The Morning Person

There are few things that Parker loves more than waking up very early Saturday morning and watching Holmes on Homes with his family of dogs.

I hear Parker's little feet bouncing up the stairs each morning between 6:30 and 7:00 am. He shuffles around in the living room for a few minutes, making sure all the stuffed dogs he carried up from his bedroom are comfortable, then heads into our room. He sings "good morning," in an unnaturally happy voice. Then asks one of us to make him a toast and turn on the tv.

He is a strange and delightful little man, especially in the morning.

me too.

Me too, Soph. 

Love you, my Scooch.

M.I.A.

I am feeling a bit sad that I haven't been keeping up on here. 

Mostly for selfish reasons. Like, I want to look back and make sure that I got the important stuff.

Like my sweet Nana passing away.

And our trip to the Pumpkin Patch for the perfect pumpkins.

And the many outfits and accessories that Ruby wears each day.

Or the concerts we attended. The friends we laughed with.

A perfect Thanksgiving, shared with family.

Or the cute big words that Parker says each day, like hysterical.

Oh, and  Halloween. It was so fun.

So yah.  I need to be better. 

Mostly, because a funny thing happens when I start writing about my life and kids.

I am more aware of my many blessings.

And less concerned about my so called needs.

Perhaps, that will be my goal for this Holiday Season. To really, truly be more 

grateful.

awesome.

Ruby is awesome.

dear blog.

Dear Blog,

Hi.

I haven't forgotten you. Okay, maybe I have a little. I'm just busy trying to juggle the things I put in my life.  Truthfully though, I think you are important. So I hope that you'll take me back.  I actually write down cute things about my kids and my life on here that I don't want to forget. And, you connect me with people that I like a lot. It's good to be connected. It's good to have people that you like a lot.

Ruby is growing up at the speed of light. She yells funny things, makes people at Target hate me, and seems to think she is hilarious (Like father, like daughter). Parker is pleasant, happy and entertained by stuffed animal friendships. He is also really kind. His new preschool friend exclaimed to his mother, "Why is Parker just so nice?" Ruby would beg to differ though. Sophie is a big first grader, conquering jumprope and the monkey bars. She reads to me at night and we play math addition games. Her big brown eyes still melt me.

John and I may be a perfect mess of chaos right now. Perhaps we are guilty of "biting off more than we can chew." But alas, I think John has balanced it perfectly. He is well loved, but mostly by me.

So, I should write more often. And I hope I will.

Love,  Me

New dog... Old dog.

Parker is at a really cute age. He is getting so old and learning so much, and yet still so young and innocent.  He has a million questions, gives out the best hugs, and wakes up at the crack of dawn happier than anyone I know. He is just a fun kid to know. I really like being his Mom.

Since he was little he has loved his Old Dog. That is the name he gave him. He has "love holes"-little worn out holes in the fabric- he has been loved so much. Over the years I think John and I have come to love Old Dog too. I have had to be so careful, and so far in a little over four years, we have yet to lose Old Dog.(There is no replacement!) Mind you, he has gone missing before... luckily not for long. One time he was missing for a day or two and when I found him nicely tucked in the playroom, inside the play kitchen oven, I told Parker where he was. Parker responded with, " No Mom, he went to the mountains to visit Ronnie Reynolds." Oh. Okay.

About a month ago, there appeared New Dog. Not to replace Old Dog, just to be side by side with Old Dog. New Dog had previously lived in the playroom bin full of stuffed animals. I'm not even sure where he came from. Now Parker is teaching New Dog how to be a good dog. He takes both dogs on walks around the block, for real. He puts them in their dog beds for naps, he feeds them out of dog bowls full of cereal. He LOVES these dogs.

Maybe, this means I should cave (and this would be a huge cave...) and just get a real dog one day for this boy. But maybe not. He loves these dogs, and I know they love him back. And it reminds me of the white, "love holed", stuffed animal dog, Hoss, that slept with me for many, many years. Hoss was named after my favorite teacher, Mrs. Orphanakis' dog that died, while she was my teacher in Second Grade. Hoss was so matted and tattered from being washed so many times in the washing machine by my mom. That same dog is now in my grown-up (sort of) closet today, sitting on the top shelf because I can't bear to get rid of him.

It's not just an Old Dog. It's part of being a kid and loving something that makes you feel safe. I hope Old Dog makes it to Parker's grown-up closet top shelf one day too. In the meantime, I think Old Dog will continue to be dragged around our street at 7am Saturday mornings, on a real dog leash.

lunch date

Today for lunch Parker and I ate turkey sandwiches and strawberries. He got a book order form from preschool and we poured over the pages together. It was a heavenly thirty minutes circling each book that looked really fun to read. He said, "Mom, this is really fun, just you and me."

It really was.

It seems like our lives have filled up so quickly lately. Soccer, soccer practices, guitar, dance, work, house work, young womens, etc. that it is always in my nature to rush along to the next thing. There was no rushing today. After lunch we snuggled on the couch and watched an episode of "Word World" together.

It was good to slow down for a minute. And it was heavenly to spend it with my Parks. Love him.