Merry Christmas

Missing Daddy

It's enough to break my heart.  Last night Simon slept with a photo of Christopher (large, pointy, glass-enclosed picture that's usually on my nightstand).  We had a rough night together which ended in a bit of discipline followed by a lot of prayer and hugs.  Usually it's my sensitive girl who gets weepy at night and asks to sleep with the photo.  So when Si asked for it, I had to reassess how I interact with this guy.  At the top of my "take a deep breath and remember" list?: He's only three years old.  I often treat him and Millie just the same when it comes to both physical capabilities (putting shoes on, getting snacks, etc) and emotional capacity (buck up, power through, keep on going).  I need to cut him a break.  Also at the top of that list?: Simon's energy and humor mask a very sensitive core.  My boy likes the snuggles and probably internalizes the stress of the household.  I need to slow down and sit and just be with him much more often.

So here we go...the learning, struggling and overcoming.  Can't wait to see what our family looks like on the other side of this challenge.  But really, just can't wait to BE on the other side of this challenge!

Four Months

 

Four Month Stats:

26 inches long (93%)

14.6 pounds (67%)

Family, Holidays

Thanksgiving was a cozy affair for five here at home in Norfolk.  We went for our semi-traditional family run along the Virginia Beach boardwalk in the morning:

And then gathered for a feast in the afternoon:

This happened a little too soon after Millie's nap...she's clearly in no mood to be messed with.

Millie made the costumes.

The next day we were so excited that Jennie and Skip and Kaitlin and Sydney made a special trip from their own family Thanksgiving in Richmond to spend some time with us.  The cousins could not be cuter together:

We managed to get a tree and put some good thought and half-hearted effort into getting it decorated (for some reason it took days to complete the task this year):

And then we just celebrated us, and her, and the sweetness of being together during these holidays.

The Big "E"

That's what they call the Enterprise, Christopher's aircraft carrier.  The kids call it "Daddy's Big Ship".  Pretty soon it will be his home for seven months.  A few weeks ago we finally made it on board to take a look around.  Fascinating.  Harrowing.  Grey.  Impressive.  Claustrophobic.  Mils and Si climbed the ladders like pros.  Hannah and I brought up the rear but managed to get all the way up the 9th deck...what a view.  I am so proud of Christopher.  He's doing a difficult job that will get exponentially more intense when they go to sea.

On the flight deck.

Check out my death grip on ALL the kids.  I didn't even realize I was doing this!

A beautiful little chapel on board that is nearly impossible to get to...the way in there involves climbing through a 3x3 hole!

On the top bunk in Christopher's state room.  This is his crazy face.

Christopher's office.  Millie is at Christopher's desk and Simon has one hand on the legal assistant's desk.  This room is TINY.  I cannot fathom spending seven months in these quarters.

The Admiral's chair on the flag bridge.

Snuggly

It's slipper time!

Birthday Girl

Our sweet girl is 5.  Gulp.  In typical Greer family style, we celebrated for days and days.  Yammy and Papa came down and Aunt JuJu flew in from LA (incredible side note...Julie has been with Millie for every single birthday, which is not an easy feat with our constant moving around) so we spent all weekend doing fun stuff together:  gifts, cake, fancy lunch, favorite dinner, even a group outing to get pedicures together.

On her actual birthday (Tuesday the 25th), she was giddy about wearing her special crown to school and having a little celebration with her classmates.  Unfortunately, Daddy was gone for all of this fun, so we celebrated again as a family when he got home.  And just last night we finished it off with a Mommy-Millie date to see the touring production of Beauty and the Beast.

Millie gives us much to celebrate.  She is a daughter beyond my biggest dreams...compassionate, kind, sensitive, curious, funny.  We are right on the edge of "big-kid"-ness and I find myself staring at her and wondering how many more days we'll have to hold hands for no reason, how much longer she'll carry around her favorite bitty baby or dress up in tutus and wings.   Although I'd often like to, I know I can't keep her little.  But I can't wait to see what she's going to be like as she gets bigger.

Birthday morning, birthday crown.

Heading to school on the big day.

Our very first 'school cupcakes'.  And to add to the craziness of the week: we got home on Monday night to find that Casey had once again jumped on the counter and eaten almost ALL of the cupcakes I had made earlier in the day.  Being burned by Casey's sweet tooth before, I just had to laugh and be thankful that I had the good sense to make cupcakes from a box instead of some kind of fancy concoction.  Ooohhh Casey!

  

Painted toes!  JuJu even let Millie choose the color(s) -- eight red ones, two neon yellows.  Wow.  That's love.  Julie took this look straight to Honduras where she was headed for a TOMS shoe drop for a week.

On our way to Beauty and the Beast. 

She thought the whole thing was magical.  So did I.

Three Months

A Pirate's Life for Us

Happy Halloween!

Stomping Grounds

I have been craving a weekend getaway to Charlottesville...a return to the familiar and beloved.  We made the trip a few weeks ago, and the town did not disappoint.  We jam-packed our two days with a visit to the farmer's market, the downtown mall, a family hike, dinner at our favorite restaurant, a UVA soccer game, breakfast with friends, and a trip up to the mountain apple orchard.  We all seemed to breathe a little easier, fall back into the relaxed pace of that wonderful year and catch the excitement of the coming fall.  It's our first time living so near to a former home town and I'm looking forward to future returns!

Two Months

Sitting... Staring...

It's what I do instead of getting anything productive done during the afternoon hiatus (naptime for all three kids).  The list of what I should actually be doing is long, long, long.  My energy level for almost any of it is just too short.  Apparently, at the top of the list of things I should do is take meaningful photos of these great kids.  I wish I could better document the magic of these three little miracles.

Mils is full steam ahead at school, learning how to read and filling her backpack with crazy preschool crafts.  It's fun to see her so excited about learning.  Simon is killing me.  His pick-up line for complete strangers (almost always girls or grown women)...?  "Hey.  Wanna see how fast I can run?" Then he takes off on a dead sprint, legs flailing out behind him just on the verge of a wipe out.  Hilarious. He also seems to like school, especially the playground part.

Hannah's amazing.  Smiling and cooing now and (dare I say it out loud and jinx our good fortune?) sleeping very, very well at night.  At her check-up yesterday she weighed in at 12 pounds, 9 oz and is 23 1/2 inches long.  That's 97th and 96th percentiles.  She's a big one.  And how do I know I am truly in love with this little girl?  I have given up almost all dairy, nearly all caffeine, chocolate and lots and lots of my favorite veggies.  I know this makes her feel better, and I know this time is short-lived for us so I try to do it without complaint.

Christopher is entering the busy season as they start getting ready for deployment.  Amazingly, he still makes it home for dinner every night and finds time to give me some personal time and a break from the mayhem.  I'm so thankful.

That's it.  The magical and the mundane.  Now I'm off to take my sitting and staring outside on this beautiful afternoon.

Tough love.