Underwater

This week was crazy.  Like more crazy then our normal crazy. Going into it I really wasn’t sure if I could pull it all off.  I knew I was going to be underwater all week.  Guess what I learned?  I’m a fish.  I can breath underwater.  Everything got done, everyone was where they were supposed to be, and everyone had what they needed!  Ha, so there!  We even had some really great moments.

Adrienne had a choir concert.  Sof is into “reading”.  She even found Adrienne’s name in the program because she knows what Culley looks like.  Smart girl:)  

     

Oh yeah, she’s into accessories too.

   

Adrienne and I also went on an outing with her dance group.  One of the alumni from our studio is in the National Tour of “Memphis”.  They were playing about an hour away from our home.  In the afternoon 2 of the cast members came to the studio and conducted a class with our kids.  They taught them choreography from the show.  Then the kids had a dinner and got ready at the studio.  We all loaded on 2 tour busses and headed to the show.  It. Was. So. Amazing.  I can’t even put it into words.  Soooo good.  The last song in “Memphis” was our production number last year, so at the end the kids all jumped up and started doing their choreography and yelling and clapping.  It was so fun!  After the show we had a question/answer session with the cast.  So amazing for the kids to see someone they danced with on the big stage now!  We got home well after midnight on a school/work night, but I’d go back again tonight if I could!

    

Easter cards arrived in the mail today from the Grandparents.  Girlfriend knows what they are, and knows to look for money(that’s my girl!).  She is super excited for Easter!  She has figured out what holiday’s are.  She knows decorations and cards mean she’s probably getting presents and candy!  She has a long list for the Easter Bunny who in her eyes is on the same level as Santa.  We’ll see if he delivers:)

     

Tomorrow is our last day of school and we will have a whole week home for spring break.  A sweet reward for making it through a week like this.  If all goes well, my partner should be leaving to get her little guy from Korea, and I will be working fulltime after the break.  That, I’m not looking forward too, but when I think of her finally holding the sweet baby boy who’s pictures she’s stared at for a year, I think I may burst:)   

It’s Official, I’m Old

No, I didn’t have a birthday.  What I’m about to say in this post automatically qualifies me for a different generation.  I could pretend it isn’t so, but it’s really what went went through my mind on Saturday morning when I dropped Adrienne at her friend’s house to go to a Bar Mitzvah.  Yes, it’s true, I actually thought, “These kids today!”. 

   

Seriously, these girls are in 7th grade.  Where’s the awkward people??  How about a pimple, buck tooth, or one breast smaller than the other?  Isn’t that what middle school is all about?  I am a little jealous and bitter proud to be mama to one of those beautiful girls. 

While I’m at it I might as well throw in a, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to”.  My alarm clock is from when I was a pimply, buck toothed uneven breasted girl in middle school.  Hubby is constantly making fun of it.  He thinks when the alarm goes off it sounds like it’s saying “Nineteen Eighty Four, Nineteen Eighty Four”.  He has a fancy one that projects the time on the ceiling and adjusts itself after time changes or power failures.  Guess who’s wasn’t working this weekend?  Just sayin’…

How about “Don’t make me pull this car over”.  Actually, this was a beautiful drive to dinner with wind blowing. 

    

Things didn’t get nasty until after dinner. 

“I want dessert and I want it NOW!!!”

On an unrelated note…

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to squelch your child’s natural interests and talents and make their interests your interests?  This girl really loves balls. She has good aim and good catching.  Not only does she like to play ball, but she instructs everyone else how to hold their hands to catch it.  What if she wants to play sports?  Shudder.

 

“If you stand that close to the TV you’ll go blind!”

I don’t have a fancy transition for this one, so I’ll just say Lexi had a gymnastics meet.  She did great and had fun. 

Girlfriend was tired by Sunday, she just passed right out…

I didn’t notice because I was vacuuming literally right next to her.  Now that’s sleeping like a baby:)

Happy Birthday Lexi!

 

Dear Lexi,

I can’t believe you’re 10!  Double digits!  You are an amazing girl.  You are beautiful, funny, and smart.  You have a special heart Lexi.  You care for others so naturally.  You are perceptive to everyone’s needs and wants.  There is a lot I have to learn from you.  I am so lucky God chose me to be your Mommy.  You bring me joy everyday.  It’s such a pleasure to watch you grow into a young woman.  I love you so so much!!

XOXOXO,

Mommy

525,600 Minutes

How do you measure, measure a year?

One year ago today we woke up in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Mark and I were in a hotel room, full of excitement, and a bit of ignorance at how difficult it was going to be to take our daughter from all she’d ever known.  Those first days are impossible to put into words.  There isn’t an emotion you don’t feel during that time.  If you’ve done it, you understand.  It’s nothing short of a miracle however, how quickly that all fades away and gives birth to a life that was meant to be. 

This morning I awoke to sounds of little feet coming down the stairs, and little hands quietly opening the door to our bedroom.  When our eyes met and she realized Mommy was awake, a smile filled her face.  She crawled in bed and I cocooned her body.  She took my hand and showed me exactly how she wanted me to rub her forehead, and demanded that I kiss every inch of her cheek. 

A year later she takes everything from me that I so desperately wanted to give her on that first day.  Comfort, safety, peace, and love.

How do you measure, measure a year?  In daylight, in sunsets, in midnights and cups of coffee, in inches, in miles of laughter and strife.  How do you measure a year in the life?

Today we celebrate her and all she’s accomplished in this year.  We celebrate us too, because we’ve come a long way also.  Let’s face it, we just like to celebrate(Happy Birthday Mom!).  There are cupcakes with birdy nests on them.

  

I have all my birdies in one nest, and it’s going to stay that way!

There are presents.  Well, a used scooter handed down from the cousins, that’s what happens when you’re the 3rd egg.

  

Measure in love.

Happy Gotcha Day!  We couldn’t love you more…

Back to Basics

All it takes is a warm breeze and some sunshine and the world seems simpler.  An extra hour of evening daylight allows for more time and motivation to do household chores.  Which means there is more time for things like…

 

bike rides.  Girlfriend is loving the park!  Probably because she’s actually big enough to use the equipment by herself.  I love to see her run off and join the other kids like she owns the place. 

Look who can reach the pedals of her own bike.  You’ve come a long way baby!

Somehow we found time that usually isn’t there in the week to sit in the driveway and watch kids play.

Yes, this week we found extra time to enjoy our babies…

and this weekend we will celebrate them. 

Hello Happy

I’m not naïve. we live in Michigan and it could snow tomorrow, but today the sun is out and it’s warm.  So, I’m gonna choose to live in the happy part of my brain that says it’s spring. 

I had a beautiful run outside this morning.  Last week Rick reminded me he’s doing a St. Patrick’s Day 10k and I should join him.  No, I explained, I’m really struggling to just get 3 miles in lately.  I’m not running well.  Last night he brought me a Runner’s World magazine and even opened it to the “Run Your First 10k” article and left it on my counter.  He asked me again, I declined, he said, “Okay, maybe another time”.  Subject dropped…I thought.  The man has my competitive feathers ruffled.  Did I really say I couldn’t do it?  Is that true?  Can I really not run 6 miles?  So this morning it nagged me my whole run, and when I got to the end of my route I turned around and did it again.  So there’s the answer, not only can I do it, I can do more than it.  Now the question is, is just knowing it good enough? Or do I need to prove it in a race?  Jury’s out.

Things that are popular at our house lately…

      Painting…

 

This dance outfit…

She puts it on as soon as she gets home from school and wears it to bed.  When she’s wearing it she thinks she’s a rock star.  Girlfriend has some moves:)

Unfortunately the beloved dance outfit didn’t get pulled up all the way and ended up with pee on it.  It’s in the laundry basket, and I can assure you I’m in no hurry to wash it.  In the meantime she’s resorted to dressing up like DJ Russian Rapper.

 

Crawling…

We have to watch where we walk now because this girl is no longer content to sit and play with the same 3 rattles.

Choo choo trains…

The toy kind and the imaginary made out of chairs kind…

Now is a good time to explain why the chairs are lined up.  Saturday morning Sof and I were up at 6:40.  We sat down at the table for coffee and breakfast and I remembered a project I started last year that requires nice weather.  I wanted to sand and re-varnish my table.  I went in the basement and got a sanding block.  When Mark stumbled out in the kitchen a couple hours later he said, “Alright, put the sander down. I’ll finish it”.  Works for me!

It helps if you have a father that can come over and supervise the project.  Someone has to tell you how you could do it better:)

I love this little diaper butt covered in a rose tutu…

I also love the competition for Emmy’s attention.

I REALLY love these shoes…

And I really REALLY love all of these little and not so little people…

We gathered at Ellen’s today to celebrate Alexander’s 2nd birthday.  It was so awesome for the kids to be able to play outside.   

This is Alexander’s other Grandma.  Sof took to Jane immediately.  Jane is saying to Sof, “If your mother wasn’t here I’d be getting you another piece of cake.”  I kid you not.  They obviously have a connection:)

    

I love this boy!  He makes his mama work…hard.  He makes it all worth it though.  He has such a personality you can’t help but laugh when you’re around him.  He’s all boy, but with drama.  He had a cute party hat, but when Ellen put it on him he looked at the crowd and said, “Help!” LOL!  Happy Birthday Alexander!!

  My phone tells me this weather is here to stay for the week.

I’m hanging on to happy:)