Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Memorial Day Weekend.

I haven't taken a weekend off since I started my business in 2010. 
This weekend, I was home on Saturday and Monday.  It was pretty awesome.  Dani has gotten into the habit every day of asking whether it is a work day for me....time to spend some quality family time.  Grillin' and Chillin'.
 Lunch picnics, and backyard fun.
 City parks and slides and running and swinging.
 Sweet shadow photos as the day starts to end.
 Nothing like recharging your batteries with family.
So nice to have a weekend with Big Man and the kiddos.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Herding cats.

That's what toddler soccer is like.  When you have a fifteen second attention span, dribbling drills don't really work.
 
 Although Tori did manage to do the "put your foot on the ball when we blow the whistle" a few times.
 It's like watching a pinball game during their games.  The ball bouncing everywhere, kids running in all directions, knocking each other down, and the complete inability to kick a ball into an unmanned goal.
 At least my kids didn't cry.  There were a handful of kids that after each play would wail and run off the field because they didn't get the ball.  Dani would just pick dandelions when she got bored.  Tori kept wandering off to the sidelines to say hello to the babies in attendance.
It's fresh air and sunshine.  That's about it, which is plenty at this age.
I took Dani and Tori to check out my new office today; they love the playroom.  Then we went out to lunch--at a restaurant!  They were amazingly well behaved.  After that, we braved two stores, Target and Kohls.  As we were finishing up, I spotted a Beatles shirt in the teen section.  I showed it to Dani, and we nabbed an extra small for her.  "I like it, Mommy.  But I wish it was the Beatles without the mustaches and the shorter hair.  I like them better."

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Where are you going, my little one?

Dear Dani,
It is happening too quickly.
Just a few minutes ago, I swear, I was a nervous and pregnant 35 year old, wondering how I would ever know what to do as your mom.  Wondering if I would do okay, if I would have that magical moment where I laid eyes on you and fell in love.  And I did.  Wondering if I would know how to raise you, and teach you and be your mom.  Really, it feels like yesterday.

But it wasn't.  Today I enrolled you in Pre-K.  In just a few short months, you're going to be riding a school bus, headed to school to make friends, and learn even more that you can imagine.  You're an amazing little girl--with a brain like a sponge, always learning, never forgetting, and consummately polite.  We're so proud of the girl you are becoming.

And, on days like today, it feels like you're becoming a girl too quickly, and it makes me want to squeeze you tight and ask you not to grow up, to stay my baby.
Like we sing at bedtime, "when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad".  You, my love are one of my favorite things.  My big girl is going to school.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

The *mostly* perfect Mother's Day.

I am woken by Dani and Tori, stuffed animals in tow, asking to snuggle.  They climb into our bed around 7am, and hug, and hop, bounce around.  After a few minutes, I step into the bathroom to brush my teeth.  Tori sneaks in, "Happy Mother's Day!" she exclaims.  I come back into the bedroom and there are presents, lots of them, wrapped in Christmas wrap, which seems to be a trend in our house.  Dani has decorated a card, filled with pictures of people; when asked, she tells me, "This is you teaching me ballet, Mommy."
Daddy takes the trio downstairs, and I fall back to sleep.  I wake at 9:30--as a mother of toddlers, this is an all too rare luxury.  I head downstairs to check in--we all have some cereal, and I head to the shower.  We have plans.  Big plans. Stupidly risky plans.  We are taking three toddlers to a fancy restaurant for brunch.  We get dressed, do hair, Big Man sports a suit and tie.  He tells me I look pretty in my dress.
We arrive--head to our table.  I fix a pair of plates for the girls, while Big Man sits with Tommy.  As I head to fix my own, I look over at the table, all is well.  When I return, Dani says, "I don't like this, Momm-ARRRRRRGH" and she starts to puke.  Thankfully she had the linen napkin on her lap.  I catch most of it in my hands and the napkin, and a fair amount lands on her dress. No one seems to notice in those fleeting minutes. As the staff (and owner) notice I am cleaning, they ask if everything is okay.  Big Man assures them it's no reflection on the food, as I bring Dani to the Ladies room.  We rinse her dress off, wash up and are as good as new.  The table now has a pink cloth napkin at her place and all is well.  My plate of food is cold, but we're staying! 
Mother's Day Brunch, Take 2.
 
 Tommy masters the fork, and, thankfully, doesn't play the spoon/fork/plate banging game too loudly.
Tori sits like a little lady, drinking her orange juice from a tea cup.  Dani does the same.
 Tommy starts to get antsy so we head outside for some photos.  Tori is determined to clown around in every pic.
 When we could catch Tommy, he smiled and was a handsome little dude.
 Catching the three of them?  No way.  Between Tommy's need to move, and Tori's constipated face, we were doomed.
 They did slightly better when they posed with Daddy.
 This was us, headed back to the car.  Tommy was leading the charge.
 Daddy and Dani paused for a photo.
It really was a lovely day. 
 
And, I need to make a shout out to my mom.  I had a childhood full of love and creativity.  It was filled with playgrounds and beaches and adventures of all sorts.  Of songs, and stories, and unwavering love.  There were "tiger hunts" through the reeds at the beach (long before the universe was tick-paranoid) fresh air, and picnics, and just so much fun.  I am the mom that I am because of the mom that I had, and I very often think that I'm not doing it as well as she did.  Because she was awesome.  And now, she is showing that same love to my children--on the floor with them, bouncing on the beds, in the wagon to the park, and non-stop never-ending fun.  Love you Mom!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Because it's silly, silly, silly, silly, silly, silly time!

We had a zany weekend!  I spent the week and a fair chunk of the weekend moving my law office.  The kids definitely have spring fever!
It's so awesome to see how much fun they have together!
 They are loving the warm weather, and playing outside.  And running around like crazy monkeys inside!
 And Tori, who lately won't look at the camera, was quite the ham.
Tonight, when we were watching a bedtime show, she saw two characters, and remarked, "It's his best friend."  So, I asked Tori who her best friend was.  (No cute answer like it's you mommy). 
She replied, "The other Tori."
Daddy asked, "Is that the naughty Tori?"
Tori neither confirmed nor denied.
 Tommy is now nearly as big as Tori, and is totally ready to rumble with the girls.
 Bethany junior Dani is busy tattling on all of them, and being insanely jealous of any little attention they get.
Oh, and did I mention, I picked up the pre-kindergarten enrollment packet for her today.
Pre-K?
Pre-K?
Where does the time go?
 The kids were all sitting together Saturday sharing a bowl of popcorn and being silly.  Tommy kept demanding a "bite bite" and Dani would feed him.  Adorbs!
Took the girls to the new office on Sunday so they could see that there's a playroom there!  New office has as much square footage as my damn house, so I figured it was time for them to have a spot to themselves there!