Can't wait to fall into fall

It's August. Just the sound of that word conjures images in my mind of sweat running down the back of my legs. Oppressive heat that makes me want to watch the sun shinig from the inside of my house.

But the last few days haven't seemed like August. They've seemed like Fall; or Indian Summer, at the very least. And I love it.

I keep forcing myself to keep putting summer dresses and summer jumpers on the girls. All I really want to do is put them in cable knit tights with matching hats and sweaters. I want to go pick out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. Go on a hayride. See the girls jump in piles of leaves. I want to run out and find another pair of bright pink 'mary jane' rain boots for Kate; to match the ones I found for Ella. And then I want to put those boots on them every day. Even when it's not raining; just because they're so damn cute.

I've been obsessively thinking about Halloween. Already ordered their costumes. Ella will be Snow White and Kate will be Happy the dwarf. Yes, I feel a little guilty about dressing my beautiful little girl -- who happens to look exactly like Snow White -- like a dwarf. But the dwarf costume was just too sweet and funny and I just couldn't not buy it.

I love these Halloween costumes so much that I think I may have to have a little kids Halloween party this year. I need an excuse to see the girls all dressed up more than just one time.

I want to buy the apple flavored caramel latte from Caribou Coffee, on my way to take the girls to the park. I want to dress the girls up in their matching red-and-black pillow case dresses, in celebration of OSU game days. And when the weather gets even cooler, I can't wait to put turtle necks and black leggins under those dresses. And I'm really trying to fight the urge to buy them matching black, knit hats with big, red bows on them.

I've always loved the change of seasons. But with Ella and Kate, I get a different kind of excited. And I kind of love that the things that used to excite me about the change of seasons just don't matter all that much anymore.

Just a few years ago, I would've been excited about the excuse to buy new boots; a new fall coat; a new fall bag. I would've been sad that summer 'patio' season at the bars would soon be gone. This summer, I don't think I saw a single drink on a patio. And I honestly didn't miss it. And as much as I'll always love a new wardrobe, buying my own digs just doesn't compare to getting to buy a new season of clothes for the girls every few months.

Today was a beautiful, Indian Summer style day and I loved spending every second of it with Chris and my girls. I am so grateful to have had this weekend all to ourselves. A long, perfect trip to the zoo. Pony rides and the 'dumbo ride' and the boat ride and the carousel.








A Clippers game on Sunday night. Lots of playing outside.





I have a feeling that next year, my girls' little bodies won't fit so easily in the red, plastic Fred Flintstone car they love so much. That we might not need two 'baby swings' on the swingsets next year. My heart already aches to realize that their little legs will grow longer and leaner -- less chubby and squeezable -- in next year's shorts.



So I plan on enjoying every minute of these last few summer days with my girls.

Doafs and such

My girls love Snow White and the seven Dwarfs ("doafs," as Ella calls them). So my mom bought a tiny troll (knowing they'd think he was a dwarf) and stuck him in my flower bed. Kate now says hello to him every single time she walks past him.



It's never a 'hey, how ya doin,' casual kind of hello. It's a "Hiiiiii!" excited greeting, like it's the first time she's seen her best friend in years.



And yes, she blows kisses to him too.

I know my posts are backwards, since I just posted something about my love for Mondays. But, on Sunday, the girls woke up early. So I took them outside for a 'nature hunt.'





This consisted of Ella walking around picking up pine cones and leaves, with Kate following closely behind, painting her finger nails and teeth with her fake plastic nail polish bottle.



I love these girls to pieces. And I love Sunday mornings with them almost as I love my Monday ones.

Selfish Mondays

Oh, am I selfish with my Mondays with my girls.

I love them. I love Sunday night, knowing that I get one more day with my girls...and I get them all to myself.

I love waking up and not being rushed in the morning. I love getting to, in a light and easy, leisurely way, make them waffles (the leggo my eggo kind) and cut-up strawberries. I love being able to take the extra 5 minutes to make a syrup smile on Ella's waffle; and how excited she gets when I make the waffle grow long, brown syrup hair and a strawberry bow.

"Hoo-a (her) hay-a (hair) dis-a-pee-ad (disappeared), Mommy!" Ella exclaimed, as the waffle face slowly sucked up its strands of syrupy hair.

I love getting to laugh at Kate's obsession with throwing her breakfast on the floor, instead of getting frustrated and wondering if I'll have time to wipe the syrup off the floor before it dries.

Most of all, I love, love, love getting them packed up and taking them to the park. The 90 degree heat has kept us from our favorite park for weeks; but we returned today and Ella kicked her feet with glee as she exclaimed "I see it! I see it, Mommy! I see o-wa (our) paaaak (park.)

I love watching them have little pretend picnics with snacks, in the small pretend 'castle' and a the tiny picnic table under the playground bridge.







I love seeing them run and play and just be kids. I love the way Kate can happily sit in the baby swing for hours on end, if I let her.

Chris and I hosted an event tonight and I had to leave my girls for the evening, with a sitter. I felt sick to my stomach. I had to give up part of my Monday with them.

I promised Ella she could stay up til we got home. But were an hour late. I ran out of the car and into the house and up the stairs and she ran to me...."Mooommmmmyyyy! I waaaanted YOU, I waaaannted YOUUUUU." "I'm here, baby, I'm here." "You didn't come back!" "I did come back, baby, I'm here! I'm sorry I'm late. I'm sorry baby."

"I fo-give you, momma. I fo-give you."

I just kept telling her I loved her, as I laid down next to her in her big girl bed, still dressed in my heels and dress and chunky necklace.

She spoke with heavy eyes, in a sleepwalking-like-state and said "I love you too, Mommy. I love you, too."

So glad I got to see her sweet face before she went to sleep. And I can't wait to see our Kate Kate first thing in the morning.

For the first time in my life, I wish every day was a Monday.

Gamma's house

So back when I started this blog, I believe I gave credit where credit was due. It's www.kellehampton.com that inspired me to create a blog.

And Kelle today wrote about her Grandma, who passed away several years ago, because today is her birthday.

Made me want to write again about my mom and the amazing Grandma she is to Ella and Kate. I'm typing this post from my mom's basement...Kate and Ella finally asleep at 11 p.m., after playing with Grandma for 5 hours straight, since the moment we pulled in the driveway.

As usual, Grandma had a way-too-generous pile of gifts ready for them. Matching pink cotton t-shirts with gray-and-pink striped leggins. Pink cowboy boots for the fall. New Dora jammies and dolly blankies. And a child-sized plastic pink vanity, complete with working hair dryer and make up accessories, which Ella played with for at least 3 hours.

I'm so blessed that so many family members and friends love our girls. But my mom really is the only one who I can call, at any time of day, just to tell her something hilarious, or adorable, or brilliant, that one of the girls has said or done.

Like when I called her at work a few days ago to tell her that, after informing me that I had to 'save' her and Kate from the "cocodiles" that were on the carpet, Ella realized she was hungry and asked me to get her a snack. "What about the crocodiles? I replied. Seeing our cat, Macie, on the coffee table, she said "Oh. It's OK mommy. Macie killed them with her tail."

I call my mom to recite these mini stories, at least 15 times a week. She never tires of them and will answer the call in the middle of anything. At work. At dinner with friends. While driving. In the check-out line in the grocery store.

And she loves each story. But she loves seeing and experiencing the girls on her own, so much more.

I know that when they're mom's like I am now, Ella and Kate will look back with such full hearts at their Grandma. I'm so grateful to God that they can experience her very special, all-encompassing brand of love. Her patience. Her adoration. I love that they'll know the joy of being the source of another person's greatest joy.

And I'm so grateful to get to see, and be part, of it all.

Play dates and birthday parties

I love Mondays and Fridays.

I worked a normal Monday-through-Friday week from 1997 when I graduated college until 2009, when Kate was born. I think 12 years of that is about enough for me, particularly because so many of those years, I worked 12-to-16 hour days.

Anyway, I've been loving this work three-days-a-week-thing for more than a year now. But Mondays and Fridays still seem like 'surprise' vacation days to me. Like when you got Martin Luther King Jr. Day or President's Day off in school.

And I really, really love Mondays and Fridays in the summertime. I do my best to try to fill them with play dates whenever possible.

Play dates. They're brilliant!

I get to spend time with some of my favorite mamas in the world. We have grown up conversations (when kids aren't tugging on our dresses and repeating "Mommy, mama, Momma, Moooommmmyyyy" 100 times each). Ella and Kate get to see their 'fwends.' as And I get the joy of watching my girls interact with other kids that I adore.

So last Monday, I had my college BFFs over with their kids. We played outside and ate lunch together and tore up the good ol' playroom. I loved it. I even felt a little sad when they all left, even though they'd spent almost half-a-day with us.





Then last Friday, we had a truly fabulous play date -- hosted by my friend Heidi's parents at their fabulous "Flamingo Farms" in London, Ohio.







We wore bathing suits because we were supposed to swim. But with a play house like this, Ella and Kate only spent about 5 minutes in the pool. Can you blame them?





On Sunday, we got to spend a few hours with our darling Sophie, who lives just up the street, and her little baby sister.



Then, this Monday, we got to spend the day with my sweet friend Tara and her darling daughters, Elle, Mia and Charlotte. Tara and her older two girls took care of my baby Ella before Kate was born, when I was at work. Ella loved them so much, she'd sometimes cry when I picked her up at the end of the day!

She ran down the driveway to greet them when the arrived.







And the girls even started their own little band.



It was so much fun. These girls will always have such a special place in my heart for the way they cared for our Ella Bella. I hope we have play dates til their married with their own kids!

And in the middle of all the play date fun, we had two birthday parties!

My Godson, Robby, turned 2











....and our sweet little friend Willow Bird turned 1.











I'll take a child's birthday party over a night on the town almost any day of the week. Really. I swear. I love them!

There was a time when summer meant full days sunning myself at the pool, dinners at trendy restaurants and drinking at the bar-of-the-month until the wee hours of the morning. Those summers had their place. But I wouldn't trade my play-date-and-birthday-party summer days for anything in the world.

Oh, and just for extra smiles. This is Ella on her most recent (and last!) visit to Children's Hospital. She wore her 'princess dress' and new Mary Jane rain boots. And woot, woot! Her blood levels are all back up and she's a totally healthy girl again.



Life is good. Life is so, so good.

I heart Nationwide Children's Hospital

Today, Ella and I went to Children's Hospital to get her blood levels checked.

I'll post photos later, but have to say that she wore her pink 'princess dress' (which features a mid-calf-length tulle skirt) and her new, fuschia 'mary jane' rain boots. Oh, she looked so, so cute.

I held her little hand as we walked out of the parking garage elevator and down the ramp into the hospital. I knew she looked cute when we walked out of the house in the morning, but when I saw her reflection in the sliding glass doors, and saw her cute little hand clasping mine, I was struck by the feeling that she looked even cuter than I originally thought, earlier that morning!

Which brings me to my next point. I heart Children's Hospital. Every single staff member, from the volunteer greeters to the teenagers who volunteer to play with the children who wait in the Oncology/Hematology Clinic waiting room, to the nurses who take Ella's blood, to our beloved Dr. Ruymann.

They're all so gentle and you can see the kindness in their eyes.

They make miracles happen every day, and improve the lives of so many children and families. But they also see so much pain and sadness and tragedy and loss. I'm humbled -- there's really no other word to use -- at their ability to dedicate their lives, day in and day out, to helping beautiful, sweet, sick children. I don't think I'm a strong enough person to see the tragedy every day. Yet, they smile right through it. Every day.

Ella has come to look forward to her visits to the hospital. The Oncology/Hematology Clinic waiting room is filled with toys and she loves it. She plays with the pirate ship and the play house and dozens of other toys, and is always a little disappointed to leave.

She knows the drill. Happpily jumps on the scale, walks over to the wall to get measured. She cries when they take her blood, but only for a few moments. Her tears immediately fade when they offer her a Dora band-aid and princess sticker.

Dr. Ruymann made my day when he told me that her blood counts continue to improve; and that he doesn't need to see us for 6 months. He says she's experienced a 'spontaneous recovery.' He wasn't sure exactly what to attribute it to. I choose to attribute it to prayer. He didn't disagree. "Praise the Lord," he said. Sincerely.

So Ella and I happily trudged back out of the hospital. I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, even through my elation....thinking about how very fortunate we are to get to leave this sweet, but still-scary place.

On the way out, we walked past a beautiful little 4-year-old boy sitting in a plastic wagon, filled with toys and books. His mom knew he'd be here for a long time again and came prepared to eneterain him for hours. He had a sad look on his tanned little face as I waved goodbye.

We saw many beautiful children like that little boy, with serious illnesses, all being treated by the amazing people at Children's Hospital.

I am grateful that Ella is well again. Grateful for her spontaneous recovery. Grateful for the kind and generous people at Nationwide Children's Hosptial. Grateful to have stopped at McDonald's on our way home, and to have had the blessing of watching kate and Ella eat chicken mcnuggets and frenchie fries as they swung their feet from their chairs at the kitchen table.

And I will think about and pray for the children and families I met at Nationwide Children's Hospital....every day, God willing. I heat the people at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and I pray that God will bless them and continue to help them love and serve and save thousands of children each and every year.

Sunday Fun Day

I used to very much dislike Sundays.

Even when I loved my job, I still disliked Sunday because it meant the start of the work week the next day.

But when Kate was born, I went back to work 3 days a week instead of 5. And I love it.

Now, I don't feel quite as guilty as I used to, when I spend a couple hours Sunday scrubbing the floor and doing laundry and cleaning up the yard. Because I know I'll get to see Ella and Kate all day on Monday, too. And it is such a glorious feeling.

Today we had a Sunday Fun Day. The girls mercifully woke up at 8:30. I can't remember the last time that happened. It felt like sleeping til noon.

We had our usual morning....Ella happily eating her waffles, Kate throwing all of her breakfast food on the floor; smiling while she did it. And I played with both of them in between doing different chores around the house.

We cleaned up the yard together, in preparation for tomorrow's play date at our house, when a few of my friends will bring their kids over. I love seeing them all play together. Put flower pots and a welcome pat on the front porch of the girls' playhouse.

And then we went to our Godson, Robby's, second birthday party. Cupcakes, a pinata, and plenty of Elmo for everyone.

After bathtime, we all four collapsed onto our bed, the girls watching Dora as Daddy and I half-slept. Ella would wake up us every few minutes, reminding us that we needed to save her from the crocodiles that were surely swimming around on the carpet.

Before we knew it, it was bed time. Kate didn't even want to be rocked, she went straight into her sweet little crib. And Ella for the first time in a while let Daddy put her to sleep. It's always quicker when he does it.

So now I get to blog and take a few minutes to relish the sweet simplicity of this Sunday Fun Day. Before cleaning the floor so it's not embarrassingly sticky when the kids come over tomorrow, and before cleaning the playroom so it's orderly for at least the first 5 minutes of the play date.

Sundays are indeed now Fun Days. And I am very grateful for each and every one I get to spend with our girls.