Maya at 3 months 

Just One More Day

My sister-in-law sent me this via e-mail. I had to post it as a reminder to myself that nothing is as important as my family.

Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.
Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.
Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will silence the phone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles..
Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.
Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.
Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys..

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.
Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.
It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day..............

What Did You Do Today?

Put Something In

Draw a crazy picture,
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-gumble song,
Whistle through your comb.
Do a loony-goony dance
'Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain't been there before.

-Shel Silverstein

I ran around the living room five times yelling "Pink or purple coat?" today. What did you do?

A Beautiful Mistake

Every once in a while you see something that is so beautiful that you just stop and stare. It makes you realize that not all accidents are bad. And maybe, just maybe, everything really does happen for a reason.

My garden in Spring 

Welcome Spring

Shine! shine! shine!
Pour down your warmth, great sun!
While we bask, we two together.

Two together!
Winds blow south, or winds blow north,
Day come white, or night come black,
Home, or rivers and mountains from home,
Singing all time, minding no time,
While we two keep together.

excerpt from Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
by Walt Whitman

Movin' on up

We just finished assembling the single bed in Maya's room in preparation of the day that she graduates to a big girl bed. Which I hope will be no time soon! As long as she is content to stay in her crib, so am I. It hasn't occurred to her that she can climb out yet (thank goodness) but just in case, we have the bed. I'd hate for her to figure that one out at 10:00 one night and have nowhere to put her! It seems rather high off the ground though and I hope I don't have to post one day that she fell off and broke something (knock on wood). She thinks its great because it's "hers", but at two and a half, everything is yours!

Let me know you're alive

I know that there are people out there checking in on me because my site counter goes up, but you silly people never say anything. If you take the time to check me out, then please say hi! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Quote for the day

While helping me unload the dishwasher this morning, Maya picked up a butter knife and sniffed it. She then stated, "this smells pink." Please refer to the last post what will she think of next? as I laugh and shake my head.

What will she think of next?

Surprise!

I am always surprised at the things that come out of Maya's head... and her mouth. Tonight while I was changing her diaper before bed she proclaimed, "You're a good mommy, Daddy's a good lady and I'm a good eater!" Which still makes me crack up as I re-read what I wrote. While playing with her doll house, she started taking out all the furniture and lining it up in rows on the carpet. When I asked her why, she told me that she wanted her dolls to be able to watch T.V. in the sunshine. I guess I asked for it!

JOY

JOY

Live in joy,
In love,
Even among those who hate.

Live in joy,
In health,
Even among the afflicted.

Live in joy,
In peace,
Even among the troubled.

Look within.
Be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
Know the sweet joy of the way.

from the DHAMMAPADA, translated by Thomas Byrom

Spring is Coming

"Don't knock the weather, nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while." - Kin Hubbard

For anyone who cares, I saw my first robin yesterday! And then today a flock of them arrived in my yard. And even though the forecast says it is supposed to drop 40 degrees and snow, I'm betting that the robins have the inside track, and it's not going to stay cold for long. Plus Maya and I were out poking around in the garden yesterday and we found shoots. Some daffodils, tiger lilies and a few hostas, so rejoice we will all have a conversation starter soon!

My parents are so weird 

"I like Burt, cottage cheese, Daddy and Mommy" -Maya

Faster than lightspeed
Okay I just had to put this picture in because it's so silly, but it is so us! You know the goofy, offbeat, possibly hippie parents that your one friend had when you were growing up? The parent that was cool in that weird way, but you were kind of glad that your parents weren't that strange... I think Chad and I may be "that parent", or maybe it's just me, but I think we're a lot alike in our parenting skills. We play "Chainsaw Massacre" with Maya and her toy jig saw and we named her first, and consequently favorite, stuffed animal "Dead Dog". We laugh at her when she gets hurt, and make fun of her when she whines and generally encourage her to be as weird as she likes. I know that I will be receiving several notes for parent teacher conferences in kindergarten due to Maya's deranged sense of humor, and I'm sure I will laugh when the teacher indignantly tells me what she has done. But I have to say that Maya is the funniest, zaniest and downright strangest kid I've ever met, and I say that with the utmost pride. Chad asks me every day, "What the hell is wrong with you?" and I always reply, "I live with you". This is one child that really can blame all her problems on her parents!

Snow girl

Snow girl

It's Late

It's late, again... and with nothing better to do I figured I'd at least try to creatively put the wee hours of the morning to good use. Unfortunately I'm also starting to realize that trying to be productive when I should be sleeping is harder than it sounds. For instance, I can't quite come up with a "topic" for this post. Should I blather on about current events, goofy things my students have said, cheese (always a favorite topic) or the weather and how I can't stand another day of this dreary, wet, cold winter existance. I keep a birdfeeder outside the kitchen window and I have been fervently watching it in hopes that I will glimpse a migrating bird signaling the onset of SPRING. No luck yet - I will alert you all to the first robin I see. I don't remember winter driving me quite this crazy until I had to endure it with a toddler that just doesn't see the reason behind "No honey, you can't go outside and play in the ice storm...it's just too cold." To which comes the inevitable response, "Un-uh. It's not cold outside." Even though the trees are blowing sideways, birds have frozen in mid flight and the thermometer has gone negative, it's never cold in Maya's world. Just like it's never too wet, too dirty or too late to do anything that her little brain sets her to attempting. Bless that little bubble she lives in for it makes her all the more interesting (and challenging) everyday.

Quote for Today

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." --Dr. Seuss

May you all find a way to not mind today.

Shuffling

I've spent the last week or so, shuffling junk around the house and generally wondering where it all came from. Mom and Dad are downsizing to a very nice condo just down the street from us, and have generously offered us a bedroom suite. The up side is that we can now have a guest room. The down side is we have to clear out the room enough to fit a guest in it. Most people have a junk drawer somewhere in their house. We took it one step further and created a junk room where unwanted everything went to die. As I have been endlessly sorting and moving and moving again, I am beginning to wonder what kind of a lunatic I am to have saved so much useless stuff. From every card and letter I ever received, to calendars, nick nacks, text books from college, and bits from every hobby I ever started on a whim and never finished. So I, the keeper of all things, have in the last week become the tosser of all things. So the moral of the story is: I have a guest room - come and visit.

Leave a Comment After the Beep

Okay, thanks to Morgan, I'm feeling a little more confident about this blog so I am ready to invite my friends and family to come and see Suzer's World. I promise to faithfully post when time allows and keep you all up to date on what's happening in our lives. A quick update to all who haven't heard from me in a while: I'm still teaching at Harmony Organ and Piano Studio in Zelienople, PA. It's about a twenty minute drive but that's nothing compared to the people who drive over an hour to work in the city. I work evenings which is great because I get to stay home with my darling daughter Maya during the day. She turned two December 1st, and I can't believe how the time has flown by. Chad is still running his own business, C&T Carpentry, with his partner Tony. While the winters are usually slow, he's already back to work. I'm not sure who's happier about that, him or me. We are currently residing in Prospect where our favorite past time is remodeling our house. Let me tell you how handy it is being married to a carpenter! Believe it or not, we will be celebrating our 7th anniversary this year! That is about all I can fit in while Maya is napping today. Please leave comments and let me know what you think. You can log on as anonymous, just add your name to the comment so I can see who's been here. Hope to hear from all of you!

Anchor's Away

Morgan asked me if I had a blog and I told her no, but that was kind of a lie. Because I have this site which I obtained only so I could post on her web site. So now it has prompted me to do something with it. If I can figure out what I am doing, it will be a great way for all my distant family and friends to keep in touch. Plus, being the insomniac that I am, it will give me something to do while the world is sleeping. Any comments and or suggestions will be greatly appreciated since I have no clue what I'm doing, let alone how to do it. So cheers to the maiden voyage of Suzer's World. Let's hope it doesn't sink!