Milwaukee

I entered the land of neighborhood pubs and Friday Fish Fry's and our time was exactly how I'd hoped.

I loved the feel of their area. The homes were all older with very well kept yards. There were a lot of trees and green rolling hills.

We went to church on Sunday, where I saw with my very own eyes, my 30 year old brother-in-law being the bishop. I mean, I knew he was the bishop, but I couldn't really see it, that is until I saw it.

No offense to him for looking and being young, and from what I could tell and how the members there related to him, he will do a fine job. And I am glad they are in the right spot and worthy and willing to do their part.

As Leah requested, I took some pictures of their family. I am always happy to do this, and a little nervous too. It is kind of a big production to plan your outfits, get yourselves and all your children dressed and ready, make it to the locale, and then take pictures without somebody coming up grumpy. And it is kind of a challenge for me in my amateur state to capture that many faces looking good at the same moment and I want to be sure they feel that their effort was worth it.

But I imagine the production part is the same for an amateur as it is for a professional. And if I do it, the production is free!

The temperatures were cold! At least to me and my Texas blood, but I couldn't bring myself to complain because it felt good! (remember my pants excitement?!) But it did make for our timing to be a little off in the sunlight department. We had to wait until it was at least 60 degrees to take those cutie pies out, because the outfits we finally put together weren't really cold weather friendly.

But we waited and then we went. Little Sage wasn't so happy with the whole idea but we got what we could and returned the next morning to get individual shots of those we didn't get the day before.











Can you tell that Ian did not want his picture taken?





Like at all.








Overall, I was so happy with how they came out. I felt like I learned some things and applied other things I had learned previously. I rediscovered my old Flickr account as I searched for ways to get the pictures to them without having to mail them. You can see the rest there.

Now if I could only take my own family pictures and be in them at the same time, we would be all set!

Leah and I took a tour of the Sprecher Brewery. We figured a brewery tour was a very Milwaukee thing to do. I fell in love with their soda (and I don't really even like soda) and thought I had stumbled across the perfect souvenir to bring home to Dan (who loves soda almost as much as he loves me). That was right until I remembered that it would cost me $25 to check my only bag for an 82 cent bottle of soda because it was over 3 0z and couldn't be carried on.

A quick check taught me I can order Sprecher Root Beer online, which might be happening in the near future. I can't promise you anything about the beer but I can whole-heartedly stand behind their Root Beer, Puma Cola, and Orange Dream.

I had to get some cheese while I was in Wisconsin too. I love cheese. I think I might die if I could never eat cheese again. And there's nothing better than Wisconsin cheese, right?



We went to a cute little cheese shop and I just couldn't decide what I wanted. So I purchased a bag full of all different "orphans". They were the little ends of the cheese left from the big blocks. I always try to do my part for those in need and these little orphans needed me! They are actually still sitting in my fridge waiting for a cheese tasting party where they will finally find their rightful home in our bellies. I did also buy some cheese curds that I just couldn't wait for, and we busted them open in the car.



Delicious!


And no trip is ever complete without a toilet smash. Leah and I had compared our plumbing woes right before my trip and she agreed to wait for me so I could be part of their smash to discover just which lucky toy had clogged up their potty for good.




The boys started with sticks,



then they moved to the hammer,




and once Chris stepped in it was over quickly.

I think when you see something expensive ruined you kind of hope that it was caused by something equally expensive, like a bar of solid gold or a fat roll of hundreds, just to make it feel worth it. You will have to ask Chris how it feels to spend hundreds of dollars replacing a toilet clogged forever by a free Happy Meal Toy.




Lastly we squeezed in our girl movie time. I had brought Sense and Sensibility and Anne of Green Gables.

Every time I watch Sense and Sensibility I think of Leah and I. She is Elinor and I, Marianne. But we opted instead for Anne of Green Gables. We watched the whole thing through and then with only a few hours before my departure, ran to the library to check out the sequel. We didn't get to finish and I was almost very late for my shuttle but we scrambled and made it in time.

It's no big deal because we have seen it before and maybe finishing it can be the first item on the agenda for our next visit.


Thank you for having me, Williamson's! I love you!

Chicago

I'm back and ready for action. On my Mommy Vacation journey this past weekend, I came to a conclusion: Aside from my family, and all that living for them and loving them entails, aside from the logistical food, and shelter, and water, if there were just three things I needed to be happy and feel like myself despite any and all circumstances, they would be, in nor particular order, the ability to

1) Take pictures
2) Sew
3) Write

And that is not to imply that I fancy myself extraordinarily talented in any of those areas. But on this trip I was pleasantly immersed in number 1. That is one of the perks of traveling sans kids. I felt like I had my camera around my neck an awful lot. And having the ability to stop mid-sidewalk and point my camera way up towards the beautiful Chicago skyline, and not worry a second about whether my baby was going to let go of my pant leg and get hit by a car, that was nice. (Not to mention that I actually got to wear pants on this trip. You have no idea how long I've waited for that. No idea!)

And I have the pictures to prove it. But beyond the pictures and my first tour of that beautiful city, I am most happy about the time I get to spend with the people in this one:



I understand how parents can say they love their children equally but differently. And it didn't even take me becoming a parent to figure it out because that is how I love my siblings. I love them all the same amount, but differently.

Ian and I enjoy the same kind of funny. As a little girl he always told me I was beautiful but made sure I knew that he was more beautiful. He trained me to say things like, "I'm glad you got to see me today." He taught me to shoot a lay-up. He perfected the art of dating. When I was 10 he dressed me up, set me on the porch of a girl he liked, with a dozen roses and a note asking her to a dance. He had (and still does) the ability to explain the most complicated things to me and make me understand with ease. I could pretty much say anything I want without fear of repercussion because he doesn't even read this blog, but I'll just say he always made me feel special.

So Ian, his boy Oliver, Leah, and I walked all over the city of Chicago. I had been strictly following a no sugar regime diet for the past few weeks, but Ian, in his truest fashion, talked me out of it. And we spent the rest of the day walking and eating and taking pictures. Pretty perfect if you ask me.

I loved seeing the old and modern architecture blended throughout the city.




There was the Hancock tower and it's obliging views.













There was Memorial Park and The Bean.


















There was an Aston Martin and Lake Michigan.






There was the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago River.






There was a giant Marilyn Monroe and a quite a few men not too embarrassed to take pictures up her dress.




There was the Trump tower and the Wrigley Building.



And there was deep dish pizza. Man, was there ever deep dish pizza. Totally and completely worth the wait.










After we stuffed ourselves, we walked back to the car through some sprinkles just before the real rain hit.

And we spent the remainder of the evening at Ian's new home with the rest of the family.



I hadn't seen Cristina's parents since Oliver was born back in Boston, almost 11 years ago. So that was fun.


And after sugar-filled brownies and good conversation, Leah and I rode off into the sunset towards Milwaukee.

Just an update

So Lukey is really liking school. As I mentioned before I'm not so fond of his teacher but he doesn't seem to mind. And since it doesn't bother him, I'm trying not to let it bother me. He actually has a teacher Mrs. Weber, and an assistant teacher, Mrs. Hernandez, who seems much more my style. He calls her Mrs. Hernana or sometimes just Mrs. Nana and it makes me laugh every time.

He also calls Nutella sandwiches, "Telascope sandwhiches."





The kid is just making all kinds of progress. Not really from school either, I'd guess, since he's only been there three times. But his writing and drawing has really blossomed. He's writing his name and drawing pictures that actually resemble objects and places. He is cutting things out with precision and gluing appropriately. These are all skills that hadn't really made their debut when he was in his little preschool last year.

He is taking a lot of pride in doing things himself and enjoying a bit more independence. He wishes he could eat lunch at school everyday instead of just Wednesdays.





And two weeks in, Ava also seems to be enjoying school. She keeps saying, "I can't believe it's not hard. Why isn't it hard yet, Mom?" I honestly don't know how to answer her. I hate to say something, like, "Just you wait!" But I also don't want her to be in shock, when the "easing in" is over. But who knows, maybe she won't struggle this year. That would be nice. Her reading seems to be improving each day. And I think she is much more confident this year.

I haven't run for over a week now, in hopes that my knee will stop complaining. During the month of August I was helping a high school girl with her basketball a couple of times a week. It was incredibly fun for me. I miss playing, though I didn't realize how much until we worked together this past month. But during that time I was noticing a pain in my knee that I hadn't felt before. And it became apparent that my continued running wasn't going to help, in fact it just started to make it feel worse. I have been waking up early to walk with a friend these past couple of weeks and hopefully when I return from my mommy vacation this weekend, my knee will be back in business and we can start to run.

Waking up 45 minutes earlier than my usual has been nice in the way that I do enjoy being up in the mornings for a few minutes before the kids, and that could never happen unless I had someone to be accountable to. But waking up 45 minutes earlier has made me so, so tired. I am like an old woman, I can barely make it until noon before I'm ready for a siesta.

Maybe I will feel rejuvenated after this weekend. A while back, I saw a crazy fare to Chicago, so I bought it! I will get to spend some time with my sister, Leah in Milwaukee, and my brother, Ian in Chicago, and see both of their new houses. A tour of Chicago, a little Jane Austen movie time, and an old toilet smash are all on the agenda. I can't wait!

And of course, my gallivanting could never be possible without the money-making, babysitter himself, Dan The Man!

And Then There Was One

Today was Luke's first day of school. He'll go Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings from 9-12 or 1 at a local Methodist church school, which I have heard nothing but rave reviews for. And I'm not gonna lie, I have been fantasizing about the all the different things I will be able to do with just one kid.

Luke was brave this morning. I could tell he was hesitant and nervous (and I won't be giving his teacher any "best teacher ever" titles) but he went without a fuss.




One more stop at the parent orientation and then we were freeeee!

But as we sat in the sanctuary, a vision of reality came over me.



Max wallowed on the floor, whined for his bottle, emptied my purse, pulled out the hymns books and bibles from the back of the pews, tried to scribble again and again on the donation sheets, scattered the prayer requests under the surrounding 3 rows, all the while, loudly saying things, like "NO! Noooooo!" or droning out the director as she spoke with his long winded whines.

At the point I could no longer stand to track down one more paper, or shush one more yell, we left in a hurry as he screamed.

And then I realized, all that stuff I was hoping to accomplish this fall, under the premise that I only have one child? Well, it's probably not going to happen because my one little child is a pill.



An exciting, growing, distracting, demanding, adorable pill!

Lost and Found

I might be more sentimental than usual these days, if that's even possible. Some years ago, I came across a quote that sent shivers up my spine and brought tears to my eyes. It cut through me like glass. It didn't exactly change anything but it touched my heart in such a way, that I didn't feel the same after I read it.

I planned to cut it out and save it. But I didn't. Time got away from me and I slowly but surely forgot about it.

Then, I heard it somewhere again.

"I must write that down!" I said to myself. But again, for whatever reason, I didn't.

Not too long ago, pieces of the words came back into my mind and I wanted that quote. I googled every phrase I could think of, the problem being that I was unsure of any exact words, only sure of the overall picture painted in my head. I came up empty handed.

And then, like a heads up penny, I turned a corner on the internet and found it right in front of my eyes. It's fairly well known I suspect, but I was still thrilled to find it.

And now that I've got it, I am writing it here so it will never be lost again.



"I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."

-Anna Quindlen