And two months fly by...

I know...I know...  I resolved at the turn of the year to blog once a week.  I also admitted that I'm not a great blogger.  I want to be!  I really do!  But I have so much competition that it is hard to do.  "What competition?", you may ask...

I've recently fallen in love (read: become obsessed) with reading other mom's blogs.  These blogs are by women PAID to blog!  They have advertisers and business cards and the like.  I've just happened upon them through references by other moms.  For one, there is the ever-amazing Kelle Hampton.  Her blog alone makes me question who the heck I am thinking I can write enough inspirational and/or funny mom material to encourage people to read my blog!  Lately, I've found a few others.  One is Stark. Raving. Mad. Mommy.  HYSTERICAL!  Her letter to Dora the Explorer made me nearly pee my pants on a bus full of teens.  I was laughing so loudly that I ended up having to read it out loud to those sitting nearby so that that were able to appreciate my laughter.  There are others, but they are bookmarked at home and not on this laptop.

Today, I just feel like writing so I am.  I usually don't write because I'm not sure if what I have to say in interesting or worth the time others would spend reading it.  Today, I don't care if this is interesting or worth your time...I just feel like sharing.

Last night was one of those priceless nights in life.  I was exhausted...I still have not recovered from the sleep deprivation that comes from Music & Drama week and Ella took very short or non-existent naps this past week, so there wasn't much down time to help in recovery.  Anyway, I was exhausted and therefore a bit impatient and not nearly jovial enough to chase Ella up and down a hallway 100 times.  However, I was in a simple trailer on the Currituck Sound for dinner with my grandmother and her friends.  Let me further explain - at dinner last night were my grandmother, my great-aunt, my aunt, my mom, me and my daughter (as well as three other very good friends of those listed above).  How often in life do you get to have four generations of females all from one family sitting at dinner together?  How often do you get to watch your not-quite-ninety-year-old grandmother hug and kiss on her not-quite-two-year-old great-granddaughter?  Granny (now called G.G. since she is Ella's G.reat G.randmother) will be 90 in October and very shortly after, Ella will be 2.  Beautiful.  Mom and I fall in between them.  My great-aunt Evelyn (where my name comes from and now referred to as E.E.) crawls along the floor, runs through the house, and plays all sorts of games with Ella.  It is amazing to watch this spry 86 year old play with a child with such ease.  She has more energy than I do!

Then last night, I sat on the bed with my mom and aunt just talking.  I love these times.  They can't be duplicated or recreated.  They just are.  We talked about raising children - they've raise six between them (not counting grandkids who lived with Carla at times) and I'm raising my first.  Their words of wisdom are appreciated and welcome (even if I've heard them before and I'm sure I'll hear them again).   This morning, the four of us went to Dunkin Donuts for coffee & breakfast before Aunt Carla headed home.  It was nice and something I want to do over and over again with Ella.

And it isn't just about MY family.  I LOVE the women in Jeff's family.  I want to spend time with them - just the girls - as Ella grows older.  I want her to have a strong sense of the women who travelled this earth before her, preparing it for her.  I also want her to know the men in our families, but today I am very focused on the women.  Why?  Because I am one and one day she will be one too.  Her last name will change to something not nearly as wonderful as Cronin just as I left behind McCrickard.  I never had the name Stewart or Edwards (my mother and grand-mother's maiden names), but I wear them with pride.  From my dad's side, I have the Maxey nose....from my grandmother.  I also have a touch of her temper, but I try to keep that in check. 

I want Ella to know her family.  Deeply.  I want her to know their stories and it scares me that she may not ever have the same long conversations that I have had with my Granny.  Of course, she'll have her own long talks with HER Granny Mac. 

I didn't want a girl.  I wanted a boy.  So badly that when they told us at the ultrasound that it was a girl I had them recheck it.  NOW, I only want my girl.  If we were to have another...I want another girl!  I LONG to be the mommy of two girls.  I almost feel crazy saying that...but then I think about last night.  Yes, it would've been just as wonderful with a toddling boy running about...I'm sure.  And I don't want to get slammed by all you moms of boys - I love you!  God knows it!  My mother in law had three boys and I swear she's an angel in disguise for doing it!
But last night was MAGICAL!  Four generations of WOMEN from ONE FAMILY line....

Thank you, God, for my family.  Thank you, God, for my Bean.

What a great weekend...and it is only Saturday night!

Just had to post that I am having a fantastic weekend.

First - I got to spend a lot of time yesterday with my friend, Bobbi Jo.  We have a good time when we're together and I always laugh a lot around her.
Then - last night was Christie's Panty Party.  It was less about embarassing her with lingerie for she & Andrew (though we certainly did and with lots of laughs) and more about getting to celebrate my really, really close friend before she gets married.  This is such a special time and I'm so excited for her.  I wanted to make her feel special last night and I think we accomplished that.  Thanks to our friends who came out to shower Christie with laughter & lingerie.

Overnight was not pretty since Ella isn't sleeping well and she & I were up battling it out between 11:30 pm and 2:30 this morning.

BUT - I woke up at 7:30 this morning next to my beautiful baby girl.  Then - I got to get ready and head out to breakfast with my friend, Melissa - who I feel like I never get to see and we used to go out at least once every weekend when she & Jay first moved here.  It was so wonderful to just sit with her and chat for a couple hours in a local coffee shop.  So needed!

Then, lunch today was a celebration of mine & my dad's birthdays.  My grandmother, great-aunt, and aunt came in town from Newport News to eat with Dad, Mom, Jeff, Ella & Me.  We had a good time and Ella got to show off a bit.  After lunch we went back to mom & dad's apartment and hung out while Ella really showed off how much fun she is to be around.  So good to have Ella spend time with her GG, EE & Aunt Carla.
Tonight, we went to Jeff's parents for dinner in a late celebration of Jeff's mom's birthday (Feb 3).  It was great since all three boys (Jeff, Jerry & Gabe) were all able to be there with no schedule conflicts.  Kristen & I were there, too, but the most fun is watching Nana and Papa interact with their two grandkids.  We were all together.

It has been a great two days and tomorrow is lining up to be fantastic too...
I actually get to go to church at United tomorrow.  I feel like it has been a lifetime since I've been there and for me it has.  The last time was January 24.  Church was snowed out the 31st & February 7 and then Jeff & I were away last weekend (Feb 14).  I can't wait to hear my dad preach.  He is my favorite minister...and it isn't just bias.  I feel that he preaches from the heart to the heart and I love that about him.  Tomorrow's theme: God as our shepherd.  So excited!
Then tomorrow night is my book club meeting.  I haven't posted about book club before...not sure why not except I just post so little...
Tomorrow night we'll be discussing the book, The Help.  It was a GREAT book that I recommend to anyone interested in a fiction story set in a all-too-real 1960's segregated Jackson, Mississippi.  I had to remind myself that Mae Mobly and Aibileen weren't real people.  Oh, little MaeMo - your nanny Aibileen loved you.  It has been a month since I read the book and I can't recall what MaeMo called Aibileen in the book, but it tugged my heart strings.  SUCH A GOOD BOOK. 

I'll have to do posts on the books I read since I have become a voracious reader.  I read the bookclub book and then find as many other books to read in the remainder of the month.  I can't stop and I love it.  I've also found that I'm currenly very drawn to stories (fiction & non-fiction) set during the 60s that focus on segregation and integration.  I find it fascinating...okay - that is another post too.

Well - that's it.  It is a great weekend and I just found the desire to share that with you.  Thanks for reading!