adazzle,dim

My friend Laura was in town this weekend, and we had her and her boyfriend Justin and our friend Adam over for dinner Saturday night. I served Florentine Stuffed Shells, Ratatouille, and Cherry Dump Cake, and I was pleased with how everything turned out. I wish I got to cook on a grand scale more often, but between work and classes and everything else, it’s pretty rare these days. (Though I’ve also been on a cookie-baking kick - four batches in the past week, partly for the GSA Bake Sale at the university’s Fall Fest and partly just for the family.) After dinner, we played Battle of the Sexes and messed around with watching YouTubes on the new 60″ flatscreen, which Andrew has networked with our computers (somehow! It’s beyond me, but I’m enjoying it nonetheless).

We’re enjoying having Andrew around. There are always adjustments, of course, when adults have to learn to live together, but all in all we’re a good fit. I think the hardest thing for Andrew so far has been Annabelle’s crying when she’s frustrated or tired; to us it’s just part of the aural landscape, but I can tell it really grates on his nerves. For me, the hardest thing is dealing with Joey now having a “playmate” who reinforces the X-Box constantly being on. However, they’re bonding over games and so I’m trying to chill and just let them be boys. As long as the trash goes out.

One definite benefit of having someone else move in has been that it has forced us to do some Spring cleaning. When we switched the bedrooms around, we initially took out everything but the furniture, storing everything in the alcove off what is now the master bedroom. We’re being selective as we put things back into the rooms (which has turned into an ongoing weeks-long process), and we’re selling some things on Craigslist, putting some things at the curb, and creating a big garage sale pile as we go. This is perfect for item #15 of my 101 Things (15. Go through every room in the house and get rid of anything that is not useful, beautiful or in some way life-enriching. Be seriously ruthless.), and I’m looking forward to being done with it and having a less-cluttered house. Also, I’m looking forward to getting back into my alcove!!! :P

I remember when Saturday mornings were spent lazing about in bed or on the couch, taking til noon to wake up, and casually touching base with friends about plans for Saturday night. Ah, young days. Now, I am up by 7 at the very latest, often planning my day before my family even opens their eyes, trying to figure out how to get everything done before the weekend is gone.

Today will be a particularly busy Saturday as I will be preparing for the arrival of my cousin Andrew, who is moving in with us tomorrow. I still need to hang new curtains in his room, finish cleaning out his closet, take down the last of Annabelle’s decor (since his room was her nursery til last week),  and make the room cozy with new bedding and what-have-you. I also need to get into the backyard and trim back the vines on both gates since he will probably be coming through the back more often than not. I want to clean out the freezer today to get a handle on what’s in it and reorganize it more efficiently. I want to finish decorating Annabelle’s new room.

Joey will take AB to gymnastics this morning and then to lunch afterwards, so my goal is to get as much done as possible while they’re gone. She has a friend’s birthday party at 5, and I have an adult birthday party later tonight.

So, yeah. Busy day, I think.

Full of reminders of how many blessings we have in our life.

There are milestones we watch for as our children grow: the first word, the first tooth, the first “I love you” - the things we’re just waiting to write down in baby books and call our mothers and friends about. Yesterday I realized another kind of milestone: the ones that you recognize only as you pass them and think, wow, have we come that far?

Daddy was chasing Annabelle toward the kitchen where I was making lunch. I watched as she turned in the kitchen doorway, put her hands on her hips, and sing-songed, “You-ou ca-an’t ca-atch meeee!” My surprised laughter at my little one dropping this classic childhood play-taunt held a tinge of sadness as I realized: Just three, she is already barreling toward the end of toddlerhood. She’s becoming a full-fledged kid. And then she’ll be a pre-teen, and then a teenager. Eighteen years sounds like a long time, but three have flown by already.

Last week she moved into her big girl bed, a twin. When I sneaked in that first night to straighten her covers and plant an extra night-night kiss on her little forehead, I marveled at how tiny she looked on the great big twin mattress. And she *is* tiny. But she’s growing, and soon - too soon - she’ll no longer look so small in that sea of quilt and pillows. And then someday she’ll see that great big bed as a “baby bed,” and she’ll want a bigger one.

May I ever be aware of how precious these days are. How amazing it is, accompanying AB on this first leg of her life’s journey. May I cherish every mile along the way, and often stop to appreciate how far we’ve come.

So, I was too busy to write, and I had so much going on, and then I didn’t know where to begin, and now there is no way I can write it all. I’m accepting that it’s not all going to make it into digital print and just picking up from here.

We visited Joey’s family in Pensacola. Annabelle celebrated her third birthday. I finished the Race for the Cure 5K, though it was in a different city than I’d planned. (Next year I hope I’ll run for time. I’m watching DeAnn and Susie and Jen and looping the Little Engine that Could in my head!) Fall classes started (a month and a half ago. Wow.). I’m taking 6 hours, Joey’s taking 9 hours, and we’re both still working full time. Fun. … That’s the big stuff, I guess. It’s the little things, though, that make a blog, and I’ll try to get back on top of them.

We’re working this week to make our house ready for a new addition. Lol, no, not that. My cousin Andrew, who’s 20, is moving in with us to start school. He’ll be with us for a semester or two until he gets his own place. I think it’s going to be good for everyone involved. He’s a good kid, and I’m glad we’re in a position to help him out.

This may be short, my dears, but I have at least damn-skippety blogged now, so it should flow more easily next time. :P

Til then! xo