May
17
Julia shattered a record.
by Leslie
Her perfect attendance record.
she woke up with a fever
and missed her first one
She was devastated, though we sort of saw it coming. Lucy had been sick on Sunday. Wednesday was Bee’s turn. We’d hoped Julia might be spared, at least until after her softball game. But viruses aren’t sports fans. They prefer the couch, which is where they’ve spent a lot of time this week.
It seems “in sickness and in health” applies to sisterhood, too.
May
14
1. I accompanied Julia’s second grade class on their field trip to a local museum earlier this month, and people, it was incredible. Not only did she want to sit with me on the bus, she held my hand most of the way and in front of her friends! My beating heart blew up like a balloon and bulged from my chest like a lovestruck cartoon character. It’s doing it even still! But that could be because I had spicy tacos. Also, I’m drinking Diet Coke again. (I know.) It’s okay to feel disappointed in me. The dangerous chemicals have eaten away the part of my brain that cares! Okay, not really. Actually, I care very much. I’m just more disappointed in my weight gain, but not quite as disappointed as I am in my ability to keep Phoebe out of the litter box without shouting, “NO!” It seems I’m only capable of 236 gentle redirections before I blow up and loudly use the n-word. (I follow it up with a “thank you,” though, if that counts for anything.) And anyway, it worked. She got out of the litter box and sat in the cat water dish instead.
2. Lucy was in a great mood this morning after a particularly rough night, so I said to her, “Wow, you’re being very kind today. Where’d that come from?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I just put it on this morning like clothes!”
Gosh, wouldn’t it be great if we could all put on kindness clothes?
3. Today I’m wearing black nail polish. (Not metaphorically.) I hadn’t been out in the world more than twenty minutes before I was asked if I was “feeling dark” and, “going through a Goth phase?” This could be yet another look I’ve had to learn the hard way that I cannot pull off. (Toe rings!) (Choker necklaces!) (Ironic t-shirts!) (Platinum blonde hair!)
4. The pathway leading to the doors of my house was looking pretty bad.
But now?
Not too bad!
Thanks to my helpers.
5. “I missed you all year when I went to school.” – Julia, from my homemade Mother’s Day book which also included a list of 10 Things That Don’t Make Sense in the World
So, what would you tell me?
May
7
We have two enormous white boards in our house. One lives in the breakfast nook for the purpose of displaying the dinner schedule, recipes, and notes about not eating the real bacon pieces or shredded cheese if you want potato soup on Sunday. The other board lives in the dining room. This is where I write the day of the week, stuff about what’s happening that day, reminders, and the message that was on my Yogi tea bag.
(I love that they do this.
After weeks of getting unique messages, I got that one three days in a row. So, I downloaded a gratitude journal app to my phone.
That was my first entry. Message received, Universe.)
We also use that board to keep track of our weight loss “progress,” make lists, post notes and play Pictionary. Currently, it also contains a variety of countdowns of things we are either looking forward to or trying to endure, most notably, the number of school days remaining until summer break, because when summer beak begins, we can do more stuff like this.
That’s my family enjoying the supermoon and looking for meteors way past bedtime.
Did you see the supermoon on Saturday? The camera didn’t capture how bright that moon was, but it did capture an orb across the field.
And Pac-Man (middle right), which makes sense, because he eats ghosts.
What are you looking forward to? What are you trying to endure?
Apr
30
Our weekend was packed full of the sort of memories you’re supposed to keep – you know, the kind of events where you get dressed up and take your camera. But when a friend asked, “What do you want to remember about your day?” I thought about it and decided it really isn’t any of that. Instead, it’s Lucy on a swing.
And Phoebe in her jeep.
Also her accidental Jack Nicholson impression.
“Heeeeere’s Phoebe!”
It’s jumping around in the freshly mowed side yard.
Running.
Playing.
It’s the cluster of freckles beneath the bridge of her nose – the ones that inspired our Night Fairy stories.
It’s lying face to face in the grass, close enough to feel her breath on my cheek.
It’s what’s important.
Apr
24
Last year, we went to Great Wolf Lodge and had an incredible time. And so, over the weekend, we returned…
…to the Wolf Den…
..and the water park where it became painfully obvious that I need a new camera.
Grainy Grimmetts!
Out of focus fun!
That’s a little better.
Finally, a photo that’s crisp and in focus. And you cannot see her face!
Nevertheless, fun was had by all.
Stuff I Do
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Stuff You Should Do
You know, Stuff.
