Category: misty watercolor memories

We’re experiencing separation anxiety in our house again. This time it’s me with the problem.

For about two and a half years, Sam has been going to daycare right around the corner from my office. While he doesn’t always enjoy the 40 minute commute there and back, he’s done so well there and had so many fun opportunities. And so have I. Because not only do I get to hang out with just him for an hour and a half each day (even if it is in the car), but having him so close makes it easy for me to attend the special moments as well. I’m able to go ice skating with him and his class, like in the picture above, and I can run over to deliver cupcakes to the St. Patrick’s Day party (which I am doing tomorrow – I proudly wrote “CUPCAKES” next to our name on the list, right under green grapes, edamame, cucumbers, and snap peas. I win.). Things like this don’t require taking the day off, the way they do for me to do the same for Kate.

But, May will be his last month at school here with me. He’ll be home with Andy over the summer and then he’ll start kindergarten near our house.

It makes me so, so sad.

I will miss our conversations in the car every day. I’ll miss being the one to pick him up and seeing his face light up when he sees me. I’ll miss the parties and the field trips that are so convenient to attend. I’ll miss knowing that I’m right around the corner if he needs me.

I’ll miss him.

But I won’t miss paying the daycare bill.

How’s that for a silver lining?

I don’t think we’ve ever done a music review here on Mommin’ It Up, but there’s a first time for everything!

“New Sunshine,” a collection of original songs by Darrell Sallee, is my new favorite CD ever. It is amazing. I might be slightly biased, because get this – my dad co-wrote some of the songs. My dad is a song writer – who knew! I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Seriously, though, it’s been so much fun for me and my family to watch my dad go through this process with Darrell, and we all absolutely love the music. My kids know all the words to every song, and years and years from now, their kids will too. As my dad says about my outstanding musical taste, it’s their legacy.

Here’s Sammy doing his rendition of “A River Washing.”

The real version is even better – hard to imagine, I know.

Here’s what people are saying about the album:

“An amazing collection of original songs and music. Masterfully arranged music and lyrics speak to the humanity in us all. Moving and insightful commentary on life, love and the happiness that comes from ‘New Sunshine’. Plus it downright ROCKS.”

“To simply say ‘Wow, this is a good album!’ doesn’t quite do justice to the finished product. It’s much more than a new CD ‘from a friend of mine’ or ‘some guy I know’. It’s the culmination of a life’s passion with music and a work that speaks to a life’s journey.”

“Darrell’s writing has matured like fine wine and the collaboration with Dan Burns has created some magic alchemy.”

How can you add this incredible music to your collection? I thought you’d never ask.

Each song and the album are available for purchase on CDBaby.com, Facebook’s music store (which I didn’t even know was a thing), and iTunes. So, go buy it! Then Darrell and my dad will get rich and famous and you can say you knew them when. My inheritance is riding on this, people.

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary.

I’m writing this on a lounge chair on the beach – we are celebrating by spending a week in Cabo.

Ok, that’s not true. I’m writing this on my couch, and we are celebrating by going out to dinner.

Ah, the glamorous lives of parents of small children.

Anyway, we have been really excited about our anniversary for the last couple of weeks, and it’s been fun to think back and reminisce about our wedding. We absolutely loved our wedding – it was the perfect day, really.

But as happy as we were then, we are even happier now. Which makes me really, uh, happy.

Yeah, so enough with the sap.

I will leave you with the sage words of wisdom Jenny bestowed upon me regarding our anniversary:

“just don’t play trivial pursuit and then get knocked up like i did”