Taking Minnie to the grocery store...

Tonight after dinner, and after what has been a horrible weekend of eating terribly (I try to blame it on it being my birthday but that was two days ago and it hasn't stopped), I decided we needed to take a family walk.  Never mind the fact that we had just been in the pool for almost 3 hours and that the boys had been running full steam since the moment their eye lids opened this morning.  I was needing to get out and feel better and so I thought, why not take a family walk.

Prior to our walk, Isabelle and Michael had been playing so nicely together in the front room.  Isabelle was of course playing with her Minnie Mouses and Michael, was so kindly being the good big brother and pretending to do all sorts of fun stuff with her for Minnie.  Minutes before the decision to go for a walk, Minnie, Michael and Isabelle had been taking their babies, aka Minnie's" to the grocery store.  I guess I interrupted them when I said go get your shoes on we are going for a walk.  I say interrupted because there was NO way, I mean NO WAY we were going to get Isabelle out of the house without Minnie, and by that I mean Minnie in her stroller with Isabelle's purse on the handle.

I wondered to myself exactly how far we'd get on our "around the block" walk with Isabelle pushing her Minnie. The image flashed into my head.  We'd be about 5 houses down the block (just far enough away) and Isabelle would get tired and demand to get picked up.  While I carried Isabelle in one arm, I knew that meant my other arm would be trying to finagle stuffed Minnie in her stroller as we attempted a "fun" family walk.

Even with that image clearly pasted into the front of my mind, I gave in and said, "Okay Isabelle let's take Minnie along."  Happy as all get out, Isabelle bounced along pushing her stroller while talking to Minnie the entire time as we left the house.  I walked along side Isabelle to make sure she didn't make her way into the street and soaked in every minute of what I was watching.  Isabelle decided some where along the way that she was taking Minnie to the grocery store.  And at the store she was going to get bananas and cheese.  Yes, just bananas and cheese.  As we made our way down the block and past the 5th house, I wondered when she would start slowing down.  For she was still bouncing with happiness and pride that SHE was taking her baby to the store.  On top of that she was being a very protective mother, as we approached a crack in the sidewalk that was raised higher than the pavement before, she picked up the entire stroller with Minnie still fastened in and gently set her down past the big bump.  Then she'd say, "There you go Minnie. There you go."

In some ways I couldn't believe I was watching our "baby."  I use that term pretty loosely now as I know she is anything but that.  I can't believe how big she is.  She talks in full sentences, can follow commands, understands most things we say and is just soooo big.  When I shared what happened tonight with my parents, they said, "Just wait, soon she'll be riding her bike around the block like the boys do."  I told them to stop.  I'm not quite ready for that.

As we rounded our 3rd corner on our way back home, she was still happily trotting along as if she was a mommy and had to protect her baby.  She continued to talk to Minnie and repeated to herself what she was going to buy.  "Bananas and cheese, okay Minnie?"  Perhaps she's heard her own mom repeat the grocery list to her a time or two.  Ahem, I mean, I have no idea where she got that idea.  Strolling up to our house, after our good 20 minute walk, the walk she did entire on her own, without being picked up or asked to be carried once, I was again reminded just how quickly she's growing up.

While I wish I could stop time and relive these moments over and over, I know that is not how it works.  I guess that's why I was probably so insistent Jarrett take out his phone and start recording. I just had to capture our little BIG girl in her excitement of taking her baby to the store.

Until next time,
Angie

SCHOOLS Out FOR Summer!

So, are you singing along with me?  While the kids have already been out of school for almost a week now, I am just catching my breath and asking myself what just happened.  Last Wednesday the boys finished 1st grade(Michael) and 2nd grade (Gabriel).  Yikes!  Where is the time going?  Where are my boys who are so small, innocent and just learning their ABC's?  When did I exchange them for division learning, cursive writing and science loving big kids?  I guess I must have blinked when it happened because I now have two boys who are quickly catching up with me in height and soon entering the 3rd and 2nd grades.... WOW.  I guess that's all I can say.

Just 10 months ago we started on a new journey at a new school, with new teachers, new friends and a new routine that to the boy's delight involved riding the bus.  Summer literally snuck up on me and while I usually try to prepare for summer starting in April, this year I prepared last Monday and Tuesday, yes one day before the end of the school year.

As we reflect back upon what the year entailed for the boys, I am so, SO thankful we made the decision we did to change schools.  While it was scary (I think mainly for me), we hoped and trusted our gut that we had done the right thing for Gabriel and Michael.  It turns out we did.  They both had AMAZING, I'll say it again, AMAZING teachers who welcomed them with open arms, shared their gift of loving to learn and showed the boys they were cared about from day 1.  What more could a parent ask for.  While each of their teachers were different, they were the perfect balance for what each boy needed and as a result Gabriel and Michael thrived.

Both Gabriel's and Michael's teachers went above and beyond to show how they were cared about individually.  Each boy invited their teacher to come to their baseball games.  While thinking it was a nice gesture by the boys to their teachers, I never thought twice about them actually coming.  Turns out, I was blown away when both Gabriel and Michael's teachers emailed me asking when the next game was and letting me know they'd like to come.  In fact, Gabriel's teacher asked if it would be okay if she invited the entire class to come to Gabriel's playoff game, as their class was following Gabriel's team in the playoffs and wanted to come and support him.  I was impressed.  Still am, actually.  And not only did Gabriel's teacher come but several of his classmates and their parents.  That in itself showed me the cohesive bond she had created among the students in her class.

Another thing I am grateful for this year is the fact that the boys were able to experience and live the 7 Habits of Happy Kids as a part of the Covey grant their school was awarded.  I'm a big fan of teaching my children leadership skills that they can use throughout their entire life.  The 7 Habits the boys learned this year, were exceptionally helpful, taught them to identify their strengths, set and work toward goals, and how to think Win-Win in a world that constantly reinforces Win-Lose.  I've seen them warmly accept the principles and philosophies taught through the program and incorporate the language and behaviors in their daily life.  In fact, last Friday when we sat down to talk about things they'd like to learn over the summer the boys told me they wanted to set goals and write them down.  Sometimes I feel like I"m looking in the eyes of 20 plus year olds.

On the last morning of school, we were of course running late.  While skipping breakfast was going to be a sure thing, there was one thing I was not going to skip.  That was this...

Yes, I did insist on the last day of school photo.  While the boys kept asking why they had to take a picture, I just kept telling them to smile.  What I wasn't ready to put into words yet was just how much I had seen them grow.  I knew they all have changed so much this year, but I just had to compare pictures with pictures.

Yep there are a few differences from this photo to today.  And I"m sure by August they will have even changed more.

Here's to one successful school year, to a safe and fun summer, and a fantastic fall that will be here before I finish planning the summer.

Until next time,
Angie

PS:  Oh and while my intention was to mainly take a picture of the boys on their last day, this little miss decided she has to be a part of the fun too!

 Some body insisted on wearing her backpack and pretending it was her last day of school too.  Look at that CHEESE in her smile!

Precious Moments...

I have a habit of going into Isabelle's bedroom to check on her while she is sleeping.  I love how precious she looks while she is sleeping.  Actually, if I'm being honest, I love how innocent and precious all the kids look while they are sleeping.  

Here are a few photos of her sleeping so peacefully.  Aren't they too precious?  

Yes, she is hugging her teddy bear

And yes her hands are folded together like she fell asleep while saying her prayers.

And then there was this day.  She insisted on having all of her Disney friends in bed with her.  I can't help but wonder if her magical friends were a part of her dreams.

Oh I hope these days never end.

Until next time,

Angie

Art.

I've never been much of an artist and when it comes to understanding classic art masterpieces worth millions of dollars, most often I find myself wondering why in the world anyone would ever pay that much money for just one picture.

So with that disclaimer, I have to share a story about one of Gabriel's recent drawings.  While I've been wondering all year what Gabriel has been doing at school, I am now finding out.  With less than a week left to go in school, I've learned that Gabriel's "cubby" in the classroom has been jammed packed with his papers to bring home.  While the teacher encouraged him to bring home his work frequently, Gabriel decided he'd wait until the end of the year to bring home his papers, all of them.

In the piles of paper he has been bringing home, are his art masterpieces.  As I'm sorting through the many papers he is bringing home, I came across this picture.

Immediately I thought, WHAT is THAT?  I searched the top of his paper looking for a clue as to what he was suppose to be drawing.  I thought to myself, maybe this picture went along with the lesson on the human digestive system.  I don't think they've been learning about certain body parts yet. Hummm... I didn't know.

After scanning the top of the paper and not getting any better clue, I read the caption right above the picture. I guess I should have read that first.  My favorite thing to draw is....

Boy am I glad he wrote a caption on his picture.  Thank goodness that's a baseball and a bat.

Until next time,
Angie

Barbies, Squinkies and dolls

This weekend our friends shared some Barbie’s, Squinkies and some dolls their daughter had out grown.  While I wasn’t sure if we were ready yet for Barbie’s in our house, it turns out we were.

While Isabelle is interested in playing with those toys, it turns out Gabriel and Michael are just as interested. 

  It is funny.  When the toys were brought to our house, you could tell the boys were interested but trying with their might to resist the urge to play with “girls toys”  Michael gave in first, within 5 minutes he started playing with Isabelle.  He said, “Mom, I don’t care if its Barbie’s.  I’m going to play with these all day!”  

And that’s pretty much what he did.  He and Isabelle got along like bees and honey.  He’d comb a Barbie’s hair and then give the brush to Isabelle for her turn, while he set up the RV and got the food ready.  Gabriel on the other hand, tried his best to keep a “safe” distance pretending to watch TV while still letting his eyes wander back to them having fun playing on the floor.  He has some good stamina.

And then came yesterday.   Isabelle was having what we coin a two-year old tantrum and wasn’t sure what she wanted other than to scream.  The boys, being the great brothers they were, immediately sprang into action and tried to distract her to make her happy again.  Immediately they went for the new toys they had just received the day earlier.  Right away Isabelle calmed down and started playing.  The boys of course had to start playing with her.  

As I prepared dinner I listened to them talking to each other.  Gabriel, let’s dress them up so they can go to a party.  Can you comb her hair Isabelle?  Now we are going camping.  My Barbie gets to drive the camper.  And on and on and on.  At one point I couldn’t resist the cuteness so I went over and took a couple pictures with my phone.  

Immediately Gabriel said, “Mom, do NOT post this on Facebook.”  Okay I said, telling myself he didn’t say anything about Instagram or our blog.

For almost an hour the kids played nicely (which is almost a miracle) with “girl toys.”   When Dad came home Gabriel ran with his Barbie and hid behind the couch so Dad didn’t see him playing with a doll.  In some ways, it makes me sad that he was so embarrassed about playing with the Barbie’s.  What’s really that wrong with boys playing with “girl toys”  They were having fun pretending to go camping and on vacation.  They were using their imagination and actually playing nicely with each other.  In my book, I can’t find anything wrong with that.  I think part of the interest, comes from having new toys to play with.  What kid can resist not playing with new toys?  The other thing, is that it was something different.  Never before have we had Barbies, Squinkies or any girl toys in the house to tempt them.

While I don’t think the boys will be adding Barbie’s, Squinkies or dollies to their Christmas wish list, I do think they have enjoyed getting to play with “girls toys”.  And I’ve enjoyed watching them.  Finally my skills in Barbie hair styling will be helpful.  I’ve been waiting for this day.  I know so much more about this girly stuff.

Until next time,

Angie

Mother's Day

As Mother’s Day approaches each year, I can’t help but remember how painful this holiday was for me in the past.  While the heartache has turned into celebration and gratitude, I know there are still others waiting for their day to be called mom.    

This year’s mother’s day exceeded any expectations I had.  The celebrations actually started on Saturday night when  Dad insisted we go out for dinner after a long day of baseball festivities. 

Some of the kids who attended the camp, waiting to be divided up into smaller groups for individual drills.

Gabriel is at the end of the line next to the coach at the fence.  His friend, who is walking away from the camera just finished a sliding drill. 

Always silly and having fun. 

Michael was walking the first base line to a hitting drill.  

Pictures from the boy's at the D-Backs camp.  

After leaving the AZ Diamondback baseball camp the boys attended until 7:00 p.m. we drove closer to home to find a place to eat out, knowing we were already going to be pushing bedtime back.  While our idea to “avoid the Sunday rush” was nice in thought, in reality, thousands of other families had the same idea.  When the wait at the restaurant was more than 45 minutes, we decided a McDonald's ice cream cone was just as good as a meal. The kids of course were thrilled as McDonald's continues to be their favorite restaurant of all time.  Funny how things always get shifted back to what the kids want.

On Sunday morning Jarrett was so kind and went and got Isabelle attempting to let me sleep in.  Isabelle wanted nothing but to see me and so at 6:14, my Mother’s Day started.  Dad set Isabelle in bed next to me and while I attempted to go back asleep, Isabelle crawled on top of me, pulled my eye lids open with her tiny fingers and said, “Mommy WAKE up!”  Isn’t it wonderful to be loved?   Knowing there was no going back to sleep, Jarrett gave me a very nice Mother’s Day card and a gift.  At this point the boys were up and frantically working on creating something for me.  After showering, I was getting ready for church when Gabriel brought me in a cup of juice and some jellied bread (not toasted).  

He wished me a Happy Mother’s Day, gave me a hug and said “I love you mom.”  Those words NEVER and I mean NEVER get old. I thanked Gabriel and said how much I looked forward to getting breakfast before church (that usually never happens).  As Gabriel left our room Jarrett said, he tried so hard.  He said, I know it isn’t toasted very much but that’s because the first bread he toasted he burnt and to cover it up he decided to put jelly and cheese on it.  I looked at Jarrett, “cheese?” I said.  He said, yea he was thinking cheese and jelly went together instead of peanut butter and jelly.  Don’t worry I made sure this bread only has jelly on it.  While I had to laugh at the cheese, it really was a wonderful gesture.

For lunch we met Jarrett’s Mom and Dad and celebrated Mother’s Day with her.  It was nice to see Jarrett’s parents and to celebrate his mom.   As I should have predicted, our multiple late nights and early mornings were catching up with the kids and they were over tired (also known as:  cranky, not wanting to listen… I think you get the point). 

 Before we even left the location of the restaurant Isabelle had fallen asleep and the boys knew a nap was in their future.   When we got home, the boys went to take a nap, while Dad also somehow managed to fall asleep on the floor.  I decided the dishes and other chores could wait and I sat down in the chair to start reading the paper.  Twenty minutes later I woke up realizing I had fallen asleep, that also doesn’t happen.  I guess I must have surprised myself when I woke up as I guess I gasped and woke up dad.  He said, “Did you fall asleep reading the paper?”  “Yes I said.”  Jarrett continued, “Well that’s it.  I guess we are officially old.”   

After the house woke up again, Dad had to go to work, so the kids and I decided to work on homework.  I wonder if other parents (moms) ever have days when it seems no matter what the homework  is, the kids just want to complain about how hard it is and how they need your constant help.  Well, yesterday was that day for me.  Michael sat to my left and Gabriel to my right and like spectators watching a tennis match, my head went back and forth from one child to the next helping with math problems and writing a journal entry.  Oh and to make it even more fun, Isabelle insisted on sitting on my lap and screaming because she couldn’t write on Gabriel’s homework with her marker.  It was fun.  Oh, that’s not true, but at least I tried to remind myself that someday I will miss how they all wanted to my help. 

Following our two hour bout with homework, (have I mentioned the only reason why I’m excited about summer is because there will be NO homework), I started making dinner, while the kids played.  Before dinner, they boys presented me with their Mother’s Day cards.  They are so nice.  I didn’t get just one card, but a whole series of cards and books talking about how much they love me.  It was heart-warming, especially after the fun we had with homework.

Dad came home a little while later and before dinner we decided to take a family walk to enjoy our unseasonable cool weather.  I can’t believe how fantastic our weather has been here lately.  I remember sweating buckets already by this point of the year, and yet yesterday my kiddos were complaining that they were cold outside.  Since the weather was so nice, we decided to eat dinner outside.  It was a fun change to our normal routine. 

As we put the kids to bed and sat down on the couch to watch Captain Phillips, I couldn’t help but think was a wonderful day it was.  Dad was really great at helping more with the kids and took time to go out and get me a card and nice gift, a massage at one of my favorite places.  The kiddos showed their love and appreciation in ways that remind me why I love being their mom.   

As a child I remember making cards for my mom on Mother’s Day and trying to do something nice for her.  The one day out of the entire year Mom got thanked for ALL she did.  Lord knows we never said thank you enough.  As a mom now, I have a newfound appreciation for EVERYTHING that goes into being a mom. And like they say, being a mom really is the hardest job in the world (maybe only tied with being a dad).  While I’m definitely not the perfect mom; I lose my patient, I drop more balls than I keep in the air,  and I seem to focus more on the mistakes I make, rather than the home-runs I hit, the reality is I try harder each and every day.  And it is all because of the three little people that mean the world to me.  With each success and each failure, I am reminded that my ultimate goal in life is to help Gabriel, Michael and Isabelle be the best they can be, both today and always. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there.  May you always know your efforts are not in vain and that you are doing a great job.

Until next time,

Angie

What a week...

Do you ever have one of those weeks when it feels like you should just stay inside and hide from the world?  Although last week wasn't the worst week in the history of time, it was one of those weeks when I kept asking for peace and quiet.   Instead it felt like I got chaos.

Never mind the fact that we had 4 baseball games, 2 baseball practices, a school field trip, a doctors appointment and an evening meeting dad and mom were suppose to be at within a matter of 5 evenings, that was planned. A traditional week one may say.  It was the unexpected things that took our crazy train and threw us for a loop.

While it seems Isabelle suffers from almost any possible allergen we have here in the dessert, I am use to her stuffy nose and watery eyes.  However when her watery eye matter seemed to become cloudy I should have seen it as a symptom.  Perhaps I thought about it for a minute, and then in my naivety of trying to ignore sickness and pretend it is nothing, I looked at her and wrote the drainage off to allergies.  

By Tuesday morning I knew we had a case of pink eye, so back to our medicine cabinet stuffed with pink eye medicine I went and started her drops.  Continuing on with our busy week, determined not to let a little pink eye set us back, life continued as normal.  When I went to bed Tuesday night with itchy watery eyes, one would think one would have a clue.  But no, this is the mom who just last night put socks and shoes on her daughter and put her to sleep.  Yes, don't ask me why, somewhere in my mind it made sense.  Thank goodness for Jarrett checking the house and kids before he came to bed at midnight.  He woke me up and asked, "Is there a reason why Isabelle has socks and her shoes on?"  I guess from my mumbled, incoherent response, he knew it was a "too tired to think action".  But back to the watery eyes.

On Wednesday morning I woke up to Isabelle calling my name at 5:15 a.m.  Were back to summer hours here in our house, the darn, I mean wonderful singing birds outside her window at 5:00 a.m. are such a nice alarm.  As I rolled out of bed and rubbed my eyes on the way to her room, I knew immediately we had a problem.  One eye, while opened only partly, was 100% better than the other eye which seemed glued shut with goo.  I picked up Isabelle took her into our bed, laid her next to dad, and I walked back to the bathroom to confirm what I knew had happened.  Yep, another case of good old pink eye.  In good news Isabelle was doing much better.

As I helped get the boys ready for school they were concerned my eye would never open fully again.  "Mom, you look kind of scary" Michael said.  Knowing that if the boys thought I looked scary, enough as much that they vocalized their thoughts, I knew I had better stay home.  Back to the medicine cabinet I went for the pink eye medicine, and this time I started the drops. Thankfully I didn't have to work so Isabelle and I had a low key day at home.

Wednesday night Gabriel had an important game that determined their seat going into the playoffs.  So back to the ball park we went.  I kept sunglasses on and tried not to get near anyone. The game was going well, Isabelle was staying near by (which is almost a miracle) and Michael was playing nicely with her.  All seemed so easy until Isabelle tripped trying to climb up the bleachers and she felt, hitting the side of her face and cheek on the metal bleacher.  Immediately she started screaming and as Dad picked her up and turned to hand her to me, I saw her face was already black and blue and beet red around it.  We knew if it had already bruised within 5 seconds of her hitting the seat, it was going to get worse in the coming days.  We held, or tried to hold ice on it.  She was more concerned about her scratched up knee and secretly I was thankful she couldn't see her face as I knew it would have only made her cry more.

After Gabriel's team won their game we headed for home to get ready for bed.  As I changed Isabelle from her clothes to her jammies, she played her typical game of crawling away from me.  I watched as she went to play with her stereo on the dresser and just as she reached out for the boom box, I saw her misjudge her reach again.  This time she hit her chin on the corner of the dresser. Again the screams immediately followed and as she turned to me this time, her mouth was gushing blood.  I quickly held her and started looking in her mouth to see where the blood was coming from.  Sticking tissues in her tiny mouth to dry up the mess, I saw that her tongue was bleeding from the top AND the bottom.  Yes she had bitten through her tongue when she fell.

I felt horrible.  I held her, let her suck on ice and rocked her for the next almost two hours.  I thought after two major falls going to bed should probably be delayed.  Finally after a lengthily time of her acting like normal and being back to herself, we put her to sleep.  Like nervous parents Jarrett and I talked and decided we should check on her throughout the night to make sure she was okay. Jarrett slept in her room and I woke up 7 times to see how she was.  When I woke early the next morning, expecting a fresh start, I was greeted by my other eye being "gooed" shut and pink eye now in both eyes. I got up, washed out my eyes and reached for my phone to look up my work schedule for the day.  That's when I saw the text.

It had been sent the night prior, around 11 p.m., well after I had gone to bed.  "We just had the neighbor Mike come knock and tell us he saw someone steal a bike out of the garage.  We were in bed and the garage was shut.  Should we call the police?"  It took me a minute to put it all together.  The text was from a number I didn't recognize and mentally operating at about 2% I responded, "Good morning, I'm not sure who this is, could you please tell me?" and then I hit send.  As I hear the little zoop noise my phone makes as a text is fully sent, it was like a light bulb went off.  It was my parents house here in Arizona.  The house that they had some friends stay at last week.  That's who the text was from.  That's whose bike it was that must have been stolen.... Jarrett's.

Not knowing what to do, I called the non-emergency police number and heard from the dispatcher on the other end say, "Yes ma'am, we do send officers out to investigate, I have an officer on the way to you now."  I grabbed Belle, threw on a pair of sun glasses hoping to hid my hideous looking eyes, and jumped in the car and headed for my parents house.  As I drove to their place to call my boss and explain what was happening.  It was 6:15 a.m.

Thankfully my boss is wonderful and told me not to worry about coming in and spreading my pink eye to anyone else.  That allowed me the time to deal with the police report and taking care of reprogramming the garage doors and locks at my parents home.  After that fun, I returned home and received a frantic call from my neighbor.  Her 2-year-old son had just fallen and cracked his head open on their tub.  She needed to take him to the emergency room so she asked if I could watch her 1-year-old son.  After explaining the disclaimer of pink eye, she said it was worth the risk and soon we were having a impromptu play date while she ran off to the ER.

Thankfully our crazy loopty loop ride seemed to calm back down to the normal hills and valleys that each of our weeks bring after Thursday.  Isabelle's head got better, although it still looks pretty bruised, both her eyes and mine got better and so far we haven't seen any of the boys come down with watery eyes.  (fingers crossed).

As I said in the beginning, it wasn't like last week was the worst on record, it was just one of those weeks when you look back and think, well that wasn't what I expected and I'm so thankful for the weeks that go as planned.  Finally, while I decided to spend this blog talking about all the crazy things that happened, there were quite a few fun things that happened as well. Below is just one example of one of the million good things...

Until next time,
Angie