Party!

Just One Year

Rory,

We knew your name before we knew you were on your way and we knew you would fill the spot waiting just for you in our lives. As I prepared for your birth I knew intellectually that I would love you, that there would be just enough room in my heart for you and Jilli to swing side by side. But when you were born I learned instantly that love is always multiplied by itself. This idyllic existence of mine grew exponentially when I kissed your tiny head for the very first time. It was only a year ago today.

The thing that strikes me this morning, after I have sung you Happy Birthday for the very first time, is that you are the same sweet baby that curled into my chest but you are also much more. At one you chafe at me treating you like my baby. You are fiercely independent. You squirm when you want to be put down. You only want to eat the food that everyone else is eating and you want a cup that looks just like Jilli's. You scream and kick your legs, you launch your head backwards and arch your back when I refuse to let you brush your own teeth (4 now!) or take away the toilet paper that just moments earlier you were dunking in and out of the toilet. In just one year you have changed so profoundly from the baby who wanted to sleep in my arms to the child who chases her sister and grabs the dogs' tails.

Your little laugh sounds so sweetly in my ears but resonates in my soul. You will always be my perfect little Rorybear. My heart is yours. Happy Birthday Little Bear.

Mommy

At last

Someone has been waiting 3 years, 3 months and 17 days for this moment.







And, Jilli had a great time too. She ran around and kicked the ball and at one point joined a practice on another field. There were lots of great kids and really nice parents. I could sort of see our future when the wife of the coach, sitting with their older son, brought out the chairs, the cooler, the multiple water bottles. Oh yes...I think we are going to spend a good bit of time at the fields.








Jeff documented the entire event in exquisite detail, unfortunately I did not get a picture of him. He told me his face hurt from smiling as we walked to the car.

The Negotiator

M: Its getting late Jilli. Why don't you go down the slide one more time and then we'll ride bikes home....

J: How about three more times down the slide?

M: How about one more time down the slide?

J: I think three more times Mommy.

M: Ok, why don't you go two more times?

J: That's a great idea!

Spoons!

I vaguely recollect a card game that involves spoons and grabbing them and shouting loudly. Rory's game is more fun. Its the, "I am proficicient at this utensil you have given me and I DO NOT need ANY help eating yogurt, thankyouverymuch."

Zoo Trip

As is our tradition we made our spring trip to the zoo as soon as the weather turned nice. We weren't the only ones with that brilliant idea and the place was packed but everyone had a great time. When we asked Jilli her favorite part of this trip she said, "The giraffes and the zebras and the lions! ROAR!" This is a marked improvement over the fall trip when her favorite part was the stroller (and a year ago when it was riding the zebra bus.) Rory seemed way more attuned to the animals this trip and loved lunch and peek-a-boo best of all.

When we got home there just seemed no reason to be indoors when it was a breezy 78 degrees outside. We played at the neighborhood park and then kicked balls around the side yard with Josh, Erin and Hazel. At one point I laid back in the grass and lifted Rory up. "Hmmmm...." I thought, "I really am rolling around in the grass." It was an amazing day.

The weather outside...

Is amazing! I want to roll around in the grass and breathe in the green, muddy goodness that is nearly 60 degrees and climbing. We are forecast to be in the 70's this weekend and I am nearly frothing at the mouth. I try very hard to live in the moment, to be present for the now and blah blah, but this winter has been long and cold and WET. I am hereby pronouncing it over.

The weather outside...

Is frightful. We survived the flu last week, I prepped for my three in a row hearings. I stressed but survived and then woke up Saturday morning with just a bit of a scratchy throat, by Saturday evening I felt pretty terrible and all day today has been a miserable, congested mess. Apparently, WINTER did not get the message that it is now MARCH and we have a high probability of 3-5 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow morning. I stressed some more about how I was going to slip slide my way to Monday's hearing and emailed the judge and asked what his plan was...and hallelujah...he cancelled the hearing. I feel bad for my client who is prepped, ready and waiting to go, but I am so relieved that my pounding head doesn't have to drive on treacherous roads and then make reasoned, appropriate legal arguments. I guess we are in a holding pattern to see if Tuesday's hearing will make the cut.

The World According to Jilli

Pointing to a weeping cherry tree, "Mommy, It looks just like a waterfall!"

Observing a beautiful sunset, after I asked if she thought the angels painted the sky, "No Mommy. That's silly. The giraffe painted it."

Watching a cardinal flitting around our backyard with his characteristic spike of feathers on the back of his head, "He has a party hat on! That cardinal is going to a party!"