Sheepish

At this rate, it's pretty embarrassing slinking back into the blogger's chair. The last time I wrote was pre-Hawaii and when we returned, I could barely muster the motivation to go outside because when our lovely vacation ended and we came crashing back to earth, I decided to shirk tradition and routine (to some degree). Though anyone who really does follow this blog knows that my tendency to write is anything but routine. Rather, I like to write when the mood strikes me. This usually occurs late at night while my lovelies are all snug and warm in their beds. 

To try and regain footing here, I will try to chronicle some of the bigger events that took place between way back when, (really, only September) and now. 

We had a very special visitor to make the transition back to reality more fun! An amazing woman by the name of Pachy who we (my mother and I) met five years ago when we visited her sheep ranch (Blue PInes Ranch, to be precise) in Ione, Oregon. One of Pachy's most notable characteristics is her ability to run and talk circles around you. Now, I consider myself a pretty good mother, which means that multi-tasking is a skill I have perfected. My ability to juggle, Lily, laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping, socializing and teaching is no small feat. I will say this though, Pachy juggles thousands of sheep, a ranch that runs like a well oiled machine and her ranch hands from Peru who help her maintain the ranch. And unless you have visited and experience exactly how much work running a ranch entails, you may not understand the gravity of this particular task. In short, my point is that Pachy has the energy of a five year old and enthusiasm of  QVC salesperson. And I thought I was tired at the end of the day! She is pretty incredible. And she does this on her own. I thought I was the only one who could survive on five hours of sleep each night.

Anyhow, Pachy came to visit and stayed with my parents for a few days and FINALLY met Lily! I cannot wait to take Lily to visit Pachy's ranch! I can just see her frolicking with those precious lambs in the bucolic fields. Don't be jealous, you can come too. Really! The Blue Pines Ranch, in addition to being an operational, full-time ranch also serves as the setting for Pachy's educational program, "Jam to Lamb". She opens her ranch to the public every Spring when all the lambs are born. One pays a nominal fee to cover their room and board while they visit and, in essence, become a ranch hand and are thrust into the muddy and very fun ranching lifestyle. Ranch work is a lesson everyone should learn from. Work ethic is huge. So is the need for coffee.

After Pachy returned to her lambs in Oregon, we founds ourselves a few weeks away from Halloween. This year was especially fun as we visited the Woodland Park Zoo with some family friends, The Moore's! Lily and Ruthie each moonlighted as animals, Lily as a cow and Ruthie as an elephant! They were too adorable running around the zoo, "trick-or-treating". Jaci and I ate most of the candy though (because we're good parents and closely monitor our daughters' sugar intake). On the actually eve of Halloween, we went Trick-or-Treating around our neighborhood with our neighbors and good friends The Weavers. A great time was had by all. And the candy tasted that much sweeter because my toddler dressed as a bovine, was made to ask for it. Is that bad?

Zoo shenanigans with the cow and the elephant!

Honestly, do children come any cuter than these two?

Ama, our little moo and the rest of the Olsens 

(Courtesy Caitlin Weaver, thank goodness!

I am not a camera mom, but wish I was!)

So, that was all Hallows Eve. Laundry, play dates, cooking, fast forward to Thanksgiving. 

We spent the Sunday prior to the actual day with the Chris's side of the family so none of the eight of us were made to leave, mid carb coma, to see other family, so a BIG thank you to my ingenious in-laws! It was luxurious to be able to stay and relax and simply enjoy each other's company.

On Thanksgiving my side of the family celebrated with friends and family and one very special guest, my friend Jeremy, who I've known since college. He is like the older brother I never had. He stayed with Chris, Lily and I for a few days and joined us for the feast! He lives in San Francisco so we don't see him nearly as often as we'd like, but we really enjoyed getting to hang around and eat crepes and catch up!

I would put of a picture up illustrating what a good time we had, but, alas, as aforementioned, I never seems to be holding a camera (and as much as I'd like to think, an iPhone doesn't count). It was so great to see my old friend, along with, my new (almost six months, new) niece, Stella! She is the perfect baby, she reminds me of Lily! My mother has decided that my sister and I will alternate between having children each year until we are the equivalent of the Duggar family. Sorry mother, that may not happen. In fact, it definitely won't happen.

It makes complete sense from her point of view, she adored being a mother so much, she sees being a grandmother as equally thrilling, even more so because she consistently gets enough sleep. Therefore, she would love for Chris and I to have a flock of 10 little ducklings following us around one day. Maybe I'll show up with a box of actual ducklings. That would distract her for a moment, anyway.

So, here we are at December 8th, 2011. I am slowly preparing for Christmas. This year Chris and I wanted to simplify things and really try to remove some of the stress and chaos from the holiday equation. The Olsen's decided to do a name draw and that entails only buying a gift for the person whose name you drew. I love this idea! It is simple and straightforward. We all exchanged wish lists with everyone and I am excited to be going to a total of two stores to shop for the Olsen side of the family! Hurray! This also means less waste, less gree..ahem, consumerism and less time spent chasing things instead of visiting with those we love. It's so easy to get caught up with what Target tells us we should be doing. You've seen the commercials starring that insane and creepy woman who is obsessed with accumulating as much junk as she can get at 3:00a.m.? That's not healthy. Or fun. (But it is funny and makes for a catchy ad campaign, I'll give them that) Don't get me wrong, I like Target as much as the next person. I don't however, enjoy crowd surfing/mosh pitting through aisles to get some pillowcases for $3.00 less than normal.).  Instead we'll spend the time with family that would have been spent shouting expletives at minivans in the mall parking lot. I mean...I don't do that. (I actually must stop doing this as my toddler is always listening now. And absorbing.

So, we hope everyone has a great time this holiday season with those you love. We hope to see many of you, since that is truly what this time of year is about. We are thankful for your presence in our lives, you are our favorite gifts!

Xoxo

Wing 

(And the other two)

I got my swim trunks, and my flippy floppies

I'm flippin' burgers, you at kinkos 

straight flippin' copies

Well, I am assuming that at some point while in Hawaii we will partake in some motor boa... err boat riding and burger flipping, if you will. To celebrate, well, many occasions, we're flying the coop just in time for some much needed vitamin D before the real chill of Fall (which segueing into Winter a bit too rapidly) arrives! 


Accompanying Chris, Lily and myself on this highly anticipated trip will be my amazing mother playing nanny of course. As well as my grandparents! My grandfather (the history fanatic) will play tour guide to Chris and me at the site of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. My grandpa has a tendency towards lengthy tangents so the tour may occupy half of our ten day vacation but I suppose this may be considered a champagne problem as ten days anywhere with sun and endless sand beaches is win win.


One day in particular that I am looking forward to is our scheduled photo shoot with a great photographer we found online! Lily has proven herself a pretty photogenic girl. I feel like all children are, really. They're so innocent and pure and free of agenda.  They are unadulterated, running, jumping and wriggling balls of joy. I am excited to have someone with a talented and creative eye (and very nice camera) to capture the scenes that I am sure will play out on the beach (i.e Lily fighting us to run into the water, a la Ruthie Moore)! 

Here she is on a previous boat trip, attempting to free herself from Chris and swim. We're in trouble.

Also, if we can muster up the courage then we may find ourselves face to face with a shark! Chris and I have always joked about taking a shark cage tour but up until this point, it's been in jest. However, this trip offers us the chance to actually do it! I don't know, does pee attract sharks? More on that later.

Umm, sharks are able to leap out of water, yes?

This doesn't appear to be covered. Yikes. 

Maybe not so much. Lily needs her parents.

Anyhow, when we return sun-kissed and buzzing, don't be jealous because we'll be plummeting into a deep depression having to return from our days spent frolicking  on beaches and playing with dolphins. I kid, I kid. But in all seriousness, this is our honeymoon, one year anniversary and annual family trip we're finally taking! Hurray! The time will fly by much too quickly as it always does that's why we will be savoring every moment of it and counting our blessings. We will miss you all but will return hopefully, with one last bit of sun for this Fall!


Xoxo


P.S. We are flying with a toddler so think good thoughts and send them our way. I hope the flight attendants are of the patient, child friendly variety. 

Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

Alright, maybe less of the exotic and more of the domesticated variety of beasts, but still, animals galore were seen at the Evergreen State Fair on Labor Day. The Olsen's took a little field trip (compliments of the other and better half of the Olver's, THANK YOU!) and explored America's finest; nausea inducing rides, 4-H and all the grease your body can cannot handle. And since Chris gets nauseous, I was cool and rode a few rides by myself-until a 12 year old kid took pity on me and sat by me. You cannot attend the fair and NOT partake in at least one ride!

We had so much fun enjoying one of the last nice weekends of the Summer and Lil' was a good sport, albeit a confused one,  watching me wave from the tops of rides.

Here's a list of friends that Lily made at the fair:

"Why won't they come see me, I thought they liked the sound of children banging on the fence?"

This guy. 

And this dude. Very cute.

There is no education like adversity

As I sit here, safe in my living room, blogging from the comfort of my couch, the realization that this is paradise, sinks in even further as I listen on KUOW 94.9 to an interview with a mother, Leah Chishugi. Her heart wrenching tale of survival and strength is inspiring. 


She lead a peaceful and privileged life until the fateful day when after the Rwandan president was assassinated, the Hutus mercilessly began slaughtering the Tutsis (Leah's ethnic group). She fled to Zaire with her 6 month old infant son. She was caught at different points and  beaten, tortured and left for dead. At one point, her son's infant cries for his mother brought her back to consciousness. She survived and finally made it to the safety of Zaire with her son but their experience has dramatically changed them into people who view the world differently.


This story and the many others similar to it, make me want to fall on my knees and thank God for the blessings he has given us. That I am able to live each day without fearing for my child's safety or my own is really a blessing because there are so many people in the world who do not share this luxury. It is painful to understand that in life people are dealt such radically different hands. Some are so lopsided and unfair. Caste systems. Genocide. Racism. Poverty. No one should be unloved, left uncared for and fearful of what others might do to him.


When I walk into Lily's beautiful nursery and look at all she has;  her closet full of clothes, shelves full of books and all the animals that join her in her soft and comforting crib, I send a prayer up to God   thanking him for providing us with these small things that make life more comfortable, but most importantly for keeping us safe, sound and healthy. I cannot imagine having to flee from Washington or the United States in order to stay alive. This is most likely a pain and suffering we will never endure. 


I feel frustrated by what I think that I'm unable to do in regards to the injustice around the world. But I also believe that one way to eliminate ignorance and cruelty is to tell each other our stories. Stories of love, hope and survival. This blog sounds a bit cheesy and preachy and that is not my intention. I heard another mother's story and it inspired me to pass it on. Each mother has challenges and great stories from the battlefield, literally and figuratively. I saw some inspiring words to keep in mind on those days that prove more trying than others:

Turning the corner, literally.

It has felt like Lily has been on the brink of walking for a few weeks now, (that's the longest I've ever held my breath) and last week, seems to have been the tipping point. She has most definitely turned a corner and is now (literally and figuratively) running down the street away from me. 

I am the proud owner parent of a (super active and walking) toddler! The biggest gift, aside from the obvious independence and milestone of my young child, is that I will be shedding 10 pounds during this coming week. But in all seriousness, I almost cry when I think about where Lily was a year ago, just a few months old, completely dependent on Chris and me for everything. My experience, from the beginning has been a dream. I rarely felt sleep deprived, (thanks to the fact that I need half the amount of sleep that most require and have a strong tendency towards night owl circadian rhythm) and also the foresight to know that the period of infancy is a short one, that I truly miss. (Not cynical, just sappy). Now, I will feel energy deprived. I knew it would catch up with me at some point. Lily's got me doing daily obstacle courses.

She has been running through the house wreaking havoc in every room, thoughtfully rearranging her bookshelf (which I promptly try to reorganize so my OCD is acquiesced), pulling every single diaper from the changing table and carrying her shoes to different rooms and burying them. Haha. (I did not just compare my daughter to a puppy, did I? She's just as curious and mischievous)

I don't mean to sound so cynical! Her big milestone of independence has me in awe, constantly. Just tonight, she played with a toy for the first time. And what I mean by this is that she has a mechanical piggy bank type toy where you put the coins in on top and then push the tail so that they come out the pigs nose. Nice, 'eh? Anyhow I feel like it's the first time she's played with this kind of toy and actually understood the functionality of it, the goal. It was adorable and once she realized that you push the tail and the coins come rolling out, she could not get enough. Maybe she'll be an accountant like auntie Amy?  See the footage below!

And here she is, walking. 

It is slowly hitting me that our baby is growing up. When I hold out my pinky finger for her to hold when she looks a bit unsteady, she pushes it away and continues on, albeit a bit wobbly. She is so determined and now that she's discovered how to get from A to B by walking and running, I can tell she feels invincible. However, she is not, so we're continuing to baby proof. It's time to bust out the monkey back pack! At this rate, she may be driving before I post again!

You don't say...

I will preface this post by saying that I place about as much stock in horoscopes as I do in my choice of morning cereal (Easy. Cocoa Puffs).  For some, the breakfast dilemma and interest in zodiacs is slightly more intense. During my days at Washington State I would always end up sitting by someone in class who anxiously insisted on reading to me what fate held in store for them, via the Daily Evergreen. Can we get started on that lecture, Prof?


Regardless, horoscopes, like their tastier cousin, the fortune cookie, can sometimes be entertaining. I mean, who doesn't like to read optimistically about "meeting someone special", "success heading your way" or "new romance coming around the 23rd of the month". Meh. 


In short, I am saying that I find the whole zodiac and horoscope gist to be nothing more than an entertaining and usually inaccurate paragraph composed of a few fortune cookie messages and Chinese proverbs. That being said, tonight, while browsing online at the Polka Dot Peacock (A-mazing website!) I happened onto a page with horoscope throw pillows and out of curiosity, took a look at them. (I also had to look up Lily's zodiac sign. That makes me A.) a bad mom or B.) someone who is clearly not into the zodiac. I think it's the latter.) Thank goodness for google. My daughter is a Gemini. A twin. But really, thank goodness, she is actually a single for us. (Tangent: I always think about Chris' family and how different life would be if we had two of Lily and a two year old. Then I need a nap immediately following this daydream).


Back to my point. While reading the description of the Serena & Lily zodiac pillow I was surprised to read the description of a Gemini as being a spot on character canvas when applied to my own little babe. (Well, that might be giving too much credit, it only mentions a few personality traits, but still...). It describes a Gemini as the risk takers of the zodiac. Extremely independent, they crave freedom and variety, which can get them into a bit of mischief. They have a clever wit and always seem to be in the know––two traits that will take them far in life.


One of my favorite things about Lily is her self assured and sanguine disposition and at times, more easily likened to a swagger. At every turn, she is confident and fearless, sometimes, to her detriment (i.e. nose dives and bonked heads. They've gotta learn sometime, right?) A great example of this fearlessness can be drawn from our recent boating trip on Lake Union. While tooting around in a Duffy (the nautical equivalent to a Prius), Lily was persistent in her efforts to turn the boating trip into a swimming session. She and her friend Olive (See previous post) took swim lessons and she wanted to demonstrate how to properly swim the butterfly.

First, Lily insisted on being Captain, but Papa thought best to appoint her First Matey, which she gladly obliged.

When driving the boat proved to be less than thrilling, (let's just say I could swim faster, remember, Prius!) Lil' decided she could swim faster also. Hmph! Here's Chris trying to avoid pulling an MJ with the baby.

As my mom always said about me, and now Lily, she "dances to the beat of her own drum". And is quite adept at wiggling out of strollers, laps and arms.

So this whole blog post was inspired by a silly albeit, expensive throw pillow. And as always, the real inspiration, my fearless and mischievous Lily James. You keep all of us on our toes. What WOULD we do without you? We love you and your adorable personality. 

P.S. Last night, Lily was unusually fussy at bed time, therefore granting me the rare opportunity to rock her to sleep! Anyone who knows our story knows this is truly a rare instance. Especially Grandma who bought the chair in the hopes that it would serve as an instrument in the nightly Good night Lily song. 

We are gonna be friends

The lyrics from the White Stripes song We are Gonna be Friends may not yet apply to Lily James and Olive June in the sense that they are not yet in school. Nonetheless, whenever I hear the song, visions of Lily and Olive walking to school, hand in hand, stopping to follow the ants and bugs makes my heart laugh. But in all seriousness, in this scenario that plays in my head, it should be mentioned that I am 15 feet behind them carrying a tactical baton, you know, should anyone get any funny ideas. Who's paranoid? Certainly not me.

Lil' and Olive mesmerized by Elmo

 Just like sissies (sisters, not wimps)! Bath time fun!

I had no idea the amazing jackpot we hit when the Weaver's landed right next to us. I was less than thrilled with the former residents who might list chain smoking and late night parties as their hobbies. But the way everything unfolded in the Weaver + Olsen love story was just perfect. A match for all six family members.

Fast forward to present tense, tonight we celebrated numerous occasions with Mema and Papa McIntyre, the Weavers and their wonderful friends, who are basically an extension of their family, Georgie and "Kevis" (as Olive has christened him).


And the celebration? Friends in town, but most notably, SIX years of wedded bliss that Ben and Caitlin have earned! Congratulations Ben and Caitlin! You're amazing together and you have created the most lovely family! One which we are so thankful to be a part of! Despite my roots and love for the city, I no longer think I could willingly leave our house, next to the Weavers. We should all have friends this special.

The lucky ones

As I sneak into the house, exhausted from playing tour guide to a friend in town visiting, I make one quick stop in Lily's room before collapsing into bed. I stand on my tip toes to give her forehead a kiss and am tempted to sleep on the floor next to her. I have been apart from Lily for the last 13 hours. And it's true, absence DOES make the heart grow fonder. It also reminds me of the luxury Chris and I have with both of our parents and families living close by. 

 

These are (most of) the people that Lil' has got wrapped around her finger.

These hours apart from her are a treat for me to be able to go out with a girlfriend, drive with the music playing loud or simply get grocery shopping done in a timely and much easier manner. However, they are also a treat for Lily as she is either logging hours bonding with Daddy, Gpa and Grandma Sue or Grandma and Papa. I am thankful that seeing her Grandma and Papa means a quick drive to Edmonds where she has her own room and loves to play with Oliver. Or that spending time with her Gpa and Grandma Sue means an even shorter drive, where she's always met with a ton of hugs and kisses (and also has her own room, what a lucky girl!)

I am incredibly grateful to have both of our families close. I am so thankful Lily will grow up with the ability to see her aunties and uncles frequently. So while a bit of time away from my sweet angel baby seems long and makes me long to see her again, I am overjoyed knowing that she is with the next best person to mommy and daddy! 

As any parent can relate, knowing your child is in loving, safe hands when they're not with you is paramount to being able to spend time away from them. I am constantly aware of and thankful for the unconditional love and support we receive so generously from both of our parents.  It takes a village to raise a child-This is so very true. Thank you to our tribe, for everything.

The Beginning...(of Toddlerhood)

After we tucked Lily into bed this evening, I proceeded to sit up, awake in our room and stare, mesmerized, at the monitor screen. You see, one of the perks of parenting in the twenty first century (the latter years) is that we have accessible to us, a bevy of gadgets and gizmos with which to cheat* (at parenting) with. If I had a nickel for every time an older (certainly more sage and wise) family member exclaimed "We didn't have fill in gadget here when I was a new mother", well, I'd have a few bucks. Nonetheless, our monitor is earning it's keep and serving us well, if for no other reason than to spy on and chuckle at our sweet but mischievous 13 month old daughter.

I lay awake at night and stare at this. 

As I watch her wiggle, squirm, sing and talk (baby gibberish, mind you) herself to the land of nod, I can't help but smile. There were some days when I wasn't sure we would get here. She seemed too precious, too small, too amazing for any change to take place. I wanted to freeze moments and simultaneously, fast forward so as to hear how her laugh would sound. And I know better than to wish the days away, after all, we're already past the big ONE YEAR birthday and I am still wondering where my fragile, helpless infant daughter has gone so quickly. 

I have regrets about not writing from day one of our pregnancy but alas, I am going to start now. Better late than never, right? Besides, any one who knows me is aware that I am not the person always toting the camera. I am built differently and usually end up living in the moment (and wishing later that I had bothered to take a photo or two). Thankfully we're blessed to have very talented and documentation oriented individuals in our family! It's not my forte, however this is my feeble attempt to write the days. When our memories have dulled ( and I hear the correlation of memory loss to quantities of children is a negative one) this will be great fun to look back on and remember.

So, here's to my first post as Lily James Olsen's mother (Mamama as she prefers) Thank you my darling for changing my life in ways that you will only truly understand once you have children of your own. You are God's greatest gift to us and you make each day brighter than the last. How is this possible?!