Pondering and Planning.

At the beach today we talked about a few things. #1 what to do about the Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy conflict and #2 what the Bunny should bring next week for Easter.Apparently one of Clare's friends at school told Clare that the Easter Bunny lives with the Tooth Fairy. We aren't sure if they are married, shacking up, or just roommates. Mario tried to explain that the Easter Bunny lived in a hole like all other bunnies but Clare quickly corrected him. So...does the Easter Bunny bring toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and mouthwash? Do they work together? Or should the Bunny stick to the unhealthy classics like jelly beans?

We do know that the shovel we found in the trash this Winter is a major source of beach conflict for the kids. Soooo many fights over this stupid broken blue plastic shovel. After witnessing the 100th fight over who got to use it we both knew for sure that the Easter Bunny would be delivering two unbroken shovels next week. The dental hygiene stuff is still up for debate.

Because of this lovely boot I spent most of my beach time 1. in a chair or 2. on my new beach blanket. Sand and the boot are an annoying combination. From my view I saw a lot of this: I am not sure how I will manage Spring Break alone with these two and the boot. We may have some pretty heavy ground rules about the beach, the ocean, and the consequences of running away from their gimpy Mama.

Saturday Supper.

Because things taste better at the beach we kept our picnic menu simple tonight. Ham sandwiches, fresh strawberries, raw broccoli bites, cheese crackers, hot tea, and popcorn. Combined with a high tide the sea winds felt very cold. We spent a bit of time on the beach, ate our supper, and scooted the new-to-us beach quilt back several times. This was the view from our blanket. The ferocious waves startled the kids. They are used to calmer conditions and they squealed each time the water came close.

Mario and I enjoyed it though. A deserted beach, even if it's cold, can be a very nice thing.

Boy Nudist.

This is Wesley on Friday afternoon.
This is Wesley deciding to go for a swim in the ocean.

This is Wesley heading for the surf.

This is Mario wrangling Wesley back to put on a swim suit.

This is Wesley going boneless.

This is Mario putting down his beer cup.

This is Mario taking control of the two year old situation.

This is Mario thinking of Wesley's rehearsal dinner slide show.

Beach Tantrum.

Your know you live with kids when

you find the caps to your contact lens case floating in an yellow unflushed toilet. (And you are thankful that the only lenses you brought with you remain in the case unharmed.)

**EDIT** After seeing fuzz for two days I realized that my left contact is torn in the middle. I should have known better than to think that the damage was contained to the mellow yellow.

Friday Fun

Every so often I toy with the idea of home schooling Clare and Wesley. We could cover so much material, we could spend so much time together, and we wouldn't be tied to a school attendance policy. Just look at this morning. Mario is in Savannah so we were left without a car for the morning. In the course of four hours we:

had unstructured play time
washed the bikes
went on two walks
went to the pool two times (one time to watch the pool cleaners and one time to get our feet wet)
had a healthy snack
ate lunch outside naked
decorated the parking lot with sidewalk chalk
mixed chalk and water for an experiment
rode our bikes
talked about how worms die
spotted birds in trees
checked the mail and dropped off letters in the mail slot
had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard
and talked to our neighbor Miss Gloria.

I enjoyed all of it but I am certainly glad that it is now rest time so I can recharge. I like these random days just doing whatever seems to come next. Sometimes not being able to go anywhere gives us greater freedom to explore the depths of our boundaries.

Unlimited Fun.

Our current mantra: It's new to Zoo!

Our kids now enjoy unlimited pony rides, merry-go-round rides, bird feedings, giraffe feedings, train rides, 3D movies, and rock climbing! Did you see that: UNLIMITED PONY RIDES????? Clare and Wesley aren't sure what happened to me with all of the 'Sure!' and 'Yes!' flying from my lips these days.

$80 gave us this unlimited deal for the rest of our membership and I am certain that we have already blown through 80 dollars worth of attraction fun in just three visits. We live less than three miles from the zoo so it is the perfect afternoon jaunt.

Today I abandoned rest time at 2:30, knocked on their doors and asked if they wanted to go ride the ponies. I've never seen them get ready so fast, especially when I explained that we had to get out of our house, to the zoo, over to the Riverbanks Barn all by 3:00 p.m. We were the last folks in line for the day. (Oh...and we did this all with the boot!)

After the merry-g0-round, feeding those Lorikeet birds I can't stand to have landing on me, riding the train and our pony ride we took a break. We rode the tram to the botanical gardens where we discovered the coldest water fountain on the planet, shade, and the house they now have for kids in the children's section. Clare and Wesley loved tearing around this house and playing hide-n-seek while I enjoyed sitting on my bum resting my leg from our adventure.

If you zoo often I highly recommend the unlimited option. It adds a new element of interest to an otherwise routine by this point outing. I think we will see the 3D turtle movie a lot this summer because it is 1. included and 2. air conditioned.

Dream State.

Wesley died in my dream last night.

Before they could get to killing Clare I woke up. I reached over and woke Mario up. I said, "Wesley died in my dream. Go see if Wesley is breathing." He got out of bed and went into Wesley's room. A few minutes later he returned and reported that Wesley was fine.

The dream was strange. Something about Mario, federal agents, a grocery store, electronic sensors, bad guys, and a decision to kill our family. They killed Wesley first by giving him some kind of injections and I had to hold him as he died. When he was dead they were moving on to Clare, then me, and then Mario. I guess it was a nicer way to kill a family rather than using more violent methods like guns.

I had a hard time falling asleep afterwards. The idea that you are supposed to wake up before dying in a dream or else you are actually going to die lingered in my mind. I guess it doesn't apply to your children. Watching them die in dreams unnerves me more than the idea of dreaming my own death.

Dirt.

Last week we went to the Carolina Children's Garden for fun. We stumbled upon a St. Patty's Day celebration for kids which included games, cupcakes, pinecone bird feeders, rain barrels, rain gardens, and composting. The highlight: holding worms.

Wesley's reaction to the worm holding opportunity: Yuck!

Clare's reaction to the worm holding opportunity: They're cute! I want to hold one.

All of this was before the boot. Almost one week out I am adjusting our outings to reflect a slower pace. When possible I opt for enclosed spaces to prevent runaway children. Gates are good. Gates that latch are even better.

Yesterday I went to the Midlands Foot Clinic and saw a doctor that I really liked. He did an ultrasound of my foot and told me to take an anti-inflamatory and to keep it in the boot for at least three more weeks. I go back mid-April and if it's better I can be released to do physical therapy. If it still hurts then I'm having and MRI done and will have more boot time.

In the meantime we will be in the back yard hunting for worms, planting seeds, and enjoying the fenced in yard.

Rainy Picnic.

We packed a picnic, loaded it in the cooler, and then it started to rain. Undeterred we drove out to Sesquicentennial State Park, paid our $2/adult admission fee, and had a silly shelter picnic anyhow. They had plenty of empty shelters to pick from, dripping playground equipment, puddles to jump in, a lake to explore and lots of open space to use the umbrella.

Lunch: sandwiches, pretzels, strawberries, boiled peanuts, pistachios, apples, and carrot sticks.
I opted to sit out for the wet playground equipment part of the trip. Here's a peek at my new linen apron skirt and the tippy toe of my boot.

Making Lemonade.

I can't run but I can sew. I am trying to find the joy in my big black boot so yesterday I made a trip to the Creative Sewing Center in West Columbia for some Amy Butler fabrics. Last night I made myself an apron skirt and this Lazy Days skirt for Clare.

Even though she declared that yellow and white were her new favorite colors she has yet to try on the skirt this morning. I'm hoping that eventually she'll wear it but it's hard to predict the fashion whims of a four year old. I certainly don't have any idea what she will wear with it given her recent style expressions.

I made my linen apron skirt out of a size 26 Lane Bryant ankle length skirt I found at Goodwill. I cut the skirt down, added a new elastic waist band and put an apron panel on top with the green polka dot and lemon fabrics I used in Clare's skirt. I'm happy with my new mama version of the Lazy Days skirt and have enough linen fabric left over to make Clare a skirt too.

I am looking in to sewing classes. Maybe it is time to progress beyond my winging it sewing skills to learning how things are actually supposed to be done.

Mermaid Fun.

An electronic show and tell for Grampin' about his surprise package.A box from Grampin' arrived! Let's open it!

Ooooh! Mermaids for the bathtub!
Thank you Grampin'! I love my new mermaid friends.
Bath time is so much fun tonight! We need to get more batteries to activate the other mermaids for tomorrow, but the mermaid shower and dolls were a huge hit around here.

We love Italian Ice.

Yesterday was Free Italian Ice Day at Rita's! After a trip to the zoo and a nap we took the kids out to Harbison for blue joy in a cup. I love the Italian ice shop because there is no discrimination for Wesley...he can enjoy the same thing that Clare does and everyone is happy. The kids had blue, Mario tried banana and I enjoyed mint chocolate chip. Good stuff.

Doodles.

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Place: RCPL parking lot.

Date: March 18, 2010

A morning with Mama.

Today Clare did not have to go to school. After we dropped Wesley off we stopped by the bagel store to fuel up for a morning of fun together. We went with my definition of planned fun and I threw in a few princess bits to sweeten the deal.

Goodwill, Target and the consignment shops were fun but the stop at the Indian Grocery rocked. We wandered up and down all of the aisles looking, touching, and smelling. I tried to remember what some of the products were and what they tasted like. The remembering made me feel sad because I realized how much I have forgotten since my visit.

My face and heart lit up when we made it to the biscuit (cookie) section. Total recognition flashed at me from the shelves. I ate tons and tons of biscuits (Marie were my favorites) during my trip. For fun we picked out three different kinds of biscuits to sample and added them to our basket. I also picked up cardamon pods, lots of chana, and some seasoning mixes.

A Bollywood film captivated Clare while I checked out. In the car we unwrapped all of the cookies to taste. In a rare moment of let's eat lots of cookies together to see what we like best we gobbled them up. Turns out she likes the Marie biscuits best too.

So now Clare officially likes Indian biscuits and Indian rice. At this rate by the time she turns 18 she should be ready for a trip to India with me. Maybe a few more trips to the grocery together will speed up the process and we can get those passport stamps sooner.

I'm too sexy for my:

Boot.

I was just minding my own business, enjoying the morning, and running for pleasure. On the third day of long runs my Achilles tendon started to ache so I took yesterday off from exercise. Instead of running I went to Goodwill and found 2 pairs of Chico's jeans, a pair of Born sandals, and a few other spring goodies. Life was good.

Last night at 7:30 p.m. I flexed my foot and put some weight on the ball of my foot to see how my foot felt. At that point whenever I took a step I had great pain and this weird creaking sound. You know a bendable straw, imagine that compression and stretching along the back of your heel and up towards your calf.

I knew things were not good.

Mario and the kids dropped me off at the Urgent Care center. A kindred running spirit saw me, forbade me from running for up to six weeks, and prescribed a Cam Walker Boot. Susan came to pick me up and we made a trip to Sonic so I could feel sorry for myself over a Reese's Sonic Blast. (We also savored the chance to catch up without our kids around.)

This morning Boot and Brace downtown put me in the boot and now I can get around much better. Wesley can still outrun me with this thing on but it is better than not being able to walk at all.

I have an appointment with a foot person on Monday where I hope to learn more. My Internet doctoring tells me that there's not much else to do but wear this brace, take it easy, use Motrin, and ice it down.

The kids are intrigued. I am seriously bummed. My friend Laura hosted a pizza luncheon at her house which cheered me up (and fed the kids). Perhaps all of this is a message to slow down again? Or to pay attention to my body? Or to find a new sport? Or to start sewing again? Or to be thankful that I have such a supportive community around me?

Whatever it is, I have six weeks to figure it out.

Bug Catching--Princess Style

When Clare broke her arm last summer in New Hampshire I was desperate for anything that would entertain the kids and keep them away from the lake. Plaster and water do not make for a good combination. Luckily Ms. Gloria sent Clare everything she could possibly need to catch bugs. The other day friends came over and Clare gave bug catching lessons on the front porch stoop.

The kids didn't find many bugs but as Spring unfolds I am sure we will find plenty. Superman, the ballerina and the princesses are thrilled to be outside. (And so are their mamas.)

Sweet Caroline.

I am a lucky girl.

This weekend fate collided bringing Caroline and me together for a full twenty four hours without children. Her mom took hers. Mario took ours.

We spent the day playing in Charleston doing all of the things we can't do when we have our five kids along for the ride. We had our make up done, ate cupcakes, sipped coffee in the coffee shop, stopped at cute stores, ate sushi, and drank wine on her front porch. Before we did each thing we looked at each other and said "because we can!"

Sunday morning brought leisurely coffee and talking. We even mustered up a bit of energy for a run around Daniel Island. While we were running I kept thinking to myself that we really should do this together more often. Maybe if we did do it more often we wouldn't savor it quite as much but there's got to be a compromise between never and once every 4 years.

When I returned on Sunday afternoon I felt like a new mama. Not the new leaking overwhelmed kind, but the refreshed and ready to parent again mama. Hooray!

Be and Do.

Superman went to school today in his pajamas. Technically they are clothes and it made him happy. When we went in his classroom he tore of his jacket, put his hands straight out and yelled, "Superman!!!" Sometimes two year old boys are great reminders to just be and to do what you want to do.

With that as my mantra today I went running, skipped the overrated post workout shower, had a picnic lunch on the deck with the kids, and invited friends over for a play date even though I can't even see the kitchen counters or dining room table.

Now if I can just find someone to teach me about follow through. Perhaps all of this being and doing would be less of a mess. I might even learn how to put away the mixer from the impromptu banana bead baking sessions and fold laundry.

Morning coffee smiles.

The #1 reason that I am smiling this morning while drinking coffee and wiping jelly off of toddlers: Mario is coming home today after a week in Dallas, Texas!

I did better than usual with the parenting stuff on this trip. I just missed Mario and having him around. It may be renewed appreciation for the things he does for me: making morning coffee, taking care of Bailey 100x during the night, giving the kids baths, giving me morning snuggles, and providing adult conversation. All good stuff.

I did enjoy the relaxed evenings and our simplified schedule. Knowing that I was going at it solo I didn't plan much for our nights....which made us free to have spontaneous dinner parties and extra play time at home. The kids are geeked to see their Daddy tonight and I am happy to have Mario on hand when they scream "I want my Daddy!!!"

Today I love.

: : oatmeal for breakfast
: : impromptu mall picnics
: : double naps
: : finishing a good novel
: : being an aunt
: : baked potatoes for dinner
: : hearing rain on the stove pipe
: : skipping the gym
: : clean kids
: : my new hot water kettle
: : drawings of baby Ben

Oh Baby!

Time seems to go by a lot faster when you are the person having the baby compared to being the person waiting for news of a baby. Last night I became an official aunt when my nephew arrived just after 10 p.m. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 9 oz. and is just adorable. I am excited to have a baby to love on for the next year to get my infant fix.

Even though Wesley has asked to see the baby since yesterday morning he was a little wary at first. Later on he warmed up (I just love his little head in the bottom left corner of the first picture). This morning we showed the kids pictures that Michael sent us. Wesley's response went something like this: He has two hands just like me! Clare L-O-V-E-D the baby. Before we went to visit at the hospital we went to IKEA where both kids picked out toys to bring along. She said that she wanted to get a rattle because rattles were baby toys. Somewhere in there she also shared that she heard at school that you poop babies out of your tummy.

We're so happy that our family is growing! Congratulations Michael and Mikie! Your little boy is absolutely perfect.

Baby Whisperer.

7:45 AM

Mama: Wesley, what do you want to do today?
Wesley: I want to see a baby.

11:18 AM

Call from Gigi: They're at the hospital!

12:00 PM

Mama: Aunt Mikie and Uncle Mike are at the hospital.
Wesley: I want to go see it.

1:50 PM

Clare: What time will it be when the baby comes out?
Mama: Sometime today.
Clare: Okay. I'm going to go make a card in my room.

Drive by luck.

Sunday afternoon we had one of those child awe moments. Columbia + Five Points + March = Green Fountain. We underestimated the cool factor of this occurrence by a lot. Mario and I set up camp on the brick ledge and watched these two run pentagons around the fountain in pure 70 degree green fountain glee.

Fashionista.

I wish I could say that this was one of her most extreme ensembles but it is not. Lately our fashion mantra around here is: put some clothes on, any clothes will do, and bring a jacket. Mario and I have fewer quarrels with her in the morning about getting ready and we are laughing a lot more.

This morning we had a mother/daughter date to the zoo. We have not been over there in awhile so it was fun to her her new and improved four and a half year old explanations about why things are the way they are at the zoo. I also reminded myself that we need to be spending more afternoons over there just hanging out together instead of going nuts inside our home.

Today Clare got the better end of the dating deal. Wesley got stuck going to Wal-Mart to buy toilet paper with Mario.

Make it. Bake it.

Goal: Eat at home more.

Goal: Have children actually eat food.

Goal: Spend less money on life.

Goal: Do fun stuff with our kids.

Thank you to Earth Fare for last week's coupon that gave us free dough and a free ball of mozzarella cheese with the purchase of a jar of sauce ($2.49). Clare and I had an enjoyable time making dinner at home together. Nobody screamed. Nobody yelled. We stayed home and I think we actually bonded after a rough week. (Don't tell anyone but she even ate dinner.) Good stuff.

Sweet Saturday

I am pretty sure that the kids never realized that Uncle Mike and Aunt Mikie moved to Baltimore. Their short hiatus out of the Carolinas didn't register in their minds but it did on ours. Michael and Mikie returned to Charlotte this week, moved into their old house that never sold, and are putting things back where they once were. The house looks the same with the addition of a few pieces of new furniture and some baby gear.

We spent the afternoon having lunch, hanging out in the back yard, and catching up. Wesley sang Baby M and M his baby song from school. "Come and see the baby but you no make a peep. Tiptoe very quietly because baby is asleep. Listen to his mudder sing a lullaby as she rocks the baby Jesus all through the night." I'm sure we can get him to swap out the Jesus part once we know what Baby M and M's name will be. For the record: Clare's baby name suggestion is Dodo.

Mikie is 39 weeks pregnant. We brought her some cupcakes as a thank you for watching the kids while we made an essential rice milk/rice pasta/rice snack run to Trader Joe's. Cupcakes have got to taste even better when you are super pregnant. I am geeked to be closer to Baby M and M, Mikie and Michael. I feel like I am getting my brother back (there's something inherently good about being able to show up on his doorstep just to see that he's okay) after this Baltimore thing.

We only bought three boxes of rice milk for Wesley this afternoon because we know we will be back very soon to meet this little guy. Welcome back Michael and Mikie!