Little Tiny Mia

I just watched an episode of Parenthood where the daughter is accepted into her college of choice and I just got so sad thinking about Mia going away to college some day. I know it's still 8 years away, but we've already passed the half way point. She has less time left with us than she's been with us and that is so totally depressing. I don't know how anyone ever let's their kid walk out the door and go away to college. I'm so happy to be a home schooling mom right now and any time I think about how short and precious the time I have with my little kiddos is. There are definitely many moments (and let's be honest, days and phases) that are incredibly frustrating, but weigh that against the vast amount of joy I've been given with each of their smiles and giggles and there is just no contest. Each challenge they present me with is just a chance for me to learn and to grow. Every day brings a new opportunity for me to be my best self for them. I fail and I fail and I fail and they still love me completely and unconditionally. If ever we need an example of true love we need only to look at our children and how they love us.

It's hard to believe that in just a few months Mia is going to be ten. An entire decade of life. She is my sunshine.

Dang Parenthood always making me emotional. That show is so good.

Gaga's Visit Part 1

Gaga and David came in the day after Christmas and it was wonderful to have some family with us at Christmas time.

They got in around noon on Monday and we went straight to Chipotle to pick up some lunch before grabbing Shelby from his office and heading home to eat and open the presents the kids had been drooling over. We took the rest of the day pretty easy as Gaga and David were pretty exhausted after getting up at 3:30 to catch a 6AM flight out here.

Kids with their traditional giant gingerbread men from Gaga

Tuesday we watched Claire's kids for her so she could get her house cleaned up for her company that was coming in on Wednesday. Once she was done cleaning she took all the kids for a walk down the street for some pizza.

On Wednesday we got up and drove over to the train to ride into Boston. Gaga had never been on a subway before and the kids always think it's exciting to ride the train into town. We had lunch at Quincy Market and then started on the Freedom Trail. We started out at The Old State House where The Boston Massacre happened then headed out toward Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church. We stopped at a really old cemetery that none of us had ever been to before. Most of the graves were from the 1700's and a lot of the people didn't even live past their 30's. We curved back around and walked down Canal Street where Shelby worked the first three years we were here. We finished at the New England Holocaust Monument before getting back on the train and heading home.

On the train home from Boston the kids sat with David and played angry birds.

In front of Paul Revere's house

We dropped off Lennon and David at home while Gaga, Mia and I went to use Mia's gift card at Justice. We made it home just in time to pick everyone up and make it to our dinner reservation at a Tapas Restaurant in Somerville, called Dali. It was a first experience for everyone except for Shelby and me and everyone had fun. Lennon wanted us to all have a parade after leaving the restaurant all the way to the car, and everyone agreed. I wish I could have been one of the people stopped at the intersection to see four adults and two kids playing pretend instruments and singing while marching across the street to the sidewalk and to our car. We all had fun, but Lennon said the music was not to his satisfaction.

Our table at Dali

Thursday morning we went to a matinee of the new Chipmunk movie, Alvin and The Chipmuncks: Chipwrecked. The kids were both mesmerized, especially Lennon. Gaga and David mostly slept through it and I was less than impressed. Both kids agreed that they liked it much better than the new Muppets movie, which I thought was tragic because I loved the new Muppets movie. Oh well. Thursday night Dusty got here and we put him in Mia's room. And, because we gave Lennon's room to Gaga and David, it meant that we were now all four in our room for the remainder of the visit. Lennon mostly slept on a pallet on the floor and Mia doesn't kick and move like she used to so it was kind of nice to be all snuggly with the kids for a couple of nights.

Friday we played lots of games and hung around the house, went to exchange some French instructions that came in one of the games Gaga gave us for English instructions so that we could figure out how to play it, but mostly just relaxed.

Saturday morning we went out to brunch at our favorite spot, Full Moon Cafe in Cambridge. It was far less busy than we had ever seen it which allowed us to linger over the meal and not feel rushed to let them seat someone else at our table. After brunch we dropped everyone off and Gaga and I went to do the shopping for the New Years Eve celebration we were having with the Lima's that night. It was super low key. I had promised the boys that I would play this game called Castle Panic with them and it ended up taking more than an hour to play one game and by then it was about time to ring in the new year on Rio de Janiero time. The kids all toasted with their hot cocoa and went off to bed after throwing lots of streamers around the living room and blowing lots of horn blasts. The adults then played a super silly, fun game called Quelf. At one point in the game Shelby had to pretend to be riding an Ostrich around a beached whale, but could not tell us what his card said to do. Claire's mom had to lie down under the kitchen table for a whole round. Dusty had to wear a bicycle helmet for the last half of the game. Very silly game and we almost missed ringing in the new year because we were so wrapped up in it.

The kids slept in until about 8:30 the next day thankfully since we were all up until after 1. We had another day of just hanging out and playing games. After dinner the kids went to bed and Dusty had a friend of Dusty's came over to watch the sad Cowboy game. Gaga and I tried to stay awake through the game, I sort of made it.

Monday Gaga got up super early with the kids and hung out with them before having to get dressed and head to the airport. Mia cried her eyes out at the airport while Lennon shouted, smiling, "I love you guys! See you later!"

Thanks for an awesome visit Gaga and David!

Funny moment this morning: Lennon was getting his socks and David was questioning why he needed two socks, just to mess with him. Lennon replied finally, "Everyone needs two socks. What are you, a flamingo?"

David showing Lennon how to tighten up our new table legs if they get wabbly again. He also did a few other handy man jobs around the house including fixing my armoir that the doors were falling off of and replacing a head light on our car that had been out for a while. Thank you David!