Catching Up

Summers are supposed to be long and slow and lazy, but as long as I have had children, summers have been quite the opposite. The pace around our house has been unusually hectic despite our best efforts to keep things long and slow and lazy. I have not quite figured out the math behind the equation but somehow the things I pick to do to make memorable summers end up just adding to the frenzy.

There are so many different things to tell you all about but I have not had time and clarity of thought (see above). I have been riding some great big highs (Luz's 6th birthday and a recent trip to NYC) and suffocating under some lows (the death of Loki, my first real responsibility and the best running partner I will ever have) but so it goes with life.

We are looking forward to some time in Atlanta with family over 4th of July weekend and then a long weekend at the beach. Summer just isn't summer without sticky, salty hair and sandy toes. Soon enough, though, I will have time to catch you up to date and share some pictures and thoughts with you.

Until then, I leave you with a picture of the Empire State Building in all of its rainbow glory on pride weekend just after NYC passed their marriage equality bill. It was quite a time to be in NYC.

Happy 6th Birthday Luz

I cannot believe it!

For Christian While You Are Away

Weekend With Nana

Christian and I spent a few hours together after I arrived (late) from TN on Friday night and before he left (early) Saturday morning. What could have been a rather chaotic 48 hours was eased with the arrival of Nana.

The weather was nice and we had nothing in particular to do this weekend so we packed a few things and headed out to Thibodaux for some swimming, sun, golf cart rides, time with the horses, visits with family, and rest. We had a few rain showers, but the timing was always right and Luz was able to spend a ton of time in the pool practicing her jumps, dives and strokes.

Here are a few pictures of the kids from the weekend:

Tiny Dancer

Luz and I spent the evening at Loyola watching one of the metro-area ballet schools perform Hansel and Gretel. For the most part I tend to become rather bored when thinking about all things ballet. With the exception of Black Swan and many of the years when I was a ballet student, the idea of watching ballet induces narcolepsy. But Lucy has such a deep appreciation for ballet and a love of the performing arts. Even at 8 o'clock at night, after a long day of fun in the sun at camp, she sits perfectly still, totally fixated. She did it last week at Shrek! with mom and then tonight at the ballet with me.

It reminded me, though, I have not posted some of the pictures from her ballet recital last month. Like I said, things have been rather busy around here.

Backing Up A Bit

There have been so many things going on around here for the past few weeks that it is tough to keep up. At the end of the day I am totally drained and it is a toss up - tell you all about what exciting (or rather mundane) things have been happening around here at the Vaicius house or pour a glass of wine, throw on an old t-shirt and watch some mind-numbing Real Housewives of Wherever. Sometimes my will to be creative and create a journal for Luz and James is beaten down by laziness. Other times, I think about a moment that made me smile, something that I want to freeze in time, a memory I want to share with the kids but know I will forget before it could ever mean anything to them.

Here is a moment a few weeks ago at their friend, Sadie's, birthday party. 2 year old peer pressure v. 5 (almost 6) year old terror. 2 year old peer pressure won. Almost 6 year-old put on a brave face but you can still see the fear...poor boo:


And this one, just before a 'look Ma, no hands moment'



Salt in wounds, one would think, but for her it was more like 'are you crazy, you could fall and hurt yourself...kids have to fall off of these things all the time...they seem so incredibly unsafe.' There is nothing wrong with being risk-adverse, with hedging one's bets. Perhaps she has a future as an actuary. Or maybe she has had to sit through too many of my war stories.


But you cannot fool me. I know there is bravery inside of that almost 6 year old. I see if every day and so does he, which is why he made her sit beside him.