Thursday, June 16, 2011

Happy Birthday, Son of Mine

Happy First Birthday Jamesy! It's been a great year and we're looking forward to more giggles and good times in the years to come.



We love you!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Like Mother Like Son?



I think James may resemble my side of the family...

(yeah, that's me lookin like a boy in the yellow sleeper)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Home Life

It's 5:36

The house is a mess.

There are flies buzzing around my head as I type because Monica left the door open.

I went to put expensive professional pics into a frame and found them mangled on the floor by the pint-sized subject of aforementioned photos.

Monica started whining for the 37th time that she wanted Daddy to come home.

I snapped and, while pacing anxiously about my toy littered house, said, rather rudley, that Daddy will be home when he gets home and not a minute sooner.

Then,

"Want a raisin, Mama?"

And, with a little dried fruit and a smile, all the stress melts and you realize what really matters.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Date Night

Last night Monica and Kevin went to their first Daddy Daughter Dance at our parish. It was a sock hop so they got all decked out in their finest 50s attire. Monica talked about the dance all day leading up to it and loved (nearly) every moment.

According to Kevin, Monica can burn the floor with her dancing skills. She kept asking to go out onto the dance floor, but if Kevin held her, she arched her back and tried to jump out of his arms. If he held her hand, she went dead weight and crumpled to the floor. If he let her dance on her own, as she preferred, she would twirl a few times, sit down with her feet and bum in the air, roll over to her belly and keep rolling. Kevin did a demo for me and I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Needless to say, that didn't last long with a lot of other little girls and their dads trying to dance. But hey, to a two year old, the whole floor is up for grabs, right?



Making the poodle skirt and sending Monica and Kevin off on their date brought back a lot of fond memories for me. I went to Daddy Daughter events with my dad as a little girl and it was truly special. One of my date nights with my dad at our church was a sock hop as well. I know there's a picture out there to prove it, but I have yet to hunt it down. If I find it, I'll post it.

I'm so glad that Monica has a father who is willing to spend time with her, even if that time involves a whole lot of spilled lemonade and disruptive dancing. A close, loving relationship with a father is so important. Kevin is helping Monica to build a foundation for her relationships with boys and men throughout her entire life, a foundation that will help her to make wise choices in friendships, dating, and possibly marriage. Through him, she will learn what it means to be loved and respected by men. Granted, there are other factors in how Monica will relate to men later in life, but the father-daughter relationship is key. And, in my opinion, Monica is one blessed little lady to have such a loving, attentive, and patient father. Thanks for being a great dad, Kev!

And thanks to Maureen and Jen for helping me with the poodle skirt. It totally made the evening that much more special for Monica.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Grand Rapids: Alive and Well

In January, Mainstreet.com ranked the top 10 dying citites, with Grand Rapids, MI coming in at #10. Grand Rapidsites were not pleased with the distinction so they put together a video in one continuous shot featuring thousands of people lip syncing to Don McClean's American Pie. Roger Ebert called it the greatest music video ever made. Choreographing thousands of people cheerleadering, marrying, ballroom dancing, kayaking, playing football and riding helicoptors is a feat, but the video also boasts the world record for the most people lip syncing. Maybe G-Rap isn't dying out after all!