Saturday

It's rare to have a nearly perfect day. But today (Saturday) was one of those days.

For starters, the weather was perfect. The temp stayed at 79 with a light breeze and was mostly sunny. Gorgeous.

Then, our subdivision had its annual Community Garage Sale. It seemed like everyone on our block participated. People were laughing. Children were riding bikes. Our street was nearly a parking lot with all the busy buyers. We loved the buzz.

Dan and I didn't have much to contribute to the yard sale, but we did throw together a Bake Sale for Morgan. Man, was that fun. I whipped up the famous Nestlé Tollhouse cookies (soft and chewy, of course), helped her paint a "Cookies 25 cents" sign and set her outside to rake in the dough.

Within the first 10 minutes of her sale Dan told me that I had better make another batch. They were flying off the table. We had lots of yard sale foot traffic, so that helped.

Dan used the opportunity to teach Morgan some math. It went something like this:

Dan: "Morgan, how many quarters are in one dollar?"

Morgan: "Twenty-five cents."

Dan: "Um, no. That's how much a quarter is worth. How many quarters are in one of these dollars?" He holds up 4 fingers.

Morgan: "Two cookies!" she says, jumping up and down. She's very proud of her answer.

Dan: "Okay, let's try another tactic. If someone buys ONE cookie from you and gives you ONE dollar, how many quarters do you give them back?"

Morgan: "One."

Dan: "No..."

Morgan: "Two."

Dan: "No..."

Morgan: "Three."

Dan: *sigh* "Yes, three. Okay, honey, nevermind. You did a good job."

And with that our little entrepreneur scampered off with her friends, having already sampled the product and needing to run off her sugar high.

*Grin* And this is only the START to summer.

And the Winner Is...

ShortStop... Congrats, Shortshop, on winning the $15 Baskin Robbins Gift Certificate.

Her answer to how she keeps her identity is:

"You know, I've been giving this some real thought. And honestly, it has never occurred to me that I could lose myself in my kids. Maybe it's because they're boys and I'm a girl and there is no way that I will ever be that drawn to dirt.

But, I think it is mostly because of Jason. He loves Sarah...is passionate about the girl - and he tells me that. He encourages me to do the things that I love, the things that I'm passionate about, and wants me to be and stay...well, me. I think he likes the Mommy me - but he gave his heart to the girl."

Family Vacations

I was just reading an article today about family vacations (of all things) and how kiddos tend to remember the TIME spent together rather than pomp and circumstance. 

Dan and I realize that our vacations have pretty much been limited to visiting family over the past years. This isn't bad, but we're ready to branch out a little and try a new adventure. Actually PLAN something.

Vacations fall in several categories:

There are the educational vacations. You know the ones. Visiting Gettysburg, for instance, and reading plaques about dead people. My history buff friends get a big kick out of large swaths of turf and reading material. Good for you. Me? Not so much.

There are the vacations that make you long for home. I call these vacations "camping". (Put your two cents in ANYTIME, Marc.) These are the vacations that require more work than, say, planning to feed a third world country. The latter, I suggest, may even be more fun. That being said, however, I fully intend Morgan to try camping and I may even accompany her on one occasion. In the name of parenting.

There are the vacations that remind you of Eden, a really refreshing time. Any vacation that takes place at a resort or the beach falls in this category. Lake beaches are very nice, but ocean beaches are the best. Sorry, that's just the way it is.

Growing up with 5 kiddos, my folks often had us spend time at my Aunt Dot's beach condo or go camping. There were a few vacations where we spent time going to Plymouth Rock (educational) but for the most part, we didn't emphasize leaving home a lot. Perhaps because it was so much work. haha. My parents did a great job.

Here are my top ten vacation memories:

1. The beach, the beach, the beach. 

-Love walking in the sand by the ocean. Love the salty air. Love seafood. 

-Putting on a wet bathing suit with sand in the crotch after getting sunburn. 

-Playing frisbee with Dad and my sibs on the sand during dusk, getting hot and then diving into the pool

- Diving for our light sticks at the bottom of the pool

2. I remember Mom and Dad taking Noel and I to Plymouth Rock and up the east coast. That was fun, but not for the reasons they think.

- I saw my first drunk person... cool

- We ate at a fancy restaurant. In shorts. We felt very grown up.

- We saw the Statue of Liberty from the road (bridge?) upon which we were driving. 

- We had time with Mom and Dad by ourself.

- I got $5 from my great-grandmother to spend and it nearly burnt a hole in my pocket. I bought a stuffed animal.

3. Okay, okay... there were SOME cool camping moments:

- S'mores. Mmmmm.

- Riding our bikes to the recreational centers to see wildlife and the occasional Scooby Doo movie.

- Boating with my Dad. Catching fish. Catching crabs.

___________________________________

I'd love to hear about your family vacations.

Fertility Journey

Today we went to the fertility doc. 

Our doc is located a bit away. In heavy traffic, it takes 2 hours to get there. Normally it takes about 1-1/2 hours. 

At first I found the drive irritating, but now it's old hat and-- bonus-- Dan and I get to talk. Long, uninterrupted talks. We talk about the summer, about his work and about family. We talk about baby names. We talk about Morgan and we laugh a great deal. Actually, I laugh a great deal. Dan makes me laugh and laugh, even when I feel so sick.

I love going with Dan. I get an ultrasound every week. In the past weeks there was an intern at the clinic who would come to "observe". His name was "Dr. Sours". We LOVED to tease him because he is so quiet and professional.  And, of course, his name was just beckoning us to tease him. In a nice way. 

I offered Dr. Sours graham crackers as I noisily crunched away on the table. 

He declined.

I asked him if he had ever had a baby. 

He said no.

I clarified, "No, I mean... have you personally had a baby...You know... now with science allowing men to "supposedly" be pregnant."

He modestly answered no.

I had no intent of letting Dr. Sours observe me. I wanted him to entertain me.

Dr. Sours did not come back this week. *sigh* There went our fun.

Well, not totally. Dan manages to keep me in stitches. At one of our last appointments, we felt that our wait was too lengthy. We saw the cued up ultrasound machine and the, er, "thingy" they use to give ultrasounds. We were tempted. Dan claimed he had used an egg beater before and that it couldn't be much different than that. The staff must have heard us b/c they marched in pretty quickly after that. 

Today we not only saw the Petri Dish Love Child silhouette, but we heard a heartbeat. 152 beats per minute. That was very cool. 

Life is still very much a day-by-day adventure. I'm still not too keen on making plans for the baby in our future... it feels too premature and "not real". I've had well-meaning people offer me baby equipment, but I just can't do it yet. I haven't wrapped my brain around the fact that the IVF shots I took for those months and teasingly called "baby juice" actually produced something. It's too mind-boggling. 

So for now, I will enjoy just this day. 

The laughs I had with Dan. 

The music I heard in the ultrasound room. 

And the memories of dear Dr. Sours.

Blip

I had my first scheduled IV last week. Dan took me and sat with me for the two hours of drip, drip, drip. Have I mentioned his awesomeness?

Our nurse, Laurie, was amazing. She was the right mix of professional and compassionate. She wasn't too "versed in nurse" that she couldn't see the heavyness of the situation. And yet she got right to business. Loved her.

We got to talking with her. She asked me how many times I've been pregnant. This question always puts an immediate lump in my throat. Always. 

"Seven," I answered, "but we have one daughter at home," I add hopefully.

Laurie didn't miss a beat, "I was unable to have children at all. I adopted two. They're great." She smiled at me. 

When she left the room, I teared up. 

"Dan," I said, "that could be us. This whole fertility mess could be a blip on the timeline of life. One day we'll be able to say we had fertility trouble and we won't feel as much heavyness. We'll be able to smile. That could be us, Dan!"

I'm sure Laurie shed her share of tears and frustrations, but she gave me immense hope. I don't have to be defined by this. I can live on. Past miscarriages, past IVF shots, past IV drips. 

Meanwhile, my little one, my "petri dish love child" is doing a bang-up job of reminding me of its presence. The nausea is very present. I hope one day this little one will be, too.

__________________________

Some of you may know this, but Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter was struck by an SUV and killed this past week. Please pray for them. It's so tragic.

Memorial Day Bloggy Giveaway

In honor of MEMORIAL DAY weekend, I'd like to host a give-away. That's right. My very first bloggy give-away.

REMEMBER WHEN...

1. If you're a parent, write about how you keep YOUR self from being absorbed into your CHILD's/CHILDREN's self. How do you keep your identity from melting into mounds of laundry and general housekeeping? What do you like about yourself that makes you you?**

2. If you don't have children, write about what makes you you. How do you identify yourself outside of your work? What influences have made you the wonderful person you are today?**

The prize (drumroll, please) is:
A $15 gift certificate to Baskin Robbins
(Happy happy, Joy joy)


If your answer to my post is super long, please just comment with the link to YOUR blog site or email me. The winner will be chosen based on a random draw on Friday, May 30.

**Okay, okay... lemme make this easier... What makes you feel ALIVE?

Why I Love Dan

My more local friends are aware of our new lifestyle lately. We've had to make some accommodations for the child I am affectionately calling our "Petri Dish Love Child". (Oh, c'mon. It's funny.)

I need a little humor right now because life is a bit on the challenging side.

I go in for weekly IV drips to help keep me hydrated. They're awesome, but they involve my hubby taking time out of his busy schedule.

And if that's not all, here's what else you'd observe about my awesome hubby if you were in our home:

- You'd see Dan single handedly raising Morgan in the evenings after a long day of work.

- You'd see him whipping up some quick dinner, first asking me if it would smell too bad for him to make. Eggs and toast?

- You'd hear him offering to sleep on the couch because he smells like onions to me.

- You'd see him making doctor appointments that interfere with his work schedule, but doing it anyway. Smiling.

- You'd see him quickly respond to my email pleas for Creme Saver candies. Sugar and sugar free. He picked them up on the way home.

- You'd see a lawn that needs a haircut because my husband is so dedicated to his family and job (out of town most of last week) that he can't quite get to it yet.

- You'd never see him complain or huff. Even in the middle of the night when I needed an orange creamsicle to keep down the yuckies.

So, here's to you, Dan... You're an amazing husband who shows me daily what it means to lay down one's life for a friend. I love you.

Failure?

This clip is dedicated to my friends who are not where they hoped to be at this juncture in life. You know who you are.


Thought question: What would your video say about you? What makes you a person who has "lived"? I tag everyone.

Books, Books

Hi, Friends--

I'm looking for some books to read when I'm not feeling well.

The books cannot be about anything super sad (like infertility or murder). Also, they neeed to be light and fluffy but not smutty. Oh, and they can't be about food. (*Whew* I'm picky, picky, picky.)

If you should happen to have a favorite book that falls within these categories (bonus points for FUNNY books) you will have my affection and kudos.

And if it's a really good book, maybe I'll name our next goldfish after you. Quite an honor there.

Dixie Cup Days

I was resting on a couch. Morgan came into the room and poured some water from an Ice Mountain water bottle into a Dixie cup for me.

Morgan: "Here, Mom. Drink this. And then you can dream and remember when you and me did things when you were normal."

I wanted to cry. But I stayed composed.

Emily: "Morgan, aren't I normal now?"

Morgan: "You're kinda sick, Mom."

And with that, she left the room.

My 4 year-old (going on 24-year old) sweetheart daughter.

Morganisms

Morgan to Grandpa: "You and Grandma are getting old, Grandpa. One day you'll go to heaven."

Grandpa: (Laughing) "Yes, you're right, Morgan. And you'll be there one day, too, right, Morgan?"

Morgan: "Yep."

I'm glad my in-laws have a sense of humor.

_____________________________

Morgan was swinging with two friends next door. They were competing to see who could swing the highest. Morgan was going the least high. She didn't know I overheard this conversation.

Morgan: "I'm going the highest."

Friend: "No, you're not."

Morgan: "Well, my sister can go higher than you two."

Friend: "You don't have a sister."

Morgan: "Yes, I do. She's growing in my Mommy's tummy right now."

Big Picture

On babycenter.com, one can see illustrations of what the gestational development of, say, a 9 week pregnancy looks like. Underneath the image, there is a link which says, "See the Big Picture".



I laughed. That's exactly what I need: to see the big picture.

I have spent the majority of the week feeling very, very sick. It's good for me mentally-- the baby is doing some great growth. The sickness is exhausting. This week I did my share of crying to my new best friend, El Toilette, and asking it why I was going through this. My husband was gone most of the week and I was weary.

But today, I saw this image and saw the alien within my gates is starting to look more human and that maybe I'm growing something wonderful after all.

Perhaps this offends some: that a woman who worked hard for nearly two years to obtain a nice strong (albeit sick) pregnancy would even dare to complain. I mean, I asked for it.

Yeah, I'm pretty ashamed of that. But maybe as I fix my eyes on this illustration, I'll see why it's all worth it.

____________________________________

On a separate note, I knew I needed some help with Morgan during my sickness. My friend Cari recommended that I put an ad on the Wheaton College website. Within hours I get a response from a WONDERFUL woman who helps me each day. I grow a baby and she helps with Morgan. And dishes. And vacuuming. And brings me flowers from her garden. I am very blessed to have her. Thanks, Cari, for the suggestion.

100 Things About Me

*whew* Took me a few days to do this!

1. I never officially dated until college, unless you count the guy I dated in 7th grade for 1 hour.

2. I worked 11 summers at the Ocean City, Jersey beach as a manager of a small hotel.

3. I'd sell everything to move and live at the beach. In a heartbeat.

4. I married my best friend.

5. I honestly thought I was too weird and uptight to be "marryable". I'm surprised every anniversary that I was given such a wonderful and strange man.

6. My husband brews beer for fun. It's quite good.

7. I like to run.

8. I also enjoy biking.

9. I can't water ski very well; weak upper body strength.

10. I grew up in Maryland and hoped to live there forever.

11. Now I live in Chicago. I hope to con my husband into living near my family again. (Sh.)

12. I did some design work for Acco Brands. They own the Swing*line brand. In the the movie "Office Space", the red Swing*line stapler was something the movie created. As a result of the cult following of the movie, Swing*line had to start manufacturing a red stapler. Ah, the power of marketing.

13. I really like branding. As in marketing branding.

14. I respond to color like a moth responds to light. It's a magnetic force that I can't control.

15. I absolutely plan on asking God one day about Adam and Eve and whether they had belly buttons.

16. I'm a silly person who tries to be ladylike but sometimes can't help herself.

17. At heart I'm a bit of a cynic but I'm trying to hang out with positive, real people who will rub off on me.

18. For the first month of my marriage to Dan, almost everything he said to me was borrowed lines from the S*impsons. It was really weird.

19. I love how newborn babies have a round back and tuck their legs under their chest. I also love when they snuggle in the crook of my neck and sleep.

20. I'd rather have a handful of good friends than be shallow friends with lots of people.

21. I went to private, public and home school growing up. Ask me anything.

22. I was the valedictorian and homecoming queen my senior year. Remember, I was homeschooled.

23. I've been to Jamaica and Russia (er, FORMER Soviet Union) and Italy. I liked Italy best.

24. I wish I had more guy friends growing up; I was always scared of guys and dating.

25. I wish my husband had more guy friends growing up; he had lots of dates with women. He can't even remember them all.

26. Our goal for Morgan is to have guy friends one day, too.

27. My primary prayer for Morgan when she was newborn was that she would be a compassionate girl. I actually prayed that she wouldn't be mean; she was only a week old.

28. If I ever have another baby, I will cry for joy so hard that Niagara Falls will look like a puddle.

29. I have many regrets in life, but I have never regretted a good hug, a good book or saying something encouraging to someone.

30. I love when women put aside their differences and encourage each other in all things good.

31. I'm a foodie. In a bad way.

32. I used to be a vegetarian.

33. I love watching Fras*ier.

34. My mother is one of the most giving and compassionate people I know.

35. My father is one of the hardest working realtors I have ever met.

36. Any negative clichés about in-laws are a mystery to me.

37. My sister-in-law is 6 months older than my husband. (Try to figure that one out.)

38. My husband was born 2 months prematurely.

39. I'm glad my husband is 6'6". I once dated a guy much shorter and found myself slouching a lot.

40. I don't understand people who think the world just formed accidentally. If that's the case, why won't my house design itself?

41. I don't have "best friends", except for Dan. I have people who I would like to call best friends but I feel that once someone is labeled "best friend" that other people feel like they aren't allowed to be close friends with that person. I just avoid the conundrum altogether.

42. Fertility trouble has been the most difficult trial I have ever been in in my entire life.

43. If you have friends with fertility trouble (and you don't have fertility trouble), never give them advice or tell them negative statistics. Your only job is to hope for them.

44. I have 4 siblings. All of them are wicked cool.

45. My daughter had a pet goldfish for one month. I hope to never again have another pet in this home.

46. I think junior high is the most difficult period of life for anyone. I think Congress should lock up all junior high aged persons until their hormones and emotions settle. Just a thought.

47. My favorite part of weddings is the cake. I judge a wedding entirely by this pastry.

48. My favorite book is probably "Rich Part of Life".

49. When it comes to music, I'm pretty noncommittal. I like a lot of different stuff.

50. I'm proud to say that I brainwashed Morgan into thinking opera is cool. :)

51. I believe in redemption. I try not to give up hope on anyone or any circumstance.

52. I don't like when I gossip. I feel gross afterward.

53. I'm not so much of window shopper as a "destination" shopper. Get in. Buy. Get out. My husband should love me twice as much for this.

54. I don't need to be a millionaire to see that money doesn't buy happiness.

55. My mother and grandmother taught me to sew growing up. I hope to teach Morgan one day as well. It's a good skill to have.

56. I don't know how to knit. I'm afraid to learn b/c I might become addicted.

57. If I ever need to lose weight, I will exercise more. I have a hard time cutting yummies out of my diet.

58. My husband and I were told by our nurse that we were about to give birth to a boy, 1 hour prior to delivering our daughter. We fought over boy name spellings during that hour.

59. I love Chili*s Southwestern Eggrolls. So do my thighs. :)

60. My fertility doctor has white hair pulled up in a bun. When I first met her, I thought she might offer me warm cookies from the oven. Also, she has 10 children of her own.

61. My favorite part about being a mother is how I have to let life happen more often and go with the flow. I'm really controlling otherwise.

62. If I won a boat load of money, I think I'd pay off the mortgages of all my friends and go on a vacation with them.

63. I love homemade gifts.

64. My husband made a rather horrified face when he saw me coming down the aisle on our wedding day. I accidentally wore non-waterproof mascara and had black streaks coming down my face. It was hard to concentrate on the vows when I saw black globs on my veil.

65. When my parents went through a separation, reading Philip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace changed my life forever.

66. I hate fear. I do everything in my power to let it know its not welcome.

67. I discover new things about Christ and the Christian faith all the time.

68. I'm not too experienced with growing veggies, but I can grow a mean potted herb garden.

69. I used to catch crabs with my Dad on the Chesapeake Bay. Then I would grow sad as I heard them slowly die in the boiling crock.

70. My husband and I grew up ingrained with the fear of credit card debt. We hope to ingrain the same fear in Morgan.

71. My favorite car is one that works. I also like ones that haul.

72. I try not to e*bay or Crai*gslist too much. I tend to get addicted.

73. I'm addicted to this Licorice Tea.

74. I dislike waste. Like rotted food. Or unused, lonely objects.

75. I'm not sure, but I think I'm a fighter. One of my friends told me that I'm not a "force to be reckoned with". She meant it well and I took it well. But I respect people with patience and grace more than fight.

76. I have a mentor in life who is very gracious, intelligent and kind. I specifically chose her because she doesn't get uptight about things that I get uptight about.

77. I think its important to dress well for life. The human body is a beautiful piece of art.

78. I love how my husband worked at Toys *R Us and an Italian restaurant during college in order to pay his bills. He's not too proud to work at unpopular places.

79. When Dan and I were first dating, he made sure I knew that he planned on moving to Chicago b/c he had his heart set on going to Kellogg. Dan worked full time and went to school part time. Oh, and we had a new baby and owned a fixer-upper house during those 3 years and 9 months. He's amazing. I'm lucky. We were tired.

80. We specifically bought a house last year that did not need to be gutted. (See #79.)

81. I love Death by Chocolate Cake made at the Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, VA. It takes three days to make. I've only had it once and find it unforgettable.

82. When my daughter was born, I didn't bond well with her. I wondered if I cared for her.

One day, I took my newborn for a stroller walk. A dog came running after me gnashing its teeth. In a split second, I decided to throw my body over Morgan and offer the dog my left leg. :) The dog's chain stopped it from coming closer, but after that I knew that I would protect her.

83. I love Auntie Anne*s fresh lemonade. You should, too.

84. I love to say the phrase "It makes you cry for your momma" when something tastes really good. I'm not sure where I heard it, but it's mine now. :)

85. I cry at baptisms and want to cry when I see older couples holding hands taking a walk together.

86. I was named after Emily Dickinson.

87. I've worked in graphics for about a decade. I wouldn't mind branching out into new avenues of design.

88. I feel immensely domestic and happy when I make homemade soup for my family.

89. And cake. (See #88.)

90. I met my husband in college, but we didn't date until 2 years AFTER college when he moved to Maryland. I had a big crush on him.

91. I have a lot of black in my wardrobe. It's the vice of being an art major. For this reason, every time I buy something new, I try to make sure it's a more vivid color.

92. I don't understand atheists. I think they need love. I do, however, respect them.

93. I'd love to have met Francis Schaeffer.

94. Sometimes I think renting rather than owning a home sounds kind of nice.

95. I've lived in Michigan, New Jersey, Maryland and Illinois.

96. In my experience, creating (art, design, etc.) is a delicate balance of working hard and stepping back to contemplate. Whenever I start feeling uptight about a design, I've learned to stop, step back and reevaluate. Usually the answer is not far away but needs a little time for revision.

97. I love fruit salad with the works!

98. I love Whipped Cream.

99. I have a saying about my husband: "He's not perfect, but he's perfect for me." I think he's great.

100. I am 8.5 weeks pregnant.

Addendum to #6: Dan fell in love with brewing when his friend Jason introduced him to his brew back in September. When we spent more time talking about brew than playing cards, I knew we had a new hobby on our hands. Thanks, Jason.

Morgan Learns About, Um, Bodily Functions

It never occurred to me that Morgan had never seen vomit until she and I were in the McDonald's bathroom weeks ago where I was getting sick. She looked terrified. It was there, in that romantic moment, that I taught her about the sickness and about the baby.

Ever since then, she's been using her new knowledge liberally. I couldn't be, um, prouder(?)

__________________

A song my daughter sang sweetly to me last night as she waited to use the computer:

"You are so old.
You are so old.
Because you throw up a lot."
__________________

Morgan: "I gotta go to the bathroom, Mom. Gotta throw up."
__________________

Morgan: "Hi, Aunt Jill. My Mom's having a baby. Every day something comes out of her mouth."

A Mother's Heart on Infertility

A confession, friends: The joy of the news of our pregnancy is mixed for me.

I have joined hands in prayer with friends throughout these past 2 years of fertility trouble and have made some great friendships. I have wept for them (and me) and held out the hope that God would heal and bring some resolution.

Some friends couldn't conceive on their own.
Some friends couldn't carry a pregnancy to term without intervention.
Some friends opted for adoption.
Still other friends are taking the slow journey each day as they try one solution after another.

I've felt the rawness of their heart as well as my own whenever we found out someone became pregnant. Our hearts were torn... glad for the life of another but hating the jealousy that built inside. I've felt the ache of friends who have miscarried. I have cursed the effects of sin in the world that would take something so beautiful as marital sex and turn it into a painful wedge.

I hate infertility.

I'm not sure what this journey holds for me, but I believe that God will allow this one to come to full term. I have a peace about it. I hope it will be so.

To all my friends who have struggled with infertility, know that I pray for you and that God hears you. Know that you are women of courage, who are willing to hope despite despair, who are willing to celebrate others despite the thorn in your own heart. God sees. God hears.

May He hold your heart tenderly as you (and I) look forward to the end of this bitter journey.

How I'll Be Spending Mother's Day

Diet of Potatoes and Ice Cream: $9.95 a week

Constant nausea and a husband who smells like onions to me: $0.00

Ten pounds already put on from diet of potatoes and ice cream: One gym membership

Letting a little one make its home inside me for the next 7 months: Without price.

8 weeks

Morgan Talks... and Talks

After an entire afternoon of training Morgan how to, er, "communicate" more effectively, my patience grew thin. This was her observation:

"Why is it so hard for you to talk to me lately? Why are you acting so, so, so 'screamish'?"

________________________

An observation from a time-out:

Morgan: "Mom, you are very classy and very mean."

I think I speak for everyone when I say, "Huh?"

That being said, I wouldn't trade her in for the world. Happy Mother's Day, everyone.

Play Talk

Overheard Morgan playing in her room with her dolls:

Morgan is donning a quasi-radio voice: "Put your hands together everyone for our new president. Our new president is... Cinderella."

I was in the next room trying not to burst out laughing.

Later, I asked her about the presidency. 

Emily: "What's a president?"

Morgan: "Oh, a president is the most kindliest person of all. A president gives back rubs (she starts rubbing my back) and does this (she rubs my shoulders). They're very important."

Resting, Resting 1-2-3

I've mentioned our new neighborhood. Have I mentioned that there are a lot of kids here? Lots of kids. It's great.

I didn't have this conundrum at our last house b/c Morgan has precisely one friend who lived 3 houses down. And we didn't even see her outside every day.

But now Morgan has the wonderful blessing of having several friends.

Unfortunately our schedule doesn't always sync up with everyone else's. Morgan's nap usually starts at 3pm (I know, aren't I bad?) and some of her friends are just beginning to wake up from their nap then.

To avoid utterly rejecting children who keep ringing the doorbell (and get no answer), I came up with this handy graphic that I slip in between my curtain and the window of my sidelight.

It's doing the trick! The doorbell remains silent for naptime and we're still friends with our neighbors. :)

Morganisms

Emily: "Morgan, do you know how messy your room is?"

Morgan: "And you know that you love me, doncha?"

___________________________

Emily: (at Morgan's door knocking)

Morgan: "Don't come in, Mom. I'm doing something a little bit gross and a little bit destroying."

Naturally I had to come in. It was neither gross nor "destroying". Whew.

Letting Them Grow Up

It's not so bad if they grow up.

 Shopping. 

Talking. 

Bonding. 

Looks good to me. 

"Those" People

Call me a people pleaser: I'm horrified at a recent realization in my neighborhood: We are those people.

You know: the people whose lawn has dandelions.

The only people on the block whose yard has dandelions.

And, I imagine, the house who neighbors will grimace at when their non-dandelion yards occasionally sprout one of our dandelion offspring... the stray dog kind of yard.

Everyone else's lawn is sprayed. I even have a few more enviro-conscious neighbors who hand pick each dandelion from their yard.

In our last neighborhood, each lawn had their share of dandelions. In fact, I'm loathe to admit that our lawn turned more a shade of yellow than that desirable grass green in each summer.

In our last neighborhood we occasionally made a valiant effort to keep the dandelions from getting too bad.

But here, in my new Homeowners Association neighborhood, lawns are not "cut". They're primped. They're even coddled.

Lest I sound judgmental, I want my lawn to be primped and coddled. Just not by me. And I'm a little fearful of the chemicals some spray on the lawns.

So while Dan and I remain indecisive about this dandelion issue, maybe we'll stay inside until fall.

Or maybe-- and this is a stretch-- maybe we'll convince people that dandelions are okay.