The Summer I didn't want to see go

I have been thinking about this post the past few days as I'm wrapping up loose ends around here with our two week trip to California pending. After we get back we will have approximately 1 day to be ready for M starting Kindergarten, bright and early on August 16th (this is the way we roll here in the south with super early start dates).

When I looked for the picture to attach with this blog I looked in (of course) the Summer2010 file and was immediately flooded with memories of one of our best summers (I'm hoping I can say that with each summer that passes). This was a summer of many firsts. This was the first summer that my girls played together, and played really well together at that. Hence, this was the first summer I wasn't designated playmate for M. This was the first summer my older girl was water safe, finished her swim lessons, will start swim team in the fall (fall being mid-August when school starts and we are still having heat indexes to pass the days), and just as important learned a flip turn, and went off what normal people call the 3m spring board, but to those of us lucky ones who knew about the high dive at SPRA call the 3m, yes, the high dive. Over this summer I went from looking at K as a baby to a little girl; a beautiful, fun loving, really observant, kind hearted girl. And, this was the first summer that girl showed us just how big she is by using the potty for just that. Summer 2010 was both of my girls first concerts, something I couldn't claim until I was eighteen, they are way ahead of me. This summer K learned how to drink out of a big girl cup (after a good example from her cousin), and one of my favorites, M became a reader this summer, what a beautiful thing.

For our family this was the first summer we didn't go up north which was hard in many ways not to be able to see our families, but it also meant we had more time for our just the four of us family, which is never a bad thing. This summer marks our first trips to Huntsville, AL and, the day after, California (husband has been, but this will be the first taking us along, I'm sure the experience will far out weigh his previous trips there :)

Usually summers here in Louisiana are hot, unbearable, and I'm counting down the days until our Saturday mornings consists of playing outside in cooler weather while College Gameday is on inside. Believe me when I say I will not complain when Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium get here, but honestly, the heat did not affect me so much this summer. Maybe I'm getting used to it, or maybe I was just soaking in all of our "firsts" to notice. What a great summer.

Break from Routine

As I'm sure I have mentioned before, I am definitely a woman of routine. Between our mornings of chores, gym time, and waiting for daddy to get home for lunch, and then afternoons of errands/pool time, cooking dinner, and finally evenings of semi-coolness enough to play outside our days are pretty, well, routine. I have heard for safety reasons you should mix up the comings and goings from your house; can't say I have done a very good job at this. Most days my day is planned even before I'm done eating my pb and honey english muffin. However, on those few sweet, glorious, beautiful days that the errand list is non-existent, or, the weather is cool enough for some morning time outside, having a moment out of routine feels nothing but perfect. To have a moment to sit and let the heat from the sun and sidewalk that I have found a spot to sit on while the girls do sidewalk chalk soak into my body can relax as me (almost) as much as being at the beach. Another hidden moment I love is when the weeding is all done in the backyard and, again, I have a moment to just sit on our back porch and watch our girls, digging, putting on talent shows, or just loving on each, there really is nothing better. Nothing planned, organized, or needed, just a moment of perfectness wrapped amongst the craziness that is the life of having little ones.

When daddy is away

There are so many disadvantages when DG travels: Only me taking care of the girls (no handing off when he walks in the door so I can have a much needed moment), missing adult conversations, not conversations centered around Fresh Beat Band, glitter, or Barbie (not all bad topics every now and again), not to mention no help unloading the dishwasher (my least favorite chore), and no one to get the new roll of TP from the cabinet above the refrigerator that is so darn hard for me to reach. Kind of fortunately our girls don't know any different (he has traveled a lot for all of both of their little lives), and as my wise mother in law said, what is normal is different for each family. So although my husband missing out on everyday adventures, and not so everyday events (birthday parties, trips, etc) may not be seen as normal to others, to us it is and we make the best of it when our magic is gone for a few days. With the help of cell phones, email, winkball.com, and of course treats and stories when DG comes home our lives are for the most part smooth sailing and very blessed.
So as to not dwell on the poor me attitude of my husband traveling ( I know many other wives who have a lot tougher things to deal with), there are some hidden advantages with husbands traveling. Meal time is a lot easier (you all don't want to know how many pancake dinners my girls have had while the husband travels), tv time revolves around chick flicks (You've Got Mail, one of my favorites), and I can go ahead and put the light ash blonde back in my hair and pretend the sun just lightened it up ;)
Don't get me wrong, when he walks through the door and the magic is back all is right with the world and as it should be, until he pulls out the suitcase and starts packing again...

Our SIX year-old

I am pretty much in shock about where the last six years of MG's life have gone. Countless blessings, prayers, laughs, and a few tantrums down the road of childhood and here we are parents to a six year-old girl. This birthday has hit me harder than I pictured it would and I think it has everything to do with when I look at M I definitely don't see the baby pictured about ( what a darling baby she was though), not a toddler, but a full on girl. When did this little girl stop playing with other's shoelaces (one of her favorite pastimes as a baby) and start (almost) mastering tying her own shoes? When did she change from hiding in the house and locking all the doors when the neighbors dog was near to wanting to become a veterinarian? And, what happened to the little toddler, arms crossed, defiantly telling me "I'm not never going to grow up?"
This new stage is a little daunting and I'm wondering if any other moms look at this stage in the same light as I am. I know how to parent babies, I'm good with toddlers, but what about girls, and God help me, preteen and teenage girls (which can't be far away considering how fast the last six years have gone)? I take comfort in the fact that both M and I have sort of learned as we have gone from this point on, remembering my mother asking me while pregnant with M if I even knew how to bathe a child, harsh, but an honest question at the time. Now six years later, thank-you very much, I think if I would get an evaluation for this stay at home mommy job I would be doing a.o.k.
I do know one thing for certain. When M was a baby I told my friends that having her (and KG a few years later) was the best thing DG and I ever did. At the time my childless friends snickered and I suggested they get their heads out of the gutter (jokingly of course), but until you have a child you really can't understand this fully, and then when you do have a child you understand it completely.
So the next years of raising this brilliant, likable, unique girl will undoubtedly hold blessings from the one who gave us this most precious gift, prayers, laughter, and I'm sure a few tantrums, but I'm in for whatever the future holds and I'm thankful DG and I get to raise these special girls even if I am a rookie at it all. Happy sixth birthday, MG.

Friday Night Pizza

There are definitely some family traditions not worth keeping up with (example #1 Sauerkraut on New Year's, yick), but one we have kept in our family is that of Friday Night Pizza. When I was growing up Fridays were celebrated like no other day, because along with weekly pizza Friday meant my dad having a couple of days off work, high school football games, and the arrival during football season of my aunt and uncle in town for the Penn State games just to name a few. My mom would alternate between her homemade pizza (known pretty well by family and friends), ordering, or us going to a local pizza shop. I can remember many a swim practices wishing I hadn't eaten so much pizza prior to practice, but it was just that good. Unfortunately (and fortunately) things change, and my replica of Friday Night Pizza is not always hit with high marks. Take for example tonight when I attempted to do the homemade pizza bit. Comments from my soon to be six year-old included, "Mom, please don't try this again," " Next time bake the crust alone for 40 minutes," and " Mom, I taste nothing but flour," (have I mention my un-love for cooking or how my husband thinks my next blog should be about my adventures in the kitchen?) But it is about the thought and consistency, right? The knowing that whether daddy is out of town or not, whether a football game is being played this weekend or not (although now cheering for another team), we will eat as a family and on Friday night we we celebrate the coming weekend and have pizza (even if this means children do not eat the pizza and mom must make pb & j as to not sacrifice their nutrition). I will keep trying to hold on to this tradition (even if I surrender and just order some Papa John's) and pray my children continue it when they are mom's and not think of Friday Nigh Pizza as I think of Sauerkraut on New Year's :)

Curbing!!!

I can't believe I have forgotten about writing about one of my most favorite pastimes, curbing! For those of you who don't know or use a different term (junking, dumpster diving) curbing is when you take something that someone else has put out to the trash. I do have some dignity and won't actually open a trash can and take out an article out, but, for example, if someone is moving and leaves something that I can salvage I will. I have loved curbing before it was considered "green" to do (that is an excuse I like to use as to why I do it; we don't want it to end up in a landfill!). Growing up, our neighborhood had "riff raff" days a couple of times a year where people would put out bulky items that they didn't want (thankfully our Parish takes bulky items once a week, what a treat!). I would come home hauling a new to me container, chair, etc. begging my mom to let us keep it. My mother only fed my love and would either refurbish it or find the perfect spot for each item I lugged home.
I recently had a friend come over and speaking about a mutual friend she said, "did you know that like half of the stuff in her house she has gotten from other people's garbage??" At which point I laughed and said, let me show you around my home :) Take the above picture as example A. The plant container, Adirondack chair, and two captain's chairs, yes, you guessed it all were set to fill up space in a landfill, but with a little sanding (thank-you, hubby), paint, love, and even help from the kiddos they all turned out pretty well. We (yes, my husband now occasionally curbs too although he is much more selective) have come across some other treasures that now grace our home including an old coat hanger, old windows (so great hanging up), shelving units, wicker baskets, and the list could go on. It is great because it is so conducive to the style we love. Freecycle also now has "curbside alerts" that are always a fun adventure.
I love when people find out where some of our things have come from and love even more when I find out I'm not the only one who is taking full advantage of recycling in our community :)