Twinkle, Twinkle

OK. One more, just because this also is the cutest thing in the whole wide world. I think in this video Carolyn had just turned 2. We hadn't even put our pictures on the wall yet so it must have been right after we moved into this house.

And now: Twinkle, twinkle

When spaghetti was so much more than food

I was cleaning off my laptop a few days ago when I found a bunch of old videos from when Carolyn was a baby. It is seriously hard to remember when she was this little, but I thought it was the cutest thing in the whole wide world.

And now for our feature presentation: Messy Spaghetti.

An end to the Top 5 list

I knew it wouldn't last forever.

In January, I return to what I'll call "the real world." Not that my world isn't "real," but it does have a very flexible nap plan. That's because I'll be returning to school as a full-time student. Actually, a full/full-time student as I will be completing 62 credit hours in 12 months. Yes, you read that right.

I'm pretty sure that's not the "real" world either, but I do think naps will not be included. I'm returning to school to be a nurse, which is really a lifelong dream of mine. It's pretty exciting, but panic-inducing.

That's because it's an accelerated nursing program for people with a bachelor's degree, a CNA license and a crapload of science classes. Even mothers of 4-year-old girls – who have never been in daycare and don't really have any idea of how drastically life will change and will probably cry everyday because it is just not right to get dropped off at some strange lady's house – can be admitted.

So now, I spend my days trying to figure out if I'm immunized to rubella, paying hundreds of dollars for ugly white pants and shoes, researching how to scam money from the government (help in this area would be helpful) and trying to find a strange lady to care for my poor, sweet, adorable 4-year-old.

Did I mention that I'm a horrible parent? Oh, well, Penny will be ready to fill you in for the next 18 years or so.

Halloween, part 3

Here it is. An end to the month-long Halloween celebration at our house. Sure it's been fun endlessly planning the outfits Penelope will where, when she will wear them, how cute she will look wearing them and if maybe she shouldn't wear some other costume. But it's over, at least for the next 11 months.

Even Steve and I got into the spirit. The girls said I should be a rock star, like Hannah Montana. I tried to tell them gently that Hannah Montana was not a look I could achieve, but I could do a mildly interesting rocker girl with spiky mohawk. The problem was, my wardrobe errs more on the side of soccer mom than rock star, so it was just a barely passable rendition, which the girls kept saying looked JUST like Hannah Montana (they have never actually seen the show, so I guess I should have just nodded politely and said thanks).

Truthfully, it turned out to be more sleazy barfly than rock star, if there's actually a difference.


The girls were Princess Penelope and Rapunzel, which I felt sort of proud to tell people because it's a character from literature, and not Disney literature but the good old-fashioned kind. But I would have paid cash for something not princessy. Skeleton. Witch. Slutty cheerleader. Anything without a tiara.



But princess it was, and of course, they were adorable. We got just enough (too much) candy. And mostly good chocolate stuff. For the first time, the girls actually went up to the doors by themselves. And we had fun hanging out together. And eating candy.

The good chocolate kind.

Cowgirl Carolyn

Halloween party -- part two.

Actually, the kids in Carolyn's school aren't allowed to go in costume. I have a feeling some kids (and maybe parents) might get a tiny bit carried away. But it's totally fine, because for Fall Festival kids can dress as a farmer or cowboy(girl).

And that means two costumes for Halloween. Yipee Yahoo!!!!!

I went to Farm and Fleet yesterday just to buy a red paisley bandana to tie around Carolyn's neck. I had very low standards of farmer/ cowgirl-ness. But then I saw these very cute, very pink overalls and I said, "We only live once."

Totally the right decision. There will come a day when it won't be cool to wear pink overalls and a giant cowboy hat.

Today is not that day : )

Princess Penelope

And the parade of princesses begins.

Today Penny had her Halloween party. She was so excited, she got ready and informed us that she would sit on the couch until it was time to go. Then we left for school 20 minutes early, walking slowly through the neighborhood, meandered around the school and finally went inside a solid five minutes before the next person arrived.

And the next person was Cinderella. And then Sleeping Beauty. Finally... Ariel.

Did I mention Penny was Belle.

It seems these 3-year-old's got to talking and made sure that all the major princesses were represented, and none duplicated. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

And they were all super cute. Especially Princess Penelope Belle.

A new church activity

I took Carolyn and Penny to church today by myself. It helps to bribe them with candy I leave waiting in the car. Even so, I was delighted at how well-behaved they were.

But there is this one thing Carolyn likes to do that's sort of disturbing. She likes to take the church bulletin and cross out the faces of everybody in it. So as I sit there listening to Monseigneur address frivolous prayer (a homily that, for once, really spoke to me and didn't make me raging mad like his rants about health care or politics), Carolyn quietly x's the faces of fellow parishioners.

I just asked her why she likes to do this. "Just for fun." I think there's some things that are better left not said.

The New Energy Czar (of our house)

Carolyn has discovered eco-friendliness. Sure I've been nearly car free for two years. Sure I line dry all our clothes. Sure I make my own laundry detergent.

But go ahead and guess where she learned it. Go ahead. Guess.

That's right. pbskids.org. Because nothing can teach a child like the loving touch of the Internet.

This games she plays has the character walking around the house, answering questions about what's more energy efficient. Regular light bulbs v. florescent light bulbs. (Carolyn actually informed me that we needed to change all our light bulbs because we weren't using the right kind, which we are.) Hybrid v. regular car. (hahahahaha.) Front loading dryer v. top loading dryer.

When I was printing work off the computer yesterday, Carolyn started screaming, "You're wasting. You're wasting."

And nothing tops off a good eco-lashing like a trip to the recycling center when she "discovers" all her precious homework pages (all 100 pages of them) in the recycling bin. Good thing she was there to rescue all that precious paper.

The other night at dinner, Carolyn excused herself to use the bathroom. Before she left, she told me.

"When I get back to the table, I'd like some bread on my plate. With butter."

She didn't actually SAY "or else..." but I could see it in her eyes.

Competitive parenting

Remember when your baby was first born and he/she was perfect? Nobody could match the perfection of this tiny, perfect child.

And then, like, a week later, you started listening to the "milestones" about smiling, rolling over, sitting up, saying mama, walking, talking, doing advanced math, spotting major constellations, identifying the ingredients in mole, blah, blah, blah.

Well, if you happen to be a comparer, let me tell you, it doesn't get any better. Now I'm in major overdrive of comparing Carolyn to every single kid she comes into contact with. I do it at swimming. At school. At the playground.

I am deeply engrossed in the sport of competitive parenting, and there really is no winner. Which sort of sucks, because competitive people like to win.

This is so totally not the fault of Carolyn, who is awesome, and I fully acknowledge this fact. But when her handwriting is less than perfect and her swimming is downright horrible, I cast blame and look for fault in my own parenting. Her failings become my failings and that makes me angry.

But who wants to be an angry person. Or worse, an angry mom. And I am fully aware that this will not improve in the coming years. Competition will only get worse, and pretty soon, even Carolyn might come to realize it.

This blog really has no point other than to admit my shortcoming and try to work on it. Children are not direct reflections of their parents. They have their own road to walk, most of the time without a grownup to hold their hands. And instead of being ultra-critical (my very best specialty) I will work on being ultra-supportive and only give a push every once in a while, because I'm not about to give up altogether.

But since she's only 5, and not trying out for the Olympics next year or applying to Harvard the year after next, I'll give her a break and let her enjoy all these new things in her life.

I will try very, very hard.

Just another lazy Tuesday morning

I have tasted freedom and it is yummy.

Fall's in full swing with Carolyn in school and just Penny at home. This is proving to be a lovely way to live. Everybody kept asking me, "Doesn't Penny miss Carolyn? I bet she's really lonely without her."

To this I answer "Hahahahahahaha." Penny is not lonely. Penny is realizing her fantasy to be an only child, at least part of the time.

And also, Penny is busy. We have activities every day. But two days a week, for two hours, I have no children. Let me tell you, this is a thing of beauty. Without kids, I didn't realize the morning hours, when most normal people are at work or busy with something, are magical. You can do what you want. Everything is open so you can shop, or run errands, or get coffee. You can run or take a long shower. You can sit on the couch.

When I was a just-married reporter working evenings, I had no idea what I had. I sort of felt like a loser when everybody else was at work and I basically had nothing to do. Let me tell you, I don't feel like a loser anymore. I feel liberated.

It's not just the freedom that's got me so upbeat these days. My plate is just full enough. I'm going to start volunteering at Carolyn's school and through my church. I have some freelance work. Carolyn has started swimming again. A mom's group asked me to join.

It's enough to make me think staying home doesn't really start showing its rewards until both kids are in school. Maybe I should just ditch nursing school and start being a full-time do-gooder (just kidding Steve : ).

But right now, still home tending to the family, I feel like I've got it pretty good. Oooh... Gotta go. My shows are on.

Enough with the second child stuff

Sooooo... It appears Penny started preschool.

It was about four weeks ago. And yet, it goes un-noted. There are, for sure, lots of reasons why. Grandpa's dying. Umm... well... I guess that was the main reason.

That and Penny was born the second, more unloved child. Poor Steve forgot the camera the first day of school and took this rather abrupt picture after class.


So yes, it's a case of the "done that/been there" parenting style.

But here's a little insight into our dear Penelope, beginning with an anecdote about her sister (of course). We still need to grill Carolyn daily on her comings and goings. I really have no idea what kindergarten is like for her.

For Penny, she openly recounts every detail of her day. A little mishap with a boy, who took all the baby dolls when she decided to take one anyway, could end up into a 10-minute story. I'm thinking this openness might be a result of asking more educated questions, but I'm positive Penny is more of a storyteller than her older sister.

Since I'm negligent about recording the history of my second child, I'm definitely making up for it by over-enrolling her in activities. We spend most of our mornings attending various activities (swimming, music, preschool) and are pretty worn out come the end of the week.

But on the plus side, Penny knows what a "glissando" is.

Another bummer

I haven't blogged lately because my grandpa died recently, and it's a total bummer.

He was 94 years old, probably knows where Hoffa was buried, once became a train hobo to D.C. to watch a president get inaugurated, was bald for as long as I've known him, always sent a card and check punctually for your birthday, didn't care much for Democrats (but loved the discussion), always seemed to keep it together even when times got tough – which they did a lot for him, including the death of two of his four children – and was an all-around interesting, great guy.

He also used to tell me "I was born 10,000 years ago, and there's nothing in this world that I don't know." I heard that often enough while I was a kid that I sort of believed it.

Here's a picture of him and Penny when she was a baby. Who knows, maybe he was telling her the same thing. Who knows... Maybe it was true.

Kitten fever

Meet Charlie Brown...
He's our new kitten. Since he woke me up at 5:30 this morning (and also at 2 and 4, but lastly and finally at 5:30) the reason for getting a kitten eludes me. But he's super cute, and already letting the girls play with him and hanging out in the same room as Fife. He seems both nice and fearless, which are good qualities to have in a house with two children under the age of 6.

I think Charlie fits in pretty nicely. Maybe this year for my birthday, I'll resume coffee drinking.

Don't ask me about my business

Penny is no dummy. She got this board game as a prize at Wendy's this week. It's a pretty straightforward game that has you picking a number card and moving your piece along the board to the finish.

But the game also included two Lose Your Turn cards. Penny does not like losing her turn. She also pretty much hates losing, but I digress.

So for nap, she found those two cards and said she was going to take them to bed with her. Later that day, when she wanted to play the game for the 10th time that day, I asked her where the cards went.

"Don't ask me about that," was her answer, complete with very sly, evil grin.

So I guess she no longer has to lose her turn. But she still sometimes loses. Maybe she'll figure out how to end that next.

First day of school

I'd be remiss for not blogging today, Carolyn's first full day of kindergarten. It's sort of a new chapter for us, one that takes Carolyn away from us for six full hours every day.

Truth is, I don't really feel like blogging about it. I sort of hate it. I feel sad and a tiny bit pissed off. It sort of feels like the end of something. Once school starts, that's it. There's no going back. Unlike preschool or swimming or library story hour, we can't just decide not to go. It's like having a job, one she'll keep for 16 or more years.

But I'll just go ahead and hide this little disappointment from Carolyn, who feels just about as happy as one little girl can. She's enthusiastic and excited. She could hardly contain herself last night.

So, I'll just post some pictures, so it looks like I'm excited too. Because Carolyn can't read yet (although, she is in school now so maybe she'll be able to read tonight), I'll just tell her this blog is about her great new adventure.

Here's Carolyn with her teacher, Mrs. Newton.
First day of school. Ready to go!

The girls getting ready to head out to Carolyn's first full day of school. It's about an eight minute trip on the bike. Slightly less coming home with 50 fewer pounds.


Carolyn waiting in line to go into school for her first full day. Backpack? Check. Lunchbox? Check. Giant smile? Of course...

Poop in the public pool

Hey, if you want to read more about this, you'll have to visit my new blog, The Worst. It's just a fun thing my gal pal K-Carr and I are doing to pass the time. It's about thing that are "The Worst..."

It's here, worstlist.blogspot.com

Come on... You know you want to.

Kitten fever

We've all got it. Talk at our house has turned to kittens, and the girls have the worst of it.

This is because I decided I want a kitten for my birthday. My big girl is headed off to school, there's no more babies arriving and Fife is much too old to deal with a new puppy.

Plus, I sort of love cats.

Anyhow, the girls are all about helping me out in this endeavor. We got books from the library about taking care of kittens, and then we flip through the books and give each of the kitties a name. We talk about how cute kittens are and think about what it'll be like to have our very own super cute kitten living right here with us.

It's all very exciting.

Penelope, in particular, has come down hard with the kitten fever. Yesterday, before we went to the shelter to look at the dozens of kittens just waiting to be taken home (I now realize that any thoughts we had about maybe getting a kitten were killed by this visit), we were talking about the "possibility" of maybe getting me a kitten for my birthday.

"But Daddy," Penny says. "You don't want a kitten."

Well, he says, maybe it's not such a horrible idea.

"Well, if you want, we can go get you a kitten today."

Then she looks at me and give me a secret "thumbs up" sign to let me know she's taken care of the Daddy factor. She's got him.

Loving these fading summer days

The girls and I had the best time yesterday. We went to the zoo, and for the first time ever, all the animals were totally entertaining. Then a picnic lunch. Then the playground. Then the hair salon, because you can't start school without a cute new cut.

I even took some pictures. See....

Warren Dunes 09

The family first camping trip. And by first, I mean first ever... Steve and I had always meant to try camping, but we really lacked any sort of knowledge or courage or equipment to make such a daring venture.

Turns out, modern amenities have really helped out the non-campers among us. There are showers! And if you forget something, there's this little overpriced store. And there's an electrical outlet for Pete's sake.

But there was still a touch of nature. Mosquitoes, for instance, didn't know this was a modern campsite. And there was still plenty of sand.

But overall, just the best vacation ever. We climbed this giant sand dune known as Tower Hill, which **towers** 240 feet above Lake Michigan and the nearby park. Climbing up 240 feet of sand is not only not easy, it really is a test of the human spirit, especially for Steve who helped our 3-year-old Penny reach the top. The water and weather were both lovely, thank goodness, and we even stopped nearby on the way home to pick our own blueberries. And let's not forget about the most wonderful Lake Perch.

In addition to the outdoorsy goodness, we also stopped by Battle Creek and went up to mom's farm to visit her and great-grandpa. Those trips were also full of fun, except for a two-day fever that put Penny out of commission. But no trip is perfect, right...