London Calling

She's come undone

Yes, it's the title of a Wally Lamb book, but also I wonder if it's the "theme" of this stage in my life.  I've somehow volunteered as room mom for Violet's toddler room and should honestly be fired because I must be the worst room mom in the history of the school.  London has holes in all of his pants.  I haven't started shopping for Easter clothes or candy or planning Easter lunch.  Next Friday is our school's art show and again -- why? -- I volunteered to help set up and burn CDs for the rooms. (Need to start that project soon.)

I travel like a fool for work and care too much about my job.  The kids are in gymnastics on Saturdays and London has Tball during the week and I thought it would be a good idea to schedule swim lessons for a few weeks in the summer at 5:30 EVERY day-- mommy and me swim lessons.  I have a hazy memory of volunteering to make a few sandwich trays for a teacher luncheon and writing a presentation to our senior management about our web infrastructure. 

Although I've "saved the date," I haven't started planning anything for Taylor's graduation party which will be at our house .... so all of those half-finished decorating projects need to be finished.  And there's this little sales meeting that I am responsible for the marketing aspect -- and keeps me awake at night. 

Oh, and I'm trying to stay happily married. 

I love the people in my life and enjoy my work, but often wonder, what's gonna give?  Something HAS to give, right? 

Wanna ride?

While London is very proud to ride his big boy bike, he's even more proud of giving his sister a ride on his old tricycle.  She loves her big brother and gets a kick out of being his passenger.  I know what you're thinking and yes, the writing was on the wall.  He lost his passenger this Sunday as he was riding in the park.  She was fine but is wary of trying again and prefers to take her little pink hot rod out for a "ride" which means that we push her while she tries to catch up to big brother tearing around the block.

A day at the museum

 

We had a great family day on Sunday at the Field Museum.  The kids LOVED it.  They raced around the building; danced in open spaces; talked to the animals; played in the children's area.  It was blast and so tiring!

 

We drummed and dressed up and looked at fossils.  We walked through the underground and walked more quickly past the big spider.

 
After lunch it was time to go so that we didn't completely blow Violet's nap.  London was so upset to leave and cried so hard that I thought the police would stop us for sure thinking that we had kidnapped him. We promised to return to see more of Sue and her museum as soon as possible.

Our birthday celebration

 

Our birthday party for my mom was very nice.  Of course, would've been much nicer if she were there.  (Or really, really scary if she were there too depending on how you look at it.) 

Happy birthday mom

 

You would've been 60 today.  We miss you!  As odd as it may sound, we're having a special birthday party for you tonight. 

(Nice way to confuse the kids.  "It's your grandmother's birthday.  Yes, she's in heaven."  And, who knows.  Grandpa may actually bring her along for the party since we haven't found the right "home" for her ashes yet.) 

What's scarier than a toddler wearing a hot pink track suit sneaking up on you?

Right.  Maybe it doesn't sound frightening to you, but my track suit-wearing toddler scared me to death.  Take a minute to think back to all of the really scary movies you've ever seen.  Remember any pale children who are evil?  Yeah, lots of them. 

It all started innocently, just like a horror movie.  Our little angel started sleeping in her "big girl bed" (aka London's old toddler bed) last week.  She's been pretty good about staying in it all night, but has just appeared in the living room a few times.  She doesn't cry, but just shows up in the corner of the room without making a sound and looks at us in a kind of creepy way.  Her head is tilted down but her eyes are looking up. 

The next factor leading to this super creepy experience was the pink track suit.  Violet loves her clothes and often asks to sleep in something she's especially fond of.  We entertain her eccentricities.  Really, why not?  Some nights she sleeps in her Christmas dress or a tutu or whatever she fancies.  Tonight, she saw a spring suit -- kind of like snow pants and a jacket only lighter -- that was a gift from autie Barb.  It's hot pink or more of a darker pink.  Violet has fallen in love with it and decided to wear it to bed with the hood up.

 Our princess went to bed wonderfully.  I rocked her and sang and she whispered, "big girl bed mommy."  Oh, the love I felt was overwhelming.  I laid her in her new toddler bed with the pretty flower sheets and blanket and tiptoed downstairs to have dinner with Blu.

Within about 20 minutes, Blu said, "We have a visitor."  I turned my head and saw her.  She was still wearing her hood up in that dark pink suit and stared at the TV with her head turned down and eyes looking up.  She had traveled through the dark hallway, stairs and foyer to stood silently in the corner of the living room.

When I saw her, I was startled.  Our little princess looked really creepy.  If our live were a movie, I'd be setting this scene aside in my mind as a possible foreshadowing.

In real life, I just walked her upstairs and rocked her and sang a few songs and all was well.  Violet is fast asleep in her big girl bed. She isn't creepy at all in real life.