Happy Easter!

I hope that you've had a most blessed Resurrection Sunday! We have had a wonderful day, full of family, baskets of goodies, hidden eggs, yummy foods, and most importantly, celebrating our Lord's victory over death.


Happy Easter!! ...because He lives!

Day off?

As a mom, I don't get any "days off". And, I'll admit that I don't usually want many days off--I love what I do, I love my kids, and I generally love life. But, a break from it all? Well, sometimes even the best momma needs some time away! And, usually a date night with my husband or just a little time apart from the boys gives me exactly what I need.
I don't know if it's been the weather, or the boys, or the fact that Eric has been working a little extra, or if it's just me--but whatever the reason, I've been craving a day off recently. For the past week, I've been excitedly looking forward to Saturday, when Eric and I had secured my parents for babysitting, and planned a little afternoon date for ourselves. And then, as it turned out, the afternoon wasn't quite as relaxing and rejuvinating as I'd hoping. And it was by no fault of anyone--it simply ended up being more rushed and crowded and noisy than I'd hoped. We spent our afternoon together--and while it was enjoyable, I wasn't quite ready to come back to "mom duty" when it was time.
Sunday was the same way--it was a good day, but nothing spectacular. I was still craving a break, but had resigned myself that it simply wasn't going to happen this weekend. Maybe next week?
This week of school was originally scheduled to be Eric's spring break, but because of a few previous snow days, he now has to work. Then, ironically, yesterday was yet another snow day! And, despite the spring calendar date combined with a few inches of slushy snow on the ground, we had a fabulous day together! The day "off" that I thought I was craving? Well, as it turned out, what I really needed was a fun family day--kids included, no schedules!
By the time we all got up, dressed, and fed, the roads were completely clear, so we decided to make a day of it, and head for Trader Joe's (about an hour away) with the boys. If you know me well, you know that I like schedules and carefully planned itineraries--not surprises, and certainly not unplanned roadtrips with two little boys! I will admit that when we took a little longer than planned to get the boys ready and packed into the car, I considered just calling the whole thing off. I just knew that attempting a trip an hour away in such a last-minute manner was begging for disaster. What about naps? And snacks? And potty breaks?! But, I bit my tongue and resigned myself to a day free from schedules. We piled into the car, and our adventure began...
Before we had kids, Eric and I often drove an hour away for dinner or shopping. We enjoyed our time together in the car--time to talk and be together without anyone interupting. I guess we started our car habit all the way back in high school when we didn't have anywhere else to go and be alone, so we just drove around talking. It's relaxing, fun, and something special that we've always done (albeit often a waste of gasoline, but hey, high schoolers aren't known for their frugality!)
Since we've had kids, car rides aren't exactly the same--they're full of passing around sippy cups, snack/diaper breaks, numerous interuptions, and we certainly never drive around solely for the sake of driving around. Even more so since Levi was born (and began his vocalizing his deep hatred of the carseat)! So, it was with this mindset that we began out trip yesterday--I was eager to go, but dreading the moment that the whole day blew up in our laps. (And, I was sure that something would happen--there is no way we can take a completely unplanned trip without something terrible happening....right?)
As it turned out, we spent the day together completely disaster free! Levi took his morning nap in the car, and we arrived at the store easily. Nate loved riding in the car for an hour--he had ample time to watch the trucks and buses and cars that he so loves! Eric and I talked and talked--with only the occasional "TRUCK! TRUCK!" interuption. We spent almost two hours in Trader Joe's, perusing every single item on their shelves--and buying enough groceries to last us a good long time! By the time we left, both of the boys were getting crabby (and, I was a teensy bit nervous that my expected disaster was impending...). As it turns out, they were just hungry! I nursed Levi, then we stopped for lunch at Max & Erma's. We ate (oh, their tortilla soup!), took a potty break, then piled back into the car with full bellies. Within minutes of being on the road, both boys were asleep--and they stayed asleep until we arrived home!
Eric and I chatted during the trip, and it was as if we were teenagers again--on a day trip to anywhere, but with the addition of our greatest blessings right in the backseat! No disasters--not even a temper tantrum or a potty accident! My "day off" didn't come in the form of a day at the spa or a fancy date night with my husband. Rather, it came in the form of a day out with my family, and a little risk-taking on my part. Maybe, just maybe, I can stop stressing about the unplanned and unexpected because maybe it's not always bad! Maybe the very best days are the ones that turn out exactly opposite of the way that I plan! Maybe the best dates are the ones that have no schedules or reservations or high heels, but involve nursing a baby in the car while awkwardly shielding oneself from a carload of elderly gentlemen enjoying their sandwiches in the adjacent car, and three trips to the public restroom with a toddler who will only pee if promised a chocolate chip cookie.

Eric, thank you for taking us out yesterday! Thank you for assuring me that the boys will be fine, that I will survive, and that we might even have a good day together--even if we miss naptime! Thank you for always being the calm to my crazy, and for being a super dad to our boys. You are the greatest, and I love talking to you in the car!
XOXOXO

Spring 2013!

Happy Spring! It doesn't matter that it's freezing outside, or even that I saw a few snow flurries this morning--because the calendar says that it's SPRING TODAY! We'll see tulips and bunnies and rainbows within the hour, I hope! (Okay, okay, within the next month would be nice....)

Since we've been holed up in the house, I've spent the last two days getting a head start on Spring Cleaning by clearing out/rearranging all of my kitchen cupboards. ("Wait, that expired when?" and "Who thought this should go here?") The boys have kept themselves busy with cars, cars, and more cars! Also, a school bus and a tent. Eric has been going to work, which reminds me of Nate's other recent play. He rides his trike around the house often, but has just recently begun telling me that he's going to work when he does. I always get a big hug and a goodbye kiss before he leaves for "work". Then, he rides off to "school" like Daddy, where he teaches "Spash" and "Frsh". Ironically, Eric teaches Spanish and French (they must be similar, right?). After a hard 3 or 5 minutes of "work", Nate rides his trike back home, where I am rewarded with another big hug and kiss. Love this boy!

Oh, and in other exciting (but semi-old) news, my little Levi is now mobile! (See? I don't even keep this blog updated with the big news anymore....he's obviously the second child.) Levi doesn't crawl yet, but he can scoot, spin, and roll! You'd be surprised how far and how quickly those modes of transportation can move a little guy! I love watching his mind work as he figures out how to get himself to a specific place, and his little personality is really begining to shine. He's silly and content, and just a tiny bit mischievious! (Love this boy too! And, oh that chub!)

Nate, who is still in love with his "Yiyi Baby" has had numerous meltdowns during the past few weeks as he realized that Levi can, indeed, reach all of his toys--including his prized cars. We've been working on the concept of sharing, and it is going as well as can be expected between a 2.5-year-old and a 7-month-old.

Happy Spring!

And, again...

Well. Here it is--the obligatory "Hey, I've been so busy that I abandoned the blog, but here's an update on all the cool things that we've been doing instead!" post. Except that, you know what? I can't really think of much that I've been doing lately. For me, blogging simply takes a backseat to life sometimes--and that's okay! I feel twinges of blogger guilt when I happen to log on and see new entries on all of my favorite blogs, then notice that my own hasn't been updated in 10 (er, 11?) days. But, that's just how life goes. I've got a busy life, and blogging isn't always at the top of my priority list. (On the other hand, there are days when I can't wait for naptime so that I can sit down at the computer and pound out an entry or two!) I guess you could say that I've just been in a blog rut. I haven't finished Nathaniel's 2 1/2 year post, Levi's 7 month post hasn't even been started, and I've got a whole list of "Hey, I should blog about that!" ideas in my brain. Eventually, they will make their way into my little corner of cyber-world, but, until then, a bunch of pictures of my sweet boys will have to satisfy.




Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Mom behind the camera.

My camera has about a million pictures of my kids saved on it. And, the computer? Well, there's got to be at least 10 zillion photos of the boys there! I take pictures of them playing...


and eating....


and sleeping...


and just plain being cute....


It doesn't matter if they're grumpy or happy or dressed up or even wearing pants!




But, you know what never seems to make it into the photos? Me. And, on the rare occasion that someone takes a picture of me, I usually don't like it. My hair is always mussed, or I'm not wearing any concealer on that zit, or I look fat. Since I spend most of my days at home chasing babies and cleaning and cooking, I am most often clad in yoga pants and t-shirts. (And, we all know that "yoga pants" is simply a fancy term for "stretchy comfortable pants"; I don't even do yoga!) I don't wear makeup on a daily basis, and I'm lucky if my teeth are brushed--let alone my hair!
In all honesty, I avoid getting in front of the camera most days. My boys are cute every day, but their momma? Not so much.
And then I read this article: The Mom Stays In The Picture by Allison Tate. And, oh, what she writes is so true and so poignant. My boys don't care what I look like; they simply care that I'm their momma.
I don't remember my own mother's flaws when I was a child (although I'm sure she thought she had them), but I do remember spending time with her. I remember helping her plant flower bulbs, and learning my way around the kitchen with her, and proudly presenting her with bouquets of wild violets. I remember that I knew she loved me and was proud of me. When I look at pictures of us together from all those years ago, I simply see my mommy--a beautiful woman who was/is an amazing mother.


And, so after this realization that I might not ever look like this mom or that mom, I decided that it doesn't matter. I am their momma, and that is enough. I want them to have photos of me with them right now--despite my extra baby weight and the circles under my eyes. Then last night, when I snapped a few pictures of them together right before bedtime, and Nate patted the spot on the floor between, and said, "Momma, right here?" I hesitated for just the briefest moment; I definitely wasn't "ready" for a photo session! But, then I remembered that it doesn't matter. This is what I look like now, and this is how my boys will remember now. Am I perfect? No, but I am still their momma. And, this is our perfect reality.