Wordless Wednesday: Hey Baby!

"Hey Baby!" (SCGS Jamboree, Burbank, Los Angeles Co, California). Digital Image. Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, June 29, 2008.

About Wordless Wednesday.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Celebrating Father's Day

This morning, we got up early so my daughter could share some time with her Daddy before he went to work. She carried his gift to him, but didn't want to give up the bag (what is it with toddlers and giving things to people?). They opened Daddy's cards and read them together (pictured above), and then Daddy had to leave for work. Thankfully, he decided to come home and work instead so he was able to spend much of the day playing with his little girl.


This afternoon, we called Grandpa (my father) on the computer and had a video chat for a while so he could see how much his granddaughter has grown. My daughter waved and said "hi," meowed at the cats, "arf'd" at the dog, and made faces at her "Auntie" (my stepsister), until she decided to run off and play. Dad and I chatted for a while afterwards, looking at old family photos and trying to figure out who was in the pictures.

It was a quiet Father's Day, but it was good to spend time - real and virtual - with the two fathers who matter most to me.

Photographs:

"My Daughter and Her Daddy," (Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, June 15, 2008). Digital Image. Privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal.

"My Father and Me," (November 1963, Location Unknown). Photograph. Privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Wordless Wednesday: Giraffe Gets a Snack

"Giraffe Gets a Snack" (Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Co, California). Digital Image. Photographed by H. Aiwohi, June 2, 2008.

About Wordless Wednesday.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Happy Birthday, My Little Sweetheart!

My beautiful, little girl: I can hardly believe that today you are TWO!

You've brought such joy to your Daddy and me. Everyday, I'm amazed by the things you can do.

You're my little Smartypants, who can already operate the TV and DVD player, and loves to walk around in Mommy's shoes.

I love you, Sweetie, and I can't wait to see what the next year will bring.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Celebrating Memorial Day

Since today, May 30th, is the true Memorial Day (or Decoration Day, as it was once known), I wanted to share a few photos of how my family and I spent our weekend.

Last Saturday, we ventured up to the Santa Maria Cemetery where we "planted" flags on the graves of veterans. There were so many volunteers present that it only took about an hour to cover the entire cemetery (and it's not a tiny cemetery, either).

We were with a group from our local Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.), but there were also representatives from the VFW, 4-H, Boy Scouts, DAR, and a few groups I couldn't identify.

My daughter loved carrying the flags around, and tried hard to plant a few herself. Unfortunately, the ground was as hard as concrete, so without a trusty screwdriver to make the hole first, it was almost impossible to get the flags in the ground... even for a grown-up.

It was a pretty amazing sight to see all those flags go up.









On Monday, we went back to the Santa Maria Cemetery for the official Memorial Day Ceremony, sponsored by the American Legion, Post 56, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 2521.

A few kids - including my daughter - presented a wreath from the C.A.R. Wreaths were also presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and several other groups.









It was a very moving experience.

At one point, the ceremony was paused while Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." played. Several veterans in the audience were in uniform and removed their hats to slowly wave them to the music. I swear, there wasn't a dry eye in the place, including mine.

By the end of the weekend, my daughter was saying, "Flag" all by herself.

I think I got the point across... even to an almost-2-year old. In our house, Memorial Day isn't just a BBQ or a sale at the department store.

News coverage of this event by KCOY and The Santa Maria Times.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Wordless Wednesday: In Honor of Memorial Day

"Remembering Those Who Have Fallen" (Santa Maria Cemetery, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Co., California). Photographed by Ben O'Neal, May 24, 2008.

About Wordless Wednesday.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Wordless Wednesday: The Princess' New Throne

"The Princess' New Throne" (Lompoc, Santa Barbara Co., California). Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, May 14, 2008.

About Wordless Wednesday.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Toddler Talk

Me: What's a doggie say?

Daughter: Arf, arf, arf!

Me: What's a kittycat say?

Daughter: Owww, owww.

Me: What's a birdie say?

Daughter: tee, tee, tee

Me: What's a Mommy say (expecting no answer)?

Daughter: Goo grrl

Me: Good girl? Really? (breathes sigh of relief)

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On a side note for all you moms of tots (or anyone else who might be interested):

On Thursday, May 15th, McDonald's is giving away a FREE Southern Style Chicken Biscuit or Southern Style Chicken Sandwich, with the purchase of a medium or large drink. What you get depends on what time you get there.

Lunch anyone?

Photo of Reilly (my dog) taken September 11, 2007, by Elizabeth O'Neal.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!

Look at me, Mommy - I styled my hair all by myself... with maple syrup!

I'm ready to go to brunch now!

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Wordless Wednesday: Surprise!

"Surprise!" (Lompoc, Santa Barbara Co., California).
Photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, April 28, 2008.

About Wordless Wednesday.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Colonial Princess Pitches a Fit

I have to apologize. I've been woefully remiss in posting... well... anything at all. Oh, I've tossed a photo out here and there, and called it "Wordless Wednesday," but that's really just cheating, isn't it?

Seriously though, I can't believe that I've let at least two blog carnivals go by. And I'm waaay behind in reading the posts of all of my fave bloggers (see Good Reads, to the left).

My excuse: I've been consumed with projects, ranging from building and updating web sites, newsletters, various and sundry desktop publishing projects, and being the mommy of an increasingly busy toddler.

I know, I know... excuses.
____________________

So, in the interest of playing catch-up, here are a few pictures of my daughter in the special dress I teased about a while back. These photos were taken last month at the 100th California DAR State Conference in Santa Clara.







Yes, my little girl was a "colonial princess" in her mob hat, gown, and shawl. She was one of the kids selected to "bring greetings" from the California Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.) on Opening Night of the Conference.

The kids were all supposed to walk together in a group, but my daughter took off running ahead of them, dragging her lovely rose bouquet like a broom down the center aisle. Daddy had to go running after her, and wound up walking all the way up onto the stage to keep her from taking off (something he definitely did NOT want to do!).

He did look rather dapper in his suit, though.

When it came time to present her flowers to the dignitaries at the head table, she screamed and cried. I'm sure that not taking a nap all day had something to do with this, but the idea of giving up those pretty flowers did not go over well. After all, sharing is not typically something toddlers do well, even on a good day.

The President General (that's like the DAR "Grand Poobah," for those of you who don't know), took a single rose out of her bouquet and handed the rest back to my daughter. This didn't really stop the screaming, but it was a very nice gesture, nonetheless.

Despite the tantrum, Mommy (me) was very proud and caught the whole episode event on video.

And cried. A lot.

Easter Blessings

We were blessed in this household about two years ago by a beautiful, little angel. She has brought us immeasurable joy and happiness.


Photos by Elizabeth O'Neal, March 22, 2008

I would like to wish everyone reading this a very happy Easter.

May your blessings on Easter and every day be plentiful.

Getting Ready for the Ball

A dear friend of mine has been making a dress for my daughter to wear for a very special occasion next week.

My daughter was very excited by her new dress, and wanted to twirl and twirl, making the skirt float up in the air.

I won't ruin the surprise by telling you what the occasion is until next week, but let me just say that Mommy is going to be very proud... and will probably cry. A lot.


Photo by Elizabeth O'Neal, March 20, 2008


Photo by Elizabeth O'Neal, March 20, 2008


Photo by Elizabeth O'Neal, March 20, 2008


Photo by Elizabeth O'Neal, March 20, 2008


Photo by Elizabeth O'Neal, March 20, 2008

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

What a St. Patrick's Day treat to find the 4th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture posted at Small-Leaved Shamrock this morinng!

If you aren't feeling green enough today (or even if you are), be sure to check out the terrific job Lisa has done rounding up these great posts.

My own post is here: Walking Tall with an Irish Shillelagh.

I'm definitely going to have to order the book The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh by Janet Nolan that Lisa talks about at A Light That Shines Again. It sounds like a wonderful story to share with my daughter when she gets a little older.
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The 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will honor the beauty of the Irish language with a focus on Irish Gaelic names and words.

• Has the charm of the name of a place in Ireland always called to you to visit someday?

• As a child did you secretly wish you had the Irish name of a great-grandparent instead of the name you were born with?

• Do you have a story to tell about someone with an Irish surname?

• Is there an Irish proverb that you have always loved to let slide off of your tongue in its original language?

Join us for the 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. The only prerequisite is that your post must tie in with our focus on the Irish Gaelic language. Posts for this edition of the carnival are due April 27. Submit your entries here. The carnival will be posted at A light that shines again on St. Ciarán's Day, April 30.

____________________

May you have love that never ends,
lots of money, and lots of friends.
Health be yours, whatever you do,
and may God send many blessings to you!

~Old Irish Blessing

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Walking Tall With An Irish Shillelagh

My Daughter, the Irish Princess, Models my Mother's Shillelagh (click to enlarge).
Photographs by Elizabeth O'Neal, March 13, 2008.

Before my mother died, she frequently had to use a cane to get around. She hated canes, as I'm sure most people who have to use them do.

So her full-blooded Irish mother - my grandmother, Mary Margaret McGraw - bought her a shillelagh: a handmade Irish walking stick.

My mother never used her shillelagh because it wasn't sized properly for her, and canes that are used for medical purposes need to be the right size in order to be functional.

This lovely shillelagh has been sitting in the corner behind the door of my office since we moved to this house a few years ago. I had never really given it a thought... until my daughter found it - and started beating on things with it - the other day.

The shillelagh is typically made of blackthorn wood or oak, and is named for the Shillelagh Forest in County Wicklow, Ireland, once known for its massive oaks. The wood would be smeared with butter and cured in a chimney, giving the stick its shiny, black appearance.

A shillelagh may also be used as a club or weapon, and the knob was often made from a heavy blackthorn root for weight. Sometimes the stick would be hollowed out and filled with molten lead, increasing the weight. This "loaded stick" would pack quite a wallop, I'm sure!

While examining Mom's shillelagh, I found that it is indeed shiny, although I'm not convinced that this is caused by cured butter. It weighs slightly less than a pound, so it's obviously not filled with molten lead (thank goodness!).

There is a rough-hewn band of copper around the bottom tip, although the wood remains exposed where the stick meets the floor.

In the handle is what appears to be an Irish penny, dated 1996 (see inset).

The tag reads: "This 'Blackthorn' is identical to what I handcrafted for President Kennedy, President Ronald Reagan, and Tip O'Neill on their Historical Visit to Ireland. Made in Ireland."

I have no idea who crafted this item or where my grandmother bought it; however, I did find this link to the National Geographic Online Store, where they state that "The craftsman who makes this blackthorn and hazelwood walking stick has made ones as Ireland's official gift on state visits by U.S. dignitaries including Presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Regan, and Bill Clinton."

Until recently, I was unaware that such a special piece of Irish culture was right under my own roof. I'll be looking for a more prominent place to display Mom's shillelagh, but one that is safe from curious little fingers!

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Starting Early

I took my daughter to her very first State Conference of the Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.) this past weekend.

Sure, she's a little young for these types of events, but she got to hang out with some kids, run around a hotel, ride a bus, see interesting sea creatures, and have a tantrum in a formal gown.

It was a full weekend.


Casting her vote for new state officers: doing her civic duty for the first time.
I held the pen, but it still counts.


You're never too young to learn proper receiving line etiquette.


The State President's project was to raise money for the sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, so we all took a little field trip to the Aquarium to present the "big check" and visit the sea life.


My daughter loved the jellyfish. I had no idea that there are SO MANY TYPES of jellyfish. Kind of scary, when you think about it. I know I won't be swimming in the ocean again any time soon.


By far, the best time had by my daughter was on the slide. She completely missed the point of the entire trip, but hey, she's not even two yet, so she's entitled.


Modeling her pretty formal gown (and purse), pre-tantrum. Mommy was so proud.

Young Love

Last weekend, my daughter and I visited with friends for a few days. Just for fun, their 2-year old grandson came over for a play "date."

My daugher and Grandson are both "only" children, so we were understandably concerned about their abilities to "play well with others." Typically, this is not something that toddlers do well anyway.

We were pleasantly surprised that the two of them not only played well together, but really seemed to enjoy each other. I mean really enjoy each other. A lot.

So now my daughter now has a new love.

If she were any older, I'm sure I would have to put a stop to it. But for now, it's just so darn cute.



Playing with pillows. Big fun that adults simply cannot understand.



Falling down, screaming, and laughing = pure toddler joy.



Ah, look at them. No concept that the rest of the world is watching.



The next day. Practically finishing each other's sentences by this time. Too bad the rest of us can't understand anything they're saying.

Should I be worried? Or should I be picking out wedding gowns?

One Perfect Day

As I've said before, I'm a stay-at-home mom. It was a choice that I made willingly.

Being of an “advanced age” when we finally reproduced (I was 42, my husband 43), we were financially stable and could afford for me to give up my career and stay home with the child we’d waited so long to have.

Having spent several years as an elementary school teacher in the public school system, I was ready for a change. I don’t want to get into the details or politics of public education, but I will say this: teaching is hard. So. Very. Hard.

So hard that there are days where you truly question your sanity when you enter the classroom.

But there are also days that are wonderful. Days where everything clicks, where the kids just “get it,” and you feel that all of the hard work was finally worthwhile.

This is also true for parenting.

Some days are so awful that at the end of the day all you want to do is curl up in a fetal position with a bottle of wine and the covers pulled up to your eyeballs.

The sameness, the monotony, the isolation… all this can make you want to run screaming out the door.

And then there are the days that are wonderful.

Days that are so perfect you could cry. Days that make you want to bottle up that feeling of perfectness so you can open it up later on those other days and make all the bad things go away.

Yesterday was one of those days.

After her morning nap, I packed my daughter into our van for the 25-mile drive to the pediatrician. I really wanted to cancel this appointment because of the heavy rain, but for some reason felt that I shouldn’t. I spent most of the drive praying that we would arrive safely, and if we could get there on time, that would be a big plus, too. But safe. Safety was most important.

There were few people at the pediatrician’s office, which is unusual, even for a Wednesday. My daughter stood at the window, “oooooing” at the rain and watching the cars splash by. In the middle of such a storm, it was so peaceful seeing her enjoy herself like she was.

The rest of our day was mundane and routine: shopping at Costco, driving home, eating dinner. Nothing spectacular.

We looked at books and pretty dresses. We tasted the different treats being offered. We sang in the car. We snuggled before bedtime.

We kissed. We hugged. We laughed.

We enjoyed being together.

It was one of those rare, indescribable moments in time when my daughter and I were on the exact, same wavelength... like we just knew.

When we looked into each other’s eyes, something special passed between us.

And I so wish that I could bottle it up and save it forever.

Not because I anticipate more of those crazy, fetal-position-wine-screaming days.

But because I’m acutely aware that one day she’ll grow up and move away, and I’ll miss her so much that I’ll ache, even for the bad days.

***

In my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined that it could be like this.

I thank God everyday for my beautiful angel...

And one more perfect day.

Gameday Postmortem

When I told my daughter that the Chargers lost the game, this was her response:



I think that says it for both of us.

Baby's Got Game

In honor of today's AFC Championship Game, my daughter wanted to model her gameday jersey:



So far, it has been her lucky jersey. The Chargers seem to win whenever she wears it.

Let's hope that luck holds for today!