a day off in baltimore

Not one to stay at home on a day off of school I just had to make a plan for President's Day last Monday... And it just so happens I have a mama friend who shares my affinity for doing all the things with the kids and so we hatched this one up together! Toniel has a season pass type thing to the Baltimore Zoo so she got one adult and all the kids in for free (thank you friend!). We had never been and were so impressed! Elephants and giraffes and lions oh my! We spent a good two hours wandering around and counting children's heads before it was time to head to Inner Harbor for a late lunch.

a goodbye to grammy

Last weekend my 96 year old Grammy passed away. 

I'm having a slight difficulty in writing this because there were two versions of my grandmother in my memory. There is the rounder, younger and much healthier version. The Grammy who lived walking distance away from us in Maine. The Grammy who was like a second mother. "Only three fig newtons Laurie!" type of Grammy. The Grammy I would watch old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies with and have sleepovers with. And then there was the Grammy later in life... The last ten years have not been easy on her. But she’s tough as nails and she stayed with us. From her coma to several breaks and falls and surgeries, she was still here. Having to leave her home for a nursing home was not easy for her but it was a physical necessity. It was a safety thing. And lately you could just tell... she was done. She had had enough. And I cannot blame her. Since I stopped working almost ten years ago I have spent every Monday (not as often lately as her health deteriorated) with her and my mom... but I wish my last visit with her could have gone better... And try as I might I know I won’t be able to forget it. But I do know this: I told her I loved her twice (the second time she responded that she loved me too, so thankful for that tiny miracle) and then she told me that she wanted to go home. And she is home, finally. I can only imagine her joy to finally be reunited with my Poppop after twenty-nine years apart. 

as the saying goes, let us skate!

Or something like that.

David's Cub Scout Troop did this last year, and as the hobbit-footed husband of mine could no longer skate I was the one to take him to the event. This year though it moved from the old arena to the actual Giant Center. Like where the Hershey Bears play.... Which if you are not local means jack squat to you I am sure unless you know that the Bears are the farm team for the Washington Capitals. I know a little bit of hockey lingo... I know, shocking. But! This is also where we always go to see Disney on Ice so... didn't I feel special?

He was insistent that he would not need my hand this year. Which surprise surprise, he did! Eventually he allowed me to help him a little but it still was slow going for awhile. There was a lot of oh hey mom can I do a lap on my own and such. I guess he may be too cool for me anymore? And I really try to be the cool mom so come on David, give me some credit! He thought the penalty box was the ballot box which was the cutest thing ever. And eventually after a few new blisters and a few falls he decided he was ready to head home. And I got him a Frosty for not making me stay the entire two hours because mama forgot to wear long socks and she had quite a few new blisters herself. Rookie move Olsen. Rookie move.

my niece turned two!

A few weeks ago (ish) the littlest little niece on my side of the family (for now, wink wink) turned two! And we all got together over the weekend to celebrate her! She had an ear infection again but that didn't stop her from playing and eating and opening all the gifts. As always my sister-in-law has all the theme on point, Valentine's Day this year, as it were.

I am also going to need a new phone. The portrait mode just is not what it once was.

so what's new with you?

I haven't done one of these since November...Because well, the holidays. And then January came around and that month is just so blah is it not? And it lasted longer than all of the fall and holiday months combined. At least that's how it felt to me and a ton of other people on Instagram.... And now here we are... already almost a week in to the month. Let us just all agree that the first three months of the year are the absolute worst months of the year and I don't care if they just go by in a blink. Unless I lived somewhere with palm trees and that gorgeous tropical water I love so much. Then they would be fine, I'm sure.