On A Roll Tonite

1. At Cub Scouts. Arrow of Light ceremony. Big deal. Boys pass over the "Bridge of Scouting" to Boy Scouts. Family passes over with them. Lights are dim and candles are burning. Big Indian chief giving a speech while native American flute music plays. Connor rises from his seat and comes over to me, saddened.

C: Mom. I'm crying. (Loud whisper)
D: Why?
C: Its sad. They're growing up. I have tears of joy.
D: Really? (Shocked, starting to laugh)
C: YES. One of them is my friend. Its not funny.
D: Which one?
C: The one right there. (This is not helpful. There are 10 boys lined up.)
D: Blue shirt or brown shirt.
C: Brown shirt. The fifth one back. He's kind of round and Indian.

OMG

D: Okay. What's his name?
C: I don't know. But he's really nice.

2. As the ceremony is going on, his Den leader's cell phone rang in the solemness and she was embarassed. It was one of those "tinkling" kind of ring tones. Connor went immediately over to her and said "Its okay. It made it more mystical."

Seriously. What he heck have I wrought?

Before He Walks

Palmer is balancing now without holding on to anything. Those first steps could come anytime now, I guess. They found him standing up alone, arms to the side like a tight-rope walker, in a bouncy seat at daycare this week.

Before that happens, here's quick video of him figuring out how to crawl at the beginning of February.

Crazy Good

Life is crazy good right now. Really good. And really crazy. It feels packed to gills with stuff. I can understand the trauma of the "empty nest" but I think its not so much caused by the fact that the kids are gone, but more by the fact that you end up with so much free time. We have none. And we won't for many many years to come.

Bob observed that there are only four days on our family Google calendar in April that don't have something marked on them. Four. It used to be the total opposite.

We're going from three weeks of preparing for Connor's musical right into preparing for house guests next weekend for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Then we have our big family Egg Hunt after which in only three short days we head off to California for a long Spring Break trip that, with two kids, requires alot of logistical planning. Then we come right back into what will heretofore be referred to in our home as "Birthday Season"--a big football themed party for Connor's 8th and then something momentous for Palmer's 1st (yet to be planned!). In between all that in May we have a Boy Scout camping trip which I'm in charge of for the whole Pack. Mix all of that in with baseball season which involves a parade and a trip to DC for a Nationals game (which Bob is in charge of for the whole team)a major home renovation project with the remodel and two full-time jobs and and you've got a prescription for delighted exhaustion.

The house is a mess. I can barely dress myself. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Mementos of the Show

Welcome To The Jungle

Well, last night was the big night. Sadly, we didn't get his solo on video. Happily, that's because I was just enjoying it so much I didn't want to stop to figure out how to work the camera. He was awesome. And his co-star, Sara DeArmitt was so spectacularly great. What chemistry they have! Person after person, strangers and friends, were congratulating both Connor and us on what a great performer he is and how confident and in control he was. I am a proud mama lion. And not just for this performance, but for everything that Connor is proving to be.

Super Moon

Tonite we get to experience a "super moon". The moon is at its closest point to Earth at the same time that it is full. So it will appear very big and bright. If last night was any indication, it should be awesome. This pic was taken out the foyer window at around 3am with my crummy little point-and-shoot. That's my neighbor's house over there. It looks like a huge spotlight on an alien landing craft. The whole neighborhood was lit up. You could have read a book outside. Very awesome.

Top O' The Morning To You!

More Hipstamatic At The Gymboree

I especially love that first one but I wish Bob's leg wasn't in it!!

Pictures of the Deep Below

I'm going to try to post a few pics of the basement finishing project tonite. But I don't have a ton of time to comment too much. Note though, that it is Wednesday night and he just started work 48 hours ago. And he's working alone. I think its impressive progress! This is the first change to notice. Rick suggested and we agreed that it was a good idea to cut a hunk of unnecessary drywall out of the bottom of the tunnel that is the staircase. It opens things up a bit down at the bottom. BEFORE AFTER Unfortunately, I didn't take these next two from the exact same spot, but you'll forgive me. This is a view out to the left from the bottom of the stairs. BEFORE AFTER The wall on the left is the entrance wall for the storage room and the bathroom. You see the left column in the first pic? Its behind that wall on the left inside the storage room. Ahead of you on the right you can see the framing for a short wall that will be a kind of ledge/open room divider between the larger space and a play area. Great for puppet shows, I think! And on that back wall under the windows there will be storage/bench window seats. Both are the idea of my fantastic designer--BOB. That's all for tonite. Palmer has big tooth coming in and he is really fussy. Tomorrow....the bathroom!

Basement Beaming

Well, I had a new experience today. Bob sent me to the Loudoun County Building Office to attempt to obtain building, electrical, plumbing, gas, and mechanical licenses for our basement finishing project. The document said you needed "plans" so I drew this up on some graph paper.



As you can see, we're not doing anything too complicated. Just a bathroom and finish out the whole space. Maybe a fireplace in that bump out. Anyway, this was way more advanced than they required and I actually have to dumb it WAY down for the application. We'll do that tonite. And I'll try to stop over-acheiving.

California Dreaming

Trying to tie up the loose ends of our Spring Break trip to California and it got me to thinking about the trip we took out there just after Connor's first birthday. Seems like we're on kind of the same schedule with Palmer.



The back lawn of the St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel where stayed and where we watched a pre-school graduation ceremony with what must have been the predecessors of the "Real Housewives of Orange County".


A view down from the top of the hill onto the Dana Point Marina. There is some fantastic seafood restaurant up there but the name of it escapes me now. Chart House, maybe?



Here's Connor at the Monarch pool luncheon gazebo awaiting his drink order.

Here we are on Laguna Beach proper.

Here are the boys in the pool at the resort in Mission Hills--Palm Springs.



And here's Connor checking out the fancy bathroom! Love those chubby legs and feet that are now long gone.