9/11

I remember exactly where I was on the infamous 9/11.  

Don't we all have a story like that?  Mine starts with:  It was a beautiful fall day in Minnesota, a bluebird day, my mom would call it.  The sky was so clear and the clouds were white and puffy; they looked as though they'd been painted on.  I was on the threshold of my senior year of college - the end was in sight - and I was teaching preschool to pay the bills.  My littles were running around, enjoying free play before we were going to head upstairs for art time with the nursing home residents.  Their chatter filled the room with a throb of energy.  Another teacher came into my classroom, white as a ghost, and said her husband had just called and as she told me what had happened - what was still happening, my mind didn't quite comprehend and all I could think was: "What kind of dumb-ass falls asleep while flying a plane?"  

But as the details came in and the shock of that monstrosity settled around me, I looked at my preschoolers, still oblivious of the dangers of the world, and for just a moment, I envied their innocence.

Six  years later, on September 11, 2007, I again found myself holding my breath and clutching my phone for the entire day...but for an entirely different reason.  My brother was on the cusp of becoming a dad, thus making me an auntie for the first time.  My heart raced all day; my palms were sweaty and my patience was non-existent.  On that 9/11, the day was filled the hope and the promise of a new person entering the world.  Isn't it funny how a baby makes even the saddest days, the hardest of times, easier to handle?  That just by smelling their little heads and kissing their tiny toes, you can feel free from whatever the dark clouds are that loom over your head.  He did that for me.  And even though he is officially a big boy now, his smile still obliterates any dark clouds I might be carrying around.  Every time I see him, every time he wraps his little arms around my neck or snuggles up onto my lap for a story, I am reminded that there is good in this world.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy.  You continue to make our days brighter.

Auntie Heather loves you so much and so much.

I remember exactly where I was on the infamous 9/11.  

Don't we all have a story like that?  Mine starts with:  It was a beautiful fall day in Minnesota, a bluebird day, my mom would call it.  The sky was so clear and the clouds were white and puffy; they looked as though they'd been painted on.  I was on the threshold of my senior year of college - the end was in sight - and I was teaching preschool to pay the bills.  My littles were running around, enjoying free play before we were going to head upstairs for art time with the nursing home residents.  Their chatter filled the room with a throb of energy.  Another teacher came into my classroom, white as a ghost, and said her husband had just called and as she told me what had happened - what was still happening, my mind didn't quite comprehend and all I could think was: "What kind of dumb-ass falls asleep while flying a plane?"  

But as the details came in and the shock of that monstrosity settled around me, I looked at my preschoolers, still oblivious of the dangers of the world, and for just a moment, I envied their innocence.

Six  years later, on September 11, 2007, I again found myself holding my breath and clutching my phone for the entire day...but for an entirely different reason.  My brother was on the cusp of becoming a dad, thus making me an auntie for the first time.  My heart raced all day; my palms were sweaty and my patience was non-existent.  On that 9/11, the day was filled the hope and the promise of a new person entering the world.  Isn't it funny how a baby makes even the saddest days, the hardest of times, easier to handle?  That just by smelling their little heads and kissing their tiny toes, you can feel free from whatever the dark clouds are that loom over your head.  He did that for me.  And even though he is officially a big boy now, his smile still obliterates any dark clouds I might be carrying around.  Every time I see him, every time he wraps his little arms around my neck or snuggles up onto my lap for a story, I am reminded that there is good in this world.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy.  You continue to make our days brighter.

Auntie Heather loves you so much and so much.

Michief Antenna

Finn inherited his hair from me - it's about the only thing he got from me, except probably my voracious appetite and love of books.  It's  four or five different shades of blond right now, bleached on the top to an almost white from hours spent playing outside this summer.  It's very fine hair and prone to sweet, soft curls in the back.  I can't bring myself to even trim it because I'm afraid that I will loose those curls.

When he wakes up in the morning, the little curls that formed after his bedtime bath have somehow morphed into these wild horns of hair on his head that stick up in random and weird ways.  It looses all sense of sweetness and takes on a whole new savage aspect.  We've taken to gauging how much daily mischief he's going to get into by how wild his hair is in the morning.  It's a pretty exact science.

We call it his Mischief Antenna.
The higher the antenna, the more mischief he will get into.

I think we're in for a day full of mischief today...

Finn inherited his hair from me - it's about the only thing he got from me, except probably my voracious appetite and love of books.  It's  four or five different shades of blond right now, bleached on the top to an almost white from hours spent playing outside this summer.  It's very fine hair and prone to sweet, soft curls in the back.  I can't bring myself to even trim it because I'm afraid that I will loose those curls.

When he wakes up in the morning, the little curls that formed after his bedtime bath have somehow morphed into these wild horns of hair on his head that stick up in random and weird ways.  It looses all sense of sweetness and takes on a whole new savage aspect.  We've taken to gauging how much daily mischief he's going to get into by how wild his hair is in the morning.  It's a pretty exact science.

We call it his Mischief Antenna.
The higher the antenna, the more mischief he will get into.

I think we're in for a day full of mischief today...

Ady in Iowa

Daniel's Ady came to visit us here in Iowa a couple of weeks ago, and I think we showed her a pretty darn good time, if I do say so myself.  For the record, Sars came, too, but she had a class to take, so she had to leave early and didn't get to do all of the fun stuff that we were able to do with Ady.

We took her for a walk around Arnold's Park and showed her the lake.  Since it was a hot day, an ice cream cone from the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor was necessary.  It is such a fun little retro ice cream shop with big bins of ice cream tucked inside white coolers.  You get to pick your scoops and your cone.  Perfect for eating by the lake on a sunny day.

Abby and Ady each got a cherry cheesecake flavored ice cream cone.  Finn and I shared Rocky Road.  I love Rocky Road so much.  Just thinking about Rocky Road ice cream makes me want to go and get a cone right now.  Too bad the ice cream shop is probably closed since summer is officially over here in Spirit Lake.   I think I might have to make that in my ice cream maker next week.   

Finn loved the Rocky Road, too.  In fact, he gave me dirty looks when I would try to wipe his face off.  I think he wanted to save the extra ice cream on his mouth for a snack.  I also got an extra plain cone for him to nibble on and he was in baby heaven.

Next summer our plan is for Daniel can come back with Ady and we can show him around Okoboji, too.  Although I think there will be more beer and less ice cream consumed when Uncle Dan comes to visit!

The weekend is almost here and I can't wait to see Daniel and Ady!

Daniel's Ady came to visit us here in Iowa a couple of weeks ago, and I think we showed her a pretty darn good time, if I do say so myself.  For the record, Sars came, too, but she had a class to take, so she had to leave early and didn't get to do all of the fun stuff that we were able to do with Ady.

We took her for a walk around Arnold's Park and showed her the lake.  Since it was a hot day, an ice cream cone from the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor was necessary.  It is such a fun little retro ice cream shop with big bins of ice cream tucked inside white coolers.  You get to pick your scoops and your cone.  Perfect for eating by the lake on a sunny day.

Abby and Ady each got a cherry cheesecake flavored ice cream cone.  Finn and I shared Rocky Road.  I love Rocky Road so much.  Just thinking about Rocky Road ice cream makes me want to go and get a cone right now.  Too bad the ice cream shop is probably closed since summer is officially over here in Spirit Lake.   I think I might have to make that in my ice cream maker next week.   

Finn loved the Rocky Road, too.  In fact, he gave me dirty looks when I would try to wipe his face off.  I think he wanted to save the extra ice cream on his mouth for a snack.  I also got an extra plain cone for him to nibble on and he was in baby heaven.

Next summer our plan is for Daniel can come back with Ady and we can show him around Okoboji, too.  Although I think there will be more beer and less ice cream consumed when Uncle Dan comes to visit!

The weekend is almost here and I can't wait to see Daniel and Ady!

You Capture: Summertime

We are soaking up every single sun-shiney ray in these last days of summer.  I take Finn outside every chance I get, not only because he likes to practice with his new wobbly legs and grass provides a soft place to land, but because soon we will be knee deep (thigh deep...elbow deep...chin deep...) in snow.  And while I love the that we have four solid, definable seasons here, this time of year - fall -  is my favorite...I was made for fall.  I love how fall curls around the edges of the day, cool enough for sweaters in the morning and the evening but perfect for playing outside in the middle.  The leaves are starting to give up their grasp on the branches and yesterday they drifted down around us and crunched under the bike tires and with every spin of the wheel, wrapping us in the scent of crisp things to come.

Here's to the end of summertime...I'm ready for fall.

If you want to see some more Summertime pictures, head over to I Should Be Folding Laundry...

Next week's challenge: Apples

We are soaking up every single sun-shiney ray in these last days of summer.  I take Finn outside every chance I get, not only because he likes to practice with his new wobbly legs and grass provides a soft place to land, but because soon we will be knee deep (thigh deep...elbow deep...chin deep...) in snow.  And while I love the that we have four solid, definable seasons here, this time of year - fall -  is my favorite...I was made for fall.  I love how fall curls around the edges of the day, cool enough for sweaters in the morning and the evening but perfect for playing outside in the middle.  The leaves are starting to give up their grasp on the branches and yesterday they drifted down around us and crunched under the bike tires and with every spin of the wheel, wrapping us in the scent of crisp things to come.

Here's to the end of summertime...I'm ready for fall.

If you want to see some more Summertime pictures, head over to I Should Be Folding Laundry...

Next week's challenge: Apples

Hello, did you miss me?

I missed me - and you, too!  I've been busy trying to get my new "working-mom" life in order again.  It takes practice and planning and I'm still getting the balancing correct, so thank you for being patient with me.

I just put Finn down for a morning nap.  He's got five teeth brewing in his face and that makes for a tired and cranky boy.  Did I mention that he's walking now?  That makes for a very mobile and tired and cranky boy.  Last week when I was working, Uriah had the day off so he and Finn spent it together.  I'm sure it was the first day that they'd been together, just the two of them, since April.  Uriah took it upon himself to teach Finn to walk.  Not to worry...he video recorded those monumental first steps for me to watch when I got home from work.  I cried a little bit at first that I missed it, but to be perfectly honest, I'm more glad now that he's walking.  I know kids do things in their own good time, but I was starting to get a little worried.  And now that he can do it, he tries to walk all of the time; he falls down and picks himself right back up again to try again.  By the end of the day, I'm tired of holding my breath during the big spills and cheering so loudly for his accomplishments, but I'm so happy that he's got his little feet semi-solidly planted underneath him.

Abby's fully into her volleyball season and, although she hasn't had a game yet, they have practice every night after school, so she comes home tired and cranky, too.  Do you see a pattern here with my tired and cranky kids?  She's also waiting not-so-patiently to get an instrument in band.  Since homecoming is right around the corner, the band teacher has been working on marching with the students that played an instrument last year.  Until his time is freed up just a bit and he can work with the new band students, they are given an "interim" instrument.  Abby's playing The Woodblock.  You can imagine how she feels about playing The Woodblock (I think it's kind of funny, she does not.).  I'll be happy when homecoming is over and she can play an instrument that lives up to her lofty band expectations and stop complaining about The Woodblock.

Uriah's first summer season is done...thank you, Baby Jesus.  Hopefully now he'll be home a little bit more, although tonight he's going to hit some golf balls around the course after work, so maybe I'm just trading the busyness of the summer season with the faux-busyness of fall golf?

In an effort to make my life a little bit more organized, last week, I implemented cleaning zones.  I spent way too much time cleaning everything chaotically and randomly during the week, or cleaning whatever I felt needed the most attention on a daily basis, and yet somehow I still felt like I'd accomplished nothing.  Now, each day of the week has a different zone to clean and organize.  So far I feel much less like a chicken running around without a head, trying to catch up on laundry and ironing and dusting every single day, and more like: one day at a time...one chore at a time...it will all get done in its own time.  Speaking of zones: today is bedrooms, so I'd best get my tush into my room for a dusting and sheet changing and floor vacuuming flurry before Finn wakes up from his nap and we clean his room together (which, trust me, takes a lot longer, but I know that he needs to learn to "help.").

Happy Hump Day...it's all down hill after today!  Daniel will be home for a short leave (although it feels like he just left, but I guess that's the military for you, right?), so we'll be at my mom's this weekend reveling in a Post-Family reunion and a birthday party celebration for my special boy, Dane.  I can't even wait!

I missed me - and you, too!  I've been busy trying to get my new "working-mom" life in order again.  It takes practice and planning and I'm still getting the balancing correct, so thank you for being patient with me.

I just put Finn down for a morning nap.  He's got five teeth brewing in his face and that makes for a tired and cranky boy.  Did I mention that he's walking now?  That makes for a very mobile and tired and cranky boy.  Last week when I was working, Uriah had the day off so he and Finn spent it together.  I'm sure it was the first day that they'd been together, just the two of them, since April.  Uriah took it upon himself to teach Finn to walk.  Not to worry...he video recorded those monumental first steps for me to watch when I got home from work.  I cried a little bit at first that I missed it, but to be perfectly honest, I'm more glad now that he's walking.  I know kids do things in their own good time, but I was starting to get a little worried.  And now that he can do it, he tries to walk all of the time; he falls down and picks himself right back up again to try again.  By the end of the day, I'm tired of holding my breath during the big spills and cheering so loudly for his accomplishments, but I'm so happy that he's got his little feet semi-solidly planted underneath him.

Abby's fully into her volleyball season and, although she hasn't had a game yet, they have practice every night after school, so she comes home tired and cranky, too.  Do you see a pattern here with my tired and cranky kids?  She's also waiting not-so-patiently to get an instrument in band.  Since homecoming is right around the corner, the band teacher has been working on marching with the students that played an instrument last year.  Until his time is freed up just a bit and he can work with the new band students, they are given an "interim" instrument.  Abby's playing The Woodblock.  You can imagine how she feels about playing The Woodblock (I think it's kind of funny, she does not.).  I'll be happy when homecoming is over and she can play an instrument that lives up to her lofty band expectations and stop complaining about The Woodblock.

Uriah's first summer season is done...thank you, Baby Jesus.  Hopefully now he'll be home a little bit more, although tonight he's going to hit some golf balls around the course after work, so maybe I'm just trading the busyness of the summer season with the faux-busyness of fall golf?

In an effort to make my life a little bit more organized, last week, I implemented cleaning zones.  I spent way too much time cleaning everything chaotically and randomly during the week, or cleaning whatever I felt needed the most attention on a daily basis, and yet somehow I still felt like I'd accomplished nothing.  Now, each day of the week has a different zone to clean and organize.  So far I feel much less like a chicken running around without a head, trying to catch up on laundry and ironing and dusting every single day, and more like: one day at a time...one chore at a time...it will all get done in its own time.  Speaking of zones: today is bedrooms, so I'd best get my tush into my room for a dusting and sheet changing and floor vacuuming flurry before Finn wakes up from his nap and we clean his room together (which, trust me, takes a lot longer, but I know that he needs to learn to "help.").

Happy Hump Day...it's all down hill after today!  Daniel will be home for a short leave (although it feels like he just left, but I guess that's the military for you, right?), so we'll be at my mom's this weekend reveling in a Post-Family reunion and a birthday party celebration for my special boy, Dane.  I can't even wait!