Thanks FPD

Just wanted to shout out a thanks to the police officer who pulled me over for speeding today and DID NOT give me a ticket. I owe the smaller Dixon Chicks for this one.

My early driving years were filled with angst for my parents. I rear ended someone in my first car on an overpass. I then rolled the same small hatchback car, stuffed with three friends, off a highway due to speeding and other stupid teenage antics while driving. Totaled that car. Then, I almost drove myself and a friend over an embankment while driving around an L turn in a new mall and simultaneously trying to change a tape. So, you think I'd have learned by now. Especially with my own children in the car. Sigh.

To get to our house we have to drive almost a mile on a 2 lane road that circles around our neighborhood for 4 miles. The speed limit is 30. I regularly speed on this road for various stupid reasons:

- Apparently, I like to drive too fast.
- I hate hearing screaming children in the backseat and just want to get home.
- I'm constantly late.

So I pull onto this road, speed up, and then immediately see the 2 motorcycle cops; one writing a ticket and the other just getting back onto his motorcycle. So I slow down quickly, but not before he pulls right out and flashes the light. Damn! I pull over and he comes over and asks for my license and registration. He then comes back and tells me he pulled me over as I was going 45 in a 30 zone. Then he asks me why I was speeding. I tell him my daughter was screaming in the back seat because she was hungry and I was trying to get home to feed her. (while not entirely true at that moment, it does happen often) He looks back at Katherine and then at Natalie and smiles and says she must be hungry too. I give him a lame smile and he says that the ticket is $241 and that he'll give me a warning this time. I am so thankful I could kiss him! I was fully prepared to accept the ticket I deserved and come home and have Dean be really angry, but today I got lucky. And you know what? I'm going to take this lesson and drive 30 on the road from now on. All the neighborhood teenagers will hate and curse me I'm sure, but I don't care.

In the meantime, as I drove home from the incident, another 1/2 mile, by the time I turned into my neighborhood I had five cars behind me. And guess what? They were all going 30mph.

Girlie Fun

Natalie had her very first ballet recital yesterday. She was adorable! It was so fun to get her all dressed up in a fancy tutu, feathers in her hair and ballerina bun. She loved it. I remember how much I loved getting dressed up and finding out what our costumes would look like each year when I danced as a child. So it's very fun to relive this with Natalie.

She takes classes at the local YMCA, so it's fairly low key and more fun just to watch the little kids react to all the crowd watching them. Her 3-4 year old class did great, a fun swing song and she alternated between dancing her heart out and looking around. I'll have to get video soon, but here are a couple photos.

In the blue, waiting for the show to start


Still waiting...


Post show cupcake!


And in other matters, we have successfully created the second binky addict in the family. I know. This is how I find Katherine after most naps. Think she likes her bink(ies)?



We put 3-4 in her crib so if she wakes up in the middle of the night she can find one. Works well as she's been sleeping through the night for months now. Looks like there will be another visit from the binky fairy at some point in the Dixon household...

Four? Really? Already?

Wow, how did this happen? Just yesterday you were so tiny and helpless. I had to do everything for you. And now, suddenly, you are becoming your own little person. With your own sense of humor, kindness and sweet personality. Oh Natalie, I'm so proud of your four year old self!

You have become such a social gal... you freely go up and introduce yourself to other kids, you say hi to everyone and almost always remember to say thank you.

I melted at your birthday party when you went to every kid and gave them a big hug and said thank you for coming to my party. I was so proud. I see that you actually do listen to what your dad and I try to teach you. And that you are kind, emotional and happy. I couldn't ask for more.

This may be my favorite age yet. You are beginning to understand the world, and have endless questions. I love that.

I love that every single time I pick you up from preschool, as soon as you see me you yell "mommy!" and come running for a hug.

I love that you tell me, everyday, in the sweetest voice "mommy, I love you. You always take care of me." And while I know you are starting to get a sense of how that makes me feel, you really have no idea. When you're in that sweet mood, I just melt. In that moment, there is nothing I would not do for you. Or say yes to. Thank god you don't yet know the power you yield.

I love that you still wake up singing every morning. (not so much at 5:30 in the morning, but it's still pretty darn cute)

I love watching you swim in the pool with your dad. And that at almost four, he got you to jump in off the edge.

I love how sweet and caring you are to your baby sister Katherine. You get so happy when you make her laugh. And you are the best little helper.

And to be fair and honest, there are a few things I don't love so much:

- the newly found high pitched screaming. Yeah. That's got to go.
- the daily rounds of "I don't waaaant to play by myself"
- the fact that on school days, I have to wake you up at 7:00 to get you to school on time, but every other day of the week you like to start your morning singing around 5:45/6:00. Really, what's up with that?

But those complaints are small and minor to the joy that you have brought your father and I. We love you so very much Natalie, and look forward to all the adventures your fourth year brings.

And here are some highlights from the weekend birthday extravaganza.

Friday was her preschool party, which mommy got to make 40 cupcakes for. Yay. The Montessori school does a cute birthday celebration where you walk around the world and say the four (or whatever age) things you want to do that year. In case you can't make it out Natalie's were, in order:

1) Help mommy make pancakes
2) Help mommy do the dishes (right on, but I've no idea where that came from)
3) Play with my baby sister Katherine
4) Play with my friends



And a couple photos from the birthday weekend.




For more birthday photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/virtualerin/NatalieS4thBirhday?feat=directlink

Back from Cali

We're back!

After almost two weeks in CA, we are settling back into our routines and timezone. Fun was had by all. It was a great combination of a good quality family time, and a little friend time too. I've many tales to tell, but no time at the moment. However, I did have to post my favorite photo from the trip. It is of the cousins, and recreates a photo of Pete and I and our cousins from back in the 70s. I love it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This photo sums up my St. Patrick's Day for 2009:
- The hat was decorated by Natalie at our St. Patrick's day party on Saturday. Green m&m's were also leftover from the party. Shockingly, it had a green theme.
- The Smithwick's is what I am drinking tonight, leftover from the party. I intended to drink a Guinness, but they are all in the cooler, now warm. While I am an Irish American, I am pure American in my beer temperature preference. Don't like it warm, Guinness or no.
- Though it is not a Guinness, it had to be drunk from the Guinness pint, borrowed by Dean from the The Temple Bar in Dublin. Dean and I were in Ireland for Sherry's wedding and it was at the Temple Bar we got to tell the first person (Melissa) that were were engaged. He had proposed the day before. So I will always love Ireland for many reasons.
- I've been talking up Ireland to Natalie over the past few days, showing her the photo we took on Lettermullen Island right after Dean proposed and promising to take her when she is a little older. I'll get the travel bug in that girl yet!

I am surrounded

Okay, enough already!

When we moved into our house in FL, you couldn't walk out the front door to the driveway and not see at least half a dozen lizards scattering about. I actually liked this then, and still do now. I enjoy watching them and Natalie loves to chase them.

When I found the lizard in my shopping cart, I impressed myself by my calmness.

However, when moving the couch in our living room today to try out a newly purchased rug from Costco, along with the expected dust bunnies, was a dead and slightly petrified lizard. ew! Thank god for Dean as there was NO WAY I was going to touch that.

I shudder to think what else, deal or alive is roaming in my house.

Things Change

What happens after you have kids and you're relaxing with a cold one...