Knee Socks and Peter Pan Collars

I miss my childhood. I had some really great ideas growing up. Ideas that I thought were earth shattering.
This was one of them.
I walk over to the closet, and slowly open the door. Reaching my hand up, I grab the plastic hangers. The shirt and uniform hang next to each.other The weight feels heavy in my eight year old arms as I lower the two pieces down. Closing the closet door, I carefully place the grey plaid jumper on the door knob and walk over to the bed, the shirt still in hand. I liked the navy blue jumpers we had worn the previous two years, but with the schools being combined, new uniforms for everyone this year.
I dispise the shirts.
They are pink,
like pepto bismal.
I place the pink shirt down and smooth the peter pan collar. I like the collars to be flat. Slowly I unbutton the white buttons and remove the shirt from the hanger. Taking off my t-shirt, my arms go into the sleeves. With ease, since this would be my third year in uniform, I fasten all but the top button.
I don't need the top to choke me before the school day starts.
The teachers would make sure that top button was closed, but for now, it is okay open.
With my pajama bottoms still on, I head over to my dresser. Opening the drawer, an array of socks meets my eyes. I pull out a maroon pair of knee socks.
I find maroon to be such a weird color for socks.
The navy blue ones from last year seemed a normal color, but maroon, strange.
I return to my bed. Flopping down, I pull off my white sweat socks, crumbling them into a ball. Trying to toss them into the hamper from the confines of the bed across the room, I miss terribly. Hopping off the bed, I race over to the hamper, pick them up, and dunk, successfully this time.
Returning to the bed, I unfold the socks. Hiding my pink painted toes under the maroon weaved fabric, I pull on one sock, then the other. Keeping them sagged at my ankles for the time being, I will be sure that they hit just below my knee before I get out of the car in front of school. Knee socks need to be just under the knee, not lower, and not sagging.
I hear my sister in the hall, coming out of the bathroom.
Stealthily, I climb into my bed. Grabbing my sheets and comforter, and pulling them up to my chin, covering my shirt and socks.
She walks in, paying little mind to me. Turning on the nightlight, then turning off the light switch, she climbs into her own bed.
"Goodnight Jackie" she says, as she pulls her stuffed dolphin close.
I smile a wide, fulfilled smile. My mom comes in a few moments later, kissing me good night as I continue to hold the sheets tightly to my chin.  As I nod off to sleep, in my knee socks, pink shirt, and pajama bottoms, I cannot help but be proud.
"Brilliant", I think, "I can sleep in a little bit more now."

Obviously, I saved a few precious minutes when I decided to sleep in pieces of my uniform, but my joy was short lived when my mother walked in as I was putting on my pink shirt at 8:30 pm. I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse as to why I was in my top before bed, and alas, my week of sleeping in my uniform was over.
Or was it?
Secretly I kept putting my knee socks on with my pajamas for a few more weeks, that is until my feet started to get too hot. I abandoned my nighttime ritual and lost those extra five minutes of sleep.

This week's RemembeRed Prompt was to use the above photo and begin the entry with the line "I miss my childhood...".

From the mouth of babes,

"What you doing mama?" she asks, coming over to me as I sit with furrowed brow attempting to think of a witty strategy to tackle this weeks Listicles.
Stasha over at the Good Life is running a giveaway where one can win passes to the Woodland Park Zoo. If you're in the greater Seattle area, (or plan to be sometime this year) I encourage you pop over to her site and enter before tomorrow.
Back to this week's list, ANIMALS.
This is a tough one.
There that are animal people in the world.
They use terms like "furbabies". They work for shelters, boycott circuses & zoos, and donate to the ASPCA.
Then there's people like me.
We have a fish- Freddie.
We only have Freddie because my mother in law thought Mo should have a pet.
I do not like most animals that people have for pets. No thank you to cats, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, birds, or ferrets.
I do like dogs.
in small quanities
and we will get one
after babies.
However, back to the list. I will attempt to capture Mo's words verbatum.
Remember she's three, so the chance that this will be coherent is slim to none.
However, she is her mother's daughter so perhaps there could be some hope?

Mo's favorite animals

1. Cheetahs

"Them are so cute. Because them have ears and run".

We don't know where her fascination with cheetahs came. It is by far the animal she loves most.

2. Giraffes

"Because them have long necks." dramatic pause "them really have a long neck".

3. Penguins

"Because them have beaks" as she gestures to her mouth. "they have big hands and they walk just like penguins."

Apparently I have no photos of the penguins.

4.Alligators

"Them make different noise. They say chop, chop, chop, chop!" Genius.

I am not sure if this is an alligator or a crocodile.
My apologies if it's a croc.

5. Snakes.

"I like snakes. Them have a big, big...a big tail".

6. Birds.

"I like birds. Them have tails. Them fly".

She's not really touching the bird,
But it looks like it!

7. Zebras

"Them have stripes." Obviously

8. Turtles

"Because them poopy." devilish grin returns to her face.
 Reference to the "poopy turtles" here under Phila. Zoo

9. Tigers

"Them have teeth. Them have tiger teeth".

No mention of tigerblood, thankfully.

10. Polar Bears

"Them have ears. Them play in the snow."

The polar bears are habitually lazy,
so this is the closest I have to an actual photo
of them in action: Bry & Mo watching the polar bears.

While this may not have been the most intellectual list, it was quite amusing listening to her rationale. I mean, really tigers are cool because "them have tiger teeth".

What's cooler then tiger's teeth?

My kid.



Thirty-Three

Thirty-Three, Yippee!
Here it is, the night of my birthday. I've never been someone to hide my age. I feel like what's the point? I have nothing to be shamed of,
I'm 33!

In honor this new year I've decided list form would be the best and so I offer:

33 reasons this year will rock!

1. I got to celebrate with two birthday cakes. Can one think of a better excuse to eat cake then these two delicious options? 



Crumbs gigantic cupcake in
peanut butter & chocolate
Thanks Steve & Lynsay!

Yummy Vanilla with to die for chocolate chip filling

2. Since Mo is three, birthdays are a big deal. She has be insistent that Bry plan a Sesame theme party for my friends complete with a moonbounce. I still don't have the heart to tell her it isn't happening.

3. Since Mo is three, birthdays are a big deal. She wished me happy birthday at least forty times yesterday. 

4. Maeve's food allergies seem to be calming down a bit. Perhaps a little cow's milk may be in the near future.

5. Our garage roof is fixed! No more leaky, leaky during rain and no more prayers and worry that heavy snow during winter would make it collapse. What screams "birthday" more then fixing a garage roof?

Isn't it lovely?

6. I know, what's more "birthday"- a newly functioning stove! I mentioned it here. It's fixed now, which means baking & cooking can resume!

FIRE!

7. What's the birthday present that keeps giving? Why, a dishwasher of course! Our newest appliance was installed today as well. Our kitchen saw more traffic today then it's seen for a long time.

It's so shiny and pretty!

8. Pearl Jam 20 will make this year rock a little harder. 9.20.11

9. The Hunger Games on March 23. If you haven't read the series, I recommend it. While I realize it is considered young adult, it's got a fabulously addictive storyline, and I couldn't put it down.

10. Mo goes to school. My baby heads for her first day of school on Sept. 13. The education system will never be quite the same. Let me offer my formal apologies now in advance.

11. I will learn how to roast a chicken this year. Epic failure is an understatement thus far with this venture. Bry has commented that he did not think it was humanly possible to mess it up as much as I have. But this year, I will learn.

12. Halloween craziness will overtake us.
 I cannot wait, and still I debate whether to dress up with the girls this year.

13. Foo Fighters are on tour and I want need to see them live.

14. Mo gets to play soccer. So maybe it's not really full on game time live, she is ecstatic and Bry gets to be her coach. HA! Meanwhile Maeve & I will be watching, Bry attempt to coach a gaggle of 3 &4 yr olds.
Awesome!

15. Fifteen year class reunion in November. Since the rise of social networking, I have been reunited with more friends and classmates, which I think will help to make this years reunion far better then the yawn fest that was our ten year.

16. More writing for me, thanks to the inspiration from the lovely groups I have joined and the inspiration I have found every day.

17. Still no grey hair- Thanks for the great genes Mom & Mommom D!

18. Not your daughter's Jeans in my closet = less frump this year.

19. Holiday photo shoot with the fabulously talented Ashley Pierce Photography

20. I will host the Piergoi party I have talking about for the past few years. For my friends it will be BYORP- bring your own rolling pin!

21. Other peoples babies. Quite a few I am eagerly anticipating meeting.

22. Procrastination will stop and I will finally decorate the walls in Mo's bedroom.

23. The new episodes of my favorite shows. How I've missed: NCIS, Glee, Parenthood, Shameless, to name a few.

24. Confession, Maeve's birthday is still over four months away, and I've already started planning.

25. Confession 2: Mo's birthday is still over seven months away, and I've already started planning.

26. However, I haven't planned what we'll have for dinner this week. I am working on that one.

27. Crossing my fingers there's some wedding planning to help with this year. (No pressure!)

28. One Word: Swim

29. I will make more time for me this year.

30. I will make more time for "we" this year- as in Bry & I!

31. Another year older, doesn't that make me wiser?

32. Being able to watch the girls actually play together. It's honestly amazing to watch these two perfect little people interact together.

33. Besides the love of family and friends, I got the best gift yesterday. TWO full spa days. Now to check the calendar and decide when I need it the most.

And one reason why 32 went out with a bang:
I was the featured blogger this  past week on The Lightning and the Lightning Bug ! While it's picked by random selection, I still am quite proud of myself for this little accomplishment. There are some talented writers over there. Please check them out!

As of today, that's a pretty rocking way to start year 33!

Since last week we talked about Loss for this week's Dare to Share Link Up, we'd like for you to share a post that celebrates something. A birthday, a graduation, a great day, any happy event in your life. The post can be old or new, fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose.
I discovered this weeks theme AFTER I wrote my birthday entry. Talk about perfect, right?

A Story Worth Sharing

They ran away together, only a few months after dating.
The daughter of a farm hand and his wife who loved dancing and dusty road sundaes, lipstick and ivory soap.
She had no idea what her life would hold.
She loved him, that she knew.
Wearing a teal green suit, one that sits in her closet still, she transformed from Miss to Misses over night.
She said yes.
The small ring she chose on her finger.
No white wedding,
No formal dress,
No bouquet to toss,
No reception to celebrate.
The photo ran in the paper, their arms intertwined and their smiles wide.
They purchased the row house on a one way street near a cemetery. He persuaded her that he could make it a home, confident in his abilities.
Life was not always easy.
Walls came down, creating a more open family room in time to welcome a family. Three daughters then three sons, motherhood her job.
Maintaining a home, maintaining a family, maintaining her husband, she continued on.
Life was not always easy.
He continued to build and transform the house; the kitchen, a bedroom, the basement, and a sun room.
Work for him was constant, but money was tight.
His addictions, a curse.
Life was not always easy.
She continued on, six children to mind.
As they grew up, their successes her success:
Graduations, Marriages, Jobs, Grandchildren.
He finally cleaned up his ways, giving her more breathing room.
Their marriage survived the abuse and misuse.
Life was not always easy.
He got sick and she was there, by his side.
Doctors, ambulances, hospitals,
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.
With his passing, mourning then a rebirth.
A new independent woman.
Strong, a leader, volunteering and venturing out with friends.
Bus trips, morning coffee at McDonalds, morning mass, and volunteering at a consignment shop.
Her life continues,
Welcoming more grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Having lunch with friends.
Daily phone calls with her children.
Selling the house, she bravely downsizes to an apartment,
"The attic" as it is affectionately called.
The photos remain on the wall,
As this new place becomes her home.
The matriarch
My Mom-Mom. 


I'm linking up with Mama Kat. Of her choices this week, Your Grandma’s story immediately struck a chord for me. I hope if she (my grandmom) reads this, she feels I have done her justice. I wrote about her previously in a post entitled Blue Glass & Ivory Soap.

Wordless Wednesday: Goodnight Irene

The Police Department



My friend's favorite bar
10 ft. of water in the basement



Usually a crowded intersection





Intersection
Notice the submerged car



 While we were left unscathed, the town in northern NJ where I formally taught was hit hard by hurricane Irene.
I am speechless.

Places

It's Monday.

Usually the start of the week, and often filled with dread.

However there are two things that have helped to make my Mondays that much better:

 1) A&E = Hoarders & Intervention

 2) The top ten lists, known as "Listicles" hosted by Stasha at the Good Life
This week's topic, courtesy of Saretta at Amid the Olive Trees : Ten Places You Love. Initially I was going to attempt to a bit of humor and write 10 places I love where kids aren't around, however, a lot of places I do love kids ARE around, and well behaved of course. Instead I let my mind wander and found the ten places that make my heart warm and fuzzy.

10 Places You Love



1. The couch

December 23 in the dark except the light of the Christmas tree.

The children are nestled all snug in their beds, their dreams filled to capacity with excitement of the holiday. While I lie on the couch, in the silence, (or perhaps laughing with Bry) with the flickering of the bulbs our only light.



2. The Philadelphia Zoo

The memories of my childhood flood back the minute our car pulls into the parking lot. I think this is the reason I love it so. The animals, the exhibits, and the wonder on my little ladies faces at the height of the giraffe, the slither of the snakes, the swimming ability of the polar bear, and thanks to some perfect timing, the poop of the sea turtles. A visit around Valentine's Day still comes up in conversation. "Mama, the turtles pooped! (insert maniacal 3 yr old laugh) The zoo keeper used the hose to clean up the POOP!" (more laugh). 



The Infamous Pooping Turtles



3. Check out Line of Wegman's Grocery

Once all the food and essentials are on the belt, and the bags are filled. A silent (okay, audible) cheer, as I successfully survived another week of shopping, hopefully with my children and my sanity in tact.

4. Moore's Beach, North Wildwood NJ

This is our refuge, our favorite location in the summer. This place may not be where all the beautiful people gather, thankfully, as my self-esteem gets a boost with every visit. It does have clean, soft sand, free parking, and easy access to water.

5.Our Seat at PPL park during a Philadelphia Union Game

While my heart bleeds Phillies red during the summer, and Eagles green during the winter, my absolutely favorite, hands down sporting event to attend, has been watching the Union play. My love for soccer evolved after being exposed to the English Primer League via Fox Soccer Channel, and once the MLS brought a team to Philly, I became an instant fan. While I may not be a Son of Ben, mainly due to usually having one or two young kids in tow, I am there screaming, cheering, and hollering during the entire 90 min.

6.Chick Fil A

I know, I know, I know.

One is probably thinking, of all the places in the world, Chick Fil A, is your favorite.

Let me explain. I have three very clear reasons why Chick is a favorite.

1. If we're at Chick Fil A, that means I'm not cooking! How can that not be a good thing?

2. Chick Fil A has pretty kick ass chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries (in the Pa suburbs of Philly only) and so usually my kids scarf them down. Which means, no haggling over finsihing dinner.

3. Their play area is usually clean, not super crowded, and has options for both girls.

7. St. Barths

Just look at the photos.



Enough Said.



 8. My Bed

After nearly five years of sleeping on a full bed, we finally sprung for the queen. I should note to the reader that Bry and I met in college, at 18 yrs old.  At a time we shared a single dorm bed, so a full was okay. Then we had kids, and a full wasn't okay. It was too small, and alas, we got the queen. A beautiful queen wooden bed on deep discount from Restoration Hardware and a perfectly firm mattress too. Lovely linens to match our blue bedroom, and our pillows complete the deal.

I only wish I had more time to lounge.

9. Philadelphia

There are scores of reasons why people may not like my favorite city. Our people can be brash, and loud. Our sports fans are notorious for being, how shall I say it nicely, rowdy? overly excited? Our town has a history of being a little dirty.

But it's not, we're not.

We're the city of freaking brotherly Love, damn it!

Our founding fathers (and mothers) considered Philly home, and their history, our history still permeates the city with every turn. Combine that with the arts, the dining, and the shopping, and I'm glad to call Philly my favorite.



10. Home

It took a while, but we finally found it, a home of our own. Sure, there are moments where we're kicking ourselves for having purchased an old house, but it's where we are meant to be.

Even without air conditioning,

Or with water flooding the basement,

Or a backyard that rivaled a jungle,

Home sweet home.

All Grown Up

On September 10, my baby brother got married. In a beautiful ceremony Joey (he'll always be Joey to me) married the love of his life, Colleen.
Don't they look like they should be in a magazine?

Trying to navigate the logistics of a wedding with a two and half year old and seven and half month old is nearly impossible. I would have loved to have just kept the baby home, but she still refuses anything but the boob which means by default she has to be close by. With the older one, she was the flower girl so her presence was a necessity. The people who usually babysit- my mom, my dad, and my sister all had roles in the wedding, and I was a reader.
What to do? What to do? What to do?
The few weeks leading up to the wedding, I would wake up in the middle of the night and try to figure out the logistics. Do we rent a hotel room and hire my best friend's cousins to babysit the girls during the reception? Do we drive back and forth in the two hours between the ceremony and the reception to drop off the girls with my mother in law at our house? Do we have Bry drive home at bedtime- 9pm, with both girls and then I stay at the reception by myself?
We chose option one.
Was it the ideal choice?
I'm still not sure.
Maeve decided around 10 pm that she was not going to sleep in the hotel. She cried and screamed from 10ish on and off all night. The poor girls who were watching her called us at 10:25 asking us to come up. Thirty minutes later, she was asleep in my arms and our time at the reception was over. Mo, meanwhile, had crashed in the double bed from the sugar high of lollipops, gummy worms, and jellybeans which effectively worked to bribe her to behave in the church. Even with Maeve screaming a few feet away, Mo slept.


In the end, we saw the wedding ceremony, got a few pictures of the extended family together- my parents, my sister, the bride & groom, and my family, I enjoyed most of cocktail hour with a bay breeze (or two or three) in hand, watched the first dances, heard the speeches including the phone call from my brother's best man from Afghanistan where he is in the navy, and ate my dinner and cake. I think I may have even had a few dances on the dance floor.
When one sees it on paper, it can be assumed I hit all the important parts of the wedding.
I have a confession though, I am sad.
I feel like I missed out on the celebration.
When I got married, we had lots of candid pictures throughout the night. I remember looking back at them seeing my friends and family. I remember looking for certain people. Now, as I look at Joey's pictures, I see his friends, I see my dad dancing with my grandmom and great aunt, I see my sister and my cousins and a few family friends.
What's missing?
Me.
Everyone looks like they had a fabulous time, and the portions of the evening where I was there, it was great. I missed, however all those non-scripted parts of the party that people talk about when they reminisce about weddings. When I looked at the pictures from the end of the night, when the main lights were back on, and most of the guests had left, I feel sad because I'm not there. As my dad took a picture of my brother and my sister, I'm missing.
I feel like I should be there.
Growing up, it had always been the three of us: Jackie, Jeanna, and Joey. My mom has frame after frame, photo after photo, of the three of us. Pictures from swim meets, holidays, picnics, trips, graduations, and my wedding where it's Jackie, Jeanna, and Joey. I realize, we never got that shot that day.
Maybe I'm a little nostalgic now that I'm a mom myself, but when I saw the pictures and realized that was missing, I cried. I rationally know that taking care of my crying baby was and is more important then the dancing at a reception and getting in pictures, but I can't help how I feel.
I am happy for Joey and Colleen.
I am happy that my family has been blessed with another sister, my girls another aunt, my parents another daughter.
I'm happy the weather held up and they had a beautiful day.
I'm still joyous that Mo made it down the aisle without running or tearing off her dress or shoes.
I'm so thankful my dear husband agreed to push Maeve in the stroller around the perimeter of the church during the ceremony.
I'm also thankful Bry agreed to stay in the hotel room with our two crazy girls overnight knowing full well what a clusterf--k it could and ended up being.
I'm grateful the hair salon was effective in putting my sister's curly hair into the best up do I've seen on her.
Overall, the wedding was a huge success and one of the best looking affairs I've ever seen.
As I type this, I can't help but still be a bit sad, however, that I didn't get to celebrate the way I had wished and got that one picture to add to the Jackie, Jeanna, and Joey collection.

This Post was initally written in September of 2010.  With this week's topic "I Wanna Marry You" as the flicker of inspiration prompt, my mind immediately thought back to this night, to these feelings.

 I'd like you to write about a wedding. The wedding can be fictional or real; the only requirement? That a wedding appears at some point during your piece. Write about your own wedding. Write about a disaster wedding gone horribly wrong. Write about a bridezilla. There are many different directions you can take this prompt in, and I can't wait to read them all! Don't forget to come back here next Sunday to link up your wedding stories