Sharpening my reflexes one near-miss at a time.

She's so big-girl-ish lately. This morning she said, "Mom? Do you know Sebastian at school?" and I said, "Sure I know him." And she went on with a dreamy look in her eyes, "He is SO SO HANDSOME."

Uh oh. Move over Nehemiah!

She's able to do so many things by herself now. She can operate hand-held electronics, get dressed in the morning without any help, can fold laundry and put it away (score!), and can fly across the country.

I haven't been worrying about her as much lately. In the past, I've been accused of being overprotective and a little "crazy" when it comes to her safety. When she was a baby, and through her toddler years, I couldn't help myself from envisioning the most terrible things happening to her. I would play sickening scenarios over and over in my head until I was physically ill. (I'm doing a good job of encouraging Meagan and Mark to start having babies, huh?) I was convinced that she would fall off the 2-story landing at my parents house (until my dad hammered some extra wood into the wall to make the railing gap smaller) or fall into the creek in the back yard or be kidnapped from her crib in the middle of the night. When La first started walking, I even offered to purchase a "leash" for her daycare provider just in case La were to try to escape the backyard and run into the street out front. I think the woman thought I was utterly MAD. But, the madness has gotten much better lately. I don't worry nearly as much as I used to.

But last night we had one of the biggest scares of our lives thus far. Aunt M, La and I had just parked the car on the side of a busy street. M got out of the car and walked down the street to the meter box to pay. I got out of the car on the driver's side and walked around to the sidewalk to let La out. She got out of the car, and I turned to walk down the sidewalk toward Aunt M, assuming that La would follow suit. For some reason, La did not follow me, but instead turned the other way and BOLTED between our car and the one behind it and partially into the busy street. I screamed her name and ran toward her, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of the oncoming traffic. If I had not done that, I honestly don't think she would have stopped.

I scooped her up and she buried her head into my shoulder. I squeezed her so hard, thanking God out loud that she didn't get into that street. And then I put her down gently and FREAKED THE HELL OUT AT HER.

I asked, "Why? WHY? WHY! would you ever ever EVER run into the street La!!??? You almost got run over! By a car! YOU COULD HAVE DIED! Do you understand that!!!???" And she immediately started bawling and saying she didn't know why she did that. A man who had witnessed the whole thing came up to me and said, "Good save." It was that close.

My heart was racing for about an hour after that. When I put her to bed last night, I asked her again why she would ever run into the street without holding someone's hand. And she explained that she thought Aunt M had crossed the street. And I replied that even if Aunt M was on the other side of the street, that's still not a reason to cross it without holding an adult's hand.

I think she gets it. I HOPE. And just in case she doesn't, I'll be reminding her of this incident each and every day until she's 43.

Meagan & Mark's Wedding — Part II

Meagan is one of those people who puts absolutely no effort into "getting ready," but always looks good. She can wake up and throw her hair into a ponytail and toss on her favorite "Miami Mom" sweatshirt, and she looks great. If she happens to add a touch of makeup and some clothing that's not made out of sweatsuit material, she's an utter knockout.

Since the day they became engaged, I must have told Meagan fifty times what a beautiful bride she was going to be. I just knew that she would be brilliant. And boy was I right.

La got to be a flower girl for the second time this summer.

She did a great job. She was much less of a control-freak this time and was much more helpful. See?:

She had a partner in crime this time: a ring bearer named Grayson, who is Mark's nephew. He's a very adorable, very curious little boy. And he's an accredited escape artist. He was running every which way during the rehearsal and the ceremony, disappearing on a few occasions. After numerous futile attempts to control him, La gave up and resorted to telling on him. (Mom! Grayson is about to knock over that statue! Mom! Grayson is going to burn down the church with those candles! Mom! Grayson just ran outside!) Little tattletale, that La.

Aren't they the cutest?

The ceremony was perfect. The love that Meagan and Mark have for each other was so blatantly evident. When Meagan came down the aisle, their eyes were locked and they were both crying. Here was this girl that I have come to love just like a sister, walking down the aisle toward a boy that I have come to love like a brother, to join together in marriage. I was so filled with joy at that moment. I can't imagine what the two of them were thinking and feeling.

It was a wonderful, beautiful thing to witness.

The day was gorgeous, for the most part. We went to a park and got a few shots in, but then, unfortunately, a monsoon hit. It started as a little trickle, but by the time we got to the limo, the entire wedding party was drenched. Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck, right?

Meagan was probably the most relaxed bride ever in the whole world. She didn't let ANYTHING bother her. When we were out walking in the park, she traipsed right through some runny green goose poop, which got all over the train of her dress. I informed her of this atrocity, and she just shrugged and said "Oh well!"

Phil and La

The reception was a first-class affair. Delicious food, beautiful decor, excellent band ... It was the real deal.

I was out on the terrace during the cake-cutting, and was very distraught that I had missed this moment of the reception. So, Meagan and Mark re-enacted it for me. Twice. (my camera didn't work for the first rendition) So, here's a photo of the third time they fed each other cake as husband and wife. So SPECIAL!

What a couple. What a day. I'm so sad that it's over.

Meagan and Mark, the two of you are THE BUSINESS. I am so excited about the adventures that the two of you are embarking on together. You deserve nothing but the best. The whole enchilada. I hope that you spend the next 100 years laughing with your whole bodies, loving with your whole hearts and living the most incredible life together. I love you both so much.

Meagan & Mark's Wedding — Part I

This weekend two of the most wonderful people I know were married. And, my oh my. What a wedding it was. The past few days have gone by in such a blur. Tonight I will try to recap the first part of Meagan and Mark's wedding weekend.

La and I woke up at 4:40 am on Thursday, hopped in the car, and drove to Cleveland. The plan was that I would run around with Meagan that day and tie up any loose ends. But, I'm telling you that girl is the antithesis of a procrastinator, so there was NOTHING that needed to be done.

We decided to drop in at the reception site and see how the set-up was going. When we got there, we put ourselves to work and set up the Candy Station. Meagan was VERY excited about this element of the reception, and had been planning the candy display for six months. This was her moment. She whipped out her diagram, got all the glass containers together, and we began filling them with all kinds of dime-store candies. It took forever to figure out the placement of everything, but the display looked incredible when it was finished. (hopefully we will have pictures of it from the photographer) Great job Meag!

Friday morning, Meagan treated the bridal party to manicures. La picked orange polish with yellow flowers painted on.

The rehearsal dinner was at Mark's parents' country club. The evening was incredible.

From left to right: Mark's brother and sister-in-law Greg & Amanda, Meag's sister Kelsey, Phil, Me, Kristin, Meagan, Molly, Mark, Mandy, Devin & Jen, Chris

There were passed hors d'oeuvres, fancy cocktails, delicious food, and decadent desserts. Simply divine. And we thought it would be appropriate to top this high-class affair off with a trip to The Annex.

AWWW YEAH. There ain't no place like the Annex on a Friday night. Damn straight.

The Annex is a dive bar that sits on a residential street corner in Solon, Ohio. It's about a mile from my former home, and beers are like twelve cents each. It's great. The bar is roughly the size of a one-room school house and it's probably dates back to that era because the entire structure is listing to one side. It looks like it could topple right over at any time with no warning at all. There's no physical evidence stating what this place is or what one does inside it, except for a neon MGD sign hanging in one of the windows. I guess those three glowing letters say everything that needs to be said.

Clad in our rehearsal dinner attire, we stuck out like a sore thumb.

What a blast! We played a few games of pool, drank a few beers, and then called it a night. It was a dandy way to wrap up an exquisite evening.

Meagan and Mark, I just want to tell you that anyone that can host a fine dinner party at the Chagrin Valley Country Club and follow it up with a trip to The Annex is A-OK in my book. Cheers!

(more to come soon)

A Half-Day With La

I got to spend my morning with this bombshell:

I took a half-day today so that we could sleep in, make a big breakfast, catch up, and relax. I would have taken the whole day off, but I'm missing two days at the end of the week already. (for Meagan's wedding!!!)

I asked La what she wanted to do this morning. I said we could go to the beach, the pool, the park, or the zoo ... And she picked the Disney Store.

And since I'm a big softy, I caved.

I mean, the kid went to the airport with her blubbering mother, boarded a plane by herself, flew across the country, and then did it all over again to come back home — without shedding one tear. (except for the happy tears at the very end) I would say she more than deserved the little plastic mermaid she picked out.

She's back!

Aunt M and I went to Midway Airport last night to get our little La. We were VERY early, so we waited and waited and waited. Finally her plane pulled into the gate. The attendant at the gate boarded the plane to retrieve our "Unaccompanied Minor." Other passengers started filing off the plane, and a few of them stopped to ask if I was La's mom and to tell us how sweet she is and what a "delight" she was on the plane. They said she was talking and singing to them the whole way.

And what a reunion! When I saw her, she seemed even smaller than when she left, but more mature at the same time. She squeezed me as hard as she could and snuggled her little head into my shoulder. I told her that she was my big brave girl and that I was so proud. I asked if she was crying, and she said "Yes, but only because I'm so happy!"

My baby girl is back. And I feel like my whole self again. I missed her so much.

Christmas in July

Each year, our department at work goes out for the holidays to celebrate and exchange gifts. It's lovely really.

Well.

We're a MARKETING department, therefore, we procrastinate. The original date was sometime in January. Then February. And before we knew it, July 15th was the date etched in stone.

We arrived at work, pulled the already-decorated miniature Christmas tree out of the closet, placed our gifts underneath, and had a wonderful "family moment" opening them. A little while later, we made like trees and got the hell out of there.

In honor of todays economy, we skipped the steakhouses and headed straight for The Billy Goat Tavern for lunch. It's a total dive. What fun!

From left to right: Angela, Ted, Jim (boss-man), me, Tim (Moira is missing — She was the photographer)

Then, our boss treated us to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (an exceptional movie, by the way).

Now that's a good day at the office.

Wedding Photographer Available

I am missing La very much right now, and I just looked through my recent iPhoto contents to reminisce and make myself a little sadder. I came across a few photos that were taken by La during the rehearsal dinner of Ellyn and Dan's wedding. If only she could learn to not chop peoples' heads off, I could start hiring her out.

Plant

(I love how the foreground is in focus and the background is blurred a little. My guess is that the effect was intentional)

Some people that we don't know at all

Some people we do know ... Renee and Phil

Our table (love the intriguing angle)

The Ohio River

My butt (she really knows how to capture people's best features)

Self portrait (there were about 14 similar shots from that evening)

Dan (the groom)

Mama with her wine

Abstract photo of the carpet

And another bridge/river shot

I can't wait to have her back. Only five more days now. I sent her camera with her ... I hope she took a lot of pictures!

Noteworthy

I have to say that this time around, I'm actually enjoying myself while La is away. Last time she was gone, I cried myself to sleep a few of the nights and walked around in a trance during the days. Maybe it's the weather. Nothing can keep me down when it's 80 degrees and sunny. Nothing!

I thought I would take a moment to point out some pretty major achievements of people who are close to me, because, heck. I can tell you I have not achieved anything in the last few weeks, unless you count completing a few minor projects and obtaining a rather uneven suntan. Living vicariously through others is all I got right now.

1. Aunt M was published in a Physical Therapy Magazine called Advance. The article is about innovative group therapy sessions, which she co-directs at La Rabida Children's Hospital. You can read the article here.
2. On Wednesday, Uncle Aaron will be the starting pitcher in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League 2009 All-Star Game. Not only was he brought into the game with the most votes of any player, but he's the face of this year's poster that will be handed out to all 4,000-plus attendees.
3. Yesterday Angela (the awesome gal I work with) completed her first ever Triathalon, and did a darn sweet job while she was at it. Were it me who had decided to jump into that lake to swim a quarter-mile, bike 19 miles, and then run 5 kilometers (ALL IN A ROW), I would be writing this post from a hospital bed in Pewaukee. Go Ang!
4. And lastly, La has told me over the phone that she learned how to swim across the entire length of the pool without stopping AND how to dive headfirst into water (Upon hearing this, the safety nerd in me emerged and lectured her on the importance of only diving in DEEP DEEP DEEP water with an adult there to catch her if she starts plummeting toward the bottom too quickly and warned her of the risk of spinal injuries OMG). But, nevertheless, way to go La!

I'm so proud of you guys!

On Fire

Photo by Gene Davis

Uncle Aaron is currently ranked the ninth best college baseball player in the United States by an independent college baseball tracking website. It's a big deal people. Here's the list.

And the Numbness Sets In

Let me just tell you how weird it is not having La here. I mean, yes, I get to sleep in a half hour later each morning. And yes, I am free from having to pick up 438 barbies from the living room floor every ten minutes. And yes, I can arrange La's closet without my little control freak telling me what goes where. And I can pretty much do whatever I damn well please whenever I damn well want to. And I get to use the word damn as much as possible, dammit.

But, it's just not the same. I miss her.

She's getting so big, I tell ya. I mean she flew! By herself! Across the country! On an airplane! Alone! What???

When I was a kid, I would have FREAKED THE HECK OUT at the mere thought of boarding an airplane by myself. My dad traveled all the time for work when I was young, and I used to lie awake at night with my hand over my heart PLEADING OUT LOUD TO MY DEAR LORD IN HEAVEN that my father could be spared just one more flight. At the time, I felt as though my dad was testing his fate by boarding an aircraft made of STEEL and allowing himself to enter the Earth's Stratosphere aboard the freaking contraption. So, the idea of getting on a plane alone under the age of 15 was not even a sliver of an idea in my little mind. I mean, what crazy parent would do that to their child?

And now here I am. With this brave little five-year-old who's not afraid to fly alone. In fact, when I told her that it was a possibility, her eyes lit up and she grabbed my arm and said, "Really mama? I can fly by myself?"

Ever since her father and I booked the flight, I've been waking up randomly at night, freaking out over La flying alone. Which is why I understood the anxiety that my relatives felt over the weekend. But, during the weeks leading up to the flight, I spoke with four different people who had all been in this situation before. Two were children that grew up doing this very thing AND LIVED TO TALK ABOUT IT. And two were parents that had been through this with their own children. The consensus from everyone was that Southwest was the best airline for this sort of thing. And Southwest is who we had booked the flight with. So, one point for us!

The day before she left, I was pretty nervous. I stayed up until 3 a.m. and couldn't sleep when I finally did lie down. I rolled out of bed at about 6 o'clock and went to hang out with my dad. He asked if I was nervous, and we started talking about the situation. I had never felt the amount of anxiety I felt at that moment. It was worse, BY FAR, than anything I had ever felt (yes, even worse than the anxiety I felt over labor and delivery) ... So, in the middle of our conversation I had to remove myself from the kitchen to throw up. That's right. I lost my cookies over the impending doom of an ordinary, everyday Southwest Airlines flight to Phoenix.

Needless to say, I was a nervous wreck that day until she boarded that plane. Thank God Aunt M was with me to see her off at the airport. When we arrived at Midway, we headed for the Southwest line, where a Southwest employee was sorting the line into two sections. She asked if we were international or domestic. We were like, "we're domestic, but she's an Unaccompanied Minor." The woman looked La up and down and said, "Sheesh! She's little!" (as if this is the tiniest little peanut she'd ever seen fly by herself) This made me feel SPECTACULAR. Then we got up to the counter, and the ticketing person looked at La and said, "You're flying by yourself? My daughter is your age and would NEVER fly by herself! You must be very brave!" (Thanks a lot lady!) ... But La seemed to take that as a compliment rather than an omen. THEN. We're in the security line and this twenty-something dude sees that La has an Unaccompanied Minor Pass around her neck, and he's all, "Whoa girl! You flyin' alone? Naw. I'm afraid of heights. I would never do that!" (OMG you people are KILLING ME!)

But, we made it to the gate without La bolting for the nearest exit. We sat down and I started reading her a story. A few minutes later a young woman and a little boy come over to us and take the two seats immediately to our left. Aunt M and I gave each other looks like "Whoa this is perfect! We'll use our high-pressure tactics to con her into sitting with La on the plane!" And guess what? It worked! We didn't even have to pressure her. SHE OFFERED.

So, when it was time to board, an off-duty pilot ushered La onto the plane. It happened very suddenly, so I grabbed her and kissed her five times in a row with tears streaming down my face, and she just said, "Bye mom" like I was WAY overreacting. The pilot led her on the plane, where La got to sit next to the nice mom and her little boy the whole way. Right before the plane took off, the pilot came back out to tell me that she was doing great and that she was sitting next to that mom and her son, already talking their ears off.

She got there with no incidents that I'm aware of, and when I got the text from her dad that he had her in his possession, the amount of relief I felt was indescribable. It was like when you're on a family vacation from Ohio to Wisconsin, and you're driving through the middle of Indiana, and you've had to pee for the last four hours. But you're too afraid to tell your dad (because he will chastise you for not going before you left the house), but your bladder is also about to explode inside your abdomen. And then you'll die. But right when you're on the brink of peeing inside a Snapple jar, your dad pipes up and says, "We're stopping in exactly 3.2 miles and you better get your shoes on if you want a potty break!" It's kind of like that. Sudden, immense relief.

I hope the flight back goes just as well.

The Fourth of July with a side of panic attack

We spent the July fourth Holiday up in Wisconsin. It was fun! A little stressful. But fun!

The weekend started Wednesday evening when I drove up with La and my dad, after picking him up at O'Hare. My mom had already been up there for a few days visiting with her brothers and sisters and Grandma Lois and Grandpa Duane. The night we got there she had been at my Aunt Sharon's house for a cookout with a bunch of her family (she has five siblings). Anywho. You get a handful of Moore's together, mix that with a bit of alcohol, and once in a while the outcome can be DRAMA FEST '09.

On this particular evening, the entire family was up in arms over La traveling alone to Phoenix. And boy did I hear about it. I had barely set my luggage down and had myself some Wisconsin cheese (sharp cheddar with shallots and cracked pepper mixed right in!), when my mom came bursting into the house bawling about how I'm "GOING TO RUIN LA'S LIFE IF I PUT HER ON THAT PLANE!"

Okay, these people are my family, and their apprehension on La's behalf is certainly merited and appreciated. However. It's not exactly relaxing to have to defend a decision you made as a parent that you yourself are not even comfortable with, you know what I mean? I totally got where they were coming from, but yikes. My first night of vacation was a teeny bit stressful.

But the next morning, I called my best friend, Meagan and had her talk to my mother, who could then help spread the word to the rest of her siblings. Meag has been traveling across the country by herself to visit her dad since she was six. And she used to have to make connections at O'Hare by herself. Talking to a well-adjusted individual that went through this as a child seemed to relax my mother a bit.

Then we forgot about the drama and met my cousin Justin's new baby, Cohwyn James. He was born on June 27, and he's the spitting image of his father. Here he is next to his dad's baby picture. Uncanny.

What a sweet, sweet little man.

We also met my Aunt Mary's new pup, Woody. He wasn't cute at all.

I could have eaten him in one bite, he was just that PRECIOUS.

We also hit up the world's largest music festival (Summerfest). Not for the music of course, but for the Bratwursts, the beer, and do-it-yourself tie-dye booths. And also for that thing that carries you across the park up in the air like a chair lift. Yeah. That thing is cool.

It took some convincing, but La rode the "sky ride" with me and enjoyed every bit of it. Aunt M did not love it. And my Aunt Sharon? She rode the ENTIRE WAY with her arms and legs out stiff in spread eagle fashion, with her head turned to the side and her eyes slammed shut. She was completely and wholeheartedly freaked out beyond belief. I wish I would have turned around and glanced at her, but alas, I did not and therefore missed one of the funniest things ever, according to my Aunt Kathleen. (Sharon's explanation for The Spread Eagle Maneuver was that she had no choice. That's just what her body had to do to position itself for the impact when her sky-glider fell off the cable and went crashing to the Earth below.)

My family is not dramatic at all.

Oooh! The tie-dying was neat. La made a nifty sundress.

And she HAD to have a Usinger's Bratwurst. She ate the whole thing. I don't know why that surprises me anymore. I should be used to her eating a bratwurst as big as her head, but it never fails to amaze me.

On the third, we went down to the lakefront to see Milwaukee's famed fireworks. We did this many times when I was a kid, and it really brought back the memories.

La met a little boy named Harlan (red shirt below).

And a vendor came around with 49-cent glow-in-the-dark swords that he was selling for five bucks, so naturally we bought one for La.

It was a good investment. By the time the fireworks started, Harlan was crying on his blanket because he was afraid he would never see La again. We got his email address, so we'll be sure to let him know if we're at the Milwaukee Lakefront next year.

Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Joe hosted a great July 4th party. La danced on the bridge in her swimsuit.

The party was really fun, except for the part about my mom being dizzy with her heart pounding out of her chest and her blood pressure through the roof. Yeah. That part stunk. We were all worried. There were a few tense Swenson Family Moments that evening, trying to determine if her blood pressure reading could really be that high (is this thing broken???) and deciding whether she should go to the emergency room or not. She decided to ride it out and wait to see a doctor when she was back in Ohio.

Folks, after a visit with the paramedics—yes she called 911 the other day—and a visit with her doctor, she's alive and well. The consensus is that it was probably an anxiety attack mixed with pre-existing high blood pressure. Caused by who knows what. (La flying alone maybe? Oh dear.) Anyway, they're running some more tests and checking out her heart tomorrow, but her prognosis is good. I think. I hope. I'll keep you posted on that.

And after setting off our own fireworks it was time for La to take a vacation from her vacation. A snooze on the floor with Grandpa did the trick.

I have to mention that La's flight to Arizona went very well. She did much better than I did, from what I hear. I'll try to go into more detail about that experience later. For now, goodnight.

A Little Fishy

So, I sat down tonight to write about our vacation to Wisconsin and La traveling on a plane by herself to AZ and Summerfest and bratwursts and cheese and new babies (not mine! don't worry!) and puppies and family and fireworks. And after sizing a whole bunch of photos down and uploading them to blogger, I decided it was just too much for my over-stimulated brain to process tonight. I need to go read my book and relax. (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in case you're wondering) (And yes, I am "living it up" while La is away by reading a children's book. Don't judge.)

I promise there WILL be more to follow tomorrow-ish, even if you don't give a rip. You're getting a good old Wisconsin story whether you like it or not, doen-cha-nooowe.

For now, I give you one of the highlights of our trip Up North:

Yes, after paying an arm and a leg for swimming lessons (where I thought she learned nothing), La has finally figured out how to swim with her head above water. Quite the accomplishment, La! Mama is so proud.

Uncle A is kicking some A

Aunt M and I got home last night from an extra long weekend in Wisconsin—and La is in Arizona now, visiting her dad ... I will write about all that later tonight. But, for now, check out my brother!

Photo courtesy of Haymarket Joe Photography

Uncle Aaron has been playing in the Valley Baseball League in Staunton, Virginia this summer. And it seems that he's doing one heck of a job. His ERA is at .96, and he was the #1 vote-getter in his league for a spot in their all-star game. Here's a nice article.

Looking good Aar! (Is it me or is he looking really skinny?)

You Fancy Thing

This is how I found La in her room last night before bed. Hot.

She'll be leaving me on Sunday for two weeks to spend time with her daddy in Arizona. She's very excited to be flying on a plane all by herself. But I'm completely freaked out about it and will probably need sedation while she's in the air. FlightAware, and the "refresh" button will be my dearest pals during those four hours.