Happy Valentine's Day Mom

I read this post and and this post this post today and loved them!

I read other women's blogs because they inspire me to look at being a mom a little different...maybe with more humor, more excitement, more peace, more creativity, more patience...

Happy Birthday Ed!

Today is Valentine's Day for the United States, but in our house we celebrate the most important man in our lives. Daddy! Ed was born on Valentine's day. After February 14, 1976, I am sure his mom was never given a Valentine's gift that inspired more love than on that day. Today was a busy day with a baby shower for his brother and his wife and a sliding party with family and friends. His day has not been "all about him." He was a trooper and seemed to not mind. That's Ed...

I would like to take a minute to list 10 things I love or appreciate about you (these are just a few...nothing too deep...just things)...

1. I appreciate that you know how to fix things...whether it is an oven, a garbage disposal, a toilet, the computer, or whatever else. You amaze me and I love that you can come to my rescue when these daily appliances that I take for granted leave us in a lurch.

2. I love that you kiss me good-bye every morning.

3. I love that you smile when you swing high.

4. I love when you laugh during "our" favorite shows. I am really glad we found a few shows that we both enjoy.

5. I love that you insist on driving when we go on trips around Minnesota and Wisconsin.

6. I love that you make time for your friends and go golfing, hunting, to the movies, etc. That time with friends makes you happy. I love that you are loyal and will be the last to "turn in" when you are hanging out with friends.

7. I love that being a dad is a priority to you. You come home after a long day at work and a significant commute to make the last hour of your two boys' days their best hours of the day. Whether it is playing Star Wars or wrestling....you get your time with them. And giving them a bath has been something you have done with the boys almost every night since they were born. Precious!

8. I love that in the seven years we have been married I have figured out one thing I can make that thrills you....french silk pie.

9. I love that you get excited about Las Vegas...even if the next trip we take there will be with my family :) And I love that we have been there together.

10. I love that you are one of the most kind, level headed, calm, patient men I know....you would have to be all of these things to survive the last 7 years married to me.

Happy Birthday Ed! We love you!

Our Friday

When I arrived at UW-Eau Claire and was placed in the all girls dorm I didn't know what to think. In high school I was shy and didn't say to peeps to a boy so I actually wasn't too upset about it. I knew that it was going to be a chance to meet some great girl friends. I was right. Living right next door to me was a girl named Kim. We got to know each other and our friendship grew. She is actually the person that brought Ed into my life, they are second cousins...or something. We actually graduated with teaching degrees from UWEC together. We got our masters at St. Mary's together. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding and continues to be a good friend. Even though we live "close" we don't get to see each other very often...since when you live on opposite sides of a major metro city the traffic can cause a 20 mile distance to take close to 40 minutes.

Today I got to watch the little guy. He napped well, drank his bottles well, and rolled around on the blanket. I could tell he was Kimmer's son because he is laid back and go with the flow. He never freaked out but kept his cool all day....well so far. I was honored to watch him and I hope I can do it again because it gives me a chance to know him.

Now, Henry, he didn't quite know what to make of the little person. He sat and looked at the gear that Kim brought for a while this morning. He fussed a little when I was giving Tommy his bottle. And he was intrigued by the old exo-saucer and bouncy seat that we dug out for Tommy to use today. They are 8 months apart (I think) and right now it seems like a lot...but in two years I have a feeling they will keep their two mommies on their toes as we stroll at the zoo or meet at a park.

Charley was an old pro telling me what he thought Tommy should be doing or needing. He entertained him nicely and was very gentle.

Thanks Kim and Cory for letting me have your little guy today. It was really fun.

Reconnecting with one's past

In the last year my world has opened up to my past. I have reconnected with old "best friends" from elementary school and great friends from high school. It keeps me in touch with teacher friends I no longer see on a daily basis. It makes me smile during the day to see my mommy friends communicating our daily ups and downs. Face book seems to be the butt of many jokes lately. It comes up in conversations. My husband refuses to join face book yet, he peers over my shoulder from time to time trying to get a glimpse of some of his friends who I have been lucky enough to have as friends because of him. I hate that I lost touch of childhood friends but I also am thoroughly enjoying catching up with them and finding out what has been up with them in the last 15 years.

Today a friend from high school, who I haven't seen or talked to in almost 15 years sent me a CD. I made her one and she made me one. We thought this might motivate each other to get on the elliptical machines and work out. So fun! Made my day! I wonder what she thinks of mine. The song playing on my blog is from her CD. LOVE IT!

I wonder about how Face book will change Charley's life. No, Charley does not have a face book page, he is only four. However, I am sure he will have one once he is in high school which makes me think that his high school friends will all be on his face book as friends and he will never lose touch with them. Because the children of today will probably have these face book pages they will stay connected, most likely, and that is very cool. However, he will then lose the chance to lose touch and have this feeling, I am having lately, of excitement and anticipation to hear who my childhood friends have become.

My brother once talked to me about how with every new invention or improvement we lose something. With emails most people have lost the ability to find time to write a letter. With text messages we are losing the need to talk verbally. With GPS systems we could easily forget how to read a map. With face book we will lose the chance to lose touch and reconnect. Is that a good thing or a bad thing....tough to say one way or another. I am really enjoying finding some old friends that were important during those somewhat difficult high school years.

Ever since I was little...

My mom says that when I was little she could take me to get my hair cut and I would be a new little girl. If I was crabby I would be happy after a new cut. I have loved getting my haircut for a long time. In college I got really brave and really chopped my hair short for the first time. Since then I slowly grow it out and then hack it off. I have had the urge to butch it short again. But wasn't completely ready. So tonight I ventured to the gal who used to cut my hair for years. She moved salons and is now working in St. Paul. When she moved there I knew it would be fun to follow her there, use it as an excuse to meet up with my friend Kim, get away from the boys...but reality hit when I couldn't take that much time to go get a hair cut. I have not found someone who has the confidence in cutting my hair like Marrisa has. I am up for change and Mel, or Marissa, always is ready for the challenge, gives her opinion and I trust her. So tonight I headed her way, after a year and a half of not seeing her, and man it was fun to catch up. I almost cried when I saw her. I really enjoy having her help me play with my hair. Of course, I didn't butch it pixie style...yet....but she did take a lot off and made is supposedly easy. She said I should be able to wash and dry and piece it out with a little gel...we'll see. It always takes a few days. Ed took a before picture and I have to apologize to my friend Kim who met me at this hip bar for a glass of wine before my cut. I looked horrid. I soooo needed a haircut. I don't think I mentioned ...I was able to meet my friend Kim for a glass of wine. SOOOO fun to be out on the town catching up with a good friend. So here is a picture ...I took...because I know several of you who read my blog have been helping me decide how short to go. I think I am going to like it but of course...will I be able to do it tomorrow while taking care of two boys. We'll see.

We've been playing

I realized yesterday that I hadn't blogged since Sunday! WOW! That must have been a record for me. I got me a new phone and it has taken some of my time and brain cells to get it functioning correctly. Yay! In the last few days Henry has gotten super animated and fun to play with and that has kept me from blogging too. He gets really excited about things Charley is doing. Here they are playing with a "Star Wars" ship that Daddy built. I have to say that this Christmas present was a winner! WE LOVE IT! We are going to get a second set so we can build bigger and more elaborate! We also took Henry to the pet shop to just browse. We have a great pet shop nearby. Henry pointed and talked loudly (talked..meaning baby babbled) about each of the animals he saw. I loved that he got that he was supposed to be looking at the animals. He is walking and turning and walking some more...but still chooses to crawl more often.



He wants to eat out of bowls or off plates just like big people. He is growing up so fast and he is at a stage that I can't get enough of. Charley is super patient and loves seeing all the new attention Henry gives him.

The countdown begins for me. Ed and I will be leaving for Florida next Wednesday. Both our mom's are coming to share in the loving up of our boys. I am not at all worried about leaving them...but I am worried about missing them. I have only spent one night away from Henry and so a few nights is going to be tough. I soooo need this though. A break from the house. I realize at times that when I worked I got a change of scenery. Being home all day, everyday, means my scenery doesn't change too much. It will also be soooo good for Ed and I. I was telling Ed that it is so important that we still find things that the two of us enjoy together so that when life isn't all about the kids (will it ever be...yes, I know someday it will still be all about the kids but different)we will be left to eat dinner just the two of us, to find entertainment on Friday nights for just the two of us...etc. And to make that time anticipated and okay we need to make time for us now. So this Florida trip is good for US. It is also such a special time for the kids to be with their grandparents. I had such close relationships with my grandparents because my parents let them have me. They got me for a week at a time...or for a weekend...without the parental hovering that happens. So this trip will be good...I just need to keep reminding myself that as the sad thoughts of not hearing Henry babble, Charley chit chat about everything and anything, and being able to poke my head in and see them sleeping, creep into my head. The crumby floors, the poopy diapers, the catering kid food at every meal, and laundry piles will not be missed. But I hope that coming back I will be excited again for them.

So it has been a few days since I blogged...lots on my mind, lots on my to do list, lots changing for the boys....but all good. I have felt really happy lately and gosh, that feels good.

Concentrating...

This year Charley gets to sign his Valentine's all on his own. We have done a few each day. Going to pick out his Valentine's was a cute experience. He knew he was going to get to pick them out as we headed to the store. He literally took 20 minutes. He held each box and thought about it. He talked to me about each option. I ruled a few out because there weren't enough in the box, they weren't appropriate for 4 year old preschool...(in my opinion). He even decided that doing our other shopping and coming back to the Valentines would give him more thinking time. He finally decided on Kung Fu Panda. They came with tattoos. His teacher told us they only had to sign their name...making it easier and quicker to pass out. As you can see from this picture he is working very hard on writing his name.

Life Is Good....

This afternoon we went over to our friend's house for a little sledding. Sherry, Lynelle and I are mommy friends who met through mom's club. We have gotten close, our kids enjoy each other, and we speak often of involving our men in a playdate. So today we did it. We kind of invited ourselves over to Sherry's for some sledding. Her backyard is SO AWESOME! Just the right size hill. The kids had a blast and as you can see from the pictures the parents enjoyed flying down the hill too. There were even some races. When the kids were done sledding we went inside for a few cocktails while the kids had hot chocolate and then played. It was a great way to end the weekend. I feel so happy this evening because I love that our children are connecting us to some great adults.

I think about growing up and some of the families we knew as kids. My parents still hang out with them. As I watched today as Sherry and Lynelle laughed and raced down the hill I wondered...will we be three couples that can enjoy life later on...when life isn't all about the kids. I hope so...

Thanks Sherry to opening up your home to us. IT WAS AWESOME!

40 degrees makes me think days like these are around the corner

However, here in Minnesota the reality is there are still two or maybe three more months of cold and snow. So let's just pretend days like these will come soon.

A fun morning

This morning we headed out for a morning of fun with good friends. We headed over to the Mall of America for some mall walking. I put the boys in the jogger we bought last fall and we walked and talked for about 45 minutes. I was sweating. Then we went to the amusement park and the kids each got to pick two rides. We grabbed lunch and came home. We would like to get the walk in more often...next time we will pack a lunch and they will each pick one ride. It was a fun morning! It always is when we hang with Lynelle and Elly.