The Floaters
5 days ago
Showing posts with label Being a Mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Being a Mom. Show all posts
25 August 2011
Okay, so this girl is throwing me for a loop. Again.
All week she's been trying to take off her diaper whenever it's dirty (and unfortunately, one "successful" attempt in her crib last week ended with poo all over the crib, her hands, her face... but I digress).
Yesterday she came to me in a dry diaper, trying to pull it off and saying "potty! potty!" (honestly, I don't even really remember teaching her that word. Maybe Oliver did?)
This morning she started following me around with a pack of wipes and pointing to her diaper saying "poopy". I didn't even take her seriously because, again, I've never had this "talk" with her. Evidently someone has though because I checked, on the outside chance that she may be dirty, and sure enough, she needed to be changed.
So.
The child took 15 months to walk, but is maybe showing signs that she's ready to potty train at 17 months? Seriously - walking for only two months and now this?
I potty trained Oliver when we turned two. It took about two months for him to be accident-free, but still, that's 7 months from now.
When did y'all potty train your kids? Should I give it a whirl? Am I over-thinking these "signs" and just setting myself up for frustration?
I know there are a ton of smart Mamas out there - y'all have given me lots of good advice in the past. So, what do you think? Heed her cues or write them off as a fluke?
18 August 2011
Spray paint,
crape myrtles all a-bloom,
little friends visiting and playing outside,
banana muffins delivered by a girlfriend,
and angry dinosaurs in the water table.
It's a good morning!
15 August 2011
I take a lot of pictures. A lot.
I store them in tidy little folders in my iPhoto and generally edit my favorites in Lightroom or Photoshop. (By the way, I make most of my collages - like this one and this one - in Photoshop, for those of you that have asked.)
Every month I create a folder and title it "at home in [month]". My "At Home in July" folder is where all of my snaps of the kids get filed. Things we do that aren't necessarily big events or outings or things I plan to edit and share on my blog. Usually they are imperfect photographs - the kind that are a little blurry or underexposed or where one person's arm is waving so fast it looks like it's missing all together.
They're my "at home" photos. They're perfectly imperfect. They never get printed or shared and they're generally just for us to keep for us.
Except that last night, Ryan and I were scrolling thorugh the "At Home in July" folder and were just so tickled by our babes and the quirky things they do. I thought it might be fun to share a few of these 'perfectly imperfect' photos here, just for fun.
So, here they are!
Oliver loves to snack on apples, but isn't the best at finishing them or disposing of them properly. One morning, just before Hazel's nap time I found her laying on the rug, enjoying an apple that Oliver had, no doubt, discarded right there in the middle of the living room floor. She was so tired but she wanted to munch on it. She popped he head up for this photo, but it was mostly laid flat on the rug. Love this memory.
These are just a few shots from an afternoon of Oliver testing out the settings on the hose nozzle. He never meant to spray us, but he just kept losing track of where the hose was aimed when he pulled the trigger and by the end of it we were all dripping wet. (The camera didn't stay outside too long for this one since I was afraid it would get sprayed too!) I remember taking the kids inside for a warm bath and popsicles afterward.
This was a morning that everyone woke up too early. They were tired (as were we!) and didn't know what to do with themselves. We let Oliver and Hazel cuddle on the sofa and watch a cartoon in an attempt to let them wake up slowly before breakfast. It worked - eventually cuddling turned into wrestling and what could have been a grumpy morning transitioned sweetly into a happy breakfast.
{Right} Just a morning in the playroom. I love him standing and her sitting. He looks so much bigger than her and she just looks like such a little gal.
{Left} Another morning in the playroom. I remember seeing this photo when I uploaded it to my computer and thinking how old he looked in it.
Craisins at the art table. I never let them eat upstairs on the carpet but this was an exception and exceptions always make for giddy kids. They loved enjoying their upstairs snack!
{Right} One of the few days in July that we spent time outside that did not involve a pool. Hazel loves being outside more than the three of us combined and would spend her days in her little red swing on the swing set if it were up to her.
My sister made a trip to Colorado to visit a girlfriend last month and we got to keep Bea for one of the afternoons. I love that these two are best friends. And more than that - they act like an old married couple. I could sit and listen to them chatter and pick and plan for hours. They know each other's hot buttons and they know how to get along beautifully. And Bea sure knows how to spot an opportunity for a tender photo and embrace it.
Making spinach lasagna rolls for dinner one night. He loves to cook with me.
This is the tent under our dining room table that I referenced here. We spend all day under that thing and had so much fun - despite the head bonking and raisin spilling. :)
Okay, so it turns out we did lots of things at home in July. (Also, I'm realizing that Hazel spends a lot of time in just her diaper!) And now we're halfway through August and I'm already thinking I may repeat this type of post at the end of the month. What do you think?
Have a lovely Monday, friends! I'm headed off to buy some paint. Walls, beware! I'm coming for you!
29 July 2011
Monkey
see,
monkey
do!
When we got Oliver that blue camera for Christmas he ran around the house having us and our family pose for pictures. At one point we were walking down the stairs, he turned around and snapped a picture of me. Then he "showed" me the pic and said, "I'll send it to your faceblog!"
Have a lovely weekend, friends!
Curious?
Hazel's camera (a birthday gift from Claire!) is from Little Sapling Toys on Etsy. (You can't see, but it has her name on the front).
Oliver's camera was purchased from Twig Creative on Etsy.
27 July 2011
As I was on my run tonight I was thinking about what a lovely and full day I had. When I got home I decided to write it down, just for my own sake. If you happen to find it interesting, then please enjoy!
27 Jul 2011
8:30 - Wake up to Ryan getting ready to leave for work. The kids seem to be sleeping late, so we're glad to get some time to hang out before he has to leave.
9:00 - Ryan leaves.
9:20 - Oliver is up. He is exceptionally cuddly, so we just hang out in bed together for about 20 minutes and catch a bit of Sesame Street.
9:40 - I leave Oliver to get breakfast started. Waffles, yogurt (full fat!), blueberries & milk.
9:50 - I call Oliver to the table and head upstairs to wake Hazel up. I find her laying quietly, just waking up slowly. She's so happy to see me and give me a big hug, then chatters her way down the stairs.
9:53 - Over breakfast I have a quick pep talk with Oliver about the day. We talk about good patterns (obedience - he thinks of this in terms of circles and stars) and bad patterns (disobedience - squares and x's). Not sure if the logic is super solid on this, but it has been working for him for days. He tells me he's planning on an all circles and stars day. I agree that's a good plan.
9:55 - Hazel is upset that Oliver gets butter and syrup on his waffles and lets the whole house know it.
9:56 - Oliver gives Hazel a square.
9:57 - Oliver sneaks her a few bites of his waffles.
10:00 - Breakfast is over. I clean up while Oliver and Hazel head up to the playroom where they play happily and I do some picking up in the downstairs.
10:15 - I head upstairs with something I ordered online last week. Oliver is geeked and I spend the next forty-five minutes installing it, it failing, and installing it better. Oliver and Hazel play with it and while they play I shoot some images for a post I'm planning to contribute for The Land of Nod's new blog, Honest to Nod next month. (Have I mentioned that yet? HUGE honor! EEE!) Stay tuned. :)
11:00 - Hazel communicates in no uncertain terms that she would like to rest. I lay her down and she's out in minutes. Oliver continues to play and I sit down to check my email and read this lovely daily devotional.
12:00 - Ryan is home for lunch! I greet him, then hop into the kitchen to make this quick Salsa Chicken recipe.
12:30 - The family sits down for lunch, sans a sleeping Hazel.
1:00 - Ryan has decided to work from home this afternoon. He and Oliver get cozy on the sofa and he tries to teach Oliver how to play Monopoly on the iPad. I put finishing touches on the Oliver's Picks post and publish it.
1:15 - Oliver has lost interest in Monopoly.
1:30 - I take a moment to pull myself together for the day (yes, up until this point I am totally in my jammies. don't judge - you have to be comfy to use power tools!)
1:55 - I decide to take advantage of having Daddy at home to monitor the kiddos, so I head out to the salon for a quick eyebrow wax.
2:45 - I have the green light to stay out (and conveniently packed my swimsuit, towel and a book just in case!), so I stop at our neighborhood pool where I read Bossypants
(on loan from Keight) and snack on Sprees for an hour or so. (Lemme tell ya, all politics and whatever aside, Tina Fey is FUH-NEE!) Trying to save the rest of the book for vacation next week, but it's disappearing before my very eager eyes.
(on loan from Keight) and snack on Sprees for an hour or so. (Lemme tell ya, all politics and whatever aside, Tina Fey is FUH-NEE!) Trying to save the rest of the book for vacation next week, but it's disappearing before my very eager eyes. 4:00 - I return home. Hazel had woken up at 3:00 (a four-hour nap!) and just finished a very late lunch. She is sitting halfway up the stairs exclaiming, "maMA! maMA!" when I come in the door. Oliver sees the towel on my shoulder and is very put out that I would even consider going to the pool without him. He feels betrayed. Shoot - definitely should have ditched the towel.
4:05 - Something smells foul. Hazel needs a new diaper, yo.
4:10 - I grab some tube yogurts (organic!) out of the fridge and sit down on the rug in the living room to help the kids with their snack. Ryan is working in his chair near us. I like it when he works at home. :)
4:20 - Quick wipe down of paws and faces and the kids and I head upstairs to play with our new apparatus some more.
4:50 - It's almost time to leave to go to dinner at church but Hazel is communicating that we will regret taking her anywhere without a quick nap. I lay her down. She shakes my hand and goes right to sleep. She might have even signed 'thank you'. Okay, maybe not.
5:30 - We start the van to get the A/C blowing, make sure Oliver's wearing underwear under his shorts (he wasn't - glad we checked!), wake up a surprisingly refreshed Hazel and load the kids up.
5:45 - Quick stop at the Chick-fil-a drive thru. Don't ask what I got. And definitely don't ask if it included a cookies and cream milkshake. Just don't.
6:00 - We join our friends and their kids at the church for a "brown bag" dinner in which about 90% of their brown bags have names of major fast food chains emblazoned on them. Ah well, it's the fellowship that counts!
6:30 - We wrap up our meals and head to the sanctuary for a screening of Babe, complete with microwave popcorn and a 1-year-old who has no interest in sitting still.
7:30 - We give up, say goodbye to our friends and to Babe, load the kids in the van and head to the library to return a stack of summer fun and give Bea a ride back to her house since she was Oliver's date.
7:45 - Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Ry takes the kids upstairs for jammies and bed and I make a quick change into running clothes in an attempt to beat both the heat and the sunset.
7:52 - I hit the pavement and run a surprisingly pleasant 6.54 miles. Kind of a nice way to wrap up the day.
8:58 - After a cool-down walk I'm home - hot and thirsty. Also, pretty stinky.
9:10 - Shower, work on some things for the Finding My Feet St. Jude team, shop online for rafts for the ocean (no luck - anyone have any good suggestions?), chat with Ryan, then think to myself what a lovely and full day I had.
10:20 - Spend 40 minutes trying to recount my day on here - just for a fun memory of a full day as a Mommy.
11:00 - Publish
(ps - Oliver made it through the day with all circles and stars! Well, there probably should have been a few squares in there, but who doesn't find themselves in need of a little grace now and then?)
Hope your day was circles and stars too! :)
07 July 2011
Comments closed. And the winner is: #113 - Morgan at The Beck House.Congrats, girl! Email me with your address and I'll send it your way!I have been meaning to share a book with y'all for several weeks now, but I just keep forgetting to get around to it. And since today has already shown itself to be a particularly difficult parenting day, I was reminded about "Loving the Little Years
Do you remember last month when I shared the story of Oliver using the word "hate" when we were at my sister's house one evening? (It's a pretty entertaining read if you haven't read it.) She whispered some wise advice in my ear as we left her house that night and on the car ride home I explained to Oliver what she said - words are tools and some of them are like big kitchen knives - you have to be big enough to use them.
A couple of days after I shared that story here, I was at my sister's house again (so fun to live so nearby!). She told me that she'd actually read that analogy (and many other great mothering insights) in a book called "Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches" by Rachel Jankovic and that she'd like to offer her spare copy to me to give away to one of my readers.
Aren't big sisters friendly?
Now, since my quiet time is quickly getting away from me, I won't linger much longer. I just wanted to share this great book with you (it's only $9.60 on Amazon right now - $6.00 for the Kindle version) and give one away as well.
If you'd like to enter to win the copy from my sister, just leave a comment (any comment) in the comments section. I'll pick a winner tonight after my run.
Love to you all on this lovely Thursday morning! And encouraging you all to love these little years, however frustrating and exhausting they may be. (*ahem* preaching to myself right now...)
Remember: the days are long, but the years are short.
Blessings, friends.
19 June 2011
Oliver and Hazel,
You are two of my favorite people in the world.
I just want to be around you!
You make me laugh. Your joy is contagious.
Your abandon is so freeing.
You have the most kissable foreheads I have ever known.
And when you play, you play hard.
And you play big!
And Oliver, you can so easily get lost in life as a 4-year-old. Playing sword-guitar in your boxers makes you feel like a real rockstar.
And Hazel, you really do know how to dance like nobody's watching. Just flapping your arms to the music - so fast they're just a blur of happiness.
My children, you melt me.
With your funny toothy grins,
your unparalleled passion for balloons,
and your roly poly thighs.
I am reminded by you both to drink deeply from life every day. I am setting aside my distractions, soaking you in, and making these days count with my babies - teaching you about the love of Jesus and turning a toy sword, a balloon and a little music into a precious memory.
Thank you, Jesus for these sweet babies.
I am just so grateful.
(and in case you may ask, the music playing in the background is "Convinced" from the Seeds of Courage album by Seeds Family Worship.)
01 June 2011
Something I enjoy about keeping a blog is the community of friends that comes with it. I love the sharing of ideas, the growth we see in ourselves as parents, and the encouragement to seek the Lord in all things. I get to connect with people with different ideas, different skills, and different points of view. I know that we don't always agree on all things, but I love that that doesn't get in the way of us enjoying a good laugh or encouraging one another in our walks.
I also appreciate the new information that many of y'all have brought to my attention over the years. You have gently and graciously enlightened me about car seat safety, how to handle dishonesty in children, how to kickstart labor, appropriate levels of fat content in baby yogurt, baby girl names and a million other things.
If I were a superstitious person I feel like I might should be knocking on wood right now, but I'm not so I won't. I'm grateful for the healthy and safe exchange of ideas that has taken place over the years and, I believe, has left us all a little wiser. Y'all have been so sweet.
Thank you for enjoying my quirks, respectfully sharing your opinions, and ultimately respecting the role God has entrusted to only me and Ryan as the parents of our children.
That said, funny story:
(Yes, that was a very long way of getting around to a story about being a parent.) :)
Just last week we stopped in at my sister's house to enjoy dinner together with her family and to give the kids time to play all together. Fun times.
When it was time for us to leave, Ryan and I started rounding up our two babes and gathering our things from where they had been scattered into the far corners of Rebecca's house. (Really not sure how that manages to happen in such a short time.)
As I was helping Oliver find his shoes he asked a question that he very much knew the answer to. "What are we doing when we get home?"
Honestly, he knew the answer. And I knew that if I told him what he expected to hear, tears would ensue. Still, "It's bedtime, babe. It's late!"
"Awwwww! I HATE bedtime!"
Pause. (A bit of background: there are some words in our house that we just do not abide. We don't let Oliver say "hate" or that he's "starving" and a few other things - in our opinion, these words are too strong for a child his age.)
Protests I can handle. But that there was more than a protest. Oliver knows he's not allowed to say "hate", and he rarely employs it - only when he really wants to zing his Mama or Papa. That was disobedience.
By this time Ryan was tying Oliver's tennis shoes and I absolutely loved his calm response to his son's outburst: "Alright, Oliver. If you hate bedtime, then you will not get to go to bed. When you get home and Mom tucks Hazel into bed (Ryan was planning to run home from Rebecca's house that night while I drove the kids home), you have to stand on your rug in the middle of the room. You may not get into bed. You have to stay standing until I get home."
That Ryan, he's a quick one. This is perhaps why Ryan makes a living by coming up with creative ideas all day long.
You can imagine Oliver's distress at his punishment. He knew he deserved it, but he wasn't looking forward to it.
As we headed out the door my sister whispered a few wise words in my ear and I listened closely as I planned to relay them to my firstborn on the drive home.
As we pulled out the driveway I asked my baby boy, "Sweetie, are you allowed to use knives?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because they could cut you."
"Exactly. But, are Mommy and Daddy allowed to use knives?"
"Yes."
"You're right. We know how to use knives as tools. We use them safely and at the right times. Do you know that words are kind of like knives? Especially words like 'hate'."
"Why?"
"Because they're tools. They have a job to do, but they have to be used wisely and carefully. The word 'hate' is too big and dangerous of a tool for kids to use. It's true that Mommy and Daddy do sometimes say 'hate'. But we know how to use that word, babe. We know how to keep from hurting people with that word. But kids don't always know how to use it. And they sometimes use it in a wrong way and can really hurt people. Babe, you're too little to use that word."
"I'm not too little!"
"Oliver, you are. You're too little for a lot of things and that's okay. You're too little to cross the street or drive a car or swim in the pool without an adult. You're also big enough to do a lot of things, but there are some things that you just need to wait for. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yes. I'm not allowed to say 'knife'."
Sigh.
By now we are pulling into the driveway and what I felt like what was a very clear and productive conversation had just made a crash landing into potential nothingness.
I gathered up my babies and all of their accouterments and headed inside. I started in on Hazel's diaper and asked Oliver to get out pajamas for both of them. And the dread of the standing time began to set in. And so did the remorse for his disobedience.
I tucked Hazel into her crib (have I ever mentioned that she is the easiest bedtime kid ever?) and she laid there and watched as a now pajama-clad Oliver took his post on the blue rug while I folded and put away clothes in their room.
I knew Ryan would only be another ten minutes or so, so as I folded and Oliver's knees almost fell off (according to him - amazing how they can run and play all day long, but when it's a punishment they can't possibly stand up another second) we chatted a little more about words.
I told him that adults usually use words properly, but even adults can use words - and knives - unsafely too. Mommies and Daddies have to be careful how we use our words. We have to be sure to use them to be kind and loving and not hurtful. Words are a big responsibility.
Revisiting the words-as-powerful-tools conversation with him while he stood next to his bed seemed to shed new light on the concept.
By the time Ryan arrived home I think Oliver had learned two things:
1. Some words are too big for little people to use safely.
2. He changed his mind- he really does LOVE bedtime after all. :)
And that night, a very sweet, sleepy little boy was relieved to finally crawl into his bed, kiss his Mommy and Daddy goodnight, and fall quickly asleep.
And, he hasn't tested the word water since. {Of course, it's only been a week...}
Love that boy so much.
How have y'all handled language issues with your children?
15 April 2011
Mommy tip of the week:
If you need to entertain your 1-year-old,
give her tummy something yummy,
and make her feel awesome and big all at once:
give her a little box of raisins and permission to go nuts.
She's sure to thank you by cleaning up after herself and not squawking in frustration if she can't get the little raisins out of the box herself. Definitely that.
Two notes:
1. Adorable headband can be found here.
2. Don't leave babies - however cute and seemingly trustworthy - alone with small snacks. They need their Mommies to look out for them, even if they think they're ten feet tall!
Have a great weekend, friends!
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