Rugby

 For Brady, there is nothing quite like rugby. He loves everything about it- the tackling, the technique, the culture, the danger, being with manly boys. It's good to see him happy, and he's like a kid in a candy shop when he suits up to play. He's been playing in a mens league when he can and enjoying it.

(Rugby and I, on the other hand, have a turbulent relationship. I still haven't forgiven rugby for abuse over the years- the separated a/c joint, multiple concussions, and all the tweaks, sprains, and strains along the way. Lets just say, I won't be signing Liam up for rugby any time soon (or ever.))

Brady was on fire this game. He scored, had 4 assists, and picked up yardage every time he got the ball. The kids had a great time cheering for him too. Liam never tired of cheering "Go Dad!" over and over and Elsie loved to point and say "dats my daddy!"

Halloween Party

 I love Halloween parties. I love drinking punch out of steaming punch bowls, the treats, and all the ridiculous, somewhat tacky, decorations. We had a Halloween party this Friday and had a great time with friends, old and new.  We carved pumpkins, ate pizza and played a few games. Liam helped make monster invitations and decorate the house with cobwebs, spider rings, bats and leaves.

 It was fun to meet some of Liam's school friends and their nice families.

What grandmas can do once they're dead

I'm not sure exactly what grandmas can do once they're dead.   I'd like to think at major family events like weddings and baby births the deceased can get a guest pass.  Maybe they can make (non)appearances where they can hang out like invisible angels, felt but not seen.  And it only seems fair that they at least got to spy on their own funerals, right?

I'd like to think that on days when I could use their encouragement that I can say a little prayer to them and God, with all his infinite connections, will pass on the word. I like to think that some days I still make them proud and they are bragging about my cute kids to other dead grandma friends. Some days I'm pretty happy with an arrangement of meeting up in the next life. Other days, I would give anything to summon a warm grandma hug.

 I love the Mormon notion that despite death we are still connected to our ancestors and furthermore  that we need them and they need us. But what can we, the dead and the living, actually do for each other? I remember praying for my grandma shortly after she passed and abruptly stopping myself, asking "Is it ridiculous to pray for a dead person?"  The prayer was humorously similar to a prayer you'd give to send off a kid to college "Please bless that she'll have a good adjustment, please bless that she'll know we love her, that things will be okay . . ." But the dead probably don't need our prayers. That prayer was probably for my use alone.

 I love the idea of family members being our occasional helping angels or heavenly cheerleaders.  That said, I'd easily trade a little bit of this intangible, heavenly  'help' for a package of  my grandma's homemade cookies. Yes, the concept is comforting, which is probably why this idea is easily shared, but it hasn't been manifested in my experiences. At the same time, it came really natural to both of my grandmas to give, and give, and give, to their families and it only makes sense that on the other side, they're still on a roll.

The closest thing to ''beyond the grave communication'' I've experienced is a letter received from my already deceased grandma.   It came in the mail like a surprise from heaven.  It was actually written the week before she died, sent a few weeks after, and it was her love, her wisdom, her last thoughts.  I cherish this letter.  I wish that I could write back and another one would generate.  I wish I had a hundred more of them. But I guess I just need to appreciate what I've already received.

Part of my faith is a hope that death is not the end.  My gut tells me there are more long conversations to be had and holidays yet to be celebrated with my grandmothers. But some days, in the here and now, I just wish death wasn't so final. 

 Liam, being the sweet, sweet boy that he is, went outside to rake leaves for his mom. He made a pile so big that he wanted to wear a life vest to jump in it (for padding) :)

Liam loves it when he sees pictures of himself and discovers they are blurry. He says that means he was going lightening-speed. As you can tell by these pictures, the kid is practically a cheetah.

 Elsie also made a pile of leaves but hers wasn't big enough to really jump in. When I told her we could add leaves to it she told me "No thanks, den it wont be a baby pile." . . . She likes things little and cute, just like her.

 We live in a place with lots of nifty places to visit and cool little streets to stroll.  This restaurant here is our favorite, it's called "Founding Farmers," in downtown D.C. a few blocks north of the Whitehouse.  It was voted by the Washington Post as "favorite Obama Date Night Spot." The food comes from local sources and everything, down to their ketchup, is handmade.  It's 'kid tolerant' enough that we don't need a babysitter but cool enough to make eating there feel like a special occasion.We went for brunch and had a delightful time.

Liam got his first report card of straight A's for all 10 subjects.  I asked him this week what he wanted to study when he gets to college and he rolled his eyes and said "Mom, I'm in kindergarten. I'm working on it!"

 :) He's got a point.I'll let him enjoy kindergarten and we'll talk colleges later.

He is in a class with all minorities and so when he draws people he always uses the brown colors. His drawing books have cute little black babies and families. He was telling us about a time where he was drawing himself and "used a brown crayon 'cause that's what all the other kids were using. . .  I guess maybe next time I should use the pink instead." We told him he could use whatever crayon he wanted. 

Then he said "Kids don't choose, they are just the same color as their mom and dad, huh?" and it was both endearing and interesting to hear his kindergarten understanding of race.

Elsie is an independent soul. She can't be inhibited by things like car seats, clothes, and bedtimes.  She can't pass a piece of paper with out drawing it- an apple, a worm, a "blast off," a big fish-filled wave.  She insists on coordinating her clothes herself and if they aren't at least partially pink they always seem to get stripped off after a while.  She refers to herself as "baby dragon" and to the rest of us as "Mommy, Daddy and Yum Dragon." Her favorite thing to play is "dark tave" where we all hide under blankets pretending we're living in ancient caves full of dragon gold and living off 'dragon berries.' When she gets excited she yells "Dippy!! Dippy" (instead of yippee!)

She rides her scooter to pick up Liam from the bus stop everyday.  While she does this she sings a theme song for herself to the tune of "Diego" and says "Go, Elsie Go! Go Elsie Go! . . . To the rescue my friend!"

 

 

 Elsie has a soft spot for animals. Today she found a spider in the house and when Brady went to get it she yelled " Daddy, Be nice!!" and made sure the spider made a safe exit outside.

 Despite having no pets, we always have a stock of dog bones.  Everyday on the way home we stop by the neighbors house so Elsie can say hi to "my dog Bruce."  They have a cute through-the-fence relationship. She collects sticks and grass for him, she brings him a bone, and he lets her pet his nose, ears, and paws.

a day in the life

I had an orchestra concert this past weekend and the kids came to cheer me on. We have all been sick with a cold and I have been basically debilitated this past week.  At the concert I had to stop in the middle of a 20 minute song to cough, and grab a drink of water and a cough drop. My house has been crazy with laundry spewed everywhere, crayons on the floor, and the kids are living off PBJs and juice boxes- oh well.

Elsie cracks me up. We go swimming every week after I teach a spin class at the YMCA and every time I'd say "good job!" while she was swimming she'd respond "The mermaids showed me how"- as if everything she knows about swimming she learned from The Little Mermaid.

When we went to the park the other day she'd say "Look Mom! Am I falling?!" and then she'd answer her own question, "Nope, I'm not falling. I'm not falling I'm doing just right!" as a way to point out just how tricky she is.  When she goes to the park she likes to crawl through tunnels which she calls her "dark tave," where dragons live.