Things I Love. Part 28

I love lazy Saturdays. Saturdays where we have enough time for Carter to take a bath ALL alone for as long as he wants. (His request!)

I am really embarrassed about these first 2 photos. They were SO red colored. So, I played with them on iphoto and now they are so weird colored. Anyway. He's still a cute boy. I need to take a class or something.

He's such a happy boy.





I just love everything about him. I wish I could can 'almost three years old' and keep it forever.

P.S. I also love that February is OVER.

Things I Love. Part 27

Jenell and Dakota visited us this week. I am so mad at myself for not getting out my good camera more, but my kids were sure enamored and curious about their cousin. Carter would get close to him and talk to him so sweetly in a voice about 3 octaves higher than his normal voice.

Things I Love. Part 26

I love how much my crew loves school.

Carter is still L-O-V-I-N-G pre-preschool. He thinks he's so big.

He loves to paint while we're there, and usually spends more than half of his time at the easel. He'll say, "Mom! I LOVE painting", over and over and over. (And over.)


And of course, he loves having one of his best buds there. She helps keep him on track. (wink)

This guy . . .
. . . is a bit of a different story. He loves school, but he hates early mornings. On this particular day last week though, he lept out of bed- it was the 100th day of school! Quite a big deal in kindergarten.

And then there is Madeline. She lives, breaths, and eats school. Here she is with her Battle of the Books team. If I've blogged about this before, I apologize. I've mentioned it to everyone I've talked to in the past couple of months. I am so stinkin' proud of these kids! They had to read a zillion books and then each week they have 'battles' where they are asked a series of questions about the books. These kids have done such a great job and had beaten several teams of older kids. They are awesome! Every time I see Maddy in her element at school she reminds me so much of myself.

Things I Love. Part 25

I love you so much Papa.

I loved how Garrett just wanted to stay with you and hang out the day we'd arrived. I love that my kids know you and love you. You take care.

Things I Love. Part 24

A few weeks ago I learned about a kids' Artist Trading Card swap on my friend, Mary's blog. I signed up just under the wire, and a few days later we got our assignments. Garrett is sending and receiving cards from Norway, Brazil, and London! (And also California.) Madeline is sending and receiving from 3 different parts of California, Vancouver Island B.C., and Eastern Canada.

Today on the way home from school we stopped at the art store in town to get the cards. (They needed to be on actual heavy duty art paper.) When we got home we looked at Google Earth and our actual globe to figure out where all these pieces of art would be traveling. We looked online at artist trading cards by adults and kids. And then, I remembered a picture book I had about different artists, (and for once I actually knew where it was!!!), so we pulled that out and read it too.

Then they got down to business.

Garrett was all about the glitter.

Madeline was all about the professional water colors that her friend gave her for her last birthday.
She really hung in there. An hour after Garrett cleaned up, she was still working. She decided to also make one for Blessing, the little girl we met in Rome nearly a year ago.


Not one to be left out (even though he was too young for the exchange), little brother joined the water color bandwagon. Heavy on the water.
Pictures of the finished products tomorrow in the daylight . . .

Things I Love. Part 23

-Today I was at Maddy and G's school, visiting with the (awesome) librarian. All of the sudden a door to the adjoining reading room bursts open, and there is my daughter- a huge, genuine, grin on her face, and she throws her arms around me in a tight hug. In front of all her friends. Doesn't happen often, and it made my day. And I was sure to let her know, like 3 times.

-Tonight, as I was tucking Carter in, he wanted me to read, Red Fish, Blue Fish to him. On one page there was a mean fish. Carter points to it and says, "That guys is mean."
I asked, "Really? What about you?"
Carter answered, "Mmmm, no, me jus' a dood duy." (Me just a good guy.)
He really is.

-Garrett. Well, the little bit I saw Garrett today he was quite out of sorts. Tired, I am sure from Things I Love 22 and being out too late with friends we see too little. But I am thankful for friends like Judy and Allison who take my kids and love on them. Today Carter spent the morning at Allison's and both boys spent the afternoon at Judy's and then another hour or two, just for fun, at Nana's. I will say that something I always love about Garrett is how faithful (obsessed?) he is with goodnight hugs. Joel and I trade off tucking in every night. Garrett doesn't care. He will hug everyone once. Then he'll go get in bed, get tucked in, and give another hug. And usually, once all is quiet and everyone is in bed, he'll come downstairs again for one more hug. Just in case. And yes, he's probably stalling. But honestly, he is quiet and subdued and genuine and a really good hugger during these times. So I'm going to let him keep doing it.

Things I Love. Part 22

Man, I love post dating on the blog. Years from now I will think I really had it together this February. Except that I know myself and I'll know that I post dated half of the entries.

What I love for Sunday, February 22, are our college friends. Known as the E8, Elite 8, Lame 8, 'College Friends' or soon to be Sweet 16 (well, once Baby Burch is born and someone else has/adopts a baby), we have all been friends for . . . well, nearly 10 years. Some of us more, some a little less (but not much).

Melissa and Justin are about to have their first baby, and yesterday Annie and I helped Hannah host a shower for Melissa. It was so fun to get together and help her prepare for her upcoming little one. After the party goers went home, our fun husbands and kids joined us and we all had dinner together- a table for 14! I think that was a first. We always have lots of laughs, good talks, and everyone is at ease.

Of course, I forgot my camera, so I don't have a picture (yet) of all the kids dipping stuff into the chocolate fountain that Hannah set up for the shower. And I can't peer pressure Hannah or Annie into it because I still haven't sent out NYE pics! Anyway, it was cute, and also? Chocolate fountains are really, really, really fun. And yummy.

Sure love you guys!

Things I Love. Part 21

So apparently I am not great at committing to do anything for a month. Even a short month. I've been sick these past few days and haven't been taking pictures, nor have I been dwelling on things I am thankful for.

I've been pretty grumpy actually. I've missed a bunch of fun stuff the last few days, stuff like birthday parties, MNO, and bright February sunshine. And 60 degrees.

Yesterday I stayed in bed ALL. DAY. LONG. Literally. Joel brought me lunch up to bed. My kids put on aprons and waited on me. CB came and picked up Garrett and took him to lunch and to run his crazy energy out at Scotty's Playhouse. At 6:30 pm last night I finally drug myself out of my cozy nest and took a shower. And then I realized, dang, I have a LOT to be thankful for!

I have a mom who brings me a latte in the morning when I'm sick. (I know it probably isn't great for me, but trust me, I would feel a lot worse without my morning coffee!)

I have friends who will take my wild middle child and even let him ride in her car when he is SUPER sweaty.
And most of all, I have a husband who will cover for me the entire Saturday so I can stay in bed and get better. He fed the kids, he did dishes, he took them outside to play, and he didn't let them come ask me 10,000 questions. He even took good care of me. Not as good of care as my mom takes when I am sick, (a running joke between Joel and I that is mostly funny because it's so true), but pretty good care.

So, no pictures, but I love a restful and healthful Saturday.

An aside- CB sent me the above picture of Isaac, Garrett, and G's sweaty head. Maddy was reading over my shoulder as I responded, "He is the sweatiest kid I know!"
Maddy got really quiet and said, "I don't think that's very nice."
I replied, "What?"
She said, "Garrett is the sweetest kid you know?"
While I am glad she knows what happens when 2 vowels go walking, I got a kick out of it. I assured her that she is the sweetest kid I know, but Garrett truly is the sweatiest.

Things I Love. Part 20

I haven't changed a diaper for weeks.

Night or day, I have only cleaned up one wet accident this week, and no *ahem* other accidents for 2 weeks.
I think we're getting there.

Things I Love. Part 19

How is it February 19 already?

June 2007

June 2008

These girls spent a few hours at my house today dancing. They are preparing for the upcoming talent show at their school- dancing, of course. And naturally, they chose a High School Musical 3 song. I should have taken a picture, they were so cute all dressed up and rehearsing their moves, but I am sick and didn't have the energy to take a pictures. (Lame, I know.) It's so fun to watch them. They've been friends for as long as they can remember and I've witnessed them grow from babies to funny toddlers to little kids, to young ladies.

You will definitely be hearing about the talent show in the coming weeks. It's big excitement around here.

Things I Love. Part 18

I recently (like, a week ago) learned about Pandora Radio. It's radio on the internet. That's what they say anyway, but it's not like any radio station I've ever heard.

First of all, you put in some bands that you like. Then, it plays those bands, and others with similar style. And if there is a song that makes you think, "Ick," you can just press the ">>" button and skip it!

I am really not good at learning about new music. I have spent the last 9 years listening to Little People singing about going to the zoozoozoo and it has stunted me in the music department. But with Pandora, I can type in 'Indigo Girls' (timeless!) and all of the sudden I am listening to Norah Jones and Jack Johnson and other people whose names I can't remember. (That's part of my deficiency, I can never remember names of bands unless they've been on The Today Show.) I keep pressing the 'thumbs up' button so Pandora can remember that I am a fan. Love it!

I also love that I can do Pandora on my iphone OR on my laptop. And it keeps my preferences from gadget to gadget. Check it out!

P.S. Those itunes cards at Starbucks for free (when you buy a drink, naturally) have also opened my eyes to some cool new musicians!

Things I Love. Parts 15, 16, and 17

(in no particular order)
I love . . .

• laughing with my aunts and my mom
• coffee with my cousins
• the Nampa Rec Center
• my 3 kids being awesome in the car for 9 hours. Twice
  
• the DVD player and iphone games that assist in the aforementioned awesomeness
• my grandparents. (A lot)
• watching Berkley dance
• being in Idaho with Joel
• big family dinners and watching my kids know my aunts, uncles, and grandparents
  
• Christmas in February
  
• savoring lucid moments with my Grammy. (Precious)
• long car talks with my mom
• my 3 kids begging to sit together in the back of the van- tight quarters, but happy kids to be together.
  
• returning home
• returning home to a clean house, and surprising Joel with the cleanliness

Things I Love. Part 14

My girl and my Papa.

Things I Love. Part 13

Road trips.

Things I Love. Part 12

Carter painting at school. (I really do love my other kids too!)

Things I Love. Part 11

I love that I live where it can be snowy one morning.

And the next afternoon my kids are playing croquet in the backyard in their underwear.
(It was technically too cold to be out in one's underwear, so I was shooting from the back door, fully clothed.)

Things I Love. Part 10

Well, my initial reasons for doing the 'Things I Love' series were two fold.
First, I wanted to really work on my photography. Which I haven't really done much with. There is still a lot of February left, right???

The other reason is that February is usually such a dark, dreary, and long month. (Even though it's actually short, the weather makes it seem long!) Reminding myself of people and things, big and small that I am thankful for helps the deep winter doldrums. (Is doldrums a grandma word?)

Well, today was full of reasons to be thankful. Such a packed, fun day.

First, this little guy started Pre-pre-school today. The preschool that G attended is offering a parent-child 'intro to preschool' class. Carter dropped the first 'pre' and told anyone who would listen that he was headed to preschool! It was a dream come true to him- getting to go to school for him (instead of Madeline or Garrett), I stayed with him, and he had a friend there too! My friend Allison is taking the class with her little girl, Abby. Carter and Abby were two of the oldest kids in the class, but they were happy and busy. So cute.

We had some snow for our 'first day of school' photo this morning!

And then, this afternoon . . . still looking for words to desribe our house from 4:30-6:45ish. I've mentioned before my 'it-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-playgroup' group. These are moms that started out as acquaintances years ago, but have become my closest friends. When our kids were much younger (and we had so many less of them) we'd meet weekly for 'playgroup.' Now I think there are 17 kids total. And between our sheer numbers and our crazy schedules, we just don't get together as much. (But us moms never miss a Mom's Night Out!) Out of the 17 kids, 15 were at our house today for a Valentine's Party! I was a little worried that the kids would have fun (and not get mortally wounded) since it is such yucky weather and they couldn't spread out in the backyard. I planned a few little activities, but as usual, the kids had a great time on their own. (Although they were really cute and nice about my hokey activities.) Then all the mom's pitched in and we fed the whole crew tacos and got a few people out the door for the PTA meeting. I am so blessed to have this group of women who have my back, and have my kids' backs. Plus they are super fun. Whenever we're all together you can hear laughter, conversations that change on a dime (sometimes our hubbies can't keep up), and of course reminders to our wild kids.

With this many kids- some one is always picking a nose or blinking!

I had to get a shot of these kinder guys. We have many similar shots from their baby days.

And then (I have no idea why this is in italics and I can't get it to stop), after our house was quiet again, Joel and I decided to go pick up my Valentine's (and Christmas and Birthday, if you ask Joel) present . . . a new cell phone! I was in dire need of a new phone . . . and long story short, I ended up with a new iphone! I'm so excited!

Things I Love. Part 9

I'm so proud of our girl. We switched dance schools this year. Madeline was dragging her feet initially- she loved her dance teacher and she loved being one of the more experienced girls in the class. But she needed the bar set a little higher, and so we moved. (That's the short and nice version.)


Tonight was "Parent Watch Week", so we got to see all she's learned since the fall. Wow. She has been working so hard. I love watching her. I love seeing the turns she couldn't attempt a few months ago, and how her legs are just a little straighter than before. It's hard not being the most experienced dancer in there, but she isn't getting discouraged. She's learning and growing.

She loves hip hop and tap. She looks so at ease doing all these 'cool' moves.

And earlier today, I got to watch her do a little swimming. She looked so strong and confident down there, I can't believe she's mine sometimes. How is she almost 9? How can that be?

Carter Says . . .

"Foos we pit up Molly! Den we do playdough! Den we tate naps! Tause dat how eet woes!"

(First we pick up Molly! Then we do playdough! Then we take naps! Because that's how it rolls!)

Things I Love. Part 8

I've been running for 5 weeks-ish now and am really starting to feel good. At first I couldn't go more than a minute or two of jogging before I'd have to walk. Now? I'm going around 2.5 miles!! I have a long way to go before July 11, but I am pretty excited at my progress. I'm still slow- I think I am hitting an embarrassing 10+ minutes per mile, but it's a start.

I'm working on my mental toughness and ignoring the voice in my head that tells me I am really not up for this. This voice is like the devil on my shoulder and has been since I played softball in 3rd grade. (I am seriously not athletic at all.)

Voice: You are hurting. You'll never make it to a mile. Your legs hurt. You can't breathe. You can't do this. You really can't. You are out of shape. You aren't 16 anymore. You look stupid out here running. What if someone you know sees you?

Somehow I am learning to tune it out. To separate the voice from actual physical pain. Most of the time it is all mental and physically I am fine. Physically, I am getting stronger, and I CAN do it! I am making it to a mile, and I am breathing! And when the voice gets the best of me? I remember that I am a mom. I have been pregnant for 26 months of my life. I have been in labor 3 times. I spent 2.5 hours just pushing Madeline into this world. Seriously? I can run for 30 minutes. I just turn up the ipod and keep going.

I am doing it.

And when I get home? There is this waiting for me.

Things I Love. Part 7

Tonight Joel gave G a much needed haircut. A buzz, actually.

Guess who wanted in on the action as well?




We were going to take Carter to the barber tomorrow, since he is younger, his hair is thinner and we don't usually buzz him yet. Well, Carter wanted none of that. He basically told us that he wasn't a baby anymore, he pees in the potty, and he would be getting his hair cut by Daddy as well.


Joel said, "Why not."


This little guy grabs my heart every single day. In so many ways he has always been so easy. But when he makes his mind up, there is no stopping him. "But Mama!" he'll say and the determination in his eyes remind me that there are some things not worth going head to head over.

Things I Love. Part 6

A house full of babies in pjs. Playing Mariokart.

Things I Love. Part 5

I wasn't sure what I was going to post about today. But of course, the ride to school gave me the material I needed.

It started with Garrett saying, "Remember when we were on our big adventure," (I love it when conversations start this way), "and we were driving into the night and it was stormy and Maddy and I fell asleep because it was so far?"

He was talking about driving from Bavaria to Hochwald and the drive that took so much longer than we'd planned. Then the conversation turned to our wild ride in Rome, winding through the dark, yet busy streets after we'd just landed. And then, the train ride through the Alps. The conversation ended, as most of these type do, in Cinque Terre, with memories of tunnels, bright blue ocean, and of course, fresh lemonade. All of this in the 4 miles between home and school.

I love how much Maddy and Garrett still hold from our adventure. I love these impromptu conversations that pop up several times a week. I love when Carter grins sheepishly and says, "Tunnel Babies!" Even he remembers glimpses. It was more than 5 weeks of tortellini and pizza and gelato for them.

So here's a few shots from nearly a year ago. (These are all from the Italy part of the trip.)

Rome:

Trevi Fountain

Pantheon

Tuscany:

View from our bedroom window.

Carter chased pigeons wherever we went. This particular time was in Siena.

Cinque Terre:

Venice:

Seriously, who would let their kids be wild in St. Marks square?? Oh, wait . . .

I am trying to hold onto the 'don't be sad it's over, be happy it happened' mantra, but dang. I would drag these babies back over there in a heartbeat.