A Wild Party!!!

The wildest bunch of all!!!

Nick had a wild 5th birthday party complete with his requested game of Pin the Claws on the Komodo Dragon and a parade of fun creatures! When I came up with the idea of doing a live animal show for his party, I was so excited; I couldn't think of a more perfect event for Nick. But, he was totally resistant to the idea. Mark had every confidence that he would love it, so we should book it anyway. And you know, what? He did love it! Turns out, it was the talk of the daycare on Monday!

We used a group call Animal Quest and they brought a great variety of critters including an African Pygmy Hedgehog, ferret, tortoise, monitor lizard, baby Burmese python, guinea pig (the biggest one I've ever seen!), Patagonian Cavy (look it up--a cousin to the guinea pig NOT the kangaroo BTW), Flemish giant rabbit , chinchilla, and a giant African bull frog. It was pretty awesome! Not just because of the animals, but because it also kept the kiddos fairly quiet and attentive for 45 minutes of the party. 

And boy did we need those 45 minutes of relative peace, because the wildest animals of the day were the kids! At one point Mark and I just left them all in the basement and said, "Let it go. Survival of the fittest now."

It was a great party to celebrate our Little Buddy's big milestone. I'm still in disbelief that he'll be five years old in just two days. Someone get the tissues...

The dragon turned out great...

...but, Nick totally missed the mark!
(But, had so much fun doing it!)

Baby Albino Burmese Python

Giant African Bull Frog

Monitor Lizard

Book Worm

I try really, really hard to let my kids be their own people and follow their own paths.When Lainey didn't take to dance, I shrugged and moved on. When she showed no interest in clothes or shopping, I sighed with relief (I loved shopping in my youth, but HATE it as an adult). But, if she'd hated reading, I think my soul would have been crushed.

Fortunately, she's turning out to be as big of a book worm as me. Of course we read every night, but she's also been reading in bed when she wakes up early (a delight for me in soooo many ways!)  and will read after breakfast if she has extra time. Friday morning, I caught her walking down the stairs while reading her book--not the safest choice, but it gave me a thrill to see her so enthralled. It's almost too much for me to take! So many books that I want to share with her rush through my mind; it's hard to pace myself. I get giddy imagining the future when we can swap book recommendations and talk through our favorite reads.

It will be fun to see if a particular genre or author calls to her. I remember in my late elementary/early middle school years I was an avid mystery and horror story reader. I think I had every R.L. Stein and Christopher Pike book ever written. In high school, I fell in love with Jane Austen and the Brontes. College brought me "she-does-no-wrong" Toni Morrison and an appreciation for Hemingway. 

I do hope she develops a love for the good stuff. I can't lie and say I wouldn't be disappointed if the only books on her shelf were pop fiction (which has its place, but...). But, that is a worry for another day. For now, my heart bursts with joy! Read on, dear Lainey, read on!

Surprise Breakfast!

Another special Saturday in the Brandi Books! The kids surprised us with a late wake-up (7:15 AM -- woohoo!) on Saturday along with a beautifully decorated living room and a delicious breakfast of peanut butter toast and a huge plate of Girl Scout cookies (well played, children, well played). Mark's was accompanied by a glass of grapefruit juice and mine with a glass of water--this probably touched my heart the most, because it showed they know the small details about us. Dad drinks juice in them mornings; mom doesn't. We are thankful they didn't attempt coffee, however.

I was very proud of Mark for not freaking out over the scotch tape the kids used to hang up the banner over the fireplace. He started for it, but managed to pull himself back. (And it all turned out fine! I replaced the scotch tape with painters tape once breakfast was over and the thrill of the moment had tempered).



It was such a sweet moment, I got a little teary. It's hard watching them grow up so fast, but it's also so fun and makes me so proud to see what great little humans they are turning out to be! Best breakfast I've ever had!

Decorations by Lainey!

 

TV trays out and breakfast is served!

Clearly we couldn't eat all of these on our own!

Mark may have gotten juice, but I got a clementine!

 

Quiet Moments

I don't know about you, but the start of 2018 has been a killer for us. We've been overscheduled, overstimulated, overtired, and just over it in general. I'll be the first to admit that a large portion of the mania has been self-inflicted and certainly hasn't been without fun moments, but the go-go-go has taken its toll nonetheless.

So, on Saturday, when I found us snuggled together, post-early-morning-sledding adventure, I captured it. We stayed in our PJs, skipped Nick's soccer class, and forgot about the chores. For two blissful hours, we watched the Olympics, drank coffee and hot chocolate, and let ourselves just be. Wow! Did we ever need those two hours!

I almost didn't take the photo. I'm trying to focus on being in the moments versus taking record of them. But, I really wanted to remember this morning. I need reminders to slow down. I need reminders that quiet moments on the couch are important. I need reminders that, in the mad rush to ensure we're feeding their minds and bodies, we also need to make sure we're feeding their souls. And when my gratitude cup gets low and I feel frustrated and overburdened, I need reminders that we are beyond privileged to be able to enjoy these simple, tender moments.

Nick Says... Installment 2

My Funny Guy

Things are busy as always, and I haven’t been particularly in the mood to write, so I thought perhaps it’s time for another installment of “Nick Says.” I’m getting slightly better at writing down the magic that comes out of this kid’s mouth. Below are some gems from the recent weeks.  Again, I will never be able to do them justice on paper, but it won’t stop me from trying!

Interesting interpretation of the question…

Mark: Are you tough?

Nick: Well, I’m hard to bite into. 

 

Strange comment, but I’m sure he’s right…

(Holding a cold compress to his eye)

“It’s not helping. And even if I put a pterodactyl on it, it won’t help.”

 

Oh, Buddy...

“Oh man. Who left their meat down here [in the basement]?”

It was just a box of Ziploc bags with meat on the cover.

 

Usually the answer is “yes,” but this time it was just shoes...

Nick:  Where did Daddy go?

Me:  He went to look at something really quick.
Nick:  Because he’s an engineer?

 

Evidently, naughty elves look out for their own…

“I know why Santa still brought me presents. Because he sent a naughty elf to watch me.”

 

Always a helpful planner…

“Mommy, let’s stop worrying about the party at my house. Because I’m probably going to change my mind about having the party at my house.”

 

Moral questions over bacon…

"That pig was delicious! Daddy, was the pig bad and deserved to die?"

 

At least he understands where his food comes from…

Nick: Where is the mommy chicken?

Me: The chicks don’t need her; they have this incubator.

Nick: Did someone eat her for dinner?

So, I Marched

Kat and I raising our voices!

"Feminism is for everybody" ―bell hooks

 I participated in the Chicago Women’s March on Saturday.  We were 300,000 strong!

I know that walking a mile in downtown Chicago isn’t a magic wand. We didn’t wake up on Sunday to a new world of racial and gender equality. We didn’t smash the glass ceiling or even silence that damn Twitter account.

But…

Marches strengthen communities. Marches start conversations. Marches ignite calls to action. And just because we’ve come a long way, doesn’t mean we don’t have even longer to go.

So, I marched.

Welcome 2018!

After a whirlwind three weeks of traveling and celebrating, I finally feel like I have my feet back under me. The decorations are packed away. The indulgent treats are gone (almost). And just the general excess of it all has faded back into normalcy. Which, for a Type A like me, feels really, really good.

But, before the holidays slip away into warm memories past, I would be remiss not to post about Anderson Christmas/New Year’s in Chicago. We survived the deep freeze, but it did keeps us rather confined, so the kids were really going wild by the end of the visit. I think I probably should have given everyone Advil for Christmas this year. Soooooo loud (although Grandpa and the Uncles own some of the culpability for that—evidently noisy toys were all that were in stock)!

New Year’s was a quiet evening at the house. We let the kids do a Netflix countdown around 8:30 p.m. Dad and Sharon headed back to the hotel early and (maybe?) did the final countdown there. The rest of us barely made it to the Chicago midnight, although Chris and Sean get a little pass since they’re on eastern time.

Thanks for all the patience and entertaining provided by Grandpa, Sharon, and the Uncles. We all love you, but the kids especially adore having you around. When it was time for Sean and Chris to leave for the airport, Nick ran to the basement crying and refused to say “goodbye,” because he thought that meant they would have to stay. We got him to come around with the promise that it wasn’t a “goodbye”—just a “see you a little later.”

I hope all had wonderful celebrations and are settling into 2018! May it bring us joy, health, and love!