Wordless Wednesday: Best Friends

 

 

Jack and Isabelle have been good friends for some time.  Recently she has turned into more of a terrorizer of Jack, but I think she does it in all fun.  I honestly think she thinks Jack likes it when she pounds his back and throws his food into his water dish. 

 

The other day I was looking back through pictures and I found the following photos.  It's hard to believe Isabelle has grown so much and in some ways its hard to believe Jack ever let Isabelle get so close to him. 

 

Anyway, as I looked through these, I couldn't help but think about how cute these two buddies look...

 

until next time,
angie

Fost-a-Heart...

On my way to work every morning, I listen to a radio show called John Jay & Rich in the morning.  These two particular radio dj's do some wild and crazy stuff, and while most days I shake my head thinking who in the world would do that; the truth is, they definitely wake me up and keep me entertained.

A few weeks ago, I heard them talk about an event they were helping to sponsor called, Fost-a-Heart.  It was a fund-raising in conjunction with As You Wish (a pottery painting store).  They were encouraging their listeners to go to any local As You Wish Pottery place and for $10.00 individuals could paint a 5x5 "heart" canvas with what ever heart painting they liked.  Of the $10 spent on the activity, $8.00 was going directly back to help children in foster care.  With more than 15,000 children currently in foster care, in Arizona alone, it is clear there is a true need to help this population. 

Not to mention the fact that we have a very near and dear place in our hearts for foster children, foster parents and the foster care system in general.  Without them, our hearts would still be empty. 

After hearing John Jay and Rich promote this program one morning on my way to work, I was sold.  I thought it would be the perfect activity for us to do.  So while my sister Megan and Adam were in town, we scheduled it.  While Adam and Jarrett went to watch the Hawkeye game, Meg, the kids and I went to paint.

I explained to the boys what we were going and how some of the money we paid to have fun painting was going to help other boys and girls who were in the foster care system.  They thought it was a pretty cool thing, as they remember very vividly that portion of their life. 

And while we thought it was neat to be able to give back in a small way, the activity was all about having fun.  While I told the boys they were suppose to decorate their canvas with a heart, Michael and Isabelle decided to do things their own way.  I suppose if you look carefully there is a heart somewhere in their painting.  When we were all finished, I have to say I'm very proud of how each of the kids did in creating their masterpiece. 

Gabriel's heart is absolutely beautiful and reminds me of his own heart.  Full of color, full of life and bursting with love to share with others.

Michael's love of Batman will be forever etched into a painting on our walls.  He did a great job painting his masterpiece.  I can see why Michael's admiration of Batman is so strong.  In someways, they are very similar.  They both prefer to do things their own way, have a very strong mind and are in the end only want the best for others and themselves. 

And then there's Isabelle's painting.  A perfect reflection of her personality.  While full of many colors and emotions, she's constantly moving around into everything and spreading her love to everyone she sees.

I'm so proud of my children and who they are growing up to be.  While the Fost-A-Heart program was a great way to give back to an organization that gave us so much, it was also a fun day to spend together opening our hearts and sharing our love.

Until next time,
Angie

Flashbacks...

Do you ever have those moments where you are in a place and it feels like you've been there before? Or you're doing something new and for the life of you, you can't shake the feeling that it seems all too familiar?  Well today it happened for me.  I was pumping gas.

While Daddy was at work, the kids and I loaded up in the van and headed to the station to get the car gassed up before the busy work week.  Now I've pumped gas many a times, in fact it is a weekly trip among the other errands we do.  Yet this time, it was different. 

As a young girl I remember our family frequently being at the gas station filling up our van.  Moments before pulling into the station, I remember my sisters, brother and I fighting with each other, tattling and messing around.  All things my children now do.  Yet, when our van pulled into the station and under the lights of the gas pump canopy, I distinctly remember, becoming quiet and focusing on the action of filling up our tank.  My dad would get out of the van, while mom stayed in to watch us.  I watched intently as my dad walked to the pump, selected the grade of gas we needed, opened the gas door on our van and pressed the lever to engage the fuel.  I remember thinking it was fascinating to watch him fill it up.  As a kid I wondered what the gas actually did and how they found enough gas to fill all the cars in the world.  As the automatic lever shut off, Dad would grasp the handle and squeeze it until the amount rounded to the next complete dollar.  I guess I never questioned it, and it wasn't until I was in college, when I filled the car one time with Jarrett that he told me I didn't have to try and get the final amount to the closest dollar.  I guess I just assumed that rounding to the nearest dollar was the unspoken rule of filling up with gas. 

Once Dad had rounded to the nearest dollar, he'd looked into the window of the van, where us kids would be seated, and watching him like a Hawk, and then he'd smile.  Knowing we had his attention, my next action was to start tapping on the tinted window, and waving to acknowledge that indeed we could see his smiling face.  I can picture it happening over and over and over at stations all around the great state of Iowa.  After tapping on the glass and waving at Dad, he'd smile back, wave like we hadn't seen each other in a week, and then head back to the driver's seat after returning the gas nozzle. 

While in those moments of routinely tapping, waving and smiling to Dad, there was an exchange of love, never spoken, but definitely felt. 

Today I had a flashback of the exact same moment, except I was the one standing at the pump on the other side of the tinted van window.  As I filled the car with gas, I washed the front and back windows (just as my dad often did), and then I returned to the pump to see how close to the nearest dollar it had stopped at.  Without thinking, I grasped the lever, squeezed and filled the tank til the sale amount on the pump read, $46.01.  "Oh so close", I thought to myself and then I looked up from the tank and straight into the window where Gabriel sat on the other side of the glass.  He was staring straight at me with a wide and genuine smile.  I smiled at him.  He tapped on the window and started waving.  And in that moment, I instantly flash backed to my youth, to the little girl sitting on the other side of the window thinking my dad was the greatest dad in the whole world.  Looking at my son Gabriel, waving at me with pure delight, I couldn't help but feel the love that he was exuding through that window.  In that moment, my heart swelled with happiness and overwhelming love. All with the simple act of getting gas.

In a way it felt like my life had gone full circle.  Where once a little girl sat, a mom of three now stood carrying responsibilities, I thought as a child seemed so big and overwhelming.  While I'm not sure exactly what thoughts were going through Gabriel's mind as he tapped, waved and smiled;  I couldn't help but wonder if he'll some day experience the same flashback as I did.  My hope is, that if he does, he'll have the same happy flashbacks.  The flashbacks that bring memories of love and pride in his family, as I so thankfully have in mine.

Until next time,
Angie

Flashbacks are

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