Asher and Grace are still sleeping, but I think I hear some stirring so I’ll make this short…actually it might be long but I’m going to cut & paste so it will be short for me. Asher turns 4 today. I can’t believe how much has happened in 4 years and the fact that it’s ALREADY BEEN 4 YEARS…i’m sure i’ll say that at every child’s birthday every year. I imagine my parents will be saying it in a few weeks when their middle child turns 30. 
Back when ryan & i had separate blogs, I wrote a lil’ something about 2 of my favorite memories. Gonna cut & paste the second one here:
I had asher on a Wednesday and we came home that Friday. Not too long after we got home my mom came to stay for a week (and ryan’s mom came for a few days as well), which was great b/c we were both kind of thinking, “who decided that we’re fit to be alone with this little human??” (well, at least I was). I couldn’t even change the kid’s diaper for the first few days (I was afraid to touch the sore little….well, the circumcision was a little more traumatic for me than I expected). So it was nice to have an experienced person around. After that week was over my mom went home. I feel sort of choked up even thinking about it. I remember crying really hard as she drove away, slightly scared, slightly excited. For the fist time I was alone with my baby (ryan had gone back to work). After I got over the shell shock, I had a really lovely afternoon. I didn’t put him down for one of his naps (I was a schedule nazi in the beginning, which I will be again with #2, but I cheated every now and then) and just ‘spoiled’ him (and myself) by holding him the whole time, enjoying our first day alone together.
Before getting to preview this, the kids have woken up. Grace is having a hard time accepting that it’s ONLY Asher’s birthday…looks like this will be a good lesson in not being selfish today (for her anyway…). Asher is disappointed because he’s not bigger than he was when he “was 3″. I told him we’d look at pictures later today of when he first turned 3, so he can see that he is bigger than a year ago anyway. I keep meaning to start a growth chart & forgetting…
I think the weather and lack of sun is really getting to Jennifer and I. I’m sure there are other factors, but after seeing the sun yesterday for the first time in WEEKS, I am more and more convinced that not seeing the sun is a big part of our “funk.”
So, anyone who wants to buy us the sun, here you go:
It’s a good thing the kids and I are learning Hymns together. Theology set to music….very helpful for days like today when for whatever reason (or a multitude of reasons) i just feel like crap & want to hide under the covers all day, cry and drink hot chocolate.
thus far I’ve accomplished 1 of the 3….about to be 2 (hot chocolate is in the works). The kids make the first task difficult. This is probably a good thing. Anyhow, decided at noon to pack up lunches & have a picnic with ryan in his office. Get out of the house, something fun & the kids were missing daddy this morning (probably b/c mommy’s a weepy grump today). Not really “feelin” it, but trying to put on the happy face….after all, as Asher’s been reminding me today, “But it IS well with your soul momma.” Yes, yes it is. Someone let my brain in on that secret please.
Anyway, about a quarter mile from the house we got gently rammed in the side by a teenager whilst driving through a roundabout. Thankfully not hard, since it was on Asher’s door that got hit (passenger side). No injuries and it would appear the damage to the van is only cosmetic (though there was a new weird noise on the way home…), and no one hurt in the other car, just a scratched bumper. long story but it’s quite possible i was an idiot & screwed up our odds of having their insurance pay for it….guess time will tell.
BUT, as Asher reminded me on the way to Ryan’s office, yet again, “even though we had a little accident it’s still well with our souls!”. That is true. AND things could be a lot worse.
Had a nice little lunch. The sun made an appearance today, so I took the kids to a nearby parking lot to ride bikes. Discovered 2 toddlers on bikes, who don’t know how to ride bikes + 1 momma = a not fun experience. Exasperated we came home in short order & put the kids to roomtime/naptime as quick as possible. Called insurance company, who advised me to just wait till after hours and call customer service center…. um…I just want some advice ‘yo. Not filing a claim. No, same answer, you just need to wait till after 5 (when our office is closed) and call back.
Ok. Passed that one on to the angry husband via IM (angry at the non-helping “good neighbor” company..not me). Have i mentioned i haven’t come up with a dinner menu for this week or gone grocery shopping? This always sets a foul tone for the week….i’m such a slave to a schedule these days.
Oh yeah, and seem to have taken a few steps backward today in the potty department (note to self: remember, it always gets worse right before it really clicks). Can I send her to your house until she’s finished learning? 
I’m apparently giving off a bad vibe & messin’ with her success.
I think it’s time for some hot chocolate. Maybe play a few hymns on the ipod.
Grump grump grump.
So as I mentioned last week, this past monday was “d-day” for our second round of potty training Grace. She still had a good grip on the process and only had one “#2″ accident (i use “accident” loosely here) this week. On the other end of the spectrum, monday seemed sort of pointless, other than testing my mettle. Tuesday was hit or miss, and I don’t think any of the “hits” were instigated by her. I grit my teeth preparing for a long road ahead. But we’re not giving up this time, no sir-ee. If she can grasp #2, I’m sure she can figure out the latter. I’d like to stop here & thank you all for your prayers. I never felt the anger/frustration that has crept up in the past. In fact on tuesday evening I had a moment of light where I decided when she had accidents I would work to show neither disapproval or encouragement. Just clean it up as quick as possible and change the subject just as fast. Grace seems to be drawn to any kind of attention whether good or bad, so I decided to try to eliminate the bad. It totally changed the tone of our experience.
Then Wednesday morning we had a “breakthrough moment”. I saw the lightbulb click. Tuesday night we opened a belated christmas package from Ryan’s sister. In it, Grace had received two girly puppets. Once princess and one mermaid. She loves them. So wednesday morning “we” had an accident around 9am. A little later we were playing with the puppets and I was thinking it was time for a potty run. So “the mermaid” said, “Grace, I need to go potty. Can you show me how?”. She was MORE than happy to do so. The mermaid was a little scared, so she “needed” Grace to go first. The mermaid was VERY impressed and proud of Grace. Then Grace got to get down & taught the mermaid. It was all very exciting.
We haven’t had an accident since & twice she’s told me she had to go. I’m not generally a fan of “puppet parenting” (it’s actually a thing…that kids apparently listen to puppets more than their parents, so you can use them to talk through things & get them to eat their veggies…). I mean, i want my kids to talk to ME..and i’ll leave my opinions on that matter there….however when it comes to potty training I’ll do *almost* anything to make the process smoother…and successful. I’m not expecting we’re totally free & clear yet, but it does appear Ms. Mermaid has come to the rescue.
So thanks again for those potty prayers.
Ryan & i practiced our annual New Year’s Eve festivities last night. Watch TV and go to bed well before midnight. Last night it was the movie “Hancock”. I really enjoyed it even if the end was a bit….i dont’ know. something unsatisfying about it. Though I was grateful they spared the morbid unhappy ending. I watch movies for happy endings, ‘realistic’ or not. so there.
We are Tre cool for sure. I don’t even own a little black dress. I do own a long sleeved turtle neck sweater black dress though. What’s the deal w/winter formal dresses being made for people who live in tropical climates? I couldn’t even FATHOM wearing a strappy dress in december here! I’d never be able to take off my coat. Silly.
Anyhow, I do however do the cheesy “resolutions” thing. I’m never very serious about it & thus not sure if i’ve ever stuck with any (or even expressed them outside my brain), but I make them anyhow. This year I’m trying to be very realistic with it. Go small or go home baby.
So here we go: Resolved:
- Read & meditate on the Bible ‘regularly’. kinda cheating here since I made (& mostly kept) this one last year, but I figure it’s a good one to keep refreshing. This means more than once a week. Preferable MUCH more often than that (& it usually is), but wanted to give myself some flexibility here. I am after a “rule-follower” so I’ll beat myself up when (yes when) I fail. Probably not God’s intention that I put him on a “to-do” checklist.
- Make & drink Beet Kvass ‘regularly’. Also intend for this to be near-daily. but ya know…. I *almost* enjoy my kvass. Not “dishish-oso”, but not gross. MUCH cheaper than spending $50/month on probiotics. Oh yeah, and offer it to the kids regularly in the hopes that leading them to water will encourage them to drink. a girl can dream.
- Last but not least: As I commented on the blog post I’m about to link to: “enjoy them now” (in each “now” phase they go through!), “there are no one-size fits all (even in the same family)” & “Love God over all else”. Being a rather impatient person who loves to get opinions from other people & books on how to do things, It’s easy for me to rush past all the “now”, NOT enjoy the kids where they are & think I have to everything in ways that other people do (or say they do). I still think it’s good to “take polls” & read books, but in the end we need to do what is best for our individual kids/spouses/families & circumstances. I forget all that far to easily. Written in a much more eloquent way: Just Live Life with your Kids!
Happy New Year!!! Any “resolvers” out there?
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