Here are a few things, other than swimming, we've done this summer:
We went to a minor league baseball game:
We have been watching lots of shows, many of them heavily influenced by Lucy's recent preoccupation with "The Karate Kid 2" :
And today we had a girls afternoon out at a Victorian tea house! The girls brought their "lady manners" and absolutely dominated in their fancy hats. It was a ton of fun, super girlie, and really highlights (for me) the advantages of having daughters!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Every Minute, Every Second... (by Katie)
I can't stop thinking about it... the beach! On August 7 we leave for North Carolina. I don't think I can wait any longer. I've taken taken my old 4th grade journal and devoted the empty pages to my "documents". I've made a sketch of the floor plans, explained them, labeled them, wrote lists of what I need to bring, games to play, what to do for 8 hours in the car, interviewed the girls, and now I am keeping a diary untill we go and leave. Oh...I have also wrote letters to relatives ( I hope you appreciate them, It took me hours!). On the floor plans I move a pencil across it, pretending it's me and I'm there : It's actually very entertaining :-). So now I have made a grocery store, park, etc. I hope that they will keep me entertained long enough in the car. The girls have made me make them floor plans. I seriously can't stop thinking about it! I think it's the only thing I live for right now. We come back August 14. The only problem is (besides the car ride) that my BFF leaves for a two week vacation today and comes back when we leave! We'll be seperated for 3 weeks! That's torture to me and her! But when I go for my vacation it should hopefully keep my mind off it. I love knowing something where just the thought of it lights a warm fire in my heart. Today I'll enjoy myself swimming then going to a baseball game ( some Volt guy is going to be there). Life right now is sweet . :P
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Impressive beginning, strange conclusion
Here is a literal transcript from an actual conversation. I have no comment on it because....there's just no way to comment on it.
Chris: What are you looking at Lucy?
Lucy: Map.
Chris: Oh, nice.
Lucy: Look - here's California!
Chris: How in the world do you know where California is?
Lucy: It's California!
Chris: Well, I'm really impressed. Where did you learn that?
Lucy: Hot dogs!
Chris: What?
Lucy: Sometimes hot dogs can come alive.
Chris: What are you looking at Lucy?
Lucy: Map.
Chris: Oh, nice.
Lucy: Look - here's California!
Chris: How in the world do you know where California is?
Lucy: It's California!
Chris: Well, I'm really impressed. Where did you learn that?
Lucy: Hot dogs!
Chris: What?
Lucy: Sometimes hot dogs can come alive.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
End of an Era
11 years ago, I was working at a daycare in Wintersville, OH. I was somehow or other under the impression that McDonald's milkshakes were an acceptable form of calcium during pregnancy, and I was spending my very first few days alone while Chris was in Baltimore on a business trip.
I left work on a Friday, picked up Vanessa, the fiancee of Chris' friend (or she picked me up, I can't remember now), made a stop at McDonald's for Fish Fillet Sandwiches and (of course) a milkshake, and headed out to Baltimore to meet our guys. This girl and I had met before, but this was the first time we had spent any real amount of time together, and it felt important for us to get along because it was looking like my husband and her husband-to-be were going to be relocated, taking us to a strange city where just about the only people we would know would be each other.
That was 11 years ago. I wish I could go back and tell my old self, nervous about a 5 hour drive with someone I barely knew, that it would all be okay. "She is one day going to pressure you into joining a gym," I would tell myself, "and you will love it! You will both be pregnant at the same time soon, and your kids are going to be great friends. One day both of your husbands are going to feel bad about spending all night playing computer games together, and they will buy you matching KitchenAid mixers to apologize. You will borrow recipes from, swap old-wives-tales with, and meet this woman at coffee shops late at night when you are both desperate and in need of adult conversation. You are going to spend Christmases, New Years, Thanksgivings and Easters with these people, and it is what is going to make this new city feel like Home."
These are the things I was thinking about when the Lobers came over after church on Sunday for the last time, ever. Our kids played their last game of whatever-it-is, some Indian/super-hero hybrid thing that can only be played satisfactorily in each others' company, and we sat around the table and talked, laughing with and at each other in the casual way that has grown up between us. By the end of this week, the Lobers will be gone, off to a better job, a super-sweet house, and a family support system that has always haunted them. Because they are like family to us, because we love them we are very, deeply happy for them. Because they are like family to us, and because we love them we are also sad to see them go.
As they pulled out of our driveway last Sunday, I used Chris' shirt to dry my eyes and he patted me on the head. "It was a good run, " he said to me, "People these days don't usually get so long before moving on." He was right. It was a good run, and like all good things it had to come to an end. We will miss them sorely, but I am grateful for the years' worth of memories and friendship that we have built up with them, and we wish them all the luck in the world as they move on to the next phase in their lives.
I left work on a Friday, picked up Vanessa, the fiancee of Chris' friend (or she picked me up, I can't remember now), made a stop at McDonald's for Fish Fillet Sandwiches and (of course) a milkshake, and headed out to Baltimore to meet our guys. This girl and I had met before, but this was the first time we had spent any real amount of time together, and it felt important for us to get along because it was looking like my husband and her husband-to-be were going to be relocated, taking us to a strange city where just about the only people we would know would be each other.
That was 11 years ago. I wish I could go back and tell my old self, nervous about a 5 hour drive with someone I barely knew, that it would all be okay. "She is one day going to pressure you into joining a gym," I would tell myself, "and you will love it! You will both be pregnant at the same time soon, and your kids are going to be great friends. One day both of your husbands are going to feel bad about spending all night playing computer games together, and they will buy you matching KitchenAid mixers to apologize. You will borrow recipes from, swap old-wives-tales with, and meet this woman at coffee shops late at night when you are both desperate and in need of adult conversation. You are going to spend Christmases, New Years, Thanksgivings and Easters with these people, and it is what is going to make this new city feel like Home."
These are the things I was thinking about when the Lobers came over after church on Sunday for the last time, ever. Our kids played their last game of whatever-it-is, some Indian/super-hero hybrid thing that can only be played satisfactorily in each others' company, and we sat around the table and talked, laughing with and at each other in the casual way that has grown up between us. By the end of this week, the Lobers will be gone, off to a better job, a super-sweet house, and a family support system that has always haunted them. Because they are like family to us, because we love them we are very, deeply happy for them. Because they are like family to us, and because we love them we are also sad to see them go.
As they pulled out of our driveway last Sunday, I used Chris' shirt to dry my eyes and he patted me on the head. "It was a good run, " he said to me, "People these days don't usually get so long before moving on." He was right. It was a good run, and like all good things it had to come to an end. We will miss them sorely, but I am grateful for the years' worth of memories and friendship that we have built up with them, and we wish them all the luck in the world as they move on to the next phase in their lives.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Tooth Fairy Trouble
Here is what happened: Claire's friend just lost her tooth last week, and she proudly showed Claire the little toy the Tooth Fairy brought her. A few days later, Claire also lost a tooth.
The Tooth Fairy has never brought anything other than a dollar around here, and even that cannot be counted on to arrive on time. (We all know how flighty the Tooth Fairy is, right? Sometimes it takes her a couple of days to remember......this is common knowledge - and don't even think about telling my kids otherwise!)
So, Claire thinks about this injustice as she prepares her tooth for its pillow. Then she decides to take action, showing her parents the note below just before bedtime.
I am sure this put the Tooth Fairy in a pickle, because she was not prepared to deposit a toy under Claire's pillow that night. In fact, she was probably not happy about setting a new precedent in regards to tooth compensation. She was also probably completely unsure how to handle this situation.
Luckily, I think she finally hit upon more or less the right note: she gave in to the immediate request, but laid the guilt on thickly to prevent its ever being made again. This was perhaps not the best tactic in the world, but hey! It worked.
The Tooth Fairy has never brought anything other than a dollar around here, and even that cannot be counted on to arrive on time. (We all know how flighty the Tooth Fairy is, right? Sometimes it takes her a couple of days to remember......this is common knowledge - and don't even think about telling my kids otherwise!)
So, Claire thinks about this injustice as she prepares her tooth for its pillow. Then she decides to take action, showing her parents the note below just before bedtime.
I am sure this put the Tooth Fairy in a pickle, because she was not prepared to deposit a toy under Claire's pillow that night. In fact, she was probably not happy about setting a new precedent in regards to tooth compensation. She was also probably completely unsure how to handle this situation.
Luckily, I think she finally hit upon more or less the right note: she gave in to the immediate request, but laid the guilt on thickly to prevent its ever being made again. This was perhaps not the best tactic in the world, but hey! It worked.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Blueberry picking!
Yes, it was hot. Yes, the girls were tired by the end. Yes, it was maybe not a good idea to stay up late for an outdoor performance of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" the night before....But this is becoming a tradition we all love (the ice cream at the end does a lot to help with this, thanks to Grandma Mlinek!) and we now have around 15 pounds of gorgeous, fresh, delicious blueberries to play around with! Jam, pies, cobblers, buckles are all in our future....if the girls don't gobble up all 15 pounds first.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Monday, July 05, 2010
Happy 4th of July!
We had some friends and family over for a little cookout yesterday, and it was a lot of fun! The kids all converged on the pool, the adults lounged (and sweated) on the deck, and then we wrapped it all up with a little fireworks display. It was shorter than the fireworks last year (which went on so long the kids actually got bored) but much more impressive.
Here are some videos - the kickoff, and then later on when the guys were really warmed up.
Here are some videos - the kickoff, and then later on when the guys were really warmed up.
Friday, July 02, 2010
Cranky musings of a pregnant whiner who does not appreciate nature the way she should
Every hour spent working in the yard confirms to me how much I hate working in the yard.
When we are done, sweaty and tired, itchy and achy, it might help if I felt a sense of accomplishment but I don't. What I feel is a sense of despair, that we will never have enough time, enough money, enough energy, enough willpower, enough know-how to ever transform this potentially beautiful yard from the white trash dumping ground of the dead and dying (except for the prickly weeds, which are flourishing nicely) that it currently is.
Chris and I recently saw a t.v. show where drug smugglers offered to landscape the yard of an elderly lady for free, so that they could secretly grow marijuana in the corner. They did good work, and her yard looked great (aside from the plot of weed - although, to be fair, that also was well-maintained and looked about as nice as a garden of illegal drugs can.) Is it wrong of me to be jealous of this scenario?
When we are done, sweaty and tired, itchy and achy, it might help if I felt a sense of accomplishment but I don't. What I feel is a sense of despair, that we will never have enough time, enough money, enough energy, enough willpower, enough know-how to ever transform this potentially beautiful yard from the white trash dumping ground of the dead and dying (except for the prickly weeds, which are flourishing nicely) that it currently is.
Chris and I recently saw a t.v. show where drug smugglers offered to landscape the yard of an elderly lady for free, so that they could secretly grow marijuana in the corner. They did good work, and her yard looked great (aside from the plot of weed - although, to be fair, that also was well-maintained and looked about as nice as a garden of illegal drugs can.) Is it wrong of me to be jealous of this scenario?
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