Be Careful What You Wish For

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

Because you just might get it.

I want to take back my statement “I am ready for her to be walking.”  Who do I talk to about that?  Who can rewind time and so that I can take it all back.  I am not ready for the movement.  Zoë has been commando crawling for a couple of weeks.  She wasn’t doing it much, I assume now not because she didn’t want to but because it took her too long.  She has figured out how to solve that problem and now I want my mostly immobile baby back.  Again,  Who. Do. I. Ask. About. That?  Tell me please.

Today my little angel figured out how to crawl and to really crawl.  Well, her crawl is actually quite funny.  She keeps one leg straight and does all the pushing with that leg, but is she ever fast.  She has already tried to go up the stairs and outside.  I can no longer leave her in the play area with her toys and go to the bathroom or do a quick emptying of the dishwasher.  My little girl is on the move and I so want to take it all back.

I have no doubt that she will be walking within the next few weeks.  Maybe the ability to crawl will keep her from trying to walk, but I doubt it.  I have never seen this little girl happier as she goes wherever she wants without needing mom to help her.  She is fast and I can only imagine she will want to explore more and more and more.  I am glad that she is growing and advancing and all that good stuff.  But she isn’t a baby anymore.  I’m not ready for two toddlers yet.

So, if you’re listening.  I am so not ready for Zoë to walk yet.  Maybe I can have this wish too.

Good Friends, Good Times, Good People

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

It has been crazy here at Chez Finley.  Two kids–both with colds, a husband–also with a cold, school–with homework, etc., and the list goes on and on. 

I am starting to stress a little as my wonderful hubby is leaving on Sunday for a week long business trip and sadly, he isn’t taking any of the children, leaving me at home with two small terrors to fend for myself for a whole 6 days.  I am not looking forward to it.  I am forever in awe of all of those single-parents out there.  Hubby is presenting at a big IT conference in Vegas and I am so proud of him but so sad to be without him fo a week. 

Because of the impending business trip, I was able to sneak in a Mom’s Night Out last night with some awesome women in my mom’s group.  We were treated to a coffee tasting at Starbucks–one of the mom’s won a coffee tasting for six and it was so nice.  It was very much like a wine tasting…we sniffed, slurped, held it on our tongues (for weight–similar to the legs on a glass of wine).  We paired with sweet treats and nuts from Starbucks’ offerings and went home with a 1/2lb of our choice of coffee.  It was so nice and I was amazed at the significant differences in coffees and with the coffee after eating a particular product.  Amazing.  If you have a chance to do a coffee tasting somewhere, I say DO IT. 

Now on a slightly more serious note.  How many of you know what it is like to be an outcast in society?  To be real but not seen and certainly not valued? To be an unimportant, invisible and completely devalued?  Unless you have been homeless, you can’t really know.  I certainly don’t know what it’s like to feel these things on a societal level.  I think that is what is awesome about the Homless World Cup.  It is a soccer world cup for the homeless.  Many cities have their own homeless street soccer team.  I know my city does–I only found this out yesterday.  They compete against each other in a national tournament and players are then selected from those teams to represent the US in the World Cup.  This year it is in Melbourne, Australia.  The teams fundraise to pay for the trips and there is even a governing body of the Homeless Soccer Leagues/Team.  They are sponsored by NIKE and UEFA (the governing body of Europe’s Football).  It’s pretty awesome.

For any of you who have ever been part of a team, you know how amazing it is and how it makes you feel like part of something.  There success stories and failures that happen, but this gives them something to belong to.  A way to feel valued and a way to slowly become part of society again.  Check it out in your town and see if you can’t help out–or at least catch a game.  I know that our Homeless team her was started by a man who was a child solider in Liberia and spent a lot of time being homeless after that.  Soccer saved his life and he is looking to do the same for others.  Amazing.

29-Months-Old

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

Dear Noah,

I cannot believe that you are almost 2 and a half.  Where has the time gone.  You are growing and changing so fast.  You started “school.”  You carry your own lunch box on the walk from home to school.  It is so cute.  You tell me that it’s time for me to go home and you play and follow directions and are learning things. 

As each day passes your are becoming a little bit more of a boy. You love wrestling and you think it is some that your little sister should also like.  She doesn’t.  Part of it is because she can’t push back.  Soon enough she will.  You have grown more and more opinionated and verbal.  I am amazed almost everyday of the words that come out of your mouth.  Pretty soon you’ll be able to say your name and I will cry on that day.  I love how you say “Woah.”  It melts my little heart. 

This past month was full of change–your little sister started crawling and cruising.  The unadulterated love that you felt for her has become muddled by the fact that she now touches you and wants to play with whatever you are playing with.  My days are now filled with a symphony of “MOM, MOVE Zoë PLEASE!”  It’s cute and sometime I do move her, but most of the time I make you deal with it.  I know that this isn’t the wisest course of action.  I know you will start hitting her and pushing her, but for now little man.  You have to deal with it. 

I worry about your eating habits, but what mother doesn’t.  Some days all you want is cheese and strawberries.  Other days it’s hot dogs and avocado.  Other days, I swear all you eat is fig newtons and cheetos.  You are growing and I try not to worry too much, but I hope I am being a good mom and that you don’t some day wonder “What the hell was she thinking?”  Okay, that’s a pipe dream because you are going to be a teen-aged boy one day and I think you just might have that thought more than once a day. 

Your ability to be social and adapt to changes is refreshing and makes me so very happy.  I know this personality trait will serve you well in life.  You have become more and more interested in blocks and actually building with them instead of taking them out of the box and putting them back.  It’s awesome so see you change and advance.  You know so much and I have to give some credit to educational TV–Mickey Mouse/SpongeBob, etc.  I think it has taught you more than it has hindered you.  I don’t care what the research says. 

I do want to apologize now, before I forget for enabling you to be as loud as you are.  You have always been a loud child and that is too be expected because both your father and I are loud.  Your father will blame this on me, but I will tell you the truth now–your father is the loud one.  His normal register is loud.  I have to tell him a lot to talk quieter.  Again he will blame this on me.  But it isn’t my fault.  I know you will side with your father.  I have already been given peeks at this secret male alliance you two share.  You often tell me “Momma, no yell at Daddy.”  What the hell is that all about?  Really, don’t yell at your dad?  He’s a man and often deserves a little bit of yelling.  UGH!  Where did I go wrong?

I can see the “Why” phase coming as we have been in the “What this is?” Phase for a long time.  You are so very inquisitive and I love it.  Keep it up Noah.  Keep laughing and keep smiling.  You are a shining star and you light up my world. 

Love you,

Mommy

10 Months Old

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

Dear Zoë,

You are now 10-months-old.  I can hardly believe how much you have changed and how each day you grow more and more.  You are now crawling.  I know.  I can’t believe it.  It is not a graceful girlie crawl.  No you are doing a full on military army commando crawl and it is hilarious.  When you get tired, you just stop and hang out for a few minutes until you build up a little more energy. 

You are also cruising.  I know.  I am so excited that you will be walking soon.  Your brother isn’t a fan of your mobility, but I am.  The more you can move yourself means less time I have to spend moving you from place to place and activity to activity.  Especially since you love to move often and get bored after what seems like the blink of an eye. 

Sadly, you already have a favorite TV shows.  You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Yo Gabba Gabba.  It is my saving grace when you are super crabby but refuse to sleep.  If this makes me a bad mom and ruins your attention span and development please don’t hold it against me.  Mommy had to stay sane. 

You have picked up your brother’s habit of growling.  It is so very cute.  You are growing so fast.  I look forward to your doctor’s appointment this month just to see how much you have grown since you came home in June.  You are wearing 9 month clothes and that is amazing.  You are progressing so much.  You have seven teeth now.  Not all of them are all the way in but they have broken through the gums and I am so looking forward to the impending lack of drool that I will be drenched with as you stop teething for a little bit soon.  I know that I might be dreaming but a girl can dream can’t she? 

You are a stubborn little girl and you will give your father and I a ton of trouble as you grow up.  You have already perfected that “what now?” look that you will give us endlessly as a teenage girl as we ask you do things like clean your room, do your homework, and to be home by 10 on a Friday night.  I just want you to know that that look won’t work for me, because I too once used that look.  I will not bow to your teen angst. 

You still don’t much care for sleep, but you are one for routine.  So maybe you’re not sleeping is more my fault than it is yours.  Sometimes, you don’t get your morning nap at home, because we have something to do.  If you don’t get your morning nap, then  your afternoon nap is almost non-existent and then you wake up more than once at night.  If you get that am nap then everything is just better.  I have learned this, but there really are just sometimes when mom has to get out of the house. I try to make those time few and far between because I want you to sleep.  i want to sleep.  Sleep is good.

Zoë you have added something so amazing to our life.  The love and happiness is awesome and you really are a perfect fit for our family.  I am not sure how that works and how we got so lucky to get two perfect children and by perfect, I mean a perfect fit into our family.  We are so blessed and so lucky to get to be your parents. 

I can’t wait to see what next month brings. 

Love,
Mommy