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October 2008
October 31, 2008
I'm 'it'
I was tagged by my friend Shannon to post 7 random things about myself.
(Let me start off by saying that I'm far less excited about this process than Miss.Shannon but I'm a good sport and I'll play along)
So random things huh:
It's crazy to think that I'm a Mom sometimes... when I was growing up I had plans for what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought of a lawyer, a teacher and I was very serious when I said a mortician. Somewhere I realized that I would have to work on children and that gave me the creeps so I gave up on that one.
Eventually I decided and I graduated as an ABA certified Paralegal. I did my internship and went on a few interviews but then I just kind of lost interest. I was married and just wanted to be a MOM. Becoming parents was quite a journey, it seems like such a far off dream at many points in our lives.
We endured YEARS and spent THOUSANDS on infertility treatments. I think it was because of this that I soaked in every second of my pregnancies. I loved going through labor, it hurt but I loved it. I specifically remember holding Luke for the first time on the delivery table and saying 'I would go through labor everyday to have this feeling right now'.
I also remember the day we thought of his name. We were finally pregnant and we were lying in bed on a Saturday morning. We didn't look at any books we just started with 'A' and mentioned names we both liked and went through the alphabet. Al suggested Luke- it stayed on the list. When we got to 'T' we both agreed that Tooktoolong was not a good name but seemed appropriate. If the baby was a girl Sydney was in our top three. I was born in Australia so it seemed a nice way to connect plus I loved it! Who knew that 6 years later we would use that little girl name.
I was in disbelief on July 7th 2004 during my ultrasound when they said 'it's a girl'. I wanted HER so badly and it just seemed too good to be true. I didn't buy a single girl thing. Finally, when I had another peek during a 35wk visit for complications - they said it again, 'it's a girl' and it seemed more sure.
They were right - here she was. Sydney was born on the same day as my grandfather. I never got a chance to meet him. We were in Australia and before anyone could plan a visit from the States he was killed in a terrible accident.
To this day... I have a feeling that although my Grandmother remarried twice after losing the father of her 6 children that she never loved the same.
( My grandmother and grandfather - April 15, 1946 )
I was glad there was a small connection even if was just a birthday that Sydney would have with her great-grandfather.
I brought my baby girl home on a cold winter day. I soon realized that I was blessed with not one but two babies that thrived and slept through the night within a few weeks time. They are both growing so quickly and I can see bits of me in each of them even though they look exactly like their father. Luke appears timid and reserved but is actually very outgoing once he opens up - just like me. Sydney wants to do everything herself, loves girlie things and playing in the rain - just like me.
As much as I believe that I am molding my children I am beginning to realize that they are training me to be a parent... teaching me patience, compassion, empathy and to let-go. That's really hard for me and from what I've heard, it's only just begun.
Ok- that's 7... but always the overachiever I'll give you 1 more:
I hand-wash the dishes. I don't like washing dishes but it has never bothered me that we don't use a dishwasher.
Even when we eventually remodel our kitchen which is WAY overdue I know we'll put a dishwasher in but I could care less if we didn't. When we are at someone else's house I always automatically wash and dry and they look at me crazy... why didn't you use the dishwasher Jade?
October 30, 2008
in ALL fairness
I've posted earlier about Luke's displeasure of waking up and going to school- which I agree it sucks. I don't like waking him up and I don't like driving him to school.
BUT- I think it's only fair to mention that 90% of the time, he's awesome.
This morning he was like that. He makes the job easy and I realize it's not that big of a deal.
Then we went to Target and saw these ugly pants in the woman section.
No, they are not in the costume section I checked. That is Sydney smelling the ugly pants.
I bought her this baby that coos and talks. It was cooing up a storm. She did not go in a Target bag, Sydney wanted to hold her and open her immediatley from the cardboard prison. Well we had one more errand so I tried to open it in the car.
Do you already know where this is going? Think new toy and no scissors and I'm sure most of you will understand. Even with scissors it's impossible.
So I pulled out the instructions to figure out how to shut-up get the baby quiet.
Syd grabbed them and said 'let me see. Oh it says if you don't have scissors just pull really hard. And if I give her the milk she will stop crying in 10 minutes.'
Since I had my camera handy I snapped this picture. I've driven this road a million times and only just recently noticed the little error...
Do you see it? Because obviously the police don't.
October 29, 2008
Today
It was Wednesday... hump day (why do they call it that anyway?)
After dropping Luke off at school and kissing my love off to a day at work I still had one more little person here with me.
She's a late riser usually. If we need to be somewhere that is typically the day that I have to WAKE her up. She was up today which was a nice surprise... we give Morning Hugs.
I sit down with a cup of coffee and Sydney cozies up to Oswald
Then begins her daily grovel.
You see, EVERY single commercial features the dream toy to which Sydney perks up, eyes glaze over and almost without thought...
please please PLEASE please Mommy please can I have that? Look Mommy... you're not looking, see... THAT, can I have that!? Will you get that for me pLEEEEse!!!!
Score 1 for the marketing genius'
Oh... no... wait... the next commercial is for the pony WITH a dream house AND his own mini chihuahua in a doggie carrier.
Cue Sydney: please please, pah-leese OH I love that, iwantthatsobad SO BAD, please?? Mommy??
Me: Sure honey of course
S: Thanks Mommy, you're the best
Me: I know
Me: It's time to eat and get dressed. Do you want Cheerios or Mommy's cereal?
S: Mommies with strawberries
S: I can't go to school today, I'm sick... ( argh, cough, agh )
Me: Really, OK. But if you're too sick for school then no gymnastics
S: mooooom. It's just gonna be all Halloween stuff... I'm not going
Me: Yes, you're going and we're already late so let's GO
(she was good. no tears. and only 20 minutes late)
I dropped her off and went to get some flowers...
(one of my favorite flowers but MAN look at those bees)
Look at all my pretty stuff
That = a LOT of work
The cashier asks- 'would you like some help out?'
I reply... 'Oh no I've got this, but I would like someone to follow me home and plant all this.' dead SERIOUS
No luck with the free labor, I had just enough time to unload the truck- eat a little something- then go pick up my girl (AKA 'helper')
We had quite the mess going at one point. It's usually at that time that I admit defeat but I seemed to power through it. Besides it was getting dark SO early and I was STARVING. Everything got an extra little bit of soil, we swept and watered. done.
I put Sydney in the bath and started dinner. I inhaled it. I didn't even care that she ate dinner in her towel.
All clean and ready for the next day of "I wants" and helping.
The funny thing about her - I tell her every morning 'of course Honey, I will totally buy all those things for you' and she always smiles 'thanks Momma' and then that's it... she's happy and never asks about them.
Oh I almost forgot
One of the plants was for inside. You see. I don't do well with indoor plants, ok outdoor ones either. I searched the tags looking for THE special plant-
My ideal qualities: indoor/ hardy / mild temperature / super hardy / will survive no watering / part silk / toddlerproof / capable of surviving near drowning
I settled and found this one to replace the sad plant inside - she lived a full life. When Al came home I said 'hey look, I watered that little plant and look!' ...
Do you think he bought it?
His words... 'is it fake?... oh, it's not?... too bad'
October 28, 2008
Another 'first'
We've painted lots of little fingernails and toenails in this house. But,
This
is
the
FIRST
time
She sat long enough for them to dry so they did't get all 'messded up' ...
( she's growing )
He strikes again
When Al parks the car we all must exit. The garage is tight with 2 big(ger) cars and he hugs the wall. So we get out and wait on the porch.
Last night I said... 'I hope Daddy brought the key?'
Luke: "what would we do if he didn't bring it?"
Me: "we would use the hide-a-key."
Luke: "how would we get in if we didn't have both?"
Me: "I don't know, I guess we would have to break a little window or something."
Sydney: "I think we could just ring the ding-dong (doorbell)"
Me: "Good guess sweetie... (Al is walking from the parked car and up to the porch now so I ask him) How would you get in if we didn't have the key and NO hide-a-key?"
Al: "I'd probably break a window."
Luke: "Really? I think we would just call Grandma and ask her to bring her key to our house."
DANG.... he uses such common sense and puts us all to shame once again.
( taken last weekend - 10.25.08 )
p.s. Daddy had the key.
October 27, 2008
Game night
Tonight we played Yahtzee... Me, Luke & Syd
Sydney got a Yahtzee on her 2nd turn. "Yahtzee!" we all screamed.
She got a total of 3 during the game. That did not stop her from screaming 'Yahtzee' after every roll (with hands in the air). Then Luke would say... "as loud as you can!!"
"YAHTZEE Yahtzee YAAAAHTZEEEE!!"
Yahtzee is for ages 8 and up.
Sydney beat me by more than 220 points.
October 26, 2008
Time for a 'trim'
I've been meaning to give Sydney a haircut for about 3 months now. Everytime she insists 'no, I want it looooong, like Madison'.
I assure her that Madison gets haircuts too- but still, she wouldn't bite. So I packaged it all up and labeled it differently... 'how about a cute little 'trim' ? (Sounds far less drastic, don't you think.)
I can relate to my little girl and her loving of long hair. I promised her it would still be loooooong, but prettier. She was in!
It was about 2" of what looks like strings of golden hay...
(I kept this little bit in a baggie - weird? ok Maybe.)
She was flipping it around and all smiles.
It's still long enough to do fancy little styles. It even has a few unintentional layers. (It's just not that easy to get her to sit really really still for more than 15 sec.- mkay)
October 25, 2008
sadly Overlooked
Today when Luke was getting dressed for practice I noticed his sad little alligator-like, deprived off all moisture (especially from the dry Santa Ana winds this week), brittle looking legs.
Poor baby.
I usually do lotion with Sydney but Luke is usually running off wanting nothing to do with the girly-moisturizer.
How could I have overlooked the state of his dry little legs for so long? I couldn't take it ... 'Sit down Luke, it's time for some lotion'.
Even he was shocked.
After one leg he exclaimes... "Wow it's like 2 different people. Take a picture!"
So I did.
We finished up the other leg.
Much better... then we vowed to do this more regularly.
