Recapping April - May 2014

This moment is ssssssooooo close, I can close my eyes & smell lilacs in the air.....

I believe Spring has broken through winter's tough wall!

Most days our husbands drive us crazy, but I love that when I need that special someone to talk to, he never fails me...well, ok, never is a lie, but 80% of the time he's the one, & 10% of the time he answers the phone when I need that someone...man, never mind, driving me crazy again with those stats.


Ava's handiwork...

 

Iowa had the most beautiful sunrise this morning (which seems fitting today) & we finalized EB's visit bright & early...& yes, she wears her robe all the time. Happy Easter.

 

Easter Selfies from Family

 

 

 

Sitting on a fallen tree contemplating life with my kid...who is two weeks away from turning six. How can that be? Be still my heart.

 

staking her claim in our backyard

 

The only way I can get my sick daughter to take a nap... C-SPAN ... today's topic, image of US abroad. Yeah, I'm going to sleep now too.

Someone's illness responded to the warm sunny day (& antibiotics) & is taking me on in a game of badminton...& winning.

 

 

The thing about my daughter is that she's quietly smart, confident, & the sweetest little girl. Most think she is shy, snobbish, & unsure of herself. WELL, today, in front of her entire school, she read a prayer during mass, full of big words, & her voice echoed off the walls in confidence & with no assistance from her 5th grade helper (who stepped back in shock). She nailed it & I'm one proud Momma...not so proud moment, in her satisfaction, she spun in circles & hopped up & down on the alter until the other kids were done. Keeping it real, I like that.

 

 

Shaken silly... riding Ms. Cindy's horses (Cindy Terrell)

 

Making friends using bread

 

Pure happiness

 

Joe Joe

Holy bagumba!! Ava's first dance costume is super girly & bedazzled out....Sssshhhhh, I love it!

 

Loving our 80 degree day

 

 

 

A really sweet message from Sara Johnson to me..."We were at Kohl's getting shorts for Bailey tonight and Finley found some jewelry and said, "mom, why don't you ever wear jewelry?" I said, "I'm not really a jewelry wearing kind of girl." Then Finley said, "yeah but maybe you should try to be a jewelry wearing kind of girl like Francesca! She always looks so pretty with her jewelry and you just look like...you." Haha...this makes me laugh so hard because I think my daughter may be smitten by you! I have to say if she is going to have a second mom I'm really glad it's you!"

 

RANDOM...Me at about Ava's age...

 

AVA TURNS 6!! We take her to Chicago...

 

Cubs score already & Chicago dog down the gut. Game on. Cubs vs. Cardinals (cubs win)

 

 

 Strolling Chi-town with a vanilla soy latte.

 

Beautiful evening...spent in my hotel room because my travel companions passed out. Real party night in the city. geesh.

Chicago, day 2...

 

 

We go to American Girl Doll store, but true to Harris girl fashion, she's annoyed by the whole store, & instead loves her items from the kid section at Anthropologie. Parenting success (or failure, because Anthropologie is VERY expensive).  Below is her with "fifty" (the bunny that cost $50) hailing a cab...she also picked out a journal for stories and drawings, which she LOVES to do!

 

Birthday success!! Turning six was the bomb.  (Bike from Nonni)

The glorious sight & smell has finally arrived...lilacs

The cherry blossoms are equally making me happy.

Ava took this picture of me the other day & I thought its surroundings suited me perfectly. Plus, her artist shot was impressive.

Zoo visit, dance recital, & a beautiful morning with my sis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOTHER'S DAY...
They asked me what I would love to have...I said a new bike or a Crosley turntable...that book is what my husband got me instead. Ava cried & said that was NOT from her!! And, that was before I even opened it & started laughing. I will use it to beat my husband every time I remember this day.

MOTHER'S DAY cont.
Quality basement time today ... tornado alarms have gone off twice. Mother's Day has been a real treat today.   So we are Looming it in the basement with a freaked out little girl (although here she looks just fine). Testing motherhood today.

Before and after sky and hail

Guess who bought herself a real Mother's Day present!

By the time she was done, she made it to the hump!! She ended up being the kid who climbed the furthest up, & this was her first time trying!!

Hangin' with Nonno & Nonna

 

 

Sometimes learning to do something in Nonni's neighbors driveway, is just the boost one needs.

It's a right of passage to stick your feet in a bucket of ice cold well water around the Harris establishment... Ava passes the test.

I just bought tampons & two red balloons...the balloons are for Ava, not because we are celebrating periods, but because she wants to release balloons into heaven for her great grandma's b-day's that have pasted by this month...I was sort of snickering to myself at the check out with my weird combo of items, & asked the lady if she saw the irony. She just stared at me. Never mind. I always end up looking like the weird one (which makes me snicker more).



They took blood samples & she didn't flinch...& look at that smile.  Thank you to my Mom for helping me through the worry.  Ava had lots of stomach issues going on after a bad run with constipation.  Everything came back fine and we spent until the end of this year getting her back to normal.  KEY--probiotics.

Horse back riding lesson #1

I have completed my first year as After School Director, & what an experience it has been. I have learned a lot, grown as a school professional, & will be taking memories with me to last a life time. I am a little sad, but mostly excited to show our supporters 55 finger prints on our After School Family Tree!!  We took an end of the year field trip with 30 kids, who totally wiped me out.. We posed in front of this famous spot & spent time at the Rock Island Depot. I love those kids & hope their memories of today are as humorous as mine are. I can't post their pictures, but dang, they say a lot about our ASP. . I will now go to bed at 9:30 because of them.

Summer is not really here, but the daisy signals the commencing of summer in my happy place.

Our first movie in the park night...

I sometimes sub in Ava's classroom, & my favorite part is finding out things like this...she looks at these pieces of paper (which say mom & dad with a stick drawing of us) during the day when she misses us. Love her! 

The time has arrived...we have found A LOT of them this morning.  Cicada's.

 

 

Recapping January to April 2014...backwards

Yes, kindergarten has brought on so much stuff...friends, bad words, actual "work" (as Ava calls it) to do at school, their minds wander around to bad weird places, they challenge your ideals, patience, understanding, mothering skills, your relationship with your husband, your own mental state, they start understanding the world around them, but still confuse movies & reality (Ava is currently convinced we have kidnapped her from her real royal family & is a princess---you know, like Rapunzal--she keeps quietly making comments to me wondering if maybe that's her-- especially when she is in trouble). They need you, but then don't. They point out every flaw about everyone!! I've been told some real doozies about myself lately....should I go on, or have you heard enough?

Oh & back to the bad words...Ava heard the F word & is now obsessed with it. "Mommy, I'm thinking about that f word again!" sigh

"Mommy, I prayed that Julien doesn't get in trouble at school any more"

hhhhhmmmm....I wonder why we wait until bed time to practice reading with Ava...it's so hard for adults to be patient with this whole learning to read process. 

Today the Seton kids rocked The Musicians of Bremen play. These were two cute dancing flowers who had one line...Ava managed to get hers out while she was putting her shoe back on! ha. So proud of these girls & their willingness to stand in front of a crowd...

I had to go check to see if she ran away. This NEVER happens. 6:30am & she's still asleep in her own bed...

I love how I can get my husband to call me back in 3 seconds flat (because those of us who know him well, know he doesn't answer or call...ever!), "my steering wheel airbag light is flashing, I'm on my way to the dealer to have them fix my power steering (which is going out & I know he can fix)"....3,2,1...ring!!!!

That's right, this is my (lame) view, BUT!!! I'm eating lunch on my back porch in the sun & WARMTH...

Some days I wonder what my daughter will remember about me...will she remember a fun, happy, strong, not afraid to be silly mom, or will she remember the mom who has those bad days that made her write notes to me saying, "about mom's...they are mad" or the "mom, bad report." We try so hard to make our kid's childhoods so perfect, and unfortunately, I think the bad days stick out in their minds. I have many good days, but damn, I make my bad days epic.

We recruited friends for a nail day. They seem terrified...

Three things here....1) favorite read of the moment 2) my five year old can read the entire thing by herself 3) i get an award for sitting through the entire 20 minutes it took her to finish without losing my patience (I guess it's silverstein, who can lose patience with his poetry)

This is what Happiness looks like to me...

Morning prayer at school today. I am so proud of my girl...she can read like a 2nd grader & speak clearer than some adults...

Appreciating art...with ice cream, of course...(with Ava J. & Finley)

19 years ago today, Dejan & I decided in a crowded bar while drinking green beer that we couldn't stop talking to each other. We spent the evening sitting in a booth as the rest of the world stumbled by. Tonight we sit as a family eatin...g dinner watching a Barbie movie...not quite like things used to be...but I wouldn't change any crazy, fun, angry, happy, sad, loving moment. St. Patrick's Day holds a great moment we never forget.See More

 

 
You see, I have this deal with my neighbors...if Charlie comes to my front door, he gets to cut through my house when he's pissed off all the squirrels in my yard...safe passage, only problem, he likes to prowl my house before leaving...

"Aaaaahhhh, it just feels so good to be in this big open space & not have all that house around us! It's so much better out here! I want it like this forever!!!" Even a five year old knows winter sucks.

FINALLY!!!! a park day... (with Johnson kids)

Conversation with 5 year old...She was inquisitive about tampons, then inquisitive about why I call it a period. I explain it's actually called menstration, she then stares at me & asks, "why? Shouldn't it be girlstration?"...deep thoughts went on for a few seconds...I reply, "well that's because it's as annoying as men." oopsie.

A clear sign A is our daughter...a night stand says so much about a person. A rock collection, The Hobbit, Palace Pets. 5 year old perfection..

 

It was a cold snowy day, but I was feeling the warmth of love from family & friends today! Thanks for the FB wishes, phone calls, cards,&  presents. Love you all! Although, do wish the FaceTime call with Kevin Humble, Pamela, & Kelly would have been a real walk all together on that beautiful beach...  

39!!

 

 

 

After 82 degrees we decided to keep it real & went ice skating for the first time ever...(in des moines)

 

 This is where we found 82 degrees (Des Moines botanical center)...aaaahhhh!!! 

 

These lights shine in every season, & as a new blanket of snow is occurring, I look out there & remind myself of all the warm evenings soon to come...which involve my front porch & not hiding behind a closed door in the heat with a cozy robe & slippers on. I want bare feet, crickets, thunderstorms...

After Ava's amazing school conference today I believe I got the world's biggest backhanded compliment from my hubby..."Well, you know, she got her looks from you, but her brain from me"...after a hard stare from me..."What!? I'm not that good looking!" *sigh*...better for me to just walk away...

We have begun our hiking...

This is what happens to children after they have eaten too much sugar at a valentine party...good grief! 

Two things happen when I am asked to play barbies with Ava: 1. When I begin a dialogue, she stares at me like I am an ignoramus. 2. After she finds the courage to finally cut me off, she starts being so bossy that I have to just sit there holding a doll. 

Everybody has all these beautiful valentine pictures, and this is mine; this is real life at my house. When mom is sick, things fall apart,  guess what, we are going swimming with friends instead of taking care of this mess.  YIKES...

I like that after almost 20 years I still get excited when I randomly run into my husband at the store.... yes, after 20 years you stop telling each other where you're at.

By February, winter has me eating plates of melted cheese followed by a bowl of out of season blah raspberries...you know, to make up for the horribleness of the cheese platters. I am in need of a season change, but rather proud of myself for making it until February before cracking.

new girl's night...wild has a whole new meaning these days.  (ava j & finley)

I love working at my daughter's school & getting to see her in the halls... 

 If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...I have been reduced to a barbie dance party gone wild...

Befana has filled Ava's stocking, the only lights left on are the Christmas lights, the wind is howling, our old drafty house is creaking in the cold wind, & for some odd reason I feel like this is my favorite moment all Christmas season. Buona Notte.  

      

State Of Affairs

I was waiting for Ava to get out of dance class a couple weeks ago, & because my usual gossiping crew was not around that day, I succumbed to reading the news on my Iphone.  I found myself starting to sweat a little, my heart was beating a little faster, & my brain just went into overload....if you hadn't guessed by now, everything I was reading was horrible. From politics, to the environment, to gun violence, to kidnappings, to the state of affairs in the entire world, it was making me feel quit uneasy & afraid of the  footprints we are leaving behind for our children to follow....then the picture below popped up in a text message from my cousin (Rebecca Harris Ayala), it is one of many apple trees that used to be on Grandma Lula's property.  My heart changed from worry to joy in a split second.

This is what I should be worrying about; providing a safe, loving, happy, memorable childhood for my daughter.  Whether it's picking apples, playing with cousins, walking dry creek beds, roasting hotdogs & s'mores late into the night, or playing outside until the street light comes on, I want my daughters childhood to be similar to mine, so I put away my phone (well, not really, I was texting Rebecca now instead), and decided to postpone worrying about the state of affairs in our world.  I will instead try to make my sweat peas childhood as sweet as mine was & show her how to make our world a better place one small step at a time

Summer lovin'

Summer has always had a special place in my heart. It holds memories for me that are hard to put into words. The smell of the warm breeze, the freedom to run free, walking barefoot, seeing the sun shine from 6am-9pm & pretty much playing the entire time, many summers walking through the streets of Italy, & many summers at my grandma Lula's home in Nauvoo, Il walking creeks, picking apples, playing with cousins & so much more, driving the river road, crickets, tree frogs, pools, more time with friends & family, swinging on a front porch swing watching the world pass by...oh, this list could go on & on, and I always wish I could bottle up the smells & laughter of summertime.

The latest memory for me, which takes me to my front porch swing, involves the biggest life changing event; my daughter being born May 5, 2008, not summer yet, but it was the most beautiful spring I had seen in awhile.  I remember the perfect blue sky, the perfect 70 degree temp., & the cardinal singing (almost like he was welcoming us home) in the tree when I walked her into our home three days later.  I remember feeling my hormones start to crash, so everything was in a heightened state for me.  I have to admit, it was probably one of the coolest feelings ever (although, not so much 8 hours later).

By the time June 21 rolled around that year, she was a little over one month old, we were still getting to know each other.  I was a horrible first time Mom, but one thing I got right, was the peace we both found when we would sit quietly together on our front porch swing.  I craved fresh air, & my newborn child needed rocked & set into an upright position at all times (she had digestive issues). This swing was our saving grace!  It now holds 5 years of memories for me, & this morning when I went out for my dose of fresh summer morning air, the nostalgia hit me like a smack in the face. 

In five years Ava & I have grown in our own ways, for the better I might add, & as usual, it's my beloved summer to remind me of all the joy she has brought me, AND how much time has passed so quickly.  Today, we will take it slow, enjoy the moment, & probably swing a little for old times sake.  I did it growing up, now she gets to as well, & that makes me smile.

Happy summer all...you will find us here.

Unknown knowledge...

At Ava's end of the school year conference we learn just how smart she is.  She has the third highest score (out of about 40 kids) & apparently is way smarter than she lets on at home. She has never really enjoyed listening to me teach her things, & now I know why....SHE ALREADY KNOWS!!!  We were informed she was ready to read & that her math skills were really good.  

Now, she would kind of let on about the reading by randomly knowing a word, but geesh, she can practically read a whole story by herself!   And then her math, well, you can see by the picture how quickly she was figuring out her addition.  

This girl never ceases to amaze us, & we have decided to create many learning opportunities for her this summer.  Yes, I will be the teacher, but I will also be the student because she really digs telling me how to do things. My response, "Ok Boss!"

Memories... part 2...

One of Ava's chores is to make her bed, and I desperately wish I had taken a picture of the first time she ever did it to compare to today's final product below. Today was excellent & she was rather proud (I'm slightly embarrassed about all those large toys).

It's amazing how determined she is to succeed. When she started learning to make her bed, we made it into a little competition; could Mommy or Ava make their bed the best. She would come in beaming when she was done...I naturally declared her the winner every time.

I look at this bed today & realize we are about to put this bed away for good when her twin bed arrives. This is yet another emotional step for me, although I do find humorous the things we mom's hold dear to our hearts. Her crib switched to a toddler bed, & now it will go into storage like so many other memories.