sanity saved for less than $5

We had to get out of the house this morning.
 
William is on day 3 of his antibiotic for an ear infection; he has been cranky. Crazy cranky. The fit throwing, flesh biting, "no" screaming, back arching kind of cranky. In general, he is a super mellow, easy going boy. Maybe I've not been appreciating his sweet nature as much as I should. I hope these antibiotics work their magic, I'm ready for my chilled out sweet boy to come back.
On top of that, Henry has been begging for a new toy. Where have I failed him that he begs, only weeks after Christmas to have something, just anything "new"? I finally decided, partially to save my sanity and get me out of this house, that I would take him to the Dollar store and let him have his pick of any 1 item in the whole store, with no guidance or direction from me. But only if he was willing to go through his toys first and pick out five things to donate. I kind of thought he would change his mind here, but he didn't. He cheerfully picked through his toys and chose 5 things to give. At first they were chintzy little things; an old torn magazine, a bouncy ball, a broken matchbox car. I made him go back through and find things that were nice for other boys and girls to have. Not broken, easy things to give away (a dollar store toy is worth far more than that. Ha!) He put them into a bag and we piled into the van (yay, we left the house!) and drove to the mission to drop them off. He got out of the car with me and handed them to a man doing the receiving.
Then he chose this:

Scary? I think so. It's not broken yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. He's only allowed to fight pretend bad guys with it, too.
Browsing the aisles at the dollar store was actually kind of relaxing for me, too. It's fun that everything is just a dollar. I bought a few candles, some goodies for the boys to occupy them during a wedding we're going to tomorrow and William chose a toy dinosaur.
On our way home we stopped at Blockbuster. The kids movies are 99 cents and you can keep them for 7 days. I let the boys each choose one with lots of guidance.
Now it's naptime. Deep sigh of relief. I'm ready to go fire up my Keurig and relax with a cup of coffee.
Winter! When will you end?
Oh and are the formula companies trying to drop subtle hints at me? I just got my second free box of infant formula in the mail this week. Anyone need it? I assure you that we do not. No matter what the formula companies say!

resolution check up

Here's my resolution chalkboard. I thought since the end of January is drawing near, I'd take just a minute to reflect on how these resolutions are going.

First off, that half marathon.
Oh my. Is it just me or does running always seem like it's going to be easier than it is? Thinking about it feels like it will be no problem, but then after two minutes on the treadmill, it's so.much.work. Thankfully I have a partner for the training. I convinced Patrick to also run a half marathon, so we're training together. We decided on The Rockford Marathon, which is May 16.
Patrick got this training plan from a friend (who happens to be a crazy runner. He and his wife do mega-marathons {50ish miles} on the weekend for fun.):
Hal Higdon's half-marathon training for novices.
Then Doug was kind enough to outline this specific training plan on his blog:

Training schedule for the Rockford 1/2 marathon.

The training plans are actually really similar and have been super helpful. I really had no idea where to start. It helps me to have a guide to follow and check things off as I go. Patrick and I are in week 2. As of this morning, I've run 16 miles. But that's in nearly 2 weeks. On May 16, I'm going to run 13 in one day.
Like I said,
Oh.My!

On getting organized:
well,
exhibit A

exhibit B

This isn't going so well. What do you do with all of your stuff? School papers, crafts, tupperware, just little things here and there and everywhere. It feels overwhelming.

On making healthy whole-wheat pancakes:
Henry thought these were "chocolate" and got really excited. Then he tasted one. He hated it and didn't like that I was tricking him. I think I'll try half and half. But I'll keep trying. So far though, not good.

On reading through my Bible:
I have never read my Bible from front to back. It's something that I really want to do and I feel embarrassed that I never have. I got a reading plan from Bible Gateway , and the daily readings are emailed to my Blackberry. Seeing it in my inbox keeps me accountable, but I do the actual reading in my physical Bible. I like the feel of the pages and holding the actual book. I've read through Genesis and tonight I'll finish Exodus. It's interesting. I'm a little bit nervous for Leviticus, but I don't want to leave anything out. So that will start tomorrow.

wishing I was here

I really, really, really wish I was sitting in that chair right now.

this weekend

This weekend was low-key. We didn't have any great big plans and it was nice staying in and being cozy.
It started on Friday with a pj day and
eating lunch on the counter.

Lunch right next to the sink and on top of the dishwasher equals easy clean up. Plus William couldn't get away. I loved not having to chase him and just eating in peace. (even if I was standing up, at least I was standing still.)


Then on Friday night, we invited the kids from our small group over to play to give their parents a chance to go out. Three of the four couples brought their kids over for a total of 5 kids, plus ours. It was actually easy peasy and fun! We made playdoh volcanos erupt using baking soda, vinegar and a little food coloring (just for fun). This was the favorite activity of the night. Good job, Patrick. We played sink or float; this was my idea and it was fun, but we all got pretty wet. We ate pizza, jumped on the trampoline in the basement, made ice-cream sundaes and watched America's Funniest Videos. The group is almost all boys. Sweet little Rae is the only girl and she is just the sweetest little thing. Totally won our hearts. She's two, like William, but is just the teeny-tiniest daintiest little thing. So so sweet.




Saturday was pretty lazy. William played tractors and farm and Henry fought bad guys with his light saber and pirate sword.


Tonight we went to Chuck-e-Cheese to celebrate Rae's birthday with our small group and Rae's family.

I don't have any pictures from there but oh.my. That place is crazy. It was wall to wall people; screaming children, tickets, tokens, a girl kissing the steering wheel of the car William was waiting to drive and another picking her nose just before getting out. Just crazy. This was only the 3rd time Henry's ever been there and he didn't remember it. All day he said, "I'm NOT going there." He was sure he'd hate this place with "cheese all over". Once we pulled into the parking lot his whole outlook changed and he loved it. Actually both boys loved it. They're too young and fun to feel completely germaphobic and claustrophobic. Lucky for them! William liked Chuck-e-Cheese the character, mostly from a distance. When he went back into the back room, or wherever he disappears to, he kept saying "where's Mickey Mouse?". It was a fun night and I loved seeing the boys have so much fun there. I'm really happy to be getting back into a small group. It's really starting to feel like friends. I really like that, and I love that the boys are making friendships, too.

All in all, it was a nice weekend. I hope yours was nice and relaxing, too!

first snowman of 2010

We've had lots of snow since Christmas but it hasn't been the right kind of snow for making snowballs or building snowmen. Last week it started to warm up a little bit and melt the snow just enough to make it wet and perfect for packing.
Finally we built our first snowman.
Well, I should say Henry and I built him. Here was William,

He got all bundled up, you know the fifteen minute process, and then stayed outside for less time than it took to roll the bottom snowball of the snowman; probably ten minutes and then he was crying to go inside. These are the times when it's hard having two boys but only being able to be in one place at a time. Henry was distraught at having to come inside with only 1/3 of our snowman complete. But William was not going to stay outside, he just wasn't having it.
Call me a terrible mom, but I let William come inside and get out of his snow gear. Then I went outside and helped Henry finish building his snowman. William stood by the door and watched us the entire time. {Actually once the snowman was finished, we threw snowballs at the doors to William and he cracked up. This became a game that lasted at least 10 minutes!}
When the snowman was done, I ran inside to grab my camera

but Henry was still working on something.


"a snow booty!", he screamed as he excitedly slapped some snow on the back of the snowman.

So here he is in all his glory; our first snowman of 2010 complete with chocolate-chip cookie eyes, the standard carrot nose, a hat, scarf, stick arms, gloves and a booty.

wanted : an entry table

found : an entry table

I've had the decorating/re-decorating itch b i g time. I've been tearing pages out of the Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs catalogs and have a "wish list" that's an inch thick. One of those things on that list is a table to be put near our front door to create a little entry space. A place for keys, purses, and mail. We really have no formal entry way, and I wish we did. That would be the best option. But option number two is creating the illusion of one. And I thought a table might help.

On Friday, Henry was home from school and we declared a pj day. While the boys were playing peacefully in the living room, I was daydreaming about a table. Where in our house did we have a table that would be a good fit? Then it occurred to me. My nightstand. Without thinking it through, I went upstairs, got my nightstand, brought it downstairs, got some black paint from the basement, a paintbrush and spread a huge flattened box out on top of the dining room table. I started painting, sort of hoping the boys wouldn't notice.

They did notice. It turned into a bit more of a fiasco than I'd imagined. Although I really hadn't imagined it or thought about it. But I'm happy about it. And I'm glad for a new coat of paint and a little switcheroo. I like having a little table by our front door.


No time for painting shirts, they grabbed brushes and went to work.

heart aching for Haiti

My heart just aches for the Haitian people; all of the men, women, children and babies who call Haiti home. For all of the missionaries and doctors there. For the families here who have little ones there that they are waiting to adopt. For the people here who have family there.
It's devastating. Watching the news, seeing the fallen buildings, the injured people, the people without homes and clothing and water. The very poorest of people who now have even less.
All while I sit here in my warm, cozy house with more than I need. More clothes than I need or wear. More food than we eat. More stuff. So much stuff that there's boxes of stuff in the basement. It starts to feel like too much stuff.
I want to help. To teach Henry and William about compassion and how important it is to help other people. Part of the parent in me wants to shield their eyes from the suffering that's happening there and is on newscasts on the tv. But another part wants them to understand that there are people in the world who are hurting and who need to be shown love and compassion. It is so heartbreaking.
We're praying for the people there and also trusting God, who loves them and who created them, to take care of them and to bring them through this devastation and that his name will be glorified there. And also asking him what part we can play in helping there.
I want this reminder of how blessed I am to sink in and remain with me. I truly have more than I need. I don't want to forget that and get sucked back into wanting more and more.
I feel thankful that my sweet little boys are warm and safely tucked into their beds and that our family is safe and together and warm and fed.

the start of something new

Henry's fourth birthday marked the beginning of a new era. Friend birthday parties.
We had his first ever friend party at the Ropp Dairy Farm. It's in Normal, about a 15 minute drive from our house. I've been there a few times; once or twice with just Henry the summer before William was born and then a few times during the fall with both boys. It's an actual dairy farm, so there are milk cows, lots of calves, some tractors and barns and an assortment of other animals like kittens, goats and a turkey named Tom.
This summer at the pool I met a mom who has 7-year old twins. The subject of children's birthday parties came up and she mentioned that her son and daughter love that little dairy farm so much that they have had three consecutive parties there (their fourth, fifth and sixth) and they were gearing up to celebrate their seventh birthday there as well. I decided to check it out; outdoor picnic tables, milking cows, hay rack ride, bottle feeding calves and climbing a haystack in the barn - sounded like the perfect summer party for 20 4-year olds, plus Henry was excited about it. So it was decided.
Henry sent invitations to all of his classmates from preschool as well as Charlie and Gabe and we hosted a Saturday afternoon party at the dairy farm.
The setting:
picnic tables shaded under huge trees. It was beautiful and breezy.
My mom came to help, she and I got to the farm early to set things up.
We stuck with the pirate theme from Henry and Caleb's shared party with family.


A real working dairy farm. They make yummy cheese everyday.

Henry and Charlie, waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive,


We played a game of duck, duck, goose while we waited for all of the friends to come,



We rode a hay rack through the cornfield,

We got to meet a brand new baby calf, born just three days earlier on Henry's birthday. The sweet woman, Carol, who owns the farm and runs it with her husband, changed his name to "Henry" in honor of the birthday boy he shares a birthday with.



We learned how to milk a cow,


We fed the babies their mother's milk with bottles. They were gigantic.


We even pet Turkey Tom
{but only from behind; we learned that if you make eye contact and he sees his reflection in your eyes he may get angry and try to attack that "other turkey". Yes, I still let the children touch him. What was I thinking? Their parents were there...},


And pet the goats,

We sang "happy birthday" to Henry and then
we had yummy Janet's cupcakes emblazoned with plastic pirate rings
and the children each chose a flavor of ice-cream from the dairy case inside,

Henry didn't blow out any candles. It was a super windy day. Really it was lucky for the end of July; it wasn't hot or humid. But we were in the country with little to block the wind and it was super windy. So no candles. But no heat stroke either.
We took some silly pictures,

Sandi painted this photo board. It's amazing! I emailed her a picture of Henry's pirate beach towel and from that she painted this. Impressive doesn't even begin to describe her talents.
And climbed the big hay pile in the barn,

Then Henry thanked his friends and we said goodbye,


We had cellophane bags for the fish; parents helped their children scoop some into a bag and then tied it with ribbon. An appetizer and a favor in one.
We survived!
The first friend party was fun. There were no tears, there was no vomiting, there were no injuries and no hurt feelings {unlike my first friend party when I turned four and rudely announced to Kyle Smith that I "already have" the toy he proudly gave me-also the reason we didn't open presents until we were home}.
By those standards alone, the party was a success.