What's Right in Your World?

Last Friday I attended a conference and heard Dewitt Jones, a top photographer with National Geographic, give a talk entitled "Hallelujah: What's Right with the World." He had me at the title. A master storyteller, Jones urged us to see the wonder in our world and love what we do and where we are.

I find it hard not to be daunted as a parent looking into the future. The moment I gave birth I began to be afraid. I am afraid to give them this world. I fear the economy, and pandemics, natural disasters and terrorism. Will we run out of clean water? I fear middle school.

So I decided to take Dewitt Jones' challenge. I sat down and made a list of what is right in the world of Sophia and Olivia. I wrote some funny things and some things of beauty. I listed our extended family and our church family. I listed the moon and Christmas Carols and Chick-fil-A. The public library and the choir's version of "Fairest Lord Jesus" that feels transcendent. I remembered the first time I saw Les Miserables and how I felt forever changed. I mentioned Ice Dancing and the ocean, my brothers HUGE dog and my sisters little one. I wrote that I remember what their father was like in kindergarten and how their Buela's dream is to be a dancer at Disney World.

As I wrote, two things happened: 1. I couldn't stop and 2. I was filled with hope.

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Psalm 94:19

Heading to Charlottesville?

If not, you should be...

My brother Daniel, his wife Lindsey and their growing family are moving and have decided to rent their adorable cottage in the Belmont neighborhood as a guest house beginning April 1. Visit this site: www.stayincville.com for information and pics of our favorite "Smurf House." I highly recommend it for your weekend getaway - within walking distance of anything in Cville worth going to and across the street from all the Belmont eateries. I'm making reservations now for the next time U2 comes to town...

Fancy Nancy

Sophia and I attended the Fancy Nancy Tea Party at Yankee Candle on Saturday. In order to fully understand this post I have provided a glossary of key terms:

Yankee Candle - I realize when I reference the YC that most people imagine a small store in the mall. Hardly. My friends, Williamsburg is the proud host of one of the only two "Yankee Candle Flagship Stores". Think Christmas Village/Gift Shop at Cracker Barrel. The Problem is YC does really well at Christmas Time with its snow village and 8546 different Christmas scents. The rest of the year it has to find a niche and has really focused in on two areas 1. Fancy Nancy gear and 2. Vera Bradley (more prints than the eye can process, it's like 2003 in there)

Fancy Nancy - Robin O'Connor wrote an adorable children's book about 5 years ago. She then got smart and sold all franchising rights and probably her soul and now we have a heroine almost as commercialized as Dora the Explorer - but with French

Mrs.Clause - Again, working with its Christmas-year-round theme, Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause preside over the YC hosting events and parading about with a regal air.

The Fancy Nancy Tea Party was for young girls and their mothers or grandmothers. We were invited to dress up and promised a special photo shoot and book reading.  I made reservations for this event weeks ago and have been talking it up to Sophia. 
Always one for a good theme, I put on my feather boa and off we go. Sophia chose to wear her winter hat instead of her "fancy" one. I am trying to let go...
Here is Sophia at our special reserved table. Our flyer said 12 noon. I arrived - on time, amazingly after feeding Olivia and putting her down for her nap with Travis. When I get there Mrs. Clause informs me that the tea party does not begin until 1. I argue that the flyer said 12. She said "I'm sorry, No we will not begin until 1." She then checked the list and saw that I indeed had a reservation - for noon. Now know this about yours truly. I really like to be right. And I like to catch others being wrong - on  technicalities. It's why I have leanings towards legal careers and religious fundamentalism. Also know this, I am not a yeller. But I am a scowler. These are not things I am proud of. There I am, in my huge boa,  scowling at MRS CLAUSE! Within minutes I am so ashamed of my behavior - and what it modeled for Sophia.
Here is Sophia getting her picture taken by the professional photographer. Shortly after she smashed her face on our tea party table and Mrs. Clause was so kind and even ran off and came back with ice. I felt even worse for my bad attitude and kind of wanted to disappear. 
Here is  Mrs. Clause reading to all of the Fancy Nancy's. Some of these outfits were incredible. Sophia did not want to wear her boa because it was itchy. Mine was itchy too but I pushed through.
And finally, Sophia reading to herself in the toy section. I think she tolerated the Tea Party because she could tell I was excited and she got two mini-cupcakes. But right now the worlds she creates and the stories she dreams up trump any event or experience that can be purchased. This is a good perspective for me as my children grow: how much of this stuff am I really doing for myself - and for the pictures?:)

Fashion Week on Braxton Court

I threw caution to the wind one afternoon last week and took the girls outside. 

It was below 40 and windy, but we bundled up and it was worth it. Note to self: GET OUT.

Sophia is wearing pants, three tutus and probably six pairs of underwear. She opted for her fancy hat instead of her winter one. 

Foo played it safe in her reindeer hat and Juicy Couture fur-lined jacket. Check out those striped mittens. Does anyone else just love Target's dollar bins?

Here they are pushing Elmos. 

Ahh city living. It makes my sweet neighbor  Mrs. Spratley nervous when I let my children play in the street. But I am always standing with them and honestly I find our backyard more frightening. 

Getting Right to the Point

Olivia is slowly increasing her vocabulary. Lately her most-used word has been: "me." It might be an attempt to say "please." She shouts it whenever she wants something. I am struck by how how verbally efficient she is. How many words do I waste communicating little more than a very loud shout of "ME!"?

A Day in the life....of Elmo

On a recent snow day I thought I'd capture Elmo's adventures...

To give some background: Sophia has a "Potty Elmo" meaning he used to talk about how he had to use the potty and he came with a potty and a drink and apparently his purchase guaranteed desperate parents that potty training would be quickly successful. His batteries have been done for over a year but every once in a while he comes alive and starts speaking out of nowhere. Its like a Festivus Miracle. He is very well loved and very dirty, but again, due to the sewed in battery box, I can't wash him without major reconstructive surgery. I'm no seamstress and he's no Heidi Montag so we love him as he is and spray disinfectant when needed. Olivia has  a small Elmo because she is the smaller sister. She wasn't buying that bit so we got her an Elmo the same size as Sophia's. Hers is a puppet. Sophia is a little jealous of this. And I am just trying to scheme how we can get some royalties from the Childrens Television Workshop for all of this exposure.

So a few Saturdays ago...Elmo was taken out in the snow, wrapped in a towel because he has no snow pants...

Apparently the towel was holding him back so Sophia put him in the rocking chair as she played:

Later on during bathtime Olivia is playing with her Little Elmo, but if you look in the background...

Yes, Sophia's Elmo has to watch her take a bath - in underwear. That's baby powder in his mouth. I hear it freshens breath.

Olivia's Big Elmo was just trying to lie low in the crib, grateful for a day off...

REWIND: Christmas

Christmas Day - Check out Olivia's face, wondering once again how she ended up in this family...

Christmas Eve Service - We recycled the Flower Girl dresses fro Jess's wedding!

Traditional reading of the Christmas Story. Sophia was really engaged this year.

Family Portrait by the Christmas tree. Why do my pictures always look so posed? Why can't they be more organic?:)

Sophia pretending she is an only child.

Encore

  It snowed again this past weekend so I was able to get the pictures I had always dreamed of...

I think Foo might be more of a beach girl...

Better Late than Never...

Buela came to town today, sled in tow. She and Sophia found the last few patches of snow to play in and took a few thrill rides down a hill behind Braxton Court...

The Foo

"Olivia, You look like you are 32 years old." - Bryce

Olivia (aka Foo) has always had a maturity about her. Perhaps its the hair, or the style, or her sophisticated use of language...But she did turn 15 months yesterday - she's not getting any younger...

Her Own Woman

Recently, Sophia attended a birthday party where all the guests had been encouraged to dress as princesses. She refused and wanted to wear her pajamas. I refused. Somehow we compromised on a hand-me-down-shirt that says "I love my dog" and sweat pants. When  I came to pick her up  I discovered that she had removed her pants halfway through the party and was simply wearing the dog shirt and her two pairs of underwear -this is the one item she insists on layering. In my dark moments I am that parent embarrassed of their tragically dressed child. In my better moments I am proud and hope that this same independent spirit will allow her to blaze all her own trails, and perhaps one day win a Nobel Peace Prize for liberating oppressed princesses everywhere...

Snow Days

So this is the point where you should scroll down and see pictures of my children playing in the snow. Sorry,  I will have to create a word picture. Travis was gone on a ski trip when WINTER STORM '10 descended. I was left to defend my home, swaddle the girls in snow gear and take them frolicking. Olivia took one look at her snow pants and burst into tears. Who could blame her? She screamed throughout the 20 minute dressing process and then continued to cry as I dressed Sophia  and carried both of them outside. At which point I place Olivia on the ground and she face plants it in the snow. Six minutes later we trudged back inside and returned to our pajamas. Somehow I missed taking a picture of this fun. So below are scenic pictures of the neighborhood. I considered just laying out the girls outfits and taking pictures of them because they really were cute but then I thought maybe that was just a bit odd and hardly the same effect.

 Braxton Court. Many of my neighbors have alliances with each other which involve shoveling each others sidewalks.  Apparently we have  some relational work to do...

Town Square

Village School

The Journey Begins

Years ago I stood in the hair care aisle at Target with my friend, and personal life guru, Suzanne.  "What is it Suz?" I asked. "What is it about the hair products that we are so drawn to?" Suz's response? With a sigh, she stated: "It's like hope. In a bottle."

Below, you see Sophia, beginning her own pilgrimage with exuberance. The product of choice? Spray Detangler. We all start somewhere. Unfortunately she has yet to learn that first lesson of product use: less is more and more is matted.