I wish I blogged more

Today I had to write a difficult letter.  Bob is estranged (not sure if that is the best description but I don't have a better word and it isn't my story to tell) from his father.  He last saw him when he was 16 (I believe).  Bob's older brother looked their father up about six years ago and kept in touch with him and his wife for a little while.  At the time when Charlotte was born (September 2006) they were in touch with his father and let them know about Charlotte's birth.  His new wife sent a very nice book and a long letter welcoming the birth of Charlotte.  I wrote them back around Christmastime and have since sent them a note every year around this time of year.
This year we received a short note saying that in November Bob's father had had a stroke and was doing well with the exception of needing speech therapy two times a week.  He is about 80 years old.   As I began to write them a letter, I realized that they had not heard the news of Bob's youngest sister's death in February.  Bob thought it would be a good idea for me to let them know, after all, this is his daughter, too. 
I type a lot faster than I write, and time is of the essence these days.  So I typed them a letter summarizing our year and finally filling them in on the passing of Eileen.  I can't really get it out of my mind.  I wonder what type of reaction he will have when he learns that his daughter, who he hasn't seen or heard from in almost 40 years passed away.  I ponder the reasons why families become estranged and how you can go for years not talking to your own children.  Bob has shared countless stories about his childhood with me and I listen and try to be open minded and non-judgmental.  If my husband holds no bad feelings or resentment towards these characters from his past, how can I?  After all, my husband is a generous, kind, loving and basically all-accepting kind of person.  Someone I look up to and only hope some day to have his strength of character.  If he is able to move on from the past then what reason do I have to pass any judgment of all on these people who I don't even know?
So I wrote, and wrote.  I wrote like I knew them well, and them us, and that we just haven't seen each other in a while.  I shared with them Eileen's passing and attached the eulogy that was read at Eileen's funeral.  It was beautiful, and funny, much like Eileen.  It made everyone in the room (all 200 people) feel like they were connected to Eileen, just as I hope my letter did the same for them. 
If we were the type of people who put a newsletter in our Christmas card, I think it would read something like this:

December 17, 2010

Dear Bob and Margaret:
Thank you for your note.  We are sorry to hear about Bob’s stroke but glad to hear his fighting spirit has him back on his feet with little to no side-effects and hoping the speech therapy continues to improve your speech.

Life seems to move at a frantic pace when you have a 4 year old and a 19 month old.  Charlotte is loving pre-school and continues to keep us on our toes.  She talks non-stop and her quest for knowledge never ceases to amaze us.  She is interested in just about everything and lately it is dinosaurs.  She has learned the names of many of them and tells us she wants to be a “dino expert” when she grows up.  She truly seems to have a love of animals first and foremost and dreams up all sorts of imaginary worlds for her and the animals.  She has an infectious sense of humor and regularly tries to “test us” because she doesn’t see herself as a child, and us parents, but more of an equal.    For any idea we have of something to do, or what to have for dinner, Charlotte has her own idea and negotiates with passion why her idea is truly the best one.  By Friday I am usually exhausted (she wears me down most days) but I sure don’t want to dispel that spirit of hers.

Abigail (Abby or Abs as we like to call her) worships her sister first and foremost and her parents second.  She loves to hug, cuddle and play.  She wants nothing to do with “age appropriate” anything and prefers to play with all of her sister’s toys.  In fact, because she was walking at such a young age her motor skills really impress us and I think she’s better at feeding herself with a fork and spoon and using a cup to drink her milk than her big sister is at age 4!  She has shown a love for babydolls that Charlotte never had.  She drags them around, feeds them, gives them bottles and rocks them in her rocking chair.  She is extremely outgoing (where Charlotte was not at all) and says, “HI and BYE!” to everyone she crosses paths with.  It can’t help but make even the grumpiest person smile.  While she loves being with us most, she is learning to love her babysitter and the child-care at our gym so I am getting a couple moments to myself lately to exercise, play tennis, or grocery shop in silence. 

Bob had a great year at Wagner & Bonsignore Consulting Civil Engineers.  They have roughly 25 employees, moved into some really nice new office space and opened an office in Santa Barbara.  The office is small and run by a couple guys but the location works well for all of the Southern California work Bob does and the potential for childless weekend getaways is sure enticing.  This has yet to happen, but a girl can dream!

In July the family met in San Diego to celebrate Michael’s youngest daughter Alex’s wedding.  She married Casey in Point Loma/Shelter Island at sunset overlooking the water.   Casey’s family is from the Point Loma area and his grandmother, also named Pat, still lives in the house she raised all her children and was obviously thrilled to see her first grandchild get married.  The wedding happened 4^th of July weekend and our daughters along with Claire and Mallory (Melanie’s daughters) were in the wedding.  They were adorable in matching dresses.  Charlotte and Claire danced the night away and were thrilled to be flower girls in the wedding.  It is funny how today the trend is to have no children at weddings, or adult only affairs.  Seeing the kids on the dance floor at Alex’s wedding really reminds you what life is all about. 

Bob was able to get away for a week’s vacation over Thanksgiving and we traveled to Hawaii.  We had such a relaxing and nice time.  We rented a condo on the Big Island and were able to walk to the pool and beach daily, sometimes twice!  We enjoyed being barefoot, eating freshly made meals in the condo and soaking up the sun.  It isn’t often that we get to have so many days together as a family and we really loved every minute of it.

Just this past weekend we spent in Orange County celebrating Pat’s 80^th Birthday.  It was a whirl-wind trip but we were treated with 85 degrees weather for two days.  Charlotte thinks her Grandma is one of a kind, and truly she is.  What, on her 80^th Birthday she was a trooper climbing into the back seat of our mini van and going to Disneyland to ride the canoes and the tea cups with her granddaughters.  The happiest place on earth was pretty special to see at Christmastime, even if the crowds were unbearable.  That evening we celebrated further with a standing rib roast prepared by Patsy and her grown children and Pat’s twin great-granddaughters, Stella and Fiona.  They are Brian’s (Patsy’s 33 year old son’s) two year old twin daughters.   In the past four years four great-grand daughters and two grand daughters have been born, according to age: Claire, Charlotte, Stella, Fiona, Mallory and Abigail.  What are the chances of that?  I think it is time for someone to have a boy!

Unfortunately we have some sad news to share as well.  On February 17 Eileen passed away at 51.  She had struggled over the years with her epilepsy and other ailments.  Interestingly she had not been struggling prior to her death and had been more lucid and herself than she had been in years.  We were all shocked and devastated.  We organized a beautiful funeral here in Sacramento and over 200 people came.  I attach a eulogy written by her childhood friend, Robert Bray (called Hugger by his family and friends).  It was a touching tribute and I think you should read it.  I apologize we did not get this news to you sooner.  Her death was hard on everyone  but knowing that Eileen isn’t suffering anymore gives us peace. 

We hope to correspond sooner this time and hope you have a very special Christmas with your family and loved ones.

Love,

Diane & Bob

Project Manager x10

I know this sounds pretty un-motherly but the job of a stay at home mom often feels like being a project manager.  You are balancing the house, the kids, the errands, the laundry, personal time (what's that?) and trying to get it all done efficiently and on-schedule.  You have daily deadlines (bath and bed by 8:00 pm) and weekly deadlines (clean sheets, laundry folded and put away, groceries stocked in the fridge, sack lunches made, dinners planned).  The weekend comes and the schedule is thrown off and then Monday you do it all over again.  One of the extra twists in this project management role is that in addition to all the above mentioned "to-dos" you are actually managing two small people.  And one of them, 3 going on 4 (*this* Friday) needs constant interaction, dialogue and re-direction.  The younger one needs a lot of the same, too, but her needs are different.  Basically, what I am saying is that in addition to all the shit that you need to get done around the house to keep the house and our lives managed, you need to be one step ahead of your kids so that not only do they feel loved, comforted, and secure, they also need constant reminders of the acceptable and appropriate behavior and that there are consequences for behaving badly.  Charlotte has been testing me hourly.  Its been a struggle.
I'll be honest.  Some of the best moments in our days are when both kids are locked into their respective seatbelts/car seats and we are driving someplace.  I know they are both "safe" and that they can't get anywhere.  A moment of peace.  How sad is this?  Honest reality I'm afraid.
Okay so get this... my amazing husband... decided we needed to engage in some "home improvement" projects.  Stuff we've put off.  Our home is 100 years old (or 90 actually) so in reality there is always a home improvement project necessary.  We put them off (they are expensive) and you can say our house has character but really it is dilapidated.
So much to my delight (horror) he says we need to engage in the following: replace three sets of doors that are operating poorly with french doors, replace hood over kitchen with new hood (the old one does not meet the necessary requirements for our range output), paint kitchen (including sanding and covering old oil-based trim in kitchen...smelly), replace deck off back of house and build new fence separating driveway from backyard, and some minor gardening work that requires a dump truck, a few cubic yards of mulch and some tree trimming and gutter replacement.
How does that sound for a to-do list?  Guess who is responsible for collecting multiple bids/estimates on the bigger projects (doors & deck) and organizing all these simultaneous events? Yep, me!  Does Bob help with any of this?  Well by help, I'd say he's providing financing for the projects.  I run the numbers by him and he says yay/nay.  I run some of the various contractor's ideas by him and he asks more questions which in turn, I must ask, and report back to him. 
Needless to say the phone is ringing regularly and the doorbell too (except our doorbell is broken so KNOCK LOUDLY PLEASE) with various faces.  I am actually doing a pretty good job of juggling it all! 
Am I overwhelmed?  Yes!  Do I have crazy dreams where everything works out, or doesn't, in various re-arrangements?  Of course!
Do my children feel that mom's attention is spread too thin right now?  Most likely.  The evidence:  any time I'm on the phone thing seem to spiral out of control.  Charlotte and Abigail hang on me, nag, whine, etc.  Can you blame them?  I guess not. 
If my job was in an office, I'd be expecting a BIG FAT BONUS this year!  Project Manager of the Year award!!! 
However, this is not an office, it is our home.  The bonus can't be quantified!  But I'm only complaining a little.  When it is all done, we'll have a little quiet time, and then we'll do it all over again.  Such is life... or as the French say, C'est la vie. 
Charlotte turns 4 on Friday and Bob's birthday is the 25th.  I've been working on the details of a very special purple party for Char and a dinner party for Bob.  These two things I enjoy more than any of the other stuff so I guess things do balance out.  Can't wait to share some pictures from Charlotte's special day... and pictures of our home "improvements"!  Stay tuned!
 

Barf-o-Rama

I was writing this really thoughtful post last Wednesday around 7:30 am when Charlotte asked me, "Mommy... where is Abigail?"  She was asking a very valid question.
Abigail does not typically sleep past 7:30 am.  And as I pondered her question I couldn't even remember hearing a peep out of her that night.  I went upstairs to check on her and say good morning.  Whoa!  Foul odor upon entering room!  Barf everywhere in her crib. 
I got her up, bathed her, stripped the bed and  helped her to some dry cheerios and a little water.  One parenting tip I have learned (the hard way) is to not give milk products to a baby who is vomiting for a good 24 hours, assuming they truly have a stomach bug.
We got Charlotte off to school and spent the day at home.  I was on barf-watch.  Around 2 o'clock I broke my rule, assuming Abby was fine and the barf-filled crib was a freak accident.  I gave her a bottle of milk.  45 minutes later she came to me crying and threw up all over me. 
A trip to the doctor's office the next day confirmed Abby had a double ear-infection.  I actually suspected this.  And then trusty internet told me that vomiting accompanies an ear infection.  A sigh of relief that we were all spared the potential, awful stomach-flu.
But no!  Thursday around 4:30 Bob calls and says he is on his way home from work, feeling nauseous.  By 6:00 pm he's hugging the toilet.  By  midnight it is my turn.
Charlotte lasts until Sunday morning and then she falls, too.
Sheesh... the barfs passed through all of us in under a week.  We are all feeling okay now. 
I deleted my unpublished-post. It was about the feelings (some good, many exasperated) that came with being home with your kids all the time.  Spend a few days with your kids sick, and you want to take away all their pain.  Nothing makes me weaker in the knees than my own kids being sick. 
I am so thankful their sickness is over almost faster than it comes on.  How lucky I am to have a strong, healthy family.
Now... I could go back to complaining about my woes being a stay at home mom.  But I think I'll save it for another day. 

Vacation

We've been back almost a week, now.  Life is kind of returning to normal.  In a good way.  Vacation is fun.  Unpacking, re-organizing, laundry, kid's schedules... not so fun.
It is Friday and things seem to be returning to our usual tempo. 
I think the greatest part of vacation was all of us being together for two straight weeks.   Next time though, Hawaii.  I'm already looking for rental houses on the North Shore of Kauai. 
A summary and some random thoughts on our trip.
1. Collecting snails at Grandma's house is just about as much fun as any amusement park.  Something about the "hunt" and finding every last snail.  Charlotte excelled at it.  She didn't want to touch the snails (can you blame her?) so Grandma picked them up (with her hands wrapped in plastic). 
2. Knotts Berry Farm is where Bob's mom used to take Bob and his siblings way back when she had very little money and wanted to treat them to something fun.  (late 1950s early 1960s).  A good half of the park is now covered in Roller Coasters.  We spent the first half of our morning in Camp Snoopy going on the kiddie rides that are under the Roller Coasters.  Fun, but noisy.  We spent the second part of our day in the original part of the park.  The Ghost Town, etc.  No towering roller coasters zooming over head and very very peaceful and uncrowded and fun!  I am a sucker for nostalgia and vintagey and I loved to think that Bob used to roam that very area when he was Charlotte's age.  Next time we go straight to the old part of the park and skip Camp Snoopy altogether.
3. Got to Del Mar and the sun found its way out for a few days.  The few days included our "busy" days of vacation.  Among them: Niece Alex's wedding, rehearsal dinner and picnic with family.  It was all wonderful and I'm glad Alex and Casey had sunshine on their wedding day.  Charlotte, Abigail, Claire and Mallory were adorable as flower girls.  Charlotte and Claire took their task very seriously and really had a blast.  All four girls were so fun to watch on the dance floor.  Kids should be invited to weddings.  It isn't so fun/easy for the parents but it creates great memories for the kids. 
4.  The sun disappeared on July 3rd never to be seen again for the duration of our vacation.  This put a little bit of a "cramp" in my idea of spending mornings, mid-day, and evenings swimming in the ocean.  The water temperature was bearable (around 68) but the air temp was a chilly 63.  We did spend a few days in the sand/water.  We just didn't camp out on the beach.  Both of my girls LOVED the sand and ocean.
5. Charlotte impressed me with her excitement at the waves and wonders of the ocean.  She wanted to go out further and further and jump the waves.  When she was clearly shorter than the wave height she wanted us to pick her up and take her out farther.  We have been to the beach/ocean a couple times a year since she's been born and this was the first year she really "got it" and didn't want to go back the instant we got there.
6. Abby is a born beach baby.  She loved it all.  She loves her big sister most so anything Charlotte wants to do, Abigail is not far behind.  So cute.
7. We headed inland in search of sunshine to the SD Wild Animal Park.  Probably one of the greatest places we've ever visited.  It felt like we had most of the park to ourselves.  The people seem to really congregate in the center area where the bus tour is located.  We saw elephants, rhinos, lions. zebras, and more.  Charlotte had her face painted with a unicorn and she couldn't stop looking at herself.  She thought she looked pretty neat and she was right, she did. 
8. The condo we rented was perfect.  Perfect in the sense it was located in a nice quiet area and we had a lot of open space and room to explore (rare for San Diego).  But... anytime we drove anywhere we were reminded that we were in Southern California (freeways, traffic to consider, etc.).  Next time we go on "vacation" we're going someplace a little more wild and scenic.
9. I think the sun has been out in San Diego all week.  Oh, and it is a whopping 103 degrees here at home.  Ick.  I'll take fog any day of the week.
10.  Opening day of the racetrack is next Wednesday.  We're going to see if we can't escape for a day to the track and leave the kids at home (with a sitter, of course)!

Where the Turf Meets the Surf

We're headed out of here on an airplane today!  Del Mar bound with a stop for two nights at Grandma's house in Brea.  The fun should be never ending and we're all looking forward to a "beach vacation".  Charlotte wants to build sand "volcanoes" (have I mentioned she's not a princess/castle person)?  Abby will be happy to do whatever everyone else does and Bob and I hope to sleep, swim, and maybe even play a little tennis.

We're going to be seeing most of our family while we're down there.  Alex is getting married and this means cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas, etc. etc.  My parents will be at the wedding, too.  And Aunt Shelly is flying into San Diego on the 3rd and she'll be staying with us for the week.  

I am counting down the moments until I'm swimming in the ocean and enjoying daily highs of 70 and lows of 61 degrees.  

Too bad the ponies won't be running while we're there.  We try to go every year when they are.  We just might have to plan a trip back down there in August.  On that note...

WHERE THE TURF MEETS THE SURF
(Johnny Burke / Bing Crosby / James V. Monaco)

Bing Crosby
Where the turf meets the surf
down at old Del Mar
take a plane
take a train
take a car.

There is a smile on every face
and a winner in each race
where the turf meets the surf
at Del Mar.

Friends

Saturday we headed to El Dorado Hills to hang out and have dinner with our friends the Chaquicas.  Melissa was my "suite mate" freshman year at UCSB and we were roommates all through college and have been great friends ever since. 
I miss seeing them regularly and watching our kids play together.  The beauty of friendship is that you don't have to talk on the phone all the time or see someone every week to know they are your friend.  Melissa is a true friend.  In fact, it had been almost a year since we've seen each other and we picked up where we left off as if I had last seen her a week ago.
Seeing Charlotte interact with Natalie and Jake was too fun.  Charlotte loved the freedom that came with hanging with the older kids (Jake is almost 7 and Natalie 5).  They swam together, jumped on the trampoline together, and at the end of a hard day of playing took baths and showered together.  Does it get any better than that?
Here's hoping a whole year doesn't pass before we get to see them again.  And that backyard?  Wow.  Enough said.

A little anxiety over this one

Our niece Alex is getting married July 3rd in San Diego.  She is the sweetest.  And she thought it would be fun if her nieces Claire and Mallory and her cousins Charlotte and Abigail were in the wedding.  You see Claire and Charlotte are less than a month apart and Mallory and Abigail three months apart.  Cute as can be, right?  And teamwork is good for following directions and doing that "walk down the aisle" thing, right?
Well all Charlotte has said when I've shared fun things about Alex's wedding are "no" and "I don't want to" and "uh-uhh". 
We tried on the dress last night.  The face tells it all:

But she sure looks pretty!

We're hoping she cheers up when she sees Claire in a matching dress and Abby and Mallory in coordinating ones.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

Garden pictures coming soon!  The tomatoes are going off!  I don't know if we'll actually get fruit, but the garden sure looks good!!!
A collage of our fun in the garden last night!  Big thanks to Aunt Darcy, Uncle Eric and Jessalyn for the fun "play sink" for Abby's birthday!  An instant hit!

Popsicles

We've been trying for weeks, no months, no YEARS to get rid of crap/stuff around the house.  It is a full time job.  And that full time job is kicking my butt.  I have managed to put baby clothes and baby stuff in black bags and it is all downstairs.  I am donating our clothes/gear to the Crisis Nursery in Sacramento.  It is a good organization and helps mother's get on their feet and helps babies in need.  I hope to get it all in the back of my car today (one step closer to being donated).
But in our efforts to get items OUT of the house we made a big purchase yesterday.  A FREEZER!  We have a basement in our 100 year old house.  It isn't fancy, and it isn't big.  But it is cool, and somewhat clean and it is empty (except for some wine).  I had this great idea that we could buy a freezer and store the staples that freeze well.  The refrigerator/freezer combo in our kitchen is small, especially the freezer portion.  Lately all I ever do is go to the grocery store (you really do eat more food when you have another mouth to feed)!  So my thinking was if we could stock up on the items we eat most days, and only needed to do weekly shopping for produce and milk we could not only save money (hello, costco!) but we would eat at home and eat healthier food simply because it was here in our house.
So yesterday the Wagner Four cruised the aisles of costco stocking up on food to freeze.  It was fun, and funny at the same time.  We bought popsicles (we have a big of a family obsession with them... when all looks wrong in the world, have a popsicle!)  You should try this.  It truly works. 
We bought meat, cheese, fresh ravioli and other items.  Many of the items we stocked up on do not get frozen but we decided we will store them in our basement, too. 
And a personal best for us... after stocking the house full of food, we did NOT go out to eat last night!  We ate at home... in our backyard!  It was the second night in a row.
As much as I hate the heat and the looming 100+ degree days (I need the beach, baby) I can get used to eating outdoors with my family!
And for dessert?  We had popsicles, of course!

Happy Birthday Abigail Rose, You're 1

Abby turned one on Sunday.  I wanted to have a special party for her... and weeks prior to the party I was lacking any and all inspiration and motivation.  At the last minute some ideas came together, and I did a little shopping and some online ordering (paying extra shipping to get things here on time... the joys of procrastination).
It all came together nicely.  A garden/flower theme for our little one who loves the outdoors.  Family and only our closest friends with the hopes of keeping it intimate and fun and simple.  I think it came off as "simple and fun" though I must say I was exhausted (the pictures show it).  I caught a cold a few days before the party, Abby had her first ear infection, Bob's been crazy busy at work, and Charlotte... well she's 3 going on 13 what more can I say?
The birthday girl truly had a great time and our great friend Raymond took amazing photos.  He's really turning into quite the photographer. We are humbled to have such a loving supportive group of family and friends to share our lives with.

The 4 o'clock crazies

Abigail's nap schedule is not particularly "regular:"  It is and it isn't.  It is in the sense that she takes two naps a day, most days.  Her naps are usually about 1.5 hours each.  But depending when she wakes up in the morning (also not regular), the afternoons can be long.  Very very long.
Today we're trying to think of something to do and we're also trying to keep from destroying the house even more.  Have I ever mentioned she does NOT stop moving the minute she's up?  It is exhausting (for me).  To be honest, I think it is exhausting for Charlotte too. In a STOP MESSING WITH MY STUFF kind of way.
We need to think of something to do, and fast. 
The garden is coming along nicely.  I need to find some neat decor for the area to cozy it up.

Spring is here

Spring is here and things are feeling crazily hectic.  It didn't help that all of us (except for Bob) were hit with this awful stomach bug that went around Charlotte's school.  I got it about 48 hours after Abigail and was unable to eat or do much of anything for a good four days.  Not the way I like to lose weight but now I just hope I can keep it off and lose a few more.
While we try to enjoy the little things I feel consumed with accomplishing things.  Notably a garden... not every kind of vegetable under the sun but the basics... zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and Charlotte requested strawberries.  I hope they grow (for her sake).  She said she looks forward to picking them and putting them in baskets.  We've also been re-vamping the "thoughtful spot" and this year it is hopefully going to be better than ever.
We got most of the plants in the ground and the thoughtful spot somewhat cleaned up today.  We've been working on this all week.  I'm psyched.
Have I ever mentioned Charlotte's Brooklyn accent?  It is strange.  Strange as in we have no idea where it comes from.  She had a fun sleep over at Nana and Grandpa's this past weekend.  They were working in the garden.  Nana says, "Charlotte put it here in the dirt."  And Charlotte replies, "in the doit?"  So Nana says, "No Charlotte, dirt."  So Charlotte says, "Doit!"
Nana:"Charlotte can you say dirt?" 
Charlotte: "Doit."
Nana:"Charlotte can you say dirt?" 
Charlotte: "Doit."Nana:"Charlotte can you say dirt?" 
Charlotte: "Doit."Nana:"Charlotte can you say dirt?" 
Charlotte: "Nana, I think I'll just call it soil."

I'm telling you we have quite the smarty pants on our hands.
Pictures of the backyard coming soon...In the meantime, look who is almost ready to party!

Stuffy Stuff

I think we survived the stomach flu epidemic.  Charlotte was the only person who fell prey in this house.  It went around her school (is still going around) and she was down and out for a good 48 hours.  She's eating and back to her normal feisty self and our house is very very sanitized and clean.
But... cluttered.  Not cluttered to someone who would walk in and take a look.  It looks neat and tidy and somewhat spartan in decor.  BUT... we have piles and piles and piles of CRAP!  None of us are good at throwing things away, but more importantly how on earth does it find its way into our house in the first place???
It doesn't help that we have kids and with kids comes crap but still!!!
Charlotte is a collector.  She loves little piles of stuff in little boxes and bags everywhere.  But it isn't only her.  We all have piles of stuff.  And we aren't organized... at all.
I have a dream of having an organized stuffy-stuff free house!!!  I wish some magic fairy would fly into our house (we have two chimneys if they prefer) and organize... and then vanish.  I promise magic fairy if someone did all the initial organizing I would stay up on it!!!

Easter baskets are basically full of "stuff" that eventually ends up in piles around our house!!!  A perfect example.
And the letter that comes between i and k in the alphabet, I'd love to type it but the key is missing from our keyboard.  Which means if I need that letter, then I have to think of a synonym for the word because I can't type the word and leave out the letter (you know the letter that comes between i and k)... how annoying is that?  We need a new keyboard!

Templates and Stuff

I am experimenting with making the window wider... and improving my space so my pictures can be bigger... I don't think I got it right but I'm going to try uploading a picture and see what happens...
Wendy of Bluelily took our pictures in December.  It was right after Christmas.  She had taken our pictures in March of 2009 when I was pregnant with Abigail and we got some great shots.  We wanted her to take some of the new addition and try for a family shot.  Charlotte was a mess.  Would not even talk to or stop for a second and smile for the camera... this face captures the day perfectly.  Wendy is awesome and we can't wait to try again next time she comes to Sacramento!  And even though there were no real "framers" out of this photoshoot, we got a great collection of photos that captured our family and home.

Finally!

Check one more item off the list.

Next up:
Empty dishwasher, load dishwasher, fold laundry, put away laundry.  Why is washing and drying so easy yet folding and putting away so daunting???

Grumpy

I've got a bad case of the grumps today.  I can think of lots of reasons why... but focusing on that makes me more grumpy!  I am trying to turn my frown upside down and often times I find that when I am productive, I feel better.
After dropping Charlotte off at school this morning Abigail and I came home so she could nap (she too was grumpy).  I have been productive since walking through the door:

1. Started a load of laundry so Bob would stop asking me if his jeans were clean.  He will probably still ask, but now I will be able to say yes.  They have been in the back of his car for over a week which makes it hard to wash them.  Especially because his car is at work every day!
2. I organized some tennis-team stuff including emailing the captain of the team we're playing tonight and calling the away club to find out which courts we are playing on.  I then emailed my team to let them know where we would be playing.
3. I prepared an invoice for the work I completed in March.  This is $atisfying because it means I will get paid (hopefully).
4. I am about to go complete a craft project I have been working on for over a month.  It was a birthday present for one of Charlotte's friends who turned 4 the first week in March.  The present will be a month late... or even later if I don't stop blogging and get on it.  Picture of completed project to be posted...

I feel better already.

Looking at these pictures makes me smile and warms my heart..

Abigail Rose 10 Months

Wow, 10 months old, already???  Time is flying by so fast I don't even know what hit me.  I am much more nostalgic now than I was as Charlotte approached her first birthday.  Lately, I find myself reminiscing about this point in my pregnancy a year ago and about the months leading up to Abby's birth.  One of these days I will get around to writing her birth story.  It was amazing.  I never felt so empowered in my whole life.  Split seconds after she was born I wanted to do it all over again, and again.  To say it was easy is not fair.  The actual point of when my body was in active labor was easy.  Pushing her out of my body, easy.  I was completely overcome with endorphins and my body and mind were in sync and knew exactly what needed to be done.  But... the 9 months (plus an extra week) plus the 12 hours where I was induced to get me there were not easy.  Wait, this isn't Abby's birth story.  Another time. Another time.

Abigail Rose is 10 months old today.  I do not remember the first six months.  I am sorry to say this.  We have pictures, thankfully, that remind us of things we did and what she looked like but I have a hard time remembering what it felt like to hold her when she was so tiny.  I have a hard time remembering what our days were like during those first few months.  Truly, it is all a blur.  But at the same time, that was almost a YEAR ago???  Where the hell did the time go???
Abigail Rose is outgoing, she smiles at just about everyone and if someone is in her sights, but hasn't acknowledged her, she makes sounds and flirty eyes until they look at her.  And then they smile.  How can you not smile?  She's chubby.  Not the chubbiest baby ever.  But chubby.   Rolls on the thighs, arms and cheeks chubby.  She loves to eat.  Loves just about any kind of food as long as she can feed herself.  She prefers spicy to bland.  Abby is active.  In fact, she NEVER stops moving.  She refuses to lie on her back for a diaper change.  This worries me that something could be " wrong" with her.  But Bob points out that something must be WRONG with me because that is silly to get all worked up about her not wanting to lie on her back.  I'm going to talk to the pediatrician about it anyway at her next checkup. 

Abby loves me but she loves her Daddy and she loves her big sister more than life itself.  All she wants to do is touch Charlotte.  Pulling her hair is just about the greatest thing ever.  Luckily for Abby, Charlotte sometimes lets her pull her hair.  Abby loves her babysitter, Felicia and Felicia's sisters.  They are a wonderful addition to our entourage and they make me feel more human.  Those "breaks" during the week help me be a better person.
Abby is starting to enjoy daycare at the gym.  This brings us one step closer to having normal lives.  By normal I mean Friday nights where Bob and I play tennis and the girls go to the gym.  This is looking to be a mighty fine summer, indeed!  I could go on and on about this little baby of mine but mostly, she just makes me happy.  She makes Charlotte happy.  She makes Bob happy.  Our little family of four is happy (most of the time). 

Notes from the Desert

We had a great vacation.  Everyone needed a break from our routine and I think we got one! Some take away tips/facts/thoughts:

1. To ride on a plane as a lap child, you now need proof of age.  That would be in the form of a birth certificate or passport.  Did not know this.  We almost always purchased a plane ticket for Charlotte when she was of lap-child age (under 3).  And in the few instances when we didn't, we were never asked for any form of identification for her.  This was a lesson we would have preferred to learn BEFORE we left for the airport.
2. Palm Desert is a neat place.  The air is clean, the weather is nice, and the environment is laid back and slow.  This is in large part due to the overwhelming number of "old" people in Palm Desert.  Old wealthy people if you judge by the shops, and other surroundings.  Despite the old folks, we found fun things to do with our kids.
3. All you need is a hotel with a swimming pool when you're in the desert in March with kids.  Best. Thing. Ever.
4. Dragging a 10 month old and 3 year old to two days of professional tennis is not fun for kids.  There was no bouncy house, face painting, or anything else remotely kid fun.  We enjoyed collecting desert rocks (or landscape rocks if you want to be specific).  Number of times a 3 1/2 year old said, "But I dooooonnnn'ttt liiiiiikke tennis."?  I lost count at 50.
5. Roger Federer is more awe inspiring up close than he is on TV.  He carries himself like a Greek God.  I was in awe (almost like a teenager) when he walked right past Charlotte and I after an inpromptu photo-shoot and then hit the practice courts.  Charlotte was taken by Roger, too.  Mommy... I like his red headband!
6. Abby appears to be a tennis fan.  She was pretty content to watch tennis and loved the people and activity.  She did grow tired of it after about 20 minutes, though.  I attribute her love of tennis to the countless hours she played in utero. 

5. We splurged on tickets for Saturday and our awesome nieces Kristin and Kami drove to Palm Desert for the day to play with Charlotte and Abby.  They were our saviors!  Celebrities to Charlotte and allowed for us to spend a whole day watching tennis without hearing any whining or fussing.  We were treated to a lot of great tennis and a truly relaxing day.
6.  Four nights isn't long enough away... though it was long enough at the Embassy Suites Palm Desert.  Sort of a dingy hotel to be honest.  Luckily we used points so it didn't cost us anything.  But how on earth can a hotel in the desert smell like MILDEW?  That is just wrong.
7. Vacation is a great place to experiecne day-light savings with kids.  Their schedules are so off that coming home and making all the adjustments seems pretty easy really.

8. Finally... traveling with two kids is TEN times harder than traveling with one!  But worth it, oh so worth it.

Desert Bound

Ohhhhh a vacation!  We're heading to Indian Wells for four whole nights!  Going to spend two days watching tennis!!!  I am pretty darn excited.  So excited I deleted the facebook app on my iPhone.  How liberating it felt!  Can't wait to snap photos in the desert and enjoy some warm weather with my three favorite people. 

Pork Products

Pork products... you either love em or hate em, right? I mean come on... bacon, sausage, ham, salami, prosciutto, ribs, tenderloin, chops, whatever. I'm making it clear I am in the "love" category. In fact, I often make it known that it was bacon that brought me back from vegetarianism. Yep, bacon.
So why is it that people get so weird about the basic food group of pork products? Like you mention you are having hot dogs and they go ewwww gross? As if it is socially "not cool" to enjoy hot dogs and sausages. I understand if it is for health reasons. But people... there are organic, lower calorie, nitrate free options. They taste just as great. And a hamburger with all the fixins is "okay" but sausage or hotdog not okay? Sorry but calorie wise... a hot dog is a better choice. Kind of like the donut versus bagel with cream cheese argument. But we won't go there.
So anyway... we really do enjoy our fair share of pork products in this household. And even baby Abby loves her some sausage (the all-natural nitrate free kind of course)!!!
Think it is a coincidence that Charlotte's favorite animal is a pig???