View Point

We took the kids on a hike on the trails above our house. We got to this high point when JW noticed the view of the valley. The Dad picked him up for a wider angle and together they discussed the lay of the land. Tender moments.

Incognito

JW has discovered Halloween. He won't leave the house without his Frankenstein mask and/or Batman cape. He was quite distraught yesterday when I wouldn't let him wear his mask to school. He told me we weren't friends anymore.  I did however, let him wear his batman cape to church last week. 

Every time we go to the grocery store we spend quality time in the seasonal isle pressing the "Try me!" button on all the noisy chotchkies and putting on the scary masks. I have a feeling JW will be throwing some pretty awesome Halloween parties.

If I have to sit here all day...

Today I figured out how to lower my new office chair after sitting uncomfortably in it the last two months. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.



The view from my office window

 

Gratitude

My sister recently declared that she needs to be more grateful for all aspects of her life and stop focusing on the negative. When I heard this, I reflected on myself and decided I should also go through this same exercise. I feel like there is a lot of negativity in my life. I'm surely a contributing factor. Well now it's time to refocus and redirect this energy and reflect on that which really matters. 

Today I'm grateful for my babies. They are healthy, smart, beautiful children. I am lucky to be their mother. 

I'm going to stop there. If I go on any further I'll talk about how I am screwing them up one day at a time, and that would defeat the purpose of a gratitude post ;)

Silver Lake, October 2013

Ribbit

This morning I noticed JW had developed a cough and was clearing his throat. I asked him, "Where did this cough come from?" To which he replied, "I don't know, Mom. Maybe I just swallowed a frog."

All I've Got

Sometimes the biggest pains in your life are your greatest joys.  I love these kids fiercely.

Yellowstone, June 2013

Blogger App

I have been a bit of a slacker on the blog. This is simply because I never get on my computer. There is just not enough time in the day after I get up at 4:30 AM to workout and fall asleep three minutes after the kids go to bed at night.

I was just laying here in my bed listening to Jackson breath as he gets in some quality sleep time in my bed when I came into the 21 st century and realized - there's an app for that! Blogging, that is. If I can capture some of our moments and blog it straight from my phone, the chances are greater that I will be better about documenting our lives. I'm going to give it a whirl. 

Since a post without a picture is lame, here is something to make you smile.  JW and Baby Sister were playing outside in the lovely summer evening. She simply adores him.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter a few days ago!  Grandma Nay knitted Baby Sister's Easter dress.  It was as soft and sweet as my baby girl, and it fit her perfectly.  JW got his classic argyle sweater vest and a pink shirt.  He's ok enough with this manhood to wear pink. 

Saturday morning I took JW and Baby Sister to the local city Easter egg hunt.  JW kept calling it the "bunny hop."  JW was there ready with his basket to collect eggs.  As soon as the horn was blown, a million people rushed the field and 10 seconds later the bunny hop was over.  In that 10 seconds JW collected one, ONE, plastic egg filled with a hard piece of salt water taffy.  I wouldn't let him eat it (because he chokes on everything) and he came unglued.  At the point we went home, everyone kicking and screaming.  It was so much fun [pssfff].

The Pope

Photo credit: AP

I think I am the only person on the planet who could care less about the Pope election (BREAKING NEWS: THE SMOKE IS WHITE!).  Maybe because I am not Catholic?  Maybe I am just tired of hearing about it.  The Evening News has dedicated the majority of its broadcast to the Pope situation since Pope Benedict's shocking resignation.  Last night they spent a good 25 minutes talking about seemingly insignificant details.  Everything from how they get the smoke signals to blow the right color smoke, what size red shoe will the new Pope wear, how the cardinals fold their secret ballot, a look down the sidewalk the cardinals will walk to get to the secret voting chamber.  WHO CARES?!?!?!  I'd rather see a debate amongst the contenders.  Can you imagine Martha Raddatz posing questions about birth control and gay rights to a group of Catholic Cardinals?  That would be interesting.

I certainly wish Pope Francis from Argentia the best.  My wish for the Church is that he will be a little more in touch with the issues of this century and more transparent about the scandalous church clergy.

Moving on... 

Praying

 

Now that JW is three years old, he gets to go to Primary at our church.  Primary is where the children go to classes, have teachers, get to participate in the lessons and be big kids.  JW's class is the Sunbeams.

A few weeks ago, the Sunbeams learned about prayer.  I have been practicing praying with JW at night before he goes to bed.  I ask him what he's thankful for and we talk about blessings, then I put his thoughts into a prayer.  Most nights he tells me he does not want to pray because he is too tired and just wants to go to sleep. As if praying is such a chore.  

JW was asked to give the prayer in Primary on Sunday.  His first ever public appearance.  I was a little nervous for him because he never wants to pray and standing in front of several dozen people to pray can be kind of scary, even for me.  Nevertheless, JW stood right up, took a hold of the microphone and (with some assistance) gave the sweetest little prayer a three year old could offer. 

Be still my heart.  

Baby Sister

4 days old

Meet Baby Sister.  Born November 24, 2012

7 lbs 8 oz, 19 inches 

We adore her.

LOVE

Anyone who knows JW knows this comes straight from his little heart.

3:00 A.M.

I spent the first several weeks of Baby Sister's life sleeping in the spare room in the basement.  I didn't want to disturb the Dad's slumber.  He still had to go to work and be functional.

On more than one occassion I would get a middle-of-the-night visit from JW.  He and Baby Sister would be wide awake having the time of their lives.  She would take her sweet time nursing.  He would bounce around the bed singing "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" All I wanted in life was to go to sleep. It was 3:00 A.M.  

Auntie's House

For the last week of my maternity leave, I decided to take a road trip with my mom and the kids to my sister's house in Arizona.  JW could not stop talking about going to "Auntie's house" and playing on the bounce house.  For several weeks leading up to the trip he was so sad when I would pick him up from preschool and take him home and not to Auntie's house.  We had to delay our trip because of a major snow storm that engulfed our entire state for two days.  This was excrutiating for JW.

Since it takes 12 hours to drive to Auntie's house, we stopped half-way and stayed in a hotel.  JW had a complete meltdown that we were stopping, because the hotel "...is not Auntie's house!!!!"

Finally we arrived.  JW could not get out of the car fast enough.  He ran right in and said, "This is the best day of my life!"

We love Auntie's house.

 The bounce house

 Trucks trucks trucks

Enjoying the sun!

 

Sharing

JW and I had the following conversation the other night while JW was sitting on the couch eating from a bowl of fish crackers:

Mom: Will you share your fish crackers me?

JW: Ok, you can have one.

{JW gives me ONE fish cracker.  I eat it.}

Mom: Can I have another one?

JW: No, Mom.  You can have one now and one after dinner.