The New Normal - Summertime

Momma Post: It's slowly dawning on Matt and me, how much our lives have changed with TWO children. Expenses are a little tighter, due the recession in general, childcare costs, and recovering from my unpaid maternity leave early last year. The girls are both early risers, so we all start our weekend mornings at 7:00am (no more reading the newspaper in bed for us). Days are still constrained by a midday nap. Activities for the family are age appropriate. This is not bad, just an adjustment. The simplicity the girls have brought to our shared experience has been a blessing in many ways. I've discovered a joy in gardening and meal planning/cooking. I'm also on the lookout for family outings that are cheap and interesting for all of us.

Last weekend was Memorial Day. We planned a Staycation - a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home. Friday night we took the girls to the Rose Festival Fun Center down on the Waterfront. Ruby enjoyed several rides, but Willa wasn't quite tall enough, although she seemed to have just as much fun people watching. Matt, much to my chagrin, took Ruby through the haunted house (not my first choice). Ruby did fine, but Matt was hugging her close.

Matt put up the tent in the backyard for the girls. It's been so fun that I imagine the tent will be out for several weeks. We keep moving it to the patio in the evenings, so it doesn't kill the grass. The backyard has become our new living room. I can't believe how much we're using it this year. The girls prefer to be outside, in fact Willa is constantly whining "side, side". Both girls tend to be a little loud outside. We are no longer the peaceful neighbors next door with the screeching that comes over our fence. The picture of Ruby in the backyard below is during her mini performance of the musical Annie's "Tomorrow"....

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!

On Memorial Day itself, we went to Willamette National Cemetery with Grandma Alice to visit Grandpa Andy's gravesite. We took a bouquet of muted violet roses. The traffic was congested up the hill leading into the cemetery. A service was being held. We heard the gun salute and a performance of bagpipes. The trip there reminded me that I still am unable to navigate by myself to my grandparent's grave site also at Willamette. Another trip to do with Dad and Janet soon. We felt honored to share the experience with Alice. Ruby's of the age where she's asking a lot of questions, so it was special sharing why we were visiting Grandpa Andy and how much we loved him. Felt like we were finally introducing the girls to him.

Friends of ours lent us their bike trailer last weekend, so we've gone on several bike rides, until the close proximity to each has Ruby and Willa exchange blows and crying sessions, which has forced us to cut the ride short. We have managed to bike to get coffee, gelato, to Grant Park, and the Fremont Methodist Church's annual basement sale.

Willa note: Earlier this month, Willa had her 18-month doctor's appointment and another round of shots. She's healthy and right on course with all her developmental skills. The only thing noteworthy is that she's a petite girl at just under 5th percentile for both height and weight. Dr. Wendy Lin was watching Willa run around the exam room floor and said that she's perfectly proportionate, just petite.