Tag Archives: Family

Headed for “Home”

21 Dec

After almost 8 years of living outside of West Virginia, I still refer to it as “home.”  I think it will always feel like it’s “home” but I really need to try not to call it that around Nia.  It totally confuses her when I say “When we get home…” She looks at me all crazy and says with a little miss thang attitude – “But we are already HOME Momma!”

With that said, we are headed for “home” tonight and I’m getting really excited!  Family, friends, presents and possibly some snow for the kids to enjoy!  We even bought them some boots, just in case!

Wild, Wonderful West Vir-Gin-I-A here we come!  YEEHAW!
 

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Growing Up

4 Nov

Beautiful Birthday Girl

Yesterday we drove to Savannah to celebrate Baby Ella’s birthday.  I cannot believe she is 2!  Our other little niece is also growing up too quickly!  Gabbie-Goose (as Andrew loves to call her) will be 3 in just a few weeks!

I wish we could be there to celebrate with Gabbie but we’re just too far away to make the trek.  Going to Savannah for Ella’s still meant we had to brave the Angry-Man-Who-Gets-Really-Peeved-on-Road-Trips (aka Nate) but we knew it wouldn’t be as rough on him (then us) because it’s a much shorter drive.  It was so worth the little bit of anger Nate did scream at us though because Ella was very happy to have Nia there and I know Nia and Nate both had a blast!

Such Sweet Girls

It’s so hard having to watch the kids grow up from afar.  I wish I could be there for them and their mommies and daddies to help them get things ready for parties, to babysit, to watch movies, to play, to hug…WHATEVER!   For now though, I look forward to the special times we get to share and the happy memories we make while we’re together.

LOVE YOU FAMILY!

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If it’s not one thing, it’s the dog

22 Oct

It never fails –

  • Just when I’ve put Nate in his crib for his nap, the dog barks ridiculously at nothing.  And it’s not just a “Woof” bark – no this bark is like “I’m going to rip your head off for coming near my door BARK.”  A bark so loud and so ferocious you would actually think there was someone trying to get into our house.  I don’t even bother looking out of the window anymore – I just run straight at the dog and tell him in my loudest whisper, “BE QUIET!”  (Usually followed by other comments that I say under my breath while still glaring at the dog.)
  • I find all the pieces to six different puzzles.  I put all the pieces in their place.  I neatly stack the puzzles and slide them under the couch so they will stay neat for, hopefully, a day.  I walk out of the room for a few seconds.  I come back in the room and see all the puzzles and their pieces scattered across the floor. When will I learn?  I do not know why there is something in me that insists on cleaning up while the destroyer (as we loving call Nate) is still awake.  It happens every day and every day it makes me shake my head and sigh and ask, “Why do I bother?”
  • I finally think of something new to cook for the kids that I think they will like – I serve it up for them – Nate yells “NO!” at me and Nia says, “But I haven’t tried this before.”  Translation: I just wasted food and time and energy and now have to do it all over again as I come up with something they will eat.
  • I successfully sneak the blankey that never leaves Nate’s sight away from him to give it a much needed bath.  Before it even makes it into his bed that night, it already has spaghetti sauce on it, some dog hair, a few crumbs from his graham cracker and I’m pretty sure there’s got to be some pee or trace amounts of poo on it since he insists on holding it as I change his diaper.  (I really hope not but I can’t help but think it – the blankey is a bio-hazard.)
  • I think I’ve talked about this before but it is just a constant source of annoyance that it warrants another mention. It’s the reason that I seriously do feel like, if it’s not one thing, it’s the dog.  It’s because just when I get a break for 5 seconds to, oh I don’t know, go to the bathroom by myself, there’s the dog.  Panting.  Starring.  Yawning at me.  It seems whenever I’m trying to do anything – he’s there.  I try to cook dinner.  He blocks the refrigerator.  I try to run the dishwasher.  He positions himself so I can’t open the thing.  I step backward – I trip on him.  I love that big ball of fur so much but it seems he’s usually the thing that pushes me over the top.  (The boy usually has me right on the edge, then Joey takes it over for him.)

 

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Confessions of a Crazy Mom

21 Oct

There are points during the day when I know I must look a lunatic.  I know I feel like one.

  • When I’m trying to hold Nate as he’s fighting to get away from me – sometimes he ends up pulling down my shirt so far that I give a show (it really happened at the Georgia Aquarium!), other times he tries to climb up my stomach – either way I feel like I’m so out of control and must look ridiculous.
  • When I’m trying to get Nia ready for school – I can’t even guess how many times I have to tell her to get moving in the morning – get on the potty – get dressed – start eating – I feel like I’m such a freak saying it over and over again.  We usually wake up with plenty of time for her dilly-dalliness but we’re usually rushing to leave the house because she just doesn’t do what she’s supposed to do when she’s supposed to do it.
  • When I’m trying to cook dinner – this is when Nate stands at my legs, screaming at me, pushing me around the kitchen.
  • When I’m trying to read a magazine/do bills/think for a second!  – Our little talker (Nia) will not give me a moment of silence!
  • When I’m trying to figure out directions in the car – same thing with the talker – she just keeps going and going and going.  She also constantly asks questions that she knows the answers to!  This drives me especially bonkers.  The other day she asked, “Momma, what does R start with?”  I know you might think that’s an innocent question by a little kid, but it came after several other questions like, “Why are we in the car?” and “What is Nate’s name?”
  • When I’m trying to break up a fight between Nia and Nate – Nia completely freaks out and is impossible to calm down.  I feel like a total crazy mom because I have to rip them apart and scream at them to stop it.
  • When I’m trying to keep Nate from climbing things or taking a dive off of things – he just will not stop – he keeps going back to whatever it is I’m trying to keep him from – it just gets so tiring and frustrating.
  • When I’m trying to get Nate to stop soaking the entire bathroom while splashing like a crazy man in the tub – more water ends up outside the tub and drenches me.
  • Anytime between 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm – I don’t know what it is about that time of the day – it’s like the kids are especially cranky or something and I’m exhausted so it’s just a bad combo.  This is when it’s White Russian time!

There are many other situations that make me feel like a looney but my brain hurts after thinking of all of those!  I’ve been wanting to write this out for a few days now but just didn’t want to put myself through it!

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A Funeral, Family and a 3 Day Trip

3 Oct

We’re home.  The funeral service was beautiful and sad (Andrew’s dad gave the eulogy) and so many people came to say goodbye to Grandma over the two days she was shown – she was such a social butterfly and touched many lives with her personality.  I just wish she could have seen the kids one last time.

Speaking of the kids, Nia was a sweetie during it all.  There were 3 different showings over two days and then the funeral on the third day and she was so awesomely behaved I couldn’t believe it!  I mean, the whole thing is hard on us grown ups so I thought for sure it would be terrible for her – especially since she was pretty sleep deprived.  She told us she touched Grandma’s hand and that it wasn’t soft like it used to be and that she was very careful when she touched it.  She said it was her way of showing Grandma that she loved her.  How in the world does a 4 year old know that?  I asked her if anyone told her that and she said no.  She also told me that Grandma will wake up when Jesus comes to get her.  Amazing.  All I can do sometimes is look at her in shock.  She even did great in the car.  Sleeping for much of the way and never complaining.  She’s our angel.

As for Nate – well, he had his moments. Looking back on it, he was as well behaved as I could have hoped.  At the time though, it felt like I was running in circles.  The car rides and being quiet at the funeral service were hard things for him.  I had to take him outside for much of it.  Part of me felt sad that I didn’t get to properly mourn but then I thought that might be a good thing too.  He helped me keep my mind of the sadness of death and instead focus on the beauty and happiness of life.  That little boy – he might actually be an angel in disguise.

While the trip home was for Grandma’s funeral –  it did give us a chance to see family we haven’t seen in a really long time.  I’m so happy that my sister drove in from Ohio.  Even though we didn’t get to spend a ton of time together – it was so wonderful to see her and my nieces.  I needed a family fix.  I’m so thankful she came home and I can’t wait to see her, my brother-in-law (who was missed!) and the girls again soon!  We also got to see Andrew’s cousins that we haven’t seen since our wedding.  One of them is now getting married and she wants Nia to be a flower girl!  I’m so excited!

Other than all of that – here’s a few other things to note about our trip-

  • Spending 20 hours in the car within 3 days with two kids
  • 1 screaming baby boy who made sure we all knew how miserable he was being stuck in his car seat for those 20 hours. (We only really made one pit stop each way because we were driving through the night and if we let him out of the seat too many times – he wouldn’t want to get back in.)
  • Too many tears to count – crying over Grandma’s death, crying over struggling with the boy, crying over missing family
  • 1 strong White Russian that made me pass out in the chair of my living room while watching tv with my sister and devouring a bag full of those cheddar sour cream chips (not one of my best moments during the trip).
  • Tons of smiles and laughs watching the kids play with their cousins/Aunt/Uncles/Grandparents (my niece Gabbie and Nia had found some foot cushions at my house and had them on their faces!  Then they grabbed my mom’s shoes and purses and said they were “going to the doctor.”  Too cute!)
  • Several bittersweet reunions – we got to see family and people we haven’t seen in super a long time but it feels weird being happy to see them when your loved one is in the next room being mourned.
  • 1 warning from the West Virginia State Police for going 10 over the speed limit.  Andrew is like the luckiest person when it comes to tickets.  He always knows what to say – somehow he only spoke maybe 5 sentences to the officer but he managed to slip in “grandma’s funeral,” “used to be in the Army,” “when I was deployed to Iraq” and an appropriate amount of “sirs.”  Hey…he gave it a shot and it paid off!  I know it wouldn’t have worked for me!
  • Laughing hysterically at the boy and Andrew on the way home from WV.  Nate would go from screaming like a madman to calm just by Andrew saying very smoothly to him, “Nate, okay, okaaayyyy?”  Nate would say very softly back, “kay.”  I don’t know what it was but it was so funny!  Andrew had just asked him, “Nate, where’s your blankey?” to which Nate would scream, “NO!”  Andrew, “Where’s your thumb?”  Nate, “NO!”  Andrew, “Nate, okay, okaaayyy?”  Nate, “kay.”

Well, that’s it for now, okay?  Kay.
 

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Country Roads Take Me Home…

28 Sep

Sadly though, they will not be taking us home for a fun family visit.  They’ll be taking us home for a funeral.  Andrew’s grandma passed away yesterday.  She was 89 years old and had been suffering with her health for awhile now.  We were hoping to get to go see her next weekend but God wanted to see her first.  She really needed to be at peace and without pain and now she is.  It’s just so sad to know she’s gone.

I did get to talk to her on the phone the day before she died.  She got to hear Nia and Nate’s voices and I know that made her happy.  I heard her try to say “Oh, the baby” when Nate talked to her.  She would call Nate, “Cloney” because – although she couldn’t see – she knew he looked just like Andrew.  She loved her smallest family members so very much.  I think she felt good knowing she was leaving such beautiful pieces of her behind.  If it wasn’t for her, our family wouldn’t be here today.

She was the feistiest little Italian lady. She would tell you like it is (sometimes very bluntly and humorously) and I can only hope to live a life as full and blessed as hers.

She will always be in our hearts.
 

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Our Little Student

28 Aug

First Day of School

I wish I had more pictures of Nia’s first day of school to share with you but we’re still not up and running with our own internet so we have to keep all of our online activity short and simple.  With that said – I just wanted to let you all know that Nia (and Mommy) did super.  Even Nate handled the whole thing well.

After he and I walked her to her classroom (which I plan to do for the first few weeks of school), we ran some errands together and then came back home where we read some books and snacked. (He had Goldfish crackers and juice while I had coffee – this was the earliest I had to be up in like 10 months or something!  Talk about spoiled!)

It was really nice getting to devote all my attention to Nate. He’s always had to share mommy and daddy so I’m really glad I’m able to give him some quality one-on-one time now.  This first day though I felt like it was more like I was watching the clock – I really couldn’t wait for us to get back in the car and pick up the big sis from school.

Nia told me she had a lot of fun and her teacher said she was wonderful (I’m sure she tells all the parents that during the first week but it was still nice to hear).  Nia said she did all the typical preschool stuff – heard stories, colored/drew pictures, ate snacks, played (and she “shared the toy doggy”)…  I’m just so excited for her and all the neat things she’s going to get to do.  She even got her first sticker from the teacher from being good in class – it says “100%”  Nate even got a sticker today – his said “I visited the Post Office.”

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What about Nia?

5 Aug

It’s just the way it is.  Babies get more attention.  I know Nate is not a baby anymore but he’s still in that age range where people notice him and talk to him.  It happens all the time when we take the kids out to eat or shop.  People approach Nate and start goo-goo talking to him.  Nia usually doesn’t pay it any mind but I think she’s started to catch on that these strangers are going all silly over her brother and not her.  The last time it happened was particularly sweet to me.

The waitress was having a conversation of sorts with Nate.  As it continued for a good few minutes, Nia sat up taller, stuck out her head, smiled her hugest smile and batted her big eyes, hoping she’d get something from the lady – anything.  The waitress never even glanced up at Nia.  She walked away leaving Nia to wonder, “How’s come she didn’t see me?”

Well, I saw you Nia.  Mommy always sees you – no matter how many smiles and laughs Nate is sharing with others – you have my attention – and you don’t even have to work for it.

Beautiful Princess

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The Valles Home is Vacant

2 Aug

We were booked up all through July but now it’s just us again and I’m trying to adapt.  It went something like this –

  • Our friends Chris and Julie arrived first
  • Andrew’s mom (“Lola”) came next
  • Andrew’s sister (Aunt “Ree”) and our niece Baby Ella came to take Lola home with them (we are good sharers)
  • just us for a few days (I read Harry Potter!)
  • Andrew’s mom came back with his dad (Papa Dave)
  • Papa Nick and Grandma Kris made the trip down here

A lot of the visits overlapped each other too – Lola first came down while Chris and Julie were here and that worked out great – we played board games and she watched the kids for us while Chris, Julie and us hit Atlanta for a fun night out.  My dad’s visit also overlapped Lola’s and Papa Dave’s but that turned out to be just fine too – we all went to the zoo and had a great time.  It’s just a blessing that we have a house that can accommodate everyone.  It would not have been possible at our Savannah house that’s for sure!

I’m just so thankful for all of the visitors we had – they brought so much love, laughter and comfort to us and it’s so hard to say goodbye and adjust to not having anyone here.  Nia will wake up and ask where people are.  Nate was picking up new words (he actually says Mommy now!) while everyone was here and I saw how they all helped his little brain get a boost.  (With me he only walks around talking like a caveman.)  We were so spoiled and the only reason that I’m not all down-in-the-dumps is because I know I’ll be seeing some of them and more (my mom and Ginger, Lee and Cami) in a month on the beach!  My dad and Kris just left us yesterday and Nia already asked, “When’s Honey (my mom) coming?”  Not soon enough!

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Memory Queen

23 Jul

Her stack is bigger than mine

 

We don’t even let her win!  I actually try really hard to get more “Memory” cards but she wins almost every time!  It’s pretty amazing watching her sweep the table – taking pair after pair.

She’s addicted to playing.  In the morning, “Wanna play “Membory”?  In the afternoon, “Wanna play “Membory”?  A few minutes after that, “Wanna play “Membory”?  Before dinner, “Wanna play “Membory”?  Recently, our good friends from home (West Virginia home) came to visit us and experienced the round-the-clock “Membory” marathon that I endure.  She had Julie playing any chance she could.  (Thanks Julie! You’re a real team player!)

So far, Nia’s a super good sport about losing too.  “That’s okay Momma.  Maybe you’ll just win next time.”

I doubt it.

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