Love Bug and Rolley Polley

Moving Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:07:00 +0000

For the short term (maybe longer), I am going to be writing over here. Come over and read why... If you have been receiving notices about new blog posts in your inbox, you can do the same thing over there. Just go to the left side of the page and click on the button that says, "Subscribe to this blog." See you there!

Out of the mouths of babes...

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:07:00 +0000

I wish I had sat down on Monday morning to write this post because I'm sure, despite my feverish note taking, I have missed something but here goes...

I woke Monday morning to the news of Osama bin Laden's death. Before I could fully wrap my mind around the whole thing, Caroline was awake. I knew it was important to discuss the issues with her before sending her off into the world. My main goal was for Caroline to understand why people were celebrating death. As I stumbled through an explanation of which I was still and am still unsure, she took over.

A few quotes...

In response to my feeble attempt to justify bin Laden's death with the extent of his evil:

Caroline: "Was he worse than slavery? Because Martin Luther King didn't kill all the white people?"

As I continued to talk about how there are certain men, that are just pure evil, "Like Hitler." I said.

Caroline: "Is it only men that are evil?"

After a long break in the conversation, during which time Caroline was clearly thinking about September 11th:

Caroline: "Why didn't they attack the white house?"

After I tried to explain what happened to the brave Americans on the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania:

Caroline: "So they sacrificed their lives so people wouldn't be worried about the White House?"

And then a refreshing reminder that Caroline is, in fact, still a seven year old little girl:

Caroline: "Why didn't they attack Yankee Stadium? Oh, I guess because they figured they could just play in another stadium because there are so many of them."

Where I've Been...

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Since last I wrote there has been a big birthday, a great vacation and the necessary down time after the vacation... More to come soon.

Exceptional

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:39:00 +0000

I keep coming back to these pictures of the girls in the leaves. I know it is supposed to be spring on this first day of April. Despite the fact that I am watching flakes fall out my window I know it should be spring and these pictures show the girls in the leaves of fall. But somehow these pictures like no others capture the essence of the girls. And for this post, I needed a picture that shows Caroline at her best. For years we have been waiting for a teacher to "get" Caroline. She is such a unique child. So wise, empathetic, creative. But traditional schooling doesn't seem to bring these traits out in her. We think Miss Kelly, her first preschool teacher, sort of got her but since then, our conversations with teachers have implied that they are not getting the full picture. When I have conversations with Caroline like the following, I struggle to understand how these teachers are missing it. Last weekend, Caroline begged for another charm from the Gap. We have purchased these charms in the past. They are poorly made and not at all worth the money they cost. I tried to explain this Caroline but she was insistent. I told her that she was welcome to buy a charm with her own money which she promptly did. In less than twenty four hours, the charm had broken and fallen off the bracelet, lost. She didn't say much about it until the next day when she said, "Thank you for letting my buy the charm so I could see why you weren't letting me buy the charm." If that isn't why we parent, I don't know what is... And this was why I was so relieved to finally receive the following note from Caroline's teacher last night: "By the way, I simply adore your daughter. She is so expressive and sweet in our reading group and someone I can always count on. You are raising a really exceptional little girl." And for the record, Caroline would hate that I was "bragging" especially about her but how could I not... I think she'll understand one day when she's a mom...

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:56:00 +0000

My Aunt Connie is one of my most faithful blog readers. I always feel so loved when I hear her wondering why I haven't written in so long. Aunt Connie also sends the best e-mails some that are funny but most that are just so darn cute you can't help but smile. A huge animal lover herself, the e-mails are often about the magic of the animals around us. This picture was included in an e-mail Aunt Connie sent this weekend titled, "Pure Joy."

So then when I opened the picture that Rob took of Caroline at the North Carolina vs. Kentucky game, the same title popped right in to my mind. Pure Joy.

It seems that Caroline's love of baseball has extended to love of all sports. She has followed her bracket picks actively throughout March Madness. When Rob told her that some of the Elite Eight games were being played in Newark, half an hour from us, he saw the wheels spinning. Rob and Caroline spent the better part of yesterday afternoon watching the prices on Stub Hub fall. Finally, the tickets were in an ok range and Rob pressed 'buy.' Rob and Caroline rushed down the Parkway and enjoyed lots of smiles like the one above. You will notice there is no smiling picture of Rob. The Tarheels did lose but for Caroline, at least, this did not impact the joy of the game.

Journaling

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:49:00 +0000

For a few years, I wrote with a fabulous writing teacher, Lisa Garrigues author of Writing Motherhood. She hated the term 'journaling'. Every time I think of the word or actually write it, I think of her and begin to edit but this time I'm going to write it anyway. Since last July, I've been journaling off and on. More on than off actually which has been a rather large accomplishment for me. I've been filling a notebook with words of mine, quotes from others and pictures that I have cut out from magazines. I got the idea of filling a notebook from my wonderful friend Rebecca Rodskog. She called the notebook a vision journal and suggested filling it with anything that made you happy. Somehow, this opened me up to see journaling as more than just my words. I could really put anything I wanted in my notebook and by doing this I have filled more pages than I have in a long time.

This morning I looked back over some things I had written last summer at the beginning of my Vision Journal adventure. I was reminded of why I do this...

From July 9, 2010

"Two pages left blank (I had skipped two pages accidently) as if a dare from the universe. I dare you to ignore your need to journal. I dare you to give up writing. I dare you to actually do something you are good at. I just spent an hour creating a scrap book page of a trip to the ice cream store. I suppose given the fact that it was my first scrap book page it was fine but in general, the best part of it was the written part. While we sat at Ben and Jerry's, I asked the girls what their favorite ice moment was. They both said, "Right now." As I thought about this, I realized it was, in that moment, the beauty of being four and seven- the beauty of loving the now."

Note: I have since put away the pinking shears and the cute stickers and realized that my notebook and my blog are my scrap book. Phew!

The Current One

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:46:00 +0000

Yesterday Caroline was getting ready to go to a Hawaiin themed birthday party. Rob was working from home so he was brought into the myriad of decisions that come along with dressing for such an event. Grass skirt or shorts. Sandals or flip flops. And the last one, hair up or hair down. With great authority, Rob said, "Hair down."

I must have given him a look that asked how he knew so definitively that hair down was the best look for a Hawaain bash. He turned to me and said, "I always choose the current one."

What!? For over ten years now I have asked and trusted Rob's opinion on everything from haircuts to shoes to which dress to wear to the party. In a large part, I have trusted him because he seemed to have such sure thoughts. He never hesitated. Always provided a fast response. Now it turns out he always chooses the current one?

Of course, he was quick to defend himself. Rob grew up with a sister five years his senior who began asking him his fashion opinion before he could fully form words. He was quick to say yesterday that he hadn't developed his 'current one' technique' he might still be standing in his childhood home choosing between feathered or straight hair.

I guess I'll give him this one...

School

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:09:00 +0000

I've mentioned before that I don't know where this blog would be without the power of eavesdropping but I'm hear to say it again..

The following was overheard as Caroline was explaining to her American Girl Doll, while playing Mommy and Baby, why Julie had to go to school...

"If you don't go to school, you won't be able to go to tell your children stuff when you grow up."

Caroline's had a tough year at school this year. She is learning for sure but she just doesn't come home filled with inspiration. So it's good to know that years of telling her kids stuff down the road is what is getting her out of bed every morning...

Always learning...

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:50:00 +0000

Warning: This post is not for the faint of heart :)

This morning, I noticed that there was pee but no toilet paper in the toilet. There were only girls in the house at the time, so this made no sense. I asked who had peed but not wiped. Both girls said, "Not me!" Knowing that I was not the culprit, I looked at the girls skeptically.

Katherine looked at my with a big smile and said, "I wiped with this!", holding her nightgown high in the air.

Because I was speechless, Caroline filled the silence,

"You're always learning, aren't you?!"

Indeed you are!

Go Yankees!

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:45:00 +0000

The Yankees played their first spring training exhibition game this weekend. Caroline was ready. While she was actively involved in the hot stove league this winter, daily peppering Rob with questions about which players were staying on the team, nothing could compare to being able to watch a real game again.

After the game, Caroline spent a lot of time pouring over the team schedule and marking on our calendar which games we might be able to attend. The day closed with, as the sign above reads, a "Fancy Dinner in Celebration of the First Spring Training Game." We were all told to wear Yankee clothing- or in the case of me and Katherine, at least navy and white. We had name cards decorated with Yankee insignia. And we talked about the game and players throughout dinner.

Something makes me think this family may have a spring training trip in our future. I did ask Rob if it's pool weather in Tampa during spring training. Maybe Katherine and I will wear our navy and white bathing suits and splash in the pool while Rob and Caroline cheer on their favorite team.

Patience

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:27:00 +0000

Yesterday Caroline had her follow up appointment with the rheumatologist and all is good. Her blood work has returned to normal, there is no fluid remaining in her joints and she is pain free. In the next few weeks we will take her slowly off the Aleve monitoring for any returning pain but none is expected. Caroline will need to remain on penicillin for the foreseeable future as any recurrence of post strep reactive arthritis can result in cardiac complications or rheumatoid arthritis. All that being said though, all truly is good.

Caroline had been a wreak for the past few days. The rheumatologist has scared her from the start. In the beginning, the doctor took a really serious tone with us, using lots of big and worrisome medical terminology. Caroline, being so attentive, didn't miss a word of it. While few of the words meant anything to her, she knew they weren't happy phrases. With each of our follow up appointments, she's been concerned that the doctor would start talking again about new and bad things.

During the past few days I wasn't able to move far without Caroline appearing beside me. I couldn't sit down or make phone calls or read. I was constantly reassuring Caroline, "It will be fine, really." This time wasn't much different from many others I've had over the years. Raising an anxious little girl in not an easy journey. What was different this time though was what Caroline said to me when we got home from the doctor.

"Mommy, thank you for being so patient with me."

And that is really all a mom ever needs to hear.

The Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:37:00 +0000

I am going to choose to ignore the weather that we had yesterday- 6 more inches of snow- and focus on last week. Last Friday, it was 60 degrees and all our snow boots were put away in favor of rain boots as rivers grew beside the sidewalks. Caroline and Katherine went on an Adventurers Walk with a friend, collecting sticks, rocks and leaves from the giant puddles that at formed at the foot of driveways.

When we returned home, the girls set up a museum, charging $2 admission. Each girl choose a surface and artistically displayed her treasures.

The whole afternoon reminded me of why children (and the adults in their lives) love spring and summer. Children (at least mine) are truly at their best out of doors. They thrive, grow and learn all with little or no effort. The fun is organic and happens without anyone blinking an eye.

Working Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:04:00 +0000

I went back to work a year ago... or so I thought. I began seeing private speech and reading clients. I wrote my blog. I created and gave presentations to parents and teachers. But I realized this week that while I was working, I had the luxury to be in and out of the house, to shut my mind off for a bit, to sit for a minute and rest.

Last week, I was offered a fantastic opportunity through one of our local colleges, William Paterson University, serving as a professor in residence. Fortunately, as it gave me no time to decide that it was more than I could handle, the job began this week. Two days a week I will be transitioning a faculty of elementary and middle school teachers to heterogeneous classrooms. This is a fantastic and challenging task. I've spent two days this week with my brain in overdrive. Observing in classrooms, attending team meetings, brainstorming with the administration.

I came home on my first day with my head spinning with thoughts, questions and plans. It is good to be back... And yes, it is good to be seeing other people...

In Your Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:04:00 +0000

Today I had scheduled a hair appointment for the girls at 3:15pm in a town that is fifteen minutes away from school where I pick up at 3pm. I knew this was ambitious when I did it but I really thought it would work. Caroline's class is always the first one out and if we didn't linger long to chit chat we'd make it very close to on time. Anyone paying attention can guess what happened next. Caroline's class was later than ever before- so late that I went into the building to get her. As we were struggling along the thin sidewalks covered with puddles of melting snow, I kept nagging the girls along. The phrase, "Hurry! We're going to be late!" may have been uttered once or twice and it's possible that my voice got louder each time they lolly gagged.

When we finally got in the car with five minutes to make a fifteen minute drive none of our moods were good. I continued to vent and complain until Caroline said, "It's not my fault you know. You could have just gotten frustrated in your mind."

I remember my dad telling me time and time again to count to ten before I spoke. I think I may now remember simply to say what I need to say in my mind. Both strategies could help to avoid a lot of aggravation.

You know you're a blogger when...

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Yesterday, the girls were snuggling in Caroline's bed when they called me in to take a picture. I thought this was a little bit strange until Caroline said, "This would make a great blog wouldn't it?" And I couldn't help thinking that yes, yes it would.

Happy Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:38:00 +0000

The other day we were riding in the car when Katherine delivered the following line:

"Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday because of all the love."

While I was still sighing with love for this sweet, caring girl, she finished her sentence,

"And all the cookies."

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

And so it begins

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Until recently, Katherine has not been all that interested in clothes. While Caroline began dictating what she wore almost from the start, as long as it was comfy, Katherine didn't have too many opinions. She also has not been all that interested in dressing herself which is getting a tad silly. After all, as she likes to remind us, she is 'four and three quarters'.

Yesterday morning, she marched down the stairs, beaming. She had dressed herself from start to finish. I will never understand how my children find clothing that is two sizes too small but never mind, she was proud. And then came the best part...

"I chose these two things because they both have flowers on them. I'm like a bouquet."

Indeed she is!

Winter Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Yesterday, Caroline's second grade class performed their Winter Concert. Caroline had a speaking part. The anxiety has been super high around here. Needless to say, we were thrilled when concert day finally arrived.

Below is my first posting using my great Flip Video camera that my mom gave me for Christmas- thanks Mom!

You have to watch for awhile to hear Caroline's part but in my humble opinion it is worth the wait...

The Family

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Yesterday we presented during a family service at church. We are the only family there that spans three generations and the minister had asked us to talk about our experience. It was a great opportunity for us all to step back and think about why we rush out the door every Sunday morning instead of sipping coffee while reading the New York Times and playing endlessly with Playmobile dolls.

My in-laws talked about their nearly 40 years at the same church with many of the same people surrounding them. They talked about their confusion as Unitarian Universalism is changing- in some ways to accept people like me. I talked about the fact that while I still hold on to my Episcopalian upbringing and many of the beliefs, it is important for me that our family goes to church together and this is where we can do it. Rob talked about going to the nursery in the same church when he was only 6 weeks old and the many things he took away from this experience there including the importance of social action. The girls wrote a poem in which they talked about friends, stories and coffee hour.

Everyone looked so nice after church and the sun was actually shining yesterday so we took the picture above when we got home...

Dog and Bear

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:50:00 +0000

There are many reasons why I love children's books. This week, I was reminded of a big one. Sometimes, a children's book can remind us of a great truth in the way that nothing else can. We had another week of snow and ice, early dismissals and school closings. Between vacations, snow and sickness, the girls have literally not had a full, five day week of school since early December. To say that everyone is getting on each other's nerves might be an understatement.

The other day we sat on the couch reading, Dog and Bear. As we read, Caroline said, "This reminds me of us." Indeed it does and after hearing that, I worked hard to take Bear's lesson to heart. I've copied the text of this sweet but powerful story below...

Dog: "Oh, Bear. Play with me!"

Bear: "In this book, the dog and the bear are best friends."

Dog: "Come on, Bear. Play with me!"

Bear: "Although they love to be together, sometimes the bear just needs time to himself," said Bear.

Dog: "Play with me! Play with me! Play with me! Play with me!"

Bear: "The bear tired to explain with this to the dog but the dog did not understand," Bear continued.

Dog: "Play with me! Play with me!"

Bear: "After a while, the bear realized that the dog just wanted to be with his friend," said Bear.

Bear: "All right, Dog. I will play with you now. What shall we do?"

Dog: "Read to me! Read to me!"

Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:31:00 +0000

As I work my way through yet another day without a regular schedule (no school and inches of ice) I find myself fatigued from the too many brownies I ate to give myself a little pick me up. As much as a love a good sugar high, I really hate the inevitable sugar low... So I come here to write and find perspective. I think of my friend whose daughter celebrated her fourth birthday yesterday with a tumor growing in her brain. Two years ago, this sweet family struggled to shrink a tumor in the same wonderful girl and now it is back. I come here to write and remind myself that as much as my little girls are driving me batty with all their time off from school and cooped up feelings during this crazy winter, that I love them with all my heart. Perspective is a powerful thing...

Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:30:00 +0000

As the world anxiously watches the upheaval in Egypt, I thought I would send forth a picture of peace. Dog and cat, sharing food and drink... It can be done.

Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:35:00 +0000

Most of the people I saw today couldn't even discuss the fact that we are getting more snow this week and maybe, according to one meteorologist, "an ice storm of epic proportion" on top of it. In trying to focus on the good things that have come out of this ridiculous winter (seeing as lots of quiet time is certainly not among them), I couldn't help thinking of the gorgeous pictures we've taken of the girls in all this snow.

Last Thursday, Caroline had only a two hour delay despite the foot of snow that had fallen over night but Katherine had a snow day.

The pictures above show our little snow bunny enjoy waist deep snow...

Sisters

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:26:00 +0000

Katherine was feeling grumpy the other night. As she pouted in her room, Caroline wrote an acrositc poem to cheer her up...

Katherine
Astonishing
Tart
Hugable
Everyone loves her
Respectful
I love her!
Nothing but great!
Everyone hug her!

I really don't think there is anything better than sisters..

You know you're desperate when...

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:12:00 +0000

you start hula hooping in the snow! As the girls walked out the door for school this morning, the flakes were yet again falling. Inches of snow had begun to collect during this, the quiet part of the storm we are expecting in full tonight. I just got off the phone with a friend who said, "Oh, we're only supposed to get nine inches." It's as if we have become immune to snow. Nine inches is no big deal and hula hooping in the snow has become a perfectly normal pass time. Perhaps tomorrow we'll bring out the water balloons and s'mores.