This is “esquilo” which literally means squirrel in Portuguese. Esquilo is completely trying to mess with my daily routine and set my kids into meltdown mode on the daily. Last weekend we opened the door to drive to school and Emma yelled “oh no esquilo ate Maia’s pumpkin” which to a three year old Maia might as well have meant that her world was ending. All of our nice lined up painted pumpkins were fine with the exception ofMaia’s. Hers had a hole in it. She began crying real tears. Hardly understanding why he picked her pumpkin. I quickly defused the situation with bribing Maia with a new pumpkin and we moved on with our morning routine off to school. We’ve since purchased two additional pumpkins to prevent esquilo from eating everything. Dude has to get full at some point right? Wrong. Last night we opened the door to wait for dad to come home and who was an arm’s length away going to town on the pumpkin but esquilo. He was completely unphased with not one, not two, but FOUR people staring at him. So I videoed as this 4 inch creature stared all of us down while crushing our pumpkins. The girls were at first horrified. Maia kept saying “mommy I used to like esquilo now I think he’s mean” which I had to explain that not all squirrels are mean (even though I might be lying) and that this squirrel is behaving badly and he might need a time out. As I was explaining this to her this brazen 4 legged creature jumped up onto the step closer to us looked us in the eye and made me feel like he was larger than a grizzly bear. Now I have to admit we were all behind a shut ​

​tight glass door but I felt a little uneasy and for a second thought we may need to call 911. The typical 5 and 3 year old high pitch screeches proceeded and esquilo remained un phased until I finally opened the door and “shooed” him away. On to make dinner which is always a struggle of the evening and the girls sat at the table while cautiously looking toward the door. I was convinced he was done but he kept coming back, and coming back, and coming back. When dad got home the girls jumped with excitement explaining how this time esquilo ate HIS pumpkin not theirs or mine and erupted into chaos until bedtime. They were in utter disbelief that esquilo could be so hungry and so very bad. Where’s his mom and dad?? We managed to all calm down and move on with the night, however, first thing this morning we were right back into the esquilo profiles opening the door set to find him partaking in a feast fit for squirrel royalty. I made breakfast while they stood “guarding” the door (chairs set up at the front door watching). Wouldn’t you know two minutes later they erupted into screams “mommy daddy esquilo brought a friend” and sure enough this little terrorizer brought reinforcements. Are you kidding me? Not on my land you nut eating ravenous monster. Who do you think you are? We quickly opened the door and shooed them both away. The girls sat and ate breakfast once again amused by the escapades of esquilo. I have to admit I was giggling a little as well. This little creature is just owning our pumpkins and all of us while he’s at it. 

Right now I look forward to books and bedtime. The in between has gotten a little challenging specifically with Emma. She’s different. She’s more assertive and seems older in so many ways. Her answers are more direct, she challenges us, she does more on her own. I’m not saying there’s necessarily anything wrong with most of this but it’s different and the very “sweet all the time” Emma is losing that toddler vibe entirely and growing into a five year old kindergartener. 

Today I was able to participate in a scientific field investigation at the school as a volunteer. There would be 4 children in my group and Emma would be one. The instructor let us know that the most challenging part might be our own children but Emma was by far the opposite. She was engaged, she listened, and she answered questions. She encouraged her friends to participate and she was genuinely that little girl I’m so proud of. Of course by the time she gets home from school and I get home from work she’s tired and hungry and has no interest in my one million questions. I get it it’s much like when they pick me up at the train and I get in the car and the two of them are just belting out everything at me while yelling at each other that it’s their turn. I love it but I feel like I need a second too. Tonight when she asked to read 4 books I jumped at the thought. I’m realizing more and more that bedtime is the moment I get that little girl back. She willingly tells me about her day, she reads along with me, she’s my little girl. She lets me sing her twinkle twinkle little star still and she asks me to stay with her for a little bit longer. Tonight she said “mommy will you come to school again and participate? I really liked it” Melt my heart. Of course I will because these are the moments I can’t get back. These are the times I never want to end. Every night I sneak in their rooms before I go to sleep myself and kiss them and whisper “I love you”. I’m feeling a little sentimental these days so I snapped a picture of Emma. Be still my heart. Stop time please. Just for a little while. 😉

October hasn’t exactly started on the easiest note. The Red Sox ended their playoff run faster than one could say “playoff run” (positive I got a couple days off to spend with the girls). My temporary kitchen has gotten smaller and by smaller I mean shoebox and uglier – (positive- I have a working stove, functioning sink, and refrigerator).

 My upstairs bathroom the only bathroom with a tub and shower disappeared. Yes, gone. Meaning I went to take a shower one morning and someone was in there demolishing it. Enter phone call to husband with his calm-toned casual response “ok, I’ll ask our builder but what do you want me to do?” Me getting off the phone blood boiling and fuming. What do I want you to do? I’ll tell you what..then rationalization kicks in. What can he do? Nothing. Positive on this one the newly renovated bathrooms will be incredible and the temporary shower situation the girls love. They think it’s like camp.  Shower is now temporarily in the new part of the house with no walls. It ain’t pretty but it works. 
Ok here’s a big one. Went to work Sunday got this text Call me ASAP Maia has lice. World stops literally. Call Raj he claims to have found lice. Now I’m not doubting him but after hours and I do mean hours of checking both girls for days since this scare we’ve found nothing. We have every tool you can imagine and I’m sure I could write an entire post on what to buy if you child has lice from fairytale shampoo, conditioner, and preventative spray. To combs and headlamps (yes we have a brand new headlamp to solve the world’s lice problem). See picture. We are very serious over here. Even if he found the one “nit” in her hair there is nothing left. (Positive- we’ve gotten very serious about daily checks). 
We’ve fully immersed ourselves in the traditional October shenanigans. Fall apple picking with Asher our cousin for the second year in a row. We/I baked the worst apple muffins imaginable they were too healthy with no dairy so I could eat them and they were disgusting but we made some pretty good apple crisp. Painted pumpkins. We are well into soccer and gymnastics and the routine is standard. 

Emma got her first gold star!! This is a big one and it erases anything stressful that has happened in October. She got off the bus with a gold star on her shirt and when we asked what it was she told us. “In music class the teacher asked a question and I answered I raised my hand and sang/answered it correctly so he asked me to come to the front of the class and I got a gold star”. Me: did anyone else get a gold star? E: No, just me. Mind blown. Head explosion. Glitter, confetti, balloons everywhere!! Check my kid out -not shy just answering questions and getting gold stars. What??? This is a big deal. You have no idea who your child is in kindergarten so any little glimpse into this secret world has me jump at the chance for more. This is a sign of confidence and I’m proud. Proud that she got a star. Proud that she is surviving in kindergarten and although I’m still not entirely sold on the idea of it she is. That’s a positive that wipes the slate clean. Halloween here we come. 

You know when everything is going along smoothly and things are settling into a great rhythm? You feel like you have it all under control. School is working out for both girls, work is fire with the team in the playoffs, your husband is a rockstar of support when you’re traveling for work and working A LOT. Construction has had zero effect on day to day life and it’s moving along at a rapid pace. Ah take a breath. Then the second you take that breath it starts…we’ll start with the four letter dreaded “L” word. Not to ever be confused with that other four letter “L” word love. No there’s nothing lovely about this word, in fact it’s terrifying. LICE. We got an email from our preschool that LICE was a possibility -some of the older kids of families in preschool were dealing with lice in their classrooms. Now mind you I got this email at 9pm at night when both children were sound asleep so I did what any logical loving parent would do. I snuck into my 3 year olds room flashlight in hand on the hunt for whatever lice looks like convinced we all had it. Found nothing. The next morning was picture day for Emma. What do you do? She has to wear her hair down for her very first picture day right? First I checked and double checked and triple checked and found nothing then I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed enough tea tree oil spray to last a lifetime. She smelled terrible but looked great (let’s also remember Emma has nothing to do with preschool she’s in K at a different school). So onto Maia same thing spray and the tightest braid I could do. Safe. Well that was last week. Still in the clear and feeling good until today when a mom gave me the confirmation that yes, there’s lice in preschool and in Emma’s school. Screaaaaachhhhhhhh. First thought call Raj he’ll calm me. There’s nothing I can do if my children get lice. Nothing but deal but this ain’t sitting pretty. Not with a kid who’s hair has only been cut 3 times in 5 years and another who’s hair has been cut NEVER. Cook and run. Cook and run. Oh right I can’t cook because as of yesterday the kitchen became unusable for the time being. I woke up yesterday to “we have an hour to clean out the 4 remaining cabinets in the kitchen”. I’m sorry what?? It’s Monday morning. Oh and clean out your closet by Wednesday. The calm has turned to hell. Flipping out is not even the start. Now yes, this is ridiculous to flip out about it’s all for the greater good of our family in the end and it’s going to be amazing but the way it’s going down has me teetering on the edge. Holding it together ain’t easy this is where it gets hard. Throw in work being busier than it could possibly be and you have a supermom about to lose her super. I will admit that Raj gets yelled at for everything. LITERALLY everything and it helps. Honest but terrible I know. I can’t yell at the kids and he calmly forces a “what do you want me to do here”. I have no idea what I want you to do. Snap your fingers and make it all happen? Sounds great to me. In conclusion, no lice for now, I’ll get a solid run in today, we are all healthy, and we all have the other “L” word in our family getting us through it all. Love.

I love my kids. I need to make that very clear but it’s ok that I also love freedom from them. This weekend a coworker and friend of mine got married in deer isle Maine. It’s basically in the middle of nowhere but it IS near the site of our mini moon so we jumped at the chance to get in the car drive 5 hours (with no one fighting in the backseat) and head to bar harbor. Truth be told the weather has us all in a great mood so 5 hours driving anywhere would be good. I LOVE fall. I love chunky sweaters and warm tea and apple picking and boots. Who wouldn’t love Fall. It’s not even a question. The people that don’t love fall are not my people. I adore literally adore fall baseball and kids soccer. You know the important stuff. The Red Sox are still winning closing in on the magic number dropping it to 2. Emma’s “back to school night” was a rousing success she’s obviously a genius from what I can tell by her sketches and letter writing. She’s also the only kid that puts hearts on EVERYTHING she writes and so what if she spells her last name Bhnagoo. Happens to me all the time. The craziness continues. Anyway, being back in Bar Harbor has me reflecting. The last time we were here I was newly married (literally less than 24 hours). So much has happened with us specifically in 7 years:
1. Moved to our current house that we putting an addition on because the neighborhood is just too perfect to leave. 

2. Had two awesome girls. 

3. Sent one off to kindergarten and one to preschool

4. Raj changed jobs

5. I ran my first ( but not last) Boston marathon 

6. Won a World Series (which added a third cool piece of jewelry to our collection)

7. Marked my 19th season with the sox

8. Raj played a lot more golf and a lot less hockey in those years

9. We are still married and look the same (sort of) maybe give or take a couple pounds 

10. We’ve done a fair amount of traveling within the US. 

11. We’ve grown together as a family. 
The last one is obvious but it’s the most important. No one tells you or talks about how hard this all is. We live our lives these days looking at social media thinking “wow they look perfect” and of course “they” do because who would post the bad pictures or bad things that happen. No one posts the chaos and if they do it’s a one and done. Now don’t get me wrong I’m just as guilty as the next and I’m not saying to post the worst of life because who really wants to see the bad anyway? My point here is sometimes I myself, have to remember nothing is perfect and chaos is more normal than all smiles but I will take it all because good, bad, ugly, pretty are all a part of it and it can go by too quickly and be gone in a second – reflecting more and making memories are what it’s all about and growing as a family has been a lot of fun these days! Funny how being away for a couple days makes you miss so much!