The scavenger...

What's that saying.... "One man's trash is another man's treasure!" 

Well in our case, most people's trash is my Michael's treasure.  Michael is my little scavenger.  He loves to scour the outdoors finding different trash treasures.  He then brings them home, calls them his jewels and stores them away like a pirate stores his gold. 

It's actually quite amusing the different things Michael considers his treasure.  He's brought home broken pencils, dried up markers, bouncy balls with chips in the side.  He's found little girl pretty barrettes (which I don't think he even realizes are barrettes), and his favorite treasures are marbles he discovers in the grass at his school playground.  All treasures he carefully transports from school to home, to the car and many times back to school (even though I tell him to keep them at home). 

Today Michael returned home from school with several treasures.  While he casually announced he had pulled his tooth out at school today, what he was most excited about what the new treasure he found.  He said, "Mom, would you like to plant a pumpkin so we don't have to buy one?"  Caught off guard I asked, "What Michael?"  To which he smiled his wide as wide smile, reached into his backpack, and pulled out this...

"Look!  Its a baggie of pumpkin seeds.  Instead of buying a pumpkin we can plant these seeds and grow one!" 

As I reached for the baggie, I immediately realized that what he was holding and what I was soon to be holding was some one's trash.  I"m confident the pumpkin seeds were meant to end up in the trash but somehow ended up in my son's hands.  Michael was thrilled with his discovery and said "Mom, I can't wait to plant them."

And in that moment where I really wanted to say "Ehw, don't touch that baggie, throw it away and quickly wash your hands," I instead joined in his excitement and said "Wow Michael that is pretty cool!  Maybe we can plant it and a pumpkin will grow by Halloween.  We'll just have to plant them soon cause Halloween is coming up!"  Still smiling from ear to ear, he was not only excited about his discovery but super proud that he had done something to help us."

While I never know what he will bring home, there's one thing for sure.  He's happy as a clam oftentimes with the simplest of things.  From a broken pencil to a chipped bouncy ball and even some one's old pumpkin seeds; to Michael these items are all perfect, and in his mind all things to be treasured.

Until next time,
Angie

The matters of the heart...

Today the kids and I made a quick trip to the grocery store.  The trip started off with Michael upset because he had just been in time out for not listening.  He was determined to make the trip not very fun for me and by that, I mean everything I asked him to do, he was set on doing the exact opposite.  Not even in a minute into the store, it became clear that the only way I was going to successfully get out of the store, was to make him stand next to me.

My solution, was to make him hold my hand.  While he was definitely NOT interested in doing that, I made it a point to let him know that because of his behavior, he didn't have a choice.  After a few minutes of getting through the store as quickly as we could, while still holding hands, I started to feel his grip loosen up.  And a few seconds later, like a switch flipped, our hand-holding went from a very clearly forced hand-holding to one of actual love and kindness.  I said to him, Michael I know you don't want to hold my hand, but I'd like to hold your hand nicely, like friends do, because I love you. 

Now right next to me, he looked up at me, kindly squeezed my hand silently saying he agreed and we put our arms around one another and walked down the isle arm around each other.  I told him how nice it was to hold hands kindly and that I loved him very much.  He replied, "I love you too Mom, I'm sorry for being naughty before."  The rest of the trip, no matter what I asked Michael to do, he did it right away.  And my heart went from feeling frustrated and stressed about having to address negative behavior in a very public setting, to having my heart melt.  Through the physical action of holding hands somehow, I'd like to believe the love we have for each other found our way to conquer over the negative feelings that had early been very present.

With the boys getting bigger and being able to do so much for themselves, I've found we don't cuddle, hug or even hold hands like we use to.  I need to remind myself just how much love is communicated in physical touch.  While each and every night we hug and kiss them goodnight, I need to get better at randomly showing them through my caring arms of a hug, just how much they are loved.  While with Isabelle it is easy, as she's often carried, needs constant attention and gets lots of physical care.  Today's lesson was most needed, not for Michael but for mom. 

A reminder that no matter how big my babies get, showing love and caring comes not only from words but also through the caring touch of holding hands and loving embraces at random and sometimes unexpected times.

Until next time,
Angie

Fun-day Sunday

Some days I seem to take a lot of pictures of the kids and then weeks go by and I don't seem to take a one.  I guess today turned out to be one of those days when I was camera happy.

Here's a recap of our day in photos...

After church, I changed Isabelle from her dress into our everyday clothes, but first we tried on Halloween costumes.  While the boys want to be Batman and Robin, the same thing they were last year, Isabelle will get to be a bubble bee, a bird, or pretty princesses.  I wasn't sure how she'd be with keeping the costumes on, especially when they have stuff for on her head.  Surprisingly enough, she picked out the butterfly and bird.  She wanted to hop around and fly like them.



And then Michael and Isabelle decided to play the piano together.  How cute right?

Next we tried on a bird costume.  Within minutes of getting it on her...

 She found out how to...

get it off her.

TA-DA!  Like magic. 

After lunch and Isabelle's nap, Michael asked if we could paint. It had been quite a while since we painted, in fact, I don't think we've ever painted with Isabelle yet, so I said sure.

He worked on painting a monster.

While Gabriel painted stripes, until the football game came back on.  Then he checked out and went back to his Sunday spot, the recliner right in front of the TV.

Isabelle thought painting was a lot of fun.  Especially when mom turned her back and she decided to throw her picture and the bag protecting the table on the floor, so she could start painting the table.

And tonight after dinner, the boys begged us to go swimming.  While there was NO way I was going to go swimming other than in my bathtub, Dad (he's so kind) volunteered to take the boys.  While the weather is perfect here, swimming season has ended.  The water is a cool, refreshing freezing 68 degrees.  Yes, definitely NOT swimming weather in my book.    But the boys were insistent and very excited.  I took a video of the boys but it was too long to upload.  Turns out it was a lot harder to get into the freezing cold water after all (hence the long length of the video).  Two minutes after I stopped recording, two boys (and dad) raced in and jumped in a warm bathtub waiting for them (not dad though, he had to pick up the mess that was left behind).

While it was a rather low-key day, I think we could toss this one in the memory book under Fun-day Sunday.

Until next time,
Angie

Movie night...

This week the boys are on fall break and the days have been full of activity.  We've been spending a tremendous amount of time outside as the weather is gorgeous!  In fact, this morning as we walked to the park to play, I heard my boys echo each other in, dare I say, "Its cold outside"  My how wimpy we've become.  I'm sure most would say 70 isn't THAT cold.

A storm trooper with his little friend

Anyway, the boys have been riding bike, playing baseball, football, riding their scooter and building with their Legos.  They've been playing so hard, in fact they have bumps, bruises and cuts to show from it.  See Gabriel below.  This is after he tried to jump from one bench to the other in our backyard, and the hard ground took a punch to his jaw.  Poor kid, looks like he has Jay Leno's chin today. 

Right after the big fall happened.  Doesn't took too bad but hurts a lot (those are his words).

After 4 days of playing all day, I think they've finally realizing they are worn out.  Today, after lunch, my boys asked me if they could take a nap.  Yes, that is not a typing error.  A NAP.   After I picked myself up off the floor, wiped the drool from my mouth and closed by bottom jaw, I responded, SURE.  Please go take a nap!  And off they did.  Unbelievable.  I thought those days were over but boy did I enjoy my 45 minutes of quiet time.  Its amazing how much I got done.

This afternoon after running some errands, and making our weekly visit to the library, the boys asked if we could have a movie night in Dad and my bed.  It's become their favorite place to watch a movie. As they tell me "the movies are better in your room and the sheets are so cold I have to snuggle up to get warm.  And you have the most pillows so we HAVE to watch the movie in there."  The truth is they've been begging Dad and I to let them sleep in our bed, while we sleep in their bunk beds.   Dad and I aren't so interested in their proposal. We allow the movie nights but the bed swap hasn't happened.

So tonight became family movie night.  After bathing Isabelle, all of us, except poor dad who was still as work, crawled into our bed and watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua.  The boys thought it was absolutely hilarious.  I guess I couldn't tell you if it was, I was distracted by the wonder that filled our room.  I was focused on soaking up all the happiness, the love and the simple enjoyment that surrounded me.  When the boys laughed, Isabelle started giggling only because she thought her brothers were happy.  And Jack was curled up, in his spot on the bed, happy as ever, for a few minutes of relief from his terror, (Isabelle).  And as I soaked up their laughs, the cuddling between the kids, I took pictures in my mind and with my hands, because these are the moments in life that matter.

Michael's REALLY excited, Isabelle of course HAS to be in the middle and Gabriel, still icing his double chin

I mentioned yesterday, that recent days have brought us a lot of stress, a lot of nerves and a lot of worry some thoughts.  While I remind myself, our worries are minor, they are still worries. Hearing our children's laughter and seeing them hug one another and even their mom, remind me that while there are still worries out there, there are so many many blessings right in front of me today.  And that the love and happiness of just being together, of watching a movie together under cool sheets and bountiful pillows, can make all the worries disappear as the the world seems, for just a while, all so perfect.

Until next time,
angie

Rainbow Days ahead.

Lately, life seems to be more stressful than normal.  Jarrett and I try to remind ourselves, that these are just the rainstorms before the rainbows.

Life isn't always easy . 

And lately the challenges seem many.

But while we may be facing harder days and new obstacles to overcome,

 

there are still bountiful blessings today, to assure me rainbow days are ahead. 

 

Until next time,
Angie

Meg and Adam visit...

Two weeks ago my sister Megan and her husband Adam came from Iowa to visit us.  While their trip was less than 48 hours total, we jammed in as many activities as we could and had a blast! 

 

Isabelle warmed up to Megan and Adam very quickly and soon they were big buds.  Big buds so much that she and Adam took turns putting darts on their foreheads.  Once Adam did it and thought it was funny, Isabelle had to copy him.  When we all laughed, she thought she was pretty cool!

 

 

 

Love is an amazing thing.  This is a picture of love. 

 While this is also a picture of love.  A love of cake.  And if there are two words Isabelle can say clear as water, those two words are CAKE and COOKIE! 

 And it wasn't just Isabelle that had a blast with Megan and Adam.  There were two little boys that were ecstatic that they were here.  Megan and Adam are going to be outstanding parents as they are fun, engaged and beam love.  They enjoyed swimming (mom's too chicken now that the water was below 90 degrees) in the last few days of pool season!

 No caption needed.

Before we had to take Meg and Adam back to the airport, they had a Halloween gift for the kids.  We made the boys close their eyes.  Who knew closing their eyes would be so hard.  After 3 minutes of correcting the cheaters (with their eyes open), they finally got their present.

Pooh's bum!  While they laughed at first, they secretly hoped, that really wasn't the present.

 

 

And it wasn't.  They got a gift bag full of fun Halloween treats to enjoy. 

 It was so nice having Meg and Adam visit.   And while we wished they still lived here and that we could see them more often, we are so thankful for the time we did get to spend and will look forward to the next time.

One happy group!

 Until next time,
Angie

Where have I been?

Do you ever feel like sometimes life is pulling you in so many directions, you're not really sure what way is the right way and what road you've just been down?  Well, sadly that seems like that is how life has been for us the last few weeks.

And as I think about what's been happening, I'm honestly too tired to even remember.  I don't mean this post to sound like a complaining rant, I guess I'm just trying to justify to myself why I haven't been on here in so long.

Let's see, in the last 10 days we've been to 8 Taekwondo practices, 2 baseball games, 3 baseball practices, baseball team pictures,  two parties, the emergency room, one follow up eye doctor appointment (after the ER, long story), one school open house, hosted my sister and her husband from Iowa, celebrated Dad's birthday, celebrated Dad's oncology doctors visit and the report he is officially in his sixth year of remission (yay!), and we successfully attempted to complete homework in a timely manner.  And yes, I did just list homework on our list of tasks; man I have come to dread homework.

While each and every night I thought to myself, I should go blog, the reality is, my exhaustion always won out.  And tonight is not that much different, so if this post doesn't make sense, I apologize.  Oh I forgot to mention we have the cold/flu sickness in our house this week too!  What's that saying?  "When it rains...", well never mind.

Sometimes life is stressful, overwhelming and not the rainbows and roses we hope it will always be.
Yesterday, I admit I was feeling like I had gone several rounds with a pro-boxer.  Some where, (little people to remain nameless)in the last couple of days, I picked up the friendly flu bug.  While I felt terrible, I did the best I could to function while Dad stepped up and took on more of the at home responsibilities.  By yesterday afternoon, I told myself I had to suck it up and that we didn't have any more time for mom to be sick. 

So Dad raced Gabriel off to baseball practice, I loaded up Belle and Michael and we headed off to Taekwondo.  Arriving with Michael, I realized upon looking down that I indeed was still wearing half of my pajamas from the night before.  And then it occurred to me that Michael was missing half of his required uniform and that Isabelle, well she was a complete mess. 

For reference this is NOT an appropriate way to wear your "Gi"

Yogurt covered her everywhere, her hair stood clumped together from the lunch and afternoon snack she had, and her now,grown-out-bangs hung in her face like a blindfold as I forgot to put her clip in.  Realizing that there was no way I could embarrass Michael with Isabelle's and my appearance, I told him we'd be waiting outside for his practice to end.   Isabelle and I found a bench to play/sit on but before long I noticed the Master Yoda (okay his name is something else) Taekwondo man's wife came outside to ask me if everything was okay?  I replied with my biggest attempt to act like I felt great and said, "Yes, why do you ask?"  She smiled and said, "Oh that's great, I just saw you sitting out here with that big ice pack on your neck."  Yes, I forgot I had that draped around my neck like a fashion scarf.  Nice.  I think I could have won the award yesterday for the parent who least had their act together.

Yes, I did take my daughter out in public looking like this.   Personally I still think she's super cute.

There it was.  The truth staring me straight in the eye....I failed to double check my son's attempt to dress himself in his appropriate uniform for practice and left the house in a rush as we were already late.  I had failed to help clean my daughter up in a nice, cute way so all the other adults could comment about how cute and adorable she was.  And if that wasn't enough, I had failed to make myself appear even half way with it.  In the fight against the rat-race, the rat-race had beaten me up.

I sat on the couch last night, yes still icing my achy neck and thought about how poorly I had done as a mom.  I felt bad for not watching Michael in all 30 minutes of his practice (even though the classroom is viewable from the outside bench we sat on), I felt bad for giving Isabelle a second fudge-sicle while I ate my second one, hoping it would soothe the burning in my throat and I worried how Gabriel would ever get his homework done in the morning before school, since I didn't get to help him with it before his practice.  And as I thought about all those things, I honestly felt terrible.  I felt like waiving the white flag and saying help.  And then, as I sat there having a pity party of my own, I thought of my grandpa.  Yes I had forgotten to call him that afternoon as well.

See my grandpa and I are very close.  We have been I think since the beginning.  My grandpa took me to preschool, to kindergarten to high school, and even to college.  I've always been close to my grandparents and I'm so thankful to my parents for allowing my siblings and I to get to be so close to them.  The love and support I've received from my grandparents is a gift, I know I'm so lucky to have gotten.  When we lost my grandmother in 2005, I made it a vow to do everything I could to make sure my grandpa Ray knows daily how much I love him.  So since that day in July of 2005, I talk with him almost every single morning and every single evening.  It is a highlight of my day, I look forward to.  And while yesterday I realized I forgot to call, I felt bad for a bit and then I thought to myself, what would grandpa say.  Would he be mad?  No.  Would he doubt my feelings about him?  No.  Would he be completely understanding and supportive the next morning when I call?  Absolutely.  And that got me thinking...

What in the world was I feeling so sorry about? 

My grandpa, always the optimist even after facing so many challenges in his life.  He is a WWII survivor and am I'm sure faced more obstacles in his time in the war than I'll ever have to face in my life.  He gives thanks each and every day for our freedom.  I sadly, can't remember the last time, I looked out my window and gave thanks just for the ability to live in this great country.  My grandpa lost his soul mate 8 years ago, and while I can imagine myself feeling depressed, sorry for myself and an overwhelming amount of grief, my grandpa reminds me each and every morning when I talk to him, that there is always a ray of sunlight waiting to shine on the blessings in our life.  He reminds me often, I'm one of those blessings.  While he at his age, tells me he lives in the past as he reminisces about all the great thing that his life has brought him, he continues to look for happiness in each day he is given.  If not happiness for himself, happiness for others. 

And in those thoughts, it hit me. While I was feeling sad, the truth was I was still trying to help my family the best I could.  We did get Michael to practice, and Isabelle didn't even notice she wasn't all put together.  Sometimes I think she likes it when she's all sticky and messy. :-)  And Gabriel would get his homework done and if he didn't get it done, the world was not going to end.  While I was letting the pressures of others things question myself, I was doing the best I could with what I had at the time.  Honestly I think that is enough. 

While life brings us many stressors, there are many many more blessings around us.  And we can waste our time stressing about the stressors, or we can focus on the blessings and live in the moment of happiness, of gratitude and of appreciation that life has been pretty darn good to us (even when it knocks you down).  So if you've asked me where I've been, I guess my answer is this.  I was distracted.  I was distracted by stress, but not anymore.  I've been reminded about the blessings that are everywhere in my life and thankful to get to continue on this journey tomorrow.

Until next time,
Angie