Wanderlust

Wanderlust:  a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world. 

My wanderlust is flaring up.  Our travel for the rest of the year will be limited to a solo trip with 4 destinations: 

Dallas

 Arkansas - my favorite state

Phoenix

The Florida Panhandle

Car

After 28 months without a car, we finally have one!  It is everything I hoped it would be and more.  Being able to drive whenever I want is a luxury.  When I go back to having to drive everywhere, I know will long for the days of being able to walk or let somebody else drive.  

 

The first day I drove, Brent was not sure I was going to make it.  I have to admit I was a nervous wreck.  My palms were sweating and I felt panicky.  But a couple of more times out and it is normal now.  Occasionally when turning, I have to think about to which lane to go.  And roundabouts are a struggle.  More than once I have made a full circle. 

I am waiting for a ticket to come in the mail.  I made a right hand turn were only left is allowed.  I did not see a police officer (there are not many in patrol cars it appears) and there was not traffic.  I have since heard there is a camera to catch deviants like me.  It makes me wonder how many other surprises are coming in the post. 

I filled up for the first time last week.  I could not figure out how to open the gas cap door.  After several minutes, I  was just about to look in the book when I noticed the doors were locked.  So now I know the doors must be unlocked to put gas in the car.  Next, I had a slight heart attack as the numbers flipped to a whopping 99.97 gbp!  Sounds bad enough without converting to $.  This station did not offer pay at the pump.  When I went in to pay, the guy was laughing at me and asked if it was my first time to put fuel in the car.  I wondered how he would know this...he was watching to spectacle of trying to figure out how to open the door.  Thanks a lot!     

No doubt there will be more tales from driving on the left to come...

Brownies

I stepped up this year and am the leader for Caroline's Brownie troop. I think it is a good program for girls but I am not a die hard scouting person. Mary Kate has always been in a troop so I want the same opportunity for Caroline. The leader from Mary Kate's troop in Texas was extremely organized and ran the troop with ease. I simply copied her model and it has been very manageable.

I've been a little creative and my two favorites are writing a chant for camping and making SWAPS.  SWAPS are "Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Some Where". The girls trade them with girls from other troops.  They are a fun craft project and it is interesting to see other SWAPS. 

I found this SWAP idea somewhere on the Internet.  I googled several sites so I can not link back to a specific source.  My goal was to make them with supplies I had on hand and it had to be simple because each girl needed to make 4.  Here are the supplies:

I pre-cut the felt and twine and placed 4 of the above in a baggie for each girl.  They rolled the felt around a pencil, glued the edge, wrapped and knotted the twine, pulled out the pencil, trimmed the twine, and added the safety pin.  Voila, an adorable little sleeping bag:

The highlight of the year was an overnight camping trip.  It took a good bit of effort to prepare but it was completely worth it.  The girls LOVED it.  They were well behaved and had a great time.  Going to sleep was so challenging for them.  I can not blame them - if I had 8 of my friends in the same room I would have stayed up all night!  They think Caroline's mom is the cat's meow - which is funny because I normally do not have that effect on children.  

This is the chant they sang at the campfire and they made up motions on their own:

S-C-O-U-T-S

Girl Scout camping is the best!

S is for SWAPS we trade,

C is for campfires made.

O is for our sit-upons,

U is for up at dawn.

T is for tents outdoors,

S is for eating s’mores.

S-C-O-U-T-S

Girl Scout camping is the best!

Boy Mom

I am a "girl person". As a girl myself, I understand girls and girl things.  In my family the first four siblings are girls and as a teenager I babysat a family of four girls.  I find little girls to be too cute and precious. I wished with all my might Mary Kate would be a girl. I was thrilled to get to have two girls!

I was glad to have a boy because everyone says you need to have one of them. However, I could not understand why. Of course I would adore him for just being my baby.  But I always thought mothers of boys tolerated all that dreadful boy stuff - cars, balls, trains and later sports and being rowdy. What is to like about mud and wrestling?

Much to my surprise I find joy in the "boyishness"! Joy from the complete delight my boy has when doing and seeing these boy things. He has been parented in mostly the same way as the girls (except I am older and wiser so he does things such as slide over the sofa, which would never have been allowed with the girls). But he is drawn to balls and playing outside. Playing outside was a punishment for the girls. For him playing outside is a sure cure for a meltdown.

Seeing the world through a little boy's eyes has been an unexpected pleasure. It is not better or worse than a girl's perspective, merely different. I am truly grateful to experience both.

Empire State of Mind

Before Christmas we tagged along with Brent on a work trip to New York City.  It was fabulous!  It is an amazing city and I would love to live there...you never know what the future holds?!?  But with three children it does not seem likely. 

Our flight out was uneventful.  We arrived and were very tired but hit the streets and headed straight for Little Italy.  We went to a popular pizza place first and put our name on the list.  While waiting we walked around to keep from falling asleep.  We came across Rubirosa and decided to eat there instead.  It was amazing!  The thing that took us by surprise was the servers did not speak with an Eastern European accent and could understand everything we said.  It is all in what you become accustomed and we are now used to London. 

The next day it rained.all.day.  Yes, I live in London but rarely does it rain all day and when it does I am not sightseeing.  In the morning, we went to early Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral.  The girls and I went to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular show.  It was excellent and I highly recommend it.  Brent and George stayed at the hotel...

I received a lesson from the cab driver on how to hail a cab.  In London there are rules about where the driver can stop.  Not so in New York.  You have to throw yourself in front of the cab to get it before somebody else.  Lesson learned.

Leslie (my college roommate) took the train in to spend the afternoon with us.  I know!  Amazing how we have not aged a day in 18 years...

We walked through Times Square and down to Chelsea.  The 1:1 adult to child ratio was nice.

Monday morning the weather turned bitter cold.  Brent went to work.  The rest of us went for brunch and shopping at American Girl.  I find American Girl to be overpriced but irresistible.  The girls save their birthday and pocket money for these shopping trips. 

Tuesday was more of the same very cold weather.  We did a little shopping but had to spend a good bit of time in the room because it was too cold to be outside for long.  We had an spectacular view...

We also spent a good bit of time in the bathroom waiting for George to go to sleep at night.  Eventually we would give up and go to bed too.  We did not try to adjust to the time change.  So Brent and I were up bright and early like it or not. 

On our last day we took the subway downtown to the Staten Island Ferry.  Tickets to the Statue of Liberty were sold out so this was the closest (and free) way to see it.  

During this trip George was officially banned from all restaurants worldwide.  Despite a few trials to lift the ban in the meantime, it stays firmly in place.  He ate a lot of street vendor hot dogs and the girls discovered Hawaiian Punch.  

I found the people to be surprisingly friendly and helpful.  In London, I rarely have a door held or help down stairs with the stroller.  Everywhere we went I was overwhelmed with help.  A plus to living here is I tackled the city and subway with three children on my own and did not think a thing of it.  We did not get to explore nearly as much as we wanted, namely Central Park, because it was take-your-breath-away cold.  My love affair with the city is going strong and I am looking for any chance to go back!  

George at 22 Months

George at 22 months is the funniest, sweetest, cutest, cleverest little thing ever.

In daddy's overalls:

Since he was born when he wakes I ask him how he is this morning/afternoon.  For the first time this morning he responded "good"!  He repeats many of his words - duck duck, yes yes, more more, paci paci.  He is putting different two words together.  His best words are "onk" for blanket and for paci he says it without the p and i.  He is very good at "shhh" when he should be quiet. 

The world of boyishness is open to him.   A couple of months ago he discovered trucks, buses, motorcycles and ne-nas (emergency vehicles).  Since we walk everywhere and live close to a hospital he gets to see several of these a day.  He can spot a ne-na a mile away.  The sirens are very loud and I cover his ears when they go by - he does it now too. 

George is very loving and affectionate.  He gives about 50 unsolicited hugs and kisses a day.  He loves Veggie Tales - too much.  He reads lots of books.  He does not get why daddy's phone does not work like mommy's with a touch screen.  He wants to jump and thinks he is jumping. 

Watching Veggie Tales....

He eats too well at times.  It is a little embarrassing around other people when he eats entire bowls of grapes and berries.  Or at his playgroup when he will not play but stays by the snacks until he has eaten all of them.  His favorite at the moment is large bowls of porridge (oatmeal). 

He new stunt is to climb on his little chair and slide over the back of the sofa.  I know I should make him stop.  But I find it so clever and funny I let him do it. 

His naps start between 12-1.  Occasionally I have to wake him for the school run.  How could I disturb him...

Busy Season Recap

I survived busy season #15! I think it was the most successful on record.  Overall it was intense but manageable.  Straightforward returns are nice for a quick feeling of accomplishment.  But my favorite is a complex group with multiple spreadsheets.  Ahhh the rush!!!  And I am not joking.  

How do I do it all?  Well, I do not.  I heard an author say when she writes she only writes and everything else is ignored.  This is my strategy.  No blog posts.  Only one lunch - it was a birthday lunch.  No volunteer meetings.  No coffees.  No exercise - and it is surprising how hungry working in the accounting field makes a person.  Laundry is washed just-in-time.  More take away than usual.  Stacks of clutter - apparently I spend a good bit of time sorting and organizing in ordinary time. 

When April 18th finally rolled around (those extra days are torment) I felt a little nostalgic about years past 15 years.  I started in tax my first semester at OU.  I answered an ad at the student union from a law office.  At this point accounting students are trying to answer the question of going into audit or tax.  After a few weeks I knew what I wanted to do.  Next, I spent time (it is has similarities to jail) in public accounting then tax software development.  Software development busy season was ahead of filing season then we had the torture of product phone support. during filing season.  

My first year home with Mary Kate I had a few paying clients - just enough to cover expenses and pay for her birthday party.  Odd as it my sound I truly enjoy my profession.  I am very thankful I get to stay home and work...another post for another day...

Easter

We hope you all had a Happy Easter! 

Three children...

Two girls...

One boy...

Caroline in her Alice in Wonderland dress...

Mary Kate...

We had a few practice hunts so he was ready for the real deal...

My lone decorating attempt...

Easter Lunch Menu

Orange and Whole Grain Mustard Glazed Ham

Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks

Deviled Eggs

Steamed Asparagus

Pig Cake

Interrupt

I interrupt my busy season program to bring you:

George the Little Boy...

Yesterday he walked to playgroup for the first time, wearing his big boy shoes (he has only worn soft slipper shoes until this week), he asked to wear a hat (he does not like hats - see Halloween) and happily wore his "backback". 

He is so sweet and delicious, I want to gobble him up! He actually looked at the phone and smiled when I said to say cheese.  One more...

How do you...

George at 19 months

A long overdue Georgie update...

The Littlest Munckin is a toddler!  His difficult baby behavior has made toddler behavior easy.  I was concerned about his lack of words as he only said three - hot, duck and up.  Then like magic he turned 19 months and is now adding a word a day.  He is working on b words - boo, ball, book, block, banana, blue, bread.  He knows several animal sounds.  He clearly communicates yes and no - and not just no for everything. 

The amazing part is how many things he understands.  I talk to him all day - I feel I am talking to myself most of the time. But now when I say to put his chin up to zip his jacket, he puts his chin up.  Today as I folded laundry and sorted out the socks from the pile. 

George is a very tidy boy.  He likes to sweep, pick up his toys, unload the silverware from the dishwasher and load the washing machine.  He has a high awareness of how we do things.  Unprompted he will bring the girls snack bags upstairs in the morning or remind us to bring a coat or pair of shoes downstairs from our rooms.  

His hair is slowly growing and is curly.  He has 12 teeth with the 4 eye teeth breaking through.  He is in 18-24 month clothes.  He has yet to wear jeans but he may soon.  Admittedly a couple of  backup outfits he is outgrowing look too babyish.  

He walked on the sidewalk for the first time today.  He has started climbing.  I would not call him a climber but he has mastered the skill.  The safety zone of the kitchen table is no longer safe from his reach .  He sleeps 12 hours at night and takes a solid 2 hour nap everyday.  

He is a great eater.  He has a refined palate and refuses to eat plain food.  He still avoids dairy and chocolate.  After his daddy's insistence he occasionally drinks juice. 

George loves Elmo.  He loves books - especially lift-the-flap books.  He loves to dance.  He loves his sisters.  He loves balls.  He loves to play toys. 

Our house is very drafty.  Function trumps style on really cold days...

 

 

Tissues

When I see a box of tissues or a roll of toilet paper I no longer worry about how I will get the tissues out of the box or the paper off the roll...

The aggravating sister is a bonus special effect. 

Final Christmas Final

The last Christmas post...I swear the decorations were put away a month ago!

George in fancy dress...

Dear Santa - again this year we were good...most of the time!

(Note the emergen-c for Santa's health.)  

Twas the Night before Christmas....the littlest one could not make it to story time...

Thank you for the teddy bear...

2010 ornaments from Crate & Barrel...appropriate for London...