Hot/Not
Playing along again for What’s Hot/What’s Not Wednesday.
HOT
- Spending the day enjoying the fall sunshine. Being on our annual anniversary trip is so relaxing; we absolutely love it here.
- Missing my girls. Even though we want and need time away now and then, it is nice to miss them occasionally.
- Eating excellent meals every night that I don’t have to prepare and not having to wash one single dish afterward.
NOT
- Finding out via cellphone message that your five year old got sent home from school with pinkeye. Knowing the medication burns like hell (I had it last year) and that Grandma has to give her the eye drops until we get home tomorrow afternoon.
- We have to go home tomorrow! WAH!!!!
8 years
Bryan and I were married eight years ago on a beautiful, warm, sunny fall day. I look at our wedding photos and cannot believe it has been eight years, marveling at how much has changed, what has stayed the same, the two new lives we are now responsible for. Though the physical trappings have changed since that gorgeous day in 2001, many things have only grown deeper with the passing time: our love and respect for each other, our commitment to each other and our family. I once mourned the loss of those giddy new days of young love, when the whole world seemed brighter and shinier just because of being with the person you were crazy for. But now I see that true, abiding love is a gift in itself. It stands the test of time and provides a strength that will carry you through life’s trials and tribulations.
I love you, BCH. Eight years and counting.
That Green Dude is an Angel
There’s been a ton of drawing going on here lately. Arwyn has been really into my our Ed Emberley books and she’s finally at an age where she can pretty much do them by herself. She prefers if I sit and draw with her, but I can’t always do that. We own three of the books and I’ve found a few at our library, but I think I will be adding some to her Christmas list as well. I love adding to our book collection and I know this is something that will be used for many years to come.
The problem that arises, of course, is that Little Miss One Year Old thinks she needs to do whatever it is that her big sister is doing. She likes nothing better than to sit and draw all over herself with Arwyn’s markers, taking the lid off and putting the lid on over and over again. In a fit of desperation I purchased these crayons at Target one morning. While still in the store, she grabbed the box from me and threw it on the ground, so two of the tips were already broken off when we got home. She then proceeded to peel off every millimeter of paper on every single crayon and broke most of the crayons in half. I do like the triangular design, though that hasn’t done much to stop her from drawing on the couch. At least they are washable. You would think I would have learned my lesson with those ill-fated markers, but apparently not. And thus begins the phase where every clothing item and piece of furniture in the house is covered in something: crayon, marker, ink, dirt, food, or some grotesque combination of all of the above.
Thoughts
It’s a cold, wet, rainy day and a large pot of ham and beans simmers on my stove top. Combining three different recipes, wondering if it will taste anything like my grandmother’s used to and wishing I had cooked with her when I was younger. The beautiful tree across the street is losing leaves by the minute as they float silently to the ground outside my window. It is my absolute favorite tree in our neighborhood. Even on a dark and dreary day like today, the space surrounding that tree is golden, reflecting thousands of bright yellow leaves into the air. I would like nothing more than to climb back into my soft cozy bed and dream the hours away, but I have a household to run and the to-do lists beckon.
Literary Love
I’ve long had a love affair with books. Libraries, book fairs and book orders at school, book stores, all of these I would list in my favorite things. Remember RIF? And Weekly Reader? Ahhh, good times.
The last time we were at my mom’s house she wanted me to go through a few stacks of books squirreled away in my old room and take home what I wanted. It seems I went through a “sad book” phase–books riddled with angst, childhood disease, moving away from your friends, etc. If it caused The Ugly Cry I wanted to read it. Then there was the romance phase. One of my high school friends used to call them my “slut novels”. My mom, my grandma, my sister and I all passed dog-eared paperbacks around. Countless nights I stayed up way later than I should have reading in my bed. Nowadays I can barely stay awake to read more than a couple of pages. Someday I will read again!
This love of literature is a trait I hope to pass on to my girls. You’re never bored or lonely if you have a good book to get lost in. We have lots and lots of books in our house. We visit the library several times per week. Arwyn is beginning to learn to read on her own, which is amazing to witness. I’m not so sure I’d be ok with her defacing her books like I did, though. There used to be a little closet at my parent’s house (it is now a bathroom) with built-in shelves along the walls. I took my metal stool in there and had my own personal library. I wrote friends’ names inside the cover of the books, along with a number and stamp. I can’t believe my mom let me do this. It is also kind of neat to see my little-kid handwriting. I never realized how much that changes over the years. I wonder at what age it settles in to stay? I’m teaching Arwyn to write her name in cursive, which is fun too. You can almost see the light bulbs popping on over her head.
37
Monday was Bubby’s birthday. With all of the working and traveling that has been going on here lately, this special day was at great risk for being swept away in the general turmoil of day-to-day living, but we managed to pull off a small celebration at home. Bubby enjoyed handmade signs and cards, off-key singing, bbq chicken pizza & chocolate chip cookies and a few small gifts, most of which seemed to involve coffee.
I love you, Bubby Joe. I hope you get what you wished for.
Squishy Cheeks
Over the weekend we went to see my BFF Juju and her little honey pie, Lexi. Traveling with a one year old ages you, or I should say, me. I don’t want to wish her precious early days away, but I really can’t wait until Lokie is easier to travel with. For Arwyn we just throw a couple of movies, something to draw with and a couple of books in a bag and we are good to go. Piece of cake. True, it wasn’t always this way and I can remember the days when I dreaded making a trip across town with her. I flat out refused to go anywhere for the first six months of her life. Things gradually got easier and now she’s a great little travel companion. So I am looking forward to Lokie growing into that stage.
We went to a harvest celebration at Juju’s church (more pics to come), I made my first ever trip to Whole Foods (loved it, wish there was one here), we ate, we talked, we wrangled kids. That pretty much sums up our trip. It gets harder to carve out girl time when we have little ones to tend to. I’m dreaming of a weekend getaway…
Croup, There It Is
After a thousand days at home, Arwyn is finally back to school this week. Ok, it was only four days. It just felt like a thousand. I love that girl to bits, but I can only play so many games of Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid, Blink, Snap and Crazy Eights before I want to poke my eyes out with whatever sharp utensil I pull out of the drawer on the first try.
She breezed through her schoolwork in about an hour and the rest of the time we colored, wrote notes to friends and family, played computer games, made cookies, watched movies, made crafts, watched lots of cartoons, ran a few errands and otherwise just made like we were veggies, minus the dip.
She was quite excited to return to school this week, though she was not thrilled about the reinstated bedtime. And bathing, she could do without that also. I’m just glad everyone is back to what passes for normal around here.
What’s Hot + What’s Not
In the spirit of Loobylu, today’s post is a snapshot of what’s hot and what’s not at our house this week.
HOT
- Little Lokie’s head. Still running a temp for the third day. Arwyn’s lasted three days, so I’m hoping today is it for Lokie’s. Get out of here, germs! We want to go visit Juju this weekend!
- The awesome fall weather. Completely enjoying opening the windows, wearing hoodies, and watching the leaves shift from summer greens to autumnal shades of yellow and brown.
- The fall festival. We are planning a visit this evening. More to come on this wild and wacky topic.
- Pumpkins and apples. Craving something caramely. Trolling the internet for new recipes.
- Getting out the Halloween decorations to fancy up the house a bit
Not Hot
- Having two kids sick at the same time. There’s just not enough Mommy to go around!
- Being housebound. I think we’re all a little stir-crazy.
- The squirrels (or some other little creature) not only nibbling on, but also carrying off our pumpkins!
