Summer Loveliness

I loooooove Summer?
Have I mentioned this before?
You know...
My girlies and I are beach bums.
The smell of sunblock is welcome in my house.
I spend the Winter months pining for the warmth of the sun and the bloom of flowers.
I savor every moment in my garden...the dirty nails, rough knees, hardening callouses all resulting in LOVELINESS.
Pops of color and natural, mix and match textures run rampant in my little patches of art-space...
...I mean garden!
Well...La dee da.
They really are one in the same. Art mimics life. Life is art.
Wouldn't it be nice if everything were this simple?

The local waters and oceans of the South Shore have been blissful.
It amazes me that the entire family can spend three hours wave jumping with out realizing that time has passed so quickly.
Maybe this is a sign that we should stop wishing for a Hawaiian vacation and just move there!

Just imagine...
Walking out of the classroom or office, popping on a bathing suit or better yet already having it on under your clothes...
...hopping into the car.
...grabbing the kids.
...driving a few minutes to a local shore.
...throw the boards into the water and GO!
...temperature of 80.
EVERY DAY!!!!
ALL YEAR ROUND!!!


I'd happily settle for it!
Sounds rough doesn't it?!

The above mentioned niceties are many of the reasons why I love Long Island.
I can travel North or South and plant myself in the sand, on a beautiful shore.
My girls are fish.
They are self taught divers, flippers, tumblers and back flippers.
It comes as second nature.
It makes me so happy to watch them play in the surf, build a sand creature or boogie board with friends and family.

These are my childhood beaches.
My mother and her friends splashed in these same waters with me as a little girl.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are with my Mom at the beach.
...floating around on the huge green and white inflatable chair for hours.
...swim lessons (including never ending laps)
...wearing my Mom's very fashionable, floppy hats and visors.
...collecting shells, drift wood and beach glass.
--Taking pleasure, knowing that my Mom would surely turn them into something decorative in the future.

As a mother I am compelled to pass this joy on.
A tradition of warm, fuzzy beach memories to be cherished by a new generation of young women.
--My little ladies.

Is it silly of me to sit here at midnight by the light of my daughter's fish tank and get weepy?

I am.
I feel a little silly but there's another tear.
We parents are so blessed to be able to share such a great wealth of gifts with our children...
Here I go again. We are so lucky. So very lucky.

The next time I butt heads with one of my stubborn little ladies (-which has been happening often lately. I attribute this to the fact that we are alike. ) I will make a point to think of this moment and
 "let it slide."
Maybe even take another ride to the shore.
It's so easy to get caught up in "all that is beach."

The Hunger Games and "Crashing"

I've been trying to regain the habit of getting up early in the morning. I desperately need to continue my "teacher schedule" rather than become a creature of the night. I'm fighting this urge with every cell of my body.
In reality I am a night owl.

The Mission: Go to Bed by 11:30 with the hubby.
Status: Failure


Here's how it went down...


Addi unexpectedly stayed up late. Since she's hit the double digits she insists on doing more "grown up" things. I think that this is really cool. I'm impressed by her efforts to make her bed, clean her room unprompted (yes, you read correctly...no nagging), allow me uninterrupted sleep into the late morning hours ( 9:00 am...This is amazing!) and be kinder to her younger sisters (this too, is awesome!). She wants a degree of separation between herself and her younger siblings.
I get it.
I only wish that there were more hours in the evening so that Jim and I could afford some alone time.
We three curled up on the couch and watched some late night tv while sucking on ice pops.
There's nothing sweeter than a late night sugar free pop! ...or three!!
We assumed that Addi would pass out like so many nights before.
Her determination kept her up.
--Late nights with Mom and Dad can be checked off of the Addison Bucket List.
Jim turned in and I was left with my peppy ten year old.
I was drained... ready to hit the pillows.
Why wasn't she?

I had done my Mama best to exhaust them today.
I suppose three out of four isn't such a bad tally.
Yes, that was a four count for tonight.
-Best buddy Stephie slept over.
She and Gracie happily climbed the ladder to the top bunk, snuggled up with one another, requested  bedtime glasses of water and for the shining, pink star light to be illuminated.
One... two... three...
Done.
I gave the pendant light a gentle tap and its patterns graced the ceiling in delicate swirls.
I heard Oooos and ahhhhs from above as I climbed up and gave bedtime smooches.
Chloe was passed out on the living room floor. I cradled her, carrying her off to bed.
--Fold back the blanket,
--roll her in gently,
--tuck and position the favorite nigh-night under her hand.
That was a cinch!
Addison can be tricky.
She is the queen of psyching herself out and scaring the crap out of her self while deep in thought.
Her favorite way to fall asleep is curled up with Jim and I.
Second fave would be beside me in her bed while we read together.
Tonight was one of those nights.
...I can't sleep Mom.
...I don't want to read alone.
...Can you please read and snuggle with me tonight?

Believe me I had every intention of going to sleep early...
Instead I stayed up reading until 2 am.
I don't know when Addi drifted to sleep, book sprawled across her chest.
I was submerged in the second book of The Hunger Games. I read book one, sporatically over three days and was now at the half way point of Catching Fire, after one day.
I do this sometimes.
Dive in and don't come up for air until it is imperative.
This is my relationship with art, with work, my family, sleep...
-You name it.
Intense?
Sometimes.
No big deal.
I like it this way.
--Keeps things from getting dull.

So here I am...
...five hours of sleep later.

I'm downing my second cup of coffee. This will come in handy today.
I am rallying the troops for a breakfast excursion.
I bombed the first mission but succeeded when it came to getting my butt out of bed.
I'm that much closer to total mission completion!

Today's journey will include a picnic breakfast somewhere...
I'm leaving that up to the girls.
My plan is to stay out until at least 7 pm.
...So of course an afternoon at the beach will be "a must."

I want my girlies crashed out early tonight!
I'll be making more coffee later to keep myself from crashing before Jim gets home.

**All photos in today's blog were captured by me.**

11 AM, FRIDAY...

11 am Friday:


Addison: Look Daddy, look... It's Cloud Kingdom! 


SCRATCH, SCRATCH...
HUH? (as he looks out of the airplane window)


TAP...TAP...TAP.


Jim: What?


Addison: (pointing out of the window with a lean) See the clouds??


Jim: (with a far lean inward toward Addi) Uh huh.


Addison: It's called Cloud Kingdom. It's like James and the Giant Peach. (she looks toward Jim than at me seated across the aisle)


I thoroughly enjoy a good read and am overjoyed to hear this endearing remark. My heart was a ball of mush until reality kicked in...literally.


Addison: Do you know... STOP KICKING MY SEAT!!  Do you know that book? STOP KICKING MY SEAT!


Me: Yes. 


Jim: (laughs and listens)


Addison: It's just like this place in James and the...  
STOP KICKING MY SEAT!! (she continues)
Did you know that my friends and I read that book?


Me: Yes, in school right?


Addison: Yeah...There were these people and creatures with big eyes and...
STOP> KICKING> MY SEAT!!


I turn and look through the crack between the seats and spy Miss Grace. I shoot her a "Mama look" and return to Addi's interrupted story.


Grace: I'm not kicking any seats. (very innocently)


Me: Okay.


Addison: It's just like... It's like the part... OH NO! Now I forgot thanks to my stupid sister. 


I ignore the "stupid" name calling. The kid has been annoyed enough.


I hear girlie giggles from behind us. The flight continues. The kicking has stopped and Cloud Mountain has now been spotted outside Chloe's window. 


Chloe: Wow! look at that!


Grace: Whoa! They are sooo close! 


Addison: It's a cloud mountain now! 
STOP KICKING MY SEAT!! Gracie!! StOPP!!


Dad steps in from his row.


Jim: Hey. Do you want me to separate you two? (pointing at grace and Chloe)


I laugh. --Like we have that ability on a plane?!
Jim swings back around and looks my way, slyly covering his smile.


Chloe: I want you to know, I didn't kick any seats.


Grace and Chloe quiet down. Addi gives a gruff "HMMMPFF."


The flight attendant chimes in. "Due to mild turbulance the Captain has asked that you please return your seats to an upright position...etcetera...etcetera...


...as my seat is kicked.


Florida here we come. This is bound to be interesting!

Chloe Moments...

Riding home from the pediatrician's this morning Chloe was deep in thought. This is what she had to say...

Chloe: When you die is Heaven fun?
WHOA. This is a doozy at  9 am.
Me: I don't know. I've never been dead. I've heard that Heaven is pretty great though, lots of fun.

Chloe: I was scared that I was going to cough forever and go to Heaven and not on vacation to Disney. (Ahhh...Disney. The true concern.) I'm glad that the docker said I'm alright.

Me: I'm glad about that too babe....and you weren't going to die because of a cough. Mommy would make sure that you were getting better.

TOPIC CHANGE:

Chloe: What does it mean to be wise?

Me: ...That you give good advice (Oops, too big of a word...simplify). You tell people things that help them and people ask you many questions because they know that you are smart.

Chloe: (smiling at me through the mirror) Daddy is a wiiiiiise man.

...AND ONTO THE NEXT CHLOE THOUGHT.

Chloe: Addi spends most of her money. She likes to buy stuffed animals and candy with her money, A LOT.

Me: Yes, she does.


Chloe: I save my money. Grace saves her money.

Me: Yes, you do. Everyone is different. Addi likes to buy things with her money. That's ok.

Chloe: She'll learn. Maybe you and Daddy will teach her someday.

Me: We are trying Chlo, really...Don't worry.

She didn't look convinced.

NEXT TOPIC...no real transition here.

Chloe: It's nice to have children. You will never be alone if you have children. You can be with each other your whole life...and never be lonely.

I kept driving, smiling at her words...but not saying a word.

Chloe: It's hard to be the parent of three kids. It's a lot of hard work!

Me: Yes, but it's also a lot of fun! We get to go to the beach with you, play with you and bring you to great places like Disney!

Chloe: I want to be a Mommy when I grow up.

NEXT SUBJECT...

Chloe: I was really good at the docker. Can I get a donut? Maybe we can have a date...just you and me. Mommy Chloe time is a good idea. My sithters had time. (please note: These are not typos. This is Chloe speak. She has a cute lisp and baby blabbers a few words still. They will be missed when they disappear.)

Me: Oooh...a date. That is a good idea. You were very good for Dr. Gina. I think that you deserve a donut, but Mommy has to stop at the store first and get shorts for our trip, ok?

Chloe: Oh, no. Ok. But fast!~

Me: Deal!

20 minutes later, in K-Mart. (Not my ideal place to shop, but it was right around the corner. Fashion police forgive me.)

I was trying on some Selena Gomez (surprisingly cute stuff) brand shorts and jumpers...yes, jumpers. Who knew that my favorite attire at age seven would be a fashion "yes" thirty years later. I am beyond thrilled! It makes getting ready in the morning that much easier...one comfy piece...TA DA!!! JOY.

Chloe wasn't thrilled.
When I asked her what she thought of the coral, tropically patterned one piece, that I was hopping around in she said,"I don't want to do this. I have a better idea. Let's get a donut!"

Great delivery!
Clear.
Concise.

I laughed.
Could it be possible that my five year old aged thirty years over night?
My head snapped out of 1982. Did my little girl just reel me back in?

Yes, Chloe...
It was donut time.
Thanks for putting up with your silly Mama.

We covered the gamut of topics heavier than lead.
My oh my, my Chloe is wise.
She picks out the best donuts too!

Saturday...Ahhhhhh.

They have toured the globe...
...going from stadiums to living rooms with ease.
This Saturday they made a welcomed appearance in my house...
Yes, folks the Black Eyed Peas have landed.
My children have welcomed them with open arms, Wii remotes ready to rock out!

After weeks of beachin' Saturdays have become a day of beautiful nothingness.
It's time for us to soak up the aloe, detox from the salt and just BE. We are enjoying our little grey house and it's contents.
...So strange to write gray rather than green.
I'll get used to it eventually.
Some fights have erupted over the course of the morning...
Why can't Chloe be a dog? Why does Grace get to be the only dog in the game?
Do I have answers to these questions? NOPE. But I do my faking Mama best...
This sounds good. I remember my Mom saying this a lot...
**Girls you need to work this out on your own, nicely. There's no reason why you can't all get along.** 
I may have bought myself five minutes. 
Nope...
Addi needs to stop telling Chloe what to do.
Chloe feels left out thanks to not being allowed to be a dog.
Grace follows along with who ever is winning the argument.
...that would be Addi today.
Chloe will be resourceful and this will have a happy, hopefully fair outcome.
For now the halls are peaceful.

I'm sipping my coffee at the kitchen table. The fresh scent of Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena Counter Top Spray lingers in the air.
Can all Saturday mornings please be like this? (--Minus the power struggles.)
I take a deep inhale, loving the smell. The light is drifting through the bay window, making great attempts to weave through layers of cloud coverage.

Our house has been transported to the middle of a forest glen. We are fortunate to live in a wooded area nestled in the midst of a grid of cozy streets and avenues. It feels like morning magic at its best. A have a vision! Today is the perfect day for the Village Farmer's Market.

POP.
Suddenly my thoughts are broken.
"LET THE...LET THE...BEAT...THIS PARTY'S ROCKIN' ROCKIN'"
Hello Black Eyed Peas!

This is a Lemon Verbena HOUSE PARTY!
Our beats are jammin'!! Yeah...Pumpin' pumpin'!
They were moving so fast trying to keep up with Fergie that they became blurrs and streaks on my camera. --Note: Lightning is unfazed by the action. Poor dog.

Saturdays Rock.
Let's keep em' rockin' rockin'!!
...My inner dork just took over.

Humor and Admiration in Small Places

Over the years the kids have blurted out some great stuff.
I'm having another of those great, laugh to myself moments.
Why didn't my Mom and Dad ever tell me that being a parent could supply endless laughter?
It's oh so nice to sit at my kitchen table, by myself and chuckle.
Let's face it parenthood also lends itself to unlimited amounts of fits, tantrums, scrapes, bruises (for kids and adults), restless nights and exhausted days!! The funny moments should be like your favorite ice cream. --Enjoy every sweet, melty lick.

La Di Da Di Da...
Ho Hummm...
Now that I've gotten that out of my system let's get back to the "stuff."

Just the other day, while at the beach, Grace had a great moment. Julia and I nearly choked on sea water   because of this one.

She swam up to me, arms flapping, legs kicking wildly and announced:

Did you see me? I was focuntrating really hard and I did it!

Me: You were what?

I was focuntrating and I did it!

Me: Oh...focus and concentrating.

Yes...focuntrating.

Me: Oh yeah, I saw. Good job focuntrating.

...FOCUNTRATING is now one of my favorite made up words.

During that next soccer game, tee-ball game or tennis match don't forget to cheer and shout: FOCUNTRATE!! FOCUNTRATE! (To my cousin Amy...Don't forget this at Amanda's next travel team soccer game.)

Yesterday Chloe had gymnastics.
THE CHALLENGE: Climb the knotted rope to the top (20 ft) and honk the horn.
Chloe sat, politely raising her hand when the coaches asked for the next volunteer.
I watched patiently, like my little girl as the kids that jumped to their feet, frantically waived their hands in air and bounced as if seizuring were chosen first.
One by one...
each little gymnast climbed.
One by one...
each floundered after a few knots, then nervously, fumbled back down the rope.
Chloe was last.
She didn't mind...I kinda did. -But that's a different story.
I watched with another Mom as Chloe proved herself a true champ!
She climbed the rope with ease and grace.
With each knot grabbed she was sure to glance in my direction and smile.
My Monkey had lived up to her nick name.
The other Mom commented," How did she do that so fast? She made it look so easy!"
I smiled,"That's my Chlo. She's fearless."
CHLOE HONKED THE HORN and slid down the length of the rope.
She high-fived her coach. The other kids crowded around her.
GO TINY! (Way to focuntrate baby!)
Coach Laura gave Chloe a certificate of achievement.
Chloe admired it as we drove home. Then my kiddo shared:

It's nice that I got this award. My friends did good jobs too. Maybe they'll get awards next time. That would be good. Their Mommy's are proud of them too.

Here's another shining example of how the next generation far exceeds the present one. My kids constantly amaze me. They are such good people.

Addi's humor can be best appreciated on paper. My eldest is typically found with a pen, marker or high lighter in hand and hoards of loose paper scattered about. There's so much creativity going on in that head of hers. She's practically bursting at the seems!
Addison walked up to me this morning...laughing to herself.

"Check this out! Do you think this is funny? This is sooo funny!"

THIS IS WHAT SHE GAVE ME:

It went very well with my morning coffee.

If you're having difficulty with the writing, the bird is saying,"Kids stay behind me and don't take a whif of that."

Addi later added a squirrel falling from the tree. The fumes were too much fort him. Behing the dead flower another dog was sketched in as well. He had an old fashioned, wooden clothespin on his nose. The text bubble read: Smell? I don't smell anything?!

She's so fast that my blog is now out dated and needs a photo upgrade!
SMILES ALL AROUND. - HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

The Forth of July...Weste. Style

Today is the day that most ask the question,"How was your 4th of July?"

Here's my answer...

I made the mistake of staying up until 2 am. Typical of me, but dumb.
I realized that the bathing suits were wet and we didn't have a clean towel in the house!
 YIKES!! 
So there I was... DOING LAUNDRY while the rest of the world either slept or partied.
I tried to have a little bitty party of my own.
A bottle of my favorite white wine was popped open and a glass, make that two were happily poured.

Laundry and wine with HGTV. I am an animal.
Fast forward to the wee morning hours of the fourth...
I squint, I stretch... I notice that it's a crappy, rainy day.
I hear the kids watching cartoons in the next room.
Already!?
What time is it!?
7:30 am.
I roll back over and close my eyes. This tells me 2 things:
-I now get at least one more hour in bed.
-We won't be going to the annual Eaton's Neck Parade this morning.
A half hour goes by. I see that I was wrong about the first thing on my list.

Jim has woken me up.
 "There's no way that I'm standing in the rain for this parade."
I shrug,"That's what I thought." 
The kids have heard us. Our slumber party of two has been crashed.
 Addi: what kind of fourth of July is this? We don't get a parade?
 Chloe: It's just like every day now. No candy. No fireman place with hot dogs.
 Grace: This stinks. It's not actually special at all.
 Jim ignored these comments and strutted to the shower.
 My response: Well, we'll figure something out. We'll do something else fun.
 Frowns all around. One by one my kids saunter away. This tells me one thing:
COFFEE TIME! FAST!
I was really tired. What had I done to myself? But at least we had towels. God knows that we need towels. ...and coffee!!!
Jim walked out of the bathroom, took one look at me and laughed. "The rain was just what you needed today!You've gotta be loving this."
Me: "Ha ha ha. you're right." (But I really do love the parade....and the hot dogs afterward.)

We thought that the day was done, a wash out...
Then, at 9:50... the sun came out.
There was time for beach...
The fourth of July wasn't a lost cause!
There was a shred of tradition left to grab onto and boy did we kick it into overdrive.
Jim had the holiday off and miraculously didn't pay attention to his laptop today.

Yay!
Our little family was complete and ready for surf and sand.
The kids were thrilled.
They know our drill. The girls and I have been in beach mode for 2 weeks.
It took a mere 20 minutes to make 6 turkey and cheese wraps, fill the cooler with an assortment of fruit, chips, juice boxes and fresh water bottles, toss beach towels, beach chairs,beach toys (including jumbo shovels...must have those) and an umbrella into the car, suit the kids up and spray them with sun block. We are pros at ts point.
The kids even have a "spray stance."
Arms out, legs spread, mouths and eyes closed...
No, they are not being de-loused! It's sunblock time!
Spray. Spray.
Rotate.
Spray. Spray. Spray.
Gotta get above the stick out butts!
Danger zone! Extra spray required here.
Time to draw on the face with the sunblock stick.
Rub. Rub. Done!

The  Fourth of July Mission of 2012:

DIG. BUILD. DIG MORE. 
At one point everyone had a shovel or was scooping sand up with their hands or pushing it with feet.
Chloe and Gracie tackled castle building the old fashioned bucket way.
Jim attempted to re-route mother nature and win.
This has been an ongoing battle for 39 years.
I like to watch. It makes me laugh.
Then I sat back and took photos.
What is a holiday with out me clicking away?
Like most Long Islanders after the beach or boating we barbecue.
The BBQ went off with out a hitch.
Burgers. CHECK
Hot dogs. CHECK
BBQ glazed chicken wings. CHECK
Corn on the cob. OF COURSE!
Buns buns and more buns. YES.

Steamed mussels and oysters, thanks to Addi digging them up at the beach. -LOOKIN'SANDY BUT TASTING GREAT! (I must admit they grossed me out. If it weren't for Jim they would have rotted in their bucket.)
Lemonade. CHECK
OOPS!
Almost forgot the tater tots! What kind of Mom would I be with out this household staple?!
Trust me when I say always have tater tots stashed in your freezer.

We ate...the kids kind of ate...the dog ate like a King.
Showers then fireworks.
We might not have had a parade of firefighters, antique cars and candy tossing but the fireworks could complete the holiday. Hooray for tradition!

This year Jim and I were taking the girls to a viewing spot that I adore. It's a place where I had spent many childhood fourth's gazing at the sky.
I loved the idea of sharing this overlook with the kids.
The internet has caused this intimate spot, overlooking the harbor to become a tourist trap.

Lucky for us...
...the tourists didn't know where the fence openings were or where the best places to sit are!
I grabbed my bag, complete with glow sticks, flashlights and bug spray and ducked through a hole in the fence. (Wink...wink...this means we found a great spot.)
The blanket was spread out and we waited for the light show to begin.
The kids were ready.
We cracked open at least two dozen glow sticks.
The kids took the "stance" for bug spray.
We were all set.

It was time to chill out.
I couldn't wait until the fireworks started. I love fireworks!
Then Gracie started to cry...
and cry...and cry...and whine...and cry.
I rubbed her head. I swayed to imaginary music. The lulling and shushing didn't work.
She wailed louder.
"My eyes!!!! My eyes burn!!! They hurt!!! U- Uh- Uh- Ahhhhh!!!!"

Onlookers treid to be patient with the child ruining their magical moments.
A few looks were passed in my direction.
I ignored them...must be childless.
I thought to myself: Hey, listen, the sound of the ice cream man, blaring his crappy music on repeat is far worse than my daughter. Where did he go?!
Jim, Julia and the girls ignored the whining Grace.
Did they know us?
Guess not.
I don't blame them.
But damn it...help would have been great!
I ushered Gracie away.
"I wanna g-g-g-go h-h-ooomme. P-p-p-please Mom. My eyes hurt."
Me: Baby, you must have rubbed bugspray in them. I told you to keep your hands away from your face. (Why do we insist on telling our kids what they did wrong during moments of agony?! This doesn't help matters.) It'll be ok. I'll get water for your eyes...to wash them.

"Nooooo!!! Owwww...They hurt. I wanna go home."
Me: Ok...ok... (cuddle cuddle)

Shortly after this endearing, yet torturous moment the show was over. It was time for a mad dash into our car. Time to beat the traffic or be doomed to remain in Fourth of July Purgatory for at least an hour.
I grabbed Gracie.

Chloe and Addi were ahead of us.
Julia was standing on the side of the road playing traffic guard.
Jim revved the engine.

We cruised away.
It felt good to know that we were on our way home.
Memories...
One more for the books.
Grace was asleep as soon as her hiney landed in the booster seat. Chloe followed shortly after.
Addi was hyped up and determined to hang out with the adults for another adventure.
Little did she know that it was the middle of a work week and our idea of a party was closing our eyes.
She crashed on the couch moments after we arrived home. Boring, adult TV will do the trick every time.
It wasn't perfect but it was ours...

Happy Fourth of July!