Drumming Giraffes

Tonight I pulled out an old costume of Hayden's to see if it would fit Elijah for an upcoming "Dress Up Party."

I'm probably bias...but he's a pretty adorable giraffe!

Elijah ~ 2 1/2 years

What struck me the most about him running around in this cute little outfit was not how adorable he was (and he's cuuuuuuute) but the choice of toy he paired with his ensemble.  In fact, it made me search back through the archives to find this... October 2009.

Hayden ~ 21 months.

 

Yep... these brothers share more than just their dashing good looks, they march to the beat of the same drum!

4 years ago...

Four years ago on this day this boy changed my life in the best way possible...

When he arrived, all 7lbs 1oz of him - my heart doubled in size, perhaps even tripled.  And four years later he's done nothing but expand what I thought was already an impossible amount for love for him just by being him.

He's sweet.
He's cute.
He's funny.
He's expressive.
He's SOOOOO smart.
He's thoughtful.
He's sensitive.
He has the most contagious laugh.
He's kind.

And he says adorable things like, "Mom, I just love you so much" ALL.THE.TIME without being coaxed and it's all I can do to not throw him in the car and drive him to the nearest toystore and say, "Pick whatever you want!" 

MELT.MY.HEART!

That and he reminds me so much of his father... another boy I happen to adore.

Dear Hayden,

Happy birthday to my handsome little man!

I love you so very much

and I'm so proud, so happy,

so blessed to be your mommy!

I love you forever & always.

Sprinkler Phobia

Wouldn't you know it, summer finally arrived around these parts and our $12 deal of a plastic wading pool we purchased last summer has a giant crack in the bottom - sorry Hayden, no swimming wading sitting in 3 inches of water this year!  Seeing as the pool lasted us all last summer, I suppose we got our money out of it, but it was still disappointing nonetheless.  So Dave ran out this past week and bought this fun toy for the boys!

"What fun" we thought... a wiggling, squiggling, super sprinkler that Hayden could run and play in and would double as a nifty device to keep our lawn green.  I had visions of my boys running and skipping and shrieking with delight as they gallivanted across my lawn and I got glorious photos of them in action worthy of istockphoto!

Well there were shrieks alright... just not the delighted kind.  Hayden apparently has a "sprinkler phobia."

He is happy to watch the sprinkler.
Run AROUND the sprinkler.
Encourage others to get in the sprinkler.
But as for getting wet, he wants none of the action himself.


There was much crying, shrieking and flailing of appendages when we suggested* he get in the mix and try it out.

* suggestion may or may not have included forcibly moving said child into the middle of sprinklers against their will.

(Click photo to enlarge)

We finally figured out that we'd have to either carry or drag him to get him to play in them - and so that's what we did. It was a whole family affair with all four of us in the sprinkler.  Elijah loved it, Dave and I took turns running through with the boys, and I'm happy to report we got smiles and giggles out of our "trembling with fear" toddler which was the goal. We kept telling him how brave he was being and then bribing him with otter pops to let us run through with him again.

Yes... give the kid sugar to make him do what we want... that's how we roll!

At the end of the day I'd love to tell you his phobia was cured... but it's not....yet. 
However, there's always tomorrow.
And I've still got a whole freezer full of otter pops!

He's a Big Kid Now!!!!

Last week I took an entire week of vacation to stay at home with Hayden and get him completely potty trained.    My boss affectionately named it my "Crappy Vacation."  There were times during the week where I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration, but I'm happy to report that as of right now we (and by we you all understand I mean Hayden) is four days AND nights ACCIDENT-FREE and wearing big boy underpants now!!!  This is one happy mommy!!

Even though this is mostly Hayden's big accomplishment and I'm proud of him, the truth is I feel like I need a little pat on the back too. It was easily the most challenging thing I've done as a parent so far.  I hear stories of these kids that just wake up one day and decide to be potty trained - my child was not one of them!  I tried every trick under the book, watched potty-training videos, read articles, listened to advice and prayed incessantly that God would either potty-train him or just "take me now!!!"  But I had to wait for it to finally click in his little brain - and I think we're there!

We went through a lot of pull-ups & M&M's (rewards for him, sanity for me) and did a LOT of singing.  Hayden has always responded really well to music, and we sing a lot of songs around our house, so unconventional as it may be - we made up some potty songs to encourage him in his training, and by popular request (Grandma, Jodi & Cara)... I'm sharing them today.

THE POTTY SONG  

(Written by mommy, performed by Hayden, age 3) 

And then because it quickly became apparent that two potty songs are better than one... the "Poop Song" was born.  I decided that if I was really and truly going to be singing about "poop" that I better at least put it to a classical tune... we are nothing if not classy around here.

THE POOP SONG

(Also written by Mommy and performed by Hayden)

I have a feeling these songs will make a comeback in about two years when it's time to potty train Elijah. 

Dear God,

Please make the next two years go by at a snail's pace.

Or make Elijah a superhero at potty training.

Because I don't know if I can do this again.

Thank You!

I know, I know, I know!

* Warning, this post contains potty talk.  Read on with caution! 

Have I mentioned how much I HATE potty training?  I don't know if I'm just the worst mom EVER at it, or if I have an unusually difficult/stubborn/resistant/un-trainable child... but it's now May and we're still not there yet.  (Deep breath's Kelly... he'll get it, he'll get it.)

My inner voice of reason has been getting a good workout lately thanks to Hayden.

We have graduated from diapers to pull-ups which is a small milestone but can be frustrating when there's accidents.  Like this morning right before I left for work.  Children dressed and ready, shoes on, jackets on, running out to the car and Hayden freezes and says quickly, "I'm not poopy Mom!"

This is code for, "I TOTALLY JUST MESSED MY PANTS!"

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!  That's the epitome of mommy frustration for me right there.  Do a 360'... go back inside, take off the jacket, the shoes and send boy to his room to wait for me.

Take a deep breath - try to remember you love this child.  (see that inner voice of reason at it again!)

What happened next though caught me off guard.  I walked into his room to find him up on the changing table and right away he threw his arms in the air and burst out with, "I know! I know! I know!"

ME:  "What do you know Hayden?"

HAYDEN:  (eyes suddenly downcast) "Potty goes in the toilet, NOT in the pull up!"

Okay, so maybe we're getting somewhere after all.

ME:  "Then WHY Hayden did you go potty in your pants."

HAYDEN:  (Long sigh, then shrug of the shoulders) "It just happened mom!"

Oh of course, it just happened. 
Not buying that one!

Did I mention yet I hate potty training?

More deep breaths.  This too shall pass.

Of course, then it will be time to train Elijah.  Oh dear Lord... HELP ME!!!!

My little lamb

Today is Easter...and what a full and glorious day it has been.

So full and glorious that I'm EXHAUSTED - but until I can recap fully the day (look for it tomorrow) I'll leave you with a little glimpse into Hayden's first choir performance.

Our church has an Iddy-Biddy choir for the kids 3 years - kindergarten age.  Hayden turned 3 right AFTER Christmas, so today was his debut singing up front.  They've been learning it Wednesday  nights at church and we've been practicing the song at home so I knew that he had it down and I was excited to see how he'd do.

Zavery, Connor, Hayden, Blake Heikkila, Blake Halverson, Kyle & Chase

He did great during practice before church. Walked boldly up on stage with the other kids, did all his actions and sang loudly!  I was so proud!

The little lamb gone astray

And then came performance time.. and little man decided to sit and do his own actions.  Oh dear.

This little lamb did not "follow " as his song suggested...

He was still cute, but not doing what he was 'supposed' to be doing, which caused his cousin Blake (who was standing on the step above him) to keep yelling at him to stand up during the performance. And consequently caused a tumble down the stairs at the end of the song as Blake came to tell him off and was bumped off the step by another boy walking down.

I'm so sorry Blake.  Your cousin is a stubborn little lamb. 

It's a good thing it's eight months until Christmas choir - we've got some time to work on Hayden's "choir conduct."

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

I'm Too Busy

Saturday was a work day around here - it wasn't raining (that was almost two days straight here in Oregon...a new record for this year).  Dave was working outside in the yard, and I was trying to plow through seven loads of laundry, so I wanted Hayden to go play outside for a while.

Of course, upon suggesting this to the 3-year old, he informed me of the following:


HAYDEN:  "I can't mom, I'm too busy."

ME:  "You're too busy?  What are you too busy doing?"

HAYDEN:  "I've got to have a snack and play the Wii a little bit.  I have to beat the level mom!  I'm just too busy!   (Also imagine him throwing his hands in the air like he's saying "I just can't help it.")


He's THREE and his schedule is just too tight for playing!

My video-game addict!

Nice try kiddo!  I laughed right before I sent him OUTSIDE to play in the sunshine like NORMAL children do!


It might be time hide the Wii!

Explaining Death to a 3-Year Old

Late last week we received the news that my husbands Grandfather had passed away.  His health had been fading for some time and he was being cared for by hospice in his home. Grandpa Mike was 89 years old when he died peacefully in his home surrounded by his family. So this morning my husband left for California for the funeral and I had to try to explain to Hayden where Daddy went and why.

The conversation went like this:

Hayden:  Where's daddy?
Me:  Daddy went on a trip with Grandpa Jerry
Hayden: Why mommy, why?
Me:  Well, Grandpa's daddy passed away
Hayden:  He died?
Me:  Yes, Great-Grandpa Mike died.
Hayden:  Did the Wii get him?
Me:  What??
Hayden:  Did he die on the Wii?? (first clue that our 3-year old has played a little too much swords lately)
Me:  (me trying not to laugh) Something like that Hayden.
Hayden:  (thoughtful)  It's okay mommy, he can play again!

I decided perhaps I'd just leave the conversation at that.  He's three after all.

And perhaps we'll take a break from the Wii this week.

The Car Caddy

I recently stumbled upon Cheri of I am momma hear me roar and I've become slightly addicted to her blog.  She is amazingly talented, and creative, and she has two cute little boys just like me - and I want so badly to be able to do things for them like she does for her kids.

I'm just going to get this off my chest - her blog has given me a bad case of "envy-itis."  Almost every day I look longingly at her creations, sigh over and over at her "oh my gosh that's so adorable" and "oh I want that so bad" ideas and then file them away in the "one day when I have oodles of time....and/or own a sewing machine" catalog of the brain.

But this week she posted an idea that I was actually able to recreate, all on my own and I'm loving it!!!

This is our new car caddy that sits between the boys in the backseat.  It's a multi-functional, organizational, and entertaining little unit and has already been of great use this week.

The caddy itself is a cleaning tote and was a whoppin' $3.50 at Walmart.  It's so nice having everything in one place and handy, and if need be I can switch it over to the other car easily. 

Hayden's still learning how to put on his own glasses... nice try son! 

I also love that Hayden can reach everything himself (and one day Elijah will too) AND he can put things away where they go when we get to wherever we've gone.  Hayden loves all his options now for entertainment, and thinks that having his sunglasses accessible (even if he can't put them on correctly) is the coolest thing ever!  He also loves having so much entertainment within arms reach...especially for the big drive to Grandma's... because you know 10 minutes in the car might as well be  2 hours to a 3-year old and heaven forbid he get bored!

This is where my Leapster goes Mom!

So it's been a win-win.  Hayden's been totally entertained and my drives have been peaceful and quiet all week.  Thanks Cheri!!!

What I Love Wednesday

Today my post is about my boys. 

I love that they're brothers. 
I love that they can play together.
I love that they have a best friend to grow up with.

Sure, I know as they grow older they'll have their rough patches and their fights - they may even have a time or two when they think they don't like each other much - but they'll always have one another, and that makes me happy.

Last night they were playing in the living room and Dave and I were just enjoying watching the two of them together.  NO ONE can make Elijah laugh harder than Hayden.  He adores his older brother, and Hayden LOVES the attention he gets from his younger brother when he does something Elijah likes...which apparently is everything.  And the laughter is infectious.

So, for your viewing pleasure today... my boys - being brothers!

"How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!"

Psalm 133:1

Happy Wednesday everyone!

10 Things I Learned This Weekend

1.  WIN OR LOSE, I AM A COUGARS FAN!
But if I have to be honest, I prefer winning!  This past Friday night our boys had the opportunity to play a State playoff game on our home court.  A win would have progressed them to Baker City with the top 8 teams in Oregon vying for a State Championship title.  We packed out our gymnasium, and cheered at the top of our lungs but when the final buzzer sounded our boys season came to an end.  It was a sad night, but I'm still proud of my Cougars.  And I have much to be proud of, they had a fantastic season, they were undefeated in their league, won the district championship and they were really fun to watch.  I'm sad they won't be playing for the State title, but I'm ready to cheer for them next season already!

The team, the crowds, the fans & the final score.

2. NO BAKE COOKIES ARE LIFE SAVERS!
I remembered at 7:00am on Saturday that I was supposed to bake cookies for a community outreach free oil change day starting that same morning!  So while I was fixing breakfast for my boys, and trying to get the whole family ready for the day - I quickly threw together a batch of no-bake cookies.  I love cookies that don't require baking. I love that they're quick and easy.  I love that they're delicious, and lastly I love that there was enough people there to eat them so I didn't have to bring them home with me... because I find them a tad irresistible.


3.  COFFEE IS AWESOME - EXCEPT WHEN IT'S NOT!
I love me a good cup of coffee in the morning.  I love the smell of it brewing, I love the taste with just the right ratio of coffee creamer (right about 70/30 for me - don't judge me!) However - when you're planning your outfit for your super cute and always stylish friends birthday party and you finally find something you're happy wearing... coffee is NOT awesome poured all down the front of said outfit.  Which is exactly what happened to me Saturday.
Coffee + clumsy = wardrobe fail!


4.  POTTY TRAINING IS AWFUL!
I think my 3-year old is trying to make me go insane.  I will not go into detail of the exasperation I've felt at the hands (or rather bodily functions) of my child because I may just get further depressed, but I need for this season to be over, and soon.


5.  I WAS ROBBED AS A CHILD!
I learned this weekend, that a golden birthday, is not in fact your 50th birthday as the anniversary would suggest, but rather the one time in your life when your birth date and your age are the same number.  For example, I was once 11 on the 11th.  I had no idea that was my golden birthday and thus feel like I was robbed of the grand occasion.  I can't even remember what I did on my 11th birthday so clearly it was far from golden; it wasn't even like a silver or bronze birthday.  In the list of metals... I'm pretty sure that my golden birthday was in fact the cheap nickel plated stuff that turns your skin green!  Not fair, not fair I say!

Nicole's golden birthday - 26 on the 26th

Me and the birthday girl!

 6.  GOLF HAS STOLEN MY HUSBAND!
Wii golf - he's addicted.  It is not uncommon anymore for him to still be on the greens in our living room at 11pm.   And no honey... I won't be your caddy.  Stop asking.


7.  OUCH!  CHARLIE BIT ME!
Okay, it wasn't really Charlie, but it was Elijah.  He just got his third tooth, the first of his uppers and somehow my finger and his teeth connected - and the kid packs a punch!  Owwww... And yes, I whined.


8.  NOT A ONE-MAN JOB!
Car seats - not for the faint of heart, or the weak of arm strength!!  I'd like to think that I purchased the world's toughest-to-install car seat rather than consider that I might be a total wimp.  I always tackle the thing with intensity and vigor - determined to conquer the proper installation process.  I push, pull, yank, grunt, sweat and then finally get angry in my failed attempts to tighten the straps adequately and then Dave has to come to my rescue.  Don't get me wrong, it's a FANTASTIC carseat... as long as you NEVER.HAVE.TO.MOVE.IT!  And move it we did this weekend - because we upgraded Elijah to Hayden's car seat (yay for no more infant carrier because frankly my arms were about to fall off), and we moved Hayden up to a booster seat that takes a regular seat belt.  Hayden's new car seat was delightfully easy to install - Elijah's new-to-him carseat, my installation nemesis - required his father's full attention.  Sigh.

VERY excited about his new carseat!  Please excuse his jammies, he wanted to "test" it out before bed!

9.  THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A QUICK TRIP!
Sunday after church my parents invited me to make a "really quick" trip up to Costco.  They were just grabbing a couple things, and since I needed to make a Costco run anyway I jumped on the shopping buggy.  Dave took the boys home from church and I told him that I'd be home in no time.  Somehow I forgot who I was shopping with.  Don't get me wrong - it was a delightful afternoon and I enjoyed Costco - but then I also got to enjoy Walmart, Best Buy and then another Walmart.  Our "quick trip" got me home just in time to put my boys in pajamas and send them to bed!  Ooops, sorry Dave.  Thanks for being gracious, and for being such a great dad, and for making the boys lunch and then dinner too.

Our family jokes about my mom's notorious shopping trips - and how she once spent 4 hours in a 4 aisle grocery store - but in all honesty, Dad's not a lot better.  He's the spontaneous "let's go here next" shopper while Mum is the "stay all day once you get there" shopper - together they're a dangerous pair, unless you have a lot of time on your hands.  (Truth is, I'd do it again in a heartbeat - they're a fun shopping couple!)


10.  IT NEVER STOPS GROWING!
I didn't think I could love my kids anymore than I already do.  You imagine what they'll be like when you're pregnant and you start to fall in love.  Then you see their tiny newborn faces and hold them for the first time and your heart doubles in size immediately - and then you get your first smile, and your first laugh and magically that love for them just intensifies.  I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on my love tank for my boys until this morning when Hayden spontaneously threw his arms around my neck and told me, "Mommy I love you sooooo much" and boom - magnified again.  Then he told me that he was going to go snuggle with his daddy because, "My daddy loves me so much and he'll be so happy to see me!"  That's a devotional right there!!

Daddy & son

You know, now that I think about it I'll cross out #4 - I might be able to muster up a little more patience for this kid!

Snow Day

Oregon goes a little crazy about snow. Being a state that doesn't see regular snowfalls, the promise or even possibility of snow is enough to turn it into "emergency news." Consequently, the smallest amount of snow falling and sticking will shut half the State down.  All week long the weatherman have been predicting the "BIG WINTER STORM OF 2011" and the school where I work has been a buzz with students praying fervently for a snow day.

So this morning when I was awakened shortly after 5:00am by the sound of my cell phone ringing, I knew exactly what it meant.

School's canceled.

The weatherman actually got a prediction right, and the long anticipated winter snow finally arrived. Our elaborate staff phone tree got me three text messages and a phone call sharing the happy news all within a matter of minutes - it was glorious.

Snow days are definitely one of the perks of working at a school!

I contemplated briefly jumping out of bed to look at the snowflakes falling and my backyard covered in a sea of white - but instead I rolled over, switched off my alarm clock and fell back into a deep blissful sleep.

That is until 6:30am when my boys woke up.
Sigh.

Hayden checking out the snow fall.

Yep, nothing like a whole 1/4" of snow to shut down half of Oregon!

Hayden was pretty excited to see the snow, but not excited enough to actually want to go play in it.  I suggested he go out after we'd finished with breakfast but he informed me it was too cold, and he needed to play the Wii instead.

And regardless of how sly this tactic may have been on his part - I totally understand the "dislike of cold things" so I obliged him.

Plus he's hilarious to watch playing the Wii.

We got Wii Sports Resort with the purchase of our game system, and it has a sword fighting game that Hayden loves to play.  He has no technique whatsoever, he doesn't block hits or use any of the button actions to enhance his game - but somehow his crazy "shake the remote like crazy while running around the room" approach has sailed him through almost every level!  What's crazier still is sometimes he loses focus and leaves the room, or turns his back to the TV and still manages to win his matches.  He's a Wii-sword-phenomenon!

I captured him in action this morning.  Please excuse the lack of pants - he feels like pants are "optional" around the house.
I blame his father.

Strutting his fencing moves in Sword Showdown - Hayden vs. the Wii world.

He graciously let me take a turn after a while... and I learned that sword fighting is quite a workout.  Luckily there is no photo evidence of my attempts.
I got very sweaty very fast.
And I died...a lot. 

The snow completely melted by 11:00am - and then made a brief return in the afternoon - really nothing to be excited about - but I enjoyed my day at home with the boys.

We played games together.
We took naps together.
We laughed...a lot!
We stayed inside the house ALL.DAY.LONG
and it was lovely.

It might have been the best snow day ever actually!

When Dave got home this evening I had a yummy dinner ready (look for a new recipe post tomorrow!) AND I even had time to update this here blog.  Oh to have more days just like this!

Oh, and Elijah turned 9-months old today.  Happy 3/4 of a year baby boy!!!

Thanks snow... even though you didn't stick around at all - you sure made my day fun!

What I Love Wednesday - Valentine's Edition

Even though Dave and I celebrated together over the weekend, I wanted to make the actual day special too.  So this week I'd like to post some of the things I loved about this past Valentines Day:

My valentine

1.  It wouldn't be a Valentine's "What I Love" post if I didn't say once again, how very, VERY much I love, adore, cherish and swoon constantly over my hottie of a husband.  I really like him! 

My table

2.  I love decorating for special occasions and making the table fancy.  We're not every day tablecloth people - but every once in a while it's nice to have it make an appearance, pull out my chargers, fold my napkins all fancy and pull out the "hoity-toity" wine glasses (the ones that can't go in the dishwasher - it takes extra commitment to use them knowing you'll be hand washing them later!)

My menu

3.  I love cooking a special meal - okay, I love cooking period.  But I really enjoyed my Valentines menu this year.

Appetizer Course:  

"Insalata Caprese" 

(fresh tomato, mozzerella, basil drizzled with olive oil and pepper)

Main Course:

Garden Salad

Parmesan Broiled Tilapia

Tomato, Corn & Basil Risotto

Beverages:

Sparkling Apple Cider

Dessert:

I was all set to make my creme brulee and Dave asked me not too... not because he doesn't love them, but because he can't say no to them, and he's trying to eat better.  I thought Valentines was a foolish time to start such a resolution... but since I'm not the one with the sweet tooth... I went without dessert even though it ruined my perfectly planned out menu in my mind.  See what a giver I am?

And yes Jodi... I realize you would have gladly taken them off my hands, but I still didn't make them.  Sorry. 

My Cards

4. I love cards.  But mostly I love all the wonderful, romantic, sweet and "oh my goodness he couldn't have said that better" sort of remarks and admiration's that Dave writes in my cards.  He used to write me long love letters (once upon a time) and as a words person - I just eat that sort of stuff up.  It's my dessert of choice really... some people like sugar, I just like sweet things said to me.  And Dave does a REALLY good job.  The coffee card, while sweet & innocent on the outside, made me blush on the inside.  *Dreamy sigh*

My baby

 5.  I love this boy.  He's cute, and squishy, and squeezable and he smiles ALL.THE.TIME!!  Plus, he's learning to give kisses and I don't mind being the recipient of those one tiny bit!

My boy

6.  I love this boy too!  He is funny & charming and makes me laugh.  He says things like, "that's a cute shirt mommy" or "I like your shoes" and "I wuv you mommy soooo much."  He loves to sing and make up songs with me and he also dances with me.  I'm going to keep him forever! 

He was very excited to get his first Valentines chocolates (thank you Grandma Tracy).  And please ignore the fact that he's sitting in his little brother's high chair... I didn't trust him with the white tablecloth - I'm that mother!

7. And lastly... because it's a major achievement, and also because I may have to use this blog as a reference point by the time I finally get caught up in my scrapbook to document this in Elijah's life... but he's rolling.  And not just a little... I mean everywhere.  He finally mastered the "back to the tummy" which has taken him a while, and tonight he just rolled around the entire room all night.  Goodbye to the days of leaving him in one place - he's mobile! 

It really was a wonderful Valentines day.  We had a great dinner together, Dave did all the dishes (I know, he's pretty wonderful), then we danced in the living room to love songs by Frank Sinatra & Etta James, we played with the kids and clapped and cheered for Elijah while he rolled from one end of the living room to the other.  We played silly games with Hayden and laughed til our cheeks hurt... we made the most of the night together ~ and we loved every moment!

I hope you did the same this Valentine's!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

 

What I Love Wednesday

What I love Wednesday this week is my optimistic approach to something I despise...being sick.

So today - I dedicate this post to a few little items around my house that are making life better for me:

Oh have I needed you today!  Thanks for soothing my sore throat and tasting good at the same time, unlike your effective but evil cousins the fisherman's friends.

I feel like you've really been there for me and my nose today... thank you Puffs.  And thank you also for coming in cute box designs that match my bathroom decor and make me smile when I look at you.

And lastly... and I have to admit my personal favorite - even when I'm NOT feeling under the weather... 

Oh you are very cute.  I like looking at you.  And then I like congratulating myself on making something so adorable.

This little guy really steals the cake on the What I Love Wednesday this week, especially when he says things like this:

"Mommy has an owwie in her throat?"

ME: "Yes honey."

"Well I pway for you and Jesus makes all your owwies go away."

Then he stretched out his little hand to touch my arm, squeezed his eyes closed with a look of total concentration on his face and said quietly:

"Dear Jesus...mumble, mumble, mumble... and make the owwies go away - AMEN!  See, you all better now!"  

Thank you Hayden!

Cough drops, kleenex and a dose of child-like faith - yep, I'd say I'm feeling better already!!

Another session of "What I Learned This Weekend."

As yet another weekend comes to a close I find myself wondering where it went.  Of course I know the answer to that since I'm about to document it for you... but still, why does Monday always have to come so quickly?

My weekend started off VERY strange, but before I delve into the depths of that... let me give you a little background on myself.

I'm an administrative assistant for a very busy church and private school.

I'm good at my job.

I don't get stressed out easy.  

I rarely get flustered, emotional or confused when it comes to the ins and outs of my position.

That being said, the first thing I learned this weekend is:

1.  I am human.  This is noted by the uncontrollable, completely emotional, totally unexplainable and highly embarrassing MELTDOWN I had after two "kinks" in a row happened to my perfectly scheduled plans for job-related events.  I honestly don't know what came over me.  Neither were my fault, neither could be helped, and both were solved quickly...

HOWEVER, I shocked myself (and my poor husband who had no idea what to do with me, having never seen me like that in our 8+ years together) when I cried (and the more accurate description for this would be sobbed, wailed and did all but rend my garments and sit in ashes) for the better portion of the evening, followed by a completely sleepless night as I tried to fix the problem(s) in my head.

You'll excuse me for NOT displaying a photo of this moment.  Had a photo been taken, I would have destroyed it already.

And yes, I'm quite better now, thanks for asking!

2.  I learned that getting up on stage weekly to lead worship is completely different than teaching chapel for a group of kindergarten through 4th graders.  The very thought of this in fact will make me so nervous that I worry about losing bladder control.  Luckily no underpants were harmed in the delivery of said chapel message, and the kids were gracious, and the teachers were kind and I hope I faked confidence well.


3.  I learned that my 3-year old is NOT one of those kids that bites the dentist on his first visit (big whew), however, he IS one of those children that instead just refuses to open their mouth. (good grief.)

Pep talks from mommy, promises of treats from the dental hygienist (and maybe a couple quietly whispered threats of consequences by yours truly) finally saw a change of heart in aforementioned toddler and boys teeth were cleaned successfully.

Taken right before he freaked out about the "bib" and the lady with the mask who wanted to touch his teeth.

Finally allowing Kari (notice removed mask) to brush his teeth while he watches cartoons on the TV above his head.

Showing off his pearly whites (and new toothbrush) with Kari our hygienist, who was also his new best friend by the end of our visit.

In retrospect, I should have let him watch me first instead of choosing to go second, because he was intrigued by everything the hygienist did on my teeth.  Kari is great, she gave him his own pair of gloves and allowed him to "help" by holding the suction-y thing in my mouth while she cleaned.  He asked lots of questions and felt highly important and only slightly put out that he couldn't do any more in-depth procedures on me whilst I lay there (he really, really wanted to operate the polishing brush and also the drill) so I have high hopes of much better performance by him at his next check up.


4.  I learned that there is NO getting around the fact that we will be a basketball family.  We attended two games this past weekend for our school's varsity girls and boys teams and I've got to admit - I'm an avid fan!  However, all my cheering and enthusiasm does not hold a candle to my husband, the former basketball star; who is instantly transported back to the court in his glory days every time he watches the boys play and can't sit in a seat to save his life because his emotions get the best of him.  He instead stands in the balcony and coaches the boys from afar while he fidgets, paces and yells from his "I wanna play so bad" stance.  He makes me laugh every time. The man's going to be a nervous wreck when his own boys are playing one day!


5.  I learned that #22 on the Cougars boys team has no bigger fan in life than my 3-year old child who yelled at the top of his lungs "Go Dawson" every time he had possession of the ball all game long!

Dawson's a pretty good guy so I'm okay with Hayden idolizing him!

The CCS Cougars Varsity Boys 2011

6.  I learned that sometimes all you need is comfort food - and when that feeling hits you, my Nanna's goulash is a really good recipe for a quick fix!

I'm a sucker for anything with elbow macaroni.

7.  I learned that I can display amazing self-control in the face of many delightful desserts as shown at today's Superbowl Party where Jodi, Jana & Amy all tag-teamed with delicious items.  This noted, I completely lost all self-control when presented with the Cheetos... oh dear.  Apparently my sweet tooth is not the problem.


8.  I learned that some recording artists should not be heard live.  Thank you Superbowl half-time show for proving that.


9.  I learned that my New Zealand accent when leading worship (however non-existent it may be by now) is still enough to make certain people at TCC think I said that God "reigns and rolls" when I clearly stated He rules. 

Note to self - throw words like "garage" and "tomato" into the mix next time just to really give those folks a good time!


10.  And I'll end with #10  because this has been a ridiculously long post - but I learned that I will always be a sucker for hats because of this guy.

Hello adorable child of mine.

Please stay exactly like this...forever.

Thank you!

Love your mommy!

10 things I learned this weekend

This past weekend went by in an absolute blur.  Weekends tend to be busy for us, well...okay life in general is busy for us - but for some reason this past weekend went by extra fast!!

However, in the midst of the whirlwinds I learned a few significant things:

1.  I learned that my 3-year old son already has a reputation among his peers as being the world's best fighter.  What makes this even funnier is the following sequence of photos was taken the same day this "rumor" was spread. 

Even rough & tough fighters get in touch with their feminine sides from time to time

You look lovely son!  Pink is your color!

2.  I learned, much to my chagrin, that when I asked my darling husband how I looked before I left for church to LEAD WORSHIP; he did not notice, and nor did the six other males on the worship team with me that morning, that my sweater was buttoned wrong (one side totally longer than the other) all morning. Yep... five full hours I displayed my aptitude for dressing to the world before it was kindly pointed out to me by several people following the service. 

3. I learned that due to #2 I'm happier than ever that we don't do live broadcasting of our services.   350 people in service was more than enough witnessing for me.

4.  I learned that I'm a total sucker for babies.  Okay, not real breaking news there, but I didn't think that this guy would make my 8-month old look like a toddler and in turn make me desperately want another already.  Hello Logan... I just want to put you in my pocket and smuggle you home with me!! 

But I won't, because that would be kidnapping.

And your mommy would miss you.

And probably press charges.     

Baby Logan - 3 weeks old - totally adorable and with more hair than both my boys put together!

5.  I learned that eggs-in-a-hole may be my new favorite "quick" way to prepare my eggs for breakfast.  Thank you Pioneer Woman & Joey from Friends for inspiring me to try it.    Couldn't be simpler - but oh so delicious.  I'll never go back to plain ol' toast and eggs again.

6.  I learned that the one Sunday you don't pack extra clothes in the diaper bag when you drop your kid off in nursery, will be the Sunday that he pees all over himself and the nursery worker (sorry Shannon) and will get to spend the rest of the morning wearing nothing but his diaper and his blanket.

7.  I learned that I have a serious illness, a chemical imbalance, or just some really strange disorder that causes me to involuntarily make four times the amount of food we actually need to feed our family EVERY MEAL!  So, if anyone would like some baked potato soup... we have it coming out our ears.

Mmmmmm good... but not for five days in a row!  Help me!

  

8.  I learned that my 3-year old is not ready to walk beside me in the grocery store instead of riding in the cart.  "Clean up on aisle 6!"   Oh how I wish I was joking!  He can't NOT touch things.  I won't go into great detail, but it involved face lotion and jars of baby food, and me being totally mortified (and angry, and irritated, and embarrassed again) and it wasn't pretty!

9.  I learned that no matter how late you keep a child up at night, they will not, and I repeat WILL NOT sleep in for you the next morning.  My children's internal clocks keep better time than the atomic clock in Colorado!  

* Along with this, I also learned that Dave's internal clock is on a different time zone than the rest of us and there will be NO getting up for him if he was up late the night before.  Sigh.  Guess mommy will be getting up with the children at the crack of early on the weekends!

 

10.  I learned that you can't stay mad at your kids... no matter how hard you try.  And why even try when you have this smiling at you every day!

Cuteness personified!

What did you learn this weekend?