Always Maintain a Sense of Humor

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With Strings

Greta and Jack got a package in the mail from my sister, Aunt Sai Sai. What fun it is to open a box full of surprises! Sai Sai frequents the coolest shopping areas and her creative eye always spots the most unique gifts. She sent the dvd Despicable Me - awesome. She also sent board books about Sushi and Andy Warhol to teach fantastic Japanese words and colors and a little bit of art. And, also these fun plates with faces to decorate with food - just like we used to do with magnet flakes and that pen...Remember? And, also...bubble wrap. It was a super morning. Sai Sai reminds me to inspire the kids. She always wants to give them things to embrace learning with music and art. I love that... So do Greta and Jack.

pointing toes

pointing toes, originally uploaded by DerekandRebecca.

This is graceful chaos.

chipmunk

chipmunk, originally uploaded by DerekandRebecca.

Little Greta has taken to dance more than I ever could have hoped. In fact, she has to merge out of the carpool lane and create her own line for Chasse Chipmunk. Get out'mah way!

Under the Weather/ Sea

One of my favorite places to go with the kiddos is Crown Center. There are always neat things to do there - currently you can go "Under the Sea", and we did. Derek and I took the kids there on President's Day and they loved every minute. It was a room decked out in hanging seaweed, mermaid houses, Atlantis, a whale, an octopus and multitudes of other booger pickers like our own. There were places for the kids to climb and stick their faces through holes, funny mirrors and a pirate ship to steer. We let them play and then we took them to the Chocolate Factory to pick out a treat. Both little darlings wanted pretty colored M & Ms. Derek picked a chocolate covered Twinkie and I chose a chocolate covered pretzel that Jack ate half of anyway...Just because he owns me.

And, then, three days later, we became under the weather. Greta came down with a fever and spots on her throat. We paid a visit to our Dr. Hartman who ruled out strep throat, but did diagnose a virus. I made my special chicken noodle soup and we have been cuddling on the couch ever since. Besides Crown Center, this is my other favorite place to be with my kids.

My Social Network

Blogging is such the in thing right now. Mommy blogs and blogs about decorating, blogs about being a mommy and decorating and blogs about stuff for this that and the other are always on my laptop. I take a vested interest in these stories and these things. Maybe my laptop is my window to the world. I can check to see, am I doing this right? Am I current? Am I crazy? I am.

I began this blog as an addendum to the baby books that I begged Derek to shell out about 200 dollars for because, "The kids will have them their whole adult lives and they must be special". They are super cool...here is Greta's . Well, it turns out that I really enjoy this blog and knowing that it might be fun for you kids to read when you are older...and I have kept the audience small - limited to Derek, and a few very close friends that I cherish and don't mind if they laugh at me for my poor grammar and dorkiness. I sometimes want to make this a bigger project and gain a bigger audience, and then I humble myself and hold onto this little place I can go to tell you secrets and remind you how much I love you.

Derek and I watched The Social Network a few weeks ago and it is lingering in my thoughts. It was a really well done film and I appreciate that very much. I am not a fan of stupid movies anymore...Maybe it is because finding time to sit and take one in is so rare. I go for quality over quantity. But what keeps triggering my thoughts back to The Social Network even has something to do with my place in the world. Facebook is so simple and the idea of it seems to fit into each of our lives for the purpose we need it to - to be a voyeur, to be an exhibitionist, to have a captive audience or be the audience. I am flabbergasted by the whole concept and I got to sit and talk to Derek and gain his perspective. Facebook has changed the world. Derek said it is changing advertising. No longer are websites as crucial. All the information you need and simple correspondence can be achieved through facebook. Ah, but when we were kids you had to communicate through morse code on the gutters, or walkie talkies.

I love the way things change fast in this world. I remember writing my first email at Mizzou in the computer lab. I love that my husband keeps me hip on the trends. One of the first things he told me this morning was, "The new ipad comes out today!" I hope I can remain current. Derek is going to SXSW in about two weeks. Pretty sweet. I hope he comes back! (Or I will just have to facebook him.)

Mental Picture

When I drive the kids to see my dad in Warrensburg I find our busy little world still bustles even in the small space of the car/van (Ours is small like a car, but has sliding van-ish doors). You need to know this because the ride is still small enough that the babies can touch each other if they really want to. They can swipe toys and ninies and they can drop choo choo trains and beg me to retrieve. I do, because I can sometimes reach while still facing forward, eyes on the road, I can blindly find a toy and I feel like superwoman. It is like reaching into a grab bag, that floorboard below my children's dangling feet.

So, we usually head out with excitement and anticipation of seeing Papa. I will never be able to put into words how much they love him. Jack especially. He begs to see him so often, and Gee. Papa and Gee? Papa and Gee. I wonder if it is God's way of making it easier on me to go. Because it is oh, so hard for me to go so often and see him fading away before my eyes and it is oh, so hard to try to explain to Greta what is wrong with Papa. Why can't he walk? Why can't he talk? Why does he cry? Jack just wants to go and be near and flash him smiles and show off. Yes, Jack just wants to be near for a little while every few days and then drive home.

Our drive home is usually so much different than the previous hour in the car. They sleep and I look out at the road ahead of me and the big sky and I have what seems like the weight of the world on my shoulders thinking about life and my dad. It's heavy. But, I can see my sleeping babies in the back seats and they are beautiful and have these little soft, pink lips that sleep in a smile. Their cheeks are pale. They are dreaming.

I like my rear view mirror fixed on them.