Pen Pals

Dear Em,
Last year you made the sweetest, little friend. You both love books. You both love pink. It was a match made in heaven.

Except...

You met your friend Claire at an out of state wedding. Her family lives in Pennsilvania. This doesn't make play dates easy to plan.

Luckily, her family came to visit Rhode Island for a fantastic long weekend a few months ago. It was as if no time had passed. You & Claire took up right where you left off. We loved the time we got to share with the whole family.

When it came time for Claire & her family to return home, you were devestated. I understood. It's so hard to say goodbye to dear friends, especially when you know it will be a while before you're able to be reunited. I suggested you write letters to Claire to keep in touch until we can visit her family. It didn't totally take away the sting of being apart, but you were excited to have a way to communicate...& you were really excited about the prospect of getting mail.

You wrote your first letter to her a few weeks later. Expecting to have a response the next day, you couldn't understand why the mail "was taking SOOOO long." Since then, we've had many discussions about how the postal system works. It's been an excellent lesson in patience.

When you opened the mailbox to find your first letter from Claire, you couldn't have been more excited. You read it aloud to Daddy & I. It was so fun to find out what she & her family had been up to. You "ohhhed" & "awed" over the picture she drew you & hung it up on the wall.

I smiled as I watched you write Claire a letter in return. In a world that's full of quick text, email, & facebook messages, you have a found a pen pal...& a fantastic friend.

I love you so,
Mommy

Our Little Texter

Dear Em,
You've discovered the world of texting. Since you don't have your own phone, you need to use someone elses...which means yesterday I didn't have access to my phone for the majority of the day. You were busy with it...texting.

So far, you've texted me & Nonnie, & writing little love notes to us throughout the day is your favorite thing. Your messages typically consist of small phrases about how much you love us & a whole lot of emojis. You love it when the iPhone suggests the word that you're trying to type so that you don't have to sound out & type out the whole thing. You're a little bit of a demanding texter. You expect a response right away, & will type "Why aren't you texting me back?" if more than a few minutes have gone by without a response. It's kind of hilarious.

I can't decided if this is the cutest thing ever or the beginning of a really big problem. Sigh.

I love you so,
Mommy

Our Mediterranean Adventure: Your Own Adventures With Grandma & Papa

Dear Em,

* This is one of ten posts recapping our California adventure. See also Day One Boston to Barcelona, Day Two Antibes & Nice, Day Three Pisa & Florence, Day Four Rome, Day Five & Six Cruising, Day Seven Athens, Days Eight, Nine, & Ten Turkey & Lots of Cruising, Day Eleven Capri, Italy, & Day Twelve Cruising & Returning Home. *

So, I spent quite a few posts recapping mine & Daddy's fun (& long) European trip. You may be wondering what you were doing during that time. We love to travel, & we go on trips frequently- both with you & without you. I have always wanted to go on a Mediterranean Cruise. I figured it would be the best way to see as much of coastal Europe as I could in the shortest amount of time. I also knew it wasn't an ideal trip for you. Multiple days spent looking at old buildings & statues wouldn't be much fun for you.

Before we booked our trip, I checked with Grandma & Papa to see if they were available & willing to watch you. Lucky for us, they would be returning from a cruise of their own days before ours was scheduled to depart, & they were excited to spend the twelve days with you (we really are beyond blessed with the support we have from all your grandparents). I quickly booked our trip without doing a whole lot of research, excited that my dream vacation was becoming a reality & knowing you would have a blast with Grandma & Papa.

I then spent the next several months in a state of growing anxiety over the fact we were abandoning leaving you for 12 days.

First, I realized that communicating with the outside world from a cruise ship is complicated & crazy expensive. Then I factored in the time change (& the fact we would be traveling through different zones during our trip). Then I considered our jam-packed, excursion booked schedule. I also realized that our trip was right around the same time you would likely have end of the year activities planned at school- activities that we were probably going to miss. It was then I began to both panic & feel like I was the worst mother in the world for traveling so far away from you for so long.

How the heck were we going to talk to you while we were on our trip? Every trip we've ever gone on, we've skyped with you at least once each day. There's no way you could go 12 days without hearing from Daddy & I...& no freaking way I could go without my Emma's cute, little voice.

My first priority before we left for our trip was making sure we had a doable communication strategy. I purchased a call/text cruise plan & small European data plan from AT&T for a fraction of the cost of the Royal Carribean internet plan. We had enough talk minutes/texts/data that we could talk to you every other day, text throughout the day, & email each time we were in port. Since we wouldn't be able to skype, Daddy & I prerecorded videos for you to watch each day. I had outlined scripts, & we used props. In each video we recapped what our daily activities were, talked about what you had planned for your day (we had a rough school schedule), said our prayers, & told you how much we loved & missed you. I also had put 12 rubber bands on the door knob of your room at Grandma & Papa's house. Each day in our videos, I told you to take one rubber band off the door knob. This acted as a little countdown to when Daddy & I would return. It was tough not seeing your adorable face each day, but I was happy knowing you could see ours in your daily videos.

We also tried to involve you in our trip by gifting you European themed toys & books. On the first day of our trip, you came home to a big bag of gifts waiting for you after school. You opened the bag to find an Around the World Coloring Book (you colored in the countries as we made our way through our trip), a World Atlas (a way for you to learn about the places we traveled), & a World Puzzle. Then as we traveled throughout the 12 days, you opened up gifts with books that went along with our adventures (i.e. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, Adventures of Bella & Harry, Madeline & the Cats of Rome, & Fancy Nancy: Budding Ballerina- because Fancy Nancy loves speaking in French).

Honestly, I could have planned none of those things (actually, I probably planned a little too much), & you would have been great. Grandma & Papa had so many fun activities planned for you. Your days were filled with amazing adventures. I expected you to sound a little weepy each night we called you, but your voice was full of excitement as you recapped all of the things you had done & seen. You had no problem listing your three favorite things for us at the end of each day. Daddy & I breathed a huge sigh of relief every time we talked to you. You were too busy having fun with Grandma & Papa to miss us too terribly, & we were so thankful for that. It was easier for us to enjoy ourselves knowing that you were having the best adventure of all.

We did miss your school music concert, & you were pretty bummed about it. Luckily Grandma saved the day by filling in for us. She promised you that she would send us pictures & video, & that made it OK for you. The pictures & video she emailed us put such a smile in our hearts. We watched them more than once during quiet moments of our trip.

All in all, the 12 days of separation seemed like it was surely harder for me than it was for you...& that's just as it should be. You had gotten to have an incredible vacation with Grandma & Papa, & we all couldn't be happier to be back home all together. Plus, you were really thrilled to receive the souvenirs (most of them your favorite...candy) I had collected for you as we traveled from country to country.

I came home expecting to have extinguished the travel bug. Instead, my eyes were opened to so many more places I want to travel. I think with all the talk of travel & all the European activities you were gifted, your eyes were opened too. We have talked about one day taking you to some of the places we visited or Paris or Ireland or a tropical island...but that can wait. For now, we're happy to be home. The only trips we have on the agenda are short & domestic...& will be spent as a family of three.

I love you so,
Mommy

Fitting in extra "reading"

Dear Em,
When I was younger, I used to be an avid reader. I loved curling up & reading a great book. I flew through as many as I could get my hands on. I still enjoy reading, but it's harder now. Between work, & running a home, & keeping up with an amazing little girl, it's hard for me to carve out time for reading- especially because at the end of the day sometimes my brain is too tired to do anything more than veg out in front of the TV.

I travel a lot. While I listen to music & make a lot of phone calls to catch up with friends during my drive time, I've always wished I could be more productive. Audiobooks seem to be a great solution to this problem. Unfortunately, buying audiobooks can be wicked expensive, & even audiobook memberships fees can add up. In order to avoid spending, I've rented audiobooks from the library. They come with tons of discs that I can really only listen to when I'm in the car.

Recently I discovered OverDrive. It's a free app that you can download on your smart phone. All you have to do is choose your local library & enter in your library card number. Then you have access to tons of audiobooks that can be downloaded onto your device for FREE! So far, I've listened to two of the Game of Thrones books, & I love it. I can listen to books in the car, while I'm doing housework, when I go for walks, & when I'm laying down to go to sleep. I love how easy it is to sneak in some "reading" throughout my day.

There are some downsides to OverDrive. Just like when you typically rent books from the library, you can only take out what is available. I did have to join a wait list for both books I listened to so far (& am on the waiting list for the third), but my wait time was fairly short for both books. Plus if I look through the books that are currently available, I can take out tons of books that are available while I'm waiting for the book I've placed on hold.

I've been so thrilled with my new find (did I mention it's free?), that I've been telling everyone I know about it. One of our friends recently started using the app & taught me something that I hadn't even thought about. She listens to children's books with her daughter using the app. This past weekend, you & I looked at the available children's books. We started with Amelia Bedelia & Junie B Jones books. You love it. You would rather listen to your favorite books in the car than do anything else. Daddy, on the other hand, with our choices of literature (he thinks Amelia Bedelia & Junie B are obnoxious, but I told him that books about perfect children would be awfully boring). Lucky for him, there are so many classics available too. I think he'll enjoy listening to books like Matilda & The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe while he's in the car with us.

I'm so excited about the extra "reading" we'll be able to fit in thanks to this free (can you believe that it's free?!) app.

I love you so,
Mommy

Facetime Barbies

Dear Em,
"Can Nonnie & I play Barbies?"

That may seem like a totally normal question, but when Nonnie lives in North Carolina & we live in Rhode Island, it's actually a little out of the ordinary. Luckily, the technology available now exceeds even my wildest dreams at your age. It makes long distance relationships a lot more possible.

And that is why you & Nonnie played Barbies the other day, you from Rhode Island & Nonnie from North Carolina. You used my phone to facetime & placed it in your doll house, almost like Nonnie was a Barbie too. It was hilarious & amazing & ever so precious.

I love you so,

Mommy

This One Time, The Stomach Bug Ended Our Vacation Before It Even Started

Dear Em,
A month & a half ago we were supposed to go to Ohio to visit your Aunt Jayme & your dear little "cousin" T. Since you were born, every time we visit with Aunt Jayme, either you or T has been sick. It's made for some challenging adventures. So, it should not have come as a surprise to me when you threw up the night before we were set to leave for our vacation.

I looked at your Daddy. There were about a million thoughts running through my head. Were you just car sick after spinning around in dance & then eating ice cream? Was it too much stimulation? Were you really sick? The biggest question in my head was, what are we going to do about our vacation? There were too many questions to answers I didn't know. We weren't leaving until after work the next day, & rather than decide anything, we decided to wait & see what that night & the next day would bring.

You didn't wake up frequently through the night throwing up- like you typically do when you have a stomach bug. But you did wake up complaining of an upset stomach (were you just really hungry because your stomach was empty?). It's not always easy to know what to do as a parent. There's no trusty manual that will tell you what to do when you were planning to leave on vacation but your child threw up & maybe it was just something she ate. Do we send you to school or don't we? To be honest, in normal circumstances, we probably would have kept you home. But your Aunt Jayme had recently had a baby, & I really didn't want to call off our visit if you weren't really sick. So, we did the asshole thing what we thought was best, & we sent you to school.

When I picked you up from school, your teacher said that you had complained about your stomach hurting, but you seemed fine otherwise. Surely, it couldn't be a stomach bug...right? I made a gametime decision to continue with our vacation plans. You were thrilled. You couldn't wait to visit your "cousins." I messaged everyone that we were on our way. Then, twelve minutes into our drive, you threw up ALL OVER my brand new car. Sigh.

At this point, it should have been really obvious that you were sick & we weren't going on this vacation, but after cleaning you & my car I wondered if your bug was a 24 hour thing. I REALLY wanted to visit my best friend & wasn't ready to give up yet. Should we still try to go, but just a day later?

After going back & forth, we finally made the smart decision & decided to postpone or vacation. We decided it was probably better for the health of everyone if we let you rest. It's a good thing we did. We soon learned that the stomach bug had gone through your whole classroom. When it hit Daddy & I, it hit us HARD, & I felt terrible that we didn't just let you rest.

You didn't want to rest. You were devestated. You had been so excited to spend some time with your "cousins." Instead, you ended up spending days in bed getting over the stomach virus from hell. So, what do you do when you can't go on vacation to be with those you love because a stomach bug is wreaking havok through your house? You face time, of course. You & little T had the most adorably sweet conversations & even played a really cute facetime game of hide & go seek. It wasn't the vacation we wanted, but it was still great to connect with our favorite people.

Today we are embarking on our Ohio vacation part two. I'm saying so many prayers that everyone can just be freakig healthy this time. Here we go...

I love you so,

Mommy

our third year favorites

Dear Em,
I'm pretty much done with all of my holiday shopping. Between Christmas & your birthday, you are going to be...well, SPOILED. A friend of ours is starting a tradition where Santa brings three gifts (just like the three kings brought for baby Jesus) & Mommy & Daddy give a couple gifts for her children. I love that idea & think that's what we're going to go with next year, because this year got a little out of control. With that said, there are such special things waiting for you to open them up, things that I think will be your favorites for a long time to come.

The anticipation of watching you open up your gifts, always makes me think about all the gifts we've come to love & cherish this past year. I wrote about Our First Year Favorites here & here, & Our Second Year Favorites here & here. From those lists, there are a lot of things that will be our forever favorites. A great camera for pictures & video will always be a MUST for me, & this year we even stepped it up a little with a Canon EOS (love love love!). Music has always filled our home, but this year has been so fun because we get to sing it together. Top 40s sung in your little 2-year-old voice will always be my favorite. Books! Oh-Em-Gee, I hope reading together is always our favorite. We built bookshelves for your room this year just to fit all of your books, & they have even started to overfill. I kind of have a book buying addiction, but there are so many great ones out there. Perhaps, we need to start going to the library. Some of our other oldies but goodies are the trampoline, your puzzles, a bin we have full of coloring books & markers & crayons, & your kitchen set & table.

There were also some new favorites that have emerged:

Magna-Tiles
I wrote about your Magna-Tile set (here) less than a month after you were gifted the set, because they are that amazing. We first learned about them at the children's museum, & it was one of my favorite parts of the museum. The colors, the endless structures you can create...this has always been fun for both adults & kids. In fact, my whole family sat down together to play. It was such a fun sight. We store them in a basket, & almost always dump them out when friends come to play. It's such an easy, no mess activity...& it's tons & tons of fun. My favorite Magna-Tile moment this year was when we built three house shaped structures & enacted The Three Little Pigs. It was one of your first days of potty training, & you were only wearing a sweatshirt & undies. I just remember you as you huffed & you puffed & you knocked down the houses. It will always be such a precious moment to me.

Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter
I put this on your amazon wish list thinking it could be fun, & was so surprised when your uncle Greg gave you your first scooter as a gift. My mom typically does his shopping, but he had picked it out for you on his own. We didn't use it for a little while, not knowing if you were ready. A few months ago we were going on a walk & pulled it out. I know I'm biased, but you are the most adorable scooter-girl ever. It took you a little while to get the hang of it. I laugh to myself thinking of the awkward position you would stand in during our first scooter outing, but now you zoom. You giggle & smile as we chase you down our quiet street. Sometimes your Daddy & I take a turn, but we've recently realized we're going to break it with our weight & will leave the scootering to you. This has become one of our favorite outdoor toys. It's so much fun, & it's something you can do on your own. We love it!

Lamby

I'm not sure how Lamby hasn't been mentioned in any of our past favorite posts. I'm not sure who gave us Lamby (maybe my mom?), but she was a gift when I was pregnant. I filled your crib with stuffed animals. I think a lot of people wondered where you would sleep in a crib that was so filled with "friends," but I wanted you to always feel comfortable in your bed. I never wanted you to feel lonely. Somehow, Lamby emerged above the rest. She became your lovey, the one you snuggled with & loved above everything else. She still is. She's been by your side through your first day of school, getting tubes in your ears, overnight trips, & has really traveled with us on all of our adventures. We've had to enact a Lamby rule: she must stay in your room. This keeps us from having to go on a Lamby hunt every night before bedtime (you can't sleep without Lamby), & keeps you from being too dependant. I love watching you talk to her & the sweet way your snuggle her tight as you sleep. We had gotten a second Lamby for school. You needed one for nap time, & we didn't want to be constantly taking Lamby back & forth. Even still, Lamby started to look awfully dull. I started to wonder how long Lamby would hold up & pictured your heartbroken little face if Lamby were to fall apart. So, I went on amazon & found more Lamby's. Now I think we have a total of 6 Lamby's (one at Nonnie & Papi's house) that we rotate through, & everyone is happy.

Baby-Dolls

I talked about babies before in our second year favorites, but they are worth mentioning again. You are baby obsessed. You have a ton of them, & you love every single one. Watching you play pretend with your baby dolls is one of the most precious things ever. You rock them & put them in your booster seat at the table to feed them. You "take them to the store" in your carriage & ask Daddy & I to babysit while you "go to work." Recently, they've all been "pooping in their pants." I'm not sure why, but you are always upset with your babes for pooping in their pants. Daddy & I can't help but giggle as we listen to your mothering techniques. You are one tough momma. Your babies spend a whole lot of time in time-out, but you scold them with love. 

Easel
I think I bought your easel before you were one. I always knew I wanted you to have one, & there was an amazing deal. I bought it, & we stored it in the basement until your second birthday. There has been so much chalk drawing, painting, & coloring with markers since then. You've created wrapping paper masterpieces. You were coloring with markers on your easel when you drew your very first person (your adorable people seriously melt my heart). It's a thing you can use to let your creativity flow, & it's also a thing we can pull out to occupy you when we're busy with something else. Of course, when we're not occupied in other things, it's great to join in on the art fun too. Win...win...win!

Play-Doh
You beg us to pull out your play-doh on a weekly basis, & I have to admit we've said no more often than not. While it's great fun, for the longest time you just weren't able to play with it on your own. It had to be a time when we knew we could sit with you & create with you & clean up the play-doh mess at the end. Recently, it's been a little different. You play with your play-doh independently & so sweetly, occasionally running to us to show us your newest creation. Your favorite part is using the Play-Doh: Fun Factory Deluxe Set to create "gingermans" & make little faces on your little gingerbread men & women shapes. You create whole families. It's kinda cute. I have a feeling that play-doh will also be a fourth year favorite.

iPad
So, you don't actually have your own iPad. I have been very hesitant about introducing you to a lot of technology. I know that it's going to be a big part of your life, but I didn't want it to be the ONLY thing in your life. I would rather have you run around outside, read a book, & use your imagination than sit down all day with electronics. You'd never really seen an iPad until Nonnie brought hers this summer. It amazed me how quickly you picked it up. In no time, you were opening up apps & playing learning games on the iPad. When I got one for work, I downloaded a few free children's apps. You don't use it a whole lot, but it's your favorite thing to do when we're all feeling lazy. It's also really great for travel. I think there's going to be a constant struggle for me with you & technology, but I at least feel better knowing that you are having fun learning with it. If we get you any type of tablet in the future, the iPad will be it...but that will likely be far into the future.

Plasma Car
My parents have two of these, & your Daddy & I had a blast riding around on them before you were born. It's a children's car, but it holds up to 250 pounds. So, really it;s fun for the whole family. We couldn't wait for you to have one, & were excited when Santa brought you one for Christmas last year. We keep it inside, because it rides so well on the pergo floors. You use it to "go to the grocery store" & "go to work." You have a blast pushing Daddy & I down the hall in it. Our adult friends have even had the pleasure of going for a ride.

Movies
While you watched a lot of TV shows last year, movies were a little too long for you to get into for the most part. You also scared easy at the slightest hint of a darker theme. This year has definitely been your first year where you've developed a love for movies. We have a bunch of Disney & Pixar classics & a few other goodies. Your favorite coming into the year was Rapunzel, but now you're more of a Despicable Me fan. We keep them in your daddy's old CD case. This way they're together in one place & easy to grab when we go on a trip. Your movies have been clutch during long car & plane trips, sick days, & days when we just feel like being lazy. Most of your movies are ones that your daddy & I can also appreciate, which makes for fun, popcorn filled movie nights.

Sigh, so those are our third year favorites in a nutshell. I'm kind of seeing a fun for the parents & kids theme when it comes to our very favs. Weird. I hope playing for all of us never gets old.

I love you so,

Mommy

video killed the radio star

Saying your prayers with Nonnie before bed.

Dear Em,
I wish I had the imagination to think of the technology advancements you will see in your lifetime. When I think back to the fact we didn't even have a computer until I was in middle school, I can't believe the booms in technology we've had in my lifetime.

There are moments in life when I feel like everything just needs to be turned off. We all need to get outside & enjoy the fresh air & unplug. But, overall, I am so very thankful for the technology that surrounds us in life.

Here are just a few of my very favorite things:
- Microwaves: Did you know that Nonnie & Papi didn't even have one when I was born? So, when Nonnie had to hold me through dinner because I was crying, she finally sat down to a cold dinner without a quick way to warm it back up. That makes me so sad to think about.
- Our MacBook: I had a PC up until I turned 26. It's true what they say: Once you go Mac, you never go back. This thing has traveled all pver the country with us (& outside of the country too). It's held up so well, even with tumbles & toddler poundings, & we haven't had any issues with viruses (knock on wood).
- The internet: It's amazing what you have within reach of your fingertips.
- Skype: Even though Nonnie & Papi live a twelve hour drive away, we talk to them & actually see them almost every day. They've truly been able to see you hit milestones & grow. You really know them & they know you.
- Digital Cameras: I talked about here, but I am so thankful for our digital camera on a daily basis. In fact, your daddy & I were browsing through pictures & videos of you the other day. It brought tears to our eyes to see you so young & little again. Our camera doesn't just capture photographs, it captures memories. Sigh. Words cannot even express...
- My IPhone: I don't even know how I lived before my IPhone. Well, I was probably a lot less productive (while at the same time being more productive somehow). It's my center for communication, music, inspiration, & updates. It's all right there in the palm of my hand. Mine froze for over an hour one day & I almost had a nervous breakdown.
- Pandora: With my job, I spend a big chunk of the week in the car. I have the free Pandora app on my phone, & I plug it right into my car. There's so many stations to choose from & so few commercials to listen to. Gone are the days of searching radio stations for a song I like & listening to five minutes of commercials every ten minutes.
- TV: So, we try use this in small amounts, but an episode of Super Why while I'm making dinner does a body good.
- Our car: the places our car has taken us over the years, it's amazing. We like to bike too, but after going a mere 10 miles with you towing behind, I'm certainly thankful for our car.
- Blogging: What a fun way to connect with other people & share ideas.

I know there is a lot I'm probably leaving out, & I know a lot of these things will sound antiquated by the time you read this. But these are just a few things that help me get through my day, & I'm so very thankful for the people whose innovative ideas brought them into our lives.

I love you so,
Mommy

* Readers, what technology gets you through the day? *

love letters

Dear Em,
Steve Jobs passed away this week. He was a visionary in the digital age. If not for him, I wouldn't have the computer I am typing this on (we're a MAC family). I also wouldn't have the Iphone that I follow you around with, taking photos and videos...not to mention the impromptu dance parties we have with music always on-hand. When you're my age, you may not even know what an Iphone was. Who knows what you will have within your grasp by then. The possibilities are limitless. The digital technology in your future will much be due to Steve Jobs, a man who was given incredible gifts by God & did what he was meant to do on this earth. A man who lived no one's life but his own.

"When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart...

...No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
- Steve Jobs

Hope you have an amazing weekend living YOUR life.

I love you so,

Mommy

(interview taken from this site)