Kate's Last Day

Kate's last day of pre-school at St.Mark's was last Wednesday.  

Words can't begin to describe all my emotions watching her sing.  

There's No Place Like Home

Today we had the pleasure of meeting the newest members of our "extended" pet family.  The Gregg's brought home two new additions over the weekend.  After a long drive, which was very much an adventure to say the least, everyone is safely at home.  

Boston Terriers, Momma Zoe and Bubba, her big baby boy are finally home after a long journey.  From what I know, they were rescued from a kill shelter in Arkansas and thankfully they made their way to New Hampshire through a Boston Terrier rescue group.  (If you are interested in adopting a rescued animal, PetFinder.com is a wonderful animal adoption site.) It is truly amazing and yet wonderful that Zoe and Bubba ended their journey for a new home together.  

Momma Zoe's expression says it all.  Like any mother, she is tired and weary... But she knows she can finally rest because she and her baby boy are now home.  She knows that from now on she will always be safe and loved.  Both Zoe and Bubba are home, but I know Claudia, Bill, and Kim feel more at home too.  

Happy Birthday Uncle Bop!

Happy Birthday to you.  

Can we eat all the cake for you? 

It is ice cream, chocolate, and peanut butter. 

Happy Birthday 30 year old Uncle Kirk.  

By the way, look at Claire's little hand in the last photo. She was trying to get a peanut butter cup off the cake. She was the only one digitally captured, they were all trying to do it.  Who would blame them?  By the way, the cake was delicious. 

This is how I found him

Fast asleep on my bedroom floor.  I was in the bathroom getting ready, they were watching TV.  I looked out to check on them, and there he was fast asleep.  And he stayed like this for over an hour. 

Sweet Sweet Little Ones

Today Stephen had such a sweet moment and before I forget .... 

"Stephen, please go get your shoes and socks so Mommy can help you put them on."  

He comes to me with both shoes and both socks in hand!

We sit down together.  

"Mommy, I help" he says.   

In the middle of putting on his shoes he raises his little hand and says,  "Hi-fi Mommy, hi-fi." 

I give him a high-five and he says, "Thank you Mommy."  

Such a sweet sweet little boy... never change.

Then not to long after I give Kate two pieces of chocolate.

"Stephen, I have a piece of chocolate for you."

"Tank yoou Sissy."

"Your welcome, Stephen."

It was beautiful music to my ears.  And yes, I did tell them just just how wonderful they truly are.0

The Duck Days of Summer

"Do princesses eat the crusts of their bed?  No, they save them for the ducks instead."  

This offered a good question, what do ducks eat?  I asked our vet, Dr. Jack this question and not only did she give me an answer, she gave me some duck food.  (For those of you who would like to know, it is 2 Grain Scratch and you can purchase a huge bag of it at Southern States for $10.) When I went back to work, David would take the kids to feed the ducks. After the first time feeding them with the appropriate food, it was a BIG hit. Stephen has no fear of the ducks or the geese, he grabs handfuls of food, throws it all around him and yells, "DUCK, DUCK, DUCK!" Just like you would call the dogs in for dinner.  Believe it or not, they come.....  He tries to pet them and interact with them like he does with our dogs and cats.  Kate on the other hand, is more like her mother at that age, a little intimidated by the aggressive geese.  You have to remember, she is not that much bigger than them.  She prefers to keep her distance from a higher perch until she settles in.    

A long time ago, I nick named the duck with the bouffant hair-do the "Grandma Ruby" duck and this has stuck with Kate.  So when our friend the Grandma Ruby duck swam by Kate said, "There is the Grandma Ruby duck." Then Madeline replied, "Oh look, there is the Grandma Bev duck."  (She was pointing to the other white duck, minus the white hair-do.)  Priceless.... and tugged at my heart. 

After we fed quite a few duck friends, we made our way to the sandy beach area.  There were more ducks to feed, but the closer we got to the water the more we got in the water.  The shoes came off first, then the dresses were lifted up while the girls waded in the water in search of shells.  Then everyone was just in the water..... 

Madeline, Claire and Kate retrieving shells from the water.  Enjoying finding every single one. 

Stephen was content with his feet in the sand, and then sitting and wading in the water.  It was his first time on a "beach" this season.  

Our four little ducks. 

My Little Minnow

Kate is a Minnow with the Walton Park swim team.  To say that she loves it is an understatement.  Everyday she looks forward to going to swim team practice and learning "how to swim under water."  She is definitely a Daddy's little girl in that manner, I was not on the swim team when I was her age.  However, my first job was at the Walton Park Pool "snack shack" and I used to work during the swim meets.  My friend Jocelyn used to swim and I would watch her compete in between working.  So, I guess we are coming a little full circle here?

Stephen, is extremely jealous.  He wants to do EXACTLY what his sister is doing.  He ever so slowly inches his way up to the side of the pool, slides beside two kids, and waits his turn to go across the pool.  Then he can't figure out why he does not get a turn.  Thankfully today the pool was open to everyone and we could spend time in the baby pool while the big girls had practice. 

I really can't think of the better way to prepare Kate for swimming and she really enjoys it.  Can you tell?  

Summer Days are Here

With our house on the market, it has been a challenge (to say the least) keeping it clean and picked up all the time.  I found the best thing to do was just stay out of the house.  Actually, it was the perfect thing to do.  We have spent our days, feeding the ducks, running through sprinklers, picking strawberries, swimming at swim team practice, and spending time with family and friends.  I love summer time... I do believe it is another magical time of year.  I love loosing track of time, staying up late in the evening, the sounds of the crickets, catching fireflies, backyard barbeques, pruny pool fingers and slightly tanned bodies show the reward of a day out in the sun.  As much as I dislike the warm humidity, I think I am going to miss it.  You have to leave the south and come back to really feel the difference.  Flying into Milwaukee, I didn't actually feel the transition.  However, when I landed in Charlotte it hit me... the warm mist and sweet smell of the air felt like a warm blanket welcoming me home and it stayed with me till I landed in Richmond.  I could feel the south and know that will always remind me that I am home. 

One BIG word....

CONTRACT

Mended Little Hearts

When Claire entered into this great world, she brought her radiant light to all of us. From the beginning, I tried explaining to Kate about Claire's "special" heart. Photograph's captured Claire's surgeries and brought some understanding to both Kate and Madeline. On Monday at the Mended Little Heart's Golf Tournament, as the MLH awareness video played Kate recognized EVERY picture of Claire! "There is Claire, Claire there you are again!" Kate thought nothing unusual of seeing Claire on the big screen and proceeded to tell her that "it is all about you Claire.... Claire, you are a rock star!" The whole thing brought me to tears....

If you have not seen the video before, he is a link. Be prepared, it pulls at your heart.
http://albums.phanfare.com/1364093/1110960#imageID=6093433

Things I love

When Mother's Day was here I kept thinking about being a mom, but also being myself. I think it is important that my kids know me as there mom, but as a person too. I hope it teaches them to discover, what are things that make them who they are. What are the things they love? What are they passionate about?

I think this all started when I had my F@cebook "interview" with Kate.
When I asked her, "What does Mommy like to do?" Her response, "clean."
What does Mommy like to do when you are not around?" Her response, "clean."
What does Mommy love?" Her response, "clean."
Really?!@%! You think cleaning, because that is something I don't even like... however, a necessary evil!

I know she is 4 and some would laugh at this response, but I was actually upset. I didn't want her to think that my life's passions are about cleaning our house. (I will admit it was great proof to my husband that it does occur when he is not around.)

But before there was David, Kate, Stephen... there was just me. Who was that person and who is still that person? I know who she is, I haven't forgot about her, but it was a realization that I needed to share that part of me with my kids. Not just be the one that says, "don't run with that pencil, you might poke your eye out."

So, we have been doing more fun things together and I am explaining to Kate and Stephen why they are important to me. So, to the right you will see my list and you can see one new project that we have been working on.

By the way, the kittens are 4 weeks old today and Kate named them. The little girl kitten is, Kate, and the little boy kitten is, Stephen. The funniest thing is that Madeline then named the momma cat, what else... Madeline. I love these kids, the amount of joy they bring is immeasurable.

Happy Mother's Day

I am tired... Funny that I am saying that because it is Mother's Day. It was a very wonderful Mother's Day, I got to sleep in, David and the kids made me breakfast. And I even got some beautiful tulips delivered yesterday. My favorite present is the one that Kate made me spur of the moment this morning.... I beautiful heart card. She has such a BIG heart. Madeline also serenaded me with "Happy Mother's Day to You." She even adjusted the chorus to "dear aunite...Happy Mother's Day to You!" Now, that kind of love is priceless. I wonderful if they know their simple gestures are really the best present?

I am tired... tired of getting this house clean and picked up. Tired of finding one more thing that needs to be done so we can get it on the market. Tomorrow is the big day, MLS listing and officially on the market. So, anyone looking for a fabulous house in Brandermill... let me know! I know it will be worth it, but it is physically exhausting and it is taking so much time away from my kids! We have a pretty regular routine and I miss that!

(FYI, the founder of Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, is a Mary Baldwin College alumae.) I just wanted to give a shout out to all the amazing women out there and wish them a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Funny

Okay, these pictures are just FUNNY! Kate, oh Kate, my little me.... Long story, short. Kate needed to put on some pants before she could come outside and play. So instead of going upstairs and getting dressed she just made up her own outfit. Here it is...

A weekend away...

Milwaukee soon will be home, odd to think of any place other than Midlothian as home. However, if I have to pick another place to live it seems like a great place. (Ask me again when there is 5 feet of snow on the ground, schools are not cancelled and the wind chill is 40 below.) No really, I am trading in the dogwoods for the weeping willows that grace the rolling hills, peanuts for cheese, the James River for Lake Michigan, and the beach will be a 10 minute drive instead of 2 hours. Oh, and lots and lots of SNOW!

Here are some small differences that I learned over the weekend.
1. Everyone has a snowblower, just like you have a lawnmower.
2. Every house has a basement that they put all their stuff in, instead of an attic.
3. Everyone has a minimum of a 2 car garage because people actually park their cars in there! By the way, most people have a 3 car garage because they need a 3rd bay to store their Harley's in.
4. They don't like fenced backyards! They prefer the openness.... This will be difficult with the runaway dog, aka Dixie.

These are a few other things I am really excited about!
1. They have a ton of microwbrews, they love beer!
2. They have "cheeseries" just like they have "wineries" - don't worry they have wineries too.
3. The people are really nice and welcoming! I call it southern hospitality, but they have it too. I felt very welcomed!
4. No one asked me if I was from West Virginia.
5. Excellent schools.
6. The start of a new adventure...

Little Ballerina

I am home! I headed to Milwaukee on Friday to see where we are going to be living and start house hunting with David. It was a great sunny warm weekend. I am very glad to be back at home with the kids. I really missed them! It will also be great to have David home this weekend, the kids have really missed him too.

I came home to a full schedule. Tonight was the little ballerina's dance dress rehearsal. We made our way through the rain to James River High School with costume, tights, and ballet slippers ready to go. The girl's were giddy with the excitement of dancing on stage. Surprisingly there was no fear! They got out there and danced, smiled, pointed their toes, and most of all... they had so much fun.

Tonight as Kate was falling asleep she told me how much fun she had on stage. Then she said, "I can't wait to do it again. Can I dance on the stage all the time?" This is when I see a reflection of myself. All I wanted to do when I was little was dance, and I too wanted to be a dance teacher when I grew up. She is precious and I loved watching her glow on stage tonight.