Sunday, October 30, 2011

.....Halloween preview.....

.....Friday I decided to throw all of my kids in the back of a cab, fully dressed in costume and take them to a part of my past.....midtown Manhattan is full of businesses, rushed and harried people and it constantly buzzes with hustle and bustle......it is rare to find a stroller in a 15 block radius and if you do, you certainly won't find one carting three children otherwise known this Halloween as Rapunzel, Supergirl and a turkey......

...it was a sight to see....the corner of 47th and 3rd will never be the same.....

      ....special thanks to you, Leemor for helping me take these photos and for the ride home!......

.....it was great to see old friends who I used to spend countless hours with in my crazy career days, but it was even better sharing in the excitement of watching our children bask in the limelight and sugar high......

     ......we were able to get a small group of them to sit down for a few clicks.....

....and there are days I miss the heels and countless hours....not many, but they resurface from time to time.....it was a company that gave me so much opportunity and unforgettable lessons over the 12 year span of my wild ride.....but since I can still maintain the old relationships while staying home with my babies; well then, I think I have the best of both worlds.....

     ......the chef and the turkey.....

.....looking forward to our first trick or treating experience in Manhattan.....we usually head to the burbs for the event, but this year we are ready to do it city style.....


....more to come....

.....Happy Halloween......

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

.....the wasp's nest and lover's lair.....

.....wasp's nest.....

.....it is a term invented by my brother who has used it several times in the last 11 weeks since he and my sister in law added their second baby in two years......he usually refers to it when the house is buzzing with noises that are not soothing or comforting and the home is anything but a sanctuary of relaxation.....

....lover's lair.....

.....one of our favorite books, Mama's Kiss, refers to the lover's lair which is the cave where the family of bears live.....it's always nurturing in the lair where the hugs and cuddles are endless.....

.....our family has had a bit of each circumstance this week....always making for a good balance to keep this Momma sane because the lover's lair always makes up for the wasp's nest.....

     ...a glimpse of a sweet sisterly moment.....
     ....William....too much time has passed since we last played! 








.....and watching the kids together at this festival still made the event worth it considering I lost my second born for a good 5-6 minutes at the end of the day.....it was past the point of, hold on, she was just here.....and after scouring the area and looking under the tables, I quickly realized she wasn't anywhere near us......

.....the street festival was coming to a quick close and the girls insisted on using their last tickets......lo and behold, the bake sale table was selling treats for 1 ticket each so I let my girls have at it.....every other parent there had the same idea because within a matter of minutes it went from us having full reign of the left overs to a table that was swarming with kids and flailing hands.....both of my girls fell victim to the sea of sugar starved preschoolers and I was nudged and elbowed away from the table in a matter of seconds....I asked both of the girls to make their way around to the back of the bake sale tables and I would be right behind with stroller in tow......I reached behind me to spin the stroller and when I turned and started surveying the crowd to spot my two babes, I could only make out Elsie's head.....

.....I won't go into the details of the horrible minutes of looking for Callie.....several parents started to catch on after my calm demeanor turned to slightly concerned, quickly accelerating into sheer panic.....they all jumped in to help......one Mom taking Elsie's hand and guarding our stroller and several other parents joining me in running up and down the street screaming Callie's name.....all I remember are the terrible thoughts that danced in my head interrupting my prayers for her safety.....

....and then my eyes landed on her little body sprinting faster than I have ever seen her run with sheer panic on her face....and I will never forget the embrace once I reached her because in her ripe two and a half years, she has never scared me more and I would venture to say this was her most vulnerable moment.....she genuinely thought Elsie went one way when she had gone another; sobbing, I couldn't find Elsie, Momma.....I just couldn't find her.....and I only took my eyes off her for 10 seconds.....

.....I shook the whole way home and once we arrived, Daddy jumped in so I could have a few moments to recover.....

....the wasps had gotten me good.....




   .....even Brody had a chance to play with pumpkins.....plastic ones, but still festive.....

.....and I did what I do when I want to hunker down and dig my heels in the sand.....I wrapped my apron around me, asked Callie to help me wash pumpkin seeds and felt extra thankful for having my daughter by my side.....I savored the afternoon with my family and was fully present.....my lover's lair right in my own kitchen with my entire tribe safe and sound.....





 ......Elsie wanted a scary pumpkin and Callie wanted a surprised pumpkin.....can you tell whose is whose?

.....not to say the wasps didn't visit again shortly after..... 

....as if I hadn't learned my lesson of what can happen in 10 seconds, I left the girls fully clothed in the bathroom while the water filled the tub so I could grab Brody out of his high chair and bathe the three together after dinner....upon returning, both of the girls had undressed and hopped in the tub, taking with them every dry towel in our apartment....


.....I had to grab the camera to change my perspective on this scene because I was immediately filled with frustration and defeat as I wondered how I was going to get all of the laundry done with Stefan out of town and a heap of 10 soaking towels sitting in my tub.....not having access to washers and dryers in my own apartment has become more of an issue as our family has grown and with a traveling husband, I can not leave the kids in the apartment at night to do laundry in the building next door to ours....however, the camera always changes my state of mind.....after a few clicks, Callie looked at me seriously and said, I juss wanted da tub to be comfy, Mommy.......and with logic like that, it's almost impossible to stay frustrated.....

.....and as I said before, for every moment of entering a wasp's nest......


.....there is ten times the joy to be found in lover's lair.....






....signing off to hibernate with my cubs....

Thursday, October 20, 2011

.....fall schedule: take two.....

.....I always find that tackling the family get together blog posts are very tough.....there is so much emotion because the visits are always filled with so much love......great conversation, action packed days, new experiences, laughter and hundreds of pictures.....most of the time, these posts take days to weave together; but once they are completed, they are sealed forever in this virtual envelope.....and on days I want to revisit the memories, it is only a few clicks of a button and I am taken back to a place that always feels so good.....

     ....my manicure compliments of Elsie (right hand) and Callie (left hand).....



....and I'm not sure if purchasing tickets 4 weeks prior to boarding a plane is considered spontaneous, but for a family of five; it certainly felt like it.....especially after being with our family in Texas just two weeks prior.....our babes were pros in the airport for this trip......


.....and it was a treat for me to spend my first official birthday as a late thirty something with family.....


....and I certainly felt loved when everyone went above and beyond to make up for the fact that the weather did not deliver on my special day......




.....but my family certainly delivered.....

....because my family always does.....





                              ....Stefan is awesome at Jenga....

....and for those who know me well know that I have been struggling for a few months.....life with three has seemed to get harder as our newborn has become a person with demands and needs of his own.....sleep has been hard to come by and many days I don't feel like I am cut out to mother three.....my voice has been raised way too often, my patience has been thin, I have been feeling discouraged, down, wondering if this out of control spin of chaos will ever settle......our schedule seems to have backfired on me, as I enrolled both of my girls in school at opposite times so that I could spend quality time with each; only causing several days of back and forth trips that are exhausting......not to mention, the in and out of the house 4-8 times per day has also made it hard for Brody to have any sort of consistent nap schedule or routine.....

.....but just as all things rise and fall, extend and retreat; I know this phase will pass.....and after spending eight days away with family and friends, I know I can come home renewed and ready to tackle this schedule once again and get really good at it....




.....because Florida always has a way of bringing me home.....and I mean that in so many ways.....yes, it's where I was raised....so the instant the door of the plane opens and I am close enough to smell the fresh air, the wave of euphoria covers me....the salt and humidity ignite not only memories, but also a calmness that spreads throughout every cell of my body.....immediately.....



     ...God was present everywhere....

.....reminding me that most of the time we are in a rut, a dark place, a lull; sometimes it's perspective that we need.....









.....and a little bit of sleep to also keep us in check.....


.....and even though Florida is home and will be a place that we always visit, it helps when your children concur; validating they like your home state too....so when the plane door opened on this trip and I had my first inhalation of Florida's breeze, I was interrupted deep in thought when Elsie asked, what's that stinky smell?.....well, babe, that's what Florida air smells like....it's salty because the ocean and beach is surrounding us.....she thinks for a moment and makes another exaggerated sniff.....I like that stinky smell, Momma.....

.....good.....

....I'm glad they all like it......






.....Mom and Coleman, thank you so much for taking our babies for a few days.....we are both rejuvenated, rested and are better because of our time away.....





....not to mention, I had a full 8 hours to get some time in with old friends.....and girlfriends are just good for the soul.....


     ....Laura, we missed you.....thank you for the champagne and OJ.....we put it to good use.....

.....now I am ready to try the juggling act again.....I've learned a few things, have a good strollerpooling system in the works with mommy friends to cut back on the trips to and from school and am determined to work with my little man on some better sleeping habits......

....I've come back to NYC ready to get my groove on....


....and I am reminded that groove on or not, we love each other on the smooth days, as well as the chaotic days that spin wildly out of control.....a little bit of both keeps the ebb and flow of life in full bloom.....

.....so until next time, goodbye sunshine state....



.....love you so, so much.....