Because He's Three...

...going for a fly is so much better than going for a walk.

...you just have to get right in the middle of it to do something right...

...he will go to any lengths to get to play in the water.

...sometimes you just need to swing in the baby swing, even though you probably exceed the weight limit by a good 10 pounds or so...

...independence is more important than safety.

Cuppa Joe

Come sit and have a cuppa joe with me! If we were chatting over coffee (or tea...or Diet Coke...whatever your poison is), I would tell you:

I am LOVING my new schedule.  We've been at this for a little over a month now, and I still get absolutely giggly on the nights when I drive home and I know I don't have to be back at work for a few days.  But you know all of those projects I had planned?  Ummm...  As it turns out, Shawn and I had been just treading water for several weeks prior to my schedule change.  I knew we were doing it, but I didn't realize just how many we'll-take-care-of-that-when-you-go-part-time things we had in the mix.  That first long stretch I had off, I planned on hanging close to the house for a day or two so I could get caught up.  Yeah, right.  Sunshine, two kiddos, and a momma who feels like she's just been granted a vacation.  I did manage to get the laundry done.  But here's the thing about laundry:  It's never really done, is it?  So now I'm pacing myself.  I did manage to do a bathroom cabinet overhaul, thanks to a little inspiration from this post.

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During my Walmart trip for supplies for said bathroom renovation, I picked up a little pack of finger puppets for the kids to play with in the bathtub.  They're little animals.  Best three dollars I've ever spent.  Hands down.  One day last week, Sam was in his room playing.  I love to peek in on him when he doesn't know I'm watching.  The tiger finger puppet was apparently having a hard time getting up on his bed, and the giraffe was helping him.  They were all being very polite and using their best zoo manners, saying things like, "Help me, please," and "Here you go, friend." 

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Sam is really getting into pretending with his toys.  It's fun to watch him develop that part of his personality.  (When I was little, I had an imaginary friend named Daniel.  I carried Daniel around in my small, cupped hand, and whenever he was bad I would throw him to the monsters.  I wonder if Sam will have an imaginary friend.)  Sydney got some Little People toys for her birthday, and he is just fascinated with them.  I was watching him play with her little princess castle one night last week.  Everyone was having a grand time at the Princess Ball, going up and down stairs and jumping off of the balcony until a T. rex showed up and crashed the party, Godzilla style.  Luckily, there was an airplane nearby to provide air support and the princesses were able to escape in their school bus.  And that, my friends, is how BOYS play with princesses...

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There are A LOT of things I love about being a mom.  But, seriously, potty training is not one of them.  Sam has now decided that he "not like put pee pee poo poo in potty."  Awesome.  I'm torn between the two schools of thought:  1)  He'll do it when he's ready.  For real.  He will not go to college wearing diapers.  2)  He just gets too busy and doesn't want to take time out of his day to take care of business, so it's my job to continually remind him.  I am constantly at war with myself.  Push him on it or just let him lead?  Agh! 

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I heard a story on the radio this morning about a mom who was standing in front of her bathroom mirror one day bemoaning her body.  She didn't like the way she looked in those pants, her hair wasn't doing what it was supposed to...yada, yada, yada.  We all have those days, right?  But then she looked behind her and saw her daughter standing there.  Observing.  Taking it all in.  It really made me pause and think.  There are things I don't love about my body.  But there are also things I like.  What do I want to teach Sydney about beauty, body image, and how we see ourselves?  So I'm going to work on NOT saying those things when I look in the mirror.  But I think it needs to go beyond that.  What faces do I make?  Does she see me tugging at shirts and trying to hold my gut in?  When her dad tells me I look pretty do I smile and say thank you or do I roll my eyes because I don't really believe him?  And more importantly, is that how I want her to respond when someone pays her a compliment?  As a mom, I'm learning that sometimes teaching my children important lessons means learning them myself. 

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for:

1)  My baby watermelon!

We're still a long way from being able to eat it. And I still have no idea how I'm going to keep Sam away from it until it's fully ripened. But, WOW, I grew a watermelon!!!  I'm DEFINITELY expanding my garden next year. 

2)  A full, double rainbow. 

I had never seen a complete rainbow, much less a complete, double rainbow. Until this week, that is. Saturday night we returned from eating dinner out to see this beautiful scene in our neighborhood. 

We've seen several rainbows lately.  As silly as it may sound, I always get so excited when I see them.  I'm always amazed at their beauty.  Sam is learning that they're a sign of God's promise.  It's so sweet to hear him say, "A rainbow!  God promised."

3)  Easy recipes. 

I love to cook. Honestly, I could spend hours in the kitchen and be perfectly content. But the reality is, that's just not practical for this season of my life. I'm okay with that. But I still love finding new, easy and delicious recipes. You can't get any easier that this one. I only used half of the butter that it called for, and it was still amazing. I'm pretty sure my kids would have polished it off by themselves if I would have let them.

Dear Sydney,

Maybe it's strange, but today, on your first birthday, I can't stop thinking about your actual birth day.  It just seems a natural process for me to reminisce about the day we met you.  On the day you were born, I was so nervous.  I knew my life was getting ready to change radically, and I had no idea how I was going to keep up with it.  Driving to the hospital, I was overcome with fear.  I felt out of control.  Like I was on a train that was going downhill too fast and the brakes weren't working.  You see, I'm a planner.  Before I go into something, I like to analyze and reanalyze and over analyze every possible scenario.  It's a process that is maddening to your father.  I read books, articles, anything I can get my hands on.  I like to ask others about their experiences so that I can be aware of every possible situation that may come up and have a plan of attack in my mind.  I like having not only a plan, but also Plans B, C and D.  Motherhood has pretty much tested that quality in me every single day, but I felt like I had at least achieved some sort of controlled chaos with your brother.

But with you, I felt like I was in uncharted water.  You were a girl.  I didn't know how to be a mommy to a little girl.  And somehow, I just knew you were special.  That you would challenge me and change me in countless ways.  And those impending changes were scary to me.

But the moment I saw your face, all of those doubts...all of those fears...every last anxious thought...they all just disappeared.  It may sound cliche, but I just felt an immediate peace.  I had My Girl.  As I watched your face turn pink--then wonderfully red--and you howled with fury, I placed my finger in your tiny hand.  In that moment,  you weren't just holding my finger---you had my heart.  And you have ever since.

You are so. stinkin'. much. fun right now.  I love your smile.  Your whole face smiles.  Your eyes shine, your nose crinkles just a little, and you proudly flash your two bottom teeth.  I'm starting to think you might not ever get any more teeth. You've had a few really fussy days, and you've even had a low grade fever a time or two. Every time I've been just sure another tooth is about to pop, but not yet.

Right now your favorite toy is whatever your brother is playing with.  Sometimes you wait patiently for him to put it down, but more and more you just crawl right up to him and take it. And you really don't understand why it offends him so. You seem to sense that Pooh is extra special, so you ALWAYS make a beeline for him if he's in your vicinity. It's strange because you really haven't shown much interest in any other doll or stuffed animal yet. Maybe Pooh is laced with some kind of baby crack. 

You're pulling up and just starting to cruise around. In fact, you had a pretty good little fall this week, so you have a lovely purple shiner for your birthday pictures. Awesome. I'm sure it's the first of many minor injuries. Something tells me you're going to be a tough little gal.

You LOVE music. Anytime you hear music...especially if it's a song you know...you get so excited and start clapping your hands and bouncing. You love watching your brother dance. I must admit---he does have some pretty impressive moves. 

Your sleep routine is kinda funny to me.  At nap time, I just take you in your room and set you in your crib and turn your little music thing on. You immediately stand up and scream. I mean, you totally let me have it. It usually only lasts for five minutes, if it's even that long. Then you immediately stop. You face plant down on your bed and you're out. There is no winding down or flopping around. Just one minute total fury and indignation...the next quiet rest.

Tonight we gave you chocolate for the first time.  After all, you deserved some kind of special treat for your birthday!  I pinched off a tiny piece of a brownie and gave it to you.  The second it touched your lips, your eyes lit up.  You looked at me with a smile of wonder and delight and immediately lunged for another bite.

My Sydney, I love how you lean into me and pat, pat, pat my shoulder. I love how you wave bye-bye in reverse. I love how even though mobility has slimmed you down a bit, you still have those awesome thighs. 

Happy birthday, baby. This year has been so sweet.  And while I'm so thankful for each and every day that I've gotten to spend with you, I'm even more thankful for the days ahead. 
Mommy

Garden Update

My little garden is coming right along.  I'm always amazed at how much it can change overnight.  It seems like one night I had little green plants, and the next morning they were all covered with blooms.  One night I have no tomatoes, the next morning I have SIX little baby, green tomatoes!  It's still going to be a while before we can eat them, but I was glad to see them just the same.  (Now if I can just keep a certain fireman from picking them before they're ready...)

 

 

 

And look what else we have---cucumbers!  This is my first time to successfully grow cucumbers.  The last time I tried it, my zucchini plants completely bullied them out of their space.  I actually picked my first two cucumbers Friday night.  Sam and I are going to eat them this weekend.  Judging by the number of little yellow flowers on my plants, we are going to have A LOT of cucumbers.  I will now be accepting all recipes that use cucumbers.

 

I made pickles once before.  They tasted pretty good, but when I canned them they got soft.  Any ideas what I did wrong?

 

I also have a couple of blooms on our watermelon plant.  I have no idea how I'll keep Sam away from it once he figures out what it is.

 

My mint from a couple of years ago came back on its own.  And it is back with a vengeance.  That stuff is everywhere.  I hate to pull it up because it smells absolutely heavenly, but it is starting to crowd out my other plants.  In hindsight, I seem to remember my mother telling me that mint would spread and take over if given the opportunity.  I'll probably try to do it in pots in the future.  But for now, I'm going to freeze some leaves in ice cubes for tea.  I've never really put mint leaves in tea before, but it seems like a very proper, southern thing to do.

 

And I've been witness to a garden miracle!  Remember how I planted one tomato plant and a few tomatoes from seeds?  I also did carrots, zucchini, rosemary, parsley and lettuce from seeds.  Pretty much everything but my zucchini died.  Yes...I was shocked, too.  Anyway, I was okay with my tomato seeds fizzling out because I had bought one mature plant.  But a few days ago, I was pulling weeds, and I noticed something sprouting up in front of my tomato marker.  (It's a good thing I still had the marker there, otherwise I would have pulled the plant thinking it was a weed.)  I've been keeping an eye on it, and I think it's actually going to make it.  I know it's running a little late, but I wouldn't expect a tomato plant of mine to behave any differently.

 

While I was celebrating my tomato plant's narrow escape from death, I noticed a little something in front of the carrot marker.  Could it be?  Dare I hope???  I'm still not sure about that one, but I think I might have a carrot plant that is fighting the good fight, too.

 

I'm tickled with how my cucumbers and squash are doing in their little cage things.  I wasn't too sure about it, but they're staying contained really well.  I will definitely have to remember to do that or some kind of climbing arrangement for them next year.

Swimming Lessons

It looks like we've got another water-bug in our house!  Sydney took her first swim in the pool a couple of weeks ago, and she loved it!

 

 

Unfortunately, smiling for the camera just can't compare to eating one's toes.  Priorities...

Lazy Yard Sale

Happy First Day of Summer!  In honor of my favorite season, I thought I'd post about a very summer-ific activity---yard sales!

Our neighborhood yard sale was a couple of weekends ago.  They have one every year, but for one reason or another, we have never participated.  When I got the email a few weeks prior, I kinda mentioned it to Shawn, but neither of us were overly enthusiastic about putting forth the effort that a yard sale requires.  So, we just kinda tabled it.  That Saturday morning, we both woke up rather early, and we laid in bed for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet.  As we were talking about our plans for the day, I almost jokingly said, "You wanna get our stuff together and have a yard sale today?"

"Well, sure--if you want to," was his reply.

"For real?!" I stammered.

"Yeah.  Why not?"

"Well....I haven't priced anything.  And I don't have any change.  And..."

"Oh, don't worry about all that," he argued.  "Let's just see what happens."

So we jumped up and headed to the basement to grab "just a few things" to set out.  Our "just a few things" ended up being an entire trailer full of stuff!  When it was all said and done, we had what I would call a pretty successful yard sale...for absolutely minimal effort.  

Note:  Success can mean a lot of different things, I suppose.  To us, it meant getting rid of some clutter while making a little bit of fun money.  I had a neighbor tell me that she once made $1300 at a yard sale.  That kind of return requires A LOT of planning and effort, I am sure.  This was not that kind of yard sale.  There are plenty of websites out there that have tips for having a successful yard sale, and they tell you  how to maximize your profit.  But they recommend ironing all of the clothes, hanging them up, cleaning dried food off of highchairs, blah, blah, blah.  Seriously, I hardly ever iron the clothes I wear; I'm sure as heck not ironing something I'm going to sell!  So here are my tips for having a successful, LAZY yard sale.

1.  Things will be easier if you already have your stuff pretty well designated as "yard sale."  I keep a box in our closet specifically for this.  Whenever I come across a shirt that no longer fits quite right or a purse that I've grown tired of, it goes in the box.  When the box is full, that stuff gets taken to the basement, and I start all over with an empty box.  Don't go getting any crazy ideas thinking our closet is super organized.  It's totally NOT.  

2.  As you collect things over time and your boxes fill up, SEAL THEM.  Tape them up.  Do not label the box other than to say "yard sale".  If you can't look through the boxes, you'll be less likely to have regrets about getting rid of that electric potato peeler that you got from Cousin Roy three years ago.  

3.  Agree going into the yard sale that nothing will come back in the house.  Anything that doesn't sell gets immediately taken to a Good Will (or similar) drop off.  Even if it's that oh-so-cute pair of black pumps that you totally forgot about...get rid of them.  They really weren't all that comfortable...that's why you never wore them.  

4.  If you have small children, bring them outside with you.  It saves you from having to line up a babysitter.  Also, some people will stop simply to chat with your cute kids and end up buying something before they leave.  

5.  Don't worry about pricing anything.  If someone is interested in buying something and you don't know how much to charge, just say, "Make me an offer."  Remember---your primary goal here is not to see how much money you can make.  Your first concern is getting rid of stuff.  The money is just icing on the cake.

6.  Don't worry about having change.  If you happen to get to the bank beforehand, great.  But if not it's really no big deal.  After you get a few customers, you'll have change.  Just tell the first few people that you need them to pay with exact change.  Offer to give them a little discount if they can.  (This would be a perfect time for one of your cute kids to pop over...it just leaves everyone in a more giving mood.)

7.  Along those same lines, be sensible about your prices.  If you don't have change, don't charge a quarter or odd dollar amounts for a bunch of things.  Stick to whole dollars as much as possible.  

8.  If you do price something and the person looks like they don't want to pay that much, instead of lowering your price, offer to throw something in at no charge.  For example:

Buyer:  How much for this coffee pot?

Seller:  $5

Buyer:  makes a face and puts it back down

Seller:  I tell you what, why don't you grab a couple of coffee mugs to go with it for the same price?

That saves you from having to lower your price by a whole dollar (remember--no change), and you get rid of more stuff.

9.  If you don't have tables to put your things on, use whatever you have.  We ended up spreading a couple of large blankets out on the ground.  Also, Shawn has a little trailer that we used to move stuff, and we left some stuff on it.  Some things we just left in the boxes that we had stored them in.  We just opened the boxes and that was it.  It seemed like a lot of people liked poking around in the boxes and seeing what treasures they could find.  (Personally, I don't enjoy that.  I like for things to be visible, but to each his own.)  As the day went on, I would occasionally rearrange things to make them more visible.

10.  This might be the most important tip of all:  DO NOT YARD SALE ALL DAY.  We got started right around 8am.  The kids and I were back in the house and Shawn was on his way to Good Will with the items that didn't sell by 12:30.  You want to call it a day right around the time it starts getting really warm outside.  Or when your kids start getting hungry and whiny.  Whichever comes first.  As we were gathering stuff up, we had several people stop by looking for end-of-the-day discounts.  Give them one.  Even if they buy a whole box full of stuff for $2 (really happened), that's a whole box of stuff you don't have to haul off.  

So there you have it---laziest easiest yard sale ever!  Do you have anything to add to my list?  What are your thoughts--pro-yard sale or no-yard sale?

An Announcement

First off:  I'm not pregnant.

Now that that's out of the way:  We've had something in the works for a while around here.  I haven't said anything about it publicly for a couple of reasons:

1)  For the most part, I don't talk about work on my blog.  It's just a good rule of thumb.
2)  I was almost afraid to mention it for fear that it would fall through. 

But now it's officially official, so I'm going public:  We're going all part-time up in here!  Starting this week, I have cut my hours  to around 25 hours a week.

The timing has been perfect.  Sure, I would have loved to have gone part-time right after Sam was born, but for several reasons, it just wasn't right for us.

I've mentioned here that I went a little bit (okay...a lot) crazy after Sam was born.  I started talking about cutting back my hours then, but Shawn didn't feel good about it. I'm so glad he was wise enough to see at that time that I needed to work outside of the home.  I needed the schedule.  I needed adult friends.  I needed a job besides being a mommy.  And after a while we got our routine down, and things felt right.

Then I got pregnant with Sydney.  And, DUDE---I was just. so. tired.  And although I'm sure it was partly hormonal, one day out of the blue it occurred to me that our kids would spend more days a week at the babysitter's house than at their own and I just totally lost it.  I couldn't imagine keeping things the way they were.  And for a while I had a lot of guilt about that.  Other people did it.  (My parents did...)  Other people DO IT.  I mean---realistically, two income families are very common, if not the norm.  I wondered if maybe Shawn and I just weren't tough enough.  But it just didn't feel right to me.  I talked to Shawn about it, but he still didn't feel good about my cutting back.  And it was for a lot of reasons...not solely financial.  So, I did what any mature, loving wife would do about it.  I pouted.

Yeah...not real proud about that...

But I finally decided to just give it to God.  It wasn't a do-it-and-done thing.  I had to do it over and over and over again.  I just kept asking for Shawn and me to be of like mind---WHATEVER that was.  As my due date crept nearer, Shawn and I agreed to treat my maternity leave as a trial run and just see how we felt at the end.  About 4 or 5 weeks into my leave, Shawn came home one night and said, "Okay...I totally get it."  Sam  seemed so much happier.  We felt more relaxed.  We were being nicer to each other.  It just felt good.

So I decided to have a talk with my employer after I came back to work to just see if a part-time position was even a possibility.  Shawn and I agreed that if it wasn't, I would start looking for another job.  I didn't want to leave.  I love my job and the people I work with.  I just wanted to spend a little less time with them.  I honestly didn't have a lot of hope.  I had had a similar conversation with my supervisor a couple of years prior---just a hypothetical conversation---and I was told at that time that it was not possible.  Thankfully, when I asked her this time, though, she agreed to give it some consideration.  We talked about ways to make it work and came up with something we felt like we could both live with.

This is where I feel like another God thing happened:  Our prior CEO was a fine man.  He did a lot of good things for our organization.  But, according to a few other employees (I don't personally know), he was the one who was opposed to having part-time employees.  Right around the time Sydney was born, however, he took another job and we got a new CEO.  This person is a woman---with young children.  She is the one who ultimately approved my part-time status.  I feel like if she hadn't been in the position she is in now, it probably would not have happened.

So the part-time thing was in the works, but it was going to take a few months to iron out all of the details.  Shawn and I set some financial goals for ourselves, one of those being that we had 2 loans that we wanted to have completely paid off by the time my hours changed.  We prayed that we would make wise financial decisions, and we began throwing every spare penny we had at those loans.  A couple of weeks ago, I realized that we would fall short of having the second loan paid off.  For a few days, I was disappointed, but then I remembered something.  As a part-time employee, I will not be eligible for paid vacation time.  So any vacation time that I have accrued up to this point will be paid out to me at the end of my full-time work.  Interestingly enough, the after-tax amount that I should get paid is ALMOST EXACTLY  the amount we still owe on the second loan.  Seriously.

If I needed any confirmation that this is the right decision for our family--that the timing is right---to me, that was it.

I'm so excited about this next chapter.  I feel like we've struck a good balance.  With this arrangement, I will still have the structure and the schedule of working outside the home (and that's good for me), but I will have a little more freedom to be with the kids.  I'm excited to do story time at the library.  We're starting Bible school this week for the first time.  (My hours have just never allowed for it before.)  I'm excited to cook for my family again.  (Shawn has been the primary cook since he gets home first.)  And I've been making lists of house projects that I want to get accomplished for weeks.  (Can you say Pinterest?)  And maybe...just maybe...we can master this peeing in the potty thing now.  (Lord, help us.)

Strategery

Every now and then I catch him in the act.  I see the wheels turning, and I know he's getting ready to push his boundaries.  It's during those times that I like to hang back and watch a little bit.  Give him just enough rope to hang himself, so to speak.  It's also helpful in showing me what areas I need to Sam-proof.  (Notice I didn't say childproof.  Our house is pretty childproofed.  There is a difference.  I am learning that Sam-proofing is much akin to booby-trapping.)

I keep extra boxes of diapers and wipes in the garage.  I saw him peek out of the garage and come sneaking out carrying a box.  He made a point to walk away from me.  I pretended I didn't see him.  He looked back over his shoulder a time or two to make sure he had made a clean escape. I followed at a distance.  

He walked around to the pool.  See the green life jacket hanging on the left?  It's our rule that you can't be in the fence unless you have a life jacket on.  I don't even unlatch the gate until the life jacket is securely on.  So every time we go in the gate, he's standing right beside me.  Waiting.  Dancing in anticipation to get in the water.  Watching as I open the gate.

It looks like he's been taking notes.

I sent this picture to Shawn at work, and he texted back, "Stopping on the way home to get a combination lock."

I wonder what we'll do when he figures out how to use bolt cutters?

Cuppa Joe...With Pictures!

Come sit and have a cuppa joe with me! If we were chatting over coffee (or tea...or Diet Coke...whatever your poison is), I would tell you:

Sam has discovered the lawn mower.  Now he insists on helping Daddy mow the yard every time.  Apparently mowing is pretty relaxing work.  Last weekend, I let him mow instead of taking a nap.  He fell asleep in Shawn's lap.  Bonus points for Shawn for operating the lawn mower with a sleeping child on his lap.

We've been working in our garden.  Shawn brought home a water melon plant a few days ago on a whim.  (Possibly because Sam ate four...yes FOUR...pieces of watermelon at a cookout recently.)  I'm not sure we really have room for a watermelon in our little garden, but we planted it to see what happens.  As I was placing the plant in the ground, Sam asked me what I was doing.  Since we were getting ready to go in for the night, I told him the watermelon was going night-night so it would grow really big and I was tucking it in.  And now he has to go dig around it and tuck it in every time we're outside.  I'm afraid it can hear the Plant Heaven angels singing already...

Sam got a Power Wheels jeep thing for his birthday.  Thank you, Nana and Bap!  He loves it.  Fortunately, he hasn't quite mastered driving yet so he pretty much only goes forward and backwards in a straight line.  Hey...if he's having fun doing that, who am I to show him how to use the steering wheel?!   I wonder how long it will be before I see two little bottoms in that seat.  

I finally finished my little Thanksgiving project.  Completion time of just over 6 months for my craft projects? Yep, that's about right.  

We're still potty training.  Honestly, Sam is doing a pretty good job.  A better mom would probably already have her son potty trained, but I'm still kinda lax about it.  Sometimes I remember to take him, sometimes I forget.  Eh.  Needless to say, we're spending more time in the bathroom than I'm used to right now.  I thought I could put Sydney in her little tub while Sam and I took care of business and she might stay out of trouble.

Yeah...right.

One morning, Sam woke up wanting to go outside.  I was in the middle of something and told him we'd go outside in a little while after we got dressed.  He disappeared into this room then returned a few minutes later presenting me with this.  Shirt, pants, dress socks, and mismatched tennis shoes from the too little box.  Can my boy put together an outfit, or what?

We went home a couple of weeks ago and made a quick trip to the new miniature golf course in town.  At first, Sam needed a quick lesson in how to play.

But then he was ready to rock it on his own.  And check out his form!