Turkeys and Sheep and Llamas...Oh My!

We spent last Saturday visiting a ranch... I really shouldn't call it a ranch, but rather an animal sanctuary. My student Kyle invited us out to his family's ranch in La Cresta to see his animals. I talked to his mom and she said, "Plan to spend at least two hours, and bring two heads of lettuce and some carrots."

I didn't know what to expect.

We ended up meeting (and feeding dead mice to) a rare crane, feeding swans, turkeys, and fancy chickens, petting sheep, draft horses, and Buttercup the cow, petting turtles, and feeding a 37 year old donkey. The kids were in Heaven! It was the best day. We also saw a teepee, llamas, and a real working firetruck (that my student bought with money from his chicken business...hee hee). The kids were in awe of the whole thing. It was like having a private tour of a zoo! Of course Emma, my future "ranch owner," was totally content to stay there all day, and even asked me to leave her there.

Someday, hopefully Emma and Gracie will build a giant ranch and have a guest house on the property for their mom and dad. (They'll still want us around then, right? Ha ha ha...)

Gypsi and Emma- A Match Made in Heaven

Emma and Gypsi are best friends. Gypsi can be the naughtiest pony who ever lived- cantering when she should trot, sneezing in Emma's face, nipping Emma's hands to look for treats, or dragging Emma toward the grass so she can eat. But Emma is in love. In her eyes, Gypsi is her best friend, and if she could, she would stay at the ranch all day and all night. She asked if she could sleep on Gypsi! Emma's best friend has four legs, a fancy forelock, a long tail, and giant brown eyes. I don't know if it's just me, but sometimes I look at the two of them together, and I think Emma and Gypsi are meant for each other. They match! They are bound to be best friends for years to come.

Grace would prefer to play with Jenna, the ranch owner's daughter. Grace swings on the swingset and pets the ranch pig while Emma slips Gypsi carrots, gets one more giant pony kiss, and rides off into the sunset.

The Dog and Cat Party

Here are some pictures from the girls' birthday party. It was ADORABLE...probably the best party we've ever had. We played "Dog House"- kind of like musical chairs, only whoever ended up in the doghouse was out. We had a dog bone scavenger hunt, with numbered dog bones being the winners. All the kids danced to "Who Let the Dogs Out" and "How Much is That Doggie in the Window?" We had a "Catwalk" fashion show. We played "Dog/Cat" which was a game where you passed the stuffed animal around a circle and the dog had to catch the cat. Instead of cake, we had "pupcakes" that Jeff and the girls decorated. (They had licorice whiskers!) There was an adoption center, and every guest got to adopt an animal, and they got an "offical adoption certificate." When each kid came into the house, they got dog or cat faces painted on, and received dog or cat ear head bands. It was so cute and so much fun!

Mermaids in the Tub

Mermaids in the Tub

Emma and Grace are in the tub. I can hear them imagining/playing. They are playing mermaids.

Mermaid Grace- "My mother is poor. All she buys me are rags to sew clothes for myself. All I ever get for my birthday are rags and milk and books."

Mermaid Emma- "Well I'm so poor that I have to make my own toothbrushes. I make them out of hermit crab shells."

Mermaid Grace- "I have shiny rainbow sparkle hair. Every time you see it, you are just amazed."

Mermaid Emma- "Let's say I don't care about your hair. I just have raggy hair"

Seven

As of tomorrow (1.24.01) I have 7-year-olds.

I just LOVE those beautiful girls.

Grace arrived first- screaming, with painted doll lips and a mohawk. Tiny but mighty. :)

Emma, ever the drama queen, came second, holding her breath. Her hair- duck fuzz. Her rosy cheeks and sweet cry.

I'm in awe of them.

It seems that I brought them home yesterday, bundled up. "It'll never be the same," I told Jeff. "We were two, now we're four. There will always be two more people here."

And there are.

And they are loud. And funny. And crazy. And genuine. And selfish. And loving. And creative. And silly. And beautiful.

I am so in love with them.

And I can't believe they're turning 7!

Yesterday Emma said, "Mama! I'm 7!"
I replied, "No hunny, you're 6! Give me one more day of 6 before you turn 7. You'll never be 6 again. Enjoy it!"
"No, Mama. I'm 7!"
"You're 6."
"I'm sssssssssssseeeeeeevennnnnnnnnnnn."
"Emma- You're six. Be six. One more day."
Sigh. "But six is so borrrrrring."

Grace is not AS concerned about the moment her new age will take effect. Instead, she is my Martha Stewart party planner. She is constantly revising her dog and cat party in her head. She presents it to me like we are collaborating on a 5-course meal for business executives.

"I'm thinking....you know how we were going to have the 'Who Let the Dogs Out' song during our game? Well...I'm thinking we should get more songs on your i-pod to play during all the games. Like...cat songs too."

"Do you know any cat songs, Grace?"

"No. But...I'm thinking there must be some. And Mama... Breemember (I love how she says "remember" and I never correct her even though I should....) Breemember when we thought of painting everyone's face? Well, I'm thinking we can let them choose the color for their whiskers." When Grace is serious she always says "I'm thinking...."

Seven. I don't think there are many ages I like more than (almost) Seven.

Giggles

Love notes: "Mama- You are the best Mama EVER. I love you so so so so so much"

Loose teeth.

Stuffed animals that are REAL.

An incredible compassion for anyone or anything in pain. (Unless it's your sister and you're the one inflicting it.)

Using your dad as a jungle gym.

Pretend. Mermaids in the tub. Horses on the grass. The car? A boat. The loveseat? A stage.

Conversations with the pets.

Santa? Yes. (Duh....)

Tooth fairy? Maybe...

Easter Bunny? No way.

Big questions about clouds, the sky, and flying.

Belief that it would be perfectly fine to marry your dad and live at home forever.

Endless stories that go on and on and on (even-like in that commercial- if you get OUT of the car and walk all the way around to the other side to open the door for them....they're still talking like you can hear them.)

A TOTAL sense of humor (tonight it was for a strange and particularly bad singer on American Idol.)

The absolute need for your parents during a nightmare, a new situation, or any illness.

Tight hugs that really MEAN it.

Seven

Oh, January!

Pictures: #1-Jeff Smith, circa 1989. Credits to Stephanie Wallace, who lured all the cute punk kids to her house for youth group. (What a baby face!) #2 Grace and me took dozens of pictures like this. We're just sharin' the love! #3 Emma with one of her best friends, Olivia, who turned one on January 9th!

Lots of important dates this month...

Tomorrow is my anniversary. Jeff and I got married 13 years ago! I can hardly believe it. Even more random...I met him as a junior in high school in January, 1989, which was 19 years ago. (He was new to my school.) My classes got switched at semester, and I was put into Jeff's history class. He sat in front of me and I had the hugest crush on him with his long bangs, partially dyed black hair, and ratty t-shirts. I hung out with him until that summer, and he moved away. For the longest time I thought about him, wrote poems about him, and missed him, although I didn't really know why. (We just hung out a lot and kissed a couple of times. Why did his image stick with me?... I wondered.) Now I see it clearly...my future husband was sitting there with his black converse and skater bangs! Our girls were probably humming through the air like pixie dust around us in that stuffy history classroom. The story had a happy ending...although we didn't "find each other" again until 1993 when that boy finally got it right and called/found me. :)

On the 24th, Miss Emma and Miss Grace turn 7! Yowzas! After Jeff and I got married, I was ready to have kids any time. It took us years, 3 or 4 REALLY stressful ones (doctor's visits, adoption plans...yikes.) And it seemed like once they arrived, that first year was just HARD. We were exhausted. Now...those ladies just crack me up every day. Grace tells me she wants to drive a car with "a convertible top with flowers all over it" and that her middle name is "Adorable." If I crack a joke, she says, "Good one, Mama!" Emma, tells me she is going to live next store to me until she's old, looks at me with her serious eyebrows furrowed, asks me about things she's seen on Animal Planet, and tells me she's "not as creative as Grace." :)

I used to despise January. The comfort and coziness of Christmas packed away, the harsh reality of returning to school in Bishop in the dead of winter, when they MADE you go out to recess even if it were FREEZING, and I used to go into the bathroom stall and my legs would be shaking and goosebumpy! The endless second semester. In high school, I was always in trouble in January, grounded from my car, made to stay home.

Now, January is marked with celebration. I feel melancholy, hopeful, and ambitious. Mostly, I feel excited for the two dates that commemorate my favorite people in this life...Jeff and my girls.

The Interview

The Interview

1/8/08

You are about to turn seven. Tell me how you feel.

Grace: Excited about I'm going to be seven and about the dog and cat party and my presents and I'm excited thinking I'll get dog and cat stuff, like littlest pet shops. And the cake. And the dog and cat ears. And face paintings. And the cake I drew.

Emma- I feel so glad that I could scream. And I'm so excited. It's our seventh birthday and it's a dog and cat party. Those are two of my favorite animals. My very favorites are horse, dog, and cat.

Explain what love is.

Grace: Being nice to people and being joyful. It means you're happy and that person is in your heart.

Emma: Love is your heart. It means...like...caring about people, snuggling with my mommy, snuggling with my daddy, and snuggling with my snuggle pug. Most of all having my whole family around me.

Favorite treat?

Grace: lollypops

Emma: cookies

Favorite kinds of kisses?

Grace: Eskimo kiss

Emma: Mommy kisses

Favorite way to act crazy?

Grace: Run around the house and jump around and make Livvy chase me and then go outside and go down the slide backwards on my back.

Emma: Let Livvy wrastle me.

What are your plans for the future?

Grace: Own a horse ranch.

Emma: I want to be a zoo owner.

If I granted you one wish, what would it be?

Grace: To fly.

Emma: I would have a whole ranch with every animal in the whole wide world.

What is something you worry about?

Grace: Somebody robbing the house.

Emma: When Dad puts Marty outside cuz he goes poopoo in the house.

Describe your perfect day:

Grace: Christmas.

Emma: In the morning it's bright and sunny and I get to go to pony and ride. Then I get to play in my house and play with the dogs. It's a bright, bright day. We have popcorn and watch a movie before bed.

What's the grossest food you can think of?

Grace: Spinach!

Emma: Onions!

Anything else you want to let me know?

Grace: I'm trying to work on a project here.

Emma: I like playing with dogs. I like going to my pony and riding her. I like playing with Livvy. I like to play with Marty, Sophie, and Acer.

Christmas Spirit Abounds

Our Christmas came in a flurry of friends, family, love, and presents, of course. The kids didn't want to forget the true meaning of Christmas, so on Christmas Eve, they dressed up and performed a play about the birth of Jesus. :) Megan narrated and played a strange flute (I think it added to the mood!), Gracie played the glittery Christmas angel, Emma was Mary (wearing the Pocahontas outfit) and Ian was Joseph. Adorable, silly, and hilarious.

The girls got sleds and snow gear from Santa. Jeff is chompin' at the bit to take us to the snow. We're planning to spend the day in Arrowhead with some friends, and then later we'll pay a visit to Grandpa Tom and Grandma Patty in Bishop, where we'll sled our little hearts out. Our house feels like a toy store right now, with Grace's Hannah Montana barbies, stage, headset, and game, and Emma's horse ranch, Littlest Pet Shop town, and Webkins. Jeff got a new ipod (he's thrilled) and I got every single item I had "hinted" to my dear husband about: Clinique perfume, and iced tea maker, a Bath and Body Works Lotion basket, and Burt's Bee's stuff. (Love it!)

We hosted Christmas Eve again, and that night we also stopped by The Woods house for Open House- really it was to see their new baby, Kathleen, who was adorable in her Santa suit. (Our friends The Byuns were there as well with Mikail and Jade. Note in the picture that sweet Mikail had eaten something that made his lips blue. ) Other friends, the Saylors, had a beautiful Christmas dinner at their house a few days before Christmas. On the day we got out of school, Nicole also spent some time with us looking at Christmas lights and letting the girls exchange presents. (See the pictures of Grace and Josie dressed up and performing puppet shows.) Also, Jeff's dad and Kelly had a beautiful Christmas at their house, complete with Jeff's mom and Tom, my parents and grandma, and ALL the cousins except Matthew (who was missed!) They catered the dinner with enchiladas and tacos (YUM) and had the most beautiful spread of desserts I've ever seen. :) Weight Watchers is currently calling my name after the food this Christmas! The girls got all kinds of fancy "stuff" for their American Girl dolls- Nicky got an entire ski outfit and Kit got a bed. It was DOLL HEAVEN this Christmas.

This year I feel blessed for my family's health, my wonderful friends, my job, my house, my pets (hee hee), and my sweet husband who seems to live to make "his girls" happy. I also adore watching Emma and Grace becoming bigger and more clever. They CRACK ME UP every day, and they are such a joy (and challenge sometimes...especially when they fight!) I know that 2008 will bring such changes in my girls; I just want to savor each moment with them as they wrap their arms around the experiences life brings them.

Tis the Season to be Jolly!

Our city does a really cute event for Christmas. Every neighborhood has a giant star on one of the streets and a special night when Santa visits. He comes aboard a "sleigh" of carolers, along with Frosty and Rudolph. He collects canned food for the needy and gives out candy canes. The carolers sing, the kids in the neighborhood visit with Santa, and the grown ups in the neighborhood hang out talking. When it's time for Santa to come, the girls listen each night for the police sirons, which go off through the neighborhood while they announce, "Santa is coming! Santa is coming!" over the loudspeaker. (I guess the police aren't too busy with crime here...??)

The girls were also in a Christmas play at school called "The Littlest Reindeer." This year, every student had a speaking part. Emma and Gracie practiced their parts for weeks, and all around the house, we were singing the songs from the play. A lot of their friends were in the play too, and it was so cute to see all of the first graders singing without hesitation. They don't care if they are slightly out of tune, or a little "off" from the music. They just sing their little hearts out. I wish we were all like that. :)

Christmas Time is Here...

Christmas time is here!Grace welcomed Christmas by creating Santa's sleigh on our couch with all of our stuffed Christmas animals and some red crepe paper. I love that child's imagination. Emma is not feeling well (we're all a little sniffly around here) so she's in her pink elephant slippers and Cinderella robe, cozed up on my bed watching movies. It's mid-morning and the girls and I are still in our pajamas. My plans for today? Danielle and her sniffly kids are coming over to watch a bunch of movies. Later, I'll grade some essays, wrap some presents, and plan my Christmas Eve dinner, which was so much fun last year.

So far in December, I've hosted Grandma Otti's 91st birthday (it was a hit!), gone to our school's adorable Christmas play, Charlie Brown Christmas, with a bunch of my teacher friends and their kids. (We even met early for pedicures and dinner, and met afterwards for dessert! I had snowflakes painted on my toes!) I've decorated the house, done 3/4 of my Christmas shopping, finished and mailed my Christmas cards (including my Christmas poem!) and planned a Christmas outing to Corvette's Diner and the Del Mar Racetrack light show. Everything "Christmasy" is in place. Still, nothing will come together until the last day of school, when I grade that last final, enter in the grades, and close up my classroom for three and 1/2 weeks. THAT will make it feel like Christmas. I love that feeling of focusing on my husband and my kids, and not feeling spread so thin (even though I adore my job.) Some days, though, it feels as if there is just not enough of me to go around. I'm ready to zero in on the people who need me the most. I want to make dinner for Jeff instead of asking him, "What do you want to eat? Should we go out?" I want to sit in my cozy chair next to the bookshelf that Jeff built (my favorite room in the house!) and read books to the girls. I want to decorate Christmas cookies and package them up to send to the neighbors. I want to put my feet up and have a glass of wine. I want to hit those last few stores with my mom and Danielle, and then go to lunch. I want to sit with Grandma Otti and ask her some questions about when she was a little girl. (She tells a bunch of funny stories, but then denies she told them.)

Thankfully, a teaching schedule gives me huge chunks of time to relax and soak in my family. I'm grateful for all of it- the hectic schedule AND the down time. I truly know the meaning of BLESSED.

PS. Our Christmas card this year- a decorated pony. We had so much fun putting red bows all over Pony Gypsi, and she didn't mind it a bit. :)