new chapter

Handsome little guy ready for breakfast.

Little did I know there was actually a dinosaur trapped in Allen's body this morning.

I hope he didn't do this at school.

This was the only non-Moore scowling photo I could get of Allensaur this morning.

I knew this day was coming.  At some points this summer, I was even counting the days until both of my babies would be in school (two mornings a week that is).  Other times, Allen was so honey sweet and generous with his smoldering hugs and charming company that I discussed actually not sending him with Colin.  Colin, knowing me better than I seem to know myself, insisted that it was time for the boy to go to school for real.

Allen, being my predictable, mostly even tempered child, was quite stoic this morning and got into his little car seat with his backpack (and Cora's doll's pillowcase filled with tiny cars) in hand and a quietly determined look on his face.  I am unsure what was going through his head but was shocked when it came time to drop him off when he took his teacher's hand without even saying a proper good bye or a hug for that matter.  Just as my heart was sinking, he released his hand from his teacher and came running for me with his arms wide open.  It was the best hug I have ever gotten from the little guy- not clingy or anxious, just a sincere, tender hug goodbye.  It actually felt like he was comforting me, his hug said "it will be ok mama."

As I drove away, the lump in my throat became real tears and I actually sat parked at the ymca, in a non-kid zone parking space for a while to compose myself.

So my morning was just fine. After it occurred to me that I had been driving 20 minutes with Cora's Vacation Bible school music still playing, it was nice to just have some quiet in the car.  But I still missed Allen and the spontaneous chasing him around the house holding his lion puppet, puzzles during lunch, his enthusiastic help cooking and cleaning and him picking up rocks and sticks ("dinosaur bones") everywhere we go together.

I think we (I mean I) will be okay.  I might even blow dry or hot roll my hair.  Read the paper and not just the headlines.  Maybe even go back to work outside of the home one of these days.  Or finally attempt to decorate the house.  Or make a dinner that takes more than an hour to cook.  Hell could freeze over and the next birthday party I host could look like something you have seen on pinterest (yeah right).

Anyway, happy end of the summer.  Happy end of an era.  Happy peace and quiet.

I guess.

adventure with the little lady

Last week, I got to spend three nights and four whole days with Cora in Colonial Williamsburg.  After all the wonderful and, well, sometimes less than wonderful chaos of the summer, it turned out to be just what we needed.  

Having a break from the real world  made it extra fun to meet up with the Thakkar clan on day 5 of our trip in Nags Head, where we reunited with Colin and Allen and Cora's four cousins and the rest of the family.  It was so fun to see them all playing together so well but sad at the same time that we don't live closer.

So, I am happy to say we all survived a surprisingly quick summer and it couldn't have ended on a better note.  That said, despite having a major lump in my throat dropping Cora off at school, being home alone was sheer bliss this morning (but I am already looking forward to our next girls trip!).    

Cora and "Pinky", her suitcase that she pretended like was a small, pink doggy she was walking around the airport.  She even made me pet it a few times.

Little girl, big bag.  Because we had to pack dresses for her Doll too of course.

moving walkways are so cool.

Cora loved the turbulence- "Mommy, the plane is bouncing like the rides at Disney World! Wheee! What a fun ride" (as I try not to lose my breakfast in the air sick bag).

Petting the sheep was the highlight of the trip for Cora.

Second place was riding the escalator.  Which we did about 30 times in the W&M bookstore.

Third place was this "pancake" Cora got for breakfast.  She was so excited when the waitress put it down I thought she would hyperventilate.

 

Loved the mermaids all over the Tidewater area of VA.

Petting and feeding horses was fun too.

Petting goats.  Seeing a theme here?

My little lady strolling in the Colonial gardens.

At Nauticus in Norfolk.

Now petting a crab.  We had to come back and do it two more times of course.

Lizard Princess in heaven.  See how big that Lizard is?  Cora called him her "Lizard King".

Cousin Lily.  Thakkar family got good hair genes.  (Moores just have good scowls)

Cousins!

Reunited!

Miss my boy.  Glad he comes home tomorrow with his Daddy.

P.s. Thakkar family reunion pics to come.  My brother in law is an awesome photographer so I threw in the towel trying to get 6 kids to take a good picture.

a hello and a goodbye

This morning, we met Cora's new teacher at her new school.  Cora has been anticipating this moment for a while and was relieved that Mrs. Bryan was very sweet to her.  In the car on the way home-

Me: "So Cora, was your teacher like what you thought she would be like?"

Cora: (long silence) "No.  Actually my hypothesis was wrong. So Mama, do you know what that is?".

Me: "Yes I do, actually." (as I had gotten a refresher while overhearing Dinosaur Train)

Cora:  "Why yes.  A hypothesis is a test about what you think someone will be like or how something will turn out.  And today my hypothesis was wrong because I thought Mrs. Bryan would be old, like you." (the teacher is one year younger than me. Nice.)

I wonder if Mrs. Bryan has any idea what Cora has in store for her this year.

***

At least I have my two part trip to cheer me up from that aforementioned conversation, which by the way, I just read to Colin and he laughed at me while looking sheepish and fearful.  

Part I is that Cora and I are having our very first girls trip on an Airplane.  Sure we went to St. Maarten last year with Daddy, but that certainly does not count as for real girl time.  We are heading to Williamsburg, VA where Cora and I will spend a couple of days with just us, visiting Colonial Williamsburg and my alma mater. We will meet up with several of my college roomates and their kids on Friday and I can hardly wait.

Part II is the much anticipated Thakkar family reunion in North Carolina.  Colin's Aunt Didi from India is joining us as is Colin's brother and his girls and his twin sister with her twin girls, who are only a month younger than Cora.  If you are keeping track, you will have noticed that it will be Allen and the five girl cousins, which will make for a very interesting week.  Anyway, it will be wonderful to finally get to play together as we all live on opposite sides of the country.  Cora can hardly wait to show her cousins her swim goggles for some reason and keeps asking me if I remembered to pack them along with her books so "she can do reading on the plane".

So the goodbye happened this evening when my parents took Allen, who will be driving up to NC with Colin later this week, home with them as we have an early flight tomorrow. We had enjoyed a family celebration of Cora's Birthday (the third celebration this week... we may have overdone it this year) and Cora wanted to walk Allen out to my Mom's car.  

Everything seemed to be going fine when all of a sudden, Cora started loudly sobbing.  I scooped her up and asked her what was wrong?  She said that she knew how much she was going to miss her brother the next three days and wanted to give him another fierce hug and, in between sobs, "Mommy I just love my brother so much."

There are no words to describe moments like these in a family.  I just know that I feel extremely grateful that I have them and that they have each other.  It is amazing to me that such little people have such a big capacity to love. 

Here's hoping their love lasts a lifetime.  Good night!

 

Lizard Princess turns FIVE!

When I first asked Cora about her ideas for her 5^th birthday party, she said she wanted a “big girl fairy princess ballerina party with ten friends and absolutely no boys, little sisters or mommies allowed”.   Check. 

What about food? No surprise that she wanted “Oysters from the Blue Fish, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, pink meat and some calamari and some cheetohs on the side”.  (I immediately envisioned ten little girls running from our house gagging. )   

After much negotiating and explaining to her that most little girls did not have such a, well, sophisticated pallet as the Lizard Princess, we came up with plan B: Chocolate sandwiches and P,B and J on white bread, which is a special treat our house, fruit (so I can say we had something healthy on the table), cheetohs, pixie sticks (a la the fairy theme) and juju flowers. 

Cora demanded that they all go lizard hunting after they got dressed up, but I convinced her to go with more traditional party activities and promised that Daddy would take her on an after party date where she could lizard hunt until her little heart was content.  

After undergoing a fairy transformation complete with homemade skirts by my mom, butterfly headbands, sparkly wings and earrings, the ballerina fairy princesses did crafts, decorated wands, and played pin the wand on the fairy.  They were all well-behaved little ladies and Cora enjoyed holding court which is a nice way of saying pleasantly bossing everyone around.  

After the party, Colin surprised Cora with a special date to smoothie king where he told her she could have whatever she wanted.  It was no surprise to me that our little fairy ballerina princess selected an orange smoothie and…. A piece of ostrich jerky.  Followed by a trip to Boone Park, which is known for having bountiful lizards.  It is safe to say that not one lizard felt safe when the Lizard Princess and her proud papa arrived.

Cora, I love your fierce hugs, love of nature, endless curiosity, bountiful enthusiasm and independent spirit.  With you, every day is truly a wild adventure full of extraordinary surprises, lizards, unexpected challenges and your generous love of all things bright and beautiful and great and small.  Your Daddy and I are so proud that you are ours!!  

Can’t wait to see what your 5^th year will bring.  We Love You!!!