Remembering With Intensity

Memory is funny. I can not believe how long has passed since certain events because I remember them so vividly. There's no logic to it at all. I'll be blurry on something a few months ago, but crystal clear on events from 10yrs ago. It's not always by significance either. Today, I saw someone I went to college with. That got me feeling nostalgic and I realized when looking up another friend from that era (who I wasn't extremely close with by any means) that I can still hear his voice perfectly.

I remember a blue dress my mother owned in the early 80's. I don't believe this dress had any significance, but for some reason it floats into my conscious thought off and on. Strange. I remember the way my dad smelled when I was a kid, cold air and cigarettes. Strange my parents have asked me if I remember people or pets from my childhood and I don't. I remember dresses and smells. I remember toys I had when I should have been too small to remember anything.

On the other hand I know that there are pictures I've seen of my childhood that have become part of my memories. Weird. False memories, I think I'm remembering the event, but actually it's the picture I remember seeing. I've strayed, but I wonder why some things are remembered with such intensity? My first kiss is in technicolor compared to last Christmas. Most of middle school is black and white if not missing all together. So strange. What determines which memories are brighter? I have tried a few times to will a memory to stick, but it doesn't always leave as deep an imprint as I think it will.

I imagine organizing my memories into old fashioned file cabinets. Large heavy drawers and then coding them by brightness. Making the false memories live together in a corner cabinet while my most precious memories are front and center in full color. The more I think about needing to turn up the intensity on my memories the more I worry I'll have the opposite effect. I am scared witless of dementia. I can't imagine how terrifying it must be.

I digress, again, if I were in charge of the intensity of memories how would I choose to promote (or not)? I think some people have already figured out the way to do it. I've been with someone witnessing something and then been astonished when they don't remember. I don't think only happy memories should be bright or tragic ones should all be dimmed. I think I'm glad it's not up to my conscious brain.

Photo Thursday: Builders Edition

I think it's in her blood. I'm pretty proud.

Wardrobe Change

Riley's always been fashion forward, but it's really kicking into high gear latly. She pitched a fit in the backseat recently because she found a pair of socks that matched her outfit better and wanted them changed right away. I wish I were kidding. If something (even water) spills on her shirt she cries until you change it. She even dictates what color Mommy or Daddy should wear sometimes. She's got her own style. I just try to follow her lead.

Now she picks out her clothes if I don't beat her to it and if I do she has strong opinions. That's all fine. I like that she cares because in all the years of raising her brother he has NEVER bothered to match or change a dirty shirt. It's refreshing. Except that now she was multiple wardrobe changes a day. I indulged it once. The next time I rode out the fits when I refused.

It's clear this will be a consistent issue for a while so I knew a middle ground had to be reached. My laundry, back and sanity refuse to change her complete outfit, shoes and barette more than once a day. I decided I need to get on the ball about picking out her clothes. Maybe start choosing them the night before. On top of that I told her I'd give her two choices in the morning.

That way she feels in control, but there's one outfit a day barring spills or weather change. I just had this brilliant idea so we haven't made it part of the routine yet. Cross your fingers...

Conversations With Cute: Wedding

We'd been reading Eloise At The Wedding (Riley's favorite of the flower girl books I got from the library). In the story Eloise meets a bride who's getting married in the ballroom of the hotel she lives in. The bride is crying because her flower girl is sick. She says:

My flower girl is sick. How can I get married?

Riley came into my room one morning and looked at me sweetly and said:
Mommy, How can I get married?
(a little taken a back) Well...You meet your prince, he puts a ring on your finger, you buy a dress and have a wedding.
Yup! (pushes her doll stroller down the hall)
A few minutes later I realized she was quoting the book and felt silly.

A different day she brought me my butterfly kneeling pad from outside and said Here Mommy! For your weddin' day. Here ya go! For your weddin' day. Who knows what see thought I'd need that for...

Riley was in Daddy's arms yesterday and I reached up and gave her a squeeze. She grabbed my hand and said: What's that?. Mike answered that it was my ring.

Who gave me that ring, Riley? (fulling expecting her to say Daddy)
The prince! (she obviously remembered our conversation from the other day)
That's right. What does that ring mean?
Silence
(prompting) We're going to have...
CAKE!!!
She's not wrong.

Today she noticed flowers on her shirt and exclaimed:
Look! I have weddin' flowers on my shirt!

Teaching the Classics

Riley was playing in the tub last night and she started yelling "Juliet! Juuuuuliet!"

Are you calling Juliet?
Yup! She's with the elves on TV
You mean the gnomes.
Her mean friend wears a flower shirt.
He sure does. Do you remember his name?
Um...Tickles.
Close, it's Tybalt.
Yeah! Tickles.
It's Ty-balt, honey. He's actually Juliet's cousin.
Uh-huh, Tickles is her meeeeaaan cousin.

Even with her silly pronunciation of his name she has an fair grasp on the plot, given that she's two and her knowledge of Shakespeare's classic play was delivered via animated gnomes.

Not Missing Daddy

Mike returned from his bachelor party in high spirits this morning. I was still grumbling about the time change, but it didn't seem to dampen the festivities too much. It sounds like they had fun. We certainly had fun here. Isaac went to grandpa's to see Harrison and have pizza. Riley had Boo over to play and have pizza. Isaac came home around 7 and retired to his room to "work on his warp drive."

The girls donned princess dresses, watched PBS shows and spun like tops. They cooked, built towers out of blocks and hula hooped. The held hands and ran around. They ate lollipops and sang. They looked at books, they jumped and laughed. They played and played and played. Every once in a while it's nice not to have to share your best friend or worry too much about bed time.

It was a blast. Definitly in the top ten days of her lifetime. After Boo went home there was a bubble bath, jammies and THREE bed time stories. Needless to say she didn't miss Daddy one bit. This morning we ate the left over blueberry muffins and watched Alice in Wonderland. It's been on my mind. God Bless Amazon $1.99 rentals. Then Riley cooked in her princess Belle dress for a bit. After that we put on Disney's Robin Hood, Riley likes Sir Hiss. She painted a pink and yellow picture.

She looked over her shoulder at me from the easel and asked "Mommy is it running and yelling time?" So cute. I responded "Yes, honey I'll go get your shoes." I had just wiped her down and gotten her dressed when Mike came home. She was completely absorbed in playing outside and bearly paused to greet him.

I sent Mike to shower and nap while I wore Riley out a bit more. Then I had Riley pottied, cookie-ed, storyed and down for nap by 12:10. Mike's snoring beside me as I type. I'm so nice. I have alterior motives though. I do want thim to have a recovery period, but we need groceries and wedding beverages. So, we'll be shopping when everyone wakes up. There's a lot to discuss now that we're 9 days away. What a fun night/morning. I think we had as much fun as Mike and the boys.

Mad As A Hatter

Yesterday, I got to run to the craft store by myself. Mike needed his last batch of centerpiece supplies so I snagged a few this for this little project. My bridesmaids are throwing me a Mad Hatter Tea Party bridal shower. So, I made a Cheshire Cat/spring themed mad hat. I just tucked and pinned some fun things to my wicker fedora. Including some felt cat ears. Fun, huh. I have a cute dark pink dress to wear with it too.

I'm not the only one getting in the spirit either. This is my cousin's mad hat. So cute, right? Totally hand made (unlike mine) cardboard and a pair of girls velor sweatpants. Love it! Yay, craftyness.

Mike got up and made muffins for breakfast with Riley this morning which was lovely. He's off for his bachelor party overnight at the beach tonight. Isaac is at my dad's playing with his friend for a few hours. Riley and I are watching Disney movies. I know tomorrow will be crazy because I want to take the week off from wedding stuff if I can manage it. What an unfocused post...well they can't all be winners.