BG's Birthdays.

("BG's" is a term Dad made up for "big girls". The little girls are "LG's". Helps with the team mentality.)

Birthdays in March. Took 'em to "treasure beach" for photos. Got to pick out a fancy store-made cake on their own. No parties. Just experiences. Gave Ruby cowboy boots, got a babysitter and we took Ruby to her first horse-back riding lesson. Gave Grace a new surfboard and she had her first surf lesson. Surrounded by love and attention, these girls turned 8 and 10.


Grace,

My baby doll. You always have your fingers going. You're crocheting or drawing or writing or something. Nana sees you and continually says this is just how daddy was as a boy. You use trendy phrases like, "I know, right?" and "literally". You know the second when someone's kidding because you're savvy like that. You correct me on that pronunciation of not only people's first names, but people's last names. Names that I had no idea you actually even knew. You're like the CIA.

You've mentally separated yourself from the other girls and are now my friend, nanny and helper. They are now "The Girls" to you because no, you are not a part of them as much as you are now in the parent category. But you have learned that being a parent comes with its own frustrations. Everyone wants a piece of Tada and when she doesn't let you hug her or baby her, it's devastating because you want her trust more than anything. You have told me you may not want to go through childbirth (you know all the details) and may want to adopt. I fully support this baby Grace. I wanted to adopt when I was younger because there are so many little ones out there that need good parents.

You have an open heart, you're kind, and you're still very possessive. You give a lot to your sisters and friends and the rest? Well, it's yours and you will lay claim. Been like that since you were old enough to reach out and grasp something with your tiny fingers.

I came to play with you at recess months ago and was expecting to see you gathering friends together at the handball court and kindly making sure no one was left out. Maybe you would give up the ball to others so they may have a turn and certainly not speak up when you were treated unfairly. Instead, I observed you quickly explaining the rules, ball in your hand, to 5 other girls. They surrounded you, each at least 4 inches shorter than you, the wind blowing your hair while you stood immovable and domineering. You gained control of the ball whenever you could, holding everyone accountable to the rules with an unforgiving, "you're out!", clearly the leader of the game. My eyes widened in amazement. Expecting to feel defensive of you, instead I felt defensive of the little girls in your game. I was agape at your straight forwardness and realized you and I were cut from different cloths and I nearly cried right then and there at how I wish I was more like you. You kick butt, Grace.

I watched you bouncing a ball in the backyard the other night, dark eyebrows framing those lovely, friendly brown eyes. Looking down, you were strong and beautiful and your hair, your hair! If there was a liquid you I would extract the freckles and keep them in my pocket. The rest I'd give as an elixir to moms everywhere. You are that good. You're uplifting and supportive and help me so much.

Babies love you. Kids love you. Everyone does. But the one that loves you the most, with undying devotion, is Ruby. She doesn't make one choice that doesn't somehow involve or revolve around you. You are both so lucky to have each other.

Graciegirl, you will never be little again and I mourn the loss that each year brings while at the same time, looking forward to the future with you, my best little friend. You're amazing in every way. Stay close to me.


Ruby,

All the diamonds in the world are held in just one twinkle of one of your eyes. If people knew, they'd come and steal you away. But you're mine and we both know it. When Nana and Papa came to visit we went to the zoo. You kept walking back to where I was bringing up the rear (Tada walks slow) and holding my hand and kissing it every now and then. You finally asked toward the end of the afternoon if I felt left out when all the attention was on Nana and Papa. You spend too much time being concerned about your mama and everyone else. You could not even enjoy your kid time at the zoo in that moment that you were so worried about me.

You are obsessed with anatomy. Daddy and I will explain over and over how some nerves stretch from your brain all the way to your toes and you just cannot believe it. You exercise such spatial thinking for your age. Everything to you is in a sequence and you constantly notice that not one day or meal is the same. That not one person is the same. And you'll give drawn-out scenarios to prove this. Those are my favorite dinner conversations when Daddy lights up about it, too and we talk about it forever.

You also want a piece of Tada and she isn't as generous with letting you mother her like she is with Grace. You're younger and more of a teaser, so when she does gift you the privilege of snuggling her on the couch or helping her eat or drink, you treasure it! If Tada gets hurt you are unfailingly the first one on the scene. You're a born mother, just like Grace and all the rest.

You are the ga-ga ultimate champion. A hard feat for a girl, since it's a ruthless game of dodgeball you play at school where 20 boys and 3 or so girls start in the ring at one time. Girls don't last long and the boys are so serious about this game they bring their own gloves from home and play it until the last second of recess. You've been practicing for months. But Ruby, with your teeny little hands and elbows, you timid little thing, you beat every last boy that day. You drew a picture of it and wouldn't show or tell me about it until we walked all the way home from school, sat down, and had a snack. What a day for you. You beamed!

You want to know everything there is to know about love. How to fall in it, how you make up your mind to marry someone and all the rest. I go over examples of this to humor you but in truth, cannot ever give you up. You don't need to be big, ever. You can remain a deep-thinking statuette on the mantle of my heart. I can bask in your wisdom and warmth and I never have to share you with the world. Will you? Please? Forever and ever?



Happy Birthday, babies!
xo
Mama

G'night

It had been 30 minutes.

PLAY NICELY, I had told them.

Cracked the door, TIME IS UP. With incredulity and utter shock, Ruby drew her stuffed chipmunk to her chest and exclaimed:

But we're almost to the part where she finds out that he is really her long lost BROTHERRRRR!

I mean, the amount of furrow in her brow was insurmountable.

So I popped up five tired mom fingers, as if to signal five more minutes. Excited chatter as I shut the door.

Swung on my heels to the neighboring room, taking a bracing breath and blowing it out as, OKAYYYYYY TIME FOR BED, hoping for success with the younger set.

These two babies, with toddler skin and animal figurines clutched as dearly and tightly as their own children, looked up at me with varying degrees of hazel eyes and wordless, asked for a million dollars and a few extra minutes to play and I said no in a puddle of yes.

Which means, I said yes. So bedtime was late tonight.

And Lillie sleeps in a gymnastics leotard and tights.

And Ruby is 8 now, and she looks different and seems different.

And Grace is like 27 and is my little girlfriend.

And Tada is laughter, a breeze and chocolate cake in human form.

G'night.

Florida Christmas

 Walking in the door to a big hug from Nana. 

 Fun never stops in Florida. 

 Christmas Eve dinner. Love us all together, gathered round.

 Always sloshing across the floor to Nana's bath after the swimming pool. 

 Admiring this little sleeping animal.

 Playing Go Fish at Nana and Papa's beach condo. 

 Swimming at Clearwater Beach on a cold day.

 Lunch with Rebecca.

 Of the Toddler Variety. They're all so different, even at this age. 

 The firework extravaganza for New Year's.

 Apple Nerd Alert.

These chicks.

 Watch out, Lakeland, girls on the loose.

 Ohhh and this little thing. Yummy.

 Papa is amazing at the iPad. Yes, that is a skill.

 These babies are going to grow up and be the most perfect human beings.

 Everyone looking on as Donna cooks another delicious meal. (we do help sometimes)

 Gingerbread houses. Happy to just step back and take photos!

 Addy and Jane playing in the library.

 Papa holding the "star" (tiara), while some take wise man gifts from Nana.

 Nana got some little costumes for the kids to act out the Nativity story. (with a REAL baby!)

 The chaos.. the beautiful and memorable chaos.

 She does the nervous smile when she holds a real baby.

 This family. Soon to add Henry's little brother, Otto.

 More people standing around loving each other. Nana's holding Tali, who's whining is softened by the fact that she wears mint colored skinny jeans.

This family lived at the house with us for the whole two weeks. Rebecca and I, who were already friends, became like sisters and fell right into the "big family" sort of habits of helping each other constantly. We have so much in common.

 And... these little cuties. Missing Ali's 3, almost 4 kids. All together, or separately, could probably bring down North Korea's nuclear weapons. Most definitely.

Love them all in this line, you can see their sizes. 

 Wild forest children, running toward you like a nightmare. RUNNNNNN!

 No, they're actually really cute and nice. 

 Squeezed in a few shots of this beautiful belly. Poor Henry will need to wait awhile before his brother will be able to play trains.

 Bit overwhelmed on his second birthday, but his cake is amazing, made by his dad.

 Tada blew out his candles. She's a helicopter cousin.

 The love! The magic! The weary mothers! The 582 hours of conversation! Love these women.

Gracie having a hold. Such a good mama already.

The "silly" photo that turned out to be my favorite. 

Trip home. We were very sad to leave Nana and Papa's house and all the excitement and fun.

I gained an exceptional second family when I married Jake. Jake's mother gives the most sound advice and I go to her often. I could talk to her and Jake's dad for hours on end and learn so much every time. And there is no laughing like when a big family laughs at the past or present. We were so lucky to visit for those two weeks. Miss, miss, miss them.

Ruby

As I'm braiding her hair for crazy hair day:

"I decided I DO want to get married. I definitely do. But whenever I think about getting married or dating I just get worried. I mean, I don't know how to fall in love or what. I'm not sure how to meet a boyfriend, or how to have a boyfriend. Maybe you can help me, Mom, maybe when I'm older, like in middle school, you can help me with the boyfriend stuff. You can tell me what to do."

I melt in a puddle on the floor.

I am on the edge of my seat: WHO WILL SHE DATE, WHO WILL SHE MARRY? I can't stand it, My mind builds a house and locks her inside, never to release. How can she be in this world, in all her fragility? I think my throat can't handle this type of lump.

More present.

Music and laughter and staring straight at the wall trying to relax, that's what we've been up to. A hundred things and nothing at the same time. 

I skipped over folders of photos and went back a month or two to a set I took before the girls got their hair cut. Some weekend toward the end of October, I think. Sunkissed and fancy free, beautiful Ruby gets her complex thoughts onto paper.

This next set, I am obsessed with.

I've been more present lately, by my own concerted effort. It takes that and more to truly enjoy 24/7 motherhood. There are moments of pure bliss, a fast-forward section of my life's movie, against a soundtrack that would both break your heart and completely fulfill it. Those blissful times are fenced in with "all the rest" and it's shoulder-tightening what? I don't know... but it's a lot of cleaning and cooking and singing and then OH! I have to be somewhere!

Then there's this girlfriend of mine:

She sits there on the couch opposite me after school. Begs me to text other moms and arrange for her friends to come over. I'm not enough? I ask her with a grin. She sinks into adolescence and I bend toward her with great effort saying, don't change too much, baby.

I go and lie down with the older girls after the young ones go to sleep. Ruby is still slight and giggly, still 7. Grace knows and realizes planets more now, but adores her sister despite her age. I hope they will always fall into each other's arms in comfort and confidence.

This little one, with that refined face, has seen it all. She and I have a push and pull still, the one that started when she was a young toddler. We communicate on a very primitive level and it is often pretty rough going.

Lillie. One who like a river fills the earth's cracks and will not -- CANNOT stop. You can build a city or a dam or a damn continent and you know what? She will still cut you off at the knees because that's what kind of human being she is.

I learn along the way, and good for me, but it does not soften her deliberateness. NO. She doesn't change much, she just looks at me with a grin most likely thinking, great, way to finally catch on that I'M IN CHARGE.

Listen to me now, describing how tenacious she is and all I can do is stare up at that little button nose of hers and I can scarcely believe it myself!

And on we go. Spent Thanksgiving with my wonderful parents in northern California, had lots of beach days in between and went to Florida for a Smylie Christmas. I have a million photos and even more stories, but they are for another day.

I'm feeling incredibly grateful for those four little bodies, with their thoughts and personalities and oh, oh, the things that come out of their mouths.

Thank you thor making uth dinner mommy! Lillie says.

Ruby what do you want to be when you grow up? Jake asks her.

Silence...

"I want to be loved". 

Music is the only thing that could ever describe the beauty, worry and fatigue that is family and parenthood. With a half-melted heart and burning eyelids, I close this day with hope that I can just do a little better tomorrow.