Superheroes

Conversation between my son and my nephew.

Caden: Isaac, who is your favorite... Batman or Spiderman.

Isaac: Ummmm, (long long pause) I think.... (long pause) I think I like gray.

Caden: No Isaac, that's not a choice. Batman or Spiderman

Isaac: But I want to choose gray, that's my favorite.

I guess Batman and Spiderman must be new Crayola colors.



Isaac and Caden

Snow Day

It's a blizzard, quite literally. I was a little skeptical with all the hoopla and school/business closings. This upstate New York girl grew up with lake effect snow, we didn't get snow days! Blizzard like conditions were the norm, or so I remember. But man, we got a lot of snow! Daniel stayed home despite the storm not starting till mid morning and I'm so glad. It changed very quickly to heavy snow that accumulated fast. Daniel very diligently worked upstairs in our office till about 4pm. I'm thankful for a husband that doesn't cheat the system and really did stay focused while working from home. I do wish at times he wouldn't be so focused and would come play with us... but I think I'll take a dedicated worker over a slacker. Way to go babe!

Memories from today:

• Caden woke up from his nap, looked out the window and said, "Mom! There is so much snow. It better stop or there will be no snow left for later days."
• We spent our snow day baking and playing. It was really nice not to try to get any household stuff done and just enjoy our day together.
• We made a lemon cake and jello jigglers.
• We had a movie night with VeggieTales
• Aliyah had her fingernails painted for the first time. She keep looking at them and smiling then asking all three of us to look at them. It was so sweet. She is getting so big! I love my little girl.
• Caden has a large chapped red spot on his cheek. I asked him what it was from and he said, "It's from my sleeve. I use it to wipe my nose and my cheek doesn't like it."

Yesterday during nap time, Caden decided not to sleep. He was very quiet for about and hour and half, but I have a rule with him that he has to stay in his bed for 2 hours. Excessive I know, but he's a clock watcher and a smart boy, and I want to give him plenty of opportunity to be able to fall asleep. I told him he could get up when the clock said 3,3,0. So he sat there for 30 min just watching the clock. When it finally turned to 3:30 he started yelling for me.

Sidenote: Caden doesn't get out of his bed. No matter how many times we tell him what time he can get up, it's very rare that he actually climbs out of bed. Instead, he just yells and yells and yells until someone comes into his room.

That day I decided to see how long the yelling would last. "MOMMMMYYYYYY!!!!", over and over and over again. Different voice inflections, different volumes, different pitches, and different variations of the word mom. Kinda of humorous... kind of. The clock was going on 8 minutes when I finally went upstairs. I walked in and stood in his doorway with my arms folded and a scowl on my face showing my displeasure with his yelling. As soon as he saw me he folded his arms across his chest and said, "Mom, I am very frustrated with you. You did not come when I called. I've been waiting and waiting and calling and calling and you did not come. I am very very frustrated." He had the cutest little pout on his face and was being so serious, I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. I was laughing so hard I couldn't talk. He saw how "funny" he was and quickly got over his frustration... and helped me get over mine.

A Sunday

I love Sundays. I love Sundays because they usually involve sports and a nap. Somehow Sunday naps are different then any other nap during the week, or even on a Saturday. They seem cozier, sweeter and just more restful. I was really looking forward to my Sunday afternoon nap today. Daniel lead worship this weekend, which makes for a very busy morning. There are three services at our church, which means Daniel is up and out of the house by 6:30. Directly after church Daniel had a basketball game, so we ran out to grab some lunch and rushed back for the basketball game. I love to watch my husband play basketball. But watching basketball with two very active toddlers is not really that much fun. I can't relax... I worry about Caden throwing a ball onto the court during play, or Aliyah dancing her way to center court completly oblivious to the players running around her, or one of them tripping on the bleachers and falling to their death. See... can't relax. Needless to say because of this I missed THE ACCIDENT. I heard a collective gasp and I look over to see my husband laying on the floor very slow to get up. He was touching is mouth very tentatively, I thought he had chipped a tooth. Then I saw blood, lots and lots of blood. He was quickly helped into the restroom and the team followed him in. I sat in the stands wondering if I should run like a very concerned wife right into the restroom, or calmly wait for a team member to come get me. I wisely choose the latter. Here's what had happened... Daniel was scrambling for a loose ball and fell onto the floor as a very large opposing team member fell on top of him slamming his face into the court. An old scar on Daniel's chin was reopened by the force of the blow. So... my beautiful Sunday afternoon nap... yeah, didn't happen. Instead we spent two 1/2 hours in urgent care. But I choose to see the positive and enjoy the fact that I got to spend a few hours with my husband without kids and very little interruption. It was as pleasant as an urgent care experience could have been. Six stitches later, we came home. Thank goodness for parents who live close and could take the kids home for nap time. It wasn't my ideal Sunday... but it was a good one nonetheless. It's been a Sunday of being thankful for the little things and realizing how much I am blessed with.

A memory I want to remember:

• When I came home from getting my hair cut, a cut that included bangs... Aliyah just kept staring at me. Then she walked up and said, "Haircut Mommy?" "Yes, mommy got her haircut." She slowly climbed up on my lap still looking at me very inquisitively, then reached up and pushed all my bangs away from my forehead and said "OH, hi mommy." Such a sweet baby girl. I love her with all of my heart.

An Update

It's my goal this year to blog more. I don't always have lots to say, but writing memories down is important. So, that's my plan.

Our household has gone through big changes over these last six months. I started working part time. It's been wonderful! I work for a pregnancy resource center. I wasn't looking for a job it just kind of fell into my lap. I am the event coordinator. It's the perfect blending of a my skills and a passion for saving the lives of babies. Not only is it my job, it's my ministry. The kids have adjusted amazingly well. I only work out of the house two days a week and the rest I do from home. It's perfect. The kids spend one full day with Nonnie and one half day with a friend of mine. It's a perfect set up. I am so blessed to be working for such a great ministry and to have amazing friends (AMY) and family support that allows me to follow my heart.

A little update on the kids...
Caden is one amazing little kid. He is so inquisitive and so smart. He loves everything boy...army guys, wrestling, exploring, superheroes and sports. He loves to read and learn. He is so ready for preschool, but he just turned three. So I've been teaching him a little at home and trying to stay ahead of him. He has an amazing memory. If we're going grocery shopping I give him a few things to remember and he always reminds me. Helps this mommy brain out alot!

Yesterday I told him that the snow was a perfect consistency to go make a snowman. We've had a lot of snow, but it was the fluffy kind, not good for packing. Now that it's melted a little it's perfect for packing. So I said, "Caden, the snow is perfect now for making a snow man. Let's get our snow stuff on and then "WE" can go outside." He ran around the room screaming with excitement. I left the family room to go gather up the snow stuff. When I walked back in Caden was sitting in front of the television pulling the WII off the shelf. I asked him what in the world he was doing and he said, "I'm taking WII outside!" WHAT?? "Mom, you said you'll get our snow stuff on and WII can go outside, I'm taking him with us." I couldn't stop laughing. He hears everything!!!!

Aliyah is Miss Independent. She is so active, rarely sitting still. She is all girl. Loves to dress up like a princess and play with her babies. She had grown up so fast. Sleeping in a big girl bed now. She loves to sing and she loves to talk. She gets overpowered alot by her very social and talkative brother, but she's starting to hold her own. She can be quite the cuddle bug at times and I love it. She loves to ride her bike. She also loved to wrestle with her dad and play chase. One of my favorite sounds, her laughter. Makes me smile just thinking about it.

I think that completes my update. I'd update about the hubs... but there really isn't anything new to say. He enjoys his job and he's still a completely amazing and wonderful husband and father. :-)

Thinking and Trying

Caden and I sitting here on the couch. He's staring off into space, eating a Rice Krispy Treat and drinking water. I'm checking my email and catching up on blogs.

Me: Whatcha thinking about?
caden: (long pause) WordWorld
Me: Really... what about Wordworld
Caden: (again, a along pause) Just about Wordworld, that's what I'm thinking about. Nothing else mom.

I love my kids.

It was getting a bit crazy and I was feeling a bit burnt out, then Daniel took off 2 1/2 weeks between jobs. Now I feel refreshed and ready to pour into my kids lives. It's still challenging, but my "I'm done" attitude is put on the shelf for a while. I've been really working hard on changing my attitude and remaining positive despite what the circumstances are around me. It's hard work, but such a better place to live.

This week has been interesting. Not only was I flying solo again after 2 1/2 weeks of bliss, but both kids contracted Hand Foot and Mouth disease. What a way to come back from vacation! At the beginning of the week as I was cleaning the house and feeling a really bad attitude growing and growing, I started to pray, saying "God, I'm really trying to have a good attitude here, could you help me please!"

And the response I got, "No, you're not. Try harder." WHAT!!!! Are. You. Kidding. me! Try harder????

But then I really thought about it. He was right (go figure) i wasn't trying all that hard. In fact I wasn't trying at all. I think I just thought that if I thought I was trying, then I would be.

But I was only thinking about trying hard, I was actively trying. It was all in my head. So I started actively trying to stay positive and guess what... it worked! My bad attitude went away and the kids and I had a great morning cleaning the house.

I love my kids!

Growing Up

Conversation in the van with Caden.

Caden: Mom, when i grow up I going to be a mommy.

Me: No silly, only girls are mommies. You can be a daddy.

Caden: No mom! I want to be a mommy

Me: Caden, you can't be a mommy. Only girls are mommies, you're a boy so you have to be a daddy.

Caden (with tears welling up in his eyes): Mom, I want to be a mommy not a daddy.

Me: why?

Caden: I want to grow big big big and be a mommy so I can drink coffee every day.


Kids say the darndest things! :-)

Red Faced and Laughing

Tonight we had the pleasure of attending a JBU choir concert. They are doing their spring tour and it started in Kansas City. We all went out to a local church to hear them sing and to hear my younger sister Johanna sing a solo. She was amazing!! The choir was good too, but she was amazing. I'm so proud of her!

We got there before the concert started and we were chatting with the Musgrave family. They have a 12 year old son, Dave, that is friends with my youngest sister Laura. Caden has been around Dave a few times and has had so much fun with him and has since dubbed Dave as "my best friend." Needless to say Caden was so excited when he saw Dave. He asked to sit with him and would not stop talking about everything and anything. Even when we asked him to be quiet he wouldn't quit waving and saying "Hi David." And he was still sitting right next to him. Dave's a good sport to put up with the friendship of a two year old.

So onto my red faced moment... The concert was about to start and Caden was now sitting with us. We started cramming food into his mouth hoping to keep him quiet for at least some of the concert. Caden is a talker and likes to talk to everyone and doesn't understand why there are times talking isn't allowed. That is a forgein concept to him despite our best efforts. Even his whisper is loud. So the food was working... until I saw the "i have to go to the bathroom" squrim begin. Daniel quickly took him out to use the restroom as the choir was lining up at the back of the auditorium to make their entrance. They came back down the main aisle as one of the pastors was introducing the choir.

Caden comes running down the aisle, gets to where his "best friend" David is sitting and yells out for all to hear "David, I did it!!! I went potty!!!"

Oh Lord the mortification! I just had to laugh and say "Yes,that's my son." He wanted to share his excitment with Dave and apparantly the whole church.