Seriously, get out!

Let me start by saying that I fully realize I have no right to complain. My due date is still 11 days away, its not like it was 11 days ago. I know this. Although for the record, let me say that Taye loved me enough to come 11 days early, but I would never compare my children.

But I am done. I am ready. I want Mya OUT NOW! Luis wants her out now, even the boys want her out NOW. Tonight Taye told me, "I want your baby appointment (his term for my midwives) to get baby Mya out now!" Me too.

Not only are we mentally ready, we are prepared in every other way as well. In case she is looking for proof, I have the following:

Exhibit A - a fully stocked freezer in the basement - full of spaghetti sauce, lasagna, chili, minestrone soup, beef stew, every kind of meat imaginable, some in marinades, one-minute chicken nuggets (soo delicious - healthy too, ha ha), hot dogs, frozen cookie batter, zucchini bread batter, blueberry muffin batter, and on and on and on.


Exhibit B - a fully stocked diaper drawer. We (well 'I' Luis is just getting dragged along for the ride) have decided to try cloth diapering this time. Thanks to the expert advice and generosity of my bestest friend, as well as a very nice lady on Freecycle, I have compiled an entire stash for this venture, and it only cost me about $50. Everything is clean and ready to use.

Exhibit C - a full drawer of cute baby clothes. Many will look familiar, we call those 'hand-me-downs,' but there are some new-to-us items in there as well, thanks to the Salvation Army's 50% off family days.

Exhibit D - a whole bunch of homebirth stuff. I just went off the list I was given, don't ask me what is up there!

Exhibit E - My favorite, the minivan. Plenty of room in there for three kids. Carseat included. (Obviously it was night time when I took this, I'll get a better picture later - its so shiny!)


I believe I have made a very strong case to prove that we are ready. As if that were not enough, I have some circumstantial evidence that now would be a good time for Mya to make an appearance. First of all, Dagny is going away in 2 days, and I don't want to face her wrath if I have the baby while she is gone. Secondly, Tia and I decided that it would be fun if we had a birthday in every month between our two families. The only months we are missing are April, June, September, November, and December. Notice I said SEPTEMBER, not OCTOBER. We already doubled up in March, lets not waste another month! Thirdly, just LOOK at me! Need I say more?

In conclusion, I think Mya should get out now because I'm the Mama and I said so!

Letter B

So you've all heard the pig's alphabet song by now. It is a favorite around here (I think the tune is way more catchy than the one we grew up with). Anyway, Taye has taken to singing his own version lately, which goes like this:

"a, b, c, d, e, f, B!
h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, B!
q, r, s, and t, u, B!
w, x, y, and B!
sing with me!"

He really thinks this is quite funny. To make it even better, tonight I was singing it while I brushed his teeth. We often do this to pass the time brushing, and will sing it "even faster" three times in a row. Usually I will say, "now let's sing it..." and Taye will say "faster!" Tonight it went something like this:

Me:
"a, b, c, d, e, f, G!
h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, P!
q, r, s, and t, u, V!
w, x, y, and Z!
sing with me!
Now let's sing it..."

Taye:
"Fas-Ber!"

I wish I had the laugh on tape, I really can't tell you how funny he thought he was, it was hysterical.

Nonsense

Taye's new thing lately is nonsense. As if the 'school bus' game were not enough, he has come up with a few other games he likes to play.

He learned the Batman song from Nana, but has decided to switch it up a bit. Now he likes to sing "nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-under!" and then laugh himself silly.

A few days ago, I was talking a little nonsense myself, and finished a sentence with "cheerio!" At which point, I asked myself "'Cheerio,' what does that even mean?" Which has turned into the following game:
Taye: "Cheerios!"
Me: "Cheerios?!"
Darius: "Whats that even mean??"
(Insert hysterical laughter here.)

This morning's line was "Aya!" courtesy of Darius, which somehow morphed into saying, "I like, um - aya!" over and over and over...and, of course laughing like a maniac afterwards.

Hot Hangout

For some reason, our porch has been the place to be in the neighborhood lately. Despite the fact that my kids are a good 7-11 years younger than most of the kids in the neighborhood, I have had kids knocking on the door asking if they can come out and play. Of course I know the reason - its because my kids are awesome and super fun. And so am I. So who wouldn't want to hang out with us? Last week we had 5 friends over at the same time, it was an impromptu block party, I guess. As you can see, my kids don't like having these guys over. And given the fact that the three oldest spent a good 10 minutes arguing over which one of them I should ask to babysit, I'd say they don't like being with my kids either. :o) I didn't have the heart to tell them that at 10, 11, and 14 NONE of them will actually be babysitting my kids.

Hanging Out

Taye's new favorite way to relax.

Darius' Thoughts on Play-doh

"Actually, its fun to do that, actually."

Alphaboy

I like the walk off - "Let's do it faster - actually, now you can do it!"

(For those without toddlers, this is where that song came from - the pig is usually hammering while he sings, 'building' the alphabet.)

Darius' New Pet

"Good puppy."


(Can you tell I still haven't taken my good camera to get cleaned, and am stuck using the crappy one? Which has inexplicably become crappier than before?)

Grampa

This has been a long, tough week for our family. This morning we prepared to say goodbye (well, see you later) to Grampa. We thought it only fitting to start the day with ice cream for breakfast.


Stephanie's eulogy was beautiful, and she has given me permission to share it here.

Yesterday morning right before I tried finishing off this eulogy, I decided to have ice cream for breakfast. It seemed like an appropriate way at the time to commemorate my grandfather’s memory. I took it out of the freezer section of the mini-fridge in my dorm room, and struggled with the top, trying to get it off for a few seconds. Finally it burst open slopping half-melted ice cream onto my carpeted floor. In my surprise I looked down to the floor, spilling even more in the process. It was almost like Grandpa was there, making sure I knew he was still here for me, or maybe just playing a trick on me. Grandpa always had a trick up his sleeve, or a joke to tell us. He was a man of many faces and of many ideas and of many emotions.

First, Grandpa was a man of faith. He was deeply religious and in touch with his Catholic faith. He went to daily mass each day with Grandma at his side for years and years. Sometimes he brought friends or neighbors along as well, enjoying their company and spreading his faith and good will among them. Grandpa radiated faith. In past Thanksgivings, he wouldn’t be able to make it through grace without crying. He was so aware of how blessed he was and thankful to God for these blessings. He was compassionate for those who weren’t as lucky as he was, and it was as if saying grace validated all of these realizations for him.

Grandpa was also immeasurably faithful to and in love with Grandma. Perhaps as a result of his faithfulness to God, Grandpa was enamored with her. They shared a love that lasted throughout a 54 year marriage, a love that was deeper than many couples learn because of how faithful to her he chose to be.

In addition to being a man of faith, my grandpa was also a man of love. In addition to loving my grandma, his Donna Jean, Grandpa loved by extending his affection throughout generations of people. He loved his children, all six of them, his grandchildren, all twenty of them, and his great-grandchildren, all 9 of them. He didn’t stop there, either. He loved any chance to see his beloved siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws of family member, and friends. We all loved him as much as he loved us.

The other day, my dad and I were reflecting on different parts of his life, and my dad said “I really think that he was born to be a grandfather. He started young, and it was probably his favorite job ever.” It made me remember how if someone was small enough to fit in his lap, chances are they had spent time cuddling up with him to hear one of his innumerable poems and stories—an old favorite or a new one he made up as he sat there. While it’s obviously true that Grandpa seemed to be a champion among grandfathers, it doesn’t end there. See, another thing to remember about Grandpa was his nickname for his girls-“Flower.” He had a way of saying it that made it his own. We were all his flowers, all of us his little blossoms of hope at the beginning of spring.

That brings me to my next point: Grandpa was a man of wisdom. Grandpa saw the beauty in each and every single person no matter what. He could see the passion and the love and the individuality and the worth of anyone he talked to. This recognition was his wisdom.

He also knew not to pick favorites. Grandpa would often evade the task of telling anyone he or she was his favorite. I remember hearing very often that I was his favorite granddaughter from Franklin with brown hair who was in the room with him right now. Then he’d go on and qualify every other person to be his favorite person for other distinct reasons. One of my best memories of Grandpa was visiting him recently in the hospital and watching him go around the circle of people gathered around his bed, telling each one in turn that he or she was his favorite: Anna, you’re my favorite. Ruthy, you’re my favorite. Jean, you’re my favorite. Mary, you’re my favorite. Donna, you’re my favorite. Maybe it was fear of the Sullivan ire that kept him from making a finite decision, but I think it was the knowledge that none of us could outdo the other for his love. This revelation of beauty was his wisdom.

Grandpa also had a positive word or two of advice for anyone who needed it. His favorite advice to give was, of course, “You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose. But you can’t pick your friend’s nose.” This advice was his wisdom.

Grandpa recognized the balance between pride and humility. He was very fond of telling a story about when he was in the service or about his ancestry, but he was always humble about it, and was never assuming about the role he played in each story. This knowledge, this balance was his wisdom.

My grandpa also loved nature. When he lived in Duxbury, he had a jean jacket he liked to wear, the pocket of which he’d fill with seeds. When he went outside, chickadees would land on him and let him feed them right out of his hand. The birds must have known what an extraordinary gentleman Grandpa was because only a true gentle-man could be allowed so close to something so delicate. He really was a gentle man, and his appreciation and his care were his wisdom.

Finally, Grandpa was a man of kindness. He was never short a kind word or a good deed, whether it be extended to an old friend, a new acquaintance, or a stranger not yet lucky enough to have met him. For years Grandpa volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels. I remember one of his stories was about an old woman to whom he delivered meals often. She couldn’t drive herself, but she was still healthy and robust enough to do yard work, a task in which she found pleasure. I remember Grandpa telling this story, and seeing how amazed he was by her strength even at an old age. He would never give himself credit for it, but it took a kind of strength for him to show all of the kindness he showed, and to make the effort to brighten people’s days as often as he did. His kindness continued through the years, ranging from offering help to neighbors to get to hair appointments, to making sure we all had enough ice cream for breakfast.

Everyone who has met Grandpa has a story about him. Many of us have experienced a holiday dinner with him, or listened to him singing a song in a thick Irish brogue, or raiding the candy drawers scattered throughout his house in Needham.

Around the village, he was the go-to man for everything from doctor’s appointment-chauffeur to grocery bag carrier. Around the house he was known as a loving, devoted husband and a goofy father or grandfather. To each person, he means something a little different, because he focused on each person when he spoke to them so as to cater to what they were most interested in, or to what they needed the most. Grandpa was a gentleman, a gentle man, a man whose compassion distinguished him from other people, so that no matter what quality he boasted at the moment, he was lovable and admirable all the time.

One of Grandpa’s goals was to instill kindness into the hearts of each one of us. His legacy consists of learning to love one another, being silly enough to laugh at one’s self and make others laugh, and stirring a sense of knowledge and creativity in everyone whose life he touched.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks again, Steph.

Grampa told me many times how much he loved to come here and see the new pictures of the boys. I don't know if they have the internet in Heaven, but I am sure he will still be checking up on us somehow. So Grampa - we love you so much, and miss you like you wouldn't believe. I'm so sad you didn't get a chance to meet Mya, I'm pretty sure you would have liked her. I know you will be watching over her and all of us. You will live on through every one of us in some way, and I know we will all work to keep your memory alive as well. I still can't believe you're gone, thank you for the gift of 25+ years of knowing you. And in case I never told you - you're my favorite Grampa with 6 kids, 20 grandkids, and 10 (and counting) great-grandkids, who has been married to Gramma for 54 years, and has been known to have a sweet tooth - ever. I really mean it. I love you.

Win a Million Bucks

Taye and Darius have been playing this game for months. I still can not figure out what the heck Taye is saying. Something about school and High School, I just don't know. I will give you a million bucks if you can tell me what he says*. Darius' response is "That school bus!" if that helps at all.

*Not really, I'm poor.



Another new game they play is when Taye asks Darius, "whats a walking snail say?" Darius does this yelling noise, and they both crack up. Don't ask me to explain...

She's Back!

Yep - Sinead is here again. Spoiling the kids rotten, as usual. Man, do we hate when she comes over.

Airport

The other day we took the boys back to the local airport. We hadn't been at all this year, and thought it would be a good day to see lots of planes and crazy people jumping out of them. It wasn't as busy as we had hoped, but we did see a few planes taking off, and even some crazy people. All in all it was a fun time.

Budding Artist

I'm happy to report that all my craft cabinet obsessing has paid off. I finally got the boys' half organized, and they are in it all the time, especially Darius. Play-Doh has taken a back seat lately to "coloring on paper."

The other day, Darius was coloring in the kitchen, and the rest of us were in the spare bedroom together. After a little while, he came into the room with a piece of paper, and announced, "Hey anybody - I made a snowman!"

I was very impressed by his finished work:


He was more than happy to indulge my photo shoot - saying "cheese" throughout:


Here is Taye's snowman impression:

Catching Bubbles

Fitting In

Taye has been trying really hard to fit in around town. I'd say between the camouflage hat (not pictured, but I'm sure you're familiar), the unbuttoned Harley-Davidson shirt, and the little "beer" belly, he is almost there. All he needs now is a hunting rifle and he should be all set.