Author: Amy

Well Yes, I AM that Mom

Posted on by Amy
A few weeks ago, when we were visiting my parents for Christmas, my brother came over with his kids and noticed that I had the girls in matching outfits. He said something like, “Matching outfits? You’re not that mom, are you?”
Well, yes. Yes I am. I mean, isn’t dressing my girls in matching outfits one of the super fun perks of having two girls only 18 months apart??

When I found out that Lass was going to be a girl, matching outfits for them was one of the things I looked forward to. Seriously, what could be cuter?
I don’t dress them in matching outfits all the time. Not even most of the time, though I do try to at least coordinate their outfits most days. And if they’re not coordinating, I at least like what they’re wearing not to clash.
Now, honestly, I’m not in the least offended by my bro’s comment. He just likes to give me a hard time about whatever. But the statement was the perfect setup for a blog post featuring their new matching outfits from Santa.
You can’t see the outfits too much here, but this kiss was just too precious not to post.
And hugs.
Adorable, right?


And I had to buy the other colorway for these sweaters as well.

Whoopsie-doozy! (That’s what Miss says when she slips, drops something, falls, etc.)
Miss was so cute reading to her sister.
Lass is really listening too!
Honestly, I love dressing them alike. I won’t do it always. There will come a point when they’re too old to be dressed in matching outfits. But for now while they’re little? Yeah, I’m that mom.
A side note: I’m trying to change up the look of my blog a little bit, so forgive the messiness as I try to figure it out. Thanks for reading!

Confession

Posted on by Amy

I have a secret. I’ve kept this secret for around 16 years or so. Some of you may be upset with me when I reveal this secret. Some of you may be shocked. I think the best way to get to the heart of the matter is to tell you a story about yesterday. New Year’s Day. I love watching football on New Year’s Day. Have since I was a kid. Yesterday, not so much. Football yesterday was awful. Many of you may think you know why I say this. See, I went to Michigan State for my undergraduate degree. And the Spartans got thoroughly waxed by Alabama yesterday. But alas, after 12:30 CST, I didn’t even watch the MSU game. That game started at 12, but part way through the first quarter, I turned it off. The game hadn’t even gotten painful to watch yet, but there was something else on that I wanted to watch even more than the Spartans. Yes. You see where I’m going with this. I went to Michigan State. Lived and matriculated in East Lansing Michigan for three years. But there was another game on yesterday. Another team. Folks, in my heart of hearts, deep down where it counts, I. am. a. Michigan. Fan. *gasp* There, I said it.

That’s right. My name is Amy, and I’m a Michigan fan.
I can’t help it. I was raised on Michigan football like it was a religion. When the Michigan game was on at our house, you didn’t talk. You didn’t stand in front of the TV. My parents got one of those old head set radios so they could listen to the Michigan games on Saturdays while pretending to watch my brother and I play and cheerlead for little league football. Bo Schembechler (rest his soul) was revered in our family. My grandparents had season tickets to the Big House. Our New Year’s Day celebrations of my childhood always involved watching Michigan’s bowl game, hopefully the Rose Bowl. I spent 18 years as a die-hard Michigan fan.
Then I decided I wanted to go to college with my best girlfriends, and we went to Michigan State. I was there for three years. Went to the football games. Cheered for the Spartans. I became a Spartan fan, but not really and truly. See, when it really counted, when Sparty faced the Wolverines, there was always a little part of me that secretly hoped Michigan would win. Even when I was wearing green in the Big House for the in-state match-up my freshman year. I outwardly cheered for Sparty, but I could never fully put my heart into it.
18 years vs. 3 years. The years in East Lansing could not overcome my childhood love of the Maize and Blue. Now, in the years since graduating from MSU, I have continued to cheer for Sparty. I have come out and cheered openly for Michigan. And it’s never really a problem most of the time. But once a year, when Sparty and Michigan meet, I usually remain very quiet. In the very early years after my graduation, I probably still outwardly cheered a little for Sparty. In later years I just sat quietly, secretly hoping Michigan would win. If anyone asked me who I was rooting for I probably would have said MSU. After all, I went there, so I should love Sparty more than any other. But I could just never make it happen.
As the years went on, I began to cheer for Michigan a bit more openly and I rationalized this by saying things like, “Well, Michigan has a lot more to lose in this game” (since Michigan was typically having a season in which they were a contender for a Big Ten title or National Championship) or “Well, I just want Coach Carr to have a good season.” I always had a soft spot for Coach Carr. He was long-time friends with some of my uncles, and though I don’t really know him personally, I think of him as a good person and always wanted him to succeed as the head coach. The last three years, I didn’t have either of those excuses. Lloyd Carr hasn’t been the head coach, and since he left Michigan has had the worst three seasons of football in my lifetime. They certainly weren’t contending for any big titles, and had no more to lose than Michigan State in their match-ups (much less this year). And yet. And yet. I still cannot bring myself to cheer for any team above the Maize and Blue. Not even for Sparty. My husband called me out on it this last year, and I had to admit to my true love. When you still love a team when they really, really stink, you are a true fan. When Michigan loses, as they have done so frequently in the past three years, it pains me more than any other team. When they are winning, I jump and cheer more than for any other team. This year, we flew the block “M” in front of our house during football season (and a Hawkeye flag, but I had to concede that, being from a house divided). So there you have it. I am prepared for the disappointment from my fellow Spartans. I still love Sparty. Just, not as much as Blue.
Whew, I feel better getting that out in the open. And I’ll leave you with a quote from one of the best football coaches of all time.
“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing.” – Bo Schembechler

Oh wait. While I’m confessing, I’ll add this. During basketball season, we fly a Duke flag!! Go Blue Devils!!

Reflecting and Anticipating

Posted on by Amy
The coming of a new year is a time when I like to reflect and take stock of my life. I like to look back over the last year, think about where I’ve been, evaluate where I am, and plan where I want to go in the year to come. The past year was full of so much joy for our family. Big, beautiful, exultant highs. And a few lows too.

We had a great loss in our family.
But we also had three beautiful additions. First my brother’s baby girl, who will turn one in a few days. Then my brother-in-law and his wife had their lovely daughter.

And then of course, our beautiful Lass.


There were many changes and exciting times in 2010. We traveled far.
And we hunkered down at home.


We (reluctantly) dipped toes in the ocean,

played in the lake,

and spent countless hours splashing in our local pool.

We have upgraded some of our equipment.


And we have grown so much. All of us.
My first baby girl

has become a big girl.

And we had another baby girl.

Our little teeny tiny (well, 10+ pounder)
is getting so big. She was 16 lbs at her 4-month appointment yesterday.
She has the most wonderful little personality,
and we think she’s getting teeth!


I have so much to cherish from 2010 and to try to pack away forever in my memory. I am filling up baby books (yes, even for Lass, though everyone laughed at me when I mentioned doing a baby book for baby #2) with notes, photos, stats, and anecdotes. I’m writing down the funny things Miss says. Like how she says “bonnet” for “bottom,” “eemoop” for “oatmeal,” and “beenah” for “banana.” I am trying to finish (okay, start) photo books for both girls. I don’t want to forget a moment. I loved 2010. 2010 was just full to bursting with goodness and love and warm fuzzies all over the place.
I am eagerly anticipating 2011. There is so much to look forward to. A trip to Arizona to visit treasured friends. A second birthday (yikes!!). A trip to Florida to see my beloved Grandpa C and Grandma B. Hopefully a trip to visit my Auntie and Unka sometime this spring. Lots of other family time, play dates, and making new friends. I’m planning to run this race in July, and am trying hard to get in shape enough to do it. There are all sorts of firsts to look forward to again, like first steps, first words, first foods, and of course another first birthday (wasn’t Miss’s first birthday just yesterday??). And my hubby and I agree, that we would like to grow our family by at least one more little soul, so maybe 2011 will bring another tiny bundle our way. I have so much to be happy about and to look forward to, as does any parent of wonderful little people. Happy New Year.

Christmas – Take 2

Posted on by Amy
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day at the Farm with my in-laws. It was a very fun time. Miss got dressed up for Christmas Eve.

She had a blast playing with all of her cousins (Lass missed out on this photo as she had gone to bed).


And of course, she loved opening her presents.

She loved her new Yo Gabba Gabba backpack.

She took a break to read one of her new books.
She stayed focused on her task in spite of all the commotion around her with 25 other people also opening gifts.
Then it was time for Santa. We took the stockings down from the mantle and spread them around the living room upstairs while the kids were playing downstairs. Here are Miss’s and Lass’s.
Then Santa stomped around, yelled, “Ho Ho Ho!” and all the kids ran up the stairs and out onto the snowy deck to catch a glimpse of him running away down the driveway. One of my brothers-in-law also had a flashlight with a red light that he made look like Rudolph taking off. Miss went out with her Daddy to see, but she was cold and I don’t think she actually saw anything since she didn’t really get what she was looking for. But she did enjoy digging into her pretty stocking (all the members of my husband’s family have gorgeous stockings made by his aunt, the kids’ are all personalized).
Then my husband found an item that was not put there by me. Could it have been Santa?

He misplaced this ancient and much-loved sweatshirt a year and a half ago and has been pining for it since. He has asked everyone he could think of if he might have left it at their house. And now he has it back. We have no idea who brought it back to him (well, we have a good idea, but no one’s ‘fessing up) and it doesn’t really matter anyway. He’s just happy to have it back. He’s thrilled. In fact, I think I heard him say something like, “This is one of the best Christmas presents ever.”
Miss really loved her new placemat with animals on it.
She loved counting the different animals.

On Christmas day it was time for playing in the snow.
She and her daddy went out with all the kids to sled on the big hill. She requested to make a snowman.
She had really enjoyed being out the previous day, but on this day it was much colder and windier. She didn’t stay out long at all and didn’t get a chance to make her snowman.
We’re going to have a warm-up later this week, so maybe we’ll get out to make a snowman then. This morning, Miss finally got the kitchen that Santa left for her and Lass. She loves it. As I type this, she is checking on her “pizza” in the oven. Time to go eat!

Traditions

Posted on by Amy
I love holiday traditions. Love them. Every year I decorate my tree on the day after Thanksgiving. While doing it, I listen to Johnny Mathis Christmas music, which is what my mom and I listened to always at Christmas time when I was a kid, particularly when we were making no-bake cookies (her specialty back then). I allow my hubby to put on some Charlie Brown Christmas too, since that’s his traditional holiday music, and we rock around the Christmas tree. We eat creamed eggs on my family’s Christmas morning and my mom and I watch “Heidi.”
Last night we opened our home gifts, since we’re leaving for the Farm tonight. My hubby and I opened our gifts for each other and Miss opened the gifts for her and Lass that are too big to take with us to be from Santa tomorrow night, like her easel for her learning tower and the big paper pads and box of art supplies that go with it. We also opened the traditional gifts for the girls.

Last year, I started the tradition of giving Miss an ornament every year. I gave her a silver rocking horse ornament with a plaque signifying her first christmas. I got a matching one for Lass this year. Miss’s ornament this year is a little snow-baby-type thing, holding a baby that says “I’m the Big Sister.” I will continue to get the girls each an ornament every year, relating to something we did during the year.
I got the idea for a new tradition I started this year from my dearest Auntie (she also does the ornament tradition for my cousins, so maybe I got that idea from her too?). My mom told me about it and I thought it was the coolest idea. My Auntie gets each of my cousins a children’s book every year for Christmas that relates to something significant that happened in their life that year. So, not only do my cousins have all these cool books from her that commemorate their lives and contain a note from my aunt, when they have kids they will have a great start on a fabulous library for their little ones! I love this idea so much I had to start it with my girls, and I even gave Miss a book for last year. For last year I got her the beautiful book “On the Night You Were Born.”

Her book for this year is “Big Sister.”
And she opened Lass’s book, “On the Day You Were Born.”
I am so excited about the idea of getting an ornament and a book for my girls for each year. My favorite part of it is the note I wrote inside each of the books. I hope they will love these books always. This year I also started two other traditions. I will give the girls new jammies to wear on Christmas Eve (you can see these in my last post) and also will try to get a picture of them with Santa. This year, I was not terribly successful with this second tradition, despite trying twice. On my first attempt, I took the girls to a craft show where they had a Santa. Miss was very interested in Santa, but did not want to get close to him. She was so timid, I didn’t try to push her too much to sit on his lap by herself, so I just sat next to Santa with both of the girls on my lap.
Then when we were visiting my parents last week I took Miss and Lass to the story time at the library (my mom is the children’s librarian). They had a Santa come to story time and give gifts to the kids.
Miss was still kind of shy, but I thought I’d let her try to sit on his lap. Okay, I didn’t really let her try, I picked her up and plunked her on his lap just long enough to get this photo.
That Santa sure does look enthused! Tonight we leave for the farm. Some traditions for my husband’s family include having oyster stew and chili on Christmas Eve and having Santa come, as described in my last post. Tradition makes me feel nostalgic and warm and fuzzy. I’m sure my girls and I will continue to add other traditions in years to come. Perhaps making and decorating Christmas cookies will be one. That’s my project with Miss for today!

Christmas – Take 1

Posted on by Amy
My husband and I have different traditions for celebrating Christmas, as most married couples do. His family has traditionally celebrated on Christmas Eve and mine on Christmas day. When he was young his family used to go to Mass on Christmas Eve and come home to find that Santa had visited, so they would open presents from Santa and enjoy them until late at night. In more recent years, his family has spent Christmas Eve at the Farm, where Santa visits on Christmas Eve. All the grandkids play downstairs, the moms put out the kids stockings with gifts upstairs, one of the uncles or my father-in-law dresses up as Santa, stomps loudly on the floor, yells “Ho-Ho-Ho” and then runs like heck towards the lake, so as the kids run upstairs they just catch a glimpse of him from the deck as he runs off to get into his sleigh. When I was young we would put out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer and go to bed on Christmas Eve, barely able to sleep for the anticipation. Then we would wake up and drag my parents out of bed, and race downstairs to see what Santa had left us while we slept. We would play all morning with our new loot and always ate creamed eggs for breakfast. Yum.
Since we have been together, hubby and I have done different versions of these two traditions, depending on when we were able to travel to be with our families. These days we typically go to visit my family for a week in early-mid December, as we just did last week. That’s a good time for my husband to get a week off work and we can have a good long visit with my family, who live a bit farther away than my hubby’s family. Then we usually go to the Farm to have Christmas Eve and Christmas day with his family, if possible. The Farm is closer so it works better for a shorter trip. At times we have stayed home for Christmas because of my husband’s work schedule and traveled to the Farm for a weekend near Christmas. It didn’t really matter too much to us when “Santa” came. We just like to spend as much time as possible with family around the holidays. But now that we have Miss and Lass, and Miss is getting to the age where she is understanding some of the holiday celebrating and fun things, I am feeling the need to observe traditions more. I’ve been trying to figure out a good way to blend my husband’s family’s and my family’s traditions. What I’ve come up with is that we’ll pretty much need to continue doing what we’ve been doing, with a few special traditions added in that aren’t dependent upon where we are or when we exchange gifts (more on these later). We will likely still make the long trip to visit my family and then spend Christmas with his family when Christmas falls on a weekend as it does this year. When Christmas is on a weekday and my hubby can’t get two days off, we will have Christmas at home. When at the Farm, we’ll do his family tradition of Santa coming while the kids are still awake on Christmas Eve. When we’re at home, we’ll do my family tradition of Santa coming while our girls are asleep.
This year, since the girls are so young and won’t know that it doesn’t really work this way, I decided to have Christmas both ways. While at my parents’ house we did Christmas in my family’s tradition. Miss and I made cookies and put some out for Santa on Christmas Eve before she went to bed. We also put out a glass of milk and some carrots for the reindeer. I put her and Lass into their matching Christmas jammies and told her several times that Santa would be coming while she was sleeping. I don’t think she really got it. But the next morning I still showed her the mostly eaten cookies and carrots and told her that Santa and the reindeer had eaten them. She just kept asking to eat what was left herself.

Then we went in to the Christmas tree, where Santa had left gifts for her and Lass. I really expected her to be so excited and dig right in to the toys and books. Instead, she stood and just looked puzzled for a little bit.
Then she slowly sttarted picking up Lass’s and her toys, one by one, and handing them to me.

Lass played with a few of her toys a bit once Miss handed them to her (that’s a wooden snake in her hands below).
But mostly she just observed.





Finally Miss started really getting into her toys and playing with them.
She wanted to read all her new books.

And do new puzzles with her sister.
Then we had creamed eggs of course. My mom makes them much better than I do, and they were delicious. This was Miss’s first time having them and she seemed to like them okay. It was a special way to spend “Christmas” with the girls, reminding me of how it was when I was a kid. I loved it.
This weekend we will go to the Farm and have Christmas – Take 2. I know it will be just as fun.

Christmas with the Fam

Posted on by Amy
We just got back from our Christmas trip to visit my family (in the land where the internet still does not go, so no posts from me for over a week. . .) We had a fabulous time. I have so many pictures and things I could blog about. But for tonight, I’ll just share some photos of our celebration with my brother and his family.
To start the festivities, all the kids got Santa hats.

Miss’s was a little bit too big.
Lass’s fit perfectly and she wore it without complaint. My little elf. . .


Miss had a great time opening her gifts this year.

She also had a great time checking out everyone else’s loot. From her cousin’s Elmo toy,
to my sister-in-law’s new silverware,
and her slippers,
to my coffee mug, and everything else she could get into.
The next day she had a blast prancing around in my beautiful new boots (Did I mention before that I have a thing for shoes? My girl has it too).

We had lots of fun during the week. Miss had another encounter with Santa too, but I’m going to try to get a couple more photos before I blog about that. Over all, the trip was really, really wonderful. And we made it home last night with only one stop during a 10-hour drive. My girls are road warriors! More soon.

Warm and Cold

Posted on by Amy
Warm – Miss and I finished our paper chain garland this morning. She was so excited to see it hung over our patio door.

Cold – Our weather got cold today. High in the mid 20s. Brrrr.
Warm – While Playing with Miss this morning around the Christmas tree, she gave me lots of hugs and repeatedly said, “I you so much” (I love you so much). I could have melted.
Cold – Our furnace died today. Rather, it was unconscious for a while. After a long cold morning and early afternoon of calling our home warranty company, waiting for them to find someone to come on a Sunday, finding out that they couldn’t find anyone, finding someone myself, and getting them out to revive our old furnace so that it can limp along a bit longer, we now have heat again. For now. I will be taking bids tomorrow for a new furnace. Today Miss was all bundled up in the house.
She had fun when I told her to keep her hood up to stay nice and cozy warm.
She kept putting her fingers in her ears saying, “Keep ears warm. Nice, cozy.” Loved it.
Warm – We have only one space heater. So when it was getting really cold in the house by mid afternoon, I put it in the family room, turned on the TV so Miss would stay parked in front of the heater with Lass and me, and put down our picnic blanket so we could have a “picnic snack” after Miss’s nap. I don’t let her eat or drink outside the kitchen in our house, so it was a rare treat to have a little picnic in the family room. “Nice, Cozy.”

Oh Christmas Tree

Posted on by Amy
Our Christmas tree has provided endless hours of entertainment for Miss. We have spent much time around it as a family. She loves to touch the ornaments and we play a game where we say things like, “Where’s the gingerbread man?” and she looks all around at the ornaments until she finds it and points to it.

She loves to show her favorite ornaments to her sister.


They hold hands and Miss gives hugs and kisses. We sing lots of Christmas carols. Her favorites are Jingle Bells and Oh Christmas Tree (which I had to look up the words to because I couldn’t remember them). She’s starting to get into “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” which she calls the “Santa song.”



Tonight my hubby and I are lounging in front of a fire, with the tree all lit up nearby. The girls are in bed, he’s playing guitar, I’m drinking a glass of wine. I feel like I’m in a movie on Lifetime, Television for Women. It’s good. I’m off to visit with my husband.