this momma is on the move. since the addition of poppy, i thought i'd change the web address to my blog to be more inclusive.
you can now find my random musings (if you so desire) at htt://www.diaryofasuburbanmomma.blogspot.com
11.09.2009
roll with it
i am pretty sure that we are done having babies... but i also thought that after d was born, so don't hold your breath. apparently God had other plans for us, but that's a post for.. well it won't ever be a post because it is private (pick your jaws up, people, i do keep SOME things private). however, with the mindset that this is my last baby, i am trying to savor her every moment. i just don't want her to grow up too fast. i want her to be a teeny tiny babe for as long as possible.
it might backfire on me, as it is a slight possibility that i am creating a very co-dependant girlie. that's a risk i am willing to take. the problem is that there are some things you don't have control of. this little one is growing up too fast. at 3 months and 1 week, my baby (chasing her thumb of all things) has begun to roll her pudgy self over from back to belly. sigh. it's just a matter of time before she is on the go.
persimmon
you may remember our weekly produce box that i blogged about here. well, last week our box came containing a fruit that this momma had never seen before. it was the same shape and exterior skin of a green tomato, but was orange/yellow in color. it also had a stem that was similar to that of a tomatilla. i was perplexed. thankfully the box contains a list of what should be in your box, so i was able to narrow it down. the strange fruit was persimmon.
the day it arrived we were out to dinner with a couple that we just met and the topic of california produce came up. (i promise, i didn't bring it up... but must admit i was thrilled to discover that this momma friend had the 411 on everything local and everything organic!) anywho- she told me that her grandmother used to make persimmon cookies.
and so off to search for a recipe i went... thanks to my friend google, the recipe was found with great ease. on sunday, i walked into the kitchen just in the nick of time. scott, not knowing my plans to turn the persimmon into cookies, had decided to investigate the peculiar fruit. i was able to rescue it from his curious jaws and resume my plan. and so on sunday, e and i made cookies.
they were quite tasty, although, i'm not sure that i am any closer to knowing what a persimmon tastes like.
the day it arrived we were out to dinner with a couple that we just met and the topic of california produce came up. (i promise, i didn't bring it up... but must admit i was thrilled to discover that this momma friend had the 411 on everything local and everything organic!) anywho- she told me that her grandmother used to make persimmon cookies.
and so off to search for a recipe i went... thanks to my friend google, the recipe was found with great ease. on sunday, i walked into the kitchen just in the nick of time. scott, not knowing my plans to turn the persimmon into cookies, had decided to investigate the peculiar fruit. i was able to rescue it from his curious jaws and resume my plan. and so on sunday, e and i made cookies.
they were quite tasty, although, i'm not sure that i am any closer to knowing what a persimmon tastes like.
11.04.2009
3 months
wasn't it just six minutes ago that my babe was wrapped like a burrito and snoozing all day long? where did the time go and how did three months manage to zip by so fast? and how did you go from looking like this...
and this...
to looking like THIS? (that same statement could be applied to either babe in the photo, so apply it as you wish.)
i know we've been busy, but really! the time has FLOWN by. my sweet p is changing way to fast. her current achievements have been smiling, laughing, holding her sweet head up in an effort to see EVERYTHING that is going on around her, cooing at her momma with a sweet little voice, rolling from her belly onto her back and doing long division. ok, so maybe not long division, but the rest is totally true.
at three months, she has grown out of 0-3 and is wearing 3-6 month clothing. she weighs in at 13lbs. 3 oz.- ya know, petite. she is showing signs of outgrowing her "colic" stage and doesn't need to be held as much during the day (and by "as much" i mean momma can put her down for a few minutes here and there). as far as naps go, miss p is starting to flesh out a little schedule. she sleeps for a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon. she's having a rough time falling into a schedule because we are on the go so much with e's school drop off/pick up, but it's getting better. and while our days are getting better, nights are kind of going in the opposite direction. fortunately for this momma, she sleeps a lot during the night. the down side is that she does it in our bed, in my arms. and if i'm totally honest, i don't really mind. 
and this...
to looking like THIS? (that same statement could be applied to either babe in the photo, so apply it as you wish.)
i know we've been busy, but really! the time has FLOWN by. my sweet p is changing way to fast. her current achievements have been smiling, laughing, holding her sweet head up in an effort to see EVERYTHING that is going on around her, cooing at her momma with a sweet little voice, rolling from her belly onto her back and doing long division. ok, so maybe not long division, but the rest is totally true.at three months, she has grown out of 0-3 and is wearing 3-6 month clothing. she weighs in at 13lbs. 3 oz.- ya know, petite. she is showing signs of outgrowing her "colic" stage and doesn't need to be held as much during the day (and by "as much" i mean momma can put her down for a few minutes here and there). as far as naps go, miss p is starting to flesh out a little schedule. she sleeps for a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon. she's having a rough time falling into a schedule because we are on the go so much with e's school drop off/pick up, but it's getting better. and while our days are getting better, nights are kind of going in the opposite direction. fortunately for this momma, she sleeps a lot during the night. the down side is that she does it in our bed, in my arms. and if i'm totally honest, i don't really mind.
i'm just trying to savour these days because i know we are very fortunate to have our three wonderful babes. and i know that the time is going to fly.
10.31.2009
a real treat
last halloween was probably my most favorite because we spent it with close friends in chicago. we trick-or-treated together with our same aged babes, ate dinner together, and enjoyed good company. i was sad to not be able to do that again this year. in fact, so sad that i kind of didn't get into halloween as much this year... until we got into it.
on thursday night, we sat down to get down to the business of carving our pumpkins. usually, this is a daddy centered activity and the kids just sort of watch. but this year, e was really into it. she spent a lot of time thinking about what she wanted carved onto her jack-o-lantern. scott, always the good daddy, let e be the guide. in fact, impressively, he started out the process by letting the girls sketch out some ideas.
d, kept saying, "do homework" as we did this and then laughed her head off. ahh, d, my little funny girl. once a design was settled on, e got down to business drawing the design onto the pumpkin. she took this task very seriously...
and did a great job! then both girls watched intently as mommy scooped out the guts (they wouldn't touch the guts with a ten foot pole) and daddy carved out the bat design.
saturday was a long day. the girls were both so excited all day long. they both couldn't wait to put on their costumes and hit the pavement. e was dressed as super girl and d was dressed as super girl's sidekick, super kitty. (super girl doesn't really have a kitty as a sidekick, but e really wanted a sidekick and d was happy to fill the part provided she could be a kitty.) and if you must know, they have been playing their roles for the past few weeks... every day. i am impressed that their costumes made it to halloween without any stains, rips, tears or holes because these costumes have been well worn.
and sweet p was... well, a sweet p.
they were pretty stinking cute. last year, e had to be coaxed into ringing bells and asking for candy. but this year, she was a pro. she was ever so cute. she did all the things you hope your kids will do. she rang, she smiled, she sweetly sang out her obligatory "trick or treat" and then she politely said "thank you" each and every time. d, looking up to her sister followed suit. e was very serious about gathering candy. she was on a mission and didn't want to waste time.
d, was a little different. after each house, she would reach into her pumpkin and pull out her newest treat and smile with sheer delight. she was thrilled with each candy score and wanted to show us her most recent acquisition. at a few houses, she would wait on the sidewalk with scott, p and i... all the while saying "scary". and at one house, after getting her treat, she did a little hop/skip for the homeowner and said, "meow".
e's favorite part occurred after we arrived home. i thought the thrill was going to be emptying out their pumpkins and analyzing the loot. but that wasn't e's highlight. what really did it for her was opening the door and handing out candy to those that rang our bell. she LOVED it. she meticulously handed each kid their candy. after they left she would remark about a favorite costume and tell me if someone had forgotten to say "thank you". she thought it was hysterical when someone sang out, "trick or treat, smell my feet..." and just as soon as she would share something with me the bell would ring again. e would yell out, "my customers are here!"
on thursday night, we sat down to get down to the business of carving our pumpkins. usually, this is a daddy centered activity and the kids just sort of watch. but this year, e was really into it. she spent a lot of time thinking about what she wanted carved onto her jack-o-lantern. scott, always the good daddy, let e be the guide. in fact, impressively, he started out the process by letting the girls sketch out some ideas.
d, kept saying, "do homework" as we did this and then laughed her head off. ahh, d, my little funny girl. once a design was settled on, e got down to business drawing the design onto the pumpkin. she took this task very seriously...
and did a great job! then both girls watched intently as mommy scooped out the guts (they wouldn't touch the guts with a ten foot pole) and daddy carved out the bat design.
saturday was a long day. the girls were both so excited all day long. they both couldn't wait to put on their costumes and hit the pavement. e was dressed as super girl and d was dressed as super girl's sidekick, super kitty. (super girl doesn't really have a kitty as a sidekick, but e really wanted a sidekick and d was happy to fill the part provided she could be a kitty.) and if you must know, they have been playing their roles for the past few weeks... every day. i am impressed that their costumes made it to halloween without any stains, rips, tears or holes because these costumes have been well worn.
and sweet p was... well, a sweet p.
they were pretty stinking cute. last year, e had to be coaxed into ringing bells and asking for candy. but this year, she was a pro. she was ever so cute. she did all the things you hope your kids will do. she rang, she smiled, she sweetly sang out her obligatory "trick or treat" and then she politely said "thank you" each and every time. d, looking up to her sister followed suit. e was very serious about gathering candy. she was on a mission and didn't want to waste time.
d, was a little different. after each house, she would reach into her pumpkin and pull out her newest treat and smile with sheer delight. she was thrilled with each candy score and wanted to show us her most recent acquisition. at a few houses, she would wait on the sidewalk with scott, p and i... all the while saying "scary". and at one house, after getting her treat, she did a little hop/skip for the homeowner and said, "meow".
e's favorite part occurred after we arrived home. i thought the thrill was going to be emptying out their pumpkins and analyzing the loot. but that wasn't e's highlight. what really did it for her was opening the door and handing out candy to those that rang our bell. she LOVED it. she meticulously handed each kid their candy. after they left she would remark about a favorite costume and tell me if someone had forgotten to say "thank you". she thought it was hysterical when someone sang out, "trick or treat, smell my feet..." and just as soon as she would share something with me the bell would ring again. e would yell out, "my customers are here!"
while i greatly missed my friends and our time together, it was a treat for this momma to see her babes engaged in this year's festivities.
10.23.2009
the rest of the story
the other day i wrote a facebook status update about this really yummy dinner that i was making. lots of comments were made in response to the update. some of them indicating that i've got it all together. there are a couple funny things that went through my mind as i read them:
1- when i made the post i never even stopped to consider how it would make someone else feel. i didn't consider that for someone who doesn't like to cook it might make them feel inadequate. i never thought about how someone who was pressed for time might feel envious of my "free time". i simply made the post. i put it out there, letting anyone of my "friends" read my update and draw any conclusion that they might. life is like this a lot. people see just one tiny part of a very large whole.
2-as i read the comments i also thought about "the rest of the story". the post indicated that i was making this super fab dinner. from reading it you could possibly conclude that "she's got it all together". but what really happened paints an entirely different picture.
and then i went on about my afternoon with the girls.
at about 5:15 i looked over the rest of the recipe to see what steps remained. i began to gather up the ingredients for the sauce and at that moment realized that my cream had passed its expiration date. trying to salvage my dinner, i made a quick call to my sister to see what substitutions can be made for heavy cream. unlucky for me, i didn't have those either. and so at 5:30 i decided i was going to have to load up the car for a quick run to the grocery. ugh. three kids, car seats, parking lots, carts with three kids... suddenly my dinner felt less exciting. but off to the store i went in an effort to salvage our dinner. if i got in and out of the grocery in under 30 minutes (door to door) i could still pull off a yummy dinner. difficult task- but not impossible.
i literally walked in the door with three minutes to spare. i hustled the kids in the door, put my head down and got to work. and as i got to work i realized that i had forgotten an entire step in the recipe. i did a quick evaluation and realized that there was no way this dinner was going to make it onto the plate in time. and so with a sad heart i abandoned the chicken, yet again, and moved on to something easier.
thursday came, and while ellie was at school and delaney was napping, i attempted to complete the missing step. i accomplished this- if you can call preparing chicken with a screaming baby in the background an accomplishment. at the proper time i placed the dinner into the oven, perfectly timed so that when scott walked in the door it would be ready to plate. and that all would have been fine had the chicken cooked in the time the recipe had said it would. but it didn't. and so 45 minutes after scott walked in the door, dinner was on the table. e and d were starving and misbehaving by this point and p was screaming her head off. scott and i tag teamed and ate one at a time. and while the dinner was tasty, it was a few days late and not at all enjoyable.
and so there you have it, the rest of the story. it doesn't leave you feeling incompetent or less domestic. it doesn't leave you feeling like a poor manager of time. it doesn't make you feel like less of a mom for putting hamburger helper in front of your babes five nights a week--- or whatever it is you might do at your house. and if you manage to pull off fancy gourmet dishes on a regular basis, it might even leave you feeling a twinge of pride, or accomplishment... or whatever it is that it does in your heart.
i guess the conclusion is that each day, we go about our business and we drop bombs. they might be in a facebook status update, a comment at the park, through our appearances, through our possessions. and these bombs might be harmless, not ill intentioned in any way. but none-the-less they might be bombs to someone. see, we find so much of our worth in what others do. we can make lists of ways in which so and so is better at such and such. we can let our heart be imprinted because our dishes are piled up in the sink and we are sure that the momma next door has hers neatly in the dishwasher... or better yet, washed and back in the cabinet. we can get down because our purse or our mom jeans haven't been updated in three seasons and every time we run into that momma at the park she is stylish and hip in the latest fashions. sometimes people do this to us, on purpose. but most often, i find, we do this to ourselves.
the root of the problem is this. we are our own worst critic. we can extend grace to others but have no idea what it looks like to extend it to ourselves. we receive messages all day long, and let them rewrite the script of our worth. and we define our worth through things that don't really matter.
for me, i know (but often have trouble remembering) that my worth lies in the redeemed child of God that i am. on my own, i am worth nothing... no matter how many apple and bacon stuffed chicken breasts in gorgonzola cream sauce that i can place on the table in front of family and friends. my worth lies solely in the hands of my friend and father, God. because of Him, and the sacrifice He made, i can rest in the fact that on the other side i'll be worth something.
and while i'm here on this side of heaven, my job is to be His hands and His feet in this world. i can't own the interpretations that people make from watching my life but i can set the record straight when the interpretation might be askew. and by doing so, sure, i reveal my own imperfections. by throwing a brick at my own crystal palace, i let people see that i am just me. practically imperfect in every way. and by doing so, i give permission for those around me to do the same. and what's to gain from this? lots! we can walk forward, hand in hand embracing our imperfections. maybe we can even laugh at them together. and together, we can encourage one another. maybe, rather than feeling less than, we can walk away feeling normal.
and maybe, just maybe, we can help point one another in the direction of the One who owns our worth and brings real meaning into our lives.
1- when i made the post i never even stopped to consider how it would make someone else feel. i didn't consider that for someone who doesn't like to cook it might make them feel inadequate. i never thought about how someone who was pressed for time might feel envious of my "free time". i simply made the post. i put it out there, letting anyone of my "friends" read my update and draw any conclusion that they might. life is like this a lot. people see just one tiny part of a very large whole.
2-as i read the comments i also thought about "the rest of the story". the post indicated that i was making this super fab dinner. from reading it you could possibly conclude that "she's got it all together". but what really happened paints an entirely different picture.
stick with me here.
on tuesday morning i meant to pull some chicken breasts out of the freezer for the dinner i had planned. i remembered that i had forgotten to do this at 3 in the afternoon when i went to prepare our dinner (apple and bacon stuffed chicken breasts in gorgonzola cream sauce, if you must know). i felt a little bit defeated because i knew in that moment that there was no way to defrost and stuff the chicken if the chicken was still frozen. i pulled the chicken out of the freezer and resolved to make that for dinner on wednesday. and then i got down to the business of figuring out what we would have for dinner on THAT day. (i don't remember what we had, but i can guarantee that it was something simple, basic and pretty lame.)
on wednesday at around 3 i went to the refrigerator with a happy smile. i knew that TODAY the chicken was happily waiting for me to stuff- defrosted thank you very much. i got a little glimmer in my eye because i knew dinner was going to be great. each kid was contained and focused on a task and i could safely direct my attention towards getting the chicken stuffed well before the dinner hour. i got down to business. i chopped, i sauteed, i stirred, i stuffed. and it looked good. it smelled delish. when i finished the stuffing process i made a facebook status update about my accomplishment in anticipation of the dinner i was looking forward to.and then i went on about my afternoon with the girls.
at about 5:15 i looked over the rest of the recipe to see what steps remained. i began to gather up the ingredients for the sauce and at that moment realized that my cream had passed its expiration date. trying to salvage my dinner, i made a quick call to my sister to see what substitutions can be made for heavy cream. unlucky for me, i didn't have those either. and so at 5:30 i decided i was going to have to load up the car for a quick run to the grocery. ugh. three kids, car seats, parking lots, carts with three kids... suddenly my dinner felt less exciting. but off to the store i went in an effort to salvage our dinner. if i got in and out of the grocery in under 30 minutes (door to door) i could still pull off a yummy dinner. difficult task- but not impossible.
i literally walked in the door with three minutes to spare. i hustled the kids in the door, put my head down and got to work. and as i got to work i realized that i had forgotten an entire step in the recipe. i did a quick evaluation and realized that there was no way this dinner was going to make it onto the plate in time. and so with a sad heart i abandoned the chicken, yet again, and moved on to something easier.
thursday came, and while ellie was at school and delaney was napping, i attempted to complete the missing step. i accomplished this- if you can call preparing chicken with a screaming baby in the background an accomplishment. at the proper time i placed the dinner into the oven, perfectly timed so that when scott walked in the door it would be ready to plate. and that all would have been fine had the chicken cooked in the time the recipe had said it would. but it didn't. and so 45 minutes after scott walked in the door, dinner was on the table. e and d were starving and misbehaving by this point and p was screaming her head off. scott and i tag teamed and ate one at a time. and while the dinner was tasty, it was a few days late and not at all enjoyable.
and so there you have it, the rest of the story. it doesn't leave you feeling incompetent or less domestic. it doesn't leave you feeling like a poor manager of time. it doesn't make you feel like less of a mom for putting hamburger helper in front of your babes five nights a week--- or whatever it is you might do at your house. and if you manage to pull off fancy gourmet dishes on a regular basis, it might even leave you feeling a twinge of pride, or accomplishment... or whatever it is that it does in your heart.
i guess the conclusion is that each day, we go about our business and we drop bombs. they might be in a facebook status update, a comment at the park, through our appearances, through our possessions. and these bombs might be harmless, not ill intentioned in any way. but none-the-less they might be bombs to someone. see, we find so much of our worth in what others do. we can make lists of ways in which so and so is better at such and such. we can let our heart be imprinted because our dishes are piled up in the sink and we are sure that the momma next door has hers neatly in the dishwasher... or better yet, washed and back in the cabinet. we can get down because our purse or our mom jeans haven't been updated in three seasons and every time we run into that momma at the park she is stylish and hip in the latest fashions. sometimes people do this to us, on purpose. but most often, i find, we do this to ourselves.
the root of the problem is this. we are our own worst critic. we can extend grace to others but have no idea what it looks like to extend it to ourselves. we receive messages all day long, and let them rewrite the script of our worth. and we define our worth through things that don't really matter.
for me, i know (but often have trouble remembering) that my worth lies in the redeemed child of God that i am. on my own, i am worth nothing... no matter how many apple and bacon stuffed chicken breasts in gorgonzola cream sauce that i can place on the table in front of family and friends. my worth lies solely in the hands of my friend and father, God. because of Him, and the sacrifice He made, i can rest in the fact that on the other side i'll be worth something.
and while i'm here on this side of heaven, my job is to be His hands and His feet in this world. i can't own the interpretations that people make from watching my life but i can set the record straight when the interpretation might be askew. and by doing so, sure, i reveal my own imperfections. by throwing a brick at my own crystal palace, i let people see that i am just me. practically imperfect in every way. and by doing so, i give permission for those around me to do the same. and what's to gain from this? lots! we can walk forward, hand in hand embracing our imperfections. maybe we can even laugh at them together. and together, we can encourage one another. maybe, rather than feeling less than, we can walk away feeling normal.
and maybe, just maybe, we can help point one another in the direction of the One who owns our worth and brings real meaning into our lives.
10.21.2009
field trip
today was e's first field trip... EVER! (e loves to add this to the end of any sentence so i will follow suit since this post is about her.) these california schools do things a little bit differently than they did back in my day. back in my day...
i'll spare you the "back in my day" story and just stick to the facts. schools out here don't use buses. they don't use buses for getting kids to school each day. they don't use buses for getting kids home from school each day. and so it should come as no surprise that they also don't use buses for getting kids to or from field trips. that leaves you with the following options.
option a) sign a form and then put your kiddos car seat into the car of some other parent to take them to and from the field trip
or
option b) drive your kiddo to school, check them out of school for the day and then drive them (without any siblings in tow) to the field trip destination.
or
option c) present your california drivers license (which i don't have yet... and that's a whole different post), your california insurance (again... don't have yet), get approved by the district and then load up your car with other people's kiddos and chaperon them on the trip.
option c was ruled out for us from the jump, and option a felt creepy and scary as i don't really "know" any other parents. even if i did, i'm not sure i'd choose it... but option b presented its own issues as i do in fact have two other children who are apparently unwelcome on class trips. (seriously, how do parents around here hold down jobs?)
and so today was a "first" for more than one reason. miss poppy was away from her mommy for the first time... EVER with our new, very capable sitter. and mommy and miss e were footloose and fancy free at alden lane nursery.
and isn't she the perfect pumpkin? i think so. they made this sign just for her, right?
it was a really fun day for lots of reasons. there were pumpkins, and pumpkins are always fun. e got to be the line leader and we all know that's fun. we learned about walnuts, walnut trees and the process of washing and shelling walnuts. that was pretty cool. we also learned about tons of native plants and what their uses are. momma finally got to see her girl "in action" so to speak and was reassured that our girlie is doing a-ok with this kindergarten thing (as we suspected). momma also got to see the trouble makers first hand and make a mental list of who we might like to be arranging play dates with. and as an extra bonus, momma met a bunch of other mommas who were all pretty nice. icing on the cake... e got to select her very own pumpkin to bring home. now who wouldn't have fun on that trip?
i'll spare you the "back in my day" story and just stick to the facts. schools out here don't use buses. they don't use buses for getting kids to school each day. they don't use buses for getting kids home from school each day. and so it should come as no surprise that they also don't use buses for getting kids to or from field trips. that leaves you with the following options.
option a) sign a form and then put your kiddos car seat into the car of some other parent to take them to and from the field trip
or
option b) drive your kiddo to school, check them out of school for the day and then drive them (without any siblings in tow) to the field trip destination.
or
option c) present your california drivers license (which i don't have yet... and that's a whole different post), your california insurance (again... don't have yet), get approved by the district and then load up your car with other people's kiddos and chaperon them on the trip.
option c was ruled out for us from the jump, and option a felt creepy and scary as i don't really "know" any other parents. even if i did, i'm not sure i'd choose it... but option b presented its own issues as i do in fact have two other children who are apparently unwelcome on class trips. (seriously, how do parents around here hold down jobs?)
and so today was a "first" for more than one reason. miss poppy was away from her mommy for the first time... EVER with our new, very capable sitter. and mommy and miss e were footloose and fancy free at alden lane nursery.
and isn't she the perfect pumpkin? i think so. they made this sign just for her, right?
it was a really fun day for lots of reasons. there were pumpkins, and pumpkins are always fun. e got to be the line leader and we all know that's fun. we learned about walnuts, walnut trees and the process of washing and shelling walnuts. that was pretty cool. we also learned about tons of native plants and what their uses are. momma finally got to see her girl "in action" so to speak and was reassured that our girlie is doing a-ok with this kindergarten thing (as we suspected). momma also got to see the trouble makers first hand and make a mental list of who we might like to be arranging play dates with. and as an extra bonus, momma met a bunch of other mommas who were all pretty nice. icing on the cake... e got to select her very own pumpkin to bring home. now who wouldn't have fun on that trip?
and as for poppy? she was just fine without me.
10.20.2009
e unscripted
what is your favorite thing about california?
driving up and down mountains and going to the city of san francisco
what is your favorite thing about school?
free choice time. i like computer time, too.
what do you choose for free choice time?
sometimes i play house and other times i play blocks
who do you like to play house with?
arianna and caylee, oh and also alexis
what do you miss most about chicago?
i miss swimming lessons and zoey. i miss kate and macy. i miss the indoor playground, too.
what do are you going to be for halloween?
i'm going to be super girl and buggy is going to be super kitty. next year for halloween i am going to be an angel and the year after that i am going to be dorothy.
is there anything else you want to tell me?
no. i'm done.
name 10 words that start with the letter "p":
payton
pig
parsnip
peacock
pea
pumpkin
petals
peppers
polly pockets
police
can i be done with this now?
e's doing really well. we can't believe that she is in kindergarten and that is getting so big. along with being a really good student, she is also an amazing big sister.
10.12.2009
three little pumpkins
this weekend we took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. usually we combine this activity with apple picking, but since we are in new territory, we thought we'd switch it up a bit. in scott's opinion it was the best pumpkin patch he's every been too. for me, the landscape was out of this world. the patch was nestled between mountains and my eyes were delighted by the rolling landscape that california offers. anywho...
we took a spin on the carousel. yes, i do know that d has her sunglasses on upside down and her shoes on the wrong feet! she prefers 'em that way, if you must know the truth. and since i've started sharing random details, i'll continue. e named her pony sparkles. and then changed it to princess. and then back to sparkles. then back to princess. she finally landed on isabella... thank you very much.
e's favorite part was the teeny tiny pumpkins. she asked about 100 questions/minute regarding these teensy little orange gems. momma may have started making up answers to said questions after maybe question 12 because i just flat ran out of knowledge concerning jack be littles.
sweet p posed for her obligatory "baby leaning against pumpkins" photo. 
d almost lost her britches in all of the excitement (so to speak).
and after hours and hours (at least it felt like that), e found her perfect pumpkin. 
and suddenly, i am coming to realize that with three kiddos, getting the perfect photo is near impossible.
on the way home, my camera ran out of juice. and wouldn't you know it, we saw a rooster walk out in front of our car, goats on a hill, cows, horses and an entire flock (assuming that's the correct term) of real live turkeys. in fact, had daddy not been so alert, we would have had one to bring home... you know, as in a la road kill! yikes.and after all of THAT... momma and daddy had a little bit of this:
scott discovered this tasty pinot noir in a local wine shop, and well, we felt OBLIGATED to indulge. and so we did. a fun day for one and all!
10.09.2009
10.08.2009
10.02.2009
beautiful bounty
while living in chicago, our family has been members of a csa (community supported agriculture). every other week during the growing season, i would get a box of locally grown organic goodness. it was pure delight for this suburban, mid-western momma. i loved opening my box each week and discovering its contents. i loved the culinary challenge that it presented in finding quality recipes that my family would enjoy. i loved knowing that my family was enjoying these dishes sans pesticides. i know, i'm a little weird getting my kicks from methods of toxin avoidance. you can say it. i can handle it.
and so as we planned our move to calli, i day dreamed about getting similar food items at my local grocer. i anticipated grocery shopping with a new level of enthusiasm (truth be told, i have always liked grocery shopping). the week we were living in our hotel suite, i made my first grocery store run. i was disappointed. the organic section was smaller than the one in my local jewel store in chicago. it was not only smaller, but its contents were less than fresh. i chalked it up to not knowing where to go. i was certain that i had just hit a bad store. every area has them, and i must have stumbled upon pleasanton's. i was sad, but still had hope. but two weeks into our new town, i had tried 5 different stores and each one left me with the same sad selection. it was more than just disappointing. it was depressing. how could it be possible that i had moved to the land of organic milk and honey and not be able to get in on any of the action?
not being one that likes the feeling of defeat, i decided to peruse the internet. ah-ha... milk and honey found! what i discovered promises to wet my culinary appetite and challenge my inner chef... my inner foodie, if you will.
starting this week, and every other week for as long as i like, our family will be receiving a delivery from "farm fresh to you". ffty, as they are called, is a nearby farm that delivers their bounty to all who seek it. it is easy, and inexpensive, and organic, and local, and fresh, and brought to my front door every other week...
and quite beautiful! and now, momma is happy again! the end.
and so as we planned our move to calli, i day dreamed about getting similar food items at my local grocer. i anticipated grocery shopping with a new level of enthusiasm (truth be told, i have always liked grocery shopping). the week we were living in our hotel suite, i made my first grocery store run. i was disappointed. the organic section was smaller than the one in my local jewel store in chicago. it was not only smaller, but its contents were less than fresh. i chalked it up to not knowing where to go. i was certain that i had just hit a bad store. every area has them, and i must have stumbled upon pleasanton's. i was sad, but still had hope. but two weeks into our new town, i had tried 5 different stores and each one left me with the same sad selection. it was more than just disappointing. it was depressing. how could it be possible that i had moved to the land of organic milk and honey and not be able to get in on any of the action?
not being one that likes the feeling of defeat, i decided to peruse the internet. ah-ha... milk and honey found! what i discovered promises to wet my culinary appetite and challenge my inner chef... my inner foodie, if you will.
starting this week, and every other week for as long as i like, our family will be receiving a delivery from "farm fresh to you". ffty, as they are called, is a nearby farm that delivers their bounty to all who seek it. it is easy, and inexpensive, and organic, and local, and fresh, and brought to my front door every other week...
and quite beautiful! and now, momma is happy again! the end.
10.01.2009
moving on
a few posts back i promised more installments detailing our move. but i've decided i'm moving on. i know you've been waiting on the edge of your seat (humor me, folks), but you'll have to trust me when i say you're not missing much.
first smiles from my sweet p
momma (with poppy) who may or may not be making an inappropriate gesture under the foam finger. for me to know...
my clan at the giants v. cubs game
e donning her tennis gear for her weekly lesson.
e restraining (i mean, loving) her sister so daddy could snap a shot at "family fun fest", (while momma clearly forgot to remove the evidence that we may be in need of a pacifier intervention).
and last but not least, d riding the train.
the story, if told, might include things like poppy getting a bloody lip in the hotel room and considering a trip to the er. it could include things like a delayed flight followed by delaney kicking the back of a less than thrilled ornery woman's seat, who eventually switched seats and knocked scott in the head with her luggage. it possibly could detail my kids new found love affair with chili's restaurant and even have a segment about ellie's first day of school... from a hotel. but instead of bore you with THAT, i'd rather share this...
first smiles from my sweet p
momma (with poppy) who may or may not be making an inappropriate gesture under the foam finger. for me to know...
my clan at the giants v. cubs game
e donning her tennis gear for her weekly lesson.
e restraining (i mean, loving) her sister so daddy could snap a shot at "family fun fest", (while momma clearly forgot to remove the evidence that we may be in need of a pacifier intervention). 
and last but not least, d riding the train.isn't that WAY better than silly moving stories?
9.30.2009
grrr
my aunt sharon visited san francisco last summer (before we had any clue we might be moving here). i remember vividly listening to her tell me about her trip and thinking that it sounded like so much fun. one story stands out in my mind a little bit more than the rest.
my aunt told me about the san francisco bushman. the bushman is a panhandler that is famous around the city. he sneaks around various tourist hot spots and sits on a milk crate. in front of his face he holds up tree branches and then he waits for unsuspecting tourists to walk by. as they approach him, he pops out from behind his branches and growls at them. in return for his success at scaring them, they give him a buck or two. the other people who catch him in the act of scaring someone usually pitch him some change too.
there is some speculation that he makes a lot of money doing this and that he isn't homeless. but i don't care, i think this is a way more fun way to make a living. it is creative and puts a smile on people's faces, which in my opinion is far more valuable than lots of other jobs this guy could have. i think it shows that he has a sense of adventure and that he knows how to face adversity with a positive attitude, a "make lemonade" kind of guy. i like that.
i was telling scott about this dude last weekend. he didn't believe me.
and then he did.
my aunt told me about the san francisco bushman. the bushman is a panhandler that is famous around the city. he sneaks around various tourist hot spots and sits on a milk crate. in front of his face he holds up tree branches and then he waits for unsuspecting tourists to walk by. as they approach him, he pops out from behind his branches and growls at them. in return for his success at scaring them, they give him a buck or two. the other people who catch him in the act of scaring someone usually pitch him some change too.
there is some speculation that he makes a lot of money doing this and that he isn't homeless. but i don't care, i think this is a way more fun way to make a living. it is creative and puts a smile on people's faces, which in my opinion is far more valuable than lots of other jobs this guy could have. i think it shows that he has a sense of adventure and that he knows how to face adversity with a positive attitude, a "make lemonade" kind of guy. i like that.
i was telling scott about this dude last weekend. he didn't believe me.
and then he did.
9.29.2009
2 months
somehow poppy went and turned 2 months old. i know we have been burning the candle at both ends, but really, where did the time go?
at two months:
**poppy sleeps from 10ish until 4ish, wakes once to eat and then sleeps until morning.
**has begun to enjoy bath time and daddy.
**is needing to be held a little bit less. although she still prefers for momma to hold her, she also spends a little bit of time each day on her play mat (and tries to eat the dangling ladybug toy) and a little time in her bouncy chair.
**is still on a three hour cycle throughout the daytime hours, but her alert time after eating is lasting a little bit longer. she loves to see what is going on with her sisters and gets upset if she is placed in a position where she can't see the action.
**has some serious head control. although it still "bobbles" she is always picking up her head in an effort to view what is happening.
**poppy is adored by both of her sisters. when d wakes up in the morning and from nap, the first thing she does is find little sister. ellie usually drops in a few times a day for her "poppy time". she coos over her sister, tells her sister how cute she is and rubs her soft head.
**she has almost outgrown all of her 0-3 month clothing and is about to transition to 3-6 months. she is still wearing a size 2 diaper.
the above video was taken today. it is special for several reasons: first, because it is video of poppy being poppy. sweet, gentle and every bit precious. second, because today our second moving truck arrived containing her swing. she is cooing at butterfly-bear who she has not seen for the past three weeks. third, because today daddy fixed my computer allowing me to FINALLY download pictures. I promise, lots of posts coming soon.
missing kate
Dear Ellie,
I really like frogs! And toads and all different kinds of frogs. How is your new school in California? Have you made new friends? What are you going to be for Halloween? I think I know what you are going to be. I am not going to be a dinosaur. Not at all! I miss you! Goodbye!
Love, Kate.
ellie received her first email today. it was very sweet. attached to the email was the picture you see above.
i'm was having a grumpy day, but sweet kate put a smile on my face. it also put a smile on e's face. thank you, kate.
9.24.2009
three strikes and you're outta here
although i promised more installments about our move, i wanted to interject this post while it is still fresh in my memory... courtesy of d bugs, the baby of the world.
this weekend scott's boss invited us to their place for a cookout. momma, being a person that likes a full social calendar, welcomed this invite.
i will take a moment to describe their home as it is kind of pertinent... the floors throughout the house are slate, the exterior walls are solid panels of glass, and everything is pristine. it is a stately piece of art with a very frank lloyd wright-esque design style that draws the eye to that nature around the home. let's just say that i could have let my jaw drop when i walked in the front door (but i didn't because, well, that would be inappropriate... but in my head, i had to pick up said jaw and reattach it).
my husband, knowing they had just moved here from chicago as well, asked for a tour. he did this because he is polite... and a tad bit curious. but as the request came out of his mouth, i silently (in my head) let out a huge "NOOOOOOO!" because as a mother of three children under five, one thing i have learned is that when in new surroundings (especially ones with ginormous walls made out of glass) it isn't best practice to show them around. this tends to give them a quick run-down on all the naughty hot spots. children under five tend to find them eventually, but tend to stick closer to mom when they are uncertain about the lay of the land. if you show them the lay of the land, suddenly they feel like they are in their own home and then act accordingly. (not that we act "accordingly" in our own home, but you get the idea.)
within five minutes of arrival to above mentioned home, delaney climbed up onto their square leather ottoman. as momma (using her very best sweet, calm mother voice, hiding all traces of panic because she saw where wee little d was headed with this) cooed for her to come down. when it was clear that she wasn't going to listen (or more likely didn't recognize/hear the voice of the impostor that was trying to play the role of her mother) momma reached out to gently remove her from the ottoman. momma was a little slow in her save because poppy was being carried in the sling. as my arm was about to grab her, my sweet d plunged from the ottoman onto the sofa, and then let out a huge giggle and a "wheeeeeee!". strike one.
about twenty minutes after arrival our family was in the guest room changing into our swim gear. momma was sitting in a chair nursing the baby (hands occupied) and daddy was in the bathroom dressing. d donning her swim gear (floaties and all) climbed onto the guest bed and proceeded to jump up and down. momma, in a loud stern whisper.... "get down, buggy, i'm warning you. stop jumping immediately." my 'lil bug then proceeded to toss the pillows from the bed onto the floor. all 8 of them. while she continued to jump.
after swimming for a little bit, delaney had worked up an appetite. she decided to join momma and poppy on the lawn, very close to the tray of snacks. she carefully checked out the selection and discovered a platter of hummus, veggies and crackers. d is a huge fan of hummus, so she decided to jump right in. momma, having seen this snack ritual before, was right at her side to monitor the dip to cracker ratio and ensure that the "one dip per item" rule was obeyed. buggy was on her very best dipping behavior. she dipped, she tasted, she chewed, she swallowed. momma let out a sigh of relief. at that moment, poppy seed needed some attention. as soon as my eyes were slightly distracted, d decided to go in for a gigantic double dip at the exact moment that her nose began to run. as i lunged for the save, she threw the half eaten carrot onto the platter and took off in the opposite direction. strike two! (bed jumping didn't count against us because we were behind closed doors.)
we made it through dinner without much ado. it wasn't exactly peaceful, but it was absent of any major mishaps.
after dinner brownies were served. the kids were each handed a plate and allowed to choose a brownie. d, after attempting to touch three brownies (intervened by daddy), was escorted to the patio with her brownie on a napkin. the idea of giving her a plate just didn't sit well with me. note, always trust your mommy intuition. you can see where this is headed, right? so our kids and their two kids sat side by side on a patio stair eating the brownies and chatting. it was, if only for a moment, picturesque. after a few moments, d noticed she was the only one without a plate. d, never wanting e to have something that she does not have, went in for the swipe. e, carefully chewing her brownie, was not suspecting that little sister was about to snatch her plate and as a result was not on the defensive. d, ever so thrilled with her successful snatching had not thought through what she was going to do once the plate was in her possession. she was like a deer caught in headlights, unsure of what her next move would be. and so she did what any 21 month old would do. she ran... across the slate patio... and threw the plate... at the glass wall... and smashed it (the plate, not the wall. thank you, Lord!).
momma and daddy = mortified
d = shocked and suddenly very subdued
e = laughing hysterically along with the host's two boys
and as we got down to the business of cleaning up the very broken plate, we overheard e say to the younger of the two boys, "hey, do you wanna play smash plate? you know, for pretend."
this weekend scott's boss invited us to their place for a cookout. momma, being a person that likes a full social calendar, welcomed this invite.
i will take a moment to describe their home as it is kind of pertinent... the floors throughout the house are slate, the exterior walls are solid panels of glass, and everything is pristine. it is a stately piece of art with a very frank lloyd wright-esque design style that draws the eye to that nature around the home. let's just say that i could have let my jaw drop when i walked in the front door (but i didn't because, well, that would be inappropriate... but in my head, i had to pick up said jaw and reattach it).
my husband, knowing they had just moved here from chicago as well, asked for a tour. he did this because he is polite... and a tad bit curious. but as the request came out of his mouth, i silently (in my head) let out a huge "NOOOOOOO!" because as a mother of three children under five, one thing i have learned is that when in new surroundings (especially ones with ginormous walls made out of glass) it isn't best practice to show them around. this tends to give them a quick run-down on all the naughty hot spots. children under five tend to find them eventually, but tend to stick closer to mom when they are uncertain about the lay of the land. if you show them the lay of the land, suddenly they feel like they are in their own home and then act accordingly. (not that we act "accordingly" in our own home, but you get the idea.)
within five minutes of arrival to above mentioned home, delaney climbed up onto their square leather ottoman. as momma (using her very best sweet, calm mother voice, hiding all traces of panic because she saw where wee little d was headed with this) cooed for her to come down. when it was clear that she wasn't going to listen (or more likely didn't recognize/hear the voice of the impostor that was trying to play the role of her mother) momma reached out to gently remove her from the ottoman. momma was a little slow in her save because poppy was being carried in the sling. as my arm was about to grab her, my sweet d plunged from the ottoman onto the sofa, and then let out a huge giggle and a "wheeeeeee!". strike one.
about twenty minutes after arrival our family was in the guest room changing into our swim gear. momma was sitting in a chair nursing the baby (hands occupied) and daddy was in the bathroom dressing. d donning her swim gear (floaties and all) climbed onto the guest bed and proceeded to jump up and down. momma, in a loud stern whisper.... "get down, buggy, i'm warning you. stop jumping immediately." my 'lil bug then proceeded to toss the pillows from the bed onto the floor. all 8 of them. while she continued to jump.
after swimming for a little bit, delaney had worked up an appetite. she decided to join momma and poppy on the lawn, very close to the tray of snacks. she carefully checked out the selection and discovered a platter of hummus, veggies and crackers. d is a huge fan of hummus, so she decided to jump right in. momma, having seen this snack ritual before, was right at her side to monitor the dip to cracker ratio and ensure that the "one dip per item" rule was obeyed. buggy was on her very best dipping behavior. she dipped, she tasted, she chewed, she swallowed. momma let out a sigh of relief. at that moment, poppy seed needed some attention. as soon as my eyes were slightly distracted, d decided to go in for a gigantic double dip at the exact moment that her nose began to run. as i lunged for the save, she threw the half eaten carrot onto the platter and took off in the opposite direction. strike two! (bed jumping didn't count against us because we were behind closed doors.)
we made it through dinner without much ado. it wasn't exactly peaceful, but it was absent of any major mishaps.
after dinner brownies were served. the kids were each handed a plate and allowed to choose a brownie. d, after attempting to touch three brownies (intervened by daddy), was escorted to the patio with her brownie on a napkin. the idea of giving her a plate just didn't sit well with me. note, always trust your mommy intuition. you can see where this is headed, right? so our kids and their two kids sat side by side on a patio stair eating the brownies and chatting. it was, if only for a moment, picturesque. after a few moments, d noticed she was the only one without a plate. d, never wanting e to have something that she does not have, went in for the swipe. e, carefully chewing her brownie, was not suspecting that little sister was about to snatch her plate and as a result was not on the defensive. d, ever so thrilled with her successful snatching had not thought through what she was going to do once the plate was in her possession. she was like a deer caught in headlights, unsure of what her next move would be. and so she did what any 21 month old would do. she ran... across the slate patio... and threw the plate... at the glass wall... and smashed it (the plate, not the wall. thank you, Lord!).
momma and daddy = mortified
d = shocked and suddenly very subdued
e = laughing hysterically along with the host's two boys
and as we got down to the business of cleaning up the very broken plate, we overheard e say to the younger of the two boys, "hey, do you wanna play smash plate? you know, for pretend."
9.23.2009
sweet home chicago
well friends, we have arrived! the "move" (phase one) is officially over and now on to the business of getting settled. but first, i'll share some details. (it might take a few posts because, ahem, i tend to be a little long winded... not that you mind?!)
our doorbell rang at 7am the day after labor day by a packing crew. scott stayed at the house and managed the crew while i departed and managed the more motley crew. the girls and i headed out to my friend kristie's house to hang for the morning. it was bittersweet. kristie and her fam just moved from the city to a home five blocks from our home. hanging out leisurely with her on our last day in town felt so relaxing and peaceful. i had been looking forward to days of that nature as their condo was on the market for the past year and a half, but alas, it didn't sell until a week before we sold our house. thus, making days like that limited... and by limited i mean it only happened that once. but enjoy it i did. i didn't know it at the time, but it would be the last time i hung with this dear friend before departing. it was probably better that way as i didn't really have to say "goodbye".
as i left her house to head to the city, i drove past my house one last time (again, not really knowing if it would be the last time) and got to witness my car being hauled onto the car carrier. for whatever reason, this is the moment where the hugeness of our move really hit me. seeing my car on top of the rig moved me right to tears- you see not having to pack (huge blessing) allowed me to avoid seeing my stuff packed and ready to go. without the visual, it was very easy to avoid the reality that we were in fact moving across the country. up until that moment, i was just organizing stuff... hotel accommodations, flights, packers, movers and the like. but seeing my car ready to be sent off made it all very real. i digress...
as i tried to hide my tears so that my girls wouldn't see their momma fall apart and follow suit, e's sweet friend zoey walked by on her way to kindergarten. e spotted her immediately and sensed something in the air. she began to cry her little eyes out. and although she had already said goodbye to this amazing girl, e had to do it again. she hopped out of the car and hugged her friend, breaking my little heart all over again as i watched e's heart fill with sadness. but my girl made me proud. she pulled up her bootstraps and got on with it, trying to embrace the unknown that lied ahead. she's a strong one, my little e is.
and on to the city we went, checking into our hotel that would be home for the next few days. we spent the next few days in city living bliss (or at least that is what i am telling myself now... a two room hotel suite with a family of five leaves something to be desired). our days were filled with park play dates and time with our favorite city friends. i must insert that i have the most wonderful bunch of friends- they met me all over the place in an effort to get in some good hanging out time and went above the call of duty in filling our hours to avoid unwanted time in the hotel room.
while i tried to make hotel living the "norm" for our girls, scott drove back to the house to oversee the packers and movers and was met with some challenges of his own. our moving company somehow made some enormous miscalculations in the size of our load. about half way through pack up, they realized this mistake and tried to assemble some sort of solution. their first attempt included a polite call to moi suggesting that i tried to hide a sofa under the rug when they made their bid. after informing them that i don't in fact have a secret attic, they got down to the business of really solving the problem. let's just say that about 35% of our belongings are still unaccounted for and that the solution involved extra trucks, storage units, and a new load that is currently somewhere in texas... or so they tell me. and at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter because it is just "stuff".
and then onward we went... next installment: the airport. stay tuned, as the adventure is certainly not dull.
9.10.2009
p-nut
two weeks ago i started a post to highlight my p-nut at one month. somehow, the post got lost in the shuffle. more likely, the post wasn't completed because this little one really likes to be held... a lot. and while i am loving the cuddles, it leaves my arms less free for things like blogging, packing, cooking, cleaning, showering... not that i am complaining... because i am not. it has actually been good- in our current hustle and bustle this one could easily get less attention than she deserves, but because of her love of all things mommy, that isn't happening.
at one month poppy is:
- eating and sleeping on a three hour schedule through the day (eat, wakeful period, sleep)
- going down to bed at 10:30 and sleeping for a 5-6 hour stretch (gasp! momma is thrilled with this amount of sleep and can't believe how wonderful it is to feel somewhat human with such a new baby in the house)
-starting to respond to the voices of her sisters and daddy. she hears them coming and turns her head wanting to be in on the action.
- has a fussy period each night before bed. daddy likes to take her on walks during this time because the fresh air tends to calm her down more quickly than other methods.
- she weighs 12 lbs. and wears size 2 diapers
- she took her first road trip to michigan to meet great-grandma and great-grandpa, aunt merritt and uncle jon. she was such a wonderful traveler and slept for most of the 5 hour drive.
- she also really likes momma. most of the time, i am the only one that will do. she rarely lets other people hold her and wants to be as close to the milk as humanly possible. she spends a lot of time snuggled in the baby sling.
- she really does not like bath time. she cries from start to finish and then passes out in exhaustion (from all the screaming) as soon as she is in her fresh warm pj's.
at one month poppy is:- eating and sleeping on a three hour schedule through the day (eat, wakeful period, sleep)
- going down to bed at 10:30 and sleeping for a 5-6 hour stretch (gasp! momma is thrilled with this amount of sleep and can't believe how wonderful it is to feel somewhat human with such a new baby in the house)
-starting to respond to the voices of her sisters and daddy. she hears them coming and turns her head wanting to be in on the action.
- has a fussy period each night before bed. daddy likes to take her on walks during this time because the fresh air tends to calm her down more quickly than other methods.
- she weighs 12 lbs. and wears size 2 diapers
- she took her first road trip to michigan to meet great-grandma and great-grandpa, aunt merritt and uncle jon. she was such a wonderful traveler and slept for most of the 5 hour drive.
- she also really likes momma. most of the time, i am the only one that will do. she rarely lets other people hold her and wants to be as close to the milk as humanly possible. she spends a lot of time snuggled in the baby sling.
- she really does not like bath time. she cries from start to finish and then passes out in exhaustion (from all the screaming) as soon as she is in her fresh warm pj's.
9.08.2009
i get by with a little help from my friends
so my sweet friend veronica (front left in purple) is amazing. she threw a surprise dinner party for lil 'ol me last week. it was beautiful in so many ways. first, she knows that i don't really love to be surprised- so they told me a few days early. i still got the joy of a surprise but was also able to emotionally prepare for such a special night with my most cherished (minus a few who moved away before me) girls. second, the entire menu was carefully created around my most favorite things- cheese, champagne, lemon meringue pie, cupcakes from my favorite restaurant, a cake from my favorite bakery and lemon chicken with capers.it was such a lovely break from my to-do list. the time i spent with each of them that evening, the memories that were shared and the special things that each of them said to me will play over and over in my head for quite some time.
each of these girls also serve as a beautiful reminder of how God works- how he has it all figured out and blesses us with the exact community that we need when we need it. you see, i am certain that i will experience loneliness in san francisco. it is inevitable. it happened when i moved to chicago, too. and that was difficult, but those days of loneliness drew me to God. and as i drew closer to God, i began to pray for friendships. i did not just pray for people to fill my time, but i prayed for moms that would help me be a better mother. i prayed for women that would show me how to be a better wife. i prayed for girls with common interests that i could "do life with" without competition, without judgement- women that would be able to "mother" my children with a like-minded parenting style.
and as i prayed God answered. He did it slowly, in His time (as is His style- because He, ahem, He is master of the universe and all). but each woman entered my life exactly when i needed them and each of them proved to meet a need that my life had.
and so as i move to califronia, i am certain that i will miss each of them. but i am also certain that God will bless my life again. i know it will be a process and that it won't happen over night. i also know that new friends won't be able to replace the ones that i leave behind, but they will be what i need when i need it.
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