Wednesday, January 21, 2009

feel better soon cupcakes


The first day after the kids' doctor's diagnosis,  I felt so terrible for them.  They were so weak and helpless.  So I thought I should make them some cupcakes and should have a get-well-soon party.  That was Day 1 of staying at home sick.....not sure I'm that nice now on Day 6.  

We did have fun, however.   The kids even enjoying decorating some too.

Here is their finished products....not too shabby, I say!

beat the sickness blues bath

To ease our stay inside for days-sickness blues, I prepared an extra special bath for the kids. I just added a couple of drops of blue food coloring to the water in my tub and gave them bubbles to blow. The warm water made Zander's chest feel better and the blue water & bubbles lifted all three of our spirits.



Tuesday, January 20, 2009

free at last

Yesterday I was reorganizing the playroom for the 50th time (because I just can't get it exactly how I want it) and heard the kids in the living room yelling, "Free at Last. Free at last."

I walked into the room and noticed Oprah was on and the speech by Martin Luther King Jr. was being aired. Zander looked up at me and said, "Who is that man mama? I like him." I guess charismatic people touch everyone.....through the ages. The show then moved to a clip of Barack Obama and Zander said, "Barack Obama, he's my favorite." Kaya started clapping and they both were jumping up and down saying "Free at Last!" again.

Of course I teared up, immediately pressed record on the remote, and tried to capture the moment again on camera. But the moment was fleeting. I'm glad I got to see it when I did. To have a two and three year old understand something important was happening and showing compassion truly touched my heart. I really don't tell them my political opinions or anything about government at this age just the importance of everyone being treated kindly.

I'm glad I got to see the glimpse of kindness and compassion. Happy Inagauration Day to you all!

Friday, January 16, 2009

living by hope

Living with Hope

Optimism and hope are radically different attitudes. Optimism is the expectation that things-the weather, human relationships, the economy, the political situation, and so on-will get better. Hope is the trust that God will fulfill God's promises to us in a way that leads us to true freedom. The optimist speaks about concrete changes in the future. The person of hope lives in the moment with the knowledge and trust that all of life is in good hands.

All the great spiritual leaders in history were people of hope. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like. Let's live with hope. --Henri J.B. Nouwen


I received this inspirational message in my inbox today and realized it couldn't come at a better time.

I think of myself as an optimist.  Always trying to plan to make things better for the future.  The problem is that I get frustrated when things don't go exactly according to plan.  Travel plans change,  unexpected playdates occur,  daily chores have to be done,  little ones get sick (Kaya has an ear infection & respiratory infection and Zander has pneumonia now).  My first instinct when things don't go according to my schedule is to blame myself and question how I could have arranged our time and events better. 

I think God is having a grand old chuckle now.  He's probably glad I'm figuring it out.....I'm not really the one in charge here.  So as I struggle to let go of my desire to control the world.....let me live by hope.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

crafty invites

There aren't many things I love more than hosting parties.....(hmmm....could that be a future career choice) especially baby showers.

I love the planning,  the hosting, and I really enjoy making the invitations.  Here are some I made for a baby "sprinkle" brunch that I'm hosting next month.


Each invitation is different but this one is my favorite (I sent it to mommy-to-be).





Monday, January 12, 2009

what a ride!


A few weeks ago we traveled to Texas to celebrate Matt's grandma,  Granny Annie,  on her 90th birthday.  The kids had lots of fun with her too!

The most fun was the ride around the park.  Kaya insisted on pushing Granny Annie around.  Of course, later on,  Zander had to have a try.  They pushed her around the little park and at times was flying!  When Zander pushed,  Kaya sat in Granny Annie's lap and they all had a blast.



I hope the kids always remember that fun day and wild ride with Granny Annie.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

WARNING.....don't swallow baby powder

Tonight as I was putting Zander to bed,  we struggled to get his pajama drawer open and closed (because his dear mommy has not emptied the drawer of his too small pajamas yet).  So I said, "Zander,  tomorrow you and mommy need to clean out this drawer."

Of course,  that statement was followed with "But mom,  don't get rid of all of my favorite ones."

So I told him we would go through and find the ones too small and give to another boy that doesn't have as many pajamas.  Then I remembered the upcoming arrival of my nephew (yippee...I can't wait until May to spoil him rotten) and said, "Maybe we can bag them up and save them for your new cousin,  the baby Uncle Michael and Aunt Teri are having."

And that is when the discussion about babies began.

"Is the baby in Aunt Tee-Tee's belly, mom?"
"Yes,  it is in her belly until it grows enough to come out."
"Well, maybe the next time Aunt Tee-Tee visits I can get in her belly and talk to my baby cousin."
"Well, you can't get in her belly, Zander.  Just her baby."

"So how does the baby get in there, mom?" (This is when I thought,  am I really discussing this with my 3-year old).

So I just answered, "Well,  when a man and woman decide to have a baby, the baby grows inside the mommy's tummy."  Hoping this was the end of the explanation.....I was not prepared for the next statement from Zander.

"Mom,  I think Aunt Tee-Tee must have swallowed some baby powder and that is how she got the baby in her belly."

You know,  that does seem to make more sense than the whole stork story.


Wednesday, January 7, 2009

some of my favorite christmas photos















I know.......I promised Christmas pictures a couple of weeks ago.  I have tried to quickly pick out my favorites tonight but there are so many.  Here are a very small sample of the moments I loved so much about the Christmas season.

I'll share all of them with the friends and family (mainly grandparents) later on with my snapfish or photobucket accounts.  I haven't blogged for a while because I'm just enjoying every minute of my life.

We've had so much going on lately.  Of course,  we loved our Kentucky visits,  Christmas day, and our New Year's Dip-dip-dip-dip Dip it in it party.  We also had a fantastic time going to Texas to surprise Granny Annie for her 90th birthday,  our visit to see Bob the Builder,  and our first gymnastic lesson.  

In the midst of all of these fun activities I've also tried to put our house back into some kind of order and have a more "structured" preschool curriculum with the kids.  Yes,  life is busy.  I've thought many times.....maybe I should blog about this.  And,  maybe I will.  But until then I'm perfectly content enjoying my fabulously busy, fabulously enriching life.