Monday Funday

The girls spend special time with Daddy every Monday morning. It has grown into such an exciting ritual that Sophia wakes up yelling, "It's Monday Funday!" And she dresses up for the occasion. Surely she wasn't the only one in a Flamenco Dancer Dress at Chick Fil A that morning?

Labor of Love

Here's my dad "Buelo" catching Fried Fish for Sophia for dinner. Yes, the dynamic in my parents kitchen is reminiscent of centuries past...My Mom surveys the supplies and sends my father out for the meat. If he brings a small bounty he is shamed...if his catch is large, they have a dinner party.

With Hope

I began this month excited about new beginnings and schedules and preschool and Fall. But I will always remember this month for something entirely different. I had the honor of being in a dear friends wedding two years ago - and yesterday afternoon, in that same church sanctuary, I had the honor of holding her precious baby while we celebrated the life of her husband, who was killed in action in Kandahar, Afghanistan on September 9th.

It's been a long month - filled, as promised, with preschool and birthday parties and schedules and school clothes. But my heart has been far away and sad. My friend has endured great sorrow this month with grace and beauty and unshakable resolve. I had to remind myself to breathe yesterday amidst both grief and pride as this amazing woman, who I met when she was a junior in high school, so bravely and poignantly eulogized her husband, flanked on either side by her four closest friends - All army wives, two pregnant, two with babies, all four with husbands fighting in Afghanistan. There is a strength I know nothing about. And there is a Hope that I am trying so hard to cling to...Because sometimes it just feels sad.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26

VB Overnight...

My Mom just took the girls to Virginia Beach for the night as we have two days full of child-care -needing events. Sophia called it her "vacation" (From what?! Me?) They will go to the Neptune Festival, celebrate Auntie RuthA's birthday, see the Sandcastle Contest, play in the hot tub, and be showered with attention. But do you know what Olivia will tell me about?

Ranger.
He may not feel the same way about her..but he's always been a good sport.

The Truth About Bedtime...

I've considered writing this post for a while...self-consciousness, or "image management" caused me to hesitate. Yet my desire to remember trumps my desire to appear competent so the truth must be told.


Our current bedtime routine is a circus act. It is not for the faint of heart or the sane of mind. It starts out very peaceful and slowly digresses into something other-wordly...


1. We read 3 books, 1 bonus book in the bed, sing 2 songs and pray...
2. Kiss Sophia Good night. Sophia reminds me not to let Olivia (that menace) wake her.
3. Door shut.
4. Count to three...MOMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
5. Yes?
What follows is a series of requests/desires/complaints/thoughtful quotes/philosophical questions/bathroom trips (necessary and unnecessary)/and general observations on the state of her bedroom.


She has slept in slippers and socks, with socks on her hands, horizontally for fear of her head hitting the headboard, with seven stuffed animals, with no stuffed animals, with a night light, with the hall light on, with Vicks Vapor Rub, and (my current favorite ) in a ponytail due to the extreme hysteria produced by her hair touching her ears while she tries to sleep.


Sophia brought home her classroom newsletter this week in which the teachers reminded us to put our children to bed early as they appeared tired during class. I was horrified and ashamed. I interrogated Sophia about whether she acted tired in class...BECAUSE WE PUT YOU TO BED EARLY YOU JUST DON'T GO TO SLEEP!


Two nights ago, on one of my trips into her her room, she commented, "Mommy, you are talking in the regular voice right now." "What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, last time you came in you were talking in the "Losin' It" voice."


That is what makes me sad about bedtime and why we will go back to the Sophia Bedtime Success Chart tomorrow night. When I leave Sophia the first time I always say the same thing: "Good Night Sophia. I love you. You are my precious girl." When I leave her room 35 times later, I am huffing and puffing and yelling in the "Losin' It!" voice. I morph into some sort of Ogre of the Night and am sad that these are our last interactions before she (finally) drifts off to sleep...

Until, I am woken at 4am by"MOMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!" And I must deliriously move her head away from the headboard or her hair away from her ears. Then I realize that she is probably not scarred - though I might be.

Sidenote: I kind of wish all of us mothering night wanderers could see each other and feel the solidarity. I often wonder who is up with me at 4am and why...
Also, if you are often up in the night I do not recommend reading books such as The Hunger Games. I found myself being chased in my dreams and then chased around the house as I made my way to my crying child. I found the book riveting but who needs that kind of stress?

85 Days and Counting...

Sophia: Ruthie, on your birthday will you be as tall as this tree? Ruthie: I sure hope so! I've been waiting my whole life to be tall...

Sophia: Yeah... (empathetic sigh) I've been waiting my whole life to turn four...

I'm Having a Moment...

...Because this sweet guy just turned five... I remember the day Braden was born. When Bryce called to tell us the news I burst into tears. Some moments are so big and mean so much that tears replace words and I think with Braden's birth somehow I had an instinct that our lives too would soon enter this season - and change in the biggest way.

My instinct proved right. And Braden has paved the way for us from the beginning...I know next year when Braden enters kindergarten, I will tear up. When Sophia starts... I will probably be stressed about whether she had enough breakfast. Sadly, I tend to be too engrossed in the details of my own children's milestones to be emotional - so I preemptively experience them through Braden:)

I've learned that you need a all types of community to raise children:.

- You need friends that are right there in it with you so that you can talk ad-nauseum about sleep schedules and baby food and giving up pacifiers.

-You need friends with grown-up children to remind you that it goes fast and though your adult children may not wake you up at night to eat, their more complicated issues can lead to an even lesser amount of sleep.

- You need friends without children to remind you of who you are and who you want to be outside of being Mommy Hold Me Mommy Hold Me and facinate you with tales of The Outside World.

- And you need friends that are In It With You but Just A Little Ahead. They have survived beautifully but it was recent enough that they remember how they did it and have gear to lend you to help you do the same...
Laurie told me what to register for for my baby shower and what books were worth reading and basically said over and over that I was making it in those dark post-partum days...And one day soon she will explain bus schedules and school supply lists...

and how to throw 5 Year Old Birthday Parties Your Child Will Never Forget..

I've always been a firm believer in Birthday Magic, having been a recipient of it quite a few times (Oscar Party anyone?) But when 5 Members of the Tribe Basketball team

made a surprise running entrance onto Braden's Backyard Basketball Court...

I think we all felt we really were at The Happiest Place on Earth...

Throw in some hot dogs and cheese balls (!) and it was a pretty great Saturday.

Not to mention the Basketball Birthday Cake (I might have to commission Laurie to construct the Ariel cake in December.)

And as always, there's Braden and Coleman's Playroom. We just don't have these kind of dress up clothes at our house...Hey! Wanna trade? 4 Sparkly boas for one Tribe Football helmet?