Coming Full Circle

Recently I went on Facebook not realizing the adventure in store for me. A friend from my distant past (middle school) found me, and to hear from someone whom I knew all those years ago was surreal, but to meet my best friend from that era a few weeks ago was very special. We had gone our separate ways in middle school and had lost touch, but I had always wondered what happened to Claudia until I found her on my friend Jennifer's list. Jennifer lives in TX now, but we hope to see her when she visits someday.

Then the other day I opened up my regular e-mail account and found a message from my dear friend Mary who I met in Phoenix when I lived there several years ago. It had been several years since we had last been in touch, and I had sent her a Christmas card with my information hoping that it would reach her. Her daughter Jovanna was our flower girl, and now she is a teenager! I hope to see them soon.

I have one other friend in Phoenix, Lisa, who I've managed to keep up with sporatically throughout the years and hope to see her as well. She has two boys close to Christian's age.

So this has been the year of re-connecting with old friends. I guess this is what happens when you move back to your hometown; the memories are stirred. There are still a few more people I hope to catch up with, and hopefully remain friends with.

The following video clip was sent to me, and even though our boys are small, the mantras to our children never end, do they? Mine are a little different at this age: "Wash your hands -- with soap, sing 'Happy Birthday' when you wash, brush your teeth, wipe your nose, stop picking your nose, stop farting, pick up your mess, use your quiet voice...."

Have a good day!

Ode to a Clean Glass of H2O

Drinking glass filled with water and lots of ice
is very refreshing and nice.

Leaving my glass in its lonely corner,
by the side of the fridge like a loner.

I go on my way
throughout the day --

Knowing that a refreshing sip
is just moments away.

Sometimes I come back to take a gulp
and realize -- too late -- that I have a mouthful of pulp;

It could be a Pop Tart or cookie smudge,
like a ring of sludge --

Lining the once clean rim,
a lip smear evident along the stem.

Please get your your own glass.
Love, your mommy lass.

From the Mouth of a Five-Year-Old Babe

The kids were real wound up this afternoon. I was tired I admit.

Some days are filled with too much noise: screaming, fighting, playing, merry mess-making.

Jumping off couches. Pushing each other, kicking.

"Stop. Jumping. Now!!!" I yelled. "Pick up this mess!" Swat to the butt of Gaby who proceeded to pound on newly painted wall with a light saber toy.

Christian stopped. He looked me in the eyes and said, "You don't act like a big person. You yell all the time and you hit like little people do."

I responded, childishly, "Whatever."

And then I went to my room for a timeout, shook my head in wonder at this laser precise observation made by Christian. What a smart(y) kid. I like that.

Rappelling for Chocolate

My in-laws called last night as they were leaving from the Nashville airport to their home. They had just returned from their latest adventure in Whistler, Canada (BC). They went ziplining, snowmobiling, dog sledding, and skiing. John even went bungee jumping. They make me feel like a fuddy dud.

Gaby had his own adventure this morning.

"What are you hiding behind your back, Gaby" I asked.

He had lined up the chairs and scaled the highest bar stools....

And he leapt the highest refrigerator to find the chocolate stash. He rappelled back down the refrigerator and climbed down those bar stools to enjoy his spoils.

I will do anything for chocolate, too. I'd even try ziplining for it.

Every time I turn around, there is an adventure brewing in Gaby's world. As I sit and write this entry, he is turning my living room into a mountain climbing- and trampoline jumping- adventure. He is the instigator of all things messy and naughty.

I think I'll always live vicariously through my sons and in-laws.

My Sweetheart

Mike and I celebrated Valentine's Day by going to the movies and out to dinner with our friends Tanya and Darren. We saw 'The International' and it was eerily appropriate for what is happening in our strange economic times.

Since this year marks our tenth year of marriage in September, I would like to share a few (mushy) things:

1. I fall in love with Mike all over again when I re-read old cards and letters that he wrote; this is a good way to get out of a mind altering funk that I sometimes find myself in when I get annoyed by little things. You know what I'm talking about, girlfriends.

2. I fall in love with Mike all over again when he gets up early with the boys on weekends so I get a little extra snooze time. He gets up early anyway during the week, yet he does this for me. What a man.

3. I fall in love with Mike all over again when he spends time with the boys taking them on adventures, taking them out of the house so I can relax for a few hours, and when he wrestles & plays with them.

4. I fall in love with Mike all over again when he acquiesces to Christian's desire for Daddy to have a 'sleepover' in his room.

5. I fall in love with Mike all over again when he, by example, shows a steadiness, patience, and potty-free mouth (in contrast to me). And humor!

Potty training blues -- Jojo gets more use out of Gaby's underwear than Gaby does at this point!

6. In the end, love is all that matters in a relationship. There are ups and downs, unexpected occurrences, day-to-day blahness at times, and dizzying perplexities other times. Yet, marriage is so worth it -- all the work and struggles mean something.

My dad gave a very special speech during our wedding service, and I close with some of his words of wisdom: "We Christians identify marriage as Matrimony. It is centered around motherhood, the family. We never refer to it as the sacrament of Patrimony...So we can't let a young couple run off and start their own thing. We have to make a big deal out of it. We do that to let them know that what they are doing is the right thing, that it is good not only for them but for the rest of us. We need to see good marriages...I dare to look into the future, well into the next millennium when the term Y2K will be just another curious fact in Trivial Pursuit. In the year 2029, when they are celebrating their own 30th anniversary, and my grandchildren ask Elena and Michael how could they last so long. Michael might well say, 'Well, it's because marriages are made here on earth day after day,' and Elena might add, 'You know, it's like when you order chocolate and all they can serve is vanilla, you learn to make that work.'"

Blah Blah Blah

Beautiful winter sky photographed by Mike.

This is my first posting of the week, so I have a mishmash of news to share with you. Last week we all had the stomach virus, then this week I've been battling either a cold or allergies. I will start drugging myself with allergy medication now to make it through the spring. My ears have been plugged up since I had my first sinus infection four years ago. Maybe I'll see a doctor soon.

Gaby got some spending money for his birthday from both sets of grandparents, and I let him use a little to buy himself and Christian a new toy. Gaby settled on a yellow trailer truck after much arguing over another garbage truck that he wanted, and then we headed for the science section and Christian got this:

It's an Edu Science paleontology dinosaur dig toy.




Yes, it came with a chisel, hammer, brush and goggles.

The fossils are inside this brick of gravel and Christian has been digging for about five days now. This paleontology project has been one of the best activities lately. Christian is not one who entertains himself well, but when he finds a project such as a puzzle or anything else that takes time, he will focus on it until he completes it.

All that work and so far he's unearthed three fossils.

There are several fossils Christian is currently digging out from the brick. (Those in the photo above are still stuck in the brick.) When all the pieces are found, he will put together his velociraptor, which is on a much smaller scale than the triceratops that Santa brought him this year.


These kinds of activities teach Christian patience. I need to take up velociraptor digging myself.



We are on day 1 of potty training Gaby (at least I started the week that I said I would). Mike and I are going to work with him all weekend. This morning Gaby told me he was ready to go #2 in the potty. Oh joy! He didn't tell me he had already gone in his pants, however. I found the surprise in his pants after he had already sat on the potty. I hate potty training.



I am going to enroll Gaby in preschool next fall at the same place Christian attends. There is a waiting list, but hopefully he'll get in. He is so excited to go to school like his older brother, but he knows that in order to go to school he has to be potty trained.



Christian had his Valentine's Day party at school yesterday. I followed the instructions to decorate either a tissue or shoe box. I got to school and saw how elaborate the other kids' boxes were. One little boy's Valentine's box was a black train. I admired it from afar and thought wow, some parents really take Valentine's boxes to a whole other level. The morning of the party I wrapped a shoe box in blue paper from a gift bag and pasted on some old construction paper in the shape of hearts. I impressed myself by remembering how to cut heart shapes from paper. It was good enough for me.



Gaby is still a little bruiser. My sister-in-law, Jeanne, says he needs to have a junk pile outside for him to take things apart and bang on. He is the destroyer. He is also the one I can't stay mad at because he is such a clown. Gaby is still so affectionate and funny and I hate to see him grow up so fast.



And Jojo! He repeats many words and says words that we understand. I'm really impressed because at 16 months his brothers did not say as many words. This littlest one is so interesting to me because of what he learns from his brothers. He puts up a fight with Gaby over toys -- definitely not passive. He tells me through gestures that he wants something to drink. He eats eggs! tortillas! beans! rice! bananas! mostly anthing! I hope his eating habits continue beyond the age of two. He is having some trouble with milk and has been on Lactaid for the past two months. The pediatrician thinks it may be due to the stomach virus he had in December, and along with teething, his intestines have to get back to normal. I am trying to get him back on fruit juice and whole milk little by little.



Christian still talks about his 'boys' at school. I have a feeling he goofs off quite a bit with his friends, but the teacher says that when it is time for him to listen he does. I'm so happy about our decision to pull him out of kindergarten and keep him in preschool as he is finally blossoming and making friends in his class. He still says, 'Go get him, tigress' when I get after Gaby.


Hope all is well!

Little Blue Lie

I hate potty training. I hate it so much that I have put off potty training Gaby, and he just turned three. My first experience with potty training Christian was a disaster. He did not want to use the potty at all. Then my mother-in-law kept him for a week and got him potty trained (he was almost 3.5 yrs old).

Today Gaby had his annual checkup and the pediatrician asked if he was potty trained.

Me: "Not exactly. We're working on it."

Pediatrician (her eyebrows raised): "How far have you gotten?"

Me: "Not very far."

Pediatrician (eyebrows barely visible beneath bangs): "How far is that?"

Me: "Well, we're at the beginning stages. Uh...you know, we're just starting the whole routine. He wears big boy underpants sometimes (lie, lie, lie) and he does sometimes sit on the potty...and uh..."

Pediatrician: "Hmmm. Well, you need to get him potty trained."

Me: "Yes. I really hate potty training. My first son was completely potty trained by my mother-in-law. He did it for her, but not for me! I really hate this...."

Pediatrician: "I know. I raised four boys and it seems they don't care about learning how to do it. Looks like Gabriel needs to pay a visit to your mother-in-law."

At least she sympathized with my potty training plight.

Resolution #2: Get the boy potty trained. This business is about as frustrating for me as sleep issues were with Christian (oh, and potty training). I have put off this whole ordeal. I told you I procrastinate.

Today we bought some new underpants for Gaby. Maybe he'll use them tomorrow. Or maybe we'll wait until next week.

I'm glad that the pediatrician doesn't know that he still uses a pacifier and is attached to a favorite blue blanket. We'll just keep that a secret.

The Big Three!

Gaby's birthday is today and he's three years old! We celebrated his birthday yesterday with this special construction truck cake he selected at the bakery. It had dirt, trucks, and lots of blue icing -- his favorite things.

We also watched the Super Bowl -- Daddy and Grandpa were for the underdog Cardinals. What an exciting game. Gaby sang Happy Birthday along with the rest of us, and then serenaded us with 'Ring of Fire'. Nana and Papa sent the movie 'Walk the Line' so he can watch Johnny Cash over and over again. Gaby also got a truck with trailer and four wheeler that reminds him of Papa's four wheeler, a firetruck, a dinosaur/car racing track he and Christian can enjoy, and a keyboard. He also received a very nice truck book and truck toy from his friend Tyler.

We love you, Gaby!

Here's a special birthday haiku from Grandpa to Gaby:

GARBAGE TRUCK

It lifts the trashcans
Real easy shaking them out
-- Noisy crushing sounds