A Boy and A Prayer

I've been told of the "mommy problem,"  

it happens without invitation.

The days pass swiftly from dawn to dusk,
as we travel from station to station.

It goes by so quickly, they all say.  

And they are right in what they preach.

From tiny to tall, to big boy from small, 

it's already beyond my reach.

We have sentences where once there were sounds,

where there was walking, now sprints, leaps, and bounds.

Laughing and jokes--(we're comedians, folks)
he amazes, he inspires, he astounds.

Each night as we cuddle before bed,

after bath, books, and kisses on the head,

we ask God to please bless those we love,

those with us and those with Him above.
And one night during the usual listing,
of grandmas and grandpas and cousins,
aunts and uncles, babies and pets,
and friends that we know by the dozen,
Jackie mentioned another young boy,
someone we'd just met that morning,
the kid who had stood next to Jackie,
and hit him square in the face without warning.

Several tears and tissues later,
when frustration gave way to laughter,
Jackie was back to his usual self,
But I was still fuming long after.
And though I like to think I'm his teacher,

it was I who had something to learn.
He was trying to tell me he knew to forgive
so we love and be loved in return.  

Christmas Time is Here Again

Hello friends and family!  I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!  I know it's been forever since I posted on my blog, so I thought I'd better get back here and wrap 2014 up with at least one more funny story.  You see, just recently, Jackie has learned that his parents have actual names. 

I thought it was cute the first time.  But he has been honing this new skill for days now, and though he still lovingly refers to us as Mommy and Daddy, it's now also Karen and Phil. 

And it's usually when he's perturbed.  Isn't that nice? 

Let me set the scene for you.  Kayleigh just finished her last final exam and is officially now on Christmas vacation.  We are so excited to have this time to spend together and do fun things like shop, watch Christmas specials on tv, and just hang out together during the anticipatory week leading up to Christmas. 

On the drive home, Kayleigh and I were chatting away in the front seat, while Jackie watched Barney's A Very Merry Christmas--one of his true favorites--in the back seat.  While distracted talking with Kayleigh, I began to to tune him out.  I didn't realize--until several attempts later at getting my attention--that he was shouting "Push the button Mommy!"  But what really got me to tune back in was that he became frustrated enough that "Mommy" was unresponsive, that he started saying, "Karen! Karen!  Push the button PLEASE KAREN!!!!!!" 

Well, that worked. 

Hoping you have a truly blessed Christmas season spent with those you love, and a healthy happy beginning of a new year.  Let's have a great 2015!

Octoblur Happened Again

I don't know what it is about the month of October, it seems to end before it begins!  It has been a frenzy over here!  We are all so happy to be getting out of the house, finding cooler weather, and taking part in fall activities.  This month, Jackie and I took a trip to Indiana for Jenny and Nick's wedding.  It was a wonderful time!  I learned that Jackie is a great little traveler, he loves his Indiana family, and that even when you're scared to do something (air travel with a 2-year old), sometimes you just gotta see what you're made of.  If you don't shoot, you don't score, right?  Thank you to all of you who helped make our family visit happen!  We'll be back!

 

The Waterpark...(A Quick Story)

So, our day at the water park was...well, let me start over.  It wasn't an actual water park.  It had water, a pool, a splash island with two fun toddler slides, and a big, menacing, bucket perched on hinges so that it could tower over us and soak everyone within a 5 mile radius.  And it happened approximately every 32 seconds.  Joy. 

It was so much fun for Jackie.  He got to showcase all of his water moves.  He explored with and without his water shoes.  He stayed above water, and then he plunged in like an injured sea lion, only to pop back up with a smile on his face as he happily rubbed the water out of his eyes.  He gained confidence by the second, and since we haven't enrolled him in official swim lessons yet, I was happy with his progress having no formal training. 

I followed him up the stairs.  Down the stairs.  Around every corner of splashy surprise until I saw him catch my eye as he told me with just a look that he was ready to try the slides.  Oh boy.  I wasn't ready.  Being there by myself, the math was simple.  One of me was not enough to ensure that this didn't end in a heart attack with a side of disaster.  How could I be both at the top to make sure he goes down ok, and also at the bottom to catch him at the same time? 

No matter because I didn't have time to wonder.  He was already up at the top, and he was pulling away from me, pleading for me to let go of him.  I let go.  But then as he disappeared down the slide, it dawned on me. 

$#!t!  I gotta go too. 

So, I thump-thumpity-thumped down the toddler slide and found Jackie waiting for me at the bottom, clapping and cheering for me.  The little sweetheart.   

After we left, I had to change Jackie's clothes and put him into a dry diaper.  Note to self: don't give your toddler Pringles right before he's going to sneeze four times and spray them on every square inch of the back seat, plus on you.  There's your share, Mommy.

Post Story Disclaimer: I have no pictures of this adventure.  And that's for the best.

The Sun Sets on Summer Vacation: A Family Update

• It's back to school time and Kayleigh just started high school yesterday.  We are so proud of her! 

• Phil turns 39 on Saturday.  Shh, you didn't hear that from me.
  
• Jackson succeeds at pretty much anything he tries, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he's also nailed the "Terrible Twos."  Like a pro, this one.
  
• And me?  Well, remember I told you, we have one teen and one toddler, sooooo...yeah, you can send wine to my home address. 
  

Summer has not been the best season for blogging.  Updating it has taken a back seat to all kinds of unscheduled commotion and general busy-ness.  [Yes, I DO realize it's our third trip to Target today.  The air conditioning, the inexpensive popcorn--it's summer's trademark field trip destination.]

But amidst it all, I've been trying to keep up with everything as best as I can--a picture here, a video there.  So it seems like the easiest way to give you a recap is by sharing a picture/video collage. 

Here is a little "condensed" look at our summer.  We hope you are enjoying what's left of yours!

               

Toddlers: They're Just Like Us (Part 2)

You know when you're in the family car on a really loooooong road trip and you finally get to hop out and stretch your legs?  That's how I feel!  May was a really big speed bump with 3 out of 4 of us wiped out with some sort of bug.  I had it first, then poor Jackie.  The worst night of his short life was when he threw up 4 times.  Which equals 8 loads of laundry in case you were wondering about the ratio of puke to wash cycles. 

But we're finally feeling healthy and happy, and fortunately, the month ended on a good note.  We got a new car!  And Phil and I went to see Billy Joel at a sold out show here in Phoenix.  And since we've been back to healthy, we've been staying busy with days full of exploring, shopping, playing at the park, spending time at the book store, water play, swimming, and most recently--participating in a new class at The Little Gym.  Jackie loves all the action.  And as you can see, toddlers--they're just like us.   

 

 

 

Hope your summer is going well!

 

Our new Dodge Journey--with seating for 7!