{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Chicago vs. L.A.

This year, Henry is #5 for the Chicago Wind.

He is clearly loving it and is such a nicer kid after practices and games. What's even better is that I think he actually understanding the game and how to be a part of a team.

In this league, there are still no goal keepers and the only rule of soccer I remember, offsides, does not apply. The learning curve for the parents continues.

Now if this heat would break, all us spectators could sit and watch without the umbrellas, coolers, ice packs and water bottles. I can't imagine a Saturday morning hike to the field without carrying all the cool-down equipment with me...I'm just a sherpa for that oldest child...just living the dream, living the dream.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Adding to the Previous Post

We have been hanging out in Alabaster, enjoying wedging our superheroes' feet in between bricks and hanging princesses upside down by their hair.

That's the kind of end-of-the-day play I can really handle lately.

I have heard the term Helicopter Mom the past few days for the first time. Apparently, this is a common term. I totally understand the inspiration behind and labeling of that kind of parenting.
I'm not a Helicopter Mom, however. I am more of a C130 Mom.

My problem with my new title is that I am not sure if a C130 can hover appropriately. Uncle Brad, a little help?

Uncle Brad flies C130's in the Air Force so it happens to be the only plane I can call by name. I know it is huge, it holds tons of cargo, and it's kinda old.

I jive with all of those things.

I like to think that I can carry around a lot of cargo in case anyone needs anything (wipes, tissues, Tic Tacs, Altoids, screwdriver, notebook, black pen, granola bar, CapriSun, etc.), or have room to pick up any extra kid to come home with us or to drop off somewhere. I also like to think I can hover in the necessary position until reassured that all are safe. This is all normal, neurotic parenting, right?

So it's okay that while we were sitting outside balancing our toys in the bricks, we were watching about 8 neighborhood kids race down the hill in a plastic car whose battery had been removed so they sped assisted by gravity, making the 90 degree turn they pulled at the bottom of the hill - the turn that made the car screech sideways on 2 plastic wheels - the thrill of everyone's life. Except mine.

I watched Henry and Svea wondering when they were going to ask about getting a turn in that car. I seriously had to pop some antacid chewables while we watched and listened, wondering if my C130 self would be able to move fast enough, calling 911 on my cell while running to stop the bleeding of the multiple head, face and body injuries that were sure to come.

They never asked to participate. No neighborhood kids were hurt on my "watch."

Henry did say, "They are making good decisions by taking turns in that car, but maybe they are making a bad decision going down that hill."

Hooray for already instilling fear! Hooray for delaying our talks on self-destruction and wild play and how it scares his mom so he has to wait a little longer for that freedom! Hooray for calm play at the end of the day when I am 8 months pregnant! Hooray that we can work all this out in a few years with a therapist!

Until then, I'll continue hovering, C130-style.

Just Hanging Out...

...Alabaster style:

Hannah Kate says Roll Tide

Ha! Not really...Hannah Kate says War Eagle too...sometimes.

Last week a friend of ours who works for Hannah Kate children's clothes came over to take pictures of Henry and Svea in the new line of Alabama clothes. Luckily we found some sweet stand-ins to wear the Auburn gear.

You can see more photos here and here!

Roll Tide today!

or whatever.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Neda and Anis Came to Visit!

We had the most wonderful visit with our dear friends Neda and Anis.

Of course, we had to try out some Beatles Rock Band...

...which they totally rocked...

And we visited the Pepper Place Farmers' Market and had a little Cantina for lunch:

They've only been gone since Sunday, and we miss them terribly already. Thanks for coming to see us, y'all!

June Dancing Beauties

My mom just sent me these photos from the Princess Ballerina Camp performance. I can't stop staring at them...

Back to School...Again

Henry came home the other day with a headache, which led to a fever, which led to a sore throat, which led to him having strep throat. For the first time.

If I needed any reassurance at all that public school is the best fit for this child, it is in the past two days of him and me being home together. I want to be clear here that I am NOT knocking home schooling a bit; I am just clear that Henry responds very very well to public school at this point in his life. If that changes, we will dig deep and figure out how to school from home. For now, thank heavens he is going back tomorrow.

When he first wanted me to play with him, I just wasn't funny or captivating enough. He would stare at me when my characters voices did not sound right. If I wanted him to hear me about anything at all, I had to include the words "booger" or "armpit" and then he was right there with me. Seriously.

Anytime, and I mean anytime I asked him to do something today, he would tell me that me asking him was, "like, a total nightmare."

Tomorrow is a new day, with hopefully no sore throats in this house. Thank heavens...

this wasn't even at SCHOOL, yawl.

Before school started, we went on a picnic with some friends. It was a "picnic" so I brought sandwiches for 3, enough cold water to drink for 4 days and about 78 cupcakes.

Our friend Angela brought her microscope and some test tubes for collecting samples.



It's easy to feel inadequate in those situations, but I HAD brought all those cupcakes.



Henry and Svea loved looking at bugs and water samples and different leaves under the microscope.

I loved watching them do it.



Angela also happens to know a lot about bugs, like, which ones will bite or sting you and which ones will not. I recommend taking her on all your upcoming picnics.

So do Henry and Svea (aka John Parker Wilson #14...a few years ago now...and Pinkalicious).

{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

McWane Magic, Potato Head Style

Weeks and weeks ago, before summer ended, the kids and I went to the McWane Science Center for some air-conditioned activity.

One McWane employee drew the short stick that day and dressed as Mr. Potato Head. There was a line to take your picture with him, so when Henry's turn came (Svea refused) some random kid jumped in the picture with him and smiled at me. O-kay. I didn't even get his name for the credits.

Svea sat happily at the face-making station and made face after face on the empty potato. I tried not to be such a killjoy and refrained from commenting on how many germs I thought might be living in that pit of face parts.

Henry was fascinated with the "Darth Tater" Potato Head, as well as the Spiderman Potato Head. Who knew?

If only I had been born in a previous decade...

There was also a blue screen for acting out various sporting events, which Henry and Svea loved. They didn't quite understand where to look...

Again, a random kid jumped in on their game, but that didn't slow them down a bit.

All in all, a very fun morning at the McWane.

Sabbath Twenty Ten

Every year, our family gets together with some dear friends who live all over the country to visit, eat, laugh, and reflect on all the happenings of the previous year. It's an intentional thoughtful group, one that remembers joys and sorrows from the past years' visits and gently follows up each summer.

This year we went to a lake house in Georgia to play ping pong...

...blow bubbles...

...catch and study bugs...

and sing out loud.

We call the week Sabbath and look forward to it every year.

Night at Bobbie and Pops'

A few weeks ago, Henry and Svea spent the night with Bobbie and Pops. They were there less than 24 hours, but they certainly packed in the fun:

Getting ready for the ball...wigs, baseball bats, nightgowns and all...

...playing pool...

...trying not to smash our fingers...

...creating sculptures with race cars, pyramids for crashing, etc...

...drawing, writing and interpreting...

...trying on Pops' wig...

...and of course, washing cars. Pops is always pulling a "Tom Sawyer" on them. When we went to visit last weekend, Svea excitedly ran in the room and exclaimed that Pops was going to let her use a REAL vacuum! She didn't even have to pretend! Amazing! Chores!

Brilliant.

Happy Birthday Svea!

Svea is five today!

Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Achieving the Stereotype

One Saturday last October, I leaned against a chain linked fence next to a homemade "Barcelona Matadors" banner for Henry's soccer team, watching the game, surrounded by parents not talking to each other but yelling at their kids. Svea was playing at my feet and I had a paper cup of Starbucks black coffee in my hand. I had on jeans.

And I had a revelation: I am a stereotype. Fully.

I was disturbed.

I felt trapped by my situation, how I presented myself, and how strange it was to realize that I had chosen and created this web that looked like everyone else's.

I finished my coffee, they finished the game. We went home to rest in the false safety of our neighborhood and talked about what to do with the rest of our day since it was now 9:30 a.m.

We were so overzealously average in this average autumn weekend.

This past week the kids started school. Both of them in Big School. My trauma of separation usually runs on a delayed schedule, so I felt great this week and will welcome the tears in about 3 weeks. We met teachers, doled out supplies, made lunches, signed forms and wrote checks, shook out new clothes, slept in our new shoes, even rode the bus - just like everyone else.

Awesomely average.

I sit here, with 2.58 kids, excited and overwhelmed that this October we will welcome our third child. I look at our Golden Retriever who will not bring me a tennis ball. I look at the art on our walls and hear Ben Harper through the speakers. There is something to this, this racing toward the average, this occupation of the fat part of the bell curve.

I have chosen this; I like this. Even if the awareness of it is uncomfortable.

Maybe the discomfort is to remind me of the uniqueness in Henry's handwriting and ninja drawings and in Svea's reconstruction of neighborhoods using Polly Pocket AND Littlest Pet Shop. Maybe we'll just be average for a few more years and then shake it up a bit, really stick it to the Man. Maybe not. I have no answers...just like everyone else.

For now, for today, we'll continue even if it is just like our neighbors, who happen to be pretty nice.