Our House

The Hoarse Whisperer

2011-07-30T22:28:00.000-04:00

About a week ago Caleb & I were sitting on the couch after putting the kids to bed. (phew!) The boys share a room and are allowed to whisper after the lights are out for a little while (usually until they fall asleep unless they get too loud or get out of bed). This rule is mostly for parental sanity, since bedtime can get a little rowdy otherwise. Well, on this particular night I could hear them whispering... Through a closed door... And a fan blowing on high... Down a hallway... Whispering. The loudest whispering I've ever heard in my life. And I have to ask, does it still count as whispering if it's that loud?

Some Videos... Just for Fun

2011-07-25T22:01:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't figured it out, I'm not the best blogger in the world. Probably not even second best. Probably. There are some things that mystify me about blogging to this day. I do enjoy reading OTHER people's blogs more than writing my own. I know, after reading my blog I'm sure this surprises you. I don't often comment, or have anything witty to say, but commenting on someone else's blog (no matter how much you love to read it) is a little nerve-racking. The whole comment submittal is like a test, and sometimes (I confess) I fail the little letter part at the end that makes sure you're not a spammer. Oh well, I digress.

As a confirmation of my blogging-impairment I could not get the cute video of my boys to upload. Drat! Here are some fun stories about the boys and videos of Kate are at the end.

Clark is my little perfectionist. He is doing a wonderful job learning to read. We tried the more direct approach where I read with him and sound out every word as we go along, but he got a bit frustrated with me (oops!). Now we're to the point where he has enough interest in reading to sound words out himself. Its been a lot less stressful for him, and he asks if he needs help with a hard word. I try to sit nearby, look out of the corner of my eye, and pretend to not be too interested or he'll stop. As an avid reader it is really fun to watch his love of reading develop. He wrote "I LAV YW" for me a couple weeks ago. I love when little kids spell feh-neht-ik-lee!

Bruce is still my loose cannon. He has a lot of personality in a little person. Actually all of my kids do, but for some reason it just comes in a more quotable form from Bruce. When Clark started Pre-K, Bruce developed an imaginary friend named Jack. He usually makes an appearance in Bruce's stories when other people are talking about something and he wants to contribute to the conversation, but can't think of anything to say. "Jack said/did..." is the most common. Sometimes I don't know how to respond when he asks me if he can pleeeeeease go to Jack's house to play. (Trust me. We've discussed it many times. Jack is completely imaginary.) Bruce is notorious for not seeing things in time when we're driving in the car. "Look! There's a ..." He can never find it in time. Even if we drive really slow. Well apparently he "saw" Jack while we were driving in the car the other day. It went a little like this... Bruce: "There's Jack!" Me: "Where?" (Only seeing a random bike rider on the sidewalk.) Bruce: "Oh... you missed him." Paybacks? I'm not sure.

This gem is lovingly entitled "Redneck Baby" in my computer. You'll see why. Caleb filmed this one while I was cooking dinner and you can tell since no self-respecting mother would video their own baby in only a diaper digging through and eating the contents of discarded cereal boxes on the kitchen floor, but she may post it on her blog because she thinks its funny. Don't judge.

This last video is the story of my life the last little while. Kate emptying the drawer, Kate emptying my purse, Kate emptying the toy box, Kate emptying the garbage, Kate emptying the laundry basket... You see the pattern, I'm sure. Good thing she's so cute because my house is a mess!

Back in the Saddle Again

2011-07-11T23:25:00.000-04:00

It's been almost a year since I've posted anything here. This time period corresponds almost exactly with a part-time job I worked, and before too long I realized that I had bitten off a little more than I could chew.

I'm not sure what to write without making this entry incredibly long, so maybe I'll do a quick update followed by some snapshots of what has happened recently. I always admire the frequent, short posts of other bloggers, but never manage it myself. Age updates: Clark is 4.9-ish, Bruce is 3.5, Kate is 14 months.

We recently celebrated our 7 year anniversary. We've had a few "low key" anniversaries in the past few years (I wonder why. See children's ages above.), so we had a day-trip to Savannah, GA. It was beautiful! The architecture was amazing, we saw some fun shops, and ate some good food. These pics are from Paula Deen's restaurant "The Lady and Sons" which had some excellent Southern food: Fried Chicken, Fried Fish, Collard Greens, Grits, Black-eyed Peas, etc...

Caleb enjoying his meal. Just so you know, this is a posed shot. He took a similar picture of me, but I've spared you by not posting that one. (Don't worry... Permission was requested and granted.)

If we look a little sweaty/tired, we are. Sweaty but happy (see plate). It was H-O-T! I guess that's what you get for getting married in one of the hottest months of the year.

Me and Ms. Dean (in cut-out form)

This is Kate's first birthday party (in May).

Clark's wonderful Pre-School teacher Mrs. J. He had a really great year and now we're gearing up for "the big K" (a.k.a. Kindergarten).

The boys went to the "Father-Son Campout" again this year. We all enjoyed their night away. :) I think they set new records in dirtiness. (Look for this picture in the dictionary: Dirty, Happy)

Clark at a visit to the beach. We went with my brother Mike's family when they were in town last month and had a blast. Not the best picture, but I'm not the best photographer.

Bruce smiling. I think this was their expression for the whole day. They love the beach.

Kate running around at the beach. She is a water baby if I ever saw one. Lest you think I escaped all beach pictures, you can see my arm on the right of this picture. :)

Finally, a video of some baby giggles to brighten your day. Please excuse the mess in the background, but sometimes you gotta get these moments when they happen. It just happened to be a messy moment.

More to come soon... (fingers crossed) I will also be updating the profile pictures to something more recent in the near future.

Look-alikes

2010-08-27T23:58:00.000-04:00

Baby Kate has this funny little baby fuzz mohawk on her head which is nearly impossible to capture in a picture. (I should say, with my camera and photography skills it is nearly impossible to capture.) Finally I got a decent shot. I hope you all can appreciate the hard work because it took about 14 pictures and this was nearly the only usable one and even this one is kinda blurry. One of my small accomplishments this week.

The other... potty training. I remember very clearly why I have been putting it off. We're not there yet, but its getting better everyday. We cannot seem to be able to get #2 in the potty and not in the pants. Any suggestions out there?

Floor Time

2010-08-13T11:00:00.004-04:00

Brucie was playing with Kate on the floor the other day and I thought it was so cute, so I got the camera and was actually able to capture some of it. We watch the boys very closely around the baby so they don't "love her too much." This is an example of a good baby interaction day. I think Brucie does very well for a 2-year-old and this video shows a little of the baby talk they do with Kate.

Summer Days

2010-08-06T22:10:00.006-04:00

So, I know it has been a really long time since I posted anything. I can always tell when its been too long because my dad always asks me when I'm going to post something new. So thanks to my dad for inspiring me to not be such a slacker. Some things never change. :)

This is a recent photo from Kate's baby blessing. (From left: Clark, Caleb (back), Bruce, Debbie(back), Kate)

Well, I can't remember when 3 months have gone by so quickly. Having 3 kids has definitely upped the ante. It's like hitting the fast-forward button for life. I can't believe it, but Clark just turned 4! He's going to pre-school in a month. Bruce is getting so big. Literally. He's a solid 2 year old at just about 32 pounds (3 pounds off from Clark). Kate is growing chubbier and cuter every day. She is such a happy baby, I can't even believe it. I tell people that I don't know if it's because I'm a better mom at child #3, or if there is more "action" to keep her entertained, or if she just has a sweet personality, but Kate is an easy-going and happy baby.

On the realistic side, it's 3 times as hard with 3 kids. There are 3 times as many tantrums, 3 times as much work, 3 times as many messes, and 3 times as much laundry. (Seriously, I can never "finish" the laundry these days since it just keeps coming.) There's also 3 times as many cute stories, 3 times the laughter, as well as 3 little people in our family that I love very much. So, those are some things keep me sane.

Alright, a little update on my little ones.

Clark blowing out his candles. I know it looks like there are 8 candles, but the long ones don't count since I thought they were going to look like sparklers (they said they were sparkler candles). Oh well.

Clark playing with Baby Kate.

Clark just celebrated his 4th birthday. We had a fun time decorating for it and getting ready all week. He picked out his birthday cupcakes - confetti cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles - but he never eats the cupcake only the frosting. I was standing in the grocery aisle trying to talk him into something chocolate when Caleb called me back to the present and reminded me it was HIS birthday after all. Good call Caleb. :) He wanted to leave the decorations up "all the time", but we agreed to leave them up for a week. Clark was very patient with Brucie, who thought it was his birthday too. After saying his bedtime prayer on his birthday he asked "Can I say another prayer? Heavenly Father, thank you that I could have a good birthday party and thank you for a Mommy who loves me..." Of course it makes me smile to hear my little boy say something so sweet. He is a very thoughtful boy and his wheels are always turning. He's getting good at building things with blocks and using his imagination. He's learning to play board games and starting to recognize his letters and their sounds. He's excited to start his half-day preschool class next month. You know, 4-year-old stuff. :)

Brucie with his helmet/grocery basket on. He's wearing an inflatable swimsuit in case you're wondering. We were about to go out to the pool when we took this picture.

Bruce is so sweet. He always wants to sit in your lap and cuddle, which is getting harder since he is such a big boy. Brucie growing so fast, in fact I think he is going through a growth spurt right now. I usually make the boys wait for dinner without snacks, but dinner still had a while and Bruce was sounding desperately hungry, so I fixed him a bowl of Cheerios. He sat down and ate 4 full man-size bowls of Cheerios. They weren't even Honey Nut or anything. I can't even eat that much. Bruce keeps track of everyone coming and going, he remembers everyone's name and will keep tabs on where they are in the house. He will mention people by name that he barely met days or weeks ago. He loves his brother and also clashes with him (like a 2 year old does) about every 5 minutes. Recently, he said to my mom (Grandma) when she was telling Uncle D they might have to go home, "You are NOT going home! Because I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!" It sounded more like a threat in the delivery, but very funny if you've heard him before with a full scowl on his face.

This is Kate in a good mood. This picture says it all and is pretty accurate as to how she is most of the time. If all babies were as sweet as Kate is, I'm convinced that more people would have children.

Kate in her Sunday outfit. It doesn't matter that the temperature is mid- to upper-90s. I couldn't help it, I love the bonnet!

Kate is growing fast, like little babies do. She's about 3 months old and smiles all the time. She's getting more interested in toys, but is still mostly interested in people's faces. She's trying to use her hands more and more. Its too soon to really know, but we think she might end up left handed since that is the hand that reaches for things first and usually the hand that ends up in her mouth. She is very patient with her brothers and I love to hear them talk baby talk to her. "Ooooooh. Who's the cute baby? Are you a teeny girl? Are you a little baby Kate? I love you baby." That kind of talk coming from such active 2- and 4-year-old boys is funny to me every time.

Mostly we've been hanging out at home since it is so hot outside and hard to get 3 little ones in and out of the car by myself. I have low motivation when I don't have a specific errand to run. Good thing we have so much family nearby to hang out with. We love it.

Here are some pictures I took today of the boys playing around. Clark found some swim goggles and they were just being silly together.

Thanks for reading our blog! I will try to be better about posting more often.

She had the baby in the car!

2010-06-11T22:09:00.007-04:00

Here she is!

It's been difficult to find the time to post anything on my blog since the baby was born, but here I am (finally) blogging the story for all of you out there who haven't heard it yet. I also have to admit that I told it a lot the first few weeks, and I needed a little break before I told it again here. This story is definitely in the "Never thought it would happen to me" category as far as life experiences go, but (as everyone tells me) it is a pretty good story for Kate to tell when she gets older. Here we go. I'll start at the beginning.

Before you continue I'd like to add a little disclaimer that this is a birth story and may be long, boring, and a little too much information for some, so consider yourself warned.

It was a normal Sunday and went by pretty much as the Sunday before. Get up, breakfast, church, lunch, naptime for the boys, etc... I was 5 days overdue and commented to Caleb that I was starting to believe that this baby would never be born and I would, in fact, be pregnant forever. He agreed with me. We were all feeling the "overdueness" and I'm sure his comment might have had something to do with how my feeling miserable was affecting our family dynamics. If mama ain't happy, you know... :) I had had Braxton-Hicks contractions for the whole last month of my pregnancy and even started timing them on 3 different evenings before they faded away and we went to bed a little disappointed.

We went for a walk with the boys to get some family time, but also to see if it would get labor started. I wasn't feeling very optimistic. Actually, I was kind of grumpy (sorry Caleb) since it was pretty warm outside. We came home, made dinner, put the boys to bed. Normal, normal, normal.

I had been having some contractions, but that was common in the evenings at this point, so I went to lay down and Caleb did the dishes (I know, he's awesome). Pretty soon after this I told Caleb I was having some contractions and maybe we should time them. This baby had to come out sooner or later (and this was on the later side), but I don't think either of us was very optimistic. So, I was resting, we were timing, and I even called my mother and said she could come over and hang out at our house with the disclaimer that we weren't sure if this was the real thing. She said she would eat dinner and come right over. Everyone was feeling pretty laid back.

Caleb and I had taken some "natural" childbirth classes because I wanted to go without an epidural this time (Funny, huh?), so I've read all these books and I'm planning on sticking this out for the hours and hours it takes most people to have a baby. It took me 5-6 hours for both of the boys, so I'm thinking this is the very beginning of a long-term process. I took a shower to relax and if (I was still thinking "if" at this point) this was really labor I might not get the chance to shower anytime soon. Well, after a few stronger contractions, Caleb called my mom and relayed the message that she should not wait to eat dinner and she should come over right away.

This is the point where things started to get painful, my memory starts to get a little blurry, and I started saying ridiculous things like "I don't want to have a baby anymore." I remember Caleb calling the doctor and saying we would be coming in sometime within the hour. By the time my mom arrived (she did not wait to eat dinner), contractions were coming pretty strong and I told Caleb we need to leave NOW. While my mom helped me down the stairs (we live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building), Caleb ran things up and down to the car. Literally ran. He told me later that he felt an impression like he should "run like the wind." So he did, or as nearly as you can while going up and down the stairs...

My mom and I stopped a lot on the way to the car. We took my mom's little Civic, since our van had the car seats and she would need them in the morning to take the boys back to her house. I sat in the front seat and was anxious to get to the hospital because I had pretty much decided I would take whatever drug they would give me when I got there. So much for natural childbirth, I thought. The hospital is close to our house (about 10-15 minutes), and we took the interstate to avoid traffic lights. The contractions were coming hard and Caleb was rubbing my back with one hand and driving with the other. He stayed pretty calm through the whole thing, but not so calm that he didn't feel the urgency to pass other cars and get there as quickly as possible. I don't know how fast he was going, but I remember thinking we couldn't get there fast enough.

About the time when the hospital came into view, my water broke all over my mom's front seat. I was worried about her being mad and kicked myself for not having a towel or something to sit on, but only briefly. With the next contraction I started feeling pressure and told Caleb so. He said "Don't push! We're almost there! We can see the hospital." I still thought we had enough time. I mean, we could already see the hospital, but that changed quickly.

With the next contraction I told him to pull over because the baby is coming NOW! I went into auto-pilot a little and told him something to the effect that I thought I should take my pants off. He said "Do what you need to do." I told him to pull over, but he couldn't at this point because of the guard-rail on the exit ramp. Then I had another contraction and out came the baby. In the car. On the seat. On the exit ramp. Caleb said he didn't believe me until he heard the baby cry. He said it was a weird feeling knowing that 2 people got in the car and here was a new person. I was kind of in shock, and then he told me to pick up the baby off the seat so she didn't fall on the floor. That snapped me out of it and I picked her up and held her against my chest.

So, we pull up to the emergency room seriously, like a minute later. I'm feeling a lot better now. Caleb jumps out of the car and pulls the pillowcase off his pillow in the back seat to cover the baby (still attached) so she won't get too cold. He runs into the hospital and says, "She had the baby in the car!" The nurses came out with a gurney and I remember them helping me get my shoes and pants all the way off and holding up some sheets (for privacy) as I got out of the car. I remember eyeing the woman staring at me as she walked by into the hospital, and then climbing up on the gurney (baby still attached). People were watching me as they wheeled me through the emergency room and saying "congratulations" and things like that. I was feeling pretty embarrassed. They took me upstairs to Labor and Delivery to deliver the placenta and wait for the doctor to arrive. I guess the rest is history and I am now the lady who had a baby in the car.

Katherine (or Baby Kate as we like to call her) was born at 9:21pm. We starting timing contractions at about 7pm, so it was a little over 2 hours from start to finish with about 30 minutes of hard labor. Obviously a little faster than we had expected. With the boys my labor took about 5-6 hours, but apparently things can move a lot faster with the more children you have. I don't feel like we dawdled this time, but next time (if there is a next time) we will probably have a lot of false alarms instead of risking something like that happening again. Don't want to do that twice. We were really lucky because Kate is healthy and I am healthy and we are very thankful for that. (Also, since people have asked and you may be wondering too, yes the doctor still charged us. Another fun fact, on her birth certificate her birth place is listed as "vehicle". Didn't know they did that.)

But that is our story. A fun one to tell, since most people I run into have heard it (or some version) before we even had a chance to tell it. Maybe I included a little too much information, but I tried to edit the more graphic details. If you really are curious to know more, you'll have to call or email me.

Kate and I about an hour after delivery. Sorry it's blurry, but it's almost the only one I could find with me in it.

Proud Papa in the hospital.

Baby Kate on the way home from the hospital.

This is the first time the boys met Kate. They were very, very, very excited.

"The" Car. Caleb did a good job of cleaning the seat. Not a spot.

Sleeping baby girl.

Sweet, sweet Baby Kate! She's a very alert baby (when she's awake). :)

In the swing while I'm making dinner. She has some "offerings" from Brucie in case she gets bored. :) Sorry its sideways, but I'm too lazy to reload it...

Baby Kate w/ Daddy at about a month old.

Some Memorial Day fun at Grandma's house with Bruce and Cowboy Clark wearing Grandpa's hat.

Still Hanging in There...

2010-04-29T07:46:00.009-04:00

New baby, where are you???

No baby yet. That seems to be how all my conversations are starting these days. So, if you were wondering, my blog silence has NOT been due to our new addition. I have to admit that I was surprised to pass my due date, since both my boys delivered early (Clark 3 days, Bruce 10 days). I guess girls just need a little longer to get ready. :) Mostly I'm trying to stay busy and not plan too far in advance, just in case. Luckily, I have some great friends and family who have been helping me keep my mind off things. Including H & M, who drove all the way to see me! :) The good news is that we've narrowed down our baby name list and seem to be closer to a decision.

Fabric that is part of my baby bedding that I'm making with my mom. (M. - didn't get to show you when you were here.)

Backpacks for the boys from M. Yay! She makes all sorts of cool stuff. You can check it out here: www.etsy.com/shop/mermadegoods. She just started her etsy site, so I'm sure we'll be seeing more stuff up there soon... :)

Baby monitor from H. Yay!

Here are some recent pics from my mom & dad's camera that they were nice enough to let us borrow.

A picture from Easter of all the cousins (minus baby N. & our Colorado cousins) at my parent's house for the Easter Egg Hunt. (From left to right: Bruce, Cousin T., Uncle D. (in back), Clark, Cousin C. holding baby C.)

Decorations from my baby shower.

A fun game we played at the shower. It involved blowing up a balloon and popping it (giving birth). It was a relay and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Obviously, we're posing with the balloons here except for me and S. who is also pregnant.

My little rascal, Bruce. This picture was actually to document his red face, but he made such a cute smile that I couldn't resist. His skin doesn't seem to agree with salad dressing... Here are some Bruce things that he's been saying/doing lately.

Will eat almost anything you feed him if you make it talk to him first. In a high voice: "Bruce, will you please take a bite of your peas?" Well, okay then...
"I need to poop in the potty." = You're too late. I've already pooped.
At Easter he was eyeing the palmetto in my parent's backyard after the egg hunt and said, "There's something frightening in Mr. McGregor's garden." With a very serious look on his face. (Grandma has been reading him Peter Rabbit stories.)
LOVES Veggie Tales, but is scared of the "cheese curls" in one of the movies. Actually has bad dreams about them.
Bruce was playing cars yesterday. He had woken up from his nap first, so I went into the other room to do something. A while later I heard him saying, "Quit peeking at me!" I thought Clark had gotten up and told Clark not to bother his brother. Again, Bruce was hollering loudly. I went to check on them and see what the problem was, but Clark was still asleep and Bruce was playing alone with his cars. Just practicing getting his brother in trouble I guess. Typical little brother... :)

Clark, the train engineer. He has found a new obsession in creating the most complicated train tracks his 3-year-old mind (and our limited track supply) can come up with. If I make it another day without having the baby, we will be able to spend the day at Aunt A.'s house and play with all her boys' awesome trains and tracks with C. and T. Here are some other things that Clark has been saying/doing.

When he wants to do something loud in the apartment, "Probably the neighbors aren't home Mommy."
Whenever Bruce is taking too long to come play with him, he will call from the other room, "I need my brother!"
He is getting very independent and will put on his own seatbelt, help carry bags up to our apartment, and is very proud that he is tall enough to pee standing up.
One morning when he saw his messy hair in the mirror, "My hair looks like yours, Mommy!" Yeah, yeah, I know...
Torments Bruce with "the claw." Where did that come from? He's a big teaser.

He's not impressed, Clark. :)

Well, I guess that's all for now. I think that the boys are trying to tell me my blogging time is up. :)

The End is Near!

2010-04-05T21:32:00.008-04:00

There are about 3 weeks left until my due date (April 27th). I try to distract myself as much as possible (which means I think about how close I am to the end of this pregnancy a lot). So... uncomfortable... I know, I know, I shouldn't be surprised. It was like this the last 2 times, but they tell you that you will forget. And you do. The weather is also getting warmer. We crossed the 80 degree mark, possibly not to return for the next 8 months or so. Ugh. (Gripe, complain, moan.... Moving on.)

We've been doing as much fun stuff as I can think of during the day. Partly out of guilt that the boys will be sharing the spotlight soon and it won't be just the 3 of us hanging out together. I know it will take some time to start juggling those extra responsibilities in my routine, but I've never had 3 kids before so its hard to know exactly how things will change until they do. At least the boys can walk themselves up to our 3rd floor apartment by themselves. When they want to. I'm excited to see this little one who has made sleeping through the night nearly impossible.

Easter was a lot of fun this year. Uplifting Conference talks, good food, fun with family. We really had a good weekend. Probably too good, because the boys were beat by the end of the day for Saturday and Sunday. (Easter candy + extra excitement = lousy naps and cranky boys)

Clark opening his easter basket. I tried to be minimal in the amount of Easter candy I gave them, but somehow (after the second grandparent's house) it didn't seem to matter what my original intentions were. They knew there was candy and they were determined to find and eat it! Apparently I'm more lax than I thought I was. Well, me and the leftover candy seem to be getting along just fine.

Shake it, Bruce! (Please excuse the varying quality of our pictures. They come from different sources.)

Ooooooh! Bubbles!

Our family tradition includes hiding the Easter baskets, so these pictures are after the hunt. They boys thought it was a lot of fun. Bruce needed some help understanding what exactly he was looking for, but caught on after a while. We also hid some plastic eggs.

And here are some random pictures of our recent adventures:

Playing at the zoo: Clark, Bruce, & Cousin A. hanging on the elephant trunk statue.

Clark digging (for dinosaur bones) and Cousin A. wandering.

Bruce playing in the sand at the zoo. We seem to do this everywhere we go.

Clark brushing the goats. (Very stinky!)

Bruce brushing... himself. I know, so gross!

Clark and Bruce harrassing that same goat.

Playing at the park with Uncle D.

This is our favorite activity lately. Uncle D. played very patiently with the boys. He looks a little bored here, but he never complained. (What a good sport!)

I'm sure you noticed all the nice playground equipment in the background. The closest we got to it was filling a bucket with mulch to bring back to the sandbox/bare-spot-in-the-grass. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Well, considering my once-a-month blogging pattern, this may be my last post before the baby is born. Maybe not. Blog readers consider yourselves warned. Both of you. :)

I Would Like to Thank...

2010-03-09T23:37:00.002-05:00

Thank you cucumber. You have my undying gratitude for saving my grocery shopping trip when my 2 year old was in melt-down mode. You endured being called Larry and repeated renditions of the "Veggie Tales" theme song for 15 minutes in the extremely long Wal-mart checkout line. Please don't be mad about the bite marks...

Thank you Choco Puffs. You are second-best to your cousin Cocoa Puffs, but it doesn't seem to matter. I have you hidden away from prying children's eyes and hands (and mouths), since the 2 year old in me doesn't want to share you. You make my day as a guilty nap-time snack.

Thank you dishwasher. I didn't realize how much I missed you until getting you back in my life. Deep down I feel that your plastic-ware melting heat makes my dishes that much cleaner. Even though you sound like a hand saw for the entire wash cycle, you make my life so much easier.

Just some random thoughts of gratitude for the day...

Kid Quotes

2010-02-19T14:37:00.004-05:00

Funny things my kids have said recently:

Me to Clark: "Okay Clark you have 5 more minutes."
Clark: "No, no, 4 more minutes."
Me: "Okay... 4 more minutes."
Clark: "Is 4 more minutes a long time?"
Me: (Thinking about putting Clark down for a nap...) "Yes, 4 minutes is a long time."

Bruce to Clark, who just snagged his pretzels: "Clarkie! You spit that out right now!"
Sorry Bruce, but you probably don't want it anymore. It's the thought that counts I guess.

Clark to Mom: "Mom, I want to go with Grandma." or "No, Mom, I want to sit by Grandma."
He's got it figured out already. Grandma is a softy.

Bruce, while sitting on my lap: "OH! The baby bumped me!"

Me to Bruce: "What should we name the new baby?"
Bruce: "Thomas the Train."
I don't think she would be to happy with that one when she got older...

Clark, after grabbing a toy from Bruce and being scolded: "But Mom, he didn't want it anymore."
Is that right? Nice try mister!

Wrestling

2010-02-17T14:43:00.004-05:00

Seriously? Wrestling? I feel like my house is WWE Friday Night Smackdown every day (growly voices included). Wrestle on the couch, on the floor, anywhere or nowhere in particular once the mood strikes them. I have to say I prefer the couch, since it takes longer for the inevitable injury to occur.

Really, I'm not exactly sure where they got the idea, since Caleb is not really a wrestling-type Dad. It doesn't matter because it's like the flu and they've already caught the bug. I have assumed the roll of the nagging mom all day. We are constantly trying to limit injuries as well as bumps and thumps on the floor (for the benefit of our downstairs neighbors, who have already developed saint-like patience). It's possible that we are worse than the base-thumping-music-type neighbors, but that may be up for debate. That's apartment living I guess.

The most nerve-racking move I have witnessed would have to be when someone climbs on top of some piece of furniture (like in the corner of the wrestling ring) and jumps on the other participant. Is that called a body slam? Usually, this follows by an eruption of laughter (thankfully), but sometimes a boo-boo. I feel like they are going to start smacking their elbow for a "flying elbow drop" any day now. So, I apologize in advance to other mothers. I hope my Wrestle-Mania hopefuls don't pass this bad habit along because there is no turning back. Just to let you know, we're working on it (for probably the next 10 years).

(sigh)

Also, don't keep scrolling for pictures. We still don't have our camera, although I'm sure you would love to see my little wrestlers in action.

At Home Today

2010-02-10T21:11:00.004-05:00

We have one car in the family these days, so we try to plan as much as we can in order to get out of the house (and keep my sanity). I have to say that sometimes it's good to have an at-home day the whole day. With doctor's appointments and other errands keeping us busy lately, today I felt like I accomplished something just by not getting out of the house. Really just regular stuff that I had been putting off (like folding laundry and organizing).

As I was sitting folding the boys' clothes and thinking about how much laundry those little bodies produce, I was watching Bruce trying on every single pair of Clark's (clean) underwear one by one. (Sorry Clark, but in my defense he was wearing a diaper.) It made me laugh and think that being busy is fun, but this has been a good at-home day. And I love being a Mom to these cute, silly, energetic little boys.

Sorry about the blurry pictures, but these were taken with my phone (since we may never find our camera).

Hangin' out with our buddies J. (behind Bruce) and S. (on the left) the other day. Please excuse the mess...

Coming and Going

2010-01-26T21:31:00.004-05:00

We have had a few changes since my last post. Well, I should hope so since it has been almost 3 months since I've written anything on this blog. Which may be a disappointment to the 2 or 3 readers who were brave enough to check, but have since stopped checking, on whether or not I would break my silence...

To my defense, we have had some major changes in this time. I'll try to catch you up without writing an entire autobiography.

1. I'm pregnant. Like really pregnant (27 weeks I think). I'm due at the end of April and we are looking forward to having a girl this time (if the doctor was right). I still have my doubts in the back of my mind as to the accuracy of when the doctor says its a girl versus a boy.

2. We've moved! No, we haven't moved out of Florida, but back closer to the grandparents and other family members (which we have really enjoyed especially over the Christmas/New Year holidays). We get to hang out with our relatives a lot more often and still get to sleep at home at night. Awesome! We also have almost double the square footage of our last apartment, which has done wonders for my sanity since Caleb has our one and only car every day at work. On the down-side, we pay almost double the rent since we were living in campus family housing which is really cheap. Also on the down-side is all the cool people we don't get to see so often anymore. We miss you guys! Clark keeps trying to convince me that we haven't moved that far away, so we could go back and play with some of his friends. Hopefully we'll be back soon to visit when we get our car fixed (which has been plaguing us this week with problems).

3. Caleb graduated from UF with a BA in English (with honors). It was pretty cool all around and I appreciated that there were no long speeches from anyone. I seem to remember my graduation being boring (as graduations tend to go), but I was really excited to see Caleb walk across that stage. Caleb was smiling pretty big the whole time. I was and am very proud of him and all his hard work. I would post a picture, but he has also misplaced our camera... So, no pictures for now. Also, Tim Tebow was graduating in the same ceremony. That was pretty cool, even though I'm not really a football fanatic. I feel I have put up with enough game-day traffic to appreciate it.

4. Caleb got a job! I know you were all wondering, since he was an English major. :) He is working for a railroad signal engineering company and doing well. (Nope, not writing a novel or teaching high school.) After 2 years as a full-time student, we are very relieved he is gainfully employed again at a job he feels has a good future. So, next time you're stopped at a railroad crossing you can think of us. (Or sing Thomas the Train songs, like we usually do. Either way.)

5. Bruce has turned 2 years old! This is a little bit of older news, but nonetheless it has happened since my last post. He usually seems older to me because he speaks pretty clearly for his age, but then he has a meltdown and I remember that he is only 2.

He is such a creative little guy and always saying funny things. He stood up in his booster seat the other night at dinner with his arms stretched to the side exclaiming, "I'm a sword!" I have no idea where that came from, and I couldn't help but laugh. I made the mistake the other day of hoping for a repeat performance (since it was so cute), but when I said "Brucie, are you a sword?" I just got poked in the eye by a very fast finger.

We were also talking about eating things that were good for us (eating vegetables at dinner) and how the things that mommy eats, the new baby eats too. Bruce thought about this for a minute and then said, "Mommy, the baby says, Oooh! That's Hot!" He had just burned his mouth on his food a minute before. I'm constantly amazed at how content he can be playing by himself and the funny things he comes up with in his creative play time.

Bruce is still enamoured with his brother and is so excited when Clark wakes up. Sometimes he'll even hug him and say "I love you, Clarkie!" (This, of course, is contrasted with plenty of the sibling struggles that are common to 2- and 3-year-olds.)

6. Clark has moved up to the Sunbeam class (3-year-olds) in Primary at church. He seems to be doing well and enjoying being a "big boy" now. He even has a cute tie to wear (just like Daddy). I get to see him during singing time since I teach the 4-year-old class now. He loves singing and is quick to learn the songs, but is still learning how to stay in his seat. Bruce has been distraught by this development, since Clark no longer plays with him in Nursery class (18-months to 3-year-old class). He was so upset this last Sunday that he had to sit with Daddy in his class for a while and calm down, but was coaxed back by the promise of snack time and did just fine after that.

Well, Happy 2010 to everyone. I'm looking forward to catching up on my blog reading now that we have the internet again! Hopefully, it won't be so long before I post again.

Funny Things

2009-11-01T20:56:00.003-05:00

Just a couple of random quotes:

"Mom, is that guy beating his dog?" by Clark while watching a jogger and his dog running. Get it? Beating him in a race? I know, it took me a second to process and respond to his question.

"I'm going to beat you up!" by Clark while racing up the stairs to our apartment. He does say this while racing when we are NOT on the stairs and it cracks me up. Is it wrong if I don't correct him?

"HI FRIENDS!" by Bruce with a big smile to a crowd of strangers in our parking lot. They did respond similarly to his greeting. The enthusiasm of little children is undeniable.

A Little Incentive

2009-10-14T21:32:00.004-04:00

Clark has been giving us a hard time about bedtime in a typical 3 year old way. I need to go potty, I need a drink, climbing into his brother's crib to wake him up, etc... He has been such a good sleeper until the "big boy bed."

It really only took a bribe (ahem), I mean some "positive reinforcement," to help out at bedtimes around here. (Thanks for the idea, Dad.) Besides the excuses, he was doing a pretty good job of keeping himself awake while he was in bed (until 11pm and sometimes later). I don't know how he does it. Put me in a quiet, cool, dark room with a fan and I don't stand a chance.

It wasn't until he decided he wanted to go to bed, with a promise of reward the next day, that we have really had any success. We've been going for 2 nights now without any incidents of bedtime resistance. The power of a lollipop in the eyes of a child. He insisted on an orange one (his favorite color), but settled for a cream soda when I couldn't find orange.

Brucie is enjoying the rewards for good bedtime behavior, too. It's kind of a given since he falls asleep pretty quickly. He ate his lollipop today and about half the stick (well, it was pretty well chewed).

Just in case you were wondering, they still have root beer flavored Dum-dums. For some reason I always remember getting that flavor as a child. Ah, good memories.

Bait and Switch

2009-10-07T21:12:00.003-04:00

It's been in the 90's all week, but we may see 80's again next week. (sigh) I shouldn't be surprised. It's like this every year, but the promise of cooler weather is so anticipated (by me) that I can't help but be disappointed. Well, maybe we'll have another cool snap by Halloween.

Clark has been washing dishes with Daddy lately. The agreement in our house is that I will make dinner every night, and Caleb will wash the dishes. We don't even have a dishwasher, so I really mean wash the dishes. I have to give him props because Caleb is really good about it every night. Well, finally he has a little help... from Clark. Caleb washes and Clark rinses. The enthusiasm from that little guy is really overwhelming. It's the first thing he talks about in the morning and he doesn't let up all day. "I think we should do the dishes, Mommy." He continues asking for the rest of the day. He actually finished helping tonight and suggested that we do them again. Caleb declined the offer. I wonder what would happen if I was as enthusiastic about cleaning. It's really cute, actually. Well, the chances are slim that this excitement about dishes will last until adolescence (and it certainly doesn't happen when we're picking up toys), but we'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Funny Clark quote...
I have found that the moment my children see me eating they want some too. Even if they've already eaten. Well, this was after he had eaten breakfast and I was trying to tell Clark that he didn't really want what I was eating because he would think it was yucky. Well, he didn't fall for it. This was the expressive response, asked as if he really wanted me to answer his question. I wish you could have seen his hands waving for emphasis. So funny. I've never heard him use this expression before.

"Are you kidding me? Mommy, are you kidding me? I love that stuff!"

Funny Bruce quote...
Brucie, as the youngest, often will get the benefit of the doubt in a conflict (especially when I didn't see it). Well, he didn't in this case because I saw what he was up to. He was trying to commandeer Clark's coloring book (he had his own, but wanted Clark's), and I told him that he should go color in his own book. He turned back to Clark and this was what he said with an accusing finger waving at his brother for every word...

"Clark! You. Are. Driving. Me. CRAZY!"

Whoops. I guess he may have heard this from someone before, but not with quite that much emotion. :)

This is a dish washing video. If you are wondering, yes, I believe that Brucie takes a sip off the spoon. Just to make sure it still functions as it is supposed to, I'm sure.

Cool weather is here!

2009-10-01T15:36:00.002-04:00

Well, cooler weather. It's been in the mid-80's and we've been enjoying the outdoors this week since it seems the hottest days of the year are behind us. Not exactly cold, but this morning was a little brisk for our walk. I'm looking forward to some more enjoyable (not sweltering) outside time. I'm sure the boys are too. Welcome fall!

Morning Hair and Library Books

2009-09-25T20:20:00.005-04:00

This was an extreme enough case of morning hair (well, after-nap hair) that I thought I would document it for Clark's posterity. Apparently, I take police line-up style pictures of my children. Clark looks like all he needs is a number to hold up in front and the height lines behind.

Bruce also wanted to be in on the action. He had been up a little longer and was much more chipper. He seems tall for almost 2. Generally I try to avoid a messy room scene if I can, and I guess that leads to this style of pictures.

(As a disclaimer, I'll let you know that we went to the library which always ends up with a room littered with books until the excitement of the "new books" wears off after a few days. At least they're excited about reading... It's a trade-off I guess.)

We've been into nature/science books recently. Snakes, lizards, bugs, airplanes, etc. I attribute this newfound interest to Uncle Mike, who spent a lot of his visit hunting/catching lizards and frogs. Clark's made a request for volcanos next time.

Bruce is mostly into board books, due to the aforementioned book ripping. These incidents are fairly regular, but usually reserved for older books which are showing some wear (which are usually the ones that WE own). Personally, I like to read books with a good rhythm and rhyme. Like Dr. Suess and "Bear Wants More".

Most contested book from this library trip: A field guide to amphibians and reptiles.

Exerpts from the Scriptures

2009-09-06T21:00:00.003-04:00

Literally...

I found Brucie manhandling Caleb's scriptures the other day. Clark stated several times in the following minutes that it was Brucie who did it (and not him). Brucie spent a while in time-out while I found all the pieces. Repaired pieces are on the left-hand side of the picture.

Reconstruction was touch-and-go, but I think the patient is going to pull through with all pages intact. Caleb has committed to not leave his scriptures on the table after he is done reading them in the morning.

Brucie a few days earlier with my fruit smoothie... What a stinker! I guess you notice a theme here: Items left on the table are not safe from almost-2-year-olds.

Clark looking cheerful after church today. He's posing for Nana who got this outfit for his birthday.

Back to School

2009-08-24T21:06:00.005-04:00

Naptime on Sunday afternoon (Caleb and Clark). The peaceful slumber of a man without any homework... yet.

Well, the exciting last semester is beginning. Caleb is scheduled to graduate in December and we are making important decisions for what happens next. Caleb is preparing to take the GRE exam. He is considering going to grad school for a master's degree in education. If you had asked me what he would be studying a few years ago I would not have seen that coming, but then again when we moved here we thought he would be studying accounting and not english...

I've decided to stop thinking I know what will happen in the more distant future and just choosing to "go-with-the-flow" and try to enjoy things as they come. Not to mean we will not be planning for our future, but you just can't control some things. I guess the Lord just wants us to stop trusting in our own strength and rely on him a little more. I would have to say that every time in my life that I have it all "figured out" is when the biggest surprises come. So, maybe grad school. Maybe not. Hopefully gainful employment... :) The good news is that when Caleb talked to his counselor she said that it looked like he would graduate with honors. Go Caleb!

Hello again.

2009-08-10T14:14:00.000-04:00

It's been a while. It may seem strange to some in this day and age, but sometimes I go a really long time without using the computer. It just doesn't seem to make my to do list sometimes, but mostly I've been in and out of town. Also, there is a guilty feeling involved with leaving your children to ravage someone else's house while you're on the computer. Even close relatives. Well, I'm back. (This may be a relief to my few remaining readers.) And I flatter myself even thinking that people still read my blog.

We have actually had an eventful few weeks. Spent a whole lot of time with family. My brother and his family came to visit from Colorado. Celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary. Went to the beach. Lots of summer stuff, relatively no pictures. I hate to admit it, considering I believe I have two of the most beautiful children in the world, but I'm not really a picture person. I am the person at the event that didn't even think to bring a camera (or left it in the car), but will ask someone with a camera if they will send me some of their pictures because I feel a bit guilty about not recording this part of childhood for my boys. In reality though, we have plenty of pictures. The boys' lives are well documented even though it may not be entirely with pictures.

This photo was taken on our anniversary.

We had a wonderful 5-year wedding anniversary. It isn't that we did anything spectacular, but we spent a few consecutive hours together without children. Sometimes that in itself is spectacular. I have to say that one of my favorite things to do is to talk to my husband. I think he's funny and after 5 years of marriage, he still makes me laugh. Technically, we go back a lot further than that, but that is a story for another time. We actually share a wedding anniversary with my grandparents. I really love them a lot and think of them (especially on our anniversary).

I've been spending a large part of my very small free-time sewing. I have made 2 shirts, altered 3 shirts, sewn 2 purses, and plotted more projects. My most recent learning is sewing with knit fabrics. Now, there is a reason why people buy their clothes from stores. It is because once you have factored in time and resources, it's usually cheaper these days to buy off the rack. But when you have a mother who has a lot of fabric laying around, with a $3.44 pattern you can have a very satisfying one of a kind article of clothing (hopefully one of a kind in a good way). I'm not posting the first attempt at this pattern because I think this one turned out much better.... :) If you're interested the pattern info is Simplicity New Look #6875 (from Walmart). Very simple, which is how I like it.

Ring around the rosie!

2009-08-05T15:30:00.000-04:00

When I went into the church nursery on Sunday to pick up the boys, they were playing ring-around-the rosie. The kids were so cute hand-in-hand in a circle. Bruce was in the middle doing his thing. That night he was showing off for us. I guess Brucie is more of a solo act.

He tried to be a team player... briefly.

Happy Birthday Clark!

2009-08-04T14:30:00.003-04:00

Clark turned 3 years old on August 1st! I can't believe he's getting so big. He truly is more little boy than baby now. He tries so hard to be good, but sometimes he can't resist... If I had to describe him to a stranger, I would say he has a sunshine smile. He is such a people person and will chat up anyone who will look in his direction at the store or anywhere! No shy violet here. He is smart and is always asking questions, wanting to understand. (I think that comes with his age.) Loves to read, color, sing! Loves his brother (bubba), even though sometimes it's more of a "tough" love situation. :)

I tried to set his b-day up with some age appropriate activities. We went to the zoo (Brucie in photo with the Galapagos Tortoises),

baked some cupcakes (with sprinkles!) which he picked out - frosting and all,

fixed a bike with Dad,

and had some serious sugar consumption. We did the candles 3 times, I think. Happy, happy birthday, Clark!

This is the cupcake he picked to eat. Also, thanks to HB and K who came to celebrate with us and make sure I didn't polish off the rest of those cupcakes alone!

Side note: Brucie devoured this cupcake like nobody's business. I wish I had it on video. I swear, like 30 seconds from start to finish. You would think he hadn't just eaten 2 whole pieces of pizza, or anything in the last 12 hours! He must be going through a growth spurt.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T19:30:00.004-04:00

Here is a video tribute to Grandpa and Papa. Happy Father's Day! We love you! And, of course, Happy Father's Day to Caleb, who is an awesome Dad!

It's always fun when Grandpa (Papa) comes, when Grandpa (Papa) comes Hoo-ray!
He always says the kindest things, and in the kindest way.
He has a wrinkly, twinkly smile. He's happy all the day!
It's always fun, for everyone, when Grandpa (Papa) comes!

Address?

2009-06-19T13:10:00.007-04:00

Today I was talking with Clark, who is almost 3, and we were working on memorizing our address. We started slow and he got the hang of it, so I tried a little role play.

"Let's pretend you get lost. I'll ask you a question. Hey, what is your name? (pause) You say Clark."
"Clark."
"Okay, let's try this again. What is your name?"
"You know my name!" (laughing)
"No, I'm pretending, remember? What is your name?"
"Caleb... Clark."
"No, just Clark."
"Clark."
"Okay, let's try your address. Where do you live?"
"Here."
"Where is your house?"
"This is my house, silly! (laughs) We're at my house."
"Okay, let's try saying our address like we practiced, remember? Where is your house? What is your address?"
"In the closet."
"What is your name?"
"Clark."
"What is your address, Clark?"
"No, your address."
"Say what we practiced. Do you remember?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, your address is where you live. It's where your house is. Let's try again. What is your address?"
"No, I don't wear a dress. I'm a boy. YOU wear a dress!"
"Okay, I think that's good enough for now. Good job, Clark!"

Maybe I should have started with our phone number...

Blast from the Past

2009-06-15T23:01:00.003-04:00

Its fun to look at old photos. I found this in a box today while I was looking for something completely different. This was taken in the backyard where I grew up. We had just had a campout (hence the tent) and this is the next morning, I think. It reminds me that it has been a long time since I went back to visit. If anyone has a guess as to when this was taken and who that is on the back row, I would like to hear. I figure I was somewhere between 9 and 12. I think this may have been the last time I posed so brazenly in a swimsuit...

From Left to Right

(Back row) Erica, Sara, Kristy, ?, Penny, Carly (baby)

(Front row) Sarah, Wendy, Kelly, Me, Leah, Sheri, Jenny

Independence

2009-06-08T19:33:00.002-04:00

You can't tell from the picture, but the shorts are backwards too.

A Little Bit of Song and Dance

2009-06-03T22:09:00.014-04:00

Two posts in a row! I know, I can't believe it either...

Brucie likes to sing. Especially if it has to do with Thomas the Train. I think it is so cute. Here is his rendition of "It's Great to be an Engine". My favorite part is when he says, "Puff, puff, puffing along." (I thought I'd let you know in case you can't understand what he's saying.) That lump on the couch behind Bruce is Caleb, who got up early with Bruce this morning (but was sleeping while I filmed this video). There is nothing sweeter than an extra 30 minutes of sleep. Thanks Caleb!

Clark and Bruce are playing with one of those "noise making" toys that we had hidden somewhere and they found it again. (The kind of toys that scare you when you're walking by them at night and they start up suddenly. Creepy. Or when the batteries are dying and the song gets lower and slower. Even creepier.) It sings an alphabet song, but you can't hear it very well. In the first video Clark is dancing and doesn't know Caleb is filming him. In the second one, they're both dancing, but Clark is playing it up for the camera. Still cute enough that I had to post them both.

Scotty Potty

2009-06-02T16:23:00.000-04:00

You can probably tell by now that I'm a better blog reader than a blog writer. I have a hard time thinking about what I'm going to write when I have a little boy (or boys) climbing up on my chair (like right now) trying to push some buttons.

We have been potty training. It was and is still a learning experience. Thank you to those character underpants, which eased our transition because Clark was so excited to wear them. I have to say that the tiny underpants are adorable and I love seeing them in the clean laundry (emphasis on the clean). Clark has got the hang of it, despite the "almost-made-it" experiences every once in a while including last week when he was sick (I guess they don't call it the runs for nothing). Now if I could only get him to not use all the soap and toilet paper... He's enjoying his newfound access into a mostly parent-supervised zone. He has even graduated from little potty to big potty of his own volition. I was surprised, since (as an almost 3 year old) he doesn't like change. He definitely wants to be a big boy, which has helped immensely with this new step for us. Officially, I cannot call him my "baby" anymore, which I still do despite his protests. He tells me, "Brucie is a baby! I'm a big boy!"

Special thanks to Aunt Kristy and Scott, who visited this weekend and brought the Wall-E shoes (and "Aunt C" who sent them on from her boys). Clark is in love with them and would wear them to bed if I let him. Not that he really knows who Wall-E is, but that doesn't seem to matter. (He doesn't have the attention span for Disney movies yet.)

We also competed in a friendly cheesecake competition. This was the first time making a cheesecake for me and it turned out fairly well. I came in 4th of 6 entries, but mine wasn't as fancy as the goat milk and toffee cheesecake that won first... I made a plain cheesecake with blueberry topping for Caleb who likes 'em plain. We all had a good time and I'm wishing I was more of a camera person because then I would have a picture. I'll have to see if I can rustle one up for all three of my loyal readers. :) And here are some recent pictures that I do have...

"Big Boy" Clark w/ his new shoes. Do you think he likes them? Does this say something about how exciting our average day is?

Jumping to show me the lights on the side of his shoes. (I couldn't get it in the picture. Tricky.)

Brucie, who is still a "baby".

Cheeeeeeeese!

Reading with Daddy.

The Illusion of Control

2009-04-30T13:21:00.000-04:00

I remember as a new mother asking the women who attended my local mothers' group when they finally felt they had things "under control." They then exchanged knowing glances, patted my hand and broke the news that from now on things would be a "new normal." I still feel that is the simplest way to describe the ever-changing, hectic life of parenthood.

That being said, we are learning about potty training, potty learning, toilet training, whatever you may call it... Transitioning into another "new normal." Clark is finally gaining some interest in that little potty in the bathroom that has lain, dusty and unused, under our bathroom sink. We have had one unsuccessful attempt at potty training a few months ago, but I decided that we would both be a lot happier if we waited for some more interest and understanding regarding the potty. We have talked about "big boys" using the potty, observing which friends "use the potty", checking out books, familiarizing ourselves with the parts and functions, recognizing the need to "go", handwashing, etc... I always thought Clark would train early since he could speak and communicate so well from an early age. Well, either I missed my window early-on, or he just wasn't ready because the first attempt had less potty-sitting and more floor cleaning. So, here we are at 2-1/2 just starting our potty adventures. I wonder how Bruce will do since he wants to be a part of whatever "Bubba" (big brother) is doing.

It's interesting to think about parenthood, which is in my opinion a "learn as you go" type of thing. You can try to be as prepared as possible, but individual circumstances will inevitably prevail and experience becomes your new teacher. Recently I've felt this way about night time and sleeping/waking children. We have a routine, we have a regular bedtime, getting to sleep is not usually a problem for us, but still we have good nights and bad nights, and some nights I have to admit I have no idea why my child has woken up. I quickly run down the list of past problems: too hot, too cold, teething, air is too dry, limb fell asleep, sick, recently in contact with a sick child, took a late nap, too long of a nap, did not have a nap and is overtired, bad dream, gas, constipation, went to bed too late, sleep schedule disrupted from traveling, traveling and sleeping in a new place, hungry, thirsty, bug bite, dirty diaper, dropped something, too light, too dark, too loud, too quiet... Scrambling sleepily through the darkness, you hope to find the right one before they are awake for too long. And then... they're up. Sometimes nothing will soothe or console them in time and out they come - awake. I try to avoid getting them out of bed (if at all possible), and don't let them sleep in our bed (not that I haven't tried this in desperation without success), but this has been a frustrating reality of parenthood for us (and certainly others) and a reason why our sleep is constantly interrupted and naptimes/bedtimes are sacred. Because no one wants to be the one on the couch with an awake child at 3 a.m.

When I was a new mother, I used to think that other mothers were judging me on my parenting abilities. I know there are some who feel there is only one "right" way, but I believe most people, especially parents who have "been there", understand the learn-as-you-go dynamic of parenthood. As your child collapses in a fit of frustration on the floor of a store there may be some judging glances, but also some knowing and sympathetic glances. No one will be able to tell you what will work for you, although most will be willing to tell you what worked for them. You will get a lot of advice as a parent; keep the good advice and disregard the bad, as someone once said. I appreciate the advice I've received from good friends who help me find a different approach to my continuing parenting dillemas.

Our House?

2009-04-22T14:48:00.009-04:00

It's kind of funny that I've entitled my blog "Our House," since we don't actually own a home. If I was being technical, I probably would have called it "Our Apartment" or "Our Living Space," but those just don't have the same ring to them. Possibly "Our Home" would have worked, but it's too late now.

Most of you know that my major in college was Interior Design, so I often feel stress about not having creative control over my living space to, say, paint the walls or knock them down if I really wanted to (not load-bearing walls of course). It's a frustrating predicament, but I find my creative outlets in other ways. Once upon a time it was working in a career (which I loved) and these days it is pouring over home building and plan books from the library and constantly pestering my husband about "What do you think of this plan?" and "Do you prefer a one-story or two-story house?" HGTV is more like pouring salt in the wound. It's easy to get over-done on HGTV. I love, love, LOVE "This Old House" magazine. One of my few magazine subscriptions. I often laugh about our "preferences" because by the time we are able to afford our "dream home" we will probably be too old to enjoy it or ready to down-size. Hopefully not. My friend H who is in the process of buying a fixer-upper is going to have to put up with me for a while. Hopefully I won't be too much "help" for her.

It is amusing to look through home plan books with a critical eye. (Not amusing to everyone I'm sure.) Yes, what a beautiful, sprawling 4,000 square foot house with every room with it's own bathroom, but obviously whoever lives here isn't planning on doing their own laundry because the laundry room/cubby hole is less than adequate. I guess the maid will have to deal with it. Or I loved the 3,335 square foot house with it's own lighthouse-style widow's walk. You could also live in an octagon-shaped house to take advantage of those panoramic views. And always my favorite are how they need all the different names for these rooms to distinguish them from the others in large houses, "Family Room, Living Room, Great Room, Library, Bonus Room, Study, Home Office, Library, Hearth Room" the list continues. Hypothetically, all of these similarly-purposed rooms could exist in the same house. I love to see the extravagant (and usually poorly planned) mega-mansions designed for the rich and famous. (Although, they will probably hire an architect instead.) "Who builds these houses anyway? I think this one is 70's-era. Do you think this is a popular plan? Amazingly popular enough to publish it... (shakes head)" Hours of entertainment and open-ended questions await. Check out a home plan book from the library, it won't disappoint.

So, here are some of the things I would like in my dream home, in no particular order. (And I reserve the right to add to/change my list at any time, since I will probably have many years to perfect it.) Please keep in mind that we would like to have a larger family some day, and this list takes that in to account. Suggestions for the list are welcome.

4 bedroom/2.5 baths
Under 2,500 square feet (I will have to clean my dream home.)
Some kind of front and back porch
Large, fenced in yard (Something we appreciate from an apartment point-of-view.)
2-car Attached Garage
Caleb would also like a shed of some kind for lawn-equipment (He was quite inspired by Uncle P's garage.)
Formal Entry (Nothing huge, just enough to transition. I'd rather not walk straight into the Family Room. Too apartment-like.)
Extra Garage Space (For Caleb to have a workbench or tool storage. Maybe the shed would suffice. "Man Space")
A laundry room with a laundry sink (Also something we appreciate now that we don't have it. One day I will be able to wash my laundry without wondering if I have enough quarters. And some place to wash out... kid messes.)
Room inside the house for an extra freezer (Since we plan to live in a warm climate, this helps on the electric bills. Also important because we probably won't have a basement like some of you.)
Powder Bath (Off-limits to our kids so I don't have to be embarrassed to let people use our bathrooms. "What is this puddle from? Who didn't flush? What is this on the floor?" Dream house, remember?)
Large Kitchen Pantry (For Food Storage. In my dreams I would also have a separate storage area/closet for additional food storage. Where do you put all that wheat anyway?)
Kitchen open to the Family Room (Don't want to be closed off from the fun)
Separate Vanity Area from Toilet/Tub Area in Kid's Bath (I don't know how many times there was a major bathroom hold-up from a long shower-taker, or your brother comes out with a smile on his face and says "It's all yours!" if you know what I mean. Sometimes kids only need a sink.)
2 Sinks in the Master Bath (I want my own.)
Separate closets in Master Bedroom
Separate Tub and Shower in Master Bath (Resale purposes. I'm not really a bath-taker.)
Lots of closet space (Did I mention closets yet?)
A mail center space in kitchen/garage entry area (To catch clutter before it hits the kitchen counter or table.)
A Public Area Desk for the computer (Just to keep an eye on things when my kids hit that age.)
One-story (Caleb's requirement, not mine)
In my dream of dreams I also have a craft room, but I'm not holding my breath just yet.
At least a two-cook kitchen (We have barely a one-cook kitchen now and it makes for stressful mealtimes as Caleb and I dodge and climb over each other to get things the job done.)
Modern insulation and energy-efficiency bells and whistles (Lots of options on the market to keep you from hemmoraging money in a well-built and well-planned house.)

I'm not sure my dream house exists, but it will someday.

I hope I get to live in it!

Oh Bananas!

2009-03-25T20:43:00.004-04:00

Bananas are a hot commodity in our house. We all eat them regularly, but Brucie has at least 2 a day, in combination with other foods of course, but definitely a favorite. On Sunday, however, 2 was not enough and after wolfing down 2 whole bananas, Bruce decided he needed one more... Here is what I found when things got a little too quiet. Are those puppy dog eyes?

Nap times are carefully planned since the boys share a room and both will still take a nap... usually. Clark goes to sleep first, because he sleeps heavier and even a crying Brucie doesn't phase him. Well, when Clark goes to bed, Bruce gets the toys all to himself. You can see all the "favorites" in this picture: the trains, the doctor kit, the "vegables", and (of course) the Grand National. This is as good as it gets for a 16-month-old younger brother, I'm sure. Paging Doctor Bruce!

I'm not an accomplished sewer by any means, but I am (in my own opinion) a creative person. I have a list of several "projects", sewing or otherwise, that I am in the middle of completing at any one time. After encounters with project that drudged on far past enjoyment, I realized that I'm not one of those people who can not start another project until they've finished the one they are on. I decided that I won't make myself finish something (that doesn't have a deadline) if I can't enjoy it. Otherwise it isn't fun, is it? And what is the point of having a hobby if you don't enjoy it anymore. On the other hand, because of limited time and money, I try to gauge how much I really want to do something and only start a project that I am sure I will finish in the relatively near future. When a project becomes overwhelming, tedious, or I simply don't have the time to devote to it because of a busy schedule, I am able to set it to the side (with only a little guilt that it is still unfinished) and pick up something else until I have the patience/interest/time to return to the other project. This philosophy, expectedly, makes for a lot of unfinished projects.

I am to the point in my project cycle where Caleb has begun eyeing my growing pile in the corner and I get the feeling that in order for domestic tranquility to continue, I need to finish some of my projects. So recently I have been working on finishing a purse that I started a while (or several months) ago, and I estimate I am in the last 4 or so hours of the project. But with sewing that may be the last 8 hours, if you know what I mean. This particular sewing venture has pushed my skill level. Zippers, handles, cording, etc... Well, here is a picture of my labors last night. A little shaky since Caleb "surprised" me with a picture while I was working on it, but you can see the pattern of the fabric. (Not my finest posture moment, but in this picture I'm putting in the zipper and I'm really focused.) I'm excited to see it finished although I don't know what I'm going to do with it since I'm not much of an accessories girl as a "want to learn new techniques" kind of girl. I'll be sure to post a picture for you of the finished project.

The Father-Son Camp out

2009-03-16T20:02:00.018-04:00

Well, we've had a great Spring Break! Our last, since Caleb won't be in school much longer. It's nice to have a chance to get away from our place for a while and crash at Grandma and Grandpa's way bigger and cooler place. We got to party with "Uncle D" who turned the big 1-0, hang out with the family (Caleb's and mine), and even the change of scenery was exciting to the boys. We are currently down shifting from all the fun times and readjusting to having a schedule and being at home again.

So, Clark and Caleb recently had their first "Father-Son Camp out" with the ward, which was exciting for us all. Mom got some "Mom time" and Father and Son set out for some male bonding adventures. I was surprised at Caleb's enthusiasm in taking our 2-year-old out to sleep in a tent for the night. Alone. Not even returning after discovering that their pillows were still at home, sitting on our bed. Brave soul! I have to say that I was a little pleased that Caleb was able to satisfy his "hankering" for camping and I didn't really have to go. A family trip is daunting with two little boys and an inexperienced camper such as myself. I have to admit that it has been almost 5 years that we've been married and we have yet to go camping together. (Those of you who know me well won't be too surprised about that fact.) I have some fun camp out pictures to share. They are adorable if I do say so myself. I can't believe that Clark is getting so big. Caleb more than fulfilled his promise to bring back pictures.

Setting up the tent!

Dinner Time... Gotta love the campfire meals on the cooler/table.

(Good call, Caleb, bringing that chair.)

Good Morning, Sunshine!

The Last at the Breakfast Table

(Which might be why Clark was so "sunny" when he woke up!)

Gotta love the self portrait with the head cut off. There are more of these pictures actually and they cracked me up, but this blog is pretty picture-heavy as it is so I will leave the hilarity up to your imaginations.

A Story from Caleb:

We had a pretty good time. It was on a lake so Clark kept wanting to "go down to da wader."
"No Clark, you already got your clothes wet, we aren't going to the water anymore" (we changed his clothes).
"Umm...daddy you wanna go close to da wader but not in da
wader?"
"No."Few minutes later..."Daddy you wanna come put the stick in da
wader?"
"No, not anymore. We're not going back down to the water"
So then he just started running for the water and I had to catch him. He
wasn't too happy about that. But we had fun.

I have to say that I'm feeling very grateful for all our blessings and the simple joys of life. The Lord has given us so much over the years including our family and the people we love. We probably won't ever have everything that we want, but we do have everything that we need and so much more. It's hard to look at my beautiful children and supportive husband every day and not give thanks to our Heavenly Father who loves and watches over us and still blesses us on top of it all.

A Day in the Life

2009-03-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

It's been a while for me since I've been able to sit down at the computer and form complete sentences. Just a lot of busy-ness that keeps you going, but you can't remember exactly why you were so busy all day or what you've really accomplished.

So, my boys have a favorite Hot Wheels car they like to play with. Actually, it's Clark's favorite and therefore Bruce's favorite. The "Grand National." Called by name and arguably the most disputed-over Hot Wheels car in the lower 48 states, or at least in our apartment. I'm always surprised that this is the favorite car. No bright colors, no fancy wheels, no operable doors (which were always my favorite), no cartoon character associations, not even a good flame paint job going for it. I've included a picture of the well-loved Grand National as well as a picture of Clark with the many other cars he could've picked as his favorite, but didn't...

Clark is a big helper. He likes to set the table, he likes to help with "projects", and loves to help his little brother, but Clark generally has a hard time with transitions. Any time we are going anywhere from anywhere else, and it doesn't necessarily matter where we're going to or from; if he has to leave then it's a big problem. Even at the end of nursery class on Sunday, while most kids are wailing waiting for their parents to return Clark is also crying, but for another reason; he doesn't want to leave. So, today when it was time to leave playgroup I gave my 5 minute warning that we would be going soon. A smooth exit didn't look promising today. I was even picturing our phenomenal exit with Clark crying and screaming, limp as I dragged him towards the exit with Bruce in my arms, but when it was time to go I had an idea to try something new. I told Clark to "Go get Brucie. It's time to go." It was a bit of a risk, depending on how Clark decided to "get" Brucie, or if Brucie decided he was ready or not. But the stars aligned and there came Clark and Bruce, hand in hand, out the door, to the car. Small victories...

Bruce and Clark (respectively)
At my parent's house
Dec 2009

A is for Apple. B is for Bruce.

2009-02-17T21:26:00.006-05:00

My little 15 month old, Bruce, is a funny, happy little boy who generally thinks everything his big brother does is wonderful and should be copied immediately. Although the day has yet to come when they can get along for more than 5 minutes together, they are generally pretty sweet to each other. I was listening to Clark chatting in his room over the baby monitor the other day and he said, "Brucie is my best friend. Brucie is my best friend. Brucie is my best friend I never sawed." He got it mostly right, but completely cute.

I think Bruce is a pretty good talker for his age, which is cute in that teeny baby voice of his. He will probably be just as much of a talker as Clark (heaven help me). This recent video is when Brucie (my climber) scavenged a browning apple off of the table and was pretty pleased with himself. He was telling us all about it. My little Brucie. He won't be little for long because he's in such a hurry to be a "big boy" like his brother.

The Balancing Act is Over

2009-02-15T20:21:00.000-05:00

So, when Caleb and I got married we got a table and set of chairs from his neighbor. The table has been sturdy, but the chairs were in various states of repair. I remember being 8 or 9 months pregnant and being honored at sitting in the only truly stable chair in the set, while Caleb was perched precariously on the next-sturdiest. Warnings have been stated to visitors in our different apartments including (but not limited to), "Wait! Not that one!!" We have finally fixed them all so that no one will need to worry about sitting down while visiting our house. In addition to the "sturdying" efforts we also reupholstered all the chairs with some fabric from my mom (Thanks Mom!). I am very pleased with the results and Caleb and I have been wondering what in the world took us so long...

Before & After

At Midnight: "Wow, I can't believe this is taking so long."

Close-up

Here we go!

2009-02-12T09:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been saying I was going to start a blog for some time now, but to no avail. The whole blog set-up seems very looming to me and I have to wonder if it ever ends... Here's to hoping that I have something to write about that is worth reading too. This will just end up being a way to ramble about my days and, hopefully, stay in contact with friends and family. I have no delusions of glory. If I can get a few laughs too, then I'll truly be a success. Not much to look at now, but hopefully soon.