Diapers in Detroit

In August of 2004 we left China with our baby girl in our arms.  It was glorious and wonderful and moving, and emotional and the best thing ever. 

(leaving China) (I know I don't like it was glorious, wonderful, moving, emotional, or the best thing ever.  No makeup, shower, and no sleep for a few days.) (But oh that sleeping baby in my arms)


But we were tired.  To the bone tired.  And we had 48 straight hours of travel in front of us.  With a new baby (new to us). 



And somehow when I packed the carry ons I only had "just enough" diapers. 

(Here we are on the airport floor... I brought a plastic table cloth for the babies to play on in between flights)


Who knew that diapers filled with pee explode sometimes in mid air? 



Hers did and we went through about 20 diapers from China to Detroit.  When we landed in Detroit Anna was wearing her very last diaper.  Very last. 

The very first thing we did after landing (besides ordering American food) was to hunt down diapers before our connecting flight to Connecticut. 

Scott found a pack of diapers.  A little bag of like 4.  Perfect. 

They didn't really fit her but I squeezed her in.  And crossed my fingers they'd stay on.  It was only a two hour flight.  Only two more hours til home. 

I called my Mom from the airport (no cells on that trip)  and told her to go to the store, buy diapers, and bring them to the airport.  Or maybe I called my sister in law because Anna's cousin Ian was the exact same age.  Anyway. 

We made it home.  But boy oh boy did I ever stress about those diapers. 

Last night over tea Scott and I were chatting about our upcoming road trip.  A total of 31 hours in the car.  With one daughter who can't order anything off a menu or anything at a rest stop.  I was worried.  Okay, panicked.  And even though we planned all of the food out there was room in my mama's heart to worry.  Scott had only three words. 

Diapers in Detroit. 

At first I had forgotten.  And then we laughed about it.  How worried we were.  The stress we felt.  And how it ALL WORKED OUT.

I don't really travel well.  You can ask Scott or my Mom or my Dad. 

When I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii I begged and begged Scott to take me home.  Yes, I did.  (somewhere on this blog is a longer story about that) 

Two summers ago I planned the ultimate seven night, eight day trip to Disney.  Waited my whole life to take my two little girls there.  And the night before I said to Scott, "maybe I could just call my Mom and she could go in my place."  And I meant it. 

Traveling makes me nervous.  And I overcompensate.  (except when I forget the basics.)  I start buying as soon as a travel decision is made.  Clothes for the girls, shoes, hair bows, New things to hold shampoo, a boatload of things to do in the car.  So much that we could drive to California and back without an "I'm bored".  It might rain and I think my raincoat is a bit too long.  Better head to LLBean.  I can't stop.  It just helps me. 

Scott says thank goodness when the trip finally comes.  Because she can stop shopping for it. 

But I'll have you know that after all of that I am over the moon excited about seeing these friends.  And sitting on her porch.  (wait, maybe I should get a new sweater... do you think it might be breezy there?  Should I go with my cute flats or flip flops???... see there I go again) 

And to see these friends too.  Over the moon I tell you. 

Just as soon as I stop shopping and actually go! 

(proof positive that it ALL WORKS OUT) (somewhere in the air between Beijing and Detroit)

Tickets

Music

I raised my little girls on Raffi.  He is my all time favorite young children's singer/songwriter. 

And even though Anna is nine and Abigail five he still sings every single day in my house. 

There's just something about his voice, the guitar, and the magic in all of the songs I know.

So when I found out that Raffi was coming to Connecticut I raced to buy tickets.  I even took the money I'd been saving to redo our kitchen hardwood floors out... they can wait! 

I have my whole life to have new shiny hardwood floors in my kitchen.  I feel like the clock is ticking on seeing Raffi in concert.  It's not that he's old (even though he is now) it's that my window for my girls loving and belting out these songs is closing. 

But it hasn't closed yet.  When I asked Anna if she was too old to go to a Raffi concert she looked at me with puppy dog eyes and said, "oh please, can I go?"  I thought I'd give her the opportunity to back out of a 'baby' concert.  But these songs are ingrained in her too and she doesn't want to miss it.  I'm grateful for my little nine year old. 

I'm so excited I think I might cry when I hear him strum his first cord.  Abigail has fallen asleep to Raffi every single night since she was a breast fed baby.  We even bring the "Quiet Time" CD on vacations.  It's that crucial.  And Anna was always more of a rockin out to 'Let's Make Some Noise'. 

See you soon Raffi. 

Apple Field Trip

Oh... I'll hold this memory close to me.  How I loved going on the Kindergarten field trip to the apple orchard.  So fall.  So young.  So sweet.  It was Abigail's first bus ride ever and boy how she was so excited!  I drove and was in the parking lot before the school bus pulled up.  And she spotted me through the window of the bus!  Made my heart leap to see her way up there loving her big girlness! 







There was apple picking



Apple peeling



Apple cider making and sipping



Hay riding



And chilly mommy cuddling 



I wish I could stop time right now.  Chilly mornings; holidays not here yet; cozy home making; I love fall! 

Apple Picking

Abigail loves the camera.  I mean LOVES the camera.  Anna... well, she doesn't hate it but she's not always that into it. 





So there are tons of pictures of Abigail

And just a few of Anna.



I love these two!



But we had a fun afternoon picking apples.  We waited and waited and waited for just the right day.  I wanted to go in the late afternoon so that we would have 'pretty light' for the photos.  But when we left on that chilly day it was overcast... oh well. 

They love it and I'm so glad!

Hay ride out to the apple trees!



























And this guy... found him in a barn. He was perfectly positioned and seemed to love the camera as much as Abigail!











A perfectly perfect fall day!

And boy have they changed from 2010.  And last year.  And last year again

The Sun is Setting

We headed to Maine and my new favorite town this past weekend. We had perfect weather... the last hurray of summer. It was chilly in the morning; just perfect for a sweater and warm in the sunny afternoons. Ahh!

An evening photo shoot with the girls on the beach was the only thing of my agenda. We walked along 'Marginal Way' (cliffs with ocean below) to the beach. At one point the girls were a bit ahead of us and we saw them climb down some stairs toward the ocean. There was a railing and all looked okay. Scott headed down with them and all of a sudden I noticed that the last bottom stairs were all wet. The moment it registered to me that the waves were hitting the stairs the girls were on a pretty big wave came up to the step and knocked Abigail off her feet! Luckily Scott was in reach and grabbed her quickly. I'll have to say that my heart was pounding. It all happened so fast and all was well but I was shaken up and Abigail was crying. Mostly because her shoes and socks were soaked along with her dress and underwear.

With the shoes too wet to wear I carried her about almost a mile down the rest of the walk, through town, and down to the beach. Luckily we had these dresses in my bag for the photo shoot and were able to change Abigail.

But by the time I started taking these I was a bit worn out. But the girls didn't mind. Once their feet hit the sand they were oh so happy, silly, and having fun!




(love her hands here.  I can tell she's singing)























(watch how Anna does this thing with flicking the sand in her foot and then Abigail coppies her... love that)







I'm feeling a bit behind everthing around here so this post has all of the pictures from that beach photo shoot but I realize that the writing is not that interesting...  better next time :)



Perfect way to start our weekend... more to come!