Stacey and Ben visit

We've had a great weekend with Auntie Stacey and Uncle Ben. Lots of playing, lots of hanging out on the porch in the nice weather and enjoying the olympics. We'll miss them when they go back to DC today, especially Ellie who has loved the attention. Ellie starts her new school tomorrow and we're all excited about the promise of a new routine to help us further along the path to being settled. Cheers!

germantown and owen's dream

So I had a crisis a couple of Fridays ago when I went to the park and was iced out by a bunch of glitzy glam-mamas looking as if they've just come from the salon of really big hair, heavily accessorized by Coach and Vuitton (and one actually wearing spiky Prada heels), their children decked out in smocked linen with an overabundance of matching bows in their hair--again we're at the park at 9:30 am on a Friday, stepping over goose poop as we watch our children play. Before happening upon the fashion show, I was happy just to have made sure that I had nursing pads on so I wouldn't be leaking too obviously, pleased with myself that I had my cutest post-partum outfit on (yes, everything still needs to have elastic waist bands so there are only about 3 outfits in rotation now anyway). Owen was in the sling, Ellie in her utterly mismatched outfit that she'd picked out herself, her cutie hair that is just now coming in in the front completely unable to hold one of those ubiquitous gigantic bows anyway. After pulling up, we got the once over and then a very obvious turning away without even a hello. Ouch. Who are these people anyway, aren't I the normal one here, what in the world am I doing living here, how did this happen, will my children suffer here if they don't conform a little and how can I let them conform to this at all and will it ever be okay? In perfect seventh grade fashion, I actually started crying a little as Ellie and I shuffled away from the play structure towards the swings that were a little more secluded, me hoping that the feeling of having been rejected from the cool girls (who I was certain I wouldn't like to hang out with anyway--but that's never the point, is it?) and more importantly my despair with our current cultural milieu wasn't being picked up on by Ellie. That was Germantown on a bad day. I missed Minnesota and Maastricht in a way that I could physically feel in my stomach. I should note that I must have happened upon some kind of gathering (although I heard them introducing themselves to each other, so . . . )--those extremes aren't normal.

Two days later--on our 5th wedding anniversary--Ryan, Ellie, Owen and I went to the part of Germantown that called our names from Maastricht. We took a long walk on the greenway alongside the Wolf River, kudzu vines hanging overhead, using the double stroller, saw some cool looking people and loved being out and about. And to top that weekend off, Ryan put together the long awaited Pancake bike, shipped from Maastricht, and Ellie and I felt like we had our old selves back again. (Except that even though the streets are relatively safe, one still must wear a helmet around here--no fancy bike lanes like in Maastricht. As evidenced above, I have to be hopelessly unfashionable anyway.) That's Germantown on a good day. So yes, these days go back and forth for me--sometimes within the hour.

One final note in honor of World Breastfeeding Week, which was last week and exuberantly celebrated by Owen--Owen's quite fond of gazing longingly at our light fixtures. While the picture I've included doesn't do it justice, they all look like breasts--to Owen they are the giant glowing breasts in the sky, his dream. As our friend Pål wrote from Sweden, this fascination is something he may not outgrow.

Peace to you all--whether you're in Germantown or Germany. Oh--and check out Owen's shirt!

big sista dance

Here's a wee video of Auntie Cassie and Ellie doing the "big sister dance". It's Cassie's birthday tomorrow so this is in her honor. Happy Birthday to my little sister with the moves!

big sister party girl

Hey all. We're doing well having just enjoyed a nice long weekend (Ryan was able to work from home on Friday so I could catch up on rest) and gearing up for the long week ahead. Except for a couple good eggs, most of our Memphis friends have fled the heat (yesterday we reached 109!!) for fairer climes and so we're stuck inside not knowing too many folks, doing a little bit of thumb twiddling and diaper changing until the weather breaks and we can bring the wee baby out more. It reminds me of the insanely windy, stroller and bike blowing over days in Maastricht that kept us homebound--just another weather extreme and this time the babe is on the outside and a bit less able to regulate his temperature. Sweet Auntie Cass sent these pictures of Ellie's Big Sister Party!! that was held a couple weeks ago now. Last year Ellie picked blueberry cake for her party--as you can see she's moved on to chocolate. She also recently asked me why Memphis doesn't have the chocolate, cheese and croissants she used to have in Maastricht . . . seems we have a little foodie on our hands. But at least she has good taste. And she is indeed a great big sister.
Cheers!

weekend of four

After a weekend with only us four at home, we find we are actually settling in to being this new family. And despite a few flashes of jealousy/anger about having to be patient with a slower pace and less attention, Ellie's getting used to and liking being a big sister. We get lots of "help" from Ellie but Owen seems fine with it, so I suppose we are too. Cheers!

home alone in Memphis

After a great morning at the Children's Museum of Memphis and lunch at Cafe Eclectic, Grandma Diane has just left, the kiddos are both asleep, and I'm left fighting my own nap wondering and worrying at the emptiness of this house in Germantown, Tennessee. So here we are--Owen is born safely, the company that we've been enjoying has headed out and it's really hit me that now we live in Memphis. Certainly we knew we were moving to Memphis, but this afternoon there is a new tangibility to it all. So I guess here we go--we'll find the best and make the best of Memphis while figuring out how to be a family of four. And while it isn't so interesting a place as Maastricht, we still like visitors. Love to all.

Home with 2 kids--and help

A week into Owen being home now and we just got back from our first "normal" outing to the bookstore and grocery store and I'm wondering how everything will happen with two kids. We had Grandma Diane and Auntie Cass (all the way from Tanzania!) helping the whole way and it was still a circus of slinging and strapping Owen, chasing shopping carts, dribbling milk, lots of trips to the bathroom (Ellie), struggling with grocery bags and dodging cars in parking lots. I have no idea how people have more than two children and leave their homes. Really. And I have very little idea how we'll manage this when suddenly we will only have my two hands rather than the six on hand today. Yikes! Too bad we can't convince more family members to just come and move to Memphis . . .
But, logistics aside, all is well. Ellie is a fabulous big sister who likes to lend a hand and dote on Owen. Owen is a mellow babe who likes to nurse and sleep--we keep thinking one day he's going to wake up and let us know that the first week was a joke and he's actually not so thrilled about all this, but so far he seems content. We're especially stoked that when he wakes up in the middle of the night he passes out again right after a little milk buzz. Ryan's back at work catching up and I am, as I've just written, trying to figure out how all this will work out while being optimistic that it will.
So cheers to you all and an extra dose of respect and admiration for any of you with more than one child! Love from us.