Things We Love Lately . . .

Wow, I feel like I've been gone a long time!

It's only been about two weeks since my last post but it feels like forever.
It's been a rough couple of weeks and every time I tried to sit down and write something happy and fun it came out grumpy and boring.
I feel a little better today.
We are working on a new treatment with Christopher and I think it is helping with his anxiety and overall attitude.
It's an interesting treatment and maybe someday (when we are very sure about its results) I will share it with you.

Anyways, sometimes it is hard for me to look through all the gray yuckiness to the good things in my life.
I have a lot of things to love . . . . . . .

I love brown, ugly grass.
Really, I do.
Spring was here the other day.
Of course, Idaho did not let her stay, but it was such a breath of fresh (still a little chilly) air. The kids had a great time out there enjoying some sun while still being able to find the few patches of snow that are left to track into the house :)

The kids love their color changing cars.
My kids want to play with EVERYTHING in the bathtub.


They loooove the bathtub.


So, Grandma got them these color changing cars for their bath time and they are in heaven.

I love AND Christopher loves Moon Dough.



Have you seen this stuff?
Wow. I love it.
It is allergy free, NEVER dries out, and it is the most interesting (oddly soothing) stuff to play with.
Their Aunt JJ was here a couple days ago playing with it and went out and bought her own grownup self some.
Seriously, this stuff is fascinating.

I loved this book.


When I saw the cheesy, pink cover I immediately thought - Uh uh. Not for me. But, I decided to give it a chance when I saw who wrote it. It was a great book. Highly recommended.

I love this show.


This is my dream life.

I love to crochet. Remember that pouf ottoman I showed you a while back? Well, she wasn't looking so good. I got some new, better stuffing for her and she looked a little better. However, with kids jumping on her and too big of stitches she was looking sad. Sooooo, I finally figured out that the directions had called for double crochet (bigger stitches) and I really needed to do a single crochet (smaller, tighter stitches) to make her look perfect. So, I undid ALLLLLLLL the stitches and started over.

I seriously have a ball of yarn as big as a basketball.

Amazing. She is looking fabulous. Much much better. I will show you when I'm done.
(Was that the most boring thing you have ever read on a blog???)

How is everyone out there???
What are you loving lately?

He came . . . .

I love Valentine's Day.

Love the colors, love the candy, love the little notes, love the memories, love the love.

Hope my kids feel the same way.

This Valentine's we made Valentine cards for all the grandparents


and we made some Valentine mail boxes.

Christopher asked me "Who brings us something for our mail boxes? Santa Claus?"

My reply : "Uhhhh . . . . ummm. . . well, The Valentine Mailman."

Ya. That's the best I could think up.
I could have said ME!

I could have said Cupid!
I could have said a huge, magical, red, glittering heart character who loves to spoil little children!
Nope. The Valentine Mailman (CREEEEEPY).


I've always had some strange mailmen and the thought of one sneaking into my house to deliver candy to my children . . . . not good.

Oh well. The kids seemed to be okay with him.

They had so much fun opening their mailboxes this morning.




The Valentine Mailman


brought them a spinning, glowy thingy (ha ha) from Grandma.


They looooooved these.

The Valentine Mailman


also brought them some bubbles from Mom and Dad.



NO SPILL bubbles!



The person who made the no spill bubble container deserves an award!


Mothers everywhere thank you!

And, of course, the Valentine Mailman



brought some candy.


Yummy.

I love these kids. I love my husband. I love all my wonderful family and dear friends.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

Here's to hoping that The Valentine Mailman makes a stop at your house ;)

I made my bed this morning . . . . .

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. ~Phyllis Diller

Sigh.

Take a seat . . . .

I am discouraged today.

Can I tell you about it??


My Christopher will have a week of feeling pretty together.
He is calm, friendly, happy.
I take him places and people wonder "what is her problem? this kid doesn't have that big of a problem."
Then, the "detox" happens (as I call it).
All the stresses and noises and chaos just becomes too much for him and he unloads.
This week has been his "detox" week and I HATE it.
I hate it!
He is frustrated and scared and anxious and angry and there isn't much I can do.
We stay home as much as possible and I work on helping him rid himself of all his anxiety.
I am also working on getting him ready for kindergarten.
This goal seems unreachable at times.
Yesterday was coloring.
Let me explain coloring time with Christopher to you.


He can't figure out how to hold a crayon.
The concept is agonizing to him.
His little fingers and little mind can't figure out how to work together.
Figuring out how to make something in his brain come out on paper tortures him.
We spent 3 hours THREE HOURS working on one picture.
While we struggled through the coloring, my Andy turned on his destruction mode and colored the chairs and himself, ripped papers, and threw marker lids around the room.



It was an absolute marathon of patience for me and I am sure for him.
We worked and worked on a picture of a road with trees, playground, cars, and signs.
There were screams and meltdowns and hugs and tears.
But, . . . . we did it.


He drew and colored a picture.
It may have taken us three hours, but we did it.
He was so so proud and I found him looking at it throughout the day.



Author Anna Quindlen says, "The great motherhood friendships are the ones in which two women can admit how difficult mothering is quietly to each other, over cups of tea at a table sticky with spilled apple juice and littered with markers without tops."

Thanks for listening friends, mothers, and readers at my "table littered with markers without tops" and probably a little apple juice too :)

Good ol' Summer Time . . .

I hate that I do this.

In the summer I want winter.
In the winter I want summer.
Make up your mind!!

I hate bundling up the children just to go get the mail.


Andy wants his hat on and will scream until it is in place.


Christopher refuses to wear his hat because he hates the feel of it on his ears.


I barely get any coat on before they are running out the garage and onto the slippery ice patches on my driveway.
Yesterday I fell on the ice and scraped my hand raw just trying to get over to my neighbors house.
We live in a townhouse.
They live literally 5 steps away.



Winter also makes me turn into an old lady.
I sit by the heater and crochet.
If I had a cat it would be in my lap purring.
I did crochet something pretty fun the other day though.
I decided to make a pouf ottoman.
Have you seen these things?!


I love them.
However, I don't love them enough to pay $600 for one.
Seriously, that's how much they cost.
Soooo, I made my own.


Not as pretty, not as perfect, but really fun.
I am also redecorating my family room, but that is a blog for another time.


Winter also produces a lot of these.


Ugh.
Why do I do it?
I don't need these.
Especially if I am going to sit around crocheting.

Summer we miss you.
(If I write a blog post in the summer about wishing for winter - just slap me)

I will survive . . . . .

My 5 year old loves all shows survival.

Survivor Man is fun.


But, his all time favorite is Man vs. Wild.


In the summer he plays "Look Mom, I'm survivin!" in our backyard.


I have to admit I am a sucker for these shows as well.
Mostly because I am one of those crazy ladies who actually believes she will end up in the deadly Amazon jungle.
I will need to know these survival skills.
Ya, right.


Maybe I am a terrible mom for letting him watch these shows with all their animal killing and eating.
I use the excuse, "It's nature. Things have to die for others to survive."
He was watching it the other night while I was fixing dinner.
My guilt was growing and growing as I listened to Bear Grylls (the Man vs. Wild guy) catching and killing an alligator and then preparing to cook it.
What a horrible mom I am. He's going to be traumatized.
Bear Grylls began to cut into the alligator "Oh, would you look at all this great meat inside. Great protein." he says.
Christopher yells from the other room : "Mom! Mommy! Come here!"
Oh no.
I'm prepared to explain the facts of life. Sometimes animals have to die so that we can eat and live. Pretty hard stuff for a 5 year old.
He looks at me with wide eyes and says :
"Mommy, he found some meat inside that alligator! He's so lucky!"

I could not stop laughing.
What a pure mind this little one has.
I guess the "facts of life" conversation will be saved for another day :)

The terrible twos . . . .

The 9th was my baby's 2nd birthday.
Andy is TWO!
I can't believe it.
We celebrated at Great Grandma's house and he was, of course, spoiled beyond belief.
Thank you everyone.



This boy is stubborn, demanding, goofy, a tease, bashful, snuggly, mischievous, sweet, and big (doctor's can't believe it) and I LOVE every little piece of him.
Happy Birthday to my little pandy bear!