I sat down to write with nothing to really say....

Hmmm....

I guess I'll just share some random thoughts.

School has started back up and while I am missing our lazy mornings I do love to be back into our routine. Routine and I have such a Love/Hate relationship.

Landon is becoming obsessed with reading. He wants to know what everything spells and we spend large parts of our day sounding out words around the house; or things he notices while in the driving in the car. "Mom, how do you spell 'Garbage Truck.'" "Mom, help me sound out 'Library.'" It's really exciting. I've also been encouraging him to practice writing his own so we are constantly getting "letters" from him with sweet sentiments such as: "Dear Mom, U R a grat mom." And Uncle Ryan got the best one, "Dear Unkle Ryan, U R a god Unkle."

Parker is finally, knock-on-wood, potty trained. Although he much prefers to urinate outside rather than inside and he refuses to use the bathroom at school which means he holds it for more than 3 hours (poor kid!). He is the only one of us that is modest and he insists on "previcy". 

RJ is busy handling both his job and working and converting our beloved van's hardtop into a "POP" top. It's been a ton of work but we are excited to have the extra bed in the van. She really becomes a home on wheels once this project is done and I'm already planning some Spring trips.

Including, hopefully, a trip to Zion National Park where I may compete in my first trail run (a personal goal for 2015).

Speaking of 2015 goals I've been reflecting on a new word for the year (last year was "Intentional" and I really feel like the word did guide me all year long, but more on that later). I think I've decided on a short phrase this year: DIG DEEPER.

I want do Dig Deep this year. Deeper into God and His Word. Deeper into relationships with my family and with my friends. Deeper into myself. I want to really explore my identity in Christ (I'm currently reading this book: The Truest Thing about You: Identity, Desire, and Why It All Matters by Dave Lomas) and what He has for me. My wish is to dig deep and discover more of who I am, my desires, and what my gifts might really be. I also want to write more this year as I process all I'm learning. Hopefully this blog might be a medium for some of those words (although I admit I have been back to my journals more than ever).

Anyway, that's where we all are right now. I do hope you're New Year has started off well and you're enjoying the randomness of life too. XO

 A random chicken picture to go with this rambling blog post. 

December Wrap-Up

Anyone else have a busy December?!

Whew!

I do love the Christmas month though - despite it's full-pace. 

This year was full of trips to Northern California, a December wedding, reunions with old friends, sugar cookie baking, family gatherings, candlelight and praise music, and the flu. We missed most of our Christmas parties and normal Christmas outings thanks to a round of the tummy flu that we passed around among ourselves for two full weeks. Blah. I really don't need to go through that again for a long, long time. But despite the nasty germs we were able to enjoy the Christmas season and the celebration of Christ's birth. 

Landon and I had some special time in San Francisco together. We stopped for a half day of lunch, ice cream sundaes, cable car rides and Union Square Christmas tree fun. I realized just how quickly my eldest son is growing. It was so easy navigating the city with him. He could walk far, wait patiently in lines, and eat in a restaurant without being an embrassment. I have loved every stage of parenting but I am particularly enjoying this age. He's old enough to really appreciate traveling and special outings, and yet young enough that he still cuddles, holds my hand in public, and enjoys a sweet innocence that I know will one day inevitably fade. 

Making Christmas sugar cookies from scratch is one of my boys' favorite Christmas activities. 

What's there not to love about sugar, frosting and sprinkles!

I set aside an entire morning just for this activity and I'm so glad I did. I never felt rushed or annoyed by the mess; instead we all enjoyed the entire process from start to finish. 

As the year closes I'm feeling both sentimental and anticipatory. I love reflecting on the past year and  just as much as I love looking forward to the future year. I haven't been blogging as much lately and instead have been engrossed in my journal as I privately weed through these sentiments; thanking the Lord for His work in 2015 and preparing to set goals for the future. I do look forward to sharing more soon.

I hope you and yours had a very Merry Christmas!!!

My Little Bear

I finally snapped some preschool photos of our Parker. 

Four weeks late still counts for start of the year photos, right?

I'll just hashtag these #secondchild

Is he not just so adorable?!!! 

For the first three weeks he yelled "No No No'" every time we rolled into the preschool parking lot and then proceeded to wail when I left him with his sweet teachers.

But his teachers assured me he stopped and started playing within 2 minutes of my departure.

I know this is true because when I would pick him up I would spy from the window and he was always playing and having fun. Then the moment he would spot me he's turn on the waterworks and run for the door. 

But as of this week he can't wait to go to school.

He saunters in as if he owns the play - tossing a casual "Hi Teacher" over his shoulder before jumping on the tricycle and taking off around the play yard. 

Yesterday I left him stay for lunch for the first time. 

My goodness was he proud of that Spiderman lunchpail. 

He insisted on carrying into class and putting in his cubby all by himself.

Oh, Little Bear, we do love you!

Portraits 32/52

Looks like, I'm going to have to play a little catch-up in order to have all 52 weeks of portraits for my kids.

Last week we were mostly on the road home and I didn't really take any photos. But I did snap a few our last day in Yellowstone.

Parker looking out the window and up to his big brother at the Old Faithful Inn

Landon proudly showing off his newly acquired Yellowstone Junior Ranger Badge

Most National Parks have a Junior Ranger program. It's a great way to help your kids experience the park. Usually you grab a JR Ranger booklet at any ranger station in the park. They typically cost a few dollars (the Yellowstone one is $3, but not always). Then, depending on their age, they have to fill out certain pages in their book and do various activities: observe the wildflowers, go on a hike, read about glaciers and answer the following questions, etc. Once they fill out their book (we carried Landon's book around for five days slowly working on different pages but it could have easily been done in an afternoon too) then you head back to a ranger station. The ranger leads your child in an oath to protect the park and it's natural resources and then awards him with a rocking' badge. It's quite cute and really fun too.

Linking up with Practicing Simplicity for The 52 Project. 

Parker Turns 2

It seems a little bit cruel that my baby would turn 2 on Mother's Day.

"Happy Mother's Day -- you no longer have any babies in the house. And probably won't ever again."

(We are expecting to adopt a toddler.)

Booowhooohooooo!!!!!!

I am way sadder about this than I expected to be.

But this post isn't about me and my mourning of soft baby hair and baby smell and baby breath...

It's about my little man with the big personality.

Parker -

You, my son, are a delight. There really is no better way to describe you. You fill our home with laughter. Everyday I am thankful to be you and your brother's Mama.

At the age of 2 you're really starting to come into your personality. You're seeking independence -- wanting to ride your scooter fast and far, loving playing outside, asserting your strong-will; yet you still love your Mama fiercly and cling to me when I hold you. I love your cuddles and the way you twist my hair through your fingers when you're really tired. 

You love to sleep. Love to snack. And love to play. Most mornings you sleep in the latest of the whole household and you always wake with a cheerful smile. Nap time is greeted with pleasure and I'm thankful for your 2 hour rest. We struggle still getting you to eat veggies and some fruits but smoothie's often do the trick for hiding kale and spinach. And recently, now that you're older, we've found that bribery works too. "Eat all your broccoli and you can have dessert" gets you shoveling in the green stuff. When you play you play hard and almost always come away sweaty and grubby.

Your favorite things to play are basketball (you love to tell me about every single basketball hoop you see whenever we are driving) and riding your scooter. Today you were showing off during our family walk doing "jumps" on the scooter. Trains, Elmo, "babies" (stuffed animals), and nerf/squirt/toy guns also favorites. At the beach on Sunday you were entertained with a squirt gun for more than an hour. You also love "puppy" - a stuffed dog on wheels that you drag around everywhere we go. And you're enamored by bubbles.

The other night you said your first prayer at dinner. None of it was intelligible expect three little words "thank you Daddy". How you love your Daddy and your brother! Watching the three of you interact is one of the greatest joys in my life. I pray that you three men will always be close. That you and your brother will follow the example of your Daddy and be Godly men that live to serve the Lord.

I love you my crazy Parker boy. 

Happy 2nd Birthday.

Love,

Mama

The Boy With The Big Personality

If you follow me on Instagram or FB you've already seen this photo, but I just had to use it again because it perfectly captures my Parker's personality. 

Parker's personality is BIG. 

It's expressive, and loud, and busy, and engaging, and hilarious. 

The kid has such a big personality I'm afraid it's going to swallow me up whole.

Toddlerhood with P is like nothing I've experienced in mothering. 

He's a nonstop tornado.

A whirlwind of activity and conversation.

He can jump from "reading" books (he only scans pictures and refuses to sit still long enough to let me read to him) to playing legos to digging dirt to "helping" sweep in the span of 2 minutes.

He refuses to watch TV for more than 1 minute.

He loves to join me in the bathroom a brush his teeth, unroll toilet paper, "clean" the bathtub, unfold towels and empty lotion bottles. 

I know this is typical toddler behavior but the thing that sets Parker apart is his ability to do it all with such enthusiasm. 

Everything is fun.

Everything's a game.

The world is his oyster.

Until you piss him off.

Then everything is still BIG...

...big frustrations.

Big screams.

Big hits.

Big fat, dramatic crocodile tears.

Followed by big hugs.

Big kisses.

Enormous smiles.

Endless belly laughs.

In the past week Parker has me wavering from wanting to pull my hair out (buckets of dirt carried inside from the garden and emptied all over the living room) to wishing fervently he would never grow up so I can keep his chubby, soft, delicious toddler body snuggled up with me for the rest of my life.

So when you see the #mycrazyparker photos on Instragram laugh along with me, and then - if you don't mind - say a little prayer for my survival.

Portraits 11/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.

 Parker, watching Daddy eat hoping he'll learn a trick for getting the soup to his mouth.

Landon's photo is after the jump

Parker at 22 Months

Daily Parker makes me laugh out loud.

He's the funniest, most expressive, most happy, cheerful little guy.

Until he gets pissed.

Then watch out - he might bit your butt.

Yesterday he grabbed a mouthful of Landon's rear check and left a mark he chomped down so hard.

Parker wakes up with a smile and immediately asks for "Daddy", "An-dun", and "Lee-goos".

Then he hauls his legos into the living room calling "An-dun" over to play, while simultaneously yelling "Mine!" if Landon gets too close. It's tough to know what you really want when you're almost two.

Our little guy passes out kisses frequently and with gusto. However, immediately after puckering up and laying a slobbery one on you he'll look you in the eyes and shout, "Eww, Yuck!" And then laugh uproariously. 

His favorites include:

- Mommy, Daddy and Landon

- the chickens

- his scooter

- snacks

- juice

-smoothies

-napping

-shoes

-legos

-wrestling Daddy

-bubbles

- talking about everything and anything (even if you can't understand him)

- and holding hands during dinner prayer

He dislikes:

-television (or he's more ambivalent about it)

-most vegetables

- blueberries (really son, really?!)

- when Landon touches his scooter

-washing his hair during bath

-being told "no"

-and time-outs

I'm so thankful for the gift of our youngest son. As someone pointed out to me today "he has a lot of personality" and I love it! 

A Friend for Life

Yesterday I brought Landon and his friend Lily to their swim lesson at the YMCA. After class the kids were laughing and chatting togeter, clearly at ease in one another's company, while I toweled them off. A nearby woman leaned over and asked me if they were twins, "No, " I told her, "they've just been friends since they were tiny babies."

I found myself reflecting on Landon and Parker's friendships this morning. My kids are blessed to have a tight-knit group of buddies already. Landon's grown from a tiny infant to a near kindergartner with these kids. He adores his friends; and their younger siblings too. 

Dynamics have changed over the past year. The gender differences are becoming more apparent. But they all still love seeing each other and playing together. These kids truly love one another. Next year will be interesting - despite the fact most of us live less than a mile from each other we will be spreading out over 5 different elementary schools. Horizons will expand. Kids will grow and change. New friendships will be made. 

But I sincerely hope this group of friends: who learned to crawl together, walk together, talk together, and grow together find a lifetime of friendship together.

Love,

An Overly Sentimental Mama

Little Lost Moment - Tee-Ball with Parker

Is he not just the cutest?!

Although I was sad to cut his hair I'm so glad I did because now i can see his darling little face better.

This week his favorite word is "MINE" - a true indication that we have officially hit toddlerhood.

He also hates it when I hold, touch, kiss, pet, or even approach any other young children. He is very possessive of his Mama. And, lets be honest, I don't really mind a bit! 

Parker's First Haircut

It was finally time to bite the bullet and get Parker's haircut.

His hair was looking straggly and twice in one week he was mistaken for a little girl.

I've been dreading this day - knowing that a new short hair-do would morph my youngest from a baby to a big-boy in just a few scissor snips.

Here he is the day before in all his long-haired baby goodness:

And twenty dollars and one barber shop visit later my baby is all growed-up:

#makeitstop!!!

I choked up more than once watching his long locks fall to the floor. It's hard watching my baby grow. Can't I just keep him little forever please? 

There are no good photos of the actual event since I went alone and actually ended up holding him in the chair. I tried taking an after photo but he was squirmy and eager to flee the scene so nothing turned out. 

Here is a comparison shot of the boys with their first haircuts.

They definitely look like brothers but they look different too.

Parker Talks

...and talks, and talks, and talks. The little guy's vocabulary has taken off these past few weeks.

Parker does not care for traditional language development (much like his delayed walking). He started saying saying larger words before smaller ones, and phrases before simple one consonant words.

For example:

He does not yet say "no."

But he's been saying "What's that?" for months.

"Chicken" and "Sweep" were among his first words.

But he's just now saying "book" and "bath."

And both my children thought it was much more important to add the word "penis" into their vocabularies before the word "Mama." #priorities

But in the past few weeks Parker has started calling each of us by name. It's the gosh-dang cutest when he says, "Laaa-Dun." He's putting more and more words together and saying new things daily. It's so fun seeing more of his personality emerge as he learned to express himself with language.

But thankfully he still speaks in "Parker-ese" -- a gaggle of baby talks that sounds like a legitimate foreign language. And he speaks it with gusto and enthusiasm completely convinced that you understand his every word!

Silly Me

Parker crawled and walked "late"; crawling around 10 months and walking at nearly 16 months. While I was never really worried about him - the doctor said he was perfectly healthy and I knew he would crawl/walk eventually - but I did let his slow progress bother me. You don't realize how how good it feels to have your child perform "ahead of the curve" until they don't. And, I must admit, I found myself making major generalization about Parker based solely on his progress as a walker. I remember telling someone, "I guess Parker just won't be our athletic child." Ha! Well God has taught me something about generalizations, and more importantly, about labeling....don't do it! 

Parker went from crawling, to walking, running and jumping in about a day. Now, at only 19 months old he's an eager, determined little scooter rider. I don't think he heard me make judgements about his athleticism as a baby, but every time he insists on skateboarding or scooting just like his brother, I'm pretty sure he's proving a point, because he's improving at an alarming rate. 

So, silly old me for paying attention to growth charts. 

No one (especially not his own mother) puts my baby in a corner. 

Photos I Stole From RJ's iPhone

Dinner by headlamp

Our new favorite campground in Big Sur

Sunsets and Silliness

Landon took this gem for us

My favorties

Hiking

Highway 1 will always be near and dear to my heart

Checking the waves in Santa Cruz

Verve Coffee's newest fan

Good friends are always worth a drive.
Thanks for the incredibly fun Christmas party!