Callie + Reader's Theatre = Hilarity

In case I haven't mentioned it before Callie is missing the inhibition factor most of us develop as we become aware of the fact people are watching.  Callie, however, could not care less.  The play she was in was a take off on Little Red Riding Hood and she played a mother.  She played it well and remembered all her lines.  As she watched the other plays she ran up during one to put the pillow in it's correct spot and in another she turned a prop around that was placed backwards.  I have no question that she probably knew most if not all the lines in each play as well.

After the plays, the teacher played a DVD she made that highlighted the past year of school.  Callie sat quietly at first - then they played the Macarana song and she began doing the movements in her seat.  Next came the Electric Slide and there was no holding her back.  Her aide pulled her to the side, but unless they removed her from the classroom she was not going to stop.  Fortunately, the classroom teacher thought it was an added bonus and judging from the giggles of parents, no one seemed too terribly annoyed.  It's a difficult balance sometimes between appropriate behavior and letting her express herself.  Just because the rest of us are afraid to let it all hang out, why should we stop her from said hanging out.

Brynn Morgan has arrived!

She was born May 26 at 8:14AM weighing in at 8 lbs. 5 ozs. which surprised everyone.  The delivering doctor sai, "Looks like you have a sumo wrestler here," which Melissa decided was an acceptable statement only because the Dr. was also Asian.  There was also a clanging of a scalpel hitting the floor followed by silence and my daughter's right on humor, "5 second rule?"

Big sister Kaia spent the night with us and did quite well, but by 11AM when it was time to go meet her baby sister she was ready to go.  On the way in as we were drilling her on seeing mommy, daddy and baby Brynn - and how she was a big sister she proclaimed, "OK I try."  When it came down to sharing daddy's lap with baby Brynn she did what every 2 yr. old does - tried to push her off daddy's lap.  Such is the beginning of sibling rivalry.

Now, everyone is home and the adjustment will begin.  I try to remember what that was like after Jonathan was born - I came home to Conor, 3, but also Chad, 9, who we had adopted just 7 mos. earlier.  Mark's mother graciously stayed with the boys while I was in the hospital, but had to return home as soon as I was home.  Somehow we all manage to adjust as will they - as I like to say - it's our new normal.

Mother's Day 2011

I have never shared a Mother's Day with my mother as she died before I became one.  I also never lived in the same town as my mother-in-law, so other than a phone call, the holiday has always been mine alone.  This may not have been in my favor as it allowed me to make it all about me.  For probably the first 20+ years I celebrated Mother's Day my dear husband tried to make it special for me, but my expectations were absurd.  He also frequently had to work and so getting the day "off" for either of us wasn't working very well.

Several years back I mentioned to my kids that I wanted a 4 slice toaster for Mother's Day - unfortunately my sarcasm was lost on them and they were so excited when Mark presented this present to me. I stared back and very ungraciously said - seriously a toaster.  

I finally decided that my husband was the most wonderful father and generous husband and that giving him a bad time for being a less than perfect gift giver said more about what an ungrateful person I was than whether or not he appreciated me.  

The best gift we gave ourselves was no gifts at all.  We either buy something for ourselves or just go out for dinner and a movie or sometimes spend a night in a motel - all better than stressing out trying to buy just that right thing.

However, this year he about busted a gut with excitement, although I was clueless, when he presented me with the most generous gift ever - a laptop computer.  Not just any laptop, but a MacBook Air.  I've been waxing poetic about that book I'm going to write someday and how it would be so much easier if I just had a laptop I could use.  Well, here it is and now the pressure is on.  Not from number one husband, but from myself.  

This present totally makes up for the toaster - I pinky swear promise to never mention it again.  Oh my goodness, how in heavens name can I match this for Father's Day - yikes!