odd mom out

Thank you & (Semi) Wordless Wednesday

I just wanted to say Thank You to everyone who gave me words of support after my last post.  As you can imagine, that post was hard to write, but just what my grieving soul needed.

Now, to the wordless Wednesday part...

Love them so much.  Happy Wednesday.

Off on an Adventure

The hubs and I are off tomorrow on a trip (just the two of us) for 9 days.  I can't remember the last time we got away together and it wasn't a business trip.  I will miss the kids so much, but I know they are in good hands with our lovely nanny, Amanda. 

 

Until next week,

 
 
 

The best things

Sometimes the best things are simple, everyday moments, captured to remember.  My kids, on a recent morning, enjoying the weather and each other.

Everyday is a gift.

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A funk.

So I have avoided my camera lately.  Not on purpose, but I just haven't picked it up or felt inspired to take photos.  Our trip to Colorado...not one photo!  And it was Cael's birthday!  I had to rely on friends with cell phone cameras to capture the moment.  Then I realized that I haven't posted any photos lately either.  I also haven't made a scrapbook page in over two weeks, and my project 365?  Don't even get me started.  I think I am in a creative funk. 

Tonight I decided to take steps to end the funk.  I uploaded the last set of photos that I took.  Hopefully a clean memory card and my camera sitting on my desk where I can see it will inspire me. 

Here are the most recent of the bunch...

No, that is not a drowned rat in my kitchen sink...it's Paco, my long haired Chihuahua, looking rather pathetic after his bath.  I usually send him to the groomer, but he has to go to the kennel next week when we escape to the Bahamas for spring break, so I figured...why waste the dough?  I can do it myself.  I think Paco prefers the groomer.  At least they don't stop and take pictures when he is standing there shivering.

These are from the other night when I gave the kids some ice cream...

He's investigating...normally he is not a big fan of ice cream.  But he warms up to the idea soon enough.

 

Then he just goes for it... 

Must have been good because he is one happy (albeit messy)  kid! 

Hey, I'm feeling inspired already!  Maybe I'll put these into Kirsten's challenge page .  See, I knew uploading would inpire me!

Spineless

OK, I admit it. I have no spine.  You know, that thing that holds you upright, keeps you strong and steadfast in the face of challenge. 

Case in point:  Cael has a big-boy bed.  I know it's early (he's not yet two), but here's the story:  I set up a twin bed in his room so that I could lay down and read him a story (because I am a Mom, and I will use any excuse possible to lie down in the evening).  I went to Target and bought him these cute little sheets with cars on them.  Cael is OBSESSED with cars.  He took one look at those sheets and was done with the crib.  Refused to go in...and me, being tired and spineless, let him sleep in the big boy bed from that day on.

Ahhh, those first few weeks lulled me into denial, "See, he was ready and he doen't even want to get out of his big boy bed".  Denial is an evil thing, because something ALWAYS happens to let you know that you are in it.  Now I realize (with the sage wisom of someone who is looking back instead of ahead), that for a few weeks, Cael did not know that he could get out of the big-boy bed.  Yet, he is a smart one, that boy, and now the rules have changed.

Cael will lay down in his bed, and I swear, he pretends that he is sleeping.  So I sneak out (after I have taken a little nap in the chair), thinking that he is asleep and will stay in bed.  Ahhh, there's DENIAL again. 

Pretty soon, as I am happily watching Big Love and sitting down for the first time of the day (OK, disregard the nap in the chair and the hours I spend in front of the computer looking at Etsy...they are irrelevant here), I see a little imp peeking around the corner.  Now, if I look stern (i.e. find my spine) he runs back to his room (which is the cutest thing ever when he has his footie PJs on), but if I crack even the slightest smile (which I almost always do, because of the footie PJs) he knows he's got me, and I am sunk.

Sunk I tell you.  I have to turn off the TV, and get my PJs on (no feet for me, too hot) and let my little imp into bed with me.  Oh, I may make a few attempts to get him back into his bed...but they are all fruitless. 

I will tell you that the spinlessness boils down to this:  when he crawls in bed with me, he puts his arms around my neck, pulls me close, gives me a kiss, and then snuggles in to sleep.  Now if that doesn't turn your spine into Jello, then you must truly be made of stone.

Happy Valentine's Day

 Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope you & your love(s) have a wonderful day...hearts and flowers and chocolates and all that stuff.  More importantly, remember that life is short so tell the ones you love how much they mean to you, not just today, but often.

A layout I did to celebrate two of my loves.

Small ones.

Children bring out the best and the worst in their parents.  I know mine do.  Nothing can try my patience, bring on an avalanche of guilt, or a tidal wave of love like my kids.  Lately, I have been thinking about how my parenting style has evolved over the eight years I have been a parent.  Some differences are subtle, like how I have embraced the five second rule with my son, but if Eva dropped something on the floor it would never even make it into her hands again.  Also, I realize now the difference between the "Mom, I just need some attention" cry and the cry that says, "I just severed a limb".  The former is barely audible to my ears, but the latter can turn me into a sprinter that an Olympian would have a hard time catching.

The main thing that I have noticed about my parenting is that I am much more relaxed.  I know my child won't break, that they will learn how to walk, rollover, and say their first word without my pushing them every second.  I enjoy my time with them more, yet I also sense that it is passing much more quickly than I would like, and I grieve the loss of my babies, even as I cheer the children that they are becoming.

After Eva was born, I truly believed that I was savoring every second.  I was  carefully monitoring her in every stage of development, consulting books, making sure sure that she was meeting or exceeding the milestones.  I started singing the alphabet song over and over, counting things incessantly, and using color to describe every item in the house.  What I did not do was stop and just enjoy where she was at any given moment.  I was so busy pushing forward that I neglected to just BE with her.

In contrast, Cael is nearly two and has heard the alphabet song a few times from his sister, but maybe only once from me.  Eva has taught him to count to three, but I find the fact that he has figured out how to repeat a program in the TiVo menu on the remote more endearing.  Just yesterday he brought me a plate, a spoon, and a sippy cup from the kitchen and said 'snack'.  He is learning just fine on his own, and I am enjoying every minute of it.  He is happy moving at his own pace, and I am content to watch, and more importantly, ENJOY this time watching.

Several friends are expecting their first child and have asked me for advice.  I struggle with this. I want to give them something useful, a bit of wisdom that will be meaningful, yet different from the standard.  I remember people telling me to enjoy every moment because they grow up so fast.  Good advice, but difficult for the new parent to truly grasp.  I realize that I did not grasp the concept until the second time around.  So the advice I am planning to give? 

"Never wait to change a poopy diaper." 

Those of you with kids know what I am talking about.

Snow

After a month with very little snow in these parts, we woke up today to some of the fluffy white stuff.  I always find a new snowfall refreshing and calming.  It's almost as if the world is suddenly washed clean.

So, of course, it was the perfect oppourtunity for a family field trip to Oak Creek to enjoy the scenery. 

Unfortunately the wet weather prevented me from taking many shots...but we enjoyed the trip anyway.  Well, Steve and I did.  The kids took their usual position for family outings:

Aww, aren't they sweet.

I should be used to this by now.  

Wii!

After much cajoling, nagging, begging, and pleading, we now are the proud owners of a Wii!

I cannot wait to hook it up and try it out!  ( The hunting game was so that Steve would actually learn to love the Wii).

Also, a while back I entered a nationwide photography contest.  I had kind of forgotten about the whole thing, and then the other day a letter comes in the mail.  I was sure that it was the type of letter that starts out  "Thank you so much for entering, while we appreciate your entry, it was not chosen.  We wish you luck in your endeavors....blah, blah, blah." 

As a matter of fact, I was so sure that was what it was going to say that I almost threw it in the recycle bin without opening it.  Well, I am glad I didn't!  My photo was chosen as a finalist in the contest!  Over 3,000 people entered (and you could submit multiple photos: I submitted 5) and mine was chosen to be one of the 100 finalists!  Yippee!  The photo they chose was not my fave, but I do like it:

It's funny because I took this photo on a whim, just snuck in while she was sleeping...glad I did!  Now I have absolutely no delusions about actually winning, the entries to this contest are amazing!  But, it's really an honor to be chosen (boy, I sound like one of the losers at the academy awards), and it also means that my work will be published.  So yeah me!  Yeah Eva!

OK, now I have to go play the Wii.

Birthdays...

Yesterday we had a birthday party for Eva.  She turns 8  in a few days.  It's tough to have a birthday so close to Christmas.  I wrestled with the date for the longest time, and finally decided to have it the day after the last day of school.  We only had three girls show, and I think that may have been due to the timing.  It was Eva's first real birthday party...and it turned out really well. 

We went with a Carnival / Circus / Fair theme.  We had hot dogs, lemonade, and popcorn, and of course...cake.

We had a ticket booth...

A bean bag toss....

And a craft table.

All in all, I think the party was a success!  One of the girls said that it was "the best carnival EVER!" 

After all the festivities, Eva was worn out, but happy.