This is what she looks like.

Yeah. And so. Weally. I tyin' to tell you sompin'.
I was talkin' to my babies. My babies in my tummy. And. I'm teapot short stout. Teapot and STOUT!! LA LA LA LA!! Mommy, where's my litta baby? Fwavowite. Go get my litta baby? Baby in my tummy. Singin'. Yeah. Huh huh. Singin'.
And. Oh my goodness. Bwidies. Flyin' up high. You see dem, Mommy? Bootifuh.
And it was red, lellow, oage and puple, lellow, oage. And sparkly. Bluooo. Haha. Dat's silly. I bein' silly to myself. Huh...huh. Dat's silly.
Haha. Okay. I fine. What's Daddy doin'?
And then her story is done. There is something way more interesting over there.

If only I had a way to illustrate the inflection in her voice. It certainly rides alongside the facial expressions. Up down, up down. I'm told she has her mommy's busy eyebrows. I'm pretty sure neither of us can talk without our hands or our eyebrows. Anyway, she talks like a song. Even when no one is listening. Everything is a song. There are a lot of singers feeding into her gene pool. And a lot of talkers. Like her Mommy and Daddy, who cannot fit a single word in. Anywhere.

Easter to Easter

This is by far one of my favorite pictures of Hailey. I took it Easter Sunday two years ago, while she was hunting for eggs in our backyard. Look at her. Dressed like a little lady with extra bows in her hair, surfer-girl sunglasses, perfect pink sweater, and a basket over her arm. She's a girl on a mission. Eggs to be found.

Something about it screams little old lady in the grocery store who forgot to take off her sunglasses and carries a gold shiny bag, but I'm not sure what. Maybe it's her posture.
And that brings me to this, taken just a couple weeks ago.

My kids make me smile.

As usual, swimming in a full computer.

It's the weekend, and that means cleaning house, or today, cleaning computer. Spring came, and I did the predictable start a billion projects without quite finishing one, and then sit in bed at night in front of the television and try not to think about said unfinished projects, while considering paying someone to finish them, but also knowing I am way too cheap for that.

This left no time for blogging. And freshly painted woodwork in our kitchen. Except the part behind the fish tank, you know, because that's the unfinished part. It's part of my charm.

Point is, I've been busy. And there's been some television. And you're all caught up.

So, to finish backing up, organizing, and keeping up with pictures, here are a few that have been sitting around awhile...and maybe better illustrate all the busy around here lately.

There was an extended birthday celebration for Keelyn with Papa John and Mama P. They made her feel all kinds of special all over again.
There was a golf cart ride. Because you see, Hailey's life long dream since forever was to ride on a golf cart. So, Andrew and his dad worked it out during a round they played, and I got to hop on while Andrew took us girls out for a spin. Or rather, a very slow bumpy, windy ride along the course, complete with interrupting golfers who need quiet, because when you tell Keelyn to whisper, the response you are certain to get is an equally opposite sounding echo of your words.

But they didn't look to be all that good anyway, so they were probably happy to have someone to blame it on. I know that's what I use them for anyway. The kids. You know, like, "I just couldn't empty the dishwasher, because the kids were acting like monkeys." Or, "I have no idea who ate the entire pound of M&Ms; must have been the kids." That sort of thing. Very handy.

We also went over to campus to see the Bell Tower, another thing Hailey's been asking about. Family portrait, including one very happy kid to see the Bell Tower and also not very happy to see the camera...hence the sunglasses and hidden face. But still, we were there, and there's a picture to prove it.

There was also an Easter Egg Hunt at church. I use the term "church" loosely here. Well, not the church part, but the part that makes you assume it's our church. Anyway, it was the church where Hailey goes to preschool, which also happens to be the church we have been loving to attend and considering to join. So, we call it church, but it is a different church than the other church which we also call church, and don't frequently visit any longer. Point is, we are loving this new church, which is very old, but new to us and lovely.

If Hailey looked a bit weary in that last shot, it's because she took The Spill of 2010 right before. Just as we arrived for the Hunt, she fell, on absolutely nothing at all but her own feet, only to land without so much of an attempt to catch herself, on a concrete walk. Her chest and chin caught her, that is, and also her sunglasses. She. Was. Screaming.

And.

I was panicking. Not in a loud get-her-an-ambulance-and-a-gurney, STAT, kind of way. But in a way which involved me thinking those things in my mind, while also carrying her aimlessly through the sea of people gathering to find eggs, in search for some ice.

Hailey just doesn't really fall. Ever. She's too careful. Has been since the day she took her first steps. Anyway, thanks to a pair of sunglasses she'd just put on, it appeared she'd broken her nose, as the bridge of her nose got immediately swollen and black and blue. Thankfully, this wasn't the case, and with the promise of candy in Easter Eggs, she at least attempted at some fun. You can't even see the damage in this photo (I can see the swelling, but I know her exact proportions like they're my own), but believe me, over the course of the next few hours, she turned into a raccoon. Or as she would tell you, a chipmunk. Because they're cuter.

Next, we had lunch with BOTH of my grandmothers, who are in their early 90's and just as happy as two women could be. Hailey cared solely about showing them her candy, and then eating it. Don't they look SO interested in that pink plastic egg? That's what grandmas are for, you know?Look how cute! Only separated by 90 years and a few generations. What a special thing to have great grandparents!

And Keelyn took some time with the daffodils, because that's what being a kid is really about, no?

In case that isn't keeping busy enough, I'll further support my point about being busy and also having major Spring Fever by showing you that we have in fact, ALREADY planted our garden. Eight tomato plants in the ground, and tons of little seedlings working to find the sun, including watermelon, squash, cucumber, bell peppers, and lots of herbs. Our blueberry bushes have lots of little buds on them, and I can't wait to see how everything looks a month from now.

As you can see, the kids have enjoyed our time as well.

So, happy, busy, Spring to you. May you stay on your feet and run through the daffodils.

A spoonful of sugar

So a few months ago I started couponing like a crazy lady in an attempt to better earn my keep around here. I had no idea what a thrill it would be, nor did I know just how much money there was to be saved. I cringe at the thought of buying Cheerios full price now. Andrew gets a slap on the wrist at the very mention of an extra run to the store to pick up "just a few things" we might like. There's a strategy to it all, you see, and it doesn't fit inside his brain. It's too full of pollen.

Speaking of pollen and yet totally unrelated, LOOK at our pear tree. Come on, ya'll. It cannot get more beautiful. This was taken on Sunday, which was the one day a year we get when the pear tree has full blooms and not a single green leaf to interrupt the fluffy white texture. The tree has gotten monstrous in the time we've lived here...but it is perfect and we love it. Or at least I do. Andrew lives in second by second fear that it will some day break and fall as they often do, and lose its perfect pear tree shape. Also, this would likely crush his itty bitty office in our house, so for him it's kinda personal. Anyway, as I was saying. Let's start with RiteAid. I got the items pictured below for a grand total of $7.50 plus tax. Then, I used my rebate check from last month's RiteAid shopping to pay for the $7.50, and my out of pocket was just tax. Plus, I am due $2 more in rebates from this trip, so it all cost next to nothing.
And on another off subject note...notice there are TWO different sizes of pull-ups there. Night time pull-ups. Because my baby is going on the POTTY. But that's certainly another post.

Ooooooookay. And with this one I give you a funny story. First, see what I got at Harris Teeter for $8.49? It was about $40 worth of product, thankyouverymuch. And if you were one of the people who bought every single bag of NoYolks and Mueller's whole grain and Lysol toilet cleaner, shame, shame, shame. If you were not, I'm just telling you, they're fresh out. You're welcome.

In case you can't quite tell, there's a half gallon of organic soy milk back there, a few bags of the Martha Whites, and lots of other goodies. I probably could have had a more impressive total had I left out the milk and Lysol, because everything else totaled free or under $1 per item. But the story. Forgive me for my wordiness today. I think it's the weather. You know, I've got a little giddy-up in my step. Or my fingers, rather. They're just running away from me.

So Keelyn and I are singing some goofy song, because that's what we do when we grocery shop. Truly, lots of people probably think one or both of us is crazy. And, it's possible that it's the latter, because she's pretty much me, in a smaller body. With less baggage. Except more purses. She loves purses. I just carry one ginormous Mary Poppins bag. Lamp shades and all.

Yeah. So we're shopping. I look up, and I see the lady who taught the RiteAid portion of my coupon class. Immediately, I'm mentally bowing down to kiss her feet and scanning the store for some rose petals to lay at her path, or digging for an impressive trinket I might give her from my Very Large Bag, I mean goodNESS, the woman was walking on the same floor as the other shoppers, and no one had shined her shoes. I managed to say something like, "Hey...aren't you...you're the...did you teach...?" All the while she's nodding, and I'm realizing that this poor woman probably never shops without running into a student like myself, drooling at the very sight of her. But then out of my mouth came every deal I've had in the last month, just like a kid fresh home from Disney World. And she nodded and smiled. And I said Thank You, which felt really nice. She didn't jump up and down with me, and she walked away and picked up the same deal on butter I'd just snagged, so I guess she's just a normal person, but I'm going to keep pretending she floats on clouds through the grocery store and drops coupons like fairy dust on shoppers like me.

So, this week I did my regular family shop at Kroger which included food and toiletries and tons of fresh produce for about $57, spent $3 at RiteAid and just under $9 at Harris Teeter, mostly on things that will be stocked away so that my bills in coming weeks can be even lower. Pretty cool!

Going just a little bit political for a moment...

...but not about health care. No. About something closer to home (if it can be so).

And actually, this should not be about politics at all, this should be about community, and its betterment. But, our whole country seems to be caught up in attaching to a side and spitting at the other, so why not let that be so here as well.

For those who are unfamiliar, there is a huge deal to do with our public school system right now. Our very large county (which encompasses our city and surrounding suburban towns) made a brave decision more than 30 years ago to integrate schools. No more of this rubbish about people with more money or children with more successful parents, or, let's face it, the white kids, getting a better education just because. It was time to respect human nature for what it is: equal. It was time to honor the potential of every child God creates.

So, the magnet program was created, offering a wide variety of arts/math/science and higher level courses at schools in the inner city, and parents were allowed to opt their children into the program. What this accomplished, was that about half of a school was made up of the lower income children (those receiving subsidized lunch) in its immediate vicinity, and about half was made up of children from more affluent families living farther away, but seeking the attractive programs available. It was smart. It created private school-like educational experiences out of public funding AND it qualified our county for lots of federal funding because it was part of a diversity program. Lots of things got accomplished, including many good educations, and exposure to such for kids who might have never had it otherwise. It was a win/win.

Now, nothing is perfect, and what this meant was that there was lots of busing, even in the areas where families opted to stay closer to home, and not apply to the magnet program. Even people who chose to stay close to home often had to drive past one or two schools before arriving at the one their child was assigned to. This, in the interest of diversity. Seems a little wacky, but the intentions were good. Good, that is, if you care about exposing your child to other people not necessarily like him, and about the greater good for our community, and about moving out of a time when "separate but equal" was actually used to describe things. Ugh. It makes my stomach turn.

So what's the huge deal? In the last school board vote, four positions were up for grabs, in the smallest areas of the county. There was a huge movement to get people voted in who would change the diversity policy, and it happened. Very few people voted, very few people were even allowed to vote, so this is a very small percentage of the population being represented. Combined with the one person who was already a part of the board in favor of eliminating diversity, they overhauled the program with a 5-4 vote against diversity. That's right. And they did so after listening to very little public comment, and with very little research of their own...or even a willingness to seek presentations made by other people who have done the research.

They very specifically have decided that school assignment will have absolutely nothing to do with socio-economic status, and will rely solely on vicinity of house to school. Period. (This will introduce a few problems based on having too many schools in areas with less children, and not enough in areas with more, but who's counting?) (Answer: Not the school board.)

In our area, this means white people will go to white schools, and black people will go to black schools. It really is that cut and dry. Of course there are talks of paying teachers more to work in the schools where the parental support is lacking, and where the school lunch is at a higher percent. But there is no budget. As in no one has figured out how much it will cost OR how they will pay for it. No one has done this. And, we will lose much of our federal funding, so it is highly likely that our taxes will go UP, just as they did in a not-so-far-away county only a few years ago when they made the same move. And their test scores have gone down. But hey, they can walk to school, so who cares.

And never mind what this will do to property values. That whole thing will just widen the gap. A gap that should be closing.

It is beyond astonishing to me that we watch this happen in such a progressive city. A diverse city. A city which has been on the list of top ten places to live in America for YEARS, partly because of the awesome free education available. In fact, that's a really big piece of the puzzle. We have grown at astonishing speeds, creating problems with too many kids and not enough schools, and more rearranging to keep things diverse, and moving kids around, and it's all gotten to be a mess. But, a mess worth fixing. Not one to be thrown away.

The high school I attended was likely one of the most diverse in the entire country. My freshman year, it was ranked SEVENTH in the nation. It remained on the top 50 list during my entire attendance, as well as my brother's. It was a magnet school. I danced for 1.5 hours every day. There was drama, music, nerdy math stuff. And I can honestly say I don't think most of us took it for granted. We all knew we were at a school with great promise, and we all had friends of every color, from every clique. We all appreciate our perspective on life as a result, and I believe entered the world after high school with a much more worldly view than your average 18 year old. I saw people get opportunities they'd otherwise not have had. I had opportunities I'd not have had. This, they are taking away.

And I read an interesting argument (I've been stocking editorial pages and have read every article to be read on this). One parent was enraged, saying that his child should not have to go far away just to benefit someone else's child's education. It seemed so closed-minded to me, though I understand the opinion. But then, at the root of it all, another point in response, made so well...this is the school board meant to represent the best interests of an entire county full of children, not just one.

They have public funding. It is their job to protect the EveryChild. To encourage creativity. To inspire the Little Futurelings to dream big. To open a world of possibilities. To close the gap. To do it for all of them.

There is a vote tomorrow to make this all official, but no one will be staying up late to see what happens. This is no health care reform. Sadly, this has already been decided.

Spring Fever

I've got something creeping through my body like a welcome little plague. It's bursting with the sweet smells of awakening flowers and teasing the air with sunshine. There's just nothing like the open promise of starting fresh with Spring.

The Bradford Pear in our front yard went from a hint of buds to a full bloom in a mere eight hour day. No one can keep up with that Old Lady Nature. Birds are nesting in the baskets on our porch, keeping busy as a reminder of the incredible world around us...right outside our door. And the garden plot in our backyard is calling for new tomato plants to root in its earth, promising nothing but bright colors, full flavors, and healthy yummy goodness. My body is refusing to sit still, finding closets to clean and projects to start, bringing that new spring feeling inside our home.

In just a few short weeks, we'll be bringing these in our home as well.
And picking these.
And watching these, as they start anew every day.
And eating these.
And, hopefully, another few of these.
Ahh. The smell of Spring is sweet! What a great world God has given us to share with our little ones.

My own little Blessings, and a wish for you.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

TapTick

normal KID stuff

So here's a post where I simply rattle off things that might be meaningless, except they're not, because they're about my kid, and she is totally freakin' awesome. With sprinkles on top.

Hailey really has flourished in preschool this year. She's made friends, learned to be a bit more independent, and started noticing how she is similar and different from her peers...with great encouragement from me to appreciate those differences. Like how she likes to wear her sneakers with dresses. And how she likes to wear sunglasses on the playground. And how she doesn't always like to play with the same kids every day. And how she likes her hair long, even though her friends get theirs cut.

Anyway, as much as I appreciate those differences and many others, I've wished nothing more than for Hailey to feel like a normal kid a lot of days. Her sensitivity and perceptiveness get in the way a lot. And, though those attributes are very valuable and make her incredible to me, they tend to frustrate her.

So, these things seem small, but I can see the eyes of some normalcy for her in that way peeking through lately, and it has just melted my heart. Literally. I actually got teary the other day while waiting in line at the pharmacy because she was weaving in and out of the roping for the line with a smile on her face. We were the only ones there, so she wasn't being an obnoxious kid who can't keep out of people's way. No. She was being a normal kid, who isn't bothered by the shiny floor or by being two feet away from her mom in a busy supermarket. And she was giggling. And I was thinking, I should really stop her, this isn't behavior to be encouraged. And I was thinking, who is this kid? But I was really glad for her. Like so glad it made me cry.

And then there was the entire hour she played by herself the other day. With no asking for help. No difficulty finding things to do. And yes, this is new for her. She's always needed suggestion, or someone watching over her. But in recent months, she's been exploring the world of being Hailey, and it's just great to watch. It seems there are pockets of time when she just glows with self-confidence in a way she never has before. Something in her heart has shown her she can face things differently.

Simple things, but big things for her. We've been working on talking about our emotions a lot more as a way to help her identify when she's feeling overwhelmed, and it has been infinitely helpful, I believe. She totally gets it, and loves knowing how to put words to things so that we can work through them together...and better yet, she is identifying how to work through them on her own. We've always talked about things, but we've just encouraged her to be more open and matter-of-fact about her feelings lately. Like she tells me she's feeling flustered before she goes over the edge and has a melt-down, which she's learning is so much happier for her heart. So, finding something to do, or walking on a shiny floor, isn't quite as daunting a task, even if it's huge...she is working through it...and that is making her feel big.

(And I am in love with the dot, dot, dot, no? Best little grammatical trick ever. I don't know a run-on sentence. I use the dot, dot, dot, thank you. And watch out below...I see some commas acomin'.)

And there have been mornings where I emerge from the bathroom after getting dressed, and I find her, completely changed from jammies to clothes, pj's in the laundry, bed made, hair ties selected, and little pieces of evidence that she's been busy, like a pen and paper with her name written on them, or a stool at the bottom of her closet with a shirt she decided not to wear thrown across it, or a baby doll tucked nicely in a cradle for resting while she's at school. And this morning, the morning of picture day, she spent her time while I was showering, practicing her squinty-eyed half-open smile in the mirror. It's just this new independence. This new confidence.

We still have our days. There are still obstacles that overwhelm her, and moments in life when she struggles to breathe. Still moments when the sun is too bright, the noises too loud, the tags too itchy, the people too many. She still needs her sleep to handle the weight of the world she carries. She still needs her hand held. She still needs to be still.

But she's learning to balance it all, and to be in control a bit. And I am in awe, and so happy for her.

Girls, Girls, Girls

Okay, so really, can you believe these ponies?

They are marching. In case that's unclear. In a parade. A tidy little pony parade created by the joint efforts of both girls, giving preferential placement to each of their favorites, of course. And in case you are thinking that is a lot of ponies, you should know...we have more.

Some were tired. Or busy. Or pooping rainbows.My kids have plenty of gender neutral toys...and even some monster trucks. Keelyn got a train set for her birthday. Hailey even wears blue and other non-pink colors. Once in a while.

Anyway, we went to a birthday party a few weeks ago, and we were the only family in attendance that did not have any boys. As the birthday boys tore on from one gift to the next, I realized something. We were also the only family that did not bring dinosaurs.

(Go on - Gasp! - and a few OMG, what were you thinkings???) Hideous, huh?

No, thank you. The closest to a "boy" gift I got with my girls' help was some drawing materials. You know, for quiet play. Mind you, dinosaurs and drawing are both known favorites in this particular household...but the point is the dinosaur idea never even crossed my mind. Not once.

It left me to realize how much of a girl each of my girls really is. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it's just so. And when we carry a 3:1 majority (4:1 if you count Diva), it's probably not going to change much. Like minded people don't tend to change the minds of each other's like minds, if you know what I mean.

Just sayin'. If you're thinkin' pink, you're gold around here. If you need to know the names of all of Tinkerbell's fairy friends, you're in luck. Heck, if you want to see some cool old matchbox cars stroll along the lines on the kitchen floor (in Pony Parade fashion of course), we can do that. However, if you expect said cars to crush each other as they race across the floor, charging into walls, and causing children to make all manner of spitting noises to mimic what that might sound like in the mind of a four-year-old, you'll have to look elsewhere. I'm not sure how this happened, but I can tell you, the buck stops there.

Sometimes, home is a dream.

There was the sound of a train rushing swiftly around a track, a helicopter landing. There were snuggles over library books. Giggles from behind curtains and doors. Talks of princess castles. Tutus and silly hats. Dancing, singing, quiet napping. Even a fashion show. Jammies in our house seem to foster creativity. The benefit of knowing there's no agenda. A day when the living room is a great place for a picnic, the bathtub is transformed into the beach, and twirling is necessary at least once every ten minutes, just because.Sometimes home is just our favorite place to be.The other day, we were left with the quiet opportunity to do nothing. There wasn't even a reason to get dressed, so we just didn't. Instead we spent our day being each other's best friends...mostly, I got to watch my girls be sisters. I found myself realizing that these little girls make my home one of the happiest, most joyful, most playful, most relaxing places I've known. I found myself realizing how lucky I am.

Happy Birthday Cooper!

So Cooper, we all miss you over here, and we wanted you to know we're thinking of you on your birthday. These projects were actually created on your birthday, your morning time, and will hopefully catch your eye on the blog here by your birthday, evening time.

Really, this picture is still making me laugh. Both kids have their own version of the Mommy-told-me-to-look-at-the-camera-and-smile look. Hailey made you these lovely signs all by herself.
Keelyn drew you a picture. They're hard to find, but there are two little airplanes by her left hand. She pretty much thinks every airplane we see is going to China. She asked me to draw them on her picture for you.

And Hailey drew her favorite thing to draw...rainbows. And then she decided, while she was in the sky, some airplanes would be good too. Hello Kitty is riding in them. See?

And now, some videos for you...First Hailey...


And from Keelyn, a reading. She wanted to read you a book for your birthday...Green Eggs and Ham. This a long video, so I apologize. My obviously biased opinion is that it gets cuter as it goes on, and I just couldn't cut it down any more than I already did.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Love you.