Three Years of Love and Chaos

Oh my son, how wild you are. Literally every time I try to get you dressed or put on your coat I have to chase you. Once you realize a wardrobe change is coming you run giggling to the next room. This is my fault. When you were 10 months old I chased you around the house. You've enjoyed running from me ever since. Every morning you want a cup of "milk, quease (please)". We watch PJ Masks in the morning which you call "batman". Why can't daddy cuddle with you and watch it? "Way-down Momma." Most days you would rather sit in time-out than eat food that is not pizza or cake. If I'm feeding you, your mouth remains closed. When daddy comes along you take a bite. You always deliver a good night kiss, noseies, bonk, and a pound-it (in that order) to daddy and then snub me. The funny thing about our night time snub is that you still expect me to cuddle with you. "Momma, way-down." You may have slept through-the-night one time in the last three years. You sleep alone but at some time of the night you will loudly enter our room and sleep on my pillow. We have a king size bed yet I'm always at the edge because we have to share my pillow. Yes, I have switched to a second pillow but you find your way right next to me on any pillow I'm using.

You are a strong willed child. You challenge me everyday, yet you are set in enough routines to be predicatble as well. Our blended family was united by you when you were born. I guess you don't take that responsibility lightly. Daddy is your favorite to play with, and you expect me to do all of the care-taker responsibilities. "No, momma do it!" You will run into your sister's room at any time the door is left open. Once you're in she struggles to get you back out. You expect to play video games with your brother every time he is home as soon as you see him. You try to pillow fight with him and run around the house but he's too strong and you boys aren't supposed to run in the house. It's too loud!

I whine and complain about the challenging personality you have and yet I am hoping it serves you well in adulthood. Don't ever lose your will to get what you want. Set goals high and achieve them. I love everything about you, including the stubborness you throw at all of us. When you're excited you squeeze your arms in, your nose crinkles, your eyes squint tight, and your smile is huge. It is the sweetest sight and you give it to us daily. It's easy to play with you and keep you happy. If it's an off-day, well then you have your ipad. ;)

I love you my sweet son. Happy third birthday!

"Stay behind the line." *Stands on the line*

"I get more cake."

Nerdy Thirty

Today, I am thirty years old. In my early twenties I joked that I felt thirty because of the toll my kids took on my life. Turning thirty I can appreciate how young it actually feels. It's not how I expected it to feel. I am grateful for another year of life. Not everyone is given the chance to live to the young age of thirty. I appreciate my birthdays for what they are, a celebration of another year lived on earth.

I decided to make a list of 30 things I've experienced over 30 years.

1. I've lived in two states
2. I've traveled out of the country
3. I have witnessed the birth of a loved one
4. I have felt the loss of friends and family members
5. I married a wonderful man
6. I have given birth to two beautiful children
7. I have miscarried one child
8. I swam with dolphins and stingrays in Florida
9. I've visited Disneyland and Disneyworld
10. I swam with a sea lion and seal on my honeymoon
11. In the last three years alone, I've read at least 346 books without counting textbooks from college. (Thanks Goodreads)
12. I am a few months away from finishing my Bachelors Degree
13. I started my own business. Go have a look!
14. I raised over $1,000 in my first year volunteering with Relay for Life
15. I won a free trip to Disneyland on a radio station but didn't know that until it was too late. (I'm still pained by that)
16. I won a radio contest for submitting an original quote: "Our words are like fingerprints, so choose them wisely. You'll never know the lasting impression they leave behind."
17. I learned to swim in college
18. I've had a biopsy before. No cancer here!
19. I have been in four non-serious car accidents.
20. I designed the cover of a yearbook in high school. I thought I was super cool for that.
21. I was captain of the Varsity cheer squad my senior year. Thought I was cool for that also. LOL
22. I joined a gym for my first time at 29 years old.
23. I saw Paramore in concert this year. The best concert I've ever attended.
24. I have been a Maid of Honor, Matron of Honor, and Bridesmaid. One time each. :)
25. I attended bookstore parties and bought the last two Harry Potter books at midnight of their release.
26. I cried when Dobby died. (duh.) Both in the book and the movie.
27. I cried at least 12 times when I read "The Fault in Our Stars"
28. I have met one of my favorite authors at Powell's bookstore.
29. I attended a meet and greet of Twilight actors, but hated the movie.
30. The moment I knew that my husband was truly my soulmate was when he said, "Halle is just as much mine as she is yours." I cherish those words. You can't understand how important that is to hear unless your partner is a step-parent to your child. I bet he doesn't even remember. :)

Happy 8th Birthday to My Precious Love

My daughter will be 8 years old on Tuesday! This birthday post comes early because I will be with family all weekend and won’t stop to reflect on her first 8 years of life.
*********

Halle Joyce,

You have been the light of my life since the day you were born. I learned how to be your mom without a guidebook or internet forums. It was all instinct and lessons from your loving grandma whom you clearly adore. We started out together, sharing a bedroom, in your grandparents’ house which I’m sure you vaguely remember. We moved out when you were four after we met Garrick and Isaiah and became our own family.

I’ve loved watching you grow and develop your own brother/sister relationship with Isaiah. When you’re a mother yourself you will better understand why that matters so much to me. Though you aren’t of blood relation, both of you know that you’re siblings and love each other as such. To love so freely and without hesitance is something that I hope stays with you always.

I’ll never see a giraffe at the zoo without remembering you yelling at them “hi neck!” or “bye bye neck!” I’ll never comb your hair without remembering the short ringlet curls you had as a toddler. I will always be proud of your daily efforts to learn two languages. I will do my best to remain patient when your curious mind churns out questions about the world around you. I appreciate your desire to understand the how and why of everything. When I hear “let it snow” at Christmas time I will remember how you used to ask me to sing “frightful” to you. When you say Isaiah’s name I’ll remember how you couldn’t pronounce it with the I, and called him Zaiah. I will smile every time we kiss goodnight and you remind me “don’t close my door all the way”. With a reminder every night for the last four years I promise that I will not close it all the way.

Thank you for always listening to what I say, 90% of the time, with very little grief. You’re an amazing girl, wonderful daughter, and awesome sister. Me, Garrick, Isaiah, Grayson, and everyone who knows you, love and adores you. Thank you for being you.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 
― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!

Kisses,

Mom

Monster's University - 1st Birthday Party

I love hosting parties. Scratch that, I love decorating and creating all kinds of paper goodies. Is that the same? In any case, my son’s first birthday was a lot of fun for me. I had the theme picked out when he was six months old. I can’t take full credit for it. My brother had the idea to have a birthday party for my nephew that was themed around Mason going to college. I made invitations with Mason wearing a graduation cap laid over a diploma. For gifts (while not required) guests brought money to contribute to his college fund. My own son has plenty of toys and doesn’t know the difference so I decided to copy this idea. Lucky for me, Monster’s University was released this year. Tie the two together and everyone thinks I’m a genius.

For months I kept my eye on the dollar spots at all sorts of stores. There where Monster’s University stuff everywhere to promote the movie release. I scoured Pinterest for ideas. Most were related to the original Monster’s Inc. movie because the University edition was still quite new. I wish I could say I’m so creative that I thought of everything myself. Thanks to Pinterest no one has completely original ideas. We all inspire each other.

I really held back. I didn’t want to get out of control with decorating, especially since I have two older kids that have had very simple parties in the past. I’m sure they will expect more extravagance if they see it for their brother. I love how it turned out and everyone who came had a good time. 

Invitation

Card box, Monster cupcakes, Cake

Monster Photo Booth Props, Monster's Student ID Cards, Scream Canister Party Favors

Monster Booth

Monster Booth

Smash Cake. We pulled out the doors and used a candle when it was time to sing.

Life Gave Me You

I’ve been to a few mommy boards online and there’s always the “Blended Family” group. I check them out from time to time. Looking to see how other mom’s handle being step-moms and vice-versa, their partner being a step-parent to their own child. A lot of mom’s are like me, they feel lucky to have their step-children in their life. It’s an experience that has its challenges of course, but it’s always rewarding. I like to post my “two cents” on there from time to time to try and guide the moms who struggle with or don’t enjoy being a step-mom. Most of these step-moms who struggle are the ones who don’t know the other side of the coin, having your partner be a step-parent to your own child.

It is a beautiful thing when you find someone to share your life with; a person that will stand by you every day. It is even more beautiful when they accept your child as one of their own children. My daughter adores my husband. When he tells her they are going to engage in something one on one she glows. She gets this joy on her face because he wants to spend time with her.

It was never difficult to find a spot for Isaiah to snuggle up into my heart. We met on a beach in April of 2009 when he was newly two years old. I had a bag of green grapes and he instantly walked up to me to ask for some. We shared grapes and he toddler talked with me.

An Early Arrival in Our Family

My nephew Mason was born March 5th, weighing in at 6.1 pounds and 19 inches. He’s a teeny little bean. He just couldn’t wait to meet his super cool auntie so he pushed his way out 24 days early. He is perfectly healthy and has a gorgeous head of hair. I am so excited about this new role of auntie. He will be loved, adored and spoiled by me.

Holding him in my arms with my 6 year old daughter was surreal. I kept having flash backs to that moment in my life when she was so tiny. She was a little bigger at 7.6 pounds. You see your child every day and you watch them slowly grow each of those days. They grow in inches, they develop a new word as they learn to talk and then suddenly you wonder “where has all the time gone”? You look at pictures and you hold your friend’s babies and you can’t help but reminisce about your own child. You hope that when your baby was that age that you appreciated their cuteness and that you held and kissed them enough. Reality is, yes you did love them enough. Yes you did appreciate every day that they slowly grew. It’s just that once those days are gone, you miss them. The growth of your child is beautifully bittersweet.

You say you’ll remember everything wonderful that your child does but it’s just not possible. So take a lot of pictures and even better, take videos that you can watch later in life. You’ll be glad you did.

What Have I Learned in Six Years?

First Birthday 2006

My daughter is going to be six years old in just three days. She is a blossoming little woman. Her birthday is shared with Dr. Suess. Maybe you know him? So that day at school they get to wear pajamas to class. The last time she had a pajama day at school she was so happy you’d have thought it was Christmas. 

So I sit here and think to myself, what have I learned in six years of mothering? This journey started when I was twenty years old. I wasn’t even deemed legal to drink alcohol but I was responsible for the upbringing of another human being. Was I scared? Of course! I always knew that I wanted to be a mom but that didn’t mean I wanted it so soon. Surprises have their way of working out. When she was born, the motherly instinct took over and has guided me since. I mean instinct quite literally. I wasn’t the kind of mother who read all of the baby raising books, or followed other mother’s hipster blogs. I did some research of course but mainly I stuck to the principle of “what worked for my own mother works for me”. If I faced a situation that didn’t fall into that principle, then I made a decision for her based on what I thought felt right. So how did that go for me?