A picture of a picture

Now this is what a Santa picture is supposed to look like.

Mary's in the house

At this rate, I may manage one post per month. Stifled. That's all I can say.

Moving on. Julia was chosen to play Mary for her school Christmas pageant, and let's just say she relished her part. Her bunny was continually swaddled, and she roped a stuffed duck into playing Joseph. She practiced her part all the time. I can't say that her behavior was very Mary like; in fact, she was pretty much a diva by the time the performance came. Well, I should clarify that she was a diva with Craig and me, but a perfect ANGEL to her teachers. You cannot imagine how many times I was told what a perfect Mary she was and how much she deserved to play the part. Sigh. I only wish her teachers didn't give that praise within her earshot. Next she'll be asking us to move to LA to jump-start her acting career.

Still, Craig and I hurried to the church to get good seats for her performance, and it was absolutely priceless. To see her swaddle the baby doll, oh, it was too much. Afterwards she heard from at least ten other people about her perfect portrayal of Mary. She'll be playing that part for a at least another couple of months. Below are pictures I took (Craig also shot video so the grandparents can get the full experience later).

Our bunny

Just days before Halloween Julia's school celebrated a Noah's Ark Fall Festival where children were instructed to dress as animals. Last year, the first year for the festival, we dodged the event. I was knee deep in costumes, and the idea that I would have to come up with another one was not palatable. In my mind, this time of the year is for Halloween, but I live in a place where Halloween makes some people squeamish (neither Grace nor Julia's school celebrates the holiday). Then again, I'm clearly a square peg in Macon's round hole, so no surprises that a Noah's Ark festival in place of Halloween makes me feel a bit squeamish.

Given that Julia is four (and far more tuned in) there was no way we could skip another year, and really, I didn't want her to miss out on the fun (even if I was grouchy about the idea of a second costume). I also didn't want her to miss out on being Princess Leia though, so we would have to get another costume. Thankfully, two things happened: 1) Julia wanted to be a bunny and 2) Craig offered to go out and buy the costume (bunny ears and a tail).

I have to admit she made an adorable bunny. And she had a really great time (even better for me, her dad accompanied her).

Pain in the neck.

Lit-er-ally. The last ten days have been about pain, more pain, and even more pain in my neck. How it started is still unclear. Was it craning my neck to talk to a friend at a restaurant? Was the workout I did the night before too strenuous? It doesn't matter. What I know is that a week from last Thursday, I felt a searing pain light a fire from my neck into the base of my skull. A thinking person, a practical person would have slowed down, taken a break, but not me. I had school shopping to do, and a birthday party to plan. I wouldn't take a break, so my neck gave me the finger and made me slow down. It enlisted my shoulder and upper arm to go on strike. I couldn't move easily or well. I spent a lot of time lying on the floor until Craig said, "you really have to go to the doctor."

Which brings us to today, a full three days after I crawled in to see a doctor, and the drugs she prescribed have finally brought me some relief. I don't have to lie down every ten minutes, hooray! Cervical sprain is the term the doctor used, though I could have cared less. I cared about the words "muscle relaxant" and "pain killer."

But enough about me. There were other important things going on in our lives, like...



the first day of school.

Both girls are doing well. Grace likes her teacher and her teacher likes her. WIN. On Julia's second day, she brought home this gem, "You get what you get, and you don't pitch a fit", which really only works if you say "get" like "git." That's my Georgia peach.

All in all, life is okay. My neck will be alright. My freelance job will get done (damn you neck). And we'll prepare ourselves for the next unexpected twist (I put my money on a kid getting sick).

mix tape

In lieu of photos, which are trapped in my camera, let me share some highlights.

Number 1. The birthday.
Imagine you're at a sporting event, the crowd is eager to see the champion crowned. The PA crackles, "Announcing, our phenomenal four year old, Julia Byron." The crowd cheers.

Reporters surround the champ, "Julia, do you feel like you're four?"

With a slightly stunned expression on her face, she replies. "Um, no, I don't feel like I'm four."

And there you have it, Julia's fourth birthday. I'm happy to report that the following day she started to feel "a little bit four" and the day after that pronounced that, indeed, she feels Four Years Old!

She (and Grace) were extremely surprised when my parents arrived on her big day. They had guessed nearly every other relative (Uncle Paul, Aunt Wendy, Cousins Anne and Whitney, Quentin and David), and they were ecstatic that Grandma and Grandpa drove for three whole days to get here. We had a wonderful time, but like most events where I am intimately involved in the preparations, there are very few photos. Typical.

Number 2. A word for summer.
Last year, the word was "travel" or maybe "camping" and this year it will be "sorbet" (and later "Yooper"). If you haven't noticed the weather channel, then perhaps you don't know that it's REALLY EFFING HOT down here. 100 yesterday. 101 today. I'm not happy. Yes, we're going to the pool almost every day, but the pool is starting to feel like warm backwash. For sanity and happiness, I'm combatting this heat wave with homemade sorbet: watermelon, cherry, strawberry, YUM. At some point my love affair with sorbet will end and then I will cling to my next summer word, Yooper. We'll be headed north to the itty-bitty town of my childhood next month. One week with family where we'll celebrate (early) my parents 50th wedding anniversary.

Number 3. Speaking of anniversaries.
It's number ten for us on June 30th. Months ago, as I contemplated No. 10, thoughts of a romantic weekend away flitted across my mind. Then reality set in, so we adjusted expectations and plans. The Byrons of Georgia will spend a week together in the mountains of South Carolina (with a cabin on a lake). My sister, who hasn't yet experienced the joys of coordinating romance when you have children, was slightly horrified that we are taking Grace and Julia along. As I described Betsy's response to Craig one evening, Grace interrupted "But Mom, Grandma and Grandpa are taking their kids with them on their anniversary."

Right you are, Grace. We're going to have a blast.

So that's us. It's hot. I'm cranky, but we have sorbet and plans for lots of fun. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Cat wearing glasses.

This kind of stuff makes me happy.

Dad and daughter

They'll be back again next season

If it weren't for these two...

Our holidays would have been more miserable, probably totally unbearable.

Thankful, I am, for these little mites. In case you didn't know, happiness can be siphoned directly from their squeals.

Practice makes perfect

I constantly find little scraps of paper with the five letters, J-U-L-I-A, written on them.

Christmas is like being pregnant

In that I nest. I take on large home projects late in November and early December in anticipation of the big event. I feel a sense of urgency, a requirement if you will, to feather my nest. This year, clearly, I was shortsighted when I prodded my husband into doing this. Mid-job the rain came, followed in short order by cold temperatures (in the 20's! This is Georgia. Cold isn't allowed until January).

For the second It's December Let's Re-Do Something Project, we took on the kitchen floor. Well, I should say, not we, but Steve, because we were smart enough to hire someone else. Checkers, anyone?



And finally, just to round things out with a little more stress, I've commenced repainting all the trim and baseboards (hideous, I tell you, the scuffs, the unknown permanently adhered substances, a mess!). My timing, being poor, coincided with another hacking cold for Julia, so I'm painting with a wee bear at my side, sniffling. Her illness also meant she missed decorating a gingerbread house at school (the tears), and the director called to tell me gingerbread supplies were waiting for us. We rallied (kitchen trim done), and managed to construct a spiffy dwelling.



If only I looked that cute while sick. Back to the trim (while my little bear sleeps).

Daddy's Family by Julia

(L-R) Baby Craig, Grammy, Poppy, and Little Uncle Mike

Pilgrim on Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. I'm still stuffed.

Pictured above is Julia singing a song at preschool. That white thing on her head was supposed to be a pilgrim's bonnet.

Post 1 of the day: Cuteness Overload

Julia's preschool class celebrated Thanksgiving today, complete with a feast and costumes. According to Julia she was a "native amerwican."

Hand holding

Julia is a tender person, so much so that she can hardly get through a meal without a request to hug or hold hands. She's done this for as long as we can remember.

Sheriff

I won't say I'm blocked because that statement assumes I'm a writer. I'm not. I blog. In the past I blogged a lot. Now, not so much. While I decide what I'm doing here--and whether or not I still have anything to blog about--I've combed my photo archives. Meet the new sheriff.

Halloween 2010

Introducing...


Word Girl and Sacajawea

Every year when October rolls around my office turns into a sewing room, as I madly try to complete costumes the girls have chosen. Not surprisingly, each year they get a little more complicated. Thankfully, my sewing capabilities have improved over time. I doubt I could have handled Sacajawea five years ago.

Though October turned out to be a crunch month for us, I enjoyed these projects, and what's more, the girls were absolutely thrilled with the results. Word girl has flown around our neighborhood a number of times (not only on Halloween), and Sacajawea will be worn for years to come (Julia's called dibs for Halloween 2012). We put them to use too--trick or treating on Saturday with Grace's buddy, Noah, and scaring the animals at Zoo Atlanta's Boo at the Zoo on Sunday. Now we're all worn out.

We hope you all had a great Halloween (and it's Halloween, people, not Fall Fest or Harvest Fest, as so many of my more religiously minded neighbors might tell you). Enjoy the pictures and video.

Unexpected

Tonight at dinner Julia announced that she wants a princess computer for Christmas. This started a longer conversation about who wants what, and from whom. As Grace prepared to tell us her wants, Julia piped up:

"Are Mommy and Daddy Santa Claus?"

Craig looked at me out of the corner of his eye, and I could see the words "DIvert, divert!" crossing his mind. We talked right over her and pretended she hadn't uttered a word.

This is a question I would expect from Grace. I know we're on borrowed time with her, as far as Santa Claus goes anyway. I never imagined Julia would be the first to ask.

Cue my tears

It was Julia's first day in her 3K class. It was a good thing Aunt Betsy was here--I would have moped around all morning without her. Julia walked in to class and hardly turned her head to say goodbye. We had to ask for hugs. What am I going to do with myself now.

The first memory of the day

"Good Morning, Sweetheart, Happy Birthday."

"Mommy, am I three now?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Does this mean I'm not two anymore?"

"Yes, baby, you're not two anymore."

"Oh."

Big smile creeps across her face. She stretches out her arms to hug me around the neck.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, kiddo."

Cue the tears.