Fall Fun

If you've never been to a corn maze, go now. Blake, Anna, and I stopped at the corn maze just down the road on our way home from the Saturday's birthday party, and it was a surprisingly good time. We actually made it through the entire maze without using the map - it took us a good hour and a bit of team work. Anna was a big helper, motivated entirely by the farm animals in the barn at the end of the maze. We were surprised to find a gigantic corn box (literally, a huge box filled with corn) to play in as well as a slide built into a mountain of a haystack when we finally found the end. Obviously, this was a phenomenal picture-taking opportunity.

In the corn box.

You can guess who took this one.

I couldn't get over how tall the corn really is (it doesn't seem so high when driving next to it on the road).

Family photo by our friend, neighbor, farmer Ryan...we're still dressed for the birthday party at the club.

An arial photo of the actual maze.

Thirty-Five, Thirty-Two

Today I turn thirty-five, and Blake turns thirty-two. For some reason, thirty-five seems like a pivotal age. Even as I say that I'm thirty-five, I don't quite believe it. As of right now, I'm be closer to forty than thirty. Really? When did this happen? I've moved through the last ten years, especially, impossibly quickly. I don't necessarily have any ill feelings about getting older, particularly if I could slow down the passage of time. It does feel like this year has shown me a few more aches and pains (not to mention wrinkles and deteriorating eye sight) that often seem to go along with the aging process. Mostly when I think about aging I have hope that, as I get older, I will, indeed, get wiser. I am hopeful that I will relax more, stress less, rejoice more in uncertainty, worry less about what other people think, be a little more zen and a bit more enlightened. I know I have to work on it, but I hear that some of it just comes naturally with a life longer lived. I have hope.

* * * * *

Blake and I enjoyed a very full, very fun birthday weekend together. I don't think we could have packed more in! Whether it's my aging mind or just the way our memories fade, I can't remember the details of so many birthdays passed, and I don't want to forget the details of this one. Here it is, the play-by-play:

:: Friday Blake took the afternoon off to golf with Papa J, who also celebrated a birthday this week. After Blake stopped back at home to say goodnight, he met Blair for a night out in Ann Arbor. With Daddy gone, Anna and I enjoyed our second ever girls' "TV dinner" night, with burgers, kale chips, and cupcakes eaten on TV trays while watching Rio. Then, after Anna's head hit the pillow, I pampered myself with an at-home facial, and I stayed up way too late sewing (and loving it). Blake rolled in at 3:30am, just as Anna rolled out of her bed and woke me with a thud and a scream. We all snuggled up in Anna's bed together for a while, until it was just too crowded to sleep.

I LOVE Anna's homemade cards for Blake and me.

:: Saturday morning we ate scrambled eggs and grapefruit after watching our wedding video AGAIN (which Anna continues to request). Anna and I wrapped Daddy's gifts from her, then I headed out for my 5-miler while Blake and Anna went out to do some last minute shopping. Anna couldn't wait to give Blake the games she picked out and the elaborate picture she painted, so he opened his presents before our friend's afternoon birthday party. On our way home from the party, we stopped just a mile or so from our house to tackle the corn maze carved out by our neighbor farmer, Ryan (tons of pictures of this to come). After a lot of walking (and carrying), we came home for dinner. Anna devoured mac n cheese then quickly snuggled in her bed early while Blake crafted an elaborate meal (baked brie, purple mashed potatoes, braised greens, short ribs, apple fritters) from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc cookbook.

:: Sunday we finally relaxed a bit. I opened my gift from Anna (a gift card for us to go to the movies!), we cleaned up, Blake mowed the lawn, and we stayed in our PJ's until almost lunch time. We enjoyed another birthday party on Sunday afternoon (with a jumping castle), and since Anna refused to nap yet again, she was in bed early enough for us to have some time to ourselves in the evening. Blake chose football, and I chose some online shopping.

:: Tonight, I get to have my night out. I'm having a lovely dinner with a girlfriend while Daddy spends the evening with Anna. I've had numerous birthday calls and wishes and cards, and I feel so blessed and loved. All-in-all, I'm feeling pretty good about turning thirty-five. BUT, I think I might just stay this age for the next few years. I think it's going to be a good one.

Sewing Again

I'm finally sewing again! I finished my last small project in May, and then we had to pack, work on the new house, and move. I've had fabric washed and ready to make this skirt, which my sister-in-law shared with me long ago. Anna and I worked on it this week, and it felt so good to have a project again, especially now that I have a sewing space that isn't in the dining room!

The new sewing space in the basement, with natural light and TV. Still need something on the walls, though (we have one picture up in out entire house after 3 months!)

The Twirly Skirt

Anna modeling her new attire.

I dug out these old photos from May when I made eye pillows as gifts. I'm thinking I need one of these for me now.

Anna seemed to like it, too.

Toy Party

Taken by Anna during the party.

Anna has been quite busy around the house the last few days. While much of her time is spent "flying" due to her not-so-recent obsession with Rio, and now, birds of all kinds, she discovered a new love for party planning. Maybe she's been inspired by the two birthday parties we are attending this weekend. Whatever the inspiration, a horde of her stuffed animals and dolls gathered to honor Mrs. Potato Head yesterday and today at a party in her honor. Anna made sure there were party favors for everyone and cake as well. After organizing the participants and necessary objects, I overheard her say something to the effect of, "How are you liking the cake?" and "Is everything OK for you?" When she leaves the party to join us at the dinner table, she's periodically checking on the festivities, and when she sees me watching her watching the party, she bashfully attempts to hold back the enormous smile on her face (something I see her do a lot when she seems to be feeling a little exposed or embarrassed or even proud). It's SO cute.

It's not like I'm hosting a bunch of parties around here, so I'm not sure where she's learned her hostess skills, but she's definitely onto something. Maybe she's discovered a natural strength!

Discovery

Anna and I were checking for fairies in the fairy house yesterday afternoon when we discovered these apples in the sheltering tree. This is the biggest bunch on the whole thing - there are maybe 3 or 4 more rather sad looking apples, but we were so excited anyway. I can't believe we never noticed them before now. Anna picked one good looking one to show Daddy, which we have yet to taste.

The leaves on this tree are all spotted and almost diseased-looking. Anyone know how you tell if an apple tree is sick? It seems like it would have more apples if it were healthy. I have a lot to learn about the trees and plants in our new yard!

Meet Me in New York

In a few short weeks, Blake and I will be taking our first adults-only vacation since before Anna's birth. We bought my flights last night - it's finally official, and I'm finally letting myself get excited (and nervous).

For months, we've pondered a getaway for ourselves, never committing to anything. Where? When? For how long? Time, money, and so many other factors kept us from sealing the deal. Then we found out that Blake would be traveling to Madrid in October on business, and it felt like now or never (we have a little timeline in mind for our immediate future).

While we entertained meeting in Paris following his conference, after much deliberation we decided to meet in New York City instead. We'll actually arrive into JFK at the same time, share a taxi to the hotel, and spend three luxurious nights devouring good food and wine, SLEEPING, and exploring the city on foot. I couldn't be happier about our chosen location and itinerary (even though Paris is high on my list of places to visit, I don't think I could rest there knowing I only had two or three days to take it all in).

Blake and I have never done NYC together. It will be a completely new kind of vacation for the two of us and one that, I expect, will be immeasurably restorative for us individually and as a couple. I can't wait!

Fairy House

This is how Anna and I spent the afternoon on this perfect early fall day. I want more days like this - exploring our back yard together, no place to rush off to, nurturing our minds, bodies and imaginations in nature. I'm so grateful.

Notice the little nut shells Anna carefully placed inside so that the fairies can have a place to sleep.

Betsy's Visit

Saturday afternoon my dear friend Betsy drove all thew way from Grand Ledge with her three remarkable kids, Violet, Calvin, and Hazel to visit with Anna and I. This might not seem extraordinary; however, it was such a special treat. Betsy is one of my girlfriends from college - one of six of us who reunite once per year. We don't see each other often, and it feels like vacation to be able to see her, or any of the girls, outside of our annual gathering.

I've often thought how strange it is to grow up talking to girlfriends every day (sometimes for hours on the phone or at least every second during the walk between classes) and then living with them in college, (which means uninterrupted support systems for each other, reliable ears for venting about boys, school, or ANYTHING, and anytime oozing over your favorite movie hunk - not thinking of anyone in particular, Betsy)! Then, suddenly, we leave college, get jobs, maybe get married and have kids, and it's not so easy to connect so often...definitely not every day, anytime we like. Something we've known for our entire lives is no longer there in the same way, and it is, at least for me, something that is often missed.

So, I'm just plain grateful that Betsy and her kids came over this weekend. It was such a joy to spend time with her and get to know her kids. Betsy and I spent a little time catching up, but with four young ones to attend to, we spent more time overseeing craft projects, playing outside, and feeding hungry mouths. They were four adorable mouths though...check them out.

Anna

Violet

Hazel

Calvin

My New Running Partner

As I climbed the stairs this morning to slide into my running clothes, Anna declared that she wanted to go for a run with me. So we found her some black leggings, a tank top, and a black shirt, just like Mommy's, and with our white running shoes, we jogged down the street to the edge of our neighborhood. Daddy even came the quarter mile out, and when I left to do my four miles, Anna and Daddy ran the quarter mile back. She was smiling so proudly the whole time - so was I. 

I love that she wanted to run with me today, for so many reasons. Just one of them stems from my hopeful (maybe delusional?) visions of us running together in the future. My dad and I run together whenever we get the opportunity, and it's quality time with him that I cherish. Even if we don't talk the entire way, it's just time for me to be with my dad. From what I know of his perspective, it's pretty special when you're the parent, too. I'm sure there'll be a time in those teenage years where running with mom is anything but cool; but, way down the road, when I'm cool again, it could happen. And, if it does, I'll be so grateful.  

So She Knows She's Not Alone

Anna and I were out to dinner last night with Mo D and Aunt Kaity, and for the first time ever she had a screaming fit in a restaurant, because I wouldn't let her put her feet on the table. I picked her up and took her to the restroom to attempt to calm and talk to her (as well as prevent wet pants), and inevitably, a woman walks in and comments on how cute Anna is. When she asks her age and I tell her that Anna is three, she says, "No more terrible two's!" And, if you've ever had a three-year-old, you might agree with me when I simply replied, "It's the terrible threes."

Anna, of course, is not terrible. It's her behavior that is, at times, terrible. This behavior is probably even more shocking for us, because she has always been fairly compliant and responsive. While the sweet, kind, gentle girl that we all know is still there (she shares unprompted "I love you's" countless times per day, she worries about anyone when they are sad or hurt or sick), another girl has taken up residence in her body, too. Mostly, this girl comes out just at home and just for Mommy or Daddy when she is thwarted from doing what she wants to do. She ignores, screams, hits, kicks, and says awful things to me. I often find myself walking away in tears wondering how this can be normal, but in my conversations with other moms, it seems it may be rather typical of three-year-olds. That does make it a bit more tolerable - a bit. It's also challenging, because I generally feel like I'm ill-equipped to manage this effectively. My intense emotional reactions are difficult to squelch, and my tears and raised voice are not doing wonders for extinguishing her behavior.

While I rarely turn to books these days, I'm at that point, because we're beyond time outs, and removal of special items or privileges isn't working anymore. I've ordered the highly recommended book Parenting with Love and Logic, and we've instituted a marble jar (thank you, Stephanie!) Anna gets marbles in her jar for good behavior like listening, asking politely, cooperating with morning or bedtime routines, and marbles are taken out of her jar for less-than-favorable behaviors like kicking, screaming, hitting. When her jar is full, she gets something special. To be fair, and to improve upon our own behavior, Blake and I also now have our own marble jars, which we expect will shed some light on the frequency of our own three-year-old-like behaviors.

It's a challenging time. While I'm trying to stay focused on the happy, heart-warming moments that come with each day, sometimes the fighting just gets me down. I expect, though, that I won't remember this stuff all that clearly ten or twenty years from now; the brighter moments will outshine the darker ones. While that is, for the most part, a good thing, I do think it could be helpful for Anna to look back on this someday, if she has a three-year-old, and she calls me up crying to say she just doesn't know what to do with him or her. Even if I'm wearing the rose-colored glasses of a woman well beyond child-bearing years, I can point her here and reassure her, as my mom did for me last night, that she's not alone.

A Good Old Fashioned Tea Party

One cannot underestimate the value of girl time. Emily, Harper, and Crosby invited Anna and me over for a tea party last Saturday, and it was an absolutely lovely morning for just us girls. Anna and Harper painted wooden picture frames while we moms caught up; we lunched on heart-shaped sandwiches, fruit skewers, veggie sticks, and of course, tea; the girls frosted and devoured cupcakes; and they did a little dress up with some of Emily's grandmother's vintage hats. I know I've said it before, and I'm going to say again that I'm so grateful to have a friend like Emily. Thank you, Emily, for the girl time and for the beautiful tea party.

The ingredients for a perfect tea party:

A beautiful centerpiece

Tea (or hot water with honey and lemon)

Two photo-snapping moms

Heart-shaped sandwiches with a choice of sunflower butter with honey, homemade jam, or marshmallow fluff.

Name cards and fine china.

Cupcakes (with lollipops!!)

Fresh fruit skewers.

Hats!

A Day for Baseball

I'm sitting in our den editing photos from our first family Tigers game, and I've become mesmerized by a show that remembers 9/11. I've tried to put my thoughts and feelings into words about this day, now and ten years ago, but it all sounds wrong (pained, grateful, sorry, humbled?), even inappropriate. Then and now, while my life has witnessed the impact 9/11 has had on our country, I was spared the loss of family or friends, and because of this, my words don't seem right. Even now, as I watch the events from ten years ago on TV, they seem surreal, like something from a movie.

Today, Blake, Anna and I were fortunate to attend a Detroit Tigers Baseball Game together. As we entered the stadium, we peeked into the park before making our way to the carousel. I was breathless and tearful as we watched over 400 public service members walk onto the field and as we listened to the beautiful, harmonic voices of four uniformed men who shared with us their National Anthem. It felt right being there today, watching America's game with my family, remembering our country's heroes.

 

The view while we waited in line.

And the view from our seats.

Obviously, we hit the ferris wheel.

And, we found Red Robin, who Anna at once declared was scary and wanted to touch him.

And the carousel. Between the rides and trips to the concession stand for beer, frozen lemonade, chips, and fries, we didn't see THAT much of the game.

Not your typical horse-drawn carousel.

Blair and Carolyn's Wedding

One of a couple carpet picnics and videos during the wedding weekend.

Brothers

A dip in the lake was required at the rehearsal dinner given the sweltering heat and humidity.

Two peas in a pod. Katie, Blake's cousin, and Anna really enjoyed each other's company.

We took a break from the rehearsal to find clovers outside the church.

A happy practice round.

Father and daughter.

The Richards and Minnett women on the groom's side at a pre-rehearsal brunch.

Anna with the gorgeous couple.

Of course, Anna got her hands on the camera to take some pictures of the Mo's.

I love this one...when the photographer saw Anna clicking away, he came to get some pics of her. Anna mimicked his every move. I can't wait to see the photos he got of her!

Dancing with Papa Mox. I LOVE this one!