I think it all started on Mother's Day-- it poured rain all day, we ran from church to lunch to my aunt's to visit with my grandparents, all without any zzzz's on my children's part. The kiddos were already sleep deprived from the rest of the weekend, and Chad was sleep deprived too from a missions retreat, so I spent the day doing my normal mom-thing-- packing bags, dressing people, feeding people, shushing people, removing fussy people from the crowds, meeting needs etc.... meanwhile my husband sat off to the side of every situation in a sleepy haze. By the time the day came to a close, I was somewhere between pouty and just plain mad. It was the classic "expectations not met" scenario-- I had the flowers, the card, and the gift certificate to Renew Day Spa, but I was craving a break-- just some relief or down time. As I've stated a MILLION times, I absolutely adore being a mom, but it's so 24/7 and these people just always need pieces of me, and quite frankly, even more so now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, I just need a break from time to time. And for some reason, I just assumed Mother's Day would be that day. It wasn't really a logical expectation considering the days plans and also the fact that babies don't really compute the whole "it's mom's day off" deal, but I "expected" it none-the-less and was severely disappointed.
When we woke up on Monday, we were at the beginning of the week again-- we hadn't seen much of Chad over the weekend and now it was time for him to be gone all week again-- arghh! I should've read the moods, I should've seen the signs, I should've stayed home-- but instead, I got my people together and cleaned and beds made, I put Jack down for his morning nap as I made lists, paid bills, planned the week, and got a strategy together for some errands. Jack's 1st birthday party is just around the corner and I had some stuff to do to prepare, so with my list, some coupons, and my cute boys, we set out after the morning nap. First we went to Michael's and things were a little harry. Jack was screeching and Max wanted to walk by himself but not obey-- I felt my blood pressure rising, so we headed to the register only to end up with a new cashier who literally took 10 minutes to ring up my $20 worth of things. I wanted to just throw money at him and leave. As we got to the van, Max got a spanking for not obeying in the parking lot (aka scaring the _______ out of his mother) and we hopped in and I just breathed for a minute-- in and out in and out. Certainly I could regain composure long enough to make it into Trader Joe's across the street for a few things and then we'd head home and skip the rest of the errands.
I did a little self talk (this seems to be happening more and more lately... is it a sign of insanity?) and asked the Lord for extra patience and grace with these small beautiful boys, since they were tired, and we were all cranky. Again, I had my list and all the organization for a successful trip. I got my cart and strapped Jack in, Max got a small cart to push along behind me and off we went. Max immediately began running into my heels with his little cart, because he was watching himself push that thing, rather than where he was going. As I reminded myself about the extra grace, I implored with him to watch where he was going and he seemed to understand-- for a second-- until he ran into me again. We parked in front of the dairy section for a minute- Max picked his yogurt and put it in his little cart and I picked a greek yogurt for me and put it beside Jack. I then turned to grab milk when I heard a big splat-- I looked back to see the tub of greek yogurt on the floor-- all over the floor... and up the cart... and up the back of my legs. I didn't say anything, I just walked over to the sample lady and asked for some toweling and cleaned up the mess. It was at that moment that Jack started crying hysterically. I have NO idea why. I hadn't responded or let my frustration show-- I was befuddled to say the least. I picked him up quick and cuddled him up, shushing and loving him, telling him it was ok-- but he just screamed and screamed.
I faced him outward on my hip, turned on the next aisle for the last thing on my list and asked Max to follow me. And he freaked. Once again, there is no explanation, but he just lost it, ramming his cart into me, growling these guttural growls at me-- ones I've only heard on episodes of The Baby Story when women are in labor. He was crying and thrashing about, and Jack was still hysterical and I had no idea how we were going to get out of the store. I bent down to Max's level and told him to stop, I even spanked him IN the store, which I've never done before, about 2 feet from a stranger, which I've never done before, but to no avail. Poor stranger. And I looked up and all I could see where young, clean, childless people, all judging with their judgey eyes, holding their organic food. We made it to the cash register closest to the door and I told Max to go stand outside the door and wait for me-- but he just clung to my leg and screamed while Jack clung to my side and screamed and that cashier said "at least they'll take good naps later." He was like 20. I just smiled as him, feeling the hot tears come to my eyes. We paid and we walked to the car. Somehow we made it-- both boys buckled in, the few things I managed to buy in the car, and the mama slumped down in her seat. What just happened in there? My kids have never acted like this before. And there wasn't really an explanation. I think we all just had a simultaneous meltdown-- an emotional and mental breakdown.
I have never before wanted to just leave my children and run away. I have never before wished that there was a drive thru for stiff drinks-- I don't even like stiff drinks! I have never before wanted it all to just disappear but in that moment I was so mad, and frustrated, and embarrassed and at the end of myself, that I just sat in my van and cried as we drove home. I couldn't even call Chad because how could my words or the explanation of the situation express what was going on in my inside-- I just needed a mommy-time out. I needed to be off duty. But that just doesn't happen in these parts. At least not without some major pre-planning and preparing.
I can't really say that yesterday was much better on my inside, but my boys were sweet as sugar, and I managed to make it to the gym alone, and by bed time, I was coming around. I curled up in a quilt and turned on HGTV and it was an episode of celebrity houses or something like that-- not my favorite show, but I watched it for a few minutes because I didn't have the energy to change it or to think about what I wanted to change it to. They showed Melissa Rycroft's house and I noticed in a couple of the camera views that she had bibles all over her house. I seriously had no idea who she was/ is, but she was a young mom, cute as can be, and maybe a christian so I googled her. I learned about her time on The Bachelor (I had stopped watching by her season) and Dancing with the Stars (I had also stopped watching that show before she was on it) and I noticed that she has a new reality show about her and her husband called "Melissa and Tye" on CMT that started on April 20th. I googled the show, and found full length versions and began watching. Immediately I was laughing and relating-- except with the whole famous/ move across the country part. But by the second episode she was having to be a single parent 4 days a week while her husband worked in Dallas. And oohhhh, how she was weary! As she talked, I got choked up with her. I was feeling her feelings-- how awesome it is to be a mom, but how it can just take everything out of you sometimes.
At the end of that episode, her husband read a verse from James to her: "Blessed it the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12 Then he said a quote his Dad used to to day: "If He'll lead you to it, He'll lead you through it."
I just studied this passage recently and never once did it occur to me that my dream come true mommy gig could be a trial-- but when I heard this, it clicked-- it is in the normalcy of life and it's many blessings that we get to the end of ourselves more often than not-- certainly some trials are much bigger-- life threatening, scary, needs for provision-- but most of the time, it's just life. And just another way God was working to get to the end of me, so I would start relying on Him. So as great as this mommy job is, sometimes it's a matter of persevering in the midst of the trial, regardless of how tiny and insignificant it is. And I can't help but think about how I could use those moments, more than others, to live out Christ's love in front of my boys. I'm one weary mama, leaning into the Lord, and more thankful than ever for these small people and their "trials".
(Note: That show is AWESOME, you should SO watch it!! Catch up online the set your DVR
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Some Thoughts On Mother's Day
I really love being a mom- I know that’s pretty obvious—I talk about it all the time, facebook and tweet about it all the time, it’s the whole reason I blog, and it probably constitutes the majority of my thoughts too. But raising our little men, growing and birthing babies, constantly fighting for their hearts, conversing with them, hugging them, and just watching them live is by far, the most amazing thing in this world.
I'm not as skinny as I used to be, my house isn't as clean as it used to be, my brain doesn't work like it used to work, my plans are not my own, like they used to be-- but I'm also not as selfish as I used to be, I'm not as impatient as I used to be, I'm not the control freak I used to be, and actually, I'm altogether not the person I used to be-- becoming a mom changed everything. For the better. And I love it. Thank you Lord for blessing me with children!
Before I Was A Mom
Before I was a Mom -I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.
Some things that play into all this and make it possible are
1 -- My wonderful husband, and their father, who just loves and Daddy’s like no other
2) -- My own Mom—who loves me and loves my kids so well that I just can’t help but to know how to do it myself (and when I don’t, she’s just a phone call away!) (This goes for my Dad, too!)
3) -- My mother-in-law—who probably is the biggest fan of the blog and easily one of the biggest fans of our family, who raised Chad and equipped him to be a man. She also completely gives him “permission” with her actions and words to treat me as the leading lady in his life—not many boy moms do that! (This goes for my Father-in-law, too!)
4) -- My grandmothers—who continue to care about me and my kids, send cards and gifts, visit, keep up with all our daily antics, and most importantly, continue to be with wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother that God called them to be (This goes for my grandfathers, too!)
5) -- Being a Stay-At-Home-Mom—which gives me the time, energy, and focus to make raising these kids my full-time job
6) -- My God—who blessed me with the gift of His Son, and then the gifts of my sons, and His Word to guide me until He calls me home
To Gabe- my helper—I thank God for your life and your energy. I love your brain and the way you think and figure things out. I know I didn’t come by you the normal way, but I’m SO glad that your Dad was a 2-for-1 deal—what a bonus! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you, as you continue to grow into the man he’s called you to be. I am honored to be your stepmom.
To Max- my little athlete- I thank God for making you my firstborn. Your vibrancy and love for life are invigorating. I learn from you everyday, and I am so thankful that God gave me you—not only do you bring me so much joy but He also uses you to teach me more about Him and draw me to Himself. I am honored to be your mom.
To Jack- my baby, my wild man, and my cuddle bug—I thank God for the gift that is you—your eyes, your smile, your personality, your dependency on me all point me back to the Lord. Thanks for making me laugh and thanks for taking over my heart. There is more than enough love, to love you, Max, and Gabe til I die… and then some! I am honored to be your mom.
I'm not as skinny as I used to be, my house isn't as clean as it used to be, my brain doesn't work like it used to work, my plans are not my own, like they used to be-- but I'm also not as selfish as I used to be, I'm not as impatient as I used to be, I'm not the control freak I used to be, and actually, I'm altogether not the person I used to be-- becoming a mom changed everything. For the better. And I love it. Thank you Lord for blessing me with children!
Before I Was A Mom
Before I was a Mom -I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.
Before I was a Mom -I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom -I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom -I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom -I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.
Before I was a Mom -I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the
satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.
And lastly, a few cute thoughts from Pinterest from my friend Emily, sweet mom of 4 and finder of all true and funny mom things:
Friday, May 11, 2012
Stylin and Profilin
I always laugh at my friend Anna, when she tells me her antics surrounding raising girls and their opinions about their attire-- she is always keeping track of bows, making sure they're in the hair, disputing about what matches and what shoes will be worn, and well, I'm just raising boys who love a nice puppy/ sport/ or Disney character on their clothes and that is that.
Or so I thought!
Uncle Eli may be gone, but his influence is NOT...... you see Uncle Eli is SUPER stylish-- I mean that, no pun or joke included. He has more clothes right this second than most people will have their entire lives, all added together. One of the things that Max clued in on was his sock/ shoe choices-- Max knew that with certain tennis shoes for certain events, Eli would wear tall socks. And usually they were blue and usually they matched his shoe strings. Max would notice EVERY time Eli wore them. And eventually, when we were at the store, Max needed "big tall socks like E-yi". Max also has this pair of red gym shorts with a football, baseball, and a soccer ball on the leg, and they are his favorite, because Eli has red gym shorts. Chad's mom found these for Max 2 summers ago- long before they actually fit Max- but he has always known they were waiting for him in his drawer. Well let's just say that these big tall socks and these red shorts have created a little chaos around here....
It started on Wednesday when Max woke up from his nap- I pulled out some shorts for him to put on but he NEEDED his red shorts-- I quickly said that they didn't match his shirt he was already wearing and that he didn't have a shirt that matched his red shorts anyway. He stopped me dead in my tracks, looked me square in the eye and said "Yes I do- my red Lightening Mcqueen shirt matches my red shorts." I didn't even know what to say-- while technically, they did indeed match as in the same color, I wasn't quite sure how to explain that red on red wasn't exactly the "matching" we were going for. So I resorted to my original explanation-- we already had on a shirt and his navy shorts matched it, and he could pick that outfit another time-- and he went with it AS long as I conceded to the big tall socks, with navy on them, pulled straight up to his knee-- like Eli. And every few minutes, he would stop and re-adjust his socks, pulling them as tall as his possibly could.
And it was with that, that I realized that Max was beginning to weigh in on his fashion and it wasn't going to be good. But I must say, I didn't expect round 2 to strike so suddenly....
The next day, after our morning trip to the gym, Chad called and his day had changed a bit and he was wondering if we could meet him for lunch and bring him his basketball clothes-- so we ran into the grocery store quick, stopped by the house long enough for me to get Jack's lunch together, put the groceries away, and pack a bag for Chad, and started back to the car. I called for Max to come down and he said "help please Mom"-- we've been working on that for like 383837 years-- the asking for help first, instead of whining-- so I put my stuff down and went upstairs. He was in his room, with his red shorts and his red Lightening McQueen shirt and he wanted help putting them on because "Daddy would love his red shorts."
In my head, I began self talk immediately. "Lauren, while your son is a reflection of you, his grooming and his (non-matching) outfits don't make you who you are. Are you really going to be such a control freak that you can't let him be himself? And he's so proud and so excited-- are you going to squash that? It's his Dad for pete's sake-- why do you care what anyone else thinks? Get over yourself! Look at those precious eyes-- and those cheeks.... and that smile.... he's waiting for your approval Lauren. He's WAITING..."
So I went with "that's a great idea Max-- I'll help you quick then we've got to go meet Daddy" while biting my tongue just a bit, and smiling myself on the inside at this little goober :) He had to wear tall socks again too-- like E-yi.... and his glasses (like Gabe).
And he was BY FAR the cutest kid at the Chick-Fil-A-- and his Daddy loved the look he was rocking.
This is just the beginning of his favorite shorts-- the hat and the shades-- the big tall socks-- and it's also the beginning of him asserting his opinion on his fashion, among other things. I just pray for wisdom to know which battles are worth fighting-- I'm so glad I realized this was NOT one of those before it was too late. Could you imagine messing with the smile on that face??
Or so I thought!
Uncle Eli may be gone, but his influence is NOT...... you see Uncle Eli is SUPER stylish-- I mean that, no pun or joke included. He has more clothes right this second than most people will have their entire lives, all added together. One of the things that Max clued in on was his sock/ shoe choices-- Max knew that with certain tennis shoes for certain events, Eli would wear tall socks. And usually they were blue and usually they matched his shoe strings. Max would notice EVERY time Eli wore them. And eventually, when we were at the store, Max needed "big tall socks like E-yi". Max also has this pair of red gym shorts with a football, baseball, and a soccer ball on the leg, and they are his favorite, because Eli has red gym shorts. Chad's mom found these for Max 2 summers ago- long before they actually fit Max- but he has always known they were waiting for him in his drawer. Well let's just say that these big tall socks and these red shorts have created a little chaos around here....
It started on Wednesday when Max woke up from his nap- I pulled out some shorts for him to put on but he NEEDED his red shorts-- I quickly said that they didn't match his shirt he was already wearing and that he didn't have a shirt that matched his red shorts anyway. He stopped me dead in my tracks, looked me square in the eye and said "Yes I do- my red Lightening Mcqueen shirt matches my red shorts." I didn't even know what to say-- while technically, they did indeed match as in the same color, I wasn't quite sure how to explain that red on red wasn't exactly the "matching" we were going for. So I resorted to my original explanation-- we already had on a shirt and his navy shorts matched it, and he could pick that outfit another time-- and he went with it AS long as I conceded to the big tall socks, with navy on them, pulled straight up to his knee-- like Eli. And every few minutes, he would stop and re-adjust his socks, pulling them as tall as his possibly could.
And it was with that, that I realized that Max was beginning to weigh in on his fashion and it wasn't going to be good. But I must say, I didn't expect round 2 to strike so suddenly....
The next day, after our morning trip to the gym, Chad called and his day had changed a bit and he was wondering if we could meet him for lunch and bring him his basketball clothes-- so we ran into the grocery store quick, stopped by the house long enough for me to get Jack's lunch together, put the groceries away, and pack a bag for Chad, and started back to the car. I called for Max to come down and he said "help please Mom"-- we've been working on that for like 383837 years-- the asking for help first, instead of whining-- so I put my stuff down and went upstairs. He was in his room, with his red shorts and his red Lightening McQueen shirt and he wanted help putting them on because "Daddy would love his red shorts."
In my head, I began self talk immediately. "Lauren, while your son is a reflection of you, his grooming and his (non-matching) outfits don't make you who you are. Are you really going to be such a control freak that you can't let him be himself? And he's so proud and so excited-- are you going to squash that? It's his Dad for pete's sake-- why do you care what anyone else thinks? Get over yourself! Look at those precious eyes-- and those cheeks.... and that smile.... he's waiting for your approval Lauren. He's WAITING..."
So I went with "that's a great idea Max-- I'll help you quick then we've got to go meet Daddy" while biting my tongue just a bit, and smiling myself on the inside at this little goober :) He had to wear tall socks again too-- like E-yi.... and his glasses (like Gabe).
And he was BY FAR the cutest kid at the Chick-Fil-A-- and his Daddy loved the look he was rocking.
This is just the beginning of his favorite shorts-- the hat and the shades-- the big tall socks-- and it's also the beginning of him asserting his opinion on his fashion, among other things. I just pray for wisdom to know which battles are worth fighting-- I'm so glad I realized this was NOT one of those before it was too late. Could you imagine messing with the smile on that face??
Friday, May 4, 2012
Bittersweet
Last weekend, my parents finally moved south. My Dad accepted a new job last fall and it became clear pretty quick that it would end up moving them back to Georgia-- which I've just got to say could NOT have been better news in my opinion. But my Dad travels a lot and my mom needed to wrap up her job and she was having foot surgery at Christmas and they needed to get their house on the market, so it's been slow moving.
In the meantime, Uncle Eli has lived with us, while transitioning from college, deciding to take his LSAT, and applying to law school. When he first moved in, I was still working and he was ananny manny. This was a hard time for me because I was leaving my teeny tiny, born early baby, along with my precious 22 month old, at home, and it's just hard on a mama's heart. Well, it could NOT have been better with Uncle Eli here if I had written the script myself-- he loves my boys like crazy, he's so good with kids, and he lived here. It was like win/win/ win.
In late fall, the Lord opened a door for me to be home (STILL THANKING JESUS FOR THIS BLESSING DAILY) and Eli started studying his butt of for the LSAT-- I'm talking around the clock unless he was at the gym or sleeping. And he did great (although in his opinion, he should've done much better and he's still kicking himself over it)-- great enough to get the Dean Merit Scholarship to Emory Law School-- which is not only in the top 30 of Law Schools, but it also only accepts 200 and some students each year-- basically, Eli is the cream of the crop. (Which I could've told you without him having to take that darn test!)
Since then, he's been swim coaching (until he heads off to Emory in the fall)-- one of his favorite things to do, and living in a tiny room in our tiny house with our little family full of small people. There really isn't much peace around here and there's never quiet, but he has had a great attitude despite it all! But on April 27th, we packed up all his stuff and delivered it to their new digs in The Virginia Highlands, right around the corner from Emory's campus. And I just can't tell you what this did to me. I haven't really enjoyed a whole other person's stuff in my house, and I know in some regards, it has made sleep training my baby a much tougher process, but I have absolutely LOVED having my brother here. He was my first baby-- born when I was 5-- I learned to change diapers on him, learned to worry and fret over him, learned to boss him around, and felt my first pangs of motherly pride around his accomplishments. If I could build a wing on my house for him, I SO would! (But for some reason, he makes fun of my suburban lifestyle and minivan... so I can't guarantee he would move into the wing if I built it.......)
It was such a blessing to have him here for a full year-- I know it wasn't his dream come true and I know it put a damper on his social life, but it was so special for my boys and his relationship with them. He knows how to take care of them, he knows their personalities, and he loves them like crazy-- and to say our three sets of blue eyes are crazy about him would be putting it extremely lightly.
So while it is nice having our house and storage space in our garage back, and it's also nice to not sleep lightly until he comes home at night (pathetic, I know, I just can't help it! I don't rest easy til all my peeps are in their place!), we really miss him, and the lump that formed in my throat his last few days here is just now starting to subside.
Uncle Eli, having you in our house this past year was a blessing for me and my family-- I hope you forever know how much we enjoyed you and your loving on our boys-- you will always be our favorite Manny, and we've loved being an intricate part of this season of your life. Don't forget about us... we'll track you down!
In the meantime, Uncle Eli has lived with us, while transitioning from college, deciding to take his LSAT, and applying to law school. When he first moved in, I was still working and he was a
In late fall, the Lord opened a door for me to be home (STILL THANKING JESUS FOR THIS BLESSING DAILY) and Eli started studying his butt of for the LSAT-- I'm talking around the clock unless he was at the gym or sleeping. And he did great (although in his opinion, he should've done much better and he's still kicking himself over it)-- great enough to get the Dean Merit Scholarship to Emory Law School-- which is not only in the top 30 of Law Schools, but it also only accepts 200 and some students each year-- basically, Eli is the cream of the crop. (Which I could've told you without him having to take that darn test!)
Since then, he's been swim coaching (until he heads off to Emory in the fall)-- one of his favorite things to do, and living in a tiny room in our tiny house with our little family full of small people. There really isn't much peace around here and there's never quiet, but he has had a great attitude despite it all! But on April 27th, we packed up all his stuff and delivered it to their new digs in The Virginia Highlands, right around the corner from Emory's campus. And I just can't tell you what this did to me. I haven't really enjoyed a whole other person's stuff in my house, and I know in some regards, it has made sleep training my baby a much tougher process, but I have absolutely LOVED having my brother here. He was my first baby-- born when I was 5-- I learned to change diapers on him, learned to worry and fret over him, learned to boss him around, and felt my first pangs of motherly pride around his accomplishments. If I could build a wing on my house for him, I SO would! (But for some reason, he makes fun of my suburban lifestyle and minivan... so I can't guarantee he would move into the wing if I built it.......)
It was such a blessing to have him here for a full year-- I know it wasn't his dream come true and I know it put a damper on his social life, but it was so special for my boys and his relationship with them. He knows how to take care of them, he knows their personalities, and he loves them like crazy-- and to say our three sets of blue eyes are crazy about him would be putting it extremely lightly.
So while it is nice having our house and storage space in our garage back, and it's also nice to not sleep lightly until he comes home at night (pathetic, I know, I just can't help it! I don't rest easy til all my peeps are in their place!), we really miss him, and the lump that formed in my throat his last few days here is just now starting to subside.
Uncle Eli, having you in our house this past year was a blessing for me and my family-- I hope you forever know how much we enjoyed you and your loving on our boys-- you will always be our favorite Manny, and we've loved being an intricate part of this season of your life. Don't forget about us... we'll track you down!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The Oatmeal Bust
I'm kind of annoyed with the "breakfast options" offered at the grocery store-- I want something quick, as we usually are shuffling out the door and trying to get to the gym by 8:20 most mornings- but I also want something healthy.
I don't want cereal packed with sugar-- I don't want processed sausage wrapped by a fake pancake on stick-- I don't want anything else with fake chemicals and such, for that matter. And even the majority of the yogurts either taste sour or are jam packed with sugar-- either real or fake. So I decided that it was time to resort to oatmeal-- it was a staple when Max was younger, but I hadn't tried it with Jack yet, mostly because of time. But hey, we can get up and ready 10 minutes earlier so that we have time for oatmeal-- it's worth it for our first meal of the day.
I fixed a bowl for Max, threw in some raisins, some nuts, and a few drops of honey and he ate it up. And I did the same. And then came Jack's bowl. This is what we started with:
And here is where we ended:
Do you notice a difference? No? Me either. He HATED the texture-- I gave him a spoonful and he sent it right back out. I tried round two, thinking it was just a reaction to a new phone-- nope. That one back out two. So I started feeding him oat by oat. But to no avail. He would have NONE of it and eventually ended up so frustrated by this new food choice that he cried and fussed until I put him back to bed.
We won't be trying that again!
I don't want cereal packed with sugar-- I don't want processed sausage wrapped by a fake pancake on stick-- I don't want anything else with fake chemicals and such, for that matter. And even the majority of the yogurts either taste sour or are jam packed with sugar-- either real or fake. So I decided that it was time to resort to oatmeal-- it was a staple when Max was younger, but I hadn't tried it with Jack yet, mostly because of time. But hey, we can get up and ready 10 minutes earlier so that we have time for oatmeal-- it's worth it for our first meal of the day.
I fixed a bowl for Max, threw in some raisins, some nuts, and a few drops of honey and he ate it up. And I did the same. And then came Jack's bowl. This is what we started with:
And here is where we ended:
Do you notice a difference? No? Me either. He HATED the texture-- I gave him a spoonful and he sent it right back out. I tried round two, thinking it was just a reaction to a new phone-- nope. That one back out two. So I started feeding him oat by oat. But to no avail. He would have NONE of it and eventually ended up so frustrated by this new food choice that he cried and fussed until I put him back to bed.
We won't be trying that again!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Chad's Actual Birthday
I mentioned in my last post, that we just celebrated Chad's 25 birthday and that we did it with gusto. (Yes, this year Chad turned 25, although I think last year he turned 29..... not sure how the math all work on that, but when it's my turn to have messed up math, I want him to fully participate, so 25 it is babe!)
Anyway, we started of the day with breakfast, Chad's choice.....
Yep-- he chose the Waffle House. Now bear in mind that he does go there with Gabe every Wednesday morning, but for some reason, that's what he needed for his birthday too. Max was right there with him on that!
Chad didn't work on his actual birthday (although he did on his surprise party, go figure!) and slipped off to play golf with his buddy. They had a great time and then he got home just in time for a quick shower, a change of clothes, and a night on the town... his birthday gift from me and the boys were tickets to the Braves game-- our first of the season, after missing all the games last year because I was really pregnant/had a new tiny baby the whole time.
We left Jack with Anna until Uncle Eli could come to take him home for bed, and we took Max with us-- to say that Max was stoked is putting it lightly. The child, our sports wiz, sat mesmerized the ENTIRE game. We did go run the bases at the top of the stadium during the 5th inning, otherwise, he sat on Chad's lap, with his glove on the entire night. And since then he has pitched, worn his baseball hat, asked me to pitch it to him so he could hit, every SINGLE day, at least 38475 times a day. He's now baseball 50% of the time and golf 50% of the time. And I must say, he's equally amazing at both, considering his two year old age-- it's the hand-eye coordination-- straight from the Lord, I tell you!
Anyway, it was a super fun night-- we stayed for every single pitch of the game, we sat really close to the field, someone in front of us caught a foul ball and gave it to Max, and we ate lots of (terrible) ballpark food. Now the Braves did indeed lose to one of the worst teams in the league, but hey, it was the memories we were making!
And it dawned on me on our way home, as our tot sat in his carseat and I looked over at my hubs driving a minivan on his birthday-- times of changed, folks-- birthdays aren't what they used to be BUT let me tell you, they are better now than ever!
Anyway, we started of the day with breakfast, Chad's choice.....
Yep-- he chose the Waffle House. Now bear in mind that he does go there with Gabe every Wednesday morning, but for some reason, that's what he needed for his birthday too. Max was right there with him on that!
Chad didn't work on his actual birthday (although he did on his surprise party, go figure!) and slipped off to play golf with his buddy. They had a great time and then he got home just in time for a quick shower, a change of clothes, and a night on the town... his birthday gift from me and the boys were tickets to the Braves game-- our first of the season, after missing all the games last year because I was really pregnant/had a new tiny baby the whole time.
We left Jack with Anna until Uncle Eli could come to take him home for bed, and we took Max with us-- to say that Max was stoked is putting it lightly. The child, our sports wiz, sat mesmerized the ENTIRE game. We did go run the bases at the top of the stadium during the 5th inning, otherwise, he sat on Chad's lap, with his glove on the entire night. And since then he has pitched, worn his baseball hat, asked me to pitch it to him so he could hit, every SINGLE day, at least 38475 times a day. He's now baseball 50% of the time and golf 50% of the time. And I must say, he's equally amazing at both, considering his two year old age-- it's the hand-eye coordination-- straight from the Lord, I tell you!
Anyway, it was a super fun night-- we stayed for every single pitch of the game, we sat really close to the field, someone in front of us caught a foul ball and gave it to Max, and we ate lots of (terrible) ballpark food. Now the Braves did indeed lose to one of the worst teams in the league, but hey, it was the memories we were making!
And it dawned on me on our way home, as our tot sat in his carseat and I looked over at my hubs driving a minivan on his birthday-- times of changed, folks-- birthdays aren't what they used to be BUT let me tell you, they are better now than ever!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Chad turns 25!
Last week, my favorite person had a birthday! It was exciting times considering how much Max loves birthdays and he was more than willing to celebrate his Daddy with cake, waffles, parties, and a Braves game! But we kicked off the celebrations with a little surprise party....
Our good friend Matt has a birthday 4 days before Chad, and him and his wife-- Danielle-- were awaiting the arrival of their new baby, Molly. So I called Danielle to see if she wanted to have a joint party for the guys- I would handle everything and she could just show up. They are some of our closest friends and we share a lot of the same friends, so it would be easy. She came up with the idea to make it a surprise and so that's what we did.... kinda....
We invited all of our favorite church peeps via email-- classy, I know-- but it was last minute and Danielle was about the have a baby which means I can't possible do real invites or even an evite. I then came up with a cook out menu, our sweet friend Heather volunteered to take care of the cake and introduce me to the world of Costco cakes (YUM!) and voila, a party was born.
The were two little hiccups, though... it's kind of hard to have a surprise party at your house for your spouse, because well, they live there and they see your bank account. So basically I cleaned the house "because it was just that time of the week" or so I told Chad, and made lists and a banner, and then had to wait until the actual day to do anything. My brother came by and saved the day by keeping the little boys so me and Gabe could run all the errands without toting small people. And we survived. But let me tell ya, convincing your husband that he needed to leave the house for the better part of the afternoon, dressed and clean, was awkward. He eventually decided that he was going to use that time to work which means he would come home dirty and I pushed back a little but decided that would blow my cover and he could just be dirty and stinky at his party. The second hiccup was when the two birthday boys both arrived a few minutes early.... about 3 minutes before all our guests arrived! So it was a surprise in the sense that they didn't know it was going to happen, but there was no "SURPRISE" moment if you know what I mean. Funny now, but I admit at the time, it was a little upsetting for me... all that work and no surprise. But it was fun none-the-less!
TOP 5 ASPECTS of THE PARTY
#1. Good food
#2. REALLY good cake
#3. Baby Molly was there and due to sick kids, it was the first time I got to meet her in person-- her 10 day old day.
#4. Our super amazing fun friends with wonderful kids filled our home and yard and it was just great
#5. The two birthday men-- obviously Chad is just wonderful, that's why I married him, and Matt is just great too-- like I said before, he is one of our closest friends, I just love his wife to death, I work with Matt at church-- he's our family pastor and I volunteer/teach in Middle School a lot, and they're part of our small group too-- his heart is stellar and I hope between him and my hubs that my boys grow up to be just like these men.
Happy Birthday Matt & Chad-- we love y'all and thank God for you!
Our good friend Matt has a birthday 4 days before Chad, and him and his wife-- Danielle-- were awaiting the arrival of their new baby, Molly. So I called Danielle to see if she wanted to have a joint party for the guys- I would handle everything and she could just show up. They are some of our closest friends and we share a lot of the same friends, so it would be easy. She came up with the idea to make it a surprise and so that's what we did.... kinda....
We invited all of our favorite church peeps via email-- classy, I know-- but it was last minute and Danielle was about the have a baby which means I can't possible do real invites or even an evite. I then came up with a cook out menu, our sweet friend Heather volunteered to take care of the cake and introduce me to the world of Costco cakes (YUM!) and voila, a party was born.
The were two little hiccups, though... it's kind of hard to have a surprise party at your house for your spouse, because well, they live there and they see your bank account. So basically I cleaned the house "because it was just that time of the week" or so I told Chad, and made lists and a banner, and then had to wait until the actual day to do anything. My brother came by and saved the day by keeping the little boys so me and Gabe could run all the errands without toting small people. And we survived. But let me tell ya, convincing your husband that he needed to leave the house for the better part of the afternoon, dressed and clean, was awkward. He eventually decided that he was going to use that time to work which means he would come home dirty and I pushed back a little but decided that would blow my cover and he could just be dirty and stinky at his party. The second hiccup was when the two birthday boys both arrived a few minutes early.... about 3 minutes before all our guests arrived! So it was a surprise in the sense that they didn't know it was going to happen, but there was no "SURPRISE" moment if you know what I mean. Funny now, but I admit at the time, it was a little upsetting for me... all that work and no surprise. But it was fun none-the-less!
TOP 5 ASPECTS of THE PARTY
#1. Good food
#2. REALLY good cake
#3. Baby Molly was there and due to sick kids, it was the first time I got to meet her in person-- her 10 day old day.
#4. Our super amazing fun friends with wonderful kids filled our home and yard and it was just great
#5. The two birthday men-- obviously Chad is just wonderful, that's why I married him, and Matt is just great too-- like I said before, he is one of our closest friends, I just love his wife to death, I work with Matt at church-- he's our family pastor and I volunteer/teach in Middle School a lot, and they're part of our small group too-- his heart is stellar and I hope between him and my hubs that my boys grow up to be just like these men.
Happy Birthday Matt & Chad-- we love y'all and thank God for you!
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