So every time I think Ella can't possibly surprise me any more....she does.
We went to Youngstown for the long weekend; and our long list of Fall activiites included a Costume Party in the very beautiful Mill Creek Park.
Ella, dressed in her Snow White costume; and Kate, dressed in her Happy the Derf costume, patiently, patiently, patiently waited in a very long line for their turn to walk onto the very big, lit stage to show off their costumes.
With no prodding at all, Ella walked across the stage and right up to the four judges. She looked them in the eyes. She smiled. She took the red apple my mom had given her as a prop. She pretended to bite it. And she fell to the ground; reenacting the "Poison Apple" scene that she and Kate have acted out a hundred times before.
The audience and judges bursted out in laughter and applause. Of course, Ella was the only child to have a routine to go along with her costume.
Happy the Derf was wandering around the stage, finger in her mouth, smiling and looking back and forth at the judges, to the audience, to her sissy, and to me. She ran over to awake Snow White with a kiss....but didn't follow all the way through. So my mom had to bend down and kiss Ella in order to awake the princess.
These were easily among my favorite all time moments of my life.
I don't have video of the whole experience, because I had no idea to expect such a performance! But the images will live, very clearly, in my memory, for the rest of my life.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
The perfect weekend
I love the change of seasons. Well, except for when Fall turns into Winter. I really don't dig winter; other than maybe the first and second real snowfalls.
But oh, how I love fall.
And just as Ella and Kate amplify and multiply my love of everything in life, they also amplify my love of fall.
Last weekend, my mom came into town and we went to the Pumpkin Patch not once, but twice. Even though it was cold and gray and rainy. The girls didn't mind; and happily played in the sandbox filled with corn for what seemed like hours.
This weekend, oh, this weekend...it was so, so perfect.
It started on Thursday night...when I got home from work and played in the leaves with the girls for a few hours. A prelude to what was to come.
Friday morning, when, still in the extra big sweatpants and tank top (in which I had slept the night before); no make up and hair in a ball on top of my head, I schlepped the girls out into the front yard with the little pumpkins they had chosen last weekend at the patch. I carefully placed them both on a yellow gingham oil cloth with lots of paints and brushes. And they painted their pumpkins as I slowly sipped my coffee.
Well, Kate painted her legs, arms and mouth moreso than the pumpkins. But it was a fun time nonetheless.
I carried Kate upstairs, kicking and screaming, to the bath, followed by Ella who dutifully walked up the stairs with her hands in the air; so she wouldn't get paint on the walls. After bathtime, Kate took a nap...and we waited for her to awake so we could go to the zoo.
Ooooh, Fall at the zoo is such a glorious thing. I heart it. Totally.
We didn't get there til 3 and it closed at 5 but it was a lovely two hours visiting the Polar Bears, riding the train and playing on the new Polar Bear playground. Yes, I think the best part was watching them walk around in their cowboy boots.
Friday night, I had to go to Kroger to get milk for Kate. And came home with the giant mums I've been desperately needing since fall arrived. Finally, the front porch is properly decorated for my favorite season. Even if I had to do it at 11 pm at night.
Saturday we spent some time outside; I had to go to church to volunteer and Chris took the girls to the Buckeye game. Later that night, we carved pumpkins on the back porch. I must admit, I thought the girls would love pulling all the goop out. They did not. They were amused for about 3 minutes and then Chris and I were left to try to finish our carvings while chasing them around the yard as they happily cavorted, without pants or shoes, on the billions of leaves and needles that cover every square inch of our yard.
Sunday brought a glorious return to the pumpkin patch.
Bright blue skies, all the trees turning colors. Tractor rides, more time in the corn sandbox.
Just glorious. The only way I could've enjoyed it more would be if the girls would've stood still for just ONE photo together; so I wouldn't have had to spend the entire time taking 5,000 photos, just waiting for one of both of their faces, together!
We came home and I went to a lovely, lovely baby shower. Drank three delicious mimosas followed by three much needed cups of sobering coffee. And returned home to spend three hours raking leaves with Chris' friend Rob and his son Cody. (Chris has been turned into a gimp with two torn achilles tendons.) Ella and Kate frollicked in the leaves, slipping down the slide into a huge pile of leaves and needles that Chris had raked for them to jump into. Raking leaves didn't even seem like torture; because I got to spend the time watching the girls enjoy my favorite season.
And I felt almost drunk with the joy of finally seeing a front and back yard that weren't embarrassingly covered with leaves and pine needles. So joyful, that I bravely gave the girls their first-ever smores later that evening. Needless to say, Kate was almost crazed with her love of the gooey chocolatey goodness.
Also needless to say, my leaf-less yard joy was short lived, when I awoke this morning to see the yard covered yet again. But it was nice while it lasted.
And then, today! The last day of our extended weekend. Started out going to a Halloween Party at a DARLING photography studio in the Short North. Ella in her Snow White costume. Kate as Happy the 'derf,' we had a grand time.
Ella wore her plastic Snow White high heels. God bless her, Kate wore her hat and beard almost the entire time. Daddy and Nana joined us. They sang songs and colored and played games and had an all around grand time. And I just loved watching them.
Home to lunch and more time outside, under blue skies with crunching leaves under our feet, followed by a long, long fall nap.
Such a perfect, lovely fall weekend. I didn't even mind doing my obligatory 4 loads of weekly laundry, or picking up all the same toys for the 7th time at the end of the day. Or cleaning tiny pieces of Kate's fried bologna sandwich of the kitchen floor. I didn't even mind when our TV just spontaneously shut down as I was typing this post.
Because it's fall and I have two adorable, precious, healthy little girls. And I couldn't be more grateful for this perfect weekend and this really, really happy life.
But oh, how I love fall.
And just as Ella and Kate amplify and multiply my love of everything in life, they also amplify my love of fall.
Last weekend, my mom came into town and we went to the Pumpkin Patch not once, but twice. Even though it was cold and gray and rainy. The girls didn't mind; and happily played in the sandbox filled with corn for what seemed like hours.
This weekend, oh, this weekend...it was so, so perfect.
It started on Thursday night...when I got home from work and played in the leaves with the girls for a few hours. A prelude to what was to come.
Friday morning, when, still in the extra big sweatpants and tank top (in which I had slept the night before); no make up and hair in a ball on top of my head, I schlepped the girls out into the front yard with the little pumpkins they had chosen last weekend at the patch. I carefully placed them both on a yellow gingham oil cloth with lots of paints and brushes. And they painted their pumpkins as I slowly sipped my coffee.
Well, Kate painted her legs, arms and mouth moreso than the pumpkins. But it was a fun time nonetheless.
I carried Kate upstairs, kicking and screaming, to the bath, followed by Ella who dutifully walked up the stairs with her hands in the air; so she wouldn't get paint on the walls. After bathtime, Kate took a nap...and we waited for her to awake so we could go to the zoo.
Ooooh, Fall at the zoo is such a glorious thing. I heart it. Totally.
We didn't get there til 3 and it closed at 5 but it was a lovely two hours visiting the Polar Bears, riding the train and playing on the new Polar Bear playground. Yes, I think the best part was watching them walk around in their cowboy boots.
Friday night, I had to go to Kroger to get milk for Kate. And came home with the giant mums I've been desperately needing since fall arrived. Finally, the front porch is properly decorated for my favorite season. Even if I had to do it at 11 pm at night.
Saturday we spent some time outside; I had to go to church to volunteer and Chris took the girls to the Buckeye game. Later that night, we carved pumpkins on the back porch. I must admit, I thought the girls would love pulling all the goop out. They did not. They were amused for about 3 minutes and then Chris and I were left to try to finish our carvings while chasing them around the yard as they happily cavorted, without pants or shoes, on the billions of leaves and needles that cover every square inch of our yard.
Sunday brought a glorious return to the pumpkin patch.
Bright blue skies, all the trees turning colors. Tractor rides, more time in the corn sandbox.
Just glorious. The only way I could've enjoyed it more would be if the girls would've stood still for just ONE photo together; so I wouldn't have had to spend the entire time taking 5,000 photos, just waiting for one of both of their faces, together!
We came home and I went to a lovely, lovely baby shower. Drank three delicious mimosas followed by three much needed cups of sobering coffee. And returned home to spend three hours raking leaves with Chris' friend Rob and his son Cody. (Chris has been turned into a gimp with two torn achilles tendons.) Ella and Kate frollicked in the leaves, slipping down the slide into a huge pile of leaves and needles that Chris had raked for them to jump into. Raking leaves didn't even seem like torture; because I got to spend the time watching the girls enjoy my favorite season.
And I felt almost drunk with the joy of finally seeing a front and back yard that weren't embarrassingly covered with leaves and pine needles. So joyful, that I bravely gave the girls their first-ever smores later that evening. Needless to say, Kate was almost crazed with her love of the gooey chocolatey goodness.
Also needless to say, my leaf-less yard joy was short lived, when I awoke this morning to see the yard covered yet again. But it was nice while it lasted.
And then, today! The last day of our extended weekend. Started out going to a Halloween Party at a DARLING photography studio in the Short North. Ella in her Snow White costume. Kate as Happy the 'derf,' we had a grand time.
Ella wore her plastic Snow White high heels. God bless her, Kate wore her hat and beard almost the entire time. Daddy and Nana joined us. They sang songs and colored and played games and had an all around grand time. And I just loved watching them.
Home to lunch and more time outside, under blue skies with crunching leaves under our feet, followed by a long, long fall nap.
Such a perfect, lovely fall weekend. I didn't even mind doing my obligatory 4 loads of weekly laundry, or picking up all the same toys for the 7th time at the end of the day. Or cleaning tiny pieces of Kate's fried bologna sandwich of the kitchen floor. I didn't even mind when our TV just spontaneously shut down as I was typing this post.
Because it's fall and I have two adorable, precious, healthy little girls. And I couldn't be more grateful for this perfect weekend and this really, really happy life.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Life as I know it
So I haven't blogged in what seems like forever. And today, when I got back to reading my favorite blog, KelleHampton.com, I realized why.
Kelle was writing about how she's found her voice again; because she so often holds back on her blog, not wanting to offend anyone.
Now, she's talking mostly about very real issues -- her darling baby girl has Down's Syndrome -- and she sometimes finds it hard to write how her heart feels about that, for fear she'll offend one of her 2 million readers.
And I kind of laughed to myself, because I haven't blogged because I'm always thinking...'what if someone sees this and thinks I'm crazy?' or what if someone gets mad?
And i laughed, reading Kelle's blog, because I have a total of 3 followers so I'm pretty sure I'm really the only one even reading my own blog. Suffice it to say that chances are slim that there's anyone out there reading this to even offend.
So here it goes.
I really do spend the vast majority of my time eating, drinking, breathing and dreaming about my girls. I'm totally in love with them. I'm so obsessed with taking photos of them that I sometimes need to remind myself to put the camera away and just 'be' with them.
Ella is so smart. So bright and insightful. She is very sensitive -- but in a beautiful, fabulous, bold kind of way. She's 2 and a half. And when we speak to her in a stern voice -- usually because she's doing something she shouldn't do -- she breaks into tears...a devastated look of heartbreak on her face. But the sadness is always mixed with irreverence. "You hoit my feedings, Mommy. You not talk to yo da-tur like dat!" she exclaims. I really, really love that in the midst of her feelings hurting, she first and foremost stands up for herself and tells the offender to stop it.
And Kate. Oh, sweet Kate. She still, thankfully, speaks in baby talk. I hate admitting it, but I kind of like it. Her broken baby English. Just a word or two at a time. "One, two, free," as she goes down the slide. "Here go," as she hands me something, mimicking the way I say "here you go" a thousand times a day. "Dank you!" every time you give her ANYTHING or do ANYTHING for her. She even says it when I change her diaper.
My heart swells with love for them. And it's in large part because I feel so blessed to have them in my life that I feel the need to do something to physically demonstrate how grateful I am.
One of the things I do is especially volunteer for an organization called Gracehaven, which is seeking to open Ohio's first shelter for girls who have been victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. Put more clearly, Gracehaven wants to open a shelter for girls who have been sold for sex. Even typing those words, my stomach gets sick.
The upside of volunteering is that I get some sort of relief from guilt. The guilt I almost always feel for living what I feel is such an incredibly blessed life.
I had a mom who always loved and provided for me. Many, many family members who made me the center of their lives. Good schools. Great teachers. Never had a family member or any adult abuse me. Got to go to college. Have great, wonderful friends. An incredible, loving, supportive husband. A nice house and a good job. A healthy family. And most of all, two beautiful, healthy daughters.
I'm very grateful for this amazing life. Life as I know it is pretty amazing.
The thing is, I just don't understand why I get to live this particular life. More importantly, I really, really don't understand why I get to have it this good; while there are so many millions of people and children in the world who don't.
Which brings me to the downside of volunteering for any organization that meaningfully serves any really, really deserving group of people.
My heart aches. A lot.
I read stories of little girls who are forced into sex trafficking. And I immediately think of Ella and Kate. These sweet, innocent, sensitive, gentle, beautiful, delicate, precious souls. And my stomach turns and a lump forms in my throat as I think about all of the equally precious little girls right here in Ohio, and around the world, who don't have mommies and daddies to protect them from something as horrific as sex trafficking.
These thoughts can be all consuming. They can start to suck all of the joy out of these every day moments I love spending with my girls.
And in those moments. Moments like I'm experiencing right this second, I find myself realizing that I have no other choice than to look up to God and tell Him that I don't get it. I don't get why I have this charmed life; while so many millions of His children are abused, or in pain, or sick, or alone.
I realize that all I can do is be grateful, every day, for this life as I know it. And ask God to use me...use me to do His work here on earth. Ask God to help me stop Facebooking in my free time; stop spending so much time and thought and money on things like hair cuts and pedicures and whatver crafty things I can find on Etsy.com. And use whatever gifts He has given me, and whatever extra time I have on this earth, to bring some sort of help or kindness or relief to as many people in need as I can.
I know I'm not Mother Theresa. I never will be that selfless or generous or completely, utterly amazing.
But with God's help, maybe I can use this beautiful life I've been given to make the lives of some other really, really deserving people just a little bit better.
If anyone out there really is reading this...and if any of those souls ever feel the same way I do...visit http://www.gracehavenhouse.org/donate/special_gift/
Read about Gracehaven and the work they're doing in the community. And if you feel so inclined, make a donation. They need to raise $500,000 before they can open the first and only shelter in Ohio for girls under the age of 18 who have been sold for sex. Without this house, these girls -- most of whom have been physically and sexually abused from a very, very young age -- will continue to suffer unspeakable violence with no escape. Because there is no where. No where. No where for them to go. No where for them to get the peace and healing they deserve.
Even if I do only have three followers. Maybe today my contribution, my demonstration of gratitude for this life I've been given, can be that I helped introduce three people to this amazing organization that is working so hard to bring peace and healing to some of the most deserving children in the world.
God bless.
Kelle was writing about how she's found her voice again; because she so often holds back on her blog, not wanting to offend anyone.
Now, she's talking mostly about very real issues -- her darling baby girl has Down's Syndrome -- and she sometimes finds it hard to write how her heart feels about that, for fear she'll offend one of her 2 million readers.
And I kind of laughed to myself, because I haven't blogged because I'm always thinking...'what if someone sees this and thinks I'm crazy?' or what if someone gets mad?
And i laughed, reading Kelle's blog, because I have a total of 3 followers so I'm pretty sure I'm really the only one even reading my own blog. Suffice it to say that chances are slim that there's anyone out there reading this to even offend.
So here it goes.
I really do spend the vast majority of my time eating, drinking, breathing and dreaming about my girls. I'm totally in love with them. I'm so obsessed with taking photos of them that I sometimes need to remind myself to put the camera away and just 'be' with them.
Ella is so smart. So bright and insightful. She is very sensitive -- but in a beautiful, fabulous, bold kind of way. She's 2 and a half. And when we speak to her in a stern voice -- usually because she's doing something she shouldn't do -- she breaks into tears...a devastated look of heartbreak on her face. But the sadness is always mixed with irreverence. "You hoit my feedings, Mommy. You not talk to yo da-tur like dat!" she exclaims. I really, really love that in the midst of her feelings hurting, she first and foremost stands up for herself and tells the offender to stop it.
And Kate. Oh, sweet Kate. She still, thankfully, speaks in baby talk. I hate admitting it, but I kind of like it. Her broken baby English. Just a word or two at a time. "One, two, free," as she goes down the slide. "Here go," as she hands me something, mimicking the way I say "here you go" a thousand times a day. "Dank you!" every time you give her ANYTHING or do ANYTHING for her. She even says it when I change her diaper.
My heart swells with love for them. And it's in large part because I feel so blessed to have them in my life that I feel the need to do something to physically demonstrate how grateful I am.
One of the things I do is especially volunteer for an organization called Gracehaven, which is seeking to open Ohio's first shelter for girls who have been victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. Put more clearly, Gracehaven wants to open a shelter for girls who have been sold for sex. Even typing those words, my stomach gets sick.
The upside of volunteering is that I get some sort of relief from guilt. The guilt I almost always feel for living what I feel is such an incredibly blessed life.
I had a mom who always loved and provided for me. Many, many family members who made me the center of their lives. Good schools. Great teachers. Never had a family member or any adult abuse me. Got to go to college. Have great, wonderful friends. An incredible, loving, supportive husband. A nice house and a good job. A healthy family. And most of all, two beautiful, healthy daughters.
I'm very grateful for this amazing life. Life as I know it is pretty amazing.
The thing is, I just don't understand why I get to live this particular life. More importantly, I really, really don't understand why I get to have it this good; while there are so many millions of people and children in the world who don't.
Which brings me to the downside of volunteering for any organization that meaningfully serves any really, really deserving group of people.
My heart aches. A lot.
I read stories of little girls who are forced into sex trafficking. And I immediately think of Ella and Kate. These sweet, innocent, sensitive, gentle, beautiful, delicate, precious souls. And my stomach turns and a lump forms in my throat as I think about all of the equally precious little girls right here in Ohio, and around the world, who don't have mommies and daddies to protect them from something as horrific as sex trafficking.
These thoughts can be all consuming. They can start to suck all of the joy out of these every day moments I love spending with my girls.
And in those moments. Moments like I'm experiencing right this second, I find myself realizing that I have no other choice than to look up to God and tell Him that I don't get it. I don't get why I have this charmed life; while so many millions of His children are abused, or in pain, or sick, or alone.
I realize that all I can do is be grateful, every day, for this life as I know it. And ask God to use me...use me to do His work here on earth. Ask God to help me stop Facebooking in my free time; stop spending so much time and thought and money on things like hair cuts and pedicures and whatver crafty things I can find on Etsy.com. And use whatever gifts He has given me, and whatever extra time I have on this earth, to bring some sort of help or kindness or relief to as many people in need as I can.
I know I'm not Mother Theresa. I never will be that selfless or generous or completely, utterly amazing.
But with God's help, maybe I can use this beautiful life I've been given to make the lives of some other really, really deserving people just a little bit better.
If anyone out there really is reading this...and if any of those souls ever feel the same way I do...visit http://www.gracehavenhouse.org/donate/special_gift/
Read about Gracehaven and the work they're doing in the community. And if you feel so inclined, make a donation. They need to raise $500,000 before they can open the first and only shelter in Ohio for girls under the age of 18 who have been sold for sex. Without this house, these girls -- most of whom have been physically and sexually abused from a very, very young age -- will continue to suffer unspeakable violence with no escape. Because there is no where. No where. No where for them to go. No where for them to get the peace and healing they deserve.
Even if I do only have three followers. Maybe today my contribution, my demonstration of gratitude for this life I've been given, can be that I helped introduce three people to this amazing organization that is working so hard to bring peace and healing to some of the most deserving children in the world.
God bless.
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