Three Thought Thursday: Episode 28

 1. If you live within a twenty or so mile radius of Lubbock, you're well aware of the fact that it has rained off and on for about two weeks. More on than off. And at one point I think it didn't stop for a good 48 hours straight. I'm usually not one to complain the rain. But then again, it's usually refreshing. It's usually a nice cool-down to the hot summer days. It's usually enjoyable. Call me a grouch, but this time around the rain has kinda turned into a bit of a drag. Lubbock is now super steamy. A la Houston, TX. Icky. Sticky. Sweaty. As if we weren't already cooped up in the house during all the rain...now we can't be out there for more than a few minutes without Kolbe getting completely flushed and Reagan breaking out in heat rash. Not to mention...

2. The mosquitoes. Ugh! The mosquitoes! With all the standing water around, they're throwing quite the reproduction party across the whole city. It wouldn't be so bad if Kolbe and Reagan didn't react to the bites so ridiculously. We're talking golf to tennis ball sized welts. And it wouldn't be so bad if they didn't bite through your clothes. Seriously! I have a mosquito bite square in the middle of my back. I know I haven't be outside without a shirt on any time recently! And it wouldn't be so bad if they didn't seem to be somehow immune to bug repellent. So annoying! I completely douse the boys and myself in bug spray before going outside and they still manage to attack us full on. Reagan looks like a spotted leopard. And Kolbe is working the huge-growth-on-the-side-of-his-head look. Adorable, I know. I tried some of the Avon lotion stuff yesterday and it actually worked better than the regular spray on stuff. And I intend to try out the treatment you can hook up to your hose and spray in the yard and trees to kill the skeeters and their nests. Hopefully that works; otherwise, we're stuck inside for a while longer.

3. We'll stay on the outdoor/results-of-rain theme. But I'll stop with all the complaining. On a positive note, the multitude of rain has managed to add quite a bit of green to our yard. The grass...er, weeds....have never looked so lush! Mark cut the lawn and within three days it needed cutting again. But better than the green lawn are the beautiful flowers! Many many months ago I wrote about trying to develop my green thumb. And I'm so excited to see the fruits (literally!) of my labors come to fruition. Just thought I'd share a few pics of what's going on in the "Asmussen Garden" since the flood of rain kicked things into high gear. Hope they bring a little sunshine to your Thursday!

Verbena...grown from seeds.

Zinnias...grown from seeds.

These actually look better in person than in this picture. They've ended up being one of my favorites. They're called bachelor buttons...or cornflowers. We grew these from seeds too. They kind of looked like weeds in the beginning but turned into the cutest little wildflowers.

I forget what this one is called. But it's pretty, right!?! It's some form of a succulent (stores its water in its leaves like a cactus). We did not grow this one from seeds. Rescued it from the dying plants cart at Walmart for $1.00. It's been pretty...and not dead...ever since!

And we finally found a good place for the Jesus statue from Popo's backyard. I bought a bag of caladium bulbs for $3 and planted them in a semi-circle around the statue back in March. Having forgotten to water them, I just assumed they were dead. But about a month ago, they started sprouting up. All six of them! Love caladiums! And the same bulbs can be replanted next year. No need to repurchase.

On to the produce. These are the tomatoes that we grew from seeds. They started in tiny seed pots. Then we moved them to a bigger pot. And finally Mark's dad came over and helped me transplant them into the ground. Now they've turned into these huge bushes. And prior to all our rain, I was kinda sad that they hadn't started producing any fruit. (despite the fact that Mark's dad told me it would probably be August before they did...)

Until I noticed these three tiny little tomatoes yesterday! Yea! I'm not sure if you can even see them in this pic. They're like the size of a peanut right now.  But I can see them. And I'm excited! My very first produce! Ever! (I know...I sound like such a novice...)

And here's our jalapenos. They're much much smaller. Small, but mighty!

This plant actually has 4 jalapenos growing on it right now. I sense yummy salsa with our jalaps and tomatoes in the near future!

Kolbe Kwotes: 2nd Edition

Just thought I'd pop in and share a few "conversations" in case you were interested in eavesdropping on our little Kolbe. He is such a hoot! And oh, so smart!

Most often I hear Kolbe repeating things I say; however, lately he's been more prone to repeat things that Mark says frequently. One of these sayings happens to be "Dang girl!" It comes about it expressions such as "Dang girl! Why did you make all these cookies!?!" or "Dang girl! You got all that done today!?!" So the other day Kolbe was trying to tell me something in his special little Kolbe language....
Kolbe: Where's me's tugol go?
Me: What?
Kolbe: Me's tugol.
Me: Say it again???
Kolbe: ME'S TUUUUUGOL!!!
Me: Kolb, I can't tell what you're saying!
Kolbe: Dang, gul! I said. Me's. TUUUUUGOL!!!!
Me: You're turtle?
Kolbe: Yeah! Me's tugol!!
Me: Oh. So-rry.

A while back we were traipsing through Walmart picking up a few odds and ends. Reagan was in the cart and Kolbe was walking along behind me.
Me: Come on Kolbs. Keep up with Mama.
Kolbe: Me's wants to walk s-yow.
Me: Well Kolbe, people need to get by us. Do you want me to carry you?
Kolbe: Yes. You carry me.
Me: (after picking Kolbe up) Good grief, Kolbs! When did you get so big!?!
Kolbe: Monday.
Me: Oh really! Monday?
Kolbe: Yes. Monday. Me's gets big on Mondays.
Alrighty then.

Kolbe has become quite the disciplinarian for Reagan. Unfortunately. I often tell him he's not the boss, but he's determined to be a typical first-born....
Reagan: Waaaaahhhhhhh!!!! Eeeeeeeee!!!! Uuuuhhhhhhhh!!!!
Kolbe: Mama!!! RuRu whining!!! RuRu whining!!!
Me: Kolbe, Reagan's fine. He's just fussy cause he's hungry. I'm getting your lunch ready.
Kolbe: You tops that, RuRu! Yock it up! (Lock it up!)
....That's definitely one he picked up from Dada.

From time to time I add the word "boy" to the boys names. Such as Kolbe Boy or Rudy Boy. On top of that, I love to make up little songs using the boys' names. This morning while we were playing with puzzles, Kolbe started singing his own little song made up of both of these habits....
Kolbe:   Kolbe Boy, Kolbe Boy.
             Rudy Boy, Rudy Boy.
             Dada Boy, Dada Boy.
             ....(long pause)........
            Umsbody Boy, Umsbody Boy.
            Umsbody Else Boy, Umsbody Else Boy....
Me: Kolbe, Who is "umsbody"???
Kolbe: You know. Umsbody else. Like Uncle Brian.

He has also become very thoughtful and conversational recently. Like he is finally aware that people have different experiences than what he's having at any given time. The other night Mark and I went to a wedding. Kolbe and Reagan stayed with Mark's mom. On the drive home, Mark and I were talking to each other about people we had seen at the wedding while Kolbs and Reagan sat in the back listening.
Kolbe: Mama!
Me: Yes, Kolb?
Kolbe: Mama, you have a good time at wedding?
Me: Well as a matter of fact, I did.
Kolbe: Un-huh. You did. And me's has good time at  G-ma's. Good time.

Hopefully it won't be long before we have a post like this about Reagan! He's kind of following in Kolbe's footsteps and not saying much just yet. He likes to do his signs but still just grunts and moans a lot. Kolbe went through the language explosion around two, so I'm sure the same will happen with little guy! Love my babies!

Three Thought Thursday: Episode 27

1. On Tuesday one of my girlfriends, Lisa, gave me a great treat. She came and watched the boys in the morning so I could go indulge in a little guilty pleasure of mine: a viewing of Eclipse. Yep, I'm one of those crazies that loved the Twilight series of books and can't get enough of the movies either. Slightly embarrassing, considering I'm a mom of two and obsess over a story-line based on high schoolers (kind of...). But hey, it's a little somethin-somethin I can enjoy completely separate of the kiddos, and lets admit it, it's fun getting into a good story line with unique characters that carry admirable qualities. And no, seeing a couple of good looking fellas on the silver screen isn't exactly torture, though I do feel like a bit of a perv for thinking so! The better looking of the two guys is younger than my baby brother! Creepo. The movie was great (the best one so far), and it was fun to get out with a couple of girlfriends during the hours when I'm normally ankle deep in toys, changing dirty diapers, or applying a fresh coat of medicine to an out of control mosquito bite. And even better, when I got home, it was nap time so it was like back-to-back me time. Score.

2. Yesterday was a total bust. I suppose that's what I get for such an awesome Tuesday. I stayed up reading way too late on Tuesday night and was not so happy when Kolbe stumbled in to our room at 4:15am soaking wet. We went to the bathroom, got him cleaned up, and back in his bed, but not without waking up Reagan in the process. By 5:00am I had all parties involved back to sleep, just to have Kolbe return at 6:00am....with Reagan hollering in the background. To clarify, these guys usually wake up around 7:30ish. And to add to it, Kolbe stayed up way too late the night before. Things just continued to unravel. Kolbe threw a colossal fit in Target because we didn't have time to stop and look at the toys. Reagan threw an entire carton of yogurt on the floor. And on and on. These things probably wouldn't have bothered me so greatly had I gotten enough sleep the night before. Why is it that after having a baby, you can easily get by with four to five hours of sleep and still somehow have enough energy to keep going!?! And here I am with two toddlers and I go one night with less than seven hours of sleep and completely lose it!!! I suppose it's got to be all those great post-baby hormones that provide the fuel to keep you going. I could have definitely used a big dose of those yesterday, because, as always, probably the biggest factor in a bad day with the boys isn't the boys; it's me and how i deal with them.

3. We are soooo close to being done with PA School. Soooo close. Actually, Mark's final white coat ceremony is a month from this past Tuesday. Granted, he doesn't take his board exam until September 2nd, but it still feels like it's just around the corner. I can taste the freedom of no school. Mark has literally been a student for our entire relationship. Dating included. It will be so weird, but so great to not have school to worry about! Not to mention a paycheck to live on instead of financial aid. School has always been a big black cloud hanging over our heads and both of us are thrilled to give it the boot. We're not crazy enough to think that there won't always be something to provide us with stress, but at least we'll have the future paved and be on the road to great things for our little family. Can't wait!

Three Thought Thursday: Episode 26

1. Kolbe has developed the sneakiest little habit. Every day when he stumbles out of his room after his nap, I ask him: "Kolbe, are you wet or are you dry?" He used to tell the truth. But that was before he put two and two together and realized that 1) he knows where his dry undies are stored and 2) he's fully capable of changing his undies on his own. Most days he comes out and is, in fact, dry. But then there are days when he comes out and the convo goes a little something like this:
Me: Kolbe, are you wet or dry?
Kolbe: Dry.
Me: Kolbe, I'm pretty sure you had on your truck undies this morning.
Kolbe: Me wanted to wear me's Buzz Lightyears.
Me: Well where did the trucks go?
Kolbe: In me's hamper.
Me: Well are your truck undies wet or dry?
Kolbe: ummmm.....
Hey, on a positive note, at least I don't have to change the wet undies! But he fails to realize that it's more than just his undies that are wet when he has an accident. That part still gets left to good ol' mom.

2. My birthday was way too wonderful this year! It was celebrated on two separate days and was so much fun! As I wrote last week, it kind of seems like turning a non-significant age like twenty-eight is about as exciting as sweeping the kitchen floor...not horrible, but certainly nothing to rejoice over. But after so much fun and attention from my doting husband, family, and friends, maybe birthdays are something that should be amped up, no matter what the age! And it must just be blatantly obvious that I'm obsessed with sewing. I got five gift cards to either Joann's, Hobby Lobby, or Hancocks. FIVE! And two to Target! My heart has been fluttering ever since! Hey, at least my loved ones know me well! They really really shouldn't have gotten me anything, but the fact that they did just adds to my obsession. I'm sure you all can see the wheels in my head turning...

3. Notice anything special about Three Thought Thursday: Episode 26? I'm half way there! Hard for me to believe. I set out at the beginning of the year in hopes that I could force myself to write and exercise my noggin at least once a week. And honestly, around March  I was starting to think it was a bad idea. But now that I've gotten in the routine of it, I must admit that I really love coming up with three little things to talk about each week. It's been a pleasant outlet to talk about things Kolbe and Reagan could care less about and Mark probably isn't interested in hearing when he gets home from an exhausting day of work. Who knows, you, dear person reading this thought, may not be interested in most of the stuff I have to say either. But thank you for reading anyway! As a stay-at-home mom, there's often times where it feels like I have absolutely no contact with the outside world...or with anyone over the age of two. And even if you are just reading this and aren't exactly holding a conversation with me, it still feels like someone is listening to me. Like I'm being heard, in a way. So thanks!

Three Thought Thursday: Episode 25

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.

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.

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!