Sometimes I joke that God gave me just one son because he knows what I can handle.
We have a certain night of the week in which Evelyn finishes ballet class, Olivia has to be at ballet class, and Henry (and his friend with whom we carpool) must be at a local park for soccer all at the same time. This creates a major challenge, and our timeline must be precise to insure timeliness. At the exact minute that the kids were supposed to load into the van, I heard a most tremendous crash inside the garage. It sounded like the whole house shattered. I opened the door to find Henry with his eyes wide and his mouth open in utter disbelief. Glass, loads of it, was shattered all over our garage floor. His soccer ball was on top of our glass recycling bin, and he had accidentally pulled the entire tub full of glass off a four foot high shelf. It crashed down, and by the grace of God did not cut him. My first question was, "Are you hurt?" When he shook his head no and apologized, I said, "Get in the van." I was totally calm. Thankfully, I had parked in the driveway, and the garage door was shut. We had no danger of glass in those tires. I then made the dreaded call to Robbie, as he was heading to his parking spot in the garage, and explained that the entire area was covered in shattered glass. When I texted a picture to my friend, she got a good laugh and responded that it looks like we drink a lot. I imagine I will always associate the sound of breaking glass with this event of Henry's childhood.
Henry started piano lessons in February after pleading to receive them like his sisters. This requires practice time at home. The girls use the keyboard too, and if they put their sheet music over Henry's piano book then to him it has disappeared forever. He's not great at searching for missing items. I was making dinner one afternoon at the start of piano practice time. Henry appeared in the kitchen in a rage, insisting that his piano book had been hidden and demanding that I find them. I was busy, and I didn't like his bad attitude. I said, "Son, do you think Jesus spoke to Mary the way that you are speaking to me?" He immediately responded with, "Mommy, do you think Mary helped Jesus find things when they were missing?" I had to laugh at his quick wit, but his quip required additional reprimanding.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
2015 Trolley Run - "This may not have been such a good idea."
Today marked a momentous occasion for our family. Vivian will not listen to me when I instruct her to stop growing up. She ran in her first Trolley Run, a four mile race that benefits her friend Jude's school, Children's Center for the Visually Impaired. Since Robbie's foot has been out of commission, and only Grandpa planned to accompany me, I decided we'd only run with Olivia and Evelyn. However, the little kids were honestly begging me to register them for the race. I relented Thursday night, and they were ecstatic upon learning the news.
The temperature was in the upper 40s F this morning, and we tried to leave the house by 6:45 am. We failed. The natural consequence of our lateness what that when we finally finished the race we had to climb 5 flights of stairs in the parking garage. The impact before the race was that we stood in a long line waiting for a bus next to Victoria's Secret larger than life photographs of scantily clad lingerie models. This got the kids' attention. Their comments ranged from, "Ooohhh!" (as in "yuck"), "Oh, my!", "Those bras don't even cover all of her breasts!" to, "How can she even wear that under clothes with all of those studs?" The comments about the panties were even livelier! Henry told us to look at the evil one, which was a photo meant by a marketing executive to look seductive. Mike and I found this pretty funny, but we were glad when our place in line passed VS.
The sun did not shine, and the wind blew. Olivia ran alone. Her 6th grade girls' track team won their meet yesterday. She ran the 1600 m (mile race), open 400 m, and the 400 m leg of the distance medley relay. I figured her legs would be dead tired today, but she stayed strong. This was Olivia's eighth Trolley Run race because she ran the first one at age 3 with me a few weeks before her fourth birthday. She missed one the year we were in Oklahoma City. Olivia's hand was throbbing because last night while using my sharpest knife to cut a plastic Hershey's kiss candy cane shaped container, she deeply cut her hand to the bone. The wound required stitches, and her father sewed her up in his office with Nurse Mama assisting to calm the very nervous child.
Evelyn, age 9 in April, raced with Grandpa Mike, and her 40:11 time for four miles earned her 10th place in her age group of girls 10 years and under. She's a little dynamo with great mental toughness. She felt really lucky that she was the one who got to run with Grandpa, who drove in from Illinois for the race. I ran with Henry and Vivian. They did an outstanding job of staying near me because we ran holding hands for almost 2 miles, sweet, but rather challenging. When Vivian got too tired, she didn't walk. Instead, I scooped her up and carried her so she could catch her breath. I'd then put her down, and we were off once again. She didn't whine or complain while running, that big shot! She kept telling me that she was going, "Medium." When Henry did a small amount of fussing about wanting to walk, I reminded him that registering for the RUN was his idea. Vivian said, "I'm younger than you, and I'm not complaining about running." Her quote of the day at some point after mile two was, "This may not have been such a good idea." I recall Evelyn telling me at about the same point during her first Trolley Run that the race was the hardest and most fun thing she had ever done in her life. Love it!
Vivian kept asking when she was going to be able do do her thunderbolt to the finish. The race makes a sharp turn at the top of a hill right before the finish line. I turned Henry and Vivian loose for the sprint to the finish. She was thrilled with the news that it was time to run super fast. She wore her long hair in pigtails, and they streamed behind her. She was in a gorgeous long, fast stride down that hill. Grandpa Mike, Olivia, and Evelyn had finished the race, and they were cheering from the sidelines near the finish line. Henry zoomed forward and finished in 49:38. Vivian was only 10 seconds behind him, 49:48. I was so happy for the children. We waited (freezing from the cold wind) for Jude's Dudes team to finish, and the kids cheered for Jude and the Nicksons. It seems like yesterday that Jude was a baby in a onesie with a race bib on the chest. Today he is a talking, walking big boy loved and supported by many. Our family loves and respects the Nicksons, and we're thankful to have a personal connection to this fun family race.
The temperature was in the upper 40s F this morning, and we tried to leave the house by 6:45 am. We failed. The natural consequence of our lateness what that when we finally finished the race we had to climb 5 flights of stairs in the parking garage. The impact before the race was that we stood in a long line waiting for a bus next to Victoria's Secret larger than life photographs of scantily clad lingerie models. This got the kids' attention. Their comments ranged from, "Ooohhh!" (as in "yuck"), "Oh, my!", "Those bras don't even cover all of her breasts!" to, "How can she even wear that under clothes with all of those studs?" The comments about the panties were even livelier! Henry told us to look at the evil one, which was a photo meant by a marketing executive to look seductive. Mike and I found this pretty funny, but we were glad when our place in line passed VS.
The sun did not shine, and the wind blew. Olivia ran alone. Her 6th grade girls' track team won their meet yesterday. She ran the 1600 m (mile race), open 400 m, and the 400 m leg of the distance medley relay. I figured her legs would be dead tired today, but she stayed strong. This was Olivia's eighth Trolley Run race because she ran the first one at age 3 with me a few weeks before her fourth birthday. She missed one the year we were in Oklahoma City. Olivia's hand was throbbing because last night while using my sharpest knife to cut a plastic Hershey's kiss candy cane shaped container, she deeply cut her hand to the bone. The wound required stitches, and her father sewed her up in his office with Nurse Mama assisting to calm the very nervous child.
Evelyn, age 9 in April, raced with Grandpa Mike, and her 40:11 time for four miles earned her 10th place in her age group of girls 10 years and under. She's a little dynamo with great mental toughness. She felt really lucky that she was the one who got to run with Grandpa, who drove in from Illinois for the race. I ran with Henry and Vivian. They did an outstanding job of staying near me because we ran holding hands for almost 2 miles, sweet, but rather challenging. When Vivian got too tired, she didn't walk. Instead, I scooped her up and carried her so she could catch her breath. I'd then put her down, and we were off once again. She didn't whine or complain while running, that big shot! She kept telling me that she was going, "Medium." When Henry did a small amount of fussing about wanting to walk, I reminded him that registering for the RUN was his idea. Vivian said, "I'm younger than you, and I'm not complaining about running." Her quote of the day at some point after mile two was, "This may not have been such a good idea." I recall Evelyn telling me at about the same point during her first Trolley Run that the race was the hardest and most fun thing she had ever done in her life. Love it!
Vivian kept asking when she was going to be able do do her thunderbolt to the finish. The race makes a sharp turn at the top of a hill right before the finish line. I turned Henry and Vivian loose for the sprint to the finish. She was thrilled with the news that it was time to run super fast. She wore her long hair in pigtails, and they streamed behind her. She was in a gorgeous long, fast stride down that hill. Grandpa Mike, Olivia, and Evelyn had finished the race, and they were cheering from the sidelines near the finish line. Henry zoomed forward and finished in 49:38. Vivian was only 10 seconds behind him, 49:48. I was so happy for the children. We waited (freezing from the cold wind) for Jude's Dudes team to finish, and the kids cheered for Jude and the Nicksons. It seems like yesterday that Jude was a baby in a onesie with a race bib on the chest. Today he is a talking, walking big boy loved and supported by many. Our family loves and respects the Nicksons, and we're thankful to have a personal connection to this fun family race.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
A Million Trees and Sugar Lips
Robbie and Olivia just left the condo after a lunch break. My phone says it is 10 degrees and feels like 4 below zero. When I checked the weather first thing this morning the wind chill was -30 degrees F! Robbie insisted it must be wrong. He skied with the big girls for just over an hour this morning, as Evelyn was too cold to continue. Henry didn't want a thing to do with skiing today. He told us he was tired of skiing and just wanted to stay in and relax. His thighs hurt. I guess he is my son.
I'm typing by the fire, and the little kids are doing school work. I have a pretty view of snow capped pines on the mountain out my window. I love it. On the drive here Henry said, "Wow! There are a million trees out there!" Pictures just don't do justice to the majesty of the surrounding view. The peacefulness of moving up the mountain on the lifts with God's scenery around us is one of my favorite parts of ski trips.
We really enjoyed the mass service Sunday evening. We hurried to eat and clean up before the 5:15 pm mass, and the children were pretty wiped out by the time it began. Vivian fell asleep in my arms, and she stayed asleep after I carefully propped her on the pew as I went up to receive the Eucharist. She was darling. The priest turned out to be an old seminary classmate of Msgr. Charles McGlinn. He mentioned praying for his health during the petitions.
After browsing the village shops with Henry and Viv today we stopped into Sugar Lips mini donuts. The dough is similar to funnel cake, and they are made to order (hot!) and covered with an abundance of cinnamon and sugar. We were in heaven eating them as they absolutely melted in our mouths. Henry's heaven lasted all of about 30 seconds for he shoved them whole into his mouth. Viv had the sweetest little sugar lips. Henry had sugar hands, sugar coat, sugar table, sugar face. The little ones spilled the beans as we entered the condo and found Daddy, O, and Ev, so I went out into the cold for another dozen.
Yesterday Robbie let the children go into a ski park that had four consecutive jumps in a row. They are pretty big time, and snowboarders use them most often. The girls have done them before, and they can handle the tiny bit of air they get without crashing. Henry crashed on the first ramp. He then made his way to try the next one, but he lost momentum just before he got to the top of the peak, so he slid backwards. He skis without poles. The same thing happened again on the third ramp, and Robbie went to rescue him. An old snowboarder told us we broke the "get out of the way if you don't make the jump rule". We learned.
On the mountain the others often went off the main stretch onto little trick paths in the woods or on side natural ramp areas. I stuck to enormous S paths down the mountain. While Olivia was always trying to push us to go higher on the mountain or find a tougher run, little Evelyn was constantly concerned for my well being. "What about Mom? Will she be okay? Is she going to get lost?" She is a sweet one. Olivia's last words as she left to ski today were, "We're going to try to find a black without moguls!" Again, I maintain it is so good that children have two parents. She'd never have the same childhood experience with me as her only parent. I was proud of the progress I made on the terrain we skied for four days. There were areas that challenged me greatly. We all laughed at how Mommy's strategy on those areas was to make zig zaps (not curvy S paths) all the way left and right on the mountain like scrunched Z's. I probably skied four times the distance of the others in the family due to my technique. That said, I survived another ski trip unharmed, and I had a blast.
I'm typing by the fire, and the little kids are doing school work. I have a pretty view of snow capped pines on the mountain out my window. I love it. On the drive here Henry said, "Wow! There are a million trees out there!" Pictures just don't do justice to the majesty of the surrounding view. The peacefulness of moving up the mountain on the lifts with God's scenery around us is one of my favorite parts of ski trips.
We really enjoyed the mass service Sunday evening. We hurried to eat and clean up before the 5:15 pm mass, and the children were pretty wiped out by the time it began. Vivian fell asleep in my arms, and she stayed asleep after I carefully propped her on the pew as I went up to receive the Eucharist. She was darling. The priest turned out to be an old seminary classmate of Msgr. Charles McGlinn. He mentioned praying for his health during the petitions.
After browsing the village shops with Henry and Viv today we stopped into Sugar Lips mini donuts. The dough is similar to funnel cake, and they are made to order (hot!) and covered with an abundance of cinnamon and sugar. We were in heaven eating them as they absolutely melted in our mouths. Henry's heaven lasted all of about 30 seconds for he shoved them whole into his mouth. Viv had the sweetest little sugar lips. Henry had sugar hands, sugar coat, sugar table, sugar face. The little ones spilled the beans as we entered the condo and found Daddy, O, and Ev, so I went out into the cold for another dozen.
Yesterday Robbie let the children go into a ski park that had four consecutive jumps in a row. They are pretty big time, and snowboarders use them most often. The girls have done them before, and they can handle the tiny bit of air they get without crashing. Henry crashed on the first ramp. He then made his way to try the next one, but he lost momentum just before he got to the top of the peak, so he slid backwards. He skis without poles. The same thing happened again on the third ramp, and Robbie went to rescue him. An old snowboarder told us we broke the "get out of the way if you don't make the jump rule". We learned.
On the mountain the others often went off the main stretch onto little trick paths in the woods or on side natural ramp areas. I stuck to enormous S paths down the mountain. While Olivia was always trying to push us to go higher on the mountain or find a tougher run, little Evelyn was constantly concerned for my well being. "What about Mom? Will she be okay? Is she going to get lost?" She is a sweet one. Olivia's last words as she left to ski today were, "We're going to try to find a black without moguls!" Again, I maintain it is so good that children have two parents. She'd never have the same childhood experience with me as her only parent. I was proud of the progress I made on the terrain we skied for four days. There were areas that challenged me greatly. We all laughed at how Mommy's strategy on those areas was to make zig zaps (not curvy S paths) all the way left and right on the mountain like scrunched Z's. I probably skied four times the distance of the others in the family due to my technique. That said, I survived another ski trip unharmed, and I had a blast.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
This is a great adventure.
I really can't get over how exciting this trip has been. Honestly, the excitement I feel about the kids' skiing (Vivian's advancement in particular) is like that of a first time parent with a baby who just learned to walk. I want to shout from the mountaintops! Good thing I'm in the mountains...
Henry, Evelyn, and Olivia skied with us parents today while Vivian took another ski school lesson. She had one other little girl in her group, and the instructor pushed her to the max in a great way. After lunch I asked Robbie to take us back to the top of the mountain to ski down the long green runs to the bottom that we enjoyed so much with the big girls yesterday. Olivia and Evelyn follow right behind Robbie, and they control themselves beautifully. When they lead, they navigate the mountain easily. They seem ready to ski whatever lies ahead, and I am always the pokey one bringing up the rear. It was different skiing the very long run with Henry. He was freaked out by the height we climbed on two lifts to reach the peak. He crashed on a tree pathway and slid into deep snow. He started screaming for me, and I had to get out of my skis and run uphill through deep powder in ski boots. I was certain he had broken his leg from his yelling, but he was just really scared. He later got ahead of us and went on a path other than what Robbie planned. At that point I sent them on ahead and went to the base to wait for Vivian's lesson to end. You'll never guess what I spied. She was going down the bunny slope, but she was skiing over a snow ramp doing ski jumps. She tried it about five times before she landed her final attempt! Robbie had returned with the other kids, so we all got to cheer for her success. The best part was that the ski instructor explained he had taken her up the high speed Union Creek lift where she successfully skied down green runs that I had been doing. She was off the beginner part of the mountain and super slow Kokomo and Lumberjack lifts. She really wanted to ride the fast lift to show us her skiing skills, but Henry and Evelyn were cold and exhausted. We skied from 9 am until 3 pm with just a short lunch break. As usual, Robbie doesn't mess around. It was snowing a blizzard and in the low 20s. Olivia and Robbie said they'd take her on the run. Robbie said she did an awesome job. She wiped out a few times on the steep sections, but she did so well and had so much fun that once they got down to the bottom Vivian asked to go back up to ski down again!! We are all so proud of Miss Viv. Birth order is such an interesting factor. I believe Vivian just assumes she should be able to do what the big siblings do, so she tries hard and succeeds. This is a great adventure.
Henry, Evelyn, and Olivia skied with us parents today while Vivian took another ski school lesson. She had one other little girl in her group, and the instructor pushed her to the max in a great way. After lunch I asked Robbie to take us back to the top of the mountain to ski down the long green runs to the bottom that we enjoyed so much with the big girls yesterday. Olivia and Evelyn follow right behind Robbie, and they control themselves beautifully. When they lead, they navigate the mountain easily. They seem ready to ski whatever lies ahead, and I am always the pokey one bringing up the rear. It was different skiing the very long run with Henry. He was freaked out by the height we climbed on two lifts to reach the peak. He crashed on a tree pathway and slid into deep snow. He started screaming for me, and I had to get out of my skis and run uphill through deep powder in ski boots. I was certain he had broken his leg from his yelling, but he was just really scared. He later got ahead of us and went on a path other than what Robbie planned. At that point I sent them on ahead and went to the base to wait for Vivian's lesson to end. You'll never guess what I spied. She was going down the bunny slope, but she was skiing over a snow ramp doing ski jumps. She tried it about five times before she landed her final attempt! Robbie had returned with the other kids, so we all got to cheer for her success. The best part was that the ski instructor explained he had taken her up the high speed Union Creek lift where she successfully skied down green runs that I had been doing. She was off the beginner part of the mountain and super slow Kokomo and Lumberjack lifts. She really wanted to ride the fast lift to show us her skiing skills, but Henry and Evelyn were cold and exhausted. We skied from 9 am until 3 pm with just a short lunch break. As usual, Robbie doesn't mess around. It was snowing a blizzard and in the low 20s. Olivia and Robbie said they'd take her on the run. Robbie said she did an awesome job. She wiped out a few times on the steep sections, but she did so well and had so much fun that once they got down to the bottom Vivian asked to go back up to ski down again!! We are all so proud of Miss Viv. Birth order is such an interesting factor. I believe Vivian just assumes she should be able to do what the big siblings do, so she tries hard and succeeds. This is a great adventure.
Monday, March 2, 2015
"I've been waiting for this day my whole life."
This evening I suggested to Robbie that a reality show should be created to challenge contestants to wear out Henry in a day. For three days he has been in ski school, and back in the condo he is not even close to being out of gas. Amazingly, the six-year-old boy doesn't seem to tire.
We have been having an amazing family ski vacation. The temperatures have been in the 20s with snow until we broke freezing today, but our gear has kept us comfortable. Ski school has been wonderful for the children. They got over being rusty from a two year layoff pretty quickly. Vivian was excited to start ski school for the first time at age 5. On our previous trips she has been in babysitting. Her ski instructor really enjoyed her positive attitude and cuteness. Viv told her, "I've been waiting for this day my whole life!" She made us all laugh at dinner when she spoke of making friends, "except for the criers!" There were terror stricken beginner skiers at ski school drop-off who cried really hard, yet Viv just walked right up without issue.
We've had many memorable moments. Yesterday with Robbie I decided to live a little, even though my skills are lacking, and I went down a narrow run of moguls. It was a ridiculous thing to do, and I laughed loudly and even shrieked over and over while entertained ski lift riders watched from above. I won't do it again soon, but I'm glad I was able to tell the girls about the experience. Spying Henry in ski school from the ski lift was a wonderful treat. He was leading his class, and he looked very confident and capable. My big girls are able to ski on blue terrain that is steeper and less groomed (bumpy), but all day today they had to stick to greens with us because of me. However, Robbie found a way to get us high up on the mountain, yet we could ski down various long green runs. It was snowing, and the view was really spectacular. There weren't many people up there, and we loved skiing together. I am so proud of Olivia and Evelyn's ability to pick this sport up so well when we do this so infrequently.
The best moment of all was today after Vivian got out of ski school. The plan was for me to take Vivian back to our condo while Robbie skied for another hour with the three other kids. She looked really sad and said that she sure wished she could go up the ski lift and ski with all of us. I said I was game, so up we six went. That little toot rode the lift, showed no fear whatsoever, and skied down the the entire length of the run without falling once. She looked so tiny, and all of us were thrilled for her. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!! That was our first time this trip with Henry out of ski school skiing with us, and he impressed Robbie. I couldn't believe that we were skiing AS A FAMILY. It was awesome. I look forward to the experience tomorrow afternoon and for years to come. I've been waiting for this day since we first came to Copper Mountain in 2012.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Movie Snuggles
Yesterday I took Vivian with me to vote. She got a lot of attention in her neon pink tulle skirt. Prior to that experience we shared one of our daily conversations on a walk home from school, just the two of us. When I told her our plans she inquired about voting. She asked, "Does the one who gets the most votes become the boss of the whole world?" I told Vivian I was voting for leaders in Kansas.
I often write love notes to the kids and Robbie in their lunch boxes. Henry had some free time at school, and he wrote I LOVE YOU on green paper that he cut into hearts. I found them in his pockets while doing the wash, and I felt so special.
Evelyn and I were the only ones in the family to do the parish 5K last weekend. Olivia had to lay off of running due to knee pain from overuse from ballet and cross country. Evelyn had been coughing all week, and the temp was 27 degrees F when we walked to the runner's mass. I wondered if participating was even a safe idea. My little cross country girl ran like a champ. She never stopped or complained once for three miles. I huffed and puffed along with her, always breathing hard as I run. She finished in 27:52 with the fastest time for girls under age 10. She's 8. We ran with friends, and it was really fun. The other family dressed as the Royals Hotdog races participants. The mom was in a hotdog costume, and Evelyn's friend was Mustard. The dad would say, "Come on, Mustard. Do the work." We found this very funny. Dad and Jane were still in town, and they braved the cold to watch us start and finish the race. It was a great morning.
Now that darkness falls so soon and the weather is cooler, Robbie has returned to Family Movie Night mode. Last night, which was scandalously a school night, we watched Hugo. Vivian fell asleep on my chest, and the kids had snuggled up with us with blankets so nicely. Loved it!
I often write love notes to the kids and Robbie in their lunch boxes. Henry had some free time at school, and he wrote I LOVE YOU on green paper that he cut into hearts. I found them in his pockets while doing the wash, and I felt so special.
Evelyn and I were the only ones in the family to do the parish 5K last weekend. Olivia had to lay off of running due to knee pain from overuse from ballet and cross country. Evelyn had been coughing all week, and the temp was 27 degrees F when we walked to the runner's mass. I wondered if participating was even a safe idea. My little cross country girl ran like a champ. She never stopped or complained once for three miles. I huffed and puffed along with her, always breathing hard as I run. She finished in 27:52 with the fastest time for girls under age 10. She's 8. We ran with friends, and it was really fun. The other family dressed as the Royals Hotdog races participants. The mom was in a hotdog costume, and Evelyn's friend was Mustard. The dad would say, "Come on, Mustard. Do the work." We found this very funny. Dad and Jane were still in town, and they braved the cold to watch us start and finish the race. It was a great morning.
Now that darkness falls so soon and the weather is cooler, Robbie has returned to Family Movie Night mode. Last night, which was scandalously a school night, we watched Hugo. Vivian fell asleep on my chest, and the kids had snuggled up with us with blankets so nicely. Loved it!
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Bedtime Cuddles
Early in the 8 o'clock hour I found my husband cuddled up behind my young son in his twin sized bed. It was a precious sight. Those two look so cute together, and Henry always looks sweetest when silent. I left them in the pitch black room, and I wonder if I'll have a bedmate tonight. At dinner Vivian shared the story of her birth. She told the others that the medicine did not work, and she was the "painfullest" baby mommy ever had. She said, "I was born the fastest." Henry, thinking he was correcting her, said, "No, Viv. You were born the fattest." I almost spit cauliflower across the dinner table the laughter hit so suddenly.
Last week Robbie tickled Vivian so much at bedtime that she peed herself. I was heading out the door for a meeting when Robbie appeared with a disgruntled look and wet PJs and panties. He couldn't believe what had happened. That was a first.
Last week Robbie tickled Vivian so much at bedtime that she peed herself. I was heading out the door for a meeting when Robbie appeared with a disgruntled look and wet PJs and panties. He couldn't believe what had happened. That was a first.
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