Just RK

It started almost 38 years ago… Though I don’t remember too much about those days, I was the one and only back then, and I was Daddy’s girl.  Now, I get to enjoy the new perspective, of watching my girls be Daddy’s girls… And both perspectives are pretty good ones, I say. Thank you, Dad, for teaching us right from wrong and how to enjoy a great ball game and a fun car. And thanks, M, for adoring our little poonchins, teaching them right from wrong, how to appreciate Bears football, and letting them climb (with love) all over their daddy pop. And let me just add… both these pictures above are of little girls heading to church with their daddies. It’s no accident that the legacy continues. It takes a firm decision and determination to do what’s right.  And I don’t take that for granted. M asked for Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker, MD for Father’s Day. And he received it. With much appreciation that he takes his job seriously enough to want to do it t

The girls are home.  I went and met up with my parents and youngest sis yesterday at the halfway point of our liking (Mexican restaurant, of course!) to pick them up.  I had lovely company along for the ride, as well, and that always makes a little road trip more enjoyable. As expected, KiKi flipped her little lid and wouldn’t have anything to do with me for a while after I arrived.  She clung to Grammy and wouldn’t look at me.  The pic here is from right before we left, an hour into her warming up process, which is about how long it often takes. This is common with her… whoever has just arrived home is feared, completely avoided, and glared at, if they are so lucky as to get her eyes at all their direction.  I’m not sure how her little brain works, but she’s at least consistent.  When M comes in from work, Kinlee will run the other direction, usually straight to me and plead for me to hold her and not let Daddy get her.  The same response happens when I get home from work, i

The girls went to Grammy’s house for a few days. They left yesterday, when Mom came through town on an airport-drop-off mission.  We’ll meet on Wednesday to pick them up.  They were excited to go, and that’s nice.  “We’re little girls going on a little trip, Mom!”  They will be enjoying the BIG trampoline, puppies, and lots of good time with their aunties, Grammy, and Papa. So far, M and I have enjoyed a dinner just the two of us, and I’ve worked a lot.  But it’s nice to have some time when wrangling the tots is not on my list of responsibilities.  Just a little while… 

Back by popular demand, and because this topic has come up on a DS forum I like … here’s my guest post done for M’s blog, which is no longer in publication.  It’s about time we all have a good giggle, and M doesn’t mind if it’s at his expense, just this once.  For real… I asked. From 9/2009~ I don't remember much about "The Great Snip of 2009". Here is what I do remember: They stuck a needle in my arm and told me they were giving me Valium, then I woke up in a stranger's driveway and immediately went unconscious. The following is RK's interpretation of that event. ______________________________________________________ After about 30 minutes, the nurse came to the door and said, “RK?” She looked around the waiting room and I motioned that it was me. She asked if I could come back. I was feeding Kinlee, so it took me a few seconds to gather up the bottle, the diaper bag, my purse, etc. and get to the door. As we walked back, the nurse told me they had give

This is the face I get from KiKi MOST of the time lately. ---> And no, it’s not fun when it’s as common as it’s become. I don’t know if it’s just a 2-year-old phase or if there’s something wrong physically or if she is just struggling more with our schedule adjustments and my working most nights/weekends. But—all cute kid, “terrible twos,” and drama queen comments aside—it is truly wearing on me. Now that I think about it, she’s probably getting that face from me a lot, too. Which came first….chicken or egg… I’ve been sick now for 6 days. Braska is still sick, day 7. Though all of us are some better, Braska and I are still coughing up all kinds of grossness, having much less energy than usual. I know that for my part, I feel like I’m going to truly lose my mind. It’s not just the sick, though that clearly hinders my ability to take things on with my normal resolve and determination, but the combination of factors that “just happen” to be in place right now is really w

My girls are sick of my being sick. More so than they are tired of being sick themselves, I think. Kinlee says I sound funny and sometimes she laughs when I try to talk. Because nothing comes out. She says I’m a sad mommy. They are so good and polite. Something that is very important to me, and we work on it diligently. When someone sneezes, they are both all about a good, hearty “Bless you!”  Braska has also taken to blessing those who cough. And let’s just say I’ve been doing plenty of that lately.  So she has been blessing me over and over.  And it’s nice, I admit. But the poor thing is stopping what she’s doing to send me her little “bless you” so many times that I feel a little bad interrupting her so frequently. So when I’m able, I have been going to the other room to do my hacking.  But the little superstar that she is… she followed me in there, “Bless you, Mommy. Bless you.” Then she turned around, walked back to the living room, and resumed watching Word World . And I