New Favorite

I think I could probably read blogs all day, if time allowed. Blogs and Pinterest. One blog that's been getting a lot of great press lately is Honest Toddler. If you haven't checked it out, you must. Hi-freaking-larious. It's "written" by a toddler giving advice to all us adults. If you have or have ever had small children, you will appreciate it. Honest Toddler is so sarcastic - right up my alley. It's up there with Suri's Burn Book in terms of funny.

And, if you want more laughs, follow Honest Toddler on Twitter:



Just go read it. You won't regret it.

That's all I have time for today. I am so stinky from my spin class that I am not fit to be out in public, so I must shower. Stat.

Where Were You 11 Years Ago?

While listening to the radio yesterday, I was reminded that it is the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. It's so hard to believe it's been so long. So much has changed in my own life, and in our world since that horrific day. 

I was single then, dating Morgan, but not even yet engaged. That would come at Christmas that same year. It was a beautiful almost-fall day, not at all unlike the one we're having here in North Carolina today. I was but 25 years old, and my generation had been lucky. We were children of the 80s, living the good life, and not having much worry over international relations. Our parents knew well the fears of the Cold War, of air raid drills, and the threat of nuclear annihilation. But us? We were born in the 70s, growing up in the great 1980s, and, we thought Russia was our biggest threat.

I remember that when I was in ninth grade, the principal came over the loudspeaker to announce that Operation Desert Storm was underway, but at that point in my life, it didn't cause me much concern. I lived in America. We were strong. We could not be harmed. 

But then, years later, that all changed. An attack on U.S. soil - the unthinkable. I was working at IBM, and not long after I got to work, we heard the report of the first plane hitting the North tower of the World Trade Center. Like most everyone else, it didn't occur to me that it could be anything other than an accidental plane crash. But then the second plane hit, and ,oh my gosh, it was like, what the hell is happening here? 

We were given the option to leave work, which we all did. Who could work when our beloved nation was under attack? I had my own apartment, but I didn't want to be alone. I came to Morgan's house, and we stayed glued to the news all day, just like the rest of the nation. My office was not far from the airport, and I remember driving to Morgan's, fearing the worst. If planes were crashing into the Twin Towers, into the Pentagon, what was going to keep them from crashing into other cities? 

My sister and her husband were living in Manhattan at the time of the attack. Laura was at home that day, but Larry was heading to work, and his office was not  far from the WTC area. It was hours before she heard from him - remember how cell service was down due to so many calls that day? I can't imagine the fear she felt, and then the relief after she finally reached him. They moved from Manhattan not long after the attack - it was just too stressful to be there. I think it was sort of the feeling that you can't go home again - not literally, of course, but just in that the city that they had loved was never the same again. 

I will never, ever forget that horrible day, nor will I forget stories that came out of it. There were so many heroes that day, so many people who put others' lives before their own. Remember the earthquake in Haiti a few years back? I heard someone ask a minister "Where is God in this earthquake?" The minister had a response that I love. He said, "God isn't in the earthquake itself, but in the response." That was true of 9/11 as well. The heroic acts of everyday people - that was where we saw God in 9/11. 

I still can't watch some of the footage without tearing up. I can't hear the stories of the heroes without feeling deep sadness. And in this election year, I wish we could remember the way we mourned as a nation, not as Republicans or Democrats. On that day, and in the weeks that followed, we were all Americans, united in love for our country. 

The Sacrifices I Make

Dear Darling Children of Mine,

In my quest to keep you in the cutest clothes I can afford, something has occurred to me. It seems that you are starting to seriously cut into my own clothing budget. I find this somewhat troublesome, and yet, I can't stop shopping for you. Someone please help me.

Love,
Mommy

*Sigh.* This time of year I find myself perusing all of the September fashion magazines, spotting great outfit ideas on Pinterest, lusting after Tory Burch riding boots, and all other manner of autumnal loveliness. And then I remember that my kids have grown and have nothing to wear.

So, if I didn't have to buy them things, I might get these boots:

And, frankly, I probably need a new pair of Reva flats, too, so I guess I would choose these: (for some reason, I'm drawn to this navy blue):

And, really, I bet with those boots and new flats, I wouldn't even NEED actual new clothes, right? Right.

But instead, I just placed a Mini Boden order, which contained these items:

And, this little Lilly dress is a must-have for Ava:

Love the elephants. The print is called Tusk In Sun. How cute is that?

So, thanks to Ava and Davis, and the fact that I have two chairs that need to be reupholstered, I will be shopping light this fall. If you see me out, please don't mock me and my 2011 clothes. I'm embarrassed enough as it is. 

One down, one to go....

Okay, when last we talked, I was about to lose it, big-time. I'm sure that in my week long absence, you have all been worried sick, but I'm back and here to assure you that all is fine.

The rest of last week is a blur, but in all, I think it got better. Receiving lots of comments from friends who feel the same stress of parenting helped a ton. I guess it's true that misery loves company. Or at least knowing that you aren't a totally crappy parent.

Ava started first grade on Monday, which actually had me feeling a little sad. I got super emotional before she got up on Monday and felt guilty about all the time I spent wishing it was time to go back to school. But then she was so excited about school that those feelings faded a bit. I was super proud when she just wanted me to drop her off in carpool line on the first day, and didn't want me walking her in.

Sorry for my Facebook friends who have already seen this cuteness:

And, since she is her mother's daughter, she was excited to wear the new Lilly dress that she picked out just for the first day. Gotta love a girlie girl. 

It would be really nice if preschool and regular school started the same day. Davis doesn't even start until next Friday. That is nearly two full weeks after Ava started. Absurd. I feel like I'm in school limbo right now, just waiting. 

The upside is that Davis has been (mostly) quite pleasant and easy. He had a little soccer camp in the morning. You might think that would wear him out, but apparently not. In fact, he's back to not napping. And quiet time is a huge struggle. Thank goodness for old Scooby Doo episodes, which he loves.

Well, it has somehow taken me two days to get this post written, so I suppose I'll publish now and get on with the last weekend of summer. Our pool closes on Monday, so I'm hoping any nasty weather will hold off until after that. 

Have a good Labor Day!