Everyday Families

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T21:21:00.000-08:00

We're moving!

Up to Salt Lake.

On Saturday.

Now you know.

If I don't blog for a few days, you'll know why.

Cinni Minnis

2011-01-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

What can I say?

They make me happy.

Especially with a large glass of milk.

There is something about warm gooey cinnamon rolls with yummy frosting that makes me want to curl up on the couch and read a book for hours on end. Maybe I will today.

(Shhhhh . . . don't tell Dave. He thinks that's what I do everyday!)

Linking up to the Happiness Project

5 Comments a Day . . .

2011-01-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

Image from here

I don't know about you, but as a blogger, I've definitely had my lonely days. You know, the ones where people don't really comment, and you wonder if anyone is even reading your blog, and what the point is to posting on it.

So I have a new motto:

5 comments a day keeps blogger loneliness away!

And a new goal:

To comment on at least 5 blogs a day.

That way, instead of being lonely on my own blog, I can go keep others company on theirs! In the past I've tried to be a good commenter and supporter of others, but now I'm going to make a concerted effort to meet this goal each day.

I'd love it if you'd care to join me in my 5 comments a day goal!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

This is how Daddy keeps a tired Kate happy when we're out to eat and it's past her bedtime.

This is also how Daddy makes Mommy laugh.

To Lovey or Not to Lovey

2011-01-18T21:49:00.000-08:00

I first read the word "lovey" in one of my favorite baby books of all time, "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff (most people have read her other one, "What to Expect When You're Expecting").

What is a "lovey"?

Image from here

Basically, a lovey is some sort of stuffed animal or blanket that acts as a security object. Even if your child is in an unfamiliar place, they feel comforted by the presence of their "lovey."

I'll never . . .

I'm a little embarrassed to admit how much I used to judge parents. I must have said "When I'm a parent, I'll never . . ." at least a million times (in my head, of course!). And then, of course, I found myself doing the exact same thing I was sure I'd never do. The lovey is a prime example. I never wanted Kate to have one because I didn't want it to be a big issue if it ever got lost, or damaged and I didn't want to go through the hassle of "detaching" Kate from it.

Giving In

But several months after saying "I'll never," Kate went through a stage of screaming every time I put her down for a nap or bed. I found myself desperate. And, on a whim, I grabbed her little bunny, put it in the crib, and asked, "Kate, do you want to go night-night with bunny?" All of the sudden Kate was wriggling out of my arms, trying to get in her crib. And it was so nice.

Besides that, I found that she slept a lot better in her pack 'n play when we weren't at home if she had her blanky (yes, now we have two loveys!) and bunny.

Sigh

So, here I am, breaking the rules I set for myself because they make Kate happy for now. And that's what motherhood is often about - surviving the now.

Any thoughts on giving your child a lovey?

Side note: The book also recommends having a duplicate lovey - you know, just in case you lose one, as with my fear.

Me vs. The Bottle

2011-01-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

Image from here

About 4 months ago it was round one of me vs. the bottle. The battle was trying to get Kate to take it as I weaned her from breastfeeding. And since Kate was born quite strong-willed, it was no easy task. It took about 5 straight days of crying, screaming, and tantrums before she took the bottle happily and recognized it as her new food source. After those 5 days, I emerged from the boxing ring victorious.

Now she's been happily taking the bottle for over 4 months . . . and Kate's not very happy about giving it up. So, once more, so once again I'm stepping into the ring. Only this time she's older, and even more strong willed. And I'm not even sure where to start. Do I do the change gradually? Do we try it cold turkey? And how does the change from formula to whole milk fit into this whole picture? Which change do I make first?

The moral of the story is this: I'm not ready for a one-year-old! I need to read more and talk to more experienced mothers. So if you're reading this, I'd greatly appreciate your help! Throw in your 2 cents! :)

Kate's First Birthday

2011-01-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

Kate had a wonderful birthday.

Hard to have a bad day when you start off cuddling your stuffed animals.

Her new trick is climbing up in the chair all on her own!

Then she got all dressed up for her party.
She even let me do her hair . . . only because I let her watch a few minutes of her Curious George movie.

So pretty!

Finally, the birthday party . . .

Lots of cousins, cake, presents, and balloons!

Kate handled it all pretty well, but seemed pretty curious about why everyone was staring at her during the whole party.

She was very happy when she got to get back into comfortable clothes when it was all over.

Happy Birthday, little sweetie!

"On This Day in History"

2011-01-14T21:54:00.000-08:00

On this very day one year ago, I went into labor. Yes, my water broke at midnight, right as I was going to bed. I was unprepared, still planning to teach school the next day. Instead, I showered at 2 am, wrote emails about my lesson plans to fellow teachers at 3 am, tried to wake Dave up at 4 am, went to breakfast at Denny's at around 5:30 am (I wanted to get in one last meal!) and was admitted into the hospital a little before 7 am!

And then, after a long day of labor, Kate entered our lives at 8:45 pm!

Kate Alison Kimball

6 lbs 8 oz, 8:45 pm, January 15, 2010

The proud parents!

I was proud.

And so excited.

And very overwhelmed.

I experienced awe, amazement, and wonder.

And I was clueless.

One year later, I feel like I've learned a lot. Maybe more in this year than in any other year of my life. And I'll be summing up a lot of that soon . . . but in the meantime I just wanted to say,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!

I love you!

My Night Out . . . to Come

2011-01-13T23:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight Dave and I went out on the town . . . and we had a wonderful time - I'll expound and share some pictures soon, maybe when it's not so late! But I have to say, that's one nice thing about being a parent - you definitely enjoy your time out a lot more than you did before. Someday I'm going to write a book about all the things that I didn't appreciate enough before parenthood. And the last line of it will be . . .

and my little Kate is all worth it!

Say Uncle!

2011-01-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when your uncle does your hair.

The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back

2011-01-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

This post is going to be deep, very deep. Take for example that there is a double meaning in the title . . . let me explain . . .

As I mentioned before, Kate and I are joining Dave for a business trip down to Las Vegas. As much as I wish we could have flown, we drove. I'm not sure I've mentioned how much Kate hates the car. Let me rephrase . . . she LOATHES the car. She has from the moment we put her in the car to take her home when she was two days old. Apparently she holds grudges, because she still really hates it - a year later.

Our plan was to leave early this morning . . . unfortunately, due to some unforseen happenings, we didn't get to pack yesterday at all, so this morning was insane. Dave was getting the car ready, I was throwing things in the suitcase like a crazy person, and Kate was taking them out even faster than I could put them in. Let's just say that we didn't get out the door quite when we had planned. (A word to wise parents - pack while your kids are asleep, if at all possible!)

I must say, though - Kate did much better than I expected. We've made this trip, from Salt Lake to Vegas several other times, and they were nothing but miserable. Today was a much different story. She was pretty happy the first half hour, then we gave her a bottle and she went to sleep for almost 2 hours!!! It was a beautiful thing, and a miracle, to say the least. When she woke up we stopped for lunch. When we hit the road she was happy for an hour, then took another nap, for another hour. Unfortunately, she woke up a little before we reached Mesquite. And that last hour, well, that was rough. I had emptied out the entire diaper bag, given her my iphone, our water bottles, let her suck on my wedding ring (while it was still on my finger), and well - you can see we were getting desperate! Needless to say, that last hour was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Once we reached the hotel, Kate was infused with energy. I thought she'd want to go to bed early (Vegas time is an hour earlier), but instead she wanted to stay up and play, play, play. Guess she needed to get out all of those wiggles she had to hold in during the road trip. We took her down to dinner, and our sweet waitress brought Kate her own cup and straw.

After about three tries . . .

Way to go Kate - a not even a year old!

Decision Through Indecision

2011-01-10T22:50:00.000-08:00

I've been approaching one of the largest dilemmas a parent will face:

What to do for the first birthday party.

Image from pro-party.com

Do I do just a family party?

A party with neighborhood friends?

How about Kate's other friends?

One big combined party?

And, well, you can see the pressure I'm under.

So let me explain the long and extenuating circumstances under which I made my decision.

Days kept on going and going and going by, and I realized I still hadn't sent out invitations.

And then, Dave told me he was going on a business trip and asked me if Kate and I wanted to join him.

I said yes.

And voila! The decision was made.

We don't get home until Friday night, and Kate's birthday is on Saturday - the day of Kate's family party.

So the decision is:

Only a family party this year and not a friend party.

Maybe I'm a bad mom, but I figure that Kate won't remember anyway . . . I'd rather do a fun friend party when she's two or three when she'll be more aware and more likely to remember.

Oh, the pressure of being a mother.

The moral of the story is: if you put off making a decision, you won't have to make one at all.

Simple Things

2011-01-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

I love the simple things that kids entertained.

Kate played with and in this storage box for an hour yesterday.

Up and Up

2011-01-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

Symptoms:

- Sleeping excessive amounts

- Eating excessive amounts

- Growing excessive amounts

Conclusion:

Kate is undergoing a growth spurt.

Now I know that Kate sleeps more than most babies, I think that's a given. She likes to go to bed between 6 and 6:30 (yes, that's pm), and she becomes very cranky if she's kept up past that time. But the last few days she's been sleeping even more than normal. Take Tuesday night for example - she went to bed at 6:15 pm, woke up at 5 am for a bottle, and then didn't wake up until 9 am! Just in case you were wondering - that's 15 hours (!!!), not including naps. I'm not complaining - that meant I got to sleep in until 9 am too!

Then, I went to lunch the other day and had to order Kate her own kid's meal - and she ate the whole thing!

And Dave and I could swear that she's taller every morning. Very scientific, I know. We'll find out whether that's true at her 1 year appointment next week.

So what am I to conclude? Growth spurts are a very real thing. I know that kids and especially babies are always growing, but growth spurts are a time when they do so at an accelerated rate - which is why they need more food and sleep.

Oh well, this growth spurt won't hurt Kate - at her 9 month appointment she was in the 5th percentile - hopefully this growth spurt will help to bump her up a little!

One Line a Day

2011-01-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Image from ohsocherished.co.uk

I just wanted to show you one of my favorite Christmas presents! It's called, "Mom's One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book" and I absolutely love it!

Here's how it works. Each page holds space for 5 entries - one for that particular date for the next five years. So next year, when I write on the page for January 1st, I can remember that Kate took her first steps!

Why I love it:

1 - I love how you can compare what happens on that same date over the 5-year period.

2 - I especially love how it really is just one line a day! I'm someone who would love to be a good journal writer, but I'm just too intimidated by trying to write down every single detail. This forces me to condense, to keep it simple, and to highlight only the most important moments, quotes, or events. It's perfect for me.

3 - Plus, I know that our kids are going to love looking through it when they're older!

Anything special that you got for Christmas? Please share!

A New Year's Twist

2011-01-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

Breathe. Whew, the holidays this year have been completely insane! And that is my excuse for the two-week hiatus I took from the blog, so please excuse me. I'll catch up on all of that soon, but first I just wanted to share our New Year's celebration.

You know those days where nothing goes as planned? Well, that was yesterday for us (thank goodness it was the last day of 2010 and not the first day of 2011!). I won't go into details, but to make a long story short, I ended up in tears, we didn't end up attending the party we'd been planning to go to, and we did some last minute improvising.

If there's one thing I've learned as a mom, it's that sometimes things don't go as planned - and you have to be on your toes and ready to come up with an alternative solution. And be happy about it. Our improvising included an old movie from the 1940s that I got for Christmas, some takeout Thai food, and a candlelight picnic on our living room floor. It was just me and Dave ushering in the new year.

But, sometimes you've just got to be flexible. We had a great time, and the perfect finishing touch was dessert from a dessert cafe called, "The Chocolate." You can see why it was perfect, just from the title.

I'm not sure if this is a sign that in 2011 I'm going to have to be flexible, but I guess we'll see! Happy 2011!

Sigh of Relief

2010-12-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

Whew. I'm done. With all the goodies for family, friends, and neighbors. I've been making chocolates this year - quite an undertaking - and I'm SO RELIEVED to be done. Dave was a good sport last night in helping me out quite a bit, and I finally finished around midnight. Now I'm hoping that I can really just enjoy the rest of the week as Christmas quickly approaches.

While I dipped chocolates, I watched one of my favorite Christmas movies -

Such a feel-good film. It just makes you happy to be alive!

It's so hard to pick favorites. But this next one is definitely one of them:

The "Sisters" song (sung by Bing and Danny Kaye) has to be my favorite. Sigh. I just love the two of them.

I also love this one

Such a wonderful story. And the sequel, Timepiece, is also a favorite.

I must admit, although I hear it quoted every year, I've never seen

Maybe I'll have to actually watch it this year.

This is a must:

Not to mention all the classic kid movies.

What are your holiday movie favorites?

Santa's Getting Stingy

2010-12-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, Kate and I went with Jenny and Henry, to see Santa at the mall. Let's just say that we didn't exactly get what we expected.

Jenny called ahead and asked if we could take our own pictures with Santa instead of paying for the ones they provide. The answer was yes.

So we showed up, all full of the Christmas spirit, and excited for another "first" with our little ones - a picture on Santa's lap. Except for some reason the lady at the entry is saying that we can't take our own pictures. "But we called ahead and asked," we protest, "and we were told that we could."

"Oh," the lady says smugly, "well you can take your own pictures. Just so long as you're outside the perimeter of the Santa setup." Oh, perfect. You mean we can take pictures between the fence, the 6-foot-tall presents, and then 30 foot Christmas tree? Excellent. Let me leave my less-than-a-year-old baby girl on a strange man's lap while I run around to the outside and jump to get my 5 foot 2 inch frame above those presents! I'll be right back. Yeah, right.

We were pretty angry, and understandably so. The lady tried to sell us on one of their package deals - the cheapest one was $10 for one photograph with Santa, and we wouldn't even get the copyright. No thank you.

As we walked away, we made ourselves feel better by admitting that he was an "ugly" Santa anyway - honestly, he was - his beard was yellowish and not very long, and he had a very big shiny forehead - and no hat!

So I'm just wondering . . . has property tax gone up in the North Pole? Has reindeer feed gotten more expensive? Are elves charging more per hour? Or is Santa's sleigh just a gas guzzler? Because the Santa I know would let us put our children up on his knee, give them a candy cane, and let us snap one measly picture without charging us ten dollars. But that's just the Santa I knew growing up.

Jenny and I stopped by Krispy Kreme on the way home and ate delicious Peppermint Bark Doughnuts to console ourselves over the Santa failure. It was so good that it somewhat restored my belief in holiday magic.

Maybe next year Kate and I will completely skip the whole visiting Santa thing and just go straight for a Krispy Kreme . . .

When to Clean Your High Chair

2010-12-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

I do it whenever Kate's backside looks like this.

Just a tip.

Newest Edition(s)

2010-12-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

No, we're not pregnant.

I'm actually talking about this:

Santa came a little early and brought our family gift - a new entertainment center and huge television. Dave was ready - our old TV was about as boxy as they come, and had lines on the top third of the screen. I'm happy to report that it has now gone the way of all the earth.

The T.V. was mostly for Dave - he's in love with it. The entertainment center is what makes me happy. And Kate? Well, she's very pleased with the new cupboards that are full of surprises and haven't yet been baby-proofed. Yet being the key word - sorry Kate!

We also did a gift exchange with Dave's parents, who are going to be out of the country over Christmas. Here is what they got me - a beautiful new nativity! I love the colors - especially since so many of mine are so neutral.

I love the wise men -their robes each depict part of the story - one shows them on camels as they journey to see the Savior, there are angels singing on another, and (my favorite) the Star given as the sign of the Savior's birth on the third.

I also love the outline of Bethlehem in the background.

And my very very favorite is the perfect baby Jesus.

Insert sigh of contentment here.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

Not to blog. Seriously, life is so crazy! For all of you who are still consistently blogging, my hat goes off to you. Or it would if I had one on!

But, 'tis the season

TO SERVE

Image from here

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to accompany a group of young women from my church to a care facility where we sang Christmas songs to elderly and handicapped people. It was so amazing! I hadn't realized how much I'd been missing service. . .

I realized that since having Kate, I had somehow used being a mother as a rationalization for being too busy to serve. I failed to realize two things - one, that I need to serve. It makes me feel good, even if it is inconvenient or takes some planning. It's just good for the soul (like Chicken Noodle Soup)! And two, I am setting an example for Kate . . . if I don't serve, she won't learn how important it is!

Over the past few weeks, I've been amazed at how many opportunities to serve have presented themselves. Most of those service opportunities haven't been big, and they haven't taken hours upon hours to complete, but they have left me feeling full of the Spirit of Christmas. And instead of feeling stressed out about getting the shopping done, the presents wrapped, gifts out to neighbors . . . I instead feel calm and peaceful, and a whole lot closer to what (or should I say who?) Christmas is all about.

Green Eggs and Ham

2010-12-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

This week Kate attended her very first birthday party - her good friend Barrett just turned one! They've pretty much been friends since birth, since they were born 6 weeks apart! There were two other friends: Ellie and Morey, and the kids and the moms all have a great time (we were all best friends in high school).

This picture was the best we could get, considering the wiggliness of the one or close-to-one age. I was waving a sparkly purple ball above their heads to try and get their attention!

Courtney (Barrett's mom) created a very adorable party theme - Dr. Seuss! You're going to be just as impressed as I was! First look at this food table - delicious, a lovely layout, and all related to the theme!

Green deviled eggs and ham sandwiches - I think it's pretty obvious that we're talking about Green Eggs and Ham!

Colored goldfish for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and 7-Up for A Great Day for Up!

Talk about creative!

The kids loved the food too, and basically migrated from mom to mom begging for food :)

One mom got a little swamped all at once . . .

The one thing Kate didn't love about the party were the hats -

(Sorry these next couple of pictures aren't that great - they were taken with my iphone)

She pulled on it until it came off. And then gave me her "Mom, why do you torture me like that?" face.

But Barrett sure looked cute in his!

Happy Birthday Barrett!

Nativities on Parade

2010-12-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

So, I wanted to show off my nativity collection - I love nativities. My ultimate goal is to have them from all over the world, but it'll probably be awhile. In the meantime, let me show you what I've got so far. If you love nativities as well, enjoy the ride. If not, at least scroll down to the bottom to see one you won't want to miss!

This one is from Italy . . . Dave and I got it while we were on our honeymoon. We bought it in Venice - it's all glass, which is what Venetians are famous for. I love the simplicity.

Here's another one I love. It was given to me by one of my best friends ever . . . she knows my love of nativities and gave it to me as a gift.

I can't remember where I got this one. It's so small, and yet so perfect. As you can see with the hinge, it can be opened or closed.

This next one is a gift I received from my in-laws last year. It is unique and wonderful. If you notice, it has 4 spaces around the outside for candles, and when you light them, it makes the paddles turn the nativity around.

Here's a closer look:

Here is one given to me by my brother- and sister-in-law, they sent it to me from Hawaii while they were stationed there. It is carved from a coconut! It's probably not going to surprise you when I say I love this one as well. :)

And, another favorite. I hope to eventually get all the pieces.

A few closeups:

And here it is, all together:

Yes, we finally got our stockings up!

Sigh. I just love Christmas.

Okay, okay, and now for the GRAND FINALE -

I received permission to share this with you and hope you'll love it as much as I do -

How to make a kid-friendly creche:

Keep the spirit of the season in your home by re-purposing contents in the toy box to produce a viable nativity scene. Get the kiddies to help.

First, suspend your belief that only sheep and donkeys were present on that Holy Night. Giraffes, aliens, dinosaurs...why not? And in that vein, Joseph could be an astronaut, and Mary, Mulan. See where this is going?

Second, it helps to have a little toy baby to put in the center of a teething donut (from Darlybird!) but if you don't have either you could probably use a Lego guy and a real donut. (I like glazed.)

Third, use action hero guys to play the shepherds, (I beg you to defy that appropriateness). As it happens, these shepherds in particular are also excellent hygienists, but that's another biblical story for another holiday...

Fourth, it would also be appropriate to use your Made in Japan toys to represent the wisemen because everyone knows they came from the Orient! Thanks Dumo Kun and your twin and puppy. Their gifts, twin briefcases and myrrh are found in front of manger. They never forget the presents those wisemen, it makes them happy. See? See?

Fifth, if you believe in them, put a "floating angel" (Trompe d'oeil! It's really just a leg to a Connect Four game piece) blessing the blessed congregation.

Welp, there you have it. Five easy steps to a complicated creche. Easy to be destroyed, easy to be repaired--which is symbolic in away right?

Anyway, I think it's sorta sweet.

Thanks so much for letting me share this Jane!

Go visit Jane @ C Jane Enjoy It!

One of "Those" Days

2010-12-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

Let me explain . . .

What happens when I'm sleep-deprived for several nights in a row?

I hear Kate crying and automatically assume it must be morning. I get her up and turn on all the lights only to find out it's 1:30 am. Sorry Kate.

What happens when I'm taking a few minutes to blog while Kate is playing in her room and I don't hear anything for 5 minutes?

This.

And this.

And that.

If you can read what her PJs say . . . "Mommy makes me happy"

{the fine print says, "but sometimes I don't make her happy" :) I'm joking}

Clean up was beastly. Kate had covered herself, the floor, our big rocking chair, and the bunny she sleeps with every night. He seemed to have recovered quite nicely:

Our floor, not so much. The whole point of Desitin is to resist wetness so your baby's bum won't get a rash. Apparently it resists all types of wetness. Anyone know how to get Desitin out of carpet?

What happens when you have a stupid water heater?

You take a really cold shower.

What happens when my day is going like this?

I eat chocolate.

And not just two pieces.

Luckily, Kate was a gem the rest of the day. She was happy when we went and visited some cousins. She took a good nap in the afternoon so mom could catch up on some shut eye. And she was very good-natured at the grocery store . . . good thing, too, because this is where my day took a turn for the worse.

It was a trip to Target, to pick up everything from dinner and lunches to a scarf for me and new socks for Kate. Basically, I felt like we had walked every inch of the store by the time we got up to the check-out line. We waited our turn, and then finally we made it to the front! The lady had rung up about 75% of our stuff when I reached in my purse to grab my wallet. Not there. I fished around and around, starting to feel desperate. I started to panic, and finally told our cashier that I was sorry, but I didn't have my wallet. I was almost 100% sure that it was in my purse when we came in, which means that it was probably stolen. I head out to our car, just to check.

Oh yeah, I gave it to Kate on the way up to the cousins to keep her entertained. I run back in the store and ask where my groceries are. And then I'm informed that they've just been put away. Curse you, Target! Why do you have to be so disgustingly efficient?

At this point I almost started crying.

Image from clipartheaven.com

But I didn't. I held it together. I went back and grabbed the three things we needed for dinner that night, and then we checked out and left.

And then a dinner I make all the time (and is usually delicious) didn't turn out.

But it's all okay . . . because at the end of the day, I have two people that mean the world to me.

I love them, and they love me. So I can take on any more of "those" days that are thrown at me.

I tucked Kate into bed and she snuggled into her {no longer} Desitin covered bunny.

A few hours later I was awakened to her screaming and a blowout diaper.

I hope you're all having a good day!

All Aboard!

2010-12-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun Christmas craft from Family Fun . . . a cut-out train! Fun and easy, and kids would love it. And Kate would eat it, so I'll probably hold off for a few years. To make it last longer, you might glue the paper to something a little stronger, like poster board or card stock. Either way, enjoy!

Image from familyfun.com

Click here to go to the Family Fun website to find out how easy it really is :)

One other fun Christmas activity to try with your kids . . . popcorn snowmen! Look how adorable they are!

Image from familyfun.com

These are also very simple, and don't require a ton of ingredients - mostly just stuff you have on hand. And, if your kids would like them better, you could make them out of Rice Krispy treats instead!

Click here to go to the Family Fun website and learn how to make these snowmen.

And be sure to look around their website - they have a ton of other fun Christmas ideas, like: