First, let me just get this out of the way: we still don't know about the mortgage. We should know by the end of this week. It's agony.
That said, this weekend was a time for appreciation.
First, a preview... the kids got their costumes for the dance recital last week. Pictures are this week, and the recital, the 28th.
Most of my delight in their dancing has been trampled and flattened by my stress at taking them there on weekday evenings, I'm afraid. But the recital will sort me out.
Saturday morning I woke up early. I've been doing that a lot lately; the thoughts are flying these days. But I decided to do some meditation while the house was still quiet, which was a good decision. I even got to admire this guy from the window!
After a fairly exhausting Kroger trip, we made an intentional farewell visit to the Price House. This might be my favorite location in Blacksburg. We "discovered" it only two months after moving here, and it's been a constant home for us ever since. I spent most of my maternity leave here, as I recall.
We said goodbye to the taxidermied assembly:
And to the snakes, lizards and turtles...
And to the edge of the chalkboard where you can dimly make out the lines where we used to measure the kids' heights.
The yard has been "our" yard through all the years that we didn't have one of our own. It's a magic place. And we hit it right as the irises were beginning to bloom!
(Lookit this classic 2011 post about the Irises at Price House! More nostalgia.)
Adele literally grew up here. This was the first place I took her after the hospital. It's a perfect place to go when you have an active toddler and a newborn. I just sat in a comfy chair and nursed her, and Miles brought me objects to look at.
Adele at 2 months at Price House
Adele at 1 year, at Price House
Adele at 4.5 years at Price House, with Dr. Mike, who was really her first babysitter, as he used to watch her for me while I went to the bathroom with Miles.
This was the first real lump in my throat, the first realization of how much some things were going to hurt to leave behind.
I'm trying to view these lumps in my throat as an opportunity to be grateful. What a gift the Price House has been to us.
Hold me.
Sunday. Mother's Day. It was a bit frantic, as weekends on my own have been, but I tried to take moments to breathe and appreciate.
Here I am reigning, with my crown (made by Adele) and my badge (made by Miles):
After church, we hit up the Bangkok Cafe for lunch where we were, for most of the meal, the only customers. This restaurant is so under-appreciated. There's a train table in the corner for kid customers to play with. Absolutely perfect. I ate my Panang Curry with joy and satisfaction and (mostly) tranquility.
However, there came a time when they began to argue fiercely over train real estate, so it was time to leave. Home to do some errands and bake Adele's biscuits, and then I decided to pursue a little joy in the evening. I got the kids bathed and packed up dinner into tupperware and we went to Wong Park for a picnic. We facetimed with Papa a bit over dinner, read stories, and then played with abandon!
What an enormous relief to have a brief break from what feels like my primary parenting occupation: trying to control their physical bodies. How marvelous to stop doing that for just a little while!
They were brave. I laughed a lot, and stared at the grass and meditated, and did some quality swinging. And then I got to do a little more of the same the next day, at Miles' school's Mother's Day Tea.
I was a guest of honor with my flower and my placemat and my folder full of Mother's Day crafts and writings. The first 20 minutes was just sipping tea and letting my first grader tell me what he loves about me. Therapy, I tell you.
After this, we got to go outside and play on the playground with our kids. Miles showed me all his usual haunts and brought me up to speed on his physical feats. Then, hand in hand, we went back to Mummy's work, where he did his homework at my desk (or at least, he did half of it. Did you know some first graders are adding and subtracting double-digit numbers??).
I'm one lucky parent.
This badge. This moment. Sunday morning he had me open the customized wrapping he'd created (he made it in his room on Saturday) and said, "Mummy, this is for you to wear, because you are a superhero for making it three weeks without Papa."
We have begun week three without this guy at home:
He did come home for a brief spell, that first weekend. However, since he was presenting all day Friday at a conference and working for half of Saturday, it was really only enough time to enjoy a little quality time (and to send him grocery shopping for us to save me a trip with the kids) and he was off again.
We've been enjoying our last weekends by doing some classic Blacksburg stuff, like participating in public library events.
Sleeping in (Jon took the Saturday morning shift), and waking up to green-soaked dewy morning views. I'll miss moisture.
And hitting up the playground. Jon came with us on Sunday afternoon.
Both kids showed us new feats. And then it was off on another week.
That afternoon, I rolled up my sleeves and started doing some intense and mediocre cooking. I made Sunday, Monday and Tuesday dinners, and packaged up Monday's & Tuesday's so that dance nights could be a little smoother than week one.
In all, I have to say, things are looking up. I say that cautiously, since we still don't have the result of our mortgage application. But other things, everyday things, they are improving.
We had smooth nights and smooth mornings. Last Monday's scare because the daycare employee who picks up the kids was in the ER amounted to nothing more than one little bump in my Monday. She recovered to pick up the kids every time (twice a day) for the rest of the week.
Adele's fever that she randomly spiked Monday night (just to raise my blood pressure) disappeared Tuesday morning.
I got my parking ticket remitted.
And Saturday morning, I took both kids to the grocery store and there were NO major incidents to advertise to fellow shoppers the benefits of childlessness.
We are on the up.
In the evenings, I treat myself to some Nintendo, or (more recently) to BBC mini-serieses which I know Jon will not consent to watch.
This is good for my self-esteem in these stressful weeks.
I'm still treasuring up the chances to drop Adele off at preschool; Jon has done this all year long, and now I get to spend more time with Adele and get to really know her morning routine at preschool.
She proudly shows me her art...
I have watched the class tadpoles grow legs and enjoyed spotting Spicy Taco, the class hamster, every morning.
She's my favorite magical creature to care for:
Miles loves his school. Dropping him off is a joy because he just leaps out of the car and strides in. I hope he keeps his confidence next year, at a new school.
We attended Healthy Kids day on Saturday, in the gloomy drizzle.
It might have been more magical than last year's. All the energy I have been trying to direct and corral and discipline all week just got to run wild. They wore themselves out at the obstacle courses and bounce house and games. Just so much joy and play all over the place. I smiled almost the whole time.
Pretending to be firefighters.
Miles did bubble art for probably 30 minutes straight.
We're marching, climbing Jacob's ladder.
Brothers and sisters all.
Our documents are all in for the mortgage. It hurts to admit how much we are depending on this going through. Please pray.
I like to make a contingency plan for my contingency plans, so you know I'm uncomfortable. But this week has taught me a little more about flowing and abiding and not worrying that each negative will progressively worsen. I downloaded Tub Thumping to turn on whenever I need it.
I am learning to trust that I will have what I need, when I need it.
You probably noticed the blog's been a bit quieter than usual. That's because life's been a little louder than usual, and blogging couldn't be a priority.
Jon left for DC on Sunday afternoon. Although he's with us for a day or so now, when he's not in Roanoke at a conference, he'll be leaving again Sunday for 3 more weeks.
The daycare situation is going smoothly as far as the kids being safely brought there every day. But they're not coping all that well. Adele is particularly affected. It probably doesn't help we've been getting to bed later than usual. All the evening routines are bumped forward since I'm on my own. But we're getting through. I have some ideas to make next week smoother. We'll make it.
This is the first day I've had even a moment to think about blogging. So enjoy some pictures of two weeks ago! We woke up to this on April the 9th:
God thinks he's funny.
Anyway, it didn't throw off our groove! Robert Randolph and the Family Band still played their long-anticipated show at 8, and our babysitter was on time.
That show rejuvenated us so much. Jon & I used to go to Robert Randolph shows in college and before kids, so this was an excellent way to celebrate 10 years of marriage. I might have danced on stage... I might have danced myself shaky for hours...
Hope you like pictures of gorgeous musicians!!
His theatrics were unreal. Anyway, it was a much-needed night of pure good feelings. It felt more like church than most church. Thanks be to God.
Speaking of church, though, I do love the Eastertide banners in the Children's Chapel:
In other news, I spent about a week in a sling! After returning to work on Monday the 11 I noticed tingling and pain shooting down my arm, and centered (apparently) in my shoulder. The next day I could barely use my left arm, which made captioning... difficult.
I survived. Did you know there's an osteopathic doctor's office on VT's campus? He looked me over and proclaimed "cervical radiculitis" to be the matter and sent me home to apply warm compresses and with a PT guide and exercise strap.
I'm in waaaay better shape this week, again, thanks be to God!
Last Friday was Bring Your Child to Graduate School Day! Miles prefers to go to first grade than to be a tagalong with me, but Adele was all for a day on campus.
She even rode the bus in with me.
There was a parade, a picnic, and speeches by people at the university who are working to increase affordable childcare options for graduate student families.
here she's decorating campus with her mere presence <3 td="">
She loved feeling like a big shot, meeting Mummy's professors and hanging out in the office. I loved being able to spend more time with my baby. She revealed her most current career aspiration to me: she wants to "fix light-bulbs." That's right, I'm the parent of a future electrician! We've got it made!
After a day of quality time with my daughter, I got to get some in with my son that evening. It was boys' night out at the elementary school!
The DJ-ed event had dancing, carnival games, a bounce house, and his favorite teachers to hug. I love having a kid who hugs his teachers and wants me at his school dance.
I watched him whip and nae nae, I watched him boogie to Uptown Funk, and he and I led off on the cha-cha slide, real smooth.
He can go ahead and take his time growing up. I like six!
Last Saturday was the 3.2 for 32, the 5K to commemorate the 32 students and faculty lost to violence in 2007. This is my third year doing it, and my last as a townie, so it was really meaningful I got to run it. The entire family came:
Miles had a sweet encounter with the Hokie Bird
Unfortunately for Jon, who was going to walk with the kids, Miles kind of freaked out at the starting line and they ended up just walking around on the drillfield until I made it to the final stretch. These kids need to get some training in before we attempt a 5K again!
I had a great time, despite that my list running excursion of more than .5 miles was last year's race. But I came armed with a Beyonce workout playlist on spotify, which was more than enough to keep me running the whole time, and even helped me gradually pick up my pace until the kids met me for the final sprint.
The weather was gorgeous, and the band was playing, and it was an all around great day to be a Hokie.
Sunday, we spent a couple of hours at the International Fair. I think this is our third year in a row at that festival (I'm kind of a creature of tradition and ritual).
Adele got henna-ed at the Muslim Students Association table.
We had Turkish and Saudi food and played dreidel and got the kids' names written in Arabic and played with Chinese dance fans.
As usual, it was a feast for the senses.
This week. It's been a predominantly successful campaign, with a few... bumps.
I had a disastrous trip to Kroger when we ran out of bread. I was late a couple of times to pick up the kids due to parking mishaps and traffic. I missed garbage day. I got a parking ticket the one day I forgot to use my daily pass.
But, the kids were fed, and they slept, and they got to school on time every day, and I came to work (at the pre-established time) every day, and I laughed at the kids' jokes (sometimes) and I read to them and never once left the stove top on. Victories, all.
I have really enjoyed taking Adele to preschool, more than I expected to. We get there early and soak up some sunshine...
And I've met the class hamster and seen the class tadpoles. There have been gifts to this solo-parenting season.
Pray for us, friends. We are in mortgage purgatory. There was a miscalculation, and a mistake, and a misunderstanding, and the result is we have to go about applying for a mortgage in a different way if we want this house. Which we do. We've had it inspected and it's OUR HOUSE now, as far as I'm concerned. So pray for us. This semester brought every curve ball it could carry and we're getting tired.
