Happy Birthday from across the pond!!

Mia, Mia Bo Bia!  

Happy 21st sweet babe!  I wish I could give you 21 big hugs and 21+1 ear pulls today.  I remember well what I was doing 21 years ago today and...it was all worth it!  I love that you are my daughter.  You are sweet.  You are good.  You are creative.  You are beautiful, a fantastic big sister and so smart.  

I am proud of you, Mia.  Not only for what you do but for who you are.  

I hope your day is great fun (even in Lent!).  I also hope you enjoy looking through a few memories of Mia.  I look forward to celebrating with you properly in España!  Besos y abrazos Tesoro.

Stories

Written December 30, 2011 while we were in South Padre Island for Christmas Break.  Memories...

I was watching the girls play in the pool and hot tub while finally writing Christmas cards on our back deck.  They were using the hot tub more like mini-pool, swimming around, even wearing goggles.  Seeing Mia's goggles sitting unguarded on the side for a moment, Grace decided to throw them in the pool, the idea being that Mia would have to jump into the freezing cold water to retrieve them.  There was a bit of heated discussion around the unfairness of this and I had intervened to tell Grace that she should either go get Mia's goggles herself or give Mia her own goggles.  Then--"SPLASH!"  Without fanfare, Super Sophie had jumped into the pool to save the day.  I was so proud of her.  Her sisters were too.

Chris read us the first Chapter of Ray Bradbury's Frost and Fire.  Listening to Chris read is probably the most soothing thing in my world.  He has a great voice.  Apparently the girls think so too because they all fell asleep.  Grace was lying with me, pretty much on top of me, and was asleep--and twitching--within seconds.  I think we may have discovered a new secret formula.  Unfortunately, it did not work on Ella and when Chris and I left Madeleine in charge a bit later, she was still awake and playing games on my cell phone.  (It feels like we have two teenagers in the house.)

Mother's Day 2020

     The girls (mostly Grace) have been asking me to blog about the quarantine.  For now, I am sitting down to write about something near and dear to my heart.  Mother's Day.  I love Mother's Day because I love being a mom.  It is a day when I bask in whatever happens.  I approach it palm open, holding lightly any expectations or preferences and my family never disappoints.
     About a week ago, Sophie handed me this list of possible Mother's Day activities.

I especially like the option to be left alone all day.  My family knows me well.  I ended up choosing the tea party option and, when Chris asked what I would like for breakfast, Eggs Benedict.  Like my girl Maggie Carpenter in Runaway Bride, I love Eggs Benedict and Chris makes it so well!

Our "corona altar" decorated for Mary

   


After breakfast, we attended Mass with Fr. Mike Schmitz.  His homily was inspiring (and very long) as always and covered much.  My favorite line was about motherhood, that it is "not elegant but powerful."  Perfectly put.
     We all dressed up for High Tea.  The girls outdid themselves with the decorations and goodies. Madeleine asked me to tell about my proudest moments as a mom so I went around the table and related specific moments for each girl.  Some of these were bigger moments like when Mia played Mary in the nativity play, The Promise but, as I told them, though I cannot remember each one, there are so many small moments of each of them showing kindness or courage when I've thought, "Wow!  That's my kid!"
After that, they each told of special mom moments.  Interestingly, most of them had to do with me spoiling them or buying them things!

Ready for Tea!

When they asked for my food preferences, my only request was a bundt cake.
We recently watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding in which there is a humorous scene
about a bundt cake.  This one was delicious and, best of all,
was perfectly positioned right by my seat!

Flat Joseph was at the tea party too.  We seem to attract flat visitors.  Joseph liked the food and conversation
but wished for more boys!  I know that Uncle Chris secretly agrees!

Grace's pretzel balls.  She was quite proud of them.

Sophie's Nutella pastries.  So yummy!

The whole day was wonderful but I especially enjoyed our re-creation of a picture we took Mother's Day 2011.  At the time, I was seeking the perfect pile-on picture.  I had hired a photographer to take one of our family Christmas 2010 but the photos were awkward instead of cute and fun.  Chris took this one and it is one of my all time favorites of me and my dames.  Nine years ago!  I was 40 and now, in just one blink, I am about to leave my 40s behind.  I think we did pretty well with the new photo.  Go back here to see the post about the original shoot.

   

Doyle Dames Mother's Day 2011

Doyle Dames Mother's Day 2020 (9 years later!)

To top off the day, C made me some really good sangria to drink while I blogged.

This may have been a perfect day.  Or maybe just a dress rehearsal for my birthday?
See you back here soon girls! 

a P.S.
Today was our goddaughter Josie's 4th birthday.  We FaceTimed with her while she opened the gifts we sent, three books about Frances--Bread and Jam for Frances, Best Friends for Frances and Bedtime for Frances.  Below, Chris is reading to Josie while she and her sisters read along from Bread and Jam for Frances.  Frances is quite the singer and writes many little songs throughout the book, all of which Chris sportingly tackled.  This was another highlight of the day for all of us!  We love you, Josie!

Babies

How many times have I wished to go back for just a day?  An hour even.  To see my babies as they were then.  I know there were moments that I cherished then, moments when I was acutely aware of time passing quickly, morphing my little babies into little ladies.  So many moments of those days were spent being busy, busy, busy.  I have never been one to stand still or sit for long.  But if I could go back, I would sit.  I would stare into the wonder of those small eyes so fresh from God.  I look forward to eternity when this movement of time and the pain it brings is behind me.  Then I will see each of my girls in her entirety.  Baby selves, little selves and grown up selves all in one.  Not that I am in a hurry.  I still have four of them at home with me every day.  Even that will not last long though as one more is due to head off to college in the fall.  Change.  It is the one thing that does not change!

I almost deleted this post.  It is one of my many unposted drafts and it had no title.  Fortunately, I opened it before clicking the trash can icon.  I think these were a hodge podge of photos of everyday life early 2012.  What a treasure they were to see!  Thank you Alice 2012

Send Off

This post was written March 7, 2012.  The pictures are from a balloon launch we did for Kirsten at "the horse playground" close to our house in Kingwood, TX.  I posted a video at the time to show that we were thinking of her and her family all the way from The Lone Star State.  I don't know why I never posted this.  Probably because I had more photos to add.  The ones I uploaded are mostly of Sophie and Ella.  Looking at it now, I can't believe how little the girls were and how much we have been through since.   

So, post before last, I talked about losing my cousin Kirsten.  I will be honest with you--I wanted to fly home.  I wanted to be there at the wake and the funeral.  I cannot think of anything I value more than my family.  And "family" to me, has never meant just mom, dad, brothers, sisters.  God gave me a big family--aunts, uncles, cousins, the whole shebang--and I love it.  I call it my "context".  I know I would not be me without them.  John Donne said, "No man is an island".  No woman either.