Taking time....

This time of the year is so overwhelming for most people. Shopping, baking, wrapping, cards, social events, kids are excited, travel...and more. Plus the normal bills to pay, activities, meals to cook, etc. If you have talked with me or hung out with me you know I am having a hard time with the idea of Henry turning one. I have been going through pictures and found these two of Charley on his birthday! There is some Charley in Henry.



Anyways, something that helps me not let some of those emotions get to me or the holiday craziness take over my sanity is taking time to appreicate the little things during the day...so the big things...like having a healthy baby boy turning one or not having my Christmas shopping done... etc don't get in the way of the true cozy time this time of year brings.

So today here are my little things I appreicate...so far...

1. A smooth morning with the boys waking and eating breakfast without tantrums.

2. An awesome playgroup that meets regularly. We sit, drink diet coke, and chat about anything and everything while the kids play in the background.

3. Neighbor girls who can run over and watch the boys at the drop of a hat. How lucky are we!

4. Emails from my mom and sister and other friends during the day. Being home all day can make you feel very isolated and the internet helps me feel connected to the outside world and other adults. I appreciate the emails during the day. They make me smile.

5. Frozen meals from my meal group. How scrumptious is it to just pull out a pan of something yummy from the freezer, know it is thawing all day, pop it in the oven and enjoy with my family without making a mess of the kitchen. My sanity is saved 3 times a month because of this (actually more because the meal I make for them I make a few for us!). Thank you Sarah for encouraging me to start this with local friends.

So step back when your heart is racing or you are beginning to snap at your husband or kids because the stress of the holiday is getting to you. Think about what is good and what is done. And remember...cards can be late, wrapping doesn't have to be perfect, cookies could be store bought (mine won't be but...they could) and taking time to sit with three good friends for a bit and chatting about this and that can bring you peace.
Or lick the salt off a pretzel and feel the salty joy...haha that is to make you smile Raina!

Henry

You love spaghetti. I love watching you eat it!

Cooking with kids

We are busy this morning making french silk pies and Christmas cookies...

Check this out (I don't know how to just link it here...so you will have to cut and paste the http address):

From The New York Times: Beyond Cupcakes: Children in the Kitchen http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/health/09well.html


What do you like to cook with your kiddos?

We were done at 2 but we were complete at 3

As we near Henry's first birthday I am finding my heart races when there is nothing stressful going on. My stomach gets butterflies and I feel on the verge of tears. I am sure a lot of mom's can relate when they have their second baby and that baby is about to become "not a baby but a toddler". The second child's first year goes so fast. And now I am faced with the fact that I am either done having a baby of my own or do we go for the third. I was asking a mom of three today how she knew to go for three. She said when she had her second she knew she was done. But number three came along anyway! You could tell when she talked about it that number three has been a blessing to her family and that she is so glad they have a family of 5 now. She said "I was done at 2 but we are complete with 3." Another friend said that if we are at all pondering the idea of three we would never regret having a third.

I know the solution ... I need to just not stress about this road I am on in life. And I should just really enjoy Henry this last month of his baby year. And let him grow into a toddler and see how we are feeling when some time passes. My husband said, "Sarah, will you ever be okay when you know you are done being pregnant?" And he is totally correct. I think all women go through a period of sadness when they think this stage of their life is over. He reminds me of all the excitement ahead of us as our children grow older. I can be swayed either way at any given moment. I just don't want this year to be over....it went way to fast...and with number two there are so many distractions that you don't realize the time is passing as quickly as it does. To my friends who are pregnant with their first or second....savor every second because it all goes by way to fast. Way to fast.

Stocking Your Parenting Toolbox

So about a year ago a few of my old teacher friends got me thinking about teaching a community education class. Some of my good mommy friends who frequently visit the house noticed little things laying around that I did/do with Charley. So that is when I got the brainstorm to teach a class on silly frivolous ways to keep your child busy at home. So here is the class that will be offered in January and February. I am really nervous and really excited. I think it will give me a creative outlet outside of the home. It potentially could link me up with more mommy friends. IT will motivate me to do more with Charley and Henry. It will be a little extra cash. It will help me keep my teaching licence up to date.

It makes me nervous because the ideas that I have come off the top of my head. I pull them from my ass. I tweak them to fit Charley's personality but they aren't big and grand. To me they are silly and I think why would some one pay to hear me rattle on about these goofy things. However, lately a few of my mommy friends have encouraged me by saying that not everyone thinks like I do or has time to think like I do.

So once again, I get excited to help other mom's engage themselves with their child in easy, cheap, and fun ways. This morning we all agreed that when we spend 15 minutes with our child playing cars, a game, dinosaurs or whatever...without being sidetracked by the dishwasher, dinner, the computer, or laundry...it usually starts the day off way better and our children are more independently entertained for the rest of the day. We laugh when we are known to say..Just a minute, let me finish this...but then when we call them to do something we expect them to jump right to it. So my intention with my class is to have moms (or dads) walk away with several activities that will be ready to go the next day. Parents will be given time to prep their materials for crafts and share their own ideas for things they do to keep their little ones engaged. Some will have an educational spin to them BONUS! but many are just silly ways to occupy...

Okay, I am totally rambling and totally just trying to think this all out. It is hard because I can't go out and buy materials until I know the class is going to take place (I need 10 participants) ....

So here is the blurb in the community education handbook. Wish me luck...because this whole thing has me up from 4-5 am each morning worrying about it! If it is going to happen I want people to love it and feel like it was well worth their time and money. UGH! Why did I add this stress to my life...because it is fun right!

Stocking Your Parenting Toolbox (For Parents of 2-5 year olds)


Are you a parent needing ideas to keep your 2-5 year old child entertained? Grab a cup of coffee and join us for an hour of “parent time.” You will collect easy, inexpensive ideas to keep your children busy at home. You will also “make and take” materials for several activities, leaving you ready to engage your child. We will also spend a little time sharing your ideas to make time at home fun.

Our world as we know it is about to change...

He is practicing...will he be walking by Christmas...not sure if that is the gift I want but that might be what we are blessed with....an almost 1 year old who will be all over and busy.

Henry's first sled ride

We awoke to a nice amount of snow outside. We bundled our little Hen Hen up and trekked outside for some fast play. It was quite cold so we did it fast. He seemed a little in awe of the white world outside. He has been watching it from the window and now he was in it.

Charley and I will venture back out once Henry is napping to get the shovelling done.

Looks like a White Christmas this year!

Can a boy ever have too many kisses?

YES! YES! YES! When the mama gives him the job of unwrapping the chocolate kisses for the first Christmas cookies of the season. I poured them out and told him he could have one. I gave him the job of unwrapping them. I walked away to throw a load of laundry in and when I returned there was a huge pile of wrappers but only four kisses in the bowl. Charley was standing there covering his mouth looking guilty. UGH! We better not run out of kisses young man!

Here he is again showing me he is not guilty...or is he?

I hope he changes his mind....

The other day a friend of mine asked Charley what he was going to tell Santa he wanted for Christmas. Charley stood up and made the face in the above picture. Then he explained he wanted this "dirty face thing with one eye missing that is orange. It is a monster truck. I saw it on commercial." I looked at my girlfriend and said, "Yikes, Santa has a tough job this year."

Last year Charley surprised us because we thought he was still to young to have one thing he would really want. But all season last year he wanted the Red Rocket from the Little Einstein show. He got it. So fun.

This year...hmmm...maybe I will have to keep asking and let the toy catalogs lay around so he gets more ideas....because the "dirty face missing one eye that is orange monster truck" is just not something that sounds like it would come out of Santa's bag.

The 2008 Christmas Tree

This weekend we had a mission. We would go and get our tree, get it up, and get it decorated. Charley was super excited. It was a cold Friday night but there was a beautiful snow fall happening and it just added to the spirit. We have gotten our tree the last three years at Cal's Market right by our house. We like to think we are supporting a local business, however, it is close and to be honest that is probably the main reason we have gone with them.

This year we had the challenge of knowing Henry would be all over and wanting to touch things so I got us a second gate, from a friend. I think it just gives a nice finishing touch that I know all you child free homes are jealous of.

Decorating the tree is always this moment in the season that I build up in my head and heart. It will be cozy and memorable. But I am quickly reminded that putting up the tree and decorating it is often a more stressful activity. The lights don't always work, the tree won't stand straight, needles are everywhere. A four year old and ornaments and hooks are just a stressful combination and there is a point when you just want it to be all done. This year it did go better since Charley is older and can put on the hooks and he did a great job finding places for his ornaments. I moved a few to different spots and he seemed a little upset but once I explained that "I wanted to put it where we could see it better" he was fine with it. Really I just needed to spread them out so our tree wouldn't topple over. We put the tree in our front window this year. We have known since we bought the house that our front window is made for the Christmas tree...but our nice furniture and the cozy family room would be much cozier. It is easier this year to leave the family room our playroom so we will celebrate in the front livingroom with our old red couch.

Charley was so excited over every ornament and he talked the entire time he was decorating. At one point he had a bunch of ornaments over by our nativity scene and was playing with them. Then he chimed into his own tune about "I love you baby Jesus" Ed and I just looked at each other flabbergasted because we haven't gone too much into the religious part of the holiday with him yet however, we can see that it is time to start. The whole experience was very endearing and it all worked out just fine.

As I blog Ed is using the dust buster to get all the needles. Yes, an artifical tree would be easier....it would stand up straight, lights could stay on, and no needles....but we would miss out on the cold journey to pick our tree and knowing that each year our tree looks a little different. And the pine smell adds another element to the cozy Christmas atmosphere. Merry Christmas!