Posts Tagged ‘Vancouver’

Today is such a beautiful day in Van City. We’re just coming out of a 3 week stint of rainy, windy weather coupled with a virus or two making it’s way from family member to family member. Theo has also been teething, and, unlike his big sister, it definitely bothers him and he lets me know it. All this makes a day like today seem even that much more amazing. The simple things like taking a walk and discovering a fun new park with the kids are, really, such good things for the soul. It grounds me and brings me back to the truth that I really do have so much to be thankful for. It is so, so easy for me to get caught up in things that don’t really matter. It’s so, so easy for me to get sucked in to my computer and live other people’s lives rather than focusing on the two kids and one man God has blessed me with right here. So today is a good day for many reasons, but especially because the sun is shining. And it’s illuminating a lot more than just the trees.

I write a lot about my kids, about our days, the good, bad and boring ones, and how much they drive me crazy and make me laugh and how much I love them. They are my material, my inspirations and a big reason as to why I do this blog. But today, as I was thinking about our morning walk sans Daddy who is flying back from Boston right now, I couldn’t get out of my head the thought that I really couldn’t be the mom I want to be without my man. Money is kind of important these days, and he makes it so that I don’t have to carry that burden. In today’s world, in this city, providing for a family of 4 is no small feat. And I forget that sometimes. I take it for granted. What’s more, he didn’t leave me. I don’t know the statistics for girls who get pregnant out of wedlock that actually marry the man that got them pregnant, but I am betting the number is small. And yet, here we are, 3 years later with not one but two children, and he still loves me and supports me and buys me presents just because. Having one kid when we got married and adding another so early into our marriage has not been easy. Most days I’m a nagger and exhausted and “cook” beans and toast for lunch yet again while wearing my oversized Terrapins shirt and grey sweats. I’ve been so consumed by motherhood that I’ve forgotten sometimes that I’m a wife, too. And, yet, he’s still here.

So, here’s to the man behind this mom and this blog and everything else I do. I love you.

All that being said, I’m still not letting you off the hook. I fully expect goodies when you get back from Boston. This day comes but once a year so I intend to milk it as much as I can.

Young love. Throwback to the pre-baby days of boyfriend cut bangs, eating out and growing up.

 

 

As most mothers probably do, I remember the exact moment I knew without a doubt that I was pregnant with you. It was almost like an out of body experience, as if I was standing in the bedroom looking down the hallway and into the bathroom at my own back as I stared at the test reading what I deep down already knew. I was alone, and getting ready to go to work, which involved days by the pool with Morgan and Alex, the two kids I nannied for that hot summer of 2008. I cried. I cried because I didn’t know what else to do. I cried because I didn’t know what I was going to tell everyone. I cried because your dad and I were not married at the time. I cried because I was scared. But I also cried because, although you came into our lives unexpected, I was deeply happy to be a mother. I cried because I loved you even before I knew you. I also knew your name before I knew you, and even well before I knew you were a girl. I remember sitting on the bed of our Cary apartment, within days of finding out, and writing down Evelyn. I loved it. It just seemed right. And although we threw other options around, we always came back to your name.

Now that I know you, I love you even more. Yes, you are a handful. Some mornings I tell you to just go back to bed because you are so whiny. You are like me in that you are super cranky when you are tired. You still throw fits whenever we leave the park, although I would think you’d have learned that we always come back. You don’t eat your vegetables. If I let you, you’d survive off of a diet of popsicles, cupcakes and maybe the occasional strawberry. But while I do use those things as bargaining chips at times, I don’t let you do that. And that’s because I love you. Handful or not, you’re definitely and always loved. It’s not even that I love you in spite of your flaws, I love you because of them. They are part of who you are, and I love all of you. Plus, you provide some very good blog material. Life would be boring if everyone were perfect!

After 3 years with you, I knew that the way to your heart and to your smiles would be simple: balloons, jelly beans, new shoes and a cupcake. The pure delight is written on your face. Thanks for being you, Ev, flaws and all. Love you.

Cambie Bridge.

A favorite. I especially love this in black and white.

Another favorite. This one makes me feel nostalgic.

From birth…

to one year later…

to two whole years…

to this toothless, talkative, crazy girl. The transformation from 1 to 2 is really amazing.

She needed a break from “taking pictures.” So back to the balloons…

…and a self invented little game with jelly beans.

On to the best part: cupcakes!

This one makes me happy.

I like her shoes in the next few. It reminds me of being a kid, of that sense of care free-ness, that it doesn’t really matter if you get dirty, that a baby doll and a cupcake is really all she needs to be happy.

Sprinkle on the forehead dilemma.

Baby bum. Not really a baby, but my baby.

Happy birthday to my girl.

After almost two weeks of having no interaction with anyone but Evelyn and Theo as Matt and the rest of the team were away on their first leg of pre-season, I really thought I just might lose it. I was starting to wonder if the kids and I should’ve waited until pre-season and the rainy, dreary days of February had passed, for us to join Matt. Just when I wasn’t sure how many more lonely days I could get through on my own, Krista emailed me with Rachael and Marisa’s contact info. Meet the WAGS.

 At that point, I still hadn’t even met Krista, only through email had we communicated. She was in sunny CA while her husband, and one of Matt’s teammates, was in pre-season, but luckily for me, Rachael and Marisa had stayed in Vancouver despite the men’s long pre-season schedule. I’m not normally one to go to a super bowl party with strangers, but I was desperate. Almost an hour late due to my failed attempt at bringing something to the gathering (I think I ended up with two chocolate donuts. Go me), I rang the doorbell and met my new friends. I was immediately struck by Marisa’s height, and Rachael’s shoes. Marisa’s height would’ve been great for volleyball, if only I was blessed with her genes! And I was just so impressed with a mommy’s dedication to her heels, despite having a 15 month old beauty to run around after. In all honesty, and I think the girls might find this funny now, but I felt a little bit out of my league. They were so…put together. And I felt so…disheveled. I mean, Marisa and Joe had matching furniture. We showed up to Vancouver with 6 bags of clothes in hopes that we could make it work. I was starting to wonder if I was really MLS wife material…

Now, a little more than 2 months later, all of these women have become my friends and support system. I am so, so grateful for each and every one of them, and for being so welcoming and kind and willing to open up their lives to me and my family. It’s truly made the transition so smooth, and so enjoyable. I’ve never felt out of place (well, except for a little that first night, but that was all on my own), or that I couldn’t be myself around these ladies. We were all kind of forced into this tight knit group due to soccer—all of us are away from family and friends and what is familiar. So we really have no choice but to bond. But what’s amazing about this group is that it really is so genuine. Soccer or not, these ladies are my friends.

As pre-season wore on, another 2 week stretch lay ahead of us, but this time around we had friends to keep us daily company since Rachael, like me, is home with her little one. Evelyn would ask when we were going to see Laila that day, and Theo was thrilled to have a new friend his size. As we hung out more and more, I saw what a sweet baby girl little L is. Luckily for me, she took a liking to me and would come over to be held by me when my two rug rats were off playing. I love how content she is, and calm! It would, and still does, amaze me how long this girl will sit still for. But don’t let that make you think she’s got no personality, far from it. She’s definitely feisty when she wants to be, and I love that about her!

Two weeks ago, on Easter, we went outside to snap a few pics of Laila, dressed to the T in her Sunday best. The guys were away, we weren’t near family, so we thought this would be something fun to do. Introducing little Miss L. Enjoy…

And, she’s done