The Kitchen

My kitchen seems to be a metaphor for my life. To see the level of chaos in my life, simply glance into the kitchen. Today, you'll see all the dishes in the dishwasher but a pile of handwashing on the counter, waiting for me to carve out time to wash them. A pile of handwashing usually means I've chosen to eat lunch when the kids do instead of doing them while they eat. So today, I'd say life is pretty much under control, with just some low lying chaos. You know, the usual around here.

Emma's new bike helmet

I didn't realize how ill fitting Emma's bike helmet was until I put it, jokingly, on Grant. And it fit him properly. So while we were at Target yesterday, we got Emma a new bike helmet. I lobbied long and hard for the pretty pink one with butterflies but we came home with pink with Disney princesses, of course. It's my first character purchase. I had a moment of silence for the commericialism that has entered our house, but at the same time I'm fairly proud that I held out for 3 1/2 years.

Anyway, the helmet came with knee/ elbow pads, much to Emma's surprise and delight. She put everything on as soon as we got home, and spent the better part of the afternoon and evening "accidentally" tripping and falling on her knees and then exclaiming "Whew I'm glad I had my knee pads on." Every time. She wanted to wear the whole getup to bed too, but I put a stop to that. She put it all back on the minute she was up this morning. There was a brief break while she went to preschool, although she convinced her teachers to let her bring it on Thursday so she doesn't get hurt if she falls off the bikes at school (her words). Everything was put right back on before she had lunch, and now she is napping sans helmet and pads. The pads alternate between her knees and elbows depending on how irritating the elastic bands are in that moment. Also depending on what activity she is engaged in - coloring and eating are hard to do in elbow pads, she has discovered.

She has yet to ride a bike with the new helmet, we're hoping to squeeze that in before Wigglin Worship tonight.

Everyone grew up today

At Emma's request, I moved her into an adult chair at the dining room table. She has to sit on a phone book to reach inside her bowl, but she loves it. She had dinner that way last night and decided that was the only way to eat. So, since the booster chair was free, and Grant has figured out how to get out of the high chair straps and then stand on the tray, I moved him to the booster chair. Good bye high chair.

They looked so grown up at lunch today, everyone sitting at the table, everyone using plates. Sigh. It was one of the few moments I have where I look at them and can't believe how quickly they are growing and how sad I am in that moment that I'm losing my babies.

It's those same moments where I notice that Emma's legs are getting so long, or that Grant's face is really thinning out. That Emma's vocabulary has sky rocketed again, or that Grant is losing his baby chub. It's those moments when you just want to hug them and hug them because soon they are going to wriggle away or be embarrassed to hug me. Sigh.

Hubs needs some public commendation

I've thanked him several times in the last weeks, but it deserves to be said out loud. My Arbonne business is on fire, and as a result, I've been busy busy busy. Which means Hubs has been managing the kids a lot on his own. He isn't being snarky about it either. So thanks Hubs!

Grant had quite a morning

Hubs gets up with the kids on Saturday mornings to make them pancakes. Then they all troop in around 8 to get ready for gymnastics. Today, as usual, Grant beelines for me and I lean over the bed to give him a hug and a kiss. And say "Why do I feel bum?". Like instead of diaper. His diaper is around his ankle, crammed down the leg of his footie pjs. Hubs comes over, lifts him up on the bed and lays him down to fix his diaper. And discovers Grant has pooped. So Hubs takes him into the nursery to clean him up. Instead I hear "Oh GROOOOOOSS. Melissa, I need help in here!" Please remember I've been awake for 1 minute now.

I go in there and Grant is giggling away while Hubs stands there. Grant has poop smeared all down his leg, on his belly, it's everywhere. Hubs pulls off the diaper and there is no poop IN the diaper, it's all over the outside. The best part, really, was the log of poop rolling around by his ankle. That was awesome.

A whole pack of wipes later, it's determined that Grant needs a bath. So less than 5 minutes after I wake up, I find myself giving Grant a bath while Hubs hustles Emma out the door to gymnastics. Good times.

Hubs would like me to state, for the record, that I too had one side of a diaper come undone last week. However, Grant had a onesie on then, so it didn't fall off. And there was no poop involved. Very very VERY different situation.

So after the impromptu bath, I get in the shower. Grant hangs in the bathroom with me and plays while I shower, like he does everyday. After a few minutes, I realize he's been pretty quiet and hasn't checked in with me in a while. I peek around the shower and see the pocket door that leads to the toilet is open just enough for little Grant to squeeze through. I get out of the shower, dripping wet, peek in and see water. Everywhere.

It's dripping from the walls, it's all over the floor, the toilet, Grant. Everywhere.

How did he manage to get water everywhere? Well, he took the toilet brush, and was happily plunging it in and out of the toilet with great vigor. And laughing. Hysterically.

If I hadn't still been dripping from being mid-shower, I probably would have just given up and gone back to bed. But instead I dried everything up and quickly finished my shower before he discovered something else to get into.

And no, I don't have a plan to keep him out of there tomorrow when I shower.

Best News in a While

From my mailbox:

"Dear Borrower,
Our billing service has advised us your student loan obligation has been satisfied. Please find your original promissory note enclosed."


WOOOOO-HOOOOOO!!! Now don't too excited for me, it's my teeny university loan, not my ginormous federal loan. But still, a payoff is a payoff!

Conversations with Emma

Today at the lunch table:

E: Zachary hit me today at preschool.
Me: (suppressing the Mama Bear growl in me, Zachary is huge, like the size of a 6 year old) Why did Zachary hit you?
E: Because he was mad that I was throwing sand at him.

How do I have time to be blogging right now?

Good question. I mean it is the middle of the morning, it isn't lunch time or naptime. Both kids are here and awake. So how do I have time to be blogging? Well Emma's engaged in an art project, happily coloring and humming away. And what of Grant?

He's vacuuming. You read that right, he's vacuuming. He insisted really. We have one of those light weight vacuums for cleaning the laminate and he adores it. Well now he's taking a water break, but he'll soon be back to pushing the vacuum all around the house. It's got a pretty short cord so I don't have it plugged in, but he insists on the one at church being on when he's using it. That one is battery powered so while I clean the toys in the nursery, he pushes the vacuum around. It's never to early to learn the beauty of child chores. My father instilled that little gem in me when he'd send me out to wash his car for the whopping price of two cookies before dinner. How on earth did I fall for that?

Well, for now, Grant's happy to vacuum for free. I'm telling you ladies, he's going to be a gem of a husband in 25 years. Oh, gotta run, he's done vacuuming and is throwing my shampoo from the shower. Sigh. I gotta get a scrub brush in that boy's hand next.

It takes a village

When Emma was born, I learned that it takes a village to raise a child. Really, it takes a village to help a first time mom stay sane. But what I've learned these last few weeks is that it really takes a village just to live life.

These last few weeks have been trying in a number of compartments of my life, and during times like these I often get wrapped up in the drama and forget to take a look at the blessings. I forget to appreciate the little things and allow myself to get wrapped up in the big stressful things. It often takes something bigger than me to remind me to look around and remind myself how blessed I am. The reminder came on Sunday.

Hubs and I are finally transferring our membership back to our original church, the one we originally joined, the one he was baptised in, the one we were married in. On Sunday we had to meet with the Elders, and the pastor asked each of us to share how we've seen God working in our lives this week. Suddenly my eyes filled with tears, and I felt such an emotional release. It was the reminder I needed that God was with me, watching over me, that he had a plan for my life, and while it was rocky right now, it was His plan. I couldn't think of just one thing, because really, it had been a week full of God working. I realized it was best to sum it up by sharing that God was at work in my life creating a village to help me and support me. Granny has been sick and moody, and the village members that care for her have been so wonderful and caring to her and Mom. They are trying to do their best for her medically, they spend time reading her Bible to her, and they keep Mom updated regularly. I have an awesome support system of village member friends who are there for me when I need them, to send cyber hugs or give real hugs when life is wearing me down. Even the Sunday School teacher village members stepped up when Emma freaked out for no known reason on Sunday, giving her big hugs and paging me the minute it happened so I could help calm her down. They took her from the classroom to the nursery because she knew the teacher in the nursery. And then when she freaked out again, they let her stay in the nursery until I was done with the Elder's meeting.

Finally, when I checked in on a message board on Sunday night, I came across a blog, Bring the Rain, that has affected me in a way that I will never be the same. It is a blog that truly blows me away with their faith in God even in the midst of the worst trial of their lives. The couple has lost one of their children in utero, but instead of being angry, they lift up this child to God and ask Him for the strength to carry on. They have turned to their village members and asked for support. If you choose to visit it, have kleenex ready. Start from the beginning in January and read forward. It will change your life.

We all need a village to live our lives, and I'm so thankful for the village that has been set in my path.

Unprepared, as usual

So as is my usual, the weather changed today and the kids had no clothes to accomodate the change. I do this every time. You'd think by now I'd be a little more prepared. But no. It hits 150 degrees today for the first time this spring and I pull out one meager pair of shorts for Emma that still happen to fit her, and nothing for Grant. Both kids did have short sleeved shirts and sandals, but that's about it. I filled up my shopping cart at childrensplace.com, but I'm holding out until I hit Target.

Hubs and I decided today that if it's going to be hot, we might as well eat like it's hot. So he is grilling hamburgers, we're munching on corn on the cob, and sipping margaritas. Yum. My first summer not pregnant or breastfeeding in 4 years, and the margarita proves it!

Good times at the park today

I apparently didn't get the memo. It was short denim skirt with trendy designer purse day today at the local park. Silly me, I showed up in jeans and a t-shirt and left my Target knock off purse in the car. The gaggle of gals that did get the memo were gathered on a picnic blanket that looked like a Pottery Barn quilt while their big kids terrorized the little kids on the little kid side of the playground by hogging the swings and dominating the teeter totter. They had one friend who had the gall to show up in jean capris and a diaper bag, but she brought Peet's coffee for everyone so I guess all was forgiven.

Then Grant almost got pushed down the steps by a girl named Parker who told him he was too little to be here. On the little kid side. After I told her he was plenty big to be climbing up the steps, she ran over to her boy cousin, Parker, and they went and climbed trees. That's right, two cousins, each named Parker, two different genders. Good times.

All in all, it WAS a good time at the park. Emma spotted one of her best friends arriving with her grandma just as we arrived so they spent the entire time together. Emma even learned how to climb a tree. Grant tried to climb the tree too, but almost jabbed a stick in his eye, so I declared his tree climbing days over for now. He returned to The Circuit, as I affectionately call it. The Circuit consists of climbing up before mentioned steps, scooching over to the tandem slide, sliding down, giggling, then "running" back over to the steps to begin The Circuit again. Over and over and over and over again. Tirelessly.

Everyone's napping now. Thank you park.

Fennel update

Well I liked it at least. Emma said she didn't care for it, Grant grimaced and grabbed it off his tongue, Hubs didn't even give it a try.

Here's hoping to no more fennel in the box next time.

You take the good, you take the bad...

The good: We signed up for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), where you get a box of produce from a farm each week. In our case, we get the box every other week. We got our first box on Friday and it is SO exciting. This box was full of: lettuce, spinach, sugar snap peas, garlic, onions, kale, fennel, oranges, asparagus, a pomelo, and cabbage. I'm giving the cabbage away, but I have a plan for everything else! We are trying a yummy parmesan fennel side dish tonight, and later in the week we'll have a kale pasta. Yummo!

The bad: I think my running days are over. My knees have been aching for a week now, rather than just aching after a run. I've know my knees were bad for a while, like since high school, but I don't think I realized just how bad. So, no more dreams of a 5K or 10K run. It'll be walking for me from here on out. I think it's finally time to sell the jogging stroller.

Wow

I just finished reading this article in our local paper. The article in the paper had pictures, which only deepened the impact of the article for me. I couldn't find any copies online that had pics though.

For me, the articles wasn't so much about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his final campaign. Instead, it was about the men, and how they worked through such horrible conditions. It was about how humans treat humans. It was about banding together to create humane changes, changes that should have been in place to begin with. These men are old now, who is going to continue to tell the stories, to remind us of how things used to be, to help us remember that we don't want history to repeat.

The civil rights stuff is absolutely fascinating to me. I'm blown away by the inhumanity of it all, but also by the strength that people showed just by living their every day lives in horrible conditions. I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to live that way. But then again, I guess you never know your strength until it is tested. Regardless, some pretty incredible things happened during that time. I still react emotionally every single time I see the black and white photo of the African American kids being hosed with a fire engine hose during the protests in Birmingham, AL. Ugh.

A man is a man is a man, no matter his skin color.