Thankful 2013

There is so much that I have to be thankful for. First to come to mind: my husband. Jackson continues to get the kids ready every single morning, while I'm at work. He makes a healthy breakfast every morning - scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, smoothies, omelets, you name it. Puts my granola bar to shame! He makes sure their bellies are full of goodness and ready for a long day. He doesn't take shortcuts or rush them around. After loading up in the truck, he tunes in his toddler station and they head out for the day. My work has demanded too much of me this year, and there have been too many days that I'm stuck at work late, and he doesn't hesitate to drop what he's doing to pick them up and get dinner started...or even carry out the remainder of parenting duties for the rest of the day. Then, when I get home, he somehow musters the energy to encourage me when I feel down for being absent. I don't know how he does it, but I'm so.thankful.that.he.does.
#2 and #3, in no particular order: My girl. Such a kind, careful, thoughtful soul. Kind: she is sincere in asking how my day was when I pick her up from school. She wants to know the likes and dislikes of others. She is truly considerate of others' feelings. She seeks and includes others in activities and conversations. Careful: she worries more than I would like. Very cautious about the street, for example. The other night we went to dinner and the rule is to 'grab a hand' when in a parking lot. Bryson didn't listen and darted across the parking lot to the restaurant entrance. Brooklyn was so up in arms, she shed tears of fear as she hollered for him to 'grab mommy's hand!'  Don't think that he didn't get lectured when we met him at the door! I didn't even need to parent him - she scolded him enough, telling him that he could get hit by a car, go to the hospital, and who knows what else she told him in attempt to instill fear. Thoughtful: she makes special cards for us every day. She loves to color. And when she does, she'll usually draw a picture of the recipient, and then it's just a matter of time before the audience is all accounted for. By the time she was done with Grandpa's birthday card, she drew all 11 members of the family!
My boy. Sweet, funny, and athletic star. Sweet - the mornings start with a smile and a song! He'll often offer a giant hug with his morning smiles, and if we're not interested in facing the day yet, he'll lay in bed and sing a song waiting for us to accompany his consciousness. The song of the month is 'Jesus Loves the Little Children'. Music to my ears. Funny: Brooklyn will rock her babies to sleep and then announce to everyone that her baby is asleep. More times than not, Bryson will run over, shoot his arms to the sky and scream at the top of his lungs to wake her baby up! He does this knowing that it results in laughter from all of us, which it always does. Athletic: He challenges himself to do everything his sister does...and better...at a younger age! Riding bikes: check. Climbing rock walls: check. Throwing baseball: check. Swim: check. Jump into the swimming pool: double check! That's all this kid wanted to do last summer! He loves to play soccer, hit the t-ball, and climb playground obstacles that she barely attempts. Makes for a nervous mom...until he achieves the activity, and then my nervousness turns into pride!

Soccer mom

Brooklyn had her first soccer practice!  I was so proud. We were about five minutes late (I know, hard to imagine if you know me well!), and the other kids were lined up to kick the ball. So we marched right up, she got in line, and I let go of her hand. Fully expecting her to cry, or follow me, or at least hesitate. But no! She stayed in line and she participated.

Trying with the feet

I was surprised beyond belief.  About 15 minutes in, she came running my direction, and I thought, 'Uh oh. Here we go.' But she came up and said, 'Mom, I just wanted to give you a hug and a kiss.' And she did just that. Hug. Kiss. And ran back onto the field. Cherished.It. And it's a good thing that I entered into this season with low expectations, because my girl, as sweet as she may be, isn't the best at soccer. Actually, she can't even grasp the first rule: no hands!

But hands work better

Coach says, 'Get the balls in the goal, kids!' And Brooklyn picks it up and runs it in! Sometimes nicely placing it exactly in the corner as she desired. Other times over the heads of those kicking it in. But not once did she get the ball in the goal by kicking it!  To top in off, 10 minutes before the conclusion of our first practice, she hollers across the field 'I don't want to play soccer any more, Mom!'  We have a long road ahead of us in this game called soccer. And there'll be many more stories to share, I'm certain.

 

First game results:  made contact with the ball twice! Once with her feet, once with her hands (no accident this time - she threw it in from the sidelines!)  Most pictures were of her far away in a field...with no soccer ball in view!

But we celebrate just the same!

And Bubba partakes any time he's called upon!

 

2 year check-up

Here's the pep talk Bryson received leading up to his two-year checkup:

Brooklyn:  Bryson, if you're really good at the doctor today, we get to go to QuikTrip!  He just has to check to see if you're sick or something. And you need to be happy.  I went to the doctor last night and I was happy.
Me: Really, you went last night?
Brooklyn: Not last night. Tomorrow. I went to the doctor tomorrow and I was happy. So Bryson, you be happy and so we can go to QuikTrip, okay?
Bryson: NO.

Big boy stats
Weight: 90th percentile
Height: 100+ percentile
Head: 85th percentile
Favorite Food:  Bananas, waffles, blue berry muffins, oranges...vitamins (does that count as food?!)
Despised Food: Chocolate
Favorite Drink: Strawberry milk
Despised Drink: Chocolate milk
Favorite Phrase: 'Where'd me go?' (Peek-a-boo)  'Got snacks, Mom?'
Disposition: Momma's boy...clung to me the entire 2 yr check-up!  My precious, sweet-hearted, timid boy. Happy 2nd birthday. Not sure how much longer these arms can hold you...but I'll keep tryin til they fall off...or you're too embarrassed to jump in my arms, whichever comes first!

TWO YEARS OLD...

Wow, that was fast!

Ring around the Rosie

...pocket full of posies...

 

Cousins

 You're pretty cool, Reese! - Bryson



 

' Reese, this is the part where we all fall down! C'mon, you can sit right here.' - Brooklyn

 



 



 'Or here. Wanna sit here, Reese?' - Brooklyn



 

 'Last offer, Reesie.  Wanna sit here? Looks like good spot!' - Brooklyn



 

'Whew! Finally, she falls down!' - Brooklyn

 

'Buncha dramatic women...Dad, where'd ya go?' - Bryson

 

Sweet memories

Talk talk talk

I'm sure I've said it before, but the second child just isn't destined to hit the same milestones as the first. Let's be real. They don't need to. They're at an advantage that the first one wasn't. They have an interpreter! I can't tell you how many times I've asked Bryson to 'use his words' only to hear Brooklyn tell me 'He is, Mom! He's saying...' I've come to learn that when I don't understand him, I simply ask her and she'll tell me what he's saying.  Most times, I hear his agreement and sense of relief that someone understands him.  She is his interpreter in every sense and we've learned to leverage that resource! Last weekend, he and I were out playing and Brooklyn had gone elsewhere to do who knows what, and so clearly he said "Where'd Brooklyn go?" He knows when she's gone and he misses her. Their cohesion and love for each other is precious beyond words.

I try to turn off the noise from the day on our way home from school.  We talk about the day. Did they have fun at school? Did they play outside? Did they play with friends? The questions go on and on.  It's with a degree of shame that I admit that one day I realized that I was only asking Brooklyn these questions, assuming Bryson couldn't answer in a language we'd understand. But boy, did he prove me wrong! The very first time I posed the questions to him, he answered each and every one! "Did you play outside today, Bryson?" "No." I knew this was true, because it was a cold day. "Did you play in the gym?" "Yes." "Who'd you play with?" "Jack." The conversation continued, and I was in absolute awe!  It seemed as if he'd just been waiting for me to ask him the same questions he'd heard me ask her every day since he could remember...and it was finally his turn. This was a turning point in my life as Bryson's mom.  I won't dismiss or doubt his abilities any longer. I will not spare challenging him, because he's more ready than I was aware of in that moment, and I don't want another episode of that to occur.  I don't have unrealistic expectations, but at the same time, I won't hinder him with any assumptions.  He's not just a sponge. He is his own intelligent being that has his very own piece of my heart.

Today was his picture day. New outfit: check. Mr. Congeniality: check. Poser: check. Need for practice: nah.  So when I got the call that he was scared and wouldn't even enter the room of the photographer, I was shocked, slightly disappointed, but very understanding.  After all, who likes to pose in front of a stranger?! Photos are really an oddity...an intimidating situation to show your best face and pose in front of a complete stranger.  Since I won't have any professional pictures of my boy this go round, here's my favorite of this busy body handsome love:

Bees in Brooklyn's room

Several months ago, Brooklyn started making midnight visits to our room. Multiple visits. Sometimes to potty, sometimes just to climb in with us. Let me tell you...it's.exhausting. Sometimes I can take her to the bathroom and return her to bed without a fuss. But other times it's a fuss and I'm not up for all that mess. Especially when it's 30 mins before my morning alarm goes off.  So nine times out of ten, she would win and we'd end up with a perpendicular being in between us.  Sometimes she'll come offering excuses. She's thirsty. Can't find one of her sleeping buddies. A common one has been that she has bees in her room.  When I hear that one, I go in to inspect the room, and assure her that there aren't any bees.  Finally the peices of the puzzle came together yesterday!  She said ,"It was that bee up there, Mommy!" I followed her pointed finger...and was led to the big polka dot 'B' above her window.  She's been talking about the letters 'B' in her room - not bumble bees! Upon hearing this, I cuddled up next to her and we went through the objects in her room: the polka dot B - Aunt Jan made for her. The wooden letter B - Aunt Kathy gave her that one. The bunny on her shelf - from Nona. The stripes on the wall - mommy and daddy painted those for her. The quilt she sleeps with - Mimi made for her. The doll in the polka dot dress - passed down to her from Nana.  The groupings of picture frames - Aunt Nessa crafted. The list goes on and on. By the end of our of our conversation, we came to the realization that her room is filled with love. Love from so many people that we're blessed to have in our lives. 

That night I tucked in a happy little girl.  As I was walking out of the room, she said excitedly, 'Mommy, I have a secret to tell you!'  I leaned over and she embraced my face as she whispered 'I love you so much, Mommy.'  All of my stressors from the day diminished and my heart melted.  And I climbed into bed with my little angel.  That's not breaking the rules, right?  The rule is that she sleeps in her bed. There's not a rule saying that mommy can't accompany her...

Story Time

Nighttime routines have always been very important in our household. And part of the routine is story time. Since birth, we've read stories every night. Of course I don't recall how young, because a mother's memory diminishes quickly, and baby #2 is never as well documented as baby #1. Anyhoo, he was probably around 6-8 mos old when he fell in love with the most boring page of Goodnight Moon.  Not just a colorless page, but the one with the smallest picture of the entire book!  We could never get beyond that page because he insisted on holding it there.  Yet, he wasn't ready for the story to be over. So I leaned to read from memory while he stared at that teeny, tiny mouse...

Tonight we did individual story time, and I cuddled with my boy to read his selection, a household favorite, Giraffes Can't Dance. A very sweet story about a giraffe that gets teased at the annual animal dance.  While reading the second page, where Gerald 'buckles at the knees' and falls down,

Bryson rests his head on the book. I can't figure out what he's doing at first.  He turns the page, and I resume reading. Then we get to the page where the lions laugh out loud at Gerald dancing, and he does it again! Just lays his head on the book.  Finally, we get to the page where Gerald creeps off the dance floor and started walking home. He'd never felt so sad before...so sad, and so alone. Bryson does it again!

My sweet boy is hugging Gerald!  Every page where Gerald is sad, teased, or alone, he hugs him!  My heart melted. And I hugged my little empathetic boy with pride. So precious.

Life is made up of lessons...

Lesson: Be a good friend.

 

 

Brooklyn's learned what it feels like to have a best friend! This means that she's also learned what jealousy feels like when her friends have other friends and don't want to devote all of their attention to her.

(This is heart-breaking, and I just imagine what's to come as she grows up!) This lesson of friendship leads to the next lesson: kindness and acceptance of others...

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesson: JUMP

Thanks for this lesson, big sister!

 Lesson: Take a break to enjoy the giggles.

This is just a random one I chose to share. It's an example of the lengths that kids go to in order to generate laughter from friends and siblings!  It also displays the lengths that parents go to in order to pacify their kids on errand day...

Lesson: Be considerate.

Bryson has loved babies for a while already. He covers them up with blankets, pushes them in buggies, pats their backs, and now...he's learned how to shush a room!  He came across Brooklyn quietly rocking a baby in a chair.  He ran into the living room, snagged up a blanket and a doll of some sort, drug a chair next to hers, and the "shhhhhh"-ing began! 

 

Lesson: Be a helper and a leader.

Cousins. Such special relationships. My childhood is filled with memories spent with my cousins, and I hope my kids are able to say the same. The fact that their cousins are exemplary children makes the relationship even more rewarding for this mom!  After watching his cousin be the helper, Bryson decided to take a stab at it himself, and haul the girls home.

 

Lesson: Take turns and play nice. 

Brooklyn & Canon jumping on the trampoline at Mimi & Grandpa's.  I walk out to holler 'five more minutes' and I hear her directing him to "sit down. Sit still. I'll bounce you."  We're still working on this, but her cousins are always setting the example to take turns, even when they don't want to!

A Cousin Coloring Frenzy

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Enough with the lessons. Here are some smile-provoking pics of my liking.

This is just one of many examples I could share of the picture texts I receive from the hubbs. Two kids in a laundry hamper. Comfy? Not so much. Sure looks like fun, though!

 

This is what happens when the vacuum comes out of the closet. Kids scream and run around like chickens, scrambling to grab stuffed friends and scurry to higher ground for safety.  "Hurry, Bryson, hurry! C'mon!!"

 

Winter break

The kids' school closes for two weeks over the holidays. TWO weeks!  It's the best time to completely check out from reality and zone into holiday activities.  So what did we do?  More like what didn't we do...

Rhema Lights

 

I think they read the sign:

 

And it made them:

 

touch every single light! 

 

We visited the most insane Griswold house in town, if not the state...this was the most bizarre exprience of the break. Located downtown (and hated by their neighbors, I'm sure) this homeowner opened up their decorated yard to the public for free tours. I'm not sure if it left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling, or a sense of fear. It was definitely a memory, nonetheless:

 

 We had a few play dates

 

Bouncy Barn

Played with cousins







We visited Chik-Fil-A too, where Bryson wouldn't stop waving at Santa Cow, but the second he came near, Bryson clung to me like white on rice. His sister, on the other hand, surprised the heck out of me as she climbed into his lap without hesitation!



And we had our first mommy-n-me movie date with my girl! Can't wait until Bryson can join us!

 



And this one just makes me smile.

She loves her daddy!

Winterfest 2012

So I can be honest here, right? After all, I am the author of this blog!  I can express how tired I've been?  Because. I. Have. Been. Very tired. Tired of working long hours. Tired of teaching the kids how to play nicely. Tired of teaching them not to tattle on each other and 'use big kid words' instead of whining and hoping we can interpret their request. Just tired, when all I want to do is curl up in bed until 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning...a silent bed without being kicked in the ribs.  I know I preach to the choir of all other mothers with my complaints, but sometimes it just feels good to be honest. Motherhood is tiresome at times!  But this is the time of year that memories are MADE.  And regardless of my lack of energy, my enthusiasm still exists. As does the stubborn bone that I inherited from my father.  I'm not going to allow my exhaustion to win!

So we packed up and hit the road, as planned. Downtown Tulsa Winterfest, here we come!  And let me tell you that I couldn't be happier that we went!  I didn't want the night to end.  Everything was better than I had ever imagined!  The kids LOVED the parade. 

We had front row seats, but were blocked by others, so nobody could see what was coming.  As soon as something would pass by, Brooklyn would start jumping up and down saying, "I wonder what's next!  Who's coming next?!" 

We loved every minute of the parade.  The kids were full of genuine excitement - the anticipation of what was to come.  I felt their energy and excitement that night more than ever before in this life as Mom. It was awesome! 

The fireworks came, startling Brooklyn, and making Bryson run towards them as if to guard his sister. 

Brooklyn actually asked if she could go into the bushes to "be in a safe place" as they exploded, while he waved his sword in their direction. 

She was concerned that they were going to catch a building on fire. Her level of concern just reiterated her compassionate personality.  Always worried about others. And he was fighting off her fears - doing anything he could to make her laugh and keep her happy. 

After the fireworks came the workout.  I mean ice skating.  So, let me preface by explaining that when Bryson gets tired, his legs turn to jello!  Literally. He'll just be walking along and then he'll release his knees out of nowhere and let his legs dangle, relying completely on the person holding his hand to catch all of weight.  Next comes the twirling. Is it twirling, or dangling? I'm not sure. Either way, he's not in control of his body. His body has gone to sleep. Just his mind is functioning...barely, if that.  So, back to the ice skating. Well, Bryson turned into Gumby an hour before we got the skates on.  So you can imagine gumby legs on an ice skating rink. Well he upped the ante of that challenge with parents that don't ice skate!  Father and son made it a quarter of the way around the rink before we exchanged children to finish the next quarter of the rink. After the next exchange, we finally made it one round and called it a wrap on the ice!  $30 later and only one man down.  We call that a success!

Disclaimer: 'Man down' was brief - daddy just needed both hands so that he could capture his princess on ice.  Next thing he knows, he looks down, and his mini me is on the ground!  Proud memory, he recalls. And the pic didn't even turn out! 

 

 

Christmas Gift assembly

We assumed gender appropriate roles when assembling Christmas gifts:  Brooklyn got a Princess Palace; Bryson a basketball hoop!  I was eager to complete my mission.  Nine steps, 6 screws, and 3 batteries to build a beautiful palace, according to the instructions.  Simple enough!  Halfway through my job, I hear the boys shootin hoops in the room next door. 

Look at that form!

His was easier than mine - besides, it's not a race; it's the end result...and mine will be so much better!  Thirty minutes and 19 steps later, I'm feeling a bit frazzled with a very impatient princess waiting to enter the palace with Snow White.  Almost two hours later, multiple denials of the need for help, and three disassemblings later, the palace was complete!  And it exceeded her...and her brother's...expectations!

Not a day has passed that I haven't found them playing in the palace. All the animals from Noah's Ark (and a few Sesame Street characters) have come to know the palace, too. 

Bryson loves to put the princesses on their pedestals and spin the dancefloor as the music plays while he rocks from side to side. (He can only get away with this when Daddy's not around, of course!)