Sunday, June 5, 2011
Mystery Reader
At Rory's school, parents were invite to come in and be the Mystery Reader of the day. April 29 Bryan was Rory's mystery reader, and through the technical difficulties, you can still she the pure joy and surprise in her face of Daddy being there.
The Next Generation of Royal Wedding Watchers
I have successfully passed down a family tradition....watching royal weddings! Now, anyone who knows Rory knows that she is obsessed with Disney Princesses, the movies, the dress up and all the accessories. When she found out that there are real life Princes and Princesses, well it was a whole new ballgame!
I too have to admit that I love anything Royal, starting with Princess Diana's wedding in 1981. I remember it clearly, and I remember collecting anything that had to do with it! I still have the little purple book from the Royal Wedding! So when the collection of Princess Diana's dresses came to Kansas City I thought it was a good opportunity to share the moment with Rory! So off we went to see the dresses of a real life Princess!
It was really something to watch her eyes light up in amazement when she saw all of these things that once belonged to a Princess. The best part was when we went into the room with the wedding gown. Now, yes the dress was very 1980's, but holy smokes it really is quite impressive! At the back of that room they had a television that showed video from the wedding, of Diana getting out of the glass carriage and walking up the steps to St. Paul's Cathedral with her train behind her. Rory couldn't take her eyes off of it! There were several other older ladies in there at the same time, and they all made sure they stood behind her and were just watching her reaction and listened to her ask me several questions. When we turned to leave these ladies all had huge smiles on their faces saying things like "Wasn't that something special" and I really couldn't tell if they were talking about the wedding or Rory's reaction to it.
Of course during the exhibit you have to go through a few rooms that house just some of the memorial books that people signed and then a room that had video of the funeral, and that's when I had to explain to her that Princess Diana died in a very bad car crash. She seemed fine with that very simple explanation, and then off we went to see the rest of the very "fancy and sparkly" dresses. I was so happy that I was able to share that experience with her, even though the one thing she told people about our trip to that exhibit was that "I saw Princess Diana's dresses and she DIED in a really bad car crash when all the glass hit her". Ah, the joys of being 5.
On Easter Sunday night in preparation for the Royal Wedding on Friday a cable channel ran the Diana and Charles wedding, and I swear Rory watched it that night and every other night leading up to Prince William's wedding.
Then the day of the REAL royal wedding arrived. I did not wake Rory up to watch it live, as I like her Kindergarten teacher too much! So I admit that I did get up, made my coffee and ate my croissant at an ungodly hour, and I loved every second of it! By the time it was time to get the kids up and ready for school the wedding party was on it's way out of Westminster Abbey and back to Buckingham place, so like any good mother, I let Rory eat her breakfast sitting on the coffee table watching the coverage.
Later that night, Rory and I donned our most appropriate Royal Wedding attire, made Princess Tiara cookies and settled in to watch the whole wedding.
It was quite an experience from beginning to end, and I hope one day she tells her daughter that she remembers watching the Royal wedding with her mom, or maybe she'll tell her that her mother was nuts, which would be accurate too!
I too have to admit that I love anything Royal, starting with Princess Diana's wedding in 1981. I remember it clearly, and I remember collecting anything that had to do with it! I still have the little purple book from the Royal Wedding! So when the collection of Princess Diana's dresses came to Kansas City I thought it was a good opportunity to share the moment with Rory! So off we went to see the dresses of a real life Princess!
It was really something to watch her eyes light up in amazement when she saw all of these things that once belonged to a Princess. The best part was when we went into the room with the wedding gown. Now, yes the dress was very 1980's, but holy smokes it really is quite impressive! At the back of that room they had a television that showed video from the wedding, of Diana getting out of the glass carriage and walking up the steps to St. Paul's Cathedral with her train behind her. Rory couldn't take her eyes off of it! There were several other older ladies in there at the same time, and they all made sure they stood behind her and were just watching her reaction and listened to her ask me several questions. When we turned to leave these ladies all had huge smiles on their faces saying things like "Wasn't that something special" and I really couldn't tell if they were talking about the wedding or Rory's reaction to it.
Of course during the exhibit you have to go through a few rooms that house just some of the memorial books that people signed and then a room that had video of the funeral, and that's when I had to explain to her that Princess Diana died in a very bad car crash. She seemed fine with that very simple explanation, and then off we went to see the rest of the very "fancy and sparkly" dresses. I was so happy that I was able to share that experience with her, even though the one thing she told people about our trip to that exhibit was that "I saw Princess Diana's dresses and she DIED in a really bad car crash when all the glass hit her". Ah, the joys of being 5.
On Easter Sunday night in preparation for the Royal Wedding on Friday a cable channel ran the Diana and Charles wedding, and I swear Rory watched it that night and every other night leading up to Prince William's wedding.
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| That's her all snuggled up on the couch watching Charles and Diana's wedding |
Then the day of the REAL royal wedding arrived. I did not wake Rory up to watch it live, as I like her Kindergarten teacher too much! So I admit that I did get up, made my coffee and ate my croissant at an ungodly hour, and I loved every second of it! By the time it was time to get the kids up and ready for school the wedding party was on it's way out of Westminster Abbey and back to Buckingham place, so like any good mother, I let Rory eat her breakfast sitting on the coffee table watching the coverage.
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Later that night, Rory and I donned our most appropriate Royal Wedding attire, made Princess Tiara cookies and settled in to watch the whole wedding.
It was quite an experience from beginning to end, and I hope one day she tells her daughter that she remembers watching the Royal wedding with her mom, or maybe she'll tell her that her mother was nuts, which would be accurate too!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The most selfless act of kindness
I will forever remember this moment of pure joy and happiness for my daughter and for myself I will remember this selfless act of kindness for the rest of my life, and I can only hope that I will be able to pay this one forward.
Every year the Knights of Columbus at our Parish host a Father-Daughter Dinner/Dance. Of course the first weekend they made the announcement after mass my heart sank, was Rory going to hear this, was she going to want to go, how do I explain again that Daddy can't be here for it and that there is always next year. At this point in the deployment we have both grown weary of the explanations of why Daddy can't be there always followed by sobbing tears. In the end, we got through that Sunday without Rory hearing about it, and I was safe for the following Sunday because we went to mass at another Church.
The next Sunday, there was that moment again, and I knew she heard the announcement that time. I saw her ears perk up and smile come across her face, my heart was now in my shoes. Then came the most incredible moment. Our neighbor Ryan scooted his way next to me right after the announcement from the altar and whispered to me "Would it be OK with you if I took Rory to the Father-Daughter Dance with Audrey and I?" Well, the flood gates opened and I couldn't stop crying. To me, this was the most selfless act of kindness that I had ever experienced. Ryan offered to give up his special time with his daughter Audrey to take Rory along with them. I was beyond speechless.
Being a military family isn't easy, and being a military child is even more difficult. As an adult I can express my emotions and I understand my feelings of loneliness, isolation, stress and worry. I can ask for help. Kids, especially the ages that our kids are, have no idea what to do with their emotions and even though in Rory's lifetime of all almost 6 years, her daddy has been away for about 2 years and that's no including nights in the field and weeks in Washington DC. She has been so great and understanding of why Daddy can't physically can't be there at some things, but she is very proud of her Daddy and she is a Daddy's girl. So when it came to the Father-Daughter Dance I think only another military Dad could understand how a little girl feels, and Bryan and I will forever be grateful to Ryan and his family who have made this deployment a little bit easier.
Every year the Knights of Columbus at our Parish host a Father-Daughter Dinner/Dance. Of course the first weekend they made the announcement after mass my heart sank, was Rory going to hear this, was she going to want to go, how do I explain again that Daddy can't be here for it and that there is always next year. At this point in the deployment we have both grown weary of the explanations of why Daddy can't be there always followed by sobbing tears. In the end, we got through that Sunday without Rory hearing about it, and I was safe for the following Sunday because we went to mass at another Church.
The next Sunday, there was that moment again, and I knew she heard the announcement that time. I saw her ears perk up and smile come across her face, my heart was now in my shoes. Then came the most incredible moment. Our neighbor Ryan scooted his way next to me right after the announcement from the altar and whispered to me "Would it be OK with you if I took Rory to the Father-Daughter Dance with Audrey and I?" Well, the flood gates opened and I couldn't stop crying. To me, this was the most selfless act of kindness that I had ever experienced. Ryan offered to give up his special time with his daughter Audrey to take Rory along with them. I was beyond speechless.
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| Rory took her Daddy along with her |
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| Ryan, his daughter Audrey and Rory |
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| Rory and Ryan and Daddy |
Being a military family isn't easy, and being a military child is even more difficult. As an adult I can express my emotions and I understand my feelings of loneliness, isolation, stress and worry. I can ask for help. Kids, especially the ages that our kids are, have no idea what to do with their emotions and even though in Rory's lifetime of all almost 6 years, her daddy has been away for about 2 years and that's no including nights in the field and weeks in Washington DC. She has been so great and understanding of why Daddy can't physically can't be there at some things, but she is very proud of her Daddy and she is a Daddy's girl. So when it came to the Father-Daughter Dance I think only another military Dad could understand how a little girl feels, and Bryan and I will forever be grateful to Ryan and his family who have made this deployment a little bit easier.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Spring Break
It seems sooooooo long ago, well it was over a month ago, but it's worth recapping the week, at least I think so!
We started off by going to see the Imagination Movers in Concert in Kansas City! They are a kids group that have a show of the Disney Channel and my kids are addicted to them. They have songs that the whole family can listen too, and Bryan and I don't get annoyed with hearing them over and over. So off we went, and yes I took all 3 kids by myself, and yes I am crazy, but I knew that they would all Love it, and they did not disappoint!
The other big event of Spring Break was celebrating St. Patrick's Day, which is a HUGE day in our house. This year we had some very special visitors....My best friend for over 15 years Becky and her youngest daughter Juliette!!! Here they all are patiently waiting for the parade to start...don't they look sweet and innocent!
We started off by going to see the Imagination Movers in Concert in Kansas City! They are a kids group that have a show of the Disney Channel and my kids are addicted to them. They have songs that the whole family can listen too, and Bryan and I don't get annoyed with hearing them over and over. So off we went, and yes I took all 3 kids by myself, and yes I am crazy, but I knew that they would all Love it, and they did not disappoint!
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| Rory and Brendan posing by the concert sign...Jack didn't want to be photographed! |
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| 3 of the 4 Movers, Scott, Rich and Smitty |
The other big event of Spring Break was celebrating St. Patrick's Day, which is a HUGE day in our house. This year we had some very special visitors....My best friend for over 15 years Becky and her youngest daughter Juliette!!! Here they all are patiently waiting for the parade to start...don't they look sweet and innocent!
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| A trip to Leavenworth must include the Carousel Museum...Juliette wasn't too sure about that |
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| Rory was right at home |
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| Juliette, Jack and Brendan were a little happier in the "Twisty Seat" |
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| Of course the favorite thing was the quarter tornado... |
The week went by all too quickly, but it was so great to have such wonderful visitors and the kids had such a great time!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
3-21
It's hard to believe that this date, 3-21, March 21, has become a little celebration day in our house. March 21, 2007 I would have never given this date another thought, just another day on the calendar, now it means so much more.
3-21 is World Down Syndrome Awareness Day, as Down Syndrome has the mark of 3 copies of the 21st chromosome. Our Sweet Brendan has that little extra something, and so much more.
We did a little balloon launch this afternoon with blue and yellow balloons, and it was so much fun. Rory knows that Brendan has Down Syndrome and she knows that means that it takes him longer to do things, but that's all it means to her. It means nothing more or less, it doesn't change who her brother is, she loves him no matter what, and our wish is that all people feel the same way.
3-21 is World Down Syndrome Awareness Day, as Down Syndrome has the mark of 3 copies of the 21st chromosome. Our Sweet Brendan has that little extra something, and so much more.
We did a little balloon launch this afternoon with blue and yellow balloons, and it was so much fun. Rory knows that Brendan has Down Syndrome and she knows that means that it takes him longer to do things, but that's all it means to her. It means nothing more or less, it doesn't change who her brother is, she loves him no matter what, and our wish is that all people feel the same way.
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| Brendan and his buddy, Mr. "Neighbor" Ryan |
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| The big question was, "Will they all let go of them?" |
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| What's a celebration without chocolate lollipops?? |
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| See what I mean?? |
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Turns out I'm not a superhero, and I still need my mom!
I never really thought that I was a superhero, let me say that first. I think I did get lulled into a false sense of security when people would make this comment to me a lot, "I don't know how you do it! 3 kids under 5 while your husband is gone." I don't think being a parent to 3 kids is that big of deal, being a parent is hard work, even if you have both parents under one roof. Parenting is supposed to be a challenge. If it was easy then what would we have to laugh about somedays? It is a privilege for me to be a mom to Rory, Brendan and Jack, and yes it is a challenge. So sometimes when I think about all the people who have said to me "I don't know how you do it", I really do want to take it as a compliment, I think, but then I think, you are clearly not in my house at 3:30pm until 8pm...then you would be wondering how have these children not been taken away from their mother yet?
Of course I am kidding, but any parent knows that kids "witching hour", no matter their age, always strikes at dinner time, and my house is no different! This is a daily occurrence, always has been, always will be, but it's in this time that the phrase "I don't know how you do it" keeps popping into my head, and that's when I really hate it. I feel like I'm not suppose to lose my cool, not suppose to raise my voice when Rory won't acknowledge anything that I say to her, not throw my hands up when Jack has dumped yet another box of Life cereal on the floor and is sitting in it making "cereal angels", not want to feel like a total failure when I can't understand why Brendan is screaming and I can't figure out why, and he can't tell me.
A few weeks ago I would say I hit rock bottom, not Charlie Sheen rock bottom, but my bottom. Both of the boys had croup, I was going on day 5 of little to no sleep. That's when I made the call to my Mom. I asked her to come out, that I needed help and I thought that I was losing my mind...sleep deprivation will do that to you. My superhero Mom then said "let me book a ticket" and I swear 20 minutes later she sent me her flight confirmation.
I know that she wished I would have asked her for help earlier, but when you keep having people tell you "I don't know how you do it" you feel like you should be able to do this, especially when this is deployment #5 since I have known Bryan and deployment #3 since we have had kids. So yes, it is hard for me to ask for help, and honestly anyone who knows we well, knows this. I know my Mom could hear it in my voice that I needed help, but she also knew that I have the greatest neighbors in the world, and I would be more likely to ask them for help then to ask my parents to buy last minute tickets and fly half way across the country. Never doubt that your mother knows you best!
I promise that their visit could not have come at a better time, they may think differently as we had an unexpected 8 inch snow dumping! For the first snow storm this winter I didn't have to worry about how I was going to shovel out the driveway without having to run back inside every 10 minutes to settle some disagreement between the kids, or get someone a snack or a drink. I was also able to get about 10 meals stocked in our new chest freezer with Mom and I taking turns cooking! I was also able to get several nights of uninterrupted sleep. By the time I had to drop them off at the airport I was able to think clearly again, and I had my wits back!
My Mom will always be my superhero, and the kids think that Mammy and Kip are pretty special too!
Of course I am kidding, but any parent knows that kids "witching hour", no matter their age, always strikes at dinner time, and my house is no different! This is a daily occurrence, always has been, always will be, but it's in this time that the phrase "I don't know how you do it" keeps popping into my head, and that's when I really hate it. I feel like I'm not suppose to lose my cool, not suppose to raise my voice when Rory won't acknowledge anything that I say to her, not throw my hands up when Jack has dumped yet another box of Life cereal on the floor and is sitting in it making "cereal angels", not want to feel like a total failure when I can't understand why Brendan is screaming and I can't figure out why, and he can't tell me.
A few weeks ago I would say I hit rock bottom, not Charlie Sheen rock bottom, but my bottom. Both of the boys had croup, I was going on day 5 of little to no sleep. That's when I made the call to my Mom. I asked her to come out, that I needed help and I thought that I was losing my mind...sleep deprivation will do that to you. My superhero Mom then said "let me book a ticket" and I swear 20 minutes later she sent me her flight confirmation.
I know that she wished I would have asked her for help earlier, but when you keep having people tell you "I don't know how you do it" you feel like you should be able to do this, especially when this is deployment #5 since I have known Bryan and deployment #3 since we have had kids. So yes, it is hard for me to ask for help, and honestly anyone who knows we well, knows this. I know my Mom could hear it in my voice that I needed help, but she also knew that I have the greatest neighbors in the world, and I would be more likely to ask them for help then to ask my parents to buy last minute tickets and fly half way across the country. Never doubt that your mother knows you best!
I promise that their visit could not have come at a better time, they may think differently as we had an unexpected 8 inch snow dumping! For the first snow storm this winter I didn't have to worry about how I was going to shovel out the driveway without having to run back inside every 10 minutes to settle some disagreement between the kids, or get someone a snack or a drink. I was also able to get about 10 meals stocked in our new chest freezer with Mom and I taking turns cooking! I was also able to get several nights of uninterrupted sleep. By the time I had to drop them off at the airport I was able to think clearly again, and I had my wits back!
My Mom will always be my superhero, and the kids think that Mammy and Kip are pretty special too!
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