Author Archives: carrievoris

Just Me and Bear – Best Shot Monday

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Taken again in my favorite spot where the sunshine streams through one of our windows in the late afternoon. Addie reminds me of a cat. Sometimes she’ll see a sunny spot and just plop down in it. This time Bear was underneath her when she did. Of course she didn’t actually take a catnap, but it was a brief pause in her usual constant motion.

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(Click for larger image, as always.) I know I’ve been pretty “focused” on Addie lately, I think subconsciously I am gearing up for what is going to be a BIG week of Em. Five days and counting til she goes to “school.”

I keep telling myself that it is just summer camp, it is not really school. (Yes, I’m pretending she is not really going to school, yet!) But to her it is preschool, and it is the school she will be attending in the fall. So I know we’ll have plenty ‘o pics of Em this week, so soak Addie up while you can.

Big Weekend Happenings…

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Actually that title is not very accurate. There was not a lot really happening around here this weekend, except cleaning both the house and our computers.

Actually that really isn’t accurate either. Friday counts as the weekend, and we had a terrific Friday. So I guess we did have some “big” happenings.

Ok, so let’s just start over. We had a very fun-filled, productive weekend. How was yours?

Friday J. and I met up with our friends, Michelle and Eric, and had a fantastic picnic (sans kids!) outside of the Greek Theater while we were waiting for our concert to start. We had not very kid-friendly food like wine, brie, french bread, steak and salad. It was delicious.

And then we got to sit out under the stars, in a gorgeous California summer evening and listen to some mighty fine music. (It was quite a musical week for me last week!) We saw Alison Krauss and Union Station, she is a favorite of J’s. I know some of her music and like it alright. But after seeing her Friday, I think I can seriously call myself a fan. It was a great night – and did I mention, we were without kids?

Saturday we took the girls to see Ratatouille. Very cute movie – and amazingly enough, I got to see the entire movie. Addie sat through just about all of it, and since we were on an aisle, just stood for a little bit of it when she got bored. I’m going to call it her “first” real movie since we didn’t spend any of it roaming the hallway outside the theater.

Then we did a lot of the not so “big” stuff. Cleaned. Worked. Cleaned a little more. J. got me an external drive to consolidate all of my pictures, and my new back-up drive also has a back-up! Just. In. Case.

Huge thank you to him for that. Guess how many photos I have between the desktop we have and my laptop where I have been downloading most of my photos since January. Go on…guess!

Go on, guess. I’ll wait.

Ok, ready? I know we have a lot of photos, but even I was a bit surprised by the sheer volume of pictures we have. And remember we have only had a good digital camera since Em was about 6 months old (October 2003), up until that point I took mostly film. (Which also means I have boxes and boxes of photos, too.)

26,309 photos on the pc, just over 7,000 on my laptop.

Now tell me how sick I would have been if I lost them. We have occasionally backed them up to CDs and DVDs, but we have always been sort of half-hearted about it, thinking we would do a better job. I just feel so relieved now that I know every little step, milestone, and smile that has been recorded of my girls has been backed up. And backed up again.

AH! Speaking of photos. Here is one more “big” happening of the weekend.

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Yup. Big discussion this morning as she was dry again for the third morning in the bathroom between E., A., and I. (She isn’t dry during naps or at night yet…but I can deal with diapers/pull-ups for that!) We agreed that A. is ready for some big girl underwear. So she and I went and picked some out this afternoon. She kept them dry all afternoon and evening.

*Sigh.* It is so fantastic and I know it just means the girls are growing up. But a little piece of me is so sad. It is her last little vestige of baby-ness, floating away.

From Your Sippy to my Dribble

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We have been working very hard on banning the sippy cup in our house. Especially when we are not in the car or out ‘n about. When we were on vacation Addie drank out of glass water goblets at every meal – with help, of course, but I know she is capable of doing it and we simply don’t need the sippy cups anymore. The day I get rid of those stupid cups will be a milestone all in itself. Just think, no more cleaning those gross valves,* or turning a corner in the car and having a cup roll out from beneath the seats! (Never, ever open the cup if you can not remember when they might have had it in the car. It isn’t pretty. And I don’t care how much you are into “reduce, reuse, recycle” it is really not worth trying to salvage the cup. Just trust me on this one.)

So anyhow, like I said, we are definitely working on just “kid cups” at the table. And we’ve had a few spills, which is to be expected, and not a big deal…well, most of the time. Occasionally I am in just the right wrong mood, and both of the girls have pushed just the right wrong buttons or messed around for just a little too long and ends up knocking the entire cup of milk on the floor. Or coincidentally enough, right into the plate of food that they are trying to NOT eat. Convenient, huh? That might send me into a bit of a spiral, but usually, clean up the milk and move on.
Anyhow, as I was getting at (What’s up with the tangents, today?) today was a good day. Girls were eating like champs, laughing, we were having a just fine morning. Addie takes a drink of milk, turns to the side of her chair and opens her lips just a little bit and lets the entire mouthful of milk dribble onto the rug. (Yes, we have a rug under our table, on top of the hardwood. Yes, I am rethinking that arrangement. Everyday. After every meal.) I’ll admit, I was kind of in shock, so I did watch the whole “dribble” – as if it was in slow motion or something. Finally I ask:

M: “Hey, hey, HEY! Ad what are you doing?!”
A: “My milk fall down, mama!”
M: “No, no, no! We don’t do that!”
(Emma chimes in…)
E: “What? What did Addie do, mama?”
A: (smiling) “Emma, watch me, what I do, Emma!”

And the mischievous little monkey takes another big gulp of milk and starts to “show” Emma what she had just gotten scolded for.

I did manage to stop her before she showed her dribbling technique to Emma. But I’m sure it won’t be the last time we see it in our household. I did have to go into the kitchen and laugh where she couldn’t see me. The look of pure glee at being able to show her big sister a neat new “trick” and knowing that she wasn’t supposed to be doing it – it was priceless. Such a little monkey.

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*If you are still in the sippy cup phase – you really do have to try the First Years Sippy Cups. They are insulated, completely spill-proof and they do not have icky valves to clean. So awesome. Oh yeah, they also come in very cool styles like Princesses, Nemo, and Elmo. I have actually found that they are cheapest at Kohl’s – they often have them buy 1 get 1 half-off or on their 15% off sale. I have a bunch if anyone wants them, I’ll send them your way!

Happy Birthday Miss Madey Mac Munchie Mo!

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I can’t believe you are 4! I remember sitting in the waiting room, your cousin asleep on my shoulder, and your sister reading all the words she knew in the Bible to me. Then your dad sheepishly came out to tell us that you were here, you were beautiful, and you had a lot of hair! It feels just like yesterday.

We are all sad that we can’t be there to celebrate with you, but hopefully we’ll see you soon.

Have an amazing Birthday and a great year. Love you, Madelynn!

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Um, also…you know how much your Aunt Bean loves you, right? And I seriously have had most of your gift for over two weeks, but alas NONE of your gift will be to you on time. But that just means you can have an extended birthday. Hopefully when it does arrive – you’ll love it so much that you’ll forgive me. Please?!

Heard in the locker room before swim class today…

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E: Is it our turn, Mama?
M: Not yet, honey. Be patient.

(20 seconds later…)

E: Okay, the hand is on 11, now is it our turn?
M: Not yet, peanut. The kids are still in their lesson. Be patient.

(20 seconds later…)

E: Mommy…
M: Em, have some patience!
E: I was just gonna ask what patient means.
M: It means you need to wait your turn, be calm, and Mommy will tell you as soon as it is your turn.
E: Oh.

(20 seconds later)

E: I’m being very patience now, Mommy. So now is it my turn?

*sigh*  

Music Appreciation – On a Whole New Level

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So, I was never blessed with any sort of musical ability. All of my dad’s musical talent skipped over me and landed on my sister. And I mean ALL of it. If you spend even two minutes watching me try to do the stupid “rabbit dance” game on the wii, you would probably end up falling out on the floor laughing at the serious lack of rhythm I have. (Ask my sister, she’s witnessed it. It is NOT pretty. If you are not familiar with the game – you have to have a little rhythm and make the bunnies drop into these little holes on the beat. I am “dance bunny-challenged”.)

You laugh…but really, I have none, zero, zip, zilch. Well, now that I think about it, I guess that is not true. I really can and do appreciate music. All kinds of music. And thankfully J. has enough musical ability in his little finger for the both of us, and he is also extremely good about making sure I am “hip” to the new music. We listen to a lot of music, and try to see a lot of live music. And I think between the two of us, we have quite an eclectic musical repertoire. I truly hope the girls will have some musical ability, or at least a good appreciation like I do.

I fantasize someday of being able to play something other than “Chopsticks” on the piano and have always really been attracted to the cello. I like the sound of it and it seems like such a romantic instrument to play. This was what was so random and crazy when I met my friend, Michelle. When she told me she was a professional cellist, I almost fell off of the elliptical. (We met at our gym!) How weird is fate?

So, I’ve told you all about her and her new album and how you should go listen to it on iTunes. (And download it!) I can honestly say that I listen to it almost always while I am working at Starbucks, my little office away from home. And I know as I listen to it, that it is Michelle, but I guess I have been strangely disconnected to it.

Until Sunday evening.

Michelle played in a concert celebrating her town’s centennial birthday. First of all, it was a fantastic concert. Really interesting grouping of musical talent. Very varied and all wonderfully played. But as I was sitting anxiously waiting for Michelle to take the stage, I realized that this was the first time I had actually heard her play. Live. In person. She has had her cello over to the house and played a little here and there, but not like totally focused, in the moment. Really playing.

And I was quite literally blown away. It was such a beautiful display of her talent. So much more moving than listening to her on my little iPod. And even more spectacularly, I saw an incredible side of my friend that I had never seen before. She wasn’t just my friend, or a mommy, but an amazing, accomplished, beautiful musician. I was really, really moved. I could have listened to her play all night.

After the concert we went for a celebration (both for her concert and her Birthday!) at a very fun little Italian cafe/bar. And it just happened to be Opera Night. So just picture the scene, intimate little restaurant, little stage up front and the pianist would just start to play a piece of music and all of a sudden someone would just stand up and belt out a song. And they all had stunningly beautiful voices. I felt like I was in a dream. And when the opera folks were done, they convinced Michelle and Mary to go up and play another piece. They played a Bach piece – both of them from memory. Really, really astounding. Good food, drinks, friends and on top of all of that surrounded by amazing music.

It was a very special little gift, and it wasn’t even my birthday!

Sk8r Girl

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So there has been a renewed interest in the rollerskates this past weekend. Before we begin with this little story, I think E. is an adorable little imp who will most likely turn into a gorgeous ballerina someday. But in the meantime, the girl has clearly inherited my dreadful clumsiness.

Her first “roll” – literally the second she stood up on her skates – she went straight back down on her bottom. She did finally get the hang of it and made little circles around the courtyard and even got brave and let go of Daddy’s hands, eventually. She just needs a bit lot of practice.

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Trying it out on her own.

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At least she looks good, right?

There are a bunch of other photos in the Flickr account, although I never did get a good “falling” action shot.