Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Mother's Day Brunch - May 12, 2013
Who wants to cook on Mother's Day? Not me. Who wants their husband to cook and make a huge mess in the kitchen and keep asking you where ingredients and kitchen tools are? No thank you. I decided that we would go out for Mother's Day brunch because I didn't want either of those things. Also, I saw a sign on this restaurant that mothers eat free on Mother's Day. I don't know if I was really in the mood for Vietnamese but I can't turn down a good deal. I think Brandon would have preferred Caffe Niche or Oasis Cafe or Park Cafe but I chose Cafe Trang. Fortunately, I didn't have to teach my regular Primary class so we all just went to sacrament meeting at church (the primary kids were singing a special musical number with their moms) and took off right after the first hour.
The manly men!
The girly girls.
Lettuce wraps.
My entree. Yum. I love fried rolls.
Our fortunes. I can't remember which ones belonged to who. Maybe mine was the bottom right, Brandon's was above me, and Lucy had the two on the left.
Mother's Day Morning - May 12, 2013
I will admit, I was a little disappointed on Valentine's Day. I usually don't have very high expectations for the holidays. It seems like it is more about the kids and less about the adults. And to a certain extent, I hate buying in to the over-commercialized Hallmark holidays that force you to celebrate your love on one particular day or your mother on the another. However, it is nice to do something and if a special day is not set aside for it, then it is difficult to remember to celebrate on your own. To appease my own disappointment, I ended up buying myself two pairs of shoes (on sale of course - they were $14 each on 6pm). I also bought myself some clearance roses from Smith's (which died shortly thereafter - probably why they were on clearance). But it wasn't Brandon's fault - neither of us do much or make that big of a deal for birthdays and holidays. We had set a precedent either because we didn't want to waste money or we were too lazy. But really, is there ever enough money?
Well, for Mother's Day, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I would not be disappointed for this holiday. By golly, I am raising a very assertive (read: challenging) four year old and just sacrificed my body (and my mind, a bit) to give birth to a new baby boy. I mean, I know - lots of other women do this and many do it better. But that doesn't mean it isn't hard or doesn't totally suck sometime. So yes, we all deserve a holiday to get a little more attention and perhaps some pampering or an extra gift or two.
So my plan was to let Brandon know exactly what I wanted. So no surprises, but also no disappointment. And no cringing if he went overboard on a gift that was way too expensive (something out of our budget probably stresses me out more than nothing at all). There were no subtle or not so subtle hints. It went like this, "I want a new electric hand mixer." Mine had died and it wasn't very good to begin with and any time I needed to make a dessert like chocolate roll for a birthday, I had to borrow my neighbor's electric hand mixer from across the street. But not just any mixer. I did research and found the most reasonably priced one with the best reviews on Amazon (I'm all about value) and put it on my Amazon wishlist and sent the link to Brandon. Easy.
Next, flowers. But not just any flowers. I didn't want expensive florist flowers. A bouquet from Trader Joe's or Sprouts would be just fine, thank you very much. They have lovely flowers that are very reasonably priced. Plus, we have lots of our own vases.
For breakfast, triple strawberry shortcakes. No cereal for this girl. I even gave Brandon the recipe and bought all the ingredients.
So here is how it all went down:
The "gift wrap" was a little last minute but that's okay. It was very resourceful of Brandon to use an old wedding gift bag.
Brandon tried his hand at some floral arranging. I love Japanese irises and calla lilies (I really love any/all flowers). Thoughtful? Yes. Unique? Very. Unfortunately, the irises didn't last long. Lesson learned for next time.
My lovely hand mixer. There are 290 watts for about $25. I wanted me some power. And why would I spend double or triple on some pricey Kitchenaid or Cuisinart with less watts. Me, I'm practical. Someday, I will get a Bosch or Kitchenaid stand mixer but for now, this will suffice. I haven't started making my own bread yet. But we did use this to make my triple strawberry shortcake.
These weren't on my list but they were on sale at Target for $12 and I had a $5 off coupon so they were only $7! Did I need them? No. But I wanted them so I bought them and threw them in my Mother's Day gift bag. Nice work, Brandon.
And there is my triple strawberry shortcake. I helped Brandon make them. Who says you can't have dessert for breakfast. Good thing our church starts at 11am so we had time for all this.
Well, for Mother's Day, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I would not be disappointed for this holiday. By golly, I am raising a very assertive (read: challenging) four year old and just sacrificed my body (and my mind, a bit) to give birth to a new baby boy. I mean, I know - lots of other women do this and many do it better. But that doesn't mean it isn't hard or doesn't totally suck sometime. So yes, we all deserve a holiday to get a little more attention and perhaps some pampering or an extra gift or two.
So my plan was to let Brandon know exactly what I wanted. So no surprises, but also no disappointment. And no cringing if he went overboard on a gift that was way too expensive (something out of our budget probably stresses me out more than nothing at all). There were no subtle or not so subtle hints. It went like this, "I want a new electric hand mixer." Mine had died and it wasn't very good to begin with and any time I needed to make a dessert like chocolate roll for a birthday, I had to borrow my neighbor's electric hand mixer from across the street. But not just any mixer. I did research and found the most reasonably priced one with the best reviews on Amazon (I'm all about value) and put it on my Amazon wishlist and sent the link to Brandon. Easy.
Next, flowers. But not just any flowers. I didn't want expensive florist flowers. A bouquet from Trader Joe's or Sprouts would be just fine, thank you very much. They have lovely flowers that are very reasonably priced. Plus, we have lots of our own vases.
For breakfast, triple strawberry shortcakes. No cereal for this girl. I even gave Brandon the recipe and bought all the ingredients.
So here is how it all went down:
Lucy's Last Dance Class (until the summer) - May 1, 2013
So here is Lucy's real last dance class (until she starts again in the summer). I already blogged about her first class HERE. For the last class, there wasn't a whole lot of visible improvement but the parents got to participate...
I should have dressed more appropriately in yoga pants or something. I thought we would just be watching.
There was no performance or recital. Just the usual dance class from what I could tell when I peeked through the window on the door throughout the session.
But that didn't take away from Lucy's joy. I think that at this age, she may prefer dancing just for the fun of it.
Grey was enthralled to be there.
Can't you tell?
Lucy insisted on having her Hello Kitty blanket with her.
They ended class dancing on a (yoga mat) rainbow.
Sometimes it seems like these early classes are pointless but I do hope that there is some value to them in laying a foundation for dance later on. And at least it keeps her busy and gives her something to look forward to (usually). I also like that she gets to be with other girls in her class and has the opportunity to listen to another adult. Miss Jasmine was a great teacher and enormously patient with a bunch and 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 year old girls.
Lucy's 2nd Last Dance Class - April 24, 2013
Normally, parents aren't allowed to observe these dance classes with the exception of the first and last class of the semester. However, some of the parents got confused about when the last class was because of the recital for all the older dancers (which the preschool class doesn't participate in due to their age) so they showed up for the second last class instead of the real last class. Because some parents had taken off of work to attend, Miss Jasmine just let them stay. I usually go run errands while Lucy is in dance class but when she saw a bunch of other parents there, she begged me to stay even though I would be there the next week as well, with Brandon. So I didn't get my usual food shopping done, it was nice to be able to see Lucy's class. It was pretty much the same as her very first class
This little guy slept the entire time which was nice that I didn't have to worry about him.
The kids got to listen to a little drumming in addition to the piano in this dance class.
I can't remember exactly what they were doing here - being animals?
Lucy's Birthday Bike - April 27, 2013
Every year, Lucy's Grandpa Dayton always sends a generous birthday check. When Lucy was two, we used the birthday money to buy a Radio Flyer wagon. When Lucy was three, she got a scooter. So for her fourth birthday, she was ready to move on to a bike (especially after her cousin, Olive earned a bike for herself). Even better, her Grandpa Dayton was able to take her out on a grandpa-granddaughter date where he bought her bike and took her out to eat for lunch (to her choice, McDonald's). It was a great gift to her mommy too, to have some time to herself.
In order to minimize the shopping time and make sure that she got what she wanted, Lucy and I did some research on-line to find what bike she wanted beforehand. We checked out Walmart, Target, and Toys R' Us and she found a bike that fit her desires. She DID NOT want to get the same Disney princess bike as Olive because she didn't want to be a copycat (so interesting that she can catch on to that at four years old). But she had to have a bike that had a little doll seat carrier in the back like Olive's. There is actually not a huge selection of 12 inch bikes with doll seat carriers so the final decision on the Pinkalicious bike from Toys R' Us was easy. The extra storage bag in front was also a plus. Grandpa Dayton even paid extra for the little horn. The bike was assembled right in the store and since Grandpa Dayton had the Blaster, had plenty of room to drive it home. And of course, he couldn't forget the Pinkalicious helmet.
The ironic thing is Lucy has never even read the Pinkalicious books. At least not with me. But the important thing is that her bike is pink and she loves it.
Thanks Grandpa Dayton!
In order to minimize the shopping time and make sure that she got what she wanted, Lucy and I did some research on-line to find what bike she wanted beforehand. We checked out Walmart, Target, and Toys R' Us and she found a bike that fit her desires. She DID NOT want to get the same Disney princess bike as Olive because she didn't want to be a copycat (so interesting that she can catch on to that at four years old). But she had to have a bike that had a little doll seat carrier in the back like Olive's. There is actually not a huge selection of 12 inch bikes with doll seat carriers so the final decision on the Pinkalicious bike from Toys R' Us was easy. The extra storage bag in front was also a plus. Grandpa Dayton even paid extra for the little horn. The bike was assembled right in the store and since Grandpa Dayton had the Blaster, had plenty of room to drive it home. And of course, he couldn't forget the Pinkalicious helmet.
The ironic thing is Lucy has never even read the Pinkalicious books. At least not with me. But the important thing is that her bike is pink and she loves it.
Thanks Grandpa Dayton!
Monday, July 15, 2013
She Drives Me Crazy - July 15, 2013
Do you know that song by Fine Young Cannibals? It should be the theme song to my life right now. Do other parents deal with this? Times (or days, weeks, months?) when their children drive them absolutely crazy? Take today for instance. It is just one battle and frustration after another. A day when I literally don't like my own child - my own flesh and blood, for goodness sakes!
It starts off in the morning after I have had a tough night with Grey waking up three times in the night. So I'm feeling pretty tired in the morning and Lucy comes in whining for me to get up and get her breakfast. Granted, this is a reasonable request but perhaps it is in how sheasks demands it that really gets under my skin. But you know, I let it go and get on with the day. And Brandon actually gets up with her and takes care of the breakfast thing.
Then it is time to get ready for swim lessons. I drive Aeli from down the street too so she comes over to my house first thing in the morning (which is actually really great for Lucy to have someone to play with so I can get ready/clean/take care of Grey in peace). But Lucy has to go number two on the toilet. And she makes it this epic event - she wants me to hold her hand because she is scared....and stay...and w a i t. And when she finally finishes, she still wants me to wipe her. Even after webribe incentivize her with three tokens! I mean, this girl has been potty trained for over two years and we can't get her to wipe her own butt!! Okay, let it go. Not a big deal. We will keep working on it.
"Lucy, did you get your bag ready for swim lessons?" "Lucy, can you please get your bag ready for swim lessons?" "LUCY! GO GET YOUR BAG READY FOR SWIM LESSONS!!" Can I just ask something once and be done with it? Why, oh why will she not listen until I get angry and have to yell?
Then there is this competition. Lucy wants to be first for everything! First to get in the car, first to press the handicap button to open the door to the rec center. It is like this huge competition for her. If she is not first, then she starts whining. And sometimes, she will just scream at the top of her lungs. Like when Aeli waited at the car instead of waiting with Lucy in the driveway for me to unlock the doors - she makes up these arbitrary rules as she goes along and if you don't listen to her, you will incur the wrath of Lucy. Giant scream. Was I like this as a child? I hope not. If I was, Mom, I am so, so, so sorry.
After swim lessons, time to take a shower. I've stored up my patience in advance because I know Lucy and Aeli like to play in the shower and it takes a long time. So I wait. They take forever it seems. And then when they finally come out and while I am picking up their sopping wet swim suits and making sure the water is turned off and they haven't left anything in the shower stall, I turn to see Lucy shouting into Grey's car seat. Grey is asleep...or was asleep. I am livid. I hit Lucy on top of the head with the small towel I am holding and proceed to say, "You DON'T yell at your brother when he is sleeping! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO SCREAM INTO YOUR BROTHER'S CAR SEAT WHEN HE IS SLEEPING!" This has obviously not the first time this has happened. She fires back at me, "Owww! MOM!! NO HITTING!!!" She is right - no matter how angry we are, we are not allowed to hit or scream or yell. I have a hard time following my own rules (perhaps her screaming/hitting/kicking is from me since I obviously have some control and anger management issues as well). I apologize but sternly remind her that she is not supposed to shout at her brother when he is sleeping. She hadn't shouted at him maliciously - I think that she was just excited and wanted to share her excitement. Grey had already been sleeping about an hour so he could have been due to wake up at any moment and he didn't cry - was probably just surprised. But still, it didn't mean I wasn't completely pissed off.
On the way home, it is the same as the way to swim lessons. Whining to be first to get in the car. Arguing with Aeli about who gets to sit in the middle seat at the table once we got home (seriously, these are the dumbest arguments and they are initiated by my daughter - have we still not learned how to share and take turns?). Then at home, Lucy won't share the grapes with Aeli (remember Annie, always put food on two separate plates instead of sharing one even though it makes more dishes to wash, it alleviates arguments between little girls about being able to reach said food or who has the food closer to them).
I mean, is it normal to not be able to stand your own kid? It's like I don't even like her and would be happy if she just played at a friend's house all day. An argument that occurs almost daily is that Lucy wants to go to Mary's house for daycare. I love Mary, and I love daycare but it is not in our budget to put Lucy in daycare when I am not working and staying at home. Believe me, I would love to put Lucy in daycare and let her play with her friends all day long but my four year old can't seem to grasp the concept that things like daycare cost money and Mommy and Daddy don't have unlimited amounts of money. She is actually pretty good at understanding that material goods from the store cost money and has already learned that I don't buy things unless they are on sale or I have a coupon and it is a really good deal. But she hasn't quite caught on that services costs money as well.
Lately, Lucy struggles to tell the truth as well. Like when she just asked me if she could go to Mary's house with Aeli and I said no. Then I heard her walk into the kitchen and tell Aeli that her mom told her that she can go to Mary's house with her. I know that I am not supposed to accuse my daughter of being a liar because she doesn't grasp the concept of lying and all that stuff that my Babycenter e-mails tell me that I am supposed to compassionate about. But I can't tell you that I'm not worried about my daughter stretching or completely eliminating the truth and that it doesn't frustrate me when she tells an outright whopper right in front of me. But seriously, I would consider going back to work and putting Lucy in daycare if I didn't have Grey.
After I had Lucy and struggled with raising a baby, I scoffed and thought that other parents were crazy when they would tell me that it just gets harder as they get older. How could anything be harder than raising a baby? All the sleepless nights and breastfeeding and not being able to walk, talk, or eat solids. But although babies can be hard, at least they are simple - they just eat, sleep, poop, and burp and occasionally give you a smile. But little four year old girls - when does the drama end? There are still wakings in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or because of a bad dream and they tend to involve more screaming and crying. I feel like I am having an easier time with Grey than Lucy. But I have a feeling that the drama doesn't go away. It increases as they get older. What is it going to be like having a teenager? It's just past noon and I can barely deal with my four year old. But she got what she wanted - when we dropped off Aeli at Mary's house, Mary said that Lucy could stay for a little while to play since Lucy started to cry as we left.
I will instead drown my frustrations in a home-made vanilla cream pie that took forever to make yesterday because I decided to try something new instead of my usual custard pie but doesn't really taste that good to me but at least it is sweet. Seriously, meringue is so time-consuming and so not worth it. I don't even like meringue - I should have done the whipped cream topping instead but didn't want to waste four egg whites. Ar least I have a little time to catch up on my blog - just about three months behind now...perpetually. And although I hate posting things out of chronological order, it is worth it to vent. And now I can have a record of what a brat my daughter is to show to her when she is older and laugh when she has children of her own that are just like she was. (Again, so sorry Mom, if I was like this!)
It starts off in the morning after I have had a tough night with Grey waking up three times in the night. So I'm feeling pretty tired in the morning and Lucy comes in whining for me to get up and get her breakfast. Granted, this is a reasonable request but perhaps it is in how she
Then it is time to get ready for swim lessons. I drive Aeli from down the street too so she comes over to my house first thing in the morning (which is actually really great for Lucy to have someone to play with so I can get ready/clean/take care of Grey in peace). But Lucy has to go number two on the toilet. And she makes it this epic event - she wants me to hold her hand because she is scared....and stay...and w a i t. And when she finally finishes, she still wants me to wipe her. Even after we
"Lucy, did you get your bag ready for swim lessons?" "Lucy, can you please get your bag ready for swim lessons?" "LUCY! GO GET YOUR BAG READY FOR SWIM LESSONS!!" Can I just ask something once and be done with it? Why, oh why will she not listen until I get angry and have to yell?
Then there is this competition. Lucy wants to be first for everything! First to get in the car, first to press the handicap button to open the door to the rec center. It is like this huge competition for her. If she is not first, then she starts whining. And sometimes, she will just scream at the top of her lungs. Like when Aeli waited at the car instead of waiting with Lucy in the driveway for me to unlock the doors - she makes up these arbitrary rules as she goes along and if you don't listen to her, you will incur the wrath of Lucy. Giant scream. Was I like this as a child? I hope not. If I was, Mom, I am so, so, so sorry.
After swim lessons, time to take a shower. I've stored up my patience in advance because I know Lucy and Aeli like to play in the shower and it takes a long time. So I wait. They take forever it seems. And then when they finally come out and while I am picking up their sopping wet swim suits and making sure the water is turned off and they haven't left anything in the shower stall, I turn to see Lucy shouting into Grey's car seat. Grey is asleep...or was asleep. I am livid. I hit Lucy on top of the head with the small towel I am holding and proceed to say, "You DON'T yell at your brother when he is sleeping! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO SCREAM INTO YOUR BROTHER'S CAR SEAT WHEN HE IS SLEEPING!" This has obviously not the first time this has happened. She fires back at me, "Owww! MOM!! NO HITTING!!!" She is right - no matter how angry we are, we are not allowed to hit or scream or yell. I have a hard time following my own rules (perhaps her screaming/hitting/kicking is from me since I obviously have some control and anger management issues as well). I apologize but sternly remind her that she is not supposed to shout at her brother when he is sleeping. She hadn't shouted at him maliciously - I think that she was just excited and wanted to share her excitement. Grey had already been sleeping about an hour so he could have been due to wake up at any moment and he didn't cry - was probably just surprised. But still, it didn't mean I wasn't completely pissed off.
On the way home, it is the same as the way to swim lessons. Whining to be first to get in the car. Arguing with Aeli about who gets to sit in the middle seat at the table once we got home (seriously, these are the dumbest arguments and they are initiated by my daughter - have we still not learned how to share and take turns?). Then at home, Lucy won't share the grapes with Aeli (remember Annie, always put food on two separate plates instead of sharing one even though it makes more dishes to wash, it alleviates arguments between little girls about being able to reach said food or who has the food closer to them).
I mean, is it normal to not be able to stand your own kid? It's like I don't even like her and would be happy if she just played at a friend's house all day. An argument that occurs almost daily is that Lucy wants to go to Mary's house for daycare. I love Mary, and I love daycare but it is not in our budget to put Lucy in daycare when I am not working and staying at home. Believe me, I would love to put Lucy in daycare and let her play with her friends all day long but my four year old can't seem to grasp the concept that things like daycare cost money and Mommy and Daddy don't have unlimited amounts of money. She is actually pretty good at understanding that material goods from the store cost money and has already learned that I don't buy things unless they are on sale or I have a coupon and it is a really good deal. But she hasn't quite caught on that services costs money as well.
Lately, Lucy struggles to tell the truth as well. Like when she just asked me if she could go to Mary's house with Aeli and I said no. Then I heard her walk into the kitchen and tell Aeli that her mom told her that she can go to Mary's house with her. I know that I am not supposed to accuse my daughter of being a liar because she doesn't grasp the concept of lying and all that stuff that my Babycenter e-mails tell me that I am supposed to compassionate about. But I can't tell you that I'm not worried about my daughter stretching or completely eliminating the truth and that it doesn't frustrate me when she tells an outright whopper right in front of me. But seriously, I would consider going back to work and putting Lucy in daycare if I didn't have Grey.
After I had Lucy and struggled with raising a baby, I scoffed and thought that other parents were crazy when they would tell me that it just gets harder as they get older. How could anything be harder than raising a baby? All the sleepless nights and breastfeeding and not being able to walk, talk, or eat solids. But although babies can be hard, at least they are simple - they just eat, sleep, poop, and burp and occasionally give you a smile. But little four year old girls - when does the drama end? There are still wakings in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or because of a bad dream and they tend to involve more screaming and crying. I feel like I am having an easier time with Grey than Lucy. But I have a feeling that the drama doesn't go away. It increases as they get older. What is it going to be like having a teenager? It's just past noon and I can barely deal with my four year old. But she got what she wanted - when we dropped off Aeli at Mary's house, Mary said that Lucy could stay for a little while to play since Lucy started to cry as we left.
I will instead drown my frustrations in a home-made vanilla cream pie that took forever to make yesterday because I decided to try something new instead of my usual custard pie but doesn't really taste that good to me but at least it is sweet. Seriously, meringue is so time-consuming and so not worth it. I don't even like meringue - I should have done the whipped cream topping instead but didn't want to waste four egg whites. Ar least I have a little time to catch up on my blog - just about three months behind now...perpetually. And although I hate posting things out of chronological order, it is worth it to vent. And now I can have a record of what a brat my daughter is to show to her when she is older and laugh when she has children of her own that are just like she was. (Again, so sorry Mom, if I was like this!)
Realizations - July 12, 2013
The other night at bedtime, Lucy was telling me and Brandon that she wanted to be part of Aeli's family and to live over there. I wasn't offended by this request at all - I know that she loves playing over at Aeli's house and they have lots of great toys and lots of great food (she always eats corn dogs, hot dogs, pasta, etc over there). Lucy's friendship with Aeli has been my salvation since Grey has been born and I can't give Lucy as much attention as before so I'm extremely grateful for her family.
We explained to her that if she was part of Aeli's family and lived with them, that we (me and Brandon), would no longer be her mommy and daddy and that Grey would not be her brother. She said that she was okay with that - she might miss me a little but not daddy. I'm not sure if she was frustrated because bedtime is always a fight - getting her to put on her pajamas, brush her teeth, and go to the bathroom before bed - even choosing books for story time. It seems like we have to ask her a million times before she listens to us and then we get angry and start having to threaten to take tokens away and she gets upset. You know how it goes...and we as parents think we are doing the right thing by giving her limits and structure, even if she gets mad at us and thinks it is unfair that she can't stay up (although our actual rule is that she doesn't have to go to sleep, she just needs to be in her room and can continue to play if she wants after she is ready for bed).
Later that night, when she was finally in bed, she started crying. Brandon went in to comfort her but she wouldn't tell him what was wrong and wanted to talk to me. So I went in and knelt by her bed and asked her what was wrong. She tearfully told me that she still wanted to be a part of our family and that she loved us both. She was so sincere about the whole thing - like leaving our family was even a possibility. It was pretty tender - that definitely pulled at my heartstrings. And I told her how much we both loved her and that I was glad to be her mommy even though it was hard and frustrating at times and that sometimes I made mistakes.
I ended by telling her that she could be a part of Aeli's family and still be a part of our family if she married Aeli's older brother, Willem or younger brother, Eli. She has been saying for a little while that she wants to marry Willem. My realization is that this is an actual possibility and might come sooner than I think...but right now, we will just keep plugging away at making bedtime just a little less stressful for all of us.
We explained to her that if she was part of Aeli's family and lived with them, that we (me and Brandon), would no longer be her mommy and daddy and that Grey would not be her brother. She said that she was okay with that - she might miss me a little but not daddy. I'm not sure if she was frustrated because bedtime is always a fight - getting her to put on her pajamas, brush her teeth, and go to the bathroom before bed - even choosing books for story time. It seems like we have to ask her a million times before she listens to us and then we get angry and start having to threaten to take tokens away and she gets upset. You know how it goes...and we as parents think we are doing the right thing by giving her limits and structure, even if she gets mad at us and thinks it is unfair that she can't stay up (although our actual rule is that she doesn't have to go to sleep, she just needs to be in her room and can continue to play if she wants after she is ready for bed).
Later that night, when she was finally in bed, she started crying. Brandon went in to comfort her but she wouldn't tell him what was wrong and wanted to talk to me. So I went in and knelt by her bed and asked her what was wrong. She tearfully told me that she still wanted to be a part of our family and that she loved us both. She was so sincere about the whole thing - like leaving our family was even a possibility. It was pretty tender - that definitely pulled at my heartstrings. And I told her how much we both loved her and that I was glad to be her mommy even though it was hard and frustrating at times and that sometimes I made mistakes.
I ended by telling her that she could be a part of Aeli's family and still be a part of our family if she married Aeli's older brother, Willem or younger brother, Eli. She has been saying for a little while that she wants to marry Willem. My realization is that this is an actual possibility and might come sooner than I think...but right now, we will just keep plugging away at making bedtime just a little less stressful for all of us.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Ethan's Graduation - April 26, 2013
It seems like every week, we have some new event to look forward to. It is especially nice to have an excuse to get out of the house because it is easy to stay in when you have a new baby. It's always a bit intimidating the first few times you go out with a new baby but then you start getting used to it. And it's always nice when you have other people there to help you out. What better excuse to get out of the house than to support Ethan for his graduation from UVU. Since the graduation was on Friday, Brandon had to take a half day off of work but it's always worth it to spend time with family.
We dressed Grey up for the occasion.
Proud Grandpa Dayton looking on at his youngest son graduating. I came prepared with lots of snacks for Lucy. She of course, dressed herself. I think we might have even run a comb through her hair but it didn't seem to do much.
Where's Waldo Ethan?
I was ready to bolt with this kid if necessary but he was pretty chill for the entire thing. I can't remember if he got a dirty diaper or not but if he did, Brandon took care of it.
I took care of the feeding and putting to sleep.
On the big screen receiving his diploma (or empty diploma case?)...
Walking by after receiving his diploma...
This guy is super excited!
Outside for pictures. The weather was pretty gorgeous. Besides the usual suspects (Merril, Damian, and our little family), Aunt Carol and Uncle Robert were also in attendance from Cokeville, Wyoming but I didn't get the group shot of us all (I think that Damian was able to capture it on his camera).
After the ceremony, we went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings in Lehi. We were trying for Pizzeria 712 but no one really paid attention to their hours and they weren't open (and were probably booked with all the graduation traffic for later on). So it wasn't fancy, but for a nursing mother, it was awesome. Our super fancy dinner took place the next day at La Caille because Merril had a date that evening. I kinda wish I got a babysitter for the kids because it was so fancy but Lucy was on her very best behavior (I told her it was princess training) and Grey was also quite good. Lucy really wanted to go spend time with her friend, Aeli that night but didn't want to miss out on the fancy dinner either. Glad that she chose family over friends.
Congratulations, Ethan!
After the ceremony, we went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings in Lehi. We were trying for Pizzeria 712 but no one really paid attention to their hours and they weren't open (and were probably booked with all the graduation traffic for later on). So it wasn't fancy, but for a nursing mother, it was awesome. Our super fancy dinner took place the next day at La Caille because Merril had a date that evening. I kinda wish I got a babysitter for the kids because it was so fancy but Lucy was on her very best behavior (I told her it was princess training) and Grey was also quite good. Lucy really wanted to go spend time with her friend, Aeli that night but didn't want to miss out on the fancy dinner either. Glad that she chose family over friends.
Congratulations, Ethan!
Lucy's Birthday Shoes - April 22, 2013
Since we kept Lucy's pediatrician from when we lived in West Jordan instead of switching to someone closer in Salt Lake City, we happened to be close to her Uncle Damian after her appointment. Damian missed Lucy's birthday party because he had already committed to attend Grandma & Grandpa Thompson's anniversary party in St. George that same weekend. But when he returned, he offered to take her on an uncle/niece date to pick out some shoes that he could decorate for her. Although Damian isn't a full-time illustrator for work like Brandon, he's got quite a bit of artistic talent. He's got a blog that he hasn't been able to post much lately on his shoes that he decorates but you can get an idea of what he has done with them from past posts here and here.
Anyway, since we were in his area, I gave him a call to see if I could drop Lucy off with him for their little date night. It worked out perfectly because I just happened to be in need of a break and Lucy just happened to be in need of some one-on-one attention. So Damian took Lucy to the Vans store at the mall to choose some shoes for her and then to Hot Dog on a Stick for dinner. Then they headed back to his house so he could decorate them.
Can you guess what type of shoes Damian made for Lucy...
Totoro shoes!! They were perfect!
Lucy is ever the willing model. I just love the little bent knee. What a ham!
It was so nice to have a little break and some one-on-one time with Grey. I can't remember what I did but I'm sure it was lovely. And I know Lucy had such a great time with her uncle.
Thanks Damian!
Anyway, since we were in his area, I gave him a call to see if I could drop Lucy off with him for their little date night. It worked out perfectly because I just happened to be in need of a break and Lucy just happened to be in need of some one-on-one attention. So Damian took Lucy to the Vans store at the mall to choose some shoes for her and then to Hot Dog on a Stick for dinner. Then they headed back to his house so he could decorate them.
Can you guess what type of shoes Damian made for Lucy...
It was so nice to have a little break and some one-on-one time with Grey. I can't remember what I did but I'm sure it was lovely. And I know Lucy had such a great time with her uncle.
Thanks Damian!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Lucy's 4 Year Appointment - April 22, 2013
Lucy's 4 year appointment was rather uneventful besides a vaccine (which she was so brave for!). It's always nice to see how her growth is doing and have some solid numbers.
Weight: 31 lbs 1 oz (17th percentile)
Height: 38.43 in (22nd percentile)
BMI: 14.8 (33rd percentile)
So she is definitely on the smaller side for her age but it is cute because she speaks very well (or at least I don't have a problem understanding her) but looks so young (especially because her hair is still so short). Here are some fun things about Lucy from her mother's perspective:
When Lucy grows up, she wants to be a dance teacher. (Although when I just asked her now, she said a swimming lesson teacher - we are in the middle of swim lessons)
Lucy's favorite foods are noodles (all types like plain pasta, somen, ramen, yakisoba, pho) and bacon. She also loves oatmeal for breakfast (probably because I let her put on as much brown sugar as she likes). She is a lover of fruit, especially strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, and all berries. She also likes vegetables and will often eat salad (especially with Japanese sesame dressing), broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumber, and carrots. She has been pretty good about regulating sweets too - she has to earn tokens to get treats like candy and there is a limit of two a day but when I bake cookies or brownies, she is usually satisfied with just one. And thankfully, she doesn't care for cheesecake (which I like to make every once in a while). She also doesn't like ketchup but does like Ranch dressing for dipping.
Lucy has a responsibility chart where she can earn tokens to redeem for tv shows/movies or treats. There is a limit of two shows or one movie and two treats per day but she doesn't earn enough tokens to get these things daily. It's been a great way to indulge her within limits so I don't feel guilty about her watching too much television. Cause I'm okay with a little here and there but when I was busy cleaning (or blogging/wasting time on the internet), I would let her keep watching and watching and now it to so much better for both her and me to have a limit on it. Right now, some of her favorite shows are Dora, Diego, Blue's Clues, Yo Gabba Gabba, Oswald, Little Bear, Wonder Pets, and Pinky Dinky Doo. For movies, she loves pretty much all Disney and Miyazaki movies but has really been into Thumbelina and the Swan Princess.
We have quite the social butterfly. Lucy wants to play with friends daily, preferably at their houses. Some of her favorite people to play with are her cousins Olive, Marlo, and Aeli down the street. Asher & Maya across the street are also fun playmates and so is Liani a couple blocks away. Her preschool friend who just lived a couple of houses away from us, Noel, is moving to Texas and will be missed.
Some of Lucy's favorite things to do are to go to Discovery Gateway and Jump Around Utah. She also loves to swim. But she is pretty satisfied to just play with friends.
This girl just wants to grow up so quickly. She can't wait to be able to wear make-up, deodorant and a bra. She loves watching me put on make-up but at the same time is distraught because she will say, "Mommy, you look prettier than I do!" I think that she thinks that make-up automatically makes you look prettier. She also loves playing with all my jewelry and will sometimes hide it away for herself. Lately, she has been asking me to get her ears pierced so we'll see if we have a post about that sometime in the future. It's such a rite of passage for girls and reminds me how quickly she is growing up.
Weight: 31 lbs 1 oz (17th percentile)
Height: 38.43 in (22nd percentile)
BMI: 14.8 (33rd percentile)
So she is definitely on the smaller side for her age but it is cute because she speaks very well (or at least I don't have a problem understanding her) but looks so young (especially because her hair is still so short). Here are some fun things about Lucy from her mother's perspective:
When Lucy grows up, she wants to be a dance teacher. (Although when I just asked her now, she said a swimming lesson teacher - we are in the middle of swim lessons)
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Lucy's favorite foods are noodles (all types like plain pasta, somen, ramen, yakisoba, pho) and bacon. She also loves oatmeal for breakfast (probably because I let her put on as much brown sugar as she likes). She is a lover of fruit, especially strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, and all berries. She also likes vegetables and will often eat salad (especially with Japanese sesame dressing), broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumber, and carrots. She has been pretty good about regulating sweets too - she has to earn tokens to get treats like candy and there is a limit of two a day but when I bake cookies or brownies, she is usually satisfied with just one. And thankfully, she doesn't care for cheesecake (which I like to make every once in a while). She also doesn't like ketchup but does like Ranch dressing for dipping.
Lucy has a responsibility chart where she can earn tokens to redeem for tv shows/movies or treats. There is a limit of two shows or one movie and two treats per day but she doesn't earn enough tokens to get these things daily. It's been a great way to indulge her within limits so I don't feel guilty about her watching too much television. Cause I'm okay with a little here and there but when I was busy cleaning (or blogging/wasting time on the internet), I would let her keep watching and watching and now it to so much better for both her and me to have a limit on it. Right now, some of her favorite shows are Dora, Diego, Blue's Clues, Yo Gabba Gabba, Oswald, Little Bear, Wonder Pets, and Pinky Dinky Doo. For movies, she loves pretty much all Disney and Miyazaki movies but has really been into Thumbelina and the Swan Princess.
We have quite the social butterfly. Lucy wants to play with friends daily, preferably at their houses. Some of her favorite people to play with are her cousins Olive, Marlo, and Aeli down the street. Asher & Maya across the street are also fun playmates and so is Liani a couple blocks away. Her preschool friend who just lived a couple of houses away from us, Noel, is moving to Texas and will be missed.
Some of Lucy's favorite things to do are to go to Discovery Gateway and Jump Around Utah. She also loves to swim. But she is pretty satisfied to just play with friends.
This girl just wants to grow up so quickly. She can't wait to be able to wear make-up, deodorant and a bra. She loves watching me put on make-up but at the same time is distraught because she will say, "Mommy, you look prettier than I do!" I think that she thinks that make-up automatically makes you look prettier. She also loves playing with all my jewelry and will sometimes hide it away for herself. Lately, she has been asking me to get her ears pierced so we'll see if we have a post about that sometime in the future. It's such a rite of passage for girls and reminds me how quickly she is growing up.
Monday, July 08, 2013
Aquarium - February 22, 2013
Missed posting this one too. Even though this was in the midst of my bathroom and kitchen make over, sometimes you just need some mommy/daughter time (or daddy needs a break). The last time we had gone to the aquarium, I'm not even sure if Lucy could remember it. I got a Groupon to get a discount membership at that time and I think that Lucy was young enough that I could get her in for free. But she decided that she wanted to go to the aquarium (even though it is a little under-whelming) so we just bought two new memberships. Hopefully, we will actually make use of them even though it's not a particularly convenient place for us since it is a little further away than most of our excursions.
The aquarium is pretty small and my brother-in-law joked that there are restaurants in Hawaii that have better fish tanks than the aquarium here in Utah. But Lucy seemed to enjoy it and I suppose that is all that matters.
There are sting rays you can touch but she was too afraid. She was also pretty petrified of the little sharks. My favorite exhibits are the penguin and otter ones but she didn't seem very interested in those either (or maybe just a short attention span).
She did love sitting on this frog!
She did love sitting on this frog!
Baby Smiles - March 25, 2013
Arghhh! I hate when I get out of chronological order!! How did I miss this post?
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