Just tired

Too hot for the park today, even though I'd planned ahead and packed lunch. I worked with Lauren on her reading and workbooks. She carefully copied her letters, and read a 4-sentence story. "Play a game with me, Mama," she said.

Tired from waking in the wee hours again. Playgroups are good for socializing, but I always leave feeling more tired. One of the mommies announced she's pregnant (14 weeks) with her second child, so we talked animatedly about that - us three other mommies have second children all born within a week of each other.

Instead, she's playing Caribou by herself, narrating like a sportscaster. When Lindsay wakes up in about an hour and a half, we're heading to the pool.

Maybe it was the talk of school today that has me feeling tired and put out?

Or maybe the result of the 3-day break?

What we did during our 3 days without kids

...went out for a lovely dinner in the city complete with frozen watermelon margaritas.

...saw 3 movies, 2 of them back-to-back.

...cleaned the car and the house.

...during every lull, said, "I miss my girls"...

Where's our hero?

So, I took a great picture of the kids playing at the park. And another of the kids at the beach. And yet another of Lauren having her hair done yesterday morning before the wedding. The two pictures you haven't seen are inside my cell phone which is angrily flashing at me because I forgot my charger.

We Stolls went together to have our hair done yesterday morning. We settled on big curls over the top of the wreath Lauren had chosen. Then, Lauren and I went to have our nails done. She sat excitedly as her toenails were painted a cheery pink, eyes wide as the young technician painted a flower on each big toenail.

Later, she reiterated the experience to Alec:

"Then, they give your feet a bath! But just your feet, so you don't have to take any clothes off! They wash your feet and then put lots of cream on them, and that kind of tickles, but I didn't mind it at all..." She showed off her matching white flowers on her index fingernails. "I thought when she first started that it was a butterfly, but then she took out the white and made a dot in the center, and then she painted a green stem..."

I know it may cost me some Worst Mama Points, but I can't really think of a better way to have spent $20.

Today, the girls head off with their GG and Grandpa Paul for the shore. Our fun includes a trip to a museum, dinner in the city, and catching up on movies. Oh, and sleep. Lots of sleep.

Isn't this what summer should be like?

Paul, Lauren, Ross, Nicole, and Lars

Gold shoes at dawn

Last week, Lauren selected a pair of gold shoes at Marshalls. They were on sale for $10, and as adorable as some of her grandparents think those plastic high-heeled dress up shoes look, those who surely remember how graceful I was as a child can't possibly think that my child does anything but fall off them crashing into things and yet they buy them for her anyway...she can't actually walk in them. These look a little like Dorothy's shoes might if they were gold flats. Fancy enough that they look princess-ish with one of those frocks, and yet walkable enough to make it to the grocery store.

At 6:30 AM, after waking me at nearly 2 AM screaming Mommy! in the dark for me to find that she was still asleep, Lauren stuck her gold shoe in my face. "Is this on the right foot?"

"No." I replied. I rolled over and fell back to sleep.

Ice cream at the park

Happy birthday, Jules

Lindsay with her Auntie Jules, Christmas 2006

I know you can't read this where you are, but I'm thinking of you. Happy 22, sis. I hope this year holds healing for you, and that by 23 this whole mess is far behind you.

I love you, Jules.

Flower girl

Almost perfect

I'll always be your sister
Your sister, your sister
I'll always be your sister
and I love you

And yet, somehow I think Lindsay would appreciate the sentiment more if Lauren weren't sitting on top of her.

If Lauren was a rockstar

'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair

from Rockstar by Nickelback

"That doesn't sound like any fun at all." Lauren replied.

"Hmm?"

"We just won't eat?!"

"Oh, it's just a song..."

"I like to eat. I like to eat often, actually. It would not be any fun to be hungry all the time."

"No, I don't think so either..."

Some of that cute stuff

Lindsay, July 2007

Lauren, July 2007

One vote no

But why won't she say Mama??!

Lindsay has just a handful of words so far. She says yes. She doesn't actually say no, but she shakes her head emphatically. She also indicates when she wants more. She says kitty [kiiiiy] and down [dun]. She has been saying Daddy [not Da or Dada] meaningfully for about 2 weeks. When my mom was visiting this week, she said "G.G." and indicated with a pointing finger that she wanted her grandmother. Today, she said Jack, the name of a 2 and a half year old friend.

I think I see a little twinkle in her eye that she doesn't say Mama. It's that same twinkle that she's taken a couple of steps that Alec has seen, and G.G. and Mimi saw, but not me.

Songs from the back(yardigans) seat

Because I'm not only beautiful
I'm extra extra tough!

Nobody told me there'd be days like these

[Scene: Farmer's Market. Several tables are piled high with local produce, wildflowers, freshly baked breads and pies. A pickle stand is surrounded by barrels.

EPIPHANY enters, pushing a stroller with LINDSAY within. A diaper bag is slung over the rungs of the stroller which is flanked by LAUREN on one side.

As she eases her way toward the the tables with her purchases, EPIPHANY'S load grows heavy. As she approaches the pickle stand to speak with the proprietor, a YOUNG BOY comes around the back of the stroller, at the very moment LINDSAY stands up. The stroller crashes back, leaving YOUNG BOY looking surprised.]

LAUREN: Mom, can I have a pickle?
YOUNG BOY: Sorry!
YOUNG BOY'S MOM: What did you do, Jeffrey?! Oh my God. Didn't you see there's a baby in there?!
EPIPHANY[tiredly]: It really wasn't his fault, ma'am. The groceries are too heavy for the stroller. And the baby is just fine...
LAUREN: Mom, can I have a pickle?
YOUNG BOY'S MOM: You'd better say you're sorry, Jeff.
EPIPHANY: He did say he was sorry. But it really wasn't his fault. The groceries were too heavy.
LAUREN: Mom, can I have a pickle?
PASSERBY: You know what the problem is? You have too many bags on the back of the stroller.
EPIPHANY: Oh, thank you.
LAUREN: Mom, can I have a pickle?
PICKLE VENDOR: That's 11 dollars.
PASSERBY: You really should fix the stroller so it doesn't fall down again...
LAUREN: Mom, can I have a pickle?

[Scene.]

Beautiful butterflies

Lindsay

Katie

Lauren

These were from our trip to the Bronx Zoo today. The butterflies were amazingly beautiful. Far more so than I can manage to capture with my camera, but I hope you can see it reflected in the wonder in their little faces.

Of course, their favorite part of the day was the very dark Mouse House, where we got to see baby rodents of many sizes.

We will likely return when the heat of the summer has passed. When the humidity isn't such that even the act of sitting down leaves your bottom merged with the fabric of your jeans, and walking up hill leaves you breathless. Maybe in September when the crowds thin a bit, and "free" Wednesdays aren't jam-packed with camp kids in matching t-shirts.

We still had a lot of fun.

Katie, Mackenzie, and Lauren

Watching the fireworks

Alec and Lindsay

Lauren and Grampie

The fireworks

Lauren and Grampie watching fireworks

Confirming what I already knew to be true

Lindsay took 2 steps yesterday. Of course I didn't see this happen. Of course it wasn't documented for posterity with pictures and video. She took 2 steps to reach something on the coffee table, gave Alec an "ooh, you caught me" glance, and promptly fell on her butt.

She's been walking this whole time. I just know it.

And if she's anything like her older sister, it will be a week before she attempts this again. That's just long enough to stop remembering to always have a camera handy.

Because sometimes life is just that sad

Fourth of July

The party winds down, as seen by Lauren:

Epiphany tells a story

I love how this looks like Sybil's having visions.

Lauren and Karen

Strange days indeed

For The New Girl who is dreading the long hours of the night as a new mom, Lindsay at one of her best moments:

Lindsay and Lauren, June 2006

Lauren's thinking, Can we send her back now? I think it was about this time that she asked if could bring her back to the hospital yet.

I'd love to say the days are full of sunshine and rainbows, but they're not. They are usually are at least a bit better than this...