Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tangled Up and Two



Well I've never been one to buy into the "terrible twos" moniker for the toddlers among us - baffling though the age may be. Sometimes their emotions just seem so much bigger than they are and life is just bewildering. Today was such a day for Ainsley and me too for that matter. Neither of us could put our finger on it but we both just felt kind of tangled up inside.

Ainsley just wanted to be in my arms, rocked for that matter under our new (and fabulous!) sherpa blanket. Emie tried to get in on it as well but precious Ainsley just wasn't up for sharing me at that moment, "Go!" she said to her sister with not a drop of softness. We settled on having Emie on the ottoman near to us which seemed to please Emie quite well and at least not rattle Ainsley any further. We sat this way a good long stretch - forgoing our plans to head to the health club. We just rocked and chatted and sat for a good bit.

It just seemed like what all of us needed. And to me, this is the very best part of setting the schedule for one's life as a mom - you get to decide the tenor of the day. And if it's not a day to rush -- then you just simply don't do it.

So we both seemed to hit our stride as the day wore on. Me after a good while in the Word and in prayer and she after a good nap. And then we were back to the routine of driving Emie to and from ballet and reading stories at bed. A different day. A good day. I'm grateful for the room in our world for the tangled up times. For the moments when just rushing everyone into the car just because it's what we always do doesn't have to be what we do today.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Autumn full of beauty~


"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
George Eliot

In celebration of this gorgeous season and the end to our family's tour of duty in Operation Stomach Flu 2010, Emie and I collected as many different leaves as we could gather.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

It's a bug

So little Ainsley woke from her nap in the mood she's best known for: jubilant. As we came down the stairs from her room she paused and sat on a step - patting the space next to her for me to join. With no particular place to go I couldn't help but oblige her sweet request. We sat a couple of minutes while she looked down at her little top and happily remembered that there was a dear little puppy stitched on the front of it. She pointed to it and said "puppy," happy to know he was still there even after a long sleep.

But just a moment later everything in her expression changed. Her eyes filled with panic and her full lips closed awkwardly in a hurry. Now any mom knows this is recipe for disaster, but before I could connect all of the dots she was in full throttle upchuck mode. A big mess for both of us. The force of the moment scared her a good bit and she couldn't keep from crying. It startled me a bit too, truth be told. Nothing like going from chatter to scatter in a matter of seconds.

After a wildly quick and thorough cleaning we were both back in our positions to visit. This time on the floor in the living room. She seemed fine. Like it was just a fluke and maybe somehow bending over so far to see the puppy on her shirt was what had caused the upset. But in a few minutes all bets were off of my "she's not really sick" illusions. It was a bug - like it or not. She spent the better part of the evening sitting with her sweet little hand over her mouth hoping the Big Terrible wouldn't happen again. I mean, seriously. Who wants to throw up? It's pretty much the worst and how about if you're two and have no idea why this heinous fate is yours for the evening.

So I'm praying the precious girl sleeps it off and is back to her busy and beautiful self tomorrow. But I have to say that having her fall asleep in my arms for the first time since she was a wee peep was not at all lost on me. She's as precious as the day is long. And yes, the days are long.

~~Note that I do love your comments. Please keep 'em coming~

Friday, October 8, 2010

Fall is here




Well it's autumn in Minnesota. Growing up in Illinois fall was the best. It meant the end of the humidity and the beginning of your favorite sweatshirts and sweaters. Walking with the crunch of the leaves beneath your feet.

In California it meant facing the Santa Ana winds and wondering just how a breeze could possibly be so hot.

In Minnesota - it's glorious. Beautiful, sunny, colorful, and brief. So brief that we all try to pretend it's a season and not just a few days. Days that precede the longest season known to humankind. But today, well it was just a taste of heaven. Colorful leaves flew all around while the temps rose to the 80s. Like we forgot for a second we aren't coastal at all. Thanks Upper Midwest for giving me a little taste of my California home. The warm wind through the windows took me a thousand miles west.

The girls were in on the revelry... piling up the leaves and jumping in wearing their capris.

Monday, October 4, 2010

A week in the life


Just a few little moments to note of varied randomness:
  • Worked out at the club only to be paged once I was good and sweaty -- mid work out. Went to the child care center to find the manager horrified that Ainsley, who was wearing a dress, had taken her own Pamper off and was letting her sweet little cheeks fly in the breeze.
  • Feigned shock and did not reveal that anybody who lives here knows the girl is a self-proclaimed nudist. Replaced Pamper and returned to work out.
  • Heard myself paged again. Returned to child center to find she had filled the brand new Pamper to the gills and needed a change.
  • Change her again and cut my losses... head straight to the shower.
  • Went to the market at 9:30 pm and glance at O magazine while waiting to check out. Read her urging us all to "Own Your Power." Know I don't have any power aside from what's God given and realize I could use a little surge right about now.
  • Proudly noted that Ainsley ate an entire kosher beef hot dog without me having to cut it up for her.
  • Later found it on the floor gnawed into like a corn cob.
  • Smiled 'til it hurt when I heard Emie sing from the backseat tonight, with the window rolled all the way down, "I love everything -- and Jesus love it too" The girl's onto something there in her little soulful tune. He do love everything :) 'cept sin, a course.
  • Got chill bumps all over when an expectant friend told me today she heard her baby's heartbeat for the first time. It just doesn't get much better than that.