The Boys, Part 2.

From the other room I hear Fiona yelling through laughter, "Mom!  Mohhhhhmmmmm!  You have to hear what Neve just said!"

I walk in and Neve is curled up in a ball on the couch.

Like any good parent I assume she just called her sister a slut, or told her sister to shut her f@#$ing whore mouth, or said that her doll is prettier than her doll, or something really awful like that*.

Based on Neve's curled ball of shame posture, and Fiona's uncontrollable laughter, I prepare myself for the worst.

Fiona: "Neve just said... (laughing)... that she wants to marry... (laughing)... DADDY! Bwahahaha!"

Neve:  (embarrassed)  "Noooo!  I said, 'If Daddy still looks this good when I'm old, then I'll marry him.'"

Fiona:  (on the floor, holding her stomach, laughing)

Those are fair conditions.

*My children do not know or use the words slut, f@#$ing, whore, or the like.  If they are like their mother they will wait until they are 30 to use them for flavor in future blog posts.

The Boys, Part 1

I'm driving home from Fiona's school when she asks me this in a soft voice:

Fiona:  "Mom?  Did you ever like a boy when you were my age?"

Me: (thinking, "I loved boys in the womb.  By seven, I was already over this dating thing and ready to settle down.")

"Yeah, I think so."

Fiona:  "Were you ever afraid that he didn't like you back?"

Me: (thinking, "There was little to no fear in my approach.  Capture, sieze, and conquer.  Much easier.")

"Sure.  Is there a boy that you like?"

Fiona:  (silence)

I adjust the rearview mirror, and see the reddest face smiling back at me.  I have my answer.

Me:  "It's okay.  You don't have to be embarrassed.  Is it someone I know?"

Fiona:  (nods with her face buried in her hands)

Me:  "Fiona, do I have to guess every boy in our lives or are you going to tell me?"

Fiona:  "I'll give you a guess."

Me:  "A 'hint'?"

Fiona:  "Mmm hmmm.  


1.  He's really smart.  
2.  He has curly hair.  
3.  His skin looks like your coffee."

Neve:  "Oh, yeah.  So he's from France?"

Fiona:  "Neve, shhh.  That's not what France people look like.  He looks like he's from Mexico except he's not.  Maybe his grandma is from Mexico... (trailing off)."

(snapped back) "... and when he taught me how easy it is to count in one hundreds (100 + 100 = 200, 200 + 300 = 500, etc.), I remembered it.  I'll always remember that."  (So romantic.)

For the sake of their adorable little privacy, I won't say his name.  But it's a nice name.  And he is smart.  Like, he skipped a grade smart.  And he's shy, like her.  And his skin does look like my coffee.  And even though I get a little queasy at the thought of my seven year old having these feelings already, I love that she chose him.

Most importantly, I love that she told me.

Neve: (snickering) "Fiona likes a boy."

Me: "Oh, leave her alone.  It's just a little seven year old crush."

Fiona: (writing his name in the foggy car window) "No, mom.  It's not a little crush.  It's a huge crush."

And there you have it.

mother's day II: for me

frittatas and lattes for breakfast,

a beautiful mother's day card and a copy of "bossypants" (almost read it cover to cover in an afternon... it's so great),

a few rounds of hide-n-seek in the yard,

my grandmother's eggplant parmesan for dinner,

and we ended the evening with a nice hike and some romping in the creek.  as an added bonus, there was a tadpole pool that terry and neve found (complete with huge bullfrog tadpoles), and an endless supply of honeysuckle.

after baths and tick-checks (such a motherly thing to do after all), i read the girls my newest favorite children's book, "orlando the marmalade cat", and we fell asleep in each other's arms.

being a mom to these girls has been bigger, better, and more fun than anything else in my wildest dreams.  now fiona, can you stop giving me those teenagery looks for at least a few more years?

mother's day

our family recently found old super 8 home movies. these aren't all of them, or even the best of what we watched, but i tried to capture what i could.

in honor of my mother on mother's day, here are a few clips with her in them.  she's such a beaut.


this was the day my grandmother and grandfather brought my mom home from the hospital.  it's not easy to make out, but my handsome grandpa is holding her in his arms.


my mom worked at a summer camp for kids when she was young.  this was one of her projects.


and this was my parents' wedding day.  while my father was not seen in this (probably warming up with his band... they were their own entertainment), my mom can be seen with beautiful long brown hair, her lovely hippie wedding dress, and a flower crown.  so very mom.

happy mama's day, mama.  you're still my hero.