Althea, Bryan, Andrew, and Sylvia
Our summer has been so much fun. When I sit down to recap the last few week, I just lean my head back, sigh softly, and smile. Being a full time mom, the weather has a major impact on our days. I’ve been soaking in the warm weather, the hours spent hanging out in the yard, and the ease and fun that playing in the yard brings.
Here are some thoughts about our last weeks:
My aunt Julie (my dad’s sister), her husband Kevin, and their little boy came to Wisconsin earlier this month for a long visit. I was happy to spend a couple days with them, and it was so much fun to meet their little man. He’s only a few months older than Sylvie, and he’s just completely adorable. On Friday night, I took them to Tenney Park for a photo session. It brings a smile to my face to think about how lovely they look together as a family.
I made a mix CD for them with some of my favorite kids music. Then I uploaded the mix to iTunes so I can share it here with you. The original mix had 20 songs, but apparently some of them weren’t iTunes approved. Enjoy my iMix!
Have I mentioned that the kids and I are leaving for Texas tomorrow? We are. I’ll be hanging out with them and with Bryan’s parents until Sunday, and then I fly home to Madison for a couple days before Bryan and I fly to (drum roll please) Sweden!
I can’t imagine what it is going to be like to be child-free for eleven days. Eleven. Eleven. Wow. That’s a long time. 
And while I have a twinge of nausea at the thought of being apart my my dear ones for that long, I mostly feel like dancing around. Weeeeee! What will we do with all our free time?
Bryan’s friend Kaleb gets married in western Sweden on July 22 (see a post here for background). We’ll be in Sweden for eight days. Ahh, eight days in Europe. I really can’t believe it.
So here’s what I need from you. Dear readers of my blog, please help me by sending me recommendations for books that I should read while on my trip. I’d like to read some good books.
With all my photo business activities, I’ve done almost no pleasure reading this summer. Jessica just gave me A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. And I’m loving it! My favorite book in ’08 was A Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver.
We’ll have two international flights and lots of mornings and evenings to read. Ahhh reading. How I love you. How I miss you!
I’m looking forward to hearing what you all recommend!
Some say heaven is a place. A place where, perhaps my mom and grandparents might reside. I say it is this:
Most of the blogs I read took a couple days to post about their 4th of July activities. I’m finding myself a little bashful that it’s taken me almost 10 days to link to the photos about our great time with our friends Grace, Tim, and John from DC.
You’ll have to check out the fun and silly photos I posted on our website.
Andrew and John are great buds and had a wonderful time playing together. We spent five days hanging around our home and town. Tim took the boys for a bike ride, we went to the farmer’s market, we explored the arboretum, we played in the sprinkler and in the slip ‘n slide, we had picnics and lit sparklers… The boys slept in Andrew’s room together and did a lovely job of being sweet, cute little four-year-olds. Sylvie was delighted to have additional friends in our home. Grace and Tim fit right in, and the days sped by.
Here are some of my favorite images from our week:
You know, generally, I would say “no way,” but this week I just might disagree with that general assessment.
I used my birthday “crazy money” to buy myself some new clothes from my favorite catalog: Title Nine. I haven’t gotten myself several new, full-price items in a loong time (actually, Bryan’s mom got me some great winter clothes last fall, so that’s not entirely true, but anyway…). So for the last few days, I’ve been rejoycing in wearing new shirts, a new skirt, a new dress, new pants…ahhh.
Also, and this is probably too much information for any male readers out there, but I got myself some new bras on my birthday. They are my first new ones since I bought nursing bras when I was pregnant with Andrew in 2004. They make me so happy! For all you mamas out there who haven’t gotten yourself new undergarments, I highly recommend it. Get professionally fitted. It makes a girl feel good.
Eventually I may not be dancing around in happiness every morning over my new clothes, but for the last week, my spirit feels light because I feel pretty. What a perfect kind of birthday present!
We had such fun with our friends and family who visited us these past weeks! Bryan’s mom was here from June 22-30, Melanie was here from June 24-29, and Mark was here from June 26-29. I took almost no photos during their entire visit, which I am sure I will regret when I want to make the 2010 Dotzour Family Calendar, but oh well!
Andrew and Melanie are best buddies, and Andrew and Sylvia in general were both so happy to have their adored Granny, Grandad, and Aunt Mel staying with us. I got to go out to breakfast with Melanie on my birthday, I took LuAnn and Melanie out to American Players Theater for a lovely evening seeing The Philanderer, and in general we all enjoyed being together. I so wish we lived close enough to hang out more often!
In the last month, Bryan and I have been going on lots of dates. And it’s been lovely! I highly recommend it to all parents out there:) We’ve hired my friend Karen’s daughter, Shara to come over once a week or so, and I’m still marveling at how nice it is to take a few hours off to chat with my husband and to spend some time in each other’s quiet company.
The first night we went out – not to do anything in particular but just to be out together – I kept having the thought, “This is amazing! You can PAY someone to feed your child dinner and put them to bed!” We’re really lucky to have family in town, and Michael and Lisa are awesome baby sitters. I feel most comfortable asking for their help with longer evenings (like our outing to American Players Theater last week). It’s so nice to have options!
So Shara has come over a couple week night and a couple Sunday afternoons. Bryan and I went to Mickey’s Tavern on Willy Street. For those of you in Madison, I recommend it! It’s run by the same woman who owns Lazy Jane’s, and the food was good! They’ve got a nice outdoor eating area, and the inside is cozy with an eclectic mix of tables, couches, kitschy decorations, and pool tables. A cozy, bright, and clean place. I think we’ll be going back!
A few weeks ago we went to Tenney Park and ate Shrimp ‘po boys on the pier while the sun set. I love the idea of spending regular downtime with my sweetie.
Greetings! It feels like it’s been weeks since I’ve posted this and that about the happenings in the Dotzour household. That means that I have the ideas for about eight posts rambling around in my head. I’ve got to find time to write them down so I can quiet the reminders in my brain,
Brain: “Have you posted yet about Sylvie’s new-found love of books?
Me: “No, Brain, I haven’t. We’ve had company, and I haven’t been on the computer much.”
Brain: “Have you put up the pictures or written an update about your great visit with Grace and Tim and John?”
Me: “Brain, please be quiet. I’ve been editing photos from the photo sessions I did in the last couple weeks, and that is definitely a higher priority.”
Brain: “Are you sure? Humph, well, in that case, have you at least written down all the many posts that you want to do eventually so you don’t forget?”
Me: “Good idea, Brain. I’ll do it!”
I just finished editing some lovely pictures from a photo session last week. Take a look!
After spending a lovely five days together, Grace and Tim and John all headed home today. So now we don’t have friends or family visiting us anymore.
This is how we feel.
