For a few days on dance.net there were these advertisements for dance poles...from hardcorepoles.com...uh-huh...
So, Susan checked it out and found at that we hard working moms can afford to get one if we put it on layaway!!!!!!!!!!!!! Might be worth it just to get some "Mighty Grip"!!????
Make sure you have your sound on when you click the link (which seems safe...I get every pop-up and weird attachment there is, and nothing else came up with this site).
Yeah...one of those. Busy, busy.
I am an aunt again. My youngest sister Sheila had her first baby last Thursday...Charmaine Ann . Born 8/9, weighing in at 8 lbs 9 oz...and she is the 9th grandchild on my side. I now have 11 nieces and nephews.
This is Bernie's husband Alberto...with son Thomas there in the corner (named for my father).
Here is nephew Berto (Alberto Jr.).
Niece Annie. So beautiful!
Nephew Thomas.
Niece Charmaine.
Welcome to the family!
So, besides babies being born...
Divas Maggie and Saskia had a blast together this past week. Before Saskia's family moved, being the strong, though sweet, personalities that they are, there always came a time Maggie and Saskia needed a break, so they would fight, separate, get over it, and then get on with it. Well, they did not fight this whole week that they were together...until about 90 minutes before Saskia was to leave. Saskia was MAD, and she had every right to be. Maggie knew she screwed up. But, at 45 minutes to blast off, they were still giving each other the silent treatment. So, I explained that they would feel really bad if they parted like that, and left them alone. Whew...they got over it and the goodbyes lasted 10 minutes as they could not disengage themselves...they walked to the car with arms wrapped around each other. Got a bit teary-eyed myself as we watched Saskia and Martin dive away. It was a good visit.
Working away on the newest solo. Fascinating color combination for the fabrics...which is giving me fits trying to get the thread colors right!!! Might have more test pieces here than I ever have because I am testing colors and fooling with the digitizing. Thought this one would be easier now that I have ALL of this experience, but oh no...have to screw things up by trying new things and getting unnecessarily creative. There is something to be said for repeating oneself when it comes to process...it may be less interesting for said "artiste" but it is definitely more efficient time-wise. Pain in the butt, this need I have to experiment...
This weekend the whole family went to the county fair...woo-hoo and YEEEEEHAAAWWW!!! What a freaking trip!
I have not been to a county fair since...I don't know when. In the 14 years we have lived in this area, I have never been to ours. But, Michael decided it would be a fun thing to do, and even I went. The kids were a bit surprised that I wanted to go since it involved so much walking AND it was hot (I hate, HATE hot), but go I did and we had a blast.
We did wait until the late afternoon to go...still hot, but manageable. And going later made sense since we wanted to see the rodeo and the fair is not SO big that you can effectively waste 6 hours without spending the kind of money that gives me a bleeding ulcer. Turned out just fine.
Molly has been to this county fair with a friend of hers in years past. so this was not new to her, but the other two divas and Saskia (diva #4) were amazed by it all. Meave looked at me and asked, "Are you REALLY going to let us ride these rides?"
"Yeeeaaaahhhh...I.....am."
"REEEAAALLLY? Really, TRUUUUUULY?!!!!"
See, every time there is a parking lot carnival in our town, I explain to the girls how dangerous they are and how I will NEVER let them on one of those rides. But how can I deny them when I have taken them into the chaos myself?
We walked for a bit first, though. Went to all the livestock barns. We all got a kick out of that. The goats crack me up. We all stood and watched this interesting dance that two goats were doing...swaying their heads side-to-side before wacking each other between the eyes. Reminded me of me and Michael...but that is another story. But guess where we spent the most time...yep, the pigs. I had to endure the divas' comments that ranged from "Aren't they cute, Mama?" to "Aren't they smart, Mama?" to "See how clean they are, Mama?" to "Can't we just sneak one into our house, Mama?" They stopped when I pointed out how MASSIVE these "cute pigs" were and asked who was going to share their bed? Still, they were pretty amazing, coming up to sit quietly so the divas could scratch them and rub their noses. There was one, though, who took advantage of his pen-mates need for attention and he parked himself next to the trough, sat back on his haunches, and literally buried his snout in the food and proceeded to chow down. At one point, he laid down over his front legs so that his mouth was really buried. Standing up put him too far from the food! What a hoot!
The rides...we paid for the unlimited ride bracelet for everyone except me...I don't "DO" rides. As we initially walked through the fairgrounds, I found it interesting that the divas were not clamoring to go on the rides. I took that as a sign that I had done my parental duty well...they were very circumspect about the rides that looked dangerous. The first ride they agreed to go on was the ferris wheel. So they stood in line, which was not that long, but as I was standing off to the side in a bit of shade, I had enough time to decide that I wanted to do this one with them. Off I went to get a few tickets, and then into line I went. The divas were thrilled. Gotta like it when you hear, "Mama's coming, Mama's coming!" and they aren't scrambling to hide something, eh?! It was great fun.
We were ready for the rodeo when it was time. We got a big ol' turkey leg, some ribs and lemonade after I said no to the corn dogs (I so don't trust carnival dogs) and off we went. We were all so psyched for the RODEO...and it was such a dragging disappointment!! As we watched small children try to ride "wild" sheep and then race astride wooden horsies, fat men throw themselves from horses onto "steers" that weighed less than the men assaulting them, a woman billed as "the best rodeo act in America" fall off of her horses, and calves run right out of the lassoes thrown over them, we became the quintessential bored American family. When Maggie yelled over at me that she did not understand the point of ANY of this, we decided the rides were more fun and joined the exodus out of the rodeo pavilion. It was all so ridiculous that Michael and I had a good giggle.
One of the highlights for me was hanging with Molly. It has dawned on me recently that I truly enjoy hanging out with her as she has grown into a young adult with a great sense of humor. She always has the best come backs. But this day, she was a little bit clueless, so I was getting a big kick out of yanking her chain by saying all sorts of rather bizarre things about the whole county fair experience. It started when I said something as we walked in that came from my older point of view... I assumed she would understand it to be a joke. She did not and instead gave me her whole puffed up "MAMA!" reaction. Opportunity! The rest of the day was spent getting the best reactions out of my daughter. I was the "diva" and she was the PC monitor. Near the end of the night, after a doozy of a comment that almost caused her to faint, I told her that I was testing her limits. She was visibly relieved that I was teasing her, that I was not truly revealing myself to be an awful person...have to admit that when I teased her about her lack of faith in me, I was a bit serious. However, she is still young enough to believe that everything out of my mouth might be true, and I have to cherish that belief in me...because it won't last much longer! I hope our connection lasts our lifetime.
Near the end of the night, when it was finally dark, we all went on the ferris wheel one more time. It was glorious looking at the whole fair all lit up. The ride went on and on and we were quite the happy bunch...until the freaking wheel stopped with us at the VERY TOP!!!! AND STARTED SWAYING...AND JERKING...AND SWAYING!!! I am so done with ferris wheels. So is Meave...poor kid might need therapy after that...
(I thought it was about time that I put some pics up as I am sure that Mama Susi is chomping at the bit...)
Maggie's best friend, Saskia, has come to visit for a week. The two girls are in heaven. So happy to see each other...and in a very short period of time, it is as if Saskia never moved away!
Saskia arrived on Tuesday. Maggie was up at the crack of dawn...baking. She and Saskia were apart for Saskia's 13th birthday (on opposite sides of the country, actually), so Mags was determined to have another party for her. She came banging up the stairs to tell me we did not have eggs...so Molly and I ran out for eggs. After I get home, she rushes into the room to tell me we did not have any butter. I tell her to go ask a neighbor...she rushes off with 2 eggs in her hand to barter some butter. I saw my neighbor later and she told me that she really did not need the eggs but Maggie would not take no for an answer and shoved the eggs into her hand. She may be small but she is not to be messed with.
So she baked a cake and 2 dozen cupcakes. Here's the cake.
I have proudly joined a new club. Why? Because I am so taken with this last Harry Potter book. Loved it. Was talking to Michael about it and he told me I was such a geek...like he's not! So, in the spirit of the book, I proclaim myself a DDNGer.
Through various (though extremely limited) sources, I have become very interested in the history of hand embroidery on Irish dance dresses. I have posed questions in a few places and have gotten a few questionnaires back. (It is not too late for more contributors!) The pics that have been sent are incredible. Like this gorgeous one from Anita:
So pitiful. Here I am...by myself. On the computer. With all my posting lately you would think I have no life except a computer life...no...not really. Things are just moving at that slow summer pace. But, I am working on four school dresses...I have a solo fitting tomorrow...there are 5 solos in the queue...have to send info letters and design cd's...I am almost done with Molly's pinwheel sweater...there is always something that needs vacuuming/wiping/swabbing/staring at...there is a 16th birthday to plan/deal with...there is so much laundry to do that I need a pill or two...and Meave's hair was mysteriously cut...all by itself...it just happened...and now I have to decide if I can deal with a very uneven VERY long head of hair or if I am going to bob her hair....and I am here now, by myself at 12:41 AM.
Where's the family? Waiting for Harry Potter. Maggie keeps calling me from the bookstore to give me updates. It is all very exciting. They did not reserve books...but Michael took them this morning to get a bracelet that said they could stand in line TONIGHT to see if MAYBE they might be LUCKY ENOUGH to get one of the extra copies that the bookstore had the foresight to order.
Last phone call from Maggie was about how she was tired so she had gone to stand by the "stupid cheerleaders" who were "cheering on the freaking lucky ones" as they left the bookstore. "Way too cheery, Mom!" Like she would rather come home.
And why am I not there? Fitting in the morning..had to finish the bodice. And I did want some quiet time since tomorrow I have to drive into DC to a feis and then drive home to THEN drive the 2 older divas to ID dance class. Lots of driving tomorrow.
Ah, they are on their way home...with a book and lots of their own stories.
1:23 AM - They are home and All involved insisted on pictures.
Here's the big kid...he was as excited as the girls!
Yes, there are 2 books ( see pic above)...your majesty insisted. He said he was not going to wait for Molly to finish since she won't read with him anymore. It's ok...he is down there in the living room right now, 1:30 AM, reading to Maggie and Meave. I love listening to him read to them. And that's SOMETHING because I hate, HATE, will-start-arguments-HATE people reading to me, but I will listen to Michael read to the girls for hours. He may not even know that since when he wants to read me something I tell him I will read it myself...I guess I don't tell him so he won't use it against me and make me listen!!!! On goes the tradition...with the divas.
Here, the youngest, but most accomplished diva exhibits her best exhausted stance/pout/aura ...think she's asleep? HAH!!!
I have thinking about names lately as some beautiful and very unusual Irish names have been batted around on the boards.
I do not have an unusual name. It is short and plain and being a family name, it was common in our clan. Growing up, I always wanted a more exotic name. I decided I would change my name to "Elizabeth." It had lots of letters, several nickname variations, sounded so grown up, and it did not rhyme with "banana!" I clung to "Elizabeth" until the day my grandmother told me that she thought it was a horrible name because it sounded English and was not proper for a good Irish girl! Shot me down!
When I was pregnant for the first time, my husband and I spent much time researching names. At first, I wanted to continue my Irish family tradition and give my children family names, but Michael was adamant that they should have their own unique names. I came around, but that only made things harder. At least with family names there was a limit to the number of names to consider!
My father came to visit when I was about six months pregnant. He got quite an earful when he asked us what names we were considering. Michael and I could not agree on a single name! Dad listened, nodded that sage nod of his, and in a lull he said quietly, "It's Molly."
Shut us right up. He was right.
Now, the name Molly is not that unusual, but it meant something to Dad...and it clicked. In July, on Michael's birthday, Molly was born. She was perfect. Turns out her name means "the perfect one."
My second daughter was born 4 years, 4 months, and 25 days later. This time, though, I knew her name: Maggie. But I did not want her "real" name to be Margaret. We had several relatives named Margaret in our family, and even though I loved them all, I did not like the name. It sounded harsh to me. And by this time, I understood Michael's feelings about our children owning their own names and not being someone else's namesake. So I searched for an Irish name that could serve as the "real" name. Not long before she was born, I found it: Maighdlin . An Irish variant of Madeleine. Our Irish relatives told me it was pronounced as "My-uh- lin." No "g" sound, but I thought it was beautiful and it meant "the magnificent one."
On the way to the hospital to have baby #2, Michael and I realized that we had never even come close to choosing a boy's name. I just knew this new baby was "Maggie."
I remember more about this labor and delivery than I do about the first one. It was a revelation in so many ways. And as she was being born, my new daughter gave me one last parting kick deep inside my belly. Made me laugh. And there she was, my magnificent daughter, the one who still makes me laugh.
4 years, 4 months, and 28 days later, daughter #3 showed up. This time since I was an "elderly gravid" (translation: old mom at 39 years old), we had to go through all the genetic tests. We decided we wanted to know what sex this baby was: another girl! I was thrilled but thought Michael would be disappointed that there would be no boys since this was the LAST baby. Instead, he sighed in relief and said, "Oh thank goodness! I know what to do with girls!"
Choosing the name for this baby became a family affair. I was determined that this name would not start with an "M." Young Molly had pointed out that "we are all M's! Michael, Molly, Maggie and Mama!" Do you see my problem? My real name did not count! Maybe if the new baby were named Aine (ahn-ya) or Fiona or Ciaomhe (kee-va), then the world would hear my real name every once in a while! But, Michael came home one day, announced, "Maeve," and I was out-voted. Molly and Maggie were thrilled.
"See, Mama! All our names start the same!"
When I told my mother, she reminded me of a relative that I had met when I went with her to Ireland in 1985. She spelled her name "Meave" and it meant "joy." I insisted on that spelling. My relative was born the same month as our Meave would be, 100 years before...and she was still alive. She lived long enough to know there was another Meave Halligan in this world. Michael did not object to this family name.
Ten days after my Meave was born, I almost died of a massive infection. When I woke up in ICU a week later, all I wanted was to see my divas. It has taken several years to recover, to come back to a place of strength. And I could not have done it without my perfect one, my magnificent one, and my joy.
(When I moved this post here from Taoknitter, I left behind some lovely comments. They can be read here: Thinking about names...and my Divas )
