Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sunday Mornings

Last week on her blog, MckMama (a very popular mom blogger) wrote about how going to Target makes her feel like SuperMom. (Quite frankly I would feel the same way should I have 4+ children to tote along with me as I run errands!) In her post, she touches on how we, as moms, have these little moments when we accomplish something that may seem normal or routine, but tack on one or more children to that given situation, and those little mundane tasks become something more. Perhaps something heroic. Here, let me let her explain...

"I don't normally feel like SuperMom. But on days when we make the trek to Target because we are down to one dribble of syrup and four squares of toilet paper, I do.

It's not because our children are exceptionally well-behaved while we're at Target, or because I have my finest mothering moments, though. I mean, we do
fine. But about average. Nothing special. We get there. We shop. We leave. It's just that, I don't know if it's the ages or number of our children, probably both, but going to Target is a big production. It takes all afternoon. It strips me of my energy. It's hard. It's exhausting. It takes a lot of concentration, planning and patience. Oh, the patience. It's difficult to do it while staying sane, so going to Target with all of our children makes me feel like I really achieved something.

I don't mean to be overly dramatic, I really don't. Perhaps you can relate to my Target experiences, perhaps you can't. All I know is that
for me, I feel like SuperMom when we hit Target. I suppose I mostly feel so accomplished simply because we do it. And we survive.

It's the little victories that we ought to celebrate as mothers anyway, right? Changing a boy diaper without getting squirted on. Making dinner while, well, while making dinner.Remembering to add baby wipes to the grocery list. And taking the kids out to Target. I would avoid it if I could, to tell you the truth. But my life has little room for such pleasantries as grocery shopping alone."


So for me, one of my "SuperMom" moments comes on Sunday morning.

On any other day, getting up and getting myself and the boys ready for the day is no big deal. Let me rephrase...on occasion, it can be a big deal depending on what side of the bed Mr. Drew woke up on. But I digress. Six days out of the week, I have back-up - Brad. He's here, available to play with the boys as I get ready, and we can tag-team getting them dressed, teeth brushed, and beds made. Sundays are a different story, though. Because Brad is up and out the door early on Sundays, it's up to me (and me alone) to get myself and the boys ready for church. And to not only get them ready, but for all of us to be ready on time. (I certainly enjoy the luxury of lazy mornings!)

My routine has changed throughout the past few years, ranging from getting up early to be ready before the boys wake up, to waiting until they are both awake to hop in the shower. Lately, I've been enjoying sleep too much to wake up early for anything (HA!) so once both boys are awake and Reed's been fed, they settle in while I shower and get ready for the day. Drew is usually propped up on our bed, eating his Poptart and milk while watching Disney, while Reed is playing with toys on our bedroom floor. Reed will usually roam in and out of our bathroom while I'm in there, looking for what he can get his sticky little fingers into. But all in all, it's good. Things flow nicely as I get beautiful, and then get the boys wiped clean of sleepy bugs and get them dressed.

Anyway, all of this to say that this morning was nothing like this! When Reed woke up at 6:30, he was covered in vomit. Yep. Vomit. That horrible, stomach-churning aroma of spoiled milk, mixed with last night's supper (pizza and squash...bleech!) soaked into Reed's sheet and hair. His jammies were hardly soiled, and his sheet was still pretty wet, so I think it must have happened close to the time he woke up. So I got him wiped down as best I could (I didn't figure I could get him in and out of the tub at that point, first thing in the morning and on an empty stomach), and got him his bottle. By the time he was done eating, Drew was up and in our bed, Brad was about ready to head off to church, and I was ready to shower. So, like usual, I headed into the bathroom. And holy hysterics. Reed usually has some kind of separation anxiety when I step behind the shower curtain, but it is quickly resolved when he crawls his way over and peeks at me. Not today, no sir. H.y.s.t.e.r.i.c.a.l. And what was I going to do? I was in Sunday morning mode, well aware I was on a strict time schedule, and had to continue getting ready. So I talked to him, sang to him, and when he became quiet and I peeked out of the curtain, he was laying on the bath mat. Head down, sucking on his paci, quiet as could be. Huh, I thought. Must be tired. I continued getting ready for the day, and the next thing I know, Reed is out cold. On our bathroom floor.






And he stayed there. For over two hours. He rarely naps in his bed for two hours!

Of course, I concluded that the poor guy wasn't feeling well and we stayed home this morning from church. He seems to be better now and is currently back down for nap #2. I probably won't get two hours out of him again. Maybe I should have put him back on the bathroom floor!

Picture of the Day, Week 4

I have a lot of paper crafting projects I'd like to accomplish this year, and this wasn't even one of them! I had a big white space left open on one of our walls that needed a filler, so I whipped this together in a few minutes. I love that it reflects us and what we love the most - each other. (Inspirational credit goes to Stephanie Howell's layout, as seen in the January 2010 issue of CK magazine.)

I was lucky enough to capture this sweet moment. After having his morning bottle, Reed crawled over to Drew (always interested in what others are eating!), wherein Drew was gracious enough to share his poptart. Sweetness!

Our birthday boy. Drew turned three today!

I think all four of us have a serious case of spring fever. But we don't forget to marvel at beautiful snowfalls like this one. (Notice the window peepers at the front door!)

Grandma and Grandpa VW stopped for a visit today, as they were on their way to Florida for vacation. We were expecting them to stay the night, but with severe weather expected through Oklahoma and Tennessee, they only stayed for about three hours. They gave Drew his birthday gifts, and this heavily frosted cupcake, which Drew couldn't keep his fingers out of!

Because I received an e-coupon for a *free* bear at Build-A-Bear, we made a surprise trip to the store today for Drew to pick out a bear for his birthday. He was a bit shy with the very nice employee helping us stuff and sew "Panda," but Drew was helpful in grooming him for the ride home. :)

Baths are a favorite part of our routine around here. Ever since Reed's been able to sit on his own, he's been bathing with his brother. Although I wanted a picture of their faces, this is how they ended up. Same crazy long hair (that needs to be cut!), same shoulder blades, same tilted heads. Man, do I love these guys.


(This post is linked to Jessica Turner's Project Life Tuesday.)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Drew @ 3

What he loves...

Lightening McQueen

puzzles

The Imagination Movers

playing games

cheeseburgers

milk

singing

dancing

Playhouse Disney

watching movies in the van

baths

books before bed

teddy

doing things "all by myself"

talking on the phone

bothering his little brother in every possible way


What he doesn't...

eating at supper time

being told "no"

bedtime

the church nursery

the potty

mom's singing

mom's dancing

being bothered by his little brother in any possible way


What he says...

While in the check-out line at the grocery store:
Drew: "Can I have those?" (pointing to some M&Ms)
Dad: "No."
Drew: "Daddy, talk nice."

At the dinner table:
Mom: "Please don't hit Pat [Handy Manny's hammer] at the dinner table."
Drew: "But Mom, Pat's a hammer." (Actual logic! He got me on this one!)

In the kitchen, while I'm making brownies:
Drew: "Mom, what are you doing?"
Mom: "Making brownies."
Drew: "Oooo I love brownies. Where should I sit?" (as he makes his way to the table)

One of Drew's favorite phrases is "That's a great idea."
Dad: "Drew, let's go play bouncy ball."
Drew: "Yeah, that's a great idea."

Dad: "Why don't we do your puzzles over here?"
Drew: "Ok, that's a great idea."

Mom: "Let's go use the potty, Bubba."
Drew: "No." (okay, so not his favorite phrase for everything...)








Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Three!

How on earth have we gone from here...

...to here...

...to here?!
At 4:44 today, our "little guy" turned three. I guess I can't call him "little guy" anymore, huh?

Having already celebrated his birthday with a party on Saturday, today was a pretty typical day around here. (I kinda wonder if Drew was a little confused as he kept asking "Where's my birthday?") Well, maybe not totally typical as Drew doesn't get to open presents everyday, nor does Daddy stay home all day to play! Drew spotted his gifts on the counter first thing this morning and there was no stopping him (duh) once he saw them.



Just in case you weren't sure what he got.

He's becoming quite a stinker when it comes to getting his picture taken. I really just wanted one photo of him with his dinosaurs. He thought differently.

So Brad did stay home this morning, with the intention of heading over to work this afternoon, but with the internet fix-it guy here pretty much all day, that didn't happen. Drew got much of Dad's attention throughout the morning, playing with his new dinosaurs and other toys and games. He stayed in his jammies until after 11, and we let him spend a little more time than usual playing on the computer (which proved to be detrimental tonight when he didn't want to go to bed). He got some more "Daddy time" tonight as he was able to convince Brad to play CandyLand and Chutes & Ladders (let's just say those aren't Brad's favorite).

For dinner, we treated Drew (and me, too...who am I kidding?!?) to a grilled cheese sandwich and fries, Culver's style. It just so happened that we had enough Scoopie points to receive a prize. Drew chose a new soccer ball (gotta love free, right??).


I think he enjoyed it. :)

All in all, a great third birthday. Wow. Three. It seems hard to imagine, especially when those labor pains are as clear as day. Here's hoping that the "terrifying threes" are more toward the terrific side. We have a lot to look forward to with this big guy.


Sunday, January 24, 2010

Picture of the Day, Week 3

These are some of my favorite moments with Reed. Upon waking from his naps, he's always very slow to perk up. He enjoys snuggling and relaxing with me for a just a bit before he hits the floor running. Another one of those precious moments to cherish.

I have been trying to make a conscious effort to expose Drew to something more than television and toys during our days together at home. Using online resources, we've put together a few art projects, and he absolutely loves it! After asking to do an art project tonight, he did a little painting. I could barely get him to smile for the camera! (If you look closely, you can see Reed's reflection in the window!)

I was worried that Luci might not make it into any of our pictures for this particular project, so I made it a point to take her picture this week. This has been a constant state for her, for say, the past three years. Poor thing hasn't been the same since we introduced babies into the family. Eat, sleep, go outside. Poor girl needs a vacation!

I can usually count on a package from Amazon every 4-6 weeks, filled with a collection of new books Brad has ordered. These showed up on our doorstep today. Usually "church books," Brad is constantly filling himself with new and valuable information to help him and our ministry grow. Another one of those things I truly admire about him.

We've allowed Drew limited access to our old computer to play games on Playhouse Disney. He's navigating the website quite well, and he discovered this today. He "built-your-own-scene" with Lightening McQueen (of course) and then somehow figured out how to print it on his own. Yep. No help from mom on this one. I'm not sure if I should be impressed...or concerned.

Cooking is not my favorite thing. I have never really enjoyed it, primarily because I don't like picking the menu, and I certainly don't like that preparing and cleaning up afterwards takes considerably longer than the time we spend eating it. But I've set out to change my attitude and have committed to meal plan and try new recipes. So far, it's working! I impressed even myself tonight, as I mixed my mom's porcupine meatball recipe with Becky Higgins' version. This was delicious!

We celebrated Drew's third birthday today with some of his favorite friends. Obviously, a Lightening McQueen themed party, this is one of my favorite pictures from the day. (It was difficult to choose so I'll probably figure out a way to squeeze a few more into our Project Life album.)


(This post is linked to Jessica Turner's Project Life Tuesday.)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Celebrating Drew

We went back and forth trying to decide how we were going to celebrate Drew's birthday this year. The past two years, we've had a "party" of sorts, inviting our families to come celebrate with us. This, we decided, has become somewhat impractical as we live quite a distance from them, and Drew is beginning to reach the age where he is developing friendships. Then the next question became, do we invite his friends and set some kind of precedence for the future? I always want our kids to feel special on their birthdays, to know what a wonderful blessing they are to us, and what a great day is was when they were born. But "special" doesn't equate with toys toys toys! Look, we just had Christmas, and the last thing we need at this point is more toys around here. And Drew has grandparents coming throughout the next couple weeks to celebrate his big day, and no doubt they have gifts in tow, so presents he does not need. In the end, we decided to invite some of his favorite friends from church (with "No gifts please" clearly printed on the invitations; however, you will see that apparently some people can't read!) over today for pizza, cake, and ice cream to celebrate Drew.


Abby, Keegan, and Amy

Lucas and Josh

Drew was very fascinated with this musical card. He kept opening and closing it to hear it sing.

Opening forbidden gift #2.

"CHEESE!"
Since today was party day for Drew, we gave him one of his gifts from us. At the end of the day, there were 181 pictures taken on this camera (I'm pretty sure it passed through the hands of 4 or 5 different kids!). I hope to get a few of those uploaded and posted so you can see the party through three-foot eyes. :)

I wish I would have gotten a better group shot of everyone that joined us today, but this is the best I have. THANK YOU for celebrating with us!

It was a Lightening McQueen-style party, complete with this cake, made by our good friend Manda. She does a great job, doesn't she?? (You'll remember she made Drew's VeggieTales cake last year, too.) So cute! (You'll want to remember those cute cars on top for a later story.)

I think he might have been a little embarrassed as we sang to him!

BLOW!

One last smile before he got to dig in!

Jessi, Drew and Bekah

After the party ended, our very dear friends, Rich and Chris (whom Drew adores) asked if they, along with their grandson Lucas, could take Drew shopping for his birthday gift and then to a movie. Of course we said yes, and much to our surprise, Drew didn't fall asleep during the movie! He was so excited when he returned, after picking out some new Cars cars at the store and eating M&Ms at the theater. (I wish someone would volunteer to take me shopping on my birthday!) Once he settled back in to his nightly routine of play, he couldn't find that little McQueen car that was on top of his cake. We encouraged him to look in the couches and in his car case, when he disappeared into the other room to have a look. After a few minutes of quiet, I hear Drew say, "Mom, he's not on top of the cake!" I come into the kitchen to find this...



Apparently there's no frosting left on top of the cake either! :)

This is just the beginning of our party extravaganza as Drew's actual birthday is Tuesday, Brad's parents come to visit on Thursday, and my parents will be here the following week.

Happy (early) Birthday, Bubba! We love you!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Picture of the Day, Week 2

Another week down, and seven more pictures to show for it! YAY!

This project is becoming more fun the more I work on it. I love the whole process - taking the photo, doing a little Photoshopping, and once my kit arrives (with my mom in two more weeks!), I know that putting the album together is going to be like a drug.

Yep. I'm that crazy-in-love with this.

But the part I love best is capturing our story. Some of these pictures will mean nothing to you, may seem rather mundane or strange, but that's okay. Because these are the photos that tell our story. Who we are, what we do, what life is like right now for us.

And that's the whole point.

As I mentioned in last week's POTD post, I've become a bit addicted to blogs. One blog links to another blog links to another, and before I know it, I've got a dozen more items in my Google reader (and about an hour less sleep at night)! In my cyber-snooping, I've come across a very lovely blog by Jessica Turner, called The Mom Creative. Long story short, she is hosting Project Life Tuesday, where some of us participating in this project can link our blog posts to her site, and we can all share our photos with each other, for ideas and inspiration. If taking a picture each day is something you're working on, or are intrigued by, go ahead and check Jessica's blog out.

I hope you enjoy this week's POTDs!


Reed is 10 months old today. I remember when he was born, saying that I wasn't going to rush things this time around. I wasn't going to keep looking forward to the next milestone, neglecting to enjoy the moment. Then he hit six weeks old. A colicky boy with a reflux diagnosis, and I changed my tune. I.couldn't.wait. for him to grow-up! And here we are now...on the move, looking to groove! A much happier baby (and mommy!), finally able to enjoy these little moments. (In typical Reed-style: one sock off, the other half-way there!)

Mondays are typically Brad's day off. Drew l-o-v-e-s having Daddy home during the day, and relishes in his undivided attention.

Amen to that!

After a bit of a difficult afternoon with the boys (ok, more than a "bit"), I needed a moment to myself. I got dinner on the table and excused myself to the bathroom, where I sat on the edge of the tub and read a few articles in my magazine. I just needed one moment of peace.

No, the cart's not really empty, but usually there are two boys in there taking up space! I snagged a little bit of free time this afternoon to run to the grocery store. Alone. I may have taken a little longer than absolutely necessary. :) (Yes, I did take my camera to the grocery store, and yes I did take the photo in an aisle no one else was in! Hence the blurry photo...it's bad enough I talk out loud to myself; I didn't need them calling the funny farm on me for taking pictures in the baby food aisle!)

It is time for a change in our living room. Thanks to some new pillows and curtains, we've transformed our primary living area from warm reds to cool browns and blues. I feel more relaxed already! (I'm still working on general decor and wall hangings...looking for accent pieces in teal, silver and black. Yummy!) Oh, this picture also captures one of my favorite wall hangings. It reads "Home is where they love you." It may need to find a new place to hang as the yellow/red color combination doesn't quite flow with the new browns and blues.

THIS is JOY.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

What Daddy Does

Our conversation at dinner tonight...

Brad: "I have a meeting to go to tonight, Bud."

Drew: "Why?"

Me: "Because Daddy's a pastor."

Drew: "What do pastors do?"

Me: "Good question. What do pastors do?"

Drew: "Play baseball."

Brad: "What else do they do?"

Drew: "Golf."

Me: "Do they do anything else?"

Drew: "Nope."



Hmmm...pretty much sums it up, huh? :)

Something New

So, I'll bet you noticed something new when you opened up this post. You probably noticed a few new somethings! I had a creative itch that just needed to be scratched!!!

I thought it was time for a little revamping of our blog. Just a little tweak here and there...and then maybe I got just a little out of hand! :)

Hopefully most obvious is the new blog title banner. What better way to call out "It's a Boys World" than with pictures of the boys? I've been doing some amateurish dabbling in Photoshop, trying to navigate my way through and teach myself a few things. It usually doesn't take too long before I have to call on the real pro, my brother Justin, to answer my "how do I...??" questions. (So a G-I-A-N-T shout out to him...and extra thanks for being available at all hours of the night when I get these hair-brained ideas!). He taught me some very snazzy tricks and tips while I was putting the new banner logo together. You like??

I'm also working on the gadgets on the sidebar, most notably my blogroll and other links. I've divided them up so they are a bit easier to navigate.

Family & Friends includes blogs and websites of those that are closest to us. If you read our blog and have your own that I don't know about, let me know so I can link up!

Kid Stuff includes some of Drew's favorite things, as well as a kids craft site that I've been using to get ideas for art projects Drew and I can do together.

Mom Stuff are those mama blogs that I enjoy reading the most.

Jesus Stuff includes the Christian blogs that we frequently read.

Scrappin' Stuff has links to some of my favorite scrappers and scrapbooking publications. This one was hard to narrow down! I have a ton more than I read daily, but these are my current top picks.

Just spicin' things up a bit around here. You can probably expect to see some other new additions here and there as all of the sudden my creative energies have kicked into high gear! Whew!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

10 Months Old

Milestones this month...

mimics clapping and bounces to music
climbs up one step
pushes and walks behind push toys
beginning to eat some table foods
says "DaDa"


Cute!

A new hiding place.

Funny story: Luci wanted to snuggle with Drew on the couch one afternoon....

...the very next day, Drew wanted to snuggle with Luci on the couch, and then requested for his picture to be taken just like the day before!

Self-portrait.

Two in a tent...well, Reed got in eventually.

Drew LOVES HIS NEW CRAYONS!

"Seriously mom, that nice new toy you got me for Christmas? Coulda just pulled out the pans."

What do you do when you can't make a snowman outside? Make one inside, of course!

It won't be long until I start asking Drew how to do things on the computer. And how to use my cell phone, or set up the DVR...

Scrappin' with mom.

And I quote: "Mom, I got slippers on my hands! Ok, take my picture."

Boy imitates boy imitates boy. I'm not sure who's leading who here.

"Mmmm, lobster. Goooood."