A Northfield Birthday

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I went to the Soviet Union on an exchange program. My best friend Anna was on that trip too, and we became lifelong friends. Sunday was her birthday (age 27!) and we went to Northfield for the celebration! Here are the girls eating dinner on the porch. The repast was delicious: hot dogs, corn, watermelon and edamame (which my children pronounced yucky but which I found to be quite delicious). A birthday is not a birthday without a good game of "upside down." Here are the Roses and Nadia playing this fine game. Luckily this game happened before dinner, since the upside down game can be hard on one's tummy.

(Can you tell how much we love being invited for a party?)

Happy Birthday Anna, and many, many happy returns. I honestly believe that you never know what might be around the next corner - life has a way of working out. All my best birthday wishes to you!

A T-Ball Game

Tuesday nights is t-ball, and Roses #1 and #2 are on the same team. The Giants! We struggle to get to the games on time, but we made it last night. We had a can of Pringles, a bag of candied pineapple, a water bottle, our REI chairs, and we were set. Rose #1 loves t-ball. Any sport where she can run after the ball and try to beat other kids to the punch is good with her. Here she is on the bench waiting for her turn in the batting lineup:Rose #2, on the other hand, struggles a bit to keep up with where exactly she is supposed to go and what she should be doing. Here she is, for once appropriately placed in the outfield:

Last night our kids only got one chance at bat (yes, in a 1 hour game). There are no outs at this age, so everyone who goes to bat gets to run the bases. Rose #2 did a pretty good job!

Rose #1 cracked a line drive down center field. Then she ran around the bases with her chestnut hair flowing behind her:

Guppy and Poppy came to the game and entertained Rose #3, who mostly wanted to drink the entire water bottle down to the dregs. I had to go back to the rec center to refill it!

I am very glad that we live so close to the rec center, we can walk to tball and to the park.

Pictures from Grandparents Day

Guppy emailed pictures from Grandparents day. Here is Rose #1 reading:Guppy and Rose #1 making the list in my previous post:

Circle time with the fabulous Mrs. Webster:

A shot of Rose #1 at her cubby:

And the best of all - Poppy, Rose #1, and Guppy.

It is such a blessing to have lots of people who love our kids. When I was a girl, only my mom's dad was alive, and I knew he loved me, but we didn't see each other very often. He died when I was in second grade. My paternal grandfather is still with us - practicing medicine at age 95! - but he lives in Bethel, OH. I am so grateful for Guppy and Poppy, and Ahma and Ahgong, who can be here to love the Roses in real time.

Rose #3 is 2!

On Saturday Rose #3 turned 2! Every time we told her "happy birthday" she did her weird leaping around dance, where she waves her arms and hops around in a little circle. Perhaps she is one part bird.

We had birthday lunch with Ahma and Ahgong at a buffet restaurant they like. The wait staff there knows Rose #3 from her frequent visits there when Ahma and Ahgong take the girls out for lunch. Here she is posing with the special birthday cake that the staff made for her:

It looks like sushi but trust me, it is small Asian pastries with a lot of chocolate sauce drizzled over the top. She loved eating her special birthday cake. In case if you are wondering if the container at the bottom of the picture is ketchup, it is. The buffet also serves mac and cheese and french fries!

On Saturday evening we had our neighbors over for dinner for a birthday party. Rose #3 just loves them, and we had a great time eating burgers off the grill. We all sang happy birthday to Rose #3, and she opened her gifts from us - Ladybug Girl and a Lemon Drop Dora. Lemon Drop Dora smells just like a bottle of furniture polish. Yum.

When I first found out I was pregnant with Rose #3 it was, to put it mildly, a bit of a shock. But now I can't imagine life without her. She looks like a miniature version of Rose #1 but she has a personality and a mind all her own. She is very stubborn and independent and she always wants to be included. That must be the personality of the youngest child! Now that she can talk I love chatting with her, and tonight we were reading the book Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type. Rose #3 can say: "Click Clack MOOOOOO!" I love you so much little bunny. Happy birthday!!

Grandparents' Day

Friday, June 20th was Grandparents' Day at Rose #1's school. Here is her list:

My Gramadma and Grapa
Nice
Both in 60's
See me evry week
Love me
Mom's mom and dad
Big house
Use to have a dog and a parit
My grapa fixex evrything

My gramama and Grapa

Says it all - especially "Love me"

Thanks Guppy and Poppy!!

Rose #2's Fourth Birthday Party

We had such a lovely party for Rose #2's fourth birthday! Her cousins, our neighbor friends, and friends from preschool came over on a lovely summer day. We all gathered for a picture, and as I sat next to H, I remarked that if it wasn't for us, the party would not have been possible. Not just in the conventional sense, of course (I filled out the invitations, mailed them, etc.) but also in the metaphysical sense. Without us, there would be no Rose #2, and without Rose #2, we would not be gathered here for a party. (OK, is this too deep for 9:51 p.m. on a Wednesday? Perhaps.)My sister Charity has become the family cakemaker. Below you can see the princess cake WITH the ladies-in-waiting cupcakes. I think the one on the far left looks curiously like Elizabeth Taylor!!

After the guests gathered we went to our local park. The kids really enjoyed playing under the bridge. Here are a few shots of them:

I only had to bring three girls back to go potty during the 20 or 25 minutes we were at that park. I guess this was my fault for not forcing all the children to go before we left! After we got back, it was time to open presents. H had the fine idea of putting the birthday girl and the friend whose gift was being opened on the steps. The other birthday guests sat on the rug in our living room.

After gifts we handed out the prize bags, which were comprised entirely of items from the $1 bin at Target. (Hooray for the $1 bin at Target.) I think everyone liked their prize bags and I did not feel like I was contributing overly to the propagation of cheap plastic toys in this world.

Here's to Rose #2. Four years old: what a big, big deal. I will never forget the MINUTE you were born, and how when they put you on my chest you were crying, but when your daddy spoke to you you quieted down and turned your head toward him like you had been waiting all of your life to hear his voice. You are such a sweet girl and yet so fierce and so bright. I love you with all my heart!

We Are Cut!!

On the same night that H was in Phoenix (see my earlier blog post titled Dinner Without Daddy) Aunt Boo and Baby Kate came over. Aunt Boo had her camera and took a few shots of the Roses showing off their muscles. The first shot was Aunt Boo and Rose #1 (a self-portrait):

Then we got down to serious business about showing off our muscles. Rose #1 really has PIPES!

Rose #2 is not quite as cut as Rose #1, but she got into the spirit of displaying her muscles. Normally she does not look quite this serious:

Poor old Rose #3 has not lost enough of her baby fat to actually have a 6-pack, or really any bicep muscles. But she got the concept. Here she is mainly showing off her belly (and her tongue):

We love having Aunt Boo and Baby Kate over. You come on over any time!