Our Dear Auntie Harriet

Our dear Auntie Harriet visited last week and we miss her dearly! Auntie Harriet lives in Rye, NY and we get to see her once a year or so, though I do speak to her nearly every day on the phone. She played with Jack and the girlies and made Jack into a writer by making him books. He made her proud today by making his own book at preschool and naming the authors "by Jack and Auntie Harriet." TOO CUTE. Auntie Harriet is one of my best friends and it is heart breaking that we live so far apart. :(

Other than that, career crisis. Could all my good friends be right? Have I not missed a thing by not being a licensed attorney all these years? Could this have not mattered? Kate has always said that I was the most successful out of our class. Is this actually true? ARGH. Motherhood and the American economy do not mix. There is more, but given the hour and whining of the 3 year old, I must end the post. The joys and valleys of motherhood. Where do we begin.

Tablerock Lake

We headed out to Tablerock Lake for a long weekend on Thursday. J had a bad day that Thursday, as he had a difficult sentencing for a client he kind of liked and then was sideswiped on the way home. He is fine, but a little shaken up. We then set out with the kiddos for a trip to the lake with Nana and Mike. While there was a little family tension that always seems to crop up (are all families that way? I guess so. I guess the difference between family and friends is that we overlook our flaws to stay together. Maybe that's just true of all relationships.), all in all, everyone had a great time. The twins liked the boat and our little fish, Jack, loved the lake and the tubing. His favorite part of the trip was the boat. Coincidentially, my good friends from DC, Melissa and Rob were attending Rob's sister's wedding in Springfield that same weekend, so the girls and I went to visit them. Caroline loved Rob, Brooke was no one's friend. As is typical for this phase. Thursday and Friday were great, Saturday needed a little more planning and by that time, we were all tuckered out. However, Big Cedar Lodge is fabulous and I hope we visit it again soon! Thank goodness there is a proper resort with swim up bars in within driving distance. (I kid. Sort of.) :) And the summer is coming to a close. We are a little ill, Jack has a virus, we feared it was strep, but a visit to the doctor yesterday confirmed otherwise. The twins both have fevers and I'm sure the same virus. Our good friend Auntie Harriet visits tomorrow, I have a big interview on Thursday, Friday is Nana's fundraiser for Susan G. Koman Foundation and Saturday Harriet heads back to NY. Pooh. Anyway, busy week and next week, preschool begins again. Also, I am an idiot with these pictures. I used to be able to see which ones had posted, now they are hidden when I upload them, so I repost some that I do not mean to. Some day I will have enough time to figure this out, but today, the twins are waking up from their naps, so........the perfectionist tendencies will have to wait!
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The County Fair

Tonight we took advantage of an after thunderstorm temperature break and headed over to the St. Clair Couny Fairgrounds for its annual fair. It is Mid-Americiana at its finest, complete with funnel cakes, ice cream, corn dogs and snocones. There was a chicken show and lots of carnival rides. I'm happy to report that Jack has NOT inherited my fear of amusement rides and went with joy on all of them. He even went on the Tilt-a-wheel, which made me sick to watch. The twins are doing great, except that they are teething, which is sad for us all. We are in the process of binky weaning, again, no fun. They are very sweet, though. Caroline has become a huge daddy fan, of which we are thankful. Brooke cares for no one but me. She is our reader and we find her from time to time in the playroom, quietly looking at books while the other two destroy our house. An academic, we're sure. Jack is really a little boy now, with great opinions about everything. He is lobbying me for a pet for his birthday. Yesterday he wanted a cat, today a turtle. I'm going to manipulate toward a turtle and hope he ends up wanting the fancy Buzz Lightyear with the remote control instead. Whatever that costs, it will be worth it to avoid care of yet another being! I went on another interview last night, with a small firm here in town that is thinking of changing its format. I felt good leaving the meeting, but now I am not sure. I always self doubt into insanity, so trying to just think of the interview as another step in the right direction. J is doing well, though he has had a tough week at work with difficult judges and irritating clients. Such is the life of a criminal defense attorney. Ah, well. Thankful for the break in the weather. Fun from the fair in the pictures.

A Man (well, a boy, two girls, mom and a grandma) About Town....

We have been busy bees (that's Jack's class's name at school) this month. Grandma visited us, we went all over town. To the Magic House, St. Louis's Children's Museum, I took them all to the Zoo for the Stingray petting experience myself (Be impressed. Very Impressed.). Jack received a goldfish as a birthday party favor a few weeks ago, a fish that promptly died, causing questions such as,  "Mommy, am I going to die like my fish?" Nice. I bought him off of getting another fish by taking him to the zoo, where we pet Stingrays (the non-poisonious kind) for a mere $3. This seemed to satisfy the need for a fish for his room, for now. However, he just saw an episode of "Little Bill" where the protagonist received his very own HAMSTER. (What kind of sadist makes a show for kids about pets?) Seriously. He has been asking me, "When Do I GET A PET?" (Real answer, NEVER. Fake Answer to Child, "Well, we'll talk about it when you are in kindergarten. That's how old Little Bill was when he got a pet.")

Ummm....what else. Went on an interview today. Read the NY Times about the loss of income mothers take when they take some time off to care for children. All recent Supreme Court nominees who are women DO not have children. Go figure. Hey, but if you don't have children, NO income loss. Upside, the interview was next to a wine shop. Sigh. Pray that I get the interview at the Attorney General's office, as it is in town and is a building block.

Brookie at the Construction Zone at the Magic House

Magic House "Water Experience"

Grandma allows Brooke to eat the pickings at Eckerts.

Twinnies pretend to paint. (Magic House)

Jack and Brookie at Caribbean Cove, St. Louis Zoo, petting the stingrays.

Grandma and crew at the Magic House

Brookie in outdoor Slip N Slide fun.

Twinnies at Magic House

Zoo, Stingray experience

Dog Days of Summer

This is not a surprise for midwesterners, especially St. Louisians, but every year everyone stands around and laments the heat and humidity of this two-rivered town. And it is hot. Very hot. Today, all three of the kids and I have summer colds and coughs, which makes things a little worse. No outside water play, all inside entertainment. Difficult to say the least. We knew it was bad when Jack put himself down for naptime today. That has never happened. Caroline and Brooke both have colds, but are mercifully sleeping, which is good.

Brooke and Caroline are marching into the terrible 2s, learning the rules of the playground jungle, even if it is just in our house. The general stuff, no taking things away from others, NO BITING (that's why they are both in time out in the photo above.) Seriously, there is something in our DNA that produces biters. It's so mean and vicious, I am shocked when I see them do this to each other. Jackson is really a big boy. He is having a good time in preschool, though he only goes three days a week this summer. On Saturday, we had the first family movie night and watched the first Toy Story, which was enjoyed by all. I took them to the Merry-Go-Round at the local mall. Brooke and Jack loved the ride, Miss Caroline, who I fear has inherited my motion sickness, did not enjoy the ride and just rode in my arms. Today, school for Jack, naps for the twins, job searching and bill paying for me.

I've been thinking a lot about stages of life lately and how I was so smug in my early 20s and 30s, thinking that people who take time off or lower level jobs we just not ambitious enough. Recall, though that I also was in a sham of a marriage or getting out of one and really had no friends. Live for work, die for work. My life is so much more balanced now, but it is time to get back into work. The trouble is that I am starting over. I have the luxury of starting over, but I am starting over, yet again. I just read a book that  said that the Chinese word for crisis (which I of course do not remember) is the same work as opportunity. Viewing this change as an opportunity.....not just for a new career, but for a more balanced life that incorporates more joy. With more purpose.

In the pictures, Jack and Aunt Emmy on our back deck on the 4th, Emmy is showing him how to pull those champagne 'poppers,' me and Jack, Brooke and Caroline in aforementioned time out, rare moments of sibling love between Brooke and Jack (sickness seems to make them nicer to each other, go figure.), me and J in a rare shot.

Family Ties

We are very thankful this week to have Aunt Emmy visiting from Baltimore. We have been keeping her busy. Today we went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens to see the Dinoquest exhibit. Our dinosaur fan really liked it, as he has been roaring like a dinosaur and startling all of us for the last few days. MoBot placed dinosaurs within the plants, which was interesting and a little creepy. In the first three pictures, Emily and the kiddos in front of the Dale Chihuly (sp?) glass ball display in the sculpture garden (his beautiful artwork is all over the garden, it is a sight to behold.). Me and Jack in front of the T-Rex, Aunt Emmy and Jack in front of some other dinosaur. Great fun was had by all, although Emmy and I are exhausted tonight. We're planning on an early bedtime for Jack (we already got the twins in bed) and a nice movie with popcorn. J is on his Friday night boys' ritual at the Ol' Timer.

On Wednesday, we went to Forest Park and the Art Museum. Jack has recently become a fan of Olivia, who spends rainy days at her art museum and looks at paintings, specifically Edgar Degas and Jackson Pollack. (He gets a kick out of sharing Jackson Pollack's first name.) I knew that the art museum had Degas, I wasn't sure about Pollack. (No Pollack was found, though I think that the local modern art museum might have it, I'll have to look into it.) Successful art museum attendance by all.

It is great to have Emmy around for company and for help with the kiddies! I think the most difficult thing about being home is being lonely. It's hard somedays, that's for certain, though I am glad I have had this time with the kids. I have a big interview on the 14th for a lobbyist position, which is good and bad. Good, because I need to head back to work soon and bad because I have not had any luck in finding an attorney job on this side of the river. Any side of the river for that matter. And so, the worry does continue. I am blessed to have the luxury of taking my time and finding the right job, but it is hard to trust that the right thing will come along. I am working on my faith and trust, as always. Signing off.....

Wide Open Spaces

We headed east this weekend to visit Justin's dad and stepmom for Father's Day weekend in Lexington, KY. About 10 years ago, they bought this property and have set about becoming Kentucky horse farmers. It's pretty, but quite a lot of work for them, it seems. In the pictures, the farmhouse, Grandpa and Jack feed horses, Jack takes his first horse ride, me and Brookie near the barns, Jack and Daddy at the KY Horse Farm pony rides, Caroline and Brooke on the Gator and Brookie and Jackson on the ride home. All in all, a relatively successful trip.