Family

…another girl!

We had our 20 week ultrasound today, and the baby looks healthy, active, and completely immodest. So now we know that another little girl is going to join our family this summer!

Carrie wanted a brother, apparently, and was pretty disappointed to hear she would be getting a sister instead, but I think she’ll get used to it eventually. I’m excited because I always wanted a sister (not that I don’t love my brothers, of course!) and now I’ll get to vicariously experience that relationship with my girls.

Plus we’ll get to reuse some of those cute girl clothes that Carrie barely wore before she outgrew, and we can hand down her pink and purple tricycle eventually…

Now we just have to think of another girl name. And feel slightly bad for my poor nephew, who’s still the only boy among a sea of girl cousins!

I won’t disclose to the internet how old Denis is, just that he’s once again older than me! (As Carrie puts it, “Daddy, you’re an old man!” It’s too darn funny to hear a three-year-old saying that to try to correct it!)

We went to a Red Wings game tonight with Carrie. I’m not entirely sure why we thought it would be a good idea to go to a 7:00 (that’s PM) game with a toddler who goes to bed at 8:00. Oh, and why we thought the promise of fireworks would keep her awake and happy until 11:00…well, she was awake, anyway. Luckily she fell asleep on the way home and stayed asleep – and I think when she wakes up in the morning she’ll remember that she did have a good time. But next time? Afternoon game, hold the fireworks.

On the plus side, I got some really cool fireworks pictures!

My Uncle John is a Pampered Chef consultant, so I hosted a party for him yesterday. The food was excellent: a sausage calzone (can’t find the link) and a berry salad, plus a berry tart for dessert. (And I was worried about what we were going to do with all the berries from Friday – they’ve pretty much all been eaten already!)

I can’t wait for all my neat new kitchen toys gadgets to arrive!

Yesterday we attended my baby brother’s college graduation – which really makes me feel old! It was a lovely ceremony, with a brass quintet and bagpipes…though perhaps a smidge long!

Carrie tried to make it through the whole ceremony, but wound up falling asleep about 5 minutes before Michael walked across the stage. It’s been a long time since she fell asleep anywhere but her bed, and I’m ashamed to admit how much I enjoyed the warm weight of her head on my shoulder.

We went to another slightly less than kid-friendly restaurant for dinner, and I think Carrie had finally used up all of her exceptionally good behavior for the weekend. But after a major meltdown that required a trip to the ladies room for a change of scenery, she managed to come back to the table just in time for dessert – and then ate an entire slice of spumoni. I sort of expected her head to start spinning around like the kid in The Exorcist between the sugar and the lack of a proper nap.

Luckily for me, she instead slept for the entire 3 1/2 hour ride home, and continued sleeping in her bed all the way until a reasonable hour this morning. Happy Mother’s Day to me!

My grandparents (on my mom’s side) have been married sixty years today. They let me take some anniversary pictures of them, and although I’m far from being a “real” photographer I really love how some of them came out, especially this one.

My mom and her siblings have been putting together a huge party to celebrate. I’m in charge of the cake and the slide show. I think at this point they’re both pretty much finished…which is good since the party is tomorrow night!

My mom gave my dad a lathe a couple of Christmases ago. Ever since then, their breakfast bar in their kitchen has been filling up with random turned pieces of wood – some functional, some decorative, but all lovely. My dad has made us a set of wooden bowls, and he gave Carrie a wooden egg-shaped kaleidoscope.

On a seemingly unrelated note, I was in Michael’s the other day and found some small silk flowers that I thought might look cute in Carrie’s play kitchen. But a quick trip around the store didn’t yield any plastic vases. Then I ended up in the ready-to-finish wood objects aisle…and had a thought. (Rare, but it happens sometimes.)

So I went to my parents’ house last night to work with my mom on a project, and mentioned to my dad that if he had some spare lathe time Carrie would really adore having a vase to put her flowers in near her kitchen. Two hours later I came home with this little treasure.

Isn’t it lovely? It’s wild cherry, and the grain pattern is just beautiful. I’m having a hard time putting it in Carrie’s kitchen – I want it in mine! I wonder if I could make a request for Mother’s Day for one of these for me? :)

My cousin had a little boy today, Ryan Nicholas. He wasn’t due for a couple more weeks, so I haven’t even picked out yarn yet, let alone started knitting his sweater! I guess it’s time to hit the yarn shop!