Happy New Year!

My husband just unexpectedly became a guest blogger and provided the content for the first blog of 2014.

I just received the following email from him. I think this may give me high hopes of the year to come!

"MRA and ASA had their squabbles this AM as usual. Being that I’m still recovering from the sleep deprivation from the past week, I tell both of them to go to their rooms. They both do while I’m finishing getting ready. When I go up to get them, I open MRA’s door 1st, and not only is he playing quietly, but he’s also both gotten himself dressed and cleaned-up his room (which he quickly told me about). It was one of the more proud moments that I’ve had of him."

Wishing you all much hope in 2014!

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas. Ours was wonderful and low key and fun with lots of quality time together. Yesterday we had a playdate with Chubalicious' best friend Colten. They had a blast.

 

MRA in notorious fashion, ran his car over our friends landscaping and spun his tires while stuck on a rock then he ran ovr my foot. He can't wait to go back. I can.

Not so Wordless Wendesday

and probably a little long if you are not related to these two whack-a-doodles by blood.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I spent Thanksgiving with several families. We met in a hospital group for new Mamas just a little over two years ago, right after Chubalicious was born. Its true to say that our children have grown up together (at least to date.)

They, like their Mamas, have formed good friendships and I am thankful for each one of them for many and various reasons.

 

They are not my oldest friends but they are dear friends and we had an AMAZING Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wenesday on Thursday

I think Wordless Wednesday on Thursday means I can use a few words. Its just a limited number of words. So with this in mind, I say:

Halloween costumes.
Pirate invsion.
So excited.
AAArgh (all the time).
Did I mention excited?
Not putting on other clothes.
Great Pumpkin had to come and hide said costumes.
So much fun, I'm loving it!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Valentine's Day, I think!

When I was young, I spent a lot of Valentine's Days feeling sorry for myself because I did not have a Valentine. At some point, in the years right before meeting my husband, I realized that I really didn't want some one to do nice things for me and tell me that they loved me because they had to. What I wanted was some one who did those things because they wanted to.

Then came Jonathan. He did nice things for me a lot and on days that weren't Valentine's Days. So it was easy to be smug and dismiss Valentine's Day as a commercial holiday that I-in-no-way-wanted-to-participate-in SO. Help. Me. GOD!

I spent the next few Valentine's Days rejoicing in not participating and in some ways nearly boycotting the day. I silently snickered at the people complaining that they could not get a Valentine's Day reservation because, HA, I didn't need one. After all, my husband did nice things for me because it was Thursday and he loved me.

Then, a few years ago, we had kids - you know, the biggest game changer in the history of ever. Just how big a game changer? Well, things haven't stopped changing, including my thoughts on Valentine's Day.

Now, the big V-day is here along with all the chocolate and perforated cut out cards and roses that don't get bought the other 50 weeks of the year. It's Valentine's Day and, I wonder, "What message do I want to send to my children?"

I want them to know that they are loved EVERY day and I strive for that. I want them to do nice things for their friends and classmates anytime because they are nice people - not because its a day your supposed to be nice. Of course, I also don't want to be the only mom not sending Valentines to my children's class party - even if one of them is only 18 months old and the idea of sending Valentines is TOTALLY RIDICULOUS!

I still would prefer that my husband do nice things for me simply because he loves me and its Thursday. But, shizzle, Thursday is the morning that MRA has piano lessons so we are separating and dropping the children off to school at different times and leaving extra early to do so. (READ: We are starting the day earlier than normal which is always harder than normal and makes us both TIRED.)

And I can't leave work early, so I will be missing their class parties but I am thankful that my husband will be there to represent.

At home, we have some special Valentines for the children. Because, I have realized, love is not a bad message to send to children.

But what does it now mean for me? Once we get home and calm the CRAZY that is inevitably our children after class parties full of sugar, I may not exactly feel like being nice... or even talking, really. I mean can't we love each other tomorrow night, when we don't have to wake to a 5:45 alarm the next morning.

This morning, though, my wonderful girlfriend, Elizabeth, posted this message:

It always baffles me how on Valentine's Day so many people proudly proclaim that they don't believe in Valentine's Day and refuse to celebrate it, yet they celebrate Halloween with such fervor. "Ghouls and witches, I drink to them, but simple beautiful natural love, no thank you!" Why anyone would turn down an excuse to drink champagne with their beloved I'll never understand.

Hmmm, well, I have to admit, she has a point. And besides, tomorrow night is pizza Friday with MRA.

I hope you all have much love in your lives today and every day. And I just might stop for some champagne on my way home!

Wordless Wedesday (oops on Thursday)

The One With The Double-sided Tape, Redux

Several years back, my wonderful husband decided to help wrap some gifts for my best friend's baby shower in Denver while I packed our suitcases. After some time, he yelled from upstairs to me, "HONEY, i THINK THIS TAPE HAS GONE BAD... ITS... LIKE... STICKY... ON BOTH SIDES!!!!

I tried hard not to laugh (at least in front of him)  and explained that it was DOUBLE-SIDED tape. I should mention here that he knows how much I love this story. Really, because years later, I still find humor in it.

Fast forward to a few nights ago. The house is quiet save for the Christmas music is playing. Gifts for the boys are spread out before the two of us and we are diligently wrapping. After a few hours, we are close to finishing and Jonathan says, "I just ran out of regular tape. I had to use the double-sided. This last gift is going to stick to all the others."

There is really nothing else to add here, except, I love, love, love that man.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

BOO!

Yes, Chubalicious. If you put a blanket over your head and walk around, Daddy and I will HAVE NO IDEA where you are.

Love this baby and just in time for Halloween. Maybe I need to rethink his costume???

Give me Liberty or Give me...some Tempura paint

MRA had his annual Fourth of July celebration at school. This year his class made costumes and dressed as the Statue of Liberty. I thought they did a good job.

Some people have asked why the costumes are green? Which makes me want to ask them if they have ever seen the statue of liberty or what color they think she might be? The funniest part is that they ask the question with such indignation, like, "How dare the school mispaint the costumes. What idiots."

                                                 
But I am pretty sure she has ALWAYS been green.

Ladies Night and Boys Night

Last Friday I headed out with my friend Kim for dinner, drinks and a movie. It was the opening go "Magic Mike". The women were in rare form. They came with props and oversize fake money and a lot of energy.

Once the movie got going, there was quite a bit of whooping and hollering.At which point Kim leaned over and said, "I'm gonna have to come back and see this again so I can hear the dialogue."

To which I responded, "Really? You care about the dialogue?"

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch - okay, really just a few blocks down the street, MRA was with his Daddy and Babba watching a boat parade. They ate dinner and scored some loot.

MRA was so So SO excited. SO excited, in fact, that he slept with his swag and when he woke up and called for me in the morning, he was WEARING ALL  OF IT. ALL. OF. IT. Ok, well, some of it was in the bag he wouldn't let go of all day long.

I'mmmmmm Baaack

From PARIS that is!
As soon as we unpack and get settled, I promise blog entries. Until then....

The above is the only photo I have of the four of us. How sad is that?

With love

It's Valentine's Day. I am not Valentine-y. Neither is Jonathan. This works well for us.

I think it would be weird if he did something uber romantic on Valentine's Day because, well, he does things for me that are really nice on random days throughout the year. So, if he did something on Valentine's Day, it just wouldn't feel authentic.

But now we have children and they celebrate Valentine's Day at school. We don't want to be the parents who don't let their kids celebrate, but... I think I would rather teach my children that when you love some one, it is important to show them that love throughout the year. Not just on February 14th.

And, as a mother of boys, I hope they will be the kind of gentlemen that treasure their loved ones year round. If their father has anything to do with it, I won't have to worry.

I would like to acknowledge that maybe if I did not have a great husband who made me feel loved (usually) throughout the year, then maybe, Valentine's Day would be a bigger deal.

But back to the dilemma... how do you instill the value of love without the commercialism. I don't have the answer this year. I will work on figuring it out.


In the mean time.... we are sending you all lots of love!