Finn & MJ at Home

It's been strange and lovely to have just Finn and MJ home during the day, but as with all things, we're getting used to it. Today was the first time that Finn really missed Seamus. He started to cry when I was trying to make a cover/sheath for his "knife" which is a piece of blunt wood.

He asked me "when is Seamus getting home - he's the only one who knows how to make a good one."

It has been nice to spend time with just the three of us and now when Finn is at preschool - MJ and I have the first all girl time of our lives together. It's all so precious.

First Day Photos

Seamus was so proud (almost as much as me). He woke up every day this week, brushed his teeth, got dressed and washed up (he showered two of the mornings), ate his breakfast and got his backpack ready like he was an old pro. I actually stood in the kitchen these mornings and watched him grow up. It was wild.



















After school drop off, Finn, MJ & I went to mass for Bob and Helen Class's 60th wedding anniversary mass. I told the kids we needed to look nice and this is what "looking nice" looks like to Finn. He was so pleased with how handsome he looked - it was adorable. As much as I felt like Seamus was growing before my eyes, my experience with Finn has been even more profound. New parts of his personality emerge every hour of every day - he's becoming much more patient, more independent, but he's not losing any of his affectionate and cuddly qualities. It feels like a golden time. He was a little wistful about Seamus leaving today (who can blame him) but he was resilient and it was as if he turned to MJ and said "Well, we've still got each other, so that's not so bad."


















Buddies forever.



















MJ is also changing all the time - my favorite new quality is her sense of humor. She is sarcastic and dry (a two year old!!). She doesn't look like it here - which makes everything even funnier to me - but her favorite thing now is to tease everyone (less with her head-butting and more with her words). Who expects a two year old to mess with you?













All together now.











Waiting in line for the bell.
































Cousin Lizzy.












Neighbor Leslie.












Together for the last few minutes.


















Seamus and Helen on her anniversary.



















Seamus & Jack breaking the rules already...



















Let's hope there is no rule breaking here...






















Awesome, Dude.



















In the classroom during orientation.
























Proud Mama.

Bloom & Grow

Change is a challenging prospect. Nothing new about that. The cliche is true that nothing stays the same (try as hard as we do to hold on). I am a little overwhelmed today by how many things have changed for us in the last few years, the last few months and of course the last few days.

I have so much to post about regarding our time at the lake, but a good example of the pace of growth these days would be the moment of our arrival home. Finn jumped out of the car (to be greeted by Bob and Paula of course) and grabbed the training-wheel less bike (at Bob's urging) and tore off down the sidewalk without training wheels like it was the most natural thing in the world. We hadn't even unlocked the back door of the house. He is just exploding. Here are some pictures from today - biking up and down the street with his favorite people. Something about Finn always makes my heart burst - I wanted to collapse onto the ground as he sped past. Yesterday he was wearing a three piece suit, today he's a bike racer, who know about tomorrow - it is never dull.



I'll add the movies when I can get them off the camera (we're having some technical difficulties with the camera/computer connection).



























Paula and Bob came with me to pick Seamus up from school and it feels so fitting to have them share all these milestones with us. You know they say it takes a village - I am grateful that our village is so generous, joyous and most importantly available!

Paula and her girl, hand in hand, heart in heart. We spent a big part of the morning sitting in front of Winsor's house, watching the kids bike and run back and forth, chatting and looking at Eric's semi's engine (I can recognize a turbo charger now). I think about sending Eric off last summer and now having him to home. He also seems like a new man, in wonderfully happy way. I think he's proud, content and grateful to be back doing all the things he loves with so many of the folks he loves. Jeff left for college two weeks ago and we had a little send off dinner. I think its lucky that Eric is back or I'd have some serious Winsor boy withdrawl. I remember when Jeff started at Cretin - so hard to imagine he's in college now. Change is good and healthy, but still it feels too fast sometimes.


The hibiscus from Paula's garden.














The girlies.

MJ has also blossomed this summer - no more diapers, lots more language and this wonderful sense of humor and timing (I've got to blog about my grandma's wig later).

She spent all morning saying "I bike too. I bike too". Please, darling, not so fast. These photos are the only time she wasn't on Finn's heels all morning.


































MJ and her favorite boys.

Orientation

Today, Seamus and I attended kindergarten orientation.

Whew.


Everything went smoothly and pretty effortlessly (on his part) but a little less so for me (lots of sunglassed weeping - thank God for dark glasses).

Let's review: today was only orientation and you'd have thought I was sending him to the moon.

Fortunately, Seamus is delighted and excited. It's not that I'm sad - the emotion isn't sad at all really - what I'm feeling seems best described as tenderness. These are the moments that hit me the hardest - the tender moments when you see your child for who they are and for what they are dreaming. They are proud moments, often quiet and gentle. The kind of deep breath that is private and almost holy - in fact I think it is holy. They are the moments when you feel so clearly that this child is more than just your child. They are their own person, bigger and unique.

Last night the movie Parenthood was on TV - this is one of my all time favorite movies and I haven't seen it since right after Seamus was born. Both sets of grandparents came to San Francisco when Seamus was born (Doughertys were around for about ten days) and Schneemans came out the day after he was born for the baptism (along with uncle Chris). The night Dougherty's left we went down to see Grandma and Grandpa Schneemans hotel and have dinner. We had a lovely night, but by the next night I was feeling tired and ready to just have my feet up. Dad made a great dinner and we ate at our condo on Van Ness and then put in a movie. Dad and Grandma promptly fell asleep and my dad and I watched Parenthood while passing Seamus (also sound asleep) back and forth. We laughed and cried and it was (for me) a special kind of moment - maybe it was even a tender moment for him - I'll have to ask and see if he remembers. But that was the last time I saw the movie and now a few more years and experiences into parenthood, I found I love it just as much. Life is a roller coaster and you have to sit back and enjoy all the ups and downs because it's over faster than you can imagine.

Seamus, we love you so much and are looking forward to sending you off tomorrow. Have fun with your new and old friends, learn lots and make us proud.

Mucho cabin fun

Seamus catching the littlest fish in the world. Nice job on the joint effort between Seamus and MJD. Hopefully more updates to come soon!

Grandpa stories

Here's a story from a friend of my Dad (aka Grandpa Tom) about his college ROTC days. "Remembering Tom Dougherty & Life Lessons" Copying it over to our blog for posterity's sake.

"It was November 1967, during my freshman year, pledging and hell night were behind me. We were in the day room, and there was the always present card game. It was Pinochle. Tom Dougherty said “sit down Lowenbraun, we need a 4th person.” It was more like a command than a request. I told him that I didn’t know how to play Pinochle. Hell, I didn’t even know how to spell Pinochle. But Tom took me as his partner and he taught me how to play Pinochle. It cost me a few bucks, and Tom said I had to pay for my losses and his losses too because he didn’t have any cash. I never knew you could go to a card game with no money. But I did get his IOU, yeah right. Everyone passed around IOU’s even though we all knew they were worth less than Confederate script. Pinochle also almost cost me my education. I got hooked on the game and would cut classes just to play Pinochle. I would play in the day room, in the cafeteria, on the buses to drill meets, and all the way to Dayton, Ohio. I would play with people like Fred Palumbo, Richie Mahler, Joe Hughes, Joe D’Heron, Mike McCloud, Tommy Edwards, Frank Palmieri, and all the others. I even remember the time I was dealt 9 hearts on the way to Dayton. If you won, the rewards were, a dollar a game, plus penny a point, quarters for stars and holes. If you could collect it. Since that day in 1967, when Tom told me to sit down, Pinochle is absolutely my favorite card game. Thank you Tommy.

In my sophomore year Tom Dougherty was Company K-8 1st Sergeant.
That year I marched in front of Tom on the IDR A-Team. It was a great IDR team commanded by Frank Russomanno (1969). As always we were practicing outside in the Seton Hall parking lot next to the old gym. I remember how most mornings you forgot about how cold it was once the order was given “forward march” and you focused on what you were there for. Your teammates and brothers counted on each other. And I marched in front of Tom.
I remember Tom whispering to me “pull down, pull down, cant left, cant left, pull down. He was of course talking about how I held my rifle. Then he would whisper, “Lowenbraun, you pull down or I’m gonna kick you in the ass.” Tommy scared the shit out of me. When the command came for “rear march”, Tom was in front of me. Then it was my turn. It was my chance to tell him to pull down or cant left. Tom’s rifle was perfect, and it never changed position. It was as if Tom and his rifle were one and the same. Then the command came again “rear march” and I was in front of Tom again. He demanded perfection, and his work ethic was to be admired. Thank you Tommy.

I don’t remember which drill meet it was, but after the drill meet we were having our beers when Tom sat next to me and told me to try something else. Scotch…definitely Dewars. It was a tough night for me, but I got through it and survived. And since that night with Tom, Dewar’s is my go-to drink. There have been many nights with Dewars since then, and never a hangover. At my daughters wedding this August, I drank Dewars, and felt great. Thank you Tommy.
So it was like that with Tom. He taught me to play Pinochle, drink Scotch, work hard, and strive for perfection. I have worked hard and look forward to retirement, and maybe once a week, play Pinochle with old friends and drink Dewars. Tom taught me life lessons, and maybe he taught you some lessons as well. Not bad things to learn from a brother. He still scares the shit out of me. Thank you Tommy."

Mike Lowenbraun '71

Thanks to the men of Company K8 - Dad's ROTC fraternity brothers at Seton Hall

http://captainslogblog.typepad.com/companyk8/2009/08/remembering-tom-dougherty-life-lessons.html