Me and my mini me, times three

Our 1-year old is very much in a clingy stage right now. So much so that I rarely feel as if I can walk into another room without her little arms wrapped around my calves.

Often she and Mac have a battle royale to sit on my lap or to be picked up.

Watching our independent 7-year old it is hard to imagine she could have ever been so clingy. At last night's spaghetti dinner and book sale, she darted off with an independence encouraged by being surrounded by school friends and family. She also brought her own money to buy books herself. We counted it together before we left home: $3.34, in nickels, dimes, pennies and quarters.

Veronica loves books and plunked herself on the floor in the "bookstore" while the rest of the family ate and socialized. (She's also a very social child, when her nose is not in a book, mind you.)

Several friends commented on her progress--her arms loaded with stacks of books--throughout the evening when suddenly she appeared at my side.

"I need $48," she said, casually.

I learned afterwards that she had taken her books to the register, they had rung her up and she had held out her change, her handfuls of coinage tossed into a Hello Kitty purse. They politely told her she needed more money.

I couldn't stifle a laugh but I did winnow down her selections, making mental notes of some of the others (for Christmas gifts). We bought her and her brother a book apiece. (Oddly without Veronica's money appearing.) I'll go back and get some of the ones she wants as surprises.

I really enjoyed watching her independence, while noting that Veronica's may still be dictated by strings, but not the mommy strings, as with Petra. Rather while Veronica's independence is growing in some areas, it is shrinking in others with shorter purse strings. In a lot of ways (with this economy), those are the much stronger ones.

But it will only be time before she figures out that keeping her room clean, brings about an allowance, which will mean...I should buy some stock in Scholastic Books.

Now, where is that wrapping paper?

Our daughter (7) is furious. She has just told us, yelling from her bedroom, that she no longer wanted to live with us. She has had a bad day.

It is her brother's birthday.

And it is not fair.

(To put it in some context, she is mad that we threw her a surprise birthday party in June and didn't tell her about it. Even if she did have fun at the time, she says it doesn't count for a birthday party.)

What she and her brother don't know is that I was so focused on Cucalorus (and their joy at going to Simply Play) last week that I had not bought his birthday presents until Monday night. What they don't know is that I had three deadlines—with countless interviews I hadn't done—and some papers to grade that were shifted all over the place so that I could go to the store and buy his presents. (But, yeah! I got there.)

Fortunately, my mother sent him a Peter Rabbit stuffed animal and a collection of Toad and Frog books to open on his birthday morning. Because the kids don't even know that we haven't yet wrapped his presents. They don't know that I quickly baked muffins this morning (during the quiet darkness of my writing time, when I should have been finishing another story for another deadline), just so he wouldn't appear at school empty-handed on his birthday. (And, yes, they were pretty yummy.)

They don't know that we haven't finished making the phone calls about his birthday party or that we haven't quite found a birthday cake recipe that we can serve his ingredient-challenged sister.

They don't know that on the fly I e-mailed a friend who once said she would get him something with a few bees on it. She delivered today and arranged for him to sit in a police car with some folks who wear a beehive on their police uniforms.

(Score! A memorable day for a newly minted 5-year old!)

They have no idea that while, of course, the universe…my universe…revolves around them and sometimes it may wobble.

I'm hoping though that they feel the embrace of my arms wrapped around them in a snug hug and won't notice the wobbles so much. (Nor will they notice the sleight of hand while I'm trying to tie a ribbon on a present behind their backs…even two or three days later than promised.)

Now, off to wrap some presents and try to stay warm....

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

Our neighborhood became "One Tree Hill" earlier this week. A few of my neighbors and I speculated what that meant, when we learned that they would film on our block. (Apparently an episode to air in December, 6th season.)

Some neighbors were rather grumpy about the anticipated noise. Others ignored the resident letters we received...which were distributed and amended a total of three or four times. Others were simply impressed when the equipment started to arrive. And arrive. And arrive.

Between the four enormous trailers, the large circus tent for the canteen, and the half-dozen portable potties, it was quite entertaining to watch from my fishbowl vantage point.

Admittedly, I haven't watched OTH. But I now know that some of those who work for OTH are my neighbors or friends of neighbors. One of the hairstylists has a 15-month old son. One of the shuttle drivers lives around the corner from my brother-in-law. The caterer lives on my BIL's block.

I've been involved with Cucalorus 14 Film Festival, which spotlights filmmaking, local, national and international. But watching the nearly 100 people descend on a house for sale on Audubon Boulevard for nearly four days, was the biggest lesson I've had in the local impact of the film industry.

Sure there were flashing lights at time and increased traffic. But, compared to the inconvenience of Military Cutoff for, what was it, 500 years, this was peanuts.

And the street cred will probably be immense, once I can start hanging with the OTH demographic. Right now I'm relegated to hanging with the Thomas the Train crowd. And, boy, they know I'm cool.

Birthday party...and kid activity...idea

Great time on Saturday at a birthday party for a five-year old friend of Mac and Veronica's. You can see Veronica in the amazing foam pit she jumped into.

I've been wanting to investigate the gymnastics activities around town because I need activities for a five- and seven-year old at the same time....

Both kids had a blast and the entire party seemed to go off without a hitch. This party took place at Carolina Gymnastics Academy. The staff was attentive, blow-up castles and slides, lots of activities for the kids, and cake and pizza--what more could you want. I didn't take our one-year old, but she would have fun, as well. (Our friends brought their daughter of a similar age and she was a fixture in the foam pit.)

Now I need to start planning for Mac's fifth birthday soon. The kids love Simply Play, so I've been considering there. We've had parties at Halyburton Park and at the swimming pool (which is what Mac asked for).

Any other suggestions?

And to second the earlier blue state public service announcement...

This picture is of my neighbor's garage door, painted during the summer. (I can't find the progression pictures I had planned to post, taken as he applied each layer.)

Many volunteers helped turned this state blue, but we seemed to be watching them pass through our neighborhood. (The Obama headquarters is down the block.) But it was amazing to watch as our next-door neighbors opened their homes as the satellite Wilmington office for the Obama campaign.

If I could think of a good Dan Rather-ism, I would. Unfortunately, all I can think of is: our neighbor's home drew more cars and Obama supporters to their home in two weeks than kids to a Halloween candy bowl...It was a hopping place! (If you can think of a better Rather-ism, I'd love to hear it, comment below, please!)

A convergence of converging

It's already November? How did that happen?



See Petra's pirate tattoo? It's from the fall festival...more than a couple weeks ago. I'm not mentioning it to point out how indelible the temporary tattoo can be or anything about Petra's bathing habits. I mention her tattoo because a couple weeks later and we are finally getting around to taking a picture of it....

It's been a wildly crazy fall.

I know I promised more information about the Tampa trip...I finally have the giraffe photos downloaded, so that will happen soon. (Okay, so many of my friends just want to know what it was like to be in a hotel for three nights without kids or my husband...you'll have to e-mail me directly about that!)

But today seems to be about the convergence of converging elements of life interfering with best intentions. Or, in other words, if you have been keeping tabs on the other elements of my existence...uh, you are reading this, so I'm guessing you are...you probably know that I haven't posted in a little while. It's not because I didn't want to...truly! (And I don't have the care of two dozen chicks to blame, either!)

These past couple weeks went from busy to screaming busy. Please add on to the list: school volunteering and fall festivals, Halloween with three kids who care about candy and their attire, a wicked cold that I'm still upset about, the election and the time change, and wrapping my head around a new part-time writing gig that pays on quantity and one gig that pays for both quantity and quality. Then there is the follow up from the conference (...one decent hit, so far!)

Next week is Cucalorus and its fabulous films--and the enticing Cucalorus Kids movie event (Saturday, Nov. 15).

The holidays and my son's fifth birthday loom ahead.

I look at other mothers who are driving their kids to soccer and all the other activities...on top of all they do. All of us trying to stay ahead so our mortgages are getting paid and our kids are getting exercised. How do we all stay sane while trying to do everything that needs to be done?

Now that I have gotten that out of my system, any idea when we can all take a breather? Stop and have a nice glass of wine?

I'm thinking, December...2010?

We Are a Blue State!

I have been waiting in such suspense since the election. I want to live in a blue state again! I especially want to be in a blue state right now while the whole world is loving blue! And now I do!

WECT just announced that, "The Associated Press declared Obama the winner Thursday after canvassing counties in North Carolina to determine the number of outstanding provisional ballots."

Okay, now I'm celebrating! Woo Hoo! We are part of the global party. Check out the Huffington Post photos from around the world. This one (shown) is just one of many terrific shots of happy people.