Miss Little Bit

I cannot believe that Miss Bit is soon to be an erstwhile first grader. In 1 day she'll be a second grader. In 2 months she'll celebrate 7...so little and yet so big. Sigh. Long audible sigh.

It's been a school year full of strides for Miss Bit. Literally, as she ran the mile last week in 10 minutes. Let me add that she ran a 10 minute mile in a sassy skirt no less! She is a full fledged reader now. She can read anything. Everything. Leaps and bounds have been made in the world of math too. She's a good student, but more importantly, she's a good person. She's kind, caring, thoughtful and, at times, compassionate and empathetic almost to a fault. Sensitive is in her genes. When her brother's tournament team lost their game to take second, she was the one reduced to tears in the stands.

She is a girl of many opinions. Miss Bit knows what she wants to wear: no skirts on PE days so no one can see her undies, hats, plaid shorts, dolphin earrings, shirts that say Daddy's Little Princess, but only to bed, flip flops and pig tails. She also is firm on what she won't wear: that being almost anything Mom suggests. My girl knows what she wants to eat: chicken nuggies, ice cream, bacon, pizza, lots and lots of snacks and what she won't: casseroles even when she likes all the ingredients, sandwiches eventhough she loves garlic bread, eggs unless scrambled and brussels sprouts, asparagus or fresh tomatoes, yet she loves salsa. My Bit knows exactly what she likes to do: a game of wiffle, swim, take bike rides, play school, help in the kitchen, spend time on the computer playing Poptropica, go to Grandma and Grandpa's, take trips and also what she doesn't: shower or dry her hair, lose a game, or play Barbies or dolls. She likes to listen to Kei$ha, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, but she cringes when she hears Justin Bieber. She'll curl up with her brother's Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Ripley's Believe It or Not books so Pinkalicious and Toot and Puddle get little attention of late. She finds princesses revolting. Her new heroines are Ramona and Beezus and Judy Moody. Thank the lucky stars we made it to Disney when we did. Miss Bit knows what she wants for her birthday: an electric scooter and a party like last year...that's it. She's firm on who'd be invited too: Grace, Ani, Brigid, Caroline, Molly, and Sophie.

Last week she was a budding Daisy and now she is a big Brownie.

My girl is ready for summer, which is good since we are almost through our countdown. Today we enjoyed an end of year picnic at school. I came with pizza and puppy chow and left with Joe, the beta fish. She was the lucky first grader to win the class pet. She's quite smitten with the little gillless guy. More than anyone she talks about missing her teacher. I think she's more than OK having a break from the friends. The girls in the class didn't come together as they sometimes do and truthfully, the moms didn't do much at all for me either and that is another post indeed. I'm glad to hear that they mix things up from year to year because with a roster of fresh faces there is renewed hope. We'll invest energy in the few tried and true and there will be new friendships forged at camp too.

So looking forward to the slowdown summer shows us all. I want to savor every second until September.

97 Degrees and 2 Days

Today is my last Tuesday to myself until September. I'm not going to mince words here. I am definitely going to miss having two days in the middle of the week to do as I please. The truth is that it's not all about want or whim. I use that time to take care of odds and ends in order to leave the weekends mostly free and clear. I am definitely looking forward to more time with T. Bone and Miss Bit now that summer is upon us. Yes, it most definitely is here nevermind that it's still spring. The mercury is rising and it is 90 some uncomfortable degrees out.

So how am I enjoying my last Tuesday before I join the ranks of indentured servitude?

Right now I'm blogging from my bed despite the fact that it's way past high noon. All the shades are drawn so one wouldn't know it. I have two fans blowing directly on me and I'm still hot. My cats are literal pancakes. I have a rather lengthy list of things to do, but I'm patiently waiting for the repairman to come and fix our air conditioners...yes, plural. It is like the hottest day of the year I tell ya so I'm sure he's just a teeny tad busy.

I iced my water bottle and said to you know where with the stiffling heat. There was no way in hot Hades that I was going to miss my walk today knowing that the one constant on "my" days may not continue once the kiddos are under foot. About a mile in, the ice melted. By the second, the water was luke warm and by 3 1/2 it was all gone. That may just have been the longest mile and a half ever to get home for a drink. I'm still rehydrating and trying to cool my core temperature.

Tomorrow is going to be another scorcher. I plan to get up earlier than the sun and log my miles before the heat of the day sets in. It will be my last Wednesday to myself as well. The only to do on my calendar is to picnic with Miss Bit on the playground. I'll be there early to find a shady spot for us to spread out on. The rest of the day can come what may.

On My Mind Monday

Never eat more than you can lift.

Miss Piggy

This sentiment printed on my Title 9 bag made me smile for a second as I read it. The skort inside has been making me smile all weekend long. So much so that I made it my mission today to find the two colors I did not initially order despite the fact that my size...every size was pretty much sold out. Carrie from the Madison store rocks! It is true that the only reading I've been engaging in is catalogs.

two day pass

friday night was girl's night out at the spa.

the girls are 6 and 7.

the occasion was princess c.'s spoiled rotten spa party.

the girls were given the royal treatment...head to toe.

manis, pedis, up dos, facials and fancy make-up.

the glowing girlies were in heaven with all the glam.

some opted for pretty in pink nails and others for bright shining blue.

a few braved both...miss bit being one of them.

they all shimmered with sparkles and big, beautiful smiles.

i told my friend s. that i'll send all the bills for future treatments miss bit dreamily demands now that she's had a taste of the sweet life directly to her.

i was only a little bit joking.

i just love attending the parties that s. throws because she pulls out all the stops.

it was boys night in.

they watched both bourne supremacy flicks and shared a pizza.

i'm quite certain that they enjoyed the male bonding and didn't miss us much, or maybe not at all.

we kicked off saturday with a big boy breakfast.

that is what you call any morning meal that includes some kind of eggs, starch, fruit and meat...camel's eyes, pineapple and bacon made the morning's hearty menu.

miss bit enjoyed her daisy troop's swimming party...a wet and wild end of year celebration.

after some cleaning and planting, grandpa showed up with his new best friend, bodi.

he's our best friend too because he is so cute and just as sweet.

he loved running around the yard with the kids.

we all went to the ballpark for the sox game.

it is one i would rather not remember and I already conveniently forgot the score.

it was sort of a struggle, but the good news was that there were no tears.

the last game they lost, there were almost no dry eyes.

we were just relaxing and recuperating on the patio when we got the call from friends to come over for dinner and drinks.

since these are friends we all really like and i had not an inkling of what would be served at casa wags for dinner, we happily accepted the generous and thoughtful invitation.

bonus...i just happened to have a pan of the pioneer woman's creamy too good not to share potatoes to contribute to the meal.

we sipped and chatted around the fire while the littles ran around the yard playing ghost in the graveyard.

they breaked for the first s'mores of the season and they ate them just before bed for extra sweet dreams.

today we started the day with another big boy breakfast...silver dollar pancakes with or without syrup or jam or strawberries and cream depending on the plate and palette.

it's not unusual to skip lunch all together on the weekends around here after said feast.

hubby and i headed off for a 5 miler and very much enjoyed the perfect breezy, sun shining day.

we washed both cars and boy did they need some elbow grease.

and then lo and behold it was time for game 2 of the weekend.

the team i know and love was back on the ball field.

the sox won 10 to 2.

now they are 8-2-1, and in second place.

we came home and relaxed into the gloaming while the littles played games of kickball and wiffle with friends...girls against boys and then more fairly brother/sister against brother/sister.

they are back...the glistening, giggling boys and girls of summer and the maddening mosquitoes.
we grilled burgers, roasted sweet corn and toasted a weekend filled to the brim with sweetness...two days overflowing with goodness.

T. Bone

Things are slowly winding down at school for T. Bone and quickly winding up in the evenings and on weekends mostly on the baseball field. T. Bone has had seven games in as many days. Last night he had a perfect game. The Sox were up then down then up then down coming back to win the game. It was very exciting, cheap entertainment. So good that I am no longer complaining about serving dinner (if you can even call it that) at 8:00 in the evening almost every night. This weekend the team faces two tough opponents so we'll be there to cheer on our team. Once again our weekend schedule revolves around baseball, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

The last days of the school year are all about celebrating the past and preparing for the future. Yesterday we visited school for a 4th Grade Farewell. It was nice and low-key. The kiddos escorted parents around the school. It was a parade of projects. The artifacts displayed were evidence of all of the learning these almost 5th graders have under their belts these past months. I especially enjoyed the life-sized, symbol-laden mummies, and the state product projects. T. Bone was most excited that I came with a platter of fresh baked cookies and that we took him home early. I am very much going to miss Mrs. J and I pray she is still teaching when Miss Bit makes her way to 4th grade. It was a bittersweet adieu, but really aren't they all?

Today is special interest day. Of the 30 odd options available, my boy signed up for tennis just to see if the two state-ranked kids in his class are as good as they claim to be. Clearly, he takes issue with anyone else’s hard honed talent. He also chose steak, which involves working with a local bistro chef to expertly prepare steak frites...a favorite of mine when I go to this establishment. I didn’t know he even cared much for steak…hmmm? Maybe he’s become iron deficient thanks to our recent neglect of some of the better for you components of the food pyramid. We've been derelict in the 5 or more categories too. Shhhh.

Then next week he’ll spend one day at the middle school meeting his buddy and learning the lay of the land. He's not fazed by lockers or bell schedules. No, the big buzz with regard to that visit is being able to choose between pizza and subs for lunch. My boy who is cold lunch every day has no intention of ever packing a lunch again. He’s in for a rude awakening I'm afraid, but on this one day I don't care if he eats a slice of pepperoni washed down with an Italian combo. He's on a serious streak. Winning.

Another day will be devoted to 4th Grade celebration . The kids get to strap on skates at an area rink and roller the day away. Rumor has it that there’ll be a smorgasbord of treats for snacking too. The last day of school is the infamous Mega Party. This is an event all the kids look forward to all year long. The playground is morphed into an inflatable paradise and the kids get to bounce and box and slide and race through obstacle courses. Oh, and there's also the intramural baseball championship.

Summer vacation will then be kicked off in normal fashion by attending Camp Grandpa. This is T. Bone’s favorite camp of the summer and I suspect that with the new addition of a lab puppy the excitement will only be magnified. Grandpa may be anticipating help with tiring out the puppy too. I think he's hedging his bets on T. Bone delivering dog tired.

The rest of the summer will be a hodgepodge of camps, vacations, downtime and baseball. T. Bone's stint on the tournament team will pretty much keep him busy until football practice starts in August. I have a summer spreadsheet detailing who needs to be where when. I also have an appreciation for people with more children and/or full-time jobs because summer is also about savoring and slowing down, and I'm just not sure it's possible in either scenario. We schedule in lazy days in permanent ink here at Casa Wags.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Green grapes.

Bluebells.

Teams. Especially tournament teams where the level of play is elevated. The Blue took two...second place that is.
Sweet smelling lilies of the valley picked by my sweet Lil Bit and placed in the perfect pale blue Ball jar. The smell of them fills me with nostalgia.

Dappled sunshine, purple polka dots, funky, argyle Converse tennies and this lovely little lady.

Self-portraits. Les artiste...T. Bone.

A new puppy in the family. My dad and step-mom are welcoming him home today.

Watching a movie with my man after the littles were in bed for the night. Black Swan was the feature film. It was dark. Portman was brilliant. Ballet is brutal.

A movie night with my boys this week whilst Miss Bit spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa. We watched I am Four. It was a treat to be able to enjoy a PG-13 film for a change. It spooked T. Bone, but he still slept through the night.

The Pioneer Woman. I'm still working my way through her yummy cookbook. This week I made her sinful Rosemary Potatoes, gooey, salty Olive & Cheese Bread, and melt in your mouth Angel Sugar Cookies. They are all keepers.

26.2 on the head last week. I don't know how anyone runs that distance and all at once.

The way my girl says, "Yesssssssssssssssss!" when she gets what she wants.

An extra day off with just my hubby this week. A very short speedy week.

The first sunburn of the season and I was even wearing sunblock. I'm thankful the kids were amply covered and I'm thankful cuz' now I've got my base.

Only 5 days until summer vacation.

Writer's Block

50 More Things...
1. I have an annoying affinity for alliteration.
2. I like to make up or misuse words and conventions, which is somewhat problematic for an English major.
3. Whenever I am at an event and someone is speaking to the crowd, I always nod and smile often as if they are speaking directly, and only, to me.
4. Friday night is pizza night at Casa Wags, and it is a favorite of both the littles and the bigs.
5. It's much harder for me to make friends in my middle age than it was when I was younger, and the whole process is very quickly losing its allure. Less is more I keep reminding myself.
6. I am a touchy feely kind of person.
7. I swear by Aveda lipsticks...they are the best of the best.
8. I'm really into birds right now...on plates, painted on cards, in my yard, in my head.
9. Someday I hope to write a memoir, and I pray it gets published and even purchased.
10. I wish people weren't so selfish. Myself included.
11. It blows my mind that I have a middle schooler. I think 5th grade is too young for middle school, but I also have confidence that everything little thing's gonna be ok. I've learned how to channel my inner Bob Marley.
12. I am not a big risk taker.
13. I have a great deal to learn about blogging. I don't get the formatting on blogger any more. I rarely comment and don't understand the protocol when someone comments on one of my posts. There are many nuances I've got to get a grasp of if I'm going to keep this up.
14. More than anything else...well, almost anything...I wish my house had a roomy screened in porch.
15. I don't know how we ever thrived without the Internet. I still sometimes think it may be our demise...demise of civility that is.
16. I think every one's life has a soundtrack and that everyone should have a theme song for various periods in his/her life. Right now I'm ruminating on a new theme song. TBA.
17. I love reading cooking blogs most of all.
18. Summer is my least favorite season, but I still very much enjoy it.
19. I'm excited for the road trips in our future. I think that seeing the country...the world...is an invaluable gift we can give our children.
20. I absolutely love a good tearjerker and I'm not afraid to bawl through it.
21. I do not camp. Period. Amen.
22. I love dinner parties, but sadly I think they are a lost art. At times, I think I should have come of age in the 50's.
23. It would be nice to be a part of a book club again, but I'm just not sure I know enough serious readers to invite. It's been on my to do list for a couple years now.
24. I don't have a fancy cell phone and I'm not sure I ever will. I'm all about utility (and maybe antiquity).
25. I cannot stand the taste of gin ever since we swigged it straight and warm out out of the bottle before prom in the 80s in J.B.'s pantry.
26. I am not a gardener, but sometimes I really wish I were.
27. I live for the calm before the storm.
28. I have an incredibly hard time saying "no" to anyone except myself and canvassers with divergent politics from my own.
29. Every.Single.Day. I wish I could hit the pause button on my life.
30. I often put my foot in my mouth. Sorry. Please accept my apology.
31. I have always been an observer of life. I have to prod myself to get up and get in. I do it, but it's not always comfortable or natural.
32. Sage words of wisdom that I've always...ALWAYS...carried with me is that in order to grow one must step outside his/her comfort zone. I think that was the wise sounding of Rita Kinsler and it is 100% true.
33. I find that people disappoint me almost everyday, but people amaze me seven days of the week too. I'm working hard to focus on the later and let go of the former.
34. Life would be so much easier lived backwards.
35. The things that bother us in other people are actually the the things that burden us most about ourselves, yet we are often too short-sighted and trapped in denial to see it.
36. I want to fix all problems of all my loved ones and if someone is hurting or down and out I fixate on it. It is a constant, daily battle to let go of their burden and not carry it on my back.
37. I think the best role in the family is Grandma closely followed by Grandpa.
38. I'm going to bare and then bury it here...I am hurt that friends claim reading my blog is invasive. I feel like it is downplaying my role as a writer. If one of my friends had a blog, I would read it often.
39. Robin's eggs are beautiful. There really is no better blue although Tiffany blue is a close runner up.
40. Lulls in life are good. Stop. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Enjoy.
41. I get a rush from the sense of accomplishment I have when all the laundry in the house is done. That almost never happens.
42. Watch Modern Family if you want to laugh loud and hard. It is so worth 30 minutes a week.
43. It is important to always be true...to myself and my loved ones.
44. I often buy a bottle of wine just because I like the label.
45. There are only 5 books that I've started and not finished in the last 20 years. Three are on my bedside table right now. I dust them every week and one day I will finish them.
46. If I were to move, it would be on the outskirts of a quaint town in Northern New England.
47. I have a clock collection on my kitchen wall. It was my Mom's idea, but Jess was the one to give me my first clock. I get more compliments on it than any other decoration in my house.
48. Nothing is better than homemade salad dressing.
49. I think everyone should have a pet. Animals make the house more a home.
50. I dream most every night often about people I've loved and lost.