are the kids in front of the tree we ended up getting:

They also sell wreaths. Hey, what's that in the middle?

We stopped on the way home for a little lunch at a nicely named deli:

And 4 hours later (I had to nurse Maria, make pizza dough, and go buy something to put the tree in since our stand has gone kaput, all before putting on the lights and decorating [both my jobs, every year, and I am totally fine with that]), here we are! Sorry it's a smidge blurry but seriously, using a flash to get a good Christmas tree picture? NAH.

And just so you know, we didn't have to pull it out by the root ball with our station wagon.

he's got rhythm, he's got music

twenty nine

Take a look at my children's first two-way conversation - it's so sweet, your teeth will hurt.

twenty seven

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I was successful last night getting everything done - the potatoes are mashed, the rolls got made, the cranberry relish is made, and the turkey sat in the brine all night. It's sitting on the counter, awaiting its time in the oven. In case you don't have a tv, aren't able to watch, or are traveling while it's on, I shall now live-blog the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. You're welcome.

9:01 Hi Matt and Meredith! Wow, it's 37 degrees. My dream come true!

9:03 Hi Al Roker! The clowns look a bit overly excited to be on national tv. And those are some big scissors to cut that ribbon with.

9:04 Henry's thrilled with seeing Tom Turkey!

9:05 Wouldn't it be embarrassing of one of those cheerleaders totally ate the pavement? Oh yeah, and it might hurt, too. COOL! A Smurf balloon! Are they promoting the live action movie "Smurf." that Chad's been trying to get made for years?

9:12 Selma Blair looks really shiny this morning.

9:13 I always feel bad for the performers when they have to lipsync. It NEVER looks like they're performing live, no matter how good they are at it.

9:17 Oooh, megastar Miley Cyrus. Where does she NOT appear? Okay, time to put in the turkey.

9:22 WHAT?!?!? White Christmas is on Broadway right now and this is the first I've heard of it? How is this possible? Well, these two jokers are NO Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Um, hello, I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm is NOT in White Christmas. This is terrible.

9:29 Michael Flatley - an EXPLOSION of entertainment and excitement.

9:31 "What ain't we got? We ain't got dames!" I have always had this thought in regards to this song: Maybe if you DIDN'T refer to them as DAMES, you might actually have one.

9:42 Henry is now excited about The Little Mermaid. I think it's hilarious that they use those Heelies shoes to make it look like she's swimming.

9:50 Sorry, but I don't understand the appeal of the Radio City Rockettes.

9:57 Look at those kids in the band! Love it.

9:58 Those giant Pilgrim heads are creepy.

9:59 Don't drop that rifle! Don't drop that rifle!!! Phew, they didn't drop.

10:00 Holy Crap! There totally IS a Smurf movie coming out! Matt Lauer just said it!

10:18 "Nothing but your t-shirt on" is NOT appropriate for the Thanksgiving parade.

10:24 Jump-ropers! Waiting to see if our church members are going to be on in their adults marching band, the 2nd time Arounders.

10:29 Those outfts on the flag squad are seriously unfortunate.

10:50 Here's Pikachu. I'm starting to think that the 2nd Time Arounders didn't make the tv cut after their audition yesterday.

10:55 Henry's day has been MADE. The Buzz Lightyear balloon is here!

10:57 SHUT UP. Rick Astley!!!!!!! I'm never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! We've been Rick-rolled!

Interrupting parade blogging to show you that both my children are loving the parade:

11:07 There they were! The 2nd Time Arounders were on. We only saw two people we know and for just a brief second. There's 6 or 8 members of our church in the band. They were cute.

Interrupting parade blogging again to say: The turkey smells unbelieveably delicious.

11:30 Is Darius Rucker (formerly of Hootie & The Blowfish) really doing country music now? Really?

11:34 Being serious now: I might start crying here in a minute. The Special Needs Color Guard of America is on and it is the most awesome sight. Can you imagine how proud these people's parents are?

11:37 And we have a winner for worst lipsyncher: Miranda Cosgrove on the Build-A-Bear float.

11:43 That Horton balloon is super-cute.

11:45 Kristin Chenoweth is impossibly adorable and talented. Love her.

Interrupting yet again to say that the smell of roasting turkey is a little bit of heaven on earth.

11:52 There seems to be some kind of mix up as to who's coming up next.

11:55 This Macy's high school band from all 50 states is really good.

11:56 SANTA!!!!!!



There you have it folks. Time to baste, stir up the mashed potatoes, and finish up preparations. I'm so thankful for everyone in my life, and hope you have a day filled with blessings. God is Good.

sixteen

Some questions for you all:

1. Did I give away my membership card to The North just now when I put on a turtleneck sweater, jeans, and socks? For your information, it's currently 55 degrees outside.

2. How did you all feel about the 4th Indiana Jones movie? I thought it was just okay. Not nearly as good as IJ & The Last Crusade.

3. What are you all doing for Thanksgiving?

4. Who will be the one to get Henry the number one thing on his Christmas List? Watch this video for more information on that:

eight

Not to be outdone by his little sister, Henry was enjoying a Jr. Frosty while watching her video slideshow from the other day, and decided to sing along. For those of you who don't know, that song by my dear friends in the John Kelly Band is available on iTunes...



Oh, and Maria had her two month checkup yesterday. She's 9lbs, 9ozs, 22 inches and perfect. That's all!

five

Hope you've got four minutes and 6 seconds to enjoy one of the two most adorable 2 month old babies ever to exist. If you don't, come on back another time. I promise it's worth it.

chad, this is for you

Oh, the siamang gibbons... I'm only one month removed from having a baby, and yet I almost ran (okay, so I walked really fast) clear across the zoo when I heard the beginning of their love song so I wouldn't miss seeing it. I could literally stand there all day and watch them when they are singing to each other. Anyway, Chad, I know it's been a while since you've been to our zoo, and so I thought you'd enjoy seeing them.



{and seriously, would it kill you to call us? :o) ***hugs***}