Double Digits and iTunes Accounts

I just said "Goodnight" to my baby girl for the last Single Digit day of her life.

Tomorrow morning at 5:18 a.m. we will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of our oldest daughter's birth.

10 years ago, David and I were watching Star Trek: Voyager after finishing up a plate of Buffalo Wings and the first contraction hit. We don't remember what episode it was, we were slightly preoccupied, but I remember staring at the TV screen while the phrase, "THIS IS IT" pounded an echoed through my skull.

Around 8 hours and no drugs later, I was the proud Mama of a baby who.... seriously, didn't look like me, or any family member I knew of. I kid you not, I stared at her for at least a minute thinking............. "huh. Not what I pictured."

She was amazingly, heartbreakingly beautiful and the most incredibly feminine looking baby I had ever seen. That I sort of expected But I had pictured blonde.

My Abigail was born with dark skin, a full, thick head of black hair, and the reddest, most perfect Angelina Jolie lips ever.
David bathed in glory. My father took one look at Abby and asked me, "Is she yours?"

We have raised Abby through the Finding Nemo years, the Pink Unicorn years, the Pony Club and Puppy Lovin years and finally, heaven help us, onto the Justin Beiber years.

After surveying her room and the amazing present stash that her Nana gifted her with, I said, "Baby, I just don't know what to give you anymore."

She looked at me, with her huge green eyes and then fell into my arms with the most amazing, wonderful, warm embrace....
"Love, Mom. I'm too old for the other gifts now. I just need a gift once a year or so. I need love every day."

I am brought full cycle. Speechless at the amazing gift that is my oldest daughter.

At 5:18 tomorrow morning, she will turn 10. Double Digits. Leaving the pink unicorns and ponies and puppies behind and loading up her iTunes account instead.

She will always be my baby. And I'll never remember that episode of Star Trek: Voyager.

The Easter Bunny Has Arrived

Abby
The Easter Bunny Has Been Here! He left lots of goodies and even ate most of the hard boiled egg, as well as took the time to respond to the Easter Bunny Questions left by the kids.


Question 1: Where do you live?
Question 2: Is there a town of Easter Bunnies, or just one of you?
Question 3: Do you Celebrate Every Holiday?
Question 4: Do you have Easter Bunny Babies?

The real question is............ can anyone guess how I answered?

Pheromones

Evie saw a spider on the playrug tonight. She ran to me, with the face of "SAVEMESAVEMESAVEME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" that every mother knows will have traumatic results at bedtime as the horror is revisted... again and again until around midnight when they pass out.

After *gently* pitching a towl over the spider, squelching my own squeals of horror in order to maintain a calm demeanor, I threw the towel, spider and all, outside.

I knew I had better put a good spin on the spider story in order to forstall a bedtime fiasco.

"Sweatpea, it's gone now. He just got lost and I had to help him find his way back outside."

"But what if he comes back? What if he follows the trail? Like the one they can smell but not see? Like ants do?"

Take a moment and let that sink in. My three year old just discussed pheromones. I'm in trouble.

After soccer practice with the boys' team tonight, Abby was telling me that there were so many very cute boys at soccer.

Take a moment and let that sink in. My nine year old just discussed pheromones.
I'm in trouble.

Focus, Concentrate!!! Don't Eat GS Cookies!

Abby was working on some homework and talking and fidgeting.
Evie, sitting near her, looked up and said,

"Focus, Abby!! Concentrate!!"

Abby took it in good spirits, rolled her eyes and moved on.

Later, when she got her zipper stuck on her coat, she said,

"Mom, can you help me?"

Evie said,

"I can help you, Ab..."

and moved forward to fix it...,

Abby says,

"Oh, no, I draw the line here. I'll fix it myself."

I think, looking back, that my 3 year old taught my 9 year old to be more self-reliant.

On a diet update, I lost a pound. Yeah, salad and tuna for a week and all I lost was a pound. You see, the problem is the Ambien at night. About an hour after I take it, I can't say no to whatever secret goodies are stashed in the fridge. Like the 2 slices of leftover pizza, or the last 3 squares of chocolate from Abby's Wonka Bar.
Frikken Ambien is destroying whatever work I'm gaining during the day, and to top it off:

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES came in today. WTF am I suppossed to do with them?????????????

Accidental Damages

A few days after Abby's accident on the pond. She was concentrating on her ice skating and ended up in the middle of a hockey game.... took a stick right to the noggin.


Notice the blood starting to pool in the corners of her eyes..... those black eyes are a'coming!

In case anyone is wondering.... it really was a total accident and the little boy who thwacked her was mortified and apologized from the bottom of his toes.

I wish I could explain more fully to Abby that, unfortunately, she has inherited my penchant for injury. My high-school buddies didn't give me a crash helmet just because it was funny. It was needed.

The 2010 Father/Daughter's Valentine's Day DanceAbb

Pooka Dots

This Friday is the Father/Daughter Valentine's Day Dance in our town. A greatly anticipated event, fathers all over our town go all-out to make it a magical date night with their little girls.

Let me put it this way: If you don't order your little girls' their corsage ahead of time, the local florist will give you a SCATHING look and not-so-patiently explain that you'll be getting the leftovers.

Abby and David traditionally go out for a nice dinner before the dance every year. (Pizza, actually, but when you're wearing a silk dress and wearing flowers, its "nice.") This year will be Evie's first year joining them for the Dance.

My memories of past years are vague, as I'm not allowed to attend, so can only go by what I'm told. Here are some highlights from previous years:

The first time David went, it wasn't even with one of his own kids. My niece, Mariah, needed a date for the dance as her father was out of town. David volunteered to take out for dinner and then to the dance. He took her to what was then the finest restaurant East of the River. She ordered lobster. Dinner cost $130.00 During dessert, she looked up and, loudly, proclaimed,

"This place is fancy! Just like the Olive Garden!"

She has never lived it down. I mention it yearly.

The first year Abby went to the dance, she wore the most stunning shade of blue. I have that dress put away, waiting for the day that Evie is big enough to wear it. (It'll be a few more years!) Abby was so excited to get flowers and go on a date with Dad. They didn't get home until very late. She was asleep when he carried her in. She woke up long enough to tell me,

"Uncle Dale was the DJ!!"

My Bro-In-Law's brother is a DJ, and unbeknown to us, DJs our town's Valentine's Dance every year. It is one of the few times we see him during the year. He is an awesome guy with a fantastic wife and kids. I'm jealous that I don't get to go to the dance, because the last time Uncle Dale DJed and event we went to, I got to talk to his wife, Tracy, all night. :)

This year, both my girls are wearing Polka Dots. Both Polka-Dotted, both Pink. But very, very different.

Evie's is a beautiful, large print, multi-shades of Pink number with a bow in back. She has informed me that she needs 4 bows for her hair.

Abby's is a beautiful, sleeveless, tailored and frilled only-at-the-bottom Pink and Brown polka-dotted number. David said

"When did you get old enough to wear a dress like that?"

Just goes to show how (as Evie says it) Pooka-Dots are classic, but they come in all shapes and sizes. One of my girls is going to her first dance. One of my girls is going to her first dance as a young lady.

Brace Yourself, Its here!

My beautiful baby girl on her 9th Birthday

My beautiful baby girl 3 days later, making that huge leap into a world where looks really do matter and fine, white, straight American teeth rule the adolecent years.

For the record, she was totally brave. I knew she was scared inside because of the way her eyes shifted slightly every second and how she constantly tugged and bent her fingers back, but she didn't let on other than that. When they gave her a mirror, for a second.... her eyes got all watery and her lip quivered, but she held it in. I cried a bit inside for her. I do think she looks cute tho, and the blue bands are totally adorable.

Later, before soccer, my brother said, "She needs a mouthgaurd."

"She hasn't gotten hit in the face with a ball since last spring. It's just one practice. I'll buy a mouthguard tomorrow."

Oh yeah. You guessed it. First 10 minutes of soccer practice, she takes a ball directly to the face. Every parent there winced, sucked their breath in horror and waited. Her lip quivered. Blood started to form on the corner of her mouth. Then she kept playing.

She is an amazing kid.
I am a shitty parent. One who will go and get a mouthguard tomorrow.

The First, and the Squeakquel

Today is not only Abby's official 9th birthday, it is also the first time she has ever gone to the movies and sat more than a row away from me.... (with her friend, Walker, who is a BOY.)

It is also the first time that Evie has ever gone to the actual MOVIE theater to see a movie.

Here are some quotes from her:

"Wow."
"All the Single Ladies!!!"
"Where's Abby?"

I couldn't catch anything else because the straw from her Slushie didn't acutally leave her lips until approximately 90% through the movie, which is when the cup was empty.

The good news is that David can now take both girls to see movies, which is one of his favborite things to do in the world.

The only bad part of the weekend was when someone said to me

I can't believe she's 9!!! That's almost in the double digits!!

I think I almost cried.

My Surprise Email

New Year's Eve, Evie told me, "You're my Bes Fwend, Mommy." and I said, rightly, that my year was complete, because who could ask for more?
We've had a wonderful vacation together as a family and we're all happy and content.

Then, tonight, after celebrating a great friend's 40th birthday, we came home and Abby logged onto her laptop.

After she went to bed, I got onto the computer to check email and get some work done. I had a message in my inbox.

From: A Tyrrell
Subject: Good Luck

mom. I hope that you will be ok with me at school.I know I will miss you a lot. Abby

My baby knows how much I miss her when she's at school all day, but how thoughtful that she thinks of me, too? Though the kicker is that the subject says "Good luck."

Season of the BIG TOP CUP CAKE

I am, as we speak, in the midst of baking the BIG TOP CUP CAKE!!!!

Before you begin to lecture me on the evils of sake and late night online shopping, let me break right in and say that I did not personally purchase this. My brother showed up with it, held out like a cermonial sacrifice, and said, "I saw this. I thought it looked like the fun for the kids."

I roughly translated that to "I saw this and I was hungry and weak. I want one, but I don't want to go through the hassle of making it. Make it for me."

Abby's friends at school found out that I was the proud new owner of the BIG TOP CUP CAKE and promptly informed me that that is exactly what I would be contributing to the holiday party at school.

Honestly, for a moment I was a hero. "Mrs. Tyrrell is brining in a BIG TOP CUP CAKE!!!! ABBY'S MOMS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Then it occurred to me that my cake decorating talents are minimal, at best, even following a template.

Hence we come to the "dry run." Sure its more expensive to do the whole damn thing twice, but this way I have at least one under my belt and can learn from any obvious mistakes before trying to present a bunch of 8 year olds with thier first taste of Infomercial Video vs. Real Life.

I'll keep you all updated, possible with pictures. If its not too bad.

Post Edit:

Not too bad!! Thank goodness for the dry run to get the hang of it, though!



For Abby's class, I'm going to do the Christmas tree. For anyone else attempting it, remember that frosting is hard to make look nice, icing is easier.

Merry Christmas, Baby

Abby's video

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/170f7c1da7acd2f0da5ea77f7427e6cb

My girls got thier own personalized message from Santa today in what is the most advanced and amazing video that I have ever seen. Completely personalized, down to the letter, literally.

Evie's video

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/c5fc69ce1472c439194353ffbe6d1954

Evie is very concerned about how Santa knows if you have been good or bad. I told her she had better mind her manners, cuz Santa could hear.

"No, Mama. Santa isn't here. He can't hear me."

Then she changed her mind real fast when she saw Santa's video to her. :)

Grandma's Catalog is Selling Dildos

For years, I've ordered "Santa Letter" service from them. Your order the service and they send a form letter from Santa with your child's name on it and other small personalized details included. It gives your kid the illusion that Santa himself is writing to them, knows their name and actually cares if they have been bad or good, for goodness sake.



My kid learned a little more from the Walter Drake catalog this year.



Being Christmas time, my daughter thumbs through all the catalogs that we receive in the mail and uses a marker to tick off things in the "Want" category. I encourage this. It makes my shopping life easier. The Walter Drake catalog is a bit boring in the toy department, seeing as its what I usually categorize as a Grandma catalog, but my daughter will leave no stone unturned during the Christmas season and goes through every catalog that we receive, and every one that Grandma gets, too.


For most of my life, I remember my mother getting the Walter Drake catalog. It is the type of magazine style catalog that sells Christmas Cards with religious messages, silky hair-caps to keep your 'do in place while you sleep, compression socks for your legs and kitchen gadgets to make your culinary life a little easier. My mother has boxes of Walter Drake Christmas Cards that she still sends out every year.




This year, as my oldest daughter sat at the kitchen counter reviewing the Walter Drake Holiday Offerings, near the end of the magazine her little eyebrows knitted together.

"Weird," she said, putting the catalog down and retreating to the couch to read Percy Jackson.



I picked up the magazine and started going through it to see if she left me any hints as to what she may want to get from Santa this year.



I wasn't expecting the selection of Dildos on page 47.




Sandwiched between the ads for Diabetes Compression Gloves to relieve chronic pain and extra foam cushioning to make your Wheel Chair more comfortable, there was a selection of Erotic Toys. The "Don Wand, the Gigi and the new, waterproof 9 inch want with 5 attachments and eight vibrating patters.



I am really hoping that my 8 year old was too bored to get passed the more pedestrian "Skinny Wallet" and the "Under the Eye Lift Serum." I'm not sure that she got to the Dildo page. I'm a little scared to ask.



My 3 year old thumbed through the magazine, too. So did Grandma, to whom the catalog was sent in the first place.



I will never, ever consider Walter Drake to be a Grandma Catalog again. At least not the kind of Grandma I can envision without wincing.

Know your Place!!

The first day of the official Indoor Soccer season began with new uniforms, on a new field, under a massive, new air-formed dome. Which, incidentally, smelled like "new pool float."

We were so excited about Abby's first game on a premier team and she was mentally and physically ready, willing and able.

How did she do???????????????????????????????????

I think "unmitigated disaster" would be kinda fair. Painful to watch, painful to look at, painful to be there. Having only really played one defensive position for the past two years, the poor kid had no idea what the coach meant when he told her different positions.
When he told her to mark up to a certain player on the other team, she nodded her head but wouldn't cross the halfway line to mark up. She was suppossed to be on on side of the field in a new position, but didn't understand and went to another side by mistake. When she realized her mistake, I thought she was going to cry out there. Hundreds of people, three fields, kids who are AWESOME players kickin her butt and she was just trying to figure out her place in it all.
Poor kid. We'll work on knowing positions and getting her confidence back up so that she can go kick butt like she normally does.
Until then, remember what it was like to be the only kid out there who didn't know your place? I had that memory in vivid detail today.

Abby for the WIN

The day can't pass without celebrating Abby's amazing soccer game and a wonderful win for the team. Everyone was happy, cheerful, supportive and downright LOUD in their pride and admiration for all the kids on the team. Hell, I even cheered for the other team when they got a hard-earned goal. They worked for it, so why not?

Evie was a trooper for the whole game, which was under a blindingly hot Indian Summer Sun. We were all sweating and possibly melting, but the flush of victory kept us in our seats. :)

David Julie did a great job coaching and I'm just so happy to have been there for the win.

Now I have to finish working, pay my mom's bills and get the kids ready for bed.

Tomorrow is Daffodil Planting Day at Abby's school, which I volunteered for, so that should make for an interesting next post.

My Almost 9 Year Old is a Hormonal Mess

The mood swings, the tantrums, the screaming, the hugs 2 seconds later like nothing ever happend. If its this bad now, at almost 9, what the HELL am I going to do when she hits 13?

No, honestly, someone needs to tell me what I'm going to do here. Abby is like my best friend, but I might consider boarding school if this keeps up.

Real girls play soccer, even in the rain.

And they look pretty darn cool doing it.

Our day today was mostly spent at Soccer fields, with a little bit of shopping thrown in for measure at the end of the day.

Tonight will be the last night that Evie spends in her crib. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be setting up her "Big girl bed" and redecorating. As usual, she has picked out a Butterfly theme for just about everything. The only big exception was that she chose the massive fuzzy-soft pink blanket over the not-so-soft butterfly comforter.

I'm a little sad that our home will finally be void of a baby crib. Even after Abby had outgrown it, we still kept it in the spare room because we knew that eventually we would have another baby occupying it. Tomorrow it will be dismantled and put in the attic, maybe for a grandchild many, many, many years from now.

Personal Kryptonite

Everyone has their own personal form of kryptonite. Mine is cilantro. Yes, you read that correctly. I have the unfortunate ability to taste cilantro in the very air if it's in the room and it is the most vile thing in the world. My stomach turns, I break into a sweat, I get all weak and then I have to go dive into something chocolate to forget the horror of it all. I'm not kidding. My friend Vicki makes a to-die-for Hawaiin salsa that I can't get enough of. I thought she was so sweet to make me my own bowl of it, then I found out that the main recipie had cilantro in it... and she's such a great friend that she took out my portion before she added cilantro to the main batch.


I luf her.





Abby's kryptonite is broccoli. David was foolish enough to demand that she try a large piece of it while at a restaurant with other family members. Apparantly the gag reflex is genetic. She lost the broccoli and most of her dinner on the floor immediately.


Evie's kryptonite is her rocking horse. The 70's version that is suspended by the Springs-Of-Death. No one, and I mean no one, is getting on that horse if Evie is around. If you try, she comes at you like.... well, like a 29 pound linebacker with a voice matching the pitch and octave of a smoke alarm.


We all have our limits.

Momentous Occassions

Some big things happened in the past month. Let's recap in chronological order:

1. Abby showed in the 4-H fair.





Even though she was by far the youngest, she still managed to beat the pants off a few kids in every class. Jeepers acquitted himself in his own style. He was so bad in Abby's jumping class that by the time she finally got him to a fence and got him over it, the entire crowd burst into spontaneous cheers. The judge was laughing so hard so hard she had tears in her eyes. Anyway.... I think that was what the tears were from. It might have been horror, I'm not sure.

2. Abby and Jeepers won this years Costume Contest at the fair.

They were Dorothy and Toto from The Wizard of Oz. Abby was Toto. Jeepers was Dorothy.



See how thats funny? The little bastard can buck me off, but I can make him wear a dress, a wig and red sparkly slippers. Of course the joke may be on me, because he seems to enjoy dressing in drag.

3. Evie turned the big 0-3!!

We sent out invitations for the pool party, but this being New England, land of It-Will-Rain-On-Your-Birthday, we put an addendum on her invite that specified Rain or Shine, and just in case people didn't get it in text form, I put Evie in front of the pool in her bathing suit and snorkel while wearing rain boots and holding an umbrella.

Invites with precautions for the illiterate or the very rushed, totally my style.

The party was so much fun, and we had so many of our very favorite people there that it deserves a post of it's own, which will be coming forthwith. ;)

4. Abby started 3rd grade. I remember a few years ago, taking that first "First Day of School" picture. Abby was so little and cute. Now she's all "What-eveh" and has her hair done just so and, did I mention, she got her ears pierced??? Mmm-yeah. 3rd grade. She's gotta wait on the tat though. Like, 30 more years or so.

5. Evie had her Pre-School Orientation. She's very excited because her friend Jayda is in her class. Her pre-school looks amazing and I can't wait to have her really be a part of it. I'm excited to see how she does and how much she learns.

No pictures of it yet, though, cuz I'm waiting until her first day to take official pictures.
But since she's so darn cute, here is a Random Cuteness photo:

"Hey, Tarzan. Yeah. Get me a sippy-cuppa juice, pronto."

Checkbooks and Horseshows Go Hand and Hoof

"Abby, that costs a lot of money."

"What's the big deal? Just whip out the checkbook and write the number down and give it to them. Wa-La!"

"Um, honey, you do understand that you need to have money in the bank to write a check, right?"

"Dude, I just know how to fill the check in."

Oh yes, that's my girl.

Now onto today's VIDEO portion of our blog. Abby's first, official, by-God-she-did-it-herself WALK/TROT horseshow! Now, for all of our not-so-regular readers, I'll give you a hint on how to find Abby in this video. She's the only kid on a pony. Apparently, all the other kids' parents took the "Horse" in "Horse-Show" to heart and bought their kids a big ol' horse. Finding Abby is kind of like playing Where's Waldo, but in reverse.



Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to my friend Ellen for helping us out at the show all day. I'm sure you had better things to do on a Sunday, but know that your sacrifice to the Equine Gods was truly appreciated.