Four Birthday's Three Years!!

Eva Maureen Crowley has reached the age of 3 years old! I can hardly stand it! She had a wonderful party on monday, which consisted of 22 people who love her dearly and showered her with love and gifts. It was a day all about Eva, and being her mother's daughter, she ate it up.

Eva with her male entourage

Walter, Eva and Hazel playing on the ledge

Making silly faces with her "big boys"

The Gift Shower

3 candles for 3 years

The Dragon Cake by Uncle Nathaniel

MMMMM Dragon meat, tasty

Snow White Costume from Gail

On her actual Day oof Birth May 26th, Eva brought treats to school, and I picked her up early, and brought her to the Zoo. Most of the zoo was closed due to a water main break, and what animals were viewable, were sleeping, but we still had a good time, we got chased by a peacock (seriously the thing charged us until we got into our car, then it waited just a few feet away for us to drive away before it scurried back to it's hiding place), pet Dolly Llama, and said what up to the ravens. We went home and had some pasta with my heart attack alfredo and chicken for dinner. It was a good day.

Taxes, waiting, and Eva...

On Wednesday Eva and I went to UMD to have the business students do our taxes for free. This was the plan. Drop the Schnuk off at daycare, go to Jitters grab a cup of Joe, head up to UMD at 2 when their doors open, get my taxes done, pick up the Schnuk. Don't you love it when things work out the way they were planned, and this was a seemingly flawless plan... oh, but I forgot, it involved taxes, which means the IRS, which is the government's pimp, and that makes you and me the whores...

So I sat in the waiting area, my ipod died, that's ok, I'm going to figure out how to put Pandora on my phone.. Success! I was very happy to find yet another wonderful use for my beautiful phone (Oh how I love my new phone). Oh but the batteries are running low, and the time is nearing 4pm, I might have to have someone pick up the girl if I don't get in soon. I turn off Pandora and start crocheting a pot holder (yes, I had yarn and a crochet hook in my purse). I finally get called in. I am taking out all of my various pieces of paper that proved my impoverished economic status... except the proofs of child care expenses are not there... Son of a Bitch! so all that waiting, was so that I can leave with my taxes unprepared... nice.

I head home, dig around to find those proofs... I find them, make a dinner of peanut butter and honey sandwich, yogurt, and mixed nuts and fruits, and a cookie, my computer, movies, and toys. I pick up the Schnuck, head back to UMD, it is now, 5:45pm. Back in line, waiting this time with a 2 year old... oh joy. Eva was a VERY good girl, she ate her dinner, watched her movies, played with her blocks flirted with the others waiting to have their taxes prepared. I discovered that my daughter could have a lucrative career in pick pocketing. One of the gentlemen who Eva was flirting with came out of the tax preparation room, and handed me one of her blocks and said "This was in my pocket, I don't know how she got it in there" I apologized and made sure that nothing was missing from his pocket... imagine if it was a transaction in the opposite direction... that girl. Anyway for the most part the girl behaved herself, she used her inside voice, and stayed in the area, watched her movies, and played with her toys. Finally at 7:30 it was our turn (note: half an hour until Eva's bed time!). We were the last people to get our taxes prepared. Eva had a grand old time playing with the pretty college boys who were homesick and missed their younger siblings, great childcare and someone else doing my taxes... After an hour, and the guy having to look up code after code, Eva looked out the window, and gasped "Mama! It's getting late!" Yes, it was, she was telling the truth. "Mama, it's dark outside, I should be in bed!" Yes, this is another truth. "Mama, why he so slow with taxes?" Ok, how can you not laugh. I think she hurt his feelings. Soon after he asked if the amount on the proofs of childcare expenses, was what I paid or what the provider paid.... WTF, there is a daycare that pays us to watch our kids? Where is it? How long is the waiting list.

"It's a peanutbutter burger Mama!"

The Backyardagins... Riveting.

Tasty Dinner


Eventually my taxes were complete, with a JUICY refund, so large in fact that I am worried i might have to pay taxes on it next year... we got the bus to go home at 9pm, arrived home at 9:22, I put the girl to bed (she fell asleep on the bus after eating her cookie that was a prize for being such a good girl the whole night).




Who's a ham? Eva's a Ham . Waiting for guy to do our taxes.


Quick distract her with pictures of herself.

Eva documenting the documents



The "Yay, you were such a good girl" cookie waiting for the bus.

a little extra time

I have found myself with some extra time. After deciding to put on the brakes of my education I have more time to spend with the blessed child. I want to do wonderful things with her and am so overwhelmed by the possibilities I just don't know where to start. I have signed up for a plot in one of the community gardens here in duluth. I also want to get a giant planter to fill with strawberries or some wild flowers for Eva to take care of at home. But these things are still so far off, the ground is still frozen... Boo. We have been working on tracing, and she likes doing crayon rubs. She loves all things crafty and I am trying to think of fun things to do with her, but my funds are extremly limited, I need some fun ideas. Eva is crazy smart, and she has to taste everything. It is wet and frozen outside, nothing is blooming, the world is just salty and dirty, which limits adventures a bit. Does anyone have fun ideas for us?

Too much brain for such a little girl...

Lately the girl has been blowing my mind with what she knows, and what she figures out...

Story #1
Eva, Auntie Jessie and I were having breakfast at Uncle Loui's last week. There was an upset baby in the booth behind us, Eva asked why the baby was crying. I told her because he was sad about something, and wanted his mama to know, so that she can fix it. She sad to me very thoughtfully; "everybody needs to cry, sometimes it is good to just sit and let it all out, to feel better, yay eggs!"

Story #2
We were walking home from school yesterday, and an ambulance goes balzing past us. Eva says "thats not a fire truck" "no eva, it's not, it's an ambulance" "whats a nanalmance?" after a lengthy discussion about people calling for help to get to the hospital when they are sick or hurt, and explaining who paramedics are and that they are inside the ambulance helping the people feel better, and getting them to the hospital, and why they have flashing lights and sirens like fire trucks, Eva says "ohhh." After about a block she asks me "they Truck Doctor's?" "yes, that is exactly what they are Eva" "I like doctors, I like trucks, lets call truck doctor, Eva fall in gym today..." she tried to show me where she had rug burn from falling... good thing I didn't go into detail about 911, she would totally call them... this morning she informed me that she wanted a nanalmance...

Story#3
My friend was quite sick last week, he asked me to run a couple of errands from him, like getting groceries and Nyquil, Eva was with me on one of these outings, and she asked why I was getting these things. I explained to her that Lee was sick and needed to rest so we were getting these things for him. She nodded her head then a few minutes later in a very concerned voice she asked me "Is Lee making Limum sick?" (Limum = Liam, Lee's son), Eva's favorite person is Liam, I said "I don't think so hun, he's with his mama" She said "good, I don't want my Limum to get sick"

Story#4
The girl, Yaya, and I were in Two Harbors at Culver's, Yaya got the Chili, which was surprisingly tasty. Eva tried a bite, and was surprised by the spice factor, and asked "what's in there?" We told her, beef, beans, tomatoes, chili peppers. After careful contemplation she informed us "I think the chuli puppers are spicy"

Little known facts, supplied by Eva:
* "my gina is home of pee."
* "everybody needs water, even trees, trees like juice too"
* "butterflies are not fireflies"
* "stop signs are red, and are oggledon shapes"
* "yesterday is all gone"
*"the sky is blue, not green"

But... Mama, where it go?!!!!

Today Eva, Yaya and I had a little outing. We went up the hill to Petco, Michael's, and Office Max. At Petco, Eva's 2nd favorite store in the universe, we looked at all of the animals, and one of us squealed with delight, when the big brown floppy eared bunny came over to say hi. We then went into Michael's, which is a great store, filled with many things to occupy a 2 year old with (after you purchase them), it is always a struggle to get Eva through that store without attempting to pull every single item in stock, off of the shelves. Anyhow, today was no different, they had a ton of Easter crafts right in front of you as you walk in, and as I mentioned earlier, Eva had recently bonded with a bunny, so she was all about the bunny items that were being flaunted in her face. After careful negotiations, a semi-tantrum and a threat of being put into the cart.. with the buckle!!!(gets her every time, she hates those buckles), we were able to pass by the over priced bunny crafts. We moseyed over to the dollar section, and Eva picked out a pencil with a butterfly eraser and an "empty coloring book" (a notebook). She carried her new items very tightly through the trip to Office Max. When we finally made it back to the car, she could wait no longer, so I took the cellophane off of her items, and she was drawing a lovely picture, then she thought that she would have a little snack of eraser. "No Eva, that is not a sucker!" I then explained to her what an eraser was, and how it was used, she gave me that "oh, I get it, you've been smoking crack again" look. So I showed her I drew a line in her book, then erased it. Her jaw hit the floor. It was magic. She lifted the book, examined the eraser. Then she whispered "whoaaaaa" She then made a scribble and erased it herself. After a few pages of erased pictures she said "But.... Mama, where it go?!!!" I thought about it, and imagined a parallel universe where everything that everyone had ever erased had gone... All the people and books that were intentionally erased from history, all of the mean and spiteful things that people thought better of, all of those term papers that were lost because of a reformatting error.... I realized that I did not know what to say to her, where did the erased markings go? "They are just gone" is what I told her, she accepted it, but I don't think that it is an acceptable answer. Does anyone have an answer for that?

The Plague

Black death has come to visit the Crowley/Owens household. It has been unpleasant to say the least. Both The Girl and I have had a head cold that has taken over out livlihood, of course Ms. Eva has more energy to battle it, but I am not so energetically endowed, and have lost my voice, and my ability to breathe when laying on my back. Eva took advantage of my voice loss by being especially... adventerous on Sunday. Eva is much better today, still has a bit of cough, and my voice has returned, although I sound a bit like Kermit the Frog with a wicked hangover... so hopefully we are truly on the upswing...

I have started an Avon business, so iffin you like Avon, come check out my Avon website at www.youravon.com/kerryowens you can order from me, from anywhere in the country and have the products shipped directly to you! Pretty fancy I say, pretty fancy indeed.

I have decided to put school on the back burner for awhile, until I can regroup, and figure out exactly where I stand in this crazy crazy world.

...previously in our life...

So Eva, my dearest little two year old exclaimed at the size of my butt! She said "Whoa Mama, that's BIG butt!!" And yes the child was talking to me, about me... so sad. In the wee hours of the morning, The Girl came into my room and crawled into bed with me. When my alarm woke us up, Eva was not entirely our of her dream, but she was talking to me. It was hilarious, she was talking absolute nonsense, but was 100% serious about it. When she finally woke up all the way, she looked at me and asked "what are you doing here?" That poor girl is going to be a sleep walker/talker like her mama. Which is a characteristic that can get you into a ton of trouble... and yes, that is experience talking. Hopefully she does not inherit my constant nightmares.

I have been contemplating moving. My life has made an incredible turn for the worst over the last year, and I think that it is time to stop attempting to salvage what I have here and move on to where I can find a new medium to re-build, and make a better life for the Schnuk and I. I have been trying to decide if moving is running, I do not want to run away, I want to move away free and clear, with nothing left behind that can potentially haunt me and destroy whatever wondefulness that awaits me. I just am not going to allow that. I know what I need to get done financially and legally. I have been writing down over and over all the reasons why I want to move, and all the reasons to not move. I must admit, it is horribly painful to be entirely honest with yourself, it is messy business. But nobody else can do it... I don't know I think that my biggest apprehension is moving so far away from Yaya and Uncle... They are a very HUGE part of both mine and Eva's lives.