Baby Sheepy

Montgomery has a beloved stuffed animal affectionately named "Baby Sheepy." Baby Sheepy was "born" a couple of years ago in an Easter basket (along with her "sibling" Baby Ducky). Baby Sheepy has been very special for Montgomery, and is often found looking very sweetly girly in a lavender floral dress...or snugly swaddled in a pink floral receiving blanket, nestled by her mama Montgomery.

Baby Sheepy got "lost" recently and spent several weeks months in Craig's trunk. Upon discovery one recent evening, Baby Sheepy needed to be lovingly hand scrubbed by her "grandmother" and allowed to "get warm" in the dryer, before re-finding her rightful place in Gommy's bed.

The next day, however, Baby Sheepy went to school, in her finest lavender floral dress of course, and after school picked the strangest place to "nap."

Let me provide a bit more perspective....

Yes, as much as Mama Montgomery loves -- and I do mean loves -- her stuffed brood, they sometimes find themselves the victims of wild play, such as seeing just how high they can go in the air when shriekedly flung with joyous abandon.

Baby Sheepy spent several anxious moments on the window ledge, and was eventually helped down by Mara's mother, who tracked down a long stick.

Mara caught Baby Sheepy...

...and Gommy rejoiced by...

...uhh...

...throwing her in the air a few times.

Much Love. Take Care.

 

Cold Snap

We had a cold snap this week, and Montgomery found herself chilly when she wanted to go help Johngideon take out the recycling after church. I haven't yet pulled out all of the winter necessities, so finding hats, gloves, scarves and the like in our home is nearly impossible this time of year, for a 5-year-old...

...needless to say, Montgomery made do.

I think Johngideon found her rather amusing...or is that incredulous?

...but he was happy for the help so he mostly kept his opinions to himself.

Gommy didn't seem to care either way...she was busily oblivious...and warm.

Take Care. Much Love.

 

Birthday Love

My Love had a birthday, and we decided to ended up stretching it out over the whole weekend, to accommodate all of the other weekend scheduling fullness a large family like ours typically encounters. Celebrating became a very nice, prolonged, yet relaxing affair, including, among other delights, breakfast at our favorite Cafe Hon's, dinner and a great movie, a special trip a week ago, a cheery video message from Job, and a couple of specifically requested practical presents. The lingering celebration was greatly enjoyed by all involved...we might just make this a new tradition.

Craig's birthday came to a fun head on Sunday evening, just as the Ravens (bay-beeeee!) game was getting started, hence all the purple attire above...well...

...except for the Gommy Girl, who generally believes princess attire is entirely appropriate for all situations.

I'd baked brownie cake layers on Friday and Maia and Gommy had done a wonderful job of frosting, stacking and decorating them on Saturday, and we actually candled, sang and ate it all a la mode on Sunday.

Yummm....

Gommy busied herself making a card for Craig, a task she relishes on any and all occasions.

Love, joy and blessings, My Love...and here's to at least 45 (or is that 54?) more wonder-filled years!

Much Love. Take Care.

 

"Joysiah"

Wouldn't a face this cheerful getting into your car every afternoon

brighten even the gloomiest day?

I love how Josiah just radiates joy.

I've heard that 8th graders can be moody and sullen sometimes...

...somebody forgot to tell Josie!

Take Care. Much Love.

  

Thinking It Through

The day we left to take Job to college, he spent some time alone at the top of the treehouse (well...treehouse in progress). I couldn't tell if he was praying or just thinking, but I could feel the poignancy of the moment. He seemed to be saying goodbye...

To what exactly?

...childhood?

...our home?

...us?

I imagine only he really knows...and that's fine by me.

Much Love. Take Care.

 

Hopi Wisdom

This bench, stationed outside of a visionary re-purposed industrial building in Baltimore, really needs no further commentary from me...but being who I am, well, I'll just add a few thoughts.

It sits on the sidewalk at the corner entrance to Charmington's, a unique cafe in the Miller's Court development in a transitional neighborhood in northern Baltimore City, nearish Johns Hopkins University. The building, a former tin can company, was redeveloped in great part to be a place of residential support for recent college graduates who choose to teach in the Baltimore City Public School System. In addition to apartments, it also houses office space for educational nonprofits, and, of course, the Charmington's cafe.

(For more on interesting Miller's Court, check out the following two links: http://millerscourt.com/ and
http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/main-street-news/2009/04/baltimore-rehab.html )

Charmington's has been one of the many wonderful local meeting spots for a group of parents working to encourage our neighborhood middle school to incorporate a daily recess break into its rather comprehensive, yet overly rigorous and unbalanced school day. Sometimes it seems that we are "racing to nowhere" with our kids. Sometimes our societal efforts to provide them the best quality education swing wildly to the other side of the pendulum, and we end up "teaching for the test" rather than thoughtfully educating the "whole child." Our children need quality instructional time, but they also need time to "play" and imagine and just talk with one another...and a little fresh air wouldn't hurt either.

Working to help balance the school culture has often felt like more than I bargained for over the past year or so, but we press on...because common sense, and parent intuition, and really listening to our children, not to mention the volumes and volumes of recent relevant research, have all indicated that the short- and long-term benefits for our children are easily worth more than the sacrifice it's taking to get there.

So, at a step along the journey, July 11th to be exact, this bench gave me a bit of a fresh wind.

Let's live this wisdom of the Hopi Tribe.

Much Love. Take Care.

Game Day

Craig really loves Sunday afternoons in the fall.

After church service he cooks up a veritable smorgasbord, dons his purple attire, and 

settles in to watch the BALTIMORE RAVENS kick some football butt!

CAW! CAW!

Today he even made a purple cake...

...which Gommy was only too happy to help him decorate...

...in her own special Gommy-Girl way...

...tutu required, of course.

And of course, we didn't have any difficulty finding homes for all those slices of purple cake!

And by the way, it was the Ravens all the way today, babeee...37 to 7!

 

Take Care. Much Love.

  

Off to Kindergarten!

Montgomery started Kindergarten this year!

(...yes...I know...

...right after we dropped Job off at college...

...I'm not sure I can find the right words either...  ;o)

...soooo...I think we'll just flow with these...)

...Montgomery started Kindergarten this year!

She was verrryyy excited, because this year she gets to go to "big girl" school with Josiah and Johngideon.

I think she had a brief moment of nervousness when we actually stepped outside to head to school, but then again, carrying a big girl backpack and wearing the big kid school uniform for the first time can take a little getting used to.

Johngideon thought it was really neat that Gommy would be at his school this year.

The school wisely has a staggered first day for Kindergarteners, so Gommy went in for just an hour, with just a few other students from her class, to meet her teacher and get used to the classroom a bit. First order of business - unpacking the bookbag.

Then it was off to choose a silly pair of sunglasses...



...so her teacher could take a silly photo of her for the classroom bulletin board...

I thought that was a fun, creative way for the kids to get to see one another, and start to get to know their classmates.

After a crafts activity (making the cheerful hanging nametag in the first photo above) with her new teacher and her new classmates who were also attending that intro hour, Montgomery got to spend some free play time getting comfortable in the classroom.

It was a great first day at Kindergarten, and she left ready and excited to go back for more.

Here's to an awesome school year for my awesome, smart, big Kindergarten girl!

Much Love. Take Care.
 

Off To College! (Part 2)

We took Job up to college on an August Thursday so he could participate in a pre-orientation retreat before the actual orientation began that following Sunday. Only Craig, Maia and I went up for this leg of the journey, and we were packed to the gills with the necessaries of setting-up a dorm room. Getting keys, finding the right dorm, and finding the right room in that dorm was so exciting...for all of us!

Figuring out how to actually work the key card and code thingy on the door took some doing...and finally, after a few unfruitful attempts, some instruction reading.

Maia tried her best to wait patiently in the hallway while Job figured it out...

...but finally I think she couldn't stand another moment of waiting to see what the dorm room looked like and just had to get actively involved!

Success! We finally made it into the room and got our first glimpse of where Job will be spending the next year of his life.  Small but adequate (and actually better than we had anticipated from the college website photos)..but more importantly, totally his space...well, his and his freshman roommate, of course.

Maia gave it a thumbs up!

After many trips back and forth unloading the van, Job realized the job was done at last...

...and headed back inside to his new abode...

...but graciously posed for a picture for his dear old mom, waiting, as usual, with a camera in her hand.

I think this bright young man looks ready for his future...sturdy backpack, black briefcase, glasses, and...uh...is that your ninja sword? Well...who knows what the future may hold, right?   ;o)

The building has some interesting architectural features...

...that Job thought might lead to a shortcut inside...but nope...it's main entrance all the way for this dorm!

After finding his way back to his new neck of the woods...

...he and Maia shared a moment...

...or two...

I think I'd call that a "happy dance"...wouldn't you?

Much Love. Take Care.

Coffee

Heard recently (and quite seriously) from the lips of Montgomery:

"Mommy, does coffee make people cough?"

Chuckling inwardly to myself, I thought,
"No, but it sure does make this person smile...just like your question, sweet baby girl."

Much Love. Take Care.