Abigail frequently tells knock-knock jokes that make absolutely no sense. They start out with, "Knock-Knock" the obligatory, "Who's there?" "Frog." "Frog, who?" "Frog was jumping in a pond and he fell down on a rock and then he got up, and hopped around, but then fell again! .... Is that funny Mama?" It is funny. The first 25 times. Then I'm just begging for quiet. But then yesterday Abigail told me one of her epic knock-knock jokes and something she said just hit me in the gut.
"Knock-Knock."
"Who's there?"
"Cow."
"Cow who?"
"A cow who was walking around a farm, and he didn't know he was a cow! He didn't know what he was because he never saw his mother."
And then maybe there was more she said after that, but that sentence reverberated around in my brain. He didn't know he was a cow because he never saw his mother. All of a sudden my role in her establishing her identity became so clear to me.
I could pontificate on this all day. But I can also just leave it at. He didn't know what he was because he never saw his mother.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Last day of preschool.
Okay I love having this blog to look back on what my kids were doing at what time. So this will be a boring post, probably very disjointed since Nathan is running around leaving a path of destruction behind him.
Today was Olivia's last day of preschool. She got to book 14! She still has huge confidence issues when it comes to reading but I'm so proud of how hard she tries. She is the sweetest girl and I'm so lucky to be her mom. Abigail was having a major freak out and Olivia was sitting next to her telling her to take deep breathes and just trying so hard to help her calm down. It was a sweet moment. She is always wanting to serve and surprise people. Her favorite thing right now is probably swimming. She asks every day if we can go swim at grandpa's. And the other day she raced her cousin across the pool, and she didn't seem nearly as fast as him, but when she realized he was about to win she got this lightening speed out of nowhere and beat him. I've stories about her dad doing the same thing so it cracked me up. I'm so excited and anxious for her to start Kindergarten this fall! So crazy.
Abigail officially gave up her binkies for reals this time. And she is struggling. She's 3 and a half. It's beyond time so there's no going back this time. But she literally has not taken a nap since May 1st. 15 days!!! It's ridiculous. She went from sleeping for 14 hours a day to about 10. I keep waiting for it to catch up to her but she's just super grumpy. She melts down at the drop of a hat and it's exhausting.
And then there's Nathan. Ya know that Taylor Swift song, Trouble? That's what we sing to Nathan all day long. "I knew you were trouble when you walked in, trouble, trouble, trouble..." Because 99.9% of the time he is doing something he shouldn't be. And it usually ends in injury or a huge mess. Probably even more exhausting than Abigail and her lack of sleep! He also got a weird bug bite last week and he got really swollen. It scared me half to death but he ended up being fine. We did go the doctor and get some medicine, and I think it helped a lot. Either way it is 10 times better than it was on Monday. He also pooped on the potty for the first time! And he just came to me and asked to take his diaper off and then he ran and sat on the potty! Nothing came out... but he's making the connection. I think. I hope. He still speaks mainly in grunts and pointing. His clearest words are "Iwanthat" (yes all one word in his mind) and "Thank youuuuu" and of course "mama" and he will sometimes say "Daddy" but he doesn't say it very often, even though he wants him all the time. He usually just cries and reaches for him without saying anything. Oh and "uh-oh" that's a common one. And he sings. Always singing. None of the words are decipherable, but sometimes I can catch the tune. And sometimes I will sing to him and he always claps when the song is over. Easy to please. I'm also fairly certain that he has a caffeine addiction. "Soda" is another word he uses frequently asking grandma, daddy and aunts for soda all day long.
And for the rest of what's going on... we still aren't completely sure where we are going to be when Aaron graduates. It is stressful, but we are just living one day a time and doing what we can. I am flying out to NJ on Friday with the kids. By myself. On a plane. For five and a half hours. By myself. With all three kids. I will need help from on high that day for sure. I'm counting on the girls to be good and just play quietly with some barbies or polly pockets and their DS's. My biggest worry is Nathan. I'm sure it won't be pretty but we'll survive.
Then come back here and hopefully know what we're doing and pack up and do it!
Today was Olivia's last day of preschool. She got to book 14! She still has huge confidence issues when it comes to reading but I'm so proud of how hard she tries. She is the sweetest girl and I'm so lucky to be her mom. Abigail was having a major freak out and Olivia was sitting next to her telling her to take deep breathes and just trying so hard to help her calm down. It was a sweet moment. She is always wanting to serve and surprise people. Her favorite thing right now is probably swimming. She asks every day if we can go swim at grandpa's. And the other day she raced her cousin across the pool, and she didn't seem nearly as fast as him, but when she realized he was about to win she got this lightening speed out of nowhere and beat him. I've stories about her dad doing the same thing so it cracked me up. I'm so excited and anxious for her to start Kindergarten this fall! So crazy.
Abigail officially gave up her binkies for reals this time. And she is struggling. She's 3 and a half. It's beyond time so there's no going back this time. But she literally has not taken a nap since May 1st. 15 days!!! It's ridiculous. She went from sleeping for 14 hours a day to about 10. I keep waiting for it to catch up to her but she's just super grumpy. She melts down at the drop of a hat and it's exhausting.
And then there's Nathan. Ya know that Taylor Swift song, Trouble? That's what we sing to Nathan all day long. "I knew you were trouble when you walked in, trouble, trouble, trouble..." Because 99.9% of the time he is doing something he shouldn't be. And it usually ends in injury or a huge mess. Probably even more exhausting than Abigail and her lack of sleep! He also got a weird bug bite last week and he got really swollen. It scared me half to death but he ended up being fine. We did go the doctor and get some medicine, and I think it helped a lot. Either way it is 10 times better than it was on Monday. He also pooped on the potty for the first time! And he just came to me and asked to take his diaper off and then he ran and sat on the potty! Nothing came out... but he's making the connection. I think. I hope. He still speaks mainly in grunts and pointing. His clearest words are "Iwanthat" (yes all one word in his mind) and "Thank youuuuu" and of course "mama" and he will sometimes say "Daddy" but he doesn't say it very often, even though he wants him all the time. He usually just cries and reaches for him without saying anything. Oh and "uh-oh" that's a common one. And he sings. Always singing. None of the words are decipherable, but sometimes I can catch the tune. And sometimes I will sing to him and he always claps when the song is over. Easy to please. I'm also fairly certain that he has a caffeine addiction. "Soda" is another word he uses frequently asking grandma, daddy and aunts for soda all day long.
And for the rest of what's going on... we still aren't completely sure where we are going to be when Aaron graduates. It is stressful, but we are just living one day a time and doing what we can. I am flying out to NJ on Friday with the kids. By myself. On a plane. For five and a half hours. By myself. With all three kids. I will need help from on high that day for sure. I'm counting on the girls to be good and just play quietly with some barbies or polly pockets and their DS's. My biggest worry is Nathan. I'm sure it won't be pretty but we'll survive.
Then come back here and hopefully know what we're doing and pack up and do it!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Dear Lily
Dear Lily,
There is a line in a song that I sing to my own babies, but has been going through my head all day and I feel it's even more appropriate to sing to you. "On the day that you were born, the angels got together and decided to create dream come true..."
On this day that you were born I felt the need to write something. Because I don't know what else to do. And I started to write a blog post (you'll learn all about those some day. It'll be like what they used to do back in the old days by the time you can read this I'm sure!) and it just wasn't coming out right. Then I realized I wanted to talk to you. And I wanted to tell you about my best friend, your Mama.
I know I'm just one of many lucky people who get to call your Mama their best friend. This is because your Mama is the most amazing person ever. We first met in third grade in Miss Miller's class. But we didn't become best friends until our Bayshore Middle School days. I'll always be grateful that my last name started with W, and hers with T, because it meant we got to sit by each other for a lot of things and got to be in the same Homeroom. And then there was Mr. Pingatore's Science class. This is where your mom and I would sit in the back of the room and make each other laugh for 45 minutes, Monday-Friday. Mr. Pingatore never really yelled at us for talking or laughing, and we really got to know each other in that class. The first time we ever hung out, outside of school was at a gym on a "Teen Night". We went swimming, and your great-grandfather picked us up and dropped me off at home. I think that was the only time I ever met "PopPop", but I feel like I knew him because of Cathy's stories. From then on we were pretty much inseparable and spent as much time as we could together. Most of our time was spent talking about boys, wondering what it meant to fall in love, and reading greeting cards in the drug store to find answers.
I can remember walking down my drive way with her and we were talking about how "old" we were because we were turning 13! We thought we were leaving our childhoods behind us and becoming adults. Little did we know just how much growing up we would do together! We listened to each other as we both "fell in love" for the first time. And cried on each others shoulders when those loves didn't work out.
We grew up, but never grew apart. Well at least emotionally. Our lives took us different places, and now I live 2,000 miles away in Arizona. I miss your mom so much and wish I could be there cuddling you right now and hugging her! Lily, I hope you know how much you were wanted. I don't think I've ever known another baby to be so anticipated as you. I know when the time is right your mommy and daddy will tell you all about your angel brothers, and everything your mom and dad went through before they got you. But I want to let you know you have been prayed for long before you were born by multitudes of people who likely you will never even meet. You are loved beyond comprehension. By your parents and family, and friends, and even people who don't even know you! That is something so special, and as you grow up and wonder, as teenagers often do, why you are here, I want you to know you are here for a great purpose, Lily Grillo. You are important, and you are loved more than you could possibly know.
I am so grateful to be friends with your Mama so I will have the opportunity to watch you grow up. I am sure as you grow up you will face lots of challenges like your mom did. But look to her for a great example of how to handle it. She has been through more than anyone else I know, and has always had the best attitude. You can look to your mom always, and I am certain she will be there for you to help you and guide you on this journey. She may not have all the answers, because the truth is none of us do, but your mom has grown and learned so much from all she been through, you would be hard pressed to find anyone more wise and understanding than she.
I have not even met you yet, Lily, but I love you so much!
Love,
Lauren
There is a line in a song that I sing to my own babies, but has been going through my head all day and I feel it's even more appropriate to sing to you. "On the day that you were born, the angels got together and decided to create dream come true..."
On this day that you were born I felt the need to write something. Because I don't know what else to do. And I started to write a blog post (you'll learn all about those some day. It'll be like what they used to do back in the old days by the time you can read this I'm sure!) and it just wasn't coming out right. Then I realized I wanted to talk to you. And I wanted to tell you about my best friend, your Mama.
I know I'm just one of many lucky people who get to call your Mama their best friend. This is because your Mama is the most amazing person ever. We first met in third grade in Miss Miller's class. But we didn't become best friends until our Bayshore Middle School days. I'll always be grateful that my last name started with W, and hers with T, because it meant we got to sit by each other for a lot of things and got to be in the same Homeroom. And then there was Mr. Pingatore's Science class. This is where your mom and I would sit in the back of the room and make each other laugh for 45 minutes, Monday-Friday. Mr. Pingatore never really yelled at us for talking or laughing, and we really got to know each other in that class. The first time we ever hung out, outside of school was at a gym on a "Teen Night". We went swimming, and your great-grandfather picked us up and dropped me off at home. I think that was the only time I ever met "PopPop", but I feel like I knew him because of Cathy's stories. From then on we were pretty much inseparable and spent as much time as we could together. Most of our time was spent talking about boys, wondering what it meant to fall in love, and reading greeting cards in the drug store to find answers.
I can remember walking down my drive way with her and we were talking about how "old" we were because we were turning 13! We thought we were leaving our childhoods behind us and becoming adults. Little did we know just how much growing up we would do together! We listened to each other as we both "fell in love" for the first time. And cried on each others shoulders when those loves didn't work out.
We grew up, but never grew apart. Well at least emotionally. Our lives took us different places, and now I live 2,000 miles away in Arizona. I miss your mom so much and wish I could be there cuddling you right now and hugging her! Lily, I hope you know how much you were wanted. I don't think I've ever known another baby to be so anticipated as you. I know when the time is right your mommy and daddy will tell you all about your angel brothers, and everything your mom and dad went through before they got you. But I want to let you know you have been prayed for long before you were born by multitudes of people who likely you will never even meet. You are loved beyond comprehension. By your parents and family, and friends, and even people who don't even know you! That is something so special, and as you grow up and wonder, as teenagers often do, why you are here, I want you to know you are here for a great purpose, Lily Grillo. You are important, and you are loved more than you could possibly know.
I am so grateful to be friends with your Mama so I will have the opportunity to watch you grow up. I am sure as you grow up you will face lots of challenges like your mom did. But look to her for a great example of how to handle it. She has been through more than anyone else I know, and has always had the best attitude. You can look to your mom always, and I am certain she will be there for you to help you and guide you on this journey. She may not have all the answers, because the truth is none of us do, but your mom has grown and learned so much from all she been through, you would be hard pressed to find anyone more wise and understanding than she.
I have not even met you yet, Lily, but I love you so much!
Love,
Lauren
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