A Look into the Future

So much of parenting involves the here and now. Whether I'm tending to a diaper explosion, dashing to kiss a boo-boo, hurrying to fasten a carseat strap, preparing a meal, or fielding urgent questions about pirates while folding laundry, it's all very much in the present tense. There's definitely not time to contemplate our carefree, kidless past or our mind-boggling, kidless future.

But we went careening ahead a few decades during a recent conversation in the car.

Joey is often quiet in the "way back," but I knew he was gearing up for something big.

"Mommy, Mommy!!"

I turned down the radio in time to hear, "Mommy, when I'm a grown-up, will you still have birthdays?"

I assured him that I would.

"Even when you're as old as an old man?"

Um, yes.

"Will I still be invited to your birthday parties?"

"Yes! Who else will blow out my candles?"

Joey pondered this for a moment, and then said words no mother wants to hear.

"Okay, Mommy, can you send me a birthday invitation in the mail? And a map, so I know how to get to your house? I might not know how to get there."

I think my consternation was palpable, and even a four year-old male knew that he should backpedal. Quickly.

"Actually, Mommy, I won't need a map. You know what? I think when I grow up, I'll be your neighbor! I'll live right next door to you and Daddy, and come over for dinner every night."

He shot me a winning, firstborn smile in the rear view mirror. He definitely knows how to play his cards.

Please, Call Me Joey

Clara has recently realized that Joey's name can be truncated to Joe - and has started calling him that when she wants to get his attention.

"Joe! Joe! Joe! Hey, Joe!"

Joey has a high tolerance level for most things, and can be counted on to go with the flow, especially when it comes to baby sisters. But this nickname business is serious stuff.

He finally snapped this morning.

"Clara!" he said, finally turning to her in exasperation. "My name is still Joey! It might be Joe when I grow up, but right now it's still Joey, okay??"

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Happy Girl

It's hard work being this cute!

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Well, Hello New Neighbor!

Eight o'clock in the morning is not my finest hour. I'm usually dishevelled, bleary-eyed, and badly in need of coffee, but am instead usually changing a diaper, helping someone go to the bathroom, or nursing a baby.

Basically, it's definitely not the time of day that I would have picked to have our doorbell ring and meet our new neighbor. My grand plan was to deliver brownies this afternoon, surrounded by my well-dressed and well-groomed brood. Instead, I think the scene he stumbled upon may have scarred him:

Me, with major bedhead, rocking my Alpha Chi Omega sweatshirt and striped pajama pants, holding a squirmy, crying baby whose nursing session has just been interrupted, and who is sporting just a diaper. Peeking out from behind my legs is Clara, naked from the waist down, and bounding out on to the porch is Joey, who I know is dressed vaguely as a superhero, but in reality, could pass for a street urchin.

Welcome to the neighborhood! Luckily, they have toddlers, too -- and I still have a chance to at least impress the wife!

Creating a Girly Garden

In a house that is more blocks, trains and superheros than fairies, princesses and dolls, we've finally carved out a feminine space for our little girls - future home of giggles, late-night whispers, and girl toys galore.

Many people deserve thanks for this room's creation:

- The UC Berkeley girl who sold me her twin box spring for $20, and even helped me uninstall carseats to fit said box spring in my car. I also have her to thank for making me feel much too Suburban Mom and not-so-much Cute Preppy College Girl.

- My trusty extra-large SUV, which is amply sized for hauling mattresses and bed frames.

- The Berkeley police officer who, after observing me 1) execute an illegal three-point turn in the middle of a four-way stop, and 2) check my phone repeatedly for directions because I was clearly lost, tailed me for four blocks with his lights on before finally getting my attention with his siren, and STILL let me out of a richly deserved ticket! I may not be Cute Preppy College Girl, but I can apparently still charm cops.

- Mop, for watching all three kids while I ran this errand, and then helping me haul in the box spring and bed frame and set up the room!

Without further ado, here's the finished product!

I hand-painted the girls' letters, and enlisted help from my minions to put up the handy-dandy wall decals, which were amazingly easy to apply and rearrange!

Molly surveyed the scene from the safety of her crib, and obviously approves of her new tulip sheet and cushy striped crib set!

But the real test came when Clara spent her first night in her big girl bed! Here she is with Dolly and Soft Blankie, ready for her maiden voyage. She's only fallen out once so far!

Sisters and Smiles

It's no secret that when I was pregnant with Molly, I was hoping for a girl, so that Clara could experience the fun of sisterhood (which her cousins will have in abundance! and that I am lucky enough to share with Shawna). It's paying off in small doses already; Molly loves to watch her big sister in action, especially when she's hovering above her wearing a pink princess dress, cardboard binoculars slung over her shoulders, dancing to "Puff the Magic Dragon."

Washing Day

It's a banner day when you need to wash not one, but two carseats.

I won't go into the gory details, except to say that when one child is potty-training, and another is prone to explosive, far-reaching and devastating creations in her diaper, it's not a good idea to spend time strapped into carseats, even for short jaunts around town.

Only one person was happy about today's events.







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Cement Trucks and Snow White

Ninety cubic yards of cement were poured into our yards on Friday, and it was the talk of the neighborhood and beyond, as friends and neighbors stopped by to marvel at the show. By the end of the day, we had a new dog run, large new backyard patio and pathways, a meandering front walkway linking the driveway to the front door, and a new expanded driveway. Phew!

Even Snow White was impressed!

More Tahoe

I discovered more Tahoe souvenirs on my phone. Here's Joey showing off his tan at Pope Beach.





Molly and I enjoyed an afternoon nap on the new, fabulous deck at the cabin.



Joey and Clara bundled up in front of the fire on one of the chilly mountain mornings.

Joey plunged into frigid Lake Tahoe and showed off his swimming skills.

And finally, Clara was tickled pink that she got to wear Joey's pajamas one night. Here she is mispronouncing "alligator," with gusto.

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Tahoe 2010

We spent six wonderful summer days in Lake Tahoe, returning last week with a foot of sand in our car, tanned kids, and a renewed appreciation for our family's cabin, which makes heading up to the lake hassle-free and fun!

We also returned with our first photo as a family of five!



We met up with friends Crystal and Chad and Adam and Connie -- and their four girls combined -- for bike riding around Camp Richardson and a day of sun, sand and kayaks at Pope Beach, and then headed over to Meeks Bay to meet up with the Stecher cousins.

Goodbye to Groundhog Day

Six weeks of daily swim lessons came to an end, and the 2010 "Mini-Marlins" celebrated with a meet and awards ceremony on the last day of July. Joey inexplicably came away with one blue ribbon -- he had a late start in the breathing underwater contest, and very lenient judges -- and had a second, third, and fourth place finish in the rest of his events!

Here he is taking a breather, SuperGoggles and all.

I'm not sure what warmed him to the water more this season... his goggles, or his cute high school instructors, especially Samantha, who knocked his socks off. Luckily, the feeling was mutual, and she went out of her way to help him in all of his events.

The last event of the day was diving for coins, which Joey excelled at... he's nothing if not mercenary. This booty went directly into his piggy bank!

Pizza Pizza

Here's a text message exchange between me (Tim) and my brother Jeff. To get the humor, you must understand that after his wife, son, and place in the LMU Baseball record books for most career hit batsmen by a pitcher, Jeff's most prized possession is his new pizza oven which he slaves over during gatherings and pumps out home made pizzas all party long. And his signature pizza involves cooking an egg in the center, Italian-style.

TIM: Had a dream you died last night. Very sad. I love you, man.

JEFF: Thanks bro

TIM: Can I have the pizza oven?

JEFF: Would you want it? I mean, I assume that in one way or another it was the cause of death

TIM: Actually, it was used in your cremation so you can keep it

JEFF: Ohh, I need to amend my will to make sure I'm cremated in it

TIM: Haha...yeah, with an egg on top


Meredith later suggested the epitaph read: REST IN PIZZA

Babymoon

Thanks to eager grandparents, we had the chance to spend two luxurious toddler-free days in Santa Rosa and Sebastapol, celebrating Brian Cassanego's wine country wedding with just one easy 12-week-old.

Molly loved being the center of our attention, and finally got over some mixed feelings she had about Daddy -- namely, he stopped scraping her face with his beard stubble, and they became fast friends.

She tried out some new hair accessories for the first time, had her first dip in a swimming pool, went to her first wedding, and basked in the glow of being our only child!

Joey and Clara were treated to three jam-packed days of fun at Gilroy Gardens, the Exploratorium, and the Bay Area Discovery Museum. For more on their adventures, jump on over to their cousins' blog. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Bones

At four and a half, Joey's bedtime stalling tactics are becoming more cunning and more sneaky. But he sunk to a new low tonight, when he threw his favorite plush being under the bus.

I heard the telltale crack of his door, and went to investigate.

"Mommy, I really, really need someone to snuggle with. Can you put the baby down and snuggle with me?"

"No, but you know what? You can snuggle with Superman."

He cast a withering look in the direction of his caped wingman, and stomped back to his bed.

"I can't snuggle with him! I need someone with BONES!"

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