5 Years Old

Tonight, Nora you went to bed for the first time as a 5 year old. 

Your first time at school for a birthday. We brought munkin donuts to share. Your wore a "It's My Birthday" sticker and they sung 'happy birthday'  and 'how old are you now' to you. The head of the lower school shook your hand this morning and said, "I'm so glad you were born, Nora! I'm happy you're here today!" I couldn't have said it better. Grateful for 5 years with you. 

But I am also counting my blessings tonight for your village, Nora. The people who love you and cherish your spirit. Who sent well wishes and called and sent cards or gifts. Who celebrated your birth, just as we did 5 years ago. Our village has strengthened and grown in the past 5 years. We have an entire school community now, filled with friends and teachers who are thankful for you too. And I know you will never be just mine again. The way you were mine in my belly. The way you were mine when I nursed you. The way you were mine when you needed me to take care of you 24/7. Now, you contribute opinions and ideas. You have friends made all on your own. You have relationships with adults that I don't foster. 

Mostly tonight, I thank my lucky stars for your father. I love him as my husband, the man I fell in love with so many years ago. But as your dad? Nora, you couldn't have a better one. His love for you is like nothing I have ever seen. His love for you is so deep and so strong. 

• The Navy wanted him down on a aircraft carrier this week in Virginia. He told them under no circumstances will he miss your 5th birthday. 
• Lucy was hit with a nasty stomach bug on Sunday night, besides cleaning her up (and the walls and floors) over and over again for 8 hours straight, with a little help from Nonna and Uncle Kevin, he still managed to throw you a party today. While I was not feeling well on the couch last night, he wrapped your gifts and decorated with streamers and balloons and flowers (that he bought). He even wrote you a card. He said: "To the older 15 year old, we love you and enjoy every minute of you growing up! Love, Mommy & Daddy" He signed my name, but I had nothing to do with it.
• He made your birthday requested dinner: Spaghetti with sausage in the sauce and salad and bread. You are his daughter all right, I hate sausage but you and him love it! 
• Gifts: he bought you almost all your gifts. Your favorite might have been the early birthday surprise of Frozen movie night last Friday. He made popcorn and we got lots of blankets and pillows and snuggled up together on the floor to watch the movie. 
• Then this afternoon, I get this email from him that I couldn't stop smiling at: "I found IT!!!  I got a Frozen cake for Saturday.  It is down in Eldersburg Martins.  Everyone else that had the kit was sold out.  I will pick up Friday, and I ordered Frozen Plates and Napkins and found  Frozen balloons on Amazon.  I am going to get the helium tank of BJ’s and fill it.    So besides the food, is there anything else I need for Saturday?"

I put him in charge of your family & friends party on Saturday afternoon. He is an incredible father who loves you to pieces. He wanted your birthday to be special for you and he wanted so badly to not miss your 5th birthday, that he told the Navy no. And you know what? They said, ok, get here when you can. A love between a father and daughter so rich and so beautiful, even the military can't deny. 

I know I'm behind on my 5 posts. This is only the second in the month. I still have the Fairy Garden Tea Party on Saturday (all 11 girls from pre-k rsvpd they were coming... how does that happen?!? I was sure a few would decline!). Hopefully before Saturday, I will have a massive Disney post of day 4. But your father is going away tomorrow morning for the next three days. We can do it. We always have but we will miss him. 

Onward. And may my continued prayer of this week be heard: "Please, please, please God, don't let Nora get the stomach bug on her birthday." Now that your birthday is over, I am asking for a second miracle of staying healthy through Saturday (one, so you can enjoy your parties and two, Mommy doesn't do well with stomach sickness). 

Some of the decorations, this doesn't include the streamers or banner he hung up. 

Love Aunt Molly. 

5! Surrounded by gifts and love from family and friends. Here and afar.

Frozen movie night last Friday. 

Goodnight my sweet 5 year old. How filled I am with gratitude and love tonight. Thank you for giving me such gifts.

March Came in Like a Lion.

March is already half over and I am NOT going to let it slip away like February did. It is the Ides of March and since I took 3 years of Latin in high school, this day used to be a big deal. In fact when your father and I went to Rome, I had to reenact J.C.'s final walk and last actions on that day in the Ancient Roman forum in the exact locations and among the same buildings and ruins as when he lived.

But this isn't about the Ides of March...besides noting in another life it meant more to me. But rather about the lion this month has been. But the lamb is beginning to show herself and spring is coming slowly. We started March with a snow storm and ended the first week with pneumonia (Lu) and croup (Nora). Breathing treatments around the clock, 103.5 fevers, antibiotics, steroids, to hospitalize or not? It was a rough weekend. Daddy took the two of you to the doctor on a Thursday and by Tuesday, less than a week later everything returned to normal health wise (for the most part). But not before some scary nights with high fevers where we all slept together in case someone woke up and couldn't breath. The pediatrician commended Daddy on his determination to get Lucy seen in timely manner and to push his way in for an unscheduled morning appointment. She said, if he hadn't done that, if he had waited for the afternoon appointment, Lucy would probably have to have been hospitalized as her oxygen level was already so low and her breathing was labored.

Nora, you have been on spring break this past week and spent some time with Grandma and Ms. Patti. Thank goodness they were available as your father and I were still working. We have also been skiing twice this week. Well Daddy, Nora and I, after Lucy's first time (not) skiing, we decided to put her into "playcare." It has worked out for everyone! We have especially loved skiing in 50 degree weather and in the late afternoon sun (thank you Daylight Savings!). The snow is a bit slushy and the runs were a bit messy but Nora, you finally did it. You skied down the mountain by yourself. I have it on video! I am little over excited in the video but this is a major accomplishment, as earlier this season, you were afraid to fall and did not want to let go of Daddy's hand/pole/jacket... whatever you could grab. You ski with such ease. Such grace. You turn! We are so proud. The three of us has a great time, riding the lift, skiing, laughing, falling, goofing around. Time spent together, outside, learning something new, sharing a favorite activity. I treasured it. 

Then today, it was so warm and lovely and beautiful outside, we spent it playing in the yard, taking walks, clearing out the gardens to reveal the rich black soil under the debris and bright green sprouts popping up from the earth. It has been a long winter and now spring is coming. One of my favorite times of the year as your birthday arrives. So in honor of your birthday, I promise to write 5 entries in March. I have the first one down and Disney needs to be done still and we are having a party (fairy garden party) on the 29th with all your pre-k friends, so I think I can do it. 

Although the month started off sort of rough, we are looking forward to the end of winter, the beginning of spring and celebrating you, Nora, our soon-to-be FIVE year old! 

Lucy, you have such a wonderful sense of self and spirit. You spread joy so readily. 

Making cookies on a snow day.

Dr. Seuss Leadership Circle Pre-K class!
Nora you are back row 3rd from right. Your book was "Oh the Places You'll Go"

Dr. Office... a text pic Daddy sent me titled: "our two sick girls"

Bacterial pneumonia is miserable!

But then someone started feeling better enough to watch the ipad during nebulizer treatments. 

Daddy and I were able to escape for an afternoon to downtown Baltimore to see Book of Mormon.
Thanks Nonna for watching our sick kids!

Although you are pointed to the black diamond, we did "Dipsy Doodle" instead.
We'll save that run for when you're 5!!

What service! Getting pulled by Daddy.

YES! It's coming!!!

And so concludes February.

So February kicked our butts. Let's do a short recap:

1st-2nd - Gymnastics fun. Going out to breakfast. We have the WHOLE month ahead of us. Let's take this at a leisurely pace. 

3^rd-6^th Stomach bug invades our house, starting with Daddy and quickly spreads to Lucy and Mommy, leaving Nora unscathed. And an ICE STORM hits that wreaked havoc all over town with trees and power lines down... including our own yard where our neighbor's tree fell through our fence.  

8th/9th -Robotics fun/stress / competition and brunch with childhood friends while Nora does her Valentines with Nonna for school.  

9^th-17^th Daddy goes to the west coast for business. Mommy doing the single parent thing.

12^th-14^th Crazy winter storm drops 2 feet of snow on our town. Yep, Daddy is gone during this time. 5 day weekend… 5 days snowed in. Mommy alone with a toddler and preschooler. (I was surprisingly sane at the end of it.)   

14^th- Valentine's Day alone, cold and snowed in. Well the three of us were together watching another Disney movie.

15^th- Aunt Katie and Uncle Kevin and Teddy rescue us from our cabin fever. Pedicures for the ladies!  

16^th- Daddy gets home a day early just in time for dinner! Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

17^th –President's Day / supposed to be off of school but Mommy went in to work to escape the house and actually accomplished something besides feeding and cleaning and not losing her mind.

18^th – 20^th Catching up on life now that Daddy is home and we are able to get out of our house. Time to go back to our routine! 

21^st – 23^rd – Ski Trip (mommy and daddy only) Aunt Kaarn and Uncle Cliff are able to save us by coming up for the whole weekend to watch you two. So grateful! We NEEDED this trip and it was glorious… glorious weather, skiing conditions, lots of friends, beautiful lake front / slope view accommodations and best part of all, Daddy and I actually spoke to each other instead of barking commands of what needs to get done. Chinese food with Aunt Katie and Uncle Kevin and Teddy on their return home from Florida on Sunday.

24^th – 28^th – It is the official end of February and we have no idea where the month has gone. But ending it with dinner with old friends at their place tonight. No cooking, no cleaning, only good conversation and memories floating around while our kids play.

Escaping the "cabin" for a few hours by trekking it to the coffee shop. 

Tree through the fence.

ICE!

Happy Valentine's Day Daddy! We miss you!

Our road in front of our house is pretty busy... not when this winter storm came through. You can't even see where the road begins and sidewalk ends!

Stan had to go outside... he had to make his own way.

Midnight. The snow reflecting off the clouds made it super bright. 

Let's go to the park!

For some reason, we were the only ones there...

Bath time entertainment. 

Lucy is just amused by all these foam beard antics. 

Pedicures!

Weekend warrior... Friday night skiing!

Saturday morning lift to the slopes.

Lucy amuses herself with dancing with a plate on her head. 

Lucy's hat kills me. 

Swinging into the foam pit!

Lucy has eaten so much snow this winter. 

Daddy relaxing in the hottube with the boys after a long day skiing. Enjoying the view of the ski slopes across the lake.

​There might be another winter storm in the works for next week... March is coming in like a lion and always out with the celebration of our little lamb. Maybe I will actually finish the Disney vacation posts before Nora turns 5 at the end of the month. HA! One can dream....