Toad catching season has officially begun. Even the chickens are excited.
Travelingjenny
Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood
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Tess helped out her daddy quite a bit this weekend — doing yard work in her jammies, and placing screws in the beehive. Being three is so cool.
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We had a birthday party for Tess on Saturday at a local park, and things didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped. The weather was crummy — completely gray and in the low 50's. The nice spot I had picked overlooking the ocean was besieged by gale-force winds, so we were forced to hunker down under a picnic shelter. The kids still had fun blowing bubbles, playing wiffle ball, and getting their faces painted. In fact, it seemed like everyone was having a pretty good time, despite the less than ideal weather, until it was cupcake time.
I stood behind Tess as everyone sang to her, and halfway through I decided to walk around to the side of the table to take a photo. That's precisely when she got completely freaked out by the all of the people looking at her, and she started to melt. I couldn't quite get back to her before she collapsed face down on the picnic bench, crying. It took her a good fifteen minutes to recover, and then she could only muster enough energy to sit on my lap and eat her cupcake and ice cream. I had to hold her for the rest of the party.
So there you have it — a very public parenting failure. Why didn't it occur to me that my just-turned-three-year old might not enjoy being sung to by a large group of adults and big kids? Why didn't I hold her, or at least stay next to her, for support? Tess has already forgotten about it, but it's going to take me a while to get over the feeling that I ruined her party for her, despite my best efforts to make it special. On the upside, this will probably be a funny story to tell when she's an outgoing, attention-loving teenager. At least I hope so.
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It's only mid-May and the poor dog is already parking herself on the cement floor of the garage to stay cool. Soon she'll begin her daily pilgrimage to the stream behind our house for a refreshing swim. She knows that all she has to do is look at us with those big brown eyes and we'll forgive her for being wet and stinky. And drooly.
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Tess's birthday started out quietly, with performances and swinging at home with Mommy. Later, we headed to the local art studio for kids, which is the activity she requested for her big day. This was followed by a picnic at our favorite park, in a perfect spot between the ocean and the playground. All of this excitement was followed by a big nap. After all, birthdays are tough.
Once Grace, Adam and Nana all arrived, the gift opening began. Tess had an incredulous look on her face the entire time, with her eyebrows raised, as if she couldn't believe her good fortune. She managed to keep this look during brief flurries of happy dancing.
Of course, there were candles and chocolate cake. And a special birthday crown.
Tess got to stay up way past her bedtime. I wanted to soak in that huge grin, and that sweet little girl, for as long as possible.
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To my sweet Tess,
Happy birthday. How is it possible that you are already three? I will miss your two-year-old self, with your sweet little voice, and your soft tummy, and the way you fall asleep in my arms. But I love you more and more each day.
We have recently started having real conversations. You can let me know what you're thinking about, and what you're wondering. I love getting to know you better this way.
You are still my little buddy, and I hope you always will be. I love that you're always with me. I love that you're easygoing, and cautious, and brave.
You encourage me, and you help me, and you keep me company. Mostly, though, you smile and laugh and hug and make my heart burst every day. Thank you.
I love you so very much,
Mommy
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My baby girl Tess had her second-ever swim class today. There is something absolutely adorable about an almost (!!) three-year old wearing goggles and a 'bubble pack.' I am so proud of that little kid, who excitedly got in the water and never stopped smiling. She even gave me a thumbs-up from across the pool! Right before my eyes, cautious Tess is blossoming into a courageous little girl. It's amazing to watch that happen, even though it breaks my heart a little.
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My talented cousin Nathan is a sound engineer and musician. He met his very cool Slovak girlfriend at our wedding, when she was working here in Maine. So I like to take some credit for the path he's taken since then. He's lived in Lisbon, Portugal and Bratislava, Slovakia, working on his music and picking up some pretty cool language skills. And now, his band is about to release their first album! I was lucky enough to see them perform in Austin last year, when they were in town for the SXSW Music Festival. I don't know much about music, but I know that they're good! And since Grace and Tess like to dance to their music, I figure you might, too! Below is some info on their CD release — check it out! You can also watch their CD release party live this Saturday on their website: www.zedosfrangos.com.
Zé Dos Frangos release their first album, Portugal/Slovakia, May 16, 2009, at an ambitious, trans-Atlantic release party in Austin, Texas. American band members in Austin connect with their European counterparts via satellite. The double EP, one half from Portugal, the other from Slovakia, incorporates English, Portuguese, and Slovak lyrics and combines several musical genres including Indie Rock and World Music. Formed in 2007 by American expat Nathan Lively, the band (from Austin, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Slovakia) combines ingredients of American alternative rock, low-fi electronic beats, and traditional Spanish music, resulting in a distinct, original flavor. The Austin Chronicle listed the band as a Top Pick of the 2008 SXSW music festival. Zé Dos Frangos information, tour dates, and music downloads are available at www.zedosfrangos.com.
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Today was not the day I had hoped it would be. It started out fine enough — Grace and Tess burst into our room at "seven-zero-zero," with marker on their faces, and hands… and feet. They were "mouses," and they sang a little song that went like this:
Pitter-pitter mouse,
We love you.
Pitter-pitter mouse,
You can be one, too.A little later, they both presented me with cards. Lovely, sweet cards.
Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. It rained all day, so there would be no walking by the ocean, no humming to the snails in the tide pools, no frolicking in the park. Instead, there was craziness, followed by meltdowns and general unhappiness. It was the kind of day that happens when you have little kids, despite your best efforts, and despite the fact that you really, really want the day to be special and memorable.But now that they are asleep, and finally quiet, I realize that today was memorable. Someday, I'll look back on this long, trying day and remember our hilarious game of monkey-in-the-middle, the puzzle I did with Grace, and how Tess fell asleep in my arms at naptime. Someday, I'll wish they wanted to spend all day with me, and have me rock them to sleep. So, I have to remember to appreciate the perfect days and the not-so-perfect days; the calm and sweet, and the crazy. Because no matter what, these days all go by too fast.
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If you look just above the tree line, you can see the remnants of a rainbow. Today was one of those beautiful spring days that I missed when we lived in Colorado. The warm sun abruptly gave way to a rain shower, and then suddenly it was sunny again. We could smell the damp earth and it seemed like the leaves had suddenly appeared on the trees. We didn't even need the rainbow to make us appreciate the beauty of this day, but it certainly didn't hurt.
Travelingjenny 
