If Adelaide Could Live in a Submarine, I Think She Would.

On Sunday, Chris headed to Foxboro to meet up with some of his high school teammates to honor his former coach who had been inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame.  The weather was not great so after church, Oliver, Adelaide and I headed up to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire.  They have a reciprocal membership with the Museum of Science so we did not have to pay anything.  It was about an hour away and a very easy drive.

When we got there, the kids had fun exploring the different exhibits.  

 This is the typical Oliver jumping up and down in excitement position that cracks me up.  It is SO easy to tell when he is happy!

 Without a doubt, their favorite part was the submarine.  They each had COMPLETELY different reasons for loving it of course.  Adelaide saw the little bunks and jumped right in and made herself at home.  She didn't do much else for about ten minutes.  Then, when we left the submarine, she kept on asking to go back to it again because it was her favorite thing there.

 Meanwhile, Oliver got busy pressing buttons and taking command of the submarine.

 Eventually Adelaide joined in and did some listening of her own.

 I am realizing more and more that all of these pictures are of Oliver doing something and Adelaide chilling out.  Here she is chilling out in a chair while Oliver created patterns on the window behind her.

 Oliver was so proud of the design he made.

 Adelaide just being Adelaide!  I am pretty happy with her new jean jacket.  I snagged it the Children's Drop and Shop a few weeks ago for five dollars.  I've been wanting to get her one so when I saw it there and in such good condition, I couldn't pass it up.

 Before we left, we checked out the dig site.  Not quite as cool as the one down in Disney, but they still had fun.

 Poor Adelaide thought this was a real phone and she called Papa and kept on saying, "Hello, Papa, are you there?" Then she looked at me and asked me why he wasn't answering.  This is the same girl who saw a boy wave on my computer screen the other day (it was a video and not skype) and proceeded to frantically wave back to him.  She really makes us smile!  I would love to get into her mind for a day.

 Again, Adelaide sitting.  She really did have fun though!

I think we will definitely go back to that museum again.  It wasn't too crowded, parking was easy and the kids had fun for the entire afternoon.

A Simple Moment

Ever since I can remember, I have had a very hard time just relaxing and enjoying the moment.  My mind is often consumed with a million other little thoughts...these thoughts of 2012 involve housework that needs to be done, fears about parenting, and self-reflection.  I have finally begun to accept that the housework will never be done because there will always be more meals to be made, more toys to be played with and more clothes to be washed.  But, I have a choice in how much I let it affect my thoughts.  I am still learning when it comes to parenting.  I don't think I will ever hit a point in parenting when I think I have it figured out.  Are there things I wish that I had done differently over the past four years?  Absolutely.  Are there things that I think I've done well?  Of course.  I have two children who are very different from each other and I need to remember that I am doing the best I can with them.  I really am doing the best I can with Oliver and Adelaide and at the end of the day, isn't that what matters?  The self-reflection part is a bit more difficult because I am hard on myself.  But, one of the things that I can work on is enjoying the little moments that happen every day.  I've been wanting to be more "present" with my children and I made the decision that I will find at least one moment every day that I am fully engaged in whatever we are doing together.  

Earlier this week, we went outside to blow bubbles and I sat under a tree and watched them squeal with delight every time they blew a big bubble and it flew high into the sky.  I can honestly say that for about ten minutes I was filled with a sense of contentment watching them enjoy a beautiful day.

On Thursday, it was so warm outside so after dinner we made milkshakes.  They were so delicious and the three of us sat at the table and talked while drinking our milkshakes.  That was my little moment for Thursday.

Yesterday, Oliver and Adelaide's school had an evening event called Planet Playhouse.  When we were there, we went to one of the rooms where a teacher was reading a story by starlight.  Oliver and Adelaide sat on my lap while we listened to the story and the three of us really enjoyed that time together.

I may not be able to enjoy every moment of the day, but I am trying to focus on one little moment at a time.  I am thankful for my family and for the life that I have.

St. Patrick's Day

Once a year, we pay a visit to Harpoon to drop off some treats for Chris and the other employees.  Last year, we went on Valentine's Day but this year we decided to go on St. Patrick's Day.  Clearly, Oliver was VERY excited about dropping off the pots of gold.  He could hardly contain himself which is why there aren't many pictures of him while we were at Harpoon.  He was literally running from person to person wishing them a Happy St. Patrick's Day.  Adelaide played it a bit cooler but still was enjoying herself.

 Oliver, Adelaide and I made Pots of Gold.  They consisted of little black kettles and I attached a ribbon and shamrock that the kids had painted.  Inside, we put gold chocolate coins, Starburst, Rolos, tattoos, pins and stickers.  The kettles were actually bigger than I thought they'd be when I ordered them so we found ourselves buying more and more bags of candy as we filled them!

 When we got there, Oliver and Adelaide went to work dropping off the treats.

 Oliver was excited to see where daddy worked and even tried to help him!

 After we left Harpoon, we headed over to see Grammi at her work and we brought her a Blarney Scone.

 Of course Oliver and Adelaide expected to try the scone before leaving and Oliver did some work for Grammi that involved hole punching and stapling.

 When we got home, I gave them a snack of green milk and lucky charms.  This is a terrible picture but Adelaide was literally jumping up and down because she saw the green milk!

 Next up was making a leprechaun trap.  Daddy was happy to design our trap after we all did some research about the best way to catch a leprechaun.

 Adelaide decided to act like a leprechaun before starting to make the trap.

 Here is the finished product.  Oliver and Adelaide had so much fun putting together the trap and really hoped to catch a leprechaun.

 Oliver is explaining exactly how the leprechaun will get caught.

 Oliver and Adelaide decided later on that they needed to add some more zest to the trap so they adorned it with stickers, stickers and more stickers!

 St. Patrick's Day ended with shamrock shakes that consisted of mint ice cream, oreos and whipped cream.

Unfortunately, we didn't catch a leprechaun.  But, we had fun trying!

On a completely random note, today was 75 and beautiful.  Before dinner, I took the kids outside to blow bubbles and I sat on the grass watching them.  They were so happy.  The joy that something so simple brought to them made me really think about how I sometimes try so hard to make the holidays special and create memories, but really, it could be just those simple moments like blowing bubbles that they will remember when they are older and look back on their childhood.  I am totally okay with that possibility.  In fact, I am more than okay with that.  I want them to experience childhood to it's fullest and watching them blowing bubbles and running around trying to catch them on their wands could not have been a more beautiful representation of childhood moments at their best.

Happy Birthday to My Husband!

Last weekend was my huband's birthday.  My mother and father in-law were so nice to have us to their house to celebrate his special day.  I was still recovering and if I could count on anyone to make a delicious meal and dessert for Chris, it would be my mother-in-law!  

Oliver and Adelaide were so excited to help make the banana cream pie.  

 I know Adelaide does not look so excited here, but she was having a good time...really!

 This is possibly one of my very favorite pictures of Chris with the kids.  They were so excited to pick out their cards and presents for him and seeing the three of them sitting together like this really warms my heart.

 My mother-in-law did a fantastic job.  Chris had a porterhouse steak, potatoes, salad and a delicious pie.

 We actually had the pie before we ate our dinner.  When we go down to the Cape, we feed the kids before us so that the adults can have a leisurely dinner by the fireplace after the kids are asleep.  Sometimes our conversations go on for hours.  So nice.

This year, I am very thankful for my husband.  We have known each other for twelve years and gone through many major life adventures together.  We've done a long distance relationship- both early in our  relationship when we lived in different states and again after we were married when he spent a year in Afghanistan.  We've supported each other through difficult times, including the loss of some of our most loved family members.  We've been there through career changes, graduate school for both of us and many moves.  We've brought two incredible little people into this world who make our lives so much better.  We love being parents.  We were talking about that the other night and we are so thankful that we have Oliver and Adelaide.  I knew the second I met him that he was the one for me.  If you ask him if he felt the same way about me, he'd be honest and say no :)!  But, I felt this strong connection to him that I couldn't let slip and I pursued him during our senior year of college.  That persistence finally paid off when we started dating in the middle of senior year.  I believe that he has made me a more well-rounded person.  My love of foods has grown tremendously.  One of my favorite things to do with him is go out for dinner and try something new to eat.  I've also grown to appreciate wine, traveling and come to fully understand football.  It's fun to simultaneously yell at the tv screen after a bad call by the referee and then be able to discuss why it was a bad call!  He understands me in ways that most people don't.  I am probably not the easiest person to live with because I do wear my heart on my sleeve.  If something is bothering me, I need to talk about it.  If I'm feeling worried, I need to talk about it.  He's very good at letting me talk and just accepting me.

Birthdays, regardless of age, are important.  It's a reminder of the gift of life that a loved one has been given and it's an opportunity to celebrate another year!

What I Learned

Last week I had surgery and learned a few things as a result of the whole experience:

*First, vicodin is some strong stuff.  Woah.  While I do feel it was necessary to take it as prescribed for the pain, looking back, it had quite the effect on me.  I stopped taking it on Monday night and I had no idea how out of it I had been since last Thursday until I woke up on Tuesday feeling like myself again.

*Second, I will never again try to plan a party or make lists in my head immediately following surgery.  When I was in the recovery room, I had about six hours where I was being monitored.  I couldn't do anything because I was still so drowsy and they were checking my pulse, blood pressure and so on.  I also couldn't talk well because my throat was really sore.  I had the *brilliant* idea to close my eyes and plan Oliver's birthday party (which is still months away).  Honestly, I couldn't get past the date of his birth.  In my head I said, "he will be five."  Then, I'd forget what I was going to do next and would start over again with "he will be five."  When planning a party wasn't working, I decided to make a list of everyone I know.  How boring am I?  But, I couldn't get past my parents, in-laws and siblings before I forgot who I had listed and had to start over again.  I even forgot Oliver who I had just been planning a party for.  According to my post-surgery list, I know a total of six people.  Then I gave up on making lists and just laid there.

*Third, Lipton packaged chicken soup is SO good.  I think it's my favorite soup ever.  I never got tired of it, even after eating it for days.

*Fourth, being honest with Oliver and Adelaide was helpful.  I told them the day before my surgery that I was having surgery and I am glad that I did.  I think it helped that they had surgery before so they felt like they could relate:).  They actually started jumping up and down and telling me, "Mommy, you'll get to watch tv and eat your meals on the daybed just like we did!"  Apparently that must have been a huge treat because that is what they remember from their surgery.  Also, Oliver said the funniest thing to Chris.  He asked Chris if I could only eat soft food because it was going to come out of the hole in my neck.  Chris had to explain a bit about my surgery after he said that.

*Fifth, apparently I become an online shopper when I am heavily medicated and have access to a computer.  Suddenly, everything on Zulily seemed like the cutest thing ever.  Luckily, Chris stopped me before I took it too far.  And, in fairness, Adelaide did need some new shoes and hair bows.  She just may not have needed that new dress.

*Sixth, I am so fortunate to have such special people in my life.  I am thankful for my parents who took care of Oliver and Adelaide, my husband who took care of me and all of the people who checked in to see how I was doing.  I am also thankful for my in-laws who are opening up their house to us this weekend so we can celebrate my husband's birthday down at the Cape.  I love to celebrate birthdays but I knew this year I would still be on the mend so I asked my mother-in-law if we could come down to see them and perhaps she could make Chris a special birthday dinner.  She was happy to help and Chris put in his request for a special dinner.

*Finally, I've been sucked into The Hunger Games.  I decided to read it because I've heard so much about it and it is GOOD...REALLY GOOD.

Yesterday, Oliver brought home this notice from school and decided to read it to me.  He really enjoys reading and I love that he enjoys it.  I've always loved books and I remember being his age and so desperately wanting to be able to read.  Every child has something that they enjoy.  In this case, I think it's a love of reading for Oliver.  This blog is a record of special events that happen in our life and I think that being able to read is a special occasion.

Remembering A Special Man.

Last weekend, a very special person went to heaven.  My mother-in-law's brother Mike passed away.  He will always hold a special place in all of our hearts.  He was a kind, gentle man who had a great sense of humor.  My favorite story about Uncle Mike is when he decided to play a little prank on my dad the day of my wedding.  He called our house pretending to be Chris's boss from the military and asked to talk to Chris.  When my dad told him that Chris wasn't there, he said he needed to get a hold of him because Chris was being ordered to return back to base immediately.  My dad totally thought it was a true situation and said that he had a few minutes of panic trying to figure out what to do.  My dad was completely tricked and it made for some good laughs every time we were together.  Here is his obituary:

Michael Sullivan Zoffuto (1946 - 2012)

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Zoffuto, Michael Sullivan Michael Sullivan Zoffuto, 65, of Amarillo, TX, died Sunday, February 26, 2012, at Northwest Texas Hospital. Born June 28, 1946, in Indiana, PA, Mike was the son of Charles and Della Zoffuto. He and Marcia Ruth McEntyre were married in August 1969, in Odessa, TX. Mike served in the United States Marine Corps for six years, from 1969 to 1974. He served as a First Lieutenant during the Vietnam War and was honored with many decorations, including two Purple Hearts, The Bronze Star Medal for Valor in combat, The Navy Commendation Medal for Valor in combat, The National Defense Service Medal with Star, The Vietnam Service Medal with Star, The Vietnam Campaign Medal, and The Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Gold Star. Zoffuto was a 1964 graduate of Brockway (PA) High School. He received a B.S. in Sociology and a M.A. in Psychology from West Texas State University. Mike played football for the Buffs of WTSU from 1965-68, as well as for the Quantico Marines (USMC) in Quantico, VA, in 1969. Before injuries ultimately derailed his playing career, the San Diego Chargers drafted Mike in 1968. Zoffuto's career included assistant coaching stints with the Quantico (VA) Marines (1971), Dodge City (KS) Junior College (1974), and the University of Kansas (1975-76). Mike was the head football coach at Great Bend (KS) High School (1977-78), Mt. Pleasant (TX) High School (1979-85), Red Oak High School (1986), Lake Highlands High School (1987-95), and W. T. White High School (1999-2005). As a head coach, Mike's overall record was 204-90; he took three different teams to the Texas State Playoffs 14 times in an 18 year period. Mike is survived by three daughters, Kristen (James) Sharp of Amarillo, Anne Marie (Cade) Wartes of Childress, and Megan Zoffuto of San Antonio; a son, Charles Mac Zoffuto of Amarillo; two sisters, Teri (Mike) Sweatman of Mashpee, MA, and Lou Ann Zoffuto of Cape Girardeau, MO; four grandchildren, Hudson, Isaac, and Elliot Sharp of Amarillo, and Eva Grace Wartes of Childress; and several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Della; father, Charles; wife, Marcia; and brother, Anthony. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 PM on Friday, March 2, at Washington Avenue Christian Church in Amarillo, TX. Mike was known by his friends to be a loyal supporter, an animated storyteller, and a generous giver. He loved his family unconditionally.