Let Them Be Little

Little Grace

A week or so ago, I wrote a pollyanna post (Otherwise) about embracing change and moving hopefully into the future (It was pretty cheesy.  I'm surprised the blog police didn't shut me down!)  The post was a commentary on my sister Tara's blog header "You're Gonna' Miss This" and basically restated Steven Covey's first habit--you choose your response to what happens to you in life.  We all know people who live this principle.  They tend to be people we admire.  And what I said was true, we can choose how we respond to change.   What I didn't say though is that there's no way to Stephen Covey our way out of the pain and loss involved in the passage of time.  We lose people we love-- both to death and to personal evolution, as new selves emerge from old ones and-- it hurts.

I heard a country song the other day that made my eyes water.  It's not a new song but it's new to me and I've listened to it about a hundred times since then.  The title says it all- it's about loving our babies and letting them be little because they'll be grown and gone before we know it.  I recommend getting out a stack of old photos of your kids and putting this song on repeat.  If you're anything like me, you'll be choked up, hugging your little ones and maybe spoiling them a little bit more.

I'm posting the words here but you definitely need to hear the song if you haven't already (I like Billy Dean's version better than Lonestar's).  And Tara, FYI, I've set it as your ringtone.  

Let Them Be Little

Billy Dean

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand

You felt so good in it, no bigger than a minute.

How it amazes me, you're changin' with every blink

Faster than a flower blooms, they all grow up too soon.

So let them be little

Cause they're only that way for awhile.

Give 'em hope, give them praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let 'em sleep in the middle,

Oh but let them be little.

I never felt so much in one little tender touch

I live for those kisses, your prayers and your wishes.

An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see

Tonight while we're on our knees, all I ask is:

Please let them be little

Cause they're only that way for awhile

Give them hope, give them praise

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle

Let 'em sleep in the middle

Oh, but let them be little.

The so innocent, precious soul;

You turn around an' it's time to let them go.

So let them be little

'Cause they're only that way for awhile

Give them hope, give 'em praise

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle

Let them sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little.

Let them be little.

Mind Your Manners

When my kids forget to say please (more often than I'd like!), I do what every other adult does and ask, "what do you say?"  They say, "please".  I continue with, "what else do you say?" They tell me, "I love you Mommy".  I ask, "what else?"  And they say, "You're the best Mama in the world, Mama" or in Sophie's case, "You're the best world, Mama".  As it turns out, I don't mind so much when they forget their manners!

Happy Birthday Dear Jes!

Jes, a kid at heart!

(I had her permission to post this picture...sort of.)

Today is February 6th, my SIL Jes' 30-something birthday.  In honor of her special day, I thought I'd make her the star of the Frodo Seven Blog (a dubious honor I know).

I think the first time I met Jes, she visited our home with David on a short break from UVA.  It was snowing, and the two of them spent the entire day building a perfect igloo complete with a tunnel system.  This was when I started to suspect that she might be "the one".  There were other indications though.  First, Jes has no problem engaging with David in verbal problem-solving.  David is a math whiz and loves puzzles, so he often tackles mind-benders just for the fun of it.  Most (normal) people -- me -- don't find this fun and lose interest in the game quickly.  Not Jes.  She hangs in there with him to the bitter end!  She also actually understands what David does for Intel in his basement burrow.  I know that he's in their compiler group.  After that, it's all 1s and 0s to me.  

Here's Chris' favorite:  before David and Jes were married, there was a dare -- it's unclear who came up with it, but the agreement was if Jes ran a 5K race (3.1 miles) in under 20 minutes, David would ask her to marry him.  20 minutes is a challenging 5K time for ANYONE, even more so for a non-runner!  You have to average 6:30 per mile to do it.  Well, Jes must have wanted that proposal badly, because she laced up her shoes and started training.  On race day, she lost the battle, but obviously won the war...eventually.  

They got married in September 1998 and their wedding was unforgettable.  A couple of things stand out from the toasts that day.  Jes' Dad bragged that as parents, they were proud to have raised such a good Catholic girl -- funny because Jes had converted a year before the wedding.  Then (after a few beers), Best Man Neil gave a long, moving toast that ended with, "So...Here's to David and Christine!" Oops!  Christine was Neil's girlfriend at the time!  (FYI...we're all glad he later met Martina!)

So here's to Jes, and for your enjoyment, 15 Random thoughts about her:

1.  She is one of the most competent people I know.  She'd rather figure out how to fix something than call a repairperson.  She recently re-did an entire bathroom including installing a new toilet, sink and tile by herself.

2.  She is a stud.  She and David put together their huge, heavy, tall playset in the rain while she was eight months pregnant.  The image cracks me up a little.

3.  We are opposites in terms of food vices -- I prefer salty, she prefers sweet.

4.  I think she should start her own gift-consultant business.  She is great at coming up with creative or just appropriate gifts, and I often call her for ideas.  Come to think of it, maybe it's better that she not start a business.  Now, I get advice for free.

5.  Her blood runs orange and blue.  Both of her parents are UVA grads and she, David and I have huge diplomas from Mr. Jefferson's University as well.  I wonder where her kids will go?

6.  She is more like a sister than a sister-in-law and treats us all like we're as much her family as her first family.

7.  I plan to be on Jes' team for the next Kreitzer family softball game.  I get tired of chasing all the balls she hits over the fence.

8. If Chris wants to know if David brought his golf shoes or running gear on a visit, he asks Jes.

9.  We've been known to have fun Kreitzer family casino nights.  Jes always takes a turn as dealer.  I've never been to Vegas, but she seems very convincing.

10.  Jes and Chris have a few things in common.  They're both great with logistics.  They're masters at loading the car, map-reading and planning things.  I think Jes would have made a great Marine.   (And it would have helped her in that 5K.)

11.  Jes is okay with the fact that Chris has injured every one of her boys.  She still lets him play with them.

12.  Jes loves sports -- especially football.  When we had a family fantasy league, she had her own team and won the Super Bowl.  (Kurt Warner was her favorite player and quarterback.)

13.  Jes is the unofficial doctor of the family.  She is a pro at splinters and scrapes, appropriate since her original plan was to be an MD.  She'll quickly tell you though that she's happy with the way things turned out:  being a stay-at-home mom to Rachel, Alex, Zack and Matthew.

14.  There's more to Jes than meets the eye.  She has a few secrets she might share over a couple of drinks. 

15.  Even though I was happy for him, I was a little sad when David got engaged.  He was the first of us to get married and I knew it would change everything.  Of course, it did but that's okay.  Thank you, David for introducing me to one of my best friends!  

 

I visited Dave and Jes twice in Portland.  This picture was taken a month before their wedding.

Jes married into a god-daughter.  David and my cousin Jenny are Madeleine's Godparents and when each of them got married, Madeleine gained another Godmother and Godfather (lucky girl!)

On the way to see the DMB.  Dave and Jes were both in our wedding.  Chris and I got a box at the concert and invited our wedding party as our gift to them.  We're not sure how much our wedding party liked Dave Matthews, so it was a bit of a Homer gift.  We had a great time.

For our first anniversary, I surprised Chris with a long weekend at a B & B in Williamsburg, VA.  The first day, we met Dave and Jes at Busch Gardens.  Four adults with no kids at an amusement park.  It was so much fun!  We ran from roller coaster to roller coaster all day and even begged for one more ride at the end.  In this picture, we're riding Apollo's Chariot.

"That's another UVA first down!"  I think those might have been Rachel's first words.

One of the differences between me and Jes :)  Actually, it was part of a game at Tara's bachelorette party.

Jes and I have been pregnant together three times with due dates within a month of each other.  Here we are at the co-shower Martina threw us, very pregnant with Alex and Mia (respectively).

Our twins.  

Kreitzer kids come in batches.  One set of triplets.  Zack, Grace and (Tara's) Ryan.  Paige was born six months later.

There's No Place Like Home

She's off to see the wizard!

A week ago, our friends gave us four bags of little girl clothes.  They have two girls and a baby boy and were downsizing.  I warned them that it could be dangerous to give away all the clothes they've been saving but they decided to risk it.  

I haven't had a chance to go through any of it but the minute the lot came in the door, Grace claimed a pair of sparkly red ballet-type shoes and immediately became the envy of her sisters! I'm pretty sure they're two sizes too small but they're exactly the kind of shoes the girls always covet and they haven't been off her feet in days.

Grace is such a rough and tumble girl- athletic, tough and, unfortunately, the first to throw a punch.  It always melts my heart to see her girly side.  Now, if only the red shoes would work the way they should, Princess Grace could click her heels and take us all HOME!

The Future's So Bright

Last week was Catholic Schools Week, a time to appreciate Catholic education.  Like most Catholic schools, Saint Mary Magdalene planned a week's worth of fun activities to celebrate. Unfortunately, Madeleine was sick the first part of the week, and we missed Donuts with Dad and Muffins with Mom, but she did make it back in time to receive her student appreciation award.  Her teacher, Mrs. Winicki, was creative and made it a lot of fun for the kids.  Madeleine was declared "Most Likely to Appear on TV".  Perfect.  I had to laugh.  Like mother, like daughter!

Manic Monday

Me, my babe and my new-do

I know- it looks exactly the same but it is in fact 2 1/2 inches shorter

Along with the rest of America, we spent Sunday night watching the Super Bowl.  There's not much to say about that other than I'm glad the Steelers won.  We watched the game on G & G Doyle's high-def TV (I honestly can't say I notice the difference but maybe that's because I'm not a TV connoisseur).  We stayed until the third quarter when it became obvious that the girls were not going to settle down to sleep so we took them home and watched the fourth quarter there.

I woke up Monday feeling a little behind the curve.  We'd had a big weekend with not enough down time so I was feeling a little rushed and unprepared.  Then I read something on the internet that made me mad.  Fortunately, I don't get angry very often but when I do, I do one of two things (yesterday, I did both).  I clean the house like a mad woman, giving away absolutely everything we haven't used in the last six months and I cut my hair.  

I am the anti- pack rat and have a deathly fear of being buried alive under piles of stuff so giving things away is one of my basic needs- along with eating and sleeping.  I find that purging while angry works best for me because my sentimentality disappears and things that are on the borderline become completely dispensable.  This hobby of mine is the sole reason we live comfortably in our Not-So-Big House and that people can never believe that seven people live here.  There are only two regrets I've had about things I've given away over the years.  A nice leather jacket that I didn't like but should have sold and a little chair, given to Grace by our old nanny.  She never sat in it but apparently liked it a lot because she was upset when it was gone (I try not to give away things dear to the kids but they come to us as little pack rats so I have to help them a little).

Monday is laundry day so I started by attacking that with a vengeance.  I think I washed everything we own.  I gave Mia double the independent work she usually gets and I moved on to tackle a project that's been waiting for awhile- Mia, Grace and Sophie's room.  They supposedly clean their room as part of their chores and they do an okay job but they never get to the spots on or under their dresser, under the bed or in the closet.  I always find interesting things when I clean their room- little collections that I haven't known were dear to them.  The most interesting thing I found yesterday was an under-the-bed collection of corks and bottle caps that Mia has been saving in an old oatmeal container.  How she's been sneaking them out of the kitchen without us noticing is anyone's guess.  I don't know what to do with them but I can't bring myself to throw them away-yet.  

By the time I was done, I had a huge box for the trash and a big bag to go to Good Will. I'm always glad to visit my buddies there.

After doing math with Mia, I headed to get Madeleine and then to the salon- I was lucky they had an opening on such short notice.  I rarely plan my appointments in advance.  When I decide it's time for a change, it's time-today.  I have even been known to cut my own hair but that doesn't work out so well so I don't do that anymore.  I walked out feeling like a new woman. I'm not sure what it is about purging and changing my hair that make me feel better.   Maybe it's the illusion of being more in control.  In any case, by the end of the day, the anger had turned more to annoyance, House was on and life was good.  

They love Grandma's Monopoly because it's "old school"

One of Ella's baby signs is "doggie".  She goes crazy with that at G & G Doyle's house

I like this picture.  TV Zombies.

Mia's collection

Of A Revolution

One foot out the door.

Madeleine was a strict photographer,

"No Dad, A real smile!"

He was ready to go.

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a pair of tickets to see OAR at the House of Blues here in Houston.  OAR has been around since 1996 but is still a bit under the radar screen.  Four of the band members, including lead singer Marc Roberge, got together in high school in Rockville, MD (not far from where I grew up).  They picked up a couple more band members at Ohio State University where they played fraternity and sorority parties before moving on to bigger venues.

Last night was actually the second time we've seen OAR live.  The first was when they opened for The Dave Matthews Band a few summers ago.  We were among the few, the proud to be there to see them and, even though we love Dave, when they were done, we both said, "wait- is that it?  We want more!"  We got a lot more last night.  

The venue was incredible.   The House of Blues is small and classy.  We got there early and were about 10 feet from the stage.  The only time I've been closer at a concert was when we saw Lisa Loeb at a tiny bar in Lawrence, Kansas.  (I wore a concert shirt to give my final exam the next day and one of my students asked, "Did you have fun?"  She sounded a little bitter.)  While we waited, we made friends with our neighbors in the pit.  Chris has a talent for making fast friends with strangers in about five minutes which comes in handy when you're elbow to elbow with people for four hours!  We mostly talked to a couple of UT grads.  Since we have our very own UT grad in the family, we found some common ground around that. (I told them my SIL is doing her part to Keep Austin Weird- just a joke Martina :)

Eric Hutchison was the opening act.  He looked a little like one of the Beatles, had a great sound and a funny stage presence.  We enjoyed him enough that we'll be buying some of his music. 

OAR was amazing.  They have this rich rock/jazz/raggae sound that I love.  The song Chris was hoping for, "Revisited", was third.  I liked "Hey Girl" but also appreciated their encore of "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker", "Lay Down" and "Shattered".  "Shattered" is their biggest hit so far.  I like it because the question, "How many times can I break till I shatter?" seems appropriate for my journey so far in life.

It was a great date night, an evening of sharing our mutual love of music but at the end, I was so glad to climb into my comfy bed.  We went to the late Mass this morning!