bird bath-April 2011

Today Ollie and I spent the day together running errands, playing with his toys, and having deep conversations.  The first one went like this, “Mom I wear underswears today.”  That ended after 4 pairs of unders and one load of laundry.  We agreed to allow Lightning McQueen catch his potty and go on with our day (overly commercialized pull ups that cost fifty cents a piece).  The next one went like this, “I smells something.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“It’s my breath.”

Awesome.  There were lots of similar conversations that came after that brought a little smile or a dose of frustration.  I feel like I’m constantly editing the real world to fit into his little world of understanding.  Drawing connections for him, simplifying or sometimes just omitting.  It wasn’t until our last conversation of the night that I was struck by how  much he truly does understand.

As usual we were recapping our day just before he went to sleep.  This is a meaningful ritual for the two of us.  I feel like it’s a verbal journal that teaches both of us to reflect on our best and what we’d like to change.  Today, Ollie and I went to the library.  While riding in the elevator I read the text on a flyer to him.  It took us both a bit to understand the event.  It’s a sleepover at the library…for stuffed animals.  So, basically you bring your favorite stuffed animal on Friday afternoon, have a snack and a drink with it, then give it a kiss and leave it there.  The flyer details all of the activities your “loved one” will be enjoying including story time, a movie, popcorn and tuck in service.  The next day you come back to the library, pick up your stuffed animal and receive photographs of the inanimate object partying hard at the sleepover.  Yes.  I could not make this up.  I thought long and hard during our visit about who would really benefit from the stuffed animal sleep over.  Nonetheless I was intrigued and brought it up to Ollie a few times later in the day.  I asked him if he thought Llama Llama and Otter would like to go to the sleep over.  He said yes.  I asked him if he would miss them if we left them at the library overnight…he said no.  Then at bedtime I went in for the win.  I picked up Llama Llama, looked him in the eyes and asked him, “Llama Llama would you like to go to the sleep over at the library with all the other stuffed animals?”  Ollie looked at me for a long moment and then said, “Momma, he not make a sound.  He pretend.”

Yes, he is pretend.  That won’t stop us from feeding him pretend meals from our pretend kitchen.  It won’t stop us from discussing his feelings and wishing him a good day when we leave in the morning.  Ollie isn’t confused or sad about this dichotomous relationship.  He takes what serves him best and lets go of what does not.  As an adult I’m an expert at making my own noise.  My world is full of sound.  Is the story I’m telling myself serving me?  Isn’t it ultimately about faith, believing in what cannot be seen.  Llama Llama doesn’t make a sound but he probably will go to the sleep over.  He’ll probably have a great time because that’s how the author will write the story.  Am I writing my own story, all the while believing in what cannot be seen and trusting in the goodness of it?  I’ve been pretty confused and really sad about some bumps we’ve hit in the road, but I did see the sign.  I want to pretend I didn’t because I don’t want to drive my car in that direction.  He did not make a sound…but I still heard.

egg bath-April 2013

Hello!  It’s 2013 and we haven’t met here in cyberville for quite awhile.  Today is the official close of the holiday season here at McGriff Station.  As always I’m vowing to do better next year by starting earlier and taking more time off work!  Ollie turned two amid this sparkling season and it shows.  I’m frequently exposed to public tantrums and willful acts of disobedience to test my mental stability.  His vocabulary and wit have accelerated as well keeping Lynden and I guessing until we get it right.  Here’s a quick list of our “bests”

1.  Ollie got a Brio train set from my Mom and Dad for Christmas.  It’s now the center of his and subsequently our universe.  We’ve been woken up several times each night with requests to play “frain” and put cars on the “frack.”

2.  Ollie had a 2 year well check this morning with his pediatrician Dr. Weaver.  When we told him about it this morning he quickly responded, “Am I a sick?”

3.  ”Hold You”-our favorite phrase this season.  Ollie’s still working out the rules of language so for now we get, “Hold You!” each time he’s feeling a bit needy.

4.  ”I want it, meat”-another favorite way O uses to ask for a quick run through McDonalds for a dry Cheeseburger.

5.  ”Hear it….Frain” Ollie’s best moments of the day when we hear the Amtrak race down the track.

We hope your holiday’s brought sweet memories.  We’re grateful for a new season of life in 2013.  Thank you to all of you that sent cards and letters this Christmas, Ollie enjoyed looking at all of your pictures and naming your names.  More posts to come as winter blows on!

J McG

Hello Blog Readers!

Has it been a whole month?  Sorry, we’ve missed you all!  The McGriff family has been very busy just living life.  It’s summer here and we’re really diving in!  As you can see Oliver has been trying some new things now that he’s an official toddler.  As my Papa Ollie always used to say, “Try it, you might like it!!”  Ollie-bird has decided he likes quite a few things that were previously rejected.  Exhibit A: the pool.  It takes quite a while to get him to wade into the zero depth toddler wonderland at Anderson Park but once he does it’s shear joy.  We’ve also settled in with “Ish Sheam” otherwise known as ice cream.  Other favorites include: paint, chalk, bubbles, bikes, buses, and Dora.  We recently had an epic battle at Target that resulted in the purchase of pink Dora diapers.  I’m absolutely on board as Bird is able to improve his behavior when sporting the pink Latina on his tush.

In other news Momma Bird has been pretty busy in the past month with something new.  I’m trying it, and so far I think I like it.  No…I’m not pregnant.  I am however training for my first (and probably my only) HALF IRONMAN TRIATHLON.  This is a big deal in my life.  It’s the longest race and most challenging physical endeavor I’ve ever undertaken.  I’ve been training for awhile now but I decided not to let the cat out of the bag until July 1st.  If you are wondering what this means I’ll break it down for you: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.  Yep.  A long one.  I too have a hispanic secret weapon but mine is named Luis!  He’s training me every day from afar in MN.  My big event is on 9/9/12 in Minnesota.  Mark your calendar if you’re around I need all the support I can get!  It’s time now for bed.  I’ve got 9 miles to run in the AM before the 4th of July celebration begins.  We promise more stories and pics soon.  In the meantime: Try it.  You might like it.

Bird

I’m so proud of you for sleeping in your new big boy bed the whole night.  Even though you woke up one tiny time you got right back in your cozy bed after a short drink.  You and I have seen the stars every night since you’ve been born.  I wouldn’t trade those sweet moments in the rocking chair for the world but it’s time for us both to grow up a little.

Love,

Mommy

Our first night in Venice

Has it been a whole month blog friends?  Many of you have wondered if we feel off the face of the cyber earth but alas we’ve returned!  Lynden and I had a wonderful trip to Italy with the Dominican Festival Choir.  Ten whole days of singing, seeing, eating, and yes of course SLEEPING was a welcomed change of pace.  We’ll be sharing the details of our trip on another website that I’m in the process of creating for the choir.  I’ll share the link when things are truly ready.  In short, we spent 10 days learning the ins and outs of traveling with 102 people all of whom were more advanced in age than ourselves.  We also spent it eating a lot of wonderful local food that is still with us today in the form of extra padding!  We made great friends and look forward to reuniting with them to share stories of our adventure.  The bird of course had an adventure of his own.  He spent his days at 2255 otherwise known as Grammie Camp.  His first week was spent with our good friend Jeanette.  While my parents toiled away at work Ollie and Jeanette hit the zoo, the aquarium, the park, the McD, you name it…they did it.  The second week was all Grandma all the time.  Ollie got into quite a routine and Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  So much so that we’ve had to change our routine around here just to make him “happy”!  Daily doses of cinnamon bread, squirting of hoses, and windexing glass surfaces are now required.  I’ll be posting more pictures and telling more stories in the coming days now that I’ve returned to the land of the living and can find most of my stuff.  Until then here’s a short list of the currents around here:

1.  Bird now sleeping in a big boy bed after WWIII post Italy.  The good news is it only takes 30-45 min to get him to sleep in it.  The bad news is he still gets out about 3 or 4 AM.  The battle continues.

2.  Bird had birds in his classroom.  More accurately chicks.  For days he’s been reenacting the scene of the little foul pecking their way out of warm eggs.  Thanks again Little Jewels for giving our kid such great experiences…I love not having to do that stuff at home i.e. finger painting with one’s feet.

3.  Bird now says two-two syllable words.  Outside and Backpack.  The first has proven to be very useful for him.  The second not so much, unless he plans to actually live with Dora the Explorer.

4.  Bird loves Dora so much that he coerced me into purchasing a small package of pink Dora diapers at Target yesterday.  We do have the boy version of these sassy pull ups featuring Diego (Dora’s rugged cousin).  Unfortunately Bird refuses to wear them as the bright blue soccer balls disappear when he pees in them…a horrific end he can no longer fathom.

5.  When we got home we learned that Lynden had been transferred to a new CVS.  A surprise shake up that we hope will bring upward movement for him within the company.  The draw back of course is a whole new schedule.  Hello instability.

6.  Mommabird has a big event coming up!  The Tour de Farms MS 150!!  What does this mean?  I’m riding 150 miles on my bicycle (no motor) to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  I have to raise $300 in order to participate.  I’m riding with and for a friend who lost her Mom to MS.  If you have a chance please visit my fundraising page  http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR

All you need to do is type in my name: Jillian McGriff.  You will see that I’m on team KPMG.  I have about $290 to go before my big even on June 23rd.  Thanks for considering!

Sweeping with Grandpa

If I haven’t shared this before, I’m going to share it now.  I see a counselor.  Yep.  I’m fearlessly throwing that out there because I think it’s important for people to know that normal people go to counselors.  Once in a while my counselor says something to me that’s epic.  Just recently she said, “Jillian, you do realize that you cannot keep up this pace, right?”  It wasn’t so much a warning or a pointing of an authoritative finger but more of an objective characterization of my personal timeline.  My Dad calls this “burning the candle at both ends!”  For the record my parents are both HUGE candle burners so it’s sort of like the pot calling the kettle black.  Well folks, my candle is a blazin’ on both ends.  We just survived the dreaded Hand Foot Mouth Disease (google if you dare).  Poor Ollie was absolutely miserable.  I on the other hand weathered this illness of his better than previous illni (I made that up, that’s the plural form of illness).  It was really rough but it forced us to stay inside and not see anyone for 4 whole days.  Bird would not allow me to do a single thing for myself.  He demanded that I watch Sesame WITH him.  Sit and looked at books WITH him.  Press buttons on the various remotes WITH him.  And of course stay up all night WITH him.  I of course did all of this.  Side note: Dad that $20 rug at Home Depot wasn’t such a bargin when I had to sleep on it two nights in a row on a hard wood floor.

Now that Ollie’s on the mend I’m like a crazed monkey going to work, president-ing the Peoria Civic Chorale every night from 6-10 this week before our Sat concert and preparing to head off to Italy.  WHAT…what’s that you say??  Yep, going to Italy.  Known about it for a long time but haven’t shared.  Singing in Italy actually.  So…I can’t find my pants.  My favorite jeans from the Limited, size 6, boot cut, dark blue.  I need them for the trip.  I can’t find them and I have zero time to pack and get Ollie ready.  There is so much on the schedule between now and a week from now when I need to leave that I’m really kind of in trouble.  If you’ve seen them, please…give me a call.

You are a tiny person now.  Brilliantly alive and sparkling.  You and I talk about things.  A shift of your eyes, a sound that’s meant to emulate, a little gesture with your pudgy hand…I know you my little love.  You know how to ignite my Mommy temper, you push me to my limit then you crinkle your nose and laugh!  We keep secrets.  You and me.  When Daddy’s not home I dance for you like a fool, spinning and leaping across the kitchen!  You know when I’m truly happy and when I’m worried.  When you get hurt you run to me, burying your face in my neck, real tears running down your cheeks.  You’re fearless.  You climb to the very top of every playground arms outstretched squealing “Weeeeeeee” at the sight of a slide.  My body is bruised and scraped from crawling on hands and knees with you through tunnels, flying down slides, and monkeying across bars.  You have favorites.  You tell us.  You bring lunch to Daddy to the drive through at CVS, you eat his tater tots on the way.  You can perform at least 15 animal sounds.  You press individual letters on the computer keyboard with such determination expecting your precious YouTube videos to appear.  You mine and I am yours.