Healthy Food

As Phill has embarked on an every other night call schedule, the kids, dog, and I escaped to Florida for a very long weekend. We treated my mother to pizza the first night. Last night, my mother made dinner for us. Good sturdy fare with way too many carbs and fat.

I wish I had been in the kitchen when Inwe loaded her plate and let loose this statement. "Mom Mom, you cook less healthier than Mommy."

We are family

When Trixie, Wawa, and Andrew visited we took a few trips to the pool. She managed to get all five of us in a picture. Sure, Finwe looks annoyed at having been corralled, even temporarily. Still, it's all of us. Not that this one is going to go on the yearly holiday card, though.

Poolside

Sorry for just the photo. My body has decided to dislike some pollen, mold, smog, or what not. I'm full of snot and aching of head. Still, I take the kids to the pool. We have to escape the heat, sinus headache or not. When we arrived yesterday afternoon, not one of the other 50 families who share the pool were there. We had it all to ourselves until a hour later.

Worth Repeating

I left my children with my family in Natchez, MS this past weekend so I could attend a wedding. The most repeated sentence I have heard since retrieving them on Sunday comes from Finwe.

"I sure did enjoy riding in that pickup truck. I sure did."

Funny Faces

Nights

Time has no meaning on vacation at my mother's house. Finwe napped at 5:30pm to about 7pm (diaperless with no accidents), which meant that the evening began off-kilter. Inwe and Larien seized on this as well, remaining awake until 11pm.

I had expected Inwe to sleep in a bed by her lonesome as she complained about Larien's sleeping or non-sleeping all day yesterday. However, with the last of her front teeth hanging by a root, she asked to sleep with me in case the tooth fell out during the night. No problem, was my answer.

When I heard the last of Finwe's conversation with my mother, I crawled in between my two slumbering daughters. Approximately five minutes later, I felt a liquid warmth on my thigh. Larien, probably dreaming of the beach we visited that day, had wet the bed. I changed her clothes while she still slept, transferred her to a different bed, and went back to sleep beside her. Knowing that Inwe wouldn't move more than a few inches from her spot, I had removed the fitted sheet from only half the king-sized bed.

At 1am, Finwe woke next to my mother and began crying for a reason unknown. After half an hour of calming him, all of us returned to our beds for more sleep. Twenty minutes later (isn't it amazing how much you check a clock when people are waking you), Inwe shook me awake telling me that her tooth was gone and she couldn't find it. I told her I'd help her in the morning and ushered her back to bed.

I heard Finwe whine a few more times but didn't come to my mother's aid as he quieted quickly. By 2:30am, a real sleep finally found me. I could complain about Larien's legs flopped across my body, but I won't. I will complain that one large white dog with straight hair and one small black dog with curly hair combined forces to get me out of bed.

How to Warm a Woman's Heart

I pushed the button on Finwe's car seat, releasing him to slide to the floor of the van. He saw her coming out the front door. He jumped to the ground, running to her.

"Mom mom! Mom mom, you make me so happy." He said these words while giving her a bear hug.

Gift from Aunt Maverick

My sister took a long deserved trip to see friends in Singapore. She brought the children back lion puppets. I've heard the pitter patter of little lion puppet feet for most of the day. All of the children enjoy the toys.

I don't think they wanted her to leave

They've tried this tactic a few times. T, babysitter extraordinaire, was the last recipient.

Take notice of the new header up there. Inwe asked me to draw a bow on a piece of the flattened packing paper. I did. She then drew a wreath around it. Later in the day she used scissors to cut it out. I knew she planned to fix it to her wall with tape. I didn't know that she had drawn candy with which to decorate it.

Mom Mom is in Charge

This weekend, Phill and I are house-hunting in New Orleans. Inwe has asked that we find a house "exactly like this one" meaning our current one. I told her that I probably couldn't find one exactly like ours, but that I would find a house that had a room for each of the kids as well as a bit of a yard for White Dragon. She grudgingly agreed and asked if she could paint her new room green.

A girl with a green room. Love it.

My mom is in charge, and her first day with just the kids was a busy one. The school had Grandparents' Day with activities in all three classrooms. What a juggle for her. Also at the school was the first Whole School Circle (think assembly, but more organic). At last check, the kids were happy, fed, and all with her.

I knew she could do it.

Family Traditions

My husband is descended from a family that has been in rural North Carolina since shortly after the Revolutionary War. George Eagle, Sr. and his son George traveled from Pennsylvania to Rowan County. There they settled, and there their family remains, nearly all the members. This weekend, we spent a few hours at the Eagle Family Reunion. We got the award for most miles traveled.

The girls did well as did Finwe. Inwe has a soft spot in her heart for Phill's physician-farmer uncle, Jim. Larien realized that he is a neat person as well. Finwe just roamed the fellowship hall being cute and asking to poop on the potty, which he did. (Read nothing in to that. He's not ready for real potty training.) What Finwe wouldn't do is sit still for any photo worth taking. Therefore, he is absent in the photos below.

Shhhhh!

By 2008, New Orleans will be our new home.

Inwe: She's still not that excited about it, although she wavers. The idea of being closer to family (say 3 hours in any direction except due west and south) gets her interested. She has worries, which I am sure to write about in the days to follow.

Larien: The idea that Aunt Maverick is a mere 1 1/2 movies away is enough to convince her that this will be good for us.

Finwe: If he's closer to Mom Mom, who he occasionally calls Pop Pop, he'll be happy. (I kid you not about the Pop Pop. I heard it with my own ears--not someone else's. Are you wiping a tear like me?)

Time Away

Beginning on Tuesday, my family will be traveling. The three elves will stay with my sister, mother, and extended family at my sister's house in Mississippi. Phill and I will be in New Orleans.

You might think that we will be there for some time away from the children, which wouldn't be completely wrong. While we will take advantage of having very loving and capable people caring for our brood, we will be interviewing for a job for the better part of three days. Phill's job--not mine.

Why am I writing this here and not on my personal blog? Phill and I have agreed not to blog about our possible move and reasons for that. Suffice it to say that I trust all of you.

What do the kids think of a possible move to The Big Easy? Inwe would like the proximity to family as would Larien. Finwe? Well, he's just along for the ride currently.

Do we consider this lightly? Absolutely not. I must investigate the resources for me as a mother with three small children in a recovery region. Not only that, the place is sinking. (The link is to a 2006 article, but if you pick up a current copy of National Geographic, read the story about New Orleans.) I do need to make the visit with an open mind as this job would be a huge step up the ladder for Phill. Also, this would probably not be a permanent place for us. We both see us moving to another place, wherever that might be, in seven or ten years.

I know that not many of you comment here, and I understand that. However, if you have a thought you'd like to share, please do. Or email me (hpsarabeth@gmail.com). Just don't mention this on my other blog.

Nearly a Family Portrait

Mom Mom and Gran and Aunt Maverick to the Rescue

Due to events yesterday that were beyond our control, Phill and I didn't have time to shop for Valentine's Day gifts for our children. We follow in my father's tradition that the kids must always get something from their parents on this day reserved for love. Because, well, who else should show more love than parents?

What happened is not something I'm prepared to share currently, but I will. Just understand that I am still off kilter, my arms may never be the same again, and I'm in serious need of a night out with at least one grande margarita. On the rocks, no salt.

Phill, who has gone to work on this ice covered day, will probably get his presents for the kids on his way home. However, my mom, my aunt, and my sister have given the girls something to begin the day.

A card addressed specifically to the girls that also contain a dollar for each kid are such wonderful gifts at this stage. Inwe informed me that she now has 20 dollars saved, which is well on her way to buying the 100 Barbies that she wants to buy with her saved money. We'll have to build onto the house if she actually follows through with the plan.

Larien is just happy with having two dollars as she spends her money and is left with just change from her last purchase of some Care Bear thingymabob from the CVS store up the road.

Finwe--well, all he knows is that one card has a D (dog) and the other a AT (cat). He's happy with that.

Larien is quite excited to dip her giant strawberries into the chocolate sauce, but as she is wearing one of the fancy dresses that my mom sent. Inwe is also twirling in her sparkly dress. I'll get a picture when we shovel out the family room. We aren't neat and tidy, but you don't need to see how completely messy the house can get when we are off on a snow/ice day.

So, thank you, Gran and Mom Mom and Aunt Maverick. The girls are very happy. I know Finwe is happy, but that is easy for him as he isn't where he was yesterday. (I promise I will tell all when I get that grande margarita. Remember, on the rocks, no salt.)

Losing

Inwe received a Princess Monopoly game for her birthday. We have now played it twice. She really enjoys it as she can be greedy without a parent fussing at her.

The first time we played it I lost. Larien won. Tonight, the players were Inwe, Phill, and I. Larien and Finwe had early bedtimes. I lost again. Inwe won with $71. Phill had netted only four.

Talking Parrot

It's official.

I am never speaking to my sister again.

It's the parrot's fault.

The ^*%^#^%*&& won't shut up.

Inwe loves it.

Family Week

I haven't been posting much because there is really so much going on, but yet so much of it isn't lending itself into a coherent "look what so and so did today" kind of post. Weeks with family can be like that. The moments are so different that exciting items happen all the time. Except, I don't have time to write about those moments.

Finwe has figured out words, real ones. These are words that all of us hear--like hat, Dada, Mama, ball, ACK, and maybe even tiger. My family has that effect on children. Inwe said her first word when Mom looked after her for a full day. Larien learns new words all the time when she is with my extended family. Finwe is proving to be no exception.

Larien has learned to shake hands. I took the children to the high school where Mom is assistant principal. She saw someone shake hands and decided to do the same thing whenever Mom introduced her to a new person. That was well received by everyone. That same day Finwe was pronounced as a solid boy. He just keeps getting larger and larger. Most people can't believe that he is just 13 months of age.

Inwe is doing well here. She's old enough to enjoy the change of scenery. I think she likes having my sister around to be the primary care giver. It's not like my sister has a choice. The girls would shun me as mom and run to her no matter what. Both of them love the different attention Maverick gives them. She's stern enough but all squishy aunt at the same time. They do love her.

The last cute item has been Larien calling my sister by her full name. I call my sister Maverick. The girls call her Aunt Mavie. One day Larien said, "Will you come here please, Aunt Maverick?" We all stopped what we were doing and listened again. Yep, she said it again. She doesn't do it all the time. She says it so sweetly.

I'm sure I've missed something. I always do. This week has been full.

Feeding the Animals

We went to the Gulf Breeze Zoo yesterday. The girls got to feed the giraffes. Well, Larien fed the giraffes with no fear whatsoever. Inwe was a different story. She was weirded out and would toss the food nuggets onto the long black tongue of the giraffe.
Here is a close up of the giraffe. I have another picture, and I post that some other time.
The zoo also has farm animals to feed. Larien had a wonderful time feeding each and every animal that she could reach. Only the cattle bothered her a bit.

For Auntie J

Mom Mom has corrupted another one. Finwe is drinking coffee. Auntie J would be proud. And, please notice the stream of coffee dripping off the bottom of the cup. We could hear the slurps.