What A Wonderful World

Think of the mother who lost her son in the battlefield. Think of the wife whose husband has gone to war. Think of the children who do not know whether they will see their father next Christmas.

When you think of the selfless souls who sacrifice their happiness for our security, you realize how much you have to be grateful for.

On this Memorial Day weekend, I spent it with my family playing in the backyard.  Making memories.  Living life to the fullest.  Enjoying the simple things. 
Being Free.
...and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me.

It's a wonderful world!

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom, for me and you

And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, dark sacred night

And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces, of people going by

I see friends shaking hands, sayin', "How do you do?"
They're really sayin', "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow

They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know

And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Bladder

As we were playing today, I told Makayla that I had to pee so bad that my bladder hurt.

She immediately showed concern.  Her brows furrowed in sympathy and she took in a deep breath through her clenched teeth.  She slowly and tenderly asked if she could see.

I asked her what she wanted to see. 

She said she wanted to see my bladder. 

MMmmm MMmmm MMmmm

I love her to pieces.

I love everything about her.

She's real.  She's fresh.  She's honest.  She cares.  She loves.

She's simply the best.

Whistling

Almost everyday, Kevin will whistle at Makayla. It’s one of the little things that he does to let her know that she’s beautiful.

 Well, tonight, the kids and I were home alone because Kevin had to DJ a graduation party. Makayla and I were upstairs in the bathroom washing her hands and as she was drying her hands on the towel, I whistled at her. She thought it was daddy whistling and got soooooo excited. She dropped the towel, her eyes got wide, and she exclaimed that daddy was home!! She couldn’t get out of the bathroom fast enough. I laughed and told her daddy wasn’t home and that it was mommy who whistled at her.

She was devastated.

So was I.

(kind of)

I was sad that she didn’t get excited by my whistling, but at the same time I was filled with so much joy at the love that she has for her daddy.

Don't you love the outfit?!  But hey - at least it's all stripes!

Eating sweet corn and Lucky Charms on the living room floor.

Nintendo DS

Yesterday Mason was crying and Makayla was saying "Buddy! It's okay! Buddy! Buddy! Where's your DS? It's okay! Let's find your DS!". She kept talking about his DS. I'm assuming she was talking about a Nintendo DS, but how in the world she knows what that is, I have no idea! She's only 2! She FINALLY found his DS and this is what she gave him.

What Keeps Makayla Busy?

FIVE things that can provide hours of entertainment at our house:

1. Letting the cats in and out.

One minute, Makayla thinks they need to go out and get some fresh air and the next minute, she thinks they need to come back inside. She spends her time calling for the cats, that eventually turns into a yell because they are either tired of going in and out or are very confused and they just end up sitting outside staring at her. When she’s standing at the door, beating her legs and doing all she can to persuade the cats to come back in for the 5^th time, I can’t help but grin at her persistence and big girl behavior taking care of her babies. There’s nothing - absolutely nothing - I can do to get her to stop tending to the cats. She’ll stop when she’s ready to stop.

2.  Sneakily feeding us bugs.

Makayla puts a fake bug in our popcorn bowl and we pretend to eat it. Then we dramatically spit it out and she falls to the floor laughing so hard she can’t breathe. We can do that over and over again and it’s as funny the 100^th time as it was the 1^st time.

3.  Rolling play dough into snakes.

The other day, Aunt Nina made a heart out of play dough and asked Makayla to guess what it was. Makayla guessed pretzel. I can totally see how a heart looks like a pretzel! I wish it was as easy for me as it is for her to think outside the box! 



4.  Cleaning the countertops.

 Makayla will pull a chair up to the kitchen counter and she will scrub away ‘til her hands are tired. She’ll scrub with a paper towel (wet or dry), a bib, Kleenex…anything she can find - but her favorite thing to clean with is a baby wipe. What’s really cute, although it makes a bigger mess for me, is when she really gets into. She’ll grab her bottled water, pour water on the counter, and clean clean clean.  Every once in awhile, she'll add her shampoo to the mix.  She’ll wipe and scrub for as long as I’ll let her. …and it’s not just the countertops. She also loves to clean the wood floor. Sometimes I’ll see a pile of baby wipes in the corner and I can’t help but smile because I know exactly what she has been doing.

These are the piles of wipes I find strategically placed throughout the house.  Most of the time, she's pretty good about throwing her dirty wipes away...

5.  Building cages.

Makayla will open up books and carefully place them on their side . She lines up to 15 books in a circle and calls it her cage. Sometimes, she likes to cage herself in, but most of the time, it’s her baby brother that she’s caging in. THEN, when he grabs for a book and knocks it down, she gets upset and has to start all over again. She’ll lecture him and tell him not to touch her books or knock down her cage…but poor babies…Mason doesn’t understand and Makayla doesn’t understand that Mason doesn’t know what she is talking about. This can go on for a good 30 minutes. The other day, Makayla caged her grandma in. I think she had maybe 20 books all lined up on their side. Eventually, grandma got too claustrophobic and, sadly, had to end the game.

I Love Sunny Days And Celebrating More Birthdays

Right now it's storming.  Nonstop rolling thunder with the pleasant scent of summer rain drifting through the house.  You know the scent of summer rain?  It's earthy, it's fresh.  I especially love it when big, fat raindrops fall on a hot pavement...the smell of warm, wet asphalt.  Maybe I love it so much because it's a smell that stays with me my whole life.  A smell that I love and a smell that's welcoming if it stays for only a short time.

Before the storm hit, this weekend was filled with sun and heat.  It was a weekend that drew us outdoors for the entire weekend.  A weekend spent at the parks, in the grass, at the zoo, picnic-ing, buying flowers to plant, and driving around with the windows down. 

We started our weekend garage saling and having a bake sale in the park. 

We love going to garage sales.  I'm always looking for clothes for the kids and Makayla is always excited to buy a toy.  This weekend we found a steal of a deal for Mason - a walker.  He loves it and really likes cruising around outside, making him feel like a Big Boy.

After our garage saling, we spent time in the park at the Farmer's Market.  We had a bake sale to help raise money for Relay For Life. 

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I know many people who already help with the fight against cancer, but if you are interested in donating money, please support me in my efforts by using the link below to visit my personal web page and make a donation. Every dollar raised brings us one dollar closer to a cure, and to a time when no one has to hear the words, "you have cancer." Thank you so much for your support. Together, we ARE saving lives and creating a world with more birthdays!

 Relay For Life

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 My hunny bunnies playing in the park:  Mason is cruising around in his walker and Makayla is swinging, climbing, and sliding.  She's running around playing hard and she got to spend a little time with her cousins. It was so funny to watch them play.  The girls have a very good imagination and spent their time playing house and school on the playground, while Kole spent his time running around red-faced and climbing over every piece of the equipment.  I love how they love each other.  I love the excitement and squeals that come from their little bodies when they see each other and spend time together.   

Today, we had fun at the zoo.  Aunt Nina joined us in our outing and the kids had a blast.  It's so fun and so exciting, as a mommy, to watch the growth of Makayla from year to year.  We've been taking her to the zoo since she was an itty bitty baby and each year she gets smarter and smarter with the animals and gets more and more drawn in to the scene.  She gets excited and asks questions.  I love it!  I love watching her grow and mature.  Next year will be the same way and I'll get to watch Mason as he gets more and more excited about the animals.

We had fun seeing zebras and giraffes, wearing masks, and petting the ponies.  It was a great trip and of course, we got to shop the gift shop and Makayla got to get a souvenir. 

I'm a believer in letting the kids pick out a souvenir.  We can always find a cheap souvenir that helps make the trip a little bit more exciting and helps to serve as a reminder of our fun times. 

She picked a "boy" toy and went home with a safari truck and a helicopter.  Recently, she's been into "boy" toys and last time we went to the doctor, she asked the doctor for "boy" stickers.  I'm convinced she's so into the "boy" scene because it excites her friends at daycare (which are all boys) more than a barbie or dolly would.

And that's the wonderful thing about family travel: it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind.

-Dave Barry

Pure Love, No Words

Mason! Mason! Mason!

You're beautiful

You're perfect

You're my baby boy

...and today, you're 8 months old.

I want to tell you how much I love you and how much you have changed my life over the past 8 months, but I can't.  I'm too overwhelmed with love for you...pure love, no words.

All I can say tonight is --- 

I look at you everyday and can't imagine being in this world without you. 

Thank you for all that you have brought into my life and thank you for making me a better person.

Thank you for loving me.  

A Mish Mosh On A Cold May Day

It was cold this weekend.  Really cold.  It rained.  All weekend, it rained. 

Today was 49 degrees, you could see your breath, and the ice cream truck drove down our street.  That 20 second classic ice cream truck jingle did put a little tiny smile on our faces on such a cold and dreary May day.

Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Kevin gets to nap with the kids.  That's our deal.  He wakes up with them in the morning, while I "sleep in" - then he gets to nap in the afternoons with them.  Sometimes I get really close to joining them.  A dark room, buzzing of the fan, warm blankets...sometimes, it's just too tempting. 

 Ever since Mason could independently sit up, Kevin has tried to get out of giving the kids a bath.  He says that he's too scared that Mason will fall over or get knocked down.  So, in an attempt to solve Kevin's fear, I bought an inflatable tub for Mason to sit in...! 

So, tonight was his first night using it while Kevin bathed them. 

As you can see though, Mason can't enjoy it on his own.  His big sister Makayla has to be right up in his business all of the time.  She squeezes her little body in the duck tub, dumps a bucket full of bath toys in the water, and takes over Mason's new toy.  This is how it is with every aspect of Mason's life.  He will never know what it is like to have something all for himself...

...but that's okay because he knows no different.  He has his sister and she has him.  They have each other and in my opinion that's better than anything else in this world.  They share their life together.

 To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.~Clara Ortega

Another example of Mason never being able to enjoy something on his own:

Last week we were out to eat at Steak-N-Shake.  A stranger as a waitress came up to Mason and talked to him for a few seconds.  She told him how cute he was, kissed him on the forehead, and walked away.  As I was left there with my mouth hanging open at the fact that a stranger kissed my son, Makayla stood up on her chair, clapped her hands twice, and yelled out "hey". 

Heaven forbid the stranger leave Makayla out, so she of course got a kiss, too!

...and ending this mish-mosh of a post, here our Makayla's and Mason's fortunes from their cookies tonight at dinner.

Makayla's fortune:

(Which she is - she is far more influential than I think anybody knows)

Mason's fortune:

How neat is that?  So, even though Makayla always try to share a part in Mason's spotlight, she always has something good to say to him or about him.  She treats him right and he is always looking around for her - wanting her, needing her.  I love it.  I love them.

I know they are young and they will change, but I hope at the end of everyday they know that they have each other.  I pray that they will forever be there for each other and with each other; to share in the joys and sorrow of life; to laugh and learn together; to lean on each other; to mention each other in a positive light...and I could go on and on and on of my hopes and dreams for them...

They are brother and sister.

From Sun To Rain

Summer is coming! -

Sun-drenched days and star-lit nights!

I was so lucky to be able to spend a very warm Tuesday afternoon with my kids -

in the yard -

playing in the pool -

eating popcicles -

drawing with chalk...

Just a little peek of what's to come this season!

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain.

...and I'm teaching that to my babies early on in life.

Tonight a storm was brewing.  The wind was blowing and you could hear the thunder in the distance.  It had just started sprinkling and I told her that we were going to go dance in the rain.  Below is a picture of Makayla right before she ran out under the drops. 

Dance, baby dance!  Run, baby run!

 ...and P.S.

I thought this was only something boys did, but I guess not.

When a girls gotta go, a girls gotta go!

i heart faces: Motherhood

Motherhood is an experience that opens your eyes and your heart to exactly how magnificent and amazing the gift of life is.

-Donna Newman

Holding

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your

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brand

.

new

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baby.

moth·er·hood

1. the state of being a mother; maternity.

2. the qualities or spirit of a mother.

3. mothers collectively.

4. having or relating to an inherent worthiness, justness, or goodness that is obvious or unarguable.

Full Laps, Telling Secrets, and Big Smiles

What a beautiful sunny weekend spent laughing with family and friends, eating good food, and playing under the sun in the green grass!! My grandma - Doesn't she make a beautiful Great Grandma? Happy, healthy, and a lap full of great grand kids. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * All day on Saturday, Makayla kept reminding that she got me presents for Mother's Day.  She would come up to me, put her hands on my cheeks, smile a big smile, and say "I got you preeeeseeeeents".  Everytime she reminded me, I would excitedly ask her what she got me.  She would proudly tell me that she got me a birthday card and stickers.  Looking at yesterday's blog you can see the card and flower pot that she got to decorate with lots of pretty, sparkly stickers.  SO...a birthday card and stickers!  I can tell my sweet little girl isn't going to be able to keep secrets very well... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Check out that contagious smile!! Mason KNOWS he is being spoiled by his Great Grandma and he LOVES it!! Sons are the anchors of a mother's life.-- Sophocles

Happy Mother's Day

There is no other closeness in human life like the closeness between a mother and her baby:  chronologically, physically, and spiritually, they are just a few heartbeats away from being the same person.

-Susan Cheever

It's funny how a flower and a card like this can make my heart burst with joy. 

The day I became a mother - September 4, 2008

Makayla Ann

...And the day I became a mother of two - September 17, 2010

Mason Allen

How did I get so lucky?  What have I done to deserve such a beautiful family? 

Not only am I lucky enough to spend today and everyday with my children, but I am also lucky enough to have a husband who loves to be a daddy - who is passionate in raising his kids - who takes the time to help the kids decorate a flower pot and card.

I am blessed.

Thank you God for Makayla and Mason.

As a mother I am hopeful

that I nurture your hopes and dreams

As a mother I am wishful

that your every wish comes true

As a mother I feel helpless

to help you as I want

As a mother I am honored to give you my best.

How My Kids Tuck ME Into Bed

A couple of nights ago, Kevin and I took the kids to the circus.  It was a 'one ring' circus and we sat front row - RIGHT on the edge of the ring.  Two motorcycles rode together in a metal sphere, there was a boxing kangaroo, dancers, clowns, ponies, and elephants.  Mason sat on my lap the entire time with a beautiful smile on his face.  Makayla ate nachos, rode a pony, and took walks everytime the clowns came out due to her newly discovered fear of clowns. 

It's moments like a night at the circus, a day at the aquarium, or an evening playing in the yard that tuck me into bed at night and send me off into sweet dreams.  

You know when you finally get to snuggle under the covers at night and lay your head on the pillow and your mind just won't let you go to sleep?  Your body is begging for rest, but your mind isn't about ready to allow it.  I have one or two, sometimes three things, the same issues/subjects, that play over and over again.  What can I change?  What if I would have done this or said that?  What can we do better?...the same questions, the same thoughts, over and over again...over and over again...my mind is racing...

But then I stop.  Take in a deep breath.  Close my eyes.  Thank God for my life and realize...

...I realize that Kevin and I do the best that we can in this life every single day.  We are happy, very happy, with where we are at and what we have been given.  We have amazing friends and family.  I shouldn't question anything in my life.  Why am I wasting my time trying to change things or fix things that can't be changed or fixed?  Why am I wasting my time wondering what if...or why...?  Why do I waste my time letting the 'drama' and the dirt of life seep into our happiness, our home?

...I realize that I need to live in the moment and soak in what we have now.  So...I stop.  Take in a deep breath.  Close my eyes.  Thank God for my life and start thinking about my babies.  My beautiful babies. 

Mason's hands are getting bigger.  Everyday he is getting closer to holding my hand in his. 

Makayla is getting smarter.  She learned last night that her name starts with the letter "M". 

I think about our times together.  I think about their experience at the circus and how much that meant to them (the kids) and us (the parents). 

I close my eyes and see Mason's smile and hear Makayla's giggle. 

I close my eyes and feel Mason's soft cheek against my lips and Makayla's arms around my neck. 

I close my eyes.  I feel them.  I see them.  I hear them.  I think about them. 

That's what I fall asleep to at night.  I fall asleep to my loves, with a smile on my face. 

Playing Pictionary With Makayla

Makayla drew this picture. 

What do you think it is?

***

A basketball hoop!

...Did you get it right?

Bowling, Mushrooms, Fish

What a busy, beautiful weekend we had!

On a gorgeous spring day, Makayla went bowling!

It was her first time at the alley, and she was lucky enough to be joined with her cousins.

It was fun to watch the kids take in their first experience of bowling.  We got to dry our hands on the dryer, watch the ball for 5 minutes as it rolled 3-5 miles per hour down the lane, and eat M&Ms and dance to the DJ music!

Also, on this beautiful, busy weekend, we made a trip to Chicago to visit Shedd Aquarium.

We decided to go to Chicago Saturday night and stay at a hotel, then wake up early and get to Shedd when it opened. 

Before we left for Chicago, we went to a family cookout at my parent's house. 

It was more of a Mushroom Party, as my dad cooked several courses of mushroom snacks/appetizers/meals.  He served fried morels, portebella mushrooms stuffed with morel mushrooms and crab meat with a glob of butter on top, morel mushrooms with spinach and cheese...and a few other morel mushroom concoctions.  I do not like mushrooms, so I didn't pay much attention to what was being served.  I just smelled the cooked fungus and heard all of the moans, groans, oohs, and aahs after every bite. 

Anyway

...

Our trip to Shedd was fun, entertaining, intriguing, educational, and exhausting.

 We saw a massive alligator turtle, a-maz-ing jelly fish, crabs, birds, 1,000 beautiful fish, dolphins, sharks, seals, otters, snakes...the list could go on and on and on. 

Makayla bought a rubber goldfish, two shark teeth, and a purple dolphin necklace.  She also bought her cousins shark teeth (always thinking of others). 

We had a great trip to Shedd and when you ask Makayla what she did and how she liked it, she'll say that she stayed in a hotel, saw sharks, and saw a dolphin poop two times.

...

That was our beautiful, busy weekend!!