A new location . . .

http://houseinthehampton.blogspot.com/

Trying it out. I just miss blogging so much . . . I need to find a way to make it work for me.

Maybe this is it.

In a Word

DISNEY

There is just no place on earth like Disney World. As we settle back into our normal life after a second absolutely wonderful trip to Disney World, I cannot help but think that over and over. There is just no place like Disney World.

We had a great time. Beautiful, spring-like central Florida weather (about mid-80s), not one single drop of rain. Fantastic resort that we will now go to each and every future visit to the House of Mouse. Totally manageable crowd size. And two lovely little girls that ate up every single ounce of what Disney World had to offer them. And two parents (and a few grandparents) along to soak it all in.

Look at this here -- Kate is not even on the ground, she's so excited to meet Mickey!

I've posted a TON of pictures on our photo web site -- http://picasaweb.google.com/megdahlby

and I've narrated them with captions so that you can read along and follow our trip from beginning to end. It's easier than posting a long blog here . . . and it's more fun with the pictures. Enjoy. (It's, like, 400 pictures -- so only enjoy as much as you can tolerate before you've had enough of Dahlby Disney!)

Jim mentioned that his company is already considering having their next conference in Orlando . . . so that means I can look forward to our next trip in Oct 2011. I'll be there, 100%. I already cannot wait to go back to Disney World.

Disney World 2010

Disconnected

I feel too connected to the world . . . and it's starting to bug me.

This blog has been a great outlet for me. But I'm reminded time and time again that anything you read here can be construed and changed and misinterpreted. I hate that. I like the blog, I love writing it . . . but I don't like some of the ramifications that it is causing. I've learned that there is such a thing as TOO connected. Too bad.

So I'm going to an 'invite only' blog. I felt I should let you know . . . shouldn't just disappear without a goodbye.

If you know how to contact me about being 'invited' to continue reading . . . please feel free. For the rest of you, thanks for your support the last few years. The good, the bad, the ugly . . . I've felt you all out there enjoying my stories. Goodbye . . . and thanks.

Can we talk about Kate?

I mean, really. I don't talk about her enough on the blog, do I?

So let's talk about her.

Kate, at 21 months, is the messiest little booger I could ever have imagined. The kid is just so messy . . . at meal times, when she plays . . . she just leaves a path behind her wherever she's been. Now I know the kind of kid that inspired Charles Schultz to create the character 'Pigpen'.

She talks more than any kid I could imagine. She started young, and she has not stopped. And the thing is . . . it's very clear speech. Most others around us can easily understand what Kate says when something is on her mind. She started to really use words earlier waaaay earlier than Meg did. Before 18 months, you could ask her a question and trust her answers were correct. She wasn't just repeating speech or identifying objects . . . she was giving opinions and making decisions using her language skills. She amazes me daily with the things she says. And now that she has started to put several words together . . . well, watch out. Between Meg (my chatterbox) and Kate, I may not get a word in edgewise for the next 18-20 years.

She is prettier than any child I could imagine. Oh, my pretty little Kate. That button nose and those sweet curls. Blue eyes and rosy lips. I know she's mine, but I do think she is one of the prettiest little kids I've ever seen. I hate to see her growing up and losing some of her baby-ness . . . what a darling little baby she has been. So tiny and precious, my little Kate.

Kate is one of the smartest little toddlers I could imagine. I've already mentioned her ability to use language -- but it's more than that. She's helpful around our house, looking up to a big sister who also does her fair share of helping out. Kate figures things out pretty easily -- things like how to distract Meg from a toy SHE really wants to play with, or how to open a box full of something I don't want her to spill all over the place. She is starting to count, she's got most of her colors and shapes down, and she is starting to figure out the potty thing more and more. She's also smart enough to outsmart ME. Like the potty thing -- I'm pretty sure she could do it, but she's figured out that she is in total control of the situation. So, when SHE is ready, we will work on getting her toilet trained. Her smart mommy has learned that Kate has a mind of her own, and she will let me know when the time is right.

Without a doubt, Kate is more spirited that I could have ever imagined. She's quite stubborn at times. She dances and sings with the best of them ('If You're Happy and You Know It' being my favorite these days). She's got a smile that will melt your heart, and she knows how to use it. She has started having small melt-down like tantrums at times, showing off that spirit she's got inside. She spunky, that is for sure. Kate is my little ball of fire.

She is more opinionated that I could have imagined a nearly-two-yr-old could be. Since she learned how to use the word "No" at about 15 months, Kate has begun to stamp her approval/disapproval on things going on at our house with a vengeance. She has tons of opinions . . . especially for someone her age. I think some of that comes from having a big sister. She watched Meg make choices all day long . . . which plate at meal times, which shoes as we get ready to go somewhere, what program we are going to enjoy at TV time . . . and now that she realizes how cool it is to get to choose things, Kate always has something to say about what is going on at our house. Please -- I welcome your pity. I have to wrestle daily -- no hourly -- with the opinions of a one year old and a three year old. I didn't know I'd encounter this part of parenting so soon!

Even with all her spunk, Kate is about the most easy going kid I could imagine. Again -- it's a trait that has been with her since birth. At 7 weeks, she was sleeping 7-8 hrs at night, and I called the pediatrician to see if that was even acceptable at such a young age. She nursed really fast, she took naps with ease . . . Kate was such a cinch as a baby. People said, "Oh, just wait! She will come in to her own sooner or later!" and I guess she has. But -- I kid you not -- she is still as easy as pie. (What does that mean, anyway? 'Pie' is easy?) As a matter of fact, I take for granted how easy Kate is to get along with. When she is tired or whiney, I find my fuse a little short with her. Silly, I know -- to not let her get away with having a bad day. But Kate is not my grumpy kid -- so when she is, I know something must be wrong.

Kate is also very snuggly, which I didn't imagine was possible for a kid at her age. Toddlers usually won't sit still for long -- and Kate is certainly a non-stop toddler -- but when she is ready to settle in, she's only happy when sitting in my lap. Which I adore. The quote around here is, "Mommy. Couch." (pronounced Chow-ch) It means, "Mommy, please stop what you are doing and come sit with me on the couch." When I am able to oblige, I sit on the couch and Kate crawls right up under my right arm. She'll scooch her butt until she is comfy, then she puts her fingers in her mouth and brings her lovey to her face, right under her nose. Pure sweetness. I've been known to doze through an entire episode of Dora with Kate cradled in her spot, her tiny little body keeping me warm and safe and snug. I love my snuggly little girl.

Kate is more athletic than I could have imagined for a kid that came out of me. Let's face it . . . an athlete I am not. And I never would have guessed I'd have a kid that would be. But Kate . . . she walked early, loves to throw a ball around, and can climb just about anything faster than you can stop her. I decided to enroll us in the tot gymnastics class we now attend on Tuesdays in an effort to get her to use and fine tune those abundance of gross motor skills she seems to have. And from day one, the teacher has commented on her 'natural ability' in the gym. She hangs from the bars, she bends in half, she log rolls . . . Kate is certainly my athletic child.

All in all, I never imagined I'd be lucky enough to have a daughter like Kate. (And Meg too, of course -- but this blog is about little sister.) And now that she has been in our lives for nearly 2 years, I can't imagine things without her. I might not talk about her always, but she is always here and loved and adored by all.

Favorite Photo Friday

You knew it was coming . . . .

Megan Elizabeth, February 2009 (age 2.5), Disney World

Kate Allison, February 2009 (age 0.5), Disney World

Oh yeah, BABY. Disney World 2010 is just EIGHT days away! How could I resist sharing some favs from our wonderful trip in 2009?

And Then She Was Married

The wedding went off without a hitch. And yes, it rained. It rained and it rained and it rained, all day long.

But Julie was the coolest bride, and she didn't let the rain ruin her day.

And my girls were the most precious flower girls ever to be seen. Really, they were THAT cute.

And Jim and I didn't look too shabby ourselves :)

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. Congratulations to Aunt JuJu and -- now officially -- Uncle Greg. Have a fantastic honeymoon in the Phi Phi Islands!

Wedding Week

Only have a minute to write . . . it's officially 'Wedding Week' at our house, and things are crazy. I mean that 100% -- it is pretty nuts around here. People coming and going, errands here and there, remember this and never mind about that . . . if you've been through a wedding, you know how it goes.

For me, it's the one and only time that I'll ever experience the wedding of a sibling. Or as close as I'll ever get, anyway, being the only child that I am. It's a very unique experience -- sitting back and watching your little sister (in law) standing in the spotlight on her day of all days. And helping her as much as you can all along the way . . . wishing you could do more, hoping that the same pitfalls you encountered don't upset her day. I might have complained about things during the planning, but now that it's here . . . well, all of those minor issues have been forgotten. I can't wait to see Julie all dressed up in her gown, ready to go. It's going to make me cry! Shoot -- I finished up the rehearsal dinner picture slide show last weekend, and I was already crying just from the photos . . . I can't imagine how I'll be on Saturday evening.

The girls -- Meg and Kate -- are hanging in there. And by that I mean they are having a blast and loving the commotion -- but they are just teetering on the edge of exhaustion. And ti's only TUESDAY. Bedtimes have gone by the wayside, so I am doing all I can to make sure the girls get sleep whenever they can this week. Cross your fingers that these girls of mine will hang in there a few more days and keep their cool as we move from the planning part of the week into the actual festivities. It all begins here at our house Thursday night!

I've done lots of ironing, packing, organizing, ordering, re-ordering, shopping, returning, observing, and preparing over the last few days. And I'm just a bridesmaid, SIL of the bride. Jim's mom and Julie have been going nonstop for about 4 days, and I know they are reaching their 'breaking point', if you will. Not that they are on the verge of losing it or anything -- but I'm sure after 4 days of all the little details, they are ready to start saying, "I don't care" or "Whatever YOU think" a whole lot more. I know that's how I felt as my day drew close . . . I cared less and less about the little things and was just so excited to BE at the wedding. Julie has got to be getting to that stage, I'm sure.

Anyway, wedding week is upon us, so I must pull myself away from the computer here and get to finishing the decorations on Meg's flower girl basket. I made the executive decision that Meg would be the only flower girl to actually carry a basket in the ceremony -- one of those tiny details Julie probably could care less about. By not giving Kate her own basket, I am eliminating one more thing I would have to keep up with all afternoon on Saturday. I love that Kate is a flower girl in this wedding, but the little dear is only 22 months old . . . so I know her sweet basket would be left here and there, and I'd be saying, "Where is Kate's basket???" from the time she was dressed until we all settle in at the reception. Kate can go basket-less . . . and how cute it will be to see her reaching her chubby little hand into her big sister's basket to pull out some petals. So cute.


Happy Wedding Week to me and to all the family out there reading this as they throw their gear in a bag and get ready to head this way for the big event.


And keep your fingers crossed for Julie and her lovely, garden, outdoor wedding . . . the forecast for Saturday is rain.

Checking In

So, I used to complain all the time about how hard having two children is. How it blindsided me. How I was not at all prepared for the enormous change our family would endure with the birth of a second baby. How I was not sure I could make it.

Now here we are . . . approaching birthdays, so Jim and I will soon be parents of a 2 year old and a 4 year old. And you know what? There are so many aspects of life that are a whole lot easier these days. A whole lot easier.

Bath time, for example. That has sort of been my barometer for how things are going . . . how easy/not easy the process is for bathing my 2 girls. You've heard me talk about this before. In the fall of 2008, it was a treacherous chore that I would dread as I was making dinner each night . . . knowing that bath time followed dinner always stressed me out. But now . . . Meg is starting to bathe herself, and she can certainly dry herself off and put on her own PJs. Kate loves the bath, and she rarely gives me any trouble at bath time (minus the occasional poop in the tub, which has happened more times recently that I'd like to recall). Baths are something that I no longer fear. It's actually a bit of a break for me to stick them in the tub and watch them play.

Meals are easier . . . another threshold I've held for how "hard" life is. Kate is still my ever-messy kiddo, but she is a utensil-using savant and manages to eat pretty much everything without assistance. Meg has never been a problem at the table . . . though these days she is becoming quite picky about what she will put in her mouth. Still, they are both a LOT easier to manage when eating a meal. I might actually gain some weight back now that I find myself having a few minutes to feed myself at mealtimes.

Outings are easier. The size of the bag I must carry around is getting smaller and smaller with each passing season . . . dare I say, I'm almost back to carrying a normal sized purse on outings with the girls. Both girls are walking, both are pretty good about sticking with me when we go places (Kate, the baby she still is, is a little less cooperative at times than her big sister, but that is to be expected). Meg can buckle herself in her booster seat -- which, for those of you out there who have kids and not yet reached this milestone -- brace yourself. It is a liberating experience the first time your child belts out, "I buckled myself!" and you realize that you will now have to take fewer trips around the outside of your car each time you load up.

Each day, both of my girls are becoming more and more independent. I find myself thinking, "Wow, look what she can do now . . . that's one less thing I have to do for her!" Meg puts her coat and shoes away properly when we return home from an outing. Kate can put her dirty clothes in the hamper, and she can grab a diaper for me if she needs to be changed. Meg has discovered how fun it is to get a glass of water for herself from our refrigerator door, so I have plenty of cups within her reach if ever she needs to quench her thirst. Kate has become more and more of a big helper when we are cleaning up toys and books -- which I value and try to instill in both of my girls as an important responsibility. The independence does not make me sad . . . I don't long for them to stay babies (well, at least not all the time). I loved my babies, and I love them now as they grow into helpful, intelligent, and resourceful little girls.

The activities we can take part in our changing . . . and they are really becoming quite fun. We can work on little art projects together. Meg and I can play "Go Fish"together. Kate is learning how much fun reading and stories are, and she loves to play golf with her sister and her daddy in the back yard. We are the right age for dance class and summer camps -- which is a great escape for Meg and a nice break for me. Kate is knocking on the door of some of these activities -- but for now, we just take advantage of Meg's involvement and have a little Mommy-Kate time.

With life chugging along and getting easier each day, does this mean we are looking toward that ever-fleeting 3rd Dahlby child? As Lee Corso would say . . . not so fast my friend. Many things are easier, but on the same account, I would never say things are EASY. I have TWO young kids, for Pete's sake.

Kate sometimes fights me to get OUT of the bath tub, which can make an easy bath time go south in a hurry. Meg has learned that pretty much everything in any store is for sale, so she has taken to asking "Can you buy me this -- please?" WAY more often than I'd like when we are out shopping. The girls have learned to fight with one another . . . and that, from what I can tell, is just beginning at the age we are now. I hear it gets worse . . . I'll take everyone's word for it, and I'll try to be prepared for the constant bickering that two sisters can bring to a household.

As a matter of fact, when bad behavior like that creeps in, the children seem to feed off of each other . . . meaning if one kid is acting up, the other often chimes in in an effort to get my attention off of the bad kid and back on to her. If Kate runs away from me while out and about, Meg chases her . . . then I'm chasing two kids around my neighborhood library or grocery store. If Meg becomes whiny and wants my attention for some reason, Kate can be found dangling on my legs, trying with all of her might to have more attention focused on her. Noting like having your kids gang up on you, which is the territory I'm not entering.

Parenting these girls has also become a task that is never, ever going to be simple. I'm not talking about taking care of the girls -- that is what is getting easier. I've gotten very good at meeting needs, tending house, and keeping these children alive. But really being parents . . . that job will forever be the hardest job I'll ever have. Teaching them right from wrong, teaching them patience, teaching them respect . . . those kinds of lessons are always hard fought. While I may begin thinking that managing two kids isn't so bad . . . I will never think being a parent is a simple job.

My head is finally above water . . . at least, that's how I feel. I feel like after two years of being a mother of two, I finally am starting to figure things out. It's a good feeling to have my feet under me once again. Like I said -- it's easier around the Dahlby house, but not easy.

Just thought I'd check in and let you know.

How We Spent our Spring Break

How we spent our Spring Break 2010

by the Dahlby Girls

A family park day at Piedmont Park to kick off the weekend . . .

Easter . . . and all the fun, candy, and eggs it brings . . .

A trip to visit Grandaddy for a few days . . .

And to top it all off . . . the G Day Football game in Athens . . .

The Last Hooo-rah

Julie's Bachelorette Party was last weekend . . . and yes, THIS old lady was in attendance. I say that jokingly (kinda) . . . I was about 5 yrs older than the other guests, and I was the only one married and the only one with kids. I certainly felt old in the crowd I was in.

Hey -- I might be old, but I still will take ANY chance I get to go to the beach and lay out for a day or two.

It was a fun weekend . . . sun and a few drinks will make anyone feel great and gets EVERYONE excited about the upcoming wedding. It was what you would expect from a bachelorette party event . . . lots of drinking, giggling, and talking about 'old times'. I know Julie had a BLAST. She totally deserves it.

And the girls on the trip were great . . . the didn't make me feel old at all. I enjoyed listening to them all tell stories about guys they are dating or 'single girl' events they attended. I liked remembering my own days as a single girly as I listened to their tales of life in the city. I kept saying, "Believe it or not, I did have a very different life before I had kids!" Ahhhh . . . those days seem long past. But it was great to remember them for a weekend.

OH -- yes, those are airbrushed shirts we had made for our affair. Saturday night, we donned our shirts and out we went. We were in Panama City Beach, after all. Who goes to PCB and doesn't get airbrushed?!

Hooray for Julie's last hoo-rah. Only about 3 more weekends until her big day.

Favorite Photo Friday

Baby Teagan, March 20, 2010, Acworth, GA

Little Miss Teagan, who I was privileged to photograph at only 8 days of age. The picture above made me laugh out loud when I came across it in editing. Poor thing.

Really, she was not a tough baby . . . she didn't want to sleep, but we made it work, just the same. It's shoots like these that make me realize that each baby is so very, very different. It's a treat each and every time I get to work with these precious newbies.

Dear Ms Thelma

Hello Ms Thelma –

I’d like to bring Kate in to preschool on Tuesday morning to have a few pictures taken with Meg. If that’s not a problem, please let me know what time the pictures are being taken for your class, and we will be sure to be there.

(It works out well because Kate will be at the school on Tuesday for her Easter party!)

And I can’t resist the opportunity to tell you how much Meg loves your class. I hear all about your activities on our daily rides home, and I’m always so excited to learn of the things you guys are doing. The latest thing was the ‘nature walk’ – now Meg is always looking for signs of spring when we are outside! You have created a wonderful learning environment for our children.

Thanks so much –

Heather Dahlby







Her Response . . .



I'm pretty sure that our time is 11:15 on Tuesday but sometimes we get a little behind the schedule.



I'm so pleased that Meg gets so much joy from our class. I always hope that the learning opportunities we have spark the children's interest and sense of wonder about their world and their abilities. I really do feel blessed to get to share in a part of their lives. Give the girls a hug for Ms. Thelma ;-)







I {heart} our preschool. How lucky we are to have found a place that fits our family so well!

Disney is on the Horizon

If you ask Meg about our upcoming adventures, she will tell you with certainty that FIRST comes Aunt JuJu's wedding (April 24th) and NEXT comes Disney World (early May). She would likely then go on and on about Disney . . . which characters she wants to meet and when, and what rides she wants to enjoy in some particular order.

You see, in the mind of a 3 year old, being a flower girl in your Aunt's wedding is very cool. But following it up with a trip to Disney is even cooler.

Her mother has a similar sentiment, as sad as that might sound. I've already gotten my books out for the Disney trip. I've reprinted parade schedules, and I've made all of our dining reservations. And yes, sadly . . . I've started to think about what Disney gear we are all going to be wearing on the trip.

My dad thinks I'm crazy with all my questions and discussions about a trip that is still about 7 weeks away. He is coming along for part of this trip -- and the Dahlbys are coming for part, too -- and I don't know if either of them get how much planning goes into a Disney World vacation. You cannot just 'wing it' -- I mean, you can, but then you could miss out on some of the coolest stuff that the House of Mouse has to offer. I can't wing it. We are t-minus 50-ish days to go, and I'm already deciding which parks we will visits on which days of the trip.

Disney is on the horizon, my friends. And if it is half as wonderful as our trip in 2009, I'll be delirious.

The First of Many

This morning, all I wanted was 10 minutes to fold a load of laundry and get myself dressed . . . but Meg and Kate were in rare form. Ten minutes was just too much to ask.

Kate succeeded in pulling the googly eyes off of some decorative bunnies that Meg and I had made to add to our kitchen Easter decor. After only moments left unattended, I found Kate and the eye-less bunnies on the kitchen table . . . and Kate looked up at me and said, "M&Ms".

Gasp. Yes, I think she ate some googly eyes . . . at least one. There are a couple unaccounted for after I searched a nearby Easter basket and recovered a few. Oh well. I guess we will see if they reappear sometime in the next day or so. (In one way or another.)

Anyway . . . by 9:30am, I really needed to get my act together. I started out by trying to get the girls interested in something in our living room area -- with the hopes that I could leave them for a short time and take care of my 'to dos'. But after setting up an activity and trying for a few minutes, it was clear that Kate wanted Meg's markers . . . Meg was not willing to share . . . it was totally not going to work.

On second thought, I'll just take Kate upstairs with me . . . I thought to myself.

I left Meg to her markers, and Kate and I climbed the stairs. I started to unload the dryer.

Within a minute, Meg was at the top of the stairs, too. Kate was by then interested in some really old, mostly deflated balloon . . . which, naturally, Meg had to snatch from her and throw down the staircase.

I snapped at Meg when I heard Kate crying, "Downstairs!" . . . and when I really realized what big sister had done, immediately I sent her to time out.

With Meg in timeout and Kate back to her balloon (which meant another trip down and up the stairs), I once again attempted to get my laundry under control. A feeble attempt. Kate was all up in Meg's face as Meg sat in time out . . . and Meg was screaming something about, "Mommy! Kate won't leave me alone!"

I snapped again. This time at both of them. Then I had a thought.

Duh, braniac. Just separate them.

I released Meg from time out and told her firmly to return to the living room and find something -- anything -- to keep herself busy. I swept Kate up and plopped her down on my bed, with Curious George on the TV to keep her entertained.

And finally, about 10 minutes after my original attempt, I was able to fold my clothing and put on a clean outfit for my day.

Why is this so significant to me? It was the first time I've ever had to consciously separate the girls. They are old enough now to really get at each other -- drive each other nuts, honestly -- they are starting to really act like sisters. Looks like I have entered some new territory in parenting . . . a territory that is a little scary for me, as an only child.

And it worked. Separating them, I mean. The first time, and it worked. Looks like I've found a tactic that I might use more often.

So, today was the first time I separated the girls . . . the first of many, I think. Welcome to sibling rivalry, Mrs. Dahlby.

Favorite Photo Friday

Our Girls, March 2009, Marietta, GA

One of my favorite pictures of our girls -- of all time. Something about the sweetness of it, the simplicity, the innocence. I love how Meg is hugging Kate so gently from behind. I love how you can see the bath water on their little eyelashes. Just two sweet sisters, sharing some tub time. Lovely.

Meg looks like such a little mommy in this photo, hovering over Kate the way she is. It's pretty indicative of her current attitude toward little sister. Meg is Kate's 2nd Mommy, no doubt. I hear her talking to Kate -- saying exactly the same things I say to HER, Meg -- and it makes me laugh.

Just this morning, I caught Meg saying to Kate -- in a sweet, tender voice, nonetheless --

"Kate, if I have to ask you to put your shoes on one more time, you are going to time out."

While trying to stifle a laugh, I had to remind Meg that she is not the one to say those things to Kate. Mommy is the one who decides on timeouts, though I do appreciate her being helpful in trying to get Kate ready for preschool.

I've heard Meg tell Kate things like, "Here, let me help you. Your mommy will help you with that." and "Mommy is making dinner, so I can be your mommy while she is busy." Meg is VERY into role-playing, imaginative games . . . and inevitably the girls play house. You can easily guess who is "mom" and who is "baby". Earlier this week, I found Meg cradling Kate in her lap on one of our kid-size chairs, singing "Hush Little Baby" to her little sister and trying to convince her to close her eyes. If Kate had let her, Meg would have rocked her all the way to sleep. It was so cute.

Meg, the little mommy. Funny thing is, I was the SAME way when I was a little girl. I always wanted to play mommy. I always wanted to BE a mommy. Baby dolls, doll clothes, tiny strollers -- I loved it all. I never had a little sister, though, to share in the fun. Lucky Meg.

Lucky Kate to have such a loving big sister.

Lucky me. I have two little girls . . . and clearly one is already following in my footsteps.

Still Shooting . . .

I'm still managing to work a little bit here and there . . . still shooting a bit on the weekends, every now and then.

Last weekend, I worked with a family that has been faithful to HD Portraits throughout their son's first year. Many families are like that . . . I do the 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 2 yr portraits . . . and then another baby comes along, and I do all those pictures, too. With loyalty like that, it's easy to keep my client base small and my business busy enough for me.

A few shots of little Shaw, who just heard "Happy Birthday" sung to him for the very first time last week.

Bunco

I feel like I've arrived. The ladies in my neighborhood have been inviting me to Bunco for 3 months now, and it seems that I've become quite a 'regular' to a very established group. I'm in. I feel like a teenager saying that, and I am giddy like a teenager that I can say it.

You see, our neighborhood is pretty 'clique-y'. I think many neighborhoods are . . . especially ones like mine, that are about 10 years old and many of the families have lived here nearly all of those 10 years. They've watched each other have kids and send them off to elementary school. Their kids share teachers and soccer coaches. They've all been friends a long, long time. Being the newcomer to this area, I totally have felt like the new kid in school. I've had to break in, to reach out, and to really make an effort to meet my neighbors.

Don't get me wrong -- everyone is super friendly. They just all know each other . . . so it's kinda tough for the newbies. We've been in our house 3 years at the end of the summer, and I finally feel like I'm a part of the group.

It's a good feeling, being accepted. I'm 32 years old, and that first invitation to Bunco made me feel exactly the same way that I felt when I was a 13-yr old new kid at school and Katie Ferguson (a popular girl in my 8th grade class) called me up to invite me for a sleep over. When I got that phone call years ago, I remember vividly flying from our kitchen to our family room, (corded) phone in hand, to ask my dad for permission. I said something like, "Dad! You HAVE to let me go to Katie's house -- she's so cool and everyone likes her! You have to let me go!" He agreed, and I returned to the phone and heard the sound of laughter. Katie had heard the whole exchange, and she thought I was so funny.

Anyway, when I got the Bunco invite, I called Jim. "I'm in," I said. "They invited me to Bunco." Same sentiment, 19 years later.

Bunco itself is a fun game, but I'm really enjoying getting to know more people that share my streets. I like hearing about what I can expect on the school bus rides, which community activities I should look out for, and what its like to live in a house with older children. I'm younger than many of the ladies by about 5 years, so they like to clue me in on what parenting challenges they are facing -- or they remind me of how easy thing can be when kids are so young. Some of the ladies work, some of them don't. I hear about juggling schedules, I laugh at the funny stories everyone tells about their goofy kids. It's nice to be in a room full of intelligent women, wives, moms . . . makes me feel normal.

The Bunco group has opened our doors to other neighborhood activities, such as the St Patty's Party we were invited to (and attended) last weekend. Jim's getting to know some guys, and now he has a standing invitation to join them on Friday nights at the restaurant bar across the street from our neighborhood. I got invited to the Oscar Party . . . Meg and Kate are making friends with more and more kids at the neighborhood park . . . it's going well for the Dahlbys.

And hey -- we are nice people. These neighbors are lucky to have us!

Anway, I just can't get over how much I enjoy feeling like we are a part of the group here in the 'Hampton. It sounds silly, but it's true. I might be all grown up outside, but inside I'm still that 13 yr old girl, giddy as hell that I've been invited for a sleep over.