1. Yesterday was Kolbe's first official dental procedure. (other than a cleaning) Before he was born, he developed a little pocket up in his gums where his cleft is. The pocket itself isn't a problem right now, but food and liquids are able to get up in to the pocket which has led to decay in his right front tooth. The plan was to do a crown on this tooth to prevent further decay but after beginning the procedure, the dentist found that his "shark tooth" (a tooth that has grown in behind his front tooth) was too close and decided to just do a filling instead. At first he doubted that Kolbe was old/mature enough to make it through the procedure. He normally doesn't even attempt it on kids younger than three without putting them completely under. He was so impressed with Kolbe at his first appointment that he decided to go for it with him. Kolbe came through with flying colors. We showed up around 8 and they had him drink some special medicine (Demerol) to give him a somewhat sedated demeanor. After hanging out for about an hour while the medicine took effect, they took us back and got started. Kolbe was a little nervous when they made him lay back on the chair and hooked him up to the blood pressure monitors, but he quickly relaxed and was nothing but compliant for the rest of the procedure. They hooked him up to some nitrous oxide before injecting his gums and finishing the filling. It only took about ten minutes total. The dentist had told me that if at any point they had to hold his arms down, they would just stop the procedure all together; they weren't going to restrain him. But Kolb kept one hand on his blankie and the other on his belly the entire time. He was absolutely great and did everything the dentist asked him to do. Didn't even flinch at the creepy drill noises! What a trooper!
2. Ok, I'm traditionally an American sports fan (football, baseball, basketball...), but I have to admit that I've gotten a little bit hooked on the World Cup. I'm sure my brother Pat would have a heart attack to read such an admission. And don't get me wrong; I can't bare to watch an entire match start to finish. Not enough offense. It's like watching a football game that ends 7-0. Or watching hockey. Or watching nascar. I have to have something else to do while watching and just look up when I hear the crowd or the announcers get excited. But I will admit that I was a bit peeved when I discovered that Kolbe's dental appointment would take place during America's game against Algeria. As soon as we got home I pulled it up on the ol' tivo, clicked play, and watched it from the beginning in super fast speed, only keeping my eyes on the score box in the top left corner. If the score changed, I would stop and watch the goal. But it never did. Till the very end. And what a great goal and win for the U.S.A! I definitely was excited that we won and am pumped that we're headed to the round of 16. Now will I become a big soccer fan? Probably not. But hey, it gives me a sport to get in to until football season starts.
3. Tomorrow is June 25th, the glorious day of my birth. A day that held such excitement in many years gone by, but seems somewhat inconsequential now. Yea! I'm twenty-eight! (...snore, snore...looks down and files nails...) But really, I suppose, it is something worth celebrating. All life is worth celebrating. And twenty-eight years ago my awesome mom did her best to bring mine out into the world. And I've been loving it ever since. Mark has been reading a book that I gave him for Father's Day and one of the chapters was about asking yourself the question How do you want people to remember you when you die? I told Mark that I wanted to be remembered as someone who loved God, who loved her husband, who loved her children, who loved her family, and who loved life. And it's true. I love those things more than all else. So I suppose my birthday is another chance to celebrate the opportunity I have to continue to love those things with all my heart until God calls me home. I'm not one of those people who fears getting old. You won't see me getting botox to hide my wrinkles. I already have some right now. And I actually like them. They're evidence of many smiles, countless conversations, and lots of laughter. I hope that someday I'll be a wrinkly-faced old lady with time-worn hands. Evidence of a life well-spent.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 24
1. Kolbe spent the night out for the first (real) time this past weekend. No exclamation point on the end of that sentence as I'm filled with mixed emotions. Thus far, Kolbe has always been very attached to his mama. Don't get me wrong; he has managed to develop many very meaningful relationships with other people, but has always been a mama's-boy at the core. He has spent nights away from me on two previous occasions. The first was for three nights when I was in the hospital having Reagan. Pretty much unavoidable. But he was still staying at our house. In his own bed. The second time happened when we were travelling down to Houston a while back and he flew down an afternoon early with my mom. The following morning Reagan and I joined them. So I wrote it off as a travel incident. But this time it was all on his own deciding. He made the choice to spend the night out. And was completely ok with it. Mark and I had a date night and Mark's mom, Miss Lora, was gracious enough to watch the boys for us. After returning to her house around 9:30, we found both boys still wide awake. Of course there was no debating with Reagan; he was headed home with Mama and Dada for sure. But Kolbe teeter-tottered back and forth between wanting to stay and wanting to go. His usual method is to say that he wants to spend the night and then as soon as we start loading up the car, he changes his mind and insists on going with Mama and Dada. But this time I tried very hard to reassure him that Mama and Dada would be back for him in the morning. That he'd get to spend the night on grandma's big bed and cuddle up real tight and in the morning we'd be there to get him. I guess he believed me and as Mark, Reagan, and I loaded up the car, he stood on the front porch with Miss Lora excitedly waving goodbye. Mark and I were both certain that we'd be receiving a phone call momentarily informing us that he was freaking out and we needed to come get him. The time passed, and the call never came. As we put Reagan to bed in the boys' room, Kolbe's empty bed sure looked lonely. It just didn't seem right without him in there. Mark asked me if I was ok with it and I told him I was. After all, he is growing up. He made the choice on his own and I have to be willing to let him have his little tastes of independence when he approaches the buffet of life. As promised, Mark was waiting at Miss Lora's house for Kolbe before he woke the next morning. Not only was he oh-so-excited that he had spent the night with "G-ma," but I'm pretty sure that it just about made Miss Lora's entire week. Totally worth it to make them both happy!
2. So that one little thought could have been an entire post, right? Sorry.
Last week kicked off the beginning of two of our summer activities that we'll be enjoying this year: swim lessons and gymnastics class. Gymnastics class is filling in to replace music class which wasn't being offered this summer as the beloved Miss Kris is on vacation. It's at one of our community centers and I signed both Kolbs and Rudy up for the class. Needless to say, Kolb is one of the class's "more elite" performers and Reagan could easily be pegged the class clown. Miss Hedi is teaching the boys how to do basic motor skills such as bear crawl, frog hop, stretches, walking the balance beam, etc. Kolbe can do them all with little effort. Reagan simply runs around snatching the rings she sets on the ground for the kids to tip-toe through. Too bad they don't offer trampolining. Kolbe is the only one I signed up for swimming classes. (Thank God, right!?!) It's a mom-and-me type class that they have at Tech. Realistically speaking, he's really not learning anything any sensible parent couldn't come up with on their own. Splashing in the water, kicking in the water, blowing bubbles in the water, jumping in to the water, going under the water. Pretty simple. But my thinking on it was that we don't know anyone who has a pool and Lubbock is pretty much horrible when it comes to community pools. I wanted him to at least get the opportunity to gain some experience in the water and have some fun swimming. Not sure if we'll do it next year or not. I definitely can't handle two in the pool without some sort of flotation device to assist me and I'm doubting Mark will be able to guarantee his attendance twice a week in the evenings. Might just have to wait till Kolb is old enough to attend the real swimming lessons and Reagan and I can go to mom-and-me. Note to self: must find friend with pool.
3. Do you ever have days where you feel like you've totally got your A-game on? I do. Rarely. But every now and then, I do. Like once a year. If that. Usually it's a steady B, occasional C or D, and the rare but still present F. Yesterday was totally an A-game day. Here's how it went:
- woke up, got the boys dressed, fed them breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, headed outside
- pulled weeds for a good 30 minutes with my assistants who don't know weeds from grass
- fertilized the plants with my assistants who don't understand why it's bad to pour the fertilizer directly on to the plant instead of into the soil around it
- visited Miss Debbie, Kolbe's old sitter with my assistants who were oh-so-happy to run around on her hardwood floors
- stopped by Holland Gardens with my shopping assistants and picked out two lovely jalapeno plants
- returned home, fed boys a deliciously healthy lunch of turkey, cheese, and strawberries
- put boys down for nap
- listened to boys do shenanigans and giggle while sewing a new changing pad cover for our changing table
- actually got boys to sleep
- sewed a teeny tiny little dress for "baby," the doll that Kolbe carried around when we were trying to get him used to the idea of welcoming Reagan in to our family. Baby has been naked since we permanently borrowed her from Popo's house. It was only fair that she had an outfit of her own. And since "she" doesn't have to be a "he" any more and I'm out numbered 3 to 1, I decided "he" should be a "she" and made her an adorable little dress. Much easier than attempting pants and a shirt.
- put away sewing and went out and planted new jalapeno plants beside the tomato plants in the backyard. Made sure the little fence was secure around them so the animals...er, boys...wouldn't touch them.
- hosed down back of house to wash off dust from latest dust storm
- woke the boys from their nap
- changed Kolb's sheets from his unfortunate accident
- made a loaf of banana bread with my sous chef Kolbe while Regan played with Mark who had returned home from studying
- read books with the boys
- vacuumed and cleaned up toys
- made a dinner consisting of pork chops, noodles, peas, rolls, and gravy (also with my sous chef) and enjoyed eating it with the whole fam
- took Kolb to swimming lessons and endured thirty minutes in a freezing pool while pretending I was having the best time of my life
- returned home, bathed the boys, got them ready for bed
- bathed myself (yes, it is a required step in an A-game day)
- played with kids more
- put kids to bed
- marvelled at how well the day went!
Now if only I had done it all in heals, I could have added a plus to that A! Ha ha! I love days that run smoothly like that. The other days are great too, but man, an A-game day every once in a while is so rewarding! Cooked, cleaned, gardened, shopped, and sewed all in one day!?! Sweet. I'm usually lucky to hit about two of those. So now you know what a day in my life looks like. I'll get back with you soon on the play-by-play events of a day contributing to my lower-than-4.0 GPA. It certainly won't look nearly as earth-conquering.
2. So that one little thought could have been an entire post, right? Sorry.
Last week kicked off the beginning of two of our summer activities that we'll be enjoying this year: swim lessons and gymnastics class. Gymnastics class is filling in to replace music class which wasn't being offered this summer as the beloved Miss Kris is on vacation. It's at one of our community centers and I signed both Kolbs and Rudy up for the class. Needless to say, Kolb is one of the class's "more elite" performers and Reagan could easily be pegged the class clown. Miss Hedi is teaching the boys how to do basic motor skills such as bear crawl, frog hop, stretches, walking the balance beam, etc. Kolbe can do them all with little effort. Reagan simply runs around snatching the rings she sets on the ground for the kids to tip-toe through. Too bad they don't offer trampolining. Kolbe is the only one I signed up for swimming classes. (Thank God, right!?!) It's a mom-and-me type class that they have at Tech. Realistically speaking, he's really not learning anything any sensible parent couldn't come up with on their own. Splashing in the water, kicking in the water, blowing bubbles in the water, jumping in to the water, going under the water. Pretty simple. But my thinking on it was that we don't know anyone who has a pool and Lubbock is pretty much horrible when it comes to community pools. I wanted him to at least get the opportunity to gain some experience in the water and have some fun swimming. Not sure if we'll do it next year or not. I definitely can't handle two in the pool without some sort of flotation device to assist me and I'm doubting Mark will be able to guarantee his attendance twice a week in the evenings. Might just have to wait till Kolb is old enough to attend the real swimming lessons and Reagan and I can go to mom-and-me. Note to self: must find friend with pool.
3. Do you ever have days where you feel like you've totally got your A-game on? I do. Rarely. But every now and then, I do. Like once a year. If that. Usually it's a steady B, occasional C or D, and the rare but still present F. Yesterday was totally an A-game day. Here's how it went:
- woke up, got the boys dressed, fed them breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, headed outside
- pulled weeds for a good 30 minutes with my assistants who don't know weeds from grass
- fertilized the plants with my assistants who don't understand why it's bad to pour the fertilizer directly on to the plant instead of into the soil around it
- visited Miss Debbie, Kolbe's old sitter with my assistants who were oh-so-happy to run around on her hardwood floors
- stopped by Holland Gardens with my shopping assistants and picked out two lovely jalapeno plants
- returned home, fed boys a deliciously healthy lunch of turkey, cheese, and strawberries
- put boys down for nap
- listened to boys do shenanigans and giggle while sewing a new changing pad cover for our changing table
- actually got boys to sleep
- sewed a teeny tiny little dress for "baby," the doll that Kolbe carried around when we were trying to get him used to the idea of welcoming Reagan in to our family. Baby has been naked since we permanently borrowed her from Popo's house. It was only fair that she had an outfit of her own. And since "she" doesn't have to be a "he" any more and I'm out numbered 3 to 1, I decided "he" should be a "she" and made her an adorable little dress. Much easier than attempting pants and a shirt.
- put away sewing and went out and planted new jalapeno plants beside the tomato plants in the backyard. Made sure the little fence was secure around them so the animals...er, boys...wouldn't touch them.
- hosed down back of house to wash off dust from latest dust storm
- woke the boys from their nap
- changed Kolb's sheets from his unfortunate accident
- made a loaf of banana bread with my sous chef Kolbe while Regan played with Mark who had returned home from studying
- read books with the boys
- vacuumed and cleaned up toys
- made a dinner consisting of pork chops, noodles, peas, rolls, and gravy (also with my sous chef) and enjoyed eating it with the whole fam
- took Kolb to swimming lessons and endured thirty minutes in a freezing pool while pretending I was having the best time of my life
- returned home, bathed the boys, got them ready for bed
- bathed myself (yes, it is a required step in an A-game day)
- played with kids more
- put kids to bed
- marvelled at how well the day went!
Now if only I had done it all in heals, I could have added a plus to that A! Ha ha! I love days that run smoothly like that. The other days are great too, but man, an A-game day every once in a while is so rewarding! Cooked, cleaned, gardened, shopped, and sewed all in one day!?! Sweet. I'm usually lucky to hit about two of those. So now you know what a day in my life looks like. I'll get back with you soon on the play-by-play events of a day contributing to my lower-than-4.0 GPA. It certainly won't look nearly as earth-conquering.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 23
1. Things have finally settled down a bit around here. I guess we're getting back to normal after our crazy May. One thing that has always made me slightly cringe before travelling is the thought of having to "get back to normal" with the boys after returning home. In previous experiences, Kolbe in particular did not fare well with returning to our boring ol' lifestyle after having so much attention from my parents and other family members. Each trip involved at least a weeks worth of acting out and breaking the rules until we could establish our routine again. Don't get me wrong...my parents try to do their best to maintain our rules while we're there, but there's just so much excitement, so much fun, so much attention! I don't blame him for getting home and thinking hey! why are we just sitting here reading books? The backyard?!? You can't be serious, lady! Not to mention the broken sleeping routine from staying up later than normal! But I guess my little guy is growing up a bit. I braced myself for the standard week-long recovery from our recent trip to Houston, and wouldn't you know it, I don't even think it took a day. Kolbe is finally starting to get the concept of "the way we roll." Certainly helps me out a bunch!
2. Mark's cousin Melisa has an adorable little girl named Hayden who is just a few weeks older than Reagan. Hayden's regular sitter is on vacation this week so she has been staying with the boys and me. It has definitely given me a perspective of what it might be like to have twins! And honestly, I don't think it would be as rough as I once thought. They're at the same stage, have the same needs, like the same things. Just double whatever I'm doing for one! Not that I'm trying to have twins any time soon or anything! Also, it's been fun to have a little girl around the place for a while. They're so different than boys! Soft, dainty, cuddly...gentle. Now that's something I really wouldn't mind having in the future!
3. As always, Kolbe cracks me up with some of the stuff he says. Here's his conversation with Mark and me a few nights ago:
Mark: Kolbe, is Pinkie a girl or a boy?
Kolbe: Gul.
Me: Kolbe, is Uncle Pat a girl or a boy?
Kolbe: Boy.
Mark: What about Uncle Andy?
Kolbe: Gul! (he, he, he, he)
Me: Oh, don't be silly! Uncle Andy isn't a girl!
Kolbe: Uh-huh! Yeah!
Me: (curious as to what he would say in response...) No, what do girls have, Kolbe?
Kolbe: PONYTAILS!!!
Oh so observant! Little stinker!
2. Mark's cousin Melisa has an adorable little girl named Hayden who is just a few weeks older than Reagan. Hayden's regular sitter is on vacation this week so she has been staying with the boys and me. It has definitely given me a perspective of what it might be like to have twins! And honestly, I don't think it would be as rough as I once thought. They're at the same stage, have the same needs, like the same things. Just double whatever I'm doing for one! Not that I'm trying to have twins any time soon or anything! Also, it's been fun to have a little girl around the place for a while. They're so different than boys! Soft, dainty, cuddly...gentle. Now that's something I really wouldn't mind having in the future!
3. As always, Kolbe cracks me up with some of the stuff he says. Here's his conversation with Mark and me a few nights ago:
Mark: Kolbe, is Pinkie a girl or a boy?
Kolbe: Gul.
Me: Kolbe, is Uncle Pat a girl or a boy?
Kolbe: Boy.
Mark: What about Uncle Andy?
Kolbe: Gul! (he, he, he, he)
Me: Oh, don't be silly! Uncle Andy isn't a girl!
Kolbe: Uh-huh! Yeah!
Me: (curious as to what he would say in response...) No, what do girls have, Kolbe?
Kolbe: PONYTAILS!!!
Oh so observant! Little stinker!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Three Thought Thursday: Episode 22
1. Yesterday, I took Kolbe to the movie theater for the very first time! The Cinemark theater here has a summer program where every Wednesday morning at 9:00am, you can bring your little ones to the theater to watch an old kiddie movie for just one dollar. Granted, the movies being shown aren't the current movies out at the theaters, but they're still relatively fun kid movies. I was fairly certain that Kolbe wouldn't make it through the whole movie, and I was right. He can follow the plot of a book, but not a lengthy movie! At first he was very excited about climbing up the steps to find a seat. And the massive screen was quite impressive. But about thirty minutes in he had already started in with the "go bye-byes" and "me go play, Mama." He's definitely an action boy! Unfortunately, the movie being shown appeared to be something from the seventies about a penguin trying to find a pebble. Maybe the next time we attempt it, I'll make sure it's something a little more entertaining and less musical-y. It was still so much fun for me to get to see him experience the theater for the first time. Too cute! I'm pretty sure this same summer program is available at most of the Cinemark theaters across the country. If you're interested, check out the cinemark website for more information or to see if your theater is participating. It's a steal for just a buck!
2. We have a wonderful shed/workshop in our backyard that serves as awesome storage for our family. Apparently the previous owner built the shed shortly before he sold the house to me and never got around to painting it. And here we are six years later, the shed still unpainted. Every time my dad comes to visit he mentions how if we don't paint it, it will eventually start rotting. So last Friday we got busy and four gallons of paint later, finally had a painted shed on Monday. I must admit that the shed does look a million times better. It was once a greyish color that resembled a wood fence that hadn't been stained. Now it's a lovely tan that matches the trim on our house. And I'm sure the paint will help preserve the shed for many years to come. And to be completely honest, I love, love, love doing home improvement projects. There's something about good ol' manual labor that feels so rewarding at the end of the day. Plus, the actual improvement to the property is a reward in itself. Now if only I had enough money to fund the four pages worth of home projects that I've dreamed up!
3. Mark's graduation and party two weekends ago went so well! We feel very blessed to have so many supportive family members and friends surrounding us. Mark received many generous gifts that we are so thankful for. One of them just happens to be something he's been greatly desiring for quite some time: a hammock. Every time we go over to his cousin Mika's house, he's quick to run out back and chill in their hammock. At least once every visit he asks Mika's husband Larry "Where did you get this hammock?...How much did it cost?" Sure enough, Mika and Larry surprised Mark with a hammock of his own! We finally got it set up properly in our backyard a few nights ago and have been loving hanging out in it. I'm pretty sure that when I was a baby, I probably loved the baby swing. Every time I get in the hammock I manage to doze off! Nice little cat nap! The boys love climbing in and cuddling too. In the cool Lubbock mornings this is so much fun. Of course, when they want to do it at four in the afternoon, it's pretty much miserable! Overall, it's definitely a fun little addition to our backyard. Can't wait till the fall when I can take a real nap out there without roasting!
2. We have a wonderful shed/workshop in our backyard that serves as awesome storage for our family. Apparently the previous owner built the shed shortly before he sold the house to me and never got around to painting it. And here we are six years later, the shed still unpainted. Every time my dad comes to visit he mentions how if we don't paint it, it will eventually start rotting. So last Friday we got busy and four gallons of paint later, finally had a painted shed on Monday. I must admit that the shed does look a million times better. It was once a greyish color that resembled a wood fence that hadn't been stained. Now it's a lovely tan that matches the trim on our house. And I'm sure the paint will help preserve the shed for many years to come. And to be completely honest, I love, love, love doing home improvement projects. There's something about good ol' manual labor that feels so rewarding at the end of the day. Plus, the actual improvement to the property is a reward in itself. Now if only I had enough money to fund the four pages worth of home projects that I've dreamed up!
3. Mark's graduation and party two weekends ago went so well! We feel very blessed to have so many supportive family members and friends surrounding us. Mark received many generous gifts that we are so thankful for. One of them just happens to be something he's been greatly desiring for quite some time: a hammock. Every time we go over to his cousin Mika's house, he's quick to run out back and chill in their hammock. At least once every visit he asks Mika's husband Larry "Where did you get this hammock?...How much did it cost?" Sure enough, Mika and Larry surprised Mark with a hammock of his own! We finally got it set up properly in our backyard a few nights ago and have been loving hanging out in it. I'm pretty sure that when I was a baby, I probably loved the baby swing. Every time I get in the hammock I manage to doze off! Nice little cat nap! The boys love climbing in and cuddling too. In the cool Lubbock mornings this is so much fun. Of course, when they want to do it at four in the afternoon, it's pretty much miserable! Overall, it's definitely a fun little addition to our backyard. Can't wait till the fall when I can take a real nap out there without roasting!
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