Irish Grandpa

Irish Grandpa is Will's Dad. He said to me the first time I went to Will's house for dinner, "you are the only girl Willy has ever brought home that did the dishes." I think I earned my place with him that day. I love this man. He spent much of his life giving to others. He was an Iron Worker in his day and they didn't come tougher, or more kind. He worked tirelessly on many projects on the east coast. He helped put up the Newport Bridge, and was the one to put The Independent Man up in Providence. He was not afraid of heights. He worked as a volunteer for Saint Aloysious Home, running programs for the children. He formed a boxing program and a children's circus. He loved walking the high wire. He had one up in his backyard and walked it daily until well past his 76th birthday. He lived about three hours away from us, but we visited each other as often as possible. All the girls have such fondness for Irish Grandpa. He always would play freeze dance with them by humming the Irish Jig. La da deedle e dee de de de deddle e dee da daaaaaa. They would dance and he would sing and laughter would ring out. He brought so much joy to everyone, as well as a healthy dose of joking, made up stories, magic tricks as well as a bit of stubbornness. He always had a joke but didn't always tell it right, and sometimes was the only one who laughed, but he always had one. He always had a hello for anyone who passed. He was a funny, loving, wonderful man. We lost him tonight after a very short battle with Cancer. We had been there all weekend and came home last night. Will went back down tonight and made it just in time to hold his hand and to talk him all the way out. He will be missed by so many of us. I can't really wrap my mind around it quite yet, but I will miss hearing, "hey buddy! how you doin'?" and hearing the smile I knew he had on his face. I am so thankful I got to have such a wonderful man as a part of my family and that the girls got to know him. I miss him already.

Snow Dogs

They look like they are going to kill each other, but they didn't. We have about 2 feet of snow on the ground, and the dogs are having a blast! Too cold for the kiddos, but not the dogs in their fur coats.

Sully

We have had our foster dog, Sully for almost a week. She has settled right in as you can see from the picture of her on the couch. We love her. She has to be one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. And cute. So cute. I don't know who would have ever gotten rid of her. She loves the girls, and is super smart. I taught her to sit, lie down and stay in about half an hour. She is totally house trained, and doesn't appear to shed. Seriously, she is pretty close to the perfect dog. Luke, our dog tolerates her. I thought he would be so happy to have a friend, but he doesn't seem to be overjoyed about her arrival. Will said to me, "think about it, how would you feel if I brought home another woman and said...here honey, I brought her home to help you around the house, aren't you happy?" I laughed and then thought about that. I guess Luke may feel like this is his home and she is competition, but do dogs feel that way? They have started playing more the past two days, so maybe he will end up liking her. If no one wants to adopt her, and Luke ends up liking her, I would love to keep her. I thought this might happen.

While Making Christmas Cards

Maya exclaims: "Mama! I make a decoray-shit"
Mommy: "What do you have, Maya?"
Maya: "A decoray-shit, a made a decoray-shit"
Mommy:" It is beautiful, good work."

ETA* She had made a decoration, not anything actually having to do with, well...poop.

The Other Jingle Bells Lyric

I had forgotten about how Allie used to sing Jingle Bells until she was singing it the right way yesterday. Last year it went, "Jingle Bells, jingle bells jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to ride in a no fun horsin' sleigh Hey!" I kind of like it that way.

The First Lost Tooth

Lilly finally lost her first tooth. It has been loose for six months...I think. She refused to wiggle it, or even really touch it. It was actually loose for so long that the new tooth grew in behind it before it could fall out. I really wanted to wiggle it, but Lilly was adamant that she wanted it left alone. So we left it, figuring it would fall out eventually. Last night as she was wrestling with Will, she took a face plant into the bed, and out it came! She was so happy that it was out, and finally realized that losing a tooth was painless. I hope the next one comes out a lot faster, I think she does too. She has that wonderful toothless smile, and looks so sweet.

Where do yo go to see a movie?

If you ask Allie, she will tell you to go to the movie thee-ay-ter. I don't know why.

It Freaks Me Out Every Time

100 Things

Here is a list of (almost...a few seem to be missing) 100 things that is going around. The ones in bold I have done. How many have you done?
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (no, but a newborn foal)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated Blood
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Overheard

I am upstairs for five minutes. This is what I just heard.
"We are not operating on the cat!"
I should probably go down there.

At the Christmas Tree Farm

We went to cut our own Christmas tree this weekend. Actually, we tried to find our tree. I guess I am a little picky when it comes to the tree. I just like what I like but apparently everyone else doesn't really care as long as it is green and tree shaped. So we ended up not cutting our own down, but just getting a pre cut one, which is not as big or full as I would have liked, but it is a lovely, slightly raggedy tree. It is decorated and looks beautiful, and with the little bit of snow we got today, it is starting to feel like the holidays. We didn't get our tree at the cut your own tree place, but got some pretty good pictures.

A little trick photography courtesy of Will...

Allie thought this would be the perfect tree...(for 45.00)

This is the closest we came to everyone being themselves.

A Tongue Injury

Lilly bit her tongue pretty hard tonight. It bled and bled as tongues do, and she cried and cried as she does. After a long while when she could finally joke around again, she looked at me so seriously and said, "It really really hurt when I bit my tongue because the tongue is the meatiest." I had to agree, the tongue is the meatiest.

My Sweet Girl

Allie:"Mommy, you're in my heart"

I think it just melted.

The "F" Word

We have been through the discovery of swears with Lilly and Allie, and now, Maya has found out all about them. She came up to me and said, "Mommy, Ryleigh said, Fuck" I sort of did a double take and told her that it wasn't a nice word to say and that Ryleigh shouldn't say it and neither should she. She ran back to Ryleigh and said, "Ryleigh, Mommy said don't say Fuck."
So I called her back to me and told her that when she says Fuck to tell me someone else says it, she is saying it too. So I told her to say "F word" instead of Fuck. She likes to say "f word" I think she assumes it has power. She likes to tell me people say "the f word" all the time. Once she told me the dog said it. We have a rule in our house that Will came up with so swears aren't taboo. The girls are allowed to swear in their own beds at bedtime. That way they know there is a time and place for those words but that time is when no one else is around to hear them. Allie had a problem using all kinds of words totally inappropriate for a three year old, until the bedtime rule was instated. Since then it has never been an issue. I thought he was crazy and that they should not be using those words, but he made a good point that if they weren't forbidden they wouldn't be a big deal, and I admit, he was absolutely correct. So, back to Maya and the "F word". Maya has been told about the bedtime rule and has never been non-compliant about it. Until Today. Yes, I know she is only two and can't be expected to follow such guidelines, but she does follow them unless she is intentionally violating the rule. She was mad today at something, so she went into the playroom and started yelling, "F WORD F WORD FWORD! F WORD! F WORD F WORD!!!"
She was not yelling fuck, she was yelling f word. I don't remember when I ever laughed so hard (from the other room where she couldn't see me). Then I promptly corrected her language. Those words are only for use at bedtime.

A Daily Lesson

Maya is struggling to remember the concept of a kind voice when she is not getting her way. "NO!" and "Oo-KAY!!" and other various rumblings and growls escape her lips on a fairly frequent basis. She is basically a very kind, helpful, empathetic little person, however if she feels she is being slighted, look out. She is loud. I am finding myself modeling and remodeling appropriate words and tone of voice multiple times a day. We are working on apologies. When she apologizes, instead of saying "SHOD-ddeE!" trying to get her to say, "I'm sorry I _____ ." Sometimes I have to repeat myself three or four times to achieve acceptable results. She is getting there, but I have to try really hard not to laugh out loud when she asserts herself and tries different ways of making her messages clear. She is finally starting to use her nice voice more often. We aren't there all the time, but it is getting better.

Sweetness

Maya: "Mommy! You love me and I love you!"

Mommy: "That's right!"

Maya: "I love you Mama"

Mommy: "I love you, too sweetness."

Maya: "I not sweetness, my Maya."

Mommy: "I love you too, Maya"