Don't Blink or You'll Miss 'Em!

Like the famed cherry blossom trees in DC, the Memphis Botanic Garden cherry trees reach peak bloomy-ness for only a short time. Once they're full, you have about 3-4 days to see them in their glory. They are a fragile sort. So last week, I picked up the kids from school and drove them straight out to Audubon Park for tree-climbing, avoiding golf balls, and illegally picking flowers. (She's only 18 months old, Officer...!)

Spring Break!

The girls went back to school today (finally--they were really starting to annoy each other! I really think the only people who truly like Spring Break are teachers!). We were really lucky this year to have our friends visit, first our Iowa friends and then our Mississippi friends.

Pankaj and Hemali drove down from Davenport. We've known them since our Connecticut days, as Peter and Pankaj have worked together for 10 years--first in CT and then in IA. Their beautiful daughters were born 2 months after Molly. Even though it's been 1 1/2 year since the twins and our girls saw each other, they fell right back in as though time had not passed. They dressed the dog in headbands and sequins, had movie nights, giggled, told secrets, held hands, and made jewelry together. The families visited the zoo and Graceland, the Incredible Pizza Co, Corky's barbecue, The Cupboard Restaurant. The grown-ups had an evening out with dinner in Midtown, followed by a night of live music at Morgan Freeman's club downtown. We watched on TV when the Memphis Tigers won their conference basketball tournament. It was a real Memphis-filled weekend!



the mirrored stairway at Graceland


listening to the tour in Elvis's TV room


at Elvis's pool, near his grave








enjoying Southern country cookin' at The Cupboard ("what is chicken fried chicken?")

When the Smiths came through on their way back to Jackson, MS, we took advantage of a gorgeous day to visit the zoo again with their sweet little girl! Then Peter, Jason and Paige, took in a Grizzlies NBA game at the FedEx Forum.

The final weekend of Spring Break was pretty low-key with lots of outside time, family games and grilling out. Whew--I'm exhausted. When is Spring "Break"?

Leprechauns and Pedicures

St. Patrick's Day fell in the middle of Spring Break this year, but we still got creative with the green. I painted the girls' fingers and toes shimmery green (all three--even Amelia let me paint her nails!) and added flower sparkles. Rebecca wore the skirt Nana made with clovers on it. Peter printed off coloring pages of rainbows and little men dancing Irish jigs. The Magic Leprechaun left green beads, glitter and a pot-o-gold with gold-wrapped Reeses peanut butter cups and golden coins. Although I have kissed the Blarney Stone to receive the "gift of gab," the girls have not. I feel certain, however, that they don't need to bend backwards onto some bacteria-laden rock to talk your ear off! Luck of the Irish to ye!

Renaissance Man

My sweet husband is a true Renaissance Man. He can fix pretty much anything. He's not afraid to wear a tiara and dance around to make his daughters happy. He knows the words to an endless number of musicals. He arranges flowers and quilts (not often, but with surprising skill). He's good at his job. He knows the Bible and lives it. He does dishes and laundry. You want him on your trivia team. He plays softball and gardens. I could go on and on, but Father's Day is not til June!

Here is a little peek at his talent. It's on display at our church as part of a Lenten art series entitled "Broken." It's a detail from the sculpture "The Pieta" by Michelangelo (Mary cradling the crucified body of Jesus--her son--like a baby).

The Squealing Lesson

Big sisters teach little sisters lots of useful things: eating with a fork, what a bird says, how to safely get down the stairs. One recent March evening, Molly and Rebecca decided to bestow upon Amelia one of the most important skills any little girl can learn: How to Squeal in the Bathtub. Here are a few still images of the event. There's a video, too, but I don't know how to get video from our camera to this blog. Once I figure it out (or get a lesson of my own), perhaps you can come back to enjoy it with sound!

Hi Spring!

Last post = 24 degrees. Today's high = 79 degrees. Yesterday was a gorgeous day! (Apparently, Saturday was, too, but I was on call at the hospital, so it's only hearsay.)

It started out a little dour. Molly threw up a few times in the morning---no fever, slept it off, felt "great" by about 1 pm. So I got home from work around 10 and was with Molly at home while Peter took Rebecca and Amelia to church. Today was Kite Day at church, so they had a hot dog lunch and enjoyed the windy afternoon with kites and preschoolers! Although we couldn't let Molly play with neighborhood children--doin' our part to minimize the spread of germs--we just couldn't bear to make her stay inside since she was feeling so much better.

So she joined the rest of us for bike/scooter riding, planting seeds, repotting herbs, popping a few pansies in the wall baskets, gathering twigs from the backyard, playing "Baby Kitty" and "Baby Animal Vet" with Rebecca, chasing Amelia around the front yard, swinging on the porch swing, talking about the promised treehouse, having a family meeting on the front porch on a quilt, playing checkers and cleaning out the garage. The entrepreneurial ice cream man showed up, to a round of squeals and jumps for joy from our girls and the neighborhood gaggle of children. We opened all the windows in the house for airing out. Dad made his beloved "pizza chicken" for dinner (sundried tomato pesto and fresh mozzarella), and we talked about things we'd like to do this summer.

It was a perfect day. No pictures to prove it. You'll just have to take my word for it.

So Much for Those Bloomin' Pear Trees!

I was a doubter. Yes, they predicted 3-5 inches of snow. Usually that amounts to about a half-inch, a dusting across the grass. This time, however, they were right on the money. We got about 5 inches here. Knowing it wouldn't last long, we headed out bright and early this morning for angel-making and hill-sliding. Amelia was unimpressed, but the rest of us took a turn or two on the neighborhood park hill at about 8 am--first ones out thanks to kids who are up with the sun. By noon, major melting was underway, but it was fun while it lasted! I do hope the pear trees will recover...

Mardi Gras, Manicures and Snowballs--aka, Rebecca's 5th Birthday!

Rebecca turned 5 on Mardi Gras this year--aka "Fat Tuesday," as she kept reminding us with a giggle. Her preschool had a MG parade, with parents pelting waaaaaay too many beads and waaaaaay too much candy at the kids, making her 5th b-day complete with tons-o-sugar. We had King Cake with Granna & Papa and the Other Marshes that night. As is the King Cake tradition, a plastic baby was hidden inside one piece of cake (Molly's piece), so the recipient has the honor of providing next year's King Cake. Yesterday, we completed the lengthy celebratory week with a "Glamour Girl Birthday Salon" at our house. The girls from her preschool came for manicures, mini-makeovers, glitter spray, purse-making and lots of squealing. In the middle of the party, the snowstorm started, quietly at first, but in full force as people drove off. We were grateful so many people came despite the forecast, especially our Jackson, MS, friends! Our total accumulation in our neighborhood was around 5 inches or so. For Memphis, that's practically a blizzard--for Rebecca, a Birthday Blizzard!