During breakfast this morning, the following conversation took place:
Mackenzie: "Mom, how old are you?"
Me: "Old"
Mackenzie: "You're 40. Right?"
Me: "Uhm . . . maybe."
Pause
Mackenzie: (smirking) "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Well Hello, Dolly!
When I was growing up, I did plenty of "normal" stuff. Normal, by most people's standards, was Girl Scouts, dance lessons, piano lessons, church choir and vacation Bible school.
But there was another part of my life . . . a part that made up a large part of my childhood and one that I wouldn't have traded for the world.
You see, I grew up in a dance studio-almost literally, as for quite some time, my mom's studio was located in the basement of our home.
I also did a lot of growing up in theatres . . . community theatre mostly and I have great memories of those days.
It was a family thing actually. My mom went straight to New York City out of high school, pursuing her dream of dance. Her parents, mainly her father, made her promise to spend a certain allotment of time taking classes before working-that this was to be her "college" and that she needed to focus on studying rather than performing.
The Lord had other plans and in the midst of that time that she was studying dance, voice and acting, on a lark she went to an audition. She said it then and continues to say it now-that she never went with the intention of getting the job, but rather to meet Gower Champion . . . famed choreographer and in her eyes, an idol.
As she continued to make cuts down to smaller and smaller groups of dancers, she found herself in the final group, hearing words of congratulations from Mr. Gower Champion himself-who ironically hadn't even been at that first audition she went to in hopes of meeting him. But there she stood . . . face to face with the legend and now one of his dancers in his latest Broadway Show, "Hello Dolly," starring Carol Channing.
Quite a number of years followed those days of performing with Carol Channing, when my mom sat with me and my sister in the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska waiting for the lights to dim and the overture to begin. We were waiting to see Ms. Channing in a revival performance of "Dolly." After the show, we made our way backstage. The original stage manager was still there and whisked us off to Carol's dressing room right away. When her door opened and my mom walked into the room, my mouth dropped open. Carol recognized her immediately and called her by name-looking back and forth between her and then to me and my younger sister. "You have babies!" she chortled! "You have babies!"
It was a surreal moment, to say the least. I won't ever forget it.
But back to the days of growing up with theatre in my life . . . while other kids were watching television after school, sometimes we were on television. My younger sister Happi, in particular, did a lot of theatre and modeling as a child and it wasn't uncommon to see her smiling self on the evening news during a feature piece on the latest theatre offering in Omaha or to open up the newspaper and see her in advertisments. As a gradeschooler, she was cast as "Annie" in a nearly year-long run of the show at a dinner theatre downtown. A few years later as she grew out of the little red dress, she was costumed in another red dress . . . as Dolly Levi in a children's production of "Hello Dolly." With my mom's ties to the show, it made for a great family affair as she choreographed the musical and us three sisters, Happi and Darci and I, got to share the "Dolly" experience on stage together with her.
Fast forward to today. Happi is all grown up. She is married to my sweet brother-in-law Jerry and is the mom of two rock stars, Cody and Caden. (Understand that "rock star" is the term we use in our house for anyone that our girls seem to be enamored with and those two boys are definite rock stars in their world!) As I sat at the computer one afternoon a couple of months ago, my mouth dropped open when I learned that Happi (on a lark-does THAT sound familiar?) had auditioned with Jerry for a local community theatre production of "Dolly" and was cast in the lead role. I didn't even know she'd gone to an audition so my shock was fully making up for the fact that I got ahold of this news through Facebook. (No worries sissy . . . I've forgiven you for not calling me and telling me personally!) ;-)
Jerry got to join Happi on the stage for this production and last night we sat and watched Happi transform into Dolly Levi once again. I would be lying if I said it wasn't an emotional evening. To make it even sweeter, my mom had been invited to recreate the actual "Hello Dolly" number along with another piece in the show. As we watched the waiters reenact their reunion with Dolly at the Harmonia Gardens, my mom and I had silent tears rolling down our faces . . . so many memories . . . faces from other "Dolly" casts no longer with us and memories of a bittersweet time in our life in Omaha. I can't even put it into words all the emotions we experienced last night, but most of all, it was fantastic to see my sister back on a theatre stage again. In a word, she was simply AWESOME!
But there was another part of my life . . . a part that made up a large part of my childhood and one that I wouldn't have traded for the world.
You see, I grew up in a dance studio-almost literally, as for quite some time, my mom's studio was located in the basement of our home.
I also did a lot of growing up in theatres . . . community theatre mostly and I have great memories of those days.
It was a family thing actually. My mom went straight to New York City out of high school, pursuing her dream of dance. Her parents, mainly her father, made her promise to spend a certain allotment of time taking classes before working-that this was to be her "college" and that she needed to focus on studying rather than performing.
The Lord had other plans and in the midst of that time that she was studying dance, voice and acting, on a lark she went to an audition. She said it then and continues to say it now-that she never went with the intention of getting the job, but rather to meet Gower Champion . . . famed choreographer and in her eyes, an idol.
As she continued to make cuts down to smaller and smaller groups of dancers, she found herself in the final group, hearing words of congratulations from Mr. Gower Champion himself-who ironically hadn't even been at that first audition she went to in hopes of meeting him. But there she stood . . . face to face with the legend and now one of his dancers in his latest Broadway Show, "Hello Dolly," starring Carol Channing.
Quite a number of years followed those days of performing with Carol Channing, when my mom sat with me and my sister in the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska waiting for the lights to dim and the overture to begin. We were waiting to see Ms. Channing in a revival performance of "Dolly." After the show, we made our way backstage. The original stage manager was still there and whisked us off to Carol's dressing room right away. When her door opened and my mom walked into the room, my mouth dropped open. Carol recognized her immediately and called her by name-looking back and forth between her and then to me and my younger sister. "You have babies!" she chortled! "You have babies!"
It was a surreal moment, to say the least. I won't ever forget it.
But back to the days of growing up with theatre in my life . . . while other kids were watching television after school, sometimes we were on television. My younger sister Happi, in particular, did a lot of theatre and modeling as a child and it wasn't uncommon to see her smiling self on the evening news during a feature piece on the latest theatre offering in Omaha or to open up the newspaper and see her in advertisments. As a gradeschooler, she was cast as "Annie" in a nearly year-long run of the show at a dinner theatre downtown. A few years later as she grew out of the little red dress, she was costumed in another red dress . . . as Dolly Levi in a children's production of "Hello Dolly." With my mom's ties to the show, it made for a great family affair as she choreographed the musical and us three sisters, Happi and Darci and I, got to share the "Dolly" experience on stage together with her.
Fast forward to today. Happi is all grown up. She is married to my sweet brother-in-law Jerry and is the mom of two rock stars, Cody and Caden. (Understand that "rock star" is the term we use in our house for anyone that our girls seem to be enamored with and those two boys are definite rock stars in their world!) As I sat at the computer one afternoon a couple of months ago, my mouth dropped open when I learned that Happi (on a lark-does THAT sound familiar?) had auditioned with Jerry for a local community theatre production of "Dolly" and was cast in the lead role. I didn't even know she'd gone to an audition so my shock was fully making up for the fact that I got ahold of this news through Facebook. (No worries sissy . . . I've forgiven you for not calling me and telling me personally!) ;-)
Jerry got to join Happi on the stage for this production and last night we sat and watched Happi transform into Dolly Levi once again. I would be lying if I said it wasn't an emotional evening. To make it even sweeter, my mom had been invited to recreate the actual "Hello Dolly" number along with another piece in the show. As we watched the waiters reenact their reunion with Dolly at the Harmonia Gardens, my mom and I had silent tears rolling down our faces . . . so many memories . . . faces from other "Dolly" casts no longer with us and memories of a bittersweet time in our life in Omaha. I can't even put it into words all the emotions we experienced last night, but most of all, it was fantastic to see my sister back on a theatre stage again. In a word, she was simply AWESOME!
"Hello Dolly . . . it's so nice to have you back where you belong." I am so proud of you and Jerry and am fiercely proud to be your sister, whether you are on or off stage. Blessed I am and also so thankful that you were able to bring Dolly to life for us once again. Have a great rest of the run and enjoy every minute! I love you!
Love,
Kari
Love,
Kari
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The ABC's of Summer
A is for ABUNDANCE of raspberries at Nanna and Papa Dean's house
B is for BEACH!
C is for COUSINS
D is for DRIVE IN
E is for ELEPHANT EARS (Coming soon to a fair near you)
F is for FRIENDS (and sisters too!)
G is for GARDEN
H is for HOT
I is for ICE CREAM
J is for JAM MAKING
K is for KIDS
L is for LOLLIPOPS
M is for MINIATURE GOLF
N is for NEW . . . as in the new worship center at our church that we moved into this week!
O is for OPPORTUNITY for kicking back with a good book.
P is for PAYBACKS (never give Mackenzie a shovel, her sister, and a beach full of sand).
Q is for QUIET moments
R is for READING PROGRAM at our library
S is for SUNSHINE
T is for TRAINING and TRIATHLONS (Gregg finished the city triathlon today in 1:11 . . . I'm so proud of him!)
U is for "UP" . . . my new favorite movie!
V is for VACATION from the norm.
W is for WATER BABIES
X is for XXXOOO summer!
Y is for YARD WORK
Z is for ZZZZzzzzz later in the mornings!
B is for BEACH!
C is for COUSINS
D is for DRIVE IN
E is for ELEPHANT EARS (Coming soon to a fair near you)
F is for FRIENDS (and sisters too!)
G is for GARDEN
H is for HOT
I is for ICE CREAM
J is for JAM MAKING
K is for KIDS
L is for LOLLIPOPS
M is for MINIATURE GOLF
N is for NEW . . . as in the new worship center at our church that we moved into this week!
O is for OPPORTUNITY for kicking back with a good book.
P is for PAYBACKS (never give Mackenzie a shovel, her sister, and a beach full of sand).
Q is for QUIET moments
R is for READING PROGRAM at our library
S is for SUNSHINE
T is for TRAINING and TRIATHLONS (Gregg finished the city triathlon today in 1:11 . . . I'm so proud of him!)
U is for "UP" . . . my new favorite movie!
V is for VACATION from the norm.
W is for WATER BABIES
X is for XXXOOO summer!
Y is for YARD WORK
Z is for ZZZZzzzzz later in the mornings!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Happy Birthday, Gregg!
Once upon a time, when I was dating a certain young man, I not only knew that he would make a great husband but that he would also be a terrific dad.
A few years later, I learned that my hunch was correct. Gregg turned out to be a great husband indeed and a terrific dad twice over.
I won't ever forget the day that our first daughter, Cassidy, was born. Once we had a few moments alone several hours after her birth, Gregg urged me to get some rest. I rolled over on my tummy (ah, heaven), closed my eyes and popped them open 30 seconds later to stare at the new small person laying in the bassinet next to my bed. Gregg's eyes met mine and he again, urged me to sleep.
Sleep never did come that afternoon. I tried, but I just couldn't take my eyes off the sight of that miracle laying beside me. The funny thing was, neither could Gregg and as I peeked at him several times while I was "sleeping," I fell in love with him all over again. He was completely smitten with that tiny baby who had just come into our world.
One more child and several years later, Gregg is still the dad that I anticipated he would turn out to be. He is a kid at heart himself, but brings a mix of that famous Bill Cosby line "I brought you into this world and I'll take you out" when necessary. He can name all the Disney princesses without hesitation and makes certain to note his appreciation of "twirly" dresses and accessories to match when the girls are all dressed up.
More recently, Gregg received some bonus points in the area of "cool dad." At an overnight reading event at Cassidy's school, staff and several parents portrayed famous characters from books. At the invitation of Cassidy's teacher, Gregg portrayed Harry Potter that evening.
It wasn't necessarily the fact that he was willing to act the part, but more that he literally went to new heights with his character . . .
and sailed into the festivities on a zip line that he and another father had rigged up in the gym.
Later that night, Cassidy said that it was "so cooooooool" and several of her friends agreed. In her school now, Gregg is known as Harry Potter.
I'm so glad I married this man. I couldn't ask for a better guy to share my life with and this journey called "parenthood."
So today, I'm wishing him the happiest birthday ever!
Happy Birthday, Gregg! You are the best and I love you dearly! Have a fantastic day!
A few years later, I learned that my hunch was correct. Gregg turned out to be a great husband indeed and a terrific dad twice over.
I won't ever forget the day that our first daughter, Cassidy, was born. Once we had a few moments alone several hours after her birth, Gregg urged me to get some rest. I rolled over on my tummy (ah, heaven), closed my eyes and popped them open 30 seconds later to stare at the new small person laying in the bassinet next to my bed. Gregg's eyes met mine and he again, urged me to sleep.
Sleep never did come that afternoon. I tried, but I just couldn't take my eyes off the sight of that miracle laying beside me. The funny thing was, neither could Gregg and as I peeked at him several times while I was "sleeping," I fell in love with him all over again. He was completely smitten with that tiny baby who had just come into our world.
One more child and several years later, Gregg is still the dad that I anticipated he would turn out to be. He is a kid at heart himself, but brings a mix of that famous Bill Cosby line "I brought you into this world and I'll take you out" when necessary. He can name all the Disney princesses without hesitation and makes certain to note his appreciation of "twirly" dresses and accessories to match when the girls are all dressed up.
More recently, Gregg received some bonus points in the area of "cool dad." At an overnight reading event at Cassidy's school, staff and several parents portrayed famous characters from books. At the invitation of Cassidy's teacher, Gregg portrayed Harry Potter that evening.
It wasn't necessarily the fact that he was willing to act the part, but more that he literally went to new heights with his character . . .
and sailed into the festivities on a zip line that he and another father had rigged up in the gym.
Later that night, Cassidy said that it was "so cooooooool" and several of her friends agreed. In her school now, Gregg is known as Harry Potter.
I'm so glad I married this man. I couldn't ask for a better guy to share my life with and this journey called "parenthood."
So today, I'm wishing him the happiest birthday ever!
Happy Birthday, Gregg! You are the best and I love you dearly! Have a fantastic day!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A Surprise Like No Other!
I love a good surprise.
Last week, with the help of my friend Jody, we pulled off a fantastic surprise for our kids. I'm still in shock over the fact that we did in fact get the job done without ruining it ourselves, but we DID it! Yay! (patting self on the back)
A couple of months ago, Jody told me that she and the kids would be visiting her parents early in the summer. That visit would bring them about half the distance between us and where they currently live. My mind raced-surely there could be a way for a mini-reunion with some planning. When I broached the idea with her, she jumped on board and loved the idea of keeping it a secret from all the kids-hers and mine.
Last Thursday morning, I put bags that I had packed in the middle of the night in the car, pulled pillows out from underneath their heads (seriously!) and added them to the trunk as well. I woke my sleeping children, urged them to hurry and get ready-that I had a surprise for them.
At last we were on the road. The girls were completely stumped as to where we might be going. I was loving it!
Jody and I had agreed ahead of time to meet at a Chik-fil-A just off of our final exit. The girls and I arrived first and having talked to Jody, I knew that they were on their way.
Figuring that with my luck, I'd be in the middle of paying for our lunch while Jody and the kids walked in and miss out on seeing their faces and getting photos. I decided to delay ordering anything and stalled . . . trying to anticipate how excited the girls would be when they saw their friends. I took the girls to the restroom. I perused the menu. I commented on the weather as I continued wandering towards the windows in search of Jody's vehicle. I even asked the girls if they'd like to play in the indoor playground for awhile, to which Cassidy's immediate response was a vehement "NO!" The girls told me that they simply wanted to order food and get back on the road so that they could reach their surprise destination. I panicked. Surely Jody would be here soon.
I feigned a headache . . . wandering around Chik-fil-A with my head in my hands, peeking out every so often to glance at the door. I got up, debating (out loud) whether we should go to the car for ibuprofin or to put something in my stomach first. Finally, I saw the familiar vehicle pull into the lot. I watched our friends get out and I grabbed the girls, telling them I'd decided to go to the car after all. As we all pulled on doors from opposite directions, we met in the entryway. Cassidy and Rachel were the first to realize what was happening, followed by the younger girls. I will never forget it for as long as I live!
BFF's . . . Rachel and Cassidy share a hug!
Mackenzie made sure to show Miss Jody the new gap in her mouth. I didn't realize until seeing this photo, that Jody was snapping a photo of it as well.
Once we got back to Jody's dad's house, the kids started to put up tents for the evening's camp out to take place in the back yard. Rachel's Girl Scout skills were put to the test. (Sadly, the camp out only ended up lasting about an hour or so before the girls traded their tent for beds indoors that night.)
After setting up camp, Jody's dad treated us to a night at the ball game. The local minor league team was playing and we headed for the ballpark. Here, the kids pose for yet another photo for us.
Poor Hannah was so tired by all of the excitement, that she fell asleep-even though it looks like she is awake. It would seem that Mackenzie's young friend is one to sleep with her eyes partially open. What I like best about this photo is the remains of her dinner on her lap. Jody and I were cracking up.
The next day, Jody drove us around her old stomping grounds. As her friend, it was great to be able to put things together in my mind from past references to the house she grew up in to where her grandmother currently lives. She also drove down the famous "Double Dip" in town-two very steep hills that come one right after another. I pity the people who live in that area during wintertime. In a snow storm, there's no driving on the Double Dip. Period.
In usual fashion, our kids started telling us that they were hungry not long after we left the house that morning. We stopped for lunch here . . .
I (heart) you, Sonic!!!
Of course, we always love a good playdate at the park, so we took our food to go and set up a picnic here . . .
had a great time on the playground for a few minutes and finally decided to head back so that we could get on the road to go home.
After getting the car loaded up, we had another round of hugs and headed for home. A great time was had by all!
Gregg and I had been in touch during our lunch and he informed me that we were heading into bad weather. (Oh goody!) He rerouted me, putting me on course to perhaps get home a bit sooner rather than later. With storms ahead, I was grateful for the possibility of getting home a little earlier. We made it 2/3 home before we hit anything too severe. As the sky continued to get darker and the lighting began appearing in the darkness, I turned on the radio. Severe weather was forecast for the area we were currently traveling in, specifically for travelers between mile marker 161 to 199.
We were at marker number 163.
As a quivery voice asked from the backseat "when are getting home, Mommy?" I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Cassidy could bury herself in the map and (hopefully be too distracted to look out the windows) get the hang of it enough to let me know how many more exits until the one that would ultimately lead us home. As the lightning was touching down in the fields next to us, Mackenzie would comment here and there. "Ooh . . . that one was bright!" and "Wow, Mommy . . . it's so close to us!" Yes indeed, it was close. Too close for comfort. We finally made it to mile marker 200 and I sent up another silent prayer.
Finally, after an agonizing wait for a rest area in the midst of traffic being at a standstill due to road construction, ANOTHER re-route home and rain coming down sideways for the last 20 miles of our trip, we made it to our back door. The girls were exhausted, as was I. Gregg and I tucked them into bed after which I wandered into the den and burst into tears from the sheer relief of getting home safely. Praise the Lord.
In spite of all the detours, delays, and bad weather, it was great to see these faces all together again!
Thank you Lord, for safe travel and for good friends. Amen!
Last week, with the help of my friend Jody, we pulled off a fantastic surprise for our kids. I'm still in shock over the fact that we did in fact get the job done without ruining it ourselves, but we DID it! Yay! (patting self on the back)
A couple of months ago, Jody told me that she and the kids would be visiting her parents early in the summer. That visit would bring them about half the distance between us and where they currently live. My mind raced-surely there could be a way for a mini-reunion with some planning. When I broached the idea with her, she jumped on board and loved the idea of keeping it a secret from all the kids-hers and mine.
Last Thursday morning, I put bags that I had packed in the middle of the night in the car, pulled pillows out from underneath their heads (seriously!) and added them to the trunk as well. I woke my sleeping children, urged them to hurry and get ready-that I had a surprise for them.
At last we were on the road. The girls were completely stumped as to where we might be going. I was loving it!
Jody and I had agreed ahead of time to meet at a Chik-fil-A just off of our final exit. The girls and I arrived first and having talked to Jody, I knew that they were on their way.
Figuring that with my luck, I'd be in the middle of paying for our lunch while Jody and the kids walked in and miss out on seeing their faces and getting photos. I decided to delay ordering anything and stalled . . . trying to anticipate how excited the girls would be when they saw their friends. I took the girls to the restroom. I perused the menu. I commented on the weather as I continued wandering towards the windows in search of Jody's vehicle. I even asked the girls if they'd like to play in the indoor playground for awhile, to which Cassidy's immediate response was a vehement "NO!" The girls told me that they simply wanted to order food and get back on the road so that they could reach their surprise destination. I panicked. Surely Jody would be here soon.
I feigned a headache . . . wandering around Chik-fil-A with my head in my hands, peeking out every so often to glance at the door. I got up, debating (out loud) whether we should go to the car for ibuprofin or to put something in my stomach first. Finally, I saw the familiar vehicle pull into the lot. I watched our friends get out and I grabbed the girls, telling them I'd decided to go to the car after all. As we all pulled on doors from opposite directions, we met in the entryway. Cassidy and Rachel were the first to realize what was happening, followed by the younger girls. I will never forget it for as long as I live!
BFF's . . . Rachel and Cassidy share a hug!
Mackenzie made sure to show Miss Jody the new gap in her mouth. I didn't realize until seeing this photo, that Jody was snapping a photo of it as well.
Once we got back to Jody's dad's house, the kids started to put up tents for the evening's camp out to take place in the back yard. Rachel's Girl Scout skills were put to the test. (Sadly, the camp out only ended up lasting about an hour or so before the girls traded their tent for beds indoors that night.)
After setting up camp, Jody's dad treated us to a night at the ball game. The local minor league team was playing and we headed for the ballpark. Here, the kids pose for yet another photo for us.
Poor Hannah was so tired by all of the excitement, that she fell asleep-even though it looks like she is awake. It would seem that Mackenzie's young friend is one to sleep with her eyes partially open. What I like best about this photo is the remains of her dinner on her lap. Jody and I were cracking up.
The next day, Jody drove us around her old stomping grounds. As her friend, it was great to be able to put things together in my mind from past references to the house she grew up in to where her grandmother currently lives. She also drove down the famous "Double Dip" in town-two very steep hills that come one right after another. I pity the people who live in that area during wintertime. In a snow storm, there's no driving on the Double Dip. Period.
In usual fashion, our kids started telling us that they were hungry not long after we left the house that morning. We stopped for lunch here . . .
I (heart) you, Sonic!!!
Of course, we always love a good playdate at the park, so we took our food to go and set up a picnic here . . .
had a great time on the playground for a few minutes and finally decided to head back so that we could get on the road to go home.
After getting the car loaded up, we had another round of hugs and headed for home. A great time was had by all!
Gregg and I had been in touch during our lunch and he informed me that we were heading into bad weather. (Oh goody!) He rerouted me, putting me on course to perhaps get home a bit sooner rather than later. With storms ahead, I was grateful for the possibility of getting home a little earlier. We made it 2/3 home before we hit anything too severe. As the sky continued to get darker and the lighting began appearing in the darkness, I turned on the radio. Severe weather was forecast for the area we were currently traveling in, specifically for travelers between mile marker 161 to 199.
We were at marker number 163.
As a quivery voice asked from the backseat "when are getting home, Mommy?" I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Cassidy could bury herself in the map and (hopefully be too distracted to look out the windows) get the hang of it enough to let me know how many more exits until the one that would ultimately lead us home. As the lightning was touching down in the fields next to us, Mackenzie would comment here and there. "Ooh . . . that one was bright!" and "Wow, Mommy . . . it's so close to us!" Yes indeed, it was close. Too close for comfort. We finally made it to mile marker 200 and I sent up another silent prayer.
Finally, after an agonizing wait for a rest area in the midst of traffic being at a standstill due to road construction, ANOTHER re-route home and rain coming down sideways for the last 20 miles of our trip, we made it to our back door. The girls were exhausted, as was I. Gregg and I tucked them into bed after which I wandered into the den and burst into tears from the sheer relief of getting home safely. Praise the Lord.
In spite of all the detours, delays, and bad weather, it was great to see these faces all together again!
Thank you Lord, for safe travel and for good friends. Amen!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Another First . . . Come and Gone
It happened.
Another milestone.
Have I mentioned how much I have a love/hate relationship with these moments in the lives of Thing 1 and Thing 2? I love 'em because these monumental events keep life exciting, new and usually bring about big smiles from the girls. I hate 'em because they serve to remind me that yet another "first" has come and gone.
And although I knew this moment was just around the corner, it still took me by surprise.
Mackenzie was beyond excited. It was a big day for my "baby."
Welcome to our home, tooth fairy. We've been waiting for you!
P.S. At 6:15 this morning, I bumped into a very sleepy Mackenzie wandering out of her bedroom. She was holding her tooth fairy pillow, but looking quite glum. Here is how our conversation went:
Me: (Excitedly) Hi sweetie!!! Did the tooth fairy come????
Mackenzie: (Very subdued) Yeah.
Me: What did she bring you?
Mackenzie: A dollar (No enthusiasm in her voice whatsoever. I'm wondering which of her little friends may have told her that the tooth fairy brought them heaps of cash, candy, their own water park or a trip to Disney World for losing their first tooth.)
Me: What's wrong? You seem sad.
Mackenzie: (silence)
Me: (Getting down to look her in the eye) What's wrong?
Mackenzie: The tooth fairy forgot to bring my new tooth for me and now I don't have any tooth for that spot anymore.
Another milestone.
Have I mentioned how much I have a love/hate relationship with these moments in the lives of Thing 1 and Thing 2? I love 'em because these monumental events keep life exciting, new and usually bring about big smiles from the girls. I hate 'em because they serve to remind me that yet another "first" has come and gone.
And although I knew this moment was just around the corner, it still took me by surprise.
Mackenzie was beyond excited. It was a big day for my "baby."
Welcome to our home, tooth fairy. We've been waiting for you!
P.S. At 6:15 this morning, I bumped into a very sleepy Mackenzie wandering out of her bedroom. She was holding her tooth fairy pillow, but looking quite glum. Here is how our conversation went:
Me: (Excitedly) Hi sweetie!!! Did the tooth fairy come????
Mackenzie: (Very subdued) Yeah.
Me: What did she bring you?
Mackenzie: A dollar (No enthusiasm in her voice whatsoever. I'm wondering which of her little friends may have told her that the tooth fairy brought them heaps of cash, candy, their own water park or a trip to Disney World for losing their first tooth.)
Me: What's wrong? You seem sad.
Mackenzie: (silence)
Me: (Getting down to look her in the eye) What's wrong?
Mackenzie: The tooth fairy forgot to bring my new tooth for me and now I don't have any tooth for that spot anymore.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
A Few Reasons To Love the Start of Summer . . .
The strawberries this year ROCK!! I nearly ate an entire pint yesterday by myself. And don't EVEN get me started on how they taste when you turn them into jam . . .
Here, Nanna gives a few pointers to Thing 2. Gotta love an afternoon at Nanna and Papa Dean's house!
Notice how Cassidy looks excited and ready for action.
I love the yearly reappearance of the roses on the bushes that once lived in Poppop's yard. Every time I look at the "D.K. Meyer" sign that once hung outside of his home, I wonder if he's shaking his head-thinking how crazy we were to dig the bushes up in the first place.
I'm so glad that we did.
Some days, it's a good reminder of the blessings that come with new seasons in life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
