Today, I'm grateful for the kindness of strangers.
This is not to say that the kindness of friends and family is not greatly appreciated. My mom took a couple of hours out of her vacation week to take care of the girls and Jaxon on Tuesday so Tom and I could make a quick trip to the DMV to get our Ohio drivers' licenses and our license plates.
And this is where the kindness of strangers comes in.
At the DMV, the state police office overseeing the office where the written tests are given (which we had to take in order to obtain an Ohio license since we moved here from Indiana) took our documents and, upon seeing that our birth certificates didn't have gender on them, informed us that he could use these documents and let us take the test the ladies in the DMV wouldn't be able to use the birth certificates and we'd have 60 days to get new ones with gender indicated and then come back to get our licenses.
Sigh.
Okay, we decided since we were there and Tom had stayed up most of the night reading the book to study up for the test, we'd just take the test and go from there.
We both passed but I have to admit to a bit of glee at the fact that I only missed 5 while Tom missed 7. Heeee!! On these tests, you have to get 30 out of the 40 questions correct.
On to the DMV where, even though we couldn't get our licenses, we'd get our plates.
Once there, the lady who worked with us was so, so nice. She said that because we weren't using our birth certificates as official identification, but rather as proof of U.S. citizenship, she could us them. We could get our licenses!! Wheeee.....
We filled out papers, we proved our residency (thanks to a bank statement I just happened to have in my purse with both our names on it) we proved that we're married, we went to the office next door and had the titles changed for both our vehicles, we went back to the DMV where we had our pictures taken and then, voila, we left the office with new licenses, new plates and a sense of actually belonging where we are.
And it all only took two hours!
How lucky were we to get to work with she manager of the office who understood the rules completely? We were SO lucky that she was so kind and patient.
It feels good to park in our driveway with plates representing the appropriate state now.
The way that nice woman treated us that day makes me want to go out and be kind to strangers today, just to pay it forward.
A mom, a dad and two daughters. We're living ordinary lives with a twist of 5p- (Cri du Chat) for spice. But we're about so much more than our younger daughter's genetic diagnosis.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Sir Thomas
Today is Tom's birthday. He's a hard person to figure out sometimes. I don't know if he wants me to make a big deal out of his birthday or just let it be another day.
He's impossible to buy presents for. I hate trying to second guess him and on birthdays/Christmas, he's not good at giving hints. Father's Day? He'll come out and tell me what he wants. But these other days? He says he thinks presents are silly.
I think he's weird.
But I'm also so very glad he was born and so want to celebrate this day in some way.
I've been known to complain bitterly about my poor husband. But in truth, he's a good guy. He really is.
He's got a great sense of humor. He makes me and the girls laugh all the time. He's very much a people person and when we're out in public, he's great at putting people at ease with his humor.
He's a wonder daddy to our little girls. From the start he's been hands on, never turning away from changing a diaper, wet or worse. He can be both soft and stern whichever is needed by the situation.
I love him for that.
He takes excellent care of us in all the ways that count. He keeps air in the tires of my car and in Alyssa's bike tires. He mows the lawn with almost obsessive regularity. He's always right there with me checking Alyssa's homework and when Olivia was little and in home therapies, he was the one at home greeting the speech and physical therapists each week.
He makes life fun.
Today, I'm thankful for the man I get to call my husband. Here's to making his birthday a great one.
He's impossible to buy presents for. I hate trying to second guess him and on birthdays/Christmas, he's not good at giving hints. Father's Day? He'll come out and tell me what he wants. But these other days? He says he thinks presents are silly.
I think he's weird.
But I'm also so very glad he was born and so want to celebrate this day in some way.
I've been known to complain bitterly about my poor husband. But in truth, he's a good guy. He really is.
He's got a great sense of humor. He makes me and the girls laugh all the time. He's very much a people person and when we're out in public, he's great at putting people at ease with his humor.
He's a wonder daddy to our little girls. From the start he's been hands on, never turning away from changing a diaper, wet or worse. He can be both soft and stern whichever is needed by the situation.
I love him for that.
He takes excellent care of us in all the ways that count. He keeps air in the tires of my car and in Alyssa's bike tires. He mows the lawn with almost obsessive regularity. He's always right there with me checking Alyssa's homework and when Olivia was little and in home therapies, he was the one at home greeting the speech and physical therapists each week.
He makes life fun.
Today, I'm thankful for the man I get to call my husband. Here's to making his birthday a great one.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tattle Tale
Because I'm lucky/blessed enough to work for a company that provides excellent benefits and holidays, I had today off as well as yesterday, the actual holiday.
I'm working tomorrow but used vacation days for the rest of the week.
Most other businesses were back at work, including my brother's place of employment. This is all to day that I'm babysitting for my nephew today.
This boy is sweet. He's smart, he's curious and he's talkative.
Oh dear Lord, the talking.
He's a year younger than Olivia, putting him at three and a half right now. And he's like most three and a half year olds out there. He's all over the place, into everything, asking question after question after question. He also repeats something infinitely until someone replies to him, letting him know he's been heard.
But all of this is just noise.
What gets me is the tattling. It drives me nuts.
It's a constant stream of:
"Tommie, Livia is spitting water."
"Tommie, Sissy won't let me watch Barney."
"Tommie, Livia is sucking her thumb."
And on and on.
I try to be patient. I do.
It's days like that that give me such respect for all your parents out there with more than two kids.
I honestly do not think I'd have the patience, time, energy for one more kid in our house, no matter how wistfully I might sometimes wonder what that third little person would be like.
I know that Jaxon is no my child. I know that a third wouldn't be exactly like these days when he's here, talking and tattling and turning your face toward him to be sure you're listening.
I know that a third would probably fit right in. But...it's days like this that really confirm what Tom and I know.
Two is plenty for us. Our hearts are full. Our time is taken. Our family is complete.
How lucky we are to know that, to have these two little girls and the occasional nephew to fill our hours, our hearts, our home.
I'm working tomorrow but used vacation days for the rest of the week.
Most other businesses were back at work, including my brother's place of employment. This is all to day that I'm babysitting for my nephew today.
This boy is sweet. He's smart, he's curious and he's talkative.
Oh dear Lord, the talking.
He's a year younger than Olivia, putting him at three and a half right now. And he's like most three and a half year olds out there. He's all over the place, into everything, asking question after question after question. He also repeats something infinitely until someone replies to him, letting him know he's been heard.
But all of this is just noise.
What gets me is the tattling. It drives me nuts.
It's a constant stream of:
"Tommie, Livia is spitting water."
"Tommie, Sissy won't let me watch Barney."
"Tommie, Livia is sucking her thumb."
And on and on.
I try to be patient. I do.
It's days like that that give me such respect for all your parents out there with more than two kids.
I honestly do not think I'd have the patience, time, energy for one more kid in our house, no matter how wistfully I might sometimes wonder what that third little person would be like.
I know that Jaxon is no my child. I know that a third wouldn't be exactly like these days when he's here, talking and tattling and turning your face toward him to be sure you're listening.
I know that a third would probably fit right in. But...it's days like this that really confirm what Tom and I know.
Two is plenty for us. Our hearts are full. Our time is taken. Our family is complete.
How lucky we are to know that, to have these two little girls and the occasional nephew to fill our hours, our hearts, our home.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Photographic Evidence
Each Fourth of July for the past several years, the girls and I go to a parade with my mom and then Tom joins us for a celebration at my aunt's house in town where we can see the fireworks from her backyard.
Even when we lived 65 plus miles away, the girls and I made the drive early and then usually spent the night with my mom so we didn't have to drive home so late after the fireworks. Poor Tom always drove back home.
This year, thanks to our lovely new home and the location of said home, we were able to go to the parade, come back home for the afternoon and go back to the party in town later.
This morning Alyssa helped me make cupcakes that look, sort of, like fireworks. They are actually pretty cute, I must say. Here's proof of our hard work.
And since I'm uploading I thought I'd provide photographic evidence of the closets. See, I know that I could say anything I want about painting them but the proof is in the pictures. So...blue closet and red closet.
And another angle of both, just to get the full impact of these colors. And for the record, the blue went on in one smooth coat, covering beautifully. The red? Not so much. Of course in the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that Olivia 'helped' paint her red closet, so take that for what it's worth. Alyssa also helped paint her blue closet, butr let's remember that there are almost four years separating them in age, strength and maturity.
And in case Alyssa ever tries to tell me I'm the meanest mom EVER, I have evidence that I'm actually a pretty cool mom. We dyed her hair a couple of nights ago. We used Splat brand semi-permanent hair color in Aqua. She is now known at Merlyssa.
Today, I'm thankful for this amazing country of ours and those who fought and died keeping us free to live wonderful, thankful lives.
Even when we lived 65 plus miles away, the girls and I made the drive early and then usually spent the night with my mom so we didn't have to drive home so late after the fireworks. Poor Tom always drove back home.
This year, thanks to our lovely new home and the location of said home, we were able to go to the parade, come back home for the afternoon and go back to the party in town later.
This morning Alyssa helped me make cupcakes that look, sort of, like fireworks. They are actually pretty cute, I must say. Here's proof of our hard work.
And since I'm uploading I thought I'd provide photographic evidence of the closets. See, I know that I could say anything I want about painting them but the proof is in the pictures. So...blue closet and red closet.
And another angle of both, just to get the full impact of these colors. And for the record, the blue went on in one smooth coat, covering beautifully. The red? Not so much. Of course in the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that Olivia 'helped' paint her red closet, so take that for what it's worth. Alyssa also helped paint her blue closet, butr let's remember that there are almost four years separating them in age, strength and maturity.
And in case Alyssa ever tries to tell me I'm the meanest mom EVER, I have evidence that I'm actually a pretty cool mom. We dyed her hair a couple of nights ago. We used Splat brand semi-permanent hair color in Aqua. She is now known at Merlyssa.
Today, I'm thankful for this amazing country of ours and those who fought and died keeping us free to live wonderful, thankful lives.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Lazy
Today, I am grateful for long, hot, lazy days in which I have nothing more important to do than drive three miles to my mother's house, swim in her pool with my girls, get out, feed them lunch at Mom's Diner, visit with out-of-town guests, and then swim again.
Of course, there are always chores to be done. There's always a load of laundry waiting to be folded or a dishwasher full of clean dishes that aren't going to put themselves away. There are also carpets to be vacuumed and floors to be swept and mopped but I've found that when I leave the house with my girls on a mission of fun, I can forget the things that are laying around the house, waiting to be put away. I can focus on my girls. That's something they deserve to happen more often than it does. But when it finally does I'm so grateful that I decided the chores could wait and the fun couldn't. Because when we go out to have fun, I'm reminded of how great my kids really are.
Alyssa is such a fish. She's very confident in the water and moves like a mermaid. Her natural grace magnifies in the water. She's fun too.
Olivia is almost as confident. But when I'm near, she'd rather be holding my hands, 'swimming' to me from arm length away and then letting me push her back only to swim back.
I just like the feeling of the cool water and the sound of my children's laughter.
And the tired you get from a day of swimming doesn't hurt either. Those two little gilrs are going to sleep well tonight.
Of course, there are always chores to be done. There's always a load of laundry waiting to be folded or a dishwasher full of clean dishes that aren't going to put themselves away. There are also carpets to be vacuumed and floors to be swept and mopped but I've found that when I leave the house with my girls on a mission of fun, I can forget the things that are laying around the house, waiting to be put away. I can focus on my girls. That's something they deserve to happen more often than it does. But when it finally does I'm so grateful that I decided the chores could wait and the fun couldn't. Because when we go out to have fun, I'm reminded of how great my kids really are.
Alyssa is such a fish. She's very confident in the water and moves like a mermaid. Her natural grace magnifies in the water. She's fun too.
Olivia is almost as confident. But when I'm near, she'd rather be holding my hands, 'swimming' to me from arm length away and then letting me push her back only to swim back.
I just like the feeling of the cool water and the sound of my children's laughter.
And the tired you get from a day of swimming doesn't hurt either. Those two little gilrs are going to sleep well tonight.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Bathing Suit Season
Tom and his siblings and cousins have a reunion every July. The past few years they've held it at a state park where there is swimming.
All you parents out there just KNOW there is no way you can take two kids to something like this and expect them not to swim.
And because this is Tom's family, I'm the one who leave the gathering and heads down to the lake with the girls.
For the past couple of years, I've packed a swim suit and a very large T-shirt. And I've held Olivia in the water while watching Alyssa swim. I never took off that T-shirt.
This summer my mom bought one of those awesome inflatable pools that get to about 40 inches high and are about fifteen feet wide.
It's wonderful. I am often found after work frolicking with the girls in the pool.
And get this...I'm in there in just a swim suit. No T-shirt.
Today was a big day for us. It was our first visit to the lake (not because of the family reunion, that's not until next week.) We not only painted both girls' closets, Alyssa's a vibrant blue and Olivia's candy apple red. The paint color of O's really is 'candy apple red.'
I'll try to get pictures of the beautiful closets today.
Tom, in a fit of brilliance, didn't complain about the colors even once. His only comment was, "Well, if one closet is blue and the other is red, we can paint the room white and call it patriotic."
Okay...whatever. At least he didn't rain on their joy at picking beautiful, bright colors for their closet make-overs. I'll give him thatl.
But after painting Alyssa's closet and sweating the entire time, I stepped outside to clean the rollers and brush and realized how hot it was out there. No wonder a closet UPSTAIRS in our unairconditioned house had been sweltering.
I declared, "This would be a great day to be at the lake."
Alyssa latched on to that and I knew there would be no getting out of it.
So I showered the sheen of sweat off my body, put on my swim suit, put a pair of capris and a shirt over it. We then packed up towels, pails and shovels, sprayed on sun screen and off we went.
And when we got there? I went swimming without a T-shirt. I swam in a swim suit and that's it.
It was liberating. I've realized that no one is watching me. No one cares about that chubby mom swimming with her kids. No one is more worried about my flabby stomach than I am. In fact, no one worries about it at all. Everyone there has their own worries, their own joys.
I realized that I was drawing more attention to myself with my stupid over-sized T-shirt than I ever will with just a swim suit that fits.
So today, I'm thankful for blue and red closets and revelations that it's okay to swim with my children while wearing a bathing suit, on that isn't covered by a T-shirt. Go me. It's going to be a great summer yet.
All you parents out there just KNOW there is no way you can take two kids to something like this and expect them not to swim.
And because this is Tom's family, I'm the one who leave the gathering and heads down to the lake with the girls.
For the past couple of years, I've packed a swim suit and a very large T-shirt. And I've held Olivia in the water while watching Alyssa swim. I never took off that T-shirt.
This summer my mom bought one of those awesome inflatable pools that get to about 40 inches high and are about fifteen feet wide.
It's wonderful. I am often found after work frolicking with the girls in the pool.
And get this...I'm in there in just a swim suit. No T-shirt.
Today was a big day for us. It was our first visit to the lake (not because of the family reunion, that's not until next week.) We not only painted both girls' closets, Alyssa's a vibrant blue and Olivia's candy apple red. The paint color of O's really is 'candy apple red.'
I'll try to get pictures of the beautiful closets today.
Tom, in a fit of brilliance, didn't complain about the colors even once. His only comment was, "Well, if one closet is blue and the other is red, we can paint the room white and call it patriotic."
Okay...whatever. At least he didn't rain on their joy at picking beautiful, bright colors for their closet make-overs. I'll give him thatl.
But after painting Alyssa's closet and sweating the entire time, I stepped outside to clean the rollers and brush and realized how hot it was out there. No wonder a closet UPSTAIRS in our unairconditioned house had been sweltering.
I declared, "This would be a great day to be at the lake."
Alyssa latched on to that and I knew there would be no getting out of it.
So I showered the sheen of sweat off my body, put on my swim suit, put a pair of capris and a shirt over it. We then packed up towels, pails and shovels, sprayed on sun screen and off we went.
And when we got there? I went swimming without a T-shirt. I swam in a swim suit and that's it.
It was liberating. I've realized that no one is watching me. No one cares about that chubby mom swimming with her kids. No one is more worried about my flabby stomach than I am. In fact, no one worries about it at all. Everyone there has their own worries, their own joys.
I realized that I was drawing more attention to myself with my stupid over-sized T-shirt than I ever will with just a swim suit that fits.
So today, I'm thankful for blue and red closets and revelations that it's okay to swim with my children while wearing a bathing suit, on that isn't covered by a T-shirt. Go me. It's going to be a great summer yet.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Projects
I have so many things I want to get done around our house. While the downstairs is painted and actually company-ready most of the time (unless Alyssa's been in the horse bin and dragged out every single toy horse she owns, which is A LOT) but the closets, the basement (Tom's domain) and the upstairs all need some work.
Other than the master bathroom, I haven't painted a single room upstairs. The master bedroom is a dirty white, with scuff marks and nail holes in the walls. It needs to be painted and those pretty, pretty curtains need to be hung. The closet in the master bedroom also needs to be decluttered and painted.
The room in which the girls' clothes hang (I can't bring myself to call it their bedroom as they have yet to actually sleep in there) needs a new coat of paint to cover the mint green that is currently in there. And because I've been inspired by the hot pink closet that Statia over at Failure to Nap (her link has been added to my sidebar too) painted I have decided to let the girls pick out a brilliant, bright color that I'd never paint an entire room and paint their closets.
Alyssa's already decided on the most oceany blue she can find.
Olivia said, "Umm, probably red."
And once we get those closets painted and organized the rest of the room will be painted. Not sure what color yet, but if Tom has his way, it'll be white. I'm pretty sure we aren't going to give him his way this time. Poor guy. He's so often outnumbered.
Then there's the guest room, which is currently hot pink on two walls and orange on the other two walls. The previous occupant HAD to have been a preteen girl, right? That entire rooms needs a major overhaul. It needs a new light fixture hung, the ceiling has a stain where the roof once leaked. It might have to be the last room of the house to get done. We'll see.
The 'toy room', which Tom HATES just because we have so many toys that they actually need a room of their own, is lavender. It needs to be painted too. This room will probably get a coat of Tom's favorite white. It's small, with two closets and a south facing window, white is good. Maybe we'll paint the closets in there fun colors too.
I'm on a roll.
So there's lots to do and I often feel like I'm never going to get it done.
But...I'm turning that around and calling it a blessing. How lucky am I that I have a home I can work on as time allows? How lucky am I that I can afford a few gallons of paint and the time/effort it will take to make our house a home?
Today I am thankful for the blessing of homeownership, the fact that I was so very lucky to be able to buy this house and that we are all together, under one roof every single night.
Other than the master bathroom, I haven't painted a single room upstairs. The master bedroom is a dirty white, with scuff marks and nail holes in the walls. It needs to be painted and those pretty, pretty curtains need to be hung. The closet in the master bedroom also needs to be decluttered and painted.
The room in which the girls' clothes hang (I can't bring myself to call it their bedroom as they have yet to actually sleep in there) needs a new coat of paint to cover the mint green that is currently in there. And because I've been inspired by the hot pink closet that Statia over at Failure to Nap (her link has been added to my sidebar too) painted I have decided to let the girls pick out a brilliant, bright color that I'd never paint an entire room and paint their closets.
Alyssa's already decided on the most oceany blue she can find.
Olivia said, "Umm, probably red."
And once we get those closets painted and organized the rest of the room will be painted. Not sure what color yet, but if Tom has his way, it'll be white. I'm pretty sure we aren't going to give him his way this time. Poor guy. He's so often outnumbered.
Then there's the guest room, which is currently hot pink on two walls and orange on the other two walls. The previous occupant HAD to have been a preteen girl, right? That entire rooms needs a major overhaul. It needs a new light fixture hung, the ceiling has a stain where the roof once leaked. It might have to be the last room of the house to get done. We'll see.
The 'toy room', which Tom HATES just because we have so many toys that they actually need a room of their own, is lavender. It needs to be painted too. This room will probably get a coat of Tom's favorite white. It's small, with two closets and a south facing window, white is good. Maybe we'll paint the closets in there fun colors too.
I'm on a roll.
So there's lots to do and I often feel like I'm never going to get it done.
But...I'm turning that around and calling it a blessing. How lucky am I that I have a home I can work on as time allows? How lucky am I that I can afford a few gallons of paint and the time/effort it will take to make our house a home?
Today I am thankful for the blessing of homeownership, the fact that I was so very lucky to be able to buy this house and that we are all together, under one roof every single night.
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