Spirit week and Audrey's Birthday

Our school had spirit week right when we were getting home from our trip to  Boston. Ugh. Spirit Week. The kids love it, but it usually involves some late-night wailing and gnashing of teeth as we try to cobble together whatever costume is required for the next day. Isn't wearing uniforms one of the perks of Catholic school???

Anyway, the day after we flew home was "Western Day." Nanny saved the day by giving us a couple of her bandannas...Kateri kept her sisters company by dressing as...a Saloon Madame?

On one of the other days that week, the kids were supposed to pick someone inspiring and dress up as that person. Lili was all set to go as Helen Keller, but Audrey's first choice of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was foiled when we realized the costume we had was too big to be practical. Since we had gone on the John Adams tour in Quincy last summer, I suggested Abigail Adams. Audrey immediately got that special glint in her eye...the one where she is about to say something completely inflammatory that will delightfully shock and horrify her elder sister.

"No." she said "I'm going to be Michelle Obama."

Then Lili gasped and made this face:

 Then Audrey started giggling madly, and I resolved to stop listening to conservative talk radio when the kids were in the car (obviously they are not as oblivious as I had hoped

thought.) But I still think there may have been a grain of truth to Audrey's little joke. Audrey is never shy about her desire to look good. Who would you rather dress up as?

Poor Abigail...all she has is a doily-hat and uncomfortable-looking frills. Michelle, on the other hand, has a personal-trainer and a dozen top designers on speed-dial. The expressions they wear are similarly intimidating, but I'm sorry, Michelle, for all your glamour and celebrity BFFs, you don't hold a candle to the awesomeness of Abigail Adams. Lili stopped spluttering and started passionately making this point and Audrey eventually decided to go as Sacajawea.

Kateri kept her sisters company again, despite her lack of pants.

Last weekend was Audrey's seventh birthday. Luke was in Chicago for Fr. Francis' ordination. Audrey is never going to let him forget that he missed her birthday. A few days before his departure, we were all in the car together debating what to call Francis: Fr. Bitterman or Fr. Francis. Audrey said, "I'm going to call him 'Father Takes-my-father-away-on-my-birthday."

Despite lacking a father, her birthday was quite nice: a long play date with Goose

 and strawberry-rhubarb pie instead of birthday cake.

Happy Birthday Audrey! These past seven years would have been so boring without you!

She takes needless risks...

We had a couple of beautiful walks to the beach the first days of our Scituate trip.

The sun was shining, the kids were running around, climbing on the rocks and exploring. We were all chatting and catching up and relaxing.

The first day, I was fully expecting Audrey to be unable to restrain herself from splashing into the waves and getting wet. I had an image in my mind of a trip we had taken to California in chilly weather and watching Luke walk up the street from the beach holding a completely soaked Audrey by the hand, who trudged along shivering cheerfully under an extra 15lbs or so of sodden sweater and jeans.

 

So I was pretty proud of her when she didn't even get a sneaker wet on the first day. 

What can I say? I let my guard down. Look at me on the second day: relaxed and smiling like a fool.

You know who never lets her guard down where Audrey is concerned? Lili. She came up to me as the kids climbed around and I  chatted away and said in a low but urgent voice. "You might want to stay close to Audrey...she takes needless risks."

Hindsight is 20/20 and all that...I'm sorry to say I brushed off her concern and we all started to walk home.

Five minutes later Audrey caught up to us, Papa's handkerchief pressed to her chin and blood splattered all over her hoodie. Audrey's main concern: (not a needle full of lidocaine or hours wasted in the ER) how she would look at the wedding. That's my Audrey!

I shouldn't have been surprised...it's not a real vacation without a trip to the ER, but a few hours and five stitches later all was well again.

The rest of our trip was a blast, and Lili had the grace and decency not to tell me "I told you so."

I'm sure she was thinking it.

Scituate! In the Spring!

Last week, the whole entire Bird fam congregated in Scituate for Bowker's wedding. We hadn't all been together for two years, so it was amazing! It seems like there was too much packed into just a few short days to compose a coherent blog post, so here is a smattering of photos...

  I haven't been back to Scituate in the spring in over a decade. It seemed a little chilly after the triple digit heat we were leaving behind, but it was so beautiful. We got to enjoy my mom's garden with a whole new cast of characters than we usually see: gorgeous tulips and daffodils and lilies of the valley.  Here's the view from the hammock on the porch. Not too shabby.

The cherry tree dropped some extra lovely blossoms on the grass one day...

Kateri spent a lot of time on the "wope swing" she's been talking about since last summer.

 

The real treat, of course, was seeing all of the cousins getting to spend some quality time together. These two were inseperarable. I kept trying to steal cozy Evie away, but she perferred Lili.

Kateri was in heaven with so many playmates.

The wedding itself was so beautiful. The groom has always held such a special place in our hearts, and it looks like he hit the jackpot where spouses are concerned. It just warms the heart to see how happy these two are.

It went by too fast! I have a whole slew of beach photos, but I think I'll save them for another post.

Basketball, spring break, and other ramblings...

The kids just started school again after spring break. The break itself went by all too fast, as usual. Audrey seems to be having a little trouble getting back into the swing of things. Yesterday she sat down at the kitchen table to do her spelling. 30 seconds later she came and found me:

"Mom, I'm not going to do my homework tonight."

"What? Why?"

"I'm just not going to do it."

Lucky for me, Hermione Lili overheard this conversation and bounded into the room to deliver a lecture on work ethic to her little sister. It was hard not to giggle as she warned Audrey about how laziness now would affect her "later in life," but honestly, sometimes it is nice to have someone else do the lecturing for a while.

Speaking of my dear firstborn, her first season of basketball just ended. It was such a great experience for her to be introduced to the game with such a great group of girls from school. One of her classmate's dads and a VDM alum volunteered to do the coaching, and they really did a fantastic job.

Uncle Cole even made it out to watch the last game, which was actually against some pretty intense rivals. Our girls made it out with only a knocked out dental bracket and a broken pair of glasses, so I guess we should consider ourselves lucky.

The other sibling were riveted spectators, of course.

A nice blurry team shot....they won their last game, which was a great way to end!

An even blurrier shot of our post game Frozen Yogurt outing.

Lili's growing up way too fast...I took her shoe shopping for new spring sandals and she is now a woman's size seven (sob)

But she still spontaneously holds my hand in the mall (double sob)

Hopefully we have a little bit of time left together before everything I do or say humiliates her.

Easter 2012

Just a few shots of our Easter Sunday this year. It was a pretty relaxing day...up at 6:30 assembling Legos left by the Easter Bunny, Mass, a nice brunch with Steve and Cindy and an Easter Egg hunt in the back yard with Abby in the lovely Phoenix sunshine.

Sense and Sensibility and Easter Eggs

The girls and I dyed Easter Eggs today, which always makes me wish my mom was here, because no one loves making a colorful mess with kids more than Nanny.
But actually, we didn't really make a mess today. Maybe it is because Kateri is three and a half and I didn't need to be constantly worrying about someone knocking over everything or drinking the dye, but the whole episode was very calm. So calm, in fact, that I was able to sit back and observe yet again the contrast of Lili and Audrey's personalities. I should have named them Elinor and Marianne.

Every kid gets a limited number of eggs to dye, so Lili sits back, takes inventory of her eggs, compares and contrasts the respective merits of each dye bath, form a plan of attack, and then slowly and methodically carries out that plan.

Audrey just starts throwing eggs in whatever cup is closest, pulling them out again just as quickly, experimenting with different techniques, inadvertently mixing colors, laughing at her stained fingers, and generally stressing Lili out with her recklessness.

After 15 minutes, all of Audrey's eggs are done and drying. Lili only has two finished. She continues to stretch out and savor the experience for an hour or so, after which time she carefully makes a nest of tissue paper and arranges her eggs inside it. They look very nice, stashed prudently in the fridge.

Audrey's eggs are still in their soggy, stained carton outside. Most of them are a total mess...

...but a few happy mistakes are gorgeous.

Maybe there is a method to her madness.
And Kateri?

Kateri was just thrilled to be along for the ride.

Just Taking Advantage

of the beautiful weather...

...and cheap child labor.