Quirks

The Bean has a few Quirks. I would like to talk about them. Now I read the Internet and I read other Mommy Blogs and I am very certain that my kid is far from the "quirkiest" kid but she is still fun sometimes.

For instance the talking. I know, you get it, she talks- alot. But here's the thing. If, for some reason she must be stopped mid-sentence- either for an imminent emergency or because my brain is melting...she can NOT just STOP. She has to finish her sentence - even if it is a barely audible whisper, even if it means Mama's head might pop off- she MUST finish the thought.

"I beg to difference"- this is a speech quirk. One time I said to her " I beg to differ" and she has morphed it and made it her own. She says this phrase even when it doesn't make any sense to use it. Like " I beg to difference Papa is home!"

She must have three open beverages in the fridge at all times. There must be milk, a juice and a water available- or she thinks she is dying.

She is still in to paper. Though she has stopped handing it out, the heartbreak of the recipients not understanding the value of the paper bits was too much for her. Now she just finds small containers and fills them up with paper and hides them under her bed.

Everytime we get her into the new jogging stroller we have for our walks- she has to verbally recite the way that she will fit into said stroller with her brother or sister- complete with a strap demo and how she won't have to be strapped but the baby will because babes don't understand to not stand up in a moving stroller. Every day. The same dialog- said in the same way with the same facial expressions. Even if we say "ok honey we know this and you will be a great big sister and a big help to us..." she just keeps talking her spiel until it's complete. Then she sighs and we can move on conversationally.

I recently had to talk about her new vitamins for about three days. The same 5 conversations about the vitamins- eighty times a day. Really. They were NEW and DIFFERENT and HATED.

She is WAAAAYYYY in to Harry Potter right now- so we get to talk about that ALOT. How she wants to play "spinach" and have a "secret possibility cloak"

See? It could be much worse.

Stop The Ride.

I have done that the past two days. I have stopped the craziness. I have allowed the house to fall apart. I have just been, well, I have been with Evelyn. That's it. No one but us. Coloring. Doing Math. Playing crazy games in the basement. Cooking together. There has been hugging and giggling and oh so many smiles. I love this girl. I needed some time with her. I think she needed time with me.

I always say to her as I squeeze her "in all the world YOU are my daughter and that is cool".

Pretty damn cool if you ask me.

Bizzy and Da-zosted

The Bean got to go to Cedar Point for the very first time this weekend. Cedar Point is an Amusement Park- with roller coasters and dodge em cars and spinny rides and Icees and soft pretzels and well, you get the picture. We went with MOST of the D Clan. This means that Ev was one of 5 kids and she was the smallest but, also the most gung ho. This kid wanted to ride ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Huge roller coaster of spinning death? No problem- she wanted it. (much to her dismay- she had to be contained to the kiddie rides as she is only 36 inches tall in tennis shoes)

I have never seen her have such a day. I believe that when your 5 year old runs up to you, with her lips stained blue from an Icee, her hair sticking to her face, dripping in sweat, cheeks beet red and every single muscle in her body quivering and in the middle of a crowd leans forward and yells- YELLS at the top of her voice "MAMA THAT WAS FREAKIN" AWESOME!!!!!!!"...well I believe that it was a good day. That is all I have to say about that.

We also spent a portion of Saturday with the whole gang (well Bean and Les did Jodi and I embarked on our own adventure that night - more on that later). Then on Sunday we ALL went to eat at a great local Chinese place and then we ALL went to see the second Night at The Museum movie.

Great weekend.

As Evelyn says we are "bizzy and da-zosted". (ummm, that would be dizzy and exhausted)

Screensaver

The screensaver that we have on our computer is that one called "My Picture Slideshow". You know the one, that one that takes all of the pictures on your computers memory and randomly cycles through them. We have, I am being literal here, thousands of pictures on this thing.
Thousands of moments caught to be remembered.
I love the randomness of it. I love that sometimes I come in here to do chores or turn the computer off and that Screensaver will be cycling and I will end up sitting down to watch a fe minutes. Then Ev wanders in and climbs up on my lap to watch and ask questions. Then Leslie will find us. Eventually Billy Bones comes in too. And then there we are all of us, piled up and watching pictures of ourselves. I love it.
The pictures go from a China shot, to Ev yesterday. From an Alaska shot to the flooded yard of our white house in NC. You can see pictures of Grinch and Stella, faithful friends who were with us for so many years. Billy, all ears and toes high up in a Live Oak. Pictures of Ev rolling about on the ground laughing. Ev rolling about on the ground throwing a fit. Some pictures are terrible, all flashed out and some are nearly magazine quality. Pictures of friends. Family is there too. Lots of family.
Lots of memories.
It always makes me feel good to see these flashes of my life. The life I share with Leslie and Evelyn.
Both from where I sit and from the slideshow- it looks like a great life to be living.

What to say?????

I haven't posted in a bit because the summer is ticking right along with no consideration for me. I mean, I would like this summer in my life to last another few months at least. I keep thinking "oh it's so pretty I can't go sit in that computer room right now" or "oh that dang computer.....cuss word cuss word" or I will think " oh I'll just play with Ev and then Blog" and then just play with Ev. I am sure that no one really minds anyway- there are like 3 of you that read this thing and I know that every one of you would prefer that I am playing with Ev anyway....
So.
Yes.
It has been a great summer. A great time in my life. I am very thankful to my Mom for telling me "these are the best years in your life, your happiest times will be now. When your children are young and you can bring them in the house and close the doors at night and know that they are safe and that you are all together". I have a sneaking suspicion that she is completely right and I am trying to live every day knowing that.

We are gearing up for a big weekend. A weekend that includes the entire D clan (that's Leslie's family- well us and his two sisters -his 2 brothers are in NC) and a trip to Cedar Point. Then more family fun such as grilling, eating talking and staying up way too late.
I am going to go awol form the D Festivities for a bit and attend a big screen viewing of "The Lost Boys" with Jodi. The Lost Boys. You know the greatest Vampire movie - ever. I hope I am one of the first 100 folks so I can get my pair of free fangs!!!!! (just file this last bit under delusional fan girl and move on).

I am continuing to make myself and my health a priority. I have continued my walking and am adding in some Yoga. I also just went to the Dr. today to get put back on Avandia- yes that's a Diabetic med- why do you ask? OK. I'll tell you- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. I have it, it creates insulin resistance and wreaks havoc on your Endocrine System. I have also taken a few, how shall I say it..... Mental Health Moments this week. They usually involved just sitting in the truck somewhere listening to NPR while not sharing a small tray of sushi with anyone.....divine.

Tried another new recipe. Again from Everyday Foods, this one was a Southwestern Steak Salad and man, was that good. I liked it better than the pork chops and we will definitely have that again.

Sisters and Cousins

Mother and Daughter:Mother and Son