Full Moon, Nice Boots, and Water Heaters

Today I'm thankful for...

1. The big full moon shining in the night sky.

2. Nice compliments.  There's a girl at church who is about my same age and she always looks so cute with her clothes, her hair, and her accessories.  She's tall and slender and super nice and every time I see her I think, "gee, I wish I had her style."  Anyways, she commented on how she liked my skirt and boots today.  I was totally flattered, especially since I bought both of them before Lillian was born (heck, I think it was even before Bobby and I got married...they're that old).  I guess I've been wearing them long enough for them to go out of style, then come back in style...haha.  I felt pretty trendy for the rest of the day...until I got home and changed into comfy sweatpants. :)

3. Renters who seem interested in renewing their lease.  That would be such a blessing.  Cross your fingers and say a prayer for them to want to stay.

4. Our friend Enrique.  The hot water heater at our rental house in Delaware started leaking two weeks ago.  We called around to get some estimates on replacing it, and parts and labor totaled over $1000.  Eek!  Enrique came to the rescue.  He knew of a supplier in the area who had a good price on the water heater we needed (even cheaper than buying tax free in DE).  Then he spent his entire Saturday helping Bobby remove the old one and install the new one.  We saved hundreds of dollars and Bobby was able to get the job done quickly and with good company.  He was home in time for dinner AND he was in a good mood when he got here....two things that wouldn't have been possible without Enrique's help.  Gracias, amigo!

Falling Asleep by the Fire

I grew up in a house with a wood stove.  It was used as the primary source of heating, so I watched many winter fires burn through its windows.  I always liked it when my parents opened the doors on the stove and put on the grate covering so the burning fire was more visible.  I love everything about a wood fire-- the sound of wood crackling and hissing, the look of glowing embers and flames dancing through and around wood logs, the faint smell of smoke, and the burning heat that scorches your face when you lean in close to blow on the embers to rekindle the flame.

One of my favorite things about our little house is that it has a fireplace.  We've already used it a good number of times this winter.  We don't use it as a primary source of heat; rather as a form of entertainment and to give off a warm cozy (and romantic) glow.  Lillian and Sydney frequently ask if we can have a fire and they love to help get it started.  Bobby salvaged some big logs from the dump after Hurricane Sandy swept through in October.  He spent a couple of afternoons chopping the wood (he called it therapy) and now we have a decent sized stack on our front porch.  Lillian and Sydney even swung the ax a few times to split some logs!

Tonight Bobby made a fire.  Sydney helped him start it while Lillian and I sat on the couch together reading some poems from "Where the Sidewalk Ends."  Liam tried to help start the fire, too, but Mommy wouldn't let him get too close. ;)  Then we had ice cream and watched Dirty Jobs together while the fire glowed next to us.  Sydney was too tired to go upstairs and brush her teeth, so she fell asleep on the couch.  When Lillian was ready for bed she wanted to snuggle with Daddy, so the two of them went back downstairs and crashed on the couch with Sydney.  After I got Liam to sleep I found all three of them sleeping soundly next to the fire.  (There's still a little bit of fire left as I sit on the floor next to it, typing this out).

When Bobby woke up about an hour later he carried the girls upstairs to their beds.  As I watched him, I wondered how many times my mom or dad carried me up the stairs to my bed after I fell asleep by the fire.

From this point on in my life, I don't think I can live in a house without a fireplace.

This was in November when Bobby was on vacation and we had a "sleep over" by the fire.  The girls loved it!

- Chopping Firewood with Daddy in October -

Happy Birthday, Nanner!

Today I'm thankful for...

1. My little niece Nanner's first birthday!!  Our whole family Tango-ed with Nanner and her mommy and daddy and sang her Happy Birthday.  Then we got to watch Nanner toddle across the floor to her daddy...she'll be running around all over the place with her parents chasing after her like a couple of chickens with their heads cut off in no time!  We're so happy to have little Nanner in our family- she's the kids' first cousin on my side of the family (and my very first niece)!

2. Chores.  Lillian has officially entered the world of chores.  She has her own chores chart!  Nothing fancy...just a calendar drawn with a bunch of colorful markers designating each day of the week and what the chores are, with little boxes to fill with stickers when she completes the chore.  Currently her chores are to help set and clear the table for dinner (reminds me of my chores when I was younger), help Mommy take out the trash (this should really be Daddy's job, but Lillian was excited to do it instead), and line up the shoes by the door ("Nate the great, who lines them up straight!").  She's doing pretty well for her first week, and I have to admit that it has been quite helpful to have her help setting and clearing the table for dinner.  She usually enlists Sydney's help, or Sydney volunteers her services, so I get even more help which is awesome.  The other day Lillian surprised me by sweeping the dining room floor (a monumental task after any meal Liam takes part in) without being asked.  I was so proud of her for seeing a job that needed to be done and doing it!  She seemed pretty proud of herself, too...as she should be!  :)

3. Sunshine.  There hasn't been much of it here lately.  Just gray clouds, cold, and some rain.  I miss the sun.  I'm grateful for when it shines.  "Hey Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun....won't you please shine down on me?"

4. Bobby's rendition of "Ferdinand."  It's one of Lillian's favorite books and she asked Daddy to read it tonight before bedtime.  Bobby was totally smitten that she requested him to read it, and he put on quite a good show.  He read it with a lively Spanish accent, complete with corresponding motions and entertaining re-enactments of various scenes.  All three kids were completely engulfed in the story and Daddy's performance.  Liam gazed up at him with big, excited eyes, like he was the coolest dad in the whole world.  Lillian and Sydney laughed and squealed with delight at his performance.  Even I couldn't help but join in and laugh along.  It was the best book time ever.

Today I'm thankful for...

1. Sleepy "I love you's".  The kiddies and I had a late night last night.  I tried to get them to bed early tonight, and all three of them fell asleep almost instantly.  After I finished singing the bedtime songs I laid Liam in his crib and he was totally zonked out.  He didn't even roll over when I put him down.  Then I went to kiss the girls good night and say, "I love you."  On most nights they are still wide awake and they ask me several times what we're going to do the next day or they tell me all the things they want to do and who they want to play with, then they ask if I can lay in bed with them.  Not tonight.  Both of them were already half asleep and they didn't even open their eyes when I kissed them.  What was so tender was that each of them responded with, "I love you too," in a half-awake, half-asleep mumble whisper.  It made Mommy's heart melt. :)

2. The law of gravity.  Liam has discovered that if he drops something it will hit the ground.  He likes to take objects (spoons, cups, stuffed animals, ba-boos, food, anything really) and drop them over the side of the high chair, crib, couch-- any elevated surface-- and watch it fall.  Then he will peek over the edge, point to said dropped item, raise his eyebrows and open his eyes big and wide and say, "Uh-ohhh!" until someone picks it up and gives it back to him so he can do it all over again.  It's fun to do just to hear him say "uh-ohhh" over and over.

3. Flat Stanley.  Lillian read about Flat Stanley in her kindergarten class.  She made her own Flat Stanley and shipped him off across the country to her Great Grandma.  He was only gone a week, but every day she exclaimed how much she missed Flat Stanley and she couldn't wait for him to come back.  She wanted to make a "welcome home" banner for when he returned.  ;)  We didn't actually make the banner, but he had a warm welcoming when he arrived home safe and sound.  Great Gma showed Flat Stanley a great time around town, at her work, and he even got to play with Great Gpa and some cousins.  She sent pictures of his adventures and got Lillian a cool sticker.  We're so thankful that Great Gma took the time to host Flat Stanley!

4. My memorabilia pack rat tendencies.  I used to save every birthday card I ever got.  I would even deflate the mylar birthday balloon from my mom each year to save in my "memory box."  I'm not quite that bad anymore, but I still save meaningful notes and cards from the people I love.  No, they are not in a cute scrapbook or other crafty form of presentation.  Rather, they are shoved in a manila envelope and stacked in a closet.  Sydney found one of the envelopes today and wanted to see what was inside.  She had trouble opening the clasp, and by the time I was able to help her open it she had forgotten about it, but I decided to peek inside anyway.  I spent the next few minutes totally engulfed in reading cards and notes from past birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Days, and just random notes of love and support.  Most of them were from Bobby.  It was a nice reminder to read the tender things he had written over the past few years, and to see how our relationship has developed.  He often jokes that he doesn't know how to be romantic anymore because he's always too stressed and sleep deprived.  We definitely aren't in the "honeymoon" stage of our marriage anymore (it'll be 8 years in a few weeks!!), and having kids often gets in the way of romantic moments, but he's still my best friend and a great guy and I'm glad that I have him to go through life with.  And if he ever really forgets how to be romantic, I can always whip out my memory box full of old cards to remind him of all the mushy romantic things he used to say. ;)

5. Sydney's crown.  It says "I am a child of God."  She got it in her Sunbeams class at church but she didn't have time to color it, so she finished coloring it at home.  I stapled it together and she wore it proudly all morning!

6. Gma and Gpa's surprise visit!  The girls put on a pop star show for them, Liam showed off his walking moves, and we all got to send Lillian off at the bus stop.  It was a fun morning with them!

7. Cupcakes with Auntie Audrey!  Yes, she and Lillian have red dots on their foreheads.  No, they are not sniper marks.  They are bindis...Lillian wanted to be a princess from India.

 

8. Silly faces.  Uncle Nathan and Aunt Kate had our family for Secret Santa this year.  They got us this cool game called About Face.  There are different cards of pictures of household items, natural things and other random stuff for hair, eyes, nose and mouth.  Lilly and I had a lot of fun putting them together to make some goofy faces! 

"Christmas Face"

"Shell Face"

9. The face Liam makes when you tell him, "Say cheese!"

Today I'm thankful for...

1. An early flight home.  Bobby was at a conference this week.  He was supposed to fly home this afternoon, but he changed his flight to last night instead.  He missed me too much. :)  He got home after the kiddos were in bed, and they were excited to see him in the morning.  I'm glad he's back because I think the kiddies were starting to get tired of seeing me all the time, and I always stay up way too late when he's gone which has a horrible ripple effect on everyone because I get tired and cranky, then the kids get grumpy because I have no patience, then I get even crankier because the kids are acting up....and the vicious cycle goes on and on.  Everything is better when Daddy is home.

2. One-on-one time with Sydney.  When Sydney was born, Lillian became very clingy to me.  So while she spent all of her time with me, Sydney got to spend lots of time with Daddy.  They became buddies, and Bobby started worrying that Lillian wouldn't want to be with him ever again.  Now that Liam is here, the roles have reversed.  Sydney now clings to me like there's no tomorrow, and Lillian has taken advantage of the open opportunity to get attention from Daddy.  She cuddles with him on the couch, she snuggles with him in bed, and she always chooses to "go with Daddy" when there's an open seat in his car.  This morning we had to drive separately to church and Bobby was ready to leave before I was (surprise).  Lillian immediately said, "I'm going with Daddy!" and she got her shoes and coat on with lightning speed.  Sydney said, "I'm going with Mommy" and she lingered by my side.  Bobby took Liam with him, too, which left just me and Syd to finish packing the church bag and picking out snacks together.  It was nice to be able to focus 100% on her, even if was just for a little bit.  She's such a tender, sweet, and affectionate little girl.  She might be quiet and shy at times, but she's actually a total goof-ball (and sometimes a little monster) deep down inside.

3. Tres Leches.  We have friends from Honduras and we love being invited to their house to eat their delicious food.  Their son's birthday was this weekend so they made tres leches cake and invited us over to have some.  If you've never had tres leches, man you don't know what you're missing.  It's delicious!

4. Liam's baby steps.  He's been taking a few steps here and there for about a month.  Over the past couple of days, however, it looks like he's starting to prefer walking to crawling.  He's getting up more frequently to toddle around, and when he falls over he gets back up instead of resorting to crawling.  It's fun to watch him figure out his balance.  He sticks his arms straight out and then he waddle-walks back and forth.  He always has such a big smile on his face like he knows he's doing something really awesome!

5. Auntie Audrey's birthday!  My sister's birthday is today, so we invited her over last night for cupcakes and dinner (and yes, we had them in that order). ;-)  We also had a dance party, a parade, and Lillian and Sydney served us a pretend dinner with fancy desserts on the floor in their bedroom.  After los tres ninos went to bed we stayed up for a few hours and had some girl talk.  It was awesome!  I don't remember the last time I was able to sit down and have some adult conversation in peace and quiet (except for the three times Liam briefly woke up).....and the fact that I was with my sister made it even better.  I'm so grateful that she took the time to come hang out with us!

Lots of Little Joys

Today I'm thankful for...

1. Rocking Liam to sleep.  Normally Liam likes to be held upright so he can lay his little head on my shoulder.  But the past two nights he has let me hold him like a little baby (not that he isn't still a baby, cuz he still is and he'll always by my baby no matter how big he gets).  It's been sweet to hold him and rock him and watch him fall asleep.  I should probably be letting him learn how to fall asleep on his own in his crib, but I'm a sucker and I like to hold him to help him fall asleep when he's having a hard time and wailing his eyeballs out.  I won't be able to hold him forever, so I'm going to take advantage of it and enjoy it while I can.

2. Orion's belt.  It was shining brightly above our house the other night when Bobby and I were bringing the kids inside.  We took a moment to point it out to the girls, and helped them find the rest of the hunter's constellation.  I'm grateful to my dad for taking me out many a-nights to go stargazing and for teaching me where to locate Orion's belt.  Every time I see it in the night sky it reminds me of him.  And of star-filled skies twinkling over farm fields and cow pastures.

3. Musical talent.  No, not mine.  I dare say I have very limited (if that, even) musical abilities.  I'm just thankful for those who do because I am very much enjoying myself at this moment, sitting on my couch and listening to my Mormon Tabernacle Choir channel on Pandora.  It's a good mix of the MoTab singing and hymns played on guitar and piano.  There's even some Enya, Josh Groban, and Jim Brickman thrown in there, too.  It really invites the Spirit.

4. My big brown boots.  They are as high as the entire length of Sydney's legs, but somehow she manages to get them on and tromp around the house in them.  Today she was pretending she was a pop star putting on a show.  She kept looking at her paper to see what she had to sing.  I tried to get her to strike a pop star pose, but she was a little camera shy.

 

5. Three afternoons.  I try to read scriptures with the kids every night.  We have scripture books with lots of pictures and very simplified text.  Tonight we read from the Old Testament stories about Jonah.  When I got to the part about Jonah being swallowed by the big fish, I read, "Jonah stayed in the big fish for three days and three nights!"  Lillian piped in and said, "And three afternoons!  Three days, three afternoons, and three nights!"  She is very detail-oriented...just like her mama. :)

6. Root beer bubbles.  I splurged for New Year's Eve and bought fixins' for root beer floats.  We still have some Root beer left over in the fridge, so Sydney and I busted it out for lunch yesterday.  After Sydney took her first sip she smiled and said, "It's so bubbly in my mouth!"  Yay for soda bubblies!

7. Snow.  We got a few inches of white stuff a couple weeks ago.  Lillian and Sydney were so excited to go outside and play in it.  Lillian wanted to make snow angels, build a snowman, and have a snowball fight.  Sydney just wanted to eat the snow.  Like every good mom does, I warned her about the yellow snow.  ;)  Liam tried to figure out what all the white stuff was that was falling from the sky.  The only view of snow he got last year was from a small opening under blankets in his car seat, and that snow was all crunchy and icy anyway- not big and fluffy like these flakes.  It was fun to see the kids have fun playing, and Bobby brought the girls across the street to sled down the neighbor's little hill.  I was inside feeding Liam lunch, but I could still hear Lillian squealing with delight every time she went down the hill.

 

 

8. Gma and Gpa!!

Today I'm thankful for...

1. 9:30 a.m. church.  We share our church building with another ward/congregation, so we have to start at different times.  We switch every year.  Last year we had the 12 noon - 3 p.m. block.  It might sound nice to not have to get to church until noon, but with kids it's actually horrible.  Our kids never let us sleep in, so the advantage of starting later in the day totally goes out the window.  Also, it's right smack in the middle of lunch and nap time, and by the time you get home it's dinner time, then the day is done and it's off to bed.  Today, however, was wonderful.  When we got home we had a nice relaxing lunch, the girls had time to play, and I had time to get dinner together.  Later on we played Hungry, Hungry Hippos (at Sydney's request) and one third of a game of Candy Land.  It was great!! 

This year also marks Sydney's first year in Primary--now that she's three she is in the Sunbeams class!  So far, she's handled the transition out of Nursery like a champ!  She is so excited (and proud!) to be in Primary with Lillian!

2. Liam's nicknames.  Just to name a few-- Little Man, Man Child, Willem, Buddy, Champ, Handsome, Trouble Maker, Gordo, Stinker, Perma-stink, Tommy Boy (his middle name is Thomas)

3. Stinky, Rotten Ostrich Eggs.  They work like a charm to get Lillian and Sydney to do things like brush their teeth, get their p.j.'s on, or eat dinner.  Because the last one to get it done is not only a stinky, rotten egg, but a stinky, rotten OSTRICH egg!  No one wants to be that stinky! 

Today I'm thankful for...

1. This blog.  I just spent the last hour (I should be getting ready for bed) reading old posts in the blog's archive.  I forgot how far back this goes...all the way to January 2008...that's FIVE years!!  Oh my, how things have changed and evolved since then, and yet some things have stayed the same.  What a wonderful way to archive some of our experiences over the past five years.  It certainly took me on a trip down memory lane and helped me recall some things I would have completely forgotten about had I not written about it.  It reminds me of all the counsel I hear to "keep a record" or a journal of personal experiences and reflections.  It has truly helped me see how far I've progressed through life, what I've accomplished, what I've learned, and how much I've grown.

2. Lemon wedges.  I bought a bag of lemons a while back for some special event (I can't even remember for what) with the intent of putting round lemon slices in a pitcher of water...I was trying to be fancy, I guess.  I totally forgot about them until Sydney saw them yesterday.  She said she wanted one.  I told her she didn't want to eat it because it would be too sour, but she could have one in her cup of water.  That seemed good enough for her, so I cut a lemon wedge and stuck in on the side of her plastic cup.  Lillian saw this and [naturally] wanted one, too.  When I served it up to her she exclaimed with delight, "It's like the grown-ups' water at the restaurant!"  Yes, indeed it is!  I must be fancy after all!

3. Bobby's empathy.  He's on call tonight.  For the next few months he's covering two hospitals that don't normally get a lot of action at night...huge blessing because that means he can catch up on some sleep (and I get to see him more)!  Tonight we were cleaning the kitchen together and talking like a normal married couple about nothing (this is rare for us) when his pager went off.  Dang it!  Some poor lady was waiting in the ER with a horrible wrist fracture.  Instead of complaining about it, which I was half expecting, Bobby expressed concern for her and how uncomfortable she must be feeling.  I was touched by this.  Yes, it stinks that he has to go out and take care of it, but that's his job.  If I were the one waiting in the ER with broken wrist I would want my doctor to have empathy for me, too.  I'm grateful that this is the kind of work Bobby can do and that he has a good attitude about it.

4. Uncle Pauly.  Today is his birthday so the kids and I shot a quick phone video singing the most beautiful rendition of  Happy Birthday.  He was so nice to reply with "Thank you beautiful ladies" [and gentleman...Liam was in the video, too, but I think he was a bit overshadowed by all the female faces]. We love Uncle Pauly!

5. Kid Writing.  This is the writing curriculum in Lillian's kindergarten classroom.  Every kid has their own book that they draw a picture on one side of the page and on the other they write a sentence about it.  They can write about whatever the heck they want; no writing prompt....what freedom!!  After the kids are done sounding out the words and chewing on their pencil erasers while their little brains try to figure out the ever-so-confusing phonetic system of the English language, then it's time for "Grown-up Writing."  This is when the adult gets to write the child's sentence (with "kindergarten handwriting," mind you) underneath the kid's sentence so they can compare the two...to see what they got right and what they can improve for next time.  The teacher organizes the kids in groups of 4, so she asks for parent volunteers to come in and help.  Of course I signed myself up as soon as I could.  I love any chance to spy on Lillian in class and see what she's up to. ;-)  I go in a couple times a month to help and today was one of them.  Lillian got to be in my group, which was fun.  It's amazing to see her develop so quickly with her writing (and reading, too)!  I was only there for half an hour, but I got a precious little glimpse into what Lillian's afternoons are like.  And some of the kids are starting to refer to me as "Lillian's mom." :)

6. Liam's little hands.  Normally they are pulling at someone's hair, grabbing at something toxic or otherwise dangerous, shoved in his mouth, or wrapped around a choking hazard (if said item isn't already in his mouth)....gee, I sound like a great mom, huh?  Well, tonight Liam put his little hands on either side of my face while I was holding him and singing a bedtime song.  It was so tender.  My mom said he's done that to her, too.

"We are a happy fam-uh-lee!"

HELLOOOO!!!!

Today I'm thankful for...

1. 2013!!  It seriously seems like it was only last night that I was sitting on my couch in our old apartment typing out a blog post about 2012.  Deep down I was dreading the new year and I was trying very hard to focus on all of the things I had to look forward to that 2012 would bring.  Well, I'm happy to report that I survived the year.  Keeping a positive attitude most certainly helped.  There were some difficult and rough spots- a friend died in a tragic car accident in January; then my father-in-law's health quickly declined in March before he passed away; there were lots of long and lonely nights while Bobby was working late or on call....there are more things but what's the point in dwelling on the bad stuff?  There were way more great things about 2012- my niece Nanner was born! (on the same day as Michelle Obama's birthday, which also happens to be the same day I was baptized in 2003...how's that for some random facts for ya?); Lillian started kindergarten; Sydney started a parent co-op preschool that I'm thrilled to be a part of; we moved into a cute little house on a cute little street with awesome neighbors; we've made lots of new friends; Bobby's hours still suck but he gets to do his ortho stuff which he loves and he has home call; we went camping as a family; we hiked around some beautiful waterfalls; we had an awesome vacation at the beach; Liam is growing and babbling and is as cute as ever; I got to spend lots of time with my mom and dad in the beginning of the year when they were living nearby; I still get to hang out with my sister because she lives here, too (but only for a few more months!)...this is how I want to remember 2012.  It was a good year.  It makes me hopeful for 2013.

2. Tight squeezes!  I just love, love, love getting (and giving!) big, tight hugs to my kiddos.  Bobby and I will say, "give me a tight squeeze!" and they'll wrap their arms around our neck and their legs around our waste and squeeze as hard as they can.  Sydney gave me a big hug in the kitchen today and it was especially nice because it was totally out of the blue.  When Lillian walked through the door after school she jumped into my arms and hugged me tight, too.  Then we played ring-around-the-rosy on the floor and Sydney joined in.  Liam just looked at us like we were a bunch of silly girls (which we are).  It's moments like those that I wish I could freeze time and hold onto them for a very long time.

3. Liam's charm.  This boy is cute.  I might just be saying that because he's my little boy, but in any case he's pretty darn adorable.  He'll fold his arms when we say "time to say prayer!"  When we ask, "Liam, do you want to brush your teeth?" he sticks his finger in his mouth and pretends it's a toothbrush.  Ask him, "What does a cow say" and he'll say "Booooo!"  If you say, "Where's Liam?!" he'll put his little hands over his eyes, wait a few seconds, then take them away with a big grin on his face to see who's watching him.  It's the cutest game of peek-a-boo I've ever seen.  He stuffs whole animal crackers in his mouth as if he has to eat them before they get up and run away; he waves at everyone (and I mean everyone) he sees and he'll say "hi, hi" as his arm is flapping up and down; he has a little dimple in his left cheek; he pushes his trucks all over the house...I am in love with this little guy!

4. Dirty Jobs.  Lillian and Sydney have become obsessed with watching "Dirty Jobs" with Bobby.  Mike Rowe, the host, has become a common household name around here.  I was doing something messy the other day and Lilly said, "Wow, Mom, that's a dirty job!  You should tell Mike Rowe!"  I'm sad that Discovery has canceled the show, but we'll continue to enjoy watching past episodes on Netflix. :)