Just Beachy

I had the great privilege of growing up in a small town on Lake Michigan.  I never really appreciated what I had as a kid, but now it is pure joy to share it with my children.  We made it to the beach a number of times this summer, and while this last trip was not the quintessential, sunny beach day, there were enough warm waves crashing on the shore to keep Monica and James laughing. 

Happy Summer!

Yowza.

It's been a while!

Summer has been very full for us: lots of sun, fun, beaching, home improvement and sewing.  I *promise* I'll post more later (maybe later this evening...) but for now, here's a pic from a photog sesh in June in honor of my mom's birthday (which was in March...we like long celebrations!) 

We love you Mom! 

Like the pics? Check out Kelsey Marie Photography.

Me and My Hoodies

Happy Easter!

Jesus is Risen! Alleluia!

I hope you all had a joyous Easter Sunday and that the blessings continue to flow through the Easter season. We had a truly blessed time filled with grace, family, and sunshine.


Patience with the camera disintegrated very quickly...

This snapshot brought back memories of another scream-filled photo-op.




Both were definitely, how-can-I-do-anything-but-smile-crazily-with-all-this-screaming moments.

Tried the Tri

Last weekend Kevin and I raced at the Sanford and Sun Triathlon. We both raced the sprint distance, which was challenging without being too exhausting. This was my first triathlon, and it may very well be my last. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but mostly because of the time it takes to train for all three disciplines. It's relatively easy for me to pull on a pair of shoes, load the kids in the jogger and hit the road. It's another matter all together to find the time to get to the pool or to do a long bike ride.

I wanted to include some sweet action pics from the race, but I really didn't want to pay the $20, and the site with said pics was pretty clunky, necesitating a lot of searching.

But, I do have a great video of Kevin using his sweet new racing bike. Heh.

Date Night

Last night Monica and Kevin went to their first Daddy Daughter Dance at our parish. It was a sock hop so they got all decked out in their finest 50s attire. Monica talked about the dance all day leading up to it and loved (nearly) every moment.

According to Kevin, Monica can burn the floor with her dancing skills. She kept asking to go out onto the dance floor, but if Kevin held her, she arched her back and tried to jump out of his arms. If he held her hand, she went dead weight and crumpled to the floor. If he let her dance on her own, as she preferred, she would twirl a few times, sit down with her feet and bum in the air, roll over to her belly and keep rolling. Kevin did a demo for me and I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Needless to say, that didn't last long with a lot of other little girls and their dads trying to dance. But hey, to a two year old, the whole floor is up for grabs, right?



Making the poodle skirt and sending Monica and Kevin off on their date brought back a lot of fond memories for me. I went to Daddy Daughter events with my dad as a little girl and it was truly special. One of my date nights with my dad at our church was a sock hop as well. I know there's a picture out there to prove it, but I have yet to hunt it down. If I find it, I'll post it.

I'm so glad that Monica has a father who is willing to spend time with her, even if that time involves a whole lot of spilled lemonade and disruptive dancing. A close, loving relationship with a father is so important. Kevin is helping Monica to build a foundation for her relationships with boys and men throughout her entire life, a foundation that will help her to make wise choices in friendships, dating, and possibly marriage. Through him, she will learn what it means to be loved and respected by men. Granted, there are other factors in how Monica will relate to men later in life, but the father-daughter relationship is key. And, in my opinion, Monica is one blessed little lady to have such a loving, attentive, and patient father. Thanks for being a great dad, Kev!

And thanks to Maureen and Jen for helping me with the poodle skirt. It totally made the evening that much more special for Monica.

Happy 30th Kev!

It's a day late but...

Here's to 30 years! We love you!

Happy Easter!

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Triduum! We were able to spend the weekend with family, which was great.

Now that Monica is older and excited about helping in the kitchen, I decided to put together some yummy treats to celebrate the easter season. This Bird's Nest isn't the most traditional of desserts, but it is springy and sugary. I just made a batch of Rice Krispie treats, molded them into nest shapes and put Peeps and jelly beans on top. Monica thinks they're great! She told me that the birds would eat the eggs and that they were looking around the kitchen. I love how little kids think stuffed animals and dolls, and really anything shaped like a living thing, is alive.






I think Kevin and his notorious sweet tooth will appreciate this more than Monica!

Unprecedented

This Sunday's mass was a doozie for Monica and Kevin. I was out of the church, changing a diaper when this all went down so pardon any lack of detail.

Apparently, in her boredom, Monica started picking her nose and succeeded in finding a hefty booger. Once she had it on her finger, she began waving it around and talking loudly about "the boogie" on her finger. I had the diaper bag, so Kevin didn't have a wipe, kleenex or burp rag to take care of this really large boogie, and he really didn't want to wipe it on the dry clean only pants. So, Monica continues to wave her hand and yell about the boogie while Kevin tries to keep the boogie out of his face. This is, of course, totally hilarious to Monica so she tries to stick the boogie in his mouth. He deflected that shot, but then she shoved it into her mouth, laughing the whole time.

Apparently the boogie survived her mouth but no one's really sure where it actually ended up...ugh crusty boogies...smeared on clothes or a church pew, always disgusting. At least the people around us got a chuckle out of it. And, kudos to Kevin. Can you say that someone else has tried to stick their boogies in your mouth?

**********************************************************************

Yesterday we went to the grocery store just before 1pm...naptime. While that was defintely not ideal, it's just what happened. I knew it would be rough, but I just buckled down and readied myself for a meltdown.

It was all I expected and more, believe me. Monica actually tripped over her own feet multiple times in her sleepy/cranky daze, but the last time was apparently the worst because she walked down the aisle moaning "Boo boo...boo boo...boo boo!" I stopped and asked her, "Where is the boo boo? Does it need a kiss?" and she affirmed the need for a kiss but also told me the boo boo was on her bottom.

That's definintely the first time anyone has outrightly asked me to kiss their bum, in public no less. I love my kid, but I just wasn't willing to plant my lips on her behind in the middle of the frozen food section. I just kissed my hand, patted her bum, and moved on. Motherhood, you never know what it will bring.

"Eeeeeek!" and Other Happenings

Monica is just so two-and-a-half right now...in good ways and challenging ways. We're having a lot of fun doing projects together, like coloring, making birthday cards and baking bread. Like most toddlers, she's really curious and loves to touch and taste everything, as evidenced by the picture of her below, after she got into the whole wheat flour and decided to eat handfulls of it...weird. This time is also challenging because she is becoming a lot more verbally creative and also a lot more creative in her defiance. Yet, I'm frequently reminded that she still needs to mature in communication skills. We still experience some really cro magnon-like moments. Lately, in our house, when the going gets tough, the tough get screaming. Monica's been a shrieker since she was four months old, and we're going through one of those phases again. Whether she needs to transition out of playing with a toy, to eat, to sleep or just can't get her slippers on, there is often ear-piercing, blood-curdling screaming. We're working on directing her toward other frustration-outlets, but it is a process, and it seems pretty slow sometimes. Monica has also taken a lot more interest in James lately, probably because he has taken a lot more interest in her toys! He is still not crawling or scooting, so he can't do a whole lot to defend himself when she comes at him to take whatever he has, besides screaming and waving his arms. And he does a lot of that while Monica is putting him in one of her vice-grip hugs around his head or neck. (Another skill to work on: appropriate and gentle affection.) But just the other day, we were at the local hands-on museum and I realized how quickly she is growing and changing. The way she can run and jump and play now, compared to even just after James was born is amazingly more complex. I am so grateful and humbled to be a part of my children's lives, even in the tensest of shriek-laden moments.

Capturing the Moment

We had some family pics taken yesterday and the preview is up on the photographer's blog. So far, so cute!

We had a great experience with Melanie, and I definitely recommend her. I think she captured our family beautifully!

Happy Yuletide!

Here are the kiddos on Christmas eve, just after we got home from mass, and just before we ate dinner and put them to bed. Needless to say, we snapped about one of these happy pics



for every five of these fussy pics.




We didn't travel this year, the first time since we've been married, which was a huge load off. Thanks to family who came to us and made the holiday much less stressful and much more enjoyable! It really was a fabulous Christmas, pink tutus and all.

Smile at Christmas!

Christmas decorating at our house is late and slow this year. We've been busy raising little ones and going out of town so the decorating has taken a back seat until the past few days. We started the process on Saturday by picking out a tree with the kids and setting it up. On Saturday night Kevin and I (mostly Kevin) put up stockings, holly boughs, nativity scenes and the like.

While I totally dropped the ball on the advent wreath, I muddled my way through making a Jesse Tree, which Monica understood and enjoyed more than I thought she would. Each ornament is a piece of salvation history and Scripture from creation to the birth of Christ. There are many different sequences and I'll probably tweek some of the ornaments for next year. But for a first try, it has been great!




I think the best part of the Advent season is watching Monica really experience the Advent season - snow, decorations, advent traditions and carols. A few mornings ago she walked out of her room and saw the tree all lit up and exclaimed, "Monica smile! Monica smile at Christmas!"

I hope you all have the chance to "smile at Christmas" and bask in the wonder of God's coming to earth as a babe.

This Dairy Free Life - Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I hope you have a fabulous turkey, potato, cranberry and pumpkin filled day.

Since I am still on a strict no-dairy diet, this holiday season should prove to be challenging, and to be perfectly honest, not as tasty. This became even more clear when James reacted to cinnamon that I had been eating. Perfect timing for cinnamon season...pumpkin pie, cookies, spiced cider,etc.

Now for the silver lining. I found this website: www.godairyfree.org. It has hundreds of recipes, product reviews, restaurant recommendations and the like for dairy free folks. A lot of the recipes are free of other allergens (soy, egg, gluten etc) as well. So, I will be eating dessert this Thanksgiving: Crumbly Apple Crisp with a Maple Finish. I might skip the maple, since I'm not a huge fan, and the cinnamon will be minimal to nil. However, I'm just looking forward to a little sweet to end my meal!

More Than It Seems

After a particularly long day and a stop-and-go fight with Friday afternoon traffic, Kevin asked, as I was wiping Monica's rear, "Do you ever ask yourself, 'Is this really what I do all day? Clean up other people's poop?'"

I didn't even look up as I said in a rather testy voice, "No. It's just what I do." After some reflection, I realized that I should have said, "Nope. I ask myself: "Is this really what I do all day? Clean up other people's poop, pee, spit up, and drool?" He left out a few things...

There are periods of time when I really struggle with the physical, 24/7 mothering required for two very wee ones. It's easy to lose sight of the goal when the days are filled with seemingly endless messy tasks. While at the park a few days ago, Monica stumbled to the ground and my first thought was not for her welfare, but frustration that once again, I'd have another grass stain to pretreat before doing laundry for the fourth time in two days. My conscience kicked in just then, and I realized how sad it was that I was more concerned about a pair of hand-me-down leggings than my daughter's tears.

The grass stain frustration caused me to examine my thoughts and attitudes toward my children and mothering over the following days. I realized that I was very focused on the seemingly endless "busy nothings" of the day--cleaning, cooking, nursing, and wiping noses, mouths and rears. I had lost sight of the whole point of the endless tasks, the point that makes the endless tasks so much more than "nothing." Mothering small children is anything but glamorous. It is exhausting, dirty, and often frustrating. But there is nothing like a baby kiss or a two year old looking up at you after you wipe their poopy self and saying "I wuv oo Mama." And even deeper than the affection is the fact that these small acts of love are building the foundation for a life of love and relationship. The family is the first place that James and Monica will learn what true love is. Love that forgets itself and looks toward God and other first.

I came across this meditation by Venerable Elisabeth Leseur, which really summed up my prayers and thoughts:
We pray, suffer, and labor in ignorance of the consequence of our acts and prayers. God makes them serve his supreme plan; gradually they take their effect, winning one soul, then another. They hasten the coming of the kingdom of God and by the other beings, acts, and desires they give birth to, they will exert an influence that will endure until the end of time.

Elisabeth was childless, but I think this insight is like gold for mothers looking to love their children and share God's love with them, especially in the midst of daily monotony. Wiping bottoms with a smile may not be pleasant, but it has the potential to plant a seed of generosity and true charity that will last for eternity.

Trick or Treat!

Here are some pics of the kiddos in their Halloween garb. Monica had a great time and is still saying "Trick or Treat!" just for the fun of it. I'm pretty sure they're the cutest lady bug and peapod ever.

Happy Birthday Miss Monica!

Two years old today...hard to believe it was that long ago that we met our little girl for the first time! The days are long the years are short...

We love you Monica, and we pray that you have many more healthy, joy-filled years ahead of you!




On another note, we no longer have two kids under two! That's kind of comforting...

As Promised...

...updated pictures of the kiddos! Yes, the last post was over two weeks ago, but, as you can imagine, we're busy and tired in this house! So, here's as little slide show:



James will be two months old next week, which is hard to believe! We've made it through the toughest days, and we're all still in one piece, and actually doing really well. The adjustment to two kids has been pretty smooth, but has also had its difficulties. It's hard not to be able to give Monica and James everything they need at the exact moment they need it, but I figure that's part of being in a family. In this context is where we first learn to wait our turn and be patient. I think Kevin and I are learning to have more patience too, at least that's the hope and the goal.

James is smiling and cooing a lot now, which is fun and rewarding. His little gummy grin gets me through, and Monica's funny little quips make me laugh when I need it most. Mommy-dom is many things, but right now, it is rarely dull.

Yes, We're Still Alive!

Obviously, life has been very very busy around here, but I really am meaning to post some recent pics in the next couple of days. James is growing like crazy (to the tune of about a pound a week right now!) so it is definitely time for you all to see the not-so-little guy.

Monica is adjusting well, though most every time I sit down to nurse she says "Poo poo! Change diaper?" and most of those alarms are false. She just wants me to put the baby down and pay attention to her! Can't say I blame her, since I do have to spend a whole lot of time feeding James at this point.

James is eating well and sleeping relatively well for a newborn. I could definitely still use some more Zs, but I've accepted that exhaustion is inevitable at this point, but also not permanent.

I really prefer the summer baby as opposed to the late fall/winter baby. We're able to get out and do so much more. Today we went to a park with sandboxes, a huge play structure, and a splash park, which is a play area full of souped up sprinklers. I met a few other moms and their kids, which was key. No way was I going to be able to manage Monica, the aimlessly wandering toddler, and nurse/care for a newborn at the same time. Thank God for mom-friends!

I think my ability to get out also has to do with my willingness to take a risk and the sheer need to avoid total insanity. I don't think Monica and I would fare very well staying in the house 24-7 with very little contact with the outside world. That's pretty much how I functioned in Monica's early months. Though, to be fair, it was probably less about the weather, and more about Monica's fussiness and fear of dealing with said fussiness outside of these four walls.

So, fear not, we are still alive and well, just strapped for time in regards to blogging. You have my word for a picture update in the next few days.

Sweet Baby James

He's here!

James Francis made his debut on Thursday at 3:32pm at a sizeable 8lb. 8oz. and 20 in. long.

We came home on Saturday and everyone is doing well. James loves to eat and lets us get a bit of sleep. Monica calls him "Jim" or "crying" and likes to mimic him when he really gets squawking. We all have adjusting to do, which seems like that's all you do in the early weeks, really. Newborns change so fast!




Monica hasn't been too interested in holding James, as you can see by this pic:



But she will give him little kisses on the top of head and "hugs" which means she touches the crown of her head to his, kind of like these guys:



I'm excited to get to know our little man and continue to make him more and more a part of our family. We are truly blessed!