Going out in my 30s

Love it. So much less pretense, so much more fun.

L to R: Beth, Shannon, me!, Larina, Michelle.

I met Beth when Aidan and her Sophia were 9 months...we connected immediately. Shannon and I are kindred spirits and also perfectly compatible going out companions. I have NEVER met someone who makes me feel shy, until her! Love it! Larina, who I met ten years ago when she worked with Dayna at Joe's Market on 15th and Como...and just figured out our kids go to the same school. And Michelle, who is flat out the most courageous person I know.

December, days 1-23, you would not be picked first in dodge ball

Sorry 12th month, but it is true. As a whole, the time between Thanksgiving and right before Christmas is not my favorite now that I have children. There is no downtime, not an ounce of time to just "be". I am happy that it is over, and that I have gained the 100 square feet that the tree and gifts take up. I have sorted out most of the overflowing gifts that we all received. The highlight for Joel was an iPod and iTunes giftcards, for me a nice sum to spend at the Juut Salonspa, Origins basket, and a beautiful cotton jersey scarf. Joel's gift signals a return to his love of music, something which has gone by the way of sleep-filled nights in the last four years. Mine, a love of beauty treatments, soft feet, and a warm neck. The last is something that I have tried to achieve since I cut my hair above my neckline for the first time since middle school. My (sic) brother in law Eric drew my name this year (we do this with the O'Reillys). He is such a thoughtful and lovely human being and not just since he gave me such a nice gift. I really have grown to love him.

It was a wonderful Christmas and New Year to wrap up 2007, which was a hard year. I ended the year by going on a date with my darling (and daring) husband. We went to see I Am Legend at the St. Anthony Main theater (the site of many of our pre-child dates). We had both recently finished the short story. The movie is short, about an hour and 40 minutes. Will Smith was a superb hero and much more watchable I thought as the sole actor in a movie than Tom Hanks in Castaway. I believed what was happening to him the entire time. His grief was palpable, his fear, moving. Excellent and recommended, not perhaps for the faint of heart however. It is scary as hell.

I had a weekend of movies, maybe trying to make up for the last couple of months. I went to see Juno at The Heights theater with a friend. A lovely teenage coming of age written by local girl-made-good Diablo Cody (not her real name). Full of sweetness, cynicism, and lots of teenage slang, it was a story of two first-timer friends who wind up pregnant (is that a consequence of sex?). Juno is the main character, named after the wife of Zeus. Michael Cera plays Bleeker, the male main character, and I would see anything starting this talented and unbelievably funny young actor. He has also recently starred in Arrested Development and Superbad.

Then, Joel went out with his friends Sunday night and I topped off this weekend of great movies with a lovely little tale called Once (from Netflix). Just see it, it is so good.

We are glad that it is a new year with a name that rhymes with great.

Hillesheim Family: Two kids over 1, none on the way

Coleman had his 1st birthday on Sunday the 1st. I see now that I write it out that it was his golden birthday. And just two days before, as a present to himself (a masochist like his father?), he fractured his right tibia. Poor little dude. You wouldn't know, however, except for the giant splint that reaches from his knee to his toes. His demeanor as the sweetest child on the planet has stuck, even through an injury that would make most adults turn into whining babies.

So, here is the story, since I know you are on the edge of your seat. He was standing up next to a chair and went face first into the floor, and his nose was all gnarly, Rocky-style. That was traumatic enough for me; I was covered in my darling son's blood from clavicle to elbow and beyond. It wasn't until later that I discovered that when I moved him, he winced and cried. I had noticed earlier that his legs were caught under a foot stool when I went to save him.

So, like any good mother, I started poking him to find out where it hurt. What do you expect? He does use sign language, but we haven't mastered "broken tibia". I came to his lower leg and he screamed out. Then I got him to calm down and did it again. This will begin a list in my brain of things that are not even remotely pleasant that we must do as mothers. Great, like there's room in there for that.

Anyhow, Coleman is doing much better and he responds very well to Infant Motrin for pain. It is pitiful and humorous all at the same time to see him try to get around. Or when you go in his room in the morning and he has managed to get the splint, tape, and bandages off. We'll be back in on Friday for Aidan's appointment and they'll do a little check on him then. And to add insult to injury, he is due for 5 shots on the same day. Sorry, little one, what I must do to not be hounded by the school district for the next 17 years.

We went to a 4th of July parade today in Forest Lake, where Joel grew up. It is a big to do. We got lots of candy (so much there was lots left on the ground afterwards), some packets of sunscreen (my favorite), a spinning daisy ring, pinwheels, political stickers, popsicles, and perhaps the best parade schwag I have ever received: string cheese. YUM! Coleman ate his right up. Tootsie rolls, Double Bubble, oh how Aidan loves thee.

We are halfway into what may be the best summer yet. We have been doing nothing but going for walks, getting together with friends and family for casual meals, spending time at the local pools and water parks. It is very relaxing, especially since I got smart and loaded up the back of the car with all the supplies for the latter. I find that more than anything, my intense love of organization and preparedness comes in handy with kids than ever before in my life. Before it merely meant irritating roommates and driving my mother mad. One of the sweetest things Joel ever said was that although sometimes it was a bit overboard, he knew my organizing made his life better. And for me, that is worth it all.

December 10th, 2006

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! This season leaves me nothing short of giddy. I love it, soak it in, spread cheer like peanut butter and can't help but sing carols all day. Aidan recently shushed me during the refrain of "Angels We Have Heard on High" he had heard so much of it. So far, I can only get him to sing Jingle Bells and 12 Days of Christmas with me. And he sings "almost fun" instead of "oh what fun" in Jingle Bells! Need I point out the irony?

Speaking of the irony of the holidays, I am doing pretty well on my commitment to not do one "should" this holiday season. We have been sleeping in, staying in jammies, and saying no. We did however, go to the Holidazzle parade tonight. I loved the group we went with, I could have fun if I were part of a chain gang with them, but it really was something we could have skipped. About 1/3 of the characters scared the bejeesus out of Aidan with their lit-up eyes. Now we know!

Hmmm. Let me see. In the realm of years, this one was an A+. We moved into our lovely home in the NE Minneapolis outcropping of St Anthony Village one year ago! When we moved in, we knew we had a lot to do in the house aesthetically. So far, we have painted every room but the laundry room, added crown moulding in the family room, gutted the first floor bathroom and renovated it, completed expansive gardening and landscaping projects, wallpapered the dining room, and replaced all of the window coverings. Although there is more, I'll move on! We love being home and now we can enjoy ourselves without looking around thinking of what needs to be done.

The boys are flourishing. Aidan is pushing 3 and a half, and Coleman will be 6 months old on New Year's Day. Coleman is just about to sit up and is long and lean, just like Aidan always was. Aidan and he are starting to "play" a bit and Aidan is realizing the fun that having a brother will be. Coleman is the definition of an easy baby, which is not to say it is easy, but he is SO laid back. He smiles thorough the cries! Cole cut two teeth at about 4 months--the two bottom ones in the middle. Today he started to buzz with his lips and he initiates games of this with Aidan--amazing to think five months ago he was still all curled up just after being born, sleeping 22 hours a day.

Aidan started preschool this fall and is doing well. He loves the structure of it and is especially fond of being the line leader and helper. His teachers, Miss Katie and Miss Lisa, comment on his vocabulary and his joke-telling capabilities. I have heard no such jokes, so I wonder what on earth he is saying. And that is the most surreal part of parenting: letting them go and hoping you did a good job to get them ready for the world! He loves trains and plays with them almost exclusively. Oh, and he reads books. About trains. We are thrilled that he picked that, with all of the junk that is out there. He also loves to play on the computer, roll his marbles down the stairs through a wrapping paper tube and basket contraption, and can't get enough spaghetti and meatballs to eat. Artichokes and sugar snap peas are also favorites.

Stats on the boys:
Cole 15lbs, 26 inches
Aidan 37 lbs, 40 inches

Joel and I feel blessed to have such a healthy family. Having all of our immediate family in the Twin Cities is really exceptional. And they are all exceptional people, too! They have all been so supportive and are all a big part of our kid's lives. Aidan loves his overnights with Grandma and Grandpa Hillesheim. And his trips to Nana and Baba O'Reilly's house are always so much fun he doesn't want to leave. My Dad found a Mac-based game called Alphababy that mesmerizes Aidan. They love to play it together.

Joel is coming up on his eighth year working for GE Water and Process Technologies (formerly Osmonics) in Minnetonka. His close friend Don, who is Coleman's godfather, just left the company after working there 12 years. Most, if not all, of his responsibilities have fallen to Joel for the time being. Joel was promoted this year, which sounds good in theory, but in practice means much more work and a "shorter fuse", to use a quote from Don. He enjoys cycling and gets out to do so as often as possible (which like all extra curricular activities when you have children is seldom). He started commuting to work by bike one or two days a week this summer and really enjoyed it. He had a few paved-path mishaps, but for the most part it was a great way to get the rides in an not make his wife pull her hair out.

I am full force into the motherhood. After the adjustment that all mothers go through, but especially the stay at home ones, we are settled nicely in to it. And I think we are doing well. I take myself and my job very seriously, and well I should (no change there for those who know me well). I always have something on the side to do when I feel overwhelmed by mothering, I have a couple of odd jobs, including childcare and home organizing, and I always have the movies. The movies are a huge respite for me. I love going alone, and I am secretly always trying to figure out when my next movie will be! It is an escape in the truest form. Most recently, I saw Marie Antoinette. And last weekend I broke my own rule and took Aidan along to see Happy Feet. Liked both movies. Happy Feet was a bit over Robin-Williamsed, but great otherwise and is essentially an animated March of the Penguins. Marie Antionette has a modern soundtrack, which is au current and well chosen.

We are so glad to have such a great group of friends that we have met since we had children. These are families that we love to get together with to have pizza. Not that we plan it that way, but we always end up eating pizza.

We hope you and your family have a healthy start to the New Year and we wish you a very Merry Christmas! Click here to see our family pictures taken last week.

Saturday, October 28th

We worked in the yard today, it was a bit nippy. Putting the yard and house to bed for the season is work, but it is so nice to have such a lovely yard and house, we are grateful. Speaking of grateful, Aidan is really doing well on his manners. I read something written by a teacher that said the students who come to Kindergarten prepared are the ones who can play well with others and are courteous, absolutely not the ones that can recite their ABCs forwards and backwards.

Why is our tendency to shove academics down their throats when what we all know that what matters is kindness? My family was into talking, playing music, laughing and hanging out when I was growing up. And I never had a lot of luck in school, and never saw the point of all that homework. Oh well, I guess with this, like anything, all in moderation.

Enough about that, I had dinner with some of the moms recently at the 112 Eatery. For those of you who have been there, you know it was a treat, and those of you who haven't, run don't walk (but make a reservation, the place is small & popular). Not small uncomfortable-sitting-on-the-laps-of-that-uptight-couple-next-to-you small, but small cozy I-wish-I-wasn't-nursing-and-could-have-a-gin & tonic-and-make-this-an evening small. After running about 20 minutes late, which is really on time when you have a four month old, I started with the bibb lettuce salad with fine herb vinagrette, then had the Nori Encrusted Sirloin with Ponzu sauce for dinner. SO DELICIOUS, every last bite.

Coleman cut two teeth, the bottom front ones. So far, no problems nursing.