February 2014 – Jocelyn Rau

February 25, 2014February 25, 2014

A heart of gold

I just can’t help but be more and more amazed by Della every day. She is, hands down, one of the kindest, gentlest, sweetest, most wonderful people I have ever known.

She is so conscientious, not just for a 3-year-old, but more so than most 30-year-olds.

I have been complimented on her excellent manners numerous times.

She gets quiet and a little upset when others around her get mad or sad.

She leaves the room when watching a show when a part comes on she doesn’t like – usually when someone is doing something against the rules and she knows they’re going to get in trouble.

She loves to help in the kitchen. “Mixa, mixa, mixa” is one of her favorite phrases while helping stir. I just realized today that this comes from Daniel Tiger, as I heard it when he was helping his parents make strawberry pancakes.

She comes running when Lana is getting into trouble and she hasn’t been able to stop her.

She loves curling up in a ball in my arms to be carried into bed after making all of our different faces in the mirror.

She lays her little head in the palm of my hand and strokes my arm, my hair, my back as I sing her naptime and bedtime songs.

She asks if we’re still happy when she knows she’s done something wrong and thinks we’re going to get upset. I tell her that even when I’m not happy about something she’s done, I will always be happy about her.

On our way home from the gym after she’s been playing in the kids room all morning, I always ask if she was happy that day and if anyone made her sad or mad about anything. So far so good on all yeses for happy things and nos for sad or mad ones.

She likes to play by herself as much as with her friends.

She loves playing outside, especially in the snow to make snow angels and catch flakes on her tongue.

She always tells me she loves me and to have sweet dreams, too, when I put her to bed.

I just can’t get enough of her. Every time I look at or think about her I just hope and pray that she always stays so beautiful on the inside like she is out. May nothing ever corrupt the goodness that overflows her heart.

February 19, 2014

Sweet baby girl

You rustle around your crib, pop up, and say, “Hi!”

Your day begins as the sun kisses the sky.

“Milk, milk,” you exclaim, your tiny hand signing as well.

What magic will this day bring? It’s so very hard to tell.

Those giant blue eyes and hair every which way,

Little puffs of baby breath are a sweet start to my day.

Running, chasing, just exploring it all;

Your play doesn’t even skip a beat when you tumble or fall.

You laugh, you cry, you’re amazingly wild.

You’re loud, you’re enchanting, my beautiful second child.

A green monkey and your thumb keep you safe the day through;

May you always know how you’re cherished and how boundless my love is for you.

Come day’s end I see sleep creeping, no longer you twirl.

How deeply I adore you. Good night, sweet baby girl.

February 13, 2014

Moving on…

So at the end of last year I mentioned how I kept meaning to put up some 2013 recap posts, remember?

Well I hate to break it to you, but I just don’t have time. So sorry. Instead, I’m going to focus on actually trying to keep up on here better this year. I’m now much more settled into the swing of being home pretty much full-time with the 2 little Goonies, with my freelance editing/proofreading work in the mix, too.

That being said, here is the tiniest of tiny snapshots of what I had wanted to run down for you from last year. I did get good recap posts up from our trip out west in June, so let’s see what happened during the whole second half of 2013:

Our summer of music was fantastic. The best show we saw, BY FAR, was Paul McCartney. I was so pleasantly surprised by that, because for some reason I had really low expectations going into that concert. But he blew us away. I thought The Eagles would be the clear winner in our summer lineup, but not even close. I was totally disappointed by their show, which consisted mainly of ballads and songs I didn’t even know. Hmph.

So if you ever have the chance to see McCartney, DO IT! You will not regret it for a second.

I took the girls to Canada with my mom, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, and we had a blast, as always. It was the 2 youngest Goonies’ first trips to the island, and how could they not love it? I can’t wait to go back this year and watch them grow up to cherish the place as much as my sisters and I do.

Della turned 3, and Lana turned 1.

The holidays came and went, just like they do every year. We spent time with family, ate great food, drank good drinks, and had a lot of fun. 2013 ended a much better year than 2012 was, but I still think 2014 is going to be the best yet.

And there you have it. The rest of my 2013 in a shrunken nutshell.

Now I’m not promising daily or weekly posts anymore. In fact, I doubt those will happen very often ever again. But I do hope to get at least biweekly posts up here for you, just to kind of check in and keep you abreast mainly of these little girls’ adventures. Because they are way cuter than Ryan and I are.

However, the adults in the house do have something fun planned for this weekend. We’re heading down to Chicago for an outdoor beer fest with some friends. Yes, it’s outdoors and I am in the midst of despising this winter with all my might, but it should still be fun. They’ll have heaters, an indoor area in which to warm up, and plenty of beer on tap. Liquid warmth.

Talk to you soon!

February 7, 2014

Polar vortex + Money pit = I hate winter!!

This morning I heard Ryan get up at 5 a.m., go out to the dining room, and start fiddling. Before I even heard him hurdle the baby gate and lumber down to the basement, I knew exactly what was happening.

The furnace died.

Again.

Shit.

I think this is the 3rd time this has happened. I know it’s at least the second, but I honestly can’t remember if there was 1 other time in there or not. But either way, we are heat-less.

This morning’s outside temperature was -2. Our inside temp?

48.

Party time.

Thankfully (if there is a “thankfully” in this situation), since this has happened before, Ryan knew exactly what part needed to be replaced and ordered it right away in the wee hours of this morning. However, today being Friday, I’m sure we won’t get it until at least Monday, as it’s coming from New York.

And tomorrow’s forecast includes snow.

AGAIN!

Man, do I hate that stuff now. Nay, detest it. I’ve said it so many times this winter (because it keeps happening!!), but every time I wake up to freshly fallen snow now, instead of thinking how peaceful and pretty it looks like I used to, I just get instantly angry. Because I know I’m going to have to go shovel that crap yet again, since it’s usually never enough to warrant breaking out the snow blower. Plus I can never get the damn thing started, so there’s that issue, too.

But back to our money pit of a house, it’s cold. We are so blessed to have the most wonderful neighbors, though. We’ve borrowed 3 space heaters to add to our 2, and everyone has said to come on over to their places to warm up and take a load off. I can’t say it enough, but we seriously live on the best block in the world. Hands down.

Thanks to these beautiful people, we are now up to 65 degrees in here! Wahoo!! And fortunately we have plenty of tights, leggings, and layers, so these 2 miniature beautiful people didn’t freeze their tiny buns off today: