You Can Always Count on Those Liberal Arts Schools

Not that I wish to further any political opinions here (ahem). But wouldn’t you just know it that a fellow alum from my well-respected little liberal arts college managed to further someone else’s?

It’s Time for Soccer!!

We were talking about school this morning.

D: J, are you going to go to school someday?
J: No. I just want to be ballerin-da.

Bliss

It’s early morning here at Chez Voiture. Everyone’s still sleeping. It’s so blissfully quiet and peaceful in our house I had to sit down and make note of the occasion. It doesn’t happen often that the children sleep past 6:00. Or that I’m awake enough at 6:00 to actually get up and be human, let alone contemplate some things that I could do around the house. Usually the morning hits me in the head (well, the boobs, actually, as one of the kids absent-mindedly bounds into our bed), and then I’m thrown into the day with nary a moment to think.

I prefer this morning’s quiet way better.

See, I was completely frazzled and snappy last night and went to bed feeling awful. The kids had an unusually difficult day and by the end of it (to use one of my favorite phrases) I had one shredded nerve left, and they were swinging from it. Fast forward to this morning, when I woke quietly to the soft morning light rather than to a knee into my belly. I looked down at the dog blanket on the floor at the foot of our bed and noted J’s two favorite stuffed animals. Knowing that they wouldn’t be there without her, my eyes adjusted and focused enough to make out her sleeping little body curled up on the blanket.

D woke long enough to look at J, then he slipped back off to sleep. A’s still in bed.

The peace, quiet, and stillness of this morning are doing wonders for my spirit.

Will it go 'round in circles...

Isn't there an old song with that title?  Like I think the next line is something like "will it fly high like a bird up in the sky..."  I'm expecting D to post the answer...

Anyway.  Get this completely circular conversation I had with J this morning as we were leaving the store:

me:  Let's hurry guys...it's going to rain!  Ooooooh wait...it already is raining...
J:  Is it raining?
me:  Yes, J.
J:  Why?
me:  Because.  But it's OK, because we need the rain.  The plants and the grass and the trees.  And my car needs to be washed off.
J:  Does your car need to be washed off?
me:  Yes.
J:  Why?
me:  Because it's dirty.
J:  Is your car dirty?
me:  Yes.
J:  Why?
me:  Because it's been really dry and dusty here and my car has gotten dirty.  But now the rain will wash it off and make it clean again.
J:  Is your car getting wet?
me:  Yes.
J:  Why?
me:  Because it's raining.
J:  Is it raining?
me:  Yes.
J:  Why?

I imagine we could have continued on ad nauseum, but thankfully we arrived at the car and I buckled her in the car seat while I unloaded our loot into the trunk.

Andi & Daniel 7-14-07

There just really aren’t words for the beauty of the weekend. It was amazingly moving to watch a dear friend marry the one who is so right for her, and to watch him adore her. The setting was perfect, the moment was unspeakably magical.

It’s really just a whole lot of nothin‘ around here. I mean, not really. This is the busiest week of the summer so far, culminating in the wedding of one of my best friends (read: a WHOLE weekend alone with no kids!). A has been at an arts camp during the days this week, so I’ve had the rare opportunity to be a one-on-one parent to the J-Bird. Mostly it’s been delightful. Except for her new favorite word: “Nope.” Everything is “nope.” It is so beyond the cute stage and about knee-deep into highly irritating.

In preparation for the big wedding and bridesmaid’s dress with spaghetti straps, I’ve been hitting the self tanner pretty hard. Like, twice a day. It’s just to fill in tan lines, but still. The smell gives me a headache. D just rolls his eyes and laughs at me. He apparently doesn’t see the warning signs of addiction.

I’m realizing that beyond the self-tanner, it takes an awful lot of hard work to get this old post-childbearing body into some semblance of shape where I will look at least somewhat decent baring my arms in public. I’ve been soaking my feet in the hopes of eliminating callouses (so far, no dice). I’ve been painting nail strengthener on my nails. Daily. Every time we go to the pool I walk the fine line of tanning a little more without burning. I dug through my drawer today to find the most appropriate mostly-lycra piece of undergarment apparel that will hold my flab in and still allow me to breathe, and I’m still having the hose vs. no hose debate (so far, I’m still leaning fairly strongly toward no hose. I suppose if I don’t buy any and don’t have them in the suitcase that will answer the question, right?).

Frankly, I’m exhausted.

I did, however, find the most adorable pair of flip-flops to wear at the reception. I realized the moment that I was asked to be a part of this wedding that uncomfortable shoes were going to be part of the deal, so that’s my compromise. Pinchy sandals for the ceremony, flips for the reception. And the bride is totally OK with that.

Now. If I can just get a haircut that is as cute as the one Annie got today, we’ll be all set (check out the badass smirk!).

Sometimes They're Funny

...and it's a good thing.  Sometimes it's their only redeeming quality.

Today's funnies:

I was trying to do some shopping (for clothes.  And I had to try them on.  And the children hate dressing rooms.).  J was in a stroller until we got into the dressing room, at which point she climbed out.  When we were getting ready to leave the dressing room, I told her she needed to sit down in the stroller.  She shot me a look that would've killed a lesser mother and told me with all the serious anger she could muster, "I'm not sitting in the stroller.  And that's PINAL!"

Tonight at dinner, A's face lit up and he said "Guys!!  I know what we can do with sis!  We can send her to college to learn how to make Doritos!!"

D on call.

J up from midnight until 4 AM.

For NO APPARENT REASON.

I was forced to eat chocolate cake for breakfast.

***Edited:  After lots of thought, I'm thinking the coffee that was in the chocolate cake I ate for breakfast that we had for dessert the night before might possibly have been the reason for J's non-sleepingness.  Note to self:  no caffeine for the toddler.  It may not even be a good idea when she's an adult at the rate she's going.

This photo seems to capture a lot of what the summer’s been about. A with that ornery gleam in his eye, wondering what he can get into next, and J with her two-year-old face, wondering how whatever A gets into next will bother her and how much she won’t like it.

Bye, Baby... and a Good Day All Around

I realize I run a huge risk of jinxing myself by declaring this the best day of the summer so far, since it's not 5:00 yet, neither child has had a bath, I've not made dinner, and I'm conveniently omitting the unfortunate dog-diarrhea incident of this morning.  BUT.  This has been the best day of the summer so far.  The weather was perfect.  The kids and I spent the majority of the day outside...we took a hike, went for a long bike ride, played soccer, ran the dog around, and blew bubbles.  D made it home for lunch.  The kids are filthy from a day of hard play and they're happily, quietly playing right now as they wait to go up for baths.  Quite honestly, it couldn't get any better.

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This weekend we bid goodbye to babyhood at Chez Voiture.  I painted the nursery and we magically changed it into J's "big-girl" room, complete with a twin bed and play space.  Aside from the fact that scraping wallpaper and painting is a job I always loathe, this particular makeover was pretty difficult for me.  I didn't realize until I looked in on J sleeping in her new big-girl bed on Saturday night for the first time that I'm not quite ready for her to be done being a baby yet.  I remembered so well the day we put the nursery together six years ago, and something in the deepest corner of my heart ached as I watched my youngest take this small but important step into big-kid-ness.  She's done well with the transition and really seems to enjoy her new room.  I enjoy it too, even though it means that I won't be putting a baby in a crib in that room ever again.  But life moves on, I suppose, and they will grow up.  And honestly...as long as it means she's not sleeping in our room, the big-girl bed isn't so bad.