Today I dug Rory's old red, plastic car out of the depths of the basement. It had been down there so long it needed to be dusted, the filthy thing. Anyway, Fiona lost her MIND for it, and refused to get out. In the first picture here, she is yelling "drive, drive, drive!" at the top of her lungs, which Craig taught her.
Rory tried to gain access to the vehicle and lost (repeatedly). I finally dragged Fiona out of the car so Rory could have a turn, and Fiona screamed and cried the entire time, fighting me as hard as she could and struggling to get out of my arms. I think she likes the car a little bit. Finally, Rory resorted to owning the "outside" of the car, as you can see. =>
Grandma (Laura's mom, Mary) arrived from Sedona last night to much fanfare. The girls and I picked her up at the airport, and escalator-riding fun was had by all! We have lots of things planned. Last night, after dinner, Grandma and I took Rory to Herndon Festival to see the sights and hear some music. There was a band playing that sounded very Santana-esque, and Rory rode on the merry-go-round with her good friend, Ethan. We are going back on Sunday, and Rory can't wait to "go to the fair!"
Isn't she just gorgeous? This is my cousin, Delly - to be precise, my first cousin once removed. She and her mom, Jenny, live on Nantucket and the prom was held this past weekend at a beachside restaurant (when in Rome!). Delly is a great person - funny, smart, totally silly, and a blast to be with. I wish we lived closer!
I just love this singer/songwriter. Have a look and listen at his latest music video, for a clever little ditty called "Rock & Roll."
I wouldn't say that we drove her out of the house kicking and screaming, but I would imagine that after co-parenting two girls under the age of three for almost two weeks, Nana was ready for a little R&R. She left very early this morning, and as always, we are sad to see her go. Rory and Fiona adore her, and the favor is returned in spades.
According to Donald, she was passing over the GW bridge around 11:00 am, and was hoping to make it as far into Connecticut as possible before giving in to the cold Fiona graciously shared with her. My children are nothing if not generous.
Bye bye, Nana! We will see you on the Vineyard in August!
Check out the striped bass my cousin, Don (right), caught yesterday! BTW, I had no clue what kind of fish it was. When my cousin, Delly (his wife), emailed the picture to the family, I had to suck it up and ask. "Big" was my original guess.
Anyway, Delly was driving the boat, and apparently positioned Don and his friend over some amazing waters. Here is Delly's quote:
"It was on Saturday, May 24, 2008, at Race Rock in Long Island Sound. It was the end of an outgoing tide, and Don's fish weighed 21 pounds. His friend's fish was 19 pounds. I was the captain of the our boat that day and put the boys on the big fish!!!"
I think she may have found a new career!
Boy, does Appa get around! (For those of you who I have already confused, "Appa" is Rory's stuffed hippo friend. This is how she said "hippo" when she was smaller. And now look at what he has accomplished!!)
A few days late, but just as sweet!
She was freshly bathed and on her way to her 15-month appointment. She weighs 30 pounds even, is 32 inches long, and has a huge head (just like the rest of us!). Growing like a weed!!
Fiona talks up a storm, and says the following: hippo, doggie, mama, papa, daddy, Rory (barely intelligible - not an easy name to say), Digit, kitty, ball, purple, teacher, bubble, SpongeBob (not kidding), apple, and many other words. She has to talk a lot to keep up with the rest of us chatterboxes, I suppose! She eats well, sleeps well, and laughs often. She and Rory fluctuate between playing together, playing separately, and battling for things (luckily, this one doesn't happen so much... yet).
We love Fiona!
Craig turns 42 today - the same age as the Super Bowl - and he looks better than ever!
Kinda hard not to love him and hate him for that, you know? =>
To much joy and fanfare, Nana (Craig's mom) arrived today from the Vineyard and the girls haven't stopped smiling since. Fiona, that conniving little thing, even let Nana change her diaper without spazzing out on the table, a trick she does with us all the time. Grandparental magic, I call it!
Nana is rapidly kicking all of us to the curb on Saturday to attend the Preakness. How cool - having never been to a professional horse race, I can only imagine how it must be to hear the thundering hoofs, to smell the dirt, to hear the neighing. To see all the drunken fools in the center. I can't wait to hear all about it, and I hope no horse gets injured. It is such a precarious sport.
Once Preakness Day is over, we look forward to many fun and exciting days with Nana!
Last night, we took Rory (who had puked in her father's car earlier in the afternoon) to see some BIG TRUCKS. The Herndon Public Works Department sponsored a week in which kids could climb, drive, and honk the horns of various vehicles. Rory was thrilled. She sat in bulldozers, mini diggers, a giant dump truck, and more. She sat in a dump truck scoop, even. It was amazing, and she could have stayed for hours!
They also had a working street light, upon which you could flip the switch and turn on each color, one by one. I enjoyed that more than anything! Plus, they gave out tattoos and plastic hard hats (we brought one home for Fiona, who loved it!).
Had to do it before one/both of them got too big (or too unwilling!)
It has been a while since I posted any girl pictures, so here you go! Notice the drool flowing from Fiona's mouth. She is in a constant state of moisture - like the river Nile. And if that is the worst consequence of teething, so be it!
They are quite the willing subjects, typically. And since we take loads of pictures (way more than you see here, trust me), it is nice to have moderately cooperative children.
Can it BE that we have already been married for six years - and together for 14? That must mean we're old. => In the ensuing six years, we had two baby girls and invited a myriad of hair-giving cats to come live with us. What a great life!
Tonight, the non-furry members of the family are going to celebrate at Picante, a wonderful local Mexican joint. Mariachi singers and free tamales for all!
Today, I had my hair professionally straightened. To explain how astonishing this process is, and how it dramatically improves my daily existence, will be a challenge. My good friend, Donna, introduced me to this process three years ago - today's procedure was my third go-round - and I will do it for the rest of my life, or as long as my hair takes well to the process.
Bio Ionic isn't for the faint of heart. First, it takes a minimum of five hours. Me and the hairdresser's chair have a delicate relationship; I have never had a perm, never had a professional color job, and typically can't bear the thought of doing anything even remotely high-maintenance to my hair. Second, it isn't cheap. Third, it isn't cheap. And fourth, it isn't cheap.
But once it is done, I am a free woman. I become literally "wash and go," and my hair is bone straight and easy to handle. No more blow drying. No more straightening with a big brush and a hair iron. It is truly life altering.
Today I dug Rory's old red, plastic car out of the depths of the basement. It had been down there so long it needed to be dusted, the filthy thing. Anyway, Fiona lost her MIND for it, and refused to get out. In the first picture here, she is yelling "drive, drive, drive!" at the top of her lungs, which Craig taught her.
