New Addition

Happy Birthday to me!!!

After consulting our landlord (aren't we good?) we have obtained our first furry pet.

SPOILED

Time really IS flying!

For my birthday I enjoyed lunch out with Will before work.

Justice made a delivery for me (carried it in, put it away, collected the empty crates) all by himself so I could wait in the car (it was raining). I went along "to open the door" but I just kept thinking "he is getting so big!"

The girls who work for us started me a lovely Pandora's bracelet (they went nuts and now I already have ten beads).

Sharona handmade each of these tiny little packages and enclosed scrolls with lovely friendship messages. She claims it only took her FIVE hours, but I'm sure she had to have started last month! I am blessed with the friends in my life.

Who are getting together with me for dinner and a movie Saturday night. Like I said - spoiled!

Growing Up..

Time is flying. And sometimes I can so clearly see it passing...

The first time I took pictures of Justice in this tree, I had to lift him on there and then wait for him to calm down so I could get some pictures...

Later, when he was a little older, we tried again --

and got some photos that remain my favourites...

The next year, we were walking regularly by the tree on our way to preschool...

This year, its been a matter of finding time after school

(but before tennis, AFL or homework) to grab a quick snap.

Watching Justice swing up into the tree himself drove home just how much bigger he is!

And the trial was getting him to hold still long enough for me to click a picture.

Isn't he growing?!

Slow to Let Go...

When I was pregnant with Justice, I outgrew all my Docs. Literally. Not the didn't fit while I was pregnant kind of outgrew, but the full fledged, never could comfortably wear them again outgrew. Which, considering I had TEN pairs of the things was really horribly unfair!

I tried the get them wet in the shower trick (of boat job fame - we swore by this on the Mississippi Queen). I tried the shoe horn game. The wear thick socks and limp around... But at the end of the day, reality was only my black mules and the brown sandals I talked Suzi out of fit. And the sandals might not count since they were a size 5 and all the others were a 4...

Anyway, Justice is five and a half. Obviously this was not a recent development. However, last night I finally cleaned out my shoe box. It helped that my closest friend here has Doc Marten size 4 feet. I could never have simply donated them to the Salvos. And Will teased that he was surprised I didn't ebay them. But the problem was, I couldn't.

See, oddly enough I didn't have all these Docs just because I loved them. I also had them because friends knew I loved them...

Tara gave me the coolest pair of all black double strap and buckle Mary Janes one year for Christmas. I wore them so often and with everything - I even wore through the sole... They were the coolest Doc Mary Janes I have ever seen! And the first pair I ever had without yellow stitching...

Suzi gave me the brown, nearly black sandals she picked up for a steal at Costco. I loved having sandals that added two inches!! Never mind all the fond memories of Costco runs and late night shopping trips that they represented... I miss living with Suzi in Colorado!

My red docs were the only shoes I took with me when I actually left everyone and everything behind for a little while and tried out living overseas. Which I must have enjoyed, because I took it on permanently! Every photo I have in Dublin I have those shoes on (because in Dublin I finally met people I trusted to take pictures and return the camera). Actually, I met Faith in those shoes! Trekked through Glendalough in them...

Then there were my black lace ups, which signified the endless stream of boat jobs - no matter how dolled up we got in our "vintage" uniforms, we all trudged around in the ultra comfortable black Docs.

I bought my green ones on the first ever travel somewhere together vacation I took with a friend. Worrying over balancing what we both wanted to do and see, realising we were perfectly suited travel companions... That trip to Portland was wonderful, and I always had the fuzziest memories of the day at Pittock Mansion when I slipped them on...

I know that it is so silly, but I loved all those shoes, the reminders of trips taken, close friendships, time spent in Ireland - all of it.

So, it took me five and a half years (really?!) but I have cleaned out the cupboards, unpacked the box in the garage - and swamped someone else's shelf with great shoes.

I am learning to let go.

However, I am not adverse to starting over.

I am a size UK 5 now.

And I am hanging out for a pair of cherry reds. Just in case you were wondering...

And, of course, I am a traditionalist.

Grandparents Day

It was Grandparents Day at school today. Justice and his class preformed a grandparents rap and were costumed accordingly. I thought it was sad we managed so easily to find clothes like these (in his size!) at the op shop. Doesn't he look adorable? The song was too cute! Will's folks couldn't make it down, so we "shared" someone else's grandparents for the day.

AFL UPDATE

Justice would like you to know they now know the rules, and are spending part of the time playing in teams. Doesn't that seem BIG to you?!