Greatest Gift

2011-07-19T15:25:00.002-05:00

He can make me super mad lately.

But I love him anyway.

Especially when he snuggles up to me during our sleepovers when Dad's out of town.

I've actually been able to find time to myself in the last few days, even though Scott was gone, thanks to vacation bible school and hiring a sitter for a few hours. I've been able to regroup and find myself, who apparently got lost in the shuffle of life.

I hate it when I lose myself.

I know they hate it too.

I'm thinking of all the moms out there who need a break.

I hope you get one soon.

May I Introduce

2011-06-25T15:14:00.009-05:00

Meet the Brainiac

planning his evil scheme

and carrying out his wicked plan.

Meet the innocent victim still in church clothes

who wasn't too thrilled to take part in such a childish game.

Meet the father on Father's Day

who got to eat his favorite dessert, Creme Brulee

probably because it involves using a torch and looking like a hero (because he really is :)

Meet Mr. Messy-Pant during dinner

after dinner

and throughout the month of June

all the way back...

to Mother's Day

Meet my future fighter fighter

who is also the ball player

and the swimmer,

and has a little brother that was told he couldn't get in the pool to get wet.

THE END

WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY--Mmmmmorial Day

2011-06-01T06:48:00.002-05:00

2011-05-20T07:56:00.002-05:00

It's so quiet in the house, I could hear a pin drop.

That is....if there was anyone in this house to drop a pin.

I have been waiting for this day for about 2 months now.

The boys are gone for the weekend to spend 3 entire days with Nana and Papa.

I really hope Nana took Monday off to recover!

When I returned home yesterday afternoon from the "exchange of goods," Scott said to me, "Every where I turn there is just something to be done around here!"

To which I replied to the man with filthy clothes, "This weekend is about two things--recharging our batteries and getting enough done around here without exhausting ourselves."

There are lots of things I love about my husband, but one of the things I have come to appreciate is his desire to work. Long before we were married, I noticed how much he valued working hard and it's payoffs. Now that we have a family, I can only appreciate it that much more--especially since I am an at home mom. But it's more than just providing a living that he's good at. He's great at the let's-make-a-list-and-get-it-done. Sometimes he's so good that I have to remind him that it's okay if we don't get it all done right. now. Although I have to say, through life's trials and tribulations, he's well-balanced with work and family--in the right way. But watch out when the man's created (or given ;) a "to do" list!

So that's what he and I are working on this long weekend. Getting some, not all, of the boxes on our "to do" list checked off. The list is over-ambitious, but in time will need to get done. I feel that if we get all of the boxes checked this weekend, we worked a little too hard and didn't do enough "fun" stuff to recharge our batteries.

Yesterday, Scott took part of the day off and stained the deck and washed the windows. Today, I am cleaning out a little man's dresser, cleaning the bathrooms (half done already) and spending the rest of the day out-and-about all. by. myself. Only to finish the day off dining with friends and my husband.

Tomorrow. More work. Part of which includes REpainting our kitchen. Remember awhile back I told you my husband was going to freshen up the kitchen with new paint, which would bring in a splash of color? Too much color. Ugh! Good thing he's ambitious!

Tomorrow evening. Anniversary dinner.

9 Years.

xoxo

not dead

2011-05-03T07:56:00.006-05:00

Nope. I'm not dead, just really pokey with my blogging. Still.

These

boys

keep

busy

!!!

I had a wonderful lunch date with my mom on Saturday afternoon. It was a super belated birthday present to her from me, but this was finally the best time to just leave the two little dudes with their dad dude and papa dude.

During our lunch date, we each shared one thing that we wish we could change as a parent. I mentioned to my mom that the convenience of technology is good, but really a distraction from what is more important. I literally could spend every second of the day on the computer because there is so much to explore by reading, shopping and socializing. There there is email. I am sure I could just delete my entire inbox without reading it and my life wouldn't come crumbling down. Finally the convenience of communicating through texting.

I really, really try to set limits on how much my face and fingers are at the computer because it's so unhealthy for me to not have those limits. Kinda of like the tv--people always have opinions one way or the other about how much is too much tv/gaming for kids. So I have to be the first to set an example for these two dudes by setting limits and sticking to them.

Anyhow

Not

Dead

Just trying to say hello and manage to boys at the counter with glue sticks and construction paper. One of which I am sharing a chair with and other is asking if I have more lap.

So I'll post a few pictures to show you just how alive we have been! I'm not proofreading or editing this post--so you get what you get and you don't throw a fit as my preschooler tells me--oh, his teacher is so smart--I never realized how smart or important or influential teachers are until I became a parent of a student.

Easter Sunday at Target Field--Go Twins!

What's a game without good food?

Our real Easter dinner was the night before...ummm....ribs.

Henry's new favorite food.

And this is what a toddler looks like after ribs and ice cream.

spring things

2011-04-07T08:11:00.005-05:00

Well, I think we've officially made it to spring here in Minnesota! There isn't as much as a flake of snow to be seen. We've had a few warm afternoons and the neighborhood probably looks like a city of ants by 5pm with all of the kids and adults running around. Minnesotans are not wasting a precious moment of this warm weather cause grills and patio furniture are assuming their summertime positions.

Today we are debating between visiting the zoo farm babies, playground fun or well...just hanging out close to home...outside of course. However, we could use a day trip to revitalize a few cooped up little boys, so we're looking at getting out of here.

Thought I would dedicate this post today to spring and a few things going on and popping up! around here.

#1 springtime colds...or allergies? not sure. Harrison definitely has a cold. He's had too many ear infections this winter and I am hoping we've battled the last one. I need to find my way to the health store to pick up some probiotics and boost his good bacteria cause it's a bit sluggish these days from the antibiotics. Henry, well, he's my allergy boy and the cause of his runny nose is a toss up. What's isn't a toss up is the stuff on his shirt sleeve. What are boys so stinkin messy? Seriously, if he doesn't have a tissue in his hand, I am always within ear shot of running a tissue to him and willing to wipe his nose if he lets me. Today. A white shirt. It will disguise the gross stuff he will wipe on his sleeve, but not do any justice to what will be dribbled on the frontside.

#2 Buy more Kleenex. Down to the last box. Literally. Had a roll of toilet paper on the counter yesterday just to have a back up.

#3 Buy my kids clothes that fit. And match. Scott dressed both boys today. While Harrison matches, probably because he's wearing a one-piece, Scott claimed, "In my defense, that's all I could find this morning, Jen." Hen's wearing 2T black shorts and a tshirt that fits but doesn't match. And it's dark, so I'll have to do something about that to disguise the snot.

#4 Tulips. Can't believe we melted the snow and seeing green all in the same week!

#5 Paint. I wanted to paint the kitchen last spring. Last year, I wanted green and this spring my husband realizes that we need to paint and touch up a few spots. This year, I'm jonesing for a blue grey color. Nothing dark, but something that matches nicely with our backsplash and keeps the kitchen bright. Think my husband is too...just got a text from him wondering if we can paint this weekend. Is he nuts? Does he need to ask?!

#6 Washing windows. I look forward to about 6 weeks from now when my children spend the weekend with their grandparents so I can do a little deep cleaning and enjoy it for about 24 hours. I look around this house and for the most part it is clean. What I can't keep clean are the windows from little prints and the floor from crumbs. I can sweep 2x a day and it's still dirty.

And a few randoms pictures to let you know what we've been up to.

Goin on walks...and {trying} to steal signs.

Enjoyed our spring break...even though it didn't look like spring.

Trying to avoid stitches and keeping our eye on the climber.

Trying to find a sport that makes these giant goggles look cool.

Happy Spring!

new life

2011-03-16T13:20:00.003-05:00

Ayla Grace was born on March 8 at 5:26 pm. And if I told you how easy Sherry made giving birth look, you would want to hunt that mama down and slap her. Can I tell you, once again, that she's the champion of all mothers! I thought her record of pushing for 7 minutes with Harrison was amazing! Okay, brace yourself for this birthing update. Two words--first push. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Ayla Grace and her mother hardly gave me enough time to actually be an audience member to witness her birth. Nevertheless, it was an amazing, emotional and beautiful beginning to her worldly journey. I am so grateful that I was able to be there to witness. She's beautiful in every way and a perfect addition to Todd and Sherry's family.

I'm also happy to report that the snow is melting here in Minnesota. We are eagerly awaiting for it to actually look like spring and the arrival of the Easter Bunny.

In fact, he's already received a letter in the mail from Henry. The letter looked something like this...

and said something like this...

Dear Easter Bunny,

When you come, I want a bow and arrow. My brother wants a new paci. Mom would like a bottle of wine and a new Jesus necklace. Daddy would like a new flashlight and hammer. Bye--I'm sorry to bother you right now.

Love,

Henry

So we press our faces to the window

and watch the snow melt. We can't wait to see the brown grass, plant flowers and watch the new life appear before our eyes.

pet peeve

2011-02-28T14:41:00.008-06:00

In my original rant, I was upset with Facebook. However, after giving it some thought, I've decided that I'm not upset with Facebook, I'm upset at how some people use Facebook--better yet, how some people expect others to use Facebook.

Let's me set the record straight. I'm not a member of Facebook (which, actually annoys the crap out of me that I'm complaining about anything that has to do with Facebook), however I enjoy logging in onto my husband's account and getting caught up on some of my friends that he's friends with. The single reason that I don't have an account is that I just don't want to give it more of my time than it deserves (social media has a way of sucking me in.)

Facebook is suppose to be a fun way of people keeping tabs of long-lost friends and harmlessly communicating with people whom you label as "friend". It allows us to snoop (would you agree?) on others, get a glimpse into their lives and take a mental break from reality.

What I am finding scary is that Facebook has become some people's reality. They spend way too much time updating their status multiple times day, giving us glimpses that we perhaps don't need to know. Facebook gives its members the option to hide these people without de-friending them, which I think is brilliant.

However, isn't the same reason Facebook was created--to stay connected, also destroying close personal connections with people? Is Facebook suppose to be a substitute for picking up the phone and chatting with a friend who you need to catch up with? Is Facebook suppose to be a substitute for that visit you've needed to arrange to visit a family member, see a new baby, take a meal over to someone who's sick?

I am all about working at relationships with people who I choose to have close personal connections with. I believe Facebook can assist to some extend; however, if you desire more from a relationship, you're going to have to step away from the keyboard.

This entire rant of mine stems from a comment made from one "friend" to another. One "friend" demanded that she put more information on her page so that she can stay updated and "connected". I about fell off my chair, I was so angry at this avid Facebookers request. You cannot have expectations about how often, what kind and how personal the information people post. If you expect to stay connected with people, again, step away from the keyboard and pick up the phone.

In a nutshell:

Maybe I should stay off my husband's Facebook's account, so my complaint is valid.
Social media is a wonderful invention. Hel-lo, I'm a blogger, not opposed to modern inventions, don't make assumptions.
I cannot control people. This post, which will probably only be read by my mom, will not change anyone's Facebook behavior; however it will make me feel better.
I won't always interpret tone correctly.
Lower my expectations of people when it comes to common sense. Good relationship = hard work, who would have thunk?

ix-cyting updates of 1 birth & 2 recipes & a pet peeve

2011-02-28T13:55:00.005-06:00

I'm going to start with some really, really ix-cyting news that just makes me want to pee my pants! My friend Melani and her husband Lance became parents last night to this adorable little boy named Mason. He's just about the cutest little bugger I have ever laid eyes on.

About an hour before I received Mel's text announcing his birth, I told Scott that I getting a bit anxious because I had not heard from her. After he assured me that these things take time, I relaxed enough to fall asleep. I was so excited to hear my phone vibrate at 10:15 and see that Mason safely made it into this world shortly passed 9pm.

My heart was overjoyed for Melani and Lance as I imagined Mason's birth was exhilarating. My mind then began to wander back to the day Harrison was delivered and how the world stopped, my heart skipped a few several (thousand) beats, and life felt so surreal. I was so grateful for God's blessings and the quiet strength of the woman who agreed so whole heartedly to birth him into this world.

Now, it's getting really late and I'm wide awake. I'm overly excited for Melani, thinking about the births of my own children, and wishing they were awake so I could hug and kiss them. Wanting to be closer, I found myself drifting to Henry's room just to be near my own precious child. After curling up next to him and watching him sleep, I felt a sense of security and calmness come over me. Mason's birth was a reminder to me of the privilege to have children--they are sweet and at times down right naughty, but such a gift from God.

Sigh.

Can I really go on to give you two recipes after that beautiful moment?

Yep.

And then I'm going to move on to share an irritation with you.

The purse party was a success yesterday. These women and I are really getting good at picking out bags and then customizing them to our liking. Know what else we are getting really good at?

Eating!

Here are those two really ix-cyting recipes that I promised to share with you. Try them and tell us whatcha think!

Pomegranate Avocado Salsa

(recipe found in my MOPS heartnotes)

1 1/3c diced peeled avocado (about 2 avocados)

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2c clementine sections (about 6 clementines)

1c pomegranate seeds (about 1 medium pomegranate)

1/2c thinly sliced green onions

1/2c minced fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1 jalapeno seeded and minced

To prepare, combine avocado and juice in a bowl; toss gently to coat. Add clementine sections and remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine.

I used red onions instead of green because it's what I had on hand and skipped the jalapenos because not everyone likes it hot and spicy (like I do)!

Serve with tortilla chips or eat as a salad. There is a recipe for spiced chips to eat the salsa with but in my opinion, are not worthy of this blog :) kidding, I just think that a salty ole tortilla chip is what this dip deserves!

Hot Feta, Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped

2 roasted red peppers, chopped

1/2c (each) feta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses

1/2 c mayo

1/2c sour cream

Mix all of the above ingredients together and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with crusty bread or chips.

I have decided that my pet peeve is way too long to get into today, and so inappropriate for such an ix-cyting post. So I've copied and pasted what I started to say and will post in another entry after I give it careful thought as to how I want to share my thoughts. I was really irritated and bothered an hour ago by a comment I saw on Facebook. Nope, not a Facebook member, but like others of you out there, my spouse has an account that I log into and get updates on some of my long lost friends.

I have only a few minutes before I have to wake the baby to pick up the big brother at school. However, I want to leave you with the question I am pondering....is Facebook the new way of staying up close and personal with people who you care about?

ix-cyting randomness

2011-02-26T07:48:00.008-06:00

Can you say "ix-cyted"?

I made that up, but I'm rolling with it!

So I've been contemplating what I should blog about for about 5 days now. While I think about blogging, I feel guilty for not blogging. I hope that in the days to come I can get better about it. It's like once I blog, I find inspiration in daily life to write about. But then suddenly stop because life gets busy.

Finally, I've picked a topic and I'm going to run with it. Today's randomness is going to be about all the things that are ix-cyting around here. Let's stick with bulletpoints because, well, it's easy. So go ahead, fill up your cuppa and settle in. I've got a lot to say.

I am so ix-cyted about the birth of my baby (suppose to be) niece. Sherry's less than a week from her due date, and I've weaseled my way into watching this baby girl's birth. I recently asked a group of girlfriends if they watched their own deliveries and unanimously the answer was "no". Watching Sherry deliver my own son has to be the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed. To watch this small life enter the world and take it's first breath (while it's takes it audience's away) is too beautiful for words to describe. Witnessing a baby's birth was unlike anything I've ever imagined. And I get to see it happen all over again! I've promised to be the greatest notetaker and photographer in exchange for a seat to perhaps the most beautiful occasion there ever was. I say weaseled my way in, but it was hardly a discussion. Thanks Sherry and Todd! Yeah!!

My high school friend, Melani is about to become a mama for the first time tomorrow. Like myself, Melani was blessed with the beautiful experience of having a gestational carrier to bring her child into this world. I am ix-cyted for her to witness what awaits for her as she watches her child enter this world. I'm also ix-cyted when I think about her experience of this part of her journey ending and another awaiting to start. She's waited far too long to be called Mom. But I know that because of the wait and the pain that comes with longing for a child, there comes an extraordinary mother.

Snow. We have enough of it. But I'm no longer complaining of winter because I know our snowiest month is about to begin. We're hardly done with shoveling, dirty cars, shoveling, sledding, shoveling, and shoveling. I'm ix-cyted because I know what follows the snow. SPRING! And with spring comes a whole new wardrobe. The wardrobe that's been hiding in the back of my closet since September. I get ix-cyted when the spring catalogs come showing off bare legs, arms and feet. I am so ix-cyted for flip-flops to return. I swear to you I am going from wearing my favorite socks--Smartwool's knee-highs, to flip flops. I will wear them until April and then bring out the flips! I look forward to sunkissed legs, arms and cheeks.

I'm trying two new recipes this weekend that I am ix-cyted to test out on my friends. One is a red pepper artichoke dip (can't decide if we are going to have it cold or hot) and the other is an avocado pomegranate salsa. They are both sure to please, and I'll share the recipes with you in another posting this coming week. (See, already preparing for another blog post. I'm a planner!)

These recipes are being served at my purse party tomorrow. Have you ever heard of 1154 LILL STUDIO? We'll it's just about the best couple of hours that you can spend with some girlfriends, food and wine. Shelley, my favorite rep, brings about two dozen purses along with oodles of fabric swatches. Then you spend time designing your own purse and help your friends make decisions about their bag too. It's just too fun and ix-cying to miss. If you live close and want to stop by, email me.

You know what else is ix-cyting? My friend Suzanne's Must Have Moxie Silverado Bling. Her Silverado line is beautiful, elegant, and the best gift that keeps on giving. My personal favorite must have in my wardrobe are the Bling Earrings . These little drops of heaven make even sweats look dressy, and also serve as a great piece to wear with any outfit. It's a given that at any given Wednesday play date at least three or four of us will be sporting the bling. Now, not only is Suzanne beautiful and smart (to say the least) but she's also generous. She giving away an out of this world bead. Become a Facebook fan of Must Have Moxie and enter a comment on her blog for your chance to win.

Scott and I had a date night last weekend that was super romantic and secretly planned by him just for the two of us. What is more ix-cyting that time away and alone with your husband. No interruptions, no children, no clock-watching, and no babysitter to pay thanks to my sis. Thanks Brooke! Two of my most favorite (mentionable ;) parts of the evening were dinner and my time alone at the spa. My hub schedule me for a super long massage where I spent three hours relaxing and rejuvenating myself before and after the massage at the spa. Dinner was awesome because it was late in the evening (I thought I was twenty-something and single again going out so late) and consisted of a really great bottle of wine and small plates.

We enrolled Henry in swimming lessons 7 weeks ago and he's quite the little water bug. It's ix-cyting when my kids show me that they can do things on their own and hit a milestone. Now, I wouldn't throw him in the middle of the lake and tell him to swim to shore. Although I am confident that he'd try his hardest :) However, if I dropped him and his dad in the middle of the lake along with a noodle (or two), I know they'd both make it back. Swimming is all Henry wants to do this week and needless to say, we've spent several hours in the water. It's been fun to watch him succeed and be so proud of his work. We put him in another session of lessons, so I look forward to seeing how much he progresses in the next seven weeks.

We've been ix-cyted as Harrison's vocabulary grows and he uses more words than whines. Now he's far from being fluent, but when he tries his hardest to say sock and shoes how can I not take him somewhere? Or when we are at Target and he looks at me and says "bubbles?" How can I not buy him bubbles! Or when he stands at the back patio door and sings "Day Dee. Day Dee. Day Dee." How can my neighbor Stacey not peek out her window and wave to him?

Alright that's it! Lots of fun stuff going on as we patiently wait to get outside in our flip flops and blow some of those bubbles! Hope you are finding lots of things to be ix-cyted about too! Remember to come back for some ix-cyting recipes!

The Courage to be Vulnerable

2011-02-01T07:42:00.008-06:00

I follow this blog about a beautiful woman named Edie--Christian, wife, mother, homeschool provider, lover of books, vintage items, and doctor turned at-home mother. Her family most recently experienced the devastating loss of their home through a fire. As one might imagine this loss has been emotionally and physically exhausting (to say the least) for her as she copes with her new reality. She's slowly returning to her blog, where she shares and documents her life. Her faith in the Lord is truly inspiring.

Her post from January 31 really struck a cord with me as I cope with my own vulnerability these days. Am I willing to expose my own vulnerability?

I entered a "club" three years ago today that I never expect or desired to join. This "club" is not one that a parent inspires to have membership to. Its membership is not sought after by a single (sane) soul. However, sometimes joining a club is not by choice, but prescribed by a greater power for one living an earthly journey. It's not a punishment to belong to such an undesirable club, but it doesn't come without excruciating physical, mental and emotional pain.

The pain is somewhat of an initiating ritual for its newcomers. You feel the pain right up in your face for a long time. It hurts like a bitch. It screams at you, cripples you over in pain, and makes you wonder if you are dying from the inside out. You feel deserted. Left questioning, "Why me. What did I do wrong to deserve such pain? Why not someone else?"

Eventually, that initial pain goes away. You are able to regain strength through faith and friendship. You make friends within this club that you never knew were members. The members are quiet, yet some of the most faith-filled and compassionate people I've met. They are ordinary people who you would never imagine held a membership card. Their tears are so very real and surface quickly.

Today my tears are not so much tears of sadness, but tears of accomplishment. Learning to live without a tiny being that I (unconsciously) birthed into this world is not something that can be done in one day. It is a challenge that I am faced with and reminded of each and every day. It is a challenge that I pray and have faith that I will never have to start over.

When I think back to my most difficult grieving period, I cannot help but give so much thanks for those who constantly checked in on me and my family. They were in my face about as much as my pain was--and for that I am so thankful. They allowed me to cry. They allowed me live through my pain and not go around it. They acknowledged the fact that Hudson existed, and that he will always live through us.

And for my husband.

His support.

His physical presence.

His tears.

His faith.

His positive attitude.

His willingness to get through it with me.

I will always be grateful.

We walked the treacherous journey together.

We still walk together.

We will walk together.

Forever.

And for Henry

He allowed me to laugh.

He allowed me to play.

He allowed me to be a child.

He gave me reason to continue being a mother each day.

He needed me,

but I needed him more.

And for Sherry.

Who gave me hope for my future as a mother.

Who would talk and sit in silence on the phone with me

each

and

every

day

while the rest of the world went on as normal.

For my sister

parents

in laws

friends who we call family

Thank you for caring for Henry when I couldn't.

Caring for me when I couldn't.

And for being in my face

when

maybe

you

thought

you

shouldn't.

For my Lord and Savior

I know You cried when I cried.

That I didn't do anything to deserve losing a child.

I know Your plan for me is by far greater than I can imagine.

That all things are perfect in Your image.

That our ability to develop and sustain relationship in ways that honor and glorify You is our reward.

We must be deliberate with our relationship.

Edie wrote that relationships require us to be vulnerable.

period.
that we are willing to need someone else.
that we are willing to say so.
that we are willing to be hurt.
because the willingness to be vulnerable is where relationship lives.

And she's right. I've really gained perspective on the meaning of true friendship.

True friends still remember.

Still ask.

Have not forgotten.

Know that I still ache for the absence of my baby.

And it's okay if they've forgotten.

I expect people to forget.

I know I won't forget.

And I know those who allow me to be most vulnerable

won't

let

me.

blaaaah!

2011-01-31T13:24:00.005-06:00

I stated in my previous post, "If we go somewhere, someone comes home sick."

And that's exactly what happened...again.

We made our annual trip to The Depot where we go skating, eat at Old Spaghetti Factory

and do a little swimming and arcading

at the water park. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take pictures while we were at the water park this year because I didn't bring my camera when we went swimming. I knew I was going to have my hands full and a camera just was just one more thing to juggle around.

We had a lot of fun, stayed up a bit late, jumped on the hotel beds, Dad pushed the kids around on the luggage cart.

It was a bit of a vacation outside of the normal scene. We did this slumber party thing, where Mom slept with Harrison and Dad and Henry bunked up together in the other bed.

And then it struck. At 12:30am, Harrison let out this huge whale of a scream. He and I both sat up in our bed and he puked all over the front of my shirt. For every hour after that he continued to get sick in hotel towels, which Scott would then wring out in the tub. We had quite the system down and managed to make it through the night with not much of the sickness on the bed.

The following morning, Henry didn't have a clue as to what happened during the night (so exhausted from a night of fun!) that he was raring to go at 8am. Harrison was feeling better, but we just knew we had to meet a bit of Henry's expectations while caring for Harrison. We proceeded with our breakfast in bed (not my bed, ugh)

and Scott took Henry swimming for a little while at the water park. While Harrison and I stayed back and did a little swimming of our own.

This face! Oh, this face. What a little honey.

Well, we thought the little honey was on the mend around noon on Sunday, but then he got sick again this morning. So, we're making a little Dr. O visit this afternoon. Say a little prayer for this little honey to quickly recover from whatever it is that he's fighting.

2011-01-28T06:23:00.007-06:00

I figure it's about time I jump on and write to y'all before you delete me from your "favorites" and write me off for good.

I'm not feeling as much of an ounce of inspiration at the moment, but I know it will come to me once I start plunking away at the keys.

The house is quiet--6:25 and the boys are both sleeping. Scott's at the YMCA attending a boot camp training group that I signed him up for as a Christmas present. He was running late this morning because the alarm malfunctioned (or the alarm setter malfunctioned the alarm time, ouch). I'm equally concerned for his survival of his "punishment" or better yet, the group's punishment for him being late as well as interested to find out what exactly the "punishment" was.

Anyhow, I had this thought the other day. I used to play dolls quite a bit as a young girl. When I would play, everything was perfect--the dolls never misbehaved, cried uncontrollably, begged for anything, tried to negotiate, argued with me, whined, refused to eat, screamed, got sick, got sick all over me, got ear infections, had a runny nose for 2 weeks, climbed out of their strollers, asked the same thing over and over expecting my answer to change, hollered at me when I threw something away when I wasn't supposed to (like garbage), never made me feel disrespected, unfolded every piece of laundry in a tidy drawer, accused me of lying, cheating or stealing something I had never seen.

It's been a long two weeks, but things are getting better. These Minnesota winters are long and cold to say the least. Trying to find activities to expend the energy of two young boys can be challenging and exhausting. If we stay home too long, we get a bit stir crazy. If we go somewhere, someone comes home sick. If we miss the window of opportunity to play outside or if that window never opens, it's a sad moment. Because when my kids get outside, they sleep like champs.

And when my boys sleep like champs, so do I. Isn't it amazing what a few hours of uninterruped of sleep can do for your energy level and mood? A year ago when Harrison was itty bitty, it would take me 10 hours just to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep in a night. Now, getting good sleep is less of a challenge, but still some nights I wonder why my 4 year old wakes me up more than my baby.

Probably because he loves me. When I played with my dolls, they may have never given me a run for my money, but the doll never returned the love either. My dolls never colored me pictures, played Hi Ho Cherry-O repeatedly, helped me fold laundry, helped me move furniture while I vacuumed, snuggled with me while we watched a movie, helped me bake cookies, never

told me they loved me or that I was the best that ever existed, wanted to go on a date with me, got excited to go to the dentist, gave me the thumbs up during a swimming lesson, washed their hands the moment we got in the door without being told because they know dirty hands creep Mom out, or hugged me when I was sad.

There are a lot, and I mean a lot of times when I feel like I'm not doing a good job raising two boys or being a great stay at home mom. Parenting is hard. Harder than anyone could ever try to explain because there are no words. And there are no words that can explain how great it feels to be a parent. Crazy how you can be at both ends of the spectrum in such a very short period of time. They key is to find the place in the middle that keeps me happy and well, balanced.

So don't delete this blog from your list of favs quite yet. Stella is in the process of gettin her groove back. This mama is tired and worn, but continues to find balance through prayer, self-reflection, and the blessings in each day.

3 mile radius

2011-01-04T09:02:00.005-06:00

Since last Wednesday, I have not been further than a 3 mile radius of my home. I've made a trip to Target and (proudly report) several to the YMCA. (Oh, we did go to church, but I'm not counting that.) I love to order things and have them delivered to my home. I have a fondness for the FEX, UPS, and Coborns trucks. A trip to the mall is a rare occasion, and having dinner out on the town is a real treat (especially if the food is hot and not shared with children.)

I clearly am a shut in.

Today it's blasted cold outside! -5 with a wind chill that makes it feel more like -16. Brrrr... You'd like the delivery people if you lived in MN too!

Anyhow, we find lots of things to do inside of our house. This morning Harrison escaped with the bottom tray of the dishwasher while I had my backed turned. It was clean and empty and is now providing cheap, fun entertainment for the boys. They are loading it with dishes Harrison got for Christmas.

Somedays I feel like all I do is referee, but it's worth the effort. I mean look at these hams!

Decked Out

2010-12-26T18:15:00.012-06:00

"Mom, when does the Easter Bunny come?"

"Like, um, four months or something like that."

"Well, I'm going outside and when I come back in I was thinking we could take down the Christmas decorations and put up the Easter stuff."

I'm hardly up for the task to start taking down the Christmas decor, let alone putting up Easter decorations. However, this year there is not .1% sadness that Christmas is over and soon we will have to start putting our party decorations away. We've been truly blessed with another Christmas to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. It was a beautiful holiday stretched out over an entire season this year. Our children have really affirmed several things--a baby changed everything, Christmas is extremely wonderful looking through the eyes of a child, giving is better than receiving, and family is such a blessing.

It is my hope that you had a special moment like I did on Christmas Eve. Several hours after returning home from church, I was able to pause and give thanks to Jesus for all that He has done for me and given to me in the midst of the wrapping paper, cheers and laughs. For without His saving grace, I would have nothing.

This Christmas season has truly been a great reminder at the blessings that I am surrounded by.

For it's not what I don't have, it's what I have been abundantly blessed with.

I wish that your Christmas was not only abundantly bright and merry, but also a time of praise for our Lord and Savior.

With that being said, a little peek at our birthday parties for Jesus. Merry Christmas to you.

still deckin' the halls

2010-12-11T18:13:00.013-06:00

We are in the middle of a snow storm people! It's been a great, yet long day stuck in this home of ours. I've enjoyed watching the storm from the comfort of my warm home; however some people have had to get out and experience the elements.

A little action shot of the neighbors helping each other get their mini vans unstuck in 18 inches of accumulated snow. I felt a bit guilty watching rather than helping, and a bit ridiculous taking pictures. BUT, it was a good reminder to stay indoors, and NOT drive a minivan.

However, I just didn't sit around all day. We had some pretty exciting stuff going on inside our home today. First, we must start the day with watering the Christmas tree. This little elf

can't get enough of the watering can. He's been obsessed for months with this little green can, and now that he can help water this amazing tree that we brought from the outside, inside--he's even more excited to help with his can!!

Then the busy little elf, put on his supervisor hat and watched over us make sandwiches for 363, which is an organization that distributes sandwiches to the homeless. This was a great opportunity for kids to get involved giving to other during the season of giving. We shelled out 500 bologna & cheese sandwiches in about 60 minutes this morning.

After lunch and a little nap by the foreman, Harrison and I got busy in the kitchen making a little goodie for ourselves.

I discovered the ultimate Christmas cookie magazine while waiting in line at Target one day.

I decided not to buy it because I figured I could find the recipe for--

online. A sort of replacement for the peanut butter blossoms that we don't make anymore due to our peanut free house. After searching for the recipe, I gave up and decided it was worth the $5.99. Let me tell you---this magazine is a lot of bang for the buck if you have a sweet tooth and do some holiday baking. I have looked this magazine over and over and just can't decide where to start, or better yet...where to end.

So that brings us to this evening. We're chillaxin, watching a little ABC Family Christmas movie, eating cookies, doing a little of this

and that. I'm only participating in "this". I refuse to play along with Scott and the boys as they play "that". "That" is the game hide and seek. I don't play that game indoors because apparently I was the one (victim, perhaps?) who knocked over one of these

one night at my grandparent's home. It was full of plants and well, it was a mess. I remember all of us grandkids were sitting on the spare bed afterwards (kinda like being quarantined) while our parents cleaned up the mess. Guess I did it. But it was dark, how come I got blamed? Anyhow, I like to laugh about it. I'm too scarred to play hide-and-seek indoors.

So instead, I choose to point Henry and Harrison in the direction of their hiding Daddy, sipping on a little adult beverage, while searching for a contest to enter my Drew Carey look-a-like.

Happy shoveling.

deck the halls

2010-12-06T13:57:00.007-06:00

There are about a thousand little things that I could be doing right now while Harrison is asleep and Henry is at school. However, I've been reminded to post and since I have no motivation to do a few of the thousand things I should be doing...

SO! I've set a timer for 30 minutes and when it goes off...I'm done! No constant proofing and perfecting because this is the season of a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.!!

I'll start with yesterday. We got our tree. This happens to be one of my most favorite things to do with my family. Now, it's way easier to go to the lot and pick out a real tree, but what fun (or work) is that!? So after church, we scarfed down a sandwich (made by my husband) and loaded up the boys and off we went! There was fresh snow from Friday night and it was a bit chilly. However, Mr. Harrison was buckled down and off we went with saw in hand.

It was tough to find the perfect tree this year. And after some time searching, we narrowed it down to three. However....this little one (in the sled) told us we better make a quick decision. He was cold and crying with boogers and tears making him colder. He just wanted to keep moving really because once the decision was made and the sled was moving, he was happy.

Henry liked to run after the sled. Needless to say, by 6:30 last night, we were one tired family from treking through the snow and fresh air.

Here's the tree untrimmed by the man who cut it down.

Here's our cute little neighbors who also cut down their tree yesterday at the tree farm. It was quite an adventure for all. If you haven't cut your own tree, try it--so fun!

And this lil man thought it was about the coolest thing to put a tree in the middle of the living room. The oohs & ahhs were like none other I've heard from him.

I bought an Advent calendar this year from a woman who handmade it in Finland. It's beautiful. I don't have a picture of it on my computer and I'm working under a tight deadline people. I have two things to say about the calendar: It's a great way for me to remind Henry daily that Christmas is NOT about Santa and gifts, but rather it's about preparing for the birth of the baby who changed everything. Secondly, it's a great way to bring in spending time with the kids, rather than just little trinkets of stuff. Believe me, we love the trinkets, but Henry was just as excited when he got to chop down a tree with his family.

Umm...have you ever given a kid a whoopie cushion and watched them say busy for hours? Henry received one as a prize at a benefit this weekend. The giggles and squeals from him and the little neighbor girls was pretty darn cute and funny. Try that for a stocking stuff this year.

Come on ride the train! The CRAZY TRAIN! OMG (on a time crunch, texting abbreviations are allowed today) this was SO MUCH FUN! I think it's probably not as fun to the average/normal mom, but when we met at Southdale Mall last week, the moms were just as excited about this train as the kids were.

I think we are still laughing, mostly at ourselves, because not only was the train ride so much fun, but also we owned the stage at the mall for a good hour. The kids ate snacks and danced like they were superstars. There were no toys and no messes to clean up. Just some good company, snackin' and goofin' around. Can I get a CHOO CHOO!

Buddy from Dinosaur Train. Need I say anything more? I think I'd run too, Harrison!

I have two minutes until my time is up, so while my pictures are uploading, I'm going to dump the last of it....

Thanksgiving was a blast! We spent a long weekend with my in laws. I have to say that when people complain about having to spend time with their in laws, I have nothing to add. We were blessed to spend time with cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents. We ate well, slept well, played, did lots of art, and had lots of laughs.

Time's up!

Jen

a bit of the cra-zies

2010-11-22T08:26:00.009-06:00

Usually my best inspiration for my blog comes from my own children. So while I was uploading pictures and scouting through them this morning, I couldn't help but think of the word, cra-zy.

First, let's talk hair.

You would think that we don't own a brush. Frankly, I LOVE Harrison's hair. I love the way it sticks up on the crown of his head. I get a bit saddened when it lays flat, which is usually only after he's had something on his head.

Henry's hair does the same thing as Harrison's, although they definitely have different hair--color and texture. Henry's is cute, but looks more like he forgot to brush his hair. We like to gel and spray his hair to impress the ladies.

Speaking of the ladies...

This little man was caught kissing a little lady at a play date last week. He had the sh*%est grin on his face. When I asked him about it later--later was when he was kissing a mirror in the store, part of his reply included, "It wasn't good." Yes, we had phase one of "the talk". It was cute, harmless and a bit imaginative. They were reenacting "The Little Mermaid" so I blame Disney for this lil episode.

The Flannel...

If you see my husband any point this winter, you will most likely see him in this shirt. The Flannel. I picked it up for him on Thursday and I've already seen him wear it twice. He informed me that he's planning to wear it on Thursday and Saturday of this upcoming week. He'd like one in green, if possible.

He's super stoked about flannels being part of the latest fashion trend. They bring him back to {the first part of} his youth. After numerous closet cleanings, he was left without flannels. I was accused of being the culprit of this tragedy, so therefore, must redeem myself. I think I did well when I made this $20 purchase (I'm a sale rack kinda gal. Not going to find this girl at the front of any store. I love online too--with lots of promotional codes, of course. I picked The Flannel up in the store, hence the price difference.)

Breakfast chez dad...

I awoke on Saturday morning to breakfast served on the floor, straight from the box. What you can't see is the cereal strung across the floor and the 3 mini wheats stuffed in Harrison's mouth, yes, at once. "He'll learn." is my husband's reply as I inform him that Harrison might choke because I usually cut them in half.

The Vikings...

Papa was visiting a few weeks ago and someone tried to turn Papa into a Vikes fan during nap time. Let's just say that these days, it would be cra-zy to become a Vikings fan at this point in their season. Argh!

The laundry room (before)...

Ah hum...This cra-zy wall that should never have been put in the smack center of this space...

The positive, it hides the cat litter box on the laundry side. After consultation to remove the wall, I decided against the cra-zy work and would rather clean up the space, demand that coats get hung up, remove the bench, and work with the space as is.

So embarrassed to post this cra-zy picture, but you have one too...I know you do...

The laundry room (after)...

I still have this cra-zy closet! But, there is something missing...

can you figure it out?

The art supply mess. My favorite part of the (microscopic) transformation.

The final cra-zy...

Harrison has been sitting on my lap for about 97% of this post contently eating Cheerios & raisins, watching the cat jump unmentionable places, and share paper and pencils with his brother, who has been sitting next to us for 75% of the 97% Harrison has been hanging around.

Alright, must dress the boys and run some errands before school!!

Happy beginning to a short Thanksgiving week!

P.S. When he got off my lap and thought I wasn't looking.

One more cra-zy...

Let It Snow

2010-11-13T20:07:00.001-06:00

stay-at-home must have

2010-11-10T13:14:00.003-06:00

When I started my stay-at-home adventure last fall, I wasn't sure what to expect. 14 months later, there are moments in my life when I feel like this mothering job is spinning out of control and all I can do it just stand there to keep from cracking. This job is hard. I might have one good hour with the boys and then the following three hours could be terrible. However, I feel it's when I surround myself with other great moms--at home moms or career women--that's when I find contentment and the willingness to stay the course. I realize that I'm not alone and what I feel--the stress and happiness rollercoaster is so normal. This afternoon, I sit contently on my couch eating part of what is left from this morning's play date.

I've had a great morning! I owe this great morning to the group of women who help bring all the sanity back to my life as an at home mom every Wednesday morning. Whether you are a at home mom or not, I hope you have good friends to help build you up and support you as a mother. They are some of the most wonderful people in my life. I love these women because no one is pretentious; there is little to no make up worn (or expected); honesty and realness is present; they are God-loving; our children play well-but tears and fighting is expected; someone always has food to be shared; kids eat and it's okay to be a bit messy--there's just so much goodness that comes from surrounding myself with these good people.

Here's how it went...

8:20--Harrison is picked up by my friend Kim, who graciously offered to chauffeur him to the play date.

9:00--I'm reading with Henry in the doctor's office while we wait for Dr. O. It was peaceful, snuggly and lovely to spend a few minutes just one-on-one with Henry.

In the meantime, Harrison rides with Kim and company to Suzanne's house. They munch on coffee cake and fuel up for loading 3 vehicles full of "stuff", including 6 children from Suz's current house to her new house, which is beautiful!

10:15--Henry and I arrive just in time to carry in the last 2 boxes of "stuff". The kids play with toys and run through a nearly empty home for 90 minutes. We visit, share stories, plan for the future, and express thanks for having such great friends to spend the morning with.

11:00--Kim opens her "Mary Poppins" bag (happened to be a grocery bag today--nothing fashionable...however, it was grey, which happens to be a trendy color this season) and whips up a spread for hungry kids. We all sit on the kitchen floor munching on apples and sandwiches for a quick picnic lunch.

11:45--Throw the toys in the playroom, bathroom breaks, diaper changes and everyone parts their way until next Wednesday morning.

Now I'm not trying to paint a "my-life-is-perfect" portrait because that's so far from the truth. I am expressing my contentment and thankfulness for the blessings that have come into my life. This morning didn't not happen without blood, fighting, hitting, meltdowns, sharing of pacifiers & sippies & 12 oz of Diet Pepsi. What's awesome is that God gave me these friends to help support me and bring me to saner moments of my life as a mother when we part ways. He has shown me that He provides--14 months ago, I didn't know a single person who I was with this morning. (The group was missing my childhood friend who orchestrated the play group. She had had to work this morning). He is amazing, and I am thankful.

fall break has expired

2010-11-08T18:33:00.005-06:00

I'm hiding in my room on my bed with the lights off and the computer aglow.

I have officially declared my fall break over and done. I'm sorry for the lack of postings in the past month. Not sure what my exact reason is, but I'm going with the reason that the computer gets me in trouble with my children. When I'm on the computer, I'm not really present and that's just bad news with a 3 year 364 day old. (Yep, his birthday is tomorrow. And I was told by the king with the crown that, "If you act like you did tonight, you are not invited to my birthday.") So, I'm back. And without further adieu...

Let me explain why Mr. It's-My-Birthday-Pants got a bit sassy. (Do 3 year and 364 day olds really need a reason to be sassy? They just are, aren't they? Or at least mine is. ugh.)I am attempting to actually make him eat what is served at dinnertime. He was served exactly what he ate last night for dinner--delicious roast with carrots and potatoes. It's was all fine and dandy last night. But apparently tonight it wasn't exactly what he wanted. What he wants in junk--sugar, processed snacks, milk. ugh. I've had about enough. When I explained that there would be no snacks, dessert or alternate meal provided, he got a bit pissy with me.

Then the massive meltdown began.

And actually got a bit funny....Harrison, who was sitting in his chair delighted to eat roast, carrots and potatoes thought it was funny that Henry was crying hysterically. Harrison then started to imitate Henry's cry. I started to laugh, Harrison continued with his taunting and Henry only got louder and more upset.

You know what else added to this 90 minute saga? Daylight saving time--we pushed the clocks back an hour on Saturday night. Harrison has been in bed the last two nights at 6pm. My kids usually want dinner at 5pm, if not before and then to make them wait until what used to be 6pm? ugh.

Not only is the 3 year 364 day old sassy in general, but he's also tired and hungry which just add fuel to the sassiness. ugh.

So...I'm hiding. I've been found once since I started this post. It was not pretty either. I was accused of not allowing Mr. It's-My-Birthday-Pants to open presents tomorrow. I don't know where he gets these ideas! Is he delusional?

After one more meltdown...he's finally asleep. Ahhh....

And I'm gonna snuggle in on the couch and rest up for tomorrow--a day that I may or may not be invited to join in the fun.

Here's a quick catch up in 30 seconds or less...

We've been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

Harrison had an eye procedure done to unblock a duct. Isn't he the cutest patient you've seen?

We worked on taking a Christmas picture. It was work, got a bit silly (like this picture), and didn't happen without bribery. However, it's done. Pictures taken. Card order and received. They sit in a box in the basement waiting to be address, stamped and shipped. I work early because I can't pass up the discount!!

Henry learned how to trap mice (at Papa's). The best bait is grilled cheese with a bit of peanut butter on top. This trap made a great show-and-tell exhibit (minus the mouse, of course! Although I was hoping the tail could be part of the show part. I lost out.) And yes, the pj's glow in the dark. We like skulls and bones around here for shock and awe.

Here's Buzz and Woody posing with Daddy after he ran the Monster Dash. Jessie and Bullseye joined the gang on Halloween evening.

celebrating the season

2010-10-04T19:27:00.008-05:00

Good gorgeous fall morning! I love this season! As I age, celebrating fall has become as exciting to me as preparing for Christmas. I love to see the leaves sprinkled over the bright green grass. Pumpkins and gourds add a bit of festiveness to our home. And the food! Pumpkin this, pumpkin that. A little bit (or a lot) of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves never hurt anyone.

As a I spent yesterday morning looking through my most recently downloaded pictures of the boys, and was shocked at all we've done in the last 2 weeks. We've really just stepped outside and enjoyed playing in the fresh air (which makes my boys sleep like champs!)

After looking through the pictures, I was excited to share a few of our most recent snapshots with you all.

I was lucky enough to attend Henry's apple orchard field trip.

The boys and I took a quick trip to a local pumpkin patch to pick out a few pumpkins.

A trip to Minnehaha Falls

and dinner with our friends.

The kids are peeking at the rushing river water

Yesterday we made a trip to the Richardson Nature Center

The center has these really neat forts built and constantly being reconfigured by the Boy Scouts.

This happens to be my most favorite picture of all. No worries, he was not dangling by his neck, his right arm is still in his jacket sleeve. In his laughing cry for help, I asked him to be patient so I could snap a quick photo. I look at this picture and laugh. I wish I would have gotten his feet in the picture, so you could see that he is actually dangling from the fort--just a few feet. FUNNY!

Alright, must begin my day. Baby is up in his crib and waiting to be cuddled, and the cat has made a bed on my arms as I type on the computer. She's not big, but knows how to throw her weight around and let me know she's queen of this castle.

If you are local, I hope I shared some good spots for you to explore during this wonderful season.

Happy Tuesday!

THE PAGE IS RIPPED OUT!

2010-09-22T07:45:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice if they sent you home from the hospital with a parenting manual? The manual was foolproof, error proof and promised 100% satisfaction guarantee or you could send them back or get an even exchange?

No, none of us wants to send our children back, but there are day when we wonder how things are going to turn out. I feel that this "manual" I posses has a few pages ripped out. The pages that explain the following:

How to get your child to listen.
How to get your child to stop arguing with you.
How to get your child to sleep through the night.
How to get your child to eat more than his 5 basic food groups--milk, hot dogs, string cheese, bananas, and cereal.

Are your pages missing too?

Here's how I rationalize that I'm doing the job the best I can and they won't be messed up someday. When I holler, I hear my mother's voice. I believe I turned out fine, so I must be doing things correctly. My own mother's voice being projected from my own frightens me, but also provides comfort. I once thought that she had it all wrong--putting clean clothes in the wash wasn't a problem. I wasn't being disrespectful when I talked back, I was de-fending myself. My room wasn't a mess, she could vacuum around all the clean clothes on the floor just as well as I could--but I was too busy. Huh? With what? I wasn't watching too much tv--I didn't need to get outside and play. She was a waitress. My waitress.

My all time favorite complaint of my mother was when she threatened to change her name. It always confused me why she wanted to do that. Now I know. Mom. Mom! MOM. MOM! MAAAAAAM! Only to be told when responding. "Awe, nothin."

What I didn't understand was my mother's manual was missing pages too. She was in the process of writing her own.

I wouldn't change it. Some days being MAAAAAAM! is the toughest job in the world. Those days I feel that I've failed, and wished I could have done better. But there is greater satisfaction in those tough days. Once the kids are fast asleep and the house is quiet, the reward of recharging my batteries seems so much better. Then we start again the next day--some days are a repeat of the day before, but more often than not, they are better.

So my mom's manual to raising children is now complete. It would be really easy if she just handed it over to me. Instead, she watches me write my own. Mine is far from complete, and I am sure there are going to be a few pages that I'd like to delete. Thus far, my chapter titles include, Kids are not robots. Kids can't be controlled. Kids can be difficult to understand. Kids love to test limits.

However, I just have to remember to "stay the course" as Scott tells me and to love them endlessly. They won't be babies for long, or even pre-schoolers for long. One day we'll be able to see that we parented well by writing our own and not following someone else's manual.

$99-$1.75=$97.25 to go

2010-09-15T10:36:00.003-05:00

Have you seen this?

If you have not seen this or even heard it as you walk through Target lately, consider yourself lucky. It's all Henry talks and dreams about lately. On Monday when he got home from school there were a few "kid" friendly pieces of mail--Highlights and a Fischer Price catalog. I left them out on the counter for Hen to look at when he got home. What I expected was an excited little boy who would look through the toys and set it aside like everything else. What I didn't expect was for him to find this BigFoot Monster and spend the next 48 hours obsessing about it. For the first few hours it was begging, followed by whining. Finally, an action plan was created. If I could earn $$ then I can buy this monster.

REWIND:

Every cent Henry had found lying around in the last 6 weeks has been spent at the Target dollar section, with the exception of a few quarters at the YMCA vending machine, I know a bit counter productive. No matter how much we talk about saving the money, he insists on spending the money.

FAST FORWARD to PRESENT TIME

For the past 48 hours, I have not had to peel him away from the vending machine at the Y nor did we have to even look through the dollar section during our grocery shop.

He's all about save, save, save.

He's all about How can I earn some money.

He's all about What jobs can I do for you?

He's all about independence and You've showed me how to do this, now I can do it by myself.

Yesterday afternoon he had to watch this DVD episode: Berenstain Bears Trouble with Money. He wanted some ideas for jobs (he no longer refers to them as chores.) The bears do several jobs and set up several stands (lemonade, flower, honey) in effort to earn money for Air Bear Jackets. As they earn money the annoy their parents because they expect a quarter for everything. They annoy their friends because they no longer want to play. In the end, they earn enough money for the jackets, but use the money to buy less expensive jackets and then host a party for their friends.

I'm not expecting a party.

I'm not expecting to take out the trash for a while...

or needing to match socks for weeeeks!

I'm expecting he'll talk about this BigFoot Monster for a long time.

(He is his father's son and his grandfather's grandson.)

(I'm hoping he forgets about BigFoot.)

I invision this BigFoot being played with for an hour then being dumped like a lot of other toys.

But every boy deserves to dream, and I don't want to discourage but encourage. I believe in planning and carrying a plan to the end if it's something you strongly desire. So I'll find jobs, refuse to refold laundry, and help my boy achieve his dream.

a year of firsts

2010-09-09T07:06:00.005-05:00

a first night

a first week

a first month

a first bottle

a first smile

a first giggle

a first sleep-through-the-night

a first roll-over

a first crawl

a first pulled-himself-up

a first furniture walk

a first word

Today my little man turns 1, and is a day of celebration. I've enjoyed the first hour of my day snuggling and playing on the floor with Harrison, relishing in the fact that he's here. I am grateful that I have this day to celebrate with my child.

Reflecting back on a year ago, we were just beginning our day of induction and waiting for a healthy arrival of a baby. I am still so very grateful of Sherry and the greatest gift she has given our family. On the day of Harrison's birthday, I journaled all day about everything that was going on around me. The one line I wrote, over and over was I can't believe she's doing this for me. The amazing quiet strength she had that day never ceases to amaze me. She's beautiful from the inside out. Today in my heart, I celebrate Sherry and what she has done for me.

At the moment, Harrison and I wait for Henry to awake. We have no big plans during the day today, but I'm feeling moved to let the boys decide something fun to do together this morning. The only plan I have today is to celebrate Harrison!

Happy Birthday my sweet boy! I love you!

Fall, A time for Change

2010-09-06T18:23:00.014-05:00

Happy September! This is a long one. So if you don't have your morning coffee or if you are running low, go get filled up. I'll wait...

I feel like the Minnesota weather went from hot and unbearably humid to brisk in the blink of an eye. I have a feeling that a hot day or two isn't unreasonable to expect yet in this great state, so I am mentally preparing myself that our fall preview is just that, a preview. Yet, I've embraced this invigorating weather because it's refreshing. AND! I love the change in wardrobe. I love to wear shorts and long sleeves, pull out my favorite black sweats (shhh....I've worn them for 3 days in a row, taking them off just long enough to wash on Sunday morning) and sport the sweaters. I am a sweater girl at heart. I own maybe 2 sweatshirts, and they are both grey.

I also really love our annual trip to the apple orchard, Minnesota Harvest. I'm really bumming a bit knowing that they are closing at the end of the season. Guess they made a financial commitment to sell the land to developers a few years ago and this is their farewell season. Apparently they've already sold a lot of things so it's mainly just apples this year. In years past we love the petting zoo, hay rides and drooling over the bakery items. Not sure what's there, but the paper article made it sound like a "ghost town." There are plenty of orchards, but this one was so close to our house and we really enjoyed what it had to offer.

I'm really excited to take out the fall decor that I have, but I'm not going to do so yet. Like I said, I think we're in for a couple hot days yet. When I pull out the pumpkins and goblins and dump my potted plants, I want fall to be here to stay. I have the itch to decorate with every seasonal change. This time, I am focusing on my mantel in the living room. It's a mess. Here take a peek.

It's seriously an eye sore. I need to update some of the photos in the frame and find a new home for the frames. I heard from that Nate guy who appears on Oprah that your home is a reflection of who you are and where you have been. Well, this is a mess. It would tell you all that I've been no where but collecting videos. Because what you can't see very well is a partial collection of our dvds on the left. I have two scenic pictures in frames (I guess those pictures reflect our trip to Italy. I forgot that I once did adult things. I even got engaged there. I should tell you that story sometime.) that should be hanging on the wall but Mr. Harrison likes to pull them down. This is the best spot that I can find that he can't reach...yet.

Have I mentioned that he's been climbing everywhere! If there isn't a stool to boost him up, he will cleverly find something to drag over and help him get his job done. I try my best to shower when he's napping, but if he's not, I lock him in the bathroom with me. One day last week, he boosted himself up on the toy container onto the toilet. It was there that I busted him trying to lift himself up onto either the toilet tank or countertop, I forget. I couldn't believe my eyes! He's also figured out how to open the gate at the bottom of our steps. Now, not only do we have a gate, but we also have an ottoman blocking the gate entrance.

NO, he's not wearing a dress, I just forgot how much work it is to button all the snap on pant legs on a squirmy wormy baby. I like to think I pick and choose my battles. This one I like to frequently let him feel he's won. The poor babe gets told no an awful lot these days. As he's climbing, he's trying to reach for things that are not his--my phone, the computer, Henry's stuff (it seems to always be Henry's stuff--I hear a lot of Hey Mom, watch my stuff. Don't let Harrison get those, okay? Shortly followed by frustrated sounds of ehh ehh ehh whhhaaaa!!! as Harrison attempts to check things out), remotes--things that he sees everyone using and he'd like to try too.

This weekend we visited the state fair. We haven't been there in a few years and this year we decided to make the trip. We've befriended this lovely couple at church that are retired (for the most part) and own The Old Mill at the state fair. So that was the sole purpose of going to the fair. We made that our first stop, and sadly I didn't take any pictures of this highlight, but we got a ride and a behind the scenes tour of the mill. Best of all, we got to meet John and Marna's children who live out of state. John is the man who always gives Henry a quarter after church. Actually, for a long time now, he has increased his donation to a dollar. Henry loves John's high fives and Marna's sweet hugs. We love John and Marna because they appreciate chatter and movement of little ones during church.

(Speaking of church, we received a letter in the mail this weekend that our pastor of 12 years is being sent to another parish next summer. I am really bumming as he is just a wonderful person who was played such an instrumental role at such a difficult time in our lives.)

We didn't eat much (fries, pickle on a stick, and root beer) at the fair--hard to believe, I know. But we did spend some time playing games.

We were not a winner of one of the huge stuffed animals (I really wanted Henry to win one. Scott said we actually did win because we didn't have to drag one of them around the fair.) This was actually the highlight of our fair experience...

the giant slide!!

Another big change around here. My hair. I likely! I have been obsessing about hair these last few weeks as search for a new do. The more I looked, the more I realized everything looks the same. I am so over the stacked in the back or angled toward the front. I look back and I had that cut when I was in the hospital with Henry. That was almost four years ago! I am told short hair is in, but really, I'm waiting for the new style to accompany the trend.

I literally was nauseous while Jean was cutting my hair. I was trying to figure out if it was the fact that I only had coffee in my stomach or if it was because I was actually cutting my hair off. I worked all summer to sport the ponytail and didn't know if I was ready to cut it off yet. However, I know that I am a short haired girl. I have be s-t-rugglin for months, feeling blah with my hair. Knowing all along that I was the short haired girl trapped under all that hair.

Here's me with bed head this morning as I write this entry.

Oh yea, I turn another year older too this week. Today, actually. Looking forward to this "surprise" my sister is bringing over tonight. I think it might be sweet tasting with a creamy texture. We had babysitters on Friday night. They made this "MOM" cake with the boys. Isn't that sweet? They're the best!

And this little stinker turns 1 on Thursday.

That's it for now. Enjoy this blustery day if you live in my neck of the woods.

Jen

Elmer's Glue is good for your hair

2010-09-01T13:44:00.007-05:00

I am just so pumped today! Last night's activity officially marked the highlight of my summer! For the past 4 summers, I can recall the highlight of each summer.

2007--my disbelief as I stared at a positive pregnancy test in the middle of NYC

2008--riding as a guest passenger with and Eden Prairie police officer/neighbor/friend

2009--waiting for Harrison to be born (which I keep reflecting back to this week because the little squirt turns one next week! Last year at this time, Henry & I spent the week at Sherry's house waiting...and waiting...and waiting

and....

drumroll please....

2010--LADY GAGA!

All I have to say is amazing! I was still dancing this morning in my jams with the biggest smile on my face. The music was awesome because she writes her own lyrics and promises her fans that she will forever do so. I lost track of how many wardrobe changes she made last night, but I think it was around 12 times. The 24 year old has a rockin' body! She's the only girl on the planet that can walk around in her bra and underwear like it's formalwear. She has some of the friendliest fans I have ever encountered. Why shouldn't she? She sent some of the most empowering messages about letting yourself be free and unashamed of who you are. I tried to remember things verbatim as she was saying them but I honestly can't remember. But I do know that if she walks into a bar, she has promised to buy us all drinks.

Here's a little fun Stacey and I had before the concert started. We found as many crazy dressed people that we could spot on the way to our seat. Here's a few of our favorites. Sorry for the dark pictures, I took them on my phone and they didn't transfer well to the computer. Here's our version of "Where's Waldo".

Where's Stacey?

Yea, I'm not so crazily dressed, but here's a pic of us.

Umm...Stacey isn't in this picture. And that's a flower covering her eye. I'm not sure how she could see where she was going.

This is our favorite group! The chic in her bra has beer cans doubing as rollers.

Granny in an animal print (quite) revealing dress. But she was definitely rockin' it.

This dude was working for Virgin Mobile and Stacey filled out like 1,000 ballots with the hope that we would get a call from Gaga during the show and be invited backstage.

AND GUESS WHAT?!?!? WE didn't WIN!

We sat next to Steve and Ben. What's with the lab coats, guys?

Alright, now what would a Greatest Gift post be without a few pictures of my little stinkers. Earlier in the day yesterday, Harrison kept blending in so well with his toys, I actually took these pictures with the whole idea of "Where's Waldo"

Where's Harrison?

And he's most recently learned to cry/whine to get what he wants. Here he was not happy with Henry. I'm trying to ignore the cry/whine thing lately with the hope that it will die down a bit.

Let's just say it was short-lived. We live for these kind of smiley moments at the Polman household.

Hope you had a great Wednesday! I'll leave you with one final thought...

rah, rah, ah, ah, ah, roma, roma, ma, ma, Gaga, oh, la, la

1st day of school...easy peasy

2010-08-30T20:09:00.009-05:00

My little alarm clock who I will call, Harrison, woke me up this morning at 5am. My husband so kindly went to "shut the alarm off". He must have hit "snooze" because I didn't see him again for about an hour. In the meantime, I couldn't help but become restless as I thought about our day ahead.

I decided to get up, pour myself a cuppa and enjoy the peace and quiet. So that's exactly what I did, but then I started to panic. It was really quiet and I didn't know what to do with myself. I had this flash of my life passing before my own eyes. My kids are growing so quickly and there isn't a thing I can do about it. I went a laid back down in bed with hope that maybe Scott could talk some sense into me. He gave me this amazing talk that assured me that I have purpose, reminded me that everything is in constant flux, and I need to continue to embrace every moment.

It wasn't until Henry woke up that I knew everything was going to be okay. He woke up excited and ready for his new adventure. How could I not feed off of his energy?

After our normal Monday routine--laundry, coffee, dishes, breakfast, more coffee, more dishes, get dressed, YMCA, shower, lunch, and a quick change into clean school clothes--we were ready for our walk to school. We snapped a few pictures...

we were ready to go!

We had a great chat on the way to school about Henry's cool new (well, kinda new) shoes (second-hand chucks, do you dig em'?). He thinks they are awesome and make him run really fast. I reminded him that there are bathrooms at school, not to take food from anyone but his teacher (peanut allergy) and that I was going to take Harrison home to take a nap. I think the whole idea that Harrison and I were going home (across the street, literally) to take a nap assured him that he wasn't going to miss out on much and we were near him. I asked him if he had any questions and the only one he asked was, "What does my classroom look like again?"

I think my favorite part of the walk was when Henry said, "I feel kinda sad...because I am going to miss you." It's not that he was going to miss me that I so much appreciated, it was that he can recognize and identify his feelings. I think that's just so darn cute.

So as for the drop off--easy peasy. He marched right in as if he had done it a few dozen times. Checked out the activities set out and went straight for the toys. He was stoked to find an etch-a-sketch because it reminded him of his own. We exchanged hugs and after a quick snap or two of the camera, he went off and didn't look back. I was amazed at his excitement and admired his strength. I had this thought that if Henry can be so brave, I can be brave too.

One more thing...

This weekend we hit up the splash pad on Sunday afternoon for a picnic and some water fun. Thought I would share a few quick pics since they are just so darn cute!

GO VIKES!

2010-08-28T20:23:00.003-05:00

It doesn't matter if you're a Vikings fan or not, what's not to love about a kid with a big foamy finger?

What happened to summer?

2010-08-24T13:10:00.006-05:00

I keep looking at the calendar, thinking, "It's August what?" I can't hardly remember what I did last week, needless to say what I did in June, but the last three months have whizzed by. I'm unsure what's been accomplished besides a lot of play, several naps, and humidity that knocked us down and kept us inside.

For the past two weeks, I have slightly panicked thinking that I have so much to pack in these last weeks before school starts, which is another thing that is making me panic. So I started to make a mental list of "to dos" and attempted to start checking things off.

My favorite place to take the boys is a splash pad. We were only there a few times and I started to regret not frequenting it as much as we have in passed summers. So the week before last, I slathered on the sunscreen, packed some snacks and we headed out around 9:00 (leaving my camera behind). I have quickly learned that the sooner we can get somewhere, the fewer people we have to deal with. We were the third group at the pad and we played like we owned the place. By the time the masses were there, we had had our fun and were ready to go home for lunch.

On Monday, I thought as I watched weather report on the morning news, "Gee today would be a good day to go to the community pool." Only to find out that Saturday was it's last open day of the season. I was really bummed out because that meant that it's truly the tale end of summer and we didn't even get to the pool.

We haven't been to the zoo much this summer. Maybe once...I think...hmmmm....and it's on my list, but just keeps getting pushed farther and farther back. Mostly we go to the zoo just to hang out at the parks. I keep thinking, We have parks locally, so why deal with mobs of people to hang out at a park?

Last night we made it to a little kid concert in the park and watched Tricia and the Toonies perform some of their random acts. This was Henry's first puppet experience that either of us can recall and he had lots of questions. How do they talk? How do they move? Where are they going? Why do they look like that? It was finally when we scooted out a bit early that he was able to get a peek behind the scenes as to what really went on. He froze in his steps in awe of a man putting his hand up the behind of a puppet. The puppeteer saw Henry and the puppet then waved to Henry. Henry, still frozen, put his little hand up and waved back at the puppet. After that, all his questions were answered and he ran for the playground.

So today is Henry's official last day of summer. He doesn't know it, but today's the big finale. All those feelings I held onto as a kid when you realize that three months have flown by and homework, schedules, bedtimes, teachers, school clothes, backpacks, school lunches all starts again on Monday puts a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

It's not that I don't enjoy all of those things because I am a woman of routine and queen of scheduling. I think it's the idea that I am now a parent witnessing my young son's first experience in education. I am hopeful that these early years of education are great ones full of excitement, fun and lots of learning. I look forward to glittery art projects, being read to, field trips, volunteering, and school concerts. I don't know if I'll be sad when I drop him off on Monday afternoon, but I think I'll feel a bit lonely as I walk away from the building. I'm his mom.

Now I know it's just preschool, but it's the beginning of "his journey". I hold onto a lot of hope for Henry's future as a student.

Henry, I hope your journey is filled with lots and lots and lots of laughs. I hope that people want to be around you (as much as I do). I hope your quest for questioning and understanding never dies but is only challenged. I hope you always have teachers that inspire and never squelch your desire to learn. I hope you love to read. I hope you make your teachers smile (and laugh as little) when you are around. I hope you will come home and share part of your day with me. I hope that on the days when you don't want to share because you've had a bad day, you'll know that I'll be there to sit with you, hold you and wipe your tears. I hope you never have to use your Epipen. I hope our walks to school are fun and something we look forward to every day even when it's cold outside. I hope you love little notes in your lunch box as much as I loved them when I was a kid. I hope you know how much I love you when I drop you off on your first day, and how much I will be looking forward to picking you up.

Love, Mom

Here's to summer, and "another big one that got away."

Harrison and Papa

Henry and Makenzie (aka: our neighbor and his girlfriend)

Henry, Makenzie & Madison

wine & cigarettes

2010-08-18T13:03:00.009-05:00

Last night I found myself scrubbing the floors on our main level after Harrison went to bed, and Henry and Scott headed to the park. Cleaning the floors is the kind of job that is too tough to do while kids are running around during the day. I don't mind cleaning the floors because I love how it feels when the job is done. However, while I'm cleaning the floors I hate every second of it. Mostly, because I see the filth that has crusted over in the tiny cracks and crevasses on the same floors my baby crawls around on and the floors that we apply the 3, 5, and 10 second rule.

So while I was cleaning, I had a fleeing moment of self-pitty that I was cleaning while the rest of my family was doing something more interesting. Like I said, fleeing moment because I appreciated the fact that time was created for me to do this job without interruptions. Which then lead me to think about what some of my favorite things are in life. Some of those things, which I will share with you in a second, are interests while some are tangible things. Then I wondered if those things are obvious to those that I live with.

A bit later when Henry had showered and was snuggling on our bed in-between Scott and me, I asked him, "What sort of things do I like?"

"You like, to beam me up." Translation: You like to chase me around the house. Then you like to hide in places and and freak me out by jumping out behind bushes.

"Umm...what else?"

"Ahh...you like to yell at me."

"Really? That's the best you've got? You think I enjoy yelling at you?" Translation: Yelling = talking in a stern voice that means business, which most of the time lately doesn't appear to scare anyone around here.

"Well, you like books, websites, Daddy, me, Harrison, wine...and cigarettes."

"HUH?!"

"Yea, you like cigarettes!" He says this with a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye because he knows he has me a bit fired up.

Okay, I have this moment of panic when I visualize Henry sitting at a table in his preschool classroom. He sits next to his teacher who is holding the pencil and filling in the blanks for Henry, who is sitting beside her dictating.

Mrs. Judd: Okay Henry, let's do a fun little Mother's Day project for Mommy! What is her favorite food?

Henry: Wine and cigarettes

Alright, perhaps Henry didn't give me the answers I was searching for when I asked him if he knew what my favorite things in life happen to be. But I didn't expect him to make up some random answer. I clearly know where the cigarette answer came from. Translation: he watched me pick up cigarette butts near playground equipment earlier this week, so Harrison wouldn't put them in his mouth. And while at the park earlier in the evening with Scott, they threw away an empty pack of cigarettes that someone left laying around. Cigarettes are on his mind.

(BTW--If you are the one smoking in the parks and leaving your trash laying around, figure out where the trash it, please.)

So...here's my top 20 list. A compiled list of things that please me in no particular order and as they come to mind. As many of you out there can identify, this list continues to change and grow. If you are too young to read, maybe someone can read it to you. Maybe that someone's name is daddy.

1. clean bedsheets

2. a good pair of shoes

3. pedicure

4. the laundry baskets are free of clothes, both clean and dirty

5. mascara that actually works the way it is suppose to work

6. wine (I'll pass on the cigarettes, please) white in the summer, red in the winter

7. a sweaty workout

8. hunting for good recipes

9. eating a really good meal

10. a good find (of any kind)

11. couponing (not as good as some people, who shall remain nameless)

12. uninterrupted sleep

13. nap time

14. getting a nice tan

15. going some place tropical to get that tan

16. date nights

17. knitting

18. happy boys (kids & husband)

19. girl time (that means solo & with my besties)

20. coffee made perfectly with a bit of creamer and a bit of skim milk,

a lesson in the proper way to eat

2010-08-12T12:06:00.004-05:00

During lunch today, Henry was crunching rather loudly on some dill pickle chips.

I looked at him and politely stated with my lips curled in disgust, "Henry, don't eat like that."

He finished his chip and looked at me and stated matter-of-factly. "You gotta enjoy your food."

Where's the rewind button?

2010-08-11T14:21:00.003-05:00

UGH! I am frustrated!

I have spent hours trying to give my blog a facelift without having to pay a "surgeon" to do it. In my attempt to be a do-it-yourselfer, I totally screwed up and had to go back to my original template, which pretty much brought me back to square one.

Guess it's not all that bad, I really didn't like the direction I was headed.

Craaaap. Can anyone out there help me?

I feel trapped in a box.

Ok, now I am laughing....

I am thinking about all the times in my life when things didn't turn out the way I wanted. There wasn't a rewind button like there are on most tv remote controls to get me out of the trouble I found myself in.

I remember the time...

I bought a wax kit to start waxing my skin at home. Well, when the wax malfunctioned and I applied it to my eyelids anyway, I ended up with scabs on my eyelids and demanded a refund at the store. I walked up to the counter and asked to return the kit. The lady said, is there anything wrong with it?" To which I replied, "Yea, look what happened to my face."

The time Scott decided to build our retaining wall and I chose the most complicated pattern for him to put together. After spending several hours in attempt to build this wall, we gave up and humbly paid two high school seniors that the patio company sent over to build the wall. The funniest part--we paid them a portion of their labor mid-project so they could afford to take their girlfriends to prom.

When Scott asked me to trim behind his ears with his hair trimmer, I didn't realize the guard was not on. I scalped a two inch strip right behind his ears.

When I was pregnant with Henry, I pooped my pants in Kohls.

When I was pregnant with Hudson, I pooped my pants in Kohls.

What is it with pooping my pants in Kohls? In my defense, it was uncontrollable and both times I was on my way to the bathroom.

That moment in the classroom when I said something I probably should not have and held my breath that I wouldn't get a phone call.

That moment in life when your child repeats something he heard you say within the confines of your home.

Oh well, there is no rewind button while attempting to watch this reality show I call "life". So I'm starting this blog design from scratch. At least my writing was salvaged and that's what's important here, right?

Crap.

WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY--Vikings Training Camp

2010-08-04T07:09:00.004-05:00

http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x1778830400/For-true-Vikings-fans-its-all-about-loyalty

2010-08-03T07:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I spent some much needed time pruning Hudson's Memorial Garden, which is located on the side of our home. After I was done, I thought it was picture perfect. So I got out the camera and snapped a few pictures to share with you. When the garden is in full bloom, I cannot help but stop and appreciate all the effort that was put forth by our friends to organize planting day. Thank you. Your efforts help us remember and honor a life well-lived.

Is caramel a fruit...really?

2010-07-30T19:37:00.003-05:00

Two funny Henrisms today that really made me laugh.

Driving in the car today, Henry says, "Mom, I am never getting married. I want to stay in this house forever.

(Okay, maybe it's not a lot of insight, but I thought it was cute.)

"Hey Mom!" (Sherry pointed out that he never address anyone without putting a HEY! in front of the name.)

"Yea."

"What should we have for dessert?"

"I don't know, what should we have?"

"I'm thinking...ummm...ice cream."

Scott chirps, "Yea, I'm going to put Harrison to sleep and you and Mom get the vanilla and let's put blueberries and ice cream in a blender."

Henry flatly replies, "NO."

I remark, "Henry's not really into fruit." (unless it's an apple or a dried variety, ugh.)

"Well what kind of fruit do you want in your ice cream?" Scott asks Henry.

"Ahhh...ummm...I think I like the fruit we call...ummm...caramel?"

{the day after} WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY...kinda

2010-07-29T15:31:00.002-05:00

Destination: Minnehaha Falls

Purpose: Dinner and enjoying the scenery

Laughing out loud because...neither boy would look away from the falls toward the camera

be brave

2010-07-26T08:03:00.002-05:00

"It's okay Mom, you can call me whenever you need me." Henry said to me yesterday patting my back in our gentle embrace as I sat on his little toilet in the bathroom with tear-filled eyes.

The kid who has developed separation anxiety at 3 1/2 decided to go back with Grandma and Grandpa for a two night sleepover. AND I AM THE ONE CRYING!

After two days with Grandma and Grandpa at our house this weekend, Henry lacked no confidence that he was going back with them. Grandma had her doubts that he would leave, but I just knew that his heart was set on going from the moment he was invited. It took 48 hours to convince myself that I could be brave, and survive without his presence in the house. After church yesterday, we went upstairs together to pack his bag. I had to fight back tears as he sat chattering about his big plans with Grandma and Grandpa. Don't get me wrong, how cool is that to spend time with your grandparents?! I only wish that I had more memories of those experiences. Those are the moments he will spend rehashing in the years to come.

I often hear Sherry and Scott talking about their overnights with Grandma Lorraine. The time one of them (I won't mention who) was allowed to eat two Big Macs in one sitting and then puked. Or when Scott would scare Grandma Lorraine once it was dark outside. They would play "Ma Perkins" and Grandma would become a short order cook. I remember the fun it was to sleep on the floor in sleeping bags in the basement. Only to have Grandpa shout at us to not "turn the dial" on the tv because it would mess up his tv upstairs. I loved the breakfasts my grandma would make when we would wake up in the morning. I hated the silence in the car when we would go somewhere because they never would turn on the radio. To this day, I think about riding in the car with my grandma and grandpa when I drive in silence. The sound of the clicking blinker is so nostalgic.

When Henry was backing out of the driveway yesterday all nestled in the backseat with Grandma, I knew his silence and serious face was not because he was concerned about his decision to go home with Grandma and Grandpa. He was concerned that I would be okay. I waved, shouted at him to brush his teeth and use his manners. Then reminded myself that not only was he in good hands, but also going to make some great memories.

Redecorating My Cyber Personal Space

2010-07-15T16:43:00.002-05:00

Alright, followers, I'm totally messing with templates and colors and junk that I simply know nothing about. I am trying to read geek code in layman's terms, and so far so good. Sorry if I am driving you crazy with the different looks I am trying out lately. There are still a few more things I want to try, so thanks for bearing with me!

Any color suggestions? I am not sure which colors suit my blog best. Let me know if you think a particular color(s) screams my personality.

time flies when you're having fun

2010-07-14T07:00:00.007-05:00

Oh my goodness, it's already mid-July! Huh? I am not sure where the last 14 days have gone, but they went all too quickly. Do you feel the same? I mean, people always told me that the older you get, the quicker life passes you by...but really, this is ridiculous! I feel like 85 the way we are cruising!

You might be wondering what we've been up to?

Henry--

This three and a half year old is operating on his own schedule and testing his boundaries. I pray for patience and wisdom every single day in order to be the best mom I can be to him. I keep asking all the smarter, experienced moms in my life if this is "normal" and I am assured that it is. I keep asking Scott when this phase will be over and he assures me that it never will be and that I must learn to roll with the punches. Are you kidding me? Forever?

We spent part of last week up North with my husband's side of the family. A ritual that we started within the past couple of years is to take the kids to pick strawberries. Last year, Henry ate so many strawberries his lips, fingers, and t-shirt were stained red. The berries he took home were in his belly, not in his bucket. This year was a different story.

Here is what his bucket looked like this year...

and here's what he thought about picking strawberries...

and here's his reaction when we told him we were all done...

This little dude, knows what he likes and what he doesn't. Like most people, he prefers that things go his way. Learning to deal with life when things don't go his way has been his biggest challenge at the moment. In between those moments, he says funny stuff, entertains us with his big ideas, and charms us with his smile and eyes. He loves to read books and use his imagination. He's recently discovered a tote of stuffed animals that I had stored in the basement. He drags them all over the house and chooses a different one to snuggle with every day.

Harrison--

Do I have to tell you again how happy this little man is 24/7? He continues to love to eat and sleep. Anything he sees his older brother playing with is what he is the most interested in playing with too. I probably could put away the baby toys because he's just not interested--I think I keep them out more for myself than for him.

In the past week, he has been scaling the furniture. I feel a walker on my hands pretty soon. Last night, I saw him pop his butt up in the air to walk on his hands and feet. He didn't quite get going and I figure I've got more time on my hands with a crawler than a walker. Henry walked at 11 months, yea, yea, yea, I know each kid is different--I get that--but I see so many similarities with patterns and timing. He still doesn't have control of his balance, but he tried to do some one-handed stunts.

We spent the July 4th weekend with my parents. During that time my dad referred to Harrison as Festus from Gunsmoke. I guess Festus had some messed up teeth. My little man has three teeth on the bottom and one big one on top. When he smiles at you, he scrunches his nose and shows you the big one on top. It's pretty cute. But what isn't cute about this guy? Babies are so sweet!!

Scott--

We had fun just hanging out with daddy last week. He managed to break away from work (For the most part but, technology always kept him connected to an extent). By the end of the week, I actually had to compete with him to be the one to sleep in. He's always the earliest riser of the family. Maybe his sleepiness was due to not having the newspaper to read every morning. He told us on Sunday night that he was going to miss not hanging out with us all day long. We were bummed not to have him around when Monday morning rolled around, but it was nice to be home again.

Me--

Life has resumed some normalcy now that I've unpacked our last suitcase, washed the last load of beach towels and stocked the refrigerator with our favorites. But I haven't put away the sunscreen or the swimsuits because summer is far from over.

I've been making (mostly mental) "to do" lists--spots to clean, things to organize, items to take to Goodwill. But mostly, I am enjoying hanging out with the boys, soaking up the sun, trying new recipes, tending to the flowers (although between Scott and the sprinklers, I haven't had to water them much), trying to decide how to redecorate my house on a budget (Do you see I changed my background again? Guess it's the quickest and cheapest way for me to redecorate something in my life!!) and hanging out in the backyard with the neighbors. Before summer began, I thought I needed to schedule this and that to keep the boys (mostly Henry) busy. I decided against over scheduling and it's been the best thing. Like I said earlier, we're mid-July and it's all going so quickly.

Well, that's our update. Thanks for bearing with the lack in postings! Keep enjoying summer!!

ahhh....the weekend

2010-06-28T14:19:00.007-05:00

I am writing today with no other purpose but to share a few snapshots of our weekend. This Minnesota weekend was filled with humidity, sunshine and some wild evening storms. Scott and I managed to get out for a date on Friday night and spent the rest of the weekend being entertained by our boys. Why do weekends have to go by so quickly? I don't know, but we're sure looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend. Can't wait to share snapshots of our upcoming weekend with you too. Have a great Monday everyone!

"Don't freak out Mom! It's not an alligator!"

Homemade whip cream is loved by everyone! But the best part of the whipped cream is always the part that gets licked directly out of the bowl it's made in.

Dennis the Menace made a surprise appearance again this weekend. Now, not only does he have overalls that are wwwaaayyy too small, he has a sling shot and a cap gun to put into his pockets.

I knit a few quick hats. One is a skully for Henry and the other is made out of this brown "latte" colored Peruvian wool, which is for me. You won't see me sporting my hat anytime soon, although don't be surprised if you see Henry wearing his hat. He thinks skullies, especially those made of wool are cool to wear all year 'round.

I watched my cat read the Sunday paper. I bet you wouldn't believe me if I told you she went out to buy it herself, would you?

Playing with an empty box is a great way to use your imagination and spend a few hours markering, taping, cutting and doing things only kids want to do WITHOUT Mom telling them not to do it. I think this box was a kitchen, house, vehicle, and jail all in just a few short hours.

Father's Day, Mission: Treehouse

2010-06-22T07:23:00.008-05:00

So these two little monkeys were about the luckiest two little boys on the planet this Father's Day. Not only did they get to spend Sunday with their own dad, they were able to get both of their grandpas in one place too. Now you might think these grandpas just sat around and visited, which they did don't kid yourself. But these grandpas also had an agenda--mission: treehouse. Here, I'll let Henry give you a little tour of the new pad.

Hey! Have you even wondered what kind of view you can find in a treehouse? Come on, I'll show ya! Follow me!

First, you need to climb this really cool ladder!

Then you climb through this really secretive trap door.

We have to shut this trap door because we don't want anyone to fall through.

Check out the view!

Have an Oreo, why don't you? It's nearly bedtime.

Ready to go?

Wwwweeeeeee!!!

They worked really hard to get this house built for us, and thanks to help from my Papa's neighbor, Grandpa just had to help with the ladder this weekend. The next time I come to visit, there should be a roof on the top. I can't wait to sleep in it!

It didn't take them long.

We sure are lucky to have these special guys in our lives. Thanks dads for all you have done and do for us each day. You are so fun to be around and you make us laugh. You've taught us lessons that we'll never forget. We couldn't love you more!

random thoughts

2010-06-10T11:20:00.004-05:00

Hey there.

It's raining...again.

A few minutes ago, I was thinking of my pals at the school I used to teach at. I'm bumming for them because it's the last day of school (or so I think it is) and it's raining. It's not suppose to rain on the last day of school because they ALWAYS eat a picnic lunch and then play at the park and have a competitive game of softball going. I know I will stay dry and sane today, but I'm a bit worried about them. Good luck gang! Yeah for another year complete!

We're not doing much today so I thought I would put a few good pics from our weekend at the lake from a few weeks back. The weather was beautiful and the company was even better. Can't wait to get back there!

As for last night, I made my way to TJ MAXX--I decided against the sandals once I carried them around the store for a bit. (Does anyone else do that?) They were a bit on the loose side and I think there is something better out there for me. Instead I purchased a new workout top at Target that I've been eyeing. It was on the clearance rack for $4.25--75% off it's original price. I love it when that happens!

Allright here are my handsome beaus--knock yourself out!

A potty break and a stop at the park to play was just what we needed!!

Dad's are good for so many things.

Henry braved the chilly waters with this wet suit (and dad). He got this suit as a present from my Aunt Pauline when he was a baby. I can't believe my man fits it in!

Look at the wittle baby!

Did I tell you yet that this little baby is pulling himself up on everything?

I see him growing before my own eyes some days.

My absolute favorite picture from our entire weekend! My dad with his boys.

This is one special Papa.

A Poem I Wrote For YOU

2010-06-09T08:59:00.004-05:00

This post goes out to all you at-home moms & to those who can identify. If you don't "get it", please don't judge.

Here is an email in the form of a poem I sent to my husband this morning because I'm having a tough start to my day.

Please.

The next time I tell you that I need to get out, don't deny me of it.

Please don't try to calculate a mental break in cost per gallon.

My breaks are purposeful, they make me a better mom, wife, friend.

Wednesdays are my breaking point.

I hate being at my breaking point, it makes me so vulnerable.

I dislike who I am today because I'm low on so many levels.

I'm not mad, I am just telling you what I need.

You've asked me to do that.

This job is tough.

I'm not saying that yours is not.

But I can't do this 24/7 without a break.

When is the last time I was able to step away from being a mom?...last
Wednesday night for 1 hour.

That's a long time ago in mommy time.

I'm tired, not physically, but mentally.

I can only take so much hollering and whining from a 3 yo before I start
to holler and whine myself.

I don't like it.

And here are snippets of his response...

Thank you. Points well taken.

Love you.

By the way, it is your vulnerability that I love so much.

Get out and have some fun tonight!!!!!

... When you leave, I am scared that I won't be as good as you.

...This weekend, I have been praying that I can create memories and be accomplished, like you. I am scared and excited all at the same time.

Why does he do that?

Somehow I feel better amid the demands and whines of my 3 yo.

Sorry for the long breaks between posts lately. I feel like it's all weather related AND my family is giving me A LOT to work with lately.

Guess what I am going to do tonight?

I'm going back to TJ to pick up a pair of sandals that I saw to wear on my girl's weekend!

54 hours to go!!

sigh

2010-06-08T18:11:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting at the counter watching Scott boil sweet potatoes to accompany our grilled steak. I'm surfing the net, enjoying a glass of (too sweet) wine when my 3 year old munchkin taps me on the leg.

"Mom, is my dinner ready?"

"Yep. I boiled you some noodles."

As he hops up on the chair next to me, he says with confidence, "Move your computer over, Mom. I'm gonna eat like a machine."

Okay you have to admit, that is pretty funny.

A about 2.5 hours ago, I would have sold him on Craigslist for best offer.

Here's why.

"Picture this." I'm looking at dishtowels in TJMAXX with my back turned to H & H. Big H is c-r-a-b-b-y. He's already looked at the toys and doesn't want to be here. He's making me not want to be here. I've already scolded, threatened, given the evil eye, all but left the store. I only went in to look at the dishtowels. I become short of breath when I realize that Big H has put all of his weight on the stroller and flipped it upside down. WITH LITTLE H IN IT! Paying no attention to Henry laying on his back, I immediately turn my attention to little Harrison, who is just (literally) hanging out upside down in his carseat. He didn't blink an eye, still content as always. As I adjust him in the upright position, I can't believe that I have to be two important places at once.

I then turn my attention to Henry, picking him up on the floor. Thinking, Should I even be picking him up? What if he hurt his back? Or neck? Screw it, he's already half up.

After assessing the situation, I realize that really the only person not okay in this situation...is me. I thank God that Harrison was buckled into his car seat. I thank God that the situation was not brutal and bloody. Thank you!!

At this point, I am so highly irritated with Henry that I am so calm it's eerie. We leave shortly thereafter. I buy my fake lemons and yellow dishtowels, leaving the movie Henry picked out behind. He gently grabbed my hand as he left the store with tears in his eyes. He cried all the way out to the car and for blocks beyond TJMAXX. He eventually fell asleep.

When we got home, I packed up every toy that he cherishes and will miss for the next 48 hours. I put it in a brown paper bag and hid it in the garage. He's yet to notice, but I am confident that it will be a teachable moment. I don't drag my children to stores except for Target. I don't ask them to be bored while I shop for things they could care less about. But today it was raining and I thought we could handle a little adventure that mommy was interested in. I guess not.

So I sit here. I again thank God that all ended well. I've snapped out of my crabbiness, thanks to an unexpected phone call from a friend at the right time. I'm laughing. How can someone do something so wrong, still be so loved, full of personality and innocence?

Sigh.

Wine.

Surfing.

Dinner is ready.

WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY "Mama's Day"

2010-05-12T08:03:00.004-05:00

goal setting

2010-05-10T13:48:00.004-05:00

When I think about my goals in the world of stay-at-home-mommyhood, here is what I come up with...

1. Keep my kids happy and loved. I mean, if they are getting exactly what they need, shouldn't my day be a breeze? I have allowed Henry to eat animal crackers for breakfast dessert because if I can negotiate with him to eat something nutritious beforehand, what harm will it cause? I still grit my teeth and wish he didn't want them at 8:30am but if it keeps peace, why not? Last week I threatened not to buy any more animal crackers because his constant begging DROVE-ME-NUTS!

Some days are tougher than others to meet their needs--some days all I hear is "Mom, can I..., "Mom, I need..., "Mom can you help me find..., "Mom wipe my..." But as much as I threaten to change my name, I still love the fact that I am needed.

I want my kids to know that they are loved. Maybe the fact that I am ignoring them right now will affirm that they are loved, do you think? No, really they are fine--one is sleeping and the other is...hmmm...digging in the pantry...bet he asks me in less than 30 for...hmmm...animal crackers are gone...maybe Oreos or licorice. I'll let you know. One huge hope that I hold for both of my children is that they know they are loved and that others want to be around them. I mean, how much better can that get? To know people out there love you and want to be with you. Some of my most painful childhood memories are not the ones when I received low scores on a math test, but the ones when kids were brutally mean. I think those moments...yep, brought me two cans of Diet Squirt in a lunch bag, after some giggling and begging, I am refusing. Instead he has brought them into the bathroom and I hear the water running--whatever, I'm blogging. Those kids who inflicted pain on other kids were not kind. People only hung out with them because they were scared not to. Why not choose to hang out with kids who are kind, thoughtful and loving. I believe you must feel and see those actions before you can reciprocate. I know my boys will be far from perfect, but I hope through their mistakes they will learn right from wrong.

2.Go to bed with a picked up house, I'll wake up with a picked up house. I had this thing when I worked that if I left my desk clean at the end of the day, I could walk into my classroom in the morning not bogged down from the junk from the day before. I guess I still have that thought engrained into my head at home. If we make milkshakes at night for a snack, and the dishes don't get cleaned up at night, I have to face it first thing in the morning. Only in the morning, everything is crusty and smelly.

3. (Try to) work out if something isn't on the calendar with the kiddos. There is something about working out in the morning that makes me happy. I love it when I pick Henry up at the kids' center and he comments on my red face. Then I don't feel too guilty later when I have a milkshake before I go to bed.

4. Coffee, no I'm not addicted. There is something about it that makes my day start off right if I have a cup of coffee with a bit of cream and sugar. It's heavenly. When I go to bed at night, even if I get woken up several times in between, I know that when the sun rises, I get to have my cuppa.

Okay, I just heard the can of pop open...what the...and the baby is crying....he tried to open it with a flashlight and he succeeded...now he's crying too...crap gotta go, see goal number 1.