Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Antie and Uncie came up for a visit so most of our weekend was spent with them, Nana, Papa, Uncle Todd, Aunt Shelly, Jordan and Dylan.  The kids were great, the food was great and the company was even better.  Time flew, but it was a wonderful weekend.

Uncie came on a stroll with me, Ely and the girls.  I guess we forgot to tell Daddy and Antie that we were leaving because they were surprised to find us gone.  Whoops!

On Monday we also paid our respects at Great Grandpa Irving and Great Grandma Rose's graves.  We placed our rocks on the headstone and were silent for a moment.  Then we found Irving's parents graves.  

Since we are preparing to sell our house, we spent most of the day going through the girl's rooms.  They hung in there for hours deciding what to keep and what to discard.  (There was a lot of stuff to go through!)  We did jumping jacks to keep our energy up and completed the task.  The girls and I find the lack of art work on the walls disturbing, but Daddy likes the "clean look".  Slowly, we are making this home into a house to sell and I find myself getting more nostalgic than I care to admit.  As with anything, this too shall pass and it's all part of the process.

Grandparent's Birthday Party (and Sofia's 1/2 Birthday)

We started the day out with Samantha's last day of Sunday School, then went to Susie and Stu's house to see Ben, Ellen and their baby Micah.  It was nice to see Aunt Merrian again so soon since our visit Mother's Day and catch up a bit with Ben and Ellen.

Later in the afternoon, all the grandparents came to celebrate their birthdays.  Coincidentally, Sofia's 1/2 birthday falls right in the middle of the grandparent's birthdays.  We made jokes all day long about only singing half the song, getting half a piece of cake.  Sofia laughed at most of our humor.  It was another day filled with blessings for us.

Happy Birthday to Grammy, Nana and Papa!  We are lucky to have you close in our lives!

Samantha's Birthday Gift

Originally we planned on redecorating Samantha's room for her birthday gift.  With us planning to sell our house, that's not really an option anymore so I came up with another idea that we were finally able to execute last night.  I took her and a friend to the Water Park of America and we stayed overnight in the adjoining hotel.  When we arrived at the hotel room, I heard, "Wow, this is nice!" from both girls.  There were meals with only junk food and I said yes to nearly every request.  

Samantha's friend told me that they would remember this the rest of their lives... What else can I ask for?  Samantha has an awesome friend and is a good friend back too.  All you need is one friend you can trust with anything and you have the support to make it through anything.  I'm grateful Samantha has friends like that, at least as much as her age group can have!

Magical moments

Our family drives each other crazy, which doesn't seem to be unusual.  Being tired and consequently cranky, having too many things on the calendar, and even this never-ending winter are typical reasons for this perpetual annoyance to the other people who live in our house.  We all are culprits and we all get the receiving end.  At least there is balance!

Here are the top annoyances for me by inhabitant:
- Trying to talk to Samantha when she's reading and not doing what she's supposed to, i.e. getting dressed in the morning, or getting ready for bed... do what needs to be done first, then read!
- Teaching Sofia that when I say that you can watch 1 episode of TV means that you turn the TV off when that episode it done... just turn it off and come back to this world!  (This is also why she doesn't watch much television at all.)
- Hoping/Praying/Pleading to any Divine Being that Daddy gets some sleep so he will be patient with life and all its inconveniences the following day.
- Seriously Ely... stop with the towels/sunglasses/gloves already!  Isn't there another way to say something is bothering you?  (Yes, it could be so much worse!)

As for what the family thinks about me, I'm guessing my tendency to shut down and become a grimacing robot to cope would top the list.  I'm working on it and communicating.  I own it, but that doesn't mean I'm proud of it.

BUT...

I've been mindful of the many magical moments I have with my family.  Like having my arm around Samantha as we walked into the grocery store laughing.  Or waking up to hear Sofia walk into my bedroom in the morning with a huge smile and some snuggle time.  And the many moments with Daddy on our trip.

Life is balance and while I'm aware of the annoyances, I focus on the happier moments.  I love my family and work very hard to be a relatively stable wife and mother.  I can be cynical, but overall project a positive vibe into the world.  I look people in the eye and smile.  It's good.

I've been having LOTS of talks with the girls on treating people the way you want to be treated.  Yes, the Golden Rule.  We talk about how even if someone isn't nice, you are to be nice because that's how you want people to treat you.  I know my message is getting through because both girls are saying it back to me.  That alone makes for another magical moment in my life.

A letter to my Dad

It's been 13 years since you passed on to whatever comes after this life.  You are missed.  I struggle to describe you to my children.  Words just don't do you justice, it seems impossible to relate your essence to them.  You were bigger than life, though that's a common perspective of a daughter to have.  I share my stories that highlight your sense of humor and the girls listen, but it's not enough to convey how fun and crazy you could be.  There is a part of you that lives in me and in my daughters and that is a comfort.

I don't pretend that you were perfect because there were times you were horrible and I wanted nothing to do with you.  I'm forever grateful that I put aside the anger and built a relationship with you.  I still have the card you made me out of duct tape after we began speaking again.  I think it's comical that cribbage was our neutral place to meet and that rarely am I beat playing the game to this day.  I can't watch "Wheel of Fortune" without thinking of you in your den.  I think it would've been awesome to take you skydiving like we planned.  You would've been hooked as much as I was!

I miss you even more now that John is gone, though I'm glad you didn't have to experience that loss.  I'm grateful I'm never alone the way he was, whether it was circumstance or choice.  

I wonder what you would say about my life, and I think you'd be curious about my life in the city (though I'm in the suburbs).  I know my girls would have you wrapped around their fingers and you'd enjoy them.  I mostly believe that you would be proud of me.  I still love adventure and I'll fight if I have to.  I've grown up enough to realize that I don't have to share every opinion and actions speak louder than words.  I run free and learn new things daily.  I've learned time is always short so you have to appreciate those special moments when they happen.  I'm still learning the finer points of gardening and am slowly unlocking the farm girl inside.  My arms are still strong from the summers you made me move hay bales.  

You taught me about choosing happiness, so thanks Dad.  I love you.  And I miss you so much.

Update on Sofia

We had her last preschool conference this week!  All is good, though we need to focus some energy on being nice even when another kid isn't nice to you.  It's appropriate behavior, but it needs to be corrected.  Academically speaking, she is reading at a second grade level.  In any case, we love her and are incredibly proud.

Yesterday she lost another tooth at school.  This is what she said, "The tooth fell out and then it was on my tongue and then I swallowed it".  The tooth fairy visited last night in spite of not having "proof" and Sofia was excited once she remembered to check her bed.

We visited what will become her classroom once kindergarten begins this fall.  Sofia loved being able to ride the bus and explore the school.  She was a little shy with the principal, but I don't think that will last long.

And here we are enjoying a breakfast out of her own... While I'm not always proud of her table manners, it was a nice outing for us and I just love that kid.