Oskar: Mom, where should I live when I grow up?
Me: Close to me.
Oskar: I was thinking close to the Natural History Museum.
[pause]
If I have kids, I could take them to the Natural History Museum. And I was thinking you could come with us. I'll call you up, and then you can come meet us, and we'll go to the Natural History Museum."
Thursday, September 16
Wednesday, September 15
I've Got the Travelin' Bug
Yesterday my brother jokingly - or perhaps not so jokingly - called me a "babysitter whore". (Though I would argue that I'm actually more of a babysitter pimp...just sayin'.) But I'll tell you what, I totally feel like that's true. And frankly, it's no laughing matter. I think this has been the hardest thing for me about motherhood for me - the constancy of it. I know that probably sounds ridiculous and maybe my situation is a little extreme (with four young children and all) but truly, I wasn't prepared for how trapped I would feel. I mean, I love my kids, I think you all know that. And I love doing stuff with them...and taking pictures of it. But there's so much MORE that I want to do (and used to be able to do).
This seems like a good time to acknowledge a few saints in my life. First there's my very kind sister-in-law who comes over and watches our children several times a month so that my husband and I can spend a little time together doing SOMETHING. I appreciate it so much. It's a luxury we would not otherwise be able to afford. I try so hard to not additionally take advantage of her, because it already feels like so much. And I do try to let her know how much we appreciate it but the fact that she does this for us, without even having children and understanding how desperately I long for time to myself...well...like I said, she's a saint. That's all there is to be said.
The other person who deserves a public thank you is my next door neighbor. She has five children of her own so she totally understands why I don't relish dragging my troop to doctor appointments or shopping or oil changes or whatever it might be. Many a time I've called her up for a favor, "Can so and so (or more typically, several of them) come over while I run and do XYZ". She's a really good sport about it and I'm pretty sure I owe her about a week's worth of solid babysitting.
But contrary to the experience those two have had with me, it's actually really hard for me to ask for help. I hate to be a bother. And neither of them are really able to help me scratch my traveling itch anyway (though not for lack of willingness on either of their parts, I have no doubt). My mom was such an awesome help when the kids were younger but then she moved out of the area (hopefully not just to get away from my perpetual requests for help!!). At least once Mom came back and watched all four kids for a long weekend but quite frankly, I think she found it a little overwhelming. It'd probably be easier now that the kids are a little older and more independent, but still, it's a lot. I have another sister-in-law who would no doubt be very willing but again, she has a job and plenty of responsibilities of her own.
So yeah, traveling is tricky these days.
Why don't we travel with the kids?! Ha! I'll tell you why. One thing that I hadn't considered before we suddenly found ourselves the parents of four children was how expensive everything would be. I would love to take them out west for a ski trip or plan a family cruise but plain and simple, WE CAN'T AFFORD IT!!
*sigh* Becoming a parent has forced me to plant my feet on the ground much more solidly than I ever intended too. Instead of making plans for the near future, I daydream about the distant future. (And anyone who knows me well probably also knows that patience is not one of my fortés.) So who knows when I'll actually be able to start traveling again but it WILL happen, I promise you that. Someday...someday.
This seems like a good time to acknowledge a few saints in my life. First there's my very kind sister-in-law who comes over and watches our children several times a month so that my husband and I can spend a little time together doing SOMETHING. I appreciate it so much. It's a luxury we would not otherwise be able to afford. I try so hard to not additionally take advantage of her, because it already feels like so much. And I do try to let her know how much we appreciate it but the fact that she does this for us, without even having children and understanding how desperately I long for time to myself...well...like I said, she's a saint. That's all there is to be said.
The other person who deserves a public thank you is my next door neighbor. She has five children of her own so she totally understands why I don't relish dragging my troop to doctor appointments or shopping or oil changes or whatever it might be. Many a time I've called her up for a favor, "Can so and so (or more typically, several of them) come over while I run and do XYZ". She's a really good sport about it and I'm pretty sure I owe her about a week's worth of solid babysitting.
But contrary to the experience those two have had with me, it's actually really hard for me to ask for help. I hate to be a bother. And neither of them are really able to help me scratch my traveling itch anyway (though not for lack of willingness on either of their parts, I have no doubt). My mom was such an awesome help when the kids were younger but then she moved out of the area (hopefully not just to get away from my perpetual requests for help!!). At least once Mom came back and watched all four kids for a long weekend but quite frankly, I think she found it a little overwhelming. It'd probably be easier now that the kids are a little older and more independent, but still, it's a lot. I have another sister-in-law who would no doubt be very willing but again, she has a job and plenty of responsibilities of her own.
So yeah, traveling is tricky these days.
Why don't we travel with the kids?! Ha! I'll tell you why. One thing that I hadn't considered before we suddenly found ourselves the parents of four children was how expensive everything would be. I would love to take them out west for a ski trip or plan a family cruise but plain and simple, WE CAN'T AFFORD IT!!
*sigh* Becoming a parent has forced me to plant my feet on the ground much more solidly than I ever intended too. Instead of making plans for the near future, I daydream about the distant future. (And anyone who knows me well probably also knows that patience is not one of my fortés.) So who knows when I'll actually be able to start traveling again but it WILL happen, I promise you that. Someday...someday.
Saturday, September 11
First Day of School
Oskar and I were both up bright and early for the morning bus. Afterwards, several of us gathered at a neighbor's house for a little back-to-school celebration. (I was the only slacker who showed up empty-handed. Oops!)
Waiting for the "afternoon" bus (which arrives at 11 in the morning).
The kids got home from their first day of school and Annika was immediately telling me all about her new friends and the things they did and who invited her for a playdate and so on and so forth. Eventually I was able to ask Oskar how his day was and he responded, "Average" and quickly added with a whine, "But it's too long."
Assistant
The other day Kardynn was being particularly clingy. I was trying to get the house cleaned up and it was challenging with a child attached at the hip (literally). So I tried to think of ways to distract her. I thought maybe I could get her to "help" me. We proceeded to have a conversation that went something like this:
Me: Would you like to be Mommy's assistant?
Kardynn: I not She-shen, I Kardynn.
Me: No, not Kiersten, A-SSIS-TANT. Do you want to me by A-SSIS-TANT?
Kardynn: Sheshen's downstairs. I Kardynn Engen.
Me: An assistant is someone who helps someone else. You can be my assistant.
Kardynn: No, I Kar-dynn.
And on it went. Eventually I gave up and continued to carry her around on my hip. For the record, typically she doesn't even call Kiersten "She-shen" anymore. She's moved on to calling her Kir-sten.
Me: Would you like to be Mommy's assistant?
Kardynn: I not She-shen, I Kardynn.
Me: No, not Kiersten, A-SSIS-TANT. Do you want to me by A-SSIS-TANT?
Kardynn: Sheshen's downstairs. I Kardynn Engen.
Me: An assistant is someone who helps someone else. You can be my assistant.
Kardynn: No, I Kar-dynn.
And on it went. Eventually I gave up and continued to carry her around on my hip. For the record, typically she doesn't even call Kiersten "She-shen" anymore. She's moved on to calling her Kir-sten.
Friday, August 20
Overheard at Breakfast
Oskar: Mom, babies don't know how to control their bladder so that's why they wear diapers.
Kardynn, protesting: I know how to go up the ladder!
Kardynn, protesting: I know how to go up the ladder!
Tuesday, August 17
August 16
This past weekend my Mom was in town (on her way from Cairo to her home in Florida). We enjoyed her visit so much. It was a little crazy though. On the day she arrived, my brother had an unpleasant medical procedure - which resulted with his being diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. But he was very uncomfortable and wasn't supposed to be alone for 24 hours so he hung out at my place. Plus Mom was fighting jet lag AND struggling with allergies. In the meantime, my father-in-law came up from North Carolina so we also visited with him and my sister-in-law and my nephew.
What a crazy weekend!
Yesterday we drove my Mom to Reagan National Airport to catch her flight to Florida. We dropped her off around 8:40 am and then I wanted to kill some time before getting back on 66, because the traffic going back towards home had looked nasty.
First we pulled in to Gravelly Point and watched planes landing and taking off. The kids loved it...well...Kiersten was not 100% sold. You'll notice she would plug her ears as the planes went over us. It *was* quite loud.
Next we pulled off to explore Roosevelt Island. We walked to the memorial and then wandered around on the trails.
While walking around I realized I was WAY overdressed. It had been cool the last couple of days so I'd been wearing jeans. We left the house early enough that I didn't realize the cold snap had ended. I was still wearing jeans. By 9:30 am I was dying.
I also realized that I have a completely irrational fear related to the kids. When we were walking on the bridge between the island and the parking lot, if Kardynn would get too close to the side, I would seriously start almost hyper ventilating. I worried that she'd slip through the cracks...or best case scenario, simply lose a shoe. I kept trying to rationalize it away but if she started to get close, I would literally get dizzy. I had to go grab her away from the side and encourage her back towards the middle of the bridge. I was not quite as loopy about the older kids (the older they are the less it seemed to bother me - as you can see from the above picture of Oskar). But yeah, if Kardynn got too close to the edge, I would get woozy.
But back to the day's adventures, I wanted to run by Tysons Corner and take care of a few errands. I had a pair of Hanna Anderrson PJs that had had a seam come out. HA was awesome and they gave me a full credit for those PJs two years later. (Unfortunately I got a really good deal when I bought them. *hmph*)
Then I went by Pottery Barn Kids with a towel that I bought around the same time. The one seam has completely ripped out and it's all fraying along that side. The lady said, "normal wear and tear". Uh...then never mind buying towels from PBK in the future because the only other towel that has ever done this to me was a cheap-o towel that I bought at WalMart and that one was fine for like ten years before it happened. What a bummer because usually I think Pottery Barn has good customer service. I'm not sure what I thought they should do but if they think it's normal for a towel's side to completely unravel after two years, that's a problem. Our final stop was at Teavana to sample the fares (now that I'm a tea fanatic). The kids tried the iced herbal tea and liked it. I'll have to make some at home.
I had promised the kids that if they were good at the mall, we'd go to a playground. So we left Tysons and headed for Clemyjontri Park.
The kids had a blast but now I was really DYING in my blue jeans. I mean, look at THEIR faces and imagine what mine looked like.
They really, really wanted to go on the carousel and of course I'd left my wallet in the car so we went back to get money, bought tokens and enjoyed a ride on the carousel before leaving.
Then we played a quick game of Follow-the-Leader...and headed home. *whew*
When we got home I assembled a doll house for Kardynn.
And as if I hadn't already had enough time outside, then I mowed the grass.
What a crazy weekend!
Yesterday we drove my Mom to Reagan National Airport to catch her flight to Florida. We dropped her off around 8:40 am and then I wanted to kill some time before getting back on 66, because the traffic going back towards home had looked nasty.
First we pulled in to Gravelly Point and watched planes landing and taking off. The kids loved it...well...Kiersten was not 100% sold. You'll notice she would plug her ears as the planes went over us. It *was* quite loud.
Next we pulled off to explore Roosevelt Island. We walked to the memorial and then wandered around on the trails.
While walking around I realized I was WAY overdressed. It had been cool the last couple of days so I'd been wearing jeans. We left the house early enough that I didn't realize the cold snap had ended. I was still wearing jeans. By 9:30 am I was dying.
I also realized that I have a completely irrational fear related to the kids. When we were walking on the bridge between the island and the parking lot, if Kardynn would get too close to the side, I would seriously start almost hyper ventilating. I worried that she'd slip through the cracks...or best case scenario, simply lose a shoe. I kept trying to rationalize it away but if she started to get close, I would literally get dizzy. I had to go grab her away from the side and encourage her back towards the middle of the bridge. I was not quite as loopy about the older kids (the older they are the less it seemed to bother me - as you can see from the above picture of Oskar). But yeah, if Kardynn got too close to the edge, I would get woozy.
But back to the day's adventures, I wanted to run by Tysons Corner and take care of a few errands. I had a pair of Hanna Anderrson PJs that had had a seam come out. HA was awesome and they gave me a full credit for those PJs two years later. (Unfortunately I got a really good deal when I bought them. *hmph*)
Then I went by Pottery Barn Kids with a towel that I bought around the same time. The one seam has completely ripped out and it's all fraying along that side. The lady said, "normal wear and tear". Uh...then never mind buying towels from PBK in the future because the only other towel that has ever done this to me was a cheap-o towel that I bought at WalMart and that one was fine for like ten years before it happened. What a bummer because usually I think Pottery Barn has good customer service. I'm not sure what I thought they should do but if they think it's normal for a towel's side to completely unravel after two years, that's a problem. Our final stop was at Teavana to sample the fares (now that I'm a tea fanatic). The kids tried the iced herbal tea and liked it. I'll have to make some at home.
I had promised the kids that if they were good at the mall, we'd go to a playground. So we left Tysons and headed for Clemyjontri Park.
The kids had a blast but now I was really DYING in my blue jeans. I mean, look at THEIR faces and imagine what mine looked like.
They really, really wanted to go on the carousel and of course I'd left my wallet in the car so we went back to get money, bought tokens and enjoyed a ride on the carousel before leaving.
Then we played a quick game of Follow-the-Leader...and headed home. *whew*
When we got home I assembled a doll house for Kardynn.
And as if I hadn't already had enough time outside, then I mowed the grass.
Tuesday, August 3
Heather Engen Photography
I don't know what I'm doing. Don't start making "What else is new?" cracks! I can't figure out where to post my photos...and more importantly, what I'm doing with my life. As my most dedicated followers know (Mom?), this summer I've been exploring photography as a potential career path. And I think the most important thing that I've learned from this is that I am SO not ready for anything like this right now. But of course I still love photography and I still love taking pictures of/for people. So for now I just want to keep practicing on the kind people I know. People who are gracious when I totally screw up. (Thank you Aunt Esther!)
So...in the meantime...I had made a "Heather Engen Photography" page on Facebook. Should I close that down? Should I post my photos there? What to do, what to do? Or should I post my photos to Flickr (which is kinda what I had been doing). Or both? I need to decide.
So...in the meantime...I had made a "Heather Engen Photography" page on Facebook. Should I close that down? Should I post my photos there? What to do, what to do? Or should I post my photos to Flickr (which is kinda what I had been doing). Or both? I need to decide.
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