Despite wanting to wake up early (for a 7 am playdate), Alison ended up being the last to wake up.  The kids were at a friend’s house until late at night, and the early morning wake up call was not too friendly for her.

I love Henry’s room.  It’s dark in the morning, but light and bright in the afternoon.  Plus he has some pretty rad vintage NYC maps on his walls too.  Whenever I feel like napping, his room is the choice hangout for me.

Here is my little muffin in her bed.  Very princess like, no?  Her room is the brightest of all and perhaps the reason why she’s always the first to awaken in the morning. Usually her room is scattered with dolls and toys, and like a game of frogger, I have to hop back and forth to get from point A to point B.

So.  The other day Kate woke up and proclaimed, “I’m going to ride my bike without training wheels today.”

All three of our kids have proven to be quite different (varying personalities and varying learning styles), so Hank and I weren’t quite sure what to expect.  Kate is incredibly determined much like her sister (who took off her training wheels at age 4), but not quite as patient as her brother (who took his training wheels off at age 7).

But in typical Kate fashion, Kate does what Kate sets out to do.

Thirty minutes after the training wheels were taken off, she was riding up and down the street with Alison and Henry cheering her on.  The whole scene reminded me of last year when Henry was free to fly.

The First Push

Free to Fly

First day of school, September 2009.
Nervousness and uncertainty about the upcoming year.
Excitement about the newness of everything: new shoes, uniforms, backpacks, kicks.
Hints of a fading summer tan.
Grogginess from staying up too late.
Bidding adieu to summer.

First day of school, September 2009.
Confidence and relief after a long, rewarding year.
Boredom of the routine.
Hints of a forthcoming summer tan.
Grogginess from waking up too early.
Welcoming summer with open arms.

For now, though, I’ll enjoy the little hints of summer. And you? You can enjoy them too. . .
Kate and Henry, May 2010

Water Lily, May 2010 – Mission San Juan Capistrano

Second Season, May 2010

Meet Kirby.

Alison raised this little froglet from a batch of tadpoles we bought from North Carolina last June. As soon as school let out for the long stretch of free time, we searched and found a vendor that specialized in Carolina Bullfrogs. It took three excruciating weeks and by the time Fed Ex dropped off the styrofoam cooler marked “Live Species,” Alison was smitten with all things frog. By the time summer was over, we had two viable frogs and we also had a self-educated little girl who would spout off random bits of frog-related information. After all, she had checked out every single frog book from the library. Yes, all 17 of them.

Fall rolled around, followed by winter. Each morning I would check on the little critters, and each time I was always a bit nervous to peer into the tank. I knew our little pets wouldn’t last forever, but for my daughter’s sake, I prayed that they would. One evening, my husband forgot to close the tank, and out hopped a frog. You can read about the fate of the first frog over on Hank’s blog.

But Kirby lasted. And lasted. Until one day, he was no longer. Hank found him one morning.

“Kirby died late last night,” he whispered to me. “Alison doesn’t know yet.”

We waited until after school to deliver the devastating news. As a parent, my first wish was to undo all the pain and heartbreak. Heck! If she would have asked for a pony, I’m pretty sure I would have granted it. Instead we gently guided her through the hurt and sadness. We held a small memorial for little Kirby, and he’s planted beneath our flower beds. Now that it’s spring, we know that he’s in a pretty place where our golden poppies grow.

Hank shares some parting thoughts.

Henry and Kate felt so very sad for their sister.

Oh, hi! Still there?  Sorry for disappearing for so long.  Our lives have been a flurry of busy-ness. . .a school play, spring break, basketball, volleyball, swimming. . .add a busted camera to the excuse list, and I’ve been pretty much M.I.A.  The good news is that life is trotting along at a {slightly} more leisurely pace which means I’ll be posting with a bit more frequency.  And even better news?  I bought a NEW camera!  I’m still waiting for my lens to come back from the shop (more on that later), but in the meantime, I’ve been using my handy dandy Canon G10.

As the school year winds to an end, we’re anticipating summer vacation and all that it entails.  In the meantime, we’ll continue to juggle our daily schedules and while trying to savor the quiet, still moments.  At this very moment, though, I have dinner on the stove, three kidlets running around the house, three baskets of laundry waiting to be folded…in other words?  I’ll see you again soon!

*Photos inspired by Sweet Fine Day

My mom hosted her annual Easter celebration at her house yesterday, and friends and family gathered to feast and to have fun. The day included tons o’ food (can you say baked potato bar?), candy (oh yes!), gifts, egg dying, BINGO! (Henry won the jackpot!). . .it was a fun, fun day.

Behold the gluttony:
Kate in her glory

Brent’s masterpiece.  I think he liked the potato bar, don’t you?

Brenda’s sweet cole slaw. Delish.  And by the way, she found this dish on clearance for $4. That one is all about finding the bargains.

Alicia’s fruit salad.  Yummy, yummy.

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Regular blog posting to resume shortly.  Life kind of took me for a spin for a bit, and now I’m back and ready to rock and roll.

After – March 7, 2010