Christmas Gifts

For Christmas 2010 I did the Twelve Days of Christmas for Brian. I planned a date for each month in 2011. The days have already been set aside, tickets have been purchased, babysitters arranged. Good idea, huh? I never did take a picture, but in January we went ballroom dancing in Salt Lake and for chinese at David's Kitchen. Yumm-0!

In February, we started off with John and Michelle at the Blue Plate Diner as seen on Diners, Drive-ins, and Drives. Good food. Good company. We have a few more of Guy's joints that we want to check out...

We left the boys with Shauna for the night and drove up to Logan to see Brian Regan. We laughed and laughed. The four of us went for hot chocolate and visited in our hotel lobby for a bit. On the way back home we stopped by Sweet Cake, a new gluten free bakery in Kaysville. Holy moly. I was in heaven. How come the stuff I make doesn't taste like that? The boys were well taken care of and we were happy to see them.

It was nice to have a night out with my favorite boy. I'm glad we're taking time this year to make sure we get out - even if it is just once a month.

Dr. Suess Day/Read Across America

The idea for this party was certainly not my own. My friend I used to teach with reminded me about Read Across America, a day that we celebrated faithfully when I taught 5th grade. She said she was going to do some reading activities and I thought, Hey - we should do that, too! I think she may even have said 'dorky' (dorky to throw reading parties and be email friends with librarians), but I say brilliant. I'm a teacher, you know? It's just who I am.

Gavin and I had a great time getting ready for the event. It wasn't stressful or too much because we were able to take each part and work on it together. We delivered invitations, went to the copy store, cut coloring pages, and made cookies.

Look at my little helper. Sugar cookie dough keeps him entertained for at least an hour.
Everyone got a cookie with their initial. You know, for reading day.
I didn't realize that everyone would actually want to come! Turned out it sounded like fun to my neighborhood mom friends. I invited all of the little kids who weren't in school. The day before when only two people told me they wouldn't be able to make it, I realized that we were going to need a different venue. I called to schedule the primary room at our church. We ended up with 16 moms and 25 kids plus a few babies - certainly a crowd too large for my little front room.

We started off with a little read aloud (by the former Mrs. Robinson) and then had the kids grab a little library card I made them. They went around to different moms who had their kids' favorite books and got a stamp or punch for each story they heard. They wandered and listened to books for about 20 minutes. It was so fun to see them engaged and excited about books.



After that they colored a Dr. Suess doorknob hanger. I loved to see how the kids naturally hunkered together on their tummies. They listened to Suessical, The Musical and danced around the room.
And lastly, cookie time. Always a hit. Gavin could. hardly. wait. to get his little fingers on that green G.
This isn't the whole crew, but most of them. I love these kids. Not only are they my friends' kids, but they are my (primary) kids, too.

A super fun day that I will for sure need to repeat next year. A fun new tradition for us! Thanks, Amy!

Eleven Month McKay

Eleven months? That's crazy to me! When people ask me how old you are, I can't even say 11 months. It's like I'm skipping right over it just because I can't believe what's about to happen. I say, "He's going to be one in a few weeks." How is that possible? It seems like we just got you. But at the same time, you've been here forever.

You are so funny lately. This has been your face this last month. You don't do it as much anymore, so I'm glad I caught it when I did. You would do this when you were eating especially. Not sure what it meant, but it got a laugh every time. It's easy to make you laugh these days and you are babbling nonstop. You are loud loud. Loud. Screaming. Shrieking. Gavin says, "Too loud, McKay."
You have been ALL OVER the house. There is no stopping you now! I've had to be more faithful about picking up random stuff that you might choke on now that your world has expanded by 1200 square feet. You started army crawling and have been perfecting that in the past few weeks. You crawled all the way from the front room back to find me in my room. Pretty far for a little guy! You're trying to get your knees involved and it's been so fun for me to watch you progress day by day.

You love your toes and bend in half to reach them. You are always wearing just one sock and I've given up trying to keep them on you all the time. People are going to report me for not keeping you warm this winter...

You are loving your food and are a good eater. In recent days, multiple people have joked with me about starving you. "He looks malnourished." You LOVE your carbs. Bread, grahams, and noodles. You love yogurt, too. You'll try anything and can do the sign for 'more' and do your lips like a fish when you're ready to eat.

This month we started a fun tradition. Gavin's been excited to tell me when you wake up and he throws your door open, turns on the light, and checks in on you. He climbs on the rocking chair and into your bed and instructs me to help you jump. The two of you laugh and laugh while we do 'Monkeys on the Bed' before you get up from your nap.

For the record, you do say mama now. It's usually when you're getting upset, but you know who I am. Thanks.

I'm getting all ready for your big day and just trying to eat up your babyhood. Gosh, you're cute!

Something in the Air

Today was the worst church day ever, which is weird, because our best church day ever was just last week. Our kids couldn't stop moving or crying. All three rows ahead of us had meltdowns as well. Kids who are usually happy had tear-stained faces. Moms who are usually put together looked a little frazzled today. You could feel it in Primary.

McKay cried more tonight than he has in months. From 4:00-7:00pm Brian and I were trying to keep it together. We finally went on a walk at 6:00 - in the rain, no less - just to get us a few minutes closer to the blessed bedtime. Some days are just like that...survival. Once we got McKay down I totally felt like we deserved a medal.

It's time for the weather to warm up and let these kids out.

2 3/4

These days:

You are as sweet as ever. We had a few weeks back there in November/December that were iffy. You were hard to please and downright defiant. I'm sure another stage will come along, but for now, that one is over. You are huggy and lovey and enjoy snuggles and loves. In general a happy and compliant boy. No less than five times a day you randomly announce, "I just love you, mom (or dad)." We just love you, too.

I am surprised at your verbal skills. We have full conversations. You sometimes say What??with a funny face and tone when you don't know a word or we're throwing too much at you. But for the most part, you know what we're talking about. You have a great memory and can recall conversations or incidents with detail and tell anyone who will listen all about it. You have lines of movies memorized. Recently you looked at me so seriously and said, "I see a dragon and I just have to...kill it, you know? It's just who I am, mom." (How to Train your Dragon - your favorite). Of course, you ask lots of whys. After we get four or five down the list, I can't think of the reasons why anymore.

Things we hear regularly:

"Mom, ask me if I had a good rest."

"Dad, how was work today? What did you play?"

"What are we going to do today? I know what we should do! We should play hide-and-go-seek!"

"How can I help, mom?"

"I need a hug of you."

"I did it all by myself."

"What does that do for?"

You love stories. You want to hear them, read them, and now you tell them. Currently we have a "Super Gavvy" story every day. You love to wear your super cape and be Super Gav or Batman killing monsters, dragons, and witches. It's fun to watch your imagination grow and see you pretend more.

You know what you should and shouldn't do and have a hard time keeping your hands off 'off-limits' items. Right after you've done something that you know we won't like you'll say, "I won't touch that again, mom." We don't even have to say anything and you know. But you still do it. And do it again. It's just hard to resist some things when you're two.

You have been potty trained for several months now and are getting so independent. Last week you got your pants on all by yourself for the first time and said quietly to yourself I'm the best. I was glad that I was close enough to hear that. You can't wait to be 5 so you can go to school and learn your ABCs. No matter the age group, little friends or the 15-year-old kids we work with at church, you mesh into any group and quickly become one of the gang.

You are a good helper and will throw things in the garbage or recycling bin or the hamper. You fetch diapers and keep McKay company and make him laugh if I really need you to. He thinks you are super funny. You love your brother, but lately you tell us to put him across the room on the floor with a toy and then you can have us to yourself. You are learning to share your stuff with him. You get a little freaked out when he starts eating and sucking on your things.

You are a friendly little boy and have lots of "buddies." You often talk about them by name and wonder when we'll be able to play with them again. Neighbors, cousins - you love when we get to visit someone or have them over. You are more obedient and these days you spend less time in time out than in days past. I see you weighing consequences (like getting to 3) and deciding to stop what you're doing.

We do just love you, Gav. I can't believe how big you're getting. If I could freeze you this way right now, I would.

Schedules

I am one who likes schedules. I'm sure it started around the time I became a teacher and has now carried over into my life as a mom. We eat about the same time, we have a naptime, bedtime, bathtime, etc. - it's just how we work around here. You'll notice I said 'about.' That's a new development. It used to be more set in stone, but the more time goes on, the more flexible I become. When McKay was born, I called it lowering my standards. It's probably a lot of that, but now we'll call it flexible.

Most days follow the same pattern. A schedule works for me, most of the time.

Last night I put McKay down at 7:00. He slept for just over an hour and then woke up frantic. I don't know if it's teething or being sick or what. I went in and picked him up and rocked him for a bit. He sat very still on my lap, his little hands resting on my arms. Brian had a late night and came home while I was sitting with him. I put McKay back in his crib and he did his high-pitched squeal telling me that he was totally offended that I had left him. This time he cried just a minute or two and then was out for the rest of the night.

I walked in to Brian and said, "I'm a total softy for McKay." He said, "It took you ten months to figure that out?" I laughed. No, I've actually know it all along. It's not just last night, but I've certainly catered to him more. With Gavin, he followed my baby books to the T. I've always called him my "textbook baby." When the book said he should eat, he ate. When he should sleep, he slept. When he might cry a few minutes, he cried a few minutes. And when people were so impressed with Gavin's sleeping skills, I'd say, "Well, yeah. You just follow this book and your kid will just do it." And when someone else's baby didn't do that I'd think to myself Just follow the book.

Well, I know now that all babies are not alike. Kid #2 is teaching me all sorts of things. McKay is a different boy. He's spent a few times crying for well over an hour during our sleep training several months ago. I've tried. I've ignored. I've soothed. He won't stop. I promise, he won't. When he's awake, he's just awake. So now I go and get him. With Gavin, I never did that, though I really didn't have to. I would have worried that he'd get too dependent on me giving him a little rock every time he wanted to sleep or whatever. Now I see things differently. McKay has a fairly predictable schedule. Different, but good. He doesn't always sleep long hours and although today's nap was 2.5 hours, yesterday's was 45 minutes, he's still sleeping. And I don't get bent out of shape about it like I used to.

As Brian and I visited, we decided that no, McKay won't be ruined if I go to him in the night when he cries. I've found that when I do, he lays down and cries a little and then is content. It's not like this is going to be happening forever. It's just the opposite. Before I know it, he'll be slamming the door trying to keep me out of his room. But if he wants me now, he can have me now.

Some days I wonder when I'll be able to put him down, this baby that loves to be held. He's getting pretty heavy, you know. It's not as easy as it used to be! Until now, I have had a hard time verbalizing to Brian why I am quicker to get McKay when he cries. We're super connected, that little boy and me. To say he's got me wrapped around his little finger is an understatement. But it was nice when Brian agreed that, yes, loving our baby is not the end of my scheduled world.

In 18 years will I look back and think Gosh, I wish we would have stuck to that schedule better or will I think, What I wouldn't give to hold onto him just a little longer. I'm thinking it's the latter, so I'll relax just a little and hold onto the moments while I have them.

Quarantined

We're sick and tired of being sick and tired. It's been a long, long week around here. Fevers, runny noses, eight infected ears, sore throats, crying boys waking up in the night... I'm ready to move on. Thanks to Brian for saving the day when I could not hardly be mom for a few days, even when he was not 100% himself. I'm finally graduating from non-functioning to making it work and will be glad to feel like myself again. And sleep without cough attacks and knives stabbing my ears. Call me selfish, but it's hard to take care of little people when I hardly feel like taking care of myself. Only one parent should be sick at a time. Not that we can control these things, but hopefully our little fam is done for just a minute. Hopefully.

**Feb. 11 - We are now on day 12 of sick in this house. And yesterday I got pink eye. Seriously? So much for being done. On a positive note, I've done the equivalent of 800 sit-ups via coughing.