It's Official....

The house is on the market. If you know of anyone looking for a quaint little 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath townhome, send them our way!

Family Reunion

Last week was Spring Break for me, so Mom, Dad, Anna and I packed the car and headed to Cincinnati to visit the Davis clan. 10 hours in a PACKED car with 2 senior citizens, a teething baby with her first ear infection, and a worried new mom.....made for a trip I'm sure we'll laugh about SOMEDAY. Anna helped pack the suitcase....wait, that doesn't go in there! We arrived Friday afternoon. Eric flew in Friday evening, and we headed to my cousin G's (and his wife Kim) house for the first reunion. It's amazing the rush of emotions you feel in anticipation of seeing people you haven't seen in as many as seven years, but when we laid eyes on our family, there were smiles, tears, laughter, exchanging of babies....it was such a wonderful feeling! My cousin, Greg (named after my Dad), and his son, Jackson: My Uncle Gary, his brother-in-law Joe, and my Dad acting like a fool (as is typical): Saturday, we spent the day in the park near my cousin Jody's house. For those of you playing the home game, I have 6 cousins on that side of the family -- in order: Jennifer, Geoff, Greg, GJ, Jody and Jessica. Anna seemed to enjoy herself. She got to play with 1-year-old Luke, Jody's youngest son. They "traded" toys. By "traded", I mean she pushed her little cow to him, then proceeded to yank his sippy cup right out of his hands while he was drinking. I think we have a "mine!" phase erupting. That evening, we got together at Teller's, a spunky downtown restaurant that used to be a bank, in the "vault" and surprised my Uncle for his 70th birthday. I think he was surprised. My Aunt Karen, her brother Joe, his wife Patty, and Mom.Jack (Jody's oldest son) on Jessica's lap feeding a lemon to Anna, who is sitting with Jenn. We think she liked it! Anna and Daddy. Kissing cousins! Jennifer, GJ, and Anna. Dad, his little sister Jill, and his big brother, Gary. The party was fantastic! Jennifer did a phenomenal job organizing it! Sunday, we headed to Forest Lawn Cemetery in Erlanger, KY (just over the OH border) to visit my grandparents, great-grandparents, and great aunts and uncles. This is the beautiful spot where they are resting:We ended the trip with my Dad's favorite thing. A Cincinnati Coney. Mylanta usage increased that afternoon by 70%. But, he says it was well worth it.

Baby's First Easter

Today was Anna Kate's first Easter. Because she's been a very good little girl, the Easter Bunny brought her all kinds of wonderful goodies! A teapot that teaches counting, shapes, and manners -- it says "please" and "thank you" in a British accent. Very polite, indeed.One of the accompanying (plastic) tea cakes....try telling her that it's not real.She looked so pretty in her new Easter dress, and got many nice compliments from people at church. And, to report on milestones, Anna is now standing and "walking" with (lots of) help from us. She vehemently refuses to crawl, much to our chagrin, but she definitely shows an interest in vertical movement.

Spring Cleaning

Spring has sprung, and it's time to spruce. We'll start with a nice bath.... And pack some things up to go to storage (use bubble wrap for fragile items).... And tucker ourselves out after a long day of painting, cleaning, packing, and playing.

Farewell....

Yesterday, we said goodbye to a Richmond staple. Ukrop's is no more. They closed their doors at 6pm and will reopen in 9 days as Martin's. Some will likely find this entry to be silly and melodramatic. Perhaps it is, but here goes.... Ukrop's was my childhood. Many an afternoon, my mother would pick me up from day care and we would head to Ukrop's to pick up odds and ends. If I behaved myself, I was allowed to ask the lady behind the bakery counter for a Rainbow cookie, which they kept extra batches of and handed them out for free everyday to children desiring that sugar fix. It was in Ukrop's that my Mom and Dad foiled the surprise each of them was planning for their wedding anniversary when Mom, frantically gathering each ingredient to make a special dinner, looked up to see her 6-year old little girl sprinting up the aisle toward a man in a suit holding a dozen yellow roses. Neither of them had expected to run into each other, but I'm sure it made the occasion all the more memorable. It was in Ukrop's that I spent 3 hours with one of the store's dietitians, carefully perusing each aisle for gluten free items when I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had confined myself to a diet of rice cakes and apples. It was at a Ukrop's that I ate my last lunch as someone who wasn't another human being's mother. The lady behind the counter even gave me an extra scoop of frozen yogurt and a hug to wish me well. Where else does that happen? It was Ukrop's products that filled the cardboard barrier of every care package my mother ever sent me in college. I'm hopeful that not much will change. I'm hopeful there will still be a kind soul there to bag my groceries and accompany me to my car. I'm hopeful that the bakery will still remain (as planned) so that my daughter can know the joys of Buttercream Coffee Cake, Petit Fours, Rainbow Cookies, and White House Rolls. So, farewell, old friend.

Lessening the Proximity

Last week, Robert, Alexis and Henry passed through on their way to their new home in Newark, DE. For the future, we are thrilled at the prospect of seeing them more often. For the present, we were tickled to get an update on all things Teitelbaum. Old friends to us, new friends to the kids.... who brought toys, flowers, and lots of hugs and kissesHenry found a not-so-comfy seat.... and Anna was thrilled with it all.

Into the Woods

Every year, I make myself ill with the anticipation of the Spring Musical. Every year, I complain and stress over my responsibilities as a director, conductor, costumer, and set designer. Every year, I fuss at my children when they don't do things "just so", they miss practice because they misread the calendar, and they goof off during rehearsals because they've actually followed my direction and become a team. Every year, I sacrifice my time with my family.... And, every year, I cry when it's all over. As an educator, I am proud of my students' talents and accomplishments. As a wife, I am humbled by my husband's willingness to take the reigns. As a mother, I am thankful for a happy baby who was able to make her stage debut in this production. As a director, I will say that no matter how hard it gets, and how much I have to sacrifice, I will never, ever give this up as long as my name is on that classroom door.

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Two weeks ago, we were invited to a grand soiree. Jack Urban Keeler turned one year old (his Mom and I not only teach in the same school, but we enjoy the milestones of motherhood together). It was a wonderful wagon-themed bash filled with laughter, toys.... ....and this beautiful shot of our little one whose party will be the topic of a blog in the not too distant future.