I’ve got a great group of girlfriends that I grew up with and we all had kids around the same time. We all live within an hour or so of each other and we try to get together when our schedules allow. Within the group, most of us became friends in early elementary school, some of us before (Hi, Kara!! (not pictured)), but what’s really cool is that we all became moms at the same time. Most of our kids are five and under, and our group just keeps growing. Lara’s daughter, Mira, and Audrey are one day apart so we all got together to celebrate. The first picture is taken a month later at a different gathering, but it’s got most of the mamas in it too, which is practically unheard of. A group shot that includes mothers???? Duh. We should do it more often!! Good times had by all. And I’m not sure why I only took a couple pictures.
I’m Here.
Four days ago I started this post and it was going to be a post about taking care of myself and so I can better take care of those around me, but now all that thinking, four whole days ago, seems like a distant thought. My friend over at Clove’s Corner wrote a great little essay about the exact things that I’ve been thinking about. Check it out here. She often takes the words out of my mouth, and I think that after I read her writing, I feel like I’ve purged a post of my own. I suppose it’s just nice to have a ‘friend’ that feels the same way I do. (Friend in quotes because we’ve never actually met….).
Some really great things have happened lately: we went to Harrison Hot Springs to celebrate Audrey’s birthday, we had a birthday/playdate celebration with the A-Town posse, Barry’s parents came for a great visit, and Brian and Darcy got engaged. Life is full to the brim these days, and by the end of the day, when I have a moment to write about it, I hardly have enough energy to sit down and tap a few words out. So, I chicken-scratch these posts together in hopes that the images and a few words will be enough to remember all the joy and love we feel. Hopefully I can remember between the lines.
Maybe it’s the two cups of coffee I had this morning, or the fact that the house is quiet, but my brain can’t quite settle itself into any sense of a pattern to write. So I won’t. Until next time.
Fancy Maggie
I never paid much attention to the Fancy Nancy book series as a teacher, but we were gifted with a Fancy Nancy book and that was the end of it for Maggie. The character, who could possibly be Maggie’s twin, has been a favorite of ours since we first cracked the book open. We’ve since checked out almost every single Fancy Nancy from the library and Mags has gotten a few of her own books along the way and they are frequently pulled off the shelf to be read. I really like the books because they encourage creative word usage and the character is kind to her friends and little sister. I’m not ready to introduce the idea of ‘an annoying little sister’ to Maggie yet, that will probably develop on its on, no need to rush it.
There was a Fancy Nancy tea party hosted through the parks and rec department in Anacortes a couple weeks ago and we decided to go with Caroline, Cole, Erin and Mara.
The description for the tea suggested that EVERYONE dress fancy. It took Maggie all of two seconds to decide what was fancy (her cape, tiara, and tutu, of course!), but I was a bit worried that my post-baby wardrobe was lacking. I think my dress, boots and babywearing front was ultra fancy, if not lacking in color….but we all felt and looked fancy in our own way.
All the little girls were sweetly dressed up in a variety of fancy things and so were the moms. We spent the first portion of the event doing tea-related crafts and the second half enjoying tea and treats. If anything, it was an opportunity for the girls to make a connection to the books that they’ve been reading and to me that is EXCITIING! We clinked our glasses together, toasted Fancy Nancy, and laughed at the fact that we were in the Anacortes Senior Center eating cut up sandwiches and having the greatest time. Not once could I have thought up such a scenario before I became a mother, certainly not with such a fancy daughter at my side.
