creative (aka sneaky, desperate)

jack has already decided that love and affection from his parents is uncool.  it usually manifests itself as a wiping off of bedtime kisses but has become a rejection of all things hugs too.  of course we still give them but he still rejects them... and, of course, while still desperately needing them!  so we're left using creative (aka sneaky, desperate) means to give affection.  this morning, I was successful when I snuck into his room right as I knew he'd wake up and laid there waiting for him to wake up.  we chatted and cuddled before his manly defenses were up.  and he was singing all the way to school!  his father was successful getting affection by creating (what's always worked for jack) a paradoxical intervention.  and we've found competitions for who is the best at giving kisses also works- mom even got a kiss on the lips with that sneaky trick.  luckily, our creative devices have given him the affection he needs again! 

... just another of those times I scratch my head at parenthood- never imagining the amount of creativity (aka sneakiness, desperation) needed to successfully meet your child's needs!

3 little bug catchers

we've recently found an outdoor hobby all 3 kids absolutely love... and spend hours doing together!  every day, they unite in the great cause of catching cicadas, crickets, roly poly bugs, and butterflies.
 

only child perks

the other day, dalia admitted with a sly grin that she liked having jack and kindin at school.  I giggled that she admitted to what's so painfully obvious!  within just two short weeks, she has already become quite accustomed to an only child lifestyle.  the perks include:

-a LOT of hand holding! "mommy, hold my hand pwease"
-a regular playdate with 4 toddler cuties
-she often gets 'copcorn' on target errands
-free reign to sample her sibling's carseats
-yogurt and goldfish for lunch or self-serve nutella sandwiches

-sometimes, she gets naptime with mommy rather than in her bed
-piggyback rides to the park

-sneaking into siblings' lipgloss collections (and a variety of other collections)
-helping herself to the gummy 'spidermans' (vitamins)
-trying on everyone's 'shoop shops' (flip flops)
and
-eating 'licky' (minty) gum whenever she pleases

jack's first day

jack's first day of school was filled with: plenty of anticipative worry (even a dedicated fast wondering if I should hold him back), dalia's disorientation ('time to get jack?' after the gym), shopping therapy (wandering target for way too long), and tears at lunchtime (sure that despite a hefty breakfast, he was starving).  but relief came when I saw him after school.  he was happy.  he was confident.  and do I dare say his speech was pressured talking about school rules, PE games, and recess!?  and, best of all, he was hand in hand with his older sister!!  (who discretely mentioned she'd just saved him from walking past their designated meeting spot)
 

 

 

 

 

(isn't she so caring, sensing, and poised to be discrete on his very important first day of school?  love the heck out of this 2nd grader!)    

thank goodness for.... iphones

i hate even saying it but.... thank goodness for iphones.  it's no secret that the parry household is loyal exclusively to the droid (who wouldn't be with its swipe capabilities?) but stuck in a world devoted to all things 'i'.  but I will say, likely uninformed, that the 'i' smartphone has done more for picture taking and sharing than its beloved smartphone counterparts. (is that even right?)  and thus, every eichmann get-together, I am grateful for (said through clenched teeth) iphones that enable an otherwise picture-inept family to capture a few moments. on our most recent get-together, iphones captured this:

caught in the rain at the fair

cousins on the dragon!



like father, like daughter

dolly shy with great grandma

THE august birthdays

it all started on stover street

it's been 10 yrs since dave swept me off of stover street.  and we hadnt had the chance to return until our recent drive out west.  we made fort Collins our midpoint and rushed to the very apartments I lived in when we courted (and the namesake of this blog).

other points of interest:

• the demolished mall which was home to not only our first date in which we played air hockey at the arcade but also the jewelry store where we purchased my engagement ring
• the now non-existent restaurant of our first single date- Johnny Carrinos! 
• goofy golf at fort fun was the place I first met dave's parents who'd raced into town to see who was knocking their son off his feet.  
• the smoking dock we chatted at in the wee hours of the morning when the emergency room was slow. 
• dave's apartment where we first said I love you, mentioned KKP, played racquetball, and escaped to the nearby Rolland Moore park for privacy.
• gibs (my most favorite restaurant in all of fort Collins) for the same beloved bagel sandwich (turkey on sundried tomato) dave treated me to over flowers.
• and, the church on Lynwood where we first met playing ultimate Frisbee at a singles ward event.

 

when we left, I cried.  it was so fun to be there.  it was so neat to remember all the love brewing in that town.  there were conversations and details we remembered only by sight that were so sweet.  feeling grateful for the chance to go back to that special place!

i was wrong

alright, i was wrong. I.was.wrong! I have wrongly avoided lengthy road trips with the kids!  with no airport in close proximity of bear lake and a family of 5 to transport, our most recent bear lake reunion necessitated a dreaded 2 day drive!  despite some very big nerves ahead of time, dave was pleasantly shocked that my anxious alter-ego 'travel mandy' wasn't in attendance.  and we both were surprised that the backseat generally looked like this:

after years of racing to flights, enduring airport waits, stressing over compact entertainment, and stuffing suitcases, I get it now and I was so wrong!  our road trip afforded loose and generous packing without added cost and weight guessing!  our road trip allowed for traveling on our own schedule without the fret of tardiness or threat of delay!  our road trip offered privacy without the scrutiny and proximity of unknown passengers.

and best of all, our road trip provided flexibility and avoided rigid point A to point B itineraries.  I even had a tiny bit of wiggle room to catch up with one very dear friend. 
 

AND, in honor of our 10th wedding anniversary this year, we returned to where it all started. (stay tuned for that post!)

I've digressed... point is, i was wrong!  our road trip was so much fun! we loved our time at bear lake (see pics below) but also enjoyed getting there and back!