Posts Tagged With: excited

how ‘charm’ing

Posted on December 29, 2015 by robynbird

This gift was hidden in the branches of the Christmas tree.

YBW is quite pleased with himself for surprising me with it.

I expressed that just because I wrote about it didn’t mean he was supposed to get it.
He replied that he didn’t like that there wasn’t a surprise for me and the charm fixed that.

I worried for a while about it.
That doesn’t mean I’m not excited by or unappreciative of the gift! I adore it! And it was a lovely surprise.

I worried about whether or not it seemed passive aggressive. Did he think that I wrote about it as a way to get him to purchase it for me?
That’s not my style.
I know he knows that, but I did have concerns.

I know what motivates me.
I didn’t write about that charm to manipulate my husband into purchasing it.
He didn’t purchase it because I wrote about it.

I guess I should let it go…
I have this precious charm to add to my bracelet. We’ll be making a trip over to Tiffany’s after Thing 1 and fiance N leave.

Nothing bad comes in a little blue box and I have the sweetest man who knows that.

Categories: me | Tags: charm bracelet, charms, Christmas, Christmas tree, excited, gift of love, joy, love, pressie, Tiffany's, YBW | 2 Comments

may the force (of Christmas) be with you

Posted on December 19, 2015 by robynbird

YBW and little D’s daddy, S went to see Star Wars this morning. They’re like kids in a candy store. I think if they weren’t “grown up men” they would have been clapping and squealing like ballet going little girls. Apparently they’ve got more self control than others of us.
I can’t wait to hear all about it when he gets home! I love to see him be happy and excited about the things he loves!

Speaking of (lack of) self control, Thing 2 will already be on the plane this time tomorrow! (I may have clapped and squealed.)
She just sent this to me in a text: SO excited to be with all of you! And the ballet and the nativities :3 ah! I can’t wait, Chriiiistmaaaas! (Sing-songy at the end there)
Oh, little girl, I could hear your sing-song voice as I read the words!

Exciting things all around this weekend!

I’ve got Christmas music playing, right now it’s James Brown’s Funky Christmas. James Brown singing The Christmas Song. I can’t even!
I feel like Thing 2. Terribly excited to be with my whole family. Ready to dance with the sugar plum fairies. All the baby Jesuses waiting for us at the Cathedral!

Oh how I love Christmas!
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Categories: me | Tags: Andy Williams, baby Jesus, ballet, Christmas, Christmas music, excited, excitement, fun, it's the most wonderful time of the year, James Brown, joy, may the force be with you, nativities, self control, Star Wars, Sugar Plum Fairy, Thing 2, things we love, YBW | Leave a comment

oh happy day

Posted on September 1, 2015 by robynbird

Finally! After a twenty day countdown today is the day!
Thing 2 arrives at Dulles at 11:45 this morning!
I am quite possibly the happiest human being on the entire planet!
I can hardly wait to get my arms around my baby!

My joy knows no bounds! I wish this level of happiness for absolutely everyone!

Categories: love, on being a mom | Tags: blessings, daughters, excited, excitement, family, feelings, fun, giggles, happiness, happy, hugs, joy, kisses, love, mother's love, motherhood, mothers and daughters, relationships, Tangled, teenagers, Thing 2, unconditional love | 4 Comments

I need to oodgey-goodgey!

Posted on August 19, 2015 by robynbird

You know anticipation when you’re waiting for someone or something to arrive?
You can’t go too far from your front door. You can’t stop looking looking at any flash or movement outside. You won’t even play music for fear of missing the doorbell.

Yeah, I know that anticipation…DHL has a package out for delivery. A package for me. A package that contains my wedding dress!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I need that delivery person to get it together and bring my dress before YBW gets home! I’ll need time to open it up and oodgey-goodgey over it without him here! (He is adamant that he doesn’t want to see it before the wedding day.)

UGH! COME ONE, ALREADY!

Categories: Uncategorized, wedding | Tags: anticipation, delivery, DHL, excited, excitement, oodgey goodgey, package, wedding, wedding dress | Leave a comment

14 days!

Posted on August 17, 2015 by robynbird

I never underestimate the importance of a countdown.
I talked about countdowns at they apply to my birthday in counting down.
During the four years that YBW and I dated long distance, we always made a countdown when we knew we would see each other again.
I love counting down to pretty much anything! Right now I’m actually counting down two things simultaneously.
The first is easy: last two weeks at this preschool. The second one is my new favorite: 14 days until Thing 2 arrives!

She and I have been trading texts and emails the last few days:
Me: I’m so excited to see you! I’m going to kiss your face off!!
Thing 2: You know, I have really been needing a good Momma hug this week so all of that love will be hella reciprocated when I get there! I also wanna hug those boys!
Me: It’s gonna be SO great!! Snuggles. Baseball. Tom’s Diner. Snuggles. Lin’s. Hanging out. Snuggles. New do. Girlie stuff. Snuggles. (Y’all notice a pattern? Cause I sure do!)
Thing 2: All those made me really really really excited and smiley!

Me too, girl. Me too!
I’m near bursting with excitement to see my baby girl! We have yet to celebrate her birthday. I can hardly wait for her to open her pressies!
YBW and I scheduled a meeting with the event coordinator at the winery for when Thing 2 is here because we want to share it with her and have her input.

YBW came home today and I said: Want to know something SO exciting?
He said: Sure!
Me: (with a giggle) 14 days!
He giggled and hugged me.
Me: Do you know till what?
YBW: Thing 2 comes!
More giggling.
Me: I’m so excited.
YBW: Me too!
Then I said: I have a little Momma jealousy, I think she’s just as excited to see you as she is to see me.
YBW: REALLY!?!
Me: Yep.
YBW had a GREAT BIG GRIN!

I love a good countdown. It’s a playful way to mark the passing of time between me and something I feel happy about.
I thought, today, of the countdown clock on the wall in Matt Albie’s office on the show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
It’s an old show that only lasted one season. It was a tad left-leaning for me but I loved the characters and the way they related to each other. I adore Matthew Perry, and the natural on screen chemistry between him and Bradley Whitford was a joy to watch! Aaron Sorkin’s rat-a-tat-tat dialogue suited these actors.
One of my favorite scenes happens during the second episode: The Cold Open.
Danny Tripp, played by Bradley Whitford turns on the clock.

Matthew Perry’s character, Matt Albie reacts:
Matt: How did it know?
Danny: How did it know what?
Matt: Exactly how much time was left in the week?
Danny: Yeah, it’s a miracle of technology that we’ve invented, an electronic device that can count backwards from seven.
Matt: But it was off.
Danny: It has a battery.
Matt: [in horror] So it always knows?
Danny: Don’t endow the thing with special powers, Matt – it’s a clock.

I disagree, Danny. I’m all about endowing the clock with special powers! But only if you’re counting down to something good.
Matt is counting down until the next show…and he has to write it.
Isn’t that every writer’s nightmare? The deadline.
My deadline is picking up my child at the airport on time. I’ll countdown to that ANY day, thanks!

Categories: me | Tags: 14 days, Aaron Sorkin, Bradley Whitford, countdown, countdown clock, counting down, Danny Tripp, daughters, deadline, excited, excitement, fun, giggles, happy, joy, love, Matt Albie, Matthew Perry, mothers and daughters, playful, silly, snuggles, special powers, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, teenagers, The Cold Open, Thing 2, unconditional love, writer, writing, YBW | Leave a comment

a bit of pants peeing weirdness

Posted on July 7, 2015 by robynbird

Well, I did it!
I ordered my wedding dress today!
I’m torn between “pants peeing excited” and a bit of weirdness I can’t seem to shake.

The excitement makes sense. It’s the last big purchase I needed to make just for me. I’ve made initial payments to both the venue and photographer and split the first payment to the caterer with YBW. But those were for “the wedding”…well the photographer was mostly for me, but I know he’s going to thank me in the long run.
I’ve ordered dresses for the girls, and as you know, our shoes are already here. So apart from something to wear in my hair, which I think I’ve finally decided upon, my dress is the last “just for me” thing to buy.

The weird feeling is…I don’t know…just weird I guess. I clicked that button and felt like it’s done now. Ordered that dress and it’s a done deal.
Not in a bad way.
I guess it just feels weird.
I’m not sure how to explain it…I think it’s just that I didn’t try it on, I’m going on photos and reviews and emailed conversations. I’m taking a shopping leap of faith with one of the most important articles of clothing I’ll ever wear.
But the reviews are all positive. The emailed conversations have been quite successful. The moment I saw this dress I knew it was the one. I’d been looking for the longest time for exactly this dress. Etsy is truly an amazing place.

So I trust. (Not my strongest skill.)
I accept the weird. (This one I’m pretty good at.)
I (metaphorically) pee my pants in excitement.
I wait (impatiently) for my ivory lace fabulousness to arrive.

Categories: me, wedding | Tags: excited, excitement, faith, ivory lace, trust, wedding, wedding dress, wedding dress shopping, weird, weirdness | 2 Comments

these shoes were made for walkin’ (down the aisle)

Posted on May 29, 2015 by robynbird

There was a box on my front porch when I got home.
In that box there are three more boxes.
In those boxes are shoes.

SHOES FOR THE WEDDING!!!
OHMYGODIMSOEXCITEDICANHARDLYSTANDMYSELF!!!

I was home alone with this box of shoes.
I pranced, skipped, hopped, danced, ran, jumped, and “foot popped” in my perfect shoes. I sent photos to Thing 1 and Thing 2. I sent photos to Sundance. Nobody responded.
I pranced around a little bit more and called Thing 2. Voicemail. UGH!
Little bit of James Brown inspired foot work and called Sundance. Voicemail. COME ON!
Little hop, skip and a jump and called Thing 1…”Hi Momma.” (Success!)

YBW came home right as I was getting off the phone with Thing 1 and he started opening the box. I said: I want you to see mine last.
I showed him Thing 1’s classic pumps. She has really weird looking toes and refuses to wear open-toed shoes, which really limits her choices. These Badgley Mischka’s are FIERCE! (Who let Stacy London up in here?)

They’re going to be fuchsia.

Thing 2’s Pelle Moda shoes are a bit stripper-ish but so very, very Thing 2.

They’re going to be fuchsia.

These are my shoes. They’re going to be navy even though there is a little “something blue” on the bottom.

I was so excited to show YBW that I was literally panting!
I pointed at my feet and said: These make it real! Not this!(pointing at my ring) These! I’m going to marry the most perfect boy in the most perfect shoes and it’s going to be the most perfect day ever!

He said he’s never seen me so excited in all the years he’s known me. He just watched me with this great big smile on his face. (While I literally grabbed him by his upper arms and shook him while I was panting and squealing.) That man absolutely loves me. He must, I totally told him my shoes are better than my diamond. Luckily he knows me well enough to know what I mean.

Thanks, UPS man, for coming to my house today! SUPER SMILEY Robynbird!

Categories: wedding | Tags: Badgley Mischka, classic pumps, David Tutera, diamond ring, diamonds, excited, excitement, getting hitched, love, Pelle Moda, shoes, something blue, stripper shoes, UPS, wedding, wedding shoes | 7 Comments

I bought a new (old) book today!

Posted on March 1, 2015 by robynbird

Normally when I spend a rather large chunk of change I experience that feeling of buyer’s remorse.
Not today!
I woke to photos of a first edition book I’ve been considering.

I’ve always maintained that The Great Gatsby was my favorite book. But I’ve been thinking more and more about books I love, and realized that The Secret Garden might be my favorite after all…or it could be that I’ve just been thinking more about it because YBW sneakily purchased that litographs.com Secret Garden tee for me.
Perhaps I just can’t have one favorite book…I simply love too many to choose between them. Favorite or not, the original British publication of The Secret Garden has been purchased and is being shipped to me.
My joy is HUGE!

The wonderful ladies of Pioneer Books in Adelaide, Australia went out of their way to provide me with photos to ease my mind about plunking down that much money on a book sight unseen.
I’ve spent the better part of the week emailing back and forth with Cathy. As I learned about their story in our emails I became even more inclined to purchase from them. Their bookshop is almost as old as I am, was started by Cathy’s father, and since his death, is run by the two sisters and their mother. I have added Pioneer Books to my “bucket list” of places I’d like to go. I want to meet these ladies and personally thank them, for their patience and willingness to go out of their way to help me with my purchase. I want to see what Cathy’s father created and spend time among the books, and talking with this family.
I might not ever make it to see them personally, but I discovered they blog right here on wordpress! So I can check in with them from time to time, and that might be good enough. Check them out here: https://pioneerbooks.wordpress.com/about

Categories: me | Tags: Australia, books, excited, excitement, first edition, happy, joy, love, new book, old book, Pioneer Books, The Great Gatsby, The Secret Garden, YBW | 3 Comments

choosing a photographer and the s’mores bar

Posted on January 26, 2015 by robynbird

Wedding planning is in full swing.
I’m equally excited and anxious. That’s normal I suppose…but somehow doesn’t seem quite right.

The most important things to me are a photographer and the venue.

The venue is sorted, Naked Mountain Winery. (Beautiful inside and out and such delicious wine! Sundance especially loves the fact our invitations will contain the word ‘naked’.)

The photographers I had my heart set on are booked on our day. (Though I didn’t stamp my feet, I did have a teeny moment of pouting, with the protruding lip and everything.)
I rallied quickly and began the search, eventually settling on three photographers.

I sat with YBW and looked at their online portfolios…I’m not all that sure it was easy for him. In his defense, he admits it’s not as important to him as it is to me, and he’s also quick to point out my eye is very different than his. But I noticed he made pretty astute observations and had enough feedback to help me understand where he was coming from.
I spent Saturday afternoon and evening emailing with our top two picks setting up appointments to meet with them this week. The first one Tuesday, the second on Thursday. I like the idea of meeting with the both in one week, it will be easier for me to make my decision.

Been emailing with the caterer too. She’s absolutely spectacular! We’re going to meet with her a week from Sunday for a tasting and to discuss the contract.
When we talked originally, I told her how fall was my favorite season and YBW and I have this quirky love of chicken pot pie. (Of our children, only Thing 2 enjoys this dish, and only recently. So it’s normally just we two.)
She presented us with a sample menu filled with delicious looking foods including roasted root veggies and roasted brussel sprouts. (Yeah…that’s pretty much just me.)
But the thing (apart from the pot pie) that piqued our curiosity is the inclusion of a s’mores bar. Handmade marshmallows, handmade graham crackers and artisan chocolates. (Um…yes please!)
Looking forward to meeting with her and trying some of these yummies and goodies!

All in all now that the planning is active and not preliminary my excitement is growing exponentially. I think YBW’s is too. Obviously different aspects are more important to one of us than the other, but it’s been fun to plan with him. I like hearing his ideas. I enjoy sharing mine.
I’ve learned he’s much more traditional than I am when it comes to the idea of a wedding. We’ve had more than one conversation about how cupcakes are a great alternative to a fancy (and expensive) wedding cake that nobody will eat. (Duh! S’mores bar!)
I suggested letting Thing C wear Chuck Taylor high tops because they are his daily shoe and I want the personalities of our children to be represented. YBW wasn’t too sure about that…but I think he’s coming around. He was very specific about writing our own vows, something I hadn’t even thought about.
I’m adamant about being “prayed over” or “blessed” and he has no care about this one way or another.
We’re figuring out how we want to present the joining of our lives the the people we love. We’re figuring out how we want to do this together. One step at a time. We’re walking these steps together and that’s really all that matters.

Categories: wedding | Tags: anxious, caterer, excited, excitement, fun, happy, love, menu tasting, Naked Mountain Winery, photographer, photographs, portfolios, s'mores bar, traditional, wedding, wedding planning, winery, YBW | Leave a comment

hearth-fires and holocausts

Posted on September 11, 2014 by robynbird

Thing 2 is here!
It’s been really positive and she’s enthusiastic about starting over. She decided she was ready to go back to proper brick and mortar high school. (This was a difficult choice for her as she has to be a junior again instead of being a senior. But she made it and she’s feeling strongly about it.)
We went back to school clothes shopping and got everything she needed from skivvies to sweaters. Shopping is interesting with Thing 2, I always learn something new about her and we have hilarious dressing room conversations!
She got a job today and a brand new do. Things are certainly going her way.
We go tomorrow to register her for classes. She’s picked out what she’s going to wear and has a notebook and pens in her new school bags.
It has been VERY positive. I overheard her tell someone she was so glad she was here and it was a good choice.

And then…
She just came downstairs with tears in her eyes and told me she was going to bed. I asked if she was OK and she just shook her head. I asked if I could help and she shook her head. She headed back up the steps and I asked if she needed to talk about it. She called back, “It won’t help.”

My initial inclination is to rush to her and work my ass off to make it better for her. But something strange is happening. It occurred to me that she needed to feel whatever it is she’s feeling. She needs to mourn the loss of her friends. She needs to shed that old layer in order to feel at home in her new environment.
She can cope with sadness. She can cope with feeling stressed about all the change. She can even cope, albeit not really well, with the anxiety of starting a new school.
It is extremely difficult for me to “sit this one out”, but I can’t fix this for her, I can only be available when she needs me.

She’s anxious about meeting people. “Cool people, not because they’re popular, but because they look like cool people I’d like to hang out with.”
She’s a bit of a hipster, that Thing 2 of mine. She wants to hang out with quirky people like her, but not end up in social Siberia. She doesn’t want to be popular, she wants to be real. She likes to play D & D. She likes eclectic music. She’s got a sassy personal fashion style. She wants to be engaged while functioning through her own special brand of awkward.

I want to go up and get all snuggly in her bed with her and feel as though I’m helping her feel better. I think that’s about me.
I trust her to sort it.
On the other hand, she’s been left to sort it for the last year all by herself.
So, I can offer love. I can listen. I can encourage.

When I think of my baby, I am reminded of Jimmy Stewart’s beautiful words in The Philadelphia Story: “You’re lit from within. You’ve got fires banked down in you, hearth-fires and holocausts. You’re made out of flesh and blood. That’s the blank, unholy surprise of it. You’re the golden girl. Full of life and warmth and delight.
I believe there is a part of her that realizes this about herself.
I aim to make sure of that.