Photo Friday

Today for photo Friday here's a picture of Kate's ballet debut at the North Carolina dance theater. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such a large fan base a.k.a. family for such a small performance in length but big in accomplishment for Kate.

Highs and Lows

Since it's really a mixed bag today, let's start with shoelaces.

Yes, shoelaces! On a trip to Target to purchase new shoes, Kate insisted she wanted "shoes that tie", so shoes that tie she got!
The good news is that she is almost able to tie them herself, the not so good news is that whole "almost" part. But, I guess practice makes perfect and she will get there.

Also, same day, Ashton was subjected to the utter misery of allergy testing - the whole stick 40 needles into your back to cause hives thing. The poor dear took it in stride, only looking at us in utter terror during the initial pricks, not scratching once per strict instructions, but itching all the same.
Turns out he is crazy allergic to all molds, cats, dogs, house dust, dust mites, some trees, some grass, beef, soybeans, chocolate and milk. Poor, poor thing.
So, needless to say, dinner out Ashton's choice, was in order. After realizing his favorite restaurant would limit me from eating ( frankly it makes me sick) he insisted on choosing a spot where he could eat with his WHOLE family instead, an act of pure selflessness. What a special and kind boy he is, I am so proud.

Life Gets In the Way

It's been a moment since I last updated this blog, but just had to come back to it. As I read my past entries, I realized how key writing this stuff down really is. The moments flutter away like the butterflies we raised from caterpillars this past spring and then, in the blink of an eye, they are gone.
After quitting a job with hours that exhausted me, I enrolled in Villanova's Master Certificate program in PM and began a new chapter in our life. Unexpectedly I got a job in my new field much quicker than I imagined and have been balancing 45-50 hour weeks (billable that is!) with completing my school work and raising these great kids of mine. = Little time to blog. But I wanted to capture some recent memories before they fly off and are gone forever.

• Ashton was outside the other day, looking for a spider to bite him so he could become Spiderman.
• Kate thinks that a red princess dress-up dress, pink fairy wings, a pink boa, sneakers and a t-shirt with a wand is the perfect ensemble to hold a video conference call with grandma.
• Our recently acquired cat's new official name, courtesy of Ashton, is "New Kitty Candy Cane Cupcake Christmas".
• Paul ran over a baby turtle the other day while mowing the lawn. Somehow, it survived the blades, and the kids really did think it could live in our empty sandbox and subsist off bananas. After careful reconsideration, we placed him back in the yard to go and "find his mommy and daddy".
• Ashton spent a great [GREAT] summer at a new daycamp. They focused on going outside 3 times a day, not a huge focus on academics, let the kids be kids, and he thrived. The kids all great him by name when he arrives and he even has a "girlfriend". I know this because he made her a bracelet at home, gave it to her in front of me, then denied it with a "Come on Mom! I don't want to talk about this!"
• We are struggling to get Ashton into school. Even though he got his 2nd and 1st choice in the Magnet lottery, though a technical glitch, he's going to his home school, the very scary Piney Grove. Paul is trying to work through it with one week left before school begins.
• The family across the street, Richard's family, moved due to a criminal neighbor invading their house. A week later, the criminals moved. Ashton has been heartbroken and will suddenly drift into silence with a sad look on his face exclaiming "I miss Richard Mommy." followed by a sigh. We try to get them together as much as possible, but Richard's parents each work a few jobs and their schedules are all over the place.
• Candy Cane cupcake eats when he's bored, according to Paul, and apparently the cat is b-o-r-e-d. It looks like he's swallowed a basketball and he sleeps on his back with his giant stomach stretched out like a stripped landscape.

We are planning a vacation soon, Ashton starts Kindergarten and Kate will have a pony birthday party for Kate. Look for more posts soon!

Photo Friday!

New feature for my blog begins today - "Photo Friday". Every Friday I'll try to add a little visual interest to the collection. Here is the first one:

Art in Progress

Notice how Ashton is thinking hard and focused (you can tell by his tongue) and Kate is carefully contemplation her art and gaining perspective. My little Rembrandts!

And here is my 2nd entry:

Cat Up a Tree
This was so odd to us, seeing Candy Cane climbing a tree and being so far up. You see, Buddy Cat is not very cat-like and Candy Cane is all-cat. Buddy's never climbed a tree (and after his broken leg I don't blame him) and so the children found it odd to be told cats do this all the time.

Kate the Komedian

Kate, Kate, bursting at the seams with personality these days. So silly with your life-turned-musical-turned-melodrama. So funny with your jokes and quick wit. And so tiny still, at 3 years of age.

A song she sang today while on the potty in the bathroom of Costco: "Don'tttttttttttttt say stupidddddddd. Or you will go to time out, time out, timeeeee oooouuuutttt. And that won't be very fun, fun, fun."

Story she told me yesterday while I put her to sleep: "You be the Kate and I'll be the Mommy. And Daddy can be Ashton and Ashton can be Daddy. Yes, you grow down and be Kate and I'll grow up and be Mommy."

Looking at her hairbrush "Someone colored on this hairbrush and it wasn't me. The man is gonna come and get someone who colored on this hairbrush with a pen. Mommy hold me!" (She then used her hairbrush to brush the wall and sang "Brush, brush, brush the wall. Merrily, merrily, merrily, brushing the wall with haaaaaaaaaair brush.")

Talking about colors. Kate: "Mommy, I don't want pink and purple to be my favorite color any more. I want blue." Me: "But blue is MY favorite color and you can't have it." Kate: "Hey, wait! We can share favorite colors and there can be two blues! One for me and one for you." Me: No, I'll just make pink and purple my favorite colors then and you can have blue." Kate: "Nooooooo! Ok, I'm sorry. Please give me back my favorite color pink and purple."

I found myself watching one of my favorite all time movies last night, "Funny Face" with Barbara Streisand, and couldn't help but think of you, my darling Kate. So tonight I put you to sleep saying "Hello gorgeous" in my best Babs impersonation. You were not impressed, not at all, but maybe someday you will be. Sweet dreams for my sweet Kate.

Out With the Aught's and In with the Teens!

This New Year's Eve day, reading about the rising of Charlotte's uptown crown* I am sitting and thinking of reflections and resolutions and what 2010 could bring. Here's my list:

1. Health - Healthier cooking in the form of less processed foods, more fresh. Growing more in our garden for use in our kitchen. 2009 was a wonderful start, producing watermelons, peppers, carrots and more. I am going to focus on less meat centered dishes and more produce in each meal. Also, no junk food and less eating out.


2. Wealth - Less spending, more frugal. We are already on the right track, with careful thermostat monitoring we've taken the coldest winter in years in stride, reducing our gas bill from $300 last year to $103! Also, sitting back and reflecting these last few weeks during the time to buy gifts and donate items made me realize that a few good quality items are much better than a bunch of cheap throw aways. Better for our pockets and better for the environment. Credit card debt has been a big stress in our marriage and we are hoping to clear that out soon. Can't wait to learn how to sew and use my sewing machine to make things vs. buy things. Ashton's already got a great idea using a bathroom rug to make a car mat and Kate wants a nap rug. And, of course, guess who will be crayons this Halloween (Angelique and Gavin are invited to join the crayon bunch if they would like to.) Wish me luck!


3. Family - Less yelling and more loving. I hope to continue to teach the children that good manners and good listening are what Mommy and Daddy are really asking them for. Dad wants more cleaning as we go and I would like to see the kids fight less and play more. And we both want the kids to enjoy each other instead of competing with each other. I can't wait to see my first born grow in a leap and boud to start kindergarten. While my heart will be both heavy and joyful on that day, I am looking forward to more one on one time with Kate while he's there.

The Aughts brought Paul and I together and Paul down South, a mortgage, a cat, a baby boy, marriage, an A.A. & B.A. degree, two career changes, a baby girl and so much more (all of which I am so thankful for). But as I now turn my focus forward, I am hoping for a less tumultuous decade where I am able to slow down and enjoy my husband and children, this house we've worked to build and fill with love, the simple pleasures in life and each and every precious day to the fullest. Happy 2010!

* FYI - Charlotte raises something for the New Year's Eve countdown, doesn't lower it. (From Charlotte Observer Mon. Dec. 28, 2009 article) "In many cities, whether it's the Times Square ball in New York City, or the giant lighted beach ball at Carolina Beach near Wilmington, some object will be dropped to lead the countdown to 2010. Not in uptown Charlotte. Here, the Queen's lighted crown will be hoisted 25 feet just before midnight Thursday to part the curtain on the new year. "We like the symbolism of hope's rising," said Moira Quinn, spokeswoman for Charlotte Center City Partners, the organization producing the festivities. "It's the rising of a new year, and shutting the door on a year that was tough on a lot of people."

Wild Things

Tonight at dinner Kate hid the peas on her sectional dinner plate with a triangle of her flat bread pizza. So Ashton couldn't see them. Ashton wasn't even looking at them, by the way.
Next, Ashton stood up on his chair with his arms outstretched and said "To Infinity and Beyond" and launched himself to the floor.

Fun-O-Ween Day!

This year the kids and I decided to have our own fun day the day before Halloween, so we could really start getting into the Halloween spirit. Richard from across the street came over and the fun began!

First we at pumpkin and white chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. The fiber and Vitamin C is not a bad way to start off the day, if I do say so myself!Then we read stories (We're Off to Find the Witch's House, 5 Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Fence and Where's Baby's Pumpkin?). We then took some time to "dance it out" by watching and following our family Monster Mash webclip.

Next we had snack time with special Halloween trail mix (popcorn, crackerjack, reses' pieces, graham cracker cookies and pretzel rods) with "witches blood" (apple juice) or "goblins brain" (chocolate milk). Next we watched "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".
Finally we ate a lunch of grilled cheese ghosts with monster pieces (mixed fruit) and ghoul's fingers (pickles).
It was so much fun and made me thankful I get to stay at home with them during these precious years. :)

What Will Their Future Hold? (15 + years later)

I stole this video from a former classmate's blog. We both remember watching these commercials air and I actually recall thinking, no way will this stuff happen in my lifetime. Sure enough, we've surpassed most of the promises and funny thing, AT&T does bring much of it! I wonder how things will change for Ashton & Kate in their lifetimes...
Video from 1993 (I was 12ish!)

"Kate" lyrics by Ben Folds Five

"Kate"

lyrics by Ben Folds Five

(Make-up by Kate)

She plays wipeout on the drums
The squirrels and the birds come
Gather round and sing the guitar
Oh i. . .have you got nothing to say
When all words fail she
Speaks
Her mix tapes a masterpiece
Walks through the garden
So the roses can see
Oh i. . .have you got nothing
To say
And you can see daisies
In her footsteps
Dandelions, butterflies
I wanna be kate

Everyday she wears the same
Thing
I think she ___

Shes everything I want
Shes everything Im not
Oh i. . .
Have you got nothing to say
She never gets wet
She smiles and its a rainbow
And she speaks and she
Breathes
I wanna be kate

Down by rosemary and cameron
She hands out the
Bhagavad gita
I see her around every couple
Days
I wanna see her so that
I can say. . .hey kate

What Being a 2nd Born is REALLY Like...

This video is a perfect example of what being a 2nd born is really like. I mean, look at the way we don't even pay attention to the poor infant (Kate) and the fact she is a few weeks old at most and probably suffered a bit of brain damage or something from this.

Had that been our 1st born, a wild toddler (Ashton) wouldn't have been allowed within 10ft of him. Poor Kate, but she took it all in stride, as she continues to do each and every day. Such a sweet girl! We don't intentionally ignore her, I keep telling myself we just let her experience more things... *Watch Kate's head the WHOLE clip.

Thankful

Two days ago I heard some tragic news that made me stop and be thankful for my own situation. Someone I know had a niece who gave birth this week to a baby that died due to strangulation by it's own umbilical cord during delivery.

This was horrible to hear, particularly since Kate, when born, had her umbilical cord wrapped and knotted around her own neck. I remember the doctor saying he had never seen anything like it and him likening it to a sailor's knot of some sort.

You see, it all started with impatience...mine. Being as big as a house and chasing around a toddler in the dog days of summer was just about more than I could handle, never mind that Kate was taking her sweet time arriving. After her due date came and went, I think it was around the 1 week mark after it I started pleading with my OB to induce labor and get her out of me.

He agreed and we scheduled an induction for Sept. 15, 1.5 weeks after her due date. We checked into the hospital the night before and I was given Ambien (sleeping pill) by the nurses so I would be rested and ready for labor inducing in the morning.

Around 4:15am I remember being roused from sleep by what I thought was labor. I woke Paul up and told him the baby was coming and to call the nurse. Two nurses came in and told me it wasn't time yet and to go back to sleep. I tried to, but the contractions were too strong.

I then made Paul get the nurses back in to check me about 15 minutes later. I remember the nurse was grumbling to herself that she was busy and I wasn't ready, but agreed to check my cervix. It was then that she lifted the sheet and yelled to me "Whatever you do, don't push yet! I've got to get the doctor!" She then hurried out of the room.

Frantic and dazed from the sleeping pill, I looked to Paul trying to figure out what was going on. He then checked under the sheet and screamed out "I see the baby's head! Where is the doctor?" I then looked to the door of our room just in time to see the doctor stumbling in putting his shoes/booties on. He hurriedly sat down on a stool and pulled up to my "area" just in time to coach me to push, the baby was in fact, as I had told them, "coming". (Why doesn't anyone EVER listen to the mother in situations like these???)

After the normal birthing process occurred, Katherine Elizabeth (Kate) arrived into this world and we received the standard "It's a girl!" (which we knew) and I waited for her to be placed on my chest so I could meet her. I guess I got caught up into hearing the nurses talk about her amazing strawberry blond hair, (me thinking she must be blond like her daddy but it was tinted with blood or some fluid) but, as the minutes ticked by, I became worried. As soon as I began to speak up, she was given to me and we were told of how lucky we all were. She did have her own umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and it had become tied, so had she waited until we had scheduled her for delivery, she may not have made it. The doctor also went on about the oddness of the type of knot it resembled and how unique that was. But, honestly, I guess I thought death in childbirth was a thing of long ago historical novels and surely it wouldn't have happened in the new high-tech hospital we were in, so I just shrugged him off thinking she was never in any REAL danger.

Now, two and a half years later, as I heard the awful story of my friend's niece's loss, I was reminded of how lucky we are to and how thankful I am that Kate is with us today, happy and healthy!

Kate's Worst Fear

Ever since Kate was a teeny-tiny baby she has been deathly afraid of car washes. She cries when we pass them on the street, talks about them with fear in her voice and runs away from things she mistakes for car washes. And, well, it's my fault.

When she actually WAS a teeny-tiny baby we took our new van through a car wash at our local Auto Bell and, as we went into the wash, I didn't realize her door wasn't shut all the way. I'm not talking about it being wide open or anything, but just enough so that when the high speed rinse came on she was sprayed some. My poor thing started screaming like there was no tomorrow! Next all the noise and giant mops dragging across our window didn't settle her down of course.

I was exhausted from mothering a newborn, sleep-deprived me didn't know what to do, because the way the Honda is, you have to open the door to close it and we were on a conveyor-belt deal with an un-maned car in front of us. So we had to just ride the thing through. Poor Kate apparently still has nightmares from when we rode through the dryers almost 3 years later.

She also hates getting water poured over her head at bath time. Weird coincidence or have I traumatized her in more ways than I know? God I hope not!

Looking back I think I should have been given and would have failed a parenting test, but hey, what can you do about it now. Needless to say, car washes are her biggest fear and I take full responsibility. Now the world knows why and you can come get me now with the handcuffs. (My poor baby girl!!!)

So, if you notice our car getting a little dusty, for Kate's sake, please don't write "Wash Me" on the back window.

Super Parenting...and What the Rest of Us Are Doing.

On Here and Now with Robin Young this segment caught my attention: "Bad Parenting - Literary critic Steve Almond joins us to discuss a slew of new memoirs in a hot new genre that some are calling “Bad Parenting.” Authors discussed in the segment: Diana Joseph, Robert Wilder, Rebecca Woolf. Find Steve Almond’s essays in the books, “Blindsided by a Diaper” by Dana Bedford Hilmer and “The Book of Dads” by Ben George."

I find myself laughing, thinking and sympathizing with this segment. Fascinating is the subject matter to me, particularly the discussion on where today's culture of "Super Parenting" comes from. Steve Almond talks about how, 40 years ago, parents were surrounded by extended family and were given advice and help by the experienced. Now, in our culture of high achievers and distanced families, parents project this need to be the best and least vulnerable upon ourselves and hold each other to impossibly high standards that may be tearing the fabric of our communities apart.

I hope that, through my honest and direct blog postings and stories I share with everyone I am single handily helping to change this stigma. I hope that my parenting is portrayed as rocky, but filled with good intentions; clueless, but learning; and filled with many emotions, but ultimately cemented by love and humor. Honest and true, it is what it is, a wild and unexpected ride filled with stomach lurching turns and thrill filled descents and climbs. As crazy as it is I wouldn't trade this part of my life for all the money in the world. But I would like more calmer days and less chocolate on the carpet mornings! :)

The Years Have Rolled Around....

Today Ashton, Kate, Paul and I took Scott and Gavin roller skating for Scott's birthday. Kate was so excited and couldn't wait to get her skates on. Ashton was amp'd up and was ready to go. Paul was nervous and mumbling things to himself along the lines of "It better be like riding a bike...". I was just happy to have the kids out of the house doing a physical activity. We had a blast.

Ashton looked like an octopus on wheels because at his skate size the wheels moved. Because Kate has smaller feet, the skating rink fixed the wheels so the wouldn't roll. She basically walked around the rink and danced to the music.

Gavin slept peacefully in his "wheels" (stroller) and when he awoke watched his daddy fly around the rink countless times, happy and smiling.

The afternoon took me back to the weekends of my youth, being dropped off at the rink around 7pm and being picked up at 11pm, spending time as an adolescent among my friends discovering who I was and where I fit in.

The most amazing part of the whole afternoon with my kids was laughing to myself how the Hokey Pokey song played was the exact same version that was played when I was a kid. Somethings never change!

Where Does The Time Go I Still Wonder...?

It's been so long since I've wrote, I'm not sure where to start! Here's a stream of conscience list of things that come to mind -

• Kate wakes me up most mornings saying "It's a beautiful day Mommy, wake up." She then locks me out of my own room to keep me from trying to crawl back in bed at 6am.
• Ashton blows me kisses when he leaves to go somewhere when I have to stay home.
• Ashton is VERY excited learning about plants/seeds this week at preschool. He rushes outside every morning in his PJs to check on our strawberries to see how they are coming along. He rushes to school to see how their seeds are sprouting.
• Now that we are finally out of the drought our yard and gardens are turning out beautifully! We are growing carrots, lettuce, strawberries, broccoli, peppers and watermelon in a beautiful raised box planter Paul built me one afternoon.
• Every day Ashton asks if it is December yet, eagerly awaiting his 5th birthday.
• Every day Kate asks if it is Angelique's birthday yet, eagerly awaiting the time when we will give her the inflatable pool we bought for her.
• Ashton is trying out small talk on the phone. He says things like "Hows it doing?" and "So.....what are you going?"
• Ashton got a medal today from his 1st extracurricular activity, soccer. He is VERY proud of it and tells me he will wear it every day for everyone to see.
• Kate is a wonderful helper, empyting the dishwasher and doing the laundry with Daddy's help.
• Kate is a tremendous artist and can draw a nearly perfect face and includes eyes, nose, ears, mouth and hair. It's her signature and appears everywhere - on the walls, on papers on my desk, on her toys.
• Kate enjoys painting and I'm currently searching for a gently used kid's easel to put out in the garage for her. Ashton's BIG time into tools and loves to fix things. I'm looking for a gently used workbench for him.
• Blue's Clue's is out, Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob Square Pants are in on tv.
• Hide and Go Seek is the new favorite game to play inside or out and they are actually counting now and taking turns seeking and hiding.
• Ashton is very much into board games and tried to play "Life" the other day with us, pretending to get money and pay money. Kate just likes driving the pink car around the board across the hills making "vroom-vroom" sounds for now.

There is so much more, but that's all I can think of right now! I wish I could freeze this summer in time for eternity...but knowing I can't...will try to enjoy it as much as possible.

Earth Hour

Tonight at 8:30pm we will be shutting down our power for 1 hour. I plan to spend the time talking with Paul. I hope to help the Earth and our marriage all in one fell swoop! Ashton and Kate will be spending the time dreaming or we may head downtown to watch the skyline go black...

Snowy Night

The little ones finally got a chance to see snow falling, as the snow storm of 2009 began to blanket our area around 6pm last night. They thoroughly enjoyed it, throwing tiny snowballs made from tiny hands and helping Paul make a snow person on our back deck.

Kate, being that naturally girly-girl she is, was so funny grabbing an umbrella before she would venture out. Funny thing though, she did try to get out the front door without shoes! She was also so adorable, sticking her tongue out and telling me "I caught a big one Mommy, yum-yum-yum!"

Ashton was so excited, as he was the first to notice the all day rain change to sleet ("Mommy, what's that click click noise outside?") then to snow ("EVERYBODY COME LOOK! THERE'S SNOW ON THE CARS!"). He was the first one up this morning ready to play in it, having dressed himself all by himself in his jacket, shirt, hat, shoes without socks and running shorts. He was so mad I made him put his pants on! :)

I am so thankful for this March snowfall, happy Ashton & Kate got to actually see the magic of snow falling from the heavens.

PHOTOS HERE: http://the704reids.shutterfly.com/

Today Was a Good Day

Ashton wanted everyone to know he had a good day today at preschool. He did not go to time out at all and was a good listener, plus it was Gabe's birthday and everyone got to eat giant cupcakes!

Kate also had a good day and got to color and play at preschool and only cried for 2 minutes when I left her.

So, in spite of the recent sea of bad/terrible/horrible days, this all adds up to Dawn having a good day too!

My Little Valentines

Each night before Ashton & Kate take a bath, they set a decorated apple juice container outside our front door for "Cupid". While they take a bath, Cupid comes by and deposits some sort of Valentine's Day fodder (chocolate hearts, tiny snow globes with hearts inside, mini-puzzles, etc) into it, but only if they take a bath/brush teeth/put on pjs.

For 4 years I fought Ashton and for 2 Kate on getting into the tub (they have always loved it once they were in it) and now as soon a the last bite of his dinner is chewed Ashton is naked and running the bath water without even a prompting. He always sounds so excited drying off asking Paul each night "Did Cupid come? Did he??"

I guess I could have continued to carry them/threaten them/punish them into doing what I was telling them, but this way has been so much more pleasant! And they have learned about Valentine's Day and filled the dreary cold and dark winter month of January with the warmth of anticipation and excitement of a holiday that is about L-O-V-E and for L-O-V-E.

Next month I will try my best to delight them into noticing signs of spring - think flower buds, seeds sprouting, daffodils appearing to both instill the wonderment of mother nature's passing of time and begin a lifelong appreciation of nature. I feel in the rush-rush-rush of our daily lives, taking time to stop and notice the flowers is paramount and smelling them is a necessity. Oh yes, and, as the red-haired Kate so clearly demonstrates, we'll be sure to squeeze in some talk of leprechauns to discuss our Irish ancestry too...right around March 17! (My great-grandmother is from the County Cork in Ireland...but were Kate gets her leprechaun-ess is another story for another post!)