No promises.

I'm back...  I have every intention of getting back on the blogging bandwagon, but I can promise you nothing.  I will try to have a topic for each post.   I have a good friend who does this and she is a daily blogger with conviction.  She's amazing and I will add her to my blog roll.  She's been an inspiration in loads of ways ever since the first time I met her.  We all have people like that... 

Anyway, today's topic is just that, starting over.  I'm starting a few things over this week. 
1.  blogging-  Writing is a strong outlet for me.  It always has been.  I enjoy putting my thoughts into prose and I am far more relaxed after I write.  Blogging is a risk, which is a bit out of my zone.  I think one reason I stopped for a while is because someone that I actually know (that I didn't know was reading my posts) mentioned that she saw one.  I nearly fainted.  It's much easier to write anonymously!  I'm manning up, though.  I can do it, even if you know me!  :)

2.  Exercise- I am not good at this (see previous posts).  I'm lazy (there, I said it).  I want to be healthy.  I want to be fit.  So, even if it's a walk, I'm going to do it this week TWO TIMES.

3.  Being patient- I'm not good at this either, but I am going to try to be more patient with Molly Kate as we go through this murky water of potty training (pun intended).

I will keep you posted.  That's three topics.  I will try to write at least three times and let you know how it's going.  Wish me luck.  And whatever your goals are for the week, good luck to you, too!

Workout, schmerkout!

This is clearly not going to work... I cannot blog about working out, unless I actually work out. And seeing as that only happens about once a month, what good is it...? NONE! So, I quit! I will work out at some point, but I can't feel guilty about it anymore, so I'm just going to love my squishy belly and get over it... (I am pretty sure I will have to be reminded of that at a later date).

So, what can I blog about? Well, I'm just going to stick with my lame-o life for now. We got a new dog, and I'm blissfully in love with her, but am reminded of how very much I miss my sweet labby! That ought to give me a few days' posts. And there are the ins and outs of being a mom which are usually funny, so I think I'm good. Just need to make time.

So, I'll start now with a conversation that Mags and I had yesterday.
Mags was telling me the many things she wants to be when she grows up. They ranged from artist, to firefighter, to musician, and lastly- nail painter. With the final profession she paused, looked at me quizzically and said, "oh wait. Do I have to be Chinese to do that?" And yes, I looked at her as seriously as I could and said, "Only if you work in a strip mall." She nodded in certain understanding and that is why I love my kid!

Week 2- or is it Weak 2???

Yes, I am officially into my second week of the running plan (check the dates, shouldn't that read week 6?)! I finished day two of week two today, and it was my SECOND time running this week! That's a huge improvement to my once weekly agenda I've been keeping! It's been so pretty here that I ran outside, which, I'm not going to lie, is a lot harder than running indoors! I was panting like a dog out there! I did it though, and boy am I glad!

On a side note, I may actually be further ahead in the actual program, but I couldn't figure out how to work the app (there's a slider for the day you're on, so you move it ahead when you are ready), so I did week one day 3 three times... go ahead, shake your head and laugh at me mockingly- I deserve it! :) Mind you, I did have bronchitis last week, too, so I took five days off. I was hacking up a lung, and felt that running was not my best bet! That is still no excuse for not knowing about the slider, though, I know...

Seeing how drama seems to be my middle name, I didn't just come home tonight and celebrate my run with a frosty beverage (because who doesn't drink a good beer after a run???). No, I came home and my husband informed me that our basement FLOODED! No lie. What the hell? We are basement illiterate, so we don't know about sump-pumps and whatnots. The guys who lived here before us never had a leak, so we felt insured! Guess not. Luckily our basement is not finished, but it does house a nation of Barbies and a neighborhood of Groovy Girls that are all soggy and quite upset, I'm sure. So- tomorrow I take a day off with my hubby and we clean our asses off. Maybe if I cleaned more I wouldn't have to run... something to think about!

Week one in three weeks...

That's sad, huh? I just finished "Day 3" of week one in the couch to 5K program, which is wonderful and I should feel really accomplished. The thing is, those three days (four really- I didn't have the app for one day) took me almost three weeks to complete! LAME!
I was thinking while I was running today that perhaps one day, in a few months, I will write a post and link back to these loser posts boasting about my progress and talking about the races I'm running. I'll post some pictures of me all sweaty, smiling proudly and holding up some medal to prove my triumph! I'm hopeful.

You have to understand, I'm lazy. I don't mean lazy in the "never does anything, sits around the house watching TV" lazy. I am a really hard worker, especially when it comes to doing things for my family and keeping them in line. I take a lot of pride in my profession and the work I do for my students. I'm just super lazy when it comes to doing things for me. I find excuses to not do anything. Running falls into that category. Writing falls into that category.
Today, while I was running around the track, I saw something that made me realize that my excuses are no good. That if I want to succeed it's really going to take effort, but I can do that.

Let's backstep for a moment. My dearest friend and I have three children each and they are very close in age. In fact, our first two are the same ages. Our oldest daughters are six weeks apart. Maggie visited her daughter in the hospital at six weeks old. We were so thrilled to be pregnant together again for our second round! I was due about four weeks before her. Instead, her little man came into the world two days after Mairin! He was beautiful, healthy and has Down Syndrome. We didn't get to visit him in the hospital, but we have watched him grow these last six years and we love him dearly. I've always had a very large spot in my heart for children with disabilities. Having Michael in our lives has widened that spot immensely.

The track at the gym goes around three sets of basketball courts. There is always something to watch while I run. Tonight there was a group of teenagers practicing their shots with two twenty-somethings guiding them along. There were about seven of them. Three of them had Down Syndrome. I watched them shoot shot after shot as I circled the courts. There was one boy who was hitting everything! He was working hard, and beamed after he hit three in a row! When I think about all of the things that are hard for him, my complaints seem to diminish. When I think about the possible health problems that plague children with Down Syndrome, my lazy ass just seems whiny... Seeing those boys working so hard really made my heart swell and pushed me a little harder today.

So what if it takes me two weeks longer than it's supposed to. At least I made it through the first week. I hope to get through this second week in half that time. That's not a lofty goal... it's still too long, but who cares- I'm working and no more complaints (you may need to remind me of that)!

Tomorrow's the day...

cause today is not... I didn't make it to the gym again today. Tomorrow, I WILL be there. Wish me luck.

Instead of going to the gym today, I took Molly Kate on a date to the public library. We had a blast. She read about four books to me, telling me stories about the pictures on the pages. She's so cute I can't stand it sometimes! She said, "Oh, dat's Cookie Monster, Mama!" She read all about the letter C, Aurthur (whom she referred to as, "Arfer"), boats and five ducks who ran away from their mother! We played Legos and then she watched the fish. By the time we left we had been there for over an hour. Seemed like a few minutes... kinda like the years with my girls. Every time I turn around they are older, and so am I. I love watching them grow, but sure wish it wouldn't happen so fast!

And the winner is..... couch!

I did begin the Couch25K regimen last week. I began on the 17th and, well, have only had time to do it two times since. Seriously, I don' t know how people do it. Unless I cut sleeping from my list of things to do, I don't really see how I will be able to work out REGULARLY three times a week... here's why:

Monday we went to the gym. It was less than perfect timing, as we both had meetings after school. Working out is now a "priority" though, so we sucked it up, schleped all three kids to the gym and worked out for a whopping 32 minutes (I know this because that app I told you about has a timer). Regardless, at least we did it. We had to hustle out of there because Mairin had basketball practice. We made plans to forgo our anniversary dinner on Wednesday night and workout instead (does that sound as crazy as it feels to write it???)!

Wednesday came with its own set of issues. We woke and started the usual whirlwind that is our mornings. I got up, got ready, woke the house and went downstairs to feed the dog and make the coffee. This morning something was not right. Casey, my sweet lab, was not herself. Instead of bounding down the steps to be fed, she was yelping for no apparent reason, crying out in pain. Now those of you that know me know that I love my dog. I've written of her in the past. Her yelping continued and was joined by dazed staring and trembling all over her body. I'm not going to lie, I thought we were heading for the end. I was a mess. Even Pat couldn't hide his concern.

We left for work and I made it through the morning. I quickly returned home during my break to see how she was doing- more of the same. I immediately called the vet and BAWLED like a baby while I told the receptionist what was going on (I'm not kidding, I was a freak). You have to understand. Our life with Casey has been quite parallel to the movie Marley and Me. She was so much like Marley (minus the incessant barking) that it's not even funny. Seeing that movie has scarred me deeply. That movie touched everyone, unless you're made of stone, but it hit awfully close to home for us... That is all I could think of on Wednesday.

We got to the vet around 3:00. Having a car ride really perked Casey up. We walked in and she promptly pooped all over the scale... oops! The doctor saw us and she was fabulous. She informed us that Casey has a cervical disc something or other (basically she has an inflamed disc in her neck- common for dogs who have spent much of their lives fetching and catching Frisbees). She's on some major steroids and doggy morphine. My life though, is never that simple and we then found out that the big knot on Casey's leg, well, it's not a knot. It's a tumor. A cancerous tumor. UGH! We'll have it removed after we get over the disc business... The doctor assured me that she didn't feel it was the "bad kind" though... I'm going with that.

After a day like that, who can work out? I needed a beer (classy, I know). We went to BW3s and had wings and beer (Happy Anniversary). Not to mention that Molly came home and promptly puked all over the bathroom... So nope, didn't get to workout on Thursday either! On a side note, it was pretty cute. Molly said, "I feel sick, I feel sick!" right before she vomited. When she finished she said, "I all better. I spit my sick out." :)

Today is Friday. I'm exhausted from the week. I took the girls to piano after school, delivered a meal to a friend who just had a beautiful baby girl, and ate pizza with neighbors. Tomorrow brings basketball and housework. I may try to squeeze in a run at the gym, but you know what? I may just keep working out everything else that life throws at me. There's always tomorrow, right?

Newfound resolve?

Ok, so I know I've sucked at blogging lately. Quite honestly, I've sucked at reading blogs, blogging, writing, grading papers, cleaning house, and so on lately. I have been really good at reading, working on my online classroom, and eating. Hope that counts for something!

So, here's a quick rundown of what's been up here! We had a great Christmas. My mom was here, which was interesting, but it was good to have her for the holidays. We enjoyed the time off work and just with family.

The Colts lost the Super Bowl, but we had fun with our good friends.

It's done nothing but snow here and it's on my nerves.

My two oldest girls are playing basketball for the first time. They seem to be enjoying it. I know their daddy likes seeing his girls out there!

Last week we joined a new gym/workout facility/pool. We went yesterday for the first time. Mind you, I used to be a workout junkie. When Pat and I started dating I worked out five to six days a week. It was nothing to go 45 minutes on the Eliptical, do weights and then go out. If I tried that now, I'd be in bed for a solid two days! I was so fit (and stupid) that I would wear a jog bra and biker shorts BY THEMSELVES! Who does that? That's crazy! It probably helped that I worked out at a place called Ladie's Only! Either way, I was way hotter than I am now... :) I say this jokingly, but it's a horrible slap in the face to see myself in the mirror and know that I've allowed this to happen. I'm not huge or anything. Some wouldn't even call me fat, but I'm not thin. I'm out of shape and I have a jello gut! Three kids, yo-yo dieting and too much couch time have caught up with me. Don't even mention the fact that I'm a hell of a lot closer to 40 than I am to 30...

Regardless, I'm starting anew (for about the bazillionth time). I downloaded an app for my iPod, called couch25K, which is basically a beginner's guide to getting into running (mind you there was a time in my life when I'd run around 4 miles a few times a week). This will be a process that I hope rebirths the runner that I used to be. I need it to do that... I will start this new journey tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes... Wish me luck- one day at a time!

New pics of the chicks...

Thought you may want some updated photos of the ladies. We had a very fun weekend of friendship and fundraising! We spent a whirlwind Saturday first walking in the Buddy Walk for our dearest friends' son, Michael. Then we jetted off to Mairin's soccer game where she scored SIX goals (hello, Mia). We then went to dinner with our wonderful neighbors and came home for football and drinks! Sunday we ran into some good friends at church, then went to my sister-in-law's for a fall birthday celebration. Mairin caught a large mouth bass, and cured her new fear of fishing (after sending a hook through her cousin's cheek a month ago). Here are some recent photos of our fun!

Wedded Bliss

Did you see it? Pam and Jim finally tied the knot on NBC's The Office this week. It was HYSTERICAL! You should really go to hulu and watch it. After a week of lows, this was definitely a high for Pat and me (we're easy to please)... It's made for some great conversations as well!
Take a look at their wedding website!

Sweet Molly is 2!

So, we left Monday to go to Tennessee and it was Molly's second birthday! We had to forgo her party on Sunday simply because we had too much to do to get ready to go to TN. We still had cake, and sang, but we didn't do the full-blown bash we had planned.

She has grown so much. She is talking up a storm! Her vocabulary grows everyday and she reminds me so much of Maggie at that age. Molly will say the cutest things. When we sneeze, she will say, "Bless you, Mommy!" She's always looking for things and people, so she'll ask where things are, "Where ducky go?" We've sung Happy Birthday to her so much that she sings it on her own now. Mairin loves to SCREAM, "Cha, cha, cha" after each verse, so now Molly sings, "Happy birthday to you, chicka chicka!" Love it! She's definitely our charming toddler!

Happy Birthday, Molly Kate! We love you, chicka chicka!

What a difference a day (or two) makes...

My last post listed some wonderful things going on in my life, including my step-dad's waged recovery from cancer surgery. Unfortunately, in the following days from my last entry, his recovery was thwarted and he passed away. It seems that his other lasting ailments were the cause. The cancer was a mere hassle compared to his congestive heart failure, which ultimately took him, it seems. Anyway, we just returned from Tennessee and I have a funeral mass and burial to plan...

It's odd that this does not in any way compare to my own father's death. Instead, I feel a great sense of relief for Fred. He was so sick, so frail. NOT the man that I knew. The man I knew walked tall, told really bad (and often off-color) jokes to all who would listen, loved to watch racing, and wouldn't take shit from anyone. The man he had become was not the same, and I know that it bothered him. He was proud, sometimes to a fault, and being sick and not in control was really hard for him. Mom loved him too much to see this, but we saw it and it was sad.

For some, death is a very sad, very hard thing. For me, with my own father's death, I felt this selfishly, and still do. For Fred, I know he is happier now. He was able to see all his grandkids before he left. He was able to tell my mom the things he needed to say. He made peace with the Lord, and received the sacraments before he left us. No, for Fred death is a welcomed reprieve. He is standing up straight, I bet, fixing something that isn't broken and telling everyone within earshot a story about something he did down here.

While he will be missed, he is surely in a better place. Of that I am sure. Rest in peace, Fred Jenkins. Rest in peace.

Lazy blogger... part one

Two months? Really? Seems I've had a bit of writer's block lately, or as I lovingly refer to it- sleep deprivation! Not to be confused with non-workoutism + eating really badlyism= feeling really sluggishism. Either way, I'm too tired to write and/or be creative.

You see, since I last blogged, we have successfully moved, started school, and stared soccer season. That right there is a full menu of things to write about, so quite simply, I've been living my life off screen. Sorry... I will try to catch you up in ten sentences. Here goes:
1. We LOVE our new house, neighbors, proximity to all things- HOWEVER, I miss my girlfriends and have had a few nightmares about the new people in our old house.
2. School has begun anew. I have a class of 26 kids that are great.
3. Maggie and Mairin have successfully transitioned into their new school. They are making friends all over the place.
4. They've have been equally successful with the neighborhood friends they've made. The number of kids in our new neighborhood is quadrupled compared to our old neighborhood!
5. Maggie had her MRI. Results were normal, and that is fabulous! We've had probably six migraines since we've moved... still too many for a small child.
6. Fred had his gallbladder removed after almost dying from septic shock. Cancer was removed yesterday... God must have big plans for him!
7. The older two are in piano and soccer. This eats Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights, along w/Saturdays and every other Sunday after Bible school!
8. Molly Kate has an upper respiratory infection. We're on meds... stay tuned
9. Pat? I don't know. I never get a chance to really talk to him. He's playing basketball right now. We are going out of town this weekend. It will be our first outing w/o our kids in quite a long time.
10. Molly Kate turns 2 on Monday! I can't believe it!

Ok, more than 10, but a good summary of life right now. Me? I'm fine. Getting chunky and tired, but good. I love my job, my kids, and my hubby, so that helps!

I won't wait two months next time...

My screaming girls

I'm sitting here procrastinating packing a while longer and all I hear is a panting dog and intermittent screams from the garage. It's my girls, "playing" I guess? Who knows, but those screams are endless! I'm quite certain that the high-pitched squeals are reeking havoc on many of the neighborhood dogs! Here's proof that it starts early ( I cannot figure out how to turn the video. It's turned in my Picasa file, but not when I export...)!:



Good thing she's cute!
That's all for today. Look forward to posts on outdoor concerts, chocolate wine, the big move, and MRIs...

Unwritten rules...

Today we visited with some great friends at the splash park. It was such a lovely day outside, the quintessential Indiana summer day (before the dog-days set in). The girls had a really good time, and so did I, until about ten minutes before we were to leave...

There are some unwritten rules about going out in public with children. Some that people never tell you... For instance, when you bring a sweet, like a lollipop, bring enough for every child at the venue (which Jenni did because she is fabulous, and obviously knows the rules). Here are some others:

- When you plan to leave the venue, subtract 15 minutes. That way you get out prior to the "we've stayed far too long" meltdowns.
- ALWAYS bring two drinks for each child (and a flask for you). When the first is gulped at the onset, you have a spare for later...
- Regardless of how many times you went to the bathroom before you left, any child between the ages of 3 and 5 will need to go as soon as you reach the venue.
- Everyone else's lunch is better than the one you've made, it doesn't matter that you cut off the crusts.
- The longer you are there the stronger the chance that someone will get a cut, scratch, gash... BRING a band-aide or four.
- That fluid streaming from the swim diaper is probably not water if your child has not actually been submerged, they don't absorb...
- Yes, you really should wait after applying sunblock. Don't put it on and then send your kids into the pool- sort of defeats the purpose, but we all do it...

There are so many... Some seem like common sense, but clearly when you have children common sense is at a minimum and lessens with each child. These are things that even the wisest, most experienced parents have to learn as they go. I'm just lucky that I have so many girlfriends who are learning right alongside me, and we can laugh (and cry) about it together!

For another laugh, here's a writer who has some unwritten rules on baseball and life. I thought it was funny. Hope you do, too.

This never gets old...

I can remember being a little kid and being so excited to take in film to get it developed so I could see what great pics I took. I can also remember the stab of disappointment when the pictures came back too blurry, too far away, or with a finger nicely placed in the foreground... As we got older, I can recall taking many a photo with my girlfriends where one of us took the picture with our arms stretched out in front as far as they'd go. Heather and I ALWAYS did this on trips we'd take. Yes, usually our hair didn't totally make it into the frame.

Nowadays, the fun is taken out of waiting for your film to process. Instead we are given the instant gratification of checking our pictures to see if eyes are closed or if hair fits. One of Mairin's favorite pastimes is to take the camera and shoot away. I have scores of pictures of her favorite Disney shows, our dog, the computer and random household objects. Yes, I also have a trove of self-portraits that she has taken. I laugh out loud each and every time, so I thought I'd share them with you. I'm sure you have a few of your own...












And a "grown-up" version for Heather!

Rain, Rain, go away...

It's a nasty day! Cool and rainy. Good for three things, being lazy, cleaning house, or shopping... I say we shop! We'll see what happens...

8 hours later

Well, we shopped until we dropped. Literally. I am exhausted. The girls had the time of their lives shopping at "the mall". We took full advantage of the sale racks and got some cute back-to-school loot! I can tell I'm stressed because I am shopping online again, and felt little remorse for buying trinkets from Claires for the ladies.

Shopping isn't really something I enjoy. Sure, I like to roam the isles at Target, but true, trying it on, walking in and out of stores, shopping is not my thing.... UNLESS I am stressed. Then I can spend it like I've got it (which I don't)... My girls do not have this problem. They could shop all day, everyday, as long as they get something from it. Well, today they did and so did their dad. Me? No, I didn't buy anything, but I did get to have fun through the eyes of two little girls who know how to work a sale rack- just like their mommy...
Makes me so proud!

Volcanos and Hope

Remember how I said it was stressful to sell a house? Boy, I had no clue! Ready to ride the wave of insanity with me?

Last week was nuts... My stepdad got really sick, like gonna die any minute, you must travel south two states sick. So, Wednesday morning I said good-bye to my family (again) and drove to TN with my sister-in-law and my two nephews. While I was doing this, the hubby was busying himself getting the attic packed and cleaning for our reinspection on Friday. His sister graciously helped me pack the downstairs the night prior to my departure, and then took our three ladies for a fun sleepover (good people).

Thursday- stepdad improves by God's grace (and I do mean grace)! Husband continues with house clean/purge/repairs. I do not sleep.

Friday- reinspection does not go well. The buyers walk up without the smiles of excited new home owners, without the cordial greeting one would have when meeting the man who is now living in the home they can't wait to buy. Instead they seem disgruntled, ill-at-ease, and my husband is wondering why they are even in this... The inspector says the work that is done is shotty in some areas, and he is a bit right. They leave without saying good-bye... not a good sign...

Saturday- no word (not good). I drive home and listen to whatever I want on the radio... It's like a sensory smorgasbord, and I cannot decide between news radio, Sirius pop music, or Hair Nation! I love satellite radio!!!! I am filled with new worries as I pull into the driveway... what if it all falls through? Quickly followed by, it can't, they're way too invested!

Sunday- We made it to church on time (seldom happens). I prayed for the Lord to take this over. I feel like a volcano, truly. Like I could just snap at any minute, erupt in anger and stress. Handing things over is not my strong suit. I tend to be a control freak, but I knew that this was important for my health. So I gave it up to Him. Whatever was His will, I asked to accept it. After church we drove by our new house and there was a SOLD sign in the yard! Ahhh, some closure. Surely we would get this done!

The husband golfed that afternoon and the girls and I swam and enjoyed the summer sun. I sat down to watch Food Network and make a list of things to do for the week ahead when the husband came home. He was strangely vacant, finding things to busy himself instead of greeting me with a kiss and telling me about his golf game. Then he told me- "We lost our buyers today." BOOM- volcanic ash all over my living room! Not pretty! We talked, I cried, we drank, I cried, then I remembered that this is no longer mine. I gave it up earlier that day. I cried anyway...

You still with me? It gets better, I promise!

Monday- I was a zombie. You know how when you break a bone and have to tell the story to EVERYONE you see, repeatedly, hour after hour? I was not looking forward to that, so I just stayed inside and busied myself with kitchen tasks. Laura came over and helped tremendously. We cleaned the fridge, freezer, baked. It was good. I felt MUCH better, peaceful almost! Not my problem, right? Hubby was out golfing (big surprise, I know).

We went to the neighbor's for dinner and to hang. The husband comes rushing over around six, "We have a showing in an hour... gotta get cleaning!" UGH- wasn't ready for day one to start so fast... Long story short, (ok, not really), we had an offer on the table at 9! Seriously! What a rollercoaster.

It's still early, but things feel right this time. Maybe because I have no control of it, and I'm ok with that. Maybe all this HAD to transpire, so we could remember who is in charge... I just hope He likes this group and that we can move now... I'll let you know... :)

Mr. Jackson, we'll miss you...

OMG! Did you hear the news? My first crush (ok, after Kirk Cameron) is DEAD??? Michael Jackson has apparently died of a heart-attack at 50. Let's all bow our heads in a moment of silence for the King of Pop. We'll miss the music, the dance, but not the freakish life that became his. Now he can rest in peace, just him and the man in the mirror... such a PYT.
Listen and relive...The moves that made him famous,
The way he looked when we all fell in love with him (one of my all time favorite MJ songs)!, another great video (the beginning of the plastic surgery...)...

Happy Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's day. I am generally the kind of wife that makes sure my hubby feels ultra-appreciated on any of his special days (and even a few in-between)! However, I was not home for Father's Day this year. Instead I was in a car headed home from sunny Saugatuck, Michigan, with three of my dearest friends. Collectively we form the Dead Dads Club (or "The DDC" as we like to call it). All four of us have lost our fathers at some point in our lives, and while this is not the thread that binds us, it is a blanket of comfort for each of us at different times.

We had a great weekend (will post a pic of the beach and our B&B later). The weather was sunny and hot (although it rained the first night). We had a great time relaxing on the beach and enjoyed the band at the Butler on our last night. We laughed so hard, my abs were sore! As with every meeting of the DDC, we spent much of our time telling stories about kids, work, family, memories and joys. Typically, we always end up talking about our dads.

We all have such different memories of our fathers, mostly because we were all at very different places in our lives when they left us. My dad was such a loving man. While there is so much I didn't get the chance to know about him, I can say without doubt that he was very proud of me and made sure I knew it. He had a great smile and whistled to get your attention. He wore Blue Blocker sunglasses and always smelled of Lagerfeld. He was very smart, but never acted like he was "above" anyone. He tapped his fingers on the dashboard in time with the music, a trait that I do today, and he popped his knuckles- another trait I picked-up... I selfishly miss him deeply for all the things I wish I knew and all the things I wish he could be a part of, especially my girls' lives.

I do feel a bit guilty for not giving Pat the full-fledged Father's Day he deserves. He's an amazing father. He's the father I wish I grew-up with. He's sometimes the parent I wish I could be. I watch him with our kids and fall more in love with him. Ask any of my girls, and they'll tell you how great their daddy is. He plays with them, builds forts with them, reads with them, hugs them, laughs with them, loves them. And while I wasn't there to make him breakfast or let him sleep in, I hope he knows that I am so proud to be his wife. I pray my girls are much, much older than I am today when they become members of the club that I hold dear, and when they do, I know they will have quite a collection of memories of one great father who loves them very, very much.

When does school start?

Today was our official first day of summer! It rained a monsoon... ALL day long! Originally, we had grand plans of lounging in our leisure, eating bonbons and watching television talk shows- oh yes, there are the children to think of... :) No, instead we immediately got into the hustle and bustle that comes with selling one's home. In the twenty days since we've been on the market, we've had ten showings. You do the math... I've never professed to be a clean freak, but I sure am now. I am NOT complaining though (too much). If this keeps up, there must be one person that will want to buy, right?

At any rate, after a few hours of picking up messes, we were off to see the doctor. Mairin was to go with her father to the grocery, while Maggie would accompany Molly and me to the doc. As Mairin does, she decided that she instead wanted to go to the doctor. In fact, her words were, "Why does Maggie get to go when I have something so hurtful???" Um... what? "My stomach, my head, my lips are dry..." I guess she couldn't think of anything more, and I had to walk away to hide the huge smile that spread across my face! Needless to say, she went with Dad, ailments and all!

Our trip to the doctor was nothing to note. The good news is that Molly does not have another ear infection. The bad news is that her bad mood may just be a part of her almost-two-year-old temperament! UGH! Did I mention it was raining? How about that it was cold? Was it ever... 53* to be exact... That made it a fun jaunt through the parking lot for Maggie (IN FLIP FLOPS- seriously, who dresses that kid?)... We decided to meet Daddy and Mairin for lunch. Then off to get haircuts.

I must tell you that Molly's first haircut was a complete disaster! By disaster I mean screaming, crying, flailing baby being held by her mother while a lovely woman tries her best NOT to stab anything, but still to trim said baby's hair... This says it best...









Today was much better! She was happily watching Elmo, while I sat on pins and needles waiting for the ball to drop. Maggie got her hair layered, too. Pretty cute, but a bit of a "big girl do" for my taste. I guess that has to happen...

We finally came home and all Hell broke loose! I guess they had forgotten how much they hate being indoors because they were absolutely crazy! We put Molly down and Maggie started in on how bored she was, then we heard an eruption in the garage, which was Mairin falling while trying to hit her father (karma) onto the garage floor... We walk over her and unload the groceries... and so it goes. One catastrophe after another... At four thirty we got in the car for the showing and sighed a big sigh of relief. Elmo back on, markers and Polly Pockets kept our kids occupied for the hour, strapped in and relatively in harmony...

So, how many more days until school starts??? :)