Blog Book Tour - Part 3

If you read to the bottom of the post, there will be a contest. Not to bribe you to read or anything, I know you were going to read anyway. Right?

You can read my other two Blog Book Tour book reviews here and here.

This time I had the pleasure of reading Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul by Alicia Britt Chole. I have to admit, I wondered what I was going to think of reading a devotional. I'm a classic devotional reading flunkie - I get about a week into it and suddenly stop reading, never to finish the devotional book. It's getting ridiculous actually, the number of partially read devotionals I own.

But I digress. Chole's book was like curling up in your favorite part of the couch, the part you always sit in to read, the part that brings instant relaxation to your body because you just fit into that cushion so well. It's like it's made for you.

For me, reading this devotional was like reading a book written for me. Written not only for me, but for the me that is in the middle of some trying times with my children, for the me that is reading a book on faith and doubt for my small group, for the me that considers myself a devotional reading flunkie.

I found myself searching for spare time during the day to read Chole's insights into being a mom but also being a Christian woman. The devotionals are short enough to read while the kids eat lunch or take a bath, they are full of snippets from Chole's life, and they each end with some taking it further exercises for people who want to journal. Each time I sat down to read one, I felt my shoulders relaxing, my jaw unclenching, that day's stress of raising my strong willed children would be gone for the minutes I took to read.

This book has been such a blessing to me that I want to pass the blessing on to one of you. Leave a comment on this post, and in a few days I'll do a random drawing of those who left comments. Winner gets my copy of the book! Leave a link to this post on your blog (and tell me in the comments) and you'll get a second entry into the drawing.

Not Me Monday - It's back

It's been a while hasn't it? Has it been too long to remember the Not Me guidlines? Let's review: be real about it, own it, blog about it.

Today, while helping Grant get dressed for a park play date, I most certainly did not put him in a bright red shirt so I could see him from across the park without having to follow him all around. Not me, play dates are for the kids, not for me to stand around and chat with other moms.

While in Disneyland, I did not deal with the children by simply stating "We're in the Happiest Place on Earth. No whining." No way did I do that.

I also did not force Grant to get a Mickey Mouse ears hat simply because Emma had a cute one and I wanted to get a picture of the two of them looking at the castle with their hats on. A picture I never got because Grant refused to wear the Mickey Mouse ears hat I forced him to get. I did not learn my lesson and try again the next day, leading to a standoff that ended, again, with no picture.

Your turn. Get it all out. Leave a comment, or blog about it on your blog. Have fun!

Disneyland, In Numbers

4 - the number of excited people who pulled out of the driveway at 7:30am on Thursday

2 - the number of people who needed to go potty 60 minutes into our drive (both under the age of 6)

7 - the number of flies we shooed away while said 2 people were using the bathroom at a rest area

3 - the number of potty breaks we took before lunch time

8 - the number of hours it took us to drive from our hometown to Anaheim

1518 - the room number of our super duper cool Pirates of the Caribbean themed kids suite, complete with bunk beds in one room and a king bed in the other room. And a bathroom in both rooms. It was awesome.

18 - the number of times the kids asked to go to the splash park at the hotel, starting when we pulled into the hotel parking lot and ending when I forced them to play the Quiet Game for 2 minutes so I could get some blessed silence.

9:03am - the time we walked through the gates at Disneyland on Friday morning!!!

5 - the number of times Emma said "When do I get to meet Cinderella?" as we walked through the castle to get to Fantasyland

7 - the number of minutes we stood in line for our first ride, Peter Pan.

17 - the number of pictures we have of the back of Grant's head because he refused to look at the camera and smile. Ever.

4 - total number of times we rode "It's a Small World" on Friday.

$26.43 - total cost of 2 overpriced, tacky, light up, spinning toys every little kid is magnetically drawn to and has to have at least once in their lives.

0 - total number of tantrums thrown during our time in The Happiest Place on Earth

5.7 - measured in miles, the size of Emma's smile when she met Snow White, Jasmine, and Cinderella, all within 10 minutes of each other, in the Back Lot of CA Adventures on Saturday

3 - number of minutes into the Aladdin show before Grant had to go potty

33 - number of minutes into the Aladdin show before Emma had to go potty

4 - number of Bug's Life rides enjoyed by our family in The Bug's Life area of CA Adventures

2 - number of Mickey Mouse ice creams devoured by the kids on the walk back to the hotel

2 - hours spent at the hotel splash park on Saturday afternoon

6:50pm - the time the kids were both in bed, sound asleep for the night, on Saturday night

6:56pm - the time as I walked out the hotel door to go back to Disneyland to watch Fantasmic

7 - the number of characters we met at Goofy's Kitchen during breakfast on Sunday morning (Aurora, Jasmine, Chip, Dale, Goofy, Pluto, and Balou)

3:57pm - the time we arrived back home Sunday afternoon, ready to be home, and already looking forward to our next Disneyland vacation. When the kids are old enough to walk so I don't have to take a stroller again.

Not so helpful after all

Packing for vacation becomes much more laborious and time consuming when I have to think up jobs for the kids to do to "help" me pack.

Funny vs. Concerning

Funny:
Grant came out of his room during resting time today wearing his winter hat and mittens.

Concerning:
His winter hat and mittens were in the back of the tall shelf in his closet. Waaaay out of his reach.

Funny:
The only other clothes he had on was his underwear. So winter hat, mittens, and underwear.

Concerning:
He doesn't have a stool in his room to assist him in being tall enough to reach the winter hat and mitten in the back of a tall shelf in his closet, way out of reach.

She's 5!

Happy Birthday to Emma!

Five years ago I became a mama. It's been an incredible journey with an incredible little girl. My fellow curly haired red head, who loves pink as much as I do, thinks unicorns are divine, and milk is delicious. She's outgoing, spunky, opinionated, and focused. She loves stickers, chore charts, reading, and Polly Pockets. Aurora is her favorite princess today, but tomorrow it will likely be Ariel. She loves to dance, sing, ride her new hot pink Razor scooter, and greet her classmates by name each day.

Her night time thankful prayer tonight was:
Thank you for my birthday, handing out cupcakes at school, and soccer practice.

She's rad. There's no other way to say it.

Week at a Glance

Monday - MOPS started! We have doubled our numbers in the last year and now have close to 40 mamas joining us this fall. It was great to see returning moms again, ooohhh and aaahhh over how children are growing, and to meet the new moms who will be joining the group. Grant's MOPPETS worker greeted me at the pick up door with "He's the cutest thing ever" so clearly he's saving his bag of tricks for a later date.

Tuesday - Grant started preschool. I still have no details around his day.

Wednesday - Hubs is suppose to have a furlough day and I plan to spend the morning shopping for Emma's birthday present and her party on Saturday. But Hubs gets sent out to trial on Tuesday so he has to work all day Wednesday. So Grant and I chill at home then walk to pick up Emma and I plan to do above mentioned shopping on Thursday morning while both kids are in school. Hubs, out of guilt, gets home an hour early so I race to the store to buy the essentials for the party only. I plan to get Emma's gift Thursday morning. We decide to tell the kids we are going to Disneyland next week and they spend the rest of the evening alternating between begging us to leave right now for Disneyland and peppering us with questions about the park. I go to bed beyond excited for our trip.

Wednesday night/ Thursday morning, Emma barfs a little twice and reports she is sad she'll have to miss school.

Thursday - Emma doesn't go to school, I get no shopping done. Grant tells me all about the preschool Circle Time book - something about a kid named George who has a duck and an elephant in his stomach, and the doctor puts a drop of water on his finger and then all the animals are gone. I know, I don't know what book it is either, but I'm thrilled to get some details around his day this time. Hubs leaves for Yosemite for the rest of the week. I'm bitter I'm not leaving for Yosemite too. Emma, clearly feeling better, eats most of a box of Cheerios throughout the day.

Friday - Grant has a playdate with Grandma, Emma and I go on her first field trip to a karate school. I'm so impressed I decide Grant needs karate in his life like yesterday. My favorite part is the karate instructor teaching the children about "cheerful obedience". In fact, I'd guess that was all the parent's favorite part by the spontaneous applause that erupted. Grant takes a nap for the first time all week. And later, Emma has a soccer game against a friend's team. I'm skipping the Girl Scout info night and book club Girl's Night Out (which is at my favorite wine bar, of course).

After kid bedtime, I've got pink cupcakes to bake and frost, a huge frog to draw and then cut out (for Pin the Kiss on the Frog), and pink crowns to dole into pre made packages for tomorrow.

Saturday - Grant and Granny are playdating at the zoo while Emma and I throw her birthday Princess Luncheon. We've got fruit kabobs to assemble and sandwiches to make, balloons to blow up and table settings to be laid.

Sunday - Church in the morning and then Emma is off to Build a Bear with my in-laws to celebrate her birthday. She's never been and she's going to be in heaven. I'm sure she'll come home with a well accessorized stuffed whatevershechooses. Hubs gets home from Yosemite. I collapse in a tired pile, only to pull myself up by my caffeinated bootstraps to get Emma's classroom birthday celebration put together and finalize our Disneyland details.

Mum about preschool

Well I'd love to have some really wonderful exciting things to share about Grant's first day of preschool. But I don't because according to him all he did was paint and play outside. No circle time, no story, no snack. Just painted (with red and yellow, I did get that much) and played outside. And while one friend's child insists he played with Grant during outside time, Grant insists he didn't see the friend's child at all. Ever.

Sooooo....that's all I've got. He marched in, got started with the paint on the easel, grudgingly gave me and Hubs good bye hugs and kisses when I forced him to, and that was it. Painting and outside time all morning long.

I'll be sure to volunteer in his room a bunch so I've got a little more to report as the year progresses.

Conversations with Emma

Emma: When I grow up I'm going to be a princess mama and have lots of princess children. And they are going to grow up and have princess children and they are going to grow up and have princess children and they are going to grow up and have princess children.

Me: What if you have a boy? Like Grant?

E: He'd be a prince (with an eye roll in my direction).

M: So? What's wrong with having a prince?

E: I don't need a prince, I can work and take care of myself.

M: (choking on my food/ trying not to laugh/ beaming with feminist pride) Oh, you can work and take care of yourself. Huh.

E: (chews on her dinner for a while) Wait a minute. What happens if the princess children are awake and I'm still asleep?

M: I don't know, what happens?

E: Well, I guess I do need a prince. To take care of the princess children while I'm still sleeping.

New phase of life

We said goodbye to Emma's ginormous Britax Marathon yesterday and welcomed in the booster seat phase of our lives. Emma is thrilled to be using an "adult seat belt like mom". Grant is making plans for when he is big enough to be in a booster and has already decided he'd like the red one. I'm mourning the loss of our equivalent of the armored tank car seat, and trying to grasp the idea that she's big enough to safely be in a booster.

When did everyone start growing up around here?

And if you were wondering, I managed to get all of the kindergarten paperwork turned in, filled out and on time. Go me.

Nike should sign her now

before she signs her college scholarship and gets too expensive.

I predicted it here when Emma first started soccer, and it came to fruition last night at Emma's first soccer game. 3 minutes into the game Emma broke away from the bunch and scored her team's first goal!!! She dribbled up to the goal, gave it a mighty kick, it shot into the goal and she looked around at all the cheering. She caught my eye and started grinning from ear to ear. I was screaming and clapping and tearing up, it was such a proud moment to see her so proud. A few minutes later Asst. Coach Hubs subbed her out, and she sprinted over to me to give me a high 5. It was awesome.

She did it all over again in the second half too. In fact, Emma's team was a goal scoring machine. Their scrimmages at every practice clearly played off, they all looked confident dribbling the ball while running for the goal. Occasionally someone would take off the wrong way, but the crowd's shouts would often turn them right around. And it only got confusing a few times with an Emma and a Sophie on each team.

We celebrated an awesome first game by going out to pizza. And then left dragging an exhausted, tantruming Emma out of the restaurant, which wasn't so awesome.

Oh

and I totally need a personal assistant to manage Kindergarten paperwork. Book orders, permission slips, parent contracts, driver forms, Entertainment books, PTA dues, homework, class newsletters, it's never ending. And it's all due tomorrow.

Litter Update

The last 2 days, as we've pulled up to the house from picking Emma up, she's exclaimed "Great! No litter! I guess people are reading my signs!"

In all reality, the only people reading the signs are the newspaper delivery man and the mailman. Neither of which I suspect are our litter deviants.

Kleenex

Here's how "resting" time went today:

Grant: Me done resting?
Mom: No, you just started resting.
G: (fake crying) Me allll done reeeeeesting mama.
M: Enough Grant, time to be quiet now.
G: (more fake crying) Me neeeeeed kleeeeeeenex for my eyes. Mama mama mama, me neeeeed kleenex peeeeeese.....
M: (hands him a kleenex) Time to be quiet now
G: NO, ME NO WANT KLEENEX! NO! (shoves kleenex under closed door)
M: (through closed door) That's fine, it's your choice. Now it's time to be quiet.
G: ME WANT KLEENEX FOR MY EYES (starts shrill fake crying now)
M: Quiet time Grant
G: ME NEED KLEENEX NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!
M: (open the door, hand him back his kleenex) Last time Grant, either take the kleenex or not, but this is your last chance. And stop screaming, it's quiet time.
G: NO KLEENEX! ME NO NEED KLEENEX! (and shoves it under the door again).

Then, for the next 40 minutes, he proceeded to whine/ scream/ cry/ plead for another kleenex while he crammed his arm under the door, fruitlessly trying to reach it again. Fruitlessly because I had already picked it up and thrown it away.

Is 4pm too early for him to go to bed?

Doing something about it

Emma is fed up with people littering in our yard. It's inevitable, really, I mean we have hordes of teenagers walking past our house to and from school each day. So today Emma decided to do something about it. After noticing Hubs pick up a water bottle off the grass, she declared she was going to make Don't Litter signs and post them along the street.

As soon as we walked in the door she headed for the printer to grab some blank sheets of paper and get to work on her signs. She made three signs, each one proclaiming "Do Not Litter" with a picture of our grass and litter on it. Then she grabbed the tape and marched outside with Hubs to hang the signs. After convincing her the scotch tape wouldn't hold on the tree, she conceded to hanging one sign on our light post facing the street, one on our house, and one on our front door.

And she means business about this littering thing. I'm sure she'll exclaim in disgust that whoever had the audacity to litter next on our grass couldn't read or didn't see her sign.

Life

Life with Emma:
- She's obsessed with drawing right now. Her smiley faces have changed so the smiles are big and wide and cheesy. Still no bodies, just huge heads with stick arms and legs. She draws scenes now, like Hubs under a showerhead, or me crying because it's raining.

- She wants to be a unicorn for Halloween, a sudden departure from her Disney Princess costume obsession.

- She's jumped into Kindergarten with two feet, racing to be first in line every morning when Mrs. Collins blows her whistle. She's memorized the Pledge of Allegiance, loves to sing their new Good Morning song, and reports every single day that the best part of her day was playing on the computers.

- She loves apples, almonds, carrots with hummus, tomato slices, corn on the cob, milk, and most recently, hamburgers.

- Her imagination is exploding again, and she can pretend the most benign toy is something super fabulous.

Life with Grant:
- Every day is a different day with this kid. Today I found a toy ball in the wash when I moved his diapers into the dryer because he was playing a game where he put the ball in the hole of the diaper pail and then flipped the lid to have it drop down. Yesterday, he built a Tinkertoy "tool" to help him drag the kleenex box off the mantle.

- He's decided he's only going to pee standing up. I have to remind him not to dance around while he's going potty, and have stocked his bathroom with a jumbo sized container of Clorox wipes.

-His favorite book right now is Curious George, we read it several times a day. He thinks George is "hoooo hilly" (sooooo silly).

- He loves peanut butter off a spoon, bananas, goldfish crackers, blueberries, tomato slices, and pita pizzas.

- He's happy and occupied anytime he has a stick and some dirt to dig in. It's how he passes the time each day when we wait for Emma at school pick up time.

Life with Kids:
Today we met up with some of Hub's friends from college. We've been friends forever, in fact, two of them were in our wedding. We used to get together for late dinners, or meet up in bars, or have spur of the moment movie showings or group dinners that lasted all day.

But today we found ourselves in a family friendly restaurant, with all of us married but the one who is engaged, and just as many kids at the table as there were adults. I looked at one of the friends and just start laughing as he notices, "Everyone has a miniature version of themselves now!"

Kids have changed our life, that's for sure. We spend our weekend mornings at gymnastics instead of sleeping in then lounging with the paper and coffee, we spend our evenings at soccer practice instead of grabbing a late dinner, and our cupboards have more plastic cups than glasses some days.

But we get to witness little people grow into their own personalities, develop friendships, and turn to their siblings for entertainment and laughs. They've become buddies with each other while maintaining their own selves.

They're pretty cool kids.

No Bunk Beds for Grant. Ever.

It's resting time. Grant just came out of his room and reported his chest is hurting "very very badly". I asked him what happened. He replies, "Me jump off top of bed."

WHAT?

So I go into his room, and touch the top of his bed and ask him if he put his feet up here and jumped down. Remember, he sleeps in a toddler bed that used to be a crib, so the "top" of his bed is the top rail of a crib. You know, 4 feet off the ground.

He tells me yes. I touch it again and ask if he put his feet up here and jumped all the way down. Again, he says yes. I tell him not to ever do that again. He tells me his chest is hurting. I lovingly tell him that's what happens when you jump off your bed, you get hurt. He tells me it was fun.

Good grief.