Coincidence or Not?

As Avery’s bond with her baby doll continues to deepen and her fondness for pink grows (luckily that is becoming a popular color for Nike), I continue to look for signs of how I could (or could not) be raising a mini-me. Some things are obvious: stubbornness, curly hair and a goofy sense of humor. Others are not: rhythm, speed and a love of hot sauce and sushi. But one thing we will now always have in common is that we share the same “first public restroom experience.” That’s right … her early stages of potty training collided with dinner at Elsa’s Kettering (aka. Urban Suburban) last night. And after a very adamant declaration that she had to go potty, we had our first and very successful trip to the ladies’ room.

Now my parents can’t remember the exact instance for me (after a softball game or on a Sunday evening with Grandma Foley), but they feel the odds are in favor that Urb’s was the location. The only other question is if my sister had to drag me in from the parking lot or if my Uncle Mike had to wrestle the grilled cheese out of my hand?

10 Things I Hate About Soccer

If Shakespeare had an athletic, yet complex and sensitive son, I am sure the bard would have at least witnessed, maybe not written about, the same set of complaints that I heard from Alex before, during and after his first big boy soccer practice. I was hoping for a smooth transition given his years with the Cincy Lil’Kickers, but instead of preparing the kids for the next level, I think his toddler indoor soccer class might have set some false expectations. As of last week, here are the reasons why our season may be ending before it begins.

1. Soccer Socks – They are too big and they do not have penguins on them.
2. Practice – According Alex, he already “knows how to play and does not need to practice.”
3. 5:30 Practice Time – It is easy to be late when mom thinks it starts at 6:30 and when Alex refuses to get out of the car.
4. Parking Lot – It is not close enough to the field, and therefore Alex can not watch practice from the comfort of his Graco booster seat.
5. Paint on the Grass – Who can concentrate on the game when they are worried about how the white lines got on the field?
6. Outside – Florescent lighting, artificial turf and the constant smell of sweat seemed to be preferred over sunshine, a slight breeze and fresh air.
7. Competitiveness – No one ever took the ball away from Alex when he was feeding the hippos at soccer class.
8. Parents – They are all looking at Alex (according to him).
9. Me – Nothing I do is ever right.
10. No Playing on the Playground – This is a rule I had to enforce when a shiny swing set caught his attention and trumped the coach, his teammates and my $60 check to the LSYA.

Back to School the Hard (and Easy) Way

For Alex it is a new school, new teachers and a new routine. For Avery it is her first school, first teachers and finally a routine. For me it is less driving, less juggling and less worrying about over exposure to Yo-gabba-gabba.

We are on day three and out of the three of us, I think Avery has adjusted the best (which should not really be a surprise given both Alex and my personalities and resistance to change). On the first day, Avery eagerly posed for pictures with her backpack and literally ran into her classroom. She didn’t look back as we said our good-byes and moved on to the Pre-K room. On the other hand, we had to wrestle clothes on Alex and carry him to the car. After about 50 good-bye hugs, I eventually had to leave his room and leave Andy to cut the cord.

Although each day has gotten better – both kids now wake up excited to go to school and my guilt over leaving Dani is lessening – Alex still clings a bit at drop-off and still refuses to take a picture with his school bag.

Perspective

It’s been over a month since I had the urge, patience or a witty thought to write, despite having a fresh set of vacation photos and another black snake incident on Hunterwood Lane (don’t worry Cherylanne, I will get around to recapping that one day). But sometimes you experience things in life that make you stop and re-evaluate everything – family, friends, jobs, your home, your community and more – and make you want to focus on what you have and not what you want next.

Three weeks ago, our good friends Jimmy and Meagan unexpectedly lost their 4 month old daughter. I feel almost selfish or false to say that it has been hard on me (as well as Andy), because we can not even imagine the pain, confusion and loss that they are experiencing. But it has had a huge effect on us. It is tough to see someone you care about hurting, as it makes you hurt. It is tough to hear such news as a parent, as you can’t help but think of your our similar situation and begin to look at your kids differently. But by no means can I emphasize; I can only sympathize. And yet that sometimes does not feel like enough, and it is even sometimes hard to do since I still can not find the right words and continue to stumble through my offerings of support.

The past few weeks have crawled by and at the same time I have forced myself not to miss a word or a moment. It is if I re-engaged with my own life instead of being a director pulling strings or even a spectator viewing from a far. Being up close and personal has actually been nice (and much more satisfying than expected) and it has made me realize a few things. First, I need to slow down … there is no reason to rush, tune-out or be greedy. Second, I have used the word “devastating” much too loosely in the past. I feel equipped to take care of the first, but still unclear on my actions for the second. For now, all we can do is to continue to show our support for Jimmy, Meagan and Jack, and tell them that they are in our thoughts and prayers and that Joselyn will be greatly missed.

Door County Part 2: The Vacation

Here are pictures from our summer vacation (following Chris and Sarah’s wedding) in Door County. And yes, I got proof the very first day that there is a restaurant with goats on the roof and that it is not just a Muse myth from Andy’s childhood trips to Wisconsin.

Door County Part 1: The Wedding

Here are pictures from Chris and Sarah’s wedding in Door County, WI.