Dehydrated

We have had an infestation of Mediterranean House Geckos. And let me just say they are nothing like the little gecko on TV.

(image courtesy of Wikipedia)

They are very small and albino-like in color. They hide, so you have to shake your shoes before you put them on. We "had" an infestation, because they are now mostly dead, even though we promise none were intentionally harmed. I think it is the lack of water, because they are shriveled when I find them. Okay, maybe it isn't an infestation, I have found about a dozen, but still no one wants to find a tiny cream colored, box-faced lizard, alive or shriveled.

Out of place

Hunting season began a little over a week ago. Right now it is dove hunting, but that is just the start. Camouflage is everywhere, even the Walmart employees have traded in their trademark blue for camo.

BLM does not own land in Texas, land is private. So to hunt you have to know someone or pay money. Hunting ranches are everywhere. For a few thousand dollars you can kill just about anything. It sounds more like an ambush to me, but they have these feeders that go off at a certain time every day. The hunter hides in a blind at the right time and then has his pick of the animals that feed there, depending on the season.
There is a hunting bed and breakfast behind our house. The last two Sunday afternoons we have heared gunshots constantly. It makes me nervous, especially when I hear what sounds like pebbles falling on our roof.
We have been told that you don't look up during dove season. I don't like that idea. I'm wondering if I should dress my kids in orange to play in the backyard. The people I have asked about this look at me like I'm silly. I think the truth is I'm just not Texan.
(The pictures are of our backyard. We have these little visitors everyday. Most days its the whole family, but today it was just the two little fawns.)

September 10, 2001 found Sadie and I in an antique store. We were new to town and I had wanted to go in the big red barn since we moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. It was just before you crossed the draw bridge to Sullivan's Island and our favorite park. I decided we would make a quick trip into the store and look at all the things we couldn't afford, just staying as long as an eleven-month-old would tolerate. As we were walking back out to the car I couldn't find my keys, I looked through the window of the car and there they were, right next to Sadie's car seat, in my locked car.

I went back into the store and explained what had happened. The owner offered to let me use her phone to call a locksmith. I told her I couldn't afford a locksmith. To call my husband. He was in classes and I didn't have anyway to get a hold of him. She asked if there was anyone else I could call, but I didn't know anyone. By this time Sadie was upset and hungry and I was wishing for that swing at the park, the one that always put her right to sleep with the coastal breeze blowing. Instead I was in a charming open air barn, aisle after aisle of dressers and armoires limiting the flow of air on a hot fall day. The sweet owner offered to let me sit in her office to nurse Sadie and I happily accepted the air conditioned seat.

We sat there for the couple of hours that it took for Evan to get out of class and get the message I left on our home phone (cell phones were a luxury back then.) That night I promised myself I would make the nice lady a cake and take it to her the next day.

Evan had already left for classes the next morning when I got up and climbed back in bed with my sweet baby. She was happily nursing away and I was watching The Today Show. I can't remember the segment they interrupted to show live footage of a plane that had crashed into a building in New York. I turned up the volume and began to try and figure out what had happened. I watched, so confused about how something like this could happen. How could air traffic control let this happen?

But then another plane came and it crashed too. Right through the building, the World Trade Center. I was dumbfounded. I couldn't stop crying as more details came out. We sat in our little apartment glued to the news, when I had a feeling I should make a cake.

Make a cake? The world as we knew it was ending and I should make a cake?! But I remembered the kindness of the lady the day before and how determined I had been the night before and I found myself in the kitchen. I baked and listened to the news. Then I put Sadie and the cake in the car and drove through a virtual ghost town. Everywhere I looked stores were closed. There were no cars on the road and it was almost like the birds had even stopped, aware of the tragedy of the day.

I second guessed myself over and over on that short drive. Chances were no one would even be there; but I felt an uncontrollable need to feel normal and maybe even kind. I pulled into an empty parking lot and got out the cake and my baby, checking to make sure my keys were in hand. I walked into the store and found the owner. I stumbled over my words as she stared at me wide eyed, embarrassed that I had done something like baking in the face of such extreme devastation. Then she said something I would always remember, "You're an angel. Today is my son's birthday and the bakery where I ordered the cake is closed. Not one place has cakes today but now he will have a birthday cake. Thank you."

I've thought about that day a lot in the last ten years, as has the rest of the world. But the lesson I learned that day was one of inspired service. In the face of difficulty, tragedy, adversity, I have always found comfort in service.

C Ya

Its no secret that I love letters.

In second grade I came in second in a writing contest, it was Kindergarten through twelfth so I was pretty excited.
When I used to work for a graphic design firm I would help with copy and catch phrases. I like words.
I don't always have with them and sometimes they escape me, but there are simple little words that make me happy.
And letters, well they're the perfect combination of graphic and expressive.
Letters and words are all over my house.
But seriously, when you find a GIANT C (almost 26" tall) how can you pass it up.
I love this letter, but where do I hang a giant blue C?

Hold on Honey

Maisy has been sick, once again. She missed three days of school and suffered through a long weekend. This morning she seemed pretty good with only a bit of lingering dehydration (a side effect of antibiotics.) I got up in the dark and talked to her and she wanted to go to school, so we got dressed. I carried her on the bus with the rising sun and set her down to walk to her seat. But then she looked up at me with this sweet needy expression. It was an expression I haven't seen in a while; it is a look of she used to give me in the hospital and it has always said the same thing. "I'm going to be strong, Mom, because you're here and you believe in me. But I need you by my side." How can one expression say such words? How can one look between a mother and daughter convey a thought?

She held up her arms and I picked her back up. My heart wanted to take her back inside, but I whispered in her ear, "You'll be fine honey. If you want to come home just tell your teacher and I'll come get you." (Trust me that if she wants to come home the message will get through loud and clear.) I put her in her seat and buckled her in, fumbling over the same buckle I've done so many times.

Why is it so hard to let go? Why is it difficult to see them struggle, but mostly, why can't I just take it away? How does the momma bird watch her babies work against the eggshell without intervening? But then what is the alternative? Do I want that? Do I want them to never go to college, missions, get married, have families? I know the pain and pressure that can bring, do I hide them away from the joy too? I know the answer, but I also know that I just want to hold them a little longer, a little tighter some days. I hope they're okay with that, I hope its enough.

Update on Jack

A little over a week ago we called the Principal at the kids school and talked to him a little about Jack. He sat down with Jack and his teacher and then after school we visited with Jack and his teacher.

Apparently Jack is afraid of a couple of older boys that we go to church with as well as a boy he met once this summer. Lunch makes him especially nervous. He's afraid the boys will put him in a trash can and roll him around, and unfortunately this fear comes from experience. We talked to him about what he would like to do and he wants to stay in school (which makes me a little sad.) His teacher said he is doing great and is right on track with the other kids. We told her we intend to hold him back at some point and she suggested repeating kindergarten; which works well with our time frame. So, there you go a little update on Jack.

The rule is...

I made a back-to-school wreath for the door, because I really couldn't resist. I followed the basic instructions here.

Initially I had planned on leaving it bare, but it felt a little plain, so I embellished it with felt flowers (because I always have felt on hand and the only "craft store" in town is Walmart) and a yarn pom pom. I also glued a loop of ribbon on the back so that I could hang it from an over-the-door hook. I love how it turned out.

First day

The kids started school this week.

I knew it would be difficult for me the first day.

I knew that Sadie would be nervous about lockers and changing classes (fifth grade seems way too young for middle school!)

I knew Ella and Maisy would be fine.

I knew Jack would be a little nervous.

I never dreamed that the second day would be so much worse.

Jack doesn't like school. He says its too long (I agree, all-day kindergarten is hard), they don't play with toys, he has to eat when they tell him to; his list of complaints goes on and on.

Jack is so young, having an August birthday he catches the deadline just right. So, I was hesitant to send him to school this year anyway.

Then when I took him in for his shots, our pediatrician strongly encouraged us not to enroll him this year. But we had worked so hard to get him into the school and he was excited and we thought we would just do kindergarten twice. But this week has been awful.

He has been crying every morning. Thursday was the worst, it took me almost an hour to leave and he was sobbing when I did.

Friday Evan convinced me to just drop him off and let him walk in with Ella, I felt so guilty. I'm just not sure what to do.

Any ideas?

That's fashion baby

The annual Back-to-School fashion show was on this year.

Sadie decided she didn't want to do it (she's growing up too fast) but Jack hammed it up enough to make up for it.
There is still so much remodeling clutter around, but Ella was elegant in spite of it.
Jack put on such a show that Evan took about six pictures of every outfit.
And Ella could have gone on and on trying on more and more clothes.
They have to tuck in their shirts at school, so Jack got a little practice with that.
And then every Friday is purple day for school spirit.

Before and After

This is how the room currently looks, which is why two girls are in their room now and quite possibly all day.

How can two girls make so much mess so fast?

However, the before pictures give a glimpse of the start of decorating Sadie and Ella's room.

The wall opposite their beds is closet doors and dresser. Next to Sadie's bed is a very large window and next to Ella's bed is the door. So there really isn't much to it.
It still needs curtains, some touch up on the paint and more organization. I think that will be easier for me to do once they start school.

Dairy Girl

I have a new little obsession, glass milk bottles. I know its kind of strange but I love them.

Austin

We decided to make an impulse trip to Austin for a n overnight stay. The kids wanted to go to the Lego Store and I really wanted to see the bats. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, so it was just a short walk to the Congress Street Bridge.

We sat on the grass under the bridge and some people lined the bridge itself. The signs you can't read in the picture below, basically say don't touch the bats, no problem there.

We waited and waited and then the bats began to pour out from under the bridge.

And continued to pour out from under the bridge.
They live in those little crevasses, which are so small it is hard to believe anything can live in there, let alone 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats.
They fly off into the night sky
making beautiful formations as they go off to catch dinner for their families.
Evan was hoping for something more horror movie like, but I was grateful it was more like a dance recital than a bloodsucking horror film. Jack was my little photographer after the bats had performed. So, I actually have proof I was there.

Austin was great. Even though the trip was quick, we got to see quite a bit of the city and it was really beautiful. Parts of it, especially around the lake reminded me of Arlington, VA. Other parts were reminiscent of the Kansas City-area, very green. It is a very active and fun city.

A girly robot party

So, I know its been almost a month since Ella's birthday (we were out of town for the party), but I have to share pictures of her party. She has so many great friends in Utah, we even forgot to invite a few and felt pretty bad about it, that the party was big.

It all started when we found this cute necklace at Forever 21 for $1.50. I mentioned that they would be great party favors and Ella decided to run with it.We found these darling invites to download.
We decorated with ruffled streamers.
And robot-y things.
Most of the party time was spent making robots.
We used boxes of crayons, pipe cleaners, circle stickers from the office supply section, and other misc stuff I had around.
The robots all turned out very cute and unique.
I even tackled a robot cake, with fruit of course. After all, it was for Ella.
We played robot freeze dance, hot potato with a slinky (it kind of made me think robot), and opened presents. Just enough activities to fill the time, without overwhelming Grandma's house.