Miss Victoria

Today began VERY early. Molly was up at 3:30am cranky with a fever. I gave her some Motrin and put her back in her bed, but she was up again an hour later. Her fever had broken, but she seemed to have decided she wanted to be rocked - and would not accept anything less. I rocked her until 5:25am before she was sleeping deep enough to put her back in her own bed. Having slept only about 4 hours myself, I chose not to head back to bed and instead hopped in the shower and got ready for the day.

Who in the world wakes up at 6am on a Saturday? Well, Ava and I do, when it is the day of the 2012 National Walk for Epilepsy. We went down to the Capitol Mall area in DC and walked about 2 miles to raise money and awareness for epilepsy. We were part of Team "Victoria"us, in honor of Victoria Olszowy. Victoria is one of the "big girls" at Ava's dance studio, and this year she is also Ava's dance Big Sister. She and her little sister Veronica babysat my girls several times last summer, and we spend a good amount of time together between dance and just getting together for the girls to all play.

Walking this morning was an incredible experience. I explained to Ava as best I could this morning what we were doing. In the end, she got what was truly important: we were walking because we love Victoria. This young lady is everything I hope my daughters will grow up to be. She ALWAYS has a smile on her face - I'm not sure I've ever heard a truly mean or negative thing come out of her mouth. She has the biggest heart - all morning she spent as much if not more time with Ava as with her other same-age friends who were there. She was only diagnosed with epilepsy a few months ago, but has had other health issues in the past... or so I've been told. I've never heard the girl complain about a single thing, and again I have no doubt she's had a time or two when she would have been plenty entitled to be less than chipper. She is beautiful inside and out, and my whole family adores her. There is nothing we would not do for this girl, including get up at 6am on four hours of sleep and walk a few miles in the cold.

Highlight of the day: Ava was getting tired again (she had a few rough patches but overall handled the walk like a champ), but I pointed out the finish line and told her we were almost done. She immediately ran ahead to catch up with Victoria and took Victoria's hand. I'm not sure how it happened, but one by one girls began joining hands and crossed the finish line together. To see these girls joining together to support someone they love and a cause close to her heart was truly special. I am so glad we were there to be a part of it. On our way home Ava asked if we could go walk again next year, and I told her I certainly hope so.

Team "Victoria"us before the walk

Crossing the finish together

Special friends :)

Perspective

This morning was pretty rough. It began yet again with a puny Molly. She had a fever, and since she's in the middle of antibiotics the pediatrician wanted her to come in and be seen. So an unexpected trip to the doctor occurred, and after being prescribed a new antibiotic a trip to the pharmacist. We waited a while, since of course the pharmacy had yet to actually notice that the pediatrician had electronically sent over the prescription. In the middle of all this I have a clingy, cranky baby and an antsy toddler (Ava at least was at school). We were able to sit at home for all of 35 minutes before reloading in the car to pick Ava up. I was tired, stressed, sad about my sick baby... not in a good place in general. I was doing my very best to not take it out on the kids, and was only doing an okay job.

I sat at the light to turn out of our subdivision. Just as it turned green, I heard sirens and saw an ambulance fly through the intersection. As I saw it go past, I did what I always do when I see any emergency vehicle, and said a little prayer for the workers in the vehicle and the individuals they are trying to help. As I was doing this, I felt the figurative head slap I'm sure God was giving me. I was having a crummy morning, but the person in that ambulance was most likely in a much more serious situation than I had even considered that morning. I immediately felt the tension leave my shoulders, and my breathing became more relaxed. I will never know who was in that ambulance or what happened to him or her, nor will they know the positive impact they had on my day, but reminding me to keep all things in perspective and remember what is truly important.

Dance Class

Tonight was my jazz class. One night a week I go somewhere by myself and spend an entire hour thinking of NOTHING. My concentration is on not injuring myself and maybe making a move or two look good. Tonight I needed my dance class even more than usual. Sleep has not been good to me, the girls were pretty wired today, and due to a conference call Ben was completely indisposed until AFTER the girls were in bed. I was tired and my patience had hit its limit. I needed to leave the house and just be by myself for a bit. It felt so good to have conversations with other adults and not have to stop every 30 seconds to do a head count of my kids. I love my daughters and husband more than life, but tonight I am very thankful for the hour of blessing that was my dance class. Now I just have to cross my fingers that I will be able to move in the morning!

Wedding Bells

Tonight bathtime provided a most humorous conversation. I'm not sure how it began, but as Ben was washing the girls, Ava said, "I can't wait to get married!" To which Jocelyn promptly replied, "I want get married too!" Ava then proceeded to explain to Jocie that their Daddy would walk them down the aisle to their husbands. Ben sort of slumped his shoulders and muttered something along the lines of "I am so not ready for all this." It was a very short, very lighthearted interaction between them all. It made me laugh to see Ben already dreading something that seems so far away. And yet, I'm sure it will seem like no time at all before those three babes all bathing together in one tub will be grown up bathing their own babies. The last 5 1/2 years alone have flown by, I can only imagine how much faster time will pass us by in the years to come. But for now, I'll settle for silly statements from my girls that make Ben's heart speed up in panic and my heart smile with joy.

Braids and Blood

Today had two highlights, one from my eldest daughter and one from my youngest. First thing this morning I put two french braids in Ava's hair. She has been asking me to do this for a few days, but by the time we would remember there wasn't enough time. Because while her hair is certainly growing, it is still not SUPER long, and braiding it can be quite a task. After almost 20 minutes, my fingers were cramping horribly, but the braids were in her hair and a big smile was on her face. These are the small sacrifices I am more than willing to make to bring some joy to my child's day.

view from the front

the back

A few hours later, Molly and I were sitting in a lab waiting room waiting for her blood work to be done. We had not made an appointment, so it took a little longer, but we still only waited about an hour. While we were there, we encountered more than a few very grumpy people. Everyone seemed to have something to complain about, especially why it was taking the lab techs so long to call people back. Molly immediately began to work her magic: she toddled around the entire waiting room, babbling and grinning at each person she passed. It was incredible to watch - not a SINGLE person could resist smiling back at her! She brightened the days of so many people in that hour, and I had myself a very proud Momma moment. She took getting 2 1/2 vials of blood drained from her like a champ too, but I will not soon forget watching Molly be the light of so many strangers' days the way she is mine everyday.

Molly's battle wound from her stick

A Spoonful of Sugar...

Today, like everyday for the past few months, Molly had medicine to take. As of this week we are up to three medications taken two times daily: she gets her antibiotic and claritin in the morning, then those two as well as a multivitamin with iron at bedtime. And today, as always, she took every drop like a champ. The child never complains or spits her medicine out - and I know for a FACT that most of it tastes pretty nasty. I can barely stand just the smell of the multivitamin, I can't even begin to imagine how disgusting it tastes. I know most children (my girls included) who at least go through phases where they refuse to have anything to do with medicines they have to take. I am so thankful my easygoing Molly is willing to take her medicine without the proverbial spoonful of sugar - and will even do so with a smile on her face :-)

Dinner Theater

Today was another day of ups and downs. Not sure what's been in the air but these girls have been off the charts with their energy levels. I even gave myself a time out of sorts, escaping to Target for about an hour just to prevent myself from going stark raving mad. (Very grateful to Ben for allowing me to escape and take over the task of wrangling the crazy kiddos.)

Dinner, however, seemed a short reprieve from the chaos. Jocelyn and Molly were playing with each other, guffawing uncontrollably. Ava and Ben resorted to playing the Quiet Game, which provided just over 15 minutes of much-needed silence from at least half of the table. It was still not serene by any stretch, and I still wonder when exactly my house turned into such a zoo, but at least for a short time today we were all 5 in the same space enjoying each other's company. I hope these are the memories that my children remember in the years to come - crazy, loud, chaos full of laughs and love.

Daddy's Home!

Ben got back from his 2-week stint in Virginia Beach yesterday afternoon, and while the girls certainly got to see him for a good while, today was the first full day with Daddy back. And boy did they take advantage! This morning was Daddy-Daughter time for Ben, Ava, and Jocelyn. They went on a short errand out to get Ben's hair cut, then spent nearly all morning playing outside. (Molly stayed indoors with me in hopes of not aggravating her allergies any further.) We didn't get to spend too much time playing outside the last week or two, since I was usually cooking dinner during prime outside-play-time of the day. I kept telling the girls that we could play outside more once Ben got back and there were two adults to split the cooking and child-watching duties. They have been waiting very anxiously for this day to come, and took full advantage. The day ended a little bumpy, thanks to overstimulation and lack of sleep/downtime, but watching the girls thoroughly enjoying time with their Daddy was very special. He always knows he's missed, but it's so good for him to get a sense of just how glad we all are to have him back with us where he belongs.

SO Big!

Today was miss Molly's 15-month check-up, and the child was nothing less than a ROCK STAR. First her appointment was scheduled for 3:45pm, which of course meant we were taken back to the exam room at around 4:15. (Which I have to say, considering it was a Friday afternoon I was rather impressed we were only delayed that long!) She had her measurements taken, and it seems that my "little" kid has jumped to the 50th percentile for weight and 75th for height! Who knew? She was very agreeable for the doctor, who immediately noticed her runny nose and started talking to me about allergies. As we were discussing my follow-up call I'd be making to the allergist, she looked in Molly's ears and informed me that Molly has a double ear infection! Can I tell you, Molly did have a slight fever on Wednesday night and yesterday morning, but other than that has made NO show of her ears bothering her. It didn't surprise me she had manifested some kind of infection, but to have a double ear and not really complain - what a trooper!

Finally, it was vaccinating time, always the highlight of these visits. She managed to only need two today, which was nice, but I had been warned that one would be a deeper tissue one and therefore would hurt more going in and swell more later on. So I held Molly's arms and braced for both of us. I saw her flinch as the first shot went in, then as the second went in she yelled at me... and that was it. No crying fit, no inconsolable child. I barely knew how to react! I'm not sure who this tough cookie is, but I love her something fierce and couldn't be prouder of the stellar child she is quickly growing up to be.

My big girl (who is in fact wearing her diaper, although the cup is cleverly placed right in front of it)

Clean-up Game

Tonight I tried out a game with the girls that proved pretty successful. I read once of a mom playing a commcercial clean-up game. Her kids watched a show, and every time there was a commercial  break they would race to clean as much as possible. When the show resumed the kids would drop whatever they were cleaning and go back to watching the show. We did this tonight for the hour before bedtime, and it worked pretty well! Ava really got into it, going as fast as she could before the program came back on. This method of cleaning is not super quick or efficient, but there was no complaining of all the cleaning that they had to do, since it was done in short spurts. It's not something I would do all the time, but it was a fun experiment that I might try again one day. It was something new and different and fun, and that made it worthwhile.

Dinner Service

Tonight we had dinner at our friends' house. This is the third dinner with friends we've had in the two weeks that Ben has been gone. It was really nice to not have to worry about putting dinner together for all of us for at least a night or two. I know it was not an especially big deal to our hosts to have us over, but it was a big deal to me to have one less stress on my plate (no pun intended). So tonight I give thanks to the Halls, Foleys, and Elcocks for their hospitality and delicious food that I didn't have to prepare :-)

The Power of Touch

Today I want to talk about the blessing of Jocelyn's hands. Kind of a weird way to start, I know. But her hands are truly a wonder to me. Her hands are much like the rest of her - big. Ever since she was a baby, she has had these big, meaty hands. I remember how funny it was playing with all the folds on her fingers and wrists. But what amazes me most is how gentle those big hands can be. This afternoon as she was going down for a nap, she looked up at me and very softly stroked my cheek. At one point today she sat down next to Molly and gently patted her head. It always amazes me how my Texas Tornado can be a force of nature yet so soft and gentle all at the same time. I am so thankful for those hands and their loving touch. Just one stroke on my cheek and the world is a much brighter place.

Home again, home again...

As was stated in the last post, we did not get home until 10pm last night. Let me be clear: neither Ava nor Jocelyn slept in the car AT ALL, and therefore went to bed late without having had a nap for the third day in a row. Needless to say my expectations for today were pretty minimal. I hoped to survive three overtired children with as few meltdowns as possible.

Once again my daughters exceeded my expectations. Best part of my day was first thing: Jocelyn had come into my room at 6:45am as usual, but was kind enough to fall back asleep until 7:30am. Molly woke up at the same time, and I went in to her room, got her out of her crib, and brought her into my bed to watch some tv, as I do every morning. When she saw Jocie already in the bed as we walked in, her face immediately lit up and she started waving at her big sister. Jocelyn waved back, and gave Molly a big bear hug when we lay down. These two are like me in that they are not morning people, so to see them in such high spirits so early told me it would be a very good day indeed. And it was - everyone napped, Ava was super helpful all day, and even the few meltdowns were nowhere near as bad as I had anticipated. Weekends away are always nice, but there's something to be said about the comfort of knowing you're home. I'm glad my kids already get this on some level, and that they are resettling into our normal, albeit crazy, routine.

Racing Day

Whew, what a day! We may have only had one marathon runner, but we were all in for a long day. Ben did great - he ran his 26.2 miles in 4:26, a solid three minutes better than his last marathon. The girls had so much fun looking for him to go by, although the concept of the marathon was hard for them to understand - they didn't understand why Daddy kept running after they saw him! I was glad we were there to cheer him on, and that the girls are learning what it means to support family. I know in the years to come there will be many events of the girls we go to - dance performances, sporting events, etc. - and I hope that we can all be there to support each other at as many of these as possible. Waiting for the finish was a little painful, as it was right during what should have been naptime, but being there for Ben to see us in that final stretch made it totally worth it. Highlight of the day was seeing Ava play nursemaid for her Daddy, getting him pillows, drinks, and anything else she could think of while he recuperated on the couch. We didn't make it in our front door until almost 10pm, but all the whines and tears were a small price to pay to witness Ben be a real super-running-hero.

Dressed for the Shamrock Marathon

The girls got cowbells to cheer on the runners... painful to hear but fun to watch

Molly preferred chewing hers

Playtime between Daddy sightings

Molly was NOT a fan of the sand - this was part of the 15 seconds she allowed herself to sit in it

Tired, ready to see Daddy finish

They really were excited to see Daddy finish... promise ;)

Molly passed out literally 30 seconds after seeing Ben run by to finish the race

Happy (if exhausted) Seward clan :)

Ben and his nurse/helper Ava

Memory Lane

Today was a great day in a place we once called home. We took the girls to the aquarium, where they oohed and ahhed at the fish, refused to touch any of the touchable exhibits, and ran a fair amount of energy out. I was able to get some shopping done at local stores I love and haven't found replacements for anywhere I've lived since. We even opted to drive a few extra miles to get some fabulous dinner from Fazoli's in Chesapeake. If you have never eaten Fazoli's, you have not LIVED. The breadsticks themselves are worth the extra miles driven. The girls have been run ragged and slept whenever possible. As we drive by places I keep saying to Ava (who was the only child to have lived here) "This is where we..." It is so fun to get to show her these places that she does not remember but is excited to see and learn about. Of course as I write this at 9:50pm the girls are still trying to fall asleep, so I'm PRAYING for them to sleep in at least a little so I'm not stuck with overtired crankpots waiting for their daddy to run by. But for now I will focus on the warm fuzzies of new memories being made in old stomping grounds.

Molly checking out some fish

The girls were not too sure about the kimono dragon

Yeah... maybe they're related ;)

We come to the aquarium and they want to play with the toy vet sets

Look, Momma, I caught myself a gator!

FISH!!

I think they were surprised by the fish...?

Watching the volcano exhibit... again, all three doing the same thing!

Almost touched a ray

Probably the happiest anyone's ever looked inside a shark's mouth

Cheesing with the dolphin

As close as anyone got to touching the touchable animals

Impromptu conference held in a viewing portal

Getting some good exercise 

Fazoli's breadsticks!!! (Yes they warrant their own picture)

Full and happy girls at Fazoli's

Road Trip!

This afternoon the girls and I made the trip down to Virginia Beach to spend the weekend with Ben. That's right, 3 girlies, me, and nothing but 180ish miles of open road. We got some McDonald's on the way out of town, Ava and Jocie watched a movie or two, Molly slept for almost an hour... all in all a successful trip. (Minor hiccup of Jocie having an accident with NO warning she had to pee, but these things happen I suppose.) By the time we got here I was exhausted, but very glad I took the plunge to travel down. We had dinner with the family of a girl Ava used to dance with, which was so much fun. The girls got crazy amounts of energy out running in the backyard, playing dress-up, and performing dances for the adults. And we adults got to catch up, which is always nice. We arrived at our cottage after dark, so the girls will get to explore our home-away-from-home in the morning, but for now I am thankful for having a fun and safe journey just us girls, and am very looking forward to a quiet peaceful night's rest.

Late-night Sweet Nothings

I was just talking earlier this eveving with my neighbor about how lucky I've been that the girls adjusted so well to the time change. Tonight I realized that was not entirely accurate. It seems the girls, at least tonight, sat in their beds talking to each other for a good hour. It was probably almost 9:30pm by the time they fell asleep. While I was obviously upset they were not sleeping like they should have been, it was pretty sweet listening to them talking quietly together. My sister and I didn't share a room for long, and most of the time it was not very pleasant, but I do have memories of us talking way later than we should have, giggling and enjoying each other's company. I am sure the time will come when these two will not be as thrilled with sharing a room, but I hope they have many more special memories like tonight, and appreciate that there is no relationship quite like sisterly love.

Playtime

Today was full of playtime. After dropping Ava off at school this morning we went to our weekly playgroup. We arrived just before 10am, and other than the occasional begging for snacks I didn't see either of my younger children until we had to leave to get Ava from school. I've often said playgroup is more for me than my girls. Sure they have fun playing with their friends, but I rely on that morning each week to talk with other moms and friends. Those conversations with real adults have gotten me through many a hectic week, and I hope that as our kids get older, we continue to have our mom playgroups ;-)

After picking Ava up we went to another playdate with a friend from her class. There was lunch, arts and crafts, a dance party, and playtime outside, all in the span of about an hour-and-a-half. The girls were sufficiently worn out by the time we returned home for the day. It didn't last long, but on days when I know we're going to be together from sun-up to sun-down, it's both fun and necessary to share our day with others who love (and tolerate) us.

New toy

Today I am able to catch up on my blog thanks to a new tablet I bought. I went to Best Buy yesterday, perused the products, accepted that I would be parting with a chunck of change, and returned today to buy my new toy. I got an Acer tablet, not the fanciest thing out there but it seems like a good fit for me. The end of the day was a little rough with the girls (mainly the middle one) but having this to learn about and play with was a great reward for a long day. I'm still a long way from being fast or proficient at this, but it is nice for once to have a fun new electronic that is all mine.

The Great Outdoors

Today was another beautiful day. We went to our friends the Foleys for some playtime and dinner. They have a playset in their backyard that the girls spent a good hour playing on. There is something so great about wearing the kids out by letting them run around outside. Jocelyn and Molly became swing addicts, and Ava found a few wildflowers to pick while wearing the Foleys' dogs ragged playing catch. Taking all 3 girls to the park seems very daunting on my own, so I was very grateful to Lillian, Marian, and their mom and dad for letting us share in the beautiful day with them. The bruises from swing collisions and runny noses from allergies were totally worth the fun times had by all. I can't wait for many more beautiful spring days ahead.

New Neighbors

This afternoon was another GORGEOUS day, and we all took advantage. I totally cleaned my car - removed all that didn't belong, reorganized all that stayed, removed car seats, and vacuumed the entire vehicle. The girls played outside with some of the neighbor kids. We were out there a good 3 hours. Once again I was reminded of one of my concerns moving. In our old townhouse, we were only a few units from a cul-de-sac, and we had several neighbor girls for my daughters to play with. Especially during the warm months we would be out there every night playing with our neighbor friends. When we moved into our new house, I knew there were kids in the neighborhood, but wasn't sure if my girls would have as much fun. Today instead of 4 other girls there was 1 girl and 3 boys, which changed the dynamic greatly. Still, the girls had a blast, and I am very glad they are moving forward making new memories with new friends. Our neighbors here will never replace the Quintanas and Shahs in our hearts, but we're excited to be blessed once again with great neighbors.

Jocelyn riding shotgun with neighbor Zain

Ava practicing her tee-ball skills

Snuggle Bug

Well last night's sleeping experiment went well for two out of three kids. Ava and Jocie slept like rocks - and with the omission of naps for the second day in a row they actually were down by 7:15 tonight! Molly, however, was a different story. Both her bottom molars are coming in, and she was up at 11pm, midnight, and 2am. Fortunately, she was back down each time within 5 minutes, but she wasn't feeling much better by this morning. Slight fever and still sleepy, Molly pretty much spent the day in my lap. She even fell asleep on me for almost an hour and a half. To grasp the significance of this, understand that none of my children have chosen to nap on me after they reached about 3 months old. They've always been great sleepers in their own beds, and for that I am VERY thankful. But there is something so special about a child feeling so comfortable and safe that they put all their trust in you as they sleep on you. This is the view I had for that special hour:

Don't get me wrong, I hope these teeth break through soon and alleviate this poor child's pain, but I also cherish these rare times, as I know they will certainly not last.

Early to Bed...

As I'm sure most people know by now, this weekend is Daylight Savings. Which means we lose an hour on Saturday night. Because I need one less hour in my life right now ;) Okay, so it may not be the end of the world, but it can certainly be a pain for sleep patterns. This is even more relevant now that the girls are going to school, since we have places to be in the mornings so they need to wake up on time. In the past I've been pretty good about gradually working on moving bedtime - 10 to 15 minutes one way or the other for several days until we have adjusted the full hour Daylight Savings requires. It's no perfect science, but has seemed to work in the past. I realized yesterday, however, that I had not even begun working on putting the girls to bed earlier yet. It seemed adjusting the girls might not work out as well this go around.

Today the girls decided to help me with this venture. Molly ended up taking two 30 minute naps today (less than half the nap time she normally gets), and Jocelyn opted for no nap at all. After two playdates and an hour and a half at the dance studio, at the end of the day the girls were sufficiently exhausted. They were in bed with lights out at 7:30pm, a full 30 minutes earlier than usual. Who knows, at this rate maybe I can get them down tomorrow night at 7pm and make that transition work after all! Yeah right, but a mom can dream. Oh, and be thankful for an extra 30 minutes at the end of the day to unwind in some quiet.

Donuts with Dad and Supermom

My first warm fuzzy of the day came this morning with Donuts with Dad at preschool. Every spring they choose one morning to invite the fathers (or other significant adult) of the kids to come to the classroom and share a donut and water and spend some time with the preschooler. The kids make gifts, it's a very cute event. (There is a Mother's Day Tea in May for moms too.) Ava and Jocelyn have been talking about this day for WEEKS now, and were so giddy to have their Daddy come visit them at school for a morning. So he would have time in both rooms, we switched back and forth halfway through the 30 minute event, so I was in one room while he was in the other. So special to see that Daddy-daughter relationship growing stronger each day.

A few weeks back I wrote about how much I appreciated Ben making most of the grocery store trips because grocery shopping is far from something I enjoy. Remember that? Well, today I had no choice but to go to the commissary. Without Ben. But with ALL three girls on my own. To say I was apprehensive about the success of this venture would be quite an understatement. I have gotten to the point in motherhood where I rarely bring things to occupy my children - I have a few books in my purse, along with Molly's water sippy cup, but other than that you're on your own bucko. Today, I packed snacks for all 3 girls. I NEVER bring food for them anymore. That to me was a big indicator of just how desperate I was for this to not go horribly.

And do you know what? It didn't! In just over an hour I had gotten everything on my list. (I'm sure there was a thing or two left off the list, but I'm not expecting miracles here.) I was buying what I hope will be enough food to last us the next two weeks, and by the last aisle or two Jocelyn had to give up her seat to make room for a few more items of food. But there was no yelling. There was no fit throwing in the middle of an aisle. We found our food, paid for it, got it all into the car, and got it home in one piece. And whereas I usually put the groceries away for Ben when he's done the shopping, he wasn't home so I brought the bags in and put everything away too!

When I was talking to Ben about all this at one point, he informed me that he's never taken all three of the girls on his own (I hadn't ever paid attention one way or the other). And I have to say, I was pretty darn proud of myself for having everything go so smoothly. I feel anytime we go somewhere we look like a circus side-show with all the kids talking and me never really having it all together. For once I was able to fake being Supermom, and while I don't expect a repeat performance ANYTIME soon, I will take a moment this evening and relish in my rare accomplishment.

SUCCESS!!!

A Real Mailbox

This afternoon Ava asked me the same question she asks every afternoon around 3pm: "Mom, can I go check the mail PLEASE??" Checking the mailbox at the end of our driveway has become a very exciting job for my 5-year-old. She skips down the driveway by herself (I always watch from the kitchen window), steps up onto the stone in front of the mailbox, grabs all the mail very unceremoniously, and trots back toward the house, usually having to pick up at least one or two pieces of mail along the way. This is the first house we've ever lived in to have a REAL mailbox - our apartment in Virginia Beach had boxes inside the front door to the building, and in Aransas Pass and Alexandria we had mailboxes at the end of the street. Watching Ava reminds me of many a day when I would get the mail as a kid. Like me, Ava very rarely receives anything for herself (typically just a magazine once a month), but there was always something exciting about going to pick up the mail, just to see what might be inside. I am so glad that tradition is being passed down another generation. Just one more reason I am so thankful we have this house and all the gifts it continues to inadvertently give us.

One Last Gift

This afternoon I got one last birthday surprise. A package came in the mail that Ben found by our side door when he arrived home from work. He handed it to me but asked me not to open it until he had changed and come back downstairs. Not knowing what was going on, I did what I was told. Came to discover that Ben had gotten me a bangle bracelet from James Avery, my all-time favorite jewelry store. It is so pretty, and even has Happy Birthday engraved on the inside. I have had more birthday surprises this year than I can ever remember, and each has reminded me how blessed I am to have so many wonderful people in my life. Today an extra special thank you goes to Ben, for surprising me one last time and making me feel so incredibly special. He loves me, he really loves me!

Dancing Queens (and King)

Originally my planned title for today's entry was going to be "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." After naps, Ava and Jocelyn busted out Jocie's new Fresh Beat Band album, grabbed a few glo-stick bracelets, and had an hour-long dance party in their bedroom. This was a very elaborate affair - they put lotion on, applied lip gloss, changed into skirts and leggings... the whole nine yards for those two. Molly was allowed to stop in from time to time, but this was a "big girl" soiree if ever there was one. I rolled my eyes at the silliness of it, as my heart swelled with pride at my daughters' imaginations and joy for life and each other.

Then Ben came home, and after dinner it was his turn to contribute to the dance party. There was some "shufflin'" going on courtesy of LMFAO, followed by the ever popular spin on another of the group's songs, "I'm Elmo and I Know It." I have got to say, for as often as Ben expressed doubts in the beginning about being able to relate to his daughters, he sure has embraced the dance world his girls love so much. Watching all 3 girls and their Daddy moving to the music, it's clear dance fever has hit our house hard. And if it continues to bring the smiles and joy it has given us so far, I dearly hope it's here to stay.

The Perfect Ending

This weekend was, like many weekends, pretty busy. Yesterday Ben went to the barber with Jocelyn, I took Ava to watch her friends at their first dance competition of the year, and we had our Thanksgiving-style feast in the evening. Today we went to Mass, dropped Ben off at home so he could go do Navy Reserve stuff this afternoon, and then I took the girls to a seamstress to work on flower girl dresses for Ava and Jocie. We were literally less than 2 miles from the site of the competition we had attended the day before, so we went back for another hour or two of dance-watching. By the time we returned home this afternoon everyone seemed pretty darn tired. Jocelyn and Molly both napped for about 2 hours (and Molly had napped in the car this morning too!), and Ava and I (and Ben once he got home) just chilled in the living room, reading books and watching movies. After dinner we all finished watching Mulan, which we had begun before we sat down to eat. For a good 30 minutes, all 5 of us were sitting on the couch watching the movie. Quietly. Together. And for anyone who knows my family, you can understand just what a feat that truly is. Getting any one person to sit still that long is a rare event, and all 5...? I was amazed, and could not have been happier to enjoy the peace and camaraderie with my hubby and girlies after all the chaos of the weekend. Tomorrow kicks off another "normal" (aka busy) week, but I am very grateful we are learning to appreciate some down time together, however short that time may sometimes be.

Thanksgiving Part Deux

Thanksgiving this last year was a quiet one for us. We didn't go anywhere or have anyone to our house. Because of this, our "feast" was pretty meager - it's a little hard to get motivated to make a bunch of food that I know my kids won't touch. A month or so ago Sharon suggested we have a Thanksgiving-redo of sorts. Hers had been less than ideal too, mainly since her husband was still deployed, and really... who needs THAT much convincing that turkey with all the fixin's is a grand idea?

So this evening we joined the Halls and the Foleys for our feast - 3 moms, 3 dads, 1 grandma, 1 five-year-old, 2 three-year-olds, 1 two-and-a-half-year-old, and 3 one-year olds. Think we're nutso? We probably are ;) But I have to say, it was one of the most chaotic, fun nights I've had. When I was a kid we never lived near our extended family. The closest we came was living near some cousins in San Antonio, but by the time we moved there all their daughters were already in or graduated from college, so we were only adding 2 adults to our family of 6. I imagine the chaos we experienced tonight is like that which often comes with extended family gatherings. The closest to quiet we ever experienced came when dessert was served (a surprise ice cream cake with my name on it - another birthday surprise!). When cake was not being inhaled, mayhem totally ruled the evening. And yet, as we were all stuffing our faces with all the AMAZING food (thanks again Sharon!) we parents noticed we didn't even really hear all the noise the kiddos were making at their own table. I occasionally (okay, often) feel guilty for not living closer to family for the girls' sakes. But nights like tonight are such great reminders that family is what we make it. And I feel so blessed to have found this loud, silly, sometimes ridiculous but always wonderful unofficial family.

The kids table - the closest I could get to everyone looking at the camera

Marian loved her some turkey ;)

Is this what the placemat is for?

Avery is an artist, the food is her medium

Fortunately, it was an extra and therefore clean

"helping" with the clean up

Ben is actually at the bottom of the pile of squealing children

Molly helping me blow out my candles