A Reunion

Posted on by Amy
I love family reunions.  Especially reunions where all the generations are represented in force.  We had one of those yesterday at my parent’s house.  My Grandma was here.

One of the very fun things about our family reunions on my Dad’s side of the family is that they are quite extended.  And because my Grandma and her sister married my Papa and his brother, and my Grandma’s family and Papa’s family (meaning their siblings) all grew up together, we get reunions with great aunts and great uncles from all over the place.  My Grandma’s sister and two of her brothers were here with many members of their families, as well as my Papa’s sister and one of her daughters.  I’m not sure if these are my second cousins or third or fourth, but it was wonderful to see and visit with them.

I love watching the interactions amongst family members who have known and loved each other for decades and yet rarely get to see each other. There were elderly siblings.  There were in-laws who are a link to a beloved but deceased family member.  There were nearly as many family members here from my Grandma’s generation as from my girls’ (six and eight, respectively).  There was lots of reminiscing and catching up.  There were plenty of long, good-squeezing hugs too.

My cousins were here and we saw lots of photos that my Papa took in the 1960s and 70s and 80s.  He was quite the photographer.

Speaking of photography, I really wanted to get a good photo of my girls and my brother’s kids (who were the only kids at the party) with my Grandma.  This was easier said than done, mostly because poor Lass was not interested in posing for this photo.  She tried to run away.  She screamed and cried.  She was desperately in need of a nap.

Of all the pics snapped, my husband managed to get this not-too-bad shot of all the kids with my Gram.

Yes, my girls are all dressed alike.  I can’t help myself.

My Grandma went home today, so unfortunately our visit was a bit short.  We had a chat last night.  I asked her what project she is currently working on.  She told me that she had been working on Lass’s quilt (each of her grandchildren gets a personalized quilt; you can see Miss’s here), and had gotten it all ready to put together and finish when she realized that her clothes were not quite right for her trip here for the reunion, so she had to make some more clothes and adjust the fit on some others (yes, my Grandma makes all her own clothes, including the outfit you see her wearing in the above photos!).  And then she’s been working on a military quilt, which will be sent to a military hospital when she’s finished.  She’s also been working on afghans for a girls shelter and lap afghans for the veterans at a hospital near her.  I’m sure there’s at least one thing I’m forgetting too.  It makes me tired just thinking about all that.  She is never idle.  I love that about her.  I think of all the stuff she is constantly doing, and then I am inspired to do more myself.

Getting lots of family time this week.  It’s so good for my girls.  And it’s good for my soul.  

Doing Summer

Posted on by Amy
We’ve been doing summer a little differently this year.  Last year we spent several days each week at the pool in the mornings, and were outside playing constantly.  This year, with the arrival of Baby Sis, plus Miss having school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, swimming on Monday and Wednesday mornings, and our standing play date on Fridays, and with naps in the afternoons, well, we haven’t been outside as much so far this summer (except for the two weeks we’ve spent at the Farm already, of course).  This summer we’ve been chilling out around the house a bit more when we are home.   

It’s different, but still fun.  The big girls have taken to putting on their own dance parties.

The little baby play table next to Miss is what she was playing the music on.  My little budding DJ…

Lass initially just wanted to watch.

I won’t dance.  Don’t ask me.

But of course she started to get into the music before long.

And eventually really let loose.

Miss is really into playing her games and being crafty.

She and I made the “crown” she’s wearing from rolled up strips of a Snow White page she colored and yarn.  The idea came from our summer babysitter, who brought over this craft and made necklaces with the girls one day.  Yep, I now have a babysitter who does crafts with the girls.  Her own crafts, that she prepares and brings with her.  And cleans up.  This is huge.  I love this.

Baby sis is just such a little lover.  She’s the happiest little baby.

She has started to giggle a tiny bit.  Here is the progression of one of her giggles:

Miss takes an art class on Wednesday mornings before her swimming lesson.  Yesterday Lass and Sis and I  ran a few short errands and then sat outside and had a snack while waiting for her class to finish.

It was the perfect spot for a little snack picnic.

So far summer has felt very full.  Maybe it has been a little too full, with school and swimming and art and play dates and travel and all the other day to day stuff that has to fit in there too.  But it has been good.  Today was Miss’s last day of school for the summer, so we will have a bit of time freed up for pool and park mornings or just playing outside in our own yard a bit more.  Tomorrow we leave for Kentucky to visit my parents.  My Grandma will be visiting them too, so we will celebrate her 90th birthday and have a family reunion this weekend.  I can’t wait for her to meet Sis.  My parents haven’t seen her since the week after she was born.  She’s three months old today.

It’s gonna be a great trip.

I Gotta Get Me One of These

Posted on by Amy
And when I say “one of these,” I’m referring to a huge, obnoxious trampoline to put in my backyard.  For my kids, of course.  Yes. For my kids.

During our recent weeks of traveling we spent some time with my sister-in-law’s family.  They have a trampoline in their backyard (along with a pool and lots of chickens, it’s like child heaven there).  The girls loved it.

They played “Monster” with my husband and his brother.

They jumped and jumped and ran and jumped some more.  They laughed and screamed a lot.

Miss made up a game called “Kitty-Cat-Cat Ball,” which she played with her older cousins.  The rules according to Miss: “You throw the ball up in the air and try to catch it. And if you miss it, you have to do something else.” Right on.

This was her proud pose every time she caught the ball.  I love, love, love this pose.  I just wish this photo would have captured the priceless look on her face too.

Her cousin was pretending to have trouble catching the ball.  Here she was telling him, “You have to keep trying.  I know you can do it!”

Add trampoline to the long list of things I once thought I would never do or buy for my children that I am now scrambling to buy and have rush delivered.  I don’t know why I used to think I wouldn’t get one of these.  It’s great exercise.  The kids can be entertained for hours in there.  And with the zip-up safety cage around it, it’s like the world’s largest playpen!  Entertainment + Containment = LOVE

And who am I kidding?  I can’t wait to get in and jump around myself too!

Braving the Pool

Posted on by Amy
I took the girls to the pool this afternoon for the first time this summer.  It’s pretty hot here, so I figured it would be a good way to get some outside time after naps (or non-nap in the case of Miss).  My husband had a meeting, so I braved the pool on my own.  Through having the girls in the water at my sister-in-law’s in the past few weeks, we have learned that Lass is fearless when it comes to the water, so I was a bit nervous.  I figured we’d be okay though since the pool has zero-entry and I put a floatie on her.  At first it was super easy, and I wondered what I had even been nervous about.  Sis sat in her car
seat in the shade and Miss and Lass splashed around harmlessly in less that one foot of water, pretty much right by my feet.  Then a friend, who is about two months older than Miss showed up.  It was great for the girls to be able to play with her, but her arrival disrupted our little peaceful, safe, easy playing.  She and Miss immediately headed for deeper water (“deeper” in this case meaning one to two feet) and of course Lass went right along with them.  They were playing “horsey” on some of those pool noodles.  That, in addition to the slightly deeper water, was enough to throw Lass off her balance a bit, and twice I went running though the water and hauled her up after she lost her footing and went face first into the water.  With the noodle under her she couldn’t quite get her feet back under herself.  After the second time, I had to call it quits for Lass for today.  I think I’m going to get a more substantial life jacket and maybe we’ll try it again in a few days.  That girl freaks me out.  She’s my little dare devil.  
I really would love to have some photos of our pool time to post, since it was mostly lots of fun and the girls were, naturally, oh so cute splashing around.  But between hawk-watching Miss and Lass, trying to keep the sun off Sis (she was perfectly shaded in her car seat, but then got fussy, so I put her in the Ergo), and making life-saving dives for my middle child, the camera never made it out of my bag.  So instead, I’ll share with you a few of the photos from last week at the farm.
Of course my husband did tons of fishing and the girls were very excited to see some of the larger fish he caught.  No filleting this time, though.
Foos-ball-room for the princesses to dance in.
We had a very big and somewhat scary storm the last night we were at the Farm.  It blew up right around snack time, so we took our stuff to the basement for a picnic.  The girls seemed unfazed in spite of all the thunder and lightning, the 40-50 MPH winds, sideways-falling rain and hail. 
Of course we celebrated Father’s Day morning at the Farm before heading home.  During the week prior to our trip, I had the girls make Father’s Day paintings.  They painted canvases for their Daddy.

Then Miss did paintings on paper for my Grandpa, my Dad, and my Father-in-law (Lass lost interest after her canvas was done).  At the end as she was finishing up the painting for my Father-in-law, her Papa, she decided it would be funny to stick her face in the still-wet paint.

She seems to be our little budding artist.  She really loves to paint anything.  She got really into painting some gourds with my Mother-in-law when we were at the farm.  She seems to understand the power of art to make people smile too.  When she created her painting for my Grandpa she said, “I think this will make Great-grandpa happy.”  Yes, I think so too.

She Called Them “Little Lambs”

Posted on by Amy
For the past two days we have been busy celebrating the life of my husband’s beautiful grandmother and saying goodbye to her.  I am sitting here struggling for the words to adequately describe the emotions I have been feeling.  My heart aches for my husband and his loss.  I also have my own grief for a woman who was so accepting and loving towards me from the moment I met her.  And I am sad that my girls will not have the chance to grow up knowing their great-grandmother.  But sorrow and grief do not fully describe my feelings.  Yes, I absolutely feel sad.  But at the same time, I feel kind of, strangely, uplifted by the past two days.  The fact is, it is awe inspiring to reflect on the life of someone so accomplished, graceful, and kind.  It is, yes, amazing to see how much this one woman was loved by her family, friends, and community.  There was much reminiscing.  There were moments of laughter.  There was singing that was simultaneously sorrowful and joyous.  There were beautiful moments.  Bittersweet moments.  Tender moments.  There were a few moments that I, as a mother, will never forget.
Like when Miss happened to notice the open casket at the visitation last night.  She walked right up to it with such innocent curiosity.  Naturally she had many questions.  We had a conversation that went something like this:
Miss: “Mama, why is she lying on that pillow?” 
Me: “Because she died…”  
Miss: “Why?”  
Me: “She was very old and had lived a very long life, and sometimes when people get very very old like that, their body doesn’t work as well and they die.”  
Miss: “She can’t breathe anymore, right?”  
Me: “Right.”
Miss: “That’s just like Tessa.” (our dog who died about a year ago)
Me: “That’s right Honey.” 
Miss: “Mama, why is she in that box?”  
Me: “So that her family and friends could have a chance to tell her how much they loved her and say goodbye.  Would you like to tell her you loved her and say goodbye to her?”    
And she did.
A little while later Miss returned to look at her great-grandma some more.  Lass came over as well, and so did my husband. He picked up Lass and asked her if she wanted to say goodbye to her great-grandma.  She waved and said, “Buh-bye Gamma.”  He asked her if she wanted to tell her great-grandma “I love you.”  She said, “I yuh you Gamma.”  It was a truly precious moment. 
My husband’s grandmother used to call her grandchildren her “Little Lambs.”  I’ve heard her use this term of endearment with my girls.  I couldn’t help but think of this when I saw my girls’ pure innocence while trying to understand her death.  Amidst all the grief and sadness, there was beauty and life.  My husband’s grandmother lives on through my girls and the rest of her family.  I think that everyone who was a part of the tribute paid to her in the past two days will at some point have to stop and think, “How can I be more like her?”  She was that inspiring.  This one woman accomplished so much in her lifetime, including starting and keeping together this family:  

80 people directly descended from her or married to someone who is.  She held her family together across many years and miles.  She was small, yet mighty.  She was so much to so many.  She was loved.  She will be missed.

Life Lived Well

Posted on by Amy
How do you measure a life lived well?  A good life?  A successful life?  I suppose you could answer these questions in many different ways, depending on your priorities.  But today I’m thinking of two very special ladies in particular, who I think are very clear examples of life lived well.  These two are on my mind for very different reasons today.  Neither of these ladies have led lives characterized by tons of money or high-powered jobs.  Instead their lives have been exceptionally full of love and family.  Work and friends.  Laughter and joy.  I look at these women and it seems so clear to me that the measure of a good life is How much were you loved?  How much did you love in return?  If the answer to these two questions is Much, I think one’s life has been lived well.
Today, my Grandma turned 90 years old.  She is so beautiful in so many ways.  The matriarch of our family.  She’s kind and loving and amazing.  I called her today to tell her happy birthday and she told me that she was going to celebrate her day by having some friends over for a sing-along and cake.  She used to be a member of a performing group, and the friends coming to sing with her today are the remaining former members of this group.  How awesome is that?  I wish I could have been there.  Friends.  Fun.  Laughter.  She is 90 years old and still vibrant and full of love.  She has loved and been loved much.

Family.  Love.  Joy.  She rocks.  Happy Birthday Grandma.

Two days ago, another beautiful woman, my husband’s dear Grandmother passed away at the age of 92.  So she is on my mind today as well.  She was a very special lady who left behind an incredible number of people who love and miss her dearly.  She had six sons, 26 grandchildren, and 29 great grandchildren!  She was a person you couldn’t help but adore if you met her.  She was loving, gentle, and funny.  She most definitely lived life well, with grace and dignity and so. much. love.

I cannot think of two better examples of full and successful lives than these two amazing women.

Bring on Summer

Posted on by Amy
We have started our new summer schedule this week.  Miss is still going to school for the month of June, but she’s switched to Tuesdays and Thursdays to make room for a Monday and Wednesday swimming class and Wednesday art class.  So far this week we’ve been busy but thoroughly enjoying it.  Lass and Sis came with me to vote in our state’s big recall election yesterday while Miss was in school.  Lass waited so patiently in line with me.  She got a cookie when we were done.  And a sticker, of course.

She is such a funny little character.  While on our way out of the building where we voted, an elderly man was walking in, and as we passed him he held out his hand to her as if asking her for her cookie.  She was holding her cookie in her left hand, with her right hand holding mine.  Without skipping a beat, she let go of my hand and slapped the man’s hand to give him “5.”  She is awesome.

Sis just hung out and slept the whole time.  She’s a dream baby.  We voted after she had her 2-month doctor’s appointment.  She weighed in at the 90th %ile, and her height is around the 97th %ile.  Pretty much the same as her sisters at that age, though Miss is now around the 50th %ile for both height and weight.  I had to pull out 6-month sized clothes for Sis this week!

Miss started a new art class today.  I tried out the drop-in childcare at the YMCA for Lass and Sis and got in a workout while Miss’s class was going.  I have never done that before.  I am wondering why.  It will now be a weekly practice.

Naturally, we had some mad dress-up after coming home.  Miss has started striking these funny little poses when I ask if I can take her picture.

I have no idea where she learned this, but I love it.

Both older girls were accessorized to the max.

Thank goodness this little one is a wonderful traveler.

We are leaving again for the Farm on Friday for another week of sun and outside playing and exploring.  And dress up.  There will be lots of dress up I’m sure.  I know Lass will be happy to reunite with the pink leo.  

Welcome summer!

Fashion Shows and Fishing

Posted on by Amy
The title of this post really sums up the variety of things the girls have to do when we go to the farm.  The last post showed a good selection of their activities, as well.  It just seems never-ending.  One day early in the week I came out of our room after feeding and changing Sis to find this:

 You can’t see much of them here, but she paraded around in these big gold flats calling them her “dancing shoes.”

The girls and their “Baba” (my mother-in-law) had gotten into the dress up basket and they were in heaven.  Miss switched between several different outfits, but Lass found the one she liked and didn’t vary from it. They were both princesses ready to go to the ball.  We all got dressed up and danced and twirled.  They selected my outfit.

Yes, we all got dressed up.

Sis gave her opinions on our outfits and dancing techniques.

She is very chatty these days.

I think it was Tuesday that the girls discovered the dress up clothes, and from that point on, each morning when they woke up the first thing Lass did was ask for “dress up!” and “pincy!” (princess).  She spent much of the rest of our time there in that pink leotard.  In fact she often had a mini fit when I took it off her to change her diaper of get her dressed.  The one thing she was always willing to take it off for though was to go and play outside.  We had lots of fun exploring the Farm on the Ranger.

We took a long ride one day and ended up on a dirt road where there were two very old houses that had mostly collapsed.  I pointed them out to Miss and she was fascinated by them.  She kept talking about the houses that had fallen down and how someone should have taken better care of them and maybe we should go and fix them.

 Stopping for a snack in the shade.  

Of course after our ride it was time to go fishing.  Miss had been talking about fishing with her Daddy for weeks before this trip.  She caught some bluegills, which she called “blue jays” when I asked her what kind she had caught.  

Lass loved to sit by the pond and throw rocks in the water while her sister was fishing.

We had a jammy day one day when it was cold and rainy out.  The weather was great for fishing so my husband and two nephews went out on the boat and ended up bringing home dinner.  Lots of walleye.  The girls were quite intrigued by the process of filleting the fish.

Notice Lass’s outfit.

The girls’ cousin showed him the walleye’s teeth.

My girls always seem to grow and learn so much after a week of travel, either to the farm or visiting my family, or wherever we go.  Lass’s vocabulary seems to triple and Miss’s use of subtleties of language improves noticeably.  She even learns things like, “I’m going to kick you in the weenie!” from her older boy cousins, which of course prompts a conversation about what a weenie is and why we don’t say that or do that.  But that could be another whole post, I suppose.

I love to watch my girls blossom at the farm.

A Weekend in Photos

Posted on by Amy
We are doing it up right this week, here at the Farm.  The weekend was hot and sunny and beautiful and perfect for little girls to have fun outside with cousins and aunts and uncles.  

There was mud digging and splashing

Sand castle building

Frog catching

And butterfly chasing.

The girls did plenty of drawing with sidewalk chalk.

We went exploring and treasure hunting.

Miss got her hair done like her older cousin.

I need to learn how to do this!

The girls battled with some swords.

Check out her form!

Baby Sis observed happily.

There was a rousing game of kick ball.

To top it off, a campfire with s’mores and fireworks.

And, somebody is two months old already.  Holy smokes.

Gotta go.  I have some mud-pie-making to do.  Or treasure hunting.  Or maybe swing pushing.  Or sidewalk-chalking…

The Preschooler

Posted on by Amy
I’m playing catch-up a bit tonight.  We are at the Farm, and due to traveling and then visiting with family, I have not had a chance to post about Miss’s preschool graduation party until tonight.  Of course, she didn’t graduate from preschool, but a three or four of the other kids in her school did, so there was a little party last Thursday to celebrate the end of the school year and say farewell to those kids heading off to Kindergarten next year.  I love that her school is a mixed age school and that it is so small, so that she sees her older classmates taking this step to Kindergarten and yet doesn’t lose too many of her friends from the past year.
The party was lots of fun.  Miss spent almost the entire time intently focused on making a necklace for herself.

Once she finished it (you can see how long it is in the photos below!!) she went over to the face painting area.  She was a little unsure about the face painting at first.  She is my cautious girl, and she wanted to think this one over a bit.

She eventually sat down and allowed one of her teachers to paint a flower on her cheek.  A blue flower of course.  I love that her teacher knew that blue is her favorite color and commented on it to her (Miss wears a blue shirt to school almost every day).

Though she didn’t graduate from preschool to Kindergarten, she did get a certificate for completing her first year of school.  I am so proud of how far she has come in this past year.  She has learned so much and really gained in confidence.  My girl who used to cry every time I dropped her off at school now doesn’t want to leave when I come to pick her up.  Every day she says, “Mama, I had so much fun at school today.”

When we got home Miss proudly showed off her necklace and face paint (which took three days to wash off, by the way).

Then we had our own little party with some treasures from the Target dollar aisle (have I mentioned how much I love the Target dollar aisle?) and some new sunglasses purchased for our trip to the Farm.

I have so many great photos already from the past weekend of the girls with their cousins at the Farm.  I will post them very soon.  ‘Night.