Merry Montage Christmas
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Jolly Holidays
These past few weeks have been BUSY! I know everyone else is feeling likewise so suffice it to say we have been very into trying to keep everything balanced here in our world. Kidwells and Christmas are like peanut butter and jelly. Seriously, our family is obsessed with this season. It brings out the best in our family. Our tree is up, lit and decorated. There are stockings hung, lights strung, cookies baking, carols sung. Whenever people tell me they hate Christmas I feel a physical urge to bop them on the head. There is so much magic this time of year that it is actually visible if you look for it. People hold the doors for their neighbors when they otherwise would rush to go first and not even do the "shove-the-door-open-wide-enough-for-yourself-and-if-they-hurry-they-won't-get-clipped" move. Snow covers lights outside so that they give off that warm glow beneath the fluffy cover. I mean have you ever seriously looked at freshly fallen snow? It literally glitters in the winter sun. Alright, now that you all have diabetes from how sickeningly sweet I am being... I just wanted to say how blessed we feel this season.
I was making dinner last night. Spaghetti and meatballs were on the menu. Lily LOVES spaghetti. I mean loves it like a true Italian girl should. The kid has shreds of Italian in her but you'd think she was first generation the way she horks this stuff down. So we are eating said meal and Lily is nomming my spaghetti after she already finished a bowl of her own. I slice her off a piece of meatball and she eats it while making a weird face. We continue our steady inhalation of noodles then I try to offer her another bite of meatball. She backs away and says,
"They don't taste good very. But they look lovely!"
I burst out laughing as did Mark. Just now as I was typing that it made me laugh because I picture her face and the inflection in her voice as she said it. I just love the 3 year old lingustics of saying "good very" instead of "very good". Add to it the fact that she tried to sugar coat the insult with a 60+ year old's version of a compliment about "looking lovely" so as to spare my feelings.
Lily is super excited about Christmas this year. She has so far talked to Santa on the cell phone... oh yeah. Placed, replaced and reorganized the placement of her ornaments on the tree. They are all at around three feet high around the base of the tree. And she is vigilant at moving her friend mouse in his little calendar to the correct day so that she knows how far away Christmas is.
I am trying to keep making sure to document these memories. So forgive the lapse in blogging. But to make up for it I have some pictures of the Christmas decorations.
I was making dinner last night. Spaghetti and meatballs were on the menu. Lily LOVES spaghetti. I mean loves it like a true Italian girl should. The kid has shreds of Italian in her but you'd think she was first generation the way she horks this stuff down. So we are eating said meal and Lily is nomming my spaghetti after she already finished a bowl of her own. I slice her off a piece of meatball and she eats it while making a weird face. We continue our steady inhalation of noodles then I try to offer her another bite of meatball. She backs away and says,
"They don't taste good very. But they look lovely!"
I burst out laughing as did Mark. Just now as I was typing that it made me laugh because I picture her face and the inflection in her voice as she said it. I just love the 3 year old lingustics of saying "good very" instead of "very good". Add to it the fact that she tried to sugar coat the insult with a 60+ year old's version of a compliment about "looking lovely" so as to spare my feelings.
Lily is super excited about Christmas this year. She has so far talked to Santa on the cell phone... oh yeah. Placed, replaced and reorganized the placement of her ornaments on the tree. They are all at around three feet high around the base of the tree. And she is vigilant at moving her friend mouse in his little calendar to the correct day so that she knows how far away Christmas is.
I am trying to keep making sure to document these memories. So forgive the lapse in blogging. But to make up for it I have some pictures of the Christmas decorations.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Season of Wonder
I am the first to admit it. I was a snow hater. It began in my middle school years because snow soooo got in the way of wearing cute and trendy clothes. My mom and I would battle over me wearing sandals and skirts when more weather appropriate attire would have been mukluks and a snowsuit.
The hatred towards winter weather increased in intensity when I reached my college years and was appalled to realize that there were no "snow days" on campus. Since you basically walked everywhere, there was no threat of getting into car accidents driving on freshly coated streets. You could just slip and slide your little self right into a classroom. I remember specifically one morning at UW-Eau Claire where I woke up, bundled up, (yep, you read that right, Mom) and grabbed my backpack. My roommate, still in her bed, mumbled something snarky about enjoying my walk to class. I responded to her with some self-important diatribe about being responsible for my education. I shuffled down the stairs in my dorm to the glass door that exited to the courtyard. It was pure white from the snow drifts that were imprisoning me and fairly taunting me to go back to bed. After I shoulder checked the door several times opening it only inches wide, I squashed myself though and proceeded through thigh high snow that had not been cleared from the campus sidewalks. It was at the top of the stairs (if you know UWEC you are aware the living facilities are, as a practical joke, placed on top of a giant fricking hill and the class buildings are at the bottom) when it hit me that it had taken thirty minutes to trudge about 50 yards. I said screw it and headed back to my room where my roommate was abed chuckling like a jerk.
That being said, I think you grasp how I felt about these wintery months. It wasn't until last year that my hatred began to ebb. Lily loves being outside. I mean really REALLY loves it. She will play for hours in the great wide open regardless of what the weather is like. Last winter, we bundled up and made dozens of snowmen. We got ourselves snowsuited and went sledding hundreds of times. She left yards full of snow angels and tiny boot tracks everywhere we went. Icicles were things to be marveled at. Fresh snow was something to be played in and formed into balls of varying shapes, sizes and purposes. Grades were given for best types of snow for packing, flinging and stomping. There was absolutely no stopping her. As I watched her eyes light up this year at the first glimpse of snow I began to think of how magical the world looks cloaked in white. I was amazed at how Rockwellian our little neighborhood looked this morning when I opened the curtains and realized we were snow covered.
Leave it to Lily to turn something I absolutely detested into something that fills me with the feeling of hushed awe. I snuck into our bedroom just now and held Mark's hand all the way to the front window where he sleepily peered out and smiled. His thoughts going immediately to the fun he and Lily would have outside this winter. Or maybe he was thinking about what the look on her sweet face will be when she wakes to a real snowfall. It is a heartstopper to see her reactions to these moments of magic. As you read this, I will be hoping you get your own little slice of wonder this season. Take the time to see it as I now am able to see it... a blank canvas.
The hatred towards winter weather increased in intensity when I reached my college years and was appalled to realize that there were no "snow days" on campus. Since you basically walked everywhere, there was no threat of getting into car accidents driving on freshly coated streets. You could just slip and slide your little self right into a classroom. I remember specifically one morning at UW-Eau Claire where I woke up, bundled up, (yep, you read that right, Mom) and grabbed my backpack. My roommate, still in her bed, mumbled something snarky about enjoying my walk to class. I responded to her with some self-important diatribe about being responsible for my education. I shuffled down the stairs in my dorm to the glass door that exited to the courtyard. It was pure white from the snow drifts that were imprisoning me and fairly taunting me to go back to bed. After I shoulder checked the door several times opening it only inches wide, I squashed myself though and proceeded through thigh high snow that had not been cleared from the campus sidewalks. It was at the top of the stairs (if you know UWEC you are aware the living facilities are, as a practical joke, placed on top of a giant fricking hill and the class buildings are at the bottom) when it hit me that it had taken thirty minutes to trudge about 50 yards. I said screw it and headed back to my room where my roommate was abed chuckling like a jerk.
That being said, I think you grasp how I felt about these wintery months. It wasn't until last year that my hatred began to ebb. Lily loves being outside. I mean really REALLY loves it. She will play for hours in the great wide open regardless of what the weather is like. Last winter, we bundled up and made dozens of snowmen. We got ourselves snowsuited and went sledding hundreds of times. She left yards full of snow angels and tiny boot tracks everywhere we went. Icicles were things to be marveled at. Fresh snow was something to be played in and formed into balls of varying shapes, sizes and purposes. Grades were given for best types of snow for packing, flinging and stomping. There was absolutely no stopping her. As I watched her eyes light up this year at the first glimpse of snow I began to think of how magical the world looks cloaked in white. I was amazed at how Rockwellian our little neighborhood looked this morning when I opened the curtains and realized we were snow covered.
Leave it to Lily to turn something I absolutely detested into something that fills me with the feeling of hushed awe. I snuck into our bedroom just now and held Mark's hand all the way to the front window where he sleepily peered out and smiled. His thoughts going immediately to the fun he and Lily would have outside this winter. Or maybe he was thinking about what the look on her sweet face will be when she wakes to a real snowfall. It is a heartstopper to see her reactions to these moments of magic. As you read this, I will be hoping you get your own little slice of wonder this season. Take the time to see it as I now am able to see it... a blank canvas.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Agradulations, Dad!
Lily and I baked a cake for Mark yesterday. He likes chocolate cake with white frosting. Lily is aware of this. The cover of the cake mix box shows a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. As we were gathering our baking supplies Lily took issue with the box cover art. She was up in arms that her daddy likes white frosting not the black frosting. She was seriously upset. She began to dismount her chair and abandon the project until I convinced her that the powder inside the box was only the cake. I had to actually open the container of frosting and prove that I was not yanking her chain.
She patiently waited until Mark got home to eat the cake too. By patiently I mean she asked me about once an hour if she could have some cake. She even began bartering.
"Mom, I'll have some cake. Then I will take a nap."
I explained to her that we were waiting to have cake until Daddy got home because we baked it for him to celebrate the fact that he got a job offer. This prospect was exciting enough that she held out until he got home.
She woke up from her nap and immediately asked about the mystical cake. I asked her if she wanted to show the cake to Daddy.
"Is he here?" she asked me while still in bed.
When I told her he just got home she catapulted herself out of bed and raced into the bathroom. She asked for help getting her pants off because she was too excited to take the time to do it. When she finished her business she dragged Mark into the kitchen and said:
"Daaad... I gotta surprise for ya!"
"What is it?"
She then proceeds to point at the cake that is clearly on the counter behind him. He makes a huge deal about it and she gets this wide smile, puts her arms out and says...
"Agradulations, Dad!"
She patiently waited until Mark got home to eat the cake too. By patiently I mean she asked me about once an hour if she could have some cake. She even began bartering.
"Mom, I'll have some cake. Then I will take a nap."
I explained to her that we were waiting to have cake until Daddy got home because we baked it for him to celebrate the fact that he got a job offer. This prospect was exciting enough that she held out until he got home.
She woke up from her nap and immediately asked about the mystical cake. I asked her if she wanted to show the cake to Daddy.
"Is he here?" she asked me while still in bed.
When I told her he just got home she catapulted herself out of bed and raced into the bathroom. She asked for help getting her pants off because she was too excited to take the time to do it. When she finished her business she dragged Mark into the kitchen and said:
"Daaad... I gotta surprise for ya!"
"What is it?"
She then proceeds to point at the cake that is clearly on the counter behind him. He makes a huge deal about it and she gets this wide smile, puts her arms out and says...
"Agradulations, Dad!"
Friday, November 5, 2010
What a Princess
Lily had a very specific notion in her head for Halloween. She wanted to be Belle. And she wanted to score some candy. She was successful in these two goals. She looked absolutely adorable and was very good considering we had to wake her from a nap at 5pm to get ready to go trick-or-treating. By the time we did the grandparent parade through Hudson and landed in Woodbury it was around 7pm. She was unstoppable. We kept asking her if she was cold or if she wanted to be done and her responses were hilarious.
"No! Onto the next!" -or- "Just five more houses."
Lately we have had a bit of juggling to do with Mark's parents being laid up. His mom just had her knee replaced and his dad had to be hospitalized for an infection. Both are on the mend now but the past week has been incredibly haphazard for us all to say the least. Lily has been very concerned about her grandma. When some of the kids we know from the pool in the summer came by on Halloween, Lily very seriously and in almost a tizzy trying to get the words out fast enough, told the girls that her grandma wasn't feeling well. And she proceeded to make them all come in and look at poor Barbara laying there on the couch.
We are doing our best to try to make sure everything in her world is gently told to her. But she notices everything. She is such a conductor for emotions. But she seems to make everything better when she gives me a little pat and very sincerely says, "It's ok, mama."
"No! Onto the next!" -or- "Just five more houses."
Lately we have had a bit of juggling to do with Mark's parents being laid up. His mom just had her knee replaced and his dad had to be hospitalized for an infection. Both are on the mend now but the past week has been incredibly haphazard for us all to say the least. Lily has been very concerned about her grandma. When some of the kids we know from the pool in the summer came by on Halloween, Lily very seriously and in almost a tizzy trying to get the words out fast enough, told the girls that her grandma wasn't feeling well. And she proceeded to make them all come in and look at poor Barbara laying there on the couch.
We are doing our best to try to make sure everything in her world is gently told to her. But she notices everything. She is such a conductor for emotions. But she seems to make everything better when she gives me a little pat and very sincerely says, "It's ok, mama."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
It's a Windsday
Today was another preschool day and I remembered this time. Yay for mommy. We got out of the house promptly. Both of us were dressed nicely and had our hair done. Unfortunately it wasn't picture day this time. I did however have some things I wanted to post about. I've been struggling to remodel (finish remodeling) our bathroom. So I picked up some dark chocolate paint from the local store and set to work painting the trim on the cabinets and the baseboard radiator. Lily knocked and asked if she could come in. I told her carefully because I was painting. She opened the door, peeked in and said, "Oh, mommy. That's not gonna look pretty. I thought it was white." I told her it was white but that I was repainting it brown. She made a face at me and just said, "Ohhh." I then lost all confidence in my interior decorating skills and had to power through on the hope that I have better design ideas than my three year old.
She was singing Christmas carols with me while we were baking cookies the other night and I kept singing the majority of the phrase and having her finish it.
Me: Dashing through the...
Lily: Snow!
Me: In a one horse open...
Lily: Sleigh!
Me: O'er the fields we...
Lily: Go!
Me: Laughing all the way.
Both: HAHAHAHA!
She then proceeded to sing the entire song from Sleeping Beauty that I sincerely do not know. It is so amazing to hear her memorize these songs and come up with new words and phrases.
Today we hit up Burger King after preschool because she was "so hungry" aka "wanting to play in the Play Land". She was running on empty anyhow after waking up at 6:30 and having a full three hours interacting with her friends and learning about fire safety. She ate a bit then took off like a tiny crazy person into the multi-colored tubes and slides that smell like feet. She was only in there for about 3 minutes when she emerged with her face in a firm pout and when she reached me she erupted into a full blown sobbing mess.
"What happened, Lily?"
"The boy (tears and more tears) went UP the slide!"
"Did you get hurt?"
"NO!!! He's not 'posed to be goin' up! Only sliding DOWN!"
... at this point she is bawling and I tell her that unless she can calm down we will have to leave. She proceeds to be inconsolable all throughout the packing up of her food and all of our items. We get into the truck and she stops crying and looks at me through red bleary eyes and says,
"Can I have my chicken, please?"
I hand it back to her and look back in the rearview about 2 minutes later and she is asleep, hand in the chicken nuggets box, tears still wet on her face.
Poor little meltdown girl.
She was singing Christmas carols with me while we were baking cookies the other night and I kept singing the majority of the phrase and having her finish it.
Me: Dashing through the...
Lily: Snow!
Me: In a one horse open...
Lily: Sleigh!
Me: O'er the fields we...
Lily: Go!
Me: Laughing all the way.
Both: HAHAHAHA!
She then proceeded to sing the entire song from Sleeping Beauty that I sincerely do not know. It is so amazing to hear her memorize these songs and come up with new words and phrases.
Today we hit up Burger King after preschool because she was "so hungry" aka "wanting to play in the Play Land". She was running on empty anyhow after waking up at 6:30 and having a full three hours interacting with her friends and learning about fire safety. She ate a bit then took off like a tiny crazy person into the multi-colored tubes and slides that smell like feet. She was only in there for about 3 minutes when she emerged with her face in a firm pout and when she reached me she erupted into a full blown sobbing mess.
"What happened, Lily?"
"The boy (tears and more tears) went UP the slide!"
"Did you get hurt?"
"NO!!! He's not 'posed to be goin' up! Only sliding DOWN!"
... at this point she is bawling and I tell her that unless she can calm down we will have to leave. She proceeds to be inconsolable all throughout the packing up of her food and all of our items. We get into the truck and she stops crying and looks at me through red bleary eyes and says,
"Can I have my chicken, please?"
I hand it back to her and look back in the rearview about 2 minutes later and she is asleep, hand in the chicken nuggets box, tears still wet on her face.
Poor little meltdown girl.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Power Tulle!
This Morning
8am: Nice leisurely awakening to Lily kissing my cheek and telling me good morning
8:15: Sipping coffee and browsing the interweb
8:15 and 20 seconds: Realize like a freight train into my gut that today is preschool day
(begins at 8:30 in Hudson which is a 20 minute drive) and that I am wearing holy sweats and the oldest t-shirt known to man while Lily is lounging on the couch in plaid pajamas
8:16: Loudly clamber down the stairs to yell excitedly to baby daughter that it is time to get up and get ready
8:17-8:30: Throw on mismatched clothing including black shirt and brown boots (ick) and run out to start car
8:31: Remember simultaneously that it is PICTURE DAY at preschool and that I drove the car down to below the E last night because I was so damn tired after my long frickin day that I didn't want to stop for gas
8:32: Brush Lily's hair and stick a cute bow in it then pile her into her carseat
8:33: Have genius idea to fill car with remaining gas from container used for lawn mower
8:36: Drive Lily to preschool at reasonable (ahem) speed
8:59: Arrive winded and frazzled to preschool where they are just about to start pictures
After that...
After this debacle I feel as though I deserve a Caribou stop. So, while Lily is at preschool I grabbed a coffee, 4 yards of tulle, white ribbon, smoke detectors, light switch plate covers and brown paint.
What do you mean that sounds super random?
The tulle and ribbon are embellishments for Lily's Halloween costume.
I am replacing our smoke detectors with some that have lights and some crazy new jazz photosynthesizers to deter false alarms on them.
I am finishing the updates in the bathroom (light switch plates and paint).
I think I was trying to make up for my morning with being super productive this afternoon. Well, here is some evidence of my over zealous activities today.
8am: Nice leisurely awakening to Lily kissing my cheek and telling me good morning
8:15: Sipping coffee and browsing the interweb
8:15 and 20 seconds: Realize like a freight train into my gut that today is preschool day
(begins at 8:30 in Hudson which is a 20 minute drive) and that I am wearing holy sweats and the oldest t-shirt known to man while Lily is lounging on the couch in plaid pajamas
8:16: Loudly clamber down the stairs to yell excitedly to baby daughter that it is time to get up and get ready
8:17-8:30: Throw on mismatched clothing including black shirt and brown boots (ick) and run out to start car
8:31: Remember simultaneously that it is PICTURE DAY at preschool and that I drove the car down to below the E last night because I was so damn tired after my long frickin day that I didn't want to stop for gas
8:32: Brush Lily's hair and stick a cute bow in it then pile her into her carseat
8:33: Have genius idea to fill car with remaining gas from container used for lawn mower
8:36: Drive Lily to preschool at reasonable (ahem) speed
8:59: Arrive winded and frazzled to preschool where they are just about to start pictures
After that...
After this debacle I feel as though I deserve a Caribou stop. So, while Lily is at preschool I grabbed a coffee, 4 yards of tulle, white ribbon, smoke detectors, light switch plate covers and brown paint.
What do you mean that sounds super random?
The tulle and ribbon are embellishments for Lily's Halloween costume.
I am replacing our smoke detectors with some that have lights and some crazy new jazz photosynthesizers to deter false alarms on them.
I am finishing the updates in the bathroom (light switch plates and paint).
I think I was trying to make up for my morning with being super productive this afternoon. Well, here is some evidence of my over zealous activities today.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Antics Abound
Lily and I got to spend an entire day together. We obtained the coveted Halloween costume. For some of you in the know Lily already had a costume. She was going to be Tigger. She has since changed her mind (shocker) since we purchased the DVD Beauty and the Beast. She decided to be Belle in the "lellow" dress. She had me style her hair with it to one side "like when she's comin' down the stairs."
She is so amazingly in tune with her surroundings because she said (and she is correct) that she needs yellow gloves and the white underpart of the dress. It is this minutiae to most that amazes me about my daughter. She is three years old and is aware that she requires a white lace petticoat for beneath her "lellow" dress.
Today we were at Trader Joe's and she said hello to the cashier.
"Hi, little lady. Aren't you pretty?"
"Actually, I'm Lily. I'm three."
"You're smart is what you are."
*Exasperated glance up at me*
"I'm not smart. I'm LILY."
I actually did not manage to keep a straight face and luckily the cashier was a kindly older gentleman who understood the let's call it moxy of a girl like Lily. She is super particular about almost everything in her world.
Jenni and Maranda strolled over this evening to return a plate and Lily heard them coming up the driveway. She was, at that moment, indisposed in the water closet to be discreet. She immediately called for me and gestured that I shut the door. Modesty is finally becoming a trait she is willing to work with in front of guests. This was after Mark flushed the toilet and Lily sat down in front of it refusing to use it until the flushing "completely stops". Honestly, I never thought I would find my child so truly entertaining.
She is so amazingly in tune with her surroundings because she said (and she is correct) that she needs yellow gloves and the white underpart of the dress. It is this minutiae to most that amazes me about my daughter. She is three years old and is aware that she requires a white lace petticoat for beneath her "lellow" dress.
Today we were at Trader Joe's and she said hello to the cashier.
"Hi, little lady. Aren't you pretty?"
"Actually, I'm Lily. I'm three."
"You're smart is what you are."
*Exasperated glance up at me*
"I'm not smart. I'm LILY."
I actually did not manage to keep a straight face and luckily the cashier was a kindly older gentleman who understood the let's call it moxy of a girl like Lily. She is super particular about almost everything in her world.
Jenni and Maranda strolled over this evening to return a plate and Lily heard them coming up the driveway. She was, at that moment, indisposed in the water closet to be discreet. She immediately called for me and gestured that I shut the door. Modesty is finally becoming a trait she is willing to work with in front of guests. This was after Mark flushed the toilet and Lily sat down in front of it refusing to use it until the flushing "completely stops". Honestly, I never thought I would find my child so truly entertaining.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
King of the Castle
I started my new job doing logistics/flow at Target in Hudson. I really like it actually. I work 4am-12:30pm. It affords me the opportunity to have basically only a couple hours without my Lily Bean and gives us some much needed structure in our day to day lives.
Today she was talking to me on the phone on my way home from work and telling me about her day. I asked her if she'd like to make cookies with me when I got home and she agreed wholeheartedly. I walked in the door and she gave me her patented running hug. I began to get into my sweats and settle into being home from a workday at 1pm when Lily came into my room and said the following:
"Mom? Remember you said somethin'?"
"Remember that I said what?"
"Remember you said that we were gonna make some cookies?"
"Yes, Lily, I was just changing into some cookie making clothes."
"Oh... well hurry up, please."
:) It's good to be king... or at least the most favored servant of the ruler of our roost.
Today she was talking to me on the phone on my way home from work and telling me about her day. I asked her if she'd like to make cookies with me when I got home and she agreed wholeheartedly. I walked in the door and she gave me her patented running hug. I began to get into my sweats and settle into being home from a workday at 1pm when Lily came into my room and said the following:
"Mom? Remember you said somethin'?"
"Remember that I said what?"
"Remember you said that we were gonna make some cookies?"
"Yes, Lily, I was just changing into some cookie making clothes."
"Oh... well hurry up, please."
:) It's good to be king... or at least the most favored servant of the ruler of our roost.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Root Restoration
Since July of 2009 our little family has been on a long and bumpy road back to normalcy. What with moving, jobs ending, jobs beginning and trying to create a sense of home sweet home... I've been a bit overwhelmed and ill-equipped. There is a Martin Sexton song that I am and have been in love with for quite some time called Over My Head. Here is an excerpt to aptly describe how I've been feeling:
I'm looking out into the ocean
This boy in a boat that I am
Through the haze I can catch a glimpse
Of the damage that's been done
Miles like minutes they pass as I row
And I count them in my head
Further and further I seem to go
From the home that I once made
Raise the anchor raise these tired hands
No direction and my pockets full of sand
I'm over my head
For the past smattering of months this became my mantra and my anthem. It took months for us to attempt to steer ourselves back on track. And the adjustment was incredibly difficult. The person who wore it the worst would have to have been Lily. It was impossible for her to understand why her little world was so topsy-turvy and her parents were not being the pillars of strength that she needed and expected them to be. At least that is how I see it and how I felt.
I am happy to say we've reached a culmination. A turning point bloomed from the crevasse of rock bottom. We had nowhere to go but up. Mark and I have recommitted to being the absolute best parents we can be to our darling daughter by focusing on the core values that brought us together as a couple in the first place.
If you are reading this and have no idea what I am talking about... GOOD for you. But, if you are aware of the troubles that I am pointing to then I hope you can take away this little morsel of wisdom that was so damned difficult for us to put into practice. If you are having trouble in your marriage and truly want to make it better... look at that person the way you did the day you got married. Even more fitting for us, the day you had your first (second, third...) child. Address them in that manner. Fight with them if you must, but from me to you, if you use this mechanism during those fights you'll be a lot better off and spare yourself and the one you chose (that's right it was a choice) to spend your life with a lot of heartache.
I'm looking out into the ocean
This boy in a boat that I am
Through the haze I can catch a glimpse
Of the damage that's been done
Miles like minutes they pass as I row
And I count them in my head
Further and further I seem to go
From the home that I once made
Raise the anchor raise these tired hands
No direction and my pockets full of sand
I'm over my head
For the past smattering of months this became my mantra and my anthem. It took months for us to attempt to steer ourselves back on track. And the adjustment was incredibly difficult. The person who wore it the worst would have to have been Lily. It was impossible for her to understand why her little world was so topsy-turvy and her parents were not being the pillars of strength that she needed and expected them to be. At least that is how I see it and how I felt.
I am happy to say we've reached a culmination. A turning point bloomed from the crevasse of rock bottom. We had nowhere to go but up. Mark and I have recommitted to being the absolute best parents we can be to our darling daughter by focusing on the core values that brought us together as a couple in the first place.
If you are reading this and have no idea what I am talking about... GOOD for you. But, if you are aware of the troubles that I am pointing to then I hope you can take away this little morsel of wisdom that was so damned difficult for us to put into practice. If you are having trouble in your marriage and truly want to make it better... look at that person the way you did the day you got married. Even more fitting for us, the day you had your first (second, third...) child. Address them in that manner. Fight with them if you must, but from me to you, if you use this mechanism during those fights you'll be a lot better off and spare yourself and the one you chose (that's right it was a choice) to spend your life with a lot of heartache.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Home Sick
So Lily and I have been home with a nasty little cold that has taken up in our home. She got it first and I inevitably got the same thing a few days later. She and I share just about everything anyhow so it wasn't a shock. I've been reading my friend Anna Otto's blog lately and it catapulted the idea into my head that maybe I have some funny antics and adorable quotations or maybe even some deep thoughts I could share with all of you. Many of Lily's biggest fans don't get to see her as often as they would like. So, as the keeper of the Lily, I would like to extend this blog to you.
As she is now three, Lily is in full on big girl mode. She will do it herself. You will watch. You will clap and laugh when appropriate. Seriously. She tells a knock-knock joke like this:
"Knock, knock..." she says.
"Who's there?" I ask.
"Bunny."
"Bunny, who?"
"Bunny Rabbit."
....
"Mom, it's a joke. You're supposed to laugh."
*fake laughter*
"Not like that."
She has a gift for being what we lovingly label bossy. She is definitely in charge and if you are under the grossly mistaken impression you were the one calling the shots she will dispel those notions promptly and without any back talk. Not to say she isn't a dear, because she most certainly is that. Yesterday I was coughing in the kitchen and a little voice floats out from the master bedroom asking if I was alright. *melt*
I feel like my daughter is super interesting and funny and I like to think it is genetic. Hopefully all of you appreciate this blog as it will allow me the opportunity to put in writing some of the moments of her life that I would otherwise unfortunately forget with time.
We try to keep things written down and photojournalized. We took a beautiful fall photo session outside of our house yesterday here's a sweet one for my sign off.
As she is now three, Lily is in full on big girl mode. She will do it herself. You will watch. You will clap and laugh when appropriate. Seriously. She tells a knock-knock joke like this:
"Knock, knock..." she says.
"Who's there?" I ask.
"Bunny."
"Bunny, who?"
"Bunny Rabbit."
....
"Mom, it's a joke. You're supposed to laugh."
*fake laughter*
"Not like that."
She has a gift for being what we lovingly label bossy. She is definitely in charge and if you are under the grossly mistaken impression you were the one calling the shots she will dispel those notions promptly and without any back talk. Not to say she isn't a dear, because she most certainly is that. Yesterday I was coughing in the kitchen and a little voice floats out from the master bedroom asking if I was alright. *melt*
I feel like my daughter is super interesting and funny and I like to think it is genetic. Hopefully all of you appreciate this blog as it will allow me the opportunity to put in writing some of the moments of her life that I would otherwise unfortunately forget with time.
We try to keep things written down and photojournalized. We took a beautiful fall photo session outside of our house yesterday here's a sweet one for my sign off.
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