camp tschetter

29 May 2007

uneventful

Our holiday weekend was one of those perfectly uneventful weekends, when we had no big plans or agendas except to spend time together.

And that's all we did. It was GREAT.

21 May 2007

cousins

The cousins got together for a LONG overdue weekend in Seattle...

...to celebrate the birthday girl!

Maya

Cole

Ava

Max

Luke

08 April 2007

07 April 2007

tuesday's epiphany

Last Tuesday morning, I paused, took a step back and realized that I really AM a mom...

I CARPOOL!!

13 March 2007

Today was a long day - for all of us. Tonight was an even longer night.

Paul was in a bad mood, Cole was crabby, Maya was being mean, and by 6:30, I had reached my end. Dinner was late, clean-up took forever, and baths were a chore. After much whining and fussing and protesting, I finally got my sleepy kiddos upstairs for bed.

To be honest, NOTHING in me wanted to suffer through bedtime stories tonight. Nevertheless, I plopped into the rocking chair while my son dug through a basket of books and my daughter rifled through her bookshelf in search of the perfect bedtime stories.

"Freight Train" and the "Rhyming Story Bible."

In the dimly lit room, with each child in my lap, I read as we rhythmically rocked together. The pictures and prose piqued my children's interest and kept their attention from start to finish. Thankfully, they were winding down.

Just as we were finishing a story about Elijah, Cole scrambled down my leg to the floor and reached beneath his bed. He proudly stood with his discovery: "Good Night Moon."

"Can we read one more, Mommy? Pleeeeeease?" Maya asked with her words and Cole with his huge brown eyes.

How couldn't we.

I let my head sink into the cushion behind me and my heavy eyelids fall, as I began to recite the words of this book we've read countless times...

"In the great green room there was a telephone and a red balloon, and a picture of a cow jumping over the moon. And there were three little bears sitting on chairs..."

With eyes closed, I continued.

"... and a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush, and a quiet old lady who was whispering..."

"Hussssssssssssssssssssssssssssss," Cole whispered out of no where with a pudgy little finger to his mouth.

I was shocked and totally caught off guard. Tickled beyond belief, my eyes sprung open to look at my smiling son.

His grin grew wider and wider until it was a giggle. It was as if Cole had been waiting to deliver this line on cue for every second of last 21 months.

Soon Maya was laughing, then I.

We were howling and squealing, enjoying the funniest, sweetest, most precious story together. I could barely finish reading as tears of delight streamed down my faced and high pitched belly laughs thundered in the quiet room.

As we gleefully rolled through the end of the story, with sore tummies and wet faces, the day melted away and the line between laughter and tears was blurred. I was laughing and crying, thoroughly moved by this beautiful moment with my children.

I closed the book, tossed it in the basket and squeezed the two munchkins in my lap. We rose from the chair, the kids exchanged goodnight hugs and kisses, then Cole reached for his crib.

"Goodnight Cole," I said as I kissed his forehead and laid him down.

As I turned off the light, he was still grinning beneath his passy.

11 March 2007

dft

Uncle Tolu and Auntie Fofo were in town this weekend...

Tonight, we got to spend a nice evening with my dad and siblings. I love that.

10 March 2007

milk

Every once in a while, I'll catch the kiddos in a priceless moment
(and actually get the picture)...

05 February 2007

bliss

I'm not certain exactly what it was, but I felt SO proud to be the mommy of my kids today. Perhaps I just availed myself - my mind, my time and my heart - to notice them more than I ordinarily do. Perhaps it was seeing hard evidence of the reality that my babies are growing up. Perhaps it was simply the inescapable, undeniable blessing that just comes with being a parent. Whatever it was, it was good.

COLE. For nearly 20 months, I have longed to hear my son speak. Periodically, he has uttered a handful of words, but on the whole, he has chosen to communicate through signs, squeals, smiles and silence. Over the last few days, however, Cole has had a language explosion. My heart has been kindled hearing my son's warm voice attempt words he has probably practiced in his head for months: "Muh-muh (momma), Da (dad), Mah (Maya), Ah-la (Ella), Nah-na Dawh (Nina the Dog), Moh (more), Noh (no), Choo-choo (train), Ah-ch (sneeze), Bah (Bye), Ah-lah (Holla - in response to "Coley, can you holla at your dad?")...

Honestly, I don't have the words to do justice. I can't begin to express the warmth at my core when I hear my little boy communicate with words and engage in actual (well, sort of) conversations. Today, I feel pleased and proud and blessed and full.

MAYA. For over an hour today, Maya sat at her table scribbling away - intentionally selecting each color, methodically placing them on the page. Atop her little table behind me sits the beginning of a masterpiece. Her picture is SO beautiful. Across the back, in the most precious toddler penmanship is written, "M-Q-T-Q," Maya.

As I packed her lunch earlier tonight, I couldn't help but to feel that tug inside. My baby girl will begin her first day of preschool in the morning. It's just a half-day each week, but a new chapter, nonetheless. My little girl is writing, creating, risking and stepping into herself. It is an absolutely brilliant process to witness.

I love these kids. I ADORE them. I am honored to know them, and more, to parent them. I just had to share.