Friday, April 1, 2011

April 1: Helloooo Picksburg!!!

I really shouldn't be posting right now.  I've got a ridiculous list to accomplish before bed tonight and I've got a dangerous case of ADD brain.  Clothes to pack, toys to remember, lunch to prepare...all of it for our weekend trip to Pittsburgh ("Picksburg, where Shane with an Ssss lives, and I'm Henry with an H and we will plaaaaay!")  In addition to cousin Shane (just a year older than Hen and a celeb in our home), we'll see nearly the entire Williams clan, minus my cousins Fred, Matt and Hunter who went all "college" on us.  What you might not understand is that "the entire Williams clan" (my nan, my mom, her sibs and their families) amounts to just under 70 people.  Yes David, this is real life.

One of my tasks before the night ends (does it ever end, really?) is to prepare lunch and snacks for the ride.  I'm putting together curried chicken salad wraps for Mike and I and trusty ol' PB&J for Hen.  Here is a shot of the ingredients I've pulled out of the cupboard to prepare this meal:


Oh, I'm sorry dingus, did you not know that mini marshmallows and space shuttle were necessary ingredients in curried chicken salad?  I know what you're wondering, and yes, it is difficult to be this refined.

P.S. What is my husband doing right now?  He's being super helpful and not at all annoying, snoring LOUDLY from the family room, while Ghostbusters plays through (almost as loudly) on the tele.  I keep going in there and yelling politely suggesting that he take those precious Zzz's upstairs.  He oddly refuses. Oh really?  Seems like an appropriate time to use all of the loudest kitchen appliances we own.  Sleep while I'm cleaning?  H to the No, M.Boegs.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

March 31: Hen's Sweet Wheels

Plasma Car.  Probably the greatest present EVER.  Especially because it boasts an impressive 220 lb weight limit, which means parents who may or may not have had one or four glasses of wine, can ride it around the house after kids are in bed.
Our wood floors will never be the same.

March 30: A Lasting Vow

 The other night, my sister Mary and I were locked in a brainwave, both of us spending copious amounts of time surfing the internet for good wedding songs.  Her reason? She's getting married this July.  My reason? I am a strange weirdo who spends too much time on the internet.  Obviously Mary had good cause to be googling, groove-sharking, youtube-watching and itunes-shopping.  She and Brian are very musically inclined and their playlist, like their wedding, will no doubt be thoughtful, personal and fun.  I, however, have no excuse, other than to say that I just really love weddings, and am probably too excited for Mare & Brian's big day.  I mean, look at these faces, how could you NOT want to celebrate their wedded bliss? 

This is insaaaane!  This looks like the photo that comes with the frame, or the clipart image that is a result of the search "Perfect Couple".  Attractive! Successful! Wearing all black! Holding a camera! Rockstars at life!
  Megan and I were looking at this photo a couple of months ago while going through a stack I had printed of the family.  She agreed with me on all points of couple perfection...and then, turning to the next photo, shrieked with laughter, discovering something that looked a lot like this:
Creepy mustache!  Neon cat-eyes!  Walt Disney shirt from Goodwill!  Probably didn't wake up until 1pm!  Yes indeedy alright, hitched mah wagon to that star and I am NOT sorry about it.    Megan couldn't help but to laugh at the comparison, "Molly, HOW are we all from the same family?!"

When I think about Mary and Brian I am overwhelmed with joy.  I truly have faith in their love for one another.  Brian has been a part of our family since he was a rising junior in high school.  In my eyes, he has been my little brother for years now.  The reality of this becoming "official" honestly makes me cry every time I think of it, which is why I totally lost it when, in my crazy-lady search for wedding songs, I stumbled upon this video.

Aaaaahhh!!  Tears!  Tears!  Sniffles!  More tears!  Blotchy-face McGinty!

This song, this video, this couple, this wedding.  It's a beautiful demonstration of a genuine and lasting love for another person, an emotional acknowledgment of the commitment you make to that one life partner. 

Which, of course, always brings me, personally, back to this:

our commitment, our partnership, and in the spirit of this post, our song

I can't wait for July 2nd, when I will witness Mary & Brian's vows to one another, and be silently reminded of my own.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

March 29: "Working from Home"

I am really lucky.  I try hard not to forget that.  Of course, a statement like "I am really lucky" is pretty general, and could apply to many different aspects of life.  Today, however, I'm using it in reference to work and motherhood.

This morning I woke up late.  6:20am to be exact. Do you know what 6:20am looks like?  It's so late in the morning that the SUN is almost out!  Glorious 6:20am, I would kiss you if I could.  So I woke up, careful to be quiet, rolling out of bed and stepping gingerly towards the bathroom.   I got ready for work, let the dogs outside and caffeinated myself without even a rustle or peep from my sleeping babes.  Hmm.  Suspicious.

I am never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I continued--watched CNN, caf-ed up again, and let the dogs back inside.  Still, no babes.  Eventually, FINALLY, the kitten meowed.  I jumped up (not kidding about that) and "got my mom on".  Diap, wipe and clothing change, a sufficient amount of noise made by both Alice and I...and still no Henry?!  Of course, the crazy person in me stalked into Hen's room and hovered over him to make sure he was still breathing.  Breathing--check!  Waking?--no!  Fast-forward to 8am: Hen awakes, drowsy sweet smile, bags under his eyes and a cough like an octogenarian who has smoked a pack a day for the past 60 years.  Ugh.  Damn you germs!

And the morning routine of the sick child begins:
1. Email work with apologetic "I won't be there today..." message hoping that there is minimal eye-rolling.  Respond graciously to kind coworkers who respond immediately, wishing your child well.
2. Call Pediatrician (busy signal), continue to manically dial pediatrician like some crazed ex-girlfriend until there is finally a ring, then sit on hold for ungodly amount of time while wrestling older child away from...well...everything.
3. Call daycare and leave voice mail, sound exhausted and almost peeved, and then immediately sorry for sounding peeved about having to care for your own sick kids (hope that daycare providers don't mark you as worst mom in the world).
4. Spend a moment questioning if your kid is ACTUALLY sick, or just faking, and then feel massive amounts of mom-guilt when he doubles over in fits of coughing.

Oh, it's fun alright!  In all of this, the most curious bit to me is the "working from home" email.  I work with some hardcore, dedicated workaholics.  I do my best to keep up, and since I genuinely enjoy what I do, it's not difficult to become consumed by work.  However, I always wonder what "work from home" looks like for other people.  I was thinking about this today as I responded to work emails, so I opened photobooth and took a series of snapshots of my own "work from home" moment.
This is my favorite.  It looks like I'm reading the top portion of the email while Alice is covering the bottom.  We'll meet in the middle and update each other.

To my original point--I'm darn lucky to have coworkers who understand when I have to work from home with sick kids.  Thank you admissions!

March 28: What Hen Sees

Just under two months ago,  Henry dropped our camera on its lens.  It was a cringe-worthy moment.  He was just trying to take a picture, by himself, we really can't fault him for that.  He's expressing his creativity and there is nothing I love more than that.  This is why it was oh so exciting when he received his very own...
camera!
Here are a few of the 43 pictures that he's taken so far:

scary mommy

Henry's table

Daddy making dinner
cousin Liam
Aunt MeMe
Laika
We're going to be bringing this to Pittsburgh this weekend where there will be no shortage of people for Hen to capture on "film".  My little photog. :)

Monday, March 28, 2011

March 27: Three Years, Three Parties

Sunday was the last of Henry's three birthday parties--one at school and then home w/us on his actual bday, one with "little friends" (accompanied by their "big friend" parents) on Saturday and then the large McDougall-Boegel family shindig on Sunday.  I had to laugh when, at his third third birthday party, after having heard the Happy Birthday song four or five times already that weekend, he casually looked up from his Plex keytar, and blew out the candle in one small huff.  He smiled, quite pleased with himself, and went back to composing.

All three parties were really lovely.  Our small celebration at home was low-key and quite appropriate.  Henry opened his present from Alice--a remote control police car with sound and lights--and played with it for the rest of the night.  Saturday was awesome--a herd of preschoolers and toddlers playing dress-up (I was working to get them into parade formation, but we never made it downstairs), while adults enjoyed the company of friends and a glass of wine or two (no 3rd birthday party is complete without it....didn't you know that?!)  Lastly, the big "to do" with the fam.  Always a favorite event in my calendar year.  There is nothing I love more than seeing my kids surrounded by the people who love them and have watched them grow.

After three days of parties, Mike and I are exhausted.  It's off to work today, no rest for the parent.  Perhaps I'll make a celebration of it and bring along one of those chocolate peanut-butter cupcakes from yesterday.  Happy Monday to me!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

March 26: It's His Party and She'll Cry if She Wants to...

To all of the fancy i-phone carrying family members and friends who we tried to "FaceTime" the other night: had you answered the phone, THIS is the face you would have "timed" with. Your welcome.