Category Archives: Living
Living: A Favorite Quote
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more commonplace than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. –Calvin Coolidge
Living: Six Things I Know About My Son
He has a big heart. He sings to his sister and can’t give her enough kisses. He kisses my head when I casually complain of a headache to my hubby. He promises he will call me each day when he is away at college, then he asks me what college is. He is the first to ask why someone is sad and he always asks me what is wrong when I don’t have on “my happy face.”
He has an impressive vocabulary. Last week he asked me what a killjoy is. He has called me one four times since then. Each time I was, in fact, being a killjoy. He has also picked up on a not-so-nice word his daddy likes to use when discussing certain politicians. It both mortifies and impresses me that my little guy has used this word in context now and then. I’m not going to say what it is, but let’s just say that if he is caught using it on the playground at his church-run preschool, I will insist he is calling the other kids juice bags.
He is a bear when he is tired. He gets that from me. Now that I realize what is going on, I’m a bit more empathetic with him. However, things go downhill quickly when we’re both tired. I mean fast—really, really fast.
He is a worrier. He has a double dose of the worry gene in him as his dad and I are both worriers. My little guy is still asking about his daddy’s kidney “bones” that landed him in the hospital six weeks ago. He is also distraught that Percy took a plunge into the ravine. Remind me not to let him watch the Spills and Chills Thomas DVD again.
He is all boy. He likes to play rough and get dirty. This makes my hubby proud. It makes me proud, too. It also means I buy a lot of Shout and Oxi Clean. He likes to figure out how things work and he has an endless stream of questions. I’m grateful he still thinks I can answer them all.
He is drawn to water. The hose, the kitchen sink, the bathroom faucet and the bathtub all call his name. So do puddles. I’ve learned to be patient and I go through more towels than I would like during the course of the day. That said, I can’t wait to see how he reacts to our lake trip later this summer.
Living: Six Things I Know About My Daughter
She is kind. She graciously accepts her brother’s kisses, hugs, snuggles and tickles, which means the world to him. There will probably come a time when she doesn’t even want him to look at her, but for now, she doesn’t mind his affection.
She needs a schedule. And fast. Little Miss wants to have late-night gab fests with me from about 3 to 5 a.m. I find this unacceptable. I also realize there will probably be a time when I hope she’ll come to me to chat at any hour of the night. However, that time is not now.
She has my thumbs. This makes me happy. I rarely hear that my little guy favors me. I’ve heard that he looks like my hubby, my brother and even my mom, so being able to look at baby girl’s thumbs and know they are mine brings a smile to my face.
She has distinctive cries. Her little cry and pouty face when she is hungry is my favorite. Her wail when she is uncomfortable is my least favorite. It is fierce and it escalates quickly.
She is beautiful. This needs no explanation.
She goes through more outfit changes than Cher on her farewell tour. Baby girl is a spitter. That means she needs a new outfit every three hours. It means I need wardrobe changes as well, but I don’t have very many clothes that fit me right now. That means I just pretty much smell like spit up all day. I’m okay with that.
Living: Surviving New York
Last week we loaded up the car and headed for New York City with the sole mission of taking baby Madelyn to see vascular specialist Dr. Milton Waner for her hemangioma–a type of vascular birthmark–on her arm.
To add to the difficulty…I mean fun, we decided to take the kiddos to see a few of the sites while we were there. We started in Times Square and craned our necks upwards as we pointed out all the skyscrapers to my little guy. He kept asking, “Are these real skyscrapers?” We assured him that were.
Just a little tip–a carrier is a much better option than a stroller in New York. Plus, it is oh-so snuggly. Next we ventured to the Empire State Building. The wait was excruciating, but nothing some Dum Dum suckers, Nemo fruit snacks and a juice box couldn’t cure. The view from the top was worth it.
I just love the little boy posing next to me in the picture.
On Day Two we headed off to visit Dr. Waner. Baby girl was a candidate for laser surgery, so the office arranged for us to get in the next day. Hemangiomas grow fast, so time is of the essence. We snapped a quick pic of Dr. Waner with Madelyn. (The picture of my guy with Dr. Waner on the day of his surgery is up on the Vascular Birthmark Institute’s website).
Miss Madelyn did great and both kids were so worn out from our days-o-fun that they slept the whole way home. Whew!
We’re about a week out of surgery and my hubby and I both think it looks like the hemangioma is still growing. Boo. We will watch it for two more weeks, then consult with Dr. Waner about the need for another surgery. Hopefully it will start fading this week. Send good thoughts our way!
Living: Preparing for Company
My mother-in-law, who is one of the most organized people I know, is coming for a visit tomorrow. That means I’m spending today getting the house all spiffed-up for company. The laundry is humming away, I’m digging out the fancy soaps and making my grocery list so we can pick up some of Grandma Betty’s favorites. Company is always a great excuse to tidy up and pick up a few little extras at the store.
My to-do list still has 763 things on it, so that means the long post I have already crafted in my head about our three-day trip to New York last week is going to have to wait a few more days before finding its way to the blog. In the meantime, I’ll give you this little shot of my family in Times Square as a preview of what’s to come.
Living: Simple Joys from the Weekend
-Reading bedtime stories with my little guy–who insisted on wearing his cowboy hat with his Mr. Incredible pajamas.
-Grilling outside.
-Watching my hubby’s grandma love on my baby girl.
-Having my little guy tell me he wants to marry his baby sister when he grows up.
-Buying groceries and having the checker tell me I was buying a lot of healthy food. I didn’t tell him we already had plenty of Oreos, cake and corn chips at home.
-Getting home from the grocery store, putting the veggies and fruit in the fridge and then eating two cherry turnovers.
-What were your simple joys this weekend?
A Favorite Quote
"When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I’ve never tried before." — Mae West
Living: Babies Don’t Keep
Lately my baby girl has decided that the only thing that will calm her is for me to hold her while I pace the floors in our house for hours on end. I have a sling, but she prefers my arms. I suppose I can’t blame her, but as I wander from room to room, I can’t help but notice all the things there are to do. There are books to be organized, toys to be sorted and things to be put away. As my feet wander, so does my mind. I start thinking of phone calls to make, e-mails to send and work to do. But today I read this little poem and I am going to remember it when I start thinking of everything on my to-do list:
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,
For babies grow up, I’ve learned, to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs.
Dust, go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep.
–Author Unknown
Living: I’d Rather Be…
I’d rather be a mother than anyone on earth
Bring up a child or two of unpretentious birth…
I’d rather tuck a little child all safe and sound in bed
Than twine a chain or diamonds about my [carefree] head.
I’d rather wash a smudgy face with round, bright baby eyes
Than paint the pageantry of fame or walk among the wise.
– Meredith Gray, from The Beauty of Motherhood