Lilly? Lilly turned five yesterday.

(Is this the look of a happy birthday girl, or what?)

My first born. My baby girl. My lovely, silly daughter.

Five means a lot of things.

Being five means being a full hand.

It means choosing sushi for dinner and wearing crazy outfits.

It means starting Kindergarten in July.

Being five? Being five means growing up.

It means a party at the place with the roller coaster.

(It means being big enough to decide NOT to ride said roller coaster)

It means blowing out all the candles.

And big girl toys. Jewelery boxes. Boots. Little mermaid bath toys. New books.

It means teaching Zac what it’s like to be five. And smiling “knowingly” when he states that he is five too. Because being five brings understanding that sometimes it’s ok to let him think he’s five too.

I’m so proud of my five year old girl.
(And, the boy who thinks he’s five too)

It’s no secret that I’m super proud of both of my kids. They are both funny, sweet, well adjusted children. They work hard on having good manners. They play SO well together, often choosing each other over others to play with. They love to read. They love to dance. They make mistakes and get grumpy. Lilly has absolutely perfected “the glare.” Zac can make me want to pull out my hair at bedtime.

So, as Lilly turns five (going on 15), and with Zac not far behind, I look back and wonder just how I got so lucky as to have been blessed with these amazing tiny people.

Happy birthday Lilly. You are so loved.

I am a runner.

I used to be a runner.

I am sorta kinda a runner… sometimes?

The thing is, I love to run. I love the peacefulness, the challenge, the serenity. I love the way my heart and lungs feel after a run. And, frankly, I like the way my body looks when I run regularly. I like that my kids want to “run like mommy.” I like the camaraderie the runners have with each other.

The problem?

The problem is finding the time to run.

YES, I KNOW THAT TIME IS AN ISSUE FOR EVERYONE. I’m not using this as an excuse to not work out. But the fact is that in a given week I *might* have the opportunity to run once.

This? This is most definitely my choice as I choose NOT to take my two children in a double running stroller for runs. If I felt I were strong enough or that they would enjoy sitting in a stroller for an extended period of time, I might try it. But running with whining, heavy children is not on my list of reasons I like to run.Weird, right?

The point is… I have found something to do instead.

Body Pump.

There is a studio pretty close to my house where they offer Les Mills classes such as Body Pump, Body Combat, Body Flow… you get the point.

I am gaining strength. Gaining muscle. Easing stress and frustration over not running as much as I’d like.

The people? The people there are amazing. Friendly, motivating, encouraging.

Also… they have a playroom. You heard me. A playroom where my kids can play. Yesterday, I asked Lilly and Zac, “would it be ok if mommy went to workout?” (yes, I asked them. Not in the “asking for permission” kind of way, but in truly wanting to know if they were happy playing in the playroom.)

The fact that their eyes lit up and they yelled “yay!” told me everything I needed to know.

In all honestly, really only Lilly actually plays in the playroom. Zac will play with her for a few minutes, but then he stands in the doorway, watching me and the others work out.

He kicks when we kick.
He lifts his arms when we lift weights.
He lunges (and typically falls over) when we lunge.

He works out with me.

So, maybe I’m not a runner anymore for the time being. But, I am working out, which is good for me and a great example for my children.

Now… if only I felt prepared for Ragnar (read about the last time here) or the half marathons I’m already registered for!

GULP

“Pinterest is fun! Except that it makes me feel inadequate”

“Pinterest makes me fat.”

“Dear Pinterest… I hate you.”

In reality, I love Pinterest. Anyone on Pinterest can attest to the fact that there are many things on there that we pin, knowing full well we will never actually buy/create/find.

Ahem:

And, then there are things that I find that I WANT. Bad.

Oh I could go on and on…

Finally, the food. At least in my Pinterest experience, the vast majority of what I see is FOOD. Dangerous people. Very dangerous.

Now, I *have* actually made a few of the things I’ve found on Pinterest. And, truly, I’ve always ended up feeling good about it!

There are so many uses for Pinterest, from killing time to finding great ideas for gifts (like the Valentines that my kids will deliver this year… I’m not sharing those yet!), food, decor.

Do you Pin?
(Even my mom does)

It came from HERE. Which is most definitely worth reading.

And, it made me think.

I truly think that for the most part, I look at the happy side of my wonderful life. The easy side. The light side.

Are there negatives that I could focus on? Of course.

Could I write an entire post about the broken garage door, postponed doctors appointments, cluttered house, fighting and whining kids?
How about the trips I’d like to take? The money I’d like to have? The people I’d like to see more?

Yes. Yes I could.

But I don’t. Not because of keeping up appearances. Not because I think anyone would believe that every single moment of this is perfect. Or fun. Or even bearable.

But because I choose joy.

I’ve realized over the past however-many years that life is about choices. More than choosing my actions, but choosing my attitude and how I react to things.  And venting? Venting is good. And healthy. (Just ask my in-real-life friends and family. They hear all about it!) But, especially when I write, I focus on the beautiful in my life.

Because there is plenty. There is laughter, and love, and dance parties. To name a few.

And, because I Choose Joy.

I hope you do too.

(excuse the grainy iphone photos… we’re still loving The Smurfs Dance Party for the Wii!)

No, I’m not talking about those days… I’m talking about a really good day.

Today was one of those days. Actually, we’ve had a few lately. I can honestly say yesterday was a great day. And Saturday was also an amazingly pleasant day.

So I guess the question should be, have you ever had one of those really, really good weekends?

The other question should definitely be WHY AM I JINXING IT? But that’s another blog post.

Today? We WIN at today.

We slept in until after 7. This almost never happens.
I cleaned for a couple of hours while the kids played happily. And together. Yep, I said hours.
I started a crock pot full of beef stew. AND it turned out to be a dreary day, so the stew was a great choice.
We ran errands. You may not realize how big this is. This single mom has been struggling lately just getting groceries. My, ahem, energetic children have been making it difficult. But today? Today we got groceries AND made it through Target and Walgreens. Whoa.
We ate lunch together at the table, chatting and enjoying turkey sandwiches and carrot sticks.
I folded and put away FOUR loads of laundry while the kids pretended to help by cleaning the living room.
Then, I cleaned the living room.
We went to the park.
And at the park? At the park the kids started playing hide-and-seek. Together. And I teared up because my children are not old enough to be the “big kids” playing hide-and-seek while others are being pushed by their mommies in the bucket baby swings.

But they are.
So then I played too.

After the park, we enjoyed The Smurfs Dance Party for the Wii that we rented yesterday. This game was another WIN.

And now the kids are in bed and I’m sipping on a beer. Thrilled with where we are and how we’ve grown, but reminding myself that blinking is simply not an option these days.

To be fair, it was part of a collage of photos, and it was small. I was young, and in the bathtub. Parents everywhere, myself included, have these same pictures.

As I reached my pre-teen years, I became embarrassed of this picture. Heaven forbid my friends or, gasp, a boy see this picture. I took it out and replaced it with a fully clothed photo.

My mom noticed in about 2 seconds, and was understanding… but asked for the bathroom photo back. It was never seen in the hallway again.

The point? The point is that kids do things that parents find cute. And we take pictures. Or commit them to memory. Not always specifically for the sake of embarrassment later in life.
That, my friends, is just an added bonus.

My children do some pretty incredibly cute things. Some, I have pictures of. Others, I just want to remember forever so that I can tell first boyfriends and girlfriends all about it.

So, while I won’t be cruel enough to post pictures here, I do take them. And print them. And LOVE them. I also will share a few fun stories that come to mind. These may or may not make dinner time conversations as my children grow.
(Completely unrelated note to my children: It is very important to be nice to your mama. That is all.)

- Last week, I ended up taking the kids to my Body Pump class. I usually go when they are with their father, but the dates hadn’t worked out that way and I needed to, well, work out. They have a great playroom there, so I got them situated and got my weights ready.
Exactly 3 minutes after the workout began, who comes running out of the playroom? Zac.
Oh, and his pants and underpants? They are around his ankles.
I wrote a text that evening that read something like this: “Zac only ran out naked from the waist down once, so I guess that’s a win, right?”
(My definition of win is skewed. Clearly.)

- The other day I asked Lilly to throw a piece of trash in the trashcan, which was about 20 feet away. She said she was too busy. I asked her again, adding a consequence if she made a poor choice. She picked up the trash, STOMPED across the room and threw it away. As she stomped back, she burst into tears and shouted, “Now I’ve wasted my whole life! humph!” and ran into her room.
First of all, who says “humph”? Also, wow I am looking forward to the teenage years.

- Lilly and Zac playing “helicopter,” which includes Zac laying on the ground in one direction and Lilly laying on top at a 90 degree angle. Once they are “in position,” they move their arms and make hilarious noises. Until someone gets hurt. Oh, and someone always gets hurt.

*** Your turn! Settle a debate: A photo of a young boy wearing cowboy boots with underwear but no pants. Cute or not cute? Please leave a comment with your thoughts on how hilarious and cute this would be! ***

Disclaimer: Do I need to write this? I in no way have the true intention of embarrassing my children on purpose. Clearly, that will happen regardless, as I’m a mom and they will one day be teens. Then again, I’m really super cool, so I don’t see how they could actually ever be embarrassed… in fact, they’ll probably want to hang out with me and only me and I’ll have to encourage them to go hang out with their popular but highly achieving and community minded high school friends. But that’s another story for another time.

Zac’s birthday was yesterday. Yes, we had a party on Sunday (which was a smashing success, thankyouverymuch), but I wanted to spend the day with him on his real birthday. I plan to do the same thing on Lilly’s birthday, of course.

Zac’s special day (the “in my head” version)

We take Lilly to school, and head out for the day. Zac feels special, walking out of school holding my hand, getting ready for a great day! We go to the park, weather permitting, before heading to the mall.

Zac does not enjoy shopping, but he LOVES the mall playground. Last time we were there, to see Santa, he did not get a place to play.

I can hear his squeals of delight while running to the playground. I let him play for as long as he wants, then we head to lunch. We probably head to either Jason’s Deli or Monkey Burger, and talk about fun things while enjoying lunch.

We head home, and Zac probably falls asleep. I let him snooze for a while, then we cuddle and read some books under a blanket. For the remainder of the afternoon, I ask Zac what he wants to do, and we do it.

We pick Lilly up early, and the three of us go to dinner. We sing Happy Birthday to our boy, and head home for a peaceful bedtime.

Is that too much to ask???

Zac’s special day (the “reality sucks” version)

The night before Zac’s special day, I tell him and Lilly the plan. Lilly throws the worlds biggest hissy fit about wanting to stay with Zac. I talk her down, eventually, reminding her about the special days she has and how this is important.

At bedtime, Zac sniffles and wimpers that he’s going to miss Lilly the next day.

Off to a great start, people.

Special Day morning, we get up and head to Dunkin’ Donuts for a special breakfast before dropping Lilly off at school.
This is the best picture I could get. And yes, my son looks like a vampire.

We drop Lilly off, and decide it’s too cold to play outside so Zac and I head home for about 30 minutes. I hear “I miss Lilly” about 17 times during those 30 minutes.

For. Pete’s. Sake.

We head to the mall, chatting excitedly the whole way. We get there, and turn the corner to the play area. I’m excited. Zac has to go potty.
So we do.
Back to the play area. I’m still excited.
Zac… sits with me. Climbs on my lap, in fact, and says that he wants to go home.

Whaaa???

I feel his head.

OH. CRAP.

Yep, he’s sick. We sit and talk and I hold him as he buries his head into my shirt. How did this come on so quickly? We meet up with a few friends who were dropping really cool things off for us, and head home.

At home, Zac naps for a bit, and then we do get our snuggle time in on the couch.

Eventually, I decide to take him to Urgent Care. Yep, he has Strep. Again.

My mom picks Lilly up and buys the kids treats while I get the prescription.

Happy Birthday Son.

~   ~   ~

In all seriousness, I am glad he was home with me when he got sick. I just feel SO badly that he spent his birthday sick. Still, we did get to enjoy cuddle time, and the medication makes him feel so much better and very quickly.

Today, my son turns 3.

As every mother throughout history has asked… Where has the time gone?

We had a party on Sunday. Today, Zac and I will spend the day together.

But, for now, a letter to three year old Zac.

~  ~   ~

Dear Zackary,

Today you turn three, and there are things I don’t want to forget. You are the sweetest boy, and you bend over backwards to “help” me and your sister. You carry (drag) my bags in from the car. You cater to Lilly’s every whim during imaginary play. You love helping make dinner and set the table. You open and close doors for us as well.
As three approached, you started testing. Testing bedtime. Testing behaviors. Never taking away from your sweet and helpful personality, but you’re realizing that you have choices and you’re practicing to make them on your own.
Bedtime? Bedtime is work. You want me in your room until you fall asleep. The moment you give that deep breath and sigh… and I know you’re down for the night… that is a beautiful moment for me.
You potty trained yourself in about a weekend. Can I just say, thank you for that?
You still suck your thumb and your have your beloved “Ball Blankie.” This blankie will not last another year, as it is falling apart so quickly. These are habits that I know we need to break, but it breaks my heart a little to think of you not needing these things.
You love books. And cars and trucks. Any book about a car or a truck is a serious win. You want to sit on my lap and cuddle with me often. This? I hope this never ever changes.
You love your sister more than anything. You eat well, but distract easily. At times, you get “crazy eyes,” and there is no turning back.
You are my main man, and you are growing so fast. You are quickly turning into everything I hope for you and more.
It goes without saying that I love you more than anything. Happy birthday son.

~   ~   ~

]]> http://vicariouschelsea.com/2011/12/he-is-three/feed/ 6 http://vicariouschelsea.com/2011/12/feeling-festive/ http://vicariouschelsea.com/2011/12/feeling-festive/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:01:53 +0000 Vicarious Chelsea http://vicariouschelsea.com/?p=2210 [...]]]>

It’s finally starting to feel like Christmas around here.

The tree is up. We are decorated inside and out. It’s cold and rainy.

The shopping is *almost* done. The wrapping has *almost* begun. We are reading Christmas books and watching Santa cartoons. We are drinking hot cocoa.

The kids are happy. I am happy.

~   ~   ~

We are still creating our Christmas time traditions around here, and I’m ok with that. We have a few traditions currently that we are loving

Breaking Ornaments – As we decorate the tree, and ornament is bound to get broken. What can we say, those suckers are slippery!

Making Messes – As I clean and decorate one room, the kids destroy another. It’s a really fun cycle that commonly keeps us occupied for days upon days.

General Destruction and Chaos – I blame the extra candy matched with less outside play time. Energetic little ones is a recipe for fun, and also danger.

In all seriousness, though, we do truly enjoy this season. We cuddle, we talk excitedly about Santa, we walk Winterhaven neighborhood looking at lights.

What are your holiday traditions?

Me? Never.

Let’s take a peek at this year’s letter, shall we? This is just a draft – I’m totally open to suggestions!

~   ~   ~

Dear Santa,

Hello. How are you? You are looking really good this year… have you been working out? I’m writing on behalf of myself as well as my two children. They could write their own letters, but Zac scribbles and Lilly doesn’t yet put spaces between words, so I figured I would save you the time and frustration and write them all myself. You’re welcome.

This year, Lilly would like everything she sees. Especially if it’s pink or designed for a 10 year old. When she sees you, she might ask you for a puppy. This, Santa, is most definitely a trick. She does NOT want a puppy. I repeat: Please. No. Puppy.

Good luck with your big ride on the 24th, Santa.

Sincerely,
Chelsea, Lilly & Zac

~   ~   ~

What are you asking Santa for this year?