~Dear Avery~

Monday, October 25, 2010

Dear Avery Dear Avery, How did you get to be five years old? You've grown up more in the last year than I ever thought you would. You have graciously given up your place as the baby of the family to little Emma and  have taken on the role of big sister beautifully. In the eight months she has been a part of us, you have never once complained about the time she requires of me. You willingly help in any way I ask.  You are also little sister and have learned how to stand your ground quite well. I remember something you said earlier this year that sums up a big part of your personality. I was giving the three of you some instructions about cleaning up the play room and said that Jake was in charge because he was the oldest. You, obviously frustrated, put your little hands on your hips and emphatically said,  "When I get older, I am going to be in charge of EVERYTHING!"You can be so very serious with grown up worries. Like whether or not Daddy knows where your school is because you were "tired of telling him how to get there". (and for the record, darlin, yes, Daddy knows how to get to your school thanks to your giving such good directions the first time he took you.)The things you say make me laugh just about every day. One of the sweetest, funniest things you said recently that I want never to forget is, "Mom, will I look ravishing in this?" "Yes, you will." I replied trying hard not to laugh. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing? What does ravishing mean? Does it mean beautiful?" "You're exactly right." I told you. ravishing [ˈrævɪʃɪŋ] adj delightful; lovely; entrancing ravishingly  adv You are just that. Delightful.                                                  Lovely.                                                            Entrancing.   ~stacey

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~Dog Drama~

Thursday, October 21, 2010

It's nearly nine o' clock at night and I am forced to sit at my kitchen table, back door open, telling my dog, "HUSH!" every five minutes.  The kids and I got home after a long day, that consisted mostly of being in the car, to find a smelly surprise in Easy's kennel. The dog was still IN his kennel which really posed a problem. The pooh (not to be confused with Winnie) was bound to be on his paws. The kennel is in the unfinished basement on the concrete floor, but he has to walk on the play room carpet to get to the yard. I called Brad with my desperate S.O.S. (which did me no good since he would be in the operating room until late tonight.)So Jake and I, breathing through our mouths, moved the tv cabinet, rolled the carpet back, and hurried the dog out the back door. I shut every door between the mess and us on the main floor. I hate to leave it for Brad, but that's exactly what I'm going to do!  ............See, I don't do pooh unless it comes from my children.Back to why I'm perched at my table with the door open......he can be a real  barker. It could be another dog, a neighbor walking, a car driving by, the moon, a tiny spider on the fence....doesn't matter. He's going to bark.  And it's too late for that.  (too bad he still isn't' this irresistible) It's been such a busy couple months that I feel like I've missed most of them. We had one thing after another on the calendar, the last of which was our vacation. I decided about two weeks ago that after we got back from Disney, I was putting the brakes on.  I had gotten a novel idea.       I decided I would go back to being a house-wife.                 You know, a wife who is actually in her house enough to at least semi keep it.....sometimes. The halting is happening. Slowly.....but it is happening. It's as much a mindset as it is in decisions I make. I don't know where I got on the crazy train of going non-stop but I refuse to live that way. I think I had forgotten how much more demanding the day to day is with a crawler. You pretty much have to have an eye on them constantly. They eat everything. Which means it's just that much harder to get things done.  The other day Emma was on the floor smiling at me, flapping her little arm, which is her "pick me up!" cue.  I scooped her up and told her, as she stared blankly back at me, that she deserved as much of me as the other three had gotten. She just grabbed my nose, smiled and started looking for the next thing she could find to put in her mouth.   I want to sit on my driveway and watch the kids ride bikes.I want to not be so pushed that I practically throw them in the bed and say a Speedy Gonzales prayer and fly down the stairs to do the next thing that has to be done.    I want to breathe.    ~stacey

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~WDW~

Thursday, October 14, 2010

WDW We recently took a trip to a place that really is a world of it's own. I learned     some valuable,           some interesting,                  and some funny lessons while there. For example:  1. As much as they've talked about it, heard about it, or imagined it, they really have no idea how excited they are about to get.    2. I couldn't believe how excited they would be to meet characters. I mean, who knew Woody and Goofy were celebrities?!         3. ALWAYS have your camera ready.....your kids looking back at you to mouth, "Chip kissed me!" create some priceless pictures.   4. If at all possible, HAVE LUNCH AT CINDERELLA'S TABLE. When else can you eat at the top of a castle? (even if it's not really a castle) ....Being able to see 5 princesses at once is a HUGE bonus. Saves you so much time later on in the park. Trust me.               5. The moments that make you laugh the most                                         will be the unexpected, unplanned ones.......                                                                      Like watching Reese hula-hoop for the first time, or getting SOAKED on Splash Mountain despite being assured that-and I quote- "Seriously, honey I promise. I've barely gotten wet every time I've ridden."   6. You will walk your feet off. I am so not kidding.  7. No. It's not ALL princess. (For my almost nine year old son, this was a blessed fact.)       8. For heaven's sake. If you do nothing else, hold your babies' hands. I lost Jake in a sea of people for about 2 minutes. It felt like an hour, brought tears to my eyes, and complete relief when Brad found my scared little boy. After that, every time the crowd thickened, Jake would spontaneously grab my hand,which is something he almost never does. And every time, I smiled, squeezed his hand extra tight, and thanked God for him.  9. Even princesses need a rest. The stroller was my best friend.   10. You are going to get on each others nerves at one point or another. It's okay.    11. #10 is okay mainly because the laughter and good memories far out weigh everything else.         12. GET OUT OF BED! Ours were the first feet in the park.  Yes, I'm a little crazy that way.   I took the high road amidst being ridiculed by my husband.  I ignored his repeated head shaking and laughter at my occasional psychotic behavior.   I turned the other cheek to his, "you're loco!" comments.  By the end of the second day, he was a believer that it pays to be early and it pays to have a plan. If my memory serves me correctly, I think I even got a, "Honey, you did a really great job planning this trip."    13. If we can have as much fun as we did and still look forward to going home,                             that's a good thing.  (I told them to make sad faces.....this is what they came up with)   ~stacey

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