Date Night

Last night was the first time Jon and I had real plans to go out in 6 months.  Dinner and movie!  The Hunger Games!  I couldn't wait!

Last night was also the first time both of my kids got sick. 

Holla. Can I get a Welcome to parenthood?

We really liked the first half of the movie, and I didn't even have too many qualms about the discrepancies between the book.  Maybe in 6 more months we will have another date night planned and we can see the second half. 

We are hoping for a super fast recovery, because today also kicks off the much awaited Year in a Weekend!

March IS Madness

Let the record show that my English language learning, 3-year-old son's bracket beat mine.  I feel I must record my failure. 

Other madness in March,

S-Man's prayers have grown comical.
"Fank you watch Barney.
Fank you Oh-beins.
Fank you peeing.
Fank you mama-make-a-pancakes.
Lub you Desus.
AAA-men."

We Were Warned

We never baby-proofed our house.  Okay, so we at least put a latch on the cabinet under the sink where we keep lots of cleaner, but that's the extent of it.  Now we've got a walker who is much taller on two legs than on all fours (surprise, surprise).  It seems nothing is safe now.  We do love watching him walk around though, so we'll take the trade off of clutter and destruction. 

Whew.  Hard work.  Time for a break.

Hobbies, Part 3

You thought we had moved on, didn't you. 

Nope. 

We're still at it. 

Graduation!

Remember a mere month ago, I was posting about Lil'O walking?  Remember merely days before that when I was in need of pep talks that my son would ever walk??  Lil'O has made so much progress lately that he graduated from physical therapy!  He can even place his entire heel on the ground now, so he doesn't need his brace to walk.  Our PT recommended that he continue to wear it for a few hours a day until his foot grows out of it to ensure a good stretch daily so he won't regress.  Yay for progress!

Recently, I heard a great sermon where the speaker was talking about how the Israelites placed stones in a pile whenever God was faithful.  Then someday children could ask about the stone piles and the adults could have meaningful conversations about God's faithfulness throughout their lives.  The speaker said he had heard of families in our day that would get out a sharpie and jot down answered prayer on stones.  He was saying that the idea was to keep a prayer journal, scrapbook, or some means of remembering the amazing things God has done.  Then when you are feeling attacked or your faith has taken a hit, you can look back and remember the specific times in your life that you celebrated God's faithfulness.

I took this idea to heart, but I'm not the type of person that wants piles of rocks  laying around my house.  I also know that I start lots of new routines and don't stick with them (cough.. working out).  But I do know that for some reason, I have really enjoyed blogging.  I started to realize that this would be the perfect forum for me and my family to record God's faithfulness in our lives.  And blogger has already made it so simple for me!  How easy it is to tag posts when God has been faithful. 

And so, (you didn't think I would ever wrap this up, did you?) Lil'O is walking, has graduated PT, and has overcome his stiff muscles in his calf.  God is faithful.

About Town with the Birthday Boy

Who's the best at scoring free deals from various birthday clubs?  This guy!

Happy first birthday as a Dad!

Here was the run down:  Started the day at Wienerschnitzel and  I'd say the boys first go at a corn dog was a success.

On to World Market, which has the best birthday club hands down.  Free $10 purchase!

Next, a Schlotzsky's pizza was enjoyed at the park.

On to Ace for paint and some other random fun.

Firehouse Subs,

Marble Slab,

and McAlister's rounded out the day.

Lots of take out was had on Sunday, including Ihop, Jason's Deli, Wing Stop, and Which Wich. 

Our weekend also held lots of time outside on various yard projects, playing in the sprinkler, and time with friends.  A great birthday weekend to be sure! 

For those of you that are crazy enough to be thinking that all this free birthday hoopla would be right up your alley, here is a link to Hey, It's Free. You can sign up for as many birthday clubs as you wish!

Almost Birthday Buddies

Spring Crafts

We are deciding whether to go to our helmet appointment on Monday or just cancel for a few more weeks.  O's noggin keeps on growing, but it doesn't seem like enough to merit a new fitting.  One look at this picture and the choice seems clear.

Cheap Entertainment

Lil'O has got a new game that he is very dedicated to playing.  It's called, "Hey Babe? Have you seen the ______?" 

Round One:  "Hey... Where's the toothpaste?  
Round Two:  "Where's that phone?"
Round Three: "Why is this spoon in the bathroom cupboard?"

It's like a treasure hunt every time you open a cabinet or drawer around here. 

Now here's a game for you.  S-Man's got a new word that cracks me up every time I hear it.

Pill-oy-a-let

Can you figure it out? 



Give up yet?




Okay, I'll tell you.
It's toilet.   

The Zoo

"Ummm Dad...  that giraffe is mooning you."

The Hair!

Here they are... the much awaited pictures!  Sorry I didn't post any earlier.  We ended up having a pretty busy week and our internet has not been working every afternoon.  Don't ask me why.

I decided I really like the hair cut.  It reminds me of my friend Lindsey from High School who was a darling pixie of a girl, who also had super toned arms.  Maybe that will be next for me as well.  :)

This is what I will look like if I ever win the lottery.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Tomorrow I'll post new hair cut pictures... I promise!

Grace

We did it!  6 months as a family!  I’m not sure we’ve ever even kept a house plant alive for that long.  ;)

During the last 6 months the aspect of God’s character that I’ve come to appreciate a million times more is grace.  It turns out that having young kiddos and demands on how you spend your time can really highlight a person’s sin nature.  More specifically, my sin nature.  Hopefully I’m not alone in thinking this… I feel kind of vulnerable admitting that, but it is oh so true.  Funny how getting up in the night, watching your floor get peed on, or accidently getting poked in the eye (again) can make a person snap.  I love that living in Christ means that I don’t have to struggle with guilt about what the perfect response to my family should have been.  I am again and again reminded that I must become less, so he can become more.  Reminded that I’m weak and without his strength, this would all fall apart.  I love that even when I am so exasperated with my children, I still adore them.  Is this God’s heart for you and me?  Why can’t we ever listen the first time?  Why so hard headed, dear children?  But the love still abounds.     

Mom Hair

I've managed to create a small amount of drama in my life. 

If you are wise, you shouldn't let your husband (or mine) cut your hair.  That sentence makes me chuckle.  Let implies Jon actually wanted to cut my hair, maybe was even begging for the chance.  This, dear reader, was simply not the case. 

I got my hair cut, and it was okay, except it looked super country.  Like I was ready to move to Tennessee with my guitar and start recording.  

The main problem was the bottom layer was just too long, and I'll be honest, slightly reminded me of a mullet.  All I needed was one inch trimmed off the bottom, and wah-lah!  A great haircut! 

This is the part of the story where my dear husband enters.  I tell him all of this and he half listens, but he usually isn't too interested in my made-up drama.  I hint around at how it would look great if only I could get the bottom layer trimmed up some. 

He turns a deaf ear.  

Finally I insist he takes a go at it.  He reluctantly agrees, all the while saying things like, "I'm really not comfortable with this" and "you should just go back when they open tomorrow".  Now I turn a deaf ear.  'Surely you can do it!', I think.  'You are a jack of all trades!  Nothing is out of your  prowess!'

Let me tell you, giving your husband a pep talk in your mind about how amazing he is will not get you a great hair cut.  Suprised?  No, I didn't think you would be.  Now my hair is butchered and I have the audacity to be upset by it. That part probably takes the cake.  Did I really think he would turn into Nick Arrojo?

I went and got it cut last night and tried to go short.  I think my hesitancy with short hair came across when I was describing what I wanted, because I came out with a mix-mangle, shorty and curly in the back, long and funky on the sides hair cut.  Still unsatissfied, I drug my kids back in with me today and basically just asked for some kind of mom hair cut.  Do you know the one I'm talking about?  It's the one where you just shower and you are done.  Gone are the days when you have an extra 15 minutes to get ready.  Gone is your will to plug in any kind of device to help you along. 

Now after 5 hair cuts (I don't know if you were counting, but I also cut some myself somewhere in that process) I've got really short, kinda curly hair.  I'm not sure that I like it yet, but it's exactly what I needed. 

Mooove!

These two are pretty photogenic, considering the whole time they were fighting over who was going to sit in the middle of the road.  Fitting, I suppose.  They both always seem to be in the road.  :)

Look Mom! No Hands!

Year in a Weekend

I love that I can ask Jon any kind of random question and he always promptly responds with the first idea that he has.  I would say that 80% of the time the answer is too ridiculous to even consider.  Or I am exasperated because I want a serious answer (no, we can't use our tax refund to buy burial plots), but I just keep asking because every once in a while, the man strikes gold.  

When I found out some of our good buds from college were coming to visit, I said something like, "What should we do when Jessie and Kristen are here?"  He immediately responded with, "What if we celebrate every major holiday that weekend?"  Genius!  Year in a Weekend was born. 

The hope is that since we only get to spend a minuscule amount of time with some of our favorite people, it will actually feel like a whole lot more!

Here's the itinerary.  Stay tuned for the fun!

Almost Got It

Whee!

Yeah, that's right.  I keep a bunny in my pocket.

Orange Guy Sleeps Over

Our Big Kid

Big Man S has got a new hair cut and some new kicks, and let me tell you, he is such a handsome kid!  For some reason the combo really makes him look like a big kid, like he could be heading off to school any day.  Crazy. But oh so cute!

both brained?

I just took a left brain/ right brain quiz on the internet (so of course I must believe it's completely accurate) and it said I was 50% right and 50% left brained.  It doesn't really seem that interesting if it's split right down the middle, does it?  I really like to do creative things, but also love organization.  Most math and maps are a mystery to me, but I love planning for almost anything. 

All this rambling has a point.  Maybe.  I was thinking the other day that it is surprising that spring is here.  (This must be my 50% right brain talking... spring always comes at the same time, right?) Every year since I can remember, my life has revolved around the school year.  I have only missed teaching a handful of times this year, but I do miss how I organized my life around the school calendar.  This is how I have always marked passages of time.  For instance, this week I'm supposed to be really, really tired because I have stayed up way too late every night.  This is because I know next week is spring break, and I'll catch up on sleep then.  After spring break it's always time to start freaking out about end of the year tests and deal with all the stress that goes along with May.  Then I always make a paper chain or some kind of calendar to count down to care-free summer. 

Now that I'm home every day, phrases like "meet the teacher night" and TPRI have meaning, but no longer fit into my life.  Kinda weird.  I really have no desire to go back to work (especially after I realized our new budget would work!  Woohoo!), but I am going to have to figure out some new points of reference to mark passages of time.  Clearly, my right brain won't let me just look at a calendar.  That would be way to boring.  But my left brain knows that I can't just hurl willy nilly through a year without some kind of meaningful markers. 

Time for some new traditions!  Anyone have any ideas?  Maybe we'll start with a paper chain from O's half birthday to when the community pool opens.  Then waiting for our summer vacation?  The funny thing is, I think it's going to take more than one year to figure out some of these new traditions, and by then S-Man will be starting school.  Then of course the years will be back to "normal".  Starting in August and ending in May, just as they should. 
   

Boo!

Tree House Scouts

"Don't leave me out!"

Oh, Bananas

My hobbies may be evolving somewhat. (Ha.)  Rather than sleeping pictures, apparently I have moved onto loving pictures of my kids shoving fruit in their mouths.  This has got to be a mom thing, because who else would love these pictures so much?