For the Love of Naps

Sparkle Stories winner and a deal for EVERYONE!

2012-02-12T14:30:00.000-06:00

Sparkle Stories have truly been a gift this last week. I was flying solo this weekend as Super Mama and when bedtime rolled around I had no issues getting the boys snuggled in because they couldn't wait to hear the new story. They have enjoyed all the stories. Thanks to all that took the time to throw their name into the bucket. It was a lot of fun to see.
I used Random Number Generator to select your number.

Here is the list of people who entered in the order that you commented. Since I am an amateur give away blogger I want to show you how I did things.

1. Amy
2. Christina
3. Kelly
4. Shoan
5. Haley
6. Peggy
7. Jennie
8. Raina
9. sshokoui@hotmail.com
10. MOMOF2
11. Christine
12. youareyourown
13. The Tompkins Family
14. Lisa
15. Lynelle
16. Hannah
17. Holly Fish
18. Jessica
19. Kim
20. Jamie
21. April
22. Heather
23. Amy
24. Jessie

And the winner is number 10....MOMOF2! I will email you the info. You have 24 hours to return my email otherwise, I will pick a different winner.

TO THE REST OF YOU. The lovely folks at Sparkle Stories are offering a wonderful discount to all FOR THE LOVE OF NAPS readers — $1 for the first month! Choose from one of three Sparkle Stories story packages, and try four weeks of Sparkle goodness for one dollar. Go to: http://www.sparklestories.com/trysparkle/ Use the magic code 4F38 to receive your discount!.

One of our bedtime solutions, during one of the numerous "~~awful~~ ~~dreadful~~ quirky stages" that our children have gone through, has been using books on CD to help them drift off to sleep peacefully. And when this mama is wearing her super cape and flying solo during the bedtime routine...having some fun audio books in my pocket are a huge help. I can read the crew a few picture books all together and then snuggle in the boys and hit play. We don't use audio books every night. We did for a while, always after reading with them. But it is a special treat these days.

Sparkle Stories, a unique children's audio book subscription, crossed my path recently and I have been lucky enough to get to try them out and GIVEAWAY a three month subscription to one of you. Sparkle Stories is a unique subscription that delivers audio books to you on a weekly basis. The stories are wholesome with cute characters and nice lessons. The stories all range from 15-25 minutes long. PERFECT to fall asleep to.   Your children can look forward to a new story each Friday.

The Sparkle Stories are delivered to your storybox. You can download them and burn them to a disc or play them on any MP3 player or ipad type device. I put them on my  ipad and burned them to CD. So we are set for travel too. When I burned them I put each story on it's own cd but doubled it up. That way they listen to the one story twice...helping with comprehension.

Audio books are a great learning tool for children.  They allow the audience to practice their listening skills and let their imaginations create the images in their head -instead of limiting their thinking to the pictures in a book. And how great to not have to leave your house to find a new story for your children to enjoy.

We are trying three of the series options. And today we got our first stories. Tonight they picked to listen to Luck and the BlueJay.

But here are the three stories and a little summary of what they are about.

Martin and Sylvia is one series. The first story we received was titled:
Telling the Truth and a little blurb about the story...
Sylvia accidentally breaks one of Martin’s inventions, and blames the damage on their cat Pickles. “Pickles did it!” But oh how Sylvia feels miserable — all day! Momma knows just what to do: she whispers a little something in Sylvia’s ear, and Sylvia knows just what’s needed next.

Another series is So Many Fairies and the first story we received was titled:
Luck and the BlueJay
Ripley is a bold bluejay with quite a temper. For the past few years he has developed a reputation for his temper, and consequently, other birds have begun to avoid him. A host of fairies teach Ripley about finding inner peace and calm using the help of, well, something very surprising!

And another series is At Home with Martin and Sylvia and the first story we received is:
Visiting the New Baby
Momma’s assistant Amy has just had a baby, and Martin and Sylvia can’t wait to see her. They do all sorts of things to get ready to meet her: they make cards and little fuzzy gifts, and plan out a nutritious meal. But nothing prepares them for the magical moment of seeing a new baby for the first time.

The man that narrates the stories is very soothing. It is just right for a calm end to the day. The boys loved listening to the stories last night...even though there weren't dragons or Star Wars guys in them.

So a three month subscription...that is a couple hours of audio books ladies. Perfect for in the car, bedtime, naptime, quiet time, art time (they can listen and you can pause the story so they can draw what they see in their imagination). The possibilities are endless.

Give a shout out and tell me one thing you are doing for you

SCRATCH THAT - Miss Syd is ALMOST 13 months

2012-02-11T16:34:00.001-06:00

Miss Syd is ALMOST 13 months.

Loves mama's phone.

Little Legos.

And avocado.

I swear she tries to say Henry.

She looks for them.

And naps when they are both away.

Like she knows it is good to nap when they are away so she doesn't miss when they are here.

At Christmas she was shy and clung to me.

On her birthday she went right to the Grandmas and Grandpas.

She plays at ECFE.

But still prefers to be close to mama.

She still wakes in the night and we are about to embark on the stopping nursing in the night thing.

She still sucks her two fingers and holds her arm up across her face for comfort.

She is starting to play with toys.

She loves to put things in and take things out.

She bops to music like a gifted keeper of the beat.

She loves doors and windows.

She crawls fast. Really fast.

She wakes up these mornings and spends some time with just daddy.

She is okay.

But as soon as mama appears then it is all about snuggling and whining and clinging.

frustrating. but also adoring.

She goes along for the ride to drop the boys off or pick them up.

She sits pretty good in the Target shopping cart...she is starting to try and spin around in the seat though.

She will talk loudly to the boys when she knows they are playing around but not near her.

She is learning the word no.

Playing peek a boo makes her smile.

Singing songs and dancing in front of her makes her giggle.

She knows what she wants and she will let you know what she thinks of you if you don't give it to her.

She makes her daddy and I pause and smile and watch her.

I think we are both taking her in and realizing how glad we are to have her.

How amazing the time has flown.

And how quickly she is becoming her own little person.

We love you Miss Syd.

We love you so much.

A Crafty Valentine dream is squashed.

2012-02-10T07:11:00.000-06:00

Pinterest is addicting and inspiring. And I have been seeing such cute Valentine ideas. So before we went shopping for our supplies/Valentines etc. I showed the boys these cute ideas. I didn't use the word cute though... I had high hopes that they would be excited to do something crafty and unique. I said,

"cereal-sly, aren't these cool!"

Source: bestfriendsforfrosting.com via Sarah on Pinterest

or, "Check these out. We could totally do this!"

Source: Uploaded by user via Sarah on Pinterest

And, "These are SUPER awesome."

Source: zakkalife.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

And the boys smiled and giggled. But they still insisted they wanted to go to the store and pick out a box of the darn cartoon ones. So that's what we did. BUT LOOK! For a whooping $5.00 each boy got to pick their dream box. And they both sat down and didn't complain a bit about writing them out. Henry got lots of practice writing his name. LOVE THIS. And Charley finally was able to write his friend's names and his names fast enough that he didn't get bored with it and small enough that he could do it himself to his satisfaction. We went back today to buy an extra box so they could just have fun doing the sticker puzzles but all of them were sold out (the kind they picked). Glad I had my act together in time.

**While shopping for their Valentine cards we ran into a mom from Charley's class. She told me that her son was the same way. He wanted the store bought. But she said that her kindergarten daughter is making her own with doilies and sparkles and all that jazz. She tipped her head at Sydney and reminded me that I still have a chance at a crafty homemade Valentine.

****The boys did sound interested in doing these cute ones for their teachers! We won't buy the rolos until this weekend though...because if we bought them today...well let's just say, they wouldn't be here by Tuesday.

Source: make-it-do.com via Sarah on Pinterest

This morning as we were packing up for school Charley said, "Remember mom, next Halloween I want to go to Tar*get to get my costume." Ugh. Already they are insisting on store bought instead of creatively put together by us.

Ordinary moments...a glimpse at our life lately...

2012-02-09T13:14:00.000-06:00

Early mornings mean that mama and Miss Syd get to snuggle in our pink and red pjs.

Early mornings mean that bath time in the evening is calming and does it's job.

I finally ordered a picture of our tribe to replace the picture of just the boys.

This instagram picture does not do it justice. But I am pretty happy with it.

I clicked the wrong size so it takes up the whole frame. But it fits. So that is fine.

Henry's early wake time has him curled up enjoying a cartoon every afternoon.

I also got the picture wall all finished.

I have tackled projects like our front craft closet. Ed doesn't think we need this space...but I remind him that there are women who have whole rooms devoted to their crafting.

And does everyone agree that no matter how well you think you have craft crap organized..it will still be a mess in a couple days.

We have these great friends that got a new bedroom set.

And they offered us their old one.

I got us some new bedding too. It is a little crazy but it is bright and fun.

In this picture the duvet hasn't been inserted into the cover so it looks flat.

And since the rest of the room is lacking a lot of other decoration...it works.

The set came with the bed frame, bedside table, and dresser.

This has changed our lives, thank you Katie and Casey.

Our bedroom is no longer just a dump spot but a place where I fall asleep much more peacefully.

Syd has blossomed at ECFE and now is down and playing just like the big kids.

She is even making her own little friends.

This little guy found her very alluring.

Target has some cute little separates for only $5.00 a piece.

So little sis got a few new items...including these little blue and white stripped leggings that I love.

After busy mornings at ECFE class, Sydney and I fight over the last avocado.

I have mastered picking out great avocados and have gotten really good at cutting them up.

This is one of my favorite snacks these days...

sprinkled with just a teeny tiny bit of kosher salt.

And after snacks or lunch I have taken time this week to sit and relax.

Still loving Words with Friends and Doodle Find is a new obsession on the iPad.

I even enjoyed one of these Dr. Peppers...that I haven't had since I was pregnant.

Lately, I am trying to capture the beauty in our ordinary moments around here.

Snuggled in, finding contentment in the simple little things.

It has been a week that has pushed me as a mama.

And the week isn't even over yet.

But I notice that recognizing all the little moments that make up some of the best moments in our day...make the sometimes long days ...well, not so long.

Today:

On our way to Henry's school I decided to keep Charley home. He just has a cold, and I would normally send him to school with it. But it has his face all dry and crusty and since I LOVE him and am cringing if he comes close...I figured we would take a day and try to get things looking a little less crusty.

So the boys are enjoying each other.

Syd didn't take a morning nap.

So she is going on hour two this afternoon.

We bought new chalk today at the store...I know, totally weird for February in MN.

But there is no snow and the temps are a wee bit more mild so I think we will head out and do that later.

To those that are aware of my week...2 down, 2 to go.

I wanted to thrive and not just survive...but I think we will just celebrate the idea of "survival" this week. And if there are moments when we thrive...well bonus!

To Colleen and Raina - GO!

quick thoughts to start my day...

2012-02-09T08:21:00.000-06:00

Cinnamon rolls are how we roll this morning.
Frosting smiles, sugar highs, with a latte side for mama...Thursday mornings like this deserve a treat.

Crabby moments happen when Sydney finds it funny to throw her hard boiled egg all over the kitchen floor laughing...and as I pick it up she is giving me the bonus of smooshed strawberries...possibly one lands in my hair and I have to sit pause and breathe and then maybe laugh- inside of course- because Miss Syd knows NO and we are working on this.

Sparkle Stories are saving me these nights. The boys are so excited to hear the stories and that means it is quiet by 7:30 in our house. Go here to enter to win some Sparkle Stories. More than 20 people have entered. woo hoo!

Ipad app that has me so distracted...doodle finds. Annoying but has you wanting to play one more time. Because, one more time means you will beat your Brother in Law Andy's score.

How to Live on the edge as a stay at home mom...drive your kids to school with no bra on, in your pjs, not showered, not brushing your teeth, or combing my hair. . Woo hoo! Better drive the speed limit. Really chance it by whipping through the Starbucks drive thru lane.

Celebrate your victory by taking a long hot shower once boys are at school and little sis is down for a nap. We'll see.

More blogging to come.

Kid Activity: Silly People

2012-02-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

In 2009 I posted this kid activity and recently I tried it again with Henry. It requires just a wee bit of prep. I cut out people and chopped them up. I think back in 2009 I called it 'Doctor' and put the spin on the activity that Charley had to help people have all their body parts again. This time I used the spin that Henry was just assembling funny people. He giggled.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway here.

Sparkle Stories: Review and GIVEAWAY!

2012-02-08T09:09:00.000-06:00

One of our bedtime solutions, during one of the numerous "~~awful~~ ~~dreadful~~ quirky stages" that our children have gone through, has been using books on CD to help them drift off to sleep peacefully. And when this mama is wearing her super cape and flying solo during the bedtime routine...having some fun audio books in my pocket are a huge help. I can read the crew a few picture books all together and then snuggle in the boys and hit play. We don't use audio books every night. We did for a while, always after reading with them. But it is a special treat these days.

Sparkle Stories, a unique children's audio book subscription, crossed my path recently and I have been lucky enough to get to try them out and GIVEAWAY a three month subscription to one of you. Sparkle Stories is a unique subscription that delivers audio books to you on a weekly basis. The stories are wholesome with cute characters and nice lessons. The stories all range from 15-25 minutes long. PERFECT to fall asleep to.   Your children can look forward to a new story each Friday.

The Sparkle Stories are delivered to your storybox. You can download them and burn them to a disc or play them on any MP3 player or ipad type device. I put them on my  ipad and burned them to CD. So we are set for travel too. When I burned them I put each story on it's own cd but doubled it up. That way they listen to the one story twice...helping with comprehension.

Audio books are a great learning tool for children.  They allow the audience to practice their listening skills and let their imaginations create the images in their head -instead of limiting their thinking to the pictures in a book. And how great to not have to leave your house to find a new story for your children to enjoy.

We are trying three of the series options. And today we got our first stories. Tonight they picked to listen to Luck and the BlueJay.

But here are the three stories and a little summary of what they are about.

Martin and Sylvia is one series. The first story we received was titled:
Telling the Truth and a little blurb about the story...
Sylvia accidentally breaks one of Martin’s inventions, and blames the damage on their cat Pickles. “Pickles did it!” But oh how Sylvia feels miserable — all day! Momma knows just what to do: she whispers a little something in Sylvia’s ear, and Sylvia knows just what’s needed next.

Another series is So Many Fairies and the first story we received was titled:
Luck and the BlueJay
Ripley is a bold bluejay with quite a temper. For the past few years he has developed a reputation for his temper, and consequently, other birds have begun to avoid him. A host of fairies teach Ripley about finding inner peace and calm using the help of, well, something very surprising!

And another series is At Home with Martin and Sylvia and the first story we received is:
Visiting the New Baby
Momma’s assistant Amy has just had a baby, and Martin and Sylvia can’t wait to see her. They do all sorts of things to get ready to meet her: they make cards and little fuzzy gifts, and plan out a nutritious meal. But nothing prepares them for the magical moment of seeing a new baby for the first time.

The man that narrates the stories is very soothing. It is just right for a calm end to the day. The boys loved listening to the stories last night...even though there weren't dragons or Star Wars guys in them.

So a three month subscription...that is a couple hours of audio books ladies. Perfect for in the car, bedtime, naptime, quiet time, art time (they can listen and you can pause the story so they can draw what they see in their imagination). The possibilities are endless.

Give a shout out and tell me one thing you are doing for you today. And you will be entered to win the three month subscription. Make sure you have an email included in your entry so that I can contact you. Otherwise you will have to rely on the announcement here on Saturday evening.  The winner will be chosen on Saturday evening around 9pm.

Clarifying 2012 in giveways and reviews...

2012-02-08T08:15:00.000-06:00

Miss Syd drawing YOUR name out of the bucket!

A few people have asked lately about my blog and how it has grown, the advertising, the giveaway and review opportunities. And I wanted to clarify that I do get a few random opportunities every once in awhile, but most of the time if I see something I like in life or am interested in, I think...hmmm, let's see if they would work with me. I email them. Like the Bialetti company for my espresso maker. From there, I find out if they are interested in my blog and go from there. I like to stay true to the content of my blog, something that many bloggers suggest (thanks Shell). I find that reviews and giveaways require a deadline and become stressful for me. So I don't seek them out too often. But when something comes along that fits my life , or looks like an opportunity that I could help get the word out on a product that our family really values then I get excited and go for it.

The last few giveaways I have had there have been less than 10 people that put their name in the hat to win. And that is so funny to me. Because hello, MOM! You could totally win. Ed makes sure I do the giveaway fair and square. My friend Jessie has been waiting to win forever. So, what I am asking is...take a second and enter the freakin' giveaway. You can always give the item to a friend. But if I have better engagement in the giveaways then better opportunities will come my/your way.

Why am I posting this. I have a really fun opportunity coming up this week and it was just done here. Now this is a bigger blog. And I am getting to do the same review and giveaway. HOW COOL IS THAT!? She had close to 100 people enter to win. So if only 10 of you enter, well that's fine. Jessie might get to win then :) But I know there are more of you that could love up this next opportunity. All I am saying, is you could TOTALLY win on my blog because I am small in the world of giveaways and review opportunities. So give it a try.

And I only take on things that truly interest me, my lifestyle, my kids, and you!

Stay tuned!

If we could have coffee this morning...

2012-02-07T10:53:00.000-06:00

These are some of the things I would share with you...

Miss Syd has moved on to Cheerios. That saves us a little moola. A box of Cheerios is a lot cheaper than the smaller containers of those puff thingies.

Sydney is weaning. And I thought it was going to be this emotional disaster for me...and it probably will still be that...but she is biting. A LOT. And that my friends, makes weaning okay. Her teeth are coming in and her sleep, nursing, and mood are all impacted.

Knitting continues and I am finding I LOVE it. I remembered what I was doing last night at class. And I mastered "pearling" pretty quickly and found myself knitting in bed before sleep and was going back and forth between knitting and pearling. And here's the big thing...I dropped a stitch/ made a mistake and I fixed it! WOO HOO! I think that is the big thing you have to be able to do...fix your mistakes. The hat she chose for us to conquer in two class periods has all sorts of stitches so that we learn all these things...which is great, but it also means we didn't complete the hat like she planned. So we were sent home with homework and will meet again in March. In the mean time...I am going to get my homework done and then give a washcloth pattern my grandma used a try. I have her knitting needles. How cool is that!

My sister could have her baby today. Just sayin'.
I so wonder if Eli will have a brother or a sister. I just posted about the dynamic that a brother and sister family hold....but the incredible relationship that comes with brothers is amazing. I just wonder so much what she is having.

Source: bettycrocker.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I bought these dove chocolate hearts to make those peanut butter kiss (Christmas cookies).... But I have nibbled most of the hearts up. So the cookies might not happen.

We got Henry a ski helmet and goggles. He has to take a lesson before he gets to keep the helmet and goggles. Lesson sign up ...happening this afternoon.

I tried a Zumba class this weekend. I want to take every single one of my friends to experience it. I sweat my bootie off and didn't even do half the moves. It was inspiring and hilarious and a great workout. Thanks Amy for encouraging me to tag along.

Ed has new work challenges that will impact my day to day life a bit this week. We'll survive and THRIVE.

Miss Syd is napping and I have to go get Henry in 15 minutes. I HATE waking her up. It is one of the hardest things a mama had to do. But, I savored every single minute of this last hour and a half...and she needed it even more.

I am kinda caught up on laundry and it isn't heaped on the couch at the moment...it is folded and in baskets all over our room. I am going to have the boys attempt to put their laundry away this evening. They. CAN. DO. THIS.

This morning I got to the gym for 45 minutes. Made eggs and bacon for me and the kiddos. Got the boys in the van for school without any tears or snapping. Dropped Henry off. Whipped into Target with Charley and Syd to grab a few groceries and get Charley's Valentines (more on that later). Dropped off Charley. Unloaded the groceries. Got Sydney down for a nap. Took a shower. And blogged. Is it 8pm yet?

Let's hear from you! Give ME a glimpse at what's going on in your life. What beverage would you order and what would you share. Miss you!

The desire of little sister's coexisting needs

2012-02-07T10:23:00.001-06:00

The other day I read this post and I smiled.
I smiled at the love that this big brother shows his little sister.
I smiled at the Lego picture.
I smiled at the mom's words at the start.
The ones about losing her cool, apologizing, and the Lego's, .

I smiled how the mom said, "My girl. I cherish that celebrating her girliness and wanting to be just like her big brothers coexists for her. I am super proactive with the boys that they celebrate her differences too. So far, we are doing good most days."

There is this negative connection with some of the princess stuff out there. And the pink and the girlie.... That it can hurt a girl's self-concept and self-esteem. I suppose if it is abused. But for me, a mama of a little girl who's greatest goal each day is to sneak behind the road blocks to get to the boys Lego bin and grasp them tightly in her little paws, hold them out to me, but retract her hand as quickly as possible when she sees me shaking my head and coming toward her... well for me, I think my goal as her mama is to celebrate her girliness while not stifling her desire to be just like her brothers. To teach my boys to embrace the differences that come along with little girls.

We reorganized toys here yesterday, because the stress of keeping Miss Sydney away from the Lego's was getting to be too tough. Legos liter all table tops, floor spaces, nooks, crannies, and even the kitchen counters. I sometimes find them in my pantry or on the bathroom counter. Miss Syd has this little Lego sensor that must tell her where they are located, because she finds the random ones that are "lost" in little corners of our house. And every once in a while they make their way to her mouth. And that is enough to give this mama a heart attack.

So the boys toys got moved and Miss Syd now has taken over the play area that is out in the living area of our house. And I noticed that she really doesn't want to play with the kitchen toys, dolls, little doll house, or farm. She wants to stand at the gate by the door to the toy room and yell to her brothers, "Let me in." I can build just as good as you. ( I also know she is too little to play a lot of the stuff I listed and her desire to stand at the gate was more about her brothers.)

My dream is that the relationship that Charley and Henry have, will open up and celebrate the girliness that she deserves to be surrounded with, too. The painted toes, the baby dolls, the princess wands, and whatever else magical and fairy related. Because, I already know that she is going to dive right into the building blocks, Star Wars guys, Nerf guns, action figures....with her super girl cape on and play right along side her big brothers.

I don't doubt they will be great customers to her restaurant, beauty salon, or grocery store. And I know they will embrace the role of dog when she wants to play house...my brother made a great dog back in the day. They will cheer her on as she gives ballet a try, so that her mama can snap a few pictures of that adventure. But they will also make her play hard in the yard with the soccer ball and football. I am excited to see their relationships build and grow. Giving your child a sibling is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. And the dynamic that a brother and sister can bring to a house is one that has so much possibility.

Friday random thoughts...

2012-02-03T18:43:00.000-06:00

I have been up since 4:15.
I haven't napped.
I did give myself a half hour to veg on the couch during some random cartoon with Henry.
Syd is teething so Motrin is a must at 6:45pm and again around 4am.

I have been distracted by thoughts of my sister who could give birth any day now. Our friend Colleen who is also due any day...maybe today. And then an acquaintance has been going through the adoption process....

This has taken up most of my thoughts in the last 48 hours. What an incredible and overwhelming journey. One that finds me thinking and trying to imagine the experience from all angles. But the blessing in this story is that a brave birth mom had the courage to know when to make a choice that would give a little girl a happy life filled with love. This little girl will thrive with a mama who has been dreaming of this moment for a long time. I am sooooo sooo thrilled for this new family of four. I don't even really know them, but I know that she has a tribe of mama friends who are so invested in her dreams. Breathe in that baby's smell my friend. Take it all in. Whether you birth a baby or adopt, one day you are you and then all of a sudden your world is rocked by this little being who craves and needs you and you are no longer just you. You are you, mama of this little miracle. You are the proud mama of a baby girl. Enjoy the ride.

Charley seems under the weather. Poor guy. It is hard when they can't or don't really tell you what is bugging them. I have this worried feeling that part of tomorrow will be at the doc getting a throat culture. His first strep experience...not excited about that...but at least it isn't the vomit train pulling up...

I don't want to make dinner. I made a dinner last night that I LOVED but it was too sweet for Ed and Henry wouldn't try it. Charley ate it like the champ eater he is. I thought we would have pizza tonight but we ended up throwing one of those in for our playdate this morning. So we'll see what Ed feels like. I am obsessed with Big Bowl's Kung Pou Chicken. I ask them to make it less spicy. Yum. Otherwise Chipotle is always a good choice.

Sydney's new obsession is the dishwasher. If I open it...even if she is in another room....she stops, freezes, turns, and then bee lines it into the kitchen to investigate. She tries to climb up in it. And let's me know how frustrated she is when I move her away from it. Mind you, I might be making the same frustrated growl at her...because filling or unfilling the dishwasher is not fun. So I am trying to do it as fast as possible.

The weekend is about to begin. Dance party here. Pandora's channel Kid's Bop is the ultimate! WE ALL LOVE IT!

We have Charley's basketball.
Home Depot Kid's workshop.
I am going to give Zumba a try.
I would like to finally watch the movie the Help.
And then Sunday is the Super Bowl...sadly, the Packer's aren't playing.

I would love to facetime with my sister while she is in labor on Saturday around 4pm. Just sayin'.
Come on Raina, make that happen.

What's going to bring you happiness this weekend?

My daily dribble of thoughts.

2012-02-02T15:39:00.001-06:00

It is Thursday.
There is a dense fog covering our world ALL. DAY. LONG.
It kinda matches the way I have felt the last couple days.
For a few weeks I was so motivated to organize, purge, etc.
This week I am lost. I just don't know what to do with myself and laundry and the dirty dishes just don't thrill me enough into action.

Last night I ordered this dress for my brother's wedding.
Buying a dress online...very skeptical. But the price was right and it is worth a try.
Wouldn't it be awesome if it arrives and fits perfectly and then I could look JUST LIKE her in June. HAHAHA!

Source: anntaylor.com via Sarah on Pinterest

My brother sent me this You Tube video for the boys. It is cute. It is Star Wars. I haven't had luck posting You Tube stuff lately. So here is the link in case it doesn't post below.

Sydney is off on her naps today. But we are surviving. We did a Target run and got some necessities.
I also bought this: HolyLand Jalapeno Hummus. All I can say is HOLY MOLY is it delicious. It was voted Best Spicy Hummus by Rachel Ray Magazine.

On Monday night I joined two moms who I met at ECFE for night one of knitting. I think night one of two might turn into night one of three...because the six of us in the class didn't get as far on the hat as the teacher wanted. So she might have to add a night. But the hat will be for me. I will wear it so proudly, if it turns out. And I picked this color yarn. I loved the evening.

This gal that hasn't blogged for a long time, because she is off being a Matt Nathanson Groupie (kinda kidding) told me that 2012 she was going to say yes to things and do them instead of just thinking about it. She inspired me. So when my new friend asked me to go learn to knit...I said Yes! and Ed said, "That's great." Most supportive husband I know. Thanks Meghan.

My other "Say Yes in 2012" adventure has been joining the gym.
Tomorrow I get my fat measured at 5:10 am. Does that sound like a great time? Lucky me though, I have a friend who is going along for the ride too. It has been one week since I joined the club and I have gone three times to do classes or work out. I went once to meet with a trainer and talk about my goals. All four of these things were done at 5am. And my big realization, leaving the house that early is hard BUT lately I would be up anyways. And leaving the house to do something FOR me has been so empowering and mood altering. Waking up to an alarm for the first time in years seems awful, but it is an alarm going off for ME! It isn't one of the littles waking TOO early, up for the day, jarring me from my slumber. It is different. I am loving the quiet drive, the cool air, the upbeat class, and the return home to littles that have woken up and are excited to see ME. When the heck does that ever happen. Thanks Ed for taking on the morning. The other realization. When you get up that early you need more than one cup of coffee...because by 9 am...you have been up for 5 hours!

Tonight we are having these two recipes from Our Best Bites cookbook.
Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
with Lime Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

It is Thursday. The kitchen counter DOES NOT have a stack of dirty dishes on it at the moment. The dishwasher is only half filled. That means...I am finally caught up and hitting my stride with the kitchen mess. There are only two loads of laundry to be folded on the couch, one load in the dryer, and at least 4 loads up in the hampers. Half the jalapeno hummus is gone...saving a little for Ed to try. Time to get some fresh air and walk to get Charley from "Cup Stacking" ...yes, there is such thing.

What's for dinner? - Soup and Pasta we love!

2012-02-01T12:28:00.000-06:00

I am always confused about how recipe sharing works on blogs. I mean, I could post a recipe making it looked like I had created this masterpiece in my kitchen. When really, recipes just seem to evolve and change a tiny bit but many are very similar from cookbook to cookbook or cooking blog to cooking blog. So for Christmas I got the Best Bites Cookbook. All of the recipes are online and someone asked me if this bugged me...and my thing is...I like cookbooks. I like being able to open it on my counter, mark it up, spill on it, and ponder it without technology. So I LOVE it. I also love that when at Target if I forget the recipe I can bring up the recipes online. The cookbook has a feature that shares a rollover ingredient ...like for the pasta recipe...cream cheese is the roll over ingredient. So I can look in the index for other recipes that would use up the cream cheese. What a great feature. Anyways, these two recipes have been great for us this week.

But we have also enjoyed the Overnight Sausage and Egg bake.

So here are my thoughts on two of the recipes I tried this week.

Baked Chicken, Artichoke and Bacon Penne
Ed said three times last night that dinner was great...and he ate later than us ...reheated. I also enjoyed this dish and so did Charley - he gobbled. The alfredo sauce is interesting and my cookbook actually talks about being able to freeze it. It does require a blender and mine is broken so I used my food processor and that was a tad messy. This was a great meal! And boy does it sound fancy when you tell people you made Bacon Artichoke Chicken Pasta!

Baked Potato Soup
This was delicious and yummy. EVERYONE liked it. Henry isn't a big soup eater so he only had a tiny bit. But Charley shovelled it like a champ.

baby item: Carseat Canopy

2012-02-01T09:08:00.000-06:00

On Monday we spent the day in the company of some favorite mama friends from afar.

They trekked here with their boys and babes.

And we lunched and chatted and enjoyed not tackling laundry or other to-do list items.

Sydney showed some interest in baby Gracie.

The same excitement she shows when a puppy comes trotting into the room.

There is some squealing and some clapping and some floor slapping.

Baby Grace was about to hit the road and Miss Syd was thinking she needed a little diaper change.

So she helped herself to Miss Kim's diaper bag.

Then she took it upon herself to make sure Miss Kim latched Gracie in nice and snug.

Gracie looks like she is looking at her mama saying, "Who does this chick think she is?"

Little Gracie is snug in her carseat but the wind gets here sometimes. And Kim was complaining about the blanket that she uses to hang over her carseat. The blanket catches the wind so easily.

I had been given one of these Carseat Canopys to review recently, but Miss Syd grew out of her infant carseat too quickly. So I was waiting for a little to come so I could try it out.

So we buttoned it up top the handle. And Kim loved the cute buttons (that actually latched with velcro).

The one side is decorated black and white so obviously that side goes on the outside but both agreed...

That flipping it so baby could see the busy pattern worked too.

The other side is a cozy soft material.

Miss Syd gave it some good tugs and played a little peek-a-boo with little Gracie.

And Miss Kim then stated that this was a GREAT tool for mama's.

And I really wish I would have had one when I was toting Miss Sydney around last year.

You can go here to check out all the fun materials.

They also have the cozy insert that you can add to to canopy cover. Or you can just get the canopy.

Today:

Miss Syd slept through the night! WOO HOO!

We will finally make it to ECFE class (Thanks to a little help from Lynelle).

I met with a trainer this morning to talk goals for exercising. So today my body rests.

8 hours of uninterrupted sleep- check.

Coffee -check.

Shower -check.

It's Wednesday. GO!

Hitting the slopes...

2012-01-31T11:42:00.000-06:00

Daddy's Super Hero cape got some snow action.

He took his TWO boys to the ski hill on Sunday.

Here are the three of them going up on the lift.

They spent almost the entire day at the hill.

When I popped over to see them in action I think about the future.

I know that right now it is a lot of work for Ed.

They stayed on the bunny hill most of the day because that is where Henry needs to be.

But in the not too distant future Ed will have two boys who will hit the slopes with him.

And that is a pretty exciting thing.

I get a little jealous watching the fun and adventure that they have.

I sometimes get caught up in the day to day mothering...and I see Ed's interactions with the kids as sometimes less about the daily grind but more about the moments.

Moments that are so thrilling.

Moments that bring being a daddy to the next level.

And though I wouldn't give up the day to day grind with the kiddos,

I hope to find some hobbies and little adventures to just plain enjoy with the kids.

Henry is ready for an official ski helmet.

And our big puzzler is whether the kiddo would participate independently in a lesson.

He wouldn't do the tennis lesson last summer.

It is too expensive to sign him up for this...if he isn't going to take in the full experience.

He did say many times that evening, "Hey Charley, wasn't that fun skiing with daddy?"

So, we'll see. February is a month full of potential.

So I will now focus on getting my knee stronger so that I could take a lesson or two...

And when Sydney is ready....we can all enjoy the slopes.

Wishful thinking...we'll just have to wait and see.

Links I Love, late.

2012-01-29T10:55:00.000-06:00

Here are a few links that I have loved recently. I included a small snippet from each post to lure you to read them. They all made me think, nod, or smile.

You are reason enough to take care of yourself. by My Fascinating Life

When mothers look at our lives, it's easy to talk as if the only excuse to help ourselves or improve anything is because it ultimately helps our children. I don't think men talk like this. I think that when a man wants to, say, go running, he just says that he wants to go running and shuts the door behind him. When a woman wants to go running, she usually has to find some reason why making the time to go running is going to make her a better mother (I'll be a better mother if I get some endorphins; I'll be a better mother if I have some time to myself) before she will let herself lace up her shoes.

In What other Profession by David Reber

If that entire attitude weren’t bad enough, what other profession is legally held to PERFECTION by 2014? Are police required to eliminate all crime? Are firefighters required to eliminate all fires? Are doctors required to cure all patients? Are lawyers required to win all cases? Are coaches required to win all games? Of course they aren’t.
For no other profession do so many outsiders refuse to accept the realities of an imperfect world. Crime happens. Fire happens. Illness happens. As for lawyers and coaches, where there’s a winner there must also be a loser. People accept all these realities, until they apply to public education.
If a poverty-stricken, drug-addled meth-cooker burns down his house, suffers third degree burns, and then goes to jail; we don’t blame the police, fire department, doctors, and defense attorneys for his predicament. But if that kid doesn’t graduate high school, it’s clearly the teacher’s fault.

Loved these thoughts on Pinterest. Pinning to Pin by the Wink

Pinterest is for you, not for business, not for popularity not for anything other than a place to stow things that make you smile.

Mindset for Moms
I bought this e-book this week and I LOVE it so far. Just quick short chapters that inspire me think differently.

As I began to learn how to choose my mindset with more intention, I found that much of my life also started to change…from the way I felt physically, to the way I handled challenges, to even the home we now live in.
Life isn’t perfect, but it is incredible.

Today:
*off to the ski hill to watch Charley thrive and Henry give it a go for the first time...and Daddy be Super Daddy while he juggles his two little future ski dudes. Actually he just called and said it might not be good to come watch because it is crazy parking and busy there. So we'll see ...what I get to see.
*Time in the kitchen making yummy freezer meals for those we love.
*Still avoiding the squat position....but trying to force it to keep it stretched out.
*Tomorrow, I am determined to make the 5:30am morning class, then we register Henry for preschool next year, trying something new. We have friends visiting for the day, and tomorrow night I become a knitter....well, we'll see. BIG day for this mama.

be.

2012-01-28T08:59:00.003-06:00

Today's words...

Sleepy: Everyone is having trouble sleeping past 5am. Daddy - check, Sydney - check, Henry- check, Mama worrying why everyone can't sleep - double check.

Thankful: Thank you Daddy duty for allowing this mama to sleep a wee bit longer this morning. This means 7am folks. Nothing crazy.

Wise: 8am basketball for the boys - since Miss Syd needed an 8am morning nap. For the Love of Naps...this mama knows when not to push her daughters nap any later.

Sore: A new sports bra or two might be purchased. If I can walk out the door. My first Barbell class yesterday has me looking at the stairs with tears and taking laundry out of the washer in a very odd way (possibly looking like I am trying to do a fancy balance beam move with one leg fully extended behind me while arms out like airplanes, bending without bending...make sense?)...Basically, I am avoiding squats. But man does it feel good. And man am I proud of myself. You could ask the 3-4 people who I keep reminding that I worked out yesterday.

Hopeful: Two of our three male people might hit the ski slopes. Ed said, "Yes, Sarah. If you keep working out your knee could handle skiing and I would love to someday take a family ski trip." And that my friends, is motivation to make the man that married me happy. This girl is going to strengthen this knee so that in a few years I can ski with the rest of them...at least for an hour or two and then hit the spa. Baby bump days are over. Time to get these knees ready for the slopes.

Craving: I need some pineapple chunks to make some chicken kabobs that are tempting me. They involve bacon. yummmmm. bacon.

Sipping: I will continue drinking water. Yesterday I got 60 oz. in. I think it is good. It helps to have a big water bottle filled and sitting on the counter. It really helps.

Listening: I watched the chick flick Morning Glory last night. It was okay. It kept me distracted from Words with Friends or sleeping. I LOVED the music in the movie. So some downloading of songs and taking off my Christmas music on the blog might happen today. (i'll try raina) NEW MUSIC ADDED.

Planning: Indian Jones Wii game is calling this mama and so Charley and I will conquer another level of that at some point.

Anticipating: And Henry - the kid is exhausted most of the time these days. So we will find some time to snuggle on the couch and read some of the new library books that we picked out.

Admitting: Even though it is really hard to hear, I am really appreciating when Ed points out when I am getting snappy for silly things with the kids. Team work. The ebb and flo of helping each other be our best.

Feeling: My sister had some happy days and emailed my mom and said, "I have so many good things to look forward to." I wish I had been part of that email. boo :( But I LOVE hearing her happy. I love when those around me are happy. I have been happy, when my hormones aren't making me feel otherwise. Happy. YOU! Be.

Our Saturday is mellow, unplanned, and open for adventures.
What's on your Saturday bucket list?

time and tone.

2012-01-26T10:00:00.003-06:00

This morning my email gave me this message from Hal, of Scream Free Parenting:

There is something especially pernicious about bedtime issues. The kids are tired (although they sure as heck won’t admit to it), you’re tired (and you certainly have trouble hiding it), and like oil and water these two things just don’t mix.

I think children are afraid that all of the good stuff in life happens after they go to sleep. They will pull out all the stops in order to squeeze out a few extra minutes. Before the bedtime announcement, a child can be as content as can be. Afterwards, they suddenly are in need of water, a snack, a book, more time for homework. They move in slow motion as they clean up (if they even do) and they find any excuse in the book to engage you in a conversation as to why they aren’t tired. It can be so aggravating.

But aren’t we much the same? How many times have you been on your way to bed only to be lured to the glow of the television or the hum of the refrigerator? How many times do you know that you need to get some sleep, but you remember an important email you forgot to send? Too often, we expect more from our children than we do from ourselves. And this leads us to treat them with disdain and disrespect. Recognize that they are not all that different from you. Their lego project is every bit as important as your sales proposal, so don’t spring bedtime on them and expect them to drop everything and run upstairs. Start the bedtime process way earlier than you think you need to (for both of you!) and that way you can actually enjoy yourself along the way to dreamland.

Bedtime is bedtime here. We have good nights and rough nights. Ed does the boys almost every. single. night. Bless him. But this is his time with them. And sometimes I rush them and that's not fair. Ed does notice that I have a short fuse by bedtime, and I think it is obvious why the day ends this way for me. I have been "on kid duty" all day. Negotiating, entertaining, balancing, unfortunately bartering and arguing with human beings under the age of 8. I am exhausted...mentally. And by bedtime it is hard to realize the precious opportunity that this time of day offers...if we let it slow down and happen more peacefully.

But this comment in my email today also reminds me that throughout the ENTIRE day, my children are little humans who have these needs that they often times have to verbalize and get help with. Things like curing their hunger and thirst. Help in the bathroom. Permission for playing with certain things like markers and play dough and paint. And this is all normal and developmental. But sometimes I think, wow, how exhausting to have to ask for help with so many things. To have to verbalize having your needs met...all. the time. It has to be hard. And to be brushed off with a "just a second." Must be frustrating. Even though on the mothering end...it is only fair that you get to finish what you are doing before you hop up to get them another glass of water.

My point. Sometimes I forget that how I talk to my children wouldn't feel very nice...if someone was talking to me like that. And that makes me really sad. And yet, as moms and dads, we have to give ourselves breaks when we get frustrated and say things in a too harsh a tone. I try to always remember that my tone says more than what I am actually saying. And if I went to Target and asked where I could find the ranch dressing and the store lady rolled her eyes and said in a snotty tone, "I'll be there in a minute" and then a minute passes, so I ask again. And she responds, "Right there! Geez, open your eyes. Same place it was last time you were here."...well now, I would probably cry. So today, I am admitting:

My name is Sarah. I am a mama of three. I sometimes am tired and frustrated having to communicate with human beings that often times can't rationalize. And sometimes I use a tone that isn't the best choice. BUT, I am also known to apologize to my children. And I think that - makes us all learn from our time together.

Charley's teacher emailed today and said that a mom emailed saying, "her son has come home the last few days talking about a boy named Charley. Charley asks him to play at recess, is kind sitting next to him in class, etc." And his teacher said, "he is such a good role model."

A reminder, that our low moments as parents can be low. But they are just moments. And as long as we are reflecting and always striving to do our best - those low moments don't overshadow all the good we do during on our mothering journey. And getting kind comments from outside the family mean the world and they prove that we are doing it right...some of the time.

I am thankful that my children have a daddy who can pull out just enough patience at the end of most days to try and fully experience the potential of the bedtime routine. And how lucky we are that we can remind each other or relieve each other when our patience isn't there. Slowing down, allowing more time, like Hal says, are solutions for responding to your child's needs ALL. DAY. LONG. not just at bedtime. Leaving the house. Cleaning up toys. and on and on and on.

This is linked to Shell's Pour your Heart out.

Saying Hi

2012-01-25T13:52:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon!

Or as Sydney would say these days, "Hi."

Things have settled after our fun weekend.

Everyone is a little run down.

Mama has a head cold.

Henry has an annoying cough.

Sydney is still teething.

Daddy seems to be on the mend.

Charley is just wiped out.

So we haven't done much this week.

We only leave the house to get groceries, take kids to school, and that's it.

We are playing with new toys.

Napping.

And continuing on this month's goal of simplifying spaces ...organizing and purging.

Nothing deep to report.

Just sharing some new pics of our 1 year old.

She can't manage the one step down to our living room space.

But! she can get up and down off her new chair (made by her Grandma Charlie).

We always stay close though, because as you can see it is a wee bit big at the moment for this little girls tushy. It is adorable though.

It's Wednesday and babies are arriving soon or have recently arrived for many that I love.

It is so exciting to live through the anticipation and wonder of who these little ones will be.

Other than that...I am pondering a Baked Potato soup that a friend recommended.

I am pondering a craft or learning activity to challenge Henry with.

I am pondering putting my feet up and just closing my eyes to the sound of Curious George for a minute.

We'll see what happens next in our house.

What's new with you today?

Start your engines....

2012-01-24T15:58:00.000-06:00

Introducing our Scout.

This is new to our family this year.

And this weekend was our first Pinewood Derby experience.

This is Charley's car.

This is the track.

This is Charley's car on the track.

This is Charley's car...side by side his little brother's car. Yes, you heard me right. They now let little siblings (girls or boys) race their cars too. And they can even win awards.

This is Henry's car on the track. (I will let you imagine whether he is in the lead...or not)

Charley was blessed with quite the cheering section...

Both sets of his grandparents and his family.

When they weren't cheering for Charley.

Or dreaming about the winning trophy.

They were busy being entertained by the birthday girl.

Notice Grandma Barb trying to coax a puff from Miss Syd.

Everyone held her.

Except me.

This year the boys raced and had a blast. There was lots of hopping up and down.

The door prizes they won were pretty exciting.

They didn't come away with any medals or trophies.

Maybe next year.

I wonder if they will let the moms build cars and race....

Saturday continues with more fun...

2012-01-24T10:19:00.003-06:00

On Saturday afternoon around 3pm we also had our Miss Syd baptized. We have been pondering when to do it for a long time. We wanted to do it "correctly" this time (meaning newborn)...both boys were almost 2..if not two. But with family that lives farther away, making everyone travel is hard. So when I knew that both sets of grandparents were going to be here we got it on the calendar. So thankful they were able to fit us in to their busy Saturday Church schedule. The boys were baptized during Sunday mass with other babies. Miss Syd got her own ceremony and boy howdy was it special.

They didn't even turn on all the lights in the church. We sat gathered around the priest and I felt like he spoke mostly, to the boys. Sydney was happy and interested in everything. She didn't cry during the water part. She was intrigued by the priest - and he was AWESOME. When he spoke he almost seemed to be directly talking to the boys. Henry sat, spellbound, soaking it all in. It was amazing to watch. He didn't move. His hands were clutched. It almost made me cry. Other people caught his intense interest too. It was beautiful.

We chose Sydney's grandparents to be her Godparents. We decided with child three would could do things a little different. We had to pick two official Godparents, Grandpa Bob and Grandma Charlie, and Grandpa Ed and Grandma Barb are honorary grandparents too.

It was perfect that they let us schedule her baptism with less than two weeks notice. It was perfect that all the grandparents made it here this weekend, since snow almost kept my parents away. It was perfect that the priest was so splendid. It was perfect that Miss Sydney was happy through the whole thing. It was perfect that I had a dress that I had bought when she was first born and she finally got to wear it. It was perfect that we had time to take pictures, drive home, all change into jeans, and head to the derby on time. It all just worked out.

Here are a few images from the experience. I wish we would have gotten a family picture, since it isn't everyday that we are dressed up a wee bit.

children get older

2012-01-23T15:55:00.002-06:00

Oh, mirror in the sky

What is love?

Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?

Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I don't know

Well, I've been afraid of changin'

'Cause I've built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Even children get older

And I'm getting older too.

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

I just can't shake it.

The sad feeling.

Maybe it isn't sad.

Yep, it's sad.

Miss Syd is our last.

And last year at this time we were once again in awe of the miracle of 10 perfect toes.

Skin to skin.

Quiet moments mixed with the excitement of her meeting those we love most.

We fumbled once again through those beginning hours when you panic and wonder if you need the nurse to help change the diaper or listen to her breathe.

But the biggest thing that makes me sad today...

NEVER again will I wonder if we are having a boy or girl.

I won't ponder names with Ed and get to tell my mom and sister the name we chose.

If you get the chance to have a baby, because I know that in itself is such a gift and not always a given.

But if you do, I can not speak enough about the amazing experience of wonder it is when you wait to find out the sex of your baby.

The moment when the doc lifted Miss Sydney up and Ed looked at me and it was a girl.
She was a girl.
or He was a boy.
Remarkable. moments.

It leaves everyone anticipating.

It leaves you so excited and on edge those last couple weeks when you are so uncomfortable.

There are VERY few things in life - none really, that are truly a secret.

And if I could make the choice for others I would choose surprise everytime.

I know that it isn't a choice that everyone chooses.

But today, as I sit here kind of teary about being done with "baby" days.

I really am so glad that all three of our little tribe members were TOTAL surprises.

And that is one of the things I am most sad to be done with.

The wonder, anticipation, and surprise.

I am so grateful to have Miss Sydney in our lives.

And maybe it is completely wrong to feel more sadness today.

I felt no sadness on Saturday.

But today, I just am a little in awe that our year of baby Sydney is over.

I am also so excited to continue seeing who she becomes.

Whether her little twirling toes will find their way into ballet slippers or soccer cleats...or both.

If her obsession with the boys tiny Lego's will fade and if the adorable baby dolls that she has already accumulated will begin to fascinate her.

If her little strawberry golden locks will be worn in a pig tail or pony tails...will she have bangs...

Will my littlest continue to be petite...still only a wee 18 pounds...

So I am trying to remind myself that there is still so much to wonder about.

So many surprises yet.

This weekend while my mom and I were assembling the egg bakes on Saturday night,

I tried to describe this feeling I have lately.

At night as the day closes I have this excited feeling about the next day.

I am literally, excited for tomorrow.

I sometimes even wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep because I can't wait for the next day.

Now, don't get me wrong...when Henry wanders in at 5:45 and asks to get up - I can barely open my eyes...probably because I was up for an hour so excited to wake up.

And do not think that every day is full of splendid moments of joy.

Many moments are stressed or crabby. snappy. Do over moments.

But ultimately, each night I am honestly, so excited about the next day.

I hope the feeling lasts forever.

I don't remember feeling it a month ago.

I don't remember not feeling. But I am really aware of it these last couple a weeks.

I think I am realizing that a big part of my personality thrives on the idea of new starts, surprises, and enjoying the ride.

So, even though I am feeling sad today.

I can't wait until tomorrow. When she is 366 days old.

*I want to reiterate that I am not judging or saying that finding out the sex of your baby is a wrong choice. I am not. AT ALL. I actually love finding out what others are having. haha! Today, that is just one of the things I am sad I will never live through again. The surprise. BUT, I am aware that I will have friends, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren who will surprise me. But meeting HER for the first time. Or Charley or Henry...just remarkable. And that is my point.

This is most likely the last post for today.
Time to enjoy my girl.

Were you snowed in today?
What was on your mind today?

present.

2012-01-23T12:24:00.000-06:00

Our birthday party day was full.

I was worried I would be too busy in the kitchen to be present in the moments of the day.

The morning kicked off with Charley heading to basketball practice with Grandma Charlie, Daddy, and Henry. Grandma Barb and Grandpa Bob finishing their drive. And my mission was to make sure Miss Syd got a wee bit of a nap, since there wasn't a guaranteed afternoon snooze happening. I relished the quiet morning before the hustle began. I joked that it might be a day where I wore a whistle, used a clipboard, and used airplane guy signals ushering everyone to and from cars with detailed instructions on where they were heading next.

But the amazing thing. And last night, Ed admitted this too. The day actually ended up being quite relaxed. Each adventure had time to sit and be present in the moments.

After basketball Miss Syd appeared in her tutu and onesie. And all of us smiled.

We celebrated Miss Syd with gifts. Lasagna lunch. and Cake. Things were simple. Someone asked a while back about birthday party themes for first birthdays. I am not a theme girl. My nursery was never themed for my babies. I planned to decorate so that they could grow into their room and make it fit their personality. Birthday parties only have themes when they are older and have an opinion. So for baby girl Syd...I went with the colors of green and pink...which kinda floppped where the cake was concerned. And I just focused on a few small touches that made her day...hers. The tutu, the onesie, a fun cake, and balloons. The guests were her loved grandparents. And it was perfect.

We pigged out on lasagna, seven layer salad, and home baked french bread... which is a great meal choice because you can make it ahead and the extra reheats perfectly or freezes nicely to be enjoyed later.

I sure would have loved to have more family and friends there, our door would have swung wide open to welcome all that love Miss Syd. But with the winter weather, the far travel for many aunts and uncles, and the idea that simple was right this time...we kept it small.

There really wasn't an overwhelming moment during the day for Miss Syd (or her mama). At Christmas Miss Syd had a clingy personality and hardly went with anyone else unless I was out of sight. Saturday, I barely got to hold the girl. She went from grandparent to grandparent and it was lovely.

After the birthday we headed off for a 3 pm baptism. Our girl was surrounded by her godparents...also known as her GRANDparents. From the baptism we went for an exciting evening of Pinewood Car racing.

There isn't much more I can share about the "birthday" part of her day. It was perfect. I was present. And that's how it should be....right?

the. cake.

2012-01-23T10:26:00.004-06:00

So ordering a cake over the phone, not making it yourself, means it STILL doesn't turn out exactly like you wanted. I had asked that if there was pink in the sprinkle mix to accent the dots on top with pink, green, and yellow. Some how blue got written down. Kinda disappointed since this was the year to force the pink into the theme. (I am not a theme girl) But it ended up matching her bib perfectly. And it was delicious.

Henry was concerned whether she wanted us all to sing. (since he preferred we not sing to him on his fourth birthday)

We sang.

There was not a moment of hesitation.

She grabbed it with two hands right away.

But didn't know to taste it until daddy showed her.

And she liked it.

She gave MANY big cheesy smiles to all that surrounded the table.

She is into flinging her food lately.

And there was some definite flinging going on.

My off white curtains behind her are proof of her flinging skills.

And it was all good, except for the curtains....until she rubbed her head.

And then there was no question that the girl was going to hit the tub immediately following the cake experience.

She actually didn't ingest all that much.

Even though it looks like she did.

I think of all three of my kids, she did the cake up the best.

Charley's red frosting proved to be crazy messy.

And Henry was very careful to pick off the Hen words off his cake.

But Miss Syd used two hands and dove in.

My girl,

My wish for you in life is that you dive in-

with two hands and an open heart-

ready to experience

and immerse yourself in the good all around you.
Because, life is delicous.

Happy Birthday, Miss Sydney.

sneak peeks...actually, my goal all day...

2012-01-23T08:18:00.000-06:00

I think we all felt like this after eating the delicous cake. Slightly confused at what just happened, yearning for more (Henry cried when his piece was gone), and ready for a nap. Last night Ed and I finished off the cake, feeling a little guilty that we should wait until today...but really, last night when we were eating it was exactly when I went into labor a year ago...so I enjoyed the cake and moment remembering.

I am confused about how to properly celebrate today.
A one year old doesn't expect much, if anything on her first birthday.
Saturday was her party, cake, present day.
Today, I feel like is for me.
First BIRTHdays are almost more for the mama.
I will soak it in.
Remember being in the hospital with her daddy and enjoying the quiet and newness of her.

So my hope, to take a few minutes every once in awhile and share a few glimpses of our weekend celebrating our pretty girl.

Man, am I glad we had her. She really is a joy.

So stay tuned. Keep checking back. It is snowing and daddy has been in the car for almost two hours and isn't even half way to work. I hope he has some good sports talk radio on.