Final Day: something you're listening to

Something I am not listening too.. Grammy playing with the little girls :( Her train is speeding it's way back to Grampapa in Orlando. We miss her already and I know the girls will miss her terribly when they wake up. I didn't take a single picture of them all together either.. boo to that. The girls had several firsts while she was here though and that was fun. They used scissors on their own for the first time and made a collage with the pieces they cut out. I know I know... can't believe I haven't let them do that before but I was so nervous that they would cut themselves and when I tried once before I had the hardest time showing them how to hold the scissors. Having a kindergarten teacher around the house is pretty stinkin' awesome. She also taught Margot to write her own name. Not to mention she can cut out a pink butterfly like nobody's business. Believe me, I know. My butterfly cutting skills leave pretty much everything to be desired. 

We love you Grammy and we are so thankful for you. And for you Grampapa, for letting her out of your arms for an entire week.

Two in One: Days 27 (Something You Ate) and 28 (Money)

It happened, I missed a day. Oh well.. 2 in 1? What do ya think? Too literal? 

Stephen is home from NY. We are all glad to have him back. It is beautiful outside today. Mary, Stephen and the girls have gone to the park.  I am here waiting for Frank-e-pot to wake up, trying to decide if I should also make chocolate chip cookies. She has a new toof. A tiny point in the top of her mouth.. think another is on it's way as well. She hasn't said a word about it. Who is this child I birthed? She may be the calm that we stormy Shinglers need. Her smiles, her laughs, her babbles.. contagious. 

Last night when I was putting Ada and Margot to bed, singing them to sleep, Ada reached out her hand (as she often does) for me to hold it while she drifted off. I couldn't reach her from where I was because there was an ocean of "babies" in their "beds" between us. I told her so. She sat up in bed "God's hands can reach me?" she asked. "He strong and His arms are long and He can reach my hand?" Yes, Ada, He can reach your hand.

Day Twenty-Six: Night

Can you tell I am getting a bit lazy as we coast into the end of this month of pictures? I was going to take a picture tonight.. of "night".. but then I went to have a glass of wine and chat with friend instead so here is a night long ago. A snap shot that I grabbed on my walk home from work one evening in 2007 (has it really been that long ago?). 

Day Twenty-Five: Green

Where did the baby go?

Day Twenty-Four: Inside Your Bathroom Cabinet

Day Twenty-Three: Your Shoes

I have a garden on my foot. 

I always wanted a pair of Dansko clogs in the late 90s. Didn't actually get them until this past fall after giving myself a nasty case of plantar fasciitis while Frankie was at Chapel Hill. Gaining 40 lbs while pregnant and then standing next to your baby while she languishes in her tiny hospital gown for hours at a time.. IN FLIP FLOPS.. will do that to a person. Every single nurse that came into her room had a pair on and I couldn't wait to get mine. Anyway, they have cured me. Now I wear them every day and I am looking forward to getting a sandle-ish version this summer.. or next week the way this weather has been going. I think these shoes are very NC.. as opposed to NYC.. home sweet home right? Right. Raleigh rules.

Day Twenty-Two: Where You Work

 

I couldn't decide so you get two shots of where I work.  Classic Ada (goofball) and sweet Margot who always loves having her picture taken.

And since pretty pretty Margot was the reason I got out the camera in the first place this morning.. She put that outfit together entirely on her own. Isn't she beautiful?  She is contemplating her twin who was going crazy on the couch pretending to be a mad lady bug. Le sigh.

Antennae.

 

There aren't many of those long hairs left from when when she was born.. but just enough. The new hair underneath seems to be coming in a little blonde and a lot thick. Just like the girls hair, only straight. She has been doing the "zombie" crawl on her belly for what seems like 3 months or more and recently taking a few hands a knee crawling steps before flattening back out onto her belly to move at a quicker, more studied pace. This weekend she gave up belly crawling altogether and now only travels by hands and knees. Belly up, head down, full speed ahead. Yesterday she started clapping. I think babies clapping are so stinkin' precious because it is there first intentional expression of joy, as opposed to a laugh or giggle which is more of a reflex. Spending Sunday and Monday alone with Frankie was such a sweet blessing. I am pretty sure it was more fun than it would have been if I were on my own completely. Having one baby is a dangerous thing for this heart of mine.

Day Twenty-one: A Fav Photo of You

This was sort of hard since I have lots of favorites of me. A little narcissistic? Perhaps. The thing is, each one of these favorites has Stephen in it. I always feel prettier when he is next to me and that shows up in the pictures. I am feeling particularly romantic today so.. here's one I am sure you have all seen before. Stephen(20) and me(22) in Montana beside the river we were picnicking by. Ah hippie Sarah.. how young you were.

Day Twenty: Handwriting

Mine is terrible... like doctor terrible. Hers, on the other hand, is so pretty. This is hers. The handwriting of a friend at school, who took the time to write encouraging verses on pretty paper and give them to Stephen during a particularly trying period at work. They have been on our fridge ever since. I change the verse at the front from time to time, and each time I am impressed by how much I love her handwriting.

How do I spell vacation? N-A-N-A-P-A-P-A

That is also the way I spell sleeping in until 7:30, a long luxurious morning shower, and eating a peaceful breakfast with a baby who has strawberry breath. 

Stephen is at the state swim meet today..and when he gets home swim season will officially be over. YES. Mom and Dad have the big girls at their house, giving me a much needed break. It's been me and Frankie around here since yesterday at lunch time. The first few hours threw me into a bit of a tailspin. I didn't know where to start. Clean up the mess that my family left in their wake.. or just rest with the baby doll in my arms.. I chose the latter. I didn't expect to feel so lonely. I came around in the afternoon after a pep talk from Stephen and picked up dinner from Outback (since my fav restaurant was closed). I picked up just enough to make me feel calm. I watch the marathon of Downton Abbey on PBS.. and the finale, which was only so-so in my humble opinion. I needle felted two little purple babies for the girls.  Went to bed hearing the soft clicking of snow flakes falling against the windows. This morning the sun is bright and cheerful. I let Frankie crawl around all morning in her diaper and she is now snoozing snuggled in her crib. She is loving her all access pass to the girls toys. Babbling up a storm. It's a nice morning. 

Yesterday when they left and I felt so, blank. I started to worry that perhaps I had waited too long to take a day off like this. I couldn't think of anything that I wanted to do. All I could think of was what I needed to do. I am pretty sure I have some sort of disease. The always be working when you have free time sort of disease. Have I lost myself in wife/motherhood? Nah.. don't think so. I am coming around this morning. I am still itching to clean a bathroom, and I may just do that, but at least my mind is thinking thoughts again.

Day Nineteen: Something you hate to do

I hate doing the dishes. Hate it. Always have, always will. It gets your hands all greasy and you have to dig all the gunk out of the sink when you are done. Ugh. Well.. off to do the dishes!

Grass

While I chopped veggies for stir fry tonight.. with the back door open.. breeze blowing in.. Fleet Foxes playing.. Stephen and the girls were in the backyard. 

 Stephen said she was bending down and picking the grass, standing back up and dropping it through the big "window" in the climbing cube. She will be 9 months on Thursday.

Bye bye!!!

Day Eighteen: Drink

Come now.. you know you didn't really want to see my empty beer bottle from dinner. I can not get enough of this baby. Just can't.

Day Seventeen: Time

How does one take a picture of time when A) one forgot that she needed to figure that out earlier in the day and B) one just walked in from spending some quality time with a glass of red wine and some lovely lady friends.. and it is 11:40 PM. This "one" takes a picture of the clock on the microwave in the darkened kitchen and plays around with the shutter a bit. Voila. Time. 

In other news, I did not frantically clean my house today. I fought the urge and won, thanks to a pep talk from the ol' BFF. I enjoyed my girls. I made dinner for a friend with an adorable new baby boy. I made dinner for us (warmed it up really). I painted the girls fingernails hot pink. I took a video of Frankie talking to a picture of Baby Adam .. and actually caught the moment when she tried to say his name on tape. This was her first attempt a real word and I got it! She tried to say "Adam" because we were all telling her it was Baby Adam that she was babbling too. She said "A-dah?" it was really adorable. She also crawled around my room after her nap saying it over and over. I had a marvelous day and I didn't let myself go crazy and destroy it. Go me.

Day Sixteen: Something New

A few words, because I really really don't want to clean up the kitchen right now. Today it rained and it was cold and I was desperate to go back to bed. In the spirit of wanting to snuggle into a warm bed all on my own I purposed to spend the day enjoying the girls. While Frankie napped this morning we got every pillow we could find and snuggled on the big bed and read books. Then we played some other Ada and Margot manufactured games, watched the washer wash a load of dish towels, had a play visit from some good friends in their jams and rain gear. My mind told me that while Frankie was being such a good napper today I should at least get the bathrooms cleaned.. or dust.. or fold laundry. Didn't do it. Feel good about it. Here's the catch though... tomorrow morning I all the desires to clean up that I kept at bay will come flooding out and my day will be a scrambling sort of a day. These are the days that I wear myself out cleaning the house "at the last minute" because the temptation to have a clean house, and thus a worry free Saturday morning, are too overwhelming. Annoying right? I might even get cranky because inevitably it will be sunny outside.. and I will resist the urge to be out in that sun because my time is up.. it is Friday and certain things will need to be done so that I can not be a crazy lady the next day. I will kick myself for not having done all that cleaning on this rainy day.. but I didn't want to clean... I wanted to cuddle my littles. UGH. So my question to you is.. it's all fine and good to ignore the housework in favor of spending the day with your children.. but then how do you keep from being a jerk the next day because you have twice the work piled up? I am pretty sure I know the answer but I just wanted to see if any of you did.

Day Fifteen: Phone

Someone who should be asleep.. is not asleep.

Happy Valentimes! (it never gets old)

Thank you Great Granddaddy and Great Grandmother!!!

Day Fourteen: Heart

Day Thirteen: Blue

Baby Frankie's tiny water glass.