Before Halloween a group of friends got all our kids together for pizza and a photo shoot. Not everyone was willing to wear their costume, and not everyone was willing to sit for a picture, but it was such a fun evening regardless.
All those kids and more are on the way! Thanks, Megan and Javan, for hosting such a fun get-together.
“You wouldn’t believe
On All Hallow Eve
What lots of fun we can make,
With apples to bob,
And nuts on the hob,
And a ring-and-thimble cake.” —Carolyn Wells
Beautiful Kayla was born September 8 to our good friends Mandy and Bill. Every time I’ve seen her she’s been sleeping peacefully (although I’m sure that’s not true always!). Bill and Mandy fell into parenting seemingly so smoothly … I love when Mandy talks about dancing around her house with Kayla. And although we’re done, I have to admit, seeing Kayla makes me think how nice it would be to have just one more …
“Babies are such a nice way to start people.” —Don Herold
She loves her preschool. So do we.
“If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you’d best teach it to dance.” —George Bernard Shaw
First up, playing with play-doh which, ultimately,
ends up on the nose …
and the head!
Every day Sophie begs me to have her friends over.
So they can eat popcorn on the window seat.
And play fashion show/princess/dress-up on the stairs.
Sophie has so much fun at and hosting playdates … substitue Play-doh with wine and dress-up with shopping, while keeping the friends and popcorn, and I’m in.
“Little girls are cute and small only to adults. To one another they are not cute. They are life sized.” —Margaret Atwood
While Aunt Janeil visited we went to the 5th Annual Track-n-Treat at the wonderful A.S.K. Playground in Eaton, Ohio, which my Uncle Corey raised money for and helped build through his job at the Preble County DD. Owen refused to wear his costume and ride the hay wagon, but loved all the candy. Sophie loved to swing (I think, in part, to watch her long Rapunzel hair flow). James kept sneaking candy … I think he had at least five lollipops by night’s end. After we all went to Skyline, where a woman was nice enough to inform me that I left our side van door open (again). She assumed it was my van door based on the kids surrounding me at the restaurant and the large amount of kid stuff in our van.
“Bring forth the raisins and the nuts-
Tonight All-Hallows’ Spectre struts
Along the moonlit way.” —John Kendrick Bangs
Several weeks ago my mom’s sister, Janeil, visited for two wonderful weeks. She traveled from her home state of California, a lovely place to visit her, but far away. These pictures were taken on a Saturday in October at Fort Saint Clair State Park in Eaton, Ohio. My grandma was there, along with my mom and my mom’s brother Corey, and his family. We had a picnic. We walked. We played at the playground and threw leaves. It was such a nice day, both weather-wise and family wise.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” —Albert Camus
Pumpkin hunting at one of our favorite places.
“I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” —Henry David Thoreau
Every year we get together with a few friends for a dinner/dance party. This year’s theme was “foods that rock” and the dinner was hosted by our good friends Marty and Angel.
Wine accompanies every course. And the food is prepared by Angel’s incredibly talented brother, Stephen Spyrou. Check out his catering business, Vertigo Catering. He’s on Facebook, too. The food, and presentation, are nothing short of amazing. Bring out the storage glass tupperware for all the leftovers from your party.
We started off with white truffle popcorn with parmesan cheese.
Tuna tartare with limon salt and pop rocks (pop rocks!) followed.
Next, arugula salad with pine nuts, halloumi cheese, kalamata olives and lemon vinaigrette.
Then, herb crusted pork tenderloin (which I failed to take a picture of).
lemon zinger tea and whiskey sorbet
poached pears with blue cheese mousse
maple bacon milkshake—this was so good.
Finally, flourless chocolate torte laced with tequila.
Next, we rocked our glow-in-the-dark necklaces and danced.
And admired Angel’s fabulous eye lashes.
Thank you, Stephen, for another wonderful dinner party. And seriously, if you’re hosting anything, large or small, check out Vertigo.
I want a maple bacon milkshake now.
“Truffle isn’t exactly aphrodisiac but under certain circumstances it tends to make women more tender and men more likable.” —J.A. Brillat-Savarin
I would have liked to zip in and out sans kids but because you close at 5pm and my husband doesn’t get home until 6pm, I had no choice. Plus, I want to take my kids to the post office. I want to explain how “mailing a letter” works and what “stamp” means and I want to help them understand how our mail gets from here to there.
My children are 4-1/2 and 2-1/2. The line was long. When Sophie complained about having to stand, I talked to her softly and she stopped. I made everyone stay close to me. No one was running around. They started humming and singing, and I asked them to do it quietly. When Owen and James started whining and asking to go home, I held them one at a time. Yes, the other child was whining while waiting his turn to be held but I did what I could.
So, dear postal worker, when it was my turn to make my purchase I was sort of upset when you pointed to Owen, who was in my arms, and said “You have a spoiled one there, don’t you?” And then, when I mumbled a response while lifting each child up so they could see over the counter (something they love), “I have a stamp that says ‘spoiled’ if you want to put it on his hand.”
I would love to have toddlers who never cry and whine when having to wait in a long line in a place they have no interest in. I would love for them to always be content standing next to me (although, I admit, after awhile I’d miss occasionally holding them in my arms). I’d love to go somewhere with all three of my children and once, just once, have such a quiet and calm experience that no one even so much as glances at us.
But right now, that’s not possible. Both my boys are getting over colds, colds which required regular at-home nebulizer treatments. They’re hopped up on steroids, too, which makes them more irrational than usual. Owen also is battling an ear infection and is on antibiotics. And yesterday, they only got a 40 minute nap.
These may sound like excuses and, perhaps, they are. But just know that I’m trying my best. I’m trying my best to lay down rules and expectations for my children while also taking into consideration that they don’t feel good. Maybe I shouldn’t have given into Owen’s whine/cry to be held but honestly, I don’t mind holding him—especially when he doesn’t feel good and especially when he just wants to see. The woman who sold me a cup of coffee understood that yesterday. As I picked up each of my three children so they could see what I was seeing over the counter she smiled and noted how hard it must be for young children to miss so much when everything around them is so tall.
I realize I should let these comments go. But these comments are like tiny gnats buzzing around my head that I can’t seem to kill. They bother me. They make me wonder if I’m screwing this thing up, if I really am raising spoiled children. And part of me hates them because maybe there’s truth to them—Owen and James have been so whiney lately. I try not to respond to it. I try to insist on “nice words.” But, sometimes, I fail. Especially in tiny, crowded post offices when I’d rather just hold my child than deal with—and make everyone else around me deal with—a full-blown tantrum.
As a mother, every day I feel like I’ve failed some way, some how. I make mistakes, constantly. I question myself and worry, worry, worry. But I’m waking up every day. And I’m getting them out of bed every day. And I’m trying to teach them, guide them, share with them, show them, play with them, feed them and care for them the best way that I can. And I know my best isn’t as good as it always could be, or should be. But I’m trying.
In closing, I know my son was acting spoiled. I’m sorry about that. But I don’t need it pointed out. And I certainly don’t need to stamp it on his hand. What I need is a knowing smile, a small word of encouragement, a friendly “hello” to my upset child or, at the very least, just my stamps and receipt so that I can exit as quickly as possible. I imagine throughout your day you experience many unpleasantries—upset children, upset customers, maybe an upset boss. But I was doing what I could to make your day as pleasant as I could—given that my three children didn’t want to be there. In return, I had hoped for something different than the offer to advertise my parenting failures on my son’s hand.
Sincerely,
a sometimes-frazzled, constantly worrying, hoping-tomorrow-is-better mother of three
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
Owen was drawing on the slate hanging in the playroom when I noticed one of the toys underneath the slate was covered in chalk dust. I blew the chalk dust off.
Owen: “Mommy, that’s not a cake, OK? It’s not a cake.”
“I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn’t have one. So I got a cake.” —Mitch Hedberg
