Father's Day

Can I just brag for a minute? Christopher is an amazing father. He is so loving and gentle with his Penelope. He doesn't always like to admit it, but his heart is a big mush for his little girl. I used to think of myself as patient, but Christopher beats me and every other parent.


Oh, did I mention that he is, also, helplessly good looking? (ok, so maybe that's for my benefit, not hers)

Penélope is a blessed little girl...

A Good Neighbor

Christopher and I celebrated Dia dos Namorados on Thursday. (the Brazilian equivalent to Valentines Day). This was the first year we decided to do this. Valentines Day will be a day of Family Loves and Dia dos Namorados will be just for the two of us.

Being that it was the first time I didn't remember until the morning of. The plannings, therefore, were rushed and so perhaps it was not quite as romantic as Carol's day but a lovely time nonetheless. We chose to go see Indiana Jones (my second time at the cinema in the last two years!). Since we hadn't eaten dinner, after the movie we went to Culver's Drive through. When we approached the window to pay for our food, the cashier informed us that the person in the car ahead of us had paid for our meal in full!!!! Apparently it was a Good Neighbor effort promoted by the local KTIS station (which I have been known never to listen to, but offer many critical comments about it, OUCH!) Go KTIS!

If you happen to be behind me at a drive through in the next few days, don't be surprised if I turn out to be a Good Neighbor to you!

P.S. Marilyn, thanks for watching Penélope so last minute!

Funky La La Hippie Land

The other day my dear sister-in-law, Cari, started telling me an unsettling story about a mom who lives in I don't know where, with a bunch of kids, (a whole litter of them, apparently). The unsettling part is that she homeschools, makes organic-homemade-from-scratch kind of food and has time to write about it. This is the type of mom that makes me feel like Little Miss Small.

As Cari was telling me about this person, I did what seemed most natural to me, I promptly brought my hands over my ears in hopes of droning out the sound of the story.

Sometimes it's just easier to live in La La Land. It's prettier there. Heck, I'm prettier there. I do a lot of cool stuff there. I like La La Land (a hippie sort of one).

I go to Funky La La Hippie Land often. Usually, I go there when I'm in my car driving home from work. When the sun is shinning the birds are singing and my baby is quiet in the car I get over inspired. I have visions of myself getting up early the next morning, BEFORE my baby wakes up, making myself a cup of coffee and spending time praying, reflecting and reading. It sounds so glorious to be awake by myself, calm and serene. Once Penelope is up I would then proceed to the making of fresh vitamina (fruit shake) with a calm, serene look on my face to accompany our oatmeal. Our day would be filled with educational activities and long walks and earthy snacks.

I would then energetically and happily prepare a healthy dinner comprised of many fresh organic vegetables, whole grains, hummus and tofu and rice milk. I would be dressed in funky thrift store finds and leather sandals, long hair parted in the middle and smelling like patchouli oil. My house would always be clean and it would smell like lavender and chamomile.

I know, I know, what am I thinking? As soon as the early morning comes I'm thinking I'm the biggest idiot who comes up with stupid plans like waking up BEFORE my baby does. As if. Once she does wake up I'm thinking that sugar filled, BHT invested Life cereal is looking like a great option for breakfast. Fruit? I don't like fruit. I only like having it around because of all the colors. (Christopher always asks me why I buy fruit if I don't eat it. My answer is always the same, "It's so pretty.")

By the time I get out of my pj's I realize I don't own anything funky. Let's face it. I don't live in Uptown and I'm not funky. I live in Suberbiaville and the only thing I've got going in that whole look it the long hair parted in the middle. The only problem with that is without the patchouli oil and without the funky clothes my hair makes a different kind of statement: frumpy.

Educational activities? Does Elmo count? I LOVE Elmo time. (It's Elmo time right now, that's how I can be on the computer. Computing, by the way, is an activity in my book.)

When time for dinner comes around, I'm thinking buttered noodles sounds remarkably nutritious. It's whole grain noodles, after all.

So there it is. Whenever I hear of a mom who is actually doing some things that I only imagine myself doing in moments of over inspiration, the thing that feels most natural to do is to plug my ears and wait for another hippie la la moment to come around. I don't know, maybe next time I'll actually buy some patchouli oil.


Note to self: Do something about the hair.

"Where's 'da cake?"

Penélope is officially two years old as of yesterday! I cannot believe it! We are going to have the birthday party once my parents are in town from Brasil in July. We did try to make her day special.

As she was waking up I started singing "Happy Birthday." I sang as I walked down the hall into the living room. Her sleepy head tilted to the side as she tried to look around the corner at the kitchen table. She then said, "Where's 'da cake? Where's 'da cake?" There was no cake. I did not know two-year-olds were already in tune with that concept. Oops.


She got cards, ecards, emails and phone calls from her Tia Reesha and Tia Patricia and Grandma Dugan in Brasil, from Tio Jeremy, and Grandpa Hunt, the Dahlens, Tia Debora and the Grovers! Thank you, thank you!

Opening a birthday card full of stickers from Grandpa Hunt and Melissa. I LOVED it!

Instead, she got to watch cartoons AND eat breakfast at the same time (always a request; always denied)! Does chocolate cookies count for breakfast?


Then we went to Bethany's play room to meet up with her Hunt cousins and Dugan cousins and two of her tias and one of her grandmas. She got presents which included a dress she wanted to put on immediately and dress up shoes, a purse and a tiara (she added the word, "princess" to her vocab as well). It was hilarious watching her try to play ball with her cousins with all of that on!


We missed Dylan, Eric and Emily and Baby Julia. We wish you could have played with us...

Tia Cathleen and Tia Cari

Tio Fernando and Tia Marci

Penelope and "Bubbe" (Grandma Hunt)

Papa brought balloons and a pizza for dinner. Then she finally got her chocolate cake (the ugliest thing I've ever made, but she didn't care). Another tia and tio came with gifts, another dress that she didn't want to take off! Her day was complete. Best of all, she got lots and lots of love.

She fell asleep in her dress and hugging one of her shoes...

Whining Sometimes Works

That's right! I'm pleased to announce that BOTH Michelle and Little Miss Insomnia slept through the night. Not even a peep was heard from the Little Miss. So,whoever does the arranging of stars lined them up just right for us. I guess whining sometimes works.

Christopher, however, was awake for a long arbitrary stretch. Maybe we just got our stars mixed up for the night. Sorry, Columbus. (Actually, that was kind of fake. I'm not REALLY sorry, I think you sleep more than I do.)

Written In The Stars

So my Little Miss Insomnia slept through the night (well, OK, she did wake up once for just a second, literally) Yeah, anyone who knows the Little Miss knows that such a thing should be celebrated across the globe.

It just so happens, however, that Michelle, yeah, that's me, did NOT sleep! For whatever cosmic reason, I was arbitrarily wide awake for almost three hours. Michelle was not happy. Around five am or so, Christopher sort of woke up and I used the opportunity to make my plight known. I said in a very whiny voice, "It isn't written in my stars that I should EVER sleep."