Decatur General Hospital - June 30th, 2009

You got sick on a Sunday evening after a day at the pool. Your temperature went up to 104.5 and I was in a near panic. It came down slightly after Tylenol but rose up again quickly the next morning. Monday we went to the doctor and found out you had pneumonia. We tried a night of antibiotics, but they didn’t work. Your temperature remained high. The next morning you were admitted to Decatur General Hospital. The hardest moment of my life so far is watching your small body look so helpless and sick and listen to you cry as they gave you the IV. You were brave, though, and we spent a lot of time singing songs, coloring, and watching Disney princess movies. You also became a fan of Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. By Thursday, they let us go home. Amazingly, you healed rather quickly and by Friday afternoon you were back to your wonderful self. I am so happy you are feeling better and please don’t scare me again! Really, though, if any silver lining can be found, it’s that I got to spend two days holding my baby girl and giving you lots of kisses. What’s better than that?

An Elephant Named Binky

Baby girl. Today was a big milestone for you. This is the day you said good-bye to your beloved Binky. For the last few months we have told you about the baby animals at the zoo that have no binkies. Their mommies need help taking care of the babies, so I asked if you would be kind enough to give them yours. After all, you are a big girl now. You know how to soothe yourself and don’t really need a Binky anymore. But those baby animals could sure use something to make them feel better. I asked you which animal you would give yours to. You informed me – the baby elephants (pronounced “L-fants”).

Today was a beautiful Tuesday in April (April 28th). As soon as we arrived at the Nashville Zoo, we went directly to the Baby Elephants. After giving the treasured Binky a kiss, you placed it on the stoop. The mommy elephant was kind of far away, so Daddy threw the Binky to her. You said bye-bye to Binky as the Mommy picked it up with her long snout. I guess you then realized it was gone and got very upset. You also thought she chewed it up. We assured you the Binky was given to the Baby. You walked away crying, but in return, the Mommy elephant gave a plush toy elephant as a symbol of her gratitude. You happily took the toy elephant and gave it a hug and kiss. We asked you want the toy elephant’s name to be. You promptly replied, “Binky.” So there on that brave April afternoon, an elephant named Binky came into our lives.

Carrot and Karat

Miss Julia and you were playing with your alphabet puzzle. She instructed you to place the letter “C” in its spot. To help you, she said, “Riley, place the “C” on the picture of the “carrot.” You promptly put the letter on the picture of the large diamond ring. At least you have your “karats” prioritized correctly!

Best Friend

Your best friend is Danica Otten. You call her Kica. You and Kica go to Little Gym together and as of this weekend, she lives across the street from you. Of course, the two of you are having some difficulty sharing, but are getting better each time you visit. Kica is a 6 months younger than you. You have a competitive nature, so when I tell you Kica is doing something better, like potty training or eating something in particular, you immediately change course. You always want to see her and ask for her each day. It’s great to know that you have such a great friend and it’s exciting to think of the two of you growing up together. Best friends are so important, and the longer you have them, the more special they are. I am blessed to have such wonderful friends. Samanta, Danica’s 5 month old sister, will make things even more interesting as you girls get older and go to school together. You are all such cuties, so I’m sure James and Daddy will have fun “cleaning the shotguns on the porch.” Stay tuned for more exciting adventures between Riley and Kica (and Sammie, too).

Bye Bye Binky

Well you have gone a full week without your Green (or pink) Binky. I never thought we’d see the day. How did we do it? You are going to give the Binky to the baby Elephants at the zoo. I had heard from another mother that it’s easier to let go of it if you think you are helping someone else. So, I told you the babies at the zoo are in need of a binky and really want yours. So I kept asking over and again if we could give your binky to them, and eventually you were ready to part with it at bed time. You have not had it all week! What a big girl. And each night you say we need to give it to the baby elephants (you decided that was the baby you wanted to give it to) as soon as we can (which will be when it warms up).

Oh my little girl is getting so big. You are also doing quite well with your potty training. You hardly ever wet your panties and for the first time, you went #2 on the potty last night before bed. You even told me you needed to go! (Date: 4/12/2009). We hope to be out of diapers by the end of the month. Keep up the good work Baby Girl!

Easter Prayer

Here’s the prayer I gave for dinner on Saturday. Please always remember that Easter is not about the chocolate Easter Bunnies and bright colors. Easter reminds us that God loved us so much he gave us his son so that we may live. Others will make sacrifices for you; you need to always remember to honor those who have by living a faithful and good life.
You and I celebrated Mass together (you could have been a little better, but overall you were darling). Daddy, unfortunately, was on another trip to Hawaii. I know he didn’t want to go, but duty calls. We ate lunch at the club with the Ottens and then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. You and I went on a walk holding hands (the best part of my weekend). We also played with the boys outside and you enjoyed more of your candy. After dinner we watched Peter Pan and then off to bed. You were so tired, and were ready to get on that pillow. Thank you for being such an angel. All I have to do is look at you and be grateful to the Lord for blessing me with such a perfect child. I love you, Baby Girl.

Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing these three families together to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ. May each of us today feel the blessings you have bestowed upon our families. We ask you, Lord, to bless this meal and help us remember the last meal of Jesus Christ.

As it is written in the Gospel according to Mark:
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mk 14, 22-25)

Lord, let us all remember our family and friends who are not here with us today. Let them be at peace and know the love of Jesus Christ. We also pray for all the men and women serving in the military, especially those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Finally Lord, please hear our prayers for the most vulnerable without the voice to fight for themselves – the souls of the unborn babies and victims of animal cruelty.

Lord, let us all hear and believe in your word and the love you gave to us by giving your only son, Jesus Christ.

As it is written in the Gospel according to Mark:
Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. (Mk 16, 19)

In your name we pray. Amen

Easter Brunch, Hunt and Dinner 2009

Happy Easter Baby Girl. We began the morning with brunch. Rosie, James, Danica, Samanta, Sam and Julia joined you, Daddy and me for a fun-filled day. The Ottens brought prosciutto and melon wraps and smoked salmon and olives. Sam and Julia brought deviled eggs (for later) and two kinds of strada – bacon and cheese and strawberry. We served coffee (with Bailey’s and Jameson), mimosas (of course), bagels and cream cheese. Brunch was delicious! After giving out the

Easter baskets (you received a Dora ball cap, bubbles, frog hair clips and lots of chocolate in your basket and Ms. Julia gave you the Faberge eggs from William Sonoma) we headed to the club for the annual Easter egg hunt. It was a bit chilly outside, so we were able to get another year out of the beautiful pink dress coat from Grandma. We arrived just in time (and I mean about 1 minute before it began) for the egg hunt. The Easter Bunny (played by Tina, the beer cart lady) was also present. You took one look at her and instantly displayed a look of terror. The hunt began, but you were not at all interested – you just wanted to stay as far away from the scary bunny as possible. “Bye Bye Scary Easter Bunny” “No bunny mommy” “Want to go home” – yes we heard them all at the top of your lungs. Daddy carried you to the other side to try to avert your attention and I let the Easter Bunny know that she wasn’t to come near you but to no avail. You took off running and screaming in the opposite direction towards the golf cart. If I wasn’t so upset that you were missing out on the hunt I would have turned on the video camera. Sorry baby girl, but that was hilarious! Luckily Danica shared her eggs with you.

So now it is relaxation time – girls are taking a nap, Mom is finally enjoying some magazines, and the men are watching golf (yawn). About 3:00pm we served a veggie tray and Sam’s famous deviled eggs. Dinner was served at 4:00ish. The menu included ensalada caprezza (tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinaigrette), lamb, new potatoes, steamed asparagus, and dinner rolls. Yummy. I gave the blessing and prayer. For dessert Rosie brought Tiaramisu and I served a Mud Pie (no not really, I won it during a silent auction at work). My table turned out great! Rosie brought a nice Italian red wine and a Pinot Grigio. Perfecto!

My entire point for going into this in such detail is that you try to always make holidays extra special. It’s such a great opportunity to bring families and friends together. Plus, you get to use your China! Never settle for paper plates for dinner on the holidays and always dress up. You feel a little better just for going the extra mile to make it special for your guests. When you do this, remember to have extra Tupperware on hand to send guests home with the leftovers (we had a ton).

Well you may not know this, but I’m not that creative or crafty. I know, please contain your surprise. I preparation for our Easter dinner, I need some eggs decorated. I also need cookies to give to your teachers to go in their gift bags. I bought an egg decorating kit at William-Sonoma (on recommendation by Julia Vandergrift) and hoped to make some gorgeous eggs to serve as the name cards for my seating arrangements. I had already created my miniature baskets and was amazed at what a glue gun can create.

I had Rosie and Danica join us for the decorating adventures thinking it would be a great craft experience, plus the men were out golfing. They were coming over after Little Gym, so I boiled the eggs and made the cookie dough (shortbread recipe from the cookie cutter box) that morning. Admittedly, I was feeling good that morning – I got the kitchen cleaned, the eggs boiled, and the dough made all before we headed out the door for LG. By the time we got back, all was ready. I pulled out the cookie dough but my hopes were immediately thwarted. It was glob of goo that stuck to my fingers. With Danica on one side and you on the other, we were determined to get it right. So out came the olive oil and flour. By the end, you had a mound of flour out, Danica was putting flour in your hair, and the cookies were hard enough to break a tooth. Okay, let’s not get discouraged.

Lets move on to the eggs. After seeing the mess from the cookies, I quickly decided to only use the egg dye and not the rest of the kit ideas. Having never colored eggs before, I realized it may not be prudent to have higher ambitions on the first go. You girls had a great time, but did not fully grasp the whole concept and with both fighting for the same step ladder, we needed to get it done quickly. They turned out great, though. We gave you letter stickers after they were dyed and you all went to town. So all in all, they turned out well – with a few minor tweaks. I ended up going to the store to get pre-made cookie dough and after only 12 cookies decided I hate decorating them. The eggs went into the spare fridge, where they promptly froze and cracked. Oh well, you only improve by making mistakes and learning from them, right!?! Can’t wait until the next holiday!

Let's go fly a kite

Kite Day began out of pure and simple motherly guilt. At school they had Kite Day. I missed that note that said we needed to bring a kite for you. I thought you were making them or something. So I arrived with no kite and you were none too pleased with me. Your little friend, Isabella, was more than happy to share her kite, but you really wanted your own. So after a duly noted meltdown, I promised you a kite for the weekend which Daddy promptly supplied. We flew a Lady bug and Tinkerbell kite that you picked out. Yet another lovely spring day and I can’t wait for the next Kite Day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2009

Hello my little Irish girl. Today is St. Patrick’s Day. You will come to find that this holiday ranks right up there next to Christmas and Easter on days of importance in this family. Daddy took today off, of course, and I believe tomorrow as well. You and I were off to school/work this morning sporting our green. I have to say that your dark hair, blue eyes, and creamy skin make for one gorgeous little Mic. You sported your “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirt and 4-leaf clover socks. You were very excited to wear this! When we arrived home, Daddy met us with green colored juice – Mommy’s and Riley’s! It was beautiful sunny day, and in good Irish spirit you ended the outdoor time by stripping down to your undies. Your Daddy has been known to do the same in past years!

Erin Go Braugh!

Snow Day

On March 1, 2009 we got our first snow in the new house. You, having been born in Florida, were not at all apprehensive to the cold. I woke us up that Sunday morning to very white day. We bundled up in our many layers and headed outside. You were screeching with excitement! We attempted to build a snowman, and did quite honorably with it, I do say. You also chased Sully around a bit, and of course Spike was not at all interested in getting his paws or belly cold. After launching some snowballs your way, you decided it was time to go in. The snow didn’t last long, which was good because we had Kica’s birthday party to attend that afternoon. Overall, good day!

P.S. Daddy wasn’t with us that day because he was in Hawaii enjoying the sun during a business trip…

Reading List

A friend of mine from high school, Sunni Scroggins Roppolo, was kind enough to give me a reading list to broaden my horizons. Reading is the most essential gift you can give yourself. Reading allows you to build context and know how to deal with situations. You can go on an adventure, solve a mystery, love someone…the possibilities are endless. Sunni also gave quick reviews for each book she’s read. She also adds an “X” for those she’s read, “+” for the ones she LOVEs, and “*” for the ones she plans to read. I hope you make it a resolution to read each and every one of these books. I will read them with you, if you like, and will likely read a few to you over the next few years.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen x aka the book that spawned chick lit, grudgingly like it
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien x+
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte x+ if you like this, read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling x+ Loved em
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee x+
6. The Bible x+
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte x+
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwelll x+
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman x+ (read the whole series, very humanist, not my personal ideology, but a good story, interesting premise, well written)
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens x boooooorrriiinnnggg
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott x+ love me some Louisa May Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy no thanks this guy is depressing
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare- what do they mean by complete? I've read most, at one time or another, I would say
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier x+ enjoyed, it's kinda racy for its time
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien x+
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk ? need to look this up, haven't even heard of it
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger x+ the prostitute's name is Sunny fyi
19. The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger x+ good but weird
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot *
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell x+ I have also read Scarlett, I am ashamed to admit- drew the line at The Wind Done Gone
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald x, OK, I'm not a Fitz junkie
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens could you possibly come up with a more boring titile?
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy x+ very good actually
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - is this good, anyone?
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh * I like books about scandalous Brits back in the day
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky *
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck x+ (steinbeck is my fave)
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame x
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy * ashamed to say I haven't read
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens x Oy! this man could churn out the boring literature
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis x+ (I'm a fan of anything this man wrote)
34. Emma - Jane Austen x+
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen x
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis x+ I'm a chronicles fan
37. The Kite Runner - Khalid Hosseini x+ good but I had nightmares after
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres made into a movie starring Nic Cage...um, no thanks
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden x+
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne x
41. Animal Farm - George Orwelll x+ "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown x +entertaining, a good fun read
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (this is my famous "tried several times, just can't finish" I've discussed before)
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving x+ (Love this book, they butchered it for the screenplay)
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins x+ (love this book and the Moonstone by the same author)
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery x+ (LOVE LM Montgomery, love her books and the miniseries starring Megan Follows, very faithful to the books)
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy I'm out on this guy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood x++++++ (she is my other fave. I have lots of faves)
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding x (meh)
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan x+ very sad
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel x++++ (great book, very challenging thinking)
52. Dune - Frank Herbert x+ (I have read all the Dune books- sucker for sci fi series, but the whole huge worm, blue eyes, water cannula thing got a bit old after a while)
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons never heard of it, will have to look it up
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen x+ possibly my fave JA
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth never heard of, will look up
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon x+++ GREAT
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens x (I am very meh about Dickens in general)
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley x scary
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon heard good things but never buy it at half price for some reason
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez can't read this guy...he loses me, maybe b/c I can't read it in the orig Spanish- maybe there is something lost in translation
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck x+++ love Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov x not a fan, squicky
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt I feel like I should have heard of this?
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold x+ (loved)
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas x+ good
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac x gets old
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy made it about 1/4 way thru- too depressing, no thanks.
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding x laugh out loud funny the first time but IMHO has not held up- good memories of reading aloud to Danita whilst laughing uncontrollably though
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie * I want to read the Satanic Verses CALM DOWN, fundies/literalists, the title is (probably purposefully) misleading
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville * (ashamed I haven't yet read this)
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens x zzzzzz...oh, I'm sorry, I dropped off for a minute
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker x scary
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett x+++++ LOVE "is it wick?"
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson (read the one about walking the App Trail- it was good)
75. Ulysses - James Joyce* more shame for not having read
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath too depressing, no thanks, don't even like her poetry
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray x just ok, kind of a letdown
80. Possession - AS Byatt x+ Loved AS Byatt rocks
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens x
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker x good but sad
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro x+ Love KI
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert *
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White x+++ love EB White even though he writes heartbreakers
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom x meh
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle x+ I actually really like Sherlock Holmes stories
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad someone please convince me to read this otherwise I might not
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint Expuery x+ sweet, will read to my boys
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams x+ good but sad, man's inhumanity to man as told by rabbits
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole x+ CRAZY
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute *
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas x+ very funny
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare x+ but depressing
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl x+ love the movie with Gene Wilder NOT J Depp
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo x+ Love the musical, but the book is good too

Proper names

My name is Mommy or Mommo - not Keil

Daddy's name is Daddy - not Dad or Phil

P.S. I think it's hilarious when you yell "Dad, come here Dad"
P.P.S. I think it's more hilarious in how you pronounce Phil - like a true Southern girl "Feeeel"

More Valentine's Day 2009

I wish I thought of this myself, but I got it off the card I got for you for Valentine's Day. It drew me in at the store and the more I read it, the more it means:

Even before I held you in my arms, I held you in my heart. That is where you began and where you will always be. I love you.

Happy Valentine's Day - 2009

Happy Valentine's Day baby girl. It wasn't much of a celebration, I'm afraid. You woke up very early Wednesday (Feb. 11th) with the stomach flu. I stayed home with you Wednesday and Thursday, and Daddy stayed with you Friday. In addition to the stomach flu that included poo poo, you had a bad cough and runny nose. Friday night (Feb. 13th) I woke up with the stomach flu and don't remember much of actual Valentine's Day. Daddy was our hero (as always) and took care of the both of us. He bought us flowers and a cookie cake. I didn't get around to giving you and Daddy your presents until today.

It may have not been a glamorous or exciting Valentine's Day, but I think it shows the true nature of Love. You wanted to make me feel better, so last night you lied on the couch with me and rubbed my belly and asked if it still hurt. Daddy did everything he could to make sure we both were well taken care of. It doesn't always take cards, gifts, or exciting events to show someone you love him or her. It only matters what you do to make them feel special when they need it most.

P.S. After all the work Daddy did over the past few days, he has now cought the same flu. Now we get to show him how much we love him, as well. Happy Valentine's Day!

Chores

This letter is to remind you how you used to help mommy so much as a child and never asked for anything in return. I'm sure by the time you are reading and understanding this, you will only do the chores you are supposed to do in order to get your allowance. I hope not, but here's a reminder.

1. You put all your clothes in the hamper before bath
2. You throw your diaper in the trash can
3. You hand me the dishes from the dishwasher to put away
4. When doing the laundry, you hand me all the bottles of detergent and then put them away
5. You fold the laundry with me (kind of – most of the time you end up wearing the clothes while you are folding)
6. You like things to be in the right place, so after some time of disarray you sing the clean up song and start to clean up the “castle”
7. You make breakfast and dinner (in your own little way)

That’s the list. Thanks baby girl for all your help.

All you need is tape and batteries

Every time something breaks or doesn't work, you bring said object to me or Daddy and ask for batteries and tape. Actually it sounds like "batt-ries" and "tap" with a little lisp. Your little princess high heel broke the other day, and you got very upset (understandably so) and I said "don't worry, I fix it." To which you replied "we need tape, Mommy." I, at first, didn't think that tape was going to do the trick, but you were not giving up. Lo and behold Daddy saved the day. He fixed it! Our hero! Tonight, your play cellphone (not to be confused with a real one, in case someone thought you actually had a real cellphone at 2. You never know with parents these days!) would not work, and you promptly brought it to Daddy and asked for tape. However, he told you tape wouldn't work, so you said, "oh, need batt-ries." You got it babe! You know how to fix everything.

Baby sign language

Hi Riley. You are quite the sign language queen. From the time you were about 6 months old, you were able to sign in order to communicate with us. As a new mommy, that was a blessing. I hated when I didn't know what you wanted, and signing actually helped. You initially learned sign language from the Baby Einstein First Signs dvd, then we added Wordsworth and Favorite Places. Kinder Care, your first daycare, also signed with you a bit. Primrose, your school in AL, did much more and enhanced your overall knowledge from just those words you learned from Baby Einstein. Here's a list of the words you can sign:

Mommy, Daddy, baby, milk, eat, please, thank you, help, more, tree, flower, red,
blue, purple, yellow, brown, black, pink, orange, cat, dog, lion, monkey,
elephant, mouse, star, cereal, ice cream, bowl, book, sleep, blanket, friend,
swing, ball, I love you, teddy bear, beautiful, snowman,
reindeer, Santa

They say learning sign language helps you to not only communicate with others but to use both sides of your brain. I hope you never stop using this gift.

Get movin!

Hi little girl. Well you are certainly a busy little bee. You have always been a bouncer - that's what Daddy and I called you from the beginning when you would get in your entertainment chair and just bounce away. You could go forever in that thing and we would let you play in it as long as you would allow. Then as you got older and outgrew your chair you would just bounce around the house. They say that jumping with both feet is a major milestone that should occur by the time you are two. You were jumping well before that.Okay that was Uncle Jeff, but you get the point. Now we play at the Little Gym. This has got to be the best place in the world. You go to a 45 minute class and learn to stand on your hands, do a donkey kick, and forward roll. You get to run around and chase the other kids and you get to play on all the equipment. They have balance beams, bars, and mats to climb on and jump off. You had such a blast. I signed you up through May on the spot. When we left, I though you wouldn't even make it to the car you were so tired. At home we love to work our energy off by dancing. I hope you don't take after me when it comes to dancing! Sometime we go up to the man cave and Daddy will turn on some loud music and you just go to town. When Grandma and the girls were here at Christmas, you all would run around dancing like maniacs. It was great fun to watch. You and I often will turn on the Disney music channel and listen to whatever teeny bopper is on at the time and just get movin! Here's my favorite clip of you dancing. Keep it up girl and you will be in great shape throughout your life!

August 18, 2008

Okay, so most of you know Phil is in Japan which means I’ve got the entire zoo to deal with on my own until next Monday. Lots of fun! But every once in a while the little girl brings a little extra entertainment. Over the past few days, Riley has been doing some things that have just sent a smile to my face. As you know she’s on a Little Mermaid kick so we watch it every night. Well I tried to change things up a bit the other day and showed her Aladdin (one of my favorites, plus I get to do Heather’s old gymnastics routine in my head along with endless singing!). This was Friday before Phil left and Riley seemed a bit scared by the “cave of wonders” Lion that growled a lot. I told Phil, not thinking that Riley picks up on everything we say now, that I thought the movie might scare her. Well on Sunday when I showed it to her again, she told me flat out “It scares me Mommy”. I nearly fell over. She kept watching and got through most of it just fine. Today, I was telling Phil this story on the phone and asked Riley what she thought of Aladdin. She said without hesitation, “Scares me.” Guess I will wait a bit longer to show it again.

Another fun moment this weekend is our cooking adventure. Julia got me and Riley matching aprons from Williams Sonoma (where she works!). I put our aprons and we got to cooking some chocolate pudding (truth be told – instant 10 minute pudding!). Riley got to stir with the whisk and thought that was the neatest thing on earth. Phil has my camera so no pics this time. Can’t wait to cook again!

Finally, Friday was an interesting day all around. In order to get her to leave school, I had to allow her to bring the Dora reading book she just was determined to not leave behind. Like I said, it was Friday, so she got her way. I “borrowed” the book and we were on our way. She did not put that darn book down the entire week. She would read it to her babies, take it to the potty, everything. Well tonight she insisted on the book for bedtime. After about 10 minutes of her “reading” on her own since I couldn’t read it for her, I’d decided I had enough and it was time for bed. So down she went, fairly easily to my amazement. But wouldn’t you know, she said “Dora” over and over again and started crying. I finally caved and decided some battles just aren’t worth fighting. I gave her Dora and she put that book down next to her and held it along with Momma Bear, Pink, and Ollie (all her fav loveys). I guess I should be happy that she’s taking books to bed. I just hope she doesn’t try to read them at night without the light or else she’ll end up with bad eyesight – right Mom (well that’s what you told me)?

So just a quick note on the adventures of Riley. Maybe one day I’ll start a blog like Heather and post all my random stories there. Just add it to my list!

I'm so proud of my sister

This is a letter I sent on August 13, 2008

I want to share a bit of news with you. You may remember that I spoke frequently of my sister who has had such a trying time in the last few years. She found out 5 years ago after 10 years of marriage and 2 beautiful girls that her husband had cheated on her and was leaving her for more fun times. She was obviously devastated and felt completely hopeless. She moved back to our home town where she found some wonderful high school friends who introduced her to their church. There she found much inspiration to get through the day. She also found a very supportive single moms group. From here she was encouraged by them and by our Mother to go back to college and seek her degree. The single moms group even had a scholarship program that helped pay her bills while she went full time to the local university. My sister developed quite a faith and relationship with God during this time. When life continued to bring hurdle after hurdle, she never stopped praying and believing that her time would come where her prayers were answered. It took 4 grueling years to earn her degree, and I mean grueling because it seemed any and every road block came her way, including her dead beat ex-husband who tried to discourage her. In Dec 07 she earned her degree, and worked part-time as a substitute teacher and counselor. From Jan 08 to present, she has been working with an autistic teenager named Becca. She had worked before with special-needs children while in college as a part time job; however, she always felt a strong connection with Becca. She has such an amazing personality that autistic children seem to relate to her and remarkably improve with her guidance. She decided, after this time with Becca, to seek not only a certification in early childhood education but also with special education. Despite her accomplishments thus far, she still has not had it easy. She has spent the entire summer applying for jobs with different school districts to no avail due to hiring freezes or preferences towards surplus teachers. My sister’s faith and constant prayer, though, kept her strong, patient, and encouraged. She prayed everyday for the Lord to guide her to where she was meant to be; she always felt she was put on this earth to help others. Today her prayers were answered. She was called by a principal of a school district (where she has relentlessly has been trying to reach the HR director throughout the entire summer) to interview for an immediately available position to work as the teacher for the autistic children’s’ classroom. Before her interview, she prayed to Jesus to give her strength to answer the questions, to remain calm and to present herself well. She also asked that if this is where she is supposed to be that she be hired on the spot. She was very nervous, especially because there was another candidate to be interviewed for the same position sitting in the waiting room with her. She went into the interview a nervous wreck and emerged with her prayers answered. Today, she was directly hired by the principal who said she answered every question the way the principal wanted – she was the perfect candidate. My sister reports to her job on Monday. Finally, her life is going to turn around and she will be able to support her 2 beautiful and smart girls. She will touch the lives of the eleven autistic children in her classroom. She also has been offered to return as Becca’s counselor for another year. I am so very proud of her – she never quit when it would have been so easy to do so. Her faith never faltered. I can whole-heartedly say that God does listen to your prayers, and while He may not answer them in the manner or timeframe you want, He does listen and has a plan for you. My sister was put on this earth to teach other women around her that hard work, determination and faith will get you through any obstacle. She is also going to touch the lives a family dealing with autism because, believe me, she has a gift for helping those with this disease. I thank the Lord for His continual guidance in her life and for showing yet another example of inspiration to triumph over every obstacle. Hers will be a story I share with every MOMS group, every single mother, and every young lady looking for guidance in today’s tumultuous world. God Bless.

Fighting for Sarah Palin

Emerging as a new voice for the Republican Party, Sarah Palin is a breath of fresh air and a shining light for our party. I can't wait to vote for her in 2012 or 2016! I was very disappointed by the media's attack on her and her family. Some things cross the line and when that happens, you must voice your opinion and I do this by writing letters. I learned this method from your Grandma Karen. She has been writing letters for years.

I used to be an avid reader and subscriber to US Weekly. Admittedly, I loved to get the dirt on the celebrities. I don't know why, but I did - guilty pleasure. When this publication heartlessly attacked Sarah Palin and her family - and even made some disgusting accusations - I immediately cancelled my subscription and wrote a letter to the editor. See below.

Dear Editor,
My name is Keil Oliver and my account number is 0124587403. I have held a subscription to Us Weekly Magazine for the past five years. I am utterly appalled and dismayed by your recent cover Babies, Lies, and Scandal, issue 709. I received this issue and read the article on Governor Sarah Palin, Vice-Presidential Nominee for the Republican Party. Your lack of journalistic ethics is deplorable and I have cancelled my subscription effective September 6, 2008 (cancellation order # 801128133626).
I understand your magazine owner (Jann Wenner) is an avid supporter of Barack Obama. While I do not know your affiliation, as a free American, you are entitled to your opinions; however, I cannot believe you would allow your opinion, or that of your owner’s, to play a major theme in this magazine. Surely, you must understand that your readers do not share your same opinion and you are alienating them by such a blatant display of political pushing. Furthermore, you have offended me, personally, through your attacks on Gov. Palin. If you feel that her actions put to question her ability to become Vice-President, then you must also think similar actions by any other woman should be scrutinized as well.
I am a married, thirty year-old mother of a two-year old daughter. I have a MBA and work professionally outside of the home. My husband also works, so we have our child in daycare. I am a voting Republican and a proud PRO-LIFE Catholic. You insinuate that Sarah Palin is a bad mother with poor judgment because she is pro-life and, although she promotes abstinence, her seventeen year-old daughter is pregnant. You make it seem that because Gov. Palin’s daughter made a poor choice, Sarah Palin has no credibility to become the Vice-President. While you may think you are only portraying your source’s views in this statement, you are actually putting a biased spin on the issue. Your article is neither fair nor balanced. I could surmise from your article that I have no idea how to raise my child since I would allow my beliefs to “wrongly” educate on how a young lady should not have premarital sex. You couldn’t be more wrong and I am ashamed to admit I have ever been a reader of US Weekly Magazine.
I have never used your magazine to make decisions on important issues of today, but I did enjoy reading the frivolous articles concerning celebrities. I fear that other readers who do not listen to respected news outlets are going to read this inaccurate and misleading article and make a decision about Sarah Palin based upon these lies, especially when your magazine carried a comparative article several months ago portraying Michelle and Barack Obama as a loving couple with no problems. Since your negative article regarding Gov. Palin was so blatantly untruthful and misleading, should I presume that your glowing article regarding Michelle and Barack Obama was also blatantly untruthful and misleading, and not based upon any fact? I understand why you would put an article on Michelle Obama in your magazine, because Mrs. Obama seems to be a strong woman and a loving mother. What I don’t understand is how you can blatantly mislead an audience by telling lies or even reporting on rumors of another woman who has been so successful in her career and is also a loving mother and wife. I am fascinated to read about successful career women, and the choices they made to lead to their successes. I also realize that today’s society puts undue scrutiny on the success of powerful women. I have felt in the past that US Weekly often portrays strong women and especially challenged women in positive light – that is until now.
You have used Sarah Palin’s personal family issues as a means to put a spin on the situation to attract readers. The writer of this article obviously put no legitimate research into writing this piece as you take a handful of unproven claims, innuendo, and rumor and throw them together to make a salacious article and claim it as fair journalism. These sources bear no credibility whatsoever. You claim there is an endless stream of controversies surrounding Gov. Palin, but you have never once reported on Barack Obama’s drug use, association with black liberation theology, ties with felon Tony Rezko, and the federal earmark spending for his wife’s employer and campaign bundlers. The controversies with Gov. Palin are based solely on speculation and rumor. Her husband’s DUI occurred 22 years ago and bears no weight on her ability to represent this country. Your “in-depth” reporter obviously spent no time determining the truth in any of the controversies. In my opinion, you can find more truth in reporting on the controversies of the Democratic party if you want to start judging someone on DUIs, sexual indiscretion, and abuse of power – and that’s just the Kennedys and Clintons.
The writer’s attempt to be fair under the Resilient Mom section is comical, at best. The writer takes quotes out of context and judges Gov. Palin for going back to work so soon after pregnancy. I’m not certain of the point the pictures in Her Offbeat Career were trying to make, but I do believe it was passively attempting to portray her past experiences in a poor light, as if to say a beauty pageant contestant, small town leader and hunter make for a poor candidate. You also imply that her small town affiliation and that she’s only a governor deem her inexperienced for the position. Are you saying a state governor or mayor is not qualified to be a Vice-President? How many successful Presidents, both Republican and Democrat, have served as governor prior to being elected to office? Is it because she’s a woman that she is not qualified?
It further infuriates me that you often mock other magazines for putting spins on rumors (you devote sections in your magazine that chastises other magazines for incorrectly reporting on Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie) but you waste no time in reporting on the legitimacy of Sarah Palin’s youngest son, Trig. What evidence do you or any “blogger” have in trying to claim that boy is her daughter’s and not Gov. Palin’s? You further push the accusation by claiming she must not have really been pregnant because she didn’t immediately tell her coworkers, didn’t gain much weight, and went back to work so quickly. I find it ironic you claim she must not have been pregnant because she didn’t have a “large baby bump”, but waste no time in saying that Bristol was pregnant in 2007 because she had a slight bump. Which is it? The entire article claims Sarah Palin is surrounded in too much controversy to perform her job. It’s amazing how you can claim she’s unfit when she has shown nothing but character and virtue when dealing with adversity. Sarah Palin’s composure illustrates her toughness and I believe her when she says family must stick together in hard times. Furthermore, nowhere does it state that a political candidate must willingly divulge personal information about her children, especially to conniving reporters who like to put their own spin and take information out of context to create a more tantalizing article.
I realize I may have high expectations for this magazine to report fairly, but in reality this magazine has the same goal as the National Inquirer – to make money and sell magazines. I’m sure you achieved that goal, but at what cost? You and your owner may support Barack Obama, but that doesn’t mean you should tell lies and spread rumors about the other candidates. Sarah Palin is also making history as the first woman nominated by the Republican Party for Vice-President. She has an 80% approval rating amongst Alaskan voters. She has fought and won against corrupt politicians. She is a leader in environmental conservatism. She is a leader for women and a shining example of hard work and determination. Regardless of your political beliefs, you should have taken the high-road and reported on her accomplishments and not the alleged smut of the week. On behalf of all working moms with conservative beliefs, shame on you! If you wish to get into the political arena, you will bear the cost of lost subscriptions. We’ll see who has the last laugh in November; for now you must settle with one less customer, and probably more, because my friends and family intend to follow suit and boycott your magazine.
Sincerely,
Keil Oliver

Former Subscriber of US Weekly Magazine

Inauguration Day

This is a copy of a post from Heather's blog about this day. I felt moved by it and wanted to include it in my new blog. Plus, I have my response below it.

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Dear Jason,You are upstairs taking a nap right now, as Barack Obama exits the Lincoln Memorial after being sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. I thought you might someday like to know your Mommy's thoughts on this historic day (keeping in mind I don't have the benefit of hindsight). First of all, it is freezing cold. Aside from my strong distaste for people and crowds, the cold weather would certainly keep me away from today's festivities. Can you imagine? Twenty degrees, nowhere to pee, and packed like sardines at the biggest terrorist target in modern history. Ack. No thank you.Anyhow, we spent this frigid morning with Judah and Mrs. B, attending the the Barnes & Noble story hour (you boys were very well behaved) and visiting the playground (indoor playground...again, not interested in freezing my hiney off). We dined on mac & cheese, hot dogs, and oriental chicken salads while watching Vice President Biden take his oath of office on an Applebee's television. By the time President Obama's oath rolled around you lost interest and were frantically grabbing for a red Applebee's balloon. You did manage to stay awake for about five minutes of the inauguration speech before falling asleep in the car. I'm not quite sure how to describe the atmosphere. A word many television personalities are tossing about today is "buzzing"...as in "the country is buzzing." I don't know about that. I'm not buzzing. I'm not crying, but I'm certainly not buzzing. I can't imagine the 47% of Americans who didn't vote for President Obama are buzzing. Yet, to turn on a television, the world has been saved. Competence has arrived. Rah rah. It is an interesting and bizarre phenomenon, and one that has deepened my disgust with today's "journalism." It is like one big Op Ed newspaper page broadcast on 542 television channels.So. If I'm not buzzing, what do I feel? I don't really know, sweetie. I feel both hope and fear. Pretty much the same as any other day. I'm very results-driven. I like numbers. I'm not easily inspired. So I don't really know what to think of our new President, considering there isn't much concrete information for me to evaluate. Listening to the inauguration speech, my thought was that this man has the same hopes and dreams for his daughters that I have for you. He wants them to grow up in a time of security, peace, prosperity, opportunity, health, freedom...and not just for the United States, but for the whole world. I want that, too. Desperately. I truly believe history's other American Presidents shared that same vision. They all had different plans to get there, and they all made their own contributions toward that goal. And as with those other 43 Presidents, only time will tell what results this administration's execution of policy will bring. As you would say...Mr. President, "Ready. Set. GO!"

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And my response:

"Heather, thank you for taking the time to present this day to your son. I, too, have contemplated how to describe the day's events to my daughter. I'm always at odds because I don't particularly like Mr. Obama, especially not his ideals. I have wrung my hands and gritted my teeth throughout the entire election process. It's not that I am against an African-American president. In fact, quite the contrary. I think it's extremely important, I just think there are many more qualified candidates to fill this position of the first African-American president. I get scared, too, that as an ultra-Republican, I have no voice. Each time a Republican critizes Obama, others call me unpatriotic or Racist. How can that be when the most important feature of our democracy is to always question our representatives and to ensure they always put our best interest (and not their own) first? (Please read the Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution for more on this fact) I also am whole-heartedly against many of the policies of Mr. Obama on the issues of abortion, government spending, national defense, diplomacy, energy, and earmarks. Plus, I am against FOCA and the Fairness Doctrine to the point that I am physically ill thinking of either of those 2 pieces of legislation being passed. But what I truly hope that you and Riley get from this blog/opinion is that you cherish how passionate your mother and I are when it comes to Democracy and your prosperity. We live in a nation that allows and encourages debate on these issues. Never simply accept the news one-liners, the latest political trends, or especially what celebreties have to say about politics. Make your own mind up on what is important to you and your family and then speak as loudly and colorfully as you please becuase that is what it means to be an American!"

My first Letter

Good morning, Riley. Today is January 25, 2009 at 0830. It's a Sunday morning and you are enjoying one of your favorite (and my favorite as well) movies: Little Mermaid. I have been inspired by your Godmother, Heather, to create a blog where I can write letters to you. I always tell myself that I should write down things you say or do to remember when we are older. This is the best format I can think of. I have your baby book, but you say and do so many things that I just need a quick place to put it all down. So here it is and Thank You Heather for the inspiration.

Well, Riley, you are 2 1/2 and incredibly perfect! You love to read, cook, play in your castle, and play outside. You know sign language. Your favorite characters are all Disney Princesses, Dora, Pongo and Perdita, and Tinkerbell. You love to wear my shoes around the house. And most importantly, you love your Daddy.

I'm going to start posting things about you and things that are important to me. I hope you enjoy and learn a little bit about me and you over this time.

Love you baby girl!
-Mommy