Everyday Adventures

Wow

2011-06-30T17:37:00.001-07:00

I thought I would only need a day or two to clean things up on this blog.

Silly me.

I forgot I have kids.

There has been a whole bunch of messes to clean up, don’t get me wrong. It feels like that’s all I’ve been doing. Why, just last night I told the kids to entertain themselves in their room while I finished up dinner. I heard them laughing and having a grand old time and thought to myself “This is how I wish they would behave all the time.”

Fool. I am a huge dunce.

I returned to their bedroom to find that my children were dancing around half naked while having a baby powder fight. It was everywhere.

That was fun to clean…

So hopefully I will be back to blogging soon.

Baby powder free, of course.

It’s been a while…

2011-06-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

…and this blog has gotten…

…all ~~dusty~~ sandy…

Just give us a day or two

to clean things up

and we will be back

better than ever.

Or we will just be back and slightly improved.

Or maybe just back, with no promises.

Yep, that sounds good.

Snow!

2011-02-25T22:12:00.001-08:00

Today my sister, Auntie M, invited the kids and I to come have fun in the winter wonderland that has become our small town.

Her friend Tyler came out to play as well.

Carter thinks Tyler is super cool and was elated at the chance to sled with him.

Cadence had her turn with Auntie M.

I’m not so sure she enjoyed herself, though. What do you think?

After her first ride down, she was on a mission to get back to the top of the hill.

But first she needed to throw a little bit of snow. And by little bit, I actually mean 3 snowflakes. Literally.

Carter wanted a turn to sled with his awesome aunt too!

Because he is super strong, he took on the responsibility of dragging the sled back up the hill.

When finished sledding, a snowball fight broke out.

We’re pretty sure Tyler started it.

By the end of it, the kids were frozen solid and ready to come inside.

And hopefully, we get to do it all over again with Daddy! I love snowy Saturdays!

Overheard in my children’s room

2011-02-15T16:30:00.001-08:00

Since Carter was not in the best of moods one day, he required a nap to get his attitude back on track. Needless to say he was not thrilled by this idea. His sister however, thought this a genius plan. While she laid in her bed and he in his, she began to try and get him in trouble like the little criminal mastermind that she is.

“Caaaaarteeeer!”

“Caaaaarteeeer! Play?”

“Cadence leave me alone! I have to take a nap!”

“Caaaaarteeeer!”

“Caaaaarteeeer! Play?”

“I can’t play right now, Cadence! Mommy? Can I get up now? Cadence won’t leave me alone.”

To which Cadence replied “NO CARTER! QUIET!”

I think I would sometimes have a bad attitude too, if I had a menacing sister little my poor boy does.

Upside down

2011-02-08T14:20:00.001-08:00

Two years ago today, Carter came and met his ~~nemesis~~ baby sister for the first time.

And his world has been turned upside down ever since.

Two years ago…

2011-02-07T23:01:00.001-08:00

Like all mothers, it amazes me just how quickly these years are flying by. And it seems like only yesterday that we were in the hospital getting ready to meet our little girl.

Hearing her first cry.

Snuggling for short moments.

Then off she went to the NICU.

But back in our arms shortly after.

It seems like yesterday, this was our reality.

But really, two years have disappeared so quickly. Our baby girl is now our “little big girl,” full of sass and determination.

To celebrate Cadee’s (as she now refers to herself) second birthday we headed to the park.

Cadence’s spunk tends to get her into trouble, so when I spoke to her about sharing Carter came to her rescue. “It’s her birthday Mommy! Be nice to her!!”

She’s fearless.

And she needs to do what the big kids are doing.

Her buddy “Ashwee” came to play with us

Along with her Auntie Violet.

Carter just kept singing happy birthday, making funny faces and notifying all park goers that today was in fact his sister’s birthday.

Later we celebrated with Grammy, Grumpa and Auntie M with some awesome My Little Pony gifts which Cadence did love (despite the look on her face).

I tried my hand at making a MLP cake, but I’m not exactly thrilled with the final product.

As we all sang to her, she laughed hysterically.

She gave the candle a couple attempts

and after the third try, big brother stepped in to help her out.

And just like that she turned 2.

**********************************************

Happy birthday baby.

Two looks good on you.

A day at the park

2011-01-23T18:36:00.001-08:00

Even though they are often the biggest pest in their sibling’s life

It’s nice to know that they are also the sweetest friends.

Good tired

2011-01-20T00:37:00.001-08:00

Currently, it is 12:02 in the morning and my daughter is in her bed angrily slurring her words, sounding more like a drunken sailor than a toddler. Since she is one not to be underestimated, I am opting to wait until she falls asleep for me to do the same. So now I am sitting here waiting for the rambling to end and quiet to fall upon the house.

And because I am exhausted, this whole thing could me utter nonsense so…here we go…

I haven’t been around here lately but everything is more than okay. The kids are finally back to reality and behaving like humans again. Unless you take into account the whole licking food off of their plates, growling at each other and needing a lion tamer more than a mom some days. In which case I would have to say they are semi human.

The (local) store I have been selling my flowers at has sold out not once, but twice in a month and a half! When I’m not busy wrangling children, I have been a flower making machine!

And when I am not busy wrangling children or being a flower making machine, I’m harassing friends to come spend time with me and the kiddos or doing the G-Free thing.

And when I’m not busy wrangling children or being a flower making machine or harassing friends or doing the whole G-Free thing (except we’re always doing that) then I am typically unconscious.

Because lately it seems like I have been going and going and going like I’ve got Energizer batteries until I wake up after falling asleep at my desk.

But I am happy to be this kind of tired. The good tired. Where I know I have been productive in the areas that matter. The kids have laughed and laughed until they were out of breath, I’ve spent most of the day just conversing with the Lord, the foundation of friendships are being set, my hubby knows he is loved and appreciated…I can’t complain. Things are good.

Now if this little girl would just go to sleep, things would be great…

Nobody understands him

2011-01-15T20:38:00.001-08:00

Overheard one morning…

“Bebe pwease.”

“Cadence, this is not a baby.”

“Bebe pwease.”

“Cadence, this is not a baby. This is Buzz Lightyear, he’s a space ranger.”

“Bebe pwease.”

“Listen to what he says” as he pushes one of the action figure’s buttons. “Does he sound like a baby? This is Buzz. Lightyear. Space. Ranger. NOT one of your babies.”

“Bebe pwease.”

“Ugh, fine. Just say ‘May I please play with your Buzz Ligh-‘”

“Caaaaarrrrrrrttttttteeeeeer! Bebe pwease.”

Carter handed her the toy and came out to see me, shaking his head.

“What am I going to do with her Mommy?”

“Just be patient because she is still learning. She thinks everything smaller than her is a baby, including your action figures.”

“He is a SPACE RANGER!”

“Sorry, buddy.”

But the damage had already been done. As he retreated back to the bedroom to play while shaking his head in disgust once again, he mumbled “I just don’t believe this…”

Back to reality

2011-01-04T21:14:00.001-08:00

Every time we return from another trip to SoCal, Brandon cracks the same cheesy joke as we unload suitcases:

“I need a vacation to recover from our vacation!”

Of course I laugh each time I hear it because I love the guy, and how could you not give a chuckle when he flashes you a geeky little smile? But I also know that he’s right. All the belly laughs, hugs and non stop fun really wear a person out and generally speaking, we do a lot of that.

With all that said, coming back to reality is a slap in the face for this family. Imagine spending a week in a land filled with sunshine, new friends and people who adore you. Each new house offers a plethora of different toys to play with, along with yet another person to cater to your every whim. Just by merely stepping into the room you are met with a standing ovation. The kiddos are treated like royalty and just as they are getting used to being waited on, we take an 8 hour car ride to the land of “No.”

“No you are not having marshmallows for breakfast.”

“No you may not push your sister over because she is in your way.”

“No you can’t claw your brother’s eyes out just because he is a reading a book you want.”

“No whining.”

“No tantrums.”

“No.”

“Noooooooooooooooooooo!”

Things are slowly returning back to normal, but after a day filled with sibling brawls, ear piercing screams and more reminders to use manners than I can count, this mama is self medicating with chocolates from Christmas while the hubby runs a couple errands with the kids.

Every day I love that man a little more. *Swoon*

I wouldn’t trade our time spent with friends and family for anything in the world, but the road back to reality is a long and painful one. And until the kiddos return to earth, Ghiradelli and I will be close friends.

Crazy fast

2011-01-01T18:49:00.001-08:00

During breakfast one morning during our vacation, Cadence swiped a piece of her brother’s French toast (NOT gluten free) and wasn’t feeling well after that. Once she was back to her old self, the rest of the vacation went crazy fast.

First off, Nana and Papa stopped by to drop off a pair of Cadence’s tights that we had left at their place on Christmas Eve. But Carter being the cutie pie that he is was able to rope Papa into playing a few games on the Wii before they left.

Soon after, we found ourselves at the home of life long friends of Brandon and his family. They are an absolute joy to be around and the kiddos played wonderfully together.

Remember all the stories I have shared about the mischief our little girl gets into? Well, sweet Avery is just as mischievous. Could you imagine if we live closer??

It went crazy fast.

And then just like that, our time was up and we were off to visit some of my family I haven’t seen in 8 years.

Spending time with my aunt, uncle and cousins was awesome and at times surreal. So often I forget that even while I’m away, kids grow up. Places change. The world keeps spinning. (How self absorbed is that?)

Before we knew it, we were an hour and a half late for our next get together with our dear friends Brent and Shannon.

You know how some friends make you feel so at home that the weeks between conversations and months between visits just melt away? I just adore that about them. We got so lost in conversation that we don’t have a single photo of our time together. It wasn’t until one in the morning that we carried our unconscious children down to the car to head back to my in-laws house.

Crazy fast.

Next morning we had to pack up and head to L.A. for lunch with Brandon’s sister D’Ette and her hubby Mark at Travel Town.

Carter loves his Uncle Mark.

I love this picture of D’Ette and I walking with Cadence. I think it will forever remind me of the special moments her and I shared during this trip.

This boy is changing right before our eyes. I love to see him overcome his fear of things on his own.

Have I mentioned how much Carter loves Uncle Mark?

Anything Uncle mark does…

Carter will have to try too.

And anything Carter does…

Cadence will have to give a try as well.

In case you can’t quite figure out what Cadence is trying to do in this photo, let me let you in on a little secret. My sister likes to store her phone in her shirt instead of her pocket. Since Cadence has seen this, she is trying to store rocks in her shirt. Thanks a lot Auntie M!

And then Travel Town closed down for the day. We had spent hours there, but it felt like minutes.

Crazy fast.

So we headed to Griffith Observatory. It just so happened that you could see the Hollywood sign from there also.

I miss many things about living in SoCal, and this is definitely one of them.

Sweet city lights. Sigh…

Mark and D’Ette took Carter around the place and were breaking things down in such a way that Carter could grasp what everything was. At one point Carter asked me a question and I sent him to ask his aunt because I had no idea how to explain it.

It made me wonder if I’ve lost my touch (since I used to teach Kindergarten and preschool) or if Aunt D’Ette is just that awesome? I would have to say both.

Have I mentioned my love of city lights?

Brandon couldn’t resist.

I love her face!

Our time at the observatory went (you guessed it) crazy fast. We followed that up with dinner at Whole Foods and then hour long goodbyes in the parking garage.

An awesome vacation seemed to fly right by, but I guess the best ones always do. It was trying at times, often emotional but unbelievably sweet.

*This post was anything but crazy fast. Sorry about that!

Our Christmas Story

2010-12-30T16:25:00.001-08:00

Early Thursday morning we loaded up our sleepy kids and headed south for ~~the winter~~ a week.

Our arrival was met with lots of hugs, long yawns and giggling children and grandparents. At which point I lost consciousness for several hours.

The following morning was Christmas Eve.

We headed to Nana and Papa’s for dinner and Carter decided to snap a few photos.

Then he got a phone call.

The kids opened some gifts from family, including these great bags that were handmade by Brandon’s cousin Rebecca.

They have pockets on the outside for crayons and the kids did not put them down! Check out her shop: Tulip Layne

Christmas morning

After opening up presents we got all gussied up and waited for more family to arrive.

Large group photos are difficult to take. Especially this group!

The next day we went to our old church to see friends, went to lunch with Great Aunt Jo and Zack and then headed back to the house. Cadence wasn’t feeling that great since she swiped food she wasn’t supposed to have. While she rested, the rest of the fam played Wii.

More pictures of our trip are still to come!

The Best Gift

2010-12-25T02:44:00.001-08:00

“I’ve learned there is only one thing necessary to celebrate Christmas properly: Jesus Christ” –Michelle Van Loon

Unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

As we celebrate today with the unwrapping of presents, gathering of families and stuffing of our bellies; my prayer is that the true meaning of this day would shine in all we do.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Seeing Santa

2010-12-21T21:06:00.001-08:00

Santa came to visit Carter’s school again this year, except this time around, the boy knew what to expect so he was elated.

This Santa was very convincing. His own granddaughter didn’t even recognize him.

Cadence wasn’t so sure about him.

Carter had a blast.

Cadence did not.

The boy was so happy to unwrap his spy binoculars that he “always wanted forever and ever,” but in the end who could resist the call of sweets and hot cocoa?

Even though our baby girl couldn’t eat the treats everyone else was having, she was more than happy to play with her baby girl until her brother was done. She just kept looking over her shoulder to make sure the big man in red wasn’t coming to take it back.

Introducing…

2010-12-19T15:54:00.001-08:00

Making his on stage debut as Inn Keeper #2, he must tell young Mary and Joseph that they must find another place to stay, for they have no vacancies.

Critics described this performance as “powerfully moving” and “a must see this December.”

What the audience had to say:

“A heart warming story with stellar performances by all.” –Brandon

“Good job, Cracker!” –Cadence

Don’t miss

The First Christmas

A Small Town Church Production

*Based on a true story*

Rainy day fun

2010-12-17T20:30:00.001-08:00

Tonight we had planned to go to the Christmas market here in town, but the rain has been gently falling all day long. While our plans may have been canceled, our day was anything but ruined.

By far, the best rainy day investment we ever made was a Nintendo Wii. All I have to do is turn it on and Carter is active and entertained for hours and hours and hours if we let him play that long. But the crazy thing is, he’s a natural. The kid has Pro bowling status! I have never had Pro bowling status and Brandon flirts with it on occasion.

So today I asked Carter to teach me how to bowl like he does. I mean, what did I have to lose? That boy had me twirling, twisting, jumping, flailing around and anything else you can imagine, all in an effort to get me to “bowl more better.”

Mid way through my training, he asked me to take a break so he could show me how it’s done. Fully engrossed in the game, he didn’t see Cadence when she bolted in front of him and he ended up hitting her face and knocking her down.

Being the sweet brother he is, he dropped the control like it was on fire and rushed to her side.

“Sister, sister! Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I’m sorry! You okay? Okay? Here, let me hug you. Feel better?”

“Yeah.”

“Good! Okay sister, get moving! Hit the road, brother needs to bowl.”

And just like that the control was back in hand and bowled another strike.

“Oh yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! That’s what Carter likes to see baby!”

It would seem that he is competitive just like his mother. And for the record, Carter’s bowling magic only works on those under the age of 5.

I bowled a 39.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

2010-12-17T14:46:00.001-08:00

I suppose I should finally finish telling you about our anniversary trip way back at the beginning of November.

After leaving the children’s museum, Brandon took us to tour Cannery Row and for nice little walk on the beach.

Brandon and I enjoyed browsing in all the shops and Carter and I had a blast walking along the sand. Cadence was still outraged that she was forced to leave such an awesome place and wasn’t exactly loving the current sites.

As if I wasn’t already falling in love with my man for millionth time that day, he said it was time to go the Aquarium. For those of you that don’t already know, I am easily pleased with any kind of elementary school field trip. For Valentine’s day one year, Brandon took me to the zoo and I loved it. Not to mention I totally want to visit a planetarium!

But I digress.

Here’s the thing. Brandon had forbidden me from looking up any info on the place. When we entered the place I found out why: the entrance fee. All I can say is “Ouch!”

He knew that if I had seen the cost, I would have canceled the whole thing and we wouldn’t have all those memories from that magical place.

The first words out of Carter’s mouth were “Oh. My. Gosh. God made all of this?!?!”

Carter was elated with all the sea creatures he got to see and touch that day. Cadence enjoyed a long nap and giggled at the more “showy” animals. Brandon kept snapping photos until our battery died. I wanted to stay there forever and kept turning to Brandon saying “Thank you for this, I love you.” With a proud little smirk he would reply “I know.”

For dinner we went to Bubba Gump’s for some delicious GF food. Cadence had an extreme melt down from being overly tired and we happily had our meals boxed up and took them back to our hotel. She instantly was out for the night and shortly after, so were we.

My favorite memory of the weekend was when Carter and I sat down in front of a tank with 4 or 5 sharks inside. Carter would ask questions and I would do my best to answer them all. But most of the time we just sat there quietly, in awe of it all. I will treasure the look on his face always.

Thanks babe, for not letting me look up any info. For not letting me ruin this wonderful trip you planned. Thanks for being you. Love you always.

Mad Rhyming Skills

2010-12-13T09:19:00.001-08:00

In an effort to help me rest and relax, after putting the kids to bed Brandon turned to me and said:

“To bed.

To bed I said.

Here’s a pillow for your head.

Did you not hear the words I have just said?”

Apparently I married a rapper or Dr. Suess.

My guess is on the latter.

Days of the week

2010-12-11T05:48:00.001-08:00

Sunday Brandon and I attended our life group’s annual gingerbread house building competition. It was men verses women and the rules were that you could only use what came in your kit. Within the first 5 minutes we had stolen hot glue sticks away from the guys, had our frosting sabotaged and I was chewing gumballs to help stick our house together. In the end, the girls came out victorious!
Monday I battled severe pain in my lower abdomen.
Cadence’s follow up appointment with the gastroenterologist was on Tuesday. It went amazingly well. The doctor was thrilled with her weight gain and informed us that we do not need to see her for any further appointments unless we have any other questions or concerns.
Wednesday the pain came back with a vengeance.
After missing Carter’s Kuk Sool Won class on Thursday because I was still miserable, we ran a few errands including dropping off more of my flowers at a local store. My little business is doing better than I ever dreamed of and I couldn’t be more excited about it!
After being up all night long with abdominal pain accompanied by chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dizziness I had to bail on my friend’s baby shower at the last moment on Friday. I went into the doctor’s office and the final verdict was ovarian cysts and my heart condition. My kidney is fine, too. My doctor is doing some blood work to check out my thyroid and a bunch of other things. My orders were to relax, relax, relax or I was going to find myself with other heart problems. So while I was lounging at home trying to do this whole “relaxing” thing everyone speaks so highly of, I received a call that scared the living daylights out of me. One of my family members was being taken to the ER and I was given no other details. I let the rest of my local family know what was going on and then I sat and waited to hear any news. It felt as if it was the longest hour ever. Finally I got word that everything was okay and they were going to be released that night, for which I am so thankful.
Which leads me to Saturday, today. I am sitting here writing this at 5:43am because I could not sleep. I can hear the kids over the baby monitor as Carter whispers and Cadence giggles in their sleep. They are so cute. I’m not sure what is in store today, but I know we will definitely be relaxing.

My Museum in Monterey

2010-12-06T21:24:00.001-08:00

For our anniversary way back at the beginning of November (which is crazy that it was a month ago and that it is December- I mean, when did that happen??) my hubby surprised me with an overnight family trip to Monterey. Part one of the trip included a stop at this awesome kids museum. We don’t have many of these near us, so this was a huge treat for the kiddos.

When we walked in, I instantly wished I could be 5 all over again.

But watching Carter enjoy himself was so much fun. I mean look at that face!

There was something to do, something to explore, something to play with or turn into around every corner.

Side note: notice my darling son’s handsome face? Notice what appears to be a shadow under his bottom lip? That’s not a shadow, that’s actually where he gave himself a hickey after playing with a cup! I love this kid

Fireman Carter to the rescue!

We all had fun at the hospital station because who doesn’t love a giant game of Operation?

Cadence fell in love with this baby doll and insisted on carrying her all over the place. I would like to tell you that when it was time to go she behaved beautifully and placed the baby back into her incubator without argument. Yep, I’d like to tell you that.

It took some hard work for him to get that one out!

And I think I can multitask??? When was the last time I stood on a chair holding a baby in one arm and performed surgery with the other?

See what I mean? In love.

Another side note: I am super paranoid about losing my kids. So whenever we go out into a big public place or event, you may notice that the kids will be wearing bright colors and will be matching. This is the only time I ever do this.

While Carter loves to dress up at home, I am so thankful that he passed on trying on all of these costumes that they had. I kept looking at these thinking “My kids are gonna get lice!” I’m getting all itchy just thinking about it!

I thought this game about healthy food choices was super cool.

You put different food selections on there and the arrow would tell you if it was good for you or not.

Carter played with it a lot, at least until he put a bell pepper on it. When it showed it was good for him he declared that the game was broken and was trying to kill him!

I think she needs a hard hat every moment of the day.

Carter kept telling us that this toy drill was in the wrong place because he thought it was a hair dryer.

Cadence sat there for the longest time. She was thrilled to be in the driver’s seat, even if it was just a tractor. The idea of her driving was not as thrilling to us, however.

One of my favorite stations they had was the little pretend food stand.

Carter jumped into the kitchen there and was cooking up some treats. But he is definitely the “you’ll eat what I serve you” kind of chef.

So I did.

We had so much fun at this children’s museum. I wish we could go back more often.

And clearly Brandon had fun also.

But before we knew it, it was time to head out for the second part of our fantastic trip.

However, that is a post for another day. Until next time!

2:47 am

2010-12-04T05:08:00.001-08:00

~~I like to sleep~~. I love to sleep. To be perfectly honest, I would run away with sleep and marry it if I could. So you can imagine that I’m not exactly thrilled to be woken up at such a time as 2:47am, but alas it happened tonight. Or I guess I should say it happened this morning.

You can also guess that my level of enthusiasm dropped even further when I realized that neither of my children were up. Don’t get me wrong people- I do not want my babies to be awake at such an hour. But I definitely abide by the rule “sleep when they sleep,” no matter how old they are. I firmly believe that not only does that rule not expire once the kids sleep through the night but it actually is meant to be followed long into their teenage years.

I digress.

So I went to check on the kiddos just because and the strangest thing happened. As I stood at the opening to their room, I felt this amazing weight come over me. Not in a bad sense. It was as though I had never been so grounded before, like my feet were more firmly planted than ever. I can’t explain the depth of gratitude that washed over me as I praised Him and prayed over my children. The miracles that these little people are in my life became so fresh in my mind as if I had given birth to them all over again.

The way Carter entered our lives and forever changed me in every way. My priorities. When I ate, slept and even bathed. My choices. Our hopes and dreams and plans. My faith. It wasn’t until I became a mom that I could fathom a Father that could love unconditionally, no matter how much I screwed up.

There isn’t a single aspect of my life that I can think of that didn’t change when he came into our lives and made me a mom.

And Cadence. Oh my goodness, that baby girl. I remembered the pain and fear from my pregnancy with her. The nights spent praying that she would stay put for another day. When weeks passed were huge milestones. How daily and sometimes hourly we put our trust in Him for His will to be done, no matter what that meant. And then she made her entrance so sweetly. So perfectly.

We’ve had tough times lately, it’s no secret. I’ve felt very inadequate as a mother and at a loss as to how to handle these challenges before us. And then all of a sudden He wakes me up in the middle of the night to reach me. To remind me.

I felt reminded to rest in Him. To trust completely. Pray without ceasing. To walk with Him. Do good. Seek.

The preciousness of these sweet blessings He has entrusted us with came over me like I have never experienced before. I want to hang on to this feeling and not let it go. God tends not to mess with my beloved sleep for no good reason, so hopefully the next time he decides to wake me up in the middle of the night, I will have a bit more enthusiasm. Or at least a lot less grump.

Did I mention that 2:47 am is the exact moment Carter made me a mom?

I love God’s sense of humor.

Life in a nutshell

2010-12-04T00:24:00.001-08:00

My daughter swears. A lot. Her word for pants sounds a lot like a what makes a boy a boy, she says “shirt” but without one crucial letter and she calls her brother “Cracker.”
I am going out with the ladies from our church tomorrow. I am unbelievably excited about this because as much as I love my children- Mama needs a break sometimes! Let us not forget that the women from my church are a rowdy bunch, so a fun time is guaranteed.
Carter is having some issues right now health wise. Nothing that is a big deal but wouldn’t be appropriate to share here. Just pray this clears up quickly because he isn’t a happy camper.
Business is going great since I opened up the Etsy shop. We’ve had a few sales online and my local business has quadrupled! Apparently all you have to do is flash a business card and suddenly people want to buy your goods, who knew?
My hubby is doing amazingly well at his job (which really isn’t a surprise to anyone that knows him) and works with a great group of people. They really have each other’s backs and that is hard to come by nowadays.
If someone would pay me to go shopping, I would totally be a workaholic.
Plans are in the works for our trip to SoCal for Christmas. We are looking forward to visiting with all of our family and friends, but the “Celiac Factor” is causing us some concern. When completely out of your element, how can you control everything she will come into contact with? That is the question.
Speaking of Christmas, the presents under the tree are going to be few this year. We have picked up a few things that are surefire hits for the little munchkins but we are really keeping the focus where it belongs. And for that, I make no apologies.
The pressure in my ears is finally subsiding and I am getting some hearing back!!!
Carter sees Jesus everywhere. In fact, today when we were in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen he started playing with a barn and telling me the whole Christmas story. There were no people though, only horses, so he kept reminding me to pretend “these are the peoples from the Bible.”
Sunday we get to go to our Life Group’s Annual Gingerbread House Competition. This will be the first year for us but we are so excited! Did I mention they also have the Ugliest Christmas Sweater contest? They do!!!
We have some follow up specialist appointments coming up that we would love prayer over. Carter for his issue, Cadence’s GI check up and the doctor wants to take a look at my ear and kidney (not that the 2 things are related at all).
Bottom line- Life is an adventure but God is good and in control of it all!

Just like “Brubba”

2010-11-30T13:04:00.001-08:00

Our son is not much of a risk taker for the most part and because of that, he really has no interest in riding his bike. The fear of falling, his inability to get it right the very first time and the anxiety he feels over whether or not he will be able to stop in time are extremely overwhelming to him.

We devised a plan not too long ago to help him feel more comfortable and it is working. He’s so amazing to me.

Cadence on the other hand, has no idea how small she is and wants to do everything that Carter does. She wants to be just like “Brubba.”

She chased the boys all over shouting “Sssssss” which translates into “please.”

However, all manners go out the window if she feels that she has been badly wronged. In this case, Brandon insisted she needed to be helped onto the bike. Horrible, I know.

But eventually she caved and realized that assisted bike riding was better than nothing.

Nana and Papa

2010-11-28T19:50:00.001-08:00

Nothing makes Brandon feel like a child again like a visit from his grandparents.

And Carter and I absolutely adore them also!

After taking some time to warm up, Cadence fell in love with them, too.

I wish I could say that I had tons more photos waiting to be published from their recent visit.

But when Nana and Papa come to town we completely forget about taking pictures because we are too busy listening to amazing tales of their many adventures.

A quick little note: Cadence kept playing a game with Papa where she would pull the flower out of her hair and hand it to him to put back in. He kept placing in different places all over her head and she would giggle while trying to find it again.

We love it when they come to visit!

Sunshine on a stormy day

2010-11-27T13:22:00.001-08:00

As I write this, we are waiting for another storm to hit. We are definitely getting rain, and later possibly snow. So you can imagine when I stumbled across these photos how it made me ache for the warmth and sunshine of this day.

We had gone to visit Brandon for lunch and to hit up a couple stores in the “big city.”

It was in the triple digits that day and so I surprised the kids with a trip to the splash pad just minutes from Brandon’s work.

It was the first time either of them had been there so it was completely entertaining for all three of us.

Carter got his sister to try and figure out where the water went a few times.

The looks on their faces were hysterical!

Especially at moments like this one.

I remember sitting in the heat wondering why I wasn’t running around in the water with them.

Revisiting these photos makes me wish we could revisit the day.

The sunshine.

The games.

The silliness.

I would love a warm day right about now.

Sometimes I get so tired of the cold that I want to move to a place where it is 80 degrees year round.

But then Brandon reminds me that next summer when we are in our fifteenth day in a row with triple digit weather, I will feel the same way about the photos I’ve been taking now.

That I will long for days that require warm coats and an umbrella. To have a fire going and drink homemade hot chocolate.

And then I remember that we love living in an area where we get to experience all four seasons. Our kids will get to grow up will river trips and snow days.

So while I may not be crazy about every day’s weather, I will choose to remember that we love where we are.

And sometimes I will have to settle for soaking in the sunshine from past photos while I’m wrapped up in my blanket.

Let’s talk turkey day

2010-11-26T08:19:00.001-08:00

Not feeling amazingly well (and not having to cook either) I opted to roll out of bed at noon.
Upon talking with my mother, I was informed that she read my post about being thankful and thought it was great, BUT that I did not mention how thankful I am for her.
Let me take this time to declare how terribly lost I would be if it were not for my mother. She keeps me in line, makes me laugh and makes me realize that insanity is in fact hereditary. And it might not be so bad after all. Love you Mom!
The new dishes I was planning on trying out? Didn’t happen. Something about a crowded kitchen, painkillers and a lot of hot surfaces persuaded me to try again another day.
I could not hear much for the entire day. I’m kind of getting sick of the silence. Wait, did I just say that?
We all stuffed our faces until we resembled turkeys but with clothes on. It was awesome.
The turkey induced coma hit Cadence early and hard as she fought to stay awake at the table. It was cute and sad, but mainly cute. The rest of the fam followed shortly after.
Once everyone else woke up, it was time for more meds for this mama which inevitably led to yet another nap for me.
It wasn’t until the end of the night that I realized we hadn’t taken any pictures whatsoever. But then Brandon proudly retrieved the camera to show me that we did indeed have photos of this special holiday.

My sister’s (ugly) little dog with a cup on his head

And a photo of Carter Skyping with Mema and Opa.

2 pictures

That’s it.

I love my hubby.

Thankful

2010-11-25T00:51:00.001-08:00

I love Thanksgiving. I never really used to, mainly because I hate turkey. I know, I know. I can imagine the gasping taking place at this very moment.

While my disgust with turkey hasn’t changed over the years, my appreciation of the holiday has.

When I was 17 my grandfather passed away following a short battle with cancer. The impact of his death I could never come close to expressing properly with words which is why I will not even try. But the point of this story, is that this man changed the way I view Thanksgiving.

Sure it’s a day where you can stuff your face guilt free, a paid day off for many and a great excuse to get the family together. But more importantly, it’s a day to sit back and truly give thanks for the big and little blessings in your life. He showed me that.

This year, I am not feeling the best health wise, I can’t hear very well and I’m not entirely sure how my gf dishes are going to pan out, but none of that even matters. So if when tomorrow rolls around and it is met with disaster, what I will be thinking about is how truly thankful I am for each and every blessing in my life.

Like my husband. My biggest support, the best father these kids could have asked for, a goofball to the core and a man that would give his left arm to help someone in need.

My son, who changed me forever.

My daughter, who forces me to stay on my toes.

For joy. True joy.

For a job that provides.

For new life around us.

For health and growth and progress.

For the unknown blessings just around the corner.

For a home filled with love. And Jesus. A whole lotta Jesus.

For childhood memories.

For friends willing to lovingly speak truth, no matter the cost.

For Carter’s new way of seeing the world.

For so much grace.

For my aunt’s successful surgery, my father’s recovery and my friend’s teenage son’s miraculous healing.

For the Word.

For red hot romance.

For all branches of our military who daily sacrifice everything so that we have freedom.

For the new friendships being built.

For quiet.

For the laughter of our children.

For kisses.

For amazing new adventures.

For visits from family.

For the chance to take the kids out and catch snowflakes.

Our quaint little town.

For our beautifully imperfect church, filled with beautifully imperfect people.

The love of the Father.

For the beauty all around us.

For seeing new sights.

For everything he is.

And everything she is.

For another day.

I am so very thankful for my Grandpa Butch. He was a loving man whose laughter could brighten up any room and he continues to teach me through the life he led.

I pray that tomorrow would be an amazing day for everyone. That you would see how blessed you are and give thanks to the One who gives all things. Because He has given so much.

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours.

My date with a superhero

2010-11-24T00:18:00.001-08:00

Not too long ago, I was given the extreme honor of being escorted to frozen yogurt by this guy.

I’m afraid I can’t divulge his identity because secrecy is of the utmost importance in his line of work.

And he takes his work very seriously. Almost as seriously as he takes his topping choices.

What I can tell you is his super powers include holding the door open for others, not littering and using manners to get the job done. He is a gentleman of the highest class.

Our date almost met with an abrupt end when we spotted Catwoman across the street. He watched her closely, wondering if he would have to rush over and thwart her evil plans. Lucky for her, she was just meeting up with Alice from Wonderland (it was Halloween after all) and was not causing any mischief.

It was wonderful to get out and spend some special time with ~~my boy~~ this anonymous superhero. It certainly was an afternoon to remember.

The other day

2010-11-23T18:57:00.001-08:00

I had my first “Come get your kid” phone call last week. I have to admit that Carter has perfect timing because his fall came just fifteen minutes before school ended and I was already on my way.

Anyway, his teacher told me she didn’t know how bad it was but that it was bleeding a lot. She really emphasized a lot. So even though I was only ten minutes away, it felt like it took hours to get there.

My friend Shannon is the first person I call when I have medical questions because she is super smart, has all sorts of all natural treatments up her sleeves (know how to clear up pink eye? Cause I do now) and her man happens to be a Fire Captain. When I called her to find out where to go, she offered to stop by with her hubby since they were just a couple of blocks over. After looking at Carter’s mouth for a few minutes the diagnosis was he was going to be sore, but fine. A trip to the dentist was recommended if the bleeding continued, but since one drop of blood was far too much to me I got him in an hour later.

They took x-rays and all looked great. He had knocked his front tooth a little loose but it was nothing to worry about. He’s been eating soft foods for a few days, brushing his teeth very carefully and telling everyone about how brave he is.

I’m really proud of him.

But this little girl was perhaps a bit too excited about her brother’s injury. Which leads me to believe that she is rubbing off on him.

And that means we’ll be needing twice the bubble wrap than previously thought.

When they grow up

2010-11-21T11:21:00.001-08:00

My children have a bright future ahead of them. I know a lot of parents say that about their children, but I have proof. These munchkins daily put a multitude of skills on display. Check these out:

Based on Cadence’s hourly tantrums and ability to produce tears at a moment’s notice shows that she could be an award winning dramatic actress. Her need to always have her shoes on, a “pretty” in her hair and “chap” on her lips tells me she could be a fashion model. The fact that she is constantly throwing our own shoes at us to put on, handing me my purse and telling her brother to get dressed leads me to believe we have a future clothing designer or a stylist on our hands. Her constant death defying feats? Perhaps she will become a stuntwoman. We can’t forget about her passion for babies, because this girl could be a multitasking mama to many.

What about the boy, you ask? I haven’t forgotten about him.

Every dinner time when he declares that this food doesn’t “fit his taste,” I see a food critic in the making. The constant asking of questions leads me to believe he will be a scientist. Every time he banishes his sister from his room, I hear a judge rendering a verdict. The creative way he spins a story so that it shines no blame on himself whatsoever, sounds like a future publicist to me. And all those orders being handed out by Carter are just the beginning for this military general.

See what I mean? All these irritatingly wonderful qualities my children hold will lead to incredibly bright futures for them both.

At least this is what I tell myself whenever my children are making me crazy and I dream of a day when Brandon and I are old and gray (except I will never be gray) (or old for that matter) and we can sit back and watch our beautiful kids raise their own future stuntwomen and food critics.

And we will laugh and laugh and laugh.

As I’m sure our parents are now.

Miner’s picnic

2010-11-17T12:56:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe how long ago this seems, but in reality, these photos are only from a couple of months ago. It was just days before she broke her arm.

She has been getting more interested in being behind the camera.

And we can’t forget about this guy.

He is finally wanting to have his picture taken again.

I swear that the blue in this photo is not from the editing. They have been putting dye in the fountain and it looks completely unrealistic. But Carter still loves it.

They has little games for the kiddos and Carter rocked this egg race.

They gave the kids tickets instead of prizes which he wasn’t too sure about.

But it said winner on the front, so he didn’t complain.

He also did really well at this bean bag game.

It turned out that there was a prize table to turn in those winner’s tickets.

Which made Carter a very happy boy.

They had vintage cars to admire.

I wasn’t surprised when Carter picked the red one as his favorite.

They also had gold panning. We didn’t exactly strike it rich, but Carter did get lucky once or twice.

It was a pretty good day, all in all.

Since we were in such a pretty area, I wanted to snap picture of the little munchkins.

But when you get a good shot the first time

it’s a little foolish

to keep trying.

And of course it would be a great day for Carter

unless he got to jump off of something.

Conversations with Carter

2010-11-16T11:30:00.001-08:00

“Mommy, Mommy! I found the b-o-l-y.”

“Boly? What is that?”

“No Mommy. B……O……L……Y. Get it?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Ugh, do you even know how to spell??”

Insert a different little conversation about having a sassy mouth here.

“So what are trying to tell me? What is a b-o-l-y?”

“You know, a spider.”

“What?!?!? Where?!?!?!?”

“Oh, it’s gone now. And it was a big one, too.”

For the record

2010-11-15T13:43:00.001-08:00

Let it be known that today is my 27th birthday. At this very moment all those years ago, I was causing my mother a tremendous amount of pain, which I am sure that she would tell you has been happening every day since.

Let it also be known that for said birthday, my children have lavished gifts upon me in the form of a temper tantrum, sibling rivalry, whining, food thrown on the floor and a head wound which was self inflicted of course. You party your way and we will party ours.

And for the record, I would like everyone to know that is the last birthday I will be celebrating. Ever. No, I’m not planning on checking out early so get that out of your head. From here on out, they will be anniversary celebrations. As in next year will be the first anniversary of my 27th birthday. I can’t fight getting older, but I am determined to be the youngest gal in the retirement community.

And there you have it.

Today

2010-11-14T20:32:00.001-08:00

We went out to lunch for a little pre-birthday celebration because my birthday is actually tomorrow.
Cadence ate three pieces of GF pizza at said lunch. THREE.
I launched my very own etsy site called Bralynn March which I am super excited about. You can click the link above, or use the mini etsy display to the left. I would love to hear what you think!
A friend invited me to a jewelry party next weekend. Super stoked about that!
Carter informed me that my “booty is WAY TOO BIG for Cadence’s car seat.” Thanks buddy. Sometimes the honesty of children sucks.
The hubby surprised me with a desk that also doubles as a craft table. Have I mentioned how much he rocks? Because he does. Big time.
As I am typing this, the boy is still sitting at the table playing with his dinner. We aren’t forcing him to stay there, he is just that s l o w.
I have 3 orders that already need filled. Time to get to work!

Conversations with Carter

2010-11-12T10:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a tough day for Carter because 3 of his favorite books of the New Testament disappeared. He has been very interested in reading his Bible and absolutely loves memorizing verses. This kid has a memory that is amazing. He hears a verse (long or short) for the first time and he remembers it word for word the next day. I wish I could remember half of what he does.

Anyway.

He walked up and quoted a Scripture verse from “2nd Corimpians.” I was so proud of him and told him what a good job he did remembering that verse from 2nd Corinthians.

“No, no, no, no. Co-rimp-i-ans. Say it with me.”

“Sorry babe, it’s Co-rin-thi-ans.”

“It is? Well, at least there is still 1st Corimpians.”

“Actually…”

“Aww man, that’s such a big bummer!”

“And while we are on the subject buddy, it’s the letter to the Romans, not robots.”

“Are you kidding?! Don’t tell me anymore!”

Broken Arms and Bad Attitudes

2010-11-11T09:13:00.001-08:00

Some time during the course of the “Age of the Broken Arm” (which only lasted a mere month but totally felt like a year) we paid a visit to Sutter’s Fort.

The day started out nicely. Carter enjoyed playing Checkers with a little girl that spoke French. He giggled every time she said something because he thought she was speaking gibberish.

This was by no means a real game of Checkers. Pieces were jumping over four spaces and getting “kinged” for no reason whatsoever.

Cadence played in the covered wagon.

But of course once the little girl got up to leave, Cadence had to take over the empty seat.

After leaving the precious Checkers table, there was a lot of complaining. A lot. Until we met this sweet lady who distracted Carter from the horribly fun experience we were inflicting upon him.

She spun a wooden top on her hand, and then spun it on Carter’s. But when it kept falling off because his hand is the size of- well, a child’s hand- the misery returned.

We realized it was time to go, but stopped for a picnic with hope that good attitudes would be restored.

And it did temporarily. Carter was even inspired to show us a cool trick he made up. I have an extremely talented boy on my hands.

Once it was time to get in the car and drive back into town, the realization that the movie he said he didn’t want to watch was left at home, brought his attitude down to an unacceptable level and forced us to cancel the second part of the day.

Which would have been a trip to the Bug Museum. Surprisingly enough, I was not devastated by this decision.

Who wants to go see a bunch of bugs? Especially if there is a possibility that you may get to touch one.

Ewww…

Fairy Tale Town

2010-11-09T23:43:00.001-08:00

The fact of the matter is this: We are having too many adventures to keep up with. I am still doing the One Thousand Endless Gifts challenge and I am loving it. I have managed to squeeze in some time to stuff my face with cookies. A new thing a friend and I started is the Gluten Free Friday recipe exchange on FB which is small but growing. The kids and I have been to 3 new cities in the past 2 weeks. Brandon and I celebrated 6 fabulous years with a mini family vacay. And now I am doing some research for a brand new adventure of my very own.

But before we dive into all of that stuff, I want to share with you some of the fun times we had between all of those doctor’s visits . Like this one.

Ahh, Fairytale Town. How I love you.

This place is seriously affordable which is wonderful, but what made this day even better was the fact that we got in for free!

You heard me right. FREE.

They were having a book festival that day, and now that I think about it I couldn’t think of a better location for a book festival than a place centered around fairytales. Except for maybe a library. But libraries don’t have mules, so that would be dumb.

Every place had a theme from a book and it was really cute when Carter would point out a specific story.

But there were plenty that he didn’t recognize and I thought to myself that perhaps I need to read to him more.

But then I stopped and remembered the umpteen times a day that I am asked to read Old Hat New Hat, The Mess Detectives, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie and Elmo’s Animal Adventure, and I decided that I read enough to these little munchkins.

He had no idea that this was a beanstalk. Maybe I should read some more of the classics?

I mean, is a kid really missing out if he has never heard of Jack and the Beanstalk? I don’t think so.

Anyway, Carter went on every slide he could find about a million times,

while Cadence fell in love with each and every animal that came into view.

It was super cute.

See how long ago these were taken? She still has her cast on for crying out loud!

Thank goodness he isn’t a goat. Nothing in my house would be safe!

Even hydration was made fun.

By the end of the day, she had had enough and tears were shed. And photos were taken of said tears.

We even got to sit in a teepee! I was excited, but Carter didn’t really think it was as awesome as I did. He didn’t even know what we were inside. I’m totally reading these kids different books.

And my sweet boy wondered aloud “Why did someone put a big stick in the ground and paint it? Are they crazy or something?”

But he did know about the Knights of the Round Table, even though he had no clue about King Arthur.

So, to wrap things up:

Too many adventures
A lot of fun
Cadence no longer has a cast
I’m a lazy blogger
Reading more books. Possibly.
But maybe not Jack in the Beanstalk

Six

2010-11-05T20:38:00.001-07:00

This weekend is our sixth anniversary. Brandon has held the title of “Best Hubby in the World” for 5 years 364 days to be exact. He’s better than the best man I could have dreamed of and I count myself blessed every morning I wake up next to him.

I could go on and on about all the wonderful qualities that make him awesomely awesome, but then everyone would get all jealous and friends would stop talking to me so I will just leave you knowing this: Brandon is the most amazing helpmate, partner in crime, wrangler of small children, friend, cheesy joke teller, pancake maker, encourager, disciplinarian, back massager and pretty much any other thing you can think of.

Did I mention he brings me flowers often, for no reason at all?

Cause he does.

As my friend Heather would say, we’re celebrating 6 years “of hot, righteous monogamy!”

It’s okay to be jealous.

Black and White

2010-11-03T23:49:00.001-07:00

After chasing around the kids this afternoon at the park we came home and settled down for some quiet time, at which point I stuffed my face with Oreos because I firmly believe that physical exertion of any kind should be rewarded. Which is probably the reason that my waistline is out of control, but that’s a whole different post altogether.

As I ~~ate my weight in~~ indulged in a few of the delightful little cookies, I realized how much my children are like Oreos. Stay with me on this. You ever notice how completely different the 2 components of the cookie are? Soft and crunchy. Sweet and subtle. Black and white. But with as different as they are, they compliment each other so well.

What? You never analyze your treats like this? It’s just me?

Anyway, my thoughts wandered to how delightfully different my children are from each other. He’s passive while she’s aggressive. He’s a planner and she’s a dreamer. He’s meek and she is so bold. They have such contrasting personalities but are a perfect match. Not to mention they both are utterly delicious!

Carter spent today focusing on conquering a certain task.

He is very weary of heights and hates to fall. And he hates to fail.

He purposely tried this mini rock wall before taking on the larger one because if he fell, it would “just be a little bit.”

Upon victory of the other wall, he set his sights on the larger prize.

I love that he set aside his fear and meticulously planned each foothold before even climbing.

He set himself up for victory.

Did he make it all the way to the top? No.

But did he prove to himself he could do it even though he was afraid and kept trying until he had blisters? You bet your biscuits!

And I am so inspired by him.

Carter is careful, pensive, specific and loves to have a well thought out plan.

Now, had that been Cadence attempting that she would have rushed up the wall without a second thought, fallen on her rear end, smacked the wall for assaulting her (because clearly it was the wall’s fault) and then been distracted by another adventure.

Because Cadence has attitude oozing out of her.

She is unbending. Unwilling to let anything hold her back.

She enjoys risk and has no concept of fear.

I love that no task is ever to big for her. She refuses to see it as impossible.

She’s not afraid of getting hurt.

Not to mention she is always looking up.

She’s bold and slightly reckless, taking on whatever comes her way. And I find myself so inspired by her as well.

See what I mean? Wonderfully different but a match made in heaven.

Kind of like Oreos.

Harvest Fest at TCC

2010-11-01T21:00:00.001-07:00

As the sun was setting this past Sunday, Brandon and I were trying to decide where to take the kiddos for some festivities.

We opted to head out for the annual Harvest Fest at TCC because we always have a blast…

…and because we got a call from a friend saying we should meet up with her and her nieces. So we did.

Carter was stoked.

Cadence couldn’t have cared less about the whole thing. This wasn’t even supposed to be her costume.

She was actually supposed to be Cinderella but when I put it on her, she immediately began pulling on it from every angle until it ended up on the floor. But when I put the tutu on instead, she left it on. So for one night she was a ballerina, but forever a diva.

There were a ton of games for the kids to play, and I must say that Carter was a pro! We were very impressed by him.

Some of the games were quite original.

Carter has a great arm. Every time we take him to one of these games they always tell us to get him into baseball.

We even let Cadence have a turn at it. She just walked right up and put them straight into his mouth.

The kids were so excited to go play on one of the bounce houses.

Carter and Jaelynn ran all over that thing like they owned it.

Jae went up that wall like it was nothing!

The little ones needed Violet’s help to get around. Cadence loved going down the slide, even though you can’t tell from this photo.

Cadence spent most of the night in her daddy’s arms. She has missed him so much recently.

While Violet took the older 2 on a potty run, I took Cadence and Ashlynn into a jump house for the little kiddies. (Great picture, I know)

Ashlynn stayed close to me, because she didn’t like to fall. But “Cadence the conqueror” would stand up for a second and then fall down over and over. She LOVED it!

There was face painting,

and beads,

and Playdoh!

Cadence couldn’t play with the dough (it has gluten in it) so Violet took her to color a wooden pumpkin and tried not to fall asleep. She had only had an hour long nap in 36 hours. I’d be tired too!

While this placed was like a little holiday version on Disneyland for the kids, all good things must come to an end.

And they did. Loudly.

Recently…

2010-11-01T00:15:00.001-07:00

Cadence has learned a new word that has resulted in her sounding like one of the seagulls from Finding Nemo. All we hear coming from the other room is “Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.”

My honey has racked up an amazing 40 hours of overtime since the mall was set on fire.

We have had a surprise visit from sweet family members. We love you Nana and Papa!

Autumn has been slowly revealing itself. The trees, the slight chill in the air, pumpkins at every turn. I’m soaking it in, because this is my favorite season.

I have found a homemade hot chocolate recipe that I am dying to try.

Carter has had a case of hiccups that were apparently very “serious.”

Our anniversary is just around the corner. Crazy to think we have been married for (soon to be) 6 years and been together for 9. Wow!

A friend and I started a gluten free recipe swap on Facebook. There is a pumpkin bread recipe calling my name!

We have not been at a doctor’s office in THREE weeks!!! And I haven’t spoken to one over the phone in TWO! Is that a little bit of sunshine peaking through those dark clouds? I think so :)

I went on a date with a superhero. It’s okay to be jealous.

At 2am in the morning I found our daughter head first in her toy box, quietly saying “Help me.” She was stuck, and knew she was busted.

Spent this evening with a friend and her 2 nieces at a local church’s Harvest Fest. The kids were so bummed when it finally came to an end.

We have been feeling very old. And tired. Maybe they are connected. Or maybe not. Who knows? All I know is that at least we are growing old doing what we love.

Oh, and if anyone wants to spoil us with an all expenses paid spa vacation without our children, we would totally except your offer. I’m just sayin’…

Conversations with Carter

2010-10-30T21:34:00.001-07:00

“Mommy, I have hiccups. Wait for it, wait for it.” Hiccup! “See?”

I giggled.

“It’s not funny. This is serious.” And with exaggerated hand motions (which is a trademark of his) he tells me “I need to get these hiccups back away from me.” Hiccup!

I giggled again.

“I’m going to go talk to Daddy.”

Ultimate Frisbee

2010-10-29T20:04:00.001-07:00

When the weather was still nice and clear, we got together with a bunch of families from our church to play Ultimate Frisbee. Well, the mainly the guys played, while the ladies chatted and the kids conquered the playground.

Carter was shocked to see so many of his “church people” at the park.

The guys (and Amy) really played hard out there and ended up very sore the next day.

And even though we had one escape attempt…

The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Except for one.

That little girl is lost without her daddy.

Men

2010-10-27T21:14:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday was a very big day in our family. Not only was it my sister’s 18th birthday, but Carter also made a big decision. For weeks he had been asking a lot of questions about God.

“Does God catch my lost balloons? If I bleed, will Jesus fall out of my heart?”

But on the way to preschool, he asked if we could pray for Jesus to come in his heart. We spoke a lot about what that truly means and that just made him want to do it more. By the end of the drive, he was practically begging me! So when we got to school, we called Daddy and got busy praying.

His face was beaming as he went to play with his friends and I couldn’t help but shed a couple tears. My little man just made such a grown up decision.

That same day, on my way to pick up Carter from school I received a call from my step mom. Her and I had been playing telephone tag for a few days after I felt a persistent nudging to call them. When I asked how things were going there was a long pause. “Well…your dad is sick. Really sick.” She went on to tell me that he had contracted a virus called Dengue Fever, also known as Bone Crushing Disease. The pain is supposed to be excruciating; pure torture. And it can be fatal.

My heart sank.

Hearing that the first man in my life was in such agony and could die brought about some unexpected feelings. My father and I don’t have the best relationship. He loves me and I love him, but the journey to here has been full of hurt and disappointment, from both of us. As I began to process this news, old wounds I had previously thought were healed began to fester. I had never dealt with the past, I only put a pretty little bandaid on it and moved forward.

Fast forward to Thursday, the following day. A man, for reasons unknown to me, decided to set fire to our shopping mall. By the time they got the fire out, a third of the mall was destroyed and the rest had significant smoke and/or water damage. This meant that Brandon and the crew he works with, had to work non stop getting clean up and restoration equipment to the site to help get the mall operational again as soon as possible. My man has literally disappeared from our little family for the past week.

We miss him terribly.

Our week has been an emotionally charged one, but through it all God has carried us.

Our little man continues to be on fire for Jesus. He has been adamant about reading his Bible, initiates prayer and asks all his friends “I love Jesus, do you?”

My man continues to work extreme hours and we have gone to have lunch with him a couple times so the kids can see him. Cadence has kicked the drama into overdrive and Carter has been extremely clingy, demonstrating how much they miss their daddy. And I have more respect now than ever for all single moms. It’s hard.

And as my father continues to heal, so do I. The more I prayed for him and our relationship, the more I realized I have been fearful of what would happen if I invited God to “do His thing.” It might require hard work, dealing with old wounds, facing some truly hurtful things I have done and giving apologies- all of which have seemed too overwhelming for far too long. Through all the ugliness, I failed to see the beauty that could come out of it. I don’t know exactly what the Father has in store for my father and I, but I know there will be healing and there will be no more bandaids needed. And I’m ready for it.

Conversations with Carter

2010-10-14T15:08:00.001-07:00

Me- “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

C- “Uuuuuummmmm, I want to work at MickeyDonalds (McDonalds) so I can be a cooker.”

Me- “You want to be a chef?”

C- “Noooooo, I want to be a cooker and make all the people whatever food they want. Especially chicken nuggets. People like chicken nuggets.”

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I came home from a baby shower last weekend and Carter wanted to see the prize that I won. I showed him the candle and told him it was vanilla scented.

Smelling it and looking less than thrilled, he passed the candle to his daddy and told him “Here. Smell this. I guess this is supposed to smell like cream cheese or something. I don’t know, that’s what Mommy said.” He followed that with a little eye rolling.

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Cadence loves to sleep. Well actually, I love for her to sleep because she so desperately needs it. So typically when she wakes up from nap she is slightly cranky and cries when Carter tries to excitedly greet her.

Tuesday, Carter comes up to me and tells me (along with exaggerated hand motions) that he has hatched a plan.

“See Sister’s hat right there Mommy? See it right there? I put it right there by her bed so when she wakes up she will see the hat because she likes the hat and she will remember she likes the hat and she will be happy and not cry forever.”

“Good thinking buddy.”

Five minutes later he returns to me with another announcement.

“I took two of Sister’s babies and I put them right there on her hat. Do you see them? Mommy, are you looking at them? I put them right there so she will see them and remember she likes them and be happy when she gets up. Now…my plan…is complete!”

Oddly enough, it worked.

The next day, he tried it with her water bottle.

That didn’t work.

Bubble wrap

2010-10-12T15:51:00.001-07:00

This is the day she got her cast after deciding it was a good idea to jump out of her high chair.

This is day she got her cast off and almost got a new one.

This is the day she spiked a fever for an unknown reason and had a febrile seizure.

And today is the day she bolts down the aisle of Kmart, trips over a hanger and slams her face into the floor. Hello, fat lip.

Several of my dear friends and family have suggested bubble wrap.

I am seriously considering it.

It’s Monday again

2010-10-11T00:07:00.001-07:00

Normally, Mondays are difficult days for us. Weekends are “all Daddy, all the time” and when Monday hits, it’s like a smack in the face to my children. My daughter nearly loses her mind when forced to let Daddy go back to work. But no, today we are not mourning the passing of another fabulous weekend, we are rejoicing in the start of a brand new week!

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Apparently this even applies to Mondays…

So what is a mama to do?

I’m finding the little things in Monday that are worth celebrating. Brandon has a job, and a great one at that. He loves the crew that he works with and the feeling is mutual. It provides us with medical coverage which is so clearly needed…

So while we are still missing him at home, we are going to try out some new Monday routines:

Muffin tin meals (a cute idea that I came across on another blog)
Munchie making
Movie madness
Monday sundaes

(Yeah, the nerd in me loves a little alliteration.)

If you have any other ideas please share them with me! My goal is to make Monday the new Friday in this home (or at least the new Wednesday).

******************************************************

One thousand endless gifts: 28-57

A father who not only doesn’t mind being involved and hands on in the lives of his children, but delights in it.

An evening spent building Lego towers

Giggles from the bathtub

Bedtime without a fuss

A goodnight kiss

Sharing a bowl of ice cream

Being called out lovingly on all my junk

The sweet serenade of raindrops outside our window

Nap time

Insight into a puzzling situation

Wonderfully healed bones which are being tested daily

Adult conversation

The laughter of many women

A night out

A necessary purchase found with a sale sticker on it

Phone call from a friend

Physical reminders of a spiritual need

Another week of continued health

Celebrating a friend’s upcoming arrival

A new friendship growing

Compliment from my honey

Silly conversation with Carter

Watching Brandon read a bedtime story to the kids

Devotionals with my son

Peace

Renewed energy

Helping Carter succeed instead of letting his fear hold him back

Scenic drive home

The last beautiful days of summer

Visiting with a long lost friend

Ordinary day, extraordinary boy

2010-10-06T15:19:00.001-07:00

His mild mannered alter ego was enjoying a day at the park until suddenly there was trouble in the big city. He received a call on the phone hidden in his elbow and before we knew it, Super Carter was off to save yet another day.

A superhero’s job is never done.

No playground necessary

2010-10-04T11:42:00.001-07:00

Several weeks ago, when a friend called to see if we wanted to meet for a play date at a park we don’t typically visit, I got all excited. You see, it is bigger than all the other parks. It is 3 stories of pure awesomeness to be exact, and I was sure that the children would be thrilled at the chance to conquer it.

Fun was had on that playground- don’t get me wrong, but something happened that day that has stuck with me since then.

And it came in the form of this:

A drinking fountain.

It was broken, leaking all over the place and the water was very warm.

I watched them and just couldn’t quite understand what was happening.

In my mind I kept questioning their decisions. “What about the colorful playground? The rock wall begging to be climbed? The twisty slides? Don’t you want to see all the world from the view at the top?”

It wasn’t until the drive home, as my kids slept peacefully in their car seats that I realized how warped my thinking was.

“What was I teaching my children?”

My son didn’t need a big shiny playground.

He was enjoying simple gifts that I hadn’t even been paying attention to.

A friend to laugh with.

A refreshing splash of water.

This moment.

Joy.

Blessings were all around us, raining down, and I had refused to see them because I wanted the big, shiny gift.

I don’t want to miss the small things anymore. I want to see His gifts no matter the size. To see the fingerprints of God everywhere I turn.

I’m so blessed by my children who always gently remind me of the bigger picture and the Artist behind it all.

A thousand endless gifts

#1 Salvation

#2 With each breath I am granted another opportunity to make a better choice

#3 Healthy children

#4 My hubby, who is slow to anger and quick to forgive

#5 Words of encouragement from my son

#6 Hearing my daughter say “I love you” for the first time

#7 A day out with the ladies

#8 Cheesy “Knock, knock” jokes over dinner

#9 Quiet

#10 Kids excited to go to church

#11 Listening to Carter worship in the car

#12 Being a part of a beautifully imperfect church

#13 New friendships forming

#14 Alone time with my love

#15 A surprise kiss from Cadence

#16 Perfect weather on a Sunday afternoon

#17 Chutes and Ladders- just my boy, my man and me

#18 My daughter’s budding vocabulary

#19 Five hours of sleep in a row

#20 Carter’s thirst for knowledge

#21 Brandon’s job and the people he works with

#22 A supportive family

#23 Late night talks with my mom

#24 A comforting cuddle with Cadence

#25 A much needed verse at just the right moment

#26 A morning without sibling rivalry

#27 Father daughter dances in the living room

1000 gifts

2010-10-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

Lately, I have been reminding God of a lot of things that He has probably forgotten or that have slipped by Him.

“Ummmmm, Lord, Cadence is sick again. She was just sick 2 weeks ago.”

“Hey God, we were just at the ER. Remember last Thursday?”

“Really? Brandon has to work super late tonight??? In case you didn’t notice, I’m sick and past the point of exhaustion. He needs to be home.”

Last time I checked, He didn’t need to run His plans by me for my approval. Yes, I realize I am a complete fool.

And over the course of the following week, something began to stir in my heart and mind. Or should I say Someone. Devotional times, some of my favorite blogs’ posts, words from my son- they all pointed in the same direction. I had an ungrateful heart.

“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16 NIV

Right here and now I am committing to the challenge of listing 1000 gifts and making my life all about worship. Vowing to seek His beauty daily and declare it. Walking with an attitude of gratitude.

I think this is gonna be good.

The cast is off!

2010-09-27T19:43:00.001-07:00

Today, my least favorite “C” has hit the road.

Not her, I love her.

The cast hit the road.

Big brother came along to offer his support even though he wasn’t feeling well. That kid really looks out for his little sister. Future suitors beware!

Looks at that little crinkle nosed smile! She looks so cute and rotten all at the same time.

When it came time for the cast removal, she did so well! But truth be told, I expected more of a reaction from her. She held out her arm while they used the saw (gasp!) to cut it off and she didn’t even flinch. And once she had full use of her arm it was like nothing ever happened. She’s tough.

We went to get x-rays done to make sure it healed properly and then we waited for the orthopedist to talk to us.

Carter was mesmerized by the posters of the skeletal system hanging on the wall.

Cadence quickly became bored and began ramming the doctor’s stool into everything.

The boy patiently waited for the doctor to arrive.

When the stool wasn’t entertaining anymore, she began going through the drawers every time she thought I wasn’t looking.

After getting busted several times for this, she swiped Carter’s backpack. I thought she was going to wear it, but shortly after this photo was taken, she stood on the backpack to climb on the doctor’s stool in order to get on the counter.

Since the doctor was “taking foreber,” I started having them pose for pictures.

My children are hams.

I asked Cadence to show me her cast. She kept pointing to her hand and then looking on the ground. When she did find it she would either throw it in the trash or throw it out the door.

She doesn’t like to be the subject for long, so she started trying to swipe the camera.

But not without giving it a kiss first.

She definitely has the Nogle blood pumping through her veins because she wants to be the one snapping the pictures!

And when it was realized that that wasn’t going to happen, she went back to a favorite past time of hers, mauling her brother.

Poor guy.

When all else failed, I pulled out a couple medical gloves for Carter to play with and patience was restored.

After discussing Cadence’s current x-rays and those from a couple weeks ago with the doctor, the conclusion was that her bones had healed beautifully. I am supposed to make sure she slows down however, and avoids any hard falls.

Apparently he doesn’t know her at all.

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While this probably won’t be the last picture you will see of our little stuntwoman and her cast (because I have photos to share with you from this past week), this is the last picture taken of her in a cast.

Or at least it better be…

The longest fast summer

2010-09-25T22:36:00.001-07:00

Ever have those times when everything seems to be moving at the speed of light and the speed of a snail all at the time? That has been our summer.

We’ve traveled to SoCal and visited the beach, driven to Truckee and eaten some old school candy and ventured to Sacramento to visit the animals at the zoo. Carter has tried new things and found he likes a lot more than he ever thought he did. Cadence has tried a lot of new things also and has- well, ended up in a cast. But the point is, it has been amazing!

Even with all the incredible fun causing this summer to fly right by, some events have left us feeling like tomorrow would never come. Without going into excruciatingly painful detail which would eventually make your brain hurt, we had A LOT going on. All I can say is that I do not want to see another doctor, nurse, hospital, physician’s office, appointment card, prescription, emergency room, bandage, lab slip, X-ray technician or hospital bill for a very, VERY long time.

A definite shift has taken place in our everyday adventures. Don’t get me wrong, we are still soaking up every laughter filled moment. And if there is fun to be had, you better believe we will be there! But we are changing.

We’re learning how to go gluten free on a tiny budget while still keeping things tasty. We’re trying to teach our son that a leader doesn’t demand followers, that opinions always matter but need to be given respectfully and that some risks are worth taking (yes I said that right). Cadence-proofing our current home, moving (then Cadence proofing that one), family devotionals, serving the community, becoming farmers, homeschooling and living fully all while cutting costs.

New adventures are on the horizon. Won’t you join us?

Renaissance fair

2010-09-19T14:03:00.001-07:00

Back in August, we attended a cute little Renaissance fair in Nevada City. Carter had a blast and Cadence tolerated the heat. Barely.

Oh, and speaking of the little diva, you’ll notice that she does not have her cast on. Remember, these photos are from August. She will have it removed however on September 27th.

Brought to you by the letter C

2010-09-09T21:38:00.001-07:00

Calm, cool and collected

Caring and chivalrous

Charming

Cautious and courageous

Carefree

Curious and clever

Cuddly

Clumsy

Chasing

Catching

Chubby cheeks

Charismatic

Candid and cranky

Cozy

Cute

Creative

Cherished

Crazy

Comedic

Contentment

Carter and Cadence

These 2 children of ours, they constantly challenge me to be a better parent, person and Christian. They bring me such comfort, teach me to choose joy and remind me to count my blessings daily.

My favorite letter of the alphabet.

Another first

2010-09-08T21:47:00.001-07:00

I always thought Carter would be the handful what with him being the boy and all. I just imagined all the calls I would get from his school announcing yet another injury. But no, here is my calm and cautious one. The one who thinks before he tries something daring.

Remember this post? Well, that fearlessness got into trouble last week as she decided to jump out of her highchair. I took her to the ER on Tuesday and they said it was sprained and didn’t do an x-ray. But I took her back on Thursday because I could tell it was not right and needed another look. Sure enough, her arm was broken.

Which makes this the first broken bone. Not a “first” I would like to celebrate, but a first regardless.

Carter really stepped up to the plate when he asked to go to the ER with us on Thursday. On the drive there he continued to reassure his sister that “it’s okay, Brother’s here.” He entertained her while we were there for a few hours and was discussing her condition with the doctors and nurses.

She had a splint placed on her arm that day, with an appointment to see an orthopedist the following Tuesday for her cast. She adjusted surprisingly well and has not complained much about it, which if you know Cadence, you understand how surprising that fact is.

She only has to wear the cast for another 2 1/2 weeks since it a very minor fraction. As much as I don’t want to say this, doesn’t she look stinkin’ adorable with her cute little cast?!?!

Carter has continued to wear his big brother cape by lecturing her on the importance of being safe, helping her pick up her cup and making sure she is okay after she has fallen again.

But despite his best intentions,

she is still fearless. As long as there is a table to climb, a high chair to jump out of, stairs to run down, she will be there.

And that leads me to think we will be getting to know the ER staff a whole lot better.

Love/Hate

2010-08-30T11:37:00.001-07:00

Swimming has been, well…a love/hate relationship between our children and the pool.

Loves looking adorable in her ruffled swimsuit

Hates the whole “getting wet” thing

Loves his green inner tube

Hates being expected to swim without it

Loves jumping in

Hates waiting for friends to clear out of the way

Loves his swim goggles

Hates putting his face in the water

Loves splashing

Hates getting splashed

Loves being held by Auntie M

Hates being held in the water by Auntie M

Loves floating on the inner tube

Hates getting on the inner tube

Loves lounging pool side with her aunt

Hates being still

After swimming for the past couple months, I can’t say that much progress has been made. It is still a love/hate relationship. But sooner or later there will come a time when it will be more love than hate.

Preferably sooner.

Jumping

2010-08-24T00:28:00.001-07:00

A day at the beach

2010-08-22T08:17:00.001-07:00

The details

2010-08-19T16:55:00.001-07:00

I’ve been swept away by summer and I haven’t posted too much recently. A lot has gone on, many pictures have been taken and life changes have occurred. So here are the details; the good, the bad and everything in between.

Miss Cadence received her very first pedicure at 18 months old. It was her mommy’s first time too, at the tender age of 26.

We’re getting old. Brandon more so than myself, after all he is 5 and 1/2 years older than me (yes the half is important) and his birthday is tomorrow…but I digress. We may not be in our nineties yet, but some days we certainly feel that way after a long day of chasing these kiddos.

Charlie has been teething hard core. And he loves my shoes. Need I say more?

The woman I was taking care of slipped further into the darkness of Alzheimer's and was moved to a memory care unit. Which means I am currently jobless. I’m not worried.

Water fears have been battled.

We all got sick. With the stomach flu. Again. For the umpteenth time this year. Shocking, right?

Carter’s blossoming personality has caused us to look at how we parent from a different angle. Our goal is to allow him to be who God made him while learning boundaries, respect and to try new things at the same time.

Always the diva, Cadence now requires a gluten free diet. We are currently awaiting a referral to a specialist to do further testing to see if she does in fact have Celiac disease.

Our beloved, piece of junk commuter car has finally broken up with us, leaving us with only one vehicle. It is currently seeking to enter into a new relationship with someone with the patience and money to show it a little (or a lot) TLC.

It has been hot for the past 2 months. I mean H-O-T, hot. So we have been trying to stay cool whatever way we can.

And lastly, a former co-worker of mine passed away in a horrific head on collision. She was only 21. I’m not going to pretend we were super close, but the loss has hit me hard. I made the mistake of letting a few work squabbles define who she was in my mind and I missed out on really knowing this extremely joyful, affectionate, ridiculously silly, life grabbing woman. It’s a mistake I never want to make again. Ever.

SoCal fun

2010-08-05T22:52:00.001-07:00

A girl and her yoyo

2010-08-04T15:31:00.001-07:00

Kuk Sool Won

2010-08-02T23:01:00.001-07:00

Jumping over the pole

Look how happy he is!

Trying to avoid becoming a “banana split.”

Log rolling- I had forgotten how hard it is when you are first learning.

Nine out of ten kids roll off the side of the mat at least once, my boy included.

This is the only way we can keep her quiet during his class.

Kicking the “bear paws.”

Trying not to get a “bear haircut.”

Crab walking.

Jumping on the bear.

See the pride on his face? I love how great it makes him feel to accomplish these tasks.

Showing the bear who’s boss.

Meditating for one minute. Apparently the tighter you close your eyes, the better your focus.

Kuk Sool was the start of our summer agenda: Life is an adventure. You need to try new things with a good attitude or you might miss out on some really cool stuff.

The first class, he chose not to participate. The second one he dove right in and hasn’t looked back.

Long overdue

2010-08-02T10:58:00.001-07:00

Summer has been crazy. We have had a lot going on, none of which I will bore you with right now. But I will just ask for your prayers in the following areas.

my job situation
childcare
finding a good commuter car and selling our old one
lab results
a door would be opened to move

With no further ado, here are some snapshots of our recent adventures.

relaxing

rolling

tumbling

water fun

walking

hydrating

conquering

more rolling

some sneaking

succeeding

Buried

2010-06-29T00:18:00.001-07:00

Lately we have been swamped with summer fun.

Buried in it, actually.

It’s been a time of quiet and chaos.

Adventure and observation.

Growing, learning and conquering fears.

Buried in love and laughter.

And changes I would love to tell you about.

But not right now. I’m a little buried at the moment.

Tired and not sleeping

2010-06-14T00:21:00.001-07:00

The past few weeks have been madness around here.

Brandon got the stomach flu while I was helping a friend go through 50 years of trash and treasures in preparation of a yard sale to raise money for her grandma.

Tensions ran high as we scrambled to get things together and simultaneously maintain friendships with others.

Parenting my children became increasingly stressful as I left with them first thing in the morning and came home well after their bedtime. My fault? Yes. But also completely necessary.

The sun beat down on my shoulders causing me to resemble a crustacean more and more each day as drama unfolded around us.

Every night I struggled to sleep.

And did I mention that all of this took place while I was unable to get my meds refilled? You know, the meds that prevent posts like this? Yeah, those ones.

With all that said, the intention of this post isn’t to let everyone know what a rough life I have because it is in fact, quite the contrary. Everything mentioned above God has brought the good out of.

The yard sale was a success, raising quite a bit of dough for my friend’s grandmother.

After some tears were shed, a friendship was strengthened.

I survived these weeks and after a conversation with my past and present mentor, I am reevaluating my parenting. Who we are, what we stand for, our core values.

My lobster-ish looking skin has transformed into a glowing tan and I am digging it! Certainly not a habit, but I am going to enjoy it while I have it.

And I finally have my meds again.

But the sleep issue remains. I can’t shut my mind off. I’m thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. I’m not worried, nor am I angry. I’m not quite sure what is going on. So if this post is a ramble, forgive me please. I will end with this quote from David Platt’s book, entitled Radical.

We take Jesus' command in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations, and we say, "That means other people." But we look at Jesus' command in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," and we say, "Now, that means me." We take Jesus' promise in Acts 1:8 that the Spirit will lead us to the ends of the earth, and we say, "That means some people." But we take Jesus' promise in John 10:10 that we will have abundant life, and we say, "That means me."
In the process, we have unnecessarily (and unbiblically) drawn a line of distinction, assigning the obligations of Christianity to a few while keeping the privileges of Christianity for us all.

Think about it. Maybe lose some sleep over it, too.

Not sure what to think

2010-06-09T12:06:00.001-07:00

I know that as a child I would sing the typical playground songs without a second thought. Everyone knew “Ring around the Rosies,” “London Bridge” and “Alouette.” So you sang them.

Now that I’m grown, I realize that those songs are all just a tad bit morbid, what with all the talk of plague, falling bridges and plucking a bird apart. But still, I know my son will be coming home singing them on occasion.

What I didn’t realize is that he would come home with new verses of an old childhood favorite, “Farmer in the Dell.” I heard him singing in his room one afternoon about “the nurse takes the house, the farmer takes the other truck, and the mommy takes the kids.”

Hmm…Ssounds like divorce...

Completely random

2010-06-07T07:35:00.001-07:00

Like I said, completely random.

That girl

2010-05-31T00:26:00.001-07:00

She’s amazing, this little girl. She’s fearless.

Never afraid to try something new, she meets every challenge with a smile. She has a spark.

And when she sets her mind to something- you better watch out. This little beauty doesn’t hesitate to grab the bull by the horns.

She’s ready to rock the world while still looking adorable in her sun dresses. She’s hungry for life, I tell ya.

And some days she’s hungry for a little sand, too.

Some day

2010-05-22T23:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my son brought me to tears. Don’t worry, they were the good ones.

After my shower and while I packed a lunch for the kids, I sent Carter to the bathroom to wash the oatmeal of his hands and face. The way that kid can wear that much of his breakfast and still manage to walk away from the table with a full belly is a mystery to me.

But I digress.

He emerged from the bathroom with clean hands and a surprise for me. (Don’t worry this isn’t a gross story). He requested that I close my eyes and then presented me with my wedding ring that I had left in the jewelry dish. I thanked him for bringing it back to me and when I reached for it, he stopped me and asked if he could put it on my finger.

:::cue water works:::

Suddenly, all the “some days” flooded my mind.

Someday he isn’t going to want to snuggle and watch cartoons after breakfast.

Someday pajamas with race cars and dinosaurs and superheroes will be a thing of the past.

Someday he’ll be making his own lunches and doing his own laundry.

Someday he really will be a grown up and “big just like Daddy.”

And someday he will slip a ring on the finger of the special girl in his life.

And as sad as that makes me to think of him growing up and not needing me so much, it makes me that much happier to be able to share in his journey to adulthood, and to savor every moment of it.

My daydreaming was interrupted by the pain in my thumb as Carter was trying to push my wedding ring on and the proclamation “Your finger is too fat Mommy, I think you ate too much breakfast!”

Our new tiny addition

2010-05-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to our newest little “special someone.”

Meet Charlie Brown.

No, not that one.

This one.

I met my friend Arianne at the park for a play date and ended up walking away with a new puppy that Carter promptly named Charlie Brown.

But it’s okay. So did Arianne. Meet Charlie’s sister Chaquita.

Charlie is such a cool pup.

He’s always watching.

Always investigating.

But he has such a spark and is a true wild animal; just like my children, which means he obviously is a perfect fit for our family.

Because he is exactly what I need in my life- another little bundle of energy.

Good grief, Charlie Brown.

What have I gotten myself into?

Prom

2010-05-16T12:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my sister’s junior prom.

It’s crazy to see her so glammed up. So grown up. I still think of her as 12 years old.

The boutonniere proved to be a challenge for her.

Her date later informed her that he thought that she was going to kill him with that thing. Fortunately no blood was shed.

This is her date Colin. They have known each other for over a year and went as friends. How cute are they???

Mother’s day

2010-05-12T00:03:00.001-07:00

I will post photos of our wonderful weekend tomorrow.

No need to get grumpy.

Okay, so maybe you weren’t a grump, but this guy certainly is!

Things my children have taught me

2010-05-09T20:34:00.001-07:00

Food from the floor is not only acceptable to eat, but so much sweeter.
When being told no, I should stare directly at their face, give a loud grunt and maybe even a screech, because that will change everything.
“I forgot” covers a multitude of sins, whether it be leaving your room in complete shambles, pushing your sister or forgetting to aim while using the bathroom.
Sandals are appropriate for all types of weather.
Spaghetti makes an excellent conditioner. Just massage into scalp during dinner and voila! You’ll feel (and look) like a brand new woman.
Underwear without superheroes are so last season and will not be worn, even if they still fit.
Sleep is completely overrated.
Boogers are an acceptable substitute when no snacks are available and/or allowed.
“But I don’t want to…” will get me out of anything I deem uninteresting.
Macaroni and cheese and PB&J are welcome for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oh yeah, and chocolate milk. And candy. And Nutella. Can’t forget about marshmallow fluff…
Vomit noises are awesome and oh so fun to make! Bonus points are given if you can get your parent to turn around in panic.
That all of the sleepless nights, chaos, battles and overall grossness are completely and totally worth it.

Happy Mother’s Day

Thick as Thieves

2010-05-04T13:07:00.001-07:00

While waiting in the pediatrician’s waiting room, Carter was playing with the train table and Cadence was wandering around. A little girl walked up to the table and was wanting to play. Seeing as how Carter had all 5 trains, I asked him to give her 3. He thoughtfully picked out 2 and then begrudgingly gave her a third one, the blue train.

Sensing (I’m assuming) that her brother did not want to give up the blue train, Cadence struts up to the girl and grunts in her face. She then snatches the train and runs back to Carter with her prize in hand.

The girl, having been robbed, quietly says “But it was my turn…” Carter immediately comes to his thieving sister’s defense and shouts “Hey! Don’t you talk to my sister like that!”

This all happened so quickly that I sat there for a moment in awe. On one hand, I was shocked at the delinquency of my small children. On the other, I was slightly proud to see that my son had sprung to Cadence’s defense, no questions asked. Thick as thieves.

I rose to deal with the situation as the other parents in the waiting room quietly giggled, the mother of the offended included. Fortunately our names were called shortly after.

Ogres

2010-04-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

Recently there was a hostile takeover of Carter’s beloved Ikea tent. It was an ogre.

Carter defended his ice palace to the best of his 4 year old abilities.

Even Cadence was outraged by this fiend and was off to help her brother, but was later distracted by something shiny.

It was a fierce battle.

We weren’t sure at times how this fight would pan out…

…but eventually Carter gained the upper hand and peace was restored.

Ogres are serious business. Make sure you have a top notch warrior on duty at all times.

Resurrection Day

2010-04-26T17:04:00.001-07:00

For Easter Sunday, we started off the morning with an egg hunt in our home. Since I am not crazy about the whole giving-your-child-their-weight-in-candy thing, we opted for clues hidden in their eggs leading to their baskets. Clues like: “Your next egg thinks it smells like stinky feet!” or “This egg is feeling handy and wants to build something.” And then Carter would run off in search of them, only to find them hiding in his shoe basket or on his Handy Manny Repair Shop. I would show you photos of all the fun, but we really don’t have any. My brain doesn’t go into photographer mode until after my second cup of coffee.

But I do have pictures of the egg hunt that took place after church!

Carter was not taking any chances, he wanted to make sure that he did not miss a single egg!

His sister however, was less than thrilled that she was expected to gather these eggs herself. She literally sat there the entire hunt giving little whines here and there.

Carter was an egg hunting machine.

Cadence ended up with a basket full of eggs also, thanks to the generosity (or pity) to the other toddlers in her group. They all took turns coming over plopping one or two of their eggs into her basket.

Another pic of my sweet boy. By the way, apparently once you turn 4 years old, you lose the ability to smile naturally.

Once we got home, we opened Easter baskets from the grandparents and the kids had a blast. We decided to take some pictures seeing as how our kiddos were looking so sharp. (But seriously, when are they not?)

After multiple attempts with our little girl, we surrendered to the fact that it is nearly impossible to get a one year old to sit still. That is, unless you give her a Kit Kat :)

Next up, it was our boy’s turn. Did I mention that a natural smile is hard to come by with Carter?

But we finally got a photo I was pleased with.

We next attempted to get a picture of the kids together. Looking at the camera. Smiling. At the same time. I totally underestimated this challenge…

But I think we got it. Are they scrumptious or what?

Sunshine

2010-04-24T16:44:00.001-07:00

And we are soaking it up!

Conversations with Carter

2010-04-22T17:18:00.001-07:00

“Carter, come here please. I need to do your hair before we leave.”

“What are you going to do to it?”

“I’m going to put gel in it like we do all the time.”

“So is that going to make my hair dead, just like yours?”

“Um, no. What are you talking about?”

“Mommy, what did you say last morning?”

“I said lots of things.”

“You said you were going to make your hair die. Remember?”

“Oh honey! I am not going to make my hair die. I’m going to dye my hair. It means I am going to change the color of my hair.”

“So are you going to make it yellow like mine?”

“No, I’m going to make it brown.”

“But you already have brown hair.”

“I know, I’m trying to get rid of the gray hairs.”

“Good idea Mommy. I don’t like gray hairs.”

“Thanks buddy. Me neither.”