Travelingjenny

Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood

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  • Party of two

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    Instead of a big, crazy birthday party with all of her classmates, Grace agreed to celebrate by having a special "big girl morning" with her best buddy, Elyse. I took them to our local art studio for kids, where they spent an hour painting, gluing, drawing and giggling. We then headed to Friendly's — a completely new (and very exciting) experience for Grace. She thoroughly enjoyed her chocolate milk shake, mac and cheese, and ice cream sundae — all while sitting elbow-to-elbow with her friend. Sometimes the very best parties are the smallest ones.

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  • Happy Thanksgiving birthday

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    To my sweet Grace,

    You are kind and thoughtful, sensitive and loving. You are funny and have a contagious laugh, just like your dad, and you love animals, just like me. You are the best big sister Tess could ever ask for — you protect her, love her, and teach her. You are curious, observant, and smart, and you remember everything. I am thankful for your smile, and for your ability to make me smile. I admire your boundless energy, your determination, and your strength. I have no doubt that someday, you will achieve anything and everything you set your mind to.

    I love getting to know you more and more each day. I just wish that these days didn't go by so fast.

    I love you more than the sun and the moon and the whole wide world,
    Mommy

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  • Must have been the crab rangoon

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    "Mommy, me bigger. Me eat Chinese food and grow bigger."

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  • A bribe

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    I took the girls with me to run errands Saturday morning while Adam did some freelance work at our local coffee shop. It was frigid, and windy, and there was no way we were going to be able to take a walk or do anything outside to burn up all of that almost-five-year-old energy. So, we went to the feed store, the farmer's market, a craft fair, the bookstore, and — the carrot dangled in front of Grace all morning — the toy store. She had $1.28 burning a hole in her pocket, and I told her that if she behaved during all of our other errands, she could pick anything she wanted at the toy store, as long as she could buy it with her own money. She picked a wooden snake, whom she named "Rattley" (it cost slightly more than $1.28, but I figured a snake was preferable to a noisy, plastic, wind-up hula dancer).

    Tess had picked out a new hat at the craft fair, so she was okay with not getting anything at the toy store. Boy, is she easygoing. And cute.

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  • Name game

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    Me: "Grace, do you remember that this baby doll's name is A-Double-C?"

    Grace: "What? What kind of a name is that?!"

    Me: "That's the name you gave her when you were Tess's age."

    Grace: "That name is too silly. I'm going to name her G-R."

  • A story by Grace

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    "Why do animals poop in the ocean? Because they want to make seaweed. I think that's funny, and odd."

    "Chapter 2: This is why I think it's odd that animals poop in the ocean…"

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  • More funky style

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    Princess Grace made her own crown, with absolutely no help from a grown-up…

    Please also note her three bracelets: a peace sign on red string; one with foam beads that she made herself; and the hospital identification bracelet from when she got her stitches. A stylish, conversation-provoking keepsake from that exciting time at the emergency room, when she was "braver than Mommy." As if we needed a souvenir to remember that experience.

  • Stylin’

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    All dressed up for dinner out — and feeling pretty good in outfits they chose themselves!
    ("Of course this matches Mommy. The dress has flowers and the tights have flowers!")

  • A walk to forget

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    Our walk the other day started out so lovely — the girls had asked to push their strollers, each with their current favorite animal "daughter" along for the ride. The novelty of this was enough to make Tess walk eagerly along the path, instead of asking to be carried.

    There were many happy moments, and we paused along the way to enjoy the "storywalk" — pages of a children's book posted at different places along the path. I was amazed at the fact that we finally had two little walkers — and no (real) baby in a stroller! 

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    Then, Tess got mad that we turned around, and she began her silent protest (which quickly became not-so-silent):

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    Thus ended our idyllic stroll along the river with our precious children. We won't be bringing the play-strollers with us on a walk again — apparently we're not quite ready to ditch the real stroller yet.

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  • Umbrella girl

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    Tess hates the rain, but she loves Grace's umbrella. So much, in fact, that she uses it when it isn't even raining — because you never know when some water might splash on your head when you're stomping in puddles.

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