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all hallows eve EVE

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Jack has been counting down to Halloween for two weeks.  He proudly informed me last Friday that it was "the last day of the row before you get to the row with Halloween!"

I deduced that he was talking about the big calendar at school and jumped promptly onto the Halloween bandwagon.

We are going to trick or treat with good friends for the third year in a row.  We all sort of love that it's become a tradition at this point.  We meet at their house because they are in PRIMO trick or treating territory.  We eat pizza.  The grown ups have a drink.  And then we take our spastic children out to go spazz out in the streets and get candy from friendly neighbors.

Flashback:
That was last year.

Double flashback:

That was two years ago.  Wow.

Anyway.

This year, the boys are older, bigger, and more spastic.  And Batman's little sister (top right; being held by mom; dressed last year as Robin) will be in charge of her own area this year, for sure.  

AND.  And.  Sawyer is here.

And he's ready.


Stay tuned for updates from the candy-laden streets.

Hope your belly is ready for Halloween.

Talk soon,
Heather

catching our collective breath

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

You guys.  The past month has been totally ridonkulous.

Here are the highlights:

Durel and I went to ACL.  

We had three day passes because we are nothing if not ambitious.  We got babysitters and cash and went to HAVE SOME FUN, PEOPLE.  We drank beer, saw music, people watched, ate awesome food, slogged through mud, got tired of slogging through mud, and left early to go see a movie.  That might make us old, but it also makes us happy.  

In other news, we've decided that we are now "one day pass" people.  I think it's a sign of maturity.


Bright eyes, full hearts, can't handle that much mud.


Sawyer started sitting up.  

We had been wondering when SawDog would deign to sit up in our presence.  He seemed quite happy to roll everywhere he wanted to go.  I really think he just didn't feel like sitting up.  But then, he decided to throw us a bone in the form of a developmental milestone.  He's thoughtful like that.

This will also [drumroll] signal his transition from a Lamb to a Duck at school!  And that means that crawling and sippy cups are in our near future.  Apparently, I am in a time warp.  

How YOU doin'?

SickFest 2014 happened.

Sawyer had a yucky virus where he coughed a heartbreaking amount.

Jack had a yucky virus where he projectile vomited everywhere.

Sometimes motherhood is harder than law school.


Soccer stars emerged.

Last weekend, at Jack's soccer game, he and his teammates lined up, three kids across, to protect their goal from the oncoming opposing team.

I almost fainted.

They've learned how to play soccer, people.  And they are FOUR YEARS OLD.  And, they're damn cute.

Though they are really in it for the snacks.

Here's hoping you get a snack today.

Talk soon,
Heather

he's got a fever

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Jack's got a fever and the cure is more cowbell.


Hope the one liners just come to you today.

Talk soon,
Heather

P.S.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, I implore you to click the link above and watch the video.

P.P.S.  No, really.  Watch it.

hey, durel...

Monday, October 6, 2014




In 2001, I met a handsome guy named Durel with a really sweet Southern accent.  I got a crush on him.  Our first date involved beer, some dude with a TV show on public access cable, and his friend the rabbi who wouldn't answer his phone.  We've never been boring.

Today is Durel's birthday.

He's been my best friend for more than a decade, my husband for almost a decade, an amazing dad for five years, and Coach D to the formidable DC Dragons four year old soccer team for a month or so.

He's great.  And given the amount of ink I spill about Jack's birthdays, I had to take a moment and thoroughly embarrass Durel by spilling a little ink in his honor.

Hope you get some well-deserved props today.

Talk soon,
Heather

don't cut barbie's hair, and other important life lessons

Friday, October 3, 2014

Once upon a time, I was a snoopy little sister who read her big sister's diary.  I was about 10 years old, which would have made her about 17 years old.  

I thought her diary was full of VERY SHOCKING THINGS.  (Side note:  I was ten.  Cutting your Barbie's hair was VERY SHOCKING.  Context, people.)

I was smart enough not to tell anyone.  Because I knew that I would hate life if my sister knew that I had read her diary, and I also knew that I shouldn't have read it in the first place.  I think every kid is instinctively has the "fruit of the poisonous tree" concept hard-wired into them.  I certainly did.

So, I did what any smart-ass ten year old with a shred of self-preservation instinct would have done:  I went to my OWN diary and recounted what I had read.  I reacted to it, and I'm sure there were a lot of exclamation points.  I wasn't ever one for puffy hearts.

A few days later, I went to write in my diary again (replete with the "lock" for your secretive 1980's self) and found a note from my big sister.  I don't remember exactly what it said, but it was the emotional equivalent of a horse's head in my bed.

Message received.  "Hey kid.  Don't read my diary again.  You got it?"

I got it.

*     *     *     *     *

The other morning, Sawyer and I went to wake up Jack.  And this look happened.


Message received.  "Hey Sawyer.  I think you're amazing."

He got it.

*     *     *     *     *

For the record, I don't read other people's diaries anymore.  And my sister has long since forgiven me.  And I did cut my Barbie's hair, and it was shocking.  And it does not grow back.

I'll do what I can to pass on what I know to my amazing boys.  Clearly, we're all learning here.

Hope your sibling dazzles you today.

Talk soon,
Heather


brussel sprouts and grandiose aspirations

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Before you have children, you have grandiose aspirations of what your parenting style will be.  

Those grandiose aspirations are also TOTAL BULLSHIT.  

This is because they are concocted, in large part, as you sip a nice Chilean Malbec at a nice restaurant while you pretend that you are not judging the nice family across the dining room.  You are, in fact, judging them, and you should not be.  First of all, because it's not nice to judge people.  Second of all, you should be applauding them because if they are at the same nice restaurant as you, they are doing a lot of things right.

As a matter of fact, that family might be mine.  So you should definitely be sending over a dessert to congratulate us for doing such a good job.  OK?

*     *     *     *     *

I, for example, was certain that my children would not be the ones eating food while at the grocery store.

[Hang on; let me stop laughing AT MYSELF.]  

Right.  Anyway.  I also was certain that my kids would not be the ones who refused to eat anything but chicken nuggets and french fries.

As for Jack, I will say that much is true.  He isn't that kid.  He will eat almost anything.  However, the route we took to get there and how I feel about it are VERY different than my naive pre-children self would have imagined.

We have always offered Jack bits of what we were eating.  And he happened to like most of it.  We are really, ridonkulously lucky.  End of story.

*     *     *     *     *

Here is Jack the Gourmand through the ages (so far).








*     *     *     *     *
Here's the latest addition to the gallery.


Seaweed salad, with a side of HAM.

Hope you crave something salty and silly today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Thursday, October 30, 2014

all hallows eve EVE

Jack has been counting down to Halloween for two weeks.  He proudly informed me last Friday that it was "the last day of the row before you get to the row with Halloween!"

I deduced that he was talking about the big calendar at school and jumped promptly onto the Halloween bandwagon.

We are going to trick or treat with good friends for the third year in a row.  We all sort of love that it's become a tradition at this point.  We meet at their house because they are in PRIMO trick or treating territory.  We eat pizza.  The grown ups have a drink.  And then we take our spastic children out to go spazz out in the streets and get candy from friendly neighbors.

Flashback:
That was last year.

Double flashback:

That was two years ago.  Wow.

Anyway.

This year, the boys are older, bigger, and more spastic.  And Batman's little sister (top right; being held by mom; dressed last year as Robin) will be in charge of her own area this year, for sure.  

AND.  And.  Sawyer is here.

And he's ready.


Stay tuned for updates from the candy-laden streets.

Hope your belly is ready for Halloween.

Talk soon,
Heather

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

catching our collective breath

You guys.  The past month has been totally ridonkulous.

Here are the highlights:

Durel and I went to ACL.  

We had three day passes because we are nothing if not ambitious.  We got babysitters and cash and went to HAVE SOME FUN, PEOPLE.  We drank beer, saw music, people watched, ate awesome food, slogged through mud, got tired of slogging through mud, and left early to go see a movie.  That might make us old, but it also makes us happy.  

In other news, we've decided that we are now "one day pass" people.  I think it's a sign of maturity.


Bright eyes, full hearts, can't handle that much mud.


Sawyer started sitting up.  

We had been wondering when SawDog would deign to sit up in our presence.  He seemed quite happy to roll everywhere he wanted to go.  I really think he just didn't feel like sitting up.  But then, he decided to throw us a bone in the form of a developmental milestone.  He's thoughtful like that.

This will also [drumroll] signal his transition from a Lamb to a Duck at school!  And that means that crawling and sippy cups are in our near future.  Apparently, I am in a time warp.  

How YOU doin'?

SickFest 2014 happened.

Sawyer had a yucky virus where he coughed a heartbreaking amount.

Jack had a yucky virus where he projectile vomited everywhere.

Sometimes motherhood is harder than law school.


Soccer stars emerged.

Last weekend, at Jack's soccer game, he and his teammates lined up, three kids across, to protect their goal from the oncoming opposing team.

I almost fainted.

They've learned how to play soccer, people.  And they are FOUR YEARS OLD.  And, they're damn cute.

Though they are really in it for the snacks.

Here's hoping you get a snack today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

he's got a fever

Jack's got a fever and the cure is more cowbell.


Hope the one liners just come to you today.

Talk soon,
Heather

P.S.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, I implore you to click the link above and watch the video.

P.P.S.  No, really.  Watch it.

Monday, October 6, 2014

hey, durel...




In 2001, I met a handsome guy named Durel with a really sweet Southern accent.  I got a crush on him.  Our first date involved beer, some dude with a TV show on public access cable, and his friend the rabbi who wouldn't answer his phone.  We've never been boring.

Today is Durel's birthday.

He's been my best friend for more than a decade, my husband for almost a decade, an amazing dad for five years, and Coach D to the formidable DC Dragons four year old soccer team for a month or so.

He's great.  And given the amount of ink I spill about Jack's birthdays, I had to take a moment and thoroughly embarrass Durel by spilling a little ink in his honor.

Hope you get some well-deserved props today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Friday, October 3, 2014

don't cut barbie's hair, and other important life lessons

Once upon a time, I was a snoopy little sister who read her big sister's diary.  I was about 10 years old, which would have made her about 17 years old.  

I thought her diary was full of VERY SHOCKING THINGS.  (Side note:  I was ten.  Cutting your Barbie's hair was VERY SHOCKING.  Context, people.)

I was smart enough not to tell anyone.  Because I knew that I would hate life if my sister knew that I had read her diary, and I also knew that I shouldn't have read it in the first place.  I think every kid is instinctively has the "fruit of the poisonous tree" concept hard-wired into them.  I certainly did.

So, I did what any smart-ass ten year old with a shred of self-preservation instinct would have done:  I went to my OWN diary and recounted what I had read.  I reacted to it, and I'm sure there were a lot of exclamation points.  I wasn't ever one for puffy hearts.

A few days later, I went to write in my diary again (replete with the "lock" for your secretive 1980's self) and found a note from my big sister.  I don't remember exactly what it said, but it was the emotional equivalent of a horse's head in my bed.

Message received.  "Hey kid.  Don't read my diary again.  You got it?"

I got it.

*     *     *     *     *

The other morning, Sawyer and I went to wake up Jack.  And this look happened.


Message received.  "Hey Sawyer.  I think you're amazing."

He got it.

*     *     *     *     *

For the record, I don't read other people's diaries anymore.  And my sister has long since forgiven me.  And I did cut my Barbie's hair, and it was shocking.  And it does not grow back.

I'll do what I can to pass on what I know to my amazing boys.  Clearly, we're all learning here.

Hope your sibling dazzles you today.

Talk soon,
Heather


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

brussel sprouts and grandiose aspirations

Before you have children, you have grandiose aspirations of what your parenting style will be.  

Those grandiose aspirations are also TOTAL BULLSHIT.  

This is because they are concocted, in large part, as you sip a nice Chilean Malbec at a nice restaurant while you pretend that you are not judging the nice family across the dining room.  You are, in fact, judging them, and you should not be.  First of all, because it's not nice to judge people.  Second of all, you should be applauding them because if they are at the same nice restaurant as you, they are doing a lot of things right.

As a matter of fact, that family might be mine.  So you should definitely be sending over a dessert to congratulate us for doing such a good job.  OK?

*     *     *     *     *

I, for example, was certain that my children would not be the ones eating food while at the grocery store.

[Hang on; let me stop laughing AT MYSELF.]  

Right.  Anyway.  I also was certain that my kids would not be the ones who refused to eat anything but chicken nuggets and french fries.

As for Jack, I will say that much is true.  He isn't that kid.  He will eat almost anything.  However, the route we took to get there and how I feel about it are VERY different than my naive pre-children self would have imagined.

We have always offered Jack bits of what we were eating.  And he happened to like most of it.  We are really, ridonkulously lucky.  End of story.

*     *     *     *     *

Here is Jack the Gourmand through the ages (so far).








*     *     *     *     *
Here's the latest addition to the gallery.


Seaweed salad, with a side of HAM.

Hope you crave something salty and silly today.

Talk soon,
Heather

 
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