Safety First

My parents laid down sod in their backyard - and I have never seen it look so good. It is like a deep green pillow - even softer than our neighbors's astro-turf lined porch! And perfect for...roller skating? Sophia padded up for the backyard derby - and luckily this time, Foo had a helmet to wear too - no rollerskates, but she didn't seem to notice.

I would like to point out that Olivia is wearing an ensemble from the "Extra Clothes for Children Who REALLY Need Them and Their parents Are Too Negligent to Pack an Extra Outfit" closet from the Church Nursery, which she then covered in a chocolate treat. Oh dear Second Child. You are dirty. I am sorry.

At one point Olivia set off around the side of the house and I couldn't find her. But I was comforted knowing that wherever she was her head was properly protected.

Here she was. Screaming for the neighbor's swings.

Success!

When I was about 11, they made a new law in Virginia Beach that anyone under fourteen could not ride a bike without wearing a helmet. My Mom immediately went out and bought us all helmets. Daniel and I were in the throes of adolescent coolness - well maybe he was, i was just insecure and self-conscious. We refused to wear the helmets. She forbid us to ride bikes without them. We became faithful boardwalk pedestrians. Life lesson? Its hard to integrate new safety and wellness habits even in middle school (or we were Super superficial). These girls still have time. Tomorrow I will start dressing them in life jackets and that really cool sunscreen clothing...

The Wait

Sophia has really been enthralled with her calendar lately. She pours over it, pointing to random dates and asking me about their significance. This has inspired her to reflect on the holidays dearest to her heart and thus START TALKING ABOUT WHAT SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS. Constantly. In an attempt at intentional parenting I steer the conversation towards what she will give for Christmas. She responds well and enjoys thinking of things to give her friends. And then, always, she asks "Well, is Christmas on Thursday?" "No, not for a long time." "Next Tuesday?" "No, many months away." "Why?"

I realize she gets this from me. Christmas/Birthday anticipation fueled my enthusiasm for life for many years. But here's what I had that she, sadly, does not: a June birthday. There they are the two best days of the year - six months apart. The moment I received my due date for Sophia I began mourning the December birthday. Then she was nine days late, putting her deep in the heart of Advent. So when she tries to comfort herself over the delay of Christmas with dreams of her "Princess Birthday Party at Jumping Joeys Where Everyone Will Wear Princess Dresses and Mommy Will Bake an Ariel Cake" I have to reluctantly inform her that her birthday is far away as well.

But then we talk about all the fun things ahead with summer and the beach and pool and fireflies and then Pumpkins and Foo's birthday and she is encouraged. Her life is good, even if December is a long way away. And I am encouraged. I have until December to figure out how to bake an Ariel Cake.

Quote of the Week:

Sophia: Mommy, this is your bed? You don't sleep very much.

From Our Family to Yours...

Sesame Street. For 40 years Celebrating the potential of every child.

(Are we hired?)

All Town Throw Down

We went down to the farm this evening for the annual Student Ministries "All Town Throw Down" Sophia and Olivia roasted roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and ate caramel apples. Foo jumped up and down squealing when she saw the basket of chips. This concerns me.

Foo's first marshmallow - something tells me it won't be her last.

Quite a bonfire...

Sophia loved the "campfire" as it reminded her of Curious George Goes Camping.

Check out Foo's face and then the fact that she looks like she's headed out for some vandalism. The embarassing truth is over the week we have used every tissue box in the house and as is my habit I then move on to rolls of toilet paper. Cheaper, easier to carry.

Here I am with two of my small group girls Tara and Maggie.

Ali and Christina dressing for the theme. Love it.

Group shot of Lex and I with seven of our small group girls. Acceptances have been made and decisions mailed and they are all college bound in August. Is it weird that I am jealous in some ways? Its funny how memories work. I remember none of the stress of that time of my life - only the good times, the parties and the feeling that everything was before me.

As for Sophia, when Gail asked her last summer, as they walked through W&M, what college she would like to go to, Sophia at two and half answered "I am not going to college. I am going to get married. "

Where did she get that from? This only confirms my great fear of the Disney Princess Movement. I must start censoring her reading.

Coming Back

I usually blog at night. Lately nights have been spent cuddling up with this old friend: I think I have coughed every six seconds for the past six days. This has led to weight loss and very sore ribs. I, of course became convinced I had tuberculosis. Bronchitis? Not quite as dramatic but less of a public stigma I suppose. Regardless, we are making a comeback - thanks to the antibiotics that three of the four members of the family are on.

Today we colored, read, played grocery store...and painted!

Well Sophia painted. Olivia attempted to eat the paint off of her paintbrush and did successfully drink all of her paint water. Non-toxic is a term held dear to my heart...

And in bigger news: Yesterday we welcomed Finn Luke Adams to this crazy world! Finn is my college friend Jordan's THIRD child. Jordan has always been the trailblazer - first to get married, first to have a baby, first to have number two and now number three. And let me tell you about Jordan. She is AMAZING. She did things eight months pregnant that I didn't have the physical capability to do in college. She is incredibly relaxed. When Sophia was in the throes of the Terrible Twos and Matt and Jordan were here for law school, I would just stroll Sophia over there and Jordan would embrace us both and soothe our souls.

And the words written to our group of college roomates from the woman hours past labor and delivery going home to two more children:

"...Oh and i can't wait for all of you to be moms. It is the best thing in the world!"

Jordan - I need some of you in my life every day. You are an inspiration and example to me. May you one day sleep through the night...

Spring Break!

I suppose there is no spring break if you don't go to school - but we felt the spirit of it all around...and it was a gorgeous week...and Busch Gardens is officially open. Oh Happy Day.

I think my children have some level of religious commitment to Sesame Street.

Olivia couldn't walk yet last year so this is an all new experience!

Walking is the only requirement to ride any children's ride at BG. If you are twelve inches tall but can take one step in front of the attendant (often from Norway - love the accent) you are in. It's a flawless system.

Baking up some cookies - courtesy o'Melissa and Doug (who are those two and how rich must they be?)

Braxton Backyard Water Park was in full effect.

And another trip to Busch Gardens...

We're off to a few days in the Outer Banks and the girls are off to Virginia Beach for some Hot Tub Time...Spring Break lives on in our hearts.

Signs of an Economic Comeback...

It is now possible to contract out the delousing of your children's hair. According to MSNBC, what was once a true rite of parenthood - the painstaking and nauseauting removal of nits from pigtails-can now be handled by a "Hair Fairy" for a mere 300$.

But isn't this what parents do?

Hold back hair during all night throw up sessions, kill huge bugs, check the color of snot, be completely immune to all sicknesses, foul smells, and deplorable tasks.

300$. How I hate feeling replaceable...

Dear Mr. H Teeter:

Please give a generous bonus to the marketing team that pioneered the "Customer in Training" program. My CIT loves pushing her own cart so much she begs to go to the grocery store and once there fills her own cart - often enticing me to buy things I may not normally buy. Also, she walks at a slightly less aggressive pace, creating long leisurely shopping trips which also result in increased purchases. You win. Again and again.

Sincerely,

Former Food Lion Loyalist

As Overheard

Sophia: [Moan]

Nina: Oh Sophia tell me what hurts...

Sophia: (pause) My hips.

Indeed.

Easter is powerful and mindblowing. So much so that its painfully obvious how clumsily we grapple to wrap hearts - and rituals around it. The sacred and the profane battle it out once again in the holiday arena. Resurrection/Large Rabbit/He is Risen/Peeps/Eternal Hope/GETTING THE PERFECT EASTER PICTURE BEFORE THE PERFECT DRESSES ARE COVERED IN CHOCOLATE.

I was filled with hope this Easter in a new way, with a new depth of understanding of transformation and possibility and freedom. Yet, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak because alongside that hope there arose a fierce determination. Just...one...picture.



The sun rose.

And the battle began.

Sophia rose before the sun - Presbyterian at heart and hoping for a good service, I suppose. Regardless, she was out again by 7:45 in front of a Diego movie - very reverent.

This left Foo alone to eat from her Easter Basket. I woke Sophia at 9:45, dressed her rag doll body and threw her, the Foo, and the baskets in the car for church. This cancelled any chance of getting my traditional Easter basket picture on the couch.


Next thought? Parking median at church. Sophia is very awake and enthusiastic at this point. Foo was apparently wandering.

This is Sophia's response to "Please put your arm around your sister."

I should have given up at this point and prepared my heart for the service.

Here we go again...

Then we decided to move inside...

Then a friend suggested that she take my picture in the nursery wing with the girls. This would make it happen. What happened was I held up all of the nursery traffic which is quite the operation at our church

all for some pretty awkward pictures...

Somebody please stop me.

Aww yes, the finale. What is going on with my arm? My parents have a family portrait where we are all sitting in khakis on the beach (very original) and I am posed in such a way that my arm makes it look like I have three legs. This is almost as weird.

And that's it. I gave up and hopefully learned my lesson - again. I was in Sevastopal, Ukraine for Easter my senior year in high school. Everywere you went strangers would exchange the following dialogue:

"He has risen."

"He has risen, indeed."

I liked that. Some argue that rituals promote meaningless, nominal faith. But a friend once poignantly asked, "Are we simply exchanging old rituals for newer less beautiful ones?"
Look at the wierd arm picture again for the answer.

Hope your day was full of hope and meaning!

Down to the River...

For the second year in a row, we had Easter lunch (which turned, happily, into Easter -all afternoon - early evening) with some great friends at their house on the Chickahominy River. Since the weather around here has been Mid-July Minus the Bugs...it was a piece of paradise. Foo went on her first Egg Hunt!


Oh the joy in discovering treats inside!

Braden and Sophia

This does not get old:

Sheer Joy

"That Rabbit" as Sophia called Debbie... who thankfully stuffed her hidden eggs with legitimate things like chocolate and jellybeans unlike me who filled eggs with chex mix.

Presiding over the picnic...

We just can't figure out how to draw her out of her shyness...

As the afternoon went on the girls discovered the river and its beach and the unmatched glory of barefeet....

As the shoes started coming off I had a sense of where we were headed...

...straight into the river in beautiful Easter dresses!

And I should have seen the writing on the wall:

Because next thing I know she's dancing naked in the river... Can you think of any truer picture of Easter Celebration? And are we not all so jealous?