Gennabby

Love Day

2012-02-15T12:29:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Sweet Noah called me out to the front yard the other day to show me something. He said, "Happy Valentimes Day!" Look at the footprints in the snow...see it? My little guy made a valentine for me all by himself--no direction, no crafty supplies, just the sweetest heart and some careful steps in a shape that spoke volumes to his mommy. I think this was the most precious valentine I've ever received.

Double Digits

2012-01-17T05:49:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Sweet Abby turned 10 years old yesterday! We were all glad that she had the day off from school to hang out. Reflecting on this tenth year, Abby said that one of the biggest highlights of the year was getting her kitten, Ellie. They are fast friends, and Ellie can often be found snoozing at Abby's feet, or waiting in the window for her to come home from school.

Abby's experience of life has been different from a lot of her friends around here. Matthew and I married young and had Abby when we were 24 and 25. We had just started grad school and the long road to figuring out what kind of work we would do (we're still on that long road eleven years later...). So our lives have held uncertainty and cross-country moves, long seasons of job searches and impending change, living far from family, and always budget constrained. Matthew and I are both good at some things and lousy at others, and in the places where our "lousy" overlaps, there are these gaps that make life more challenging. We're not great at being consistent and intentional about traditions. Not great planners. So much of life feels ad hoc, a little last minute, a little chaotic. Matthew is in his head a lot and I am "available" to the kids but feel stunned and dazed by the pace of life and of the kids' questions. I rarely have an immediate answer to any question--needing to say the words back to myself at least once before answering (can. Noah. get. chocolate. milk. UH, yes, I think so. Can he? Wait, no. We never have chocolate milk. Is there chocolate milk in the fridge? How did it get there? Or are they planning to melt chocolate and make chocolate milk?). This makes me a frustrating person to ask a question of, I bet. But they keep asking.

It would seem that Matthew can answer every question asked. Usually without looking up the answer. ANd we all wonder how in the world he knows that answer too...

So chaos, creativity, clutter and a simultaneous aversion to clutter (and no budget for hiring someone to help with it) make us a family always just a little bit unkempt.

Abby is the product of all of that plus a ton of love. She's grown up with the security of a mom and dad who love each other and who try very hard to trust God and love the gifts He has given us. We point her to Christ when she's sad, when we're confused, when things are great but our hearts are not grateful. So she has this wildness to her--she has the creativity without the same hang-ups we have. She is smart but doesn't think that a PhD is impossible to get (nor is she sure she'd want one or that it matters right now for her to know either way). She is easily frustrated, has high expectations of herself when it comes to drawing and creating with her hands. Her feelings are easily hurt and she is annoyed by kids at school, but she comes home and shares her heart without holding back. And then she feels better.

Abby is loving, intense, capable of more than she realizes, clever, funny, blessed, healthy, modest, energetic, prone to headaches and bellyaches (especially when she needs to clean up her room). She's not tidy--she's way too busy and creative for that. She's a good friend, loves to spoon and snuggle. She's learning to be an encourager. She is beautiful.

Happy Birthday, precious Abby, we love you so much.

First Day of Pre-K!

2011-09-29T07:44:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Noah Bean started pre-K. Is it possible this little guy will be in Kindergarten in just a year? His language skills have exploded this year and so has his sense of humor! He's as loving as ever, gives kisses he calls "smakerals," loves to play chase, and snuggles every morning. How he managed to get a Jersey accent is beyond me, but hopefully we will remedy that with time :)

A quick Noah interview:

G: Noah, who is your best friend right now?
N: Well, I am a horsey cowboy, and I am riding a horse. Daddy! Daddy is my best friend.

G: What things do you like to eat?
N: Um, broccoli and cheese and pizza.

G:What do you like to do?
N: I like to play with my toys.

G: What makes you happy?
N: WHen you get me a lollipop, some brand new toys, and cherry picker trucks, and tree picker trucks.

G: will you tell me a story?
N:Twinkle twinkle little star. My horses are all locked in the fence. Once upon a time there was a little chicky crossing the lake and then he would go back to the farm with the eggs and the chickies and the mommy chick. That is a story.

Once upon a time there was a BIG daddy chicky, um, and he got some food for the babies; and once upon a time there was a little birdy going in its nest and then the mommy and the daddy were getting some food for the baby. that's a story?

Once upon a time there was a tiny chicken and he crossed the lake and then he went "cock-a-doodle-dooooo" and waked up all the animals on the farm.

Once upon a time there was a big truck coming and he took all the horses to the dancing party and they danced and danced and danced. The End.

Well, a decidedly famish bent to these stories this morning. Yesterday it was space travel, the day before race cars and diggers. I love the variety.

4th grader!

2011-09-15T08:23:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Here is our sweet girl on her first day of FOURTH GRADE! I really think Abby is destined to do something creative and whimsical. Something that makes the world more beautiful and interesting. The night before school started, we were talking about life, identity, school...Abby said: "We are a family of geeks. Daddy is a bike/computer geek, mommy is a sewing geek, Noah is a car and truck geek, and I am a crafty clothes and fabric designing geek." She then said, "I'm not popular, but I like me." Abby's sense of style is so much more bold than mine, and I can say with confidence that she is her own person! For day one, she chose blue tights, jean shorts, a yellow top and a tomato red coat. (Today she has her lime green shoes on to go with her curious george t-shirt). I love this kid! LOVE LOVE LOVE her.

who needs fireworks?

2011-07-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth everybody! It would seem that we are still in the phase of life during which our kids are wiped out and asleep by 9pm when fireworks get going. Last year Noah buried his head on me, held my hands to his hears and cried during the fireworks show; this year we decided to have a mellow and fun evening with friends and let the kids go to bed at a normal hour.

We joined our friends Andrea & Todd (and their boys) and Sharri & Bob (and their kids) for a BBQ, some swimming, and relaxing. Well, relaxing was the plan. And it happened eventually, but before that, we had a big mess to deal with. I relate this story in part so that nobody thinks life for the four of us is perfect or that we have perfect kids or that we don't ever seem to deal with setbacks and messes. I hope I don't give that impression--but lots of my posts are written when I am cheerful or otherwise feeling proud or loving. I relate this also in part because I don't have a journal and I want to remember some of these ridiculous moments too.

So we arrive at our friends' lovely home and everyone runs off to play or chat or cook or drink sangria. Noah heads straight for the den with the awesome collection of legos and trucks. Before heading to the kitchen to join the grown-ups, I said to Noah "Sweetie, if you need to go potty, you have to use the bathroom. It is right here. Do you see the potty? OK. Do not tee tee or poop in your pants. Understand?" I said this to him because we've had a few accidents at home of late, despite Noah being potty trained for quite some time. Anyway, fast forward 15 minutes. Noah has been quiet (not unusual especially if he is playing with new toys), and I decide to check on him. I knew it the moment I saw the look on his face. Noah had pooped in his (white, clean) pants.

Not 20 minutes into the party and I am cleaning up my wailing kid in the bathroom as five other kids are listening at the door and wondering what I am doing to the poor kid. They should have been wondering what he was doing to me. Now, this poop was not a friendly, easy, just shake it out of the undies into the potty kind of poop. It was voluminous, stinky, and fully blown out of his undies. Matthew got the unsavory job of running the clothing outside to be hosed off. He returned to me and said "that was an epic poop." "Yes, it was," I said as I finished bathing a naked Noah in our friends' marble sink and tried to let compassion win over frustration and anger with my kid, who clearly was embarrassed and sad. Well, he recovered. No more accidents after that. He played, swam, ate, and played some more. We borrowed clothes and made the best of it. And our friends laughed the whole thing off without a second thought.

Sigh. Well, the kids are asleep, Matty and I got to enjoy eating some leftover peach cake that he made--from scratch, of course (DELICIOUS!!!), and--now the part that makes you think we really are some kind of 50's TV family--the evening ended with my sweet husband watching a movie with me while helping me baste a quilt with hundreds of safety pins. Not kidding. He knew I wasn't looking forward to it and offered to help. How sweet is that? So no traditional fireworks this fourth of July, but still plenty of spectacular moments.

Such a Good Daddy

2011-06-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

Father's Day morning:

G: Abby, what is one of your favorite things about daddy?
A: He is FUNNY.

G: Noah, what do you love about daddy?
N: He makes things!

Both of these are true of Matthew. But what seems really interesting to me is that these describe Matthew at his happiest and most fulfilled moments. I love that the kiddos value and recognize a happy daddy who is funny and who makes things! Matthew's gifts are not lost on this family; we really are blessed when he is using those gifts and enjoying the process! I love that when something is broken, Noah says "that's ok. Daddy can fix this." Or that when I hear true cackling coming from the family room, I can be certain to find Matthew and the kids clobbering each other or playing a game or watching kittens on you tube.

This has been a tough year for Matthew in terms of feeling personally fulfilled and able to use his creativity. And that has taken its toll on his levity. But it would seem that these kiddos bring out the best in him and provide the most lovely glimpses and reminders of Matthew's best self. I am very grateful for Matthew, for our kids, and for the way God gives us hope by giving us meaningful relationships. Happy Father's Day, baby. It's a good thing you're a daddy.

Practice 5K!

2011-06-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Superstar Abby ran her practice 5K this weekend in preparation for next week's official 5K. She ran this one 5 minutes faster than her 5K last Spring! We are so proud of Abby for taking on the challenge and the fun of being a part of Girls on the Run two seasons in a row now! And we are loving watching our girl grow in confidence and grace. WoooHoooooo! Go Abby!!!

Check out the pictures posted on flickr...

Four Years Old today!

2011-04-11T13:36:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Sweet Noah is such a grown up little boy now! He is clever and snuggly, busy and imaginative, empathetic and ALL about his cars...

He says hilarious things. Yesterday he was jumping in a bounce house and fell out of the entry way, dusted himself off and said: "Hmm, I misjudged that!" He loves to say prayers, most often thanking God "For my family and for my house and for my toys."

Most early mornings he ends up getting in our bed to warm up and snuggle before having a bowl (or three) of cereal. Noah loves to help. His current favorite jobs are: unlocking the front door with the keys, answering the door when someone knocks, filling water cups at dinner time, and gathering his cars into a wagon to take them to another room. He drags fallen limbs to the street, carries baskets of laundry, and loves to use the spray bottle to wash anything in sight.

Noah adds so much to our lives! Abby said of him, a few months ago: "Without Noah our lives would be gray. With him, life is hot pink!"

We've had a great day today celebrating him with his pre-k buddies (Daddy, Abby, and Mommy were all there!), and tonight we'll have cake and presents at home!
But before all of that I'll take a sec to ask Noah some questions:

What is your favorite color? "Blue. That is my favorite color, blue."

Who is your best friend: "Abby"

What is your favorite thing to eat? "Jelly Beans. They're sweet." (I think he's had them at twice in his life)

What do you want to do when you grow up? "I wanna be a fireman to drive the big fire trucks at the fire department."

Do you like animals? "Yes." (favorite is a lion today)

What's your favorite thing to do in the daytime" "Eat snowballs"

What do you dream about? "Um, machines and elevators and dump trucks. They make loud sounds in your ears and they are very very so so loud!"

Eats with an Audience

2011-04-04T10:04:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

And sleeps, plays, travels, chats, bathes, LIVES with an audience. Noah is seriously attached to these cars (from the movie, Cars). He lines them up, races ("vrooms") them, you name it. Many a night I wake up to the sound of cars crashing to the wood floor out of his bed after he rolls over. If his hair were not so short, I'd have to check it for cars.

cute haircut for Abbs

2011-04-04T10:00:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby is a happy camper these days, and this new haircut seems to mirror her new carefree feelings. Isn't she adorable?

A Mia Sighting!!

2011-03-11T04:10:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Living on the "other" coast has meant visits from family are especially savored. We got to see Mom, who made it here for Abby's 9th b-day! The first day of her trip she spent holding down the fort with the kids as a crew dug out the 550 gallon oil tank from under our driveway. This was NOT how I wanted her trip to start; the tank removal company had been putting us off for months and this day worked--for them. Turns out it was a blessing in disguise because the kids were having a blast when they otherwise would have been miserable, since the tank removal became tricky and I had my hands full with that.

Thankfully the rest of the trip was more fun. We toured Princeton and had a most delicious dinner in Hopewell. Matty car and kiddo sat while mom and I snuck away to look at some antique shops and laugh about life a little. It was great to have her see where we live and meet our friends here!

Nothing prepares me for Abby's tears when her Mia has to go home. I mean, I know they are coming, but oh it is sad to see her hurt. And it is sad to live too far from family. But we continue to be grateful for the visits and opportunities to stay connected. Now if we could only get my sis and her kiddo out here...

Abby did turn 9 in January...

2011-03-05T19:07:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I just haven't been blogging. I need to write a catch-up post, because we have been SUPER busy. But for now, I'll just post this adorable game Abby made for her b-day party (which included having her buddies decorate lots of cupcakes. And eat them.) Abby drew a cartoon version of herself. I helped her color it in (though she doesn't need my help any more; she is a great little artist!). Then her buddies colored in cupcakes and "pinned" (stuck) them on with magnets--with the goal of putting the cupcake in Abby's hand. There will be no pinning of tails on donkeys here. Not when Abby can come up with stuff like this!

Happy b-day, Abbs! You are our delight!

I've got a pocket full of sunshine

2011-03-05T18:48:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

His name is Noah. A few days ago as he was laying on the ground (eye-level with his cars, of course), and I was sitting at my sewing machine, Noah looked at me and said: "Mommy, I love you in the night and I love you in the day." It was a hug and kiss-fest after that.

Oh, and the day before that, he ran out to the dining room and (out of the blue) said to his sister with great excitement and purpose: "Abby, do you need rescuing?!"

(He has his moments of disobedience and whininess too--pretty much all of today was an example of that--but for the most part he is a very sweet kiddo).

Are you smarter than a 3rd grader?

2011-01-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

Abby was doing her homework this afternoon and said: "Mommy, they don't give you enough information in this question."

Here is the question: "Mary is making lemonade for lunch. There are 5 people having lunch. Each person's glass holds 9 ounces. A can of lemonade makes 32 ounces. Will Mary have enough lemonade for everyone? Explain why or why not."

She was right! How can one answer this question without knowing the amount of lemonade Mary has?

Matthew told her to give as her answer: "Yellow Dump Truck" and when the teacher asks her why she wrote that nonsense, to tell her "Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer." I gasped. Matthew snickered. Abby giggled.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-13T16:14:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

In her take-home folder today was this most precious card from Abby, expressing what she is thankful for:

"I am thankful for my 3 year old brother. His little hands keep me warm at night. When he tells me he loves me it warms my heart. I can not think of a better time than with my 3 year old brother, Noah, my sweet heart."

My cup runneth over.

Our first 5K as a family!

2010-11-15T19:14:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby is involved in "Girls on the Run": an awesome group dedicated to getting girls together, teaching them about healthy living and choices (physical, emotional, mental), and encouraging them while they train together for a 5K run. This Sunday afternoon was the big race and parents were encouraged to run with their superstar girls. We all had a fantastic time!

Matthew did forget his shoes at home somehow, so he ran it barefoot and ended up with some blisters and soreness; but considering that he pounded out a little over 3 miles on pavement, he's in great shape. He didn't wan to miss out on running this with his girl! Abby was awarded "Most Inspirational Runner" at the awards tailgate party for her perseverance with running and for her keen insights during their weekly talks about important issues. She said on the way home: "I'm really proud of myself for doing that." Those are words these parents LOVE TO HEAR their little girl say. We are incredibly proud of her too! She has trained for ten weeks, Mondays after school and Saturday mornings, with her coaches and friends to do this. She learned a ton of cheers: the screaming eagle, the pencil sharpener, crazy eight, watermelon cheer, superstar cheer, and more. And she developed her confidence for sure!

Abby, you rock! You are our superstar.

One funny moment while we were running (and Noah was chillin in the jogging stroller):
Abby: My feet hurt so much!
Gen: Yeah. I bet daddy's feet are hurting even worse.
Noah: My feet don't hurt! My feet are feeling good!

Yeah, no kidding, Dude.

chocolate lips

2010-11-04T14:17:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Noah had just eaten a trader joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cup (YUM), and had chocolate around his mouth. Matthew was holding him while we looked at decorative pillows at Pier One when three african american women (ages 30-40) walked by--one was holding her little girl, and she said to Noah "Hi chocolate lips!" Then, without a moment of hesitation Matthew blurts out: "They call me that too, sometimes." Then, stunned and processing, all of us busted into peals of laughter. Not one of us knew what in the world to say. I grabbed one of the women's arms to say something, but I couldn't stop laughing as I saw the older of the three women doubled over and bracing herself at the thought of this 33 year old white guy in his polo shirt and flip flops being called "chocolate lips." It was possibly the funniest thing Matthew has ever said.

halloweenies

2010-10-29T10:16:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Our two kids are simply not fans of Halloween. Abby begged to stay home with me today instead of going to school for fear of scary masks. Since she was begging to miss a day on which there would be treats, party activities, and basically no work, I figured she must really be apprehensive. So, she attended Noah's parade with me...the parade in which Noah was going to be an adorable bumble bee. When it came time to don his stripes and stinger, Noah decided that would be a terrible idea. There was no way he was going to be a bee or anything else but himself. EVERY kiddo in the school was in costume, except Noah. Even the teachers were decked out! But Noah preferred to be in the parade with his regular cloths on, and holding his sister's hand. I think this quality is kind of funny and cute: our kids are imaginative, funny, playful, and up for dressing up at home. But for some reason Halloween freaks them out such that they want life to be as familiar and normal as possible on this day. I'm betting they will want to participate more in the years to come, but for now we're kind of appreciating the tender and special sensitivity they both seem to have about it all.

oh yeah, I turned 33 last month!

2010-10-26T17:25:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Things have been so busy here that I've neglected to write. This is becoming a trend, I'm finding. But I will try to persevere for the sake of my 5 readers ;) whom I love and probably tell all of these tidbits to by email or phone anyway...

I had a fantastic b-day. Matthew took the kids to church Sunday morning and I got to stay home in my jammies, drink my coffee, and sew while watching an episode of Friday Night Lights. I was totally, unashamedly indulgent as I basked in the aloneness of the morning. I had only myself to dress, and hey! I was already wearing pajamas, so why bother? I had only myself to feed, and Matthew and the kids had made coffee and treats. It was a morning to remember! After that Matthew came home, kicked me out (sending me to the quilt shop near here to buy a little bit of fabric that I've been desiring) so that he could make my favorite dessert: his unmatched apple galette and hand whipped cream. We shared laughs and galette with friends. I felt celebrated and loved and--dare I say it? Rested! Amazing.

don't let this cute face fool you!

2010-09-23T06:32:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Last night Matthew came into the family room, flopped onto the couch and said:

'It's like playing whack-a-mole, putting those kids to bed!"

pre-schooler!

2010-09-23T06:27:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This was the best pic I could get of our squirmy wormy on his first morning of pre-school...

Bean started pre-school on Monday! He marched himself into the classroom, sat down to play with trains and only said goodbye to me after the teacher prodded him to do so. He didn't even look up! And you know what? I din't even tear up as I walked to my car to figure out what to do by myself for an hour (the first day was an hour and 20 mins., not 3 hours). He's more than ready to enjoy the time with kiddos his age, and I am happy for the short break from being on high alert that my all of a sudden toddler turned mountaineering yahoo crazy explorer child has gotten himself stuck in some precarious place. Again. Probably in search of a snack or dangerous tool of some kind. This mellow little guy is a lot like Curious George...so well meaning, well, most of the time, but into so much trouble! And he's smart about it. For instance, when is a great time to swipe a Trader Joe's cookie? Hmm, when mom is in the shower, of course.

G (shampoo in hair): Noah--Who got that Joe Joe for you?
N: Um, me.

Those cookies were up impossibly high. Matthew told me that Noah boasted: "Daddy, do you want a Joe Joe? They are at the top of that ladder!"

So in the last week, I have:

caught Bean at the top of the cabinet, you know--where the liquor and cookies live.
caught him in the car (and subsequently had to get the car jump started)
caught him in the basement. Twice.
found him sleeping UNDER his bed. Way under.
caught him in the garage trying to get onto Abby's bike (he was almost there. I'm thankful for that sturdy kickstand).
caught him at the end of our driveway checking out the machines and construction as the city replaces the storm drain system on our street.

A few of the things he's been caught WITH: scissors, sharpies, whole gallons of milk, pliers, espresso tamper, his mouth full of (non-authorized) chocolate or fruit leather or cookies...you name it.

He can unlock the locks and he isn't asking for permission to go outside--he just does it.

Those 3 hours of preschool, MWF, are going to be lifesavers. For both of us. Oh yeah, and we are SO PROUD of him!! He is really growing and becoming his own little dude. Love it!

Parks Visit!

2010-09-08T15:16:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We were honored to host 5 of the 6 Parks Clan at the start of September (missed you Hannah!!). You guys might just be the easiest five people to host in a 3 bed 2 bath home. Somehow the kitchen remained cleaner with LESS work than ever...well, less done by me. The kids had a blast--I don't think I even saw Noah for the 2 days y'all were here! And Abby and Emma were like peas and carrots.

We will remember laughing till we all cried over Antoine and more cowbell you tube videos. :)
We are so glad we got to see you before you went half way around the world again.

Third Grade!

2010-09-08T15:06:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby started third grade yesterday (Tuesday). So far, so GREAT! She loves her teacher (we love her too!) and her classroom, classmates, assignments, you name it. Everything is AWESOME. I give it about a week. She'll come back down to earth and figure out that there are real kids in her class (you know, people who laugh at the wrong things, pick their noses, tattle, burp, wiggle, hum, choose sides, and interrupt); and that her teacher assigns homework that is not fun (the "All about Me" assignments will give way to subtraction and multiplication tables); oh yes, and taking baths and setting out her outfit for the next day will be a chore...I know it's hard to believe.

But for now, she loves third grade, and we are loving her enthusiasm for the newness and excitement that is also such a great part of life these days. And we are hopeful that more and more the annoying parts of life as a human with other humans will be taken in stride, forgiven, accepted, let go, put in their place so that the great parts of life, learning, relationships, and play will outshine annoyances and set backs. May this be a year of putting in to practice the word we talked so much about last year: Resilience! Today was a good start. Day 2 of third grade and she forgot her homework folder. Oh boy. There were tears, lip quivers, and 30 minutes of sullen sadness--not so much over the homework but over the recess period she would have to forego in order to finish the homework. SIGH. My inner mommy was about to hop back in the car and race to school to rescue her folder and save the day. But that's not going to help her with the life skill of remembering important things. So instead, I talked with her and told her that if she could find a way to improve her attitude and recoup the afternoon, she could play with her buddy Madeleine when she got home. Abby pulled it together. She saved her own day. And she's out living it up in the September evening sunlight right now.

So here we go, third grade! We're pretty sure this year is going to be a ton better than last year and that Abbs will learn a lot and enjoy the new challenges.

good gifts

2010-08-20T03:32:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Friends of ours up the street gave Noah this vuvuzela (of recent South African World Cup fame). It is possibly one of Noah's most favorite toys. Most of the time I think it is awesome to see him whooping it up and rousing the neighbors, but I have to hide the thing after lights out. The other night (to our surprise), he sounded the ahroooooga at 9:30, waking Abby up, and causing the household peace to dissolve into a much later night than anticipated. Oh well. I mean what is a vuvuzela for if not to wake people up? Shouldn't every 3 year old boy have one of these things?

Other Noah moments/quotes:
(You might notice a decidedly bodily bent to these--we're potty training, so bear with us)

Asked of mom during a diaper change: "What color are the poops? It's a surprise for you!"

(we hear this every time he flushes): "Bye poops! Bye tee tee!" (He waves with glee. It's pretty cute.)

During bath time, talking to himself about his anatomy while also riffing on a favorite bathtime activity of fishing for toys: "This is not a fish; it is a penis." (Pause, Noah stands up holding himself and exclaiming proudly): "I caught a penis!"

And a super sweet moment: Noah wanted some milk and Abby volunteered to get it for him. Noah looks at me and says, "Abby is so wonderful." The lilt and adoration in his voice was priceless.

3rd grade, here she comes!

2010-08-20T03:18:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

School starts on September 7th for Abby. I'm so glad we have a few weeks of summer yet, even though I'm ready to get back in to the groove of having a schedule. This has been Abby's summer of art. She took art lessons and spent a TON of time (and paper) making delightful drawings and paintings. Yesterday we sat on the back porch and took in over an hour of late afternoon sunshine. Noah played with trucks, Abby painted with watercolors, and I read and dozed and let my mind wander in the quiet breeze. I'll try to scan and post some of Abby's creations of late--she really has made some great strides! On the health front, the antibiotics have done their job, it would appear. Abby seems to be back to her usual self again (1.5 days to go on the antibiotics and we're done!!). And that's why I'm glad she still has some summer left to enjoy.

Summer 2010 recap

2010-08-12T18:17:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Life happens so fast. I feel like there are 20+ blogposts I could have written this summer, but I have been so so busy just trying to keep up that I simply haven't been able to do it. I'll mention some highlights and lowlights...in chronological order:

Vacation in South Carolina, on the beach. Pearsons, Millers, Udoujs. So much fun!
Abby FINALLY finishes 2nd grade after a week of snow day make-ups. Cruel.
Matty and G celebrate 10th Anniv.
The California Carlsons 5 come for a weekend. YAY!
Genna's computer dies. Hardrive failure.
Matthew has a great year-one review at work.
Rusty nail goes through Matthew's flip flop into his foot. ER/antibiotics and he's all better.
The St. Louis Maynors 4 come for a week! They must LOVE us to make that drive.
Abby gives her violin "Twinkle Twinkle" graduation concert. Brava!
Canoeing for the first time--Pearsons and Maynors. Super fun.
Noah drops his naps and begins potty training. Thanks, Grayson, for inspiring Noah to be a big boy. Too bad about the naps, though.
Abby diagnosed with Lyme Disease. This SUCKS. She's still on antibiotics. I'll write more about that later.
Genna gets food poisoning or the flu. No fun. Everyone else is fine.
Matthew fixes G's computer. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Canoeing with the Steens, and kayaking too!
Matthew's intense bike workouts in the morning make him vomit twice! (This is a first for him. He's really workin' it out there before 7 am!)
Abby picks her new room color. Anyone who knows Abby and me knows this was not an easy process. We agonize over practically imperceptible variations in tone. But we settled on Benjamin Moore Blue Bonnet, tinted at half the formula. It's perfect.
G sends off contract for Noah to start 3 mornings per week of pre-school.

We're making it. We've enjoyed a lot of great highs this summer, and we've also had some unexpected bumps in the road. But we're blessed to live when and where we do. I'll write more soon.

He's a Craigslist GENIUS, I tell you!

2010-07-17T11:18:00.001-07:00

Dining Room
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

OK, I have a lot of other things to blog about: what we've been up to all month, etc.--but I cannot hold this in. Matthew just scored the MOST amazing dining room set. Check this out: for the first time in our marriage, we have a table that seats more than 4! This seats six, PLUS it comes with three leaves bringing that count to twelve. He got the table, 6 chairs, 3 leaves, a gorgeous buffet and hutch for $225.00. Now, you may be thinking, "Yay, way to go Matthew." But let me tell you what we figured out about this set. It is a Drexel "Profile" set, circa 1958. If you look at Retro Renovation you can read all about it, but for starters, that site mentions the following:
"The Drexel Profile furniture collection was designed by John Van Koert, and it was in production from 1955 to 1961. Van Koert started out as a jewelry designer for Harry Winston after WWII and later branched into industrial design. He also is well known for designing silver for Towle, particularly the Contour design; his particular attention to the drawer pulls and other hardware on Profile pieces is noted in the catalog."

And now the kicker. Matthew priced the set online. The table and chairs alone are selling (fast) for 4-5K. The buffet and hutch (with gorgeous real silver pulls) easily fetches 1K.

Honestly, I was as happy with the set before we knew any of that. We love the style of it; it's a mid-century modern set in just the color, and with just the types of lines we love. We can seat lots of people together, comfortably, and it will last and last because it is solid. I just cannot believe that it belongs to us now, and we paid 225. The table we have had since leaving St. Louis we paid 200 for, and are selling on craigslist... I am SO EXCITED! Come over for dinner, everyone we have room at our table!

And seriously, Matthew may have found a calling as an economist, but I can't say enough about his incredible sleuthy research and acquisition skills, as well as his gift for selling things to buy new (to us) things that meet our needs SO much better. He is a super duper rockstar genius.

10 Years of Matty & G

2010-06-17T06:19:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Ten years ago today Matthew took Genevieve to be his wedded wife.

We vowed our love and fidelity and we became a whole new family. We had no idea what would come our way, but we knew we would rather face all of it--good or bad--together. After ten years of sharing this life, and of growing up together, we're both more certain of those vows and of the huge blessings of walking together through each day that we are blessed to live.

I am giddy today; it is a momentous day, a milestone, and a reminder of the best things. So, to my best friend and the love of my life, I LOVE YOU! Happy Anniversary!

Three little birds

2010-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

an AWESOME day at home

2010-06-04T11:59:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Today Noah and I camped out on our front lawn and enjoyed the amazing show of mighty machines as they worked to lay a new water main. Next up will be the sewer line, then we get a gas line, then the whole street will be paved! Normally I would not be so excited about road work being done 50 feet from my front door, but I'm giddy to tell Noah when even a garbage truck is going by, let alone backhoes, front end loaders, tampers, rollers, dumpers, and rock crushers! This is a dream day for Noah; the only thing that could make it more fun would be getting to operate the machines himself.

one more critter for the growing list of backyard buddies

2010-06-04T11:54:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This little red fox has some amazing superpower. Or maybe Matthew's BBQ pulled pork is so enticing that it gave the fox superfox abilities. A couple of weeks ago, this critter dumped our (large, lidded, wheeled, flip top) trash can over to get to the drippings and fat. Impressive work for such a small fox!

violin lessons!

2010-06-04T11:49:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

After years of begging to play an instrument, we have finally taken the plunge and put Abby into lessons! She seems to be a natural and has taken to playing like a fish to water. I'm looking for a flute for her so I can give her some lessons on that too.

copycat boy

2010-06-04T11:42:00.003-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

LOVES to do whatever his big sister does.

Abby's new sport

2010-06-04T11:42:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

She is playing lacrosse, which is a popular sport on this coast. So far she really enjoys the game and is making some buddies. I love seeing her smile on the field!

summer, here we come!

2010-06-04T11:38:00.001-07:00

Abby in the Doorway
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

OK, I know I haven't blogged in ages. And if you are like my friend Bronwyn, you are tired of checking in to this blog just to see a picture of a tick. Well, you asked for it! Here come some updates!

Abby update: She has learned to climb walls! She does this every day, pretty much. There are only 2.5 weeks left of 2nd grade, and summertime cannot come quickly enough for this kid! We are all SO ready.

Flora and Fauna

2010-04-20T18:48:00.001-07:00

Our yard is bursting with colour and with an unexpected array of animal life. Now, some of the critters we see are fine by me--they are welcome to scurry about around my house as long as they stay out of it--these include squirrels, amazing birds (robins, cardinals, chickadees!), and even our funny groundhog (see picture below). I like those guys. The deer and rabbits are ok as long as they don't eat the flowers. But then there are strange or yuckie critters: the wild turkey startled me this week while I was chatting to Matthew by phone on his lunch break. This turkey was HUGE! And very close. And very loud. Then, the bright red tick I found walking along the deck. I HATE ticks. Hate them. The one pictured here is now dead (sorry if that offends anyone out there). It was a brilliant hue but it had to go. And then the snake. This guy has crossed my path--like that anthropocentric viewpoint, MY path? Actually I have disturbed this snake three times, twice nearly stepping on it. I'm trying to make myself feel better by imagining that it is the same snake each time, but it may not be. The one in the picture seems bigger than the one Noah discovered two weeks ago.

So we have lots of wildlife around. None of it domestic. So far though, not too many insects in the house, and that makes me glad. The flora though, that I bring in! We have Crocus, daffodils, paperwhites, irises, violets, grape hyacinth, bleeding hearts, hellebore, wisteria, jasmine, azalea, bradford pear, forsythia, regular hyacinth, and a bunch more that I can't identify. I've attached a handful of pics below!!

Alright, I need to go--Abby needs a ride to school, Noah wants to watch a show, and I am in my pjs (a common state at 8 am just before driving Abby to school...) Here we go! Enjoy the pics.

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Handsome boy.

2010-04-13T08:16:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Here is our sweet little guy on his b-day. He was wily and not very obedient that day, but he looked awfully adorable. It's a good thing they are so cute at this age, hey?

Three Year Old Bean

2010-04-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Today is Noah's third birthday! He ate three bowls of cereal for breakfast, skipped his nap, ran around like a wild man, read books with his Meemo, blew bubbles, rode his tractor down the backyard hill, ate (very rich and delicious Daddy&Abby-made) cake, smiled at several Happy Birthday serenades--thanks mom, Alec, Mimi, and Leas--strummed his new ukelele from Grandpa and Nana, played with puzzles, ate yummy burgers, watched Kipper the Dog (show), and ran around some more...barefoot in the grass, wearing airplane jammies and a striped shirt that is still too big for him (a 3T).

He's three years old and spunky, testing, loving, funny, ticklish, and sometimes willing to share. Sometimes. He's not interested in the potty, but he LOVES to pretend he's an airplane. And he is exerting his will to see just what he has control over and just how seriously he has to take our words.

He can count to twenty, say his ABCs, sing a few songs, identify tons of vehicle types, make awesome rocket sounds, and snuggle. His hair smells wonderful (unless he's been out playing all day in the sun and needs a bath--then he smells like a sweaty kid). He is the most kissable person I know, even though when asked for a kiss, he leans his forehead in so you may kiss it. I have to specify: I want your lips (which he calls "yips").

Noah is an awesome kiddo. We love him and he loves us. Thank you, God, for three wonderful years with this precious boy. We look forward to seeing who he becomes!

Now it is time to sleep!

March Madness...Princeton style

2010-03-15T05:44:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Alright, people. When Matthew told me we'd be moving to Princeton, I had visions of ivy and stone, stained glass, picturesque seasons. And then we got here and the summer was "one of the soggiest on record: we never get this much rain!" That made fall kind of a flop, with leaves browning and clinging to the trees instead of blazing with color and falling off, the way they are *supposed to*, which was "so unusual; we always have beautiful fall foliage!" And then winter. Blizzard after blizzard of record setting snowfall. Abby had over a week of snow days, I learned how to shovel a driveway, and we prayed that the roof would not collapse under the weight of 2+ feet of snow. All the while, the locals were awed and promised: "This is the most snow we've had maybe ever! We haven't seen a winter like this in over 20 years. It's never like this!"

And then we had our first spring rain and wind storm this weekend. The rain was interesting, the wind was loud. Abby and I stood at the window watching trees bend and sway, and she asked me: "Mom, do trees ever just fall over?" I replied, "Yes, but it is really rare." 30 seconds later (not kidding) I hear WHOMP! And run to the breakfast room to see an evergreen the length of our entire house stretched across our whole backyard. Our neighbor's tree (the one we were just watching) took out the fence and is napping on our patio. I'm glad it didn't hit the house, though Matthew would have loved to remodel the family room on the insurance company.

That was excitement enough, but then the electricity went out, taking with it our stove and our heat. But what we didn't think about was that it also took out our sump pump: and that, I now know, is even more important than heat. Yesterday Matthew and I spent hours cleaning up our flooded basement. Thankfully we didn't lose anything precious to us. It was just a soggy mess.

But you know what? It's all ok. We are all safe. We have our power back on (while many in Princeton are sleeping in Dilon gym on campus because their power wont be back on till who knows when). We got to light candles and run around with flashlights and eat pizza in the dark. Matthew and I have a cleaner basement than planned. And Matthew got to tell Abby at 7 am this morning that school was cancelled due to blocked roads and power outages, to which she replied: "That's the best news I've heard all day!" It has been really wild around here, but kind of fun, and totally unexpected.

So that's the weekend update here.

By the way, if anyone has a chainsaw, can we borrow it for a couple of days?

huh?

2010-03-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

Noah was whining for cereal when he woke up from his nap today. I decided I would not say for the 100th time since breakfast:"Noah, no whining, please." Instead I said "MeaMeaMeaMeaMeaMea" in a high pitched voice. He looked at me and said:
"Don't speak kitty cat."

That may be one my favorite Noah quotes so far.

"I can't believe it. It nowed!"

2010-02-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

And it is STILL snowing. We've gotten about a foot of snow since yesterday and are due for another foot before the night is over. This is "an explosively developing Nor/Easter" according to the national weather service. Great. And guess who didn't stock up properly at the grocery store? Yes, that would be us. This may be one downside to not having cable TV.

We have milk, coffee, half and half, cereal--those are the can't live withouts--and we're having beef stroganoff tonight. We have goat cheese ravioli for lunch tomorrow, and after that, we had better go to the store or we will be eating trader joe's shellfish, carrots, celery, and one clementine.

Power is flickering. Posting now.
love y'all.

8 years

2010-01-29T07:49:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

My baby girl is 8! She is brighter, more funny and cute than I expected. Her facial expressions reveal deep emotional understanding, and her questions do the same. Sometimes she is quiet; I know there are questions and thoughts bursting in there, but there is a reserve too. Not sure why. Other times she is a flood of words, and I wonder how her mind does what it does. She is tender with her brother; she is little girl and young woman at the same time; she loves me fiercely and can be so frustrated with me, though she respects me too much to let any major anger or disrespect fly. Long may that last! She is truly defenseless when it comes to her daddy's words, and what a blessing that she has a daddy who adores her and protects her heart and sees her for the beautiful person she is.

I can no longer describe her with just a few adjectives. She is changing--still bubbly, still sometimes shy, still curious, articulate, sensitive, passionate, forgetful, impressionable, trusting, and kind. And then there's more--but just what that is I can't say, and it changes with circumstances and with new information. Her moods have more heft and information behind them; they are no longer whims, like when she was two. No longer pure reaction to want or need.

I'm ambivalent about all of this, because I miss the simplicity of being able to meet her needs. She is fast outgrowing my ability in that department. But I love that we can share things we couldn't before. I can earn her respect, and she mine. And we can practice unconditional love and forgiveness too. I guess the relationship is becoming more complicated and full of potential for deep connection beyond the hormonal, biological super glue that has bonded us for all these years. I can't get the same high from sniffing her head, I'm not permitted to get the boogies from her nose, sometimes I'm invited to help make fashion choices, and I'm not there during her school day hours. But when she is asleep, I sometimes kiss her soft cheeks and see how little she still is. We're approaching real challenges and heartbreaks and changes (along with awesome experiences and connections), and I feel like I am 8 years old myself, scared and wanting someone to tell me "how things are." I don't want my existential crisis to be hers, and I try to give appropriate answers to questions that are too hard for me now. Had she asked me six, eight, ten years ago, I would have had more articulate things to say--maybe I would have been confident and wrong, or right. I don't even know. But now, my answers are more raw, more certain that we have to trust God because we are not in control of everything--and we don't want to be either. I am careful to keep my major doubts and fears to myself--those are not her crosses to bear. And when the time comes, if she wants to talk about the strangeness of growing up, becoming a mom and/or just becoming and figuring out that your youthful confidence takes some major hits along the way--when the day comes she faces suffering, then maybe some of my own trials and lessons learned will come in very handy. But, thank God, she is eight and has no reason to encounter anything beyond what we hope is a good balance of real, protected (but not too much) life.

Abby makes things vibrant with color. She is beautiful energy and delight and things that stretch the people around her to become more human, more real. She is the best eight years of anything I can imagine.

sunshine, don't go!

2010-01-29T07:15:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

One day this week (I can't remember which one, because they all run together), it rained all day long. There was no sunshine. Then, while I was making dinner, the room glowed for a moment with radiant light. I ran outside with my camera to take a picture of the setting sun. I took another one of the trees--illuminated from beneath and shining since their branches were soaked all over. And I thought to myself: No matter how grey and rainy and miserable the day might seem to me, the sun is always shining. I needed the perspective, and the peeking sun's reminder to me that my perspective can limit my understanding so much. I don't like barriers to understanding--clouds can be a menace. But they can also be a kind shelter and a welcome buffer from what can do damage in too great an intensity.

On with taking the vitamin D supplements and racing the cat for the fleeting sunny spot on the couch. Spring, hurry it on up, please.

Abby's Dream

2010-01-27T18:22:00.000-08:00

The kids were asked to write a short essay on what their "dream" would be for the world they live in. Here is what Abby wrote (her spelling intact):

"I have a dream that people will buy good and sterdey (sturdy) materialls and donate it all to the people of Haiti. I have a dream that one day people will love and live in peace and stop war. My other dream is that people will take care of the orphens, take them home and love on them!"

Lonely

2010-01-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

Life is full, fast, and has all the trimmings. Except family and close friends. And down time.
This makes me very very lonely.

I've decided that I do not like winter. Or maybe winter is just fine, but I do not like being cold. I can't seem to get warm and I've promised myself hundreds of times that I will not complain about being too hot in the summer time ever again.

We've had a bit of a rough transition to Abby's new school. Three weeks in and she does like her teacher and new friends, but she tells me often that things just don't feel right. She misses her old friends, her Davis friends. Two weeks ago she got a migraine at school. This last week she missed her school bus stop because she was reading. We've endured some tears, but I am hoping that thing will get better soon. We've tried to make this weekend lots of fun: I took her to the movies on Friday night and Saturday night she had a sleepover here with a new friend. Today she has been invited to another girl's house for a playdate. We might just say yes to that too.

Figaro update: I am not the biggest fan of having a pet. I thought I would love it, but I don't. I can't stand that the cat is a cat: he claws furniture, he poops in a box in my house, he jumps on the table--where we eat--with the same paws that step in his litter box. I am grossed out. What was I thinking? I used to love my cat when I was a kid, but now I recall that he was an outdoor cat and very low maintenance. What do I do now?

Can I just ask the moms out there: what do you do when you are spent and you want someone else to be in charge for a while? I'm flooded with the emotional and physical needs of my two (healthy and relatively happy) kids--I'm in love with them, and they are comparatively easy when I think of so many families dealing with actual hardships--and yet I am truly tired and I feel dazed.

the payoff

2009-12-20T10:39:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This makes all the shivering worth it! We got bundles of snow, and this morning called for sledding (after pancakes, of course)! Matty and Abby bought a sled yesterday in preparation for today's fun. And What Fun! Check out the flickr photos--they say it all!

First Snow!

2009-12-16T08:08:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We had our first snow! The kiddos had so much fun making snow balls and feeling the snow fall on their faces. Noah wasn't sure if he wanted to go outside in the white stuff--it seemed scary--but as soon as he saw Abby out there giggling, he went for it and had a blast.

This pic is taken from the back yard, looking at the back deck. Straight ahead is the breakfast room and kitchen; to the right, that big window is the side of our family room. The little house in the picture is a garden shed right now, but we are thinking of converting it to a playhouse for the kids. Apparently our backyard will be blooming with bulbs and wildflowers in the spring, according to our neighbor who was friends with the previous owner. We're excited to see what pops up!

home sweet home

2009-12-16T08:04:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

So we have made the big move and we're settling in well to our new home. We LOVE it! The picture you see here is taken of Noah standing in the window of our living room. It has a lovely picture window looking out at our front lawn, which has a big tree in it. The color of the wood is about the same color as our floors, which REALLY need rugs on them so we don't freeze! See those trash cans by the street? We own those and the trash guys come pick up our trash twice a week and everything! It is very cool to not have to haul every bag to a dumpster half a block away. :) Keep an eye out for more pics on the flickr stream--I am going to post them soon.

We're starting to feel at home here. There is a great rhythm to this place, especially since we opted not to get cable! We hang out in almost every room, and when we watch a show in the family room, it feels special and cozy.

The commute is easier for Matthew now that we are closer to work, and after the holiday break, Abby will start going to school right down the street. So, all is well here. We'll be staying here for Christmas, which should be fun. Maybe I can talk Matty into firing up our fireplace! We haven't tried that yet. More to come...

Figaro

2009-12-16T07:40:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We welcomed Figaro home last night--yes, Abby finally finally finally has a pet! This morning when we went to check on them, Figs was in Abby's bed, snuggled and warm. Abby says he has puppy eyes, "like a little beggar" she declared last night.

Figgie Pudding is about 10 weeks old, we think. He is very good natured, playful, and friendly--even with Noah who clobbers him with love and with toys. I am thankful that we got this sweet little guy and that he seems already to fit in with our family quite nicely. Most of all, I am happy to see Abby taking such delight in her pet. And, while he is a family pet, he really is hers. This is Abby's first chance to learn about responsibility, tending to another little creature, etc. in a way that she can really own. She's so ready, and she is in love with this rascal already.

We all love that he looks as though he has no idea what color he is meant to be--like maybe he was brown, then decided to be white, then he dipped his nose in some chocolate. He's a mut, and he's so sweet. Welcome home, Figaro--you are one lucky little dude.

packing and laughing

2009-11-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

We are packing our stuff up to move again. This time will be easier since we never fully unpacked from Davis. But we move on the 21st! That's about all here, but I thought I would share some of the things the kids have said lately:

Abby is not a fan of Halloween. She is so scared of the costume masks and makeup and she didn't want to go to school on Halloween Friday. I tried to coax her. It didn't work. She went to school only because we came up with a sweet princess outfit for her--a fancy skirt I had nearly finished for her in Davis, and a really lovely crown from Michaels (which was slightly damaged so i got it for 4 bucks! and fixed it in about 30 seconds). Anyway, here was a little of our conversation:
G: Abby, you really might want to go to school; you are having a class party!
A: I would rather stay home and feel cozy and hang out with you than be terrified AND have a belly ache from the sugar.

Noah has been saying all kinds of funny stuff...
*When his hand wouldn't go through his sleeve: "What's up with that?"
*When he saw daddy sitting on the floor, he ran up to him and said: "Daddy. Best. Friend." (I thought Matthew was going to cry). Matty replied: "That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard!"
Tonight he busted this out: "Get me a beer."
While eating a cupcake: "Best cupcake ever seen!"

Oh, and Matthew made me laugh while we were browsing in a bookstore and passed the Shakespeare section. I commented that I actually like Troilus and Cressida, and he said: "Oh, is that a new release?"
And when I commented to Noah (after he ate a treat with blue frosting), "Noah, you have the bluest mouth!" Matthew followed with: "Didn't Tony Morrison write about that?"
Alright, so those last two were literary and made me crack up, but if you don't get why they are funny, no worries. They were just little ways of Matty reminding me that he cares about stuff I like. Sort of like when I use econ-speak to communicate with him.

freaking out

2009-11-02T09:59:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This was going to be a cute family pic, taken by Matthew's Aunt Maria while she visited us last weekend. Problem: one HUGE SPIDER in this tree (my head is itching just thinking about it). I just about knocked poor Abby out of the tree as I tried to position myself to jump down without breaking an ankle or my teeth or something. It was not my finest moment as a mother, and Abby was mad at me but we've patched things up and I am NOT climbing in any trees without a thorough investigation for arachnids.

Shudder.

Oh yes, notice Matthew's face? Yeah. That's him LAUGHING as I nearly die of a heart attack.

caught

2009-11-02T09:55:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Bean head threw this school bus in the potty. "Uh oh! Uh Oh! Cool bus in potty!" Notice the TP pulled down too. Thankfully he did not flush it. THat could have been expensive.

One of these days the potty will be enticing for the right reasons, but for now it is just a big novelty to Noah, who prefers to go potty in a diaper, thank you very much.

more news

2009-11-02T09:46:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I don't have a picture of it on my computer at the moment, so you'll have to look at the four of us and just imagine us in OUR NEW HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a little excited about this: we have bought a home in Princeton. We close November 18th and move in between then and Nov 22nd...JUST in time for the Maynors to arrive for Thanksgiving! Guys, it may be like camping, but that's nothing new to us, right?

This house story actually HAS a story, and it is a God thing. We never expected to find a home as quickly as we did--I mean one we could afford. There are PLENTY of gorgeous homes in Princeton, but they have way too many zeros attached to their price tags. But we thought it wise to just look and get a sense of the neighborhoods, the town, traffic patterns, and the types of homes available here. We went out one Saturday (my friend, Karen, whom I knew from seminary and who lives here!!) watched the kids while we toured 6 homes with our real estate agent (and Matthew's boss' wife). Lots of the places were disappointing for different reasons, but mostly because I started to realize that we wouldn't be able to buy anything cute. The last place we saw was an add-on to our trip, and was just so that we could see what was available in the 50K ABOVE our max price range. Matthew kept checking the price b/c he thought the place should be even more expensive than it was, but we found out that they had dropped their price by 100K just weeks before. That didn't help our spirits much--that just meant they had gone as low as they could go.

Anyway, we walked up to this monochromatic 3/2 ranch home with a lovely front bay window. The minute we stepped in the front door, Matthew and I were both giddy. It was SO SO lovely! I have not felt that much like a wide-eyed kid in ages. It felt like we couldn't see the home fast enough! The hard wood floors, the light streaming in through big windows all around us. The perfectly cozy layout of 3 bedrooms nestled on one side of the house and away from the main living/dining room/family room. Then the back deck and amazing backyard with trees reaching up to the sky like a cathedral's walls. It was all just wonderful. And I kept thinking, I could see us here. This is US! It feels like home to me. Excitement gave way as we remembered that this house was not in our budget. So we left thinking that it sure would be amazing if there were some way for the sellers to--for some strange reason--really want US to have it.

Next morning at church. After a great service, we are hanging out and the kids are having bagels. I decide to go get a bagel too. When I looked up, I saw this lady who seemed so kind and welcoming, so I said "hello, I'm Genna. We just moved to Princeton," We chatted for about 30 seconds before she asked where we live; I told her; then I did something out of character (b/c I'm kind of introverted and had no reason to do this): I told her about the house we saw. And I said: "It's on ... street, but you probably haven't heard of it." But she had. In fact, one of her best friends lives on that street. But not just ON that street, right across the street from the house we wanted! So she gave me her friend's number and we parted ways.

I called that number, and told "Donna" that we had looked at the house across the street and she was giddy! She has a daughter my age with a grandson Noah's age and thought we'd be the best neighbors, AND the lady selling the house just happens to be a dear friend!! She said: "I've got to call Janet and tell her she must sell to the Pearsons!"

Monday afternoon, we're playing at a sandbox in this park and my cell phone rings. It is the owner of the house! She invites us to have lunch there the following Sunday after church. By this time, we are trying so hard to swallow our excitement, knowing the house is still out of our league, money wise. But this kind of thing doesn't happen very often: the seller calls US and invites us for lunch?? Fast forward to Sunday: we had a great lunch and Abby and Noah were angels. Even giving hugs, unprompted, to the seller (who is 83) and her daughter (in her 50s). We left and prayed.

We decided that we would make the best offer we could. and I mean our best good-faith offer, which we could not top. And this offer was a full 50K less than their current asking price (which was 100K less than their original). We just prayed that if it was meant to be, they would say yes. If not, then no.

Even after turning down another, higher offer, they accepted our offer as is because they thought we were meant to be there. The daughter said "I believe in God and I believe God wants your family to live in this home. Enjoy it. Love those kiddos in this house, and maybe someday you will get to do something generous for someone else."

We are still stunned. We can't believe we will get to own a home. Oh, and then we get an email from our real estate lawyer guy that tells us the seller forgot she had a second lot behind the home (this big forested area). She's including that in the sale price of the home. So not only do we have a great house, but we have a forest too. The kids are going to LOVE IT! Matthew is planning to put up a zip line and they might make a tree house too. It feels too good to be true, but it is happening, and we are so grateful. You have no idea how excited Matthew is and how much time he spends dreaming about the home projects he gets to do. This is seriously his kind of thing!! We couldn't imagine a blessing like this one. Thank you Jesus! (Inside I feel like a big, beautiful african american woman, tears streaming down my face, while I hug Oprah for giving me a house, except it's Jesus I'm hugging, and I'm a small white person, but you get the feeling, right?). :)

Long overdue

2009-11-02T09:08:00.001-08:00

DSC_0113.JPG
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Life has been so busy here that blogging has been on the burner behind the back burner. But that isn't because we do not have news to share. We do. I'm feeling very overwhelmed with how to catch up, and this is supposed to be fun, so I'm going to just give bullet points and hope y'all will forgive me.

September: The best part of September was that we had friends visit us! Besides Melanie's visit, which I've told you about, Bron and Teg came for a week's visit. They were here for my 32nd b-day, which was a treat and made it so much more festive. Bron and I stole away to see a "Fame" (an admittedly young choice, but we are avid So You Think You Can Dance fans and had standing weekly dates together to watch that show). We laughed hard and we both cried some at points in the week. I miss hearing her laugh, and I miss being able to ask her for eggs (sugar, flour, rice, coffee beans, milk, TP, diapers, wipes, chap stick, and a shoulder to cry on). There is something to be said for being neighbors and friends.

real weather?

2009-10-15T04:58:00.000-07:00

When you live in Southern California for most of your life, and then in Davis for 6 years, you get used to weather forecasters making a BIG (and I mean BIG) deal out of little changes in the weather. I mean, Davisites, who hasn't watched with amusement as the local weather guy talks about an approaching sprinkle as if his first child is about to be born? By October, all of us are parched and are excited for any precipitation--for the rest of y'all, Davis can go 5+ months without a single drop of rain during the summer. Now, there are occasions on which the "mother of all storms" really does hit--this week is a good example for Northern Cali, so I hear. But I am very used to weather being overstated so much that I discount the predictions, which are sensational but rarely worthy of the adjectives lobbed around as I drink my coffee and dress my kids.

I have a problem. Now that we are living in the Northeast, I'm feeling underprepared by the friendly faces on the tube. The weather forecasters say it will be a lovely day, and it is a bone-chilling high of 57 degrees F. And they KNEW that was going to be the high! So now I am concerned: yesterday and today the buzz has been all about an approaching "Nor'easter." This morning Abby asked what that meant and Matthew said, "It means it's neither Christmas, nor Easter." Then he explained that it is a weather pattern that promises to bring "cold" air, and precipitation--this time in the form of rain. The high today is supposed to be 45degF. With 100% chance of rain, and probably heavy rain! Problem is, we have all been wearing our "last line of cold defense" clothes this week, and we've hardly dipped below 55. So, coats are on the way and we're about to start drinking hot cocoa! Now I know how the Davis weather casters feel: I am buzzing with excitement as I wait for the real weather to arrive. And this time, I think it will be more than a sprinkle.

I'll post soon

2009-10-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Besides not being able to upload pictures to flickr, I am under the weather. I think we've got some form of the flu too. So, I have news, but not much energy at all. Check back in a while for details, but know that we are doing pretty well here...and we still have the cutest children I've ever seen.

Dachoo Yibadee!

2009-09-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

branching out

2009-09-07T07:22:00.001-07:00

farm girl Abby
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

The last two months have been pretty full of trying new things. For the first half of that time, Matthew was diligently working on his dissertation whenever he wasn't working. Last week he did it though: he finished the dissertation and got signatures. He is officially, totally DONE with his phd! I can hardly believe it! What an immense job, from start to finish. There aren't words to describe how proud I am of his accomplishment. We went on a date to celebrate, but this was an unusual date... Friday night we went to a great little restaurant and had gnocchi, scallops, and halibut. We spent several hours walking, talking, stopping for coffee at our favorite coffee shop in town. Hours, you say? Yes. HOURS. Matthew insisted on reading every dessert menu in town, it seemed. And we even sat down for dessert at one place (after a 20 minute wait) only to hop back up, and head to another location. Mysterious behavior for Matthew. It was raining lightly as we stood in the middle of Palmer's square and as Matthew shared his heart effusively. Again, mysterious behavior for Matthew. Finally, we drove home, a good hour past when I thought we would head home. As we walked up the path to our door, matthew stopped and said: "G, that looks strange. What's going on over there?" He ran to the small parking lot in front of our apartment and banged on the window of a slowly moving car! I thought someone might be unconscious or in danger or something--and then I thought Matthew was being crazy as a large man got out of that car! What in the world was going on?! "Look who's here!" Matthew yelled. Through the dark, drizzly air, I saw a dear, familiar face peek out from behind Matthew: Melanie Maynor was standing in front of me! All the way from St. Louis to surprise me for my birthday. Matthew and Melanie had known for weeks about this and had pulled of a real surprise. I had NO idea. And, strangely, I didn't think much of Matthew's nutty (and over the top romantic) behavior during the long celebration date. I just thought to myself that he must really want that perfect dessert and that no matter how many menus we have to read, his finishing his dissertation was reason enough for me to be patient. The weekend that followed was rich. Melanie and I talked, played, and finished our quilt backs--a project we have been working on for a LONG time now. It was the sweetest gift.

During the weeks without Matty around much (and, by the way, he also went to Chicago and to Boston for work during that time!! Super exciting!), the kiddos and I decided to check out our surroundings. We discovered Terhune Orchards, a little farm with animals, tractors, fruit stands (and pick-your-own), and flower fields! Both kids enjoyed throwing corn to the ducks and geese, as long as they didn't get too close. Noah squealed when he pet a small cat--he loved it!

Some new friends invited us to go berry and flower picking in another farm (the largest CSA farm in the US, apparently!). Our home is still filled with gorgeous cut flowers--cosmos, sunflowers, zinnias, and snapdragons--delightful!

And, finally, all four of us set out on an adventure on Saturday: we drove to the Staten Island Ferry, rode the ferry to Manhattan, and traipsed all over that huge city! But that needs it's own blog post...

morning!

2009-08-18T04:54:00.001-07:00

Matty fixing Noah a chocolate waffle
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

You should see the way Matthew lovingly dabs at the just melted chocolate chips so that they fill each tiny cup in Noah's waffle. Then he cuts the waffle for Noah into delightfully small bites. I find this truly adorable.

First guests!

2009-08-18T04:51:00.001-07:00

Kate taking a pic of Abby taking a pic of Kate
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We were delighted to have Kate and Mark from Davis as our first out of town guests! We met when Noah was an infant and Kate became his nanny so that I could pass my exams. Soon Kate and Mark became dear to all of us, especially Abby! Abby is SO fond of Kate, and Kate of Abby.

We had a great time in Princeton, walking all over town and campus, eating at our new favorite places. We hope they will visit again!

delicious food on delicious dishes

2009-08-04T11:00:00.001-07:00

delicious food on delicious dishes
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We've been experimenting with apples. This is a modified apple galette pastry (with blueberries and creme fraiche). It tastes as good as you imagine it does. Matthew makes the pastry dough (arguably the more difficult task) and I usually handle the compote. The first time we made this with a more American flavor combo, which included cinnamon; but the second time around, we opted for a French combo of lemon juice and vanilla beans. Both are tasty, but I think I might like the lemon and vanilla! The cinnamon tastes too fall/winter-ish at the moment.

I must say that eating such a delightful pastry is made all the more enjoyable by the jadite green Fire King dish it rests on. THANK YOU Emily for these. You will laugh when I post a picture of the table we just got at a re-sale shop for thirty bucks. Same era as the dishes. I have one word for you: formica.

settling in

2009-08-04T10:44:00.001-07:00

looking for deer
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We are feeling much more at home these days. Our routine is becoming routine in a comfortable, familiar way. Abby loves going to camp--a first for her. She swims, plays sports, and does arts and crafts every day before coming home and hanging out with Noah and me. Matthew has been riding his bike to work, which provides a bit of exercise and gives me great practice at trusting God with his life; the roads are narrow! This is NOT Davis. I miss the bike paths and the commutability of Davis a lot. No longer can I walk out my front door and to Starbucks, World Market, or Rite Aid. Nope. This is a car-dependent place, and I am not used to it. BUT it has some real perks too! The public library is fantastic! We've been going at least once a week, and not just because it is close to one of the yummiest ice cream shops... We get interesting weather-- rain storms you wouldn't believe! We have deer who visit in the large field behind our apartment; cute birds too. We're going to get some binoculars so that we can animal watch from the kitchen window (pictured above). Oh, and the shopping. Good night. I've never been much of a shopper, but this place can make a person WANT to be a shopper. A new friend of mine told me yesterday that "It sucks to be poor in Princeton." This may be true, BUT (and this is a big BUT), it ROCKS to be a thrift store shopper in Princeton! I didn't know clothes could be so soft and well made; I just never bothered to look at places where socks cost as much as a tank of gas. And who wears socks anyway, when you live in Davis and can wear flip flops all year round? Anyway, the trick is to go to the thrift stores and to enjoy feeling like a queen but paying pennies on the dollar for really lovely things.

I wouldn't say we feel at "home" quite yet, but we're starting to get there.

A long journey

2009-07-23T08:25:00.001-07:00

Mimi, Bean, and Me
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We are settled in enough for me to blog some pictures of our summer... I'm not very good at blogging multiple pictures at once, so I'll explain the pics now: We got to visit with my fam in San Diego. The pic "Mimi, Bean, and Me" is of my mom's mom with Noah and me. Next we went to St. Louis. We caught fire flies, stayed up late talking, went to the pool, cooked, ate crawfish pie and ahi salad and many other Melanie-made dishes. YUM. It was a great visit! Next it was off to Memphis for the 4th of July family reunion. I only caught a pic of the ladies, not the whole group, so this is half of us. While in Memphis we visited with the Cunninghams; the last family pic we have together is from four years and THREE new kids ago! We hadn't actually MET two of theirs, nor had they met Noah! Unbelievable. Our long road trip took us to Nashville, where we spent 2 days with our dear friends, the Haynes Family. Jeff and Lucy sent Matthew and I off for a night in Nashville! As part of Matthew's graduation gift, we had a lovely dinner (ALONE!) and stayed at a beautiful new hotel (ALONE!). This was the first time we'd been away from Noah for a night, and perhaps the second time away from kids in four or five years. It was a gift for sure. Lucy was a saint to take on a no-so-happy Noah, who was under the weather and grouchy. The visit went so quickly, I have no pictures to share--I think this is a sign of a good visit. Next, we traveled to Knoxville, where we stayed with the Miller fam (Drew, Em, Sadie Parker, and Ruby!). This was another first time for meeting new kiddos! Bean and Ruby hadn't met before. We had a gourmet meal prepared by Drew and Em. (Can we just hire you guys to make our lives beautiful? Drew is a landscape artist, Emily is an all around culinary, home, and textiles artist). Em gave me the most exciting house warming gift: a set of jadite green fire king dishes. GASP. They are so so wonderful Pics are sure to follow. Our night in K-ville was tumultuous, with the Pearson four playing musical beds, crib, and couch the whole night--a night that included much Noah-coughing (with croup) and a middle of the night headache/throwing up bout for Abby. We hit the road to DC via Charlottesville, VA, where M's cousin Meredith and her hubby Chuck hosted us for dinner and a break from the road. They are delightful folks, and I'm glad we finally got to meet! We made it into DC near midnight, after a wrong turn, which was fortuitous--it ended up providing a great driving tour of the major monuments at night. The Bridges family hosted us for two days. Most of you will recall that Scott Bridges married Matthew and me 9 years ago in San Diego. Their new church is in DC! Matty, Abby and I took a walking tour of the white house. No Obama sightings, but it is positively breathtaking to be IN the white house! Abby took it all in with wide eyes. And she had to, because there were NO cameras allowed. After a "big, bad , breakfast" feast with Scott, Julie, Em, and Jack, we took our last big drive. FINALLY, we were home. We've left stuff at almost every place we stayed: shoes, stuffed animals, blankets, clothes, crayons...It was all a ploy to get mail at our new address. We've been unpacking, working, baking, enjoying our own beds again, and (DRUMROLL, PLEASE) Matthew has been building and customizing! I leave you with pics of "Camp G"--this woman's dream room! Noah is asleep and Abby is at day camp, so I am going to go upstairs and MAKE SOMETHING. Miss y'all.

the fountain of freedom

2009-07-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

the fountain of freedom
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

That's the name of this fun fountain (which doubles as a favorite splashing spot for the kiddos) in Princeton. Abby and Noah LOVED it today. This picture is not mine--I found it on line, but I still can't find my camera cord, so no pics of or by the Pearsons for now.

We're trying to get to know the city, and the kids are enjoying the adventure. I'm battling feelings of loneliness and my own reluctance to be a go-getter with new people. I'm not an extrovert and with no home base to go home to after being out, I find it especially taxing to chat and smile and make the effort to engage others.

I've cried a lot this week. I'm sad and overwhelmed. M and I are talking it out and trying to encourage each other. He is being my cheerleader at the moment. I am so thankful to have him here.

we're home

2009-07-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

I get to see the sun rise every day because we have a vaulted ceiling and a dormer window in our bedroom--oh, and a monkey-child who wakes up around 7 am and who is lovingly delivered to our bed by his sister (after which she finds a spot in our bed and falls back to sleep while the "grow-mups" get up with said monkey-child). Besides being on call for Noah, we are feeling like grown-ups for other reasons too:
We have a closet. This thing is a walk-in closet we could live in.
We have a washer and dryer! I did ten loads of laundry in the first two days here. One would think that I'd be over it already, but I am still so glad to be able to do laundry at the same time as other things around the house.
We have our own bathroom! I think having 2 bathrooms will be a must from now on. We're spoiled.
Our fridge is taller than me; our disposal works; and we're not living next door to undergraduates. I think we've arrived. All of this might seem odd to mention, but we've been married with kids for a long time and have both looked forward to being done with student life for so long, that these things are meaningful for us. They also make me realize that I've made the mistake at times of living for the next stage of life rather than loving the one we were in. A house doesn't define our home, it just has an impact on the way home life feels. So I am reminding myself that this is our real life; we are not living for the day we own a home again. That may come (or may not, considering Princeton's home prices), but I can't wish my kids' childhoods away waiting for the day the floor I'm standing on is "mine."

I've got lots of other thoughts on our new place in Princeton, but they are buried under boxes. The cord for my camera is lost and I can't post new pictures--and I often let the pictures do the talking when I am talked out, which I am now.

The very short story of our journey is this: We took a month to get to Princeton, visiting San Diego, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Washington DC along the way (by car). By the time we pulled up to our door, I thought the drive would never end, even though I loved seeing dear friends and family. Several times along the trip Matty and I wished we could just abandon the car and book a flight home, or sprout wings, if necessary. Abby was knocked out with dramamine, which cured her car sickness. Noah was often asleep, sometimes upset, but mostly a trooper. I'll share highlights when I can post pictures. In the meantime, keep checking in; we're pretty lonely.

Quotes:
A: (upon walking in to our apartment for the first time) "Mommy, you HAVE to see this!"
A: (driving into town) " I love our new town."
N: (after taking too big a bite) "BIG. Mouth. Chicken."
N: (a new favorite phrase) "Haha, nevermind."

making our way

2009-06-25T08:00:00.001-07:00

making our way
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

The Pearsons Four are in St. Louis! Matthew and Peter unloaded our belongings in Princeton and flew back to St. Louis, where the kids and I met them (and Melanie and Grayson and Lillian) the following day. The Pearson-Maynor reunion has been a great one. Our (collective) four children are playing hard and the grown ups are making plans for our next reunion.

We're encouraged and we're enjoying our vacation. If I don't blog for a week or so, it is because we're busy making memories to share. Next stop (in about 5 days) is Memphis.

By the way, the picture posted here is from our last trip to the Lou in 2007. We took the kids to the St. Louis City Museum, which is the BEST (and most wild) kiddo museum I know of. This pic shows Matthew, Abby (then 5) and Lillian (4) traversing a steel mesh tunnel suspended MANY stories above the ground. Not your average museum activity, hey?

Southern California Fun

2009-06-24T11:17:00.001-07:00

Small World
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I'll let the pictures do the talking! Click on this pic to get to my flickr photos

Nine Years and counting

2009-06-17T13:53:00.001-07:00

Nine Years and counting
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Today is our 9th wedding anniversary! I do wish I could spend it with Matthew, but he is busy driving everything we own across the country. Nine years SOUNDS like a long time to me. That's not a boast; it's a testimony to what having a firm foundation can do for two very fallible, broken people. We are not the same people we were nine years ago, and I can say with confidence that we love who we are becoming together. We also love each other more now than we did nine years ago. More than ever, I feel like I have a real partner in this life. We have lots to figure out about how to love, forgive, encourage, and challenge each other; but we've also figured a lot out along the way these past 9 years. I love that when things are strained between us, we can't go for long without having to sit on the couch and work it out--or at least identify it and begin the process of making it right. That gives me hope--not that things will always be happy and lovely (one needs no more than a few months of marriage to figure that out), but that no matter what we face or who is being selfish or mean or resentful or ridiculous, we have ways of getting at the roots not just the symptoms.

Nine years of an intact marriage does not happen in a bubble nor does it just happen. It is celebrated and fostered and mended over and over with the help of faithful friends who keep pointing us back to the grace we need and the grace we need to give. We're learning how to be FOR the other, when things are going swimmingly and when we're mad as hornets at each other.

I just got to talk to Matty, who crossed the state line into Missouri while on the phone! Boy, I miss him. I am so excited about our new life and adventure in Princeton! Happy Anniversary, baby! Love you!!!!

By the way, if you ask Noah where he is moving, he will grin and say: Jersey!

off we go

2009-06-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

flying to san diego
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This is where our stories take a bit of a split path. The kiddos and I are in San Diego at my mom's house, while Matthew finishes up the dirty, heavy, yucky work of packing a moving truck and cleaning the apartment before driving cross country.

The kids and I arrived safely in SoCal and we've been playing with cousin Alec (and his fun toys) since. We have plans to go to Disneyland on Thursday, visit Mimi and Mia, hold puppies, clobber Aunt Andi, and go to the beach.

Matthew, on the other hand, has a far less vacation-like plan: yesterday he loaded the truck with help from Sean, Alison, Bron, Jeremy, Matt C., and Stan G. (there may have been others too?). Bron and Jeremy provided a delicious meal, a bed, and ibuprofen. Today Matthew is cleaning and planning to hit the road with my dad. I'll let y'all know of his progress as I get reports.

Dr. Matthew

2009-06-15T07:32:00.001-07:00

Dr. Matty and me
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

It's official! Matthew graduated with his PhD on June 11th! Hearing his name called and seeing the degree of PhD conferred upon him was a life highlight for me, and I think for his Meemo too! hen we walked out of the pavilion to meet him, Matthew was standing at the top of a deep well of stairs. He looked like he was 100 feet tall, with his long blue gown, but the best part was his GIGANTIC grin and his white shades. I've never seen anyone look cooler. It was an awesome day!

We had a great BBQ party afterward with friends and family. This party would NOT have been possible without the efforts of Meemo, Bronwyn &Jeremy, and Kate& Mark. THANK YOU for your help!! I don't think I've seen Matthew as relaxed as he was after the ceremony, and he deserves to take a break! Boy this has been a busy season. More updates to come, but for now, three (thousand) cheers for Dr. Matthew Pearson! Hip hip Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!......

the glad game (a rant and a resolution)

2009-06-08T10:54:00.001-07:00

summer cherries
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Any Pollyanna fans out there? Well, I do like that movie, and I'm thinking about the glad game: when you're unhappy, try to think of things that make you glad and be amazed at how it helps to cheer you up.

I need to play that game today. This morning Matty and I discovered that my (locked) bike-- along with the baby trailer connected to it and Noah's helmet to boot-- was stolen last night. I BOO HOOED BIG over this. These are my wheels! My way to get around with Bean head and to ride with Abby. I'm angry and hurt and SO frustrated at having this last week (so full of errands on campus and around town to be done) made much more challenging. I want to kick someone in the shin REALLY hard. And then kick the other one harder on Bean's behalf. He LOVES riding in the bike. What a huge bummer. Just yesterday Abby and I were talking about where we would ride in New Jersey. And really, what kind of jerk steals a bike clearly set up as a mommy bike and baby trailer and helmet?????????????? I don't get it!

Sigh. But I am still glad. I'm glad that my kiddos are safe and sound; that we're making good progress on packing; that Bronwyn is bringing me fresh cherries, picked by her own hands; that we're loved and will be missed by our friends in Davis; that this coming week brings family and friends together to celebrate big accomplishments. And I am VERY glad that Abby's bike was not stolen. Even though the combination of stolen bikes (Matthew's two months ago and mine last night) and other items (the baby trailer last night and several boxes of books last year) would add up to 6+ times the cost of her bike, I am glad she does not have to experience the feeling of violation so personally right now. I am GLAD GLAD GLAD for that!

OK. I am feeling a little better. It is just stuff after all, and it's not even that sentimental--just super practical and a symbol of what makes me feel most free and happy as a mom: bouncing around town with the kids and feeling the wind in our hair and hearing Bean giggle and say "weee. big!" when we go around big turns or down big hills. I am glad that the essential ingredients are still here for times like these--the kiddos are joyful, healthy and happy; the wind is still blowing, the sun still shining--There is SO much to be thankful for, and maybe the bike and the trailer will end up serving a purpose I can't anticipate. I hope, by some means, it ends up being used for good. Call me Pollyanna, if you like; I don't care anymore how foolish or naive I seem. I am happier if I can let these disappointments go. Acknowledge them, feel the anger (kick some inanimate objects around, cry, and talk it out with friends who can listen and not think I'm nuts for crying about a bike), then let it go and be glad and grateful to God for the countless blessings I have, which dwarf the inconveniences and injustices.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

We're THAT family

2009-05-24T09:20:00.001-07:00

We were up before 7 am this morning, not really by choice but because Noah was up. So we decided to try out a new diner in town before we leave Davis. It was an experience. The food was fine; WE were in fine form. It has happened. We are officially that family--you know the one with the loud kid who makes a colossal mess? The family you half stare at, half pray for (and half roll your eyes at while muttering under your breath: "They should teach their kid how to behave or just stay home."). Minutes after we sat down (in the back of the restaurant's 2nd room--the one they reserve for overflow and families with small children), we asked for them to adjust the temperature because we were freezing. Then Noah began his dog and pony show. The floor was soon covered with crayons and tiny bits of paper pulled from the plastic straws. Then the straws followed, bent and now contaminated by the floor. Next came the jelly. We were trying to preserve the half and half for our coffee, so Noah got to open and eat some smuckers jelly, which ended up on his lap before we could change our minds. We didn't really think he would be able to open the little container, but we were wrong. Breakfast arrived and the jelly was joined by apple sauce, milk, syrup, and sausage. Noah was happy as a clam, making pig faces at us, laughing at himself, talking in another language about the bear decor and the fine weather we were having. I wouldn't have cared that he was making such a mess except that TWICE he pulled the plastic bendy straw out of his milk cup and flung milk all over me. The first time was a shock, the second time less funny. On top of all this, his nose was running, he had kicked off a shoe, he was practicing eating with a knife, he was desperate to stir my coffee for me, and he was DONE sitting in this high chair. This whole time, Abby was contentedly doing a word puzzle and coloring the kid menu with expert precision and flare. She ate without making even a tiny mess, and she used her best manners as she sipped her milk and asked politely for the syrup. Is it possible these two children are related?

Thankfully, we were done eating. I left the waitress a 30% tip. We drove home and upon our arrival, I noticed that my hair was stiff from dried milk. It's a quarter to 10 now and I am thinking of offering Abby the car if she will watch her brother so I can take a nap.

The next time you see a family with a rambunctious child, have pity. If you are rich, buy their breakfast for them. If not, and if you can't help but roll your eyes, just don't do it till they leave; it isn't easy containing wildness the likes of our son.

wise words from daddy

2009-05-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

This afternoon after school, Abby was talking about ways to earn money:

A: I know! I could have a lemonade stand after school!
M: You can make a lot more money selling lemonade if you put a little vodka in it.

mixed feelings

2009-05-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Our time in Davis is short. We're here for only one more month, and I can tell that the reality is starting to set in. We're feeling sad about leaving dear friends and familiar joys. Abby is more sensitive than usual (and she's usually sensitive!); each night this week has brought some tears and heavy thoughts about life, God, change, even fears about dying. This is not an uncommon thing for seven year olds to experience (so I read), and I vaguely remember a couple of phases of heightened awareness of my mortality--around ages 7, 12, and 30. I'm sure there are more to come, and I am glad to be able to relate to Abby when this happens. The hardest thing, though, is knowing that these thoughts are part of being human. (We hope) They will ultimately lead to a new respect and thankfulness for each day we have to experience and a deeper sense of how precious we are to each other and to God, but when Abby sobs and expresses her disappointment at the crappiness of death, it just breaks my heart. Last night she was especially upset over the death of Matty's mom and brother. She was indignant over God taking his mom away on his birthday (this, a strong emotion after celebrating mother's day and Matty not having his mother). Abby is realizing that there are no guarantees about any of our lives, and she is trying to make sense of something that hardly makes sense to any of us.

There is no coincidence that all of this comes up at a time when we are changing practically everything. For a family not at all used to moving, this is a time of great upheaval--in good ways and in tough ways. And this doesn't even begin to deal with the grown ups in the picture or the little guy, who is coming in to his own these days. He will probably adjust the most easily out of all of us, and maybe we can take some cues from his ability to express so purely his frustration and his excitement.

On my heart is the sweetest, sad and resonant wish from a parent to a child, beautifully expressed in Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem, "Little Brown Baby": "Come to you' pallet now--go to yo' res'; / Wisht you could allus know ease an' cleah skies; / Wisht you could stay jes' a chile on my breas'-- / Little brown baby wif spa'klin eyes!"

I do often wish my kiddos could always know ease and clear skies--that they could somehow be spared the harshness of this world. But then I know just a little of the beauty and winsomeness that comes with suffering, and I wouldn't rob my precious ones of the full measure of love and wide-eyed adventure (good and bad) that this life offers. Sometimes we just need to sob and kick our feet and hurt about the sad things. And then smile and giggle about the happy things. And then keep on living and knowing that we will cry and laugh and cry and laugh--a lot. So, that's where we are--we're all kind of wild-eyed and raw and sad and glad. I'm finally figuring out that no amount of planning will make moving away any more graceful. We're gonna do the ugly cry and we're gonna wake up one day soon in Princeton and smile at the thought that we are home again.

happy mother's day!

2009-05-10T16:11:00.001-07:00

IMother's Day pic in arboretum
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We've had a wonderful day today (and it is only 4:00!). Matty and the kiddos made DELICIOUS pancakes with fresh strawberries, raspberries, and whipped cream to top them. Those were accompanied by a latte, bacon, and eggs. Yummmmm. It was a feast!

I napped off my pancakes while Noah napped; then we all took to our bikes and rode all over the arboretum and campus for nearly two hours. Now we're home and planning what we're going to grill tonight for dinner. Oh, and last night's dinner is worth a mention! M took me and Noah (Abby was at a b-day party) out for an awesome sushi/sashimi/nigiri dinner. Raw Ahi tuna is possibly my favorite food in the world at the moment. I'd have it for dinner again tonight if I could!

I hope all the moms out there are having as great a day. Most of all, I hope you all get to enjoy your kids, even if they are whining or saying "no" to absolutely everything you say to them.

housing

2009-04-29T10:19:00.001-07:00

abby self portrait
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Matty is a champion husband! He found us a wonderful condo super close to downtown Princeton. We will have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and an awesome loft space! This means we will have room for guests!! We are thrilled about having a place to call home when we arrive in early July.

Edenic, isn't it?

2009-04-24T11:24:00.001-07:00

Magnolias in bloom
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Matthew is home from a trip to Princeton to search for housing. It was a beautiful, frustrating, fun, lonely, fast trip, full of DELICIOUS FOOD and amazing sights--but we're still not sure where we will live. He searched all day for three days and put in one application for a condo near work (which is across the street from the university). We're waiting to hear back about that. If we get it, we will be glad to have an address and something of a plan. If we don't get it, we'll keep searching and hope something works out before July.

In the meantime, we are excited at how pretty the area is. Check out the other pics Matty took! It will make you want to come for a visit!!!

Picnic Day!

2009-04-18T23:04:00.001-07:00

picnic day helicopter exhibit
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Guest post by Matthew:

Today we took the kids to Picnic Day while G's mom was in town visiting. While the girls were watching the wiener dog races, Noah and I went to the exhibit at the campus fire department, which included a medivac helicopter on the lawn. The little guy was in hog heaven. He got to sit in the driver's seat of a bunch of fire trucks, from a vintage 1929 ladder truck to a modern rescue truck. But the highlight, of course, was the chopper. He got to sit in the cockpit and see it up close, and he was happy to let me snap a few photos of him next to it. In this picture he's crouching down because he copies me when I crouch down to take his picture. He had a blast watching it take off a few minutes after this was taken. We sat on the curb just a few feet away as it took off, and as the prop wash blew his hair back, I think his ears were touching behind his head, but he had on the biggest grin I've ever seen (which may have been the wind too, but he sure seemed excited). It was a fun day, but we're exhausted, and I leave at 6am to go look for a place to live in Princeton. Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday BEAN!

2009-04-11T12:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday BEAN!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

He is sleeping at the moment--nap time following an awesome outing with daddy to the Farmer's Market (and, more importantly, the "mee-go"). Abby and mommy got the presents and the apartment all set for his small party. The bus theme is made more delightful after Matthew had Noah's face painted at the market!! Noah is thrilled about the bus, and will point it out to anyone who notices!

I'll write again after we party it up with the TWO YEAR OLD!!

abby's diamond quilt (top)

2009-04-07T13:17:00.001-07:00

abby's diamond quilt (top)
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I've finally finished sewing the tops of two quilts I started a year ago! This one is Abby's "diamond quilt," which will fit a queen sized bed, no problem. She loves it and I'm looking forward to quilting it for her so that she can finally use it!!

Next, if you check out my flickr pictures, you'll see the top of the "Bananas" quilt Melanie and I started last spring break! That one too needs a backing and then quilting (and it will fit a queen or maybe a king), but I figure I'll need something to do in the cold east coast winter time!

I LOVE both of these quilts! YAHOO!

coffee bean

2009-04-07T13:08:00.001-07:00

coffee bean
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

he likes to mix the sugar and cream into the coffee... problem is, he also likes to drink the coffee.

eeeew.

news!

2009-04-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

We have job news, at last! Matthew has taken a wonderful job with a firm in Princeton, NJ. The firm is run by its founders, two renowned Princeton economics professors. The work will be exciting and we are all looking forward to a big move to an entirely new place! Abby is most excited about living an hour from NYC; we plan to take her to see the statue of Liberty before the summer is over. She comments often on the height of telephone poles and buildings, saying--the buildings in New York are WAY higher than that, right? I cannot wait to see her face when she sees just how tall they are! If we can convince her to do it, I think a trip to the top of the empire state building might be in order.

As for me, I am SO proud of Matthew! I think this will be great for him. I'm also very thankful that God has carried us through months of waiting and stress.

My plan when we get to NJ is to stay at home and to help make the transition a smooth one. I also hope to have some time to soul search and decide on my own academic direction. As it stands, I can finish my work from wherever we go--I'm done with everything but the dissertation, and I'm pretty sure Princeton's library will have the books I need to finish the job!

Maybe Matthew will make a guest blog appearance and fill you in more, but here's the bottom line:
*we have a great job in a super cool city!!!!!!
*Matthew graduates (and walks in the ceremony) on June 11th here in Davis. Anyone wanting to be here for that is welcome to come! We will have a Memphis style BBQ to celebrate this huge accomplishment. Our apartment will be filled to capacity, so make lodging arrangements :)
*We will move on or before June 30th with stops through St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, DC, and finally "home" to Princeton--that feels so strange to say!

SO cheer with me for Matty P. for landing an incredible job in the worst economy! He is my rock star! Hip hip HOORAY!!!!!!!! Hip hip HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, go MATTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

friends

2009-03-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

great friends!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

The Maynors came to Davis for a visit! The last time they were here was 3 years ago, when Grayson (turning 4) was a year younger than Noah is now! This trip was "supposed to be" a great time to celebrate our new job, to finish the quilts we started last year in St. Louis, and to be out and about as much as possible... But it was better than that, in ways we wouldn't have chosen or expected. We're still waiting to figure out the job situation; Noah and Lillian had fevers almost the whole time; Bean's nose ran (and ran and ran and ran); the daddys worked on fixing cars; and the fabric was looked at longingly from time to time...

What DID happen, and what we wouldn't give up for the "perfect" vacation: we loved each other in a very real life kind of way. We ordered more take out, took more naps, and prayed together in our weakness. It felt good to be loved for the mess we are :)

There was ladybug catching, car patching, smoothie chugging, laundry lugging, mess making, cookie baking, chair swirling, hair curling, singing, hugging, laughing, loving, bathing, reading, dancing, cheering, little-boy-spat interfering, merry-go-rounding, fire-truck sounding, tooting, hooting, wii-game rooting, pizza, thai food, striped noodles, coffee, pancakes, dishes? OODLES! Happy hellos, sad goodbyes, and hopes to do this all again, these are the things that make us LIVE, these, the things that make us friends.

Favorite quotes from the weekend:

Grayson: Noah, what did you do?
Noah: oot ! (Noah's word for "toot") *now imagine them repeating this conversation more than 100 times in 4 days.

Abby (talking about Matthew and Peter): Those two are great together!

We miss you guys already.

clever man

2009-03-17T18:33:00.001-07:00

clever man
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Glad my cake stand is coming in handy.

Greener than a Green Thing's Green Bits

2009-03-17T18:32:00.001-07:00

St. Patty's Day!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I get that saying from Bronwyn--my most wordish friend. You can have fun with it: "Noah, your feet are stinkier than a stinky thing's stinky bits" (etc.) Abbs had a great time greening up for school today. There was NO way she was going to get pinched.

"Mee-go!"

2009-03-11T09:41:00.001-07:00

"Mee-go!"
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Hang in there with us...we hope we will have job news soon! In the meantime, check out the Bean on his favorite merry-go-round! He calls it the "mee-go" (hands swirling to get his point across). His animal of choice? The horse.

It was "pig day" at the Farmer's market on Saturday. See the flickr pics for one of Noah petting a (stinky) piglet! I am SO glad we are not pig farmers.

TOOTH! Or, lack thereof.

2009-03-06T08:34:00.001-08:00

TOOTH! Or, lack thereof.
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Her smile will never look the same. That row of perfect little baby chicklets has a noticeable and sizable GAP now! You should see the girl eat a banana; the bite pattern leaves a big notch where she is missing her top tooth. Oh and she can't whistle anymore (I don't know why, exactly, but she thinks this is the case. I don't think she could really whistle before the tooth was missing). Her cute S's are even more cute because you can see her little tongue working to make the sound :)

After she got the tooth out (a major process--it was several weeks of daily reporting on the state of the tooth, the struggle with eating and with making her tongue sore from fussing with the tooth, etc.) she said: "Momma, look how wiggly my tooth is!" As she pointed to the NEXT tooth over. I told her that other tooth had better stay put for a while! We can't take another month of daily tooth drama! That next sucker is NOT very wiggly, so we are encouraging her to leave it be lest she be unable to bite things until she turns 8.

But isn't she a cutie?

sweet nap

2009-03-06T08:25:00.001-08:00

sweet nap
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

My boys are tuckered out. It is rare that Noah will sleep outside of of his crib--he is too distracted or excited by other venues (and having people around) to get shut eye without the safe enclosure of crib bars and his trusty bear, "Boo."

This day, however, we spent time romping at the Farmer's Market, the library, and a stop at the post office. Noah was pooped. Apparently, Matty was too! Bean was asleep in the car by the time we got home and remained asleep!!!! (for the first time in over a year, for sure) as daddy carried him in the house! So Matty took the opportunity to get snuggles from the little guy. They used to sleep like this all the time in Bean's early days. Daddy's chest was the BEST spot in the house! I'd argue that it still is :) I'm so glad I have pictures of the two of them just like this at different stages. Look how our Noah Bean has grown!

These are moments I treasure deeply.

how sweet

2009-03-03T15:18:00.001-08:00

for mommy
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Long days of waiting.

Don't we all know how these are? Well, no matter if you are waiting for Spring, for a job, for a proposal, for healing, for a tooth to come out, for a paycheck to come in, for a baby to come home, for glory...you are not alone. We humans are so often obsessed with the future, with what will come? When will it be here? When will I know?

DEEP BREATHS. My seven year old (yes, SEVEN YEARS!) reminds me of how sweet it is to delight in the simple pleasures all around us, despite the looming doubts and uncertainties. On a walk the other day, she picked this little bundle of flowers for me. She was so happy to be able to give me something beautiful. Little does she know how much beauty she brings to our lives every day!

Last week, Abby handed me a white sheet of paper, rolled up diploma style. She said it was for my graduation. I unrolled my diploma and read (between stars and exclamation points drawn in crayon): "You have finished the level of kindness!!!!!!"
I got my degree in KINDNESS?! The people who know me are chuckling... But really, this funny little piece of paper signifies more achievement than my master's diploma (which is still sitting in a file in the registrar's office, waiting to be picked up after three years...). I value my MA. I value getting a PhD. But when I think about the deepest treasures we have, I think of people I love, not things I've done. Between Abby's gestures like picking wildflowers and making precious declarations that I'm "the best mommy in the world" and Matthew is "the best daddy" and Noah is "the best brother", I think--does it get any better than this?

So, as we wait through times of disappointment, angst, and testing on the job market, we have this sweet girl seeking out the things we overlook, the things all around us that cry out: "You are loved! You are provided for SO well! Do not worry about tomorrow!" And those things challenge the disappointment and the doubts. We have it SO good.

I'll write in soon about the results of the job search. We hope we'll have resolution in the next 2 weeks or so. But in the meantime, know that the Pearsons4 are more than just "hanging in there"--we are being tended to day by day, by a good God who knows us, who loves us, and who provides faithfully all that we need (and even some things we want!). Yeah, we have tears and we have the regular moments of joy and of dashed hopes, but we have each other. And we are being reminded that life is bigger than this job market.

we're still here

2009-02-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Pearsons 4 are still here. We're still on the job market and will have updates soon. Suffice it to say that things are busy around here! As it has been an emotionally exhausting experience, I've avoided blogging. Sometimes the public forum seems too public, and I wonder how much to say and not say as we go through the ups and downs of looking for a job! Twice I've attempted to post and had blogger dump me off and lose my post. Oh well.

If you have specific questions, email me. We will emerge from under this rock soon and shed some light on the situation! Just as soon as we know what is going on ourselves!

the moment

2009-01-20T22:18:00.001-08:00

the moment
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We watched the presidential inauguration this morning, live. Abby watched at school. I tried to get Noah's American flag sweater on him for the picture, but he has had a fever for a couple of days and just wasn't in the mood to be gussied up. So, here he is in his little dog PJs looking on with mom and dad as Obama becomes president. I LOVED the quartet with Yo Yo Ma and Itzak Pearlman. Noah enjoyed it for a couple of minutes, then asked his daddy to play a you tube video of "Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round." It was a real morning--kiddo with a fever, hubby getting ready for the day, me making coffee then sitting on the floor with Noah. It was also a momentous and history changing morning. Funny how we can experience both the momentous and the mundane simultaneously.

A Moo-ving experience

2009-01-19T22:01:00.001-08:00

Abby and the moo cow
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We got to see this tiny cow be born tonight! Matty and Noah saw the hoofs sticking out, but the momma cow was taking too long, so they went home and Abbs and I stayed behind to see the rest of the birth. With a little help --a strong and smooth pull--from one of the guys who works at the cow barn, out came a little moo cow. And then came the questions! Why can't the baby stay with the momma (a practice of dairy barns)? Did you hear the momma moo? Was it owie to have the baby? Was it owie to have me and Noah? Is the baby OK? When will it get to nurse?

Then the cow guy got to talking to another onlooker about artificial insemination and how they can tell when the cows are "ready" to be inseminated...this included details about bulls jumping on cows (mounting), cows jumping on cows, etc. and Abby's eyes were large as she asked me:

A: Why would the bulls do that?
G: Uh, that's how they make baby cows.
A: That's so mean!
G: Well, they aren't mean to each other, and besides, there aren't any bulls at this dairy barn.
A: I'm so glad I'm not a cow that gets jumped on.

Oh boy. There weren't any more specific questions, so I let it go. I guess cows might end up being her entry into the birds and the bees talk one day. That is so Davis, California. I forget sometimes that we live in Dairy central. Anyway, it was super cool to see a calf born. I kept feeling sorry for the momma cow. Even the way she waddled around and the way her little eyes seemed so say "I'm tired" seemed familiar. Sigh. For Abby, the evening just made her more sensitive to the fact that we eat animals. She has started to feel very sad lately about eating chickens, pigs, and cows. She cried the other night about a joke I made regarding rabbit stew. She could NOT believe people would eat a bunny. It was a big scene. Matthew was laughing, making Abby indignant, but it was nearly impossible not to laugh--she was so passionate and upset! It reminded me of myself when I was her age. One time my mom had purchased a mouse trap to catch a mouse we had in the house. This is no joke: I made two large posters--one for me and one for my little sister-- and we picketed my mom outside our house. The signs read "Rights for Mice!" "Mice have lives too! Mice have rights!" Apparently it was kind of embarrassing for my mom.

Anyway, I'm just hoping that Abby doesn't become a vegetarian anytime soon. That would make meal planning a challenge.

The wisdom of a seven year old

2009-01-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the funny things Abby has said in the first 2 days of being seven years old!

On fiscal prudence:

A: I like going shopping. It's fun to buy things.
G: Yes it is.
A: But you have to be careful.
G: Hmmm, how come?
A: Because you don't want to be, what's it called? "Broke?"

===

On choosing one's work:

(After Abby told a story about encouraging her friends in P.E. at school)

M: It sounds like you're a good leader. Maybe you should be in the army.
A: No, that would be really hard work.
M: It would be really hard work if you were a dolphin trainer too.
A: Yeah, but if I don't work hard as a dolphin trainer, I'll lose my job; and if I don't work hard in the army, I'll die.
M: touche!

===

On self esteem:

(On a bike ride with me, Noah, and our friends, Bronwyn and Teg)

A: Bronwyn, aren't you SO excited about my birthday party?
B: Yes, I am.
A: I'll be the most important person there!

and later, after Abby thanked Bronwyn for treating us to frozen yogurt...

B: Thank you, Abby, for riding bikes with me.
A: You're welcome.
B: And thank you for eating yogurt with me. It is always more fun to eat yogurt with friends.
A: Mmm Hmmm.
B: And thank you for being so cute.
A: I'm almost always cute.

Answers to questions I didn't make up

2009-01-18T10:34:00.001-08:00

From my friend Lisa's blog, and now on mine.

1. What is your occupation right now? Mom/ grad student/ full time hubby-helper and encourager as we face a tough job market

2. What color are your socks right now? not wearing socks. I live in california and it was 70 degrees yesterday! OK, that was a record high and I am wearing wooly crocs.

3. What are you listening to right now? the clickety click of the keyboard, Noah making choo choo sounds and Abby asking me if Noah is allowed to stand up in his toy car. Now Noah is banging the metal coffee tamper on the metal trash can. AAAGGGGGHHH. Too loud!

4. What was the last thing that you ate? CAUGHT! A bite of Abby's b-day cake (it's still a long way till noon.)

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes, Matty taught me almost 10 years ago

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Matthew. Noah called my phone from Matty's phone (this happens a lot).

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes

8. How old are you today? 31

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? College football followed by ice skating. Though Phelps had me riveted by swimming last year!

10. What is your favorite drink? coffee

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? yes. wash out stuff to go darker. Tried highlights once about 4 years ago. didn't do it for me.

12. Favorite food? I don't know. I love good food, so this is too hard. How about food I didn't have to cook!!

13. Last Movie you saw? Doubt. M and I had a date!

14. Favorite days of the year? I don't know. Days I get to take a nap?

15. How do you vent anger? sometimes with tears, sometimes with words

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? does a cat count? I had an awesome cat named Shadow.

17. What is your favorite season? I do not like "favorite" questions. I like different things about all of the seasons. Maybe Fall gets my vote, but it also makes me nostalgic and sad sometimes for reasons I can't quite figure out.

18. Cherries or Blueberries? fresh cherries! AMAZING

23. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday, but it was a long while before that.

24. What is on the floor of your closet? I don't have a closet. It's my desk now, and usually a disaster.

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? Christina or Lisa

26. What did you do last night? Cleaned my closet/desk! No joke!

27. What are you most afraid of? too deep a question. If you want to know, you'll have to call me.

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? plain--as with almost everything, plain is usually better!

29. Favorite dog breed? Hmmmm...the quiet, non-wiggly, non-stinky breed?

31. How many states have you lived in? 4, so far

32. Diamonds or pearls? both

33. What is your favorite flower? hydrangeas, dogwoods, tulips, gerber daisies

happy 7 year old!

2009-01-17T21:21:00.001-08:00

Birthday Bubbles
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Abby turned 7 yesterday (the 16th). She had a fun party with a bunch of friends and we celebrated her for the wonderful girl she is. What a joy to have Abby in our lives!

the other big reason I'm not blogging much...

2009-01-11T17:24:00.001-08:00

waiting to see where we end up!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

We're waiting waiting waiting to hear back from schools that interviewed Matty. We're in that tense moment between interviews and calls for fly-outs. So, we've talked as much as we can about every scenario we can think of, and there's not much more to talk about. All we can do is wait! We're a bit jittery and distracted. It is very hard to give updates, because we don't really have clear updates to give. This week should bring with it some clarity, we hope! So please be praying for us.

In the meantime, we are trying to keep busy, keep distracted from the job search a bit, and focus on how GREAT we have it right now: we're safe, healthy, warm, well provided for with our jobs, weathering this tense time as a family remarkably well, and we know we will be fine no matter what happens! There are tons of families and individuals around the world who know nothing of the peace and comfort we have right now, despite the big wait and the major anticipation. That perspective helps keep us grounded just a little.

why I haven't blogged much lately...

2009-01-11T17:17:00.001-08:00

me? I don't even know how I got here!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Danger Mouse is climbing. He is especially drawn to the stove (and the stove knobs, and anything sharp, heavy, or otherwise perilously dangerous that he can spy). He looks innocent in this picture, but don't let the cuteness fool you; he's all kinds of trouble! OK OK, I'm exaggerating a tiny bit, but he is becoming VERY daring and has little respect for potentially dangerous things. And with the top-heaviness (his head must weigh as much as the rest of him), he isn't the most graceful or balanced of kids. He took a header (haha) out of the bath tub not long ago because he was looking over the side. His wet little body just went over--slip!--wet, naked baby, surprised and a little mad to be on the cold bathroom floor. Does that hinder him from trying to stand in the tub or look over the edge? Of course not. I'm putting lead shoes on him if we ever go to Sea World! He would go swimming with Shamu, and not on purpose.

Of course, here I am proving to you all that I'm running for the camera faster than I am running for the kid. Oh well. That's part of why I've been slow to blog: trying to keep up with Bean Head,

a new year, a new computer? um, NOPE

2009-01-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I tried to score a new computer for the new year by dumping a WHOLE GLASS OF WATER on my open macbook. Matthew saved the day by closing it, flipping it, removing the battery--this all looked a lot like the heimlich maneuver, by the way--before it was fried. So I have been without a computer for a while as we let my computer dry out thoroughly.

So far so good...I think my computer has been resuscitated. Thanks to Matthew, Bron and Jeremy for all of your quick thinking and techy efforts on my behalf!

I haven't blogged for a while, and it feels like there is simply too much to repot. Ugh. Where to start? I guess I'll just say that we're thrilled to have Matty home from the interviews. They went well, we think. We now wait to hear about fly outs. Any of you praying types, PLEASE pray for us--that we will get a job and that we'll have peace during the big wait.

OK, gotta go talk to Abby about her birthday party! I'll try to blog again very soon.

my husband is 32 today, and as subtle as ever (see below)

2008-12-21T23:13:00.001-08:00

poop!
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Yes, those of you who know Matthew know that he is clever and has a great sense of humor. Well, I'm glad he does, because I get to experience moments like these. I walked into the livingroom today to Abby's giggles and Matthew's instructions to Noah: "Go show mommy. Go find mommy and turn around. Go on. Go get her!" Look closely at the picture. The sign should have been more of a warning sign, but it communicated truthfully enough.

Matty, Happy Birthday! I don't know anyone else who would sharpie their kid for a laugh, but I am so glad you are just the way you are. OK, so maybe there is a teeny tiny room for improvement--God isn't totally finished yet--but, really, you are an awesome guy. You are becoming the finest man I could hope to know, and you are a model dad to your little ones. 32 years isn't very long, and to think you are as terrific as you are already! I love you, baby. Happy happy birthday!

The most wonderful time of the year

2008-12-14T10:23:00.001-08:00

We've been quite busy around here! Matty and I are nearly done with the quarter's grading work, and we're trying to get Christmas gifts taken care of as well as putting together the last bits of M's job interview wardrobe. We're having fun!

Hanging out with daddy on the weekends.

December morning
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Picking out our Christmas tree (Abbs picked the cutest tree, just her height!)

December morning
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Being visited by dear friends from seminary--all the way from their home in Brazil!! This was the first time we had met the Pires' children, Mila and Pedro! Luciene and Luciano met Abby when she was born (in St. Louis) and hadn't seen her since was about a year old! What a huge delight to see all of them! I didn't know if we would ever see each other again this side of heaven!

December morning
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Mom sent Noah this car (and gas pump). He LOVES it. He sits in it and drives around the house. Whenever he watches a show, he sits in the car, drive-in style.

December morning
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

This is my favorite new development of the week! Abby is learning to sew with the grown-up sewing machine!! She designed this headband/belt ON HER OWN!!!!!!! No joke. She took a pile of scraps I gave her and cut, pinned, and coordinated pieces until she had the look she wanted. I helped her with the steps to make a bow tie to finish things off, but she had a hand in every step. She threaded the machine, worked the pedal, the presser foot, the thread cutter, all of it! I am SO SO proud of my girl! When it was all done, she exclaimed: "I made my first piece of clothing!" The pride and wonder at her accomplishment was beautiful. What's more, seeing something made of her own whimsical, creative ideas makes us truly delighted and proud of her. Abby, you are inspiring! (see our other photos for more pics!)

December morning
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Snuggling in the morning. The kiddos continue to love on each other, snuggling and laughing a lot.

December morning
Originally uploaded by gennabby.

Noah's morning antics today: he's decided to be naked. We can't keep jammies or a onesie on him. He will wear only socks and his diaper. Good thing we have heat.

OK, that's the update! I'll check back in soon!