Mommy Makeover

We had a few hours to kill one day and the result was two completely different makeovers. They always beg to brush my hair just as I am about to go somewhere, so I thought this would be fun.  

MALENA'S TURN

COLIN'S IMPROVEMENT

CAITLYN'S REVENGE

New Year, New Face

I am currently sitting down and exhausted.  I absolutely loved this holiday season as much as possible when not seeing our extended families.  It was season of introspection of our blessings.  This time six years ago I was lost and hanging on to any familiarity that provided some degree of comfort.  It was then that Chris and I took this Memphis adventure head on in the midst of my recovering from chemo treatments (that sounds worse than what it truly was) and the beginning of our marriage with our little Boo.  My state of mind was just do enough to do what is expected and not too much so as to be in the way of anyone.  I have lived my life like that.  It has been my choice.  Somewhere in my mind I have an annoying voice that says that I need to be everything to all people.  It is a voice that I think I have hid behind most of my life.  I have made choices based on the whispers of that part of myself.  

The funny thing is, most of the choices that I have made while ignoring the what if questions, have turned out just fine.  In most cases, ignoring has lead to exciting twists and turns that add a spark and warmness inside that let me know I am living.   That I am not a robot executing expectations.   This is the time of year for resolutions and I have obviously made mine if you read between the lines.  I do this not just for me but for my children who deserve a mom who knows what it is to live for the moment.

Happy New Year

Caity's Christmas Story

The Christmas Accident

Close to Christmas, a beautiful Christmas fairy named Rose was born.  When Rose turned four she realized that some states had no snow during Christmas.  She thought that was terrible!  She tried to find clues down on the ground.  She never looked up in the sky, so she tried and figured out that it's not cold enough.  She went back to her home in Coligh with her polar bear and found a spell.  Then she went in the clouds and shouted, "Colswinter, holswinter!"  That worked, but on Christmas Eve it was a blizzard. Rose thought it was wonderful, but the people did not like it.  Rose knew how to undo the spell.  She shouted the opposite, "Holswinter, colswinter!"  It worked a second a time.  Now Rose knows not to mess with snow.

THE END

Christmas Performance Number Two

Here is the dancing debut of Malena.  The cutest part I did not even get on camera.  Before the teacher began Malena made an announcement that her best friend Madison was not there because she had another performance.  She then informed everyone that just two would be dancing that night.   She showed all the confidence in world in front of the mini crowd. Where did this girl come from?  

And here it is....

 

Christmas Performance

Caitlyn is in her second year of dance and loving it.  Her dance teacher says that I gave birth to her mini me.  I am just thrilled that we have found a teacher that appreciates her enthusiasm for life and allows her to express herself.  During December, the studio has an observation day where all the parents can see what they have learned.  They also perform one of many short routines they work on in the first semester.  This year, they did it to Loverly from My Fair Lady.  Caity was all about embracing the character of the dance and wanted to go all out.  When she arrived she found that her friends did not share the enthusiasm and quickly removed the make-up and tattered shirt that she was perfecting all day.  Oh well, at least I got a picture of it.  

Without further ado...

This Thursday is Malena's turn, stay tuned!

Ha! Tricked you!

The sweet innocence of Malena is being replaced by her growing 'little/big sister' personality which is always looking for a laugh to repay her antics.  The latest one involves the Tooth Fairy tradition.  Malena has a rubber ring that has lost a petal.  I saw it on the ground and thought that it was a tooth.  That gave her the idea to trick the fairy into thinking that it is indeed an actual tooth.  Malena has put the petal under her pillow to wait for the fairy to place a few coins in it's place for a few nights.  Since the Tooth Fairy has missed our house before (OOPS)  and taken a few days to get their money, she has not given up her hope that she can cash out on this rubber petal.  I was guiding Malena to the decision to not trick the fairy, but she thinks it is hysterical that the Fairy will leave the house with just a rubber petal.  It is dark after all.  She doesn't care about the money which is comforting.  She just gets a kick out of tricking people, and wants to big just like Caity who has already gotten several visits from the Tooth Fairy.    

Shhh, The Secret Is Out

The big Christmas secret has been revealed to Caitlyn.  Apparently that is later than most, but that doesn't make truth go down any smoother.  There were tears and question after question as I sat down holding her at the kitchen table easing her into this new chapter of her life.  The next day it was as if a switch had been flipped that shot her forward into pre-teendom.  She had her first sleepover, asked for more chores, and tithed to the church on her own.  

I discovered  an hour worth of Caity episodes on the camera that I condensed to give you a taste of last year.  Even her voice sounds older now.  She is coming into her own and I watch with a touch of bitter- sweetness in my heart.  Mostly sweetness and excitement for the years to come and continued growth---  though no rush!

Ahh, peace and quiet.

As sad as we were to not be going home for Thanksgiving, it was nice to have a low-key holiday.  We were fortunate enough to have Dad home with us for four days.  The kids (and myself) loved every minute of it.   All four played and played while I watched being incredibly thankful for all things in my life and for the bonding moments encased in the kids' memory boxes from this rare moment to breathe.

 I made my first Thanksgiving meal. I was pleased with how it turned out. Thanks goes  to all of the wonderful cooks I have gotten to watch throughout my life.  

The rest of the holiday was spent chilling and re-decorating the girls' room.  Caity has been asking for some more space for quite a while, and we tried to supply that for her.  The kitchen table is not as conducive to school work as it was last year, so a change was needed.    The color of the moment is AQUA.  Aqua clothes, hair things, notebooks, and now her room.   

It was sad to see the pink and green stripes with butterfly accents go that were a labor of love when we first knew Malena was coming into our lives.  It is absolutely crazy how you can become attached to paint.  That is one reason why Colin sleeps among rainbows, clouds and white picket fences as that is the first 'home improvement' project I did here.  Ah, memories.

The room won't be complete until we pick-up and assemble the new bunk bed tomorrow night.  As Caity says goodbye to pink, Malena is expressing herself through black.  Hmmm,  I haven't figured out how to incorporate that yet.  Good thing she is only four and her likes are fleeting.  Otherwise, they could have ended up with bright yellow and orange in the room.  

I haven't shopped at all and am having trouble getting amped up to go searching for 'that' gift.  I  like the pace that I am keeping right now.  The chauffeur part of my job starts up again tomorrow and holiday extravaganzas beckon, but right now I am enjoying peace in our little Aqua heaven. 

Stitches and Cell Phones

What a day!  I went to grab my usual cup of coffee and found myself in pleasant conversation with Caitlyn.  I went to check on the too quiet pair of Malena and Colin.  I saw Colin standing up on the bench and encouraged him down from his post.  It was then that he gave a whimper that alerted me to the gash in his finger.  (It was from a broken window that is to be fixed on Monday.) Having had an eventful past week I used my newly acquired knowledge about lacerations and promptly put pressure on the wound.  I sat for about 30 minutes where I found myself questioning my motherhood instincts and called the triage nurse.  She did her best to assure me that all was well, but if I really wanted our doctor to see him that she would make an appointment.  

We got there and he was lifeless.  For those of you who know him, you understand how this was abnormal.  I knew he had to be in pain, but he was so strong and only whined a little bit.  The doctor sent us to the emergency room and warned me that this would not be  a pleasant experience.

We have awesome neighbors who happened to be home, so I took advantage of this and sent the girls over to play while I went back to the place Colin was born to fix the damage.   Long story short, he needed three big stitches on his tiny finger.  These days we think of him as a 'big boy'.  Today was a knock in the head as to how young he still is.  He was so good. That is putting it mildly as he charmed the ER.  The doctor and all the nurses commented on how quiet he was being.  They thought that he must be a quiet little boy. HA!!!!  No, he was just in pain.  He sang his ABC's and Itsy Bitsy Spider while we were waiting.   I hate that this happened, but I also will cherish those few hours of being able to have him to myself.

He came home and slept for three hours.  During his long nap, Caity took the opportunity of my sitting down to spill the beans on her whole life.  She started in Kindergarten and worked her way up to Third grade.  Whew!  The gist I got was that she likes herself and that she is a bit odd.  She loves all her family.  Arizona is her real home.  She likes homeschooling. (That was nice surprise.) She wants a cell phone.  A WHAT?  Apparently, other phones have germs.  She needs her privacy, and they are just cool.  

It has been a full day, and now I am off to bed for some sleep before another eventful day.  I hope not as eventful as today.

Caity's Halloween Story

Caity has been doing quick stories to get some practice with stories in written form.  Many of you know that Cate's oral stories go on and on, so it has been a challenge for her.  

She was given five words that she had to use in a short story with a twenty minute time allowance.  Ghost, house, rain, lightning, and chains were the words and the following story is what she wrote.

It was a lightning and a ghost night in fact. There was a house.  In the house there was a boy named Max and he was afraid of ghosts.  Max believed that ghosts don't like chains, so he put chains all over his room.  His parents were worried about Max.  The mom had an idea. Since it rained yesterday too, let's read a story about ghosts.  Max started to get more chains.  After he heard that ghosts were nice he started to like ghosts.  

THE END

We all wish you a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Fabulous Fall

Chris and I made an unconscious decision to embrace all that fall has to offer for us.  We have lived here in Memphis for six years and never joined in any of the fall traditions.  Maybe it is because we are constantly reminded that Boo is getting older and wanting to savor every bit of  her young childhood she has left, or it could be as simple as not being pregnant or breastfeeding for the first time in  the last eight years that we feel the call to join in with the other crazy families in the community events.  

So far this year, we have enjoyed museums, corn mazes, parks, inviting more people into our home, reaching out and connecting with other young families, and last night going to the zoo for some good wholesome Halloween fun.  

Perhaps I am making too big of a deal out of these simple experiences, but on this Saturday morning I am watching three of the most wonderful kids sit down TOGETHER to watch James and the Giant Peach while laughing and joking with one another and I am overwhelmed.  How did this happen?  OK, I know HOW, but it has hit me that our family is complete. 

 In the past, I would be sitting here wondering what we would be like with just one more baby and day dreaming about a bigger home, nicer things, or just a different set of circumstances altogether.  I sat down for the first time and was just grateful.  

This feeling comes after one of the worst weeks as far as parenting goes.  Colin is my greatest challenge and I am still learning the balancing act of mom, teacher, counselor, playmate, wife, volunteer, homemaker and friend.  I failed horribly this week.  I was not the mom or any of my given roles that I want to be.  I don't have a success story of how I have gotten out of this 'Mom Funk' I am going through this month.  I just have a content and hopeful heart that next week will be better.  Either that or it's the two cups of coffee I have downed this morning talking.

Busy Bees

SLIDESHOW AT BOTTOM OF PAGE!!!!!!!! 

  We have settled back into our routines.  Colin is nearing 19 months and will soon be baptized in November.  His vocabulary increases with each grow-up moment he experiences.  He can now scale the security gates and jump off of high places.  His latest saying is, "Oh Man!''  This usually follows a scolding to not do the before mentioned new skills.  He is full of life and continues to bring us all much joy.  His sisters like him most of the time and love him all of the time.

  Malena started dance and is loving it immensely.  She especially likes that she gets to use scarves and wands as she prances around to popular tunes like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. The end of class they do a bit of hip hop.  Trust me, it is the highlight of the class.  Malena's favorite activity is whatever Caity is doing and whatever Caity does not want her to do.  I guess they are typical sisters.  They are starting to seek out time apart which is nice for everyone.  The drama stops for a few minutes and we all take a deep breath.

 

Caity has started her second quarter in school and decided that she likes history the best with all of the 'real-life adventures'.  She also gives her opinion on people in our history that she does not approve of their actions.   I don't have the heart to tell her that her new invention  is cinnamon toast.  It is her way of making dessert for everyone.  She does make it a bit more complex with mixing the ingredients.  Her mind is full of ways that she can serve and spread love; a quality that Chris and I benefit from on a daily basis.

I recently went for a job and have come to the conclusion that it was not to be (for now).   After a week like last, I am sure that it is for the better.  All in His time, right?

The Great And The Not So Great

We pulled off the big surprise,  and it was fantastic seeing all the family again.   We celebrated birthdays with family, had swim lessons, and saw beautiful Show Low with its carpet of flowers, saw Jason's team play, Natalie's band, "Pumped" our bodies, said good-bye to gray and hello to blonde, climbed Camelback, debated, picked veggies and berries from the garden, and so much more.   The big surprise came when we got home.  We opened the door to an 'off' sort of smell.  I thought it was just our cats letting us know their displeasure of being left alone for that long.  Turns out it was a leak in our bathroom.  We now have a nice hole in our living room ceiling.  Our Cable box quit on us and my car has a flat.  Vacation was nice and now reality has greeted us and I am ready to go back to Arizona.  All of these inconveniences will soon be fixed and forgotten, but the memories that we (kids especially) made will stay in our minds forever.  I had planned on posting pictures and reminiscing, but the real world is beckoning me to snap to it and take care of things.  To those that we saw, thank you for the laughs, love, and priceless memories. I'll post pictures soon.

Four Years and Full of Grace

Malena Quotes:

God ‘decorated’ us.

He is my kisser. (Talking about boyfriends during playtime.)

Mom, get me out of babyland. (Said while Colin was tackling her.)

It’s time to brush the kid’s hair. (Translation: please brush my hair.)

Stop it mom, you aren’t real! (Apparently, my English accent while reading Angelina Ballerina leaves much to be desired.)

Each day she brings laughter and joy into our home. As she turns four, Chris and I continue to be amazed with her ability to defuse any situation with her charm. Her days are spent doing playschool, coloring, making up stories, singing, dancing, and acting. The latter is a new skill she spends her time perfecting. She will be so angry, sad, scared, or some other dramatic emotion. I will go investigate and she will turn around with a huge smile and laugh, “I’m just acting mom. Don’t worry.”

She desires to be just like her big sis until that same big sister imposes her will upon her. Then she will turn stubborn and refuse to do anything that Caity desires. She wants to play with Colin until she realizes that he is just about as strong as her. They are the best of playmates and the worst of playmates.

Being stuck in the middle of the craziness can’t be easy. Not big enough for some activities and too big for others. I worry about her place in the family sometimes, but her middle name is Grace. That couldn’t be more fitting for how our half pint of love, joy, and laughter handles life.

Happy Birthday Gracie-Face!

Just one

I have just showered after putting Colin down for the night and I don't expect my other loved ones home for a while.  Chris, the king of surprises, took the girls to a show for a Daddy date night and I was stuck here with Little Man.  Being stuck meant that we could go on a solo walk, play cars without a story line, sing little kid songs, bath time, and enter bed with a song or three. I must confess that bath time is usually just a quick stop on the way to bed, and  I was amazed at the way Colin could entertain himself with the simplest of toys.  I will spare you the long list of Colin's evening entertainment and sum it by saying that his face right before bed says it all.  I hope I get stuck again soon.

Introducing Rose

Caity or ROSE as she now wants to be called is getting so big.  Self expression is her highest priority, so she will have her own place on this blog to do just that.  She takes pictures all of the time and wants to share them with everyone.  The slide show will periodically change, so keep checking.  In the future be aware that all photos she takes will have a good chance of making it on the blog.    

He's a Boy!

We have begun the journey of a little man.  He now owns cars and action figures.  They look just like the little dolls that the girls have spent hours creating their own versions of reality. Apparently there is a clear difference between the two.  Seriously,  I am having a bitter sweet day watching Colin get his first batch of "BOY" toys. 

It all started when the girls asked to go look at toys and I wandered down the boy aisle in an attempt to veer our way around the crowd by the Barbies.   Colin got so excited when he saw the cars, so I picked one up that made revving noises. He voiced his approval and that was how we all came to the realization that the princes of the Disney Princesses would not be enough to keep him occupied.  

We went to dinner at a friend's house where a boy lives, and Colin was quite at home among the cars and other boy stuff.  I keep saying boy, because I now am a mom of a little boy.  My baby is quickly being knocked away with each tackle he takes from his dad.  I don't remember a distinct moment that the girls stopped being babies.  That could be because the dolls they had just got smaller and more sophisticated.   There was never a swapping moment for their toys.  In fact, they still like some of the same little girls toys.  

We went to Toyland, as Malena calls it.  The girls and I went our usual route and Chris and Colin left for some male bonding moments.  When we all met up, Colin was oohing and clapping at what he had in his hand.  He was such a happy little boy.  He is not a baby anymore. He is our little boy.  Our Little Man.

First Week Back

We are officially back to school.  I find it is nice to start extra early.  It wasn't until today that Caity realized other kids aren't back in school.  The gentle reminder that we finish in time to enjoy the nice weather outside while other kids are inside seemed to squash her lamenting.  After much soul searching we also started Malena in Junior Kindergarten. Basically, she is doing the kindergarten curriculum at a much slower pace without the pressure to complete the entire day.  I wasn't expecting her to really do much this week.  I was pleasantly surprised with her eagerness and ability.  Handwriting is probably her least favorite.  That makes complete sense with it being such a fine motor skill and she is only three and a half.  So, I have not been pressing that at all.  I did have to remind myself that the ultimate goal is not to advance her but to satisfy her natural curiosity to learn about the world.    

Caity is now in third grade and picking up right where we left off in May.  There are a few cobwebs that need to be shaken, and her enthusiasm is that of a typical third grader who is realizing that school equals work.  She also had a few moments of raining on Malena's accomplishment with the obligatory sisterly comments.  I know that it must be hard to see someone take to something so easily that it a struggle for yourself.  I believe that this year will be a big character building year for our Rose.

Colin still lives here and naturally complicates our school time.  I had planned on him being happy playing around in the living room with his trucks and such.  I underestimated his desire to be right by his sisters at all times.  He kept climbing up on the bench or chair next to one of them to look at their books.  Sometimes looking meant he would make stray marks on Caity's assignment.  Strapping him to the highchair to color and make faces only lasts so long before he is an even bigger distraction.  He was trying so hard to imitate Malena saying letters and sounds that it often had us all in stitches at the pure cuteness of it all.  His nap time is our golden time for school. That is when the math and reading happen and that seems to work well for now.  I just pray that he continues to nap this well.

My confidence has increased this year, and I am not second guessing myself quite as much.  We are using a decidedly Christian/Catholic program and have been quite pleased thus far.  The beginning of school has been an adjustment for all in this household.  The bed is calling me earlier and the morning disappears before I get to run.  Next week will be better.  I know that Chris will have his energetic and not as emotional wife back soon.  Fingers crossed!

Caity Loves to Perform

We got back her recital DVD and have tried every way I know how to post it.  I guess they protected the DVD from recordings.  I will have to lend it out and pass it around to all the family who care to see it.  I must say that it was a huge improvement over last year's recital that left all of us wondering what they learned all year. 

 She is constantly talking to herself in the mirror and putting on shows.  I wonder from where she gets that trait.  I haven't posted all the videos I promised with the beginning of school being so hectic.  More on that later.  Here is another video of Caity being Caity.  I think she is permanently in a state of acting.  She rarely turns 'it' off and usually only when Mom and Dad have informed her that she needs to come back to reality for a particular moment.  

Commercial Produced By Caity

This is the second installment of the day that Caity got to express herself through the video camera.  This is great example of the girls' relationship with one another.  They adore each other, but Malena will not let big sister rule her world.  Caity can appear to be giving Malena a hug and in actuality be threatening her very being.  That explains the crying after a seemingly loving embrace.  Anyway, I found this video entertaining.  I hope you do too.