HHI Countdown

We are heading off soon for vacation, so I'll leave you with some cute pics of Owen to help get you through the week (smile).

Optional Post I

I often lay awake at night, thoughts swirling through my head, minutes ticking away on the clock as Bob and Owen sleep soundly next to me. I mentioned to Bob the other day that perhaps if I jotted these things down, they'd stop messing with me at 1:00 AM. I've always found clarity and release in writing, and hey, this is a format that works within my day.

So here's the first of my "optional" posts. I don't mean for them to be lectures, or even completely developed essays. They may not make much sense to anyone but me. They are not going to be posts that I obsess over for grammar or catchy phrases. And if you stop by only for the pictures of Owen and perhaps a glimpse into our lives, please feel free to skip these posts entirely (hence the optional in the title).

But I appreciate the chance to get these thoughts out of my head - at least for a while.

The Westminster Fall Fest raises monies for local charities and service organizations. Perhaps the organizers could spare some change to start a mandatory parenting class for some of Carroll County's mom and dads.

I'm not exaggerating to say the examples of - in my opinion - horrible parenting on display that day overwhelmed me. I'm not (just) talking about the mother who stood idly by while her kids shoved and cut in front of Owen in line, or the pregnant mom who pushed a stroller with one hand and smoked a cigarette with the other.

I'm talking about the many, many times I saw and heard children screamed at, roughly yanked around by their arms, and generally bullied by their parents. The worst one of all, a father who called his little girl (who couldn't have been more than 7), a "bitch" because once seated on the Ferris wheel she got scared and started crying, necessitating the carnival worker to let her back off - and I guess embarrassing or annoying her dad. It all made my heart ache.

None of us are perfect parents. Of course there are times when I'm tired or cranky or just plain "done", and I have raised my voice at Owen ... and I always almost instantly regret it. Maybe it's because I'm not a yeller by nature, and I am 100% against corporal punishment, but I can't understand the kind of behavior I witnessed at the fair.

I don't think I'm slack on discipline when it's needed, I certainly want to raise a well-behaved, polite, considerate child, and I try to parent with gentle firmness. I scratch my head over how anyone can believe that their children will be respectful and obedient if the adult that they love and look up to is flat-out mean and disrespectful to them?

Time and time again Owen reminds me that he sees and takes in everything, and I can't help but wonder how those kids at the fair feel when their red-faced, bug-eyed, spittle-flying parents are yelling at them. And what kind of adults those very same kids are going to grow into ... and how those kids will parent their kids. It saddens me; it makes me worried; it makes me hug Owen even closer.

Owen is a Panther

This year Owen is attending Panther Pals pre-school at a local high school through a program that gives juniors and seniors the opportunity to put what they've learned about early childhood education into action.

Under the watchful supervision of Mrs. Rudy, the high schoolers make and implement lesson plans, plan learning and physical activities, and practice classroom skills. The school follows the Maryland Model for School Readiness to prepare for kindergarten. I was especially attracted to this program because the small class size (only 11 kids) lends itself to lots of one-on-one teacher/student interaction (and OK, it didn't hurt that the cost was waaaayyy less than Owen's preschool last year).

We had orientation last Friday, where Owen met his special Teen Teachers, Miss Brittany and Miss Jamie. Today was the first official day of school, and I was so proud of Owen for happily heading off to class and coming out an hour later all smiles and telling me about the ant book they read.


Ready to go, armed with apples for his teachers.


Waiting in the pick-up lane before school.


Off he goes!

Hands in the Air

Under yesterday's clear blue skies and autumnal temps of 92 degrees (yep, sarcasm, I'm more than ready for cooler weather) we met up with my friend Kim and her kiddos, Reganne, Mackenzie and Kerri at Westminster's Annual Fall Fest.

It's a downtown carnival, complete with midway games; slightly creaky rides; vendors of everything from cubic zirconia jewelry to Bathtub Fitters; demonstrations by dog trainers, martial art clubs, and local dance studios; and booth upon booth of cotton candy, pork BBQ, french fries, funnel cakes and fresh squeezed lemonade.

Oh, and giant mascots.


The kids all wanted to take a spin on the carousel first ...



followed in quick succession by anything that went round and round.






I always suspected Owen would love rides; our first day in the baby house his caretaker told us that he really enjoyed being tossed in the air. When I asked him last night at bed which was his favorite, he told me the "giant steering wheel". I was stumped for a minute, but then said "Oh, the ferris wheel that Mommy went on with you?". Owen, grinning broadly, said "Yep!".


At the top on the way down - Owen giggled every time we went around!


Our view from the top - I was glad when this ride ended. Have I mentioned I don't really like heights?



He loved the dragon roller coaster too, unloading and running right back to get in line and do it again. Check out the hands in the air!

Hershey Park - here we come!

The Cutest Kid in the World

Awwww, the cutest kid in the world!

Oh, I know. I can almost hear you. All you moms saying, "Yes, Owen is cute, but my little (fill in the blank) is really the cutest kid(s) in the world!".

And you are absolutely right.

Because isn't it so true that every mother, upon first seeing her child's face, believes with all her heart that she has been blessed with the most adorable, gosh-darn most beautiful kid EVER? It does not matter one bit if the child in question is jaundice or splotchy or fat or thin or bald or hairy. The child might be on everyone else's list of most likely to never appear in a GAP ad, but in mommy's eyes, well, perfection (how else to explain all those - in my opinion - questionable entries in the GAP model competition?).

Another example ... I was not a cute baby. Nor toddler. Nor school-age child or pre-teen, and I have the pictures to back that up. I didn't possess the Shirley Temple locks, button nose, and huge velvet brown eyes that made people oooh and ahhh over my little sis. But ask my mom, and to this day she will tell you I was a looker. Thanks mom.

Isn't that a wonderful, mysterious thing? Something just clicks inside when we become mothers and I think it's pretty amazing. It's not biological either; upon first glimpsing Cearra peering out from behind Bob's legs I knew she was the most gorgeous child ever. I still feel that way. And the moment I looked down into his crib and saw Owen, my heart easily made room for the two most beautiful children in the world.

So even though I look at Owen every day and know he is the cutest kid in the world, I applaud all you moms for thinking the same of your kiddos, and I think we are all right on target!

Rest In Peace Dear Friend

My friend Sherry passed away last week after a short battle with cancer. I was honored that her husband asked me to give an eulogy at her funeral, and hope I expressed the wonderful person she was, and how very much she will be missed.


When Owen first met GiGi

If you are lucky, you’ll meet a person who makes your world a brighter, better place just by being themselves. Someone who wraps you in her love of life and reflects her glow of happiness on you. Someone who gives far more than she ever takes. Someone who always makes you smile.

Someone like Sherry Gist.

So how do we begin to understand why God needed her now, when we still need her? How do we handle the pain and sadness? How do we go on, when she is no longer a phone call, email or facebook post away? When we can no longer feel her hugs or see her smile? When we drive by her house and the candles aren’t lit?

I honestly don’t know. But I do know that I want to celebrate her life. Wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, neighbor and friend Sherry, a woman who:

… never met a stranger, because within minutes of meeting anyone, she made that person feel like a lifelong pal.

… who was the unofficial but widely acknowledged social director, mayor, heart, ambassador and glue of Cliveden Reach.

… who took pride in her gorgeous home - decorating every available surface for Christmas, maintaining the most beautiful lawn in the neighborhood – and debating for months over paint colors and granite choices before finishing a kitchen that helped her channel Paula Dean.

… who always looked beautiful and was fond of saying she resembled Heather Locklear, but who was always the first to laugh at herself.

… who was deeply generous and compassionate with friends, and always eager to share her blessings with those she didn’t know - acting as a Christmas elf, donating blood, being on the National Bone Marrow Registry.

Today and everyday I celebrate Sherry, who:

… after 25 years of marriage still had a huge crush on Bruce, and pride in Brent that was immense and constant (even as she recounted stories of the trouble he caused in preschool).

… who was always up for an adventure, or shopping, or lunch, or girls night, or a long dinner at Texas Roadhouse, just as long as she was home in time to be with her two best boys.

… who adored animals, especially her fur kids Brooks and Brody, but was still a little nervous around a 19 lb cat named Remy.

… who supported, encouraged and celebrated the long awaited arrival of a child, and promptly became GiGi to him – now and forever.

… who liked her clothing, and purses, and jewelry and sparkling diamonds; but always knew the greatest treasures on earth were faith and family and friends.

Sherry was joyful, and honest, and funny, and real, and strong, and brave, and loyal.

So how do we say goodbye?

I for one refuse to say goodbye to her. I will hold her forever in my heart. I will retell her stories; I will listen for the echoes of her joyful laughter; I will try to live with the same daily enthusiasm she had. I will remember the peace I always felt in her presence.

I will close my eyes and picture her happily relaxing by her pool, or hanging out with friends on a beach in Jamaica, or in the Outer Banks with family. I will do my best to support Bruce and Brent. I will trust that she is safe in the hands of God and watching over us all. And I will be forever grateful that she called me friend.

I know each of you have your own Sherry stories and memories. Please don’t be afraid to reach out to each other and share them today and in the days to come. We will always miss her, and we will always love her. Rest in peace dear friend.

Atlantic City: The East Coast's Sin City

Our Labor Day weekend at Nana and Pop-pop's place in New Jersey, during which:

Owen toured his first casino - Caesar's in Atlantic City ...


We got crabs ...


Mom and I really enjoyed the Marriott's free Wine and Cheese Party ...


and Bob let Owen play with guns ...


Of course, there is an innocent explanation for all these pics (well, except maybe that tipsy self-portrait of me and mom), but hey, wasn't this post more fun to read??

And if you still prefer your posts on the cute and sweet side, here are a few shots for you ...




Remy was so happy we were home she came downstairs to greet us!

Going to Gettysburg. Again.

"Let's go Owen; we're off to Nana and Pop-pops".

"The old house or the new house"?

"The new house".

"Oh. We go there a lot".

Yes, yes we do. And that's why we like them living in Gettysburg! This weekend we had an extra reason to visit as Uncle Rich and Aunt Cathy were down for a visit.


The boys' project for the day was assembling storage cabinets for the garage. Owen was a big help, and was rewarded for all his hard work with an afternoon trip to the pool. Uncle Rich and Pop-pop were rewarded with gummy bears after dinner. Oh, and Bob, who didn't come along and therefore did no work on the cabinets, was reward by going to the Ravens pre-seasons game that night! Hmmm, how'd that happen!?!? I am such a nice wife (smile).





On Sunday Bob did get to Gettysburg and he, Uncle Rich and Pop-pop played golf while Nana, Aunt Cathy, Owen and I explored the square in Gettysburg (including a store with some cute stuffed animals that someone really liked) and had lunch at The Pub.




Now, bonus question for the Kaufmann side of the family ... first impression when you look at this pic - who does it look like?? Leave your thoughts in the comments and I'll let you know who it reminds me of!