Wednesday, December 29, 2010

This is How Much She Likes the Dip

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Snow and Toys

Christmas has come and gone, and you know, it barely feels like it happened at all.  Oh wait, I just took a peek at the playroom and saw the toys overflowing off the shelves and out of boxes and I remembered that it did.

I love the magic of Christmas morning.  There is nothing quite like that first image of the tree and all of the carefully wrapped presents underneath.  But, despite the magic, I swear I am going to do a little less the next year – seeing that we don’t need half of what we get and my children are overwhelmed.  But here comes the problem, I can’t do that.  I just keep going and going.  I see little things that I know they will like and I get it.  I just keep buying and buying. 

And then I am left with the aftermath of that problem: Toys that have no where to go!  We have all the old toys taking up space, and now on top of that, we have a basketball hoop, a tricycle that is used to cruise around the kitchen, toys still in boxes, a police station Playmobil set carefully laid out on the coffee table, a box full of unopened other boxes, a shopping cart, sleeping bags, remote control dogs, a really awesome tent that can’t come out cause there is no room, and the list goes on and on and on.  A lot of toys, all without a home. 

For today, who cares, we sure had a fun Christmas and all those new things fit fine around the edges of the room.
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Then, we have Greg’s new toy: iPod Touch.  Owen just said, “poor us, we haven’t seen dad all day since he went to Arizona (go Hawks!) and now he just sits here on his iPod Touch.”  He has been home all night and just now Owen said, “he just got back and hasn’t even said hi!”

Enough said about that toy.

And me, I have a new Kindle and I am excited.  I have proclaimed as of late, that I am cutting back on my tv watching.  Well, I am still going to keep watching the shows I adore and of course BridalPlasty.  Typical reality show: challenges to be won, someone gets voted off each time, final prize = a dream wedding.  HOWEVER! the winner of each challenge wins a …Plastic Surgery of their choice! Totally awesome and addicting.  Sunday nights on E if anyone wants to join the fun.  I digress of course, back to the point.  I saw Kati’s Kindle and became intrigued.  I went back and forth and back again wondering if I would use the little thing and I couldn’t get it out of mind.  And then…Merry Christmas to me from my dad.  It arrived today and now I am just deciding, white or black.  I hope white since I am dying to take it out of the box.

And now the snow.  We woke up today to snow.  I had no idea it was coming.  That is strange considering I love to look up the weather.  Anyhow, the kids were happy and ventured out nice and early.  The little one didn’t last as long as the big one.  I was getting some work done and heard a faint sound that sounded like “mama”.  I kept talking on the phone and working.  “mama”.  Working, talking.  “mama”.  Working and now wondering.  “mama”.  I head to the door and open it up to find one freezing baby done with the snow and ready to come in.  She made it through her first day playing in the snow.  She didn’t go back out and Owen didn’t really come back in for hours. 

I wonder how it feels to be a kid and wake up and think – oh my heck, snow!! I am going to go out and frolic in the cold.  I may think the snow sounds fun, but it certainly wasn’t the first thought in my head this morning.
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(yes that is snow on its way to Ivy’s head)

So, there we have it.  Christmas was a success, being a kid is awesome on so many levels, the iPod Touch has taken Owen’s dad away, I can’t wait to read books and trashy tv is sometimes so necessary. 

Oh, and Owen just walked up to me and said – mom are you pregnant? I am not and that was weird and slightly uncomfortable. 

And that is us at the moment.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

While I am Away..

I knew I loved Greg even more when I came home from yoga last week to this:

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Greg, I love you for taking care of the kids at night while I go to yoga.  I love you for letting me steal your boot-camp sessions and keep going.  I love that you make everyone something different for dinner.  I love that you take care of my cat.  I love that you made Owen into a robot.  I love that you read to Owen at night.  I love that you “close up shop” every night and make me feel safe.  I love that you play chase with Ivy.  I love that you put away the folded laundry. 

Basically, to sum things up:

I just love you. 

Wah-Wah and Honey

I hear a few things all day everyday…

“Come here Honey.” “Honey, do you want to eat breakfast?” “Brother has to go to school Honey.” “Yooooooo-Hooooooo Honey.” (is it bad that he calls for her that way or worse that she immediately comes?)

She is his Honey. 

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“WAH-WAH!”

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They love each other so much.  She waves goodbye to him everyday at school.  She kisses and hugs him every night before bed.  He worries about her.  He likes her around him.  They hold hands in the car.  She does what he does.  He loves that. 

They play hide-and-seek.  He hides while she seeks.  It goes something like this…Owen runs off to hide, once he is tucked away he yells, “yooooooo-hooooooo”.   She runs away and yells “Wah-Wah, Wah-Wah”.  He yells back, “yoooooo-hoooooo”.  She finds him, they laugh and he runs away to do it all again.  I heard yesterday that Ivy was a great seeker. 

I seriously love those two!

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Progress

Well, it took an entire Saturday.  I neglected my motherly duties and my kids ran around eating chips all day.  We even met up with Angie for dinner and I was still in my pajamas.  Ask her how awesome I looked and she may even tell you the story about my children running wild around Old Navy.  For sure she will include the part where I instructed them in my firmest voice to stop running away from me and to stay close.  The next thing she saw was Ivy running away.  Through her laughter and tears we decided that I could not be taken seriously dressed the way I was and I clearly had no authority over my children.  I suspect she would let you know all of this without hesitation.

But! I looked ridiculous and didn’t care because this was completed at home….

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And it looks good!! (of course there is nothing in the pockets, but who cares!!)

YEA ME!

(this has nothing to do with this post except the calendar would be above her head, it was just too cute not to post.)

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Sunday, December 5, 2010

Deep Breath

I am not crafty by nature.  By that don't mean I don't love it, nor do I mean I can't do it, I mean I don't read the words 'cut your piece of felt 22" x 37" ' and immediately think, if I fold this fabric in half and measure that and lay it on my flat mat and take my roller blade thing and cut it, that will give me another straight edge.  I think, ok, lay out my large green felt and measure across 22 and then up and down 37 and then I will have a perfectly straight rectangle.  I think if I cut it the way it happens in my head, I may have more of a parallelogram than a rectangle. 

I love to do stuff and eventually I get it done, but I admit, I struggle. I love to craft with Mary Angie Poppins.  "Now lay it on the ground and find the straight edge and fold it in half, now take this tool and measure it again, now do this and this and so on and so forth."  My projects look great on Saturday night craft night.  This time I am taking on the task ALONE. And by alone, I mean sewing with my brand new never been used hardly know how to work sewing machine.  I am afraid. 

Just to remind the public and my future self where I stand:
Emilee's and Angie's advent calendars = Done.

Jen's advent calender =
 





Yes, I struggle.

It doesn't help when I am trying to measure a straight line and cut 4 3"x 22" strips to have Ivy standing on my material with her boots on and start dancing. It certainly doesn't help to have Owen take away Ivy's candy and throw it on my work in progress. I struggle enough without them. Ivy ran away with my scissors and almost cut my scarf and Owen went running through the room to end up falling on my ready to pin felt. I struggle so much more with them.

So tonight I had had enough. 8 3"x 22" inch strips later with 2 to go (note above requirement) and I called it a night. Well, actually I called it a night forever. I think my exact words were, "I am done, I am not making anything for you ever again." Awesome, I know. And then I sulked on the couch and forbid Owen from talking while he was forced to go to sleep. And then I took a deep breath, kissed his sleeping head, held Ivy to sleep, watched Parenthood and realized the error of my ways.  Next time I will take a break after the first 4 strips.

Owen responded to this madness by saying, "if you are mean to me one more time, I will not snuggle with you".  Awesome again.
I will make an advent calendar for my kids and we will hang it up by Christmas. Oh, and it will be amazing!