Moon Pie

Dear lady sitting next to me at the sushi restaurant in Omaha seven years ago,

"Your baby has such a round face!" you exclaimed as you peered over the booth at my second child, wedged snuggly between the vinyl-covered seat and my ample thighs.  "Thank you," I replied as I chopsticked a large piece of sushi into my mouth and gazed down at my beautiful baby, trying not to drip soy sauce on her already stained hand-me-down sleeper.  

"I would call her face a "moon-pie" face.  It looks as round as a moon-pie!  You know, it's so round, she'll get teased by boys later on in life. I hope she grows into her face, you know, for her own sake," you said with a piece of rice stuck to your lip bobbing up and down with each syllable you spoke.

I decided that comment wasn't worth exercising my table-manners and so, with a mouth full of an entire spider roll, I said "Nah wah. Ah hoff hah ayff ef ahwayff eff wahnd," which, in case you didn't speak Mouth Full of Spider Roll, translates to: "No way.  I hope her face is always this round."  

I'm sure you meant well.  Most people in the Midwest do. They're just that way.  They are a humble people, forced to eat raw fish that has travelled across, like, 12 states before it gets to them and for that, I am sorry.  I am not sorry, however, for my beautiful second child's perfectly circular face and the impression it made on you that day.  In fact, I just got that "moon-pie" face printed large and on canvas where it will be showcased front and center somewhere in our home and I can't wait to hang it up.  And just so you know, she's 7 and a half years old, her face is almost still just as round and she doesn't get teased by boys.  In fact, she gets chased.  

Sorry about that sushi. May your oval-faced days be filled with spicy yellowtail and an ecoli-free existence.

Sincerely, 

Annie Reynolds

To All the Non-InstaPals I've Loved Before

Here's a highlight of what you've missed, complete with the original captions:

"Juniper Betty with her head so sweaty."

"#popawheeliesfordays"

"At the end of August, the plot on the top will have the house on the bottom built on it.  As of today, it will be ours."

"Hey Mom!  Can I take a picture of your shadow?  It makes you look really weird and ugly." #surethingkid

"The Little Sisters"

"No more training wheels.  Took off like a champ. Best of all, no falls, no scraped knees, no tears."

"Are you letting Juni play house too?  Are you including her?"

"Yah totally, Mom.  She's our hairless cat."

Not an Ordinary Turkey, by May

The Big Girls Go to School

Monday morning's motto was "Be brave."  I didn't intend it to become that way but I think ended up saying that sentence about 20 times.  They were scared--scared to go to a new school, scared that they didn't know anyone, scared to have teachers they knew nothing about, scared about not knowing where things were or their way around, etc.  In typical Ruby fashion, she started to cry but only after she had turned and thought I couldn't see her, and even turned around to try to smile through tears, wanting to protect me, not wanting to have me worry about her.  It ripped my heart out, almost more than May, who was sobbing.  I had to pry her off my legs.  It was really, really rough.  I cried all the way back to the car, back home and while I told my mother-in-law about the whole scene.  Ugh.  But Ruby's teacher was nice, her school "nurse" (health helper lady) is awesome (thrilled!) and May's teacher is SO great, so at the end of the day, everyone was all smiles. This picture was taken before school during Juni's nap, before the drama hit.

 

At Home

Friday Photos: Week 15 - All the Girlz

Christmas Eve at the Beach

Juniper (and Ruby and May): 9 weeks

On Uncle Joe's old bed this morning. Olive was down stairs getting into the cereal like the raccoon she is.

Trick Or Treat Night 2011

Friday Photos: Home From School

Snacks.

Waiting in line for the bathroom.

P.S. - I made Ruby this skirt.

Still not sure if it was worth the effort.

It's cute but it took me forever

and didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned.

Close, but not exactly.

Checking out the job chart but getting distracted on the way.

Olive being a weirdo.

May being a weirdo.

Snacks on her face.

Yoga in the kitchen with her bunjee.

Downward facing dog.

Chaturanga.

Cobra.

Shavasana-Olive style.

Namaste.

Three Pictures From Later That Day on the First Day of School

Getting off the bus.

One's really excited. One's like "been here, done this...")

Taken sneakily during scripture reading.

Sweet sisters.

The First Day of School, K & 3

My little buddy left me today. Because her birthday just missed the cutoff for kindergarten last year, May has been at home with me for an extra year and I've grown quite fond of her. Here's the more-than-ready-to-go-to-kindergarten kindergartner.

My eyes were tearing even as I took this first photo.

Then things got weird.

I think she might be a little excited?

And here's the third grader (who is looking SO old to me lately),

my tender, wise, old soul of a girl.

But still as goofy as the rest.

And just as graceful. In fact, it is her middle name.

No, seriously. It is.

Olive and I will miss these goof balls.