Tagged by Leanne - "Two's"

Two Names I Go By: Mom, Kimmi (only my husband calls me that though)
Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now: pajamas, and a kid on my lap
Two Of Your Favorite Things To Do: craft projects, read
Two Things You Want Very Badly At This Moment: loose weight, and have a baby (i know, its totally counter intuitive)
Two Favorite Pets: I'm honestly not really a pet person. Maybe I'd like one that wasn't messy, like a fish (that cleaned its own bowl). I also really like my son's stuffed dog, that he treats like a real pet. He named it "Spike", and he even has a toy bone and a leash for it.
Two People Who Will Fill This Out: Lisa, Mel
Two Things You Did Last Night: Watched the kids play outside, went out to dinner
Two Things You Ate Today: Pancakes, a glass of skim milk
Two Last People You Talked To: My kids, and my Husband,
Two Longest Car Rides: Niagara Falls, Ohio
Two Favorite Vacations: Disneyland, Niagara Falls
Two Favorite Drinks: Raspberry Lemonade, Milkshakes (almost any kind)

People to Tag: Lisa, Alycia, Chari, Heidi, Mel, Cheronne

Forest Park

When we moved here (almost two years ago) the ward we were in had a really great playgroup which we became accustomed to attending regularly. Since moving to our house a year ago, and as a result, into a different ward, we still will occasionally go to the old playgroup, to catch up with friends and for an excuse to get out of the house. This week the playgroup was at a local animal farm and playground. I've mentioned my photographer friend on here before, hereafter referred to as "AM" (she took the playground pictures back in April, as well as Beefy's birthday party). Anyway, she wasn't working that day, and asked to tag along to get more practice on her new camera, (she is childless, and always in need of cute subjects) which I am only too happy to give her. So off we went to the animal farm. It was a good experience for the boys. Buggy has a huge irrational fear of all things animal, and this was a good chance for him to start to get over it. It seemed to work, by the end of our time with the animals, the boys were both (rather timidly in Beefy's case) petting the goats and calves.

Buggy particularly loved this little fat gray goat, and spent alot of time chasing it around trying to pet it, before I could persuade him to try the much softer, and much more still brown goat.

He was also especially proud of himself when he figured out that this was a baby cow, and that "Cows give us milk."
The white goat was the only animal that Beefy would touch, and it took us being there for 45 minutes before he would even do that.

Buggy on the other hand got very adventurous and followed one of the goats on to the picnic table.
After we had our fill of the animals, and washed our hands, we headed out for the playground where the boys played, and played, and played.



Beefy loved the swings. Buggy did too at that age, but now, they just take time away that could be used running around.

He was totally in his element, and more than happy to be photographed.


Beefy on the merry-go-round with his friend "E" who is two months younger. Her sister "J" is Buggy's age, and they are also good friends.

Boys will be boys....

But at the end of the day, they still love their brother.

There were many, many, many more pictures where these came from. If anyone wants to see them, just let me know and I will send you the link to "AM's" online album. This park also has a really great water-park feature that we were hoping to be able to use. Alas, the weather was not cooperating. Hopefully we will be able to get back before the summer ends. If so I will be sure to share my water pictures.

Back From Vacation

It has been a while since I posted here. I'm always amazed at how time gets away from me. Well, we are back from our impromptu vacation. It was very fun, the boys loved seeing their grandparents and cousins, I enjoyed having some sunshine, though not the heat so much, and now we are all home and settled in again. Unfortunately, while we were on vacation, my camera started to frizz-out, and therefore I have a total of 6 pictures of our trip (go figure, right?). If I can get them to load, I will post them at some point. Although, I must warn that there isn't anything too terribly exciting there. For those of you who want details about my trip, feel free to ask me, otherwise I will spare you. Yes, I know that I gave a lot of hype over something that turned out to be just another trip to visit family, but isn't that how it usually goes? I hope to be adding more posts soon, (as soon as I can get some photos organized) so stay tuned for that.

Happy Fathers Day

I am not a terribly open sentimental person, so if you are expecting a tribute to fathers that tugs at the heartstrings you will be sorely disappointed. My dad, my father-in-law, and my husband are all wonderful men, and wonderful fathers, and their righteous posterity is a fine tribute to them. With that said, I will proceed to write about today. I usually let my husband sleep in on Sundays. Today, being Fathers Day, was no exception. Plus I was feeling exceptionally nice, so I volunteered to make cookies for him to take to the Sunday School class he was teaching today. That is how I found myself in my kitchen making cookies at 8:30 this morning. I'm glad I was though. My cell phone often ends up in my purse, and therefore can't be heard from anywhere in the house but the kitchen. As I was making cookies it rang and thankfully I heard it. It was my older sister calling, which was kind of unusual for 8:30 on a Sunday. She was calling to tell me that my dad was in the hospital with a ruptured gallbladder, awaiting surgery. Now normally, I know that this is not a serious surgery, but almost 4 years ago (right after Buggy was born), he was unexpectedly hospitalized for a much more serious surgery, that has badly shaken both he and my mom ever since. After checking in with my Mom at the hospital to make sure all was still well, I went to tell my husband. As we got talking we made the decision to take an impromptu trip to be with the family. We are not going because of the surgery, it is just a good excuse to take a vacation, that I have needed for a while now. My husband has to work though, and it is a very long drive, so we are using some flight vouchers to bring my 16 year-old niece here, to drive with me and the boys, and to fly my husband there at the end of the week to drive back with us. I am really looking forward to it actually. I think I do better at fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants things, as opposed to planning and stressing forever about stuff. So be on the lookout for future posts about our crazy fun vacation.

Another One

After I posted the comic earlier, I realized I had another one that I really wanted to add on here.


So I found this one last week, and thought it described my family very well. Anyone that knows my husband and boys (or my 3 children as it sometimes feels) will understand.

Funny

A friend of mine (who grew up in Florida, but now lives here) sent this to me the other day. Very appropriate.

Cards for June

Here are my June card class creations. I have gone and gotten myself involved in yet another card exchange so this month there are 3 cards. I apologize that the photos are not fantastic. My camera is acting to be on its way out, but unfortunately the money for a new one is not being found, so I have to make do. Anyway, on the the cards:
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Card 1: Wedding Card (the girl and the words are embossed in black-its kind of hard to tell)

Card 2: Birthday Card. I love this stamp set and am making a point to use it (alot).


Card 3: This card was kind of an experiment taken from a card that I found at one of my favorite stamping websites . It is a little crazy, but it was fun to make. All the little tags and things come out, but that picture is when my camera finally decided it was done for the day, so all you get to see is the put together project.


Anyway, they were lots of fun to make, even if their "cuteness" doesn't translate to photo well. Maybe by the time my July cards come around we will have become millionaires and I will have a new, better camera. Doubtful, but I can dream can't I?

Big Boy Beefy!

So today Beefy came up to me while I was folding laundry, and started pulling down his pants and saying, "potty, potty". I figured I would humor him and sit him on the potty. I put him on and he told me to leave the room, so I went back to my folding, checking on him every couple of minutes. After 5 or 6 minutes of this I went and asked him if he was done and he said "yes" and hopped off. I looked to humor him, not expecting him to have "produced" but lo and behold - he had pooped. I was so proud of him. This may not seem like a big accomplishment to some people, but in my world it is huge. Buggy wouldn't even think of going near a potty until he was 3 1/2, and Beefy is just barely 2. Also pooping was a very hard learned task with Buggy. (Alas, Buggy's potty training is a story for another day) Anyway, I was getting all excited thinking of how responsible Beefy was becoming, and having visions of grandeur of a child who potty trains himself at only 2 years old. I even tried to take a picture so we could remember the moment. All I got was a picture of him washing his hands though.

Buggy was more than happy to pose by the toilet for me.

Well, as I said, I was thinking that Beefy was growing up so fast and becoming such a big boy, when a little while later I walked into the TV room and saw this.

Yes, that is oatmeal spread all over my carpet. Somehow Beefy had sneaked into the kitchen when I wasn't looking and made his way back to the playroom with the big bucket of Quaker oatmeal. Buggy made a point to inform me that Beefy did it all by himself and that he (Buggy) did not help him. (I think that was mostly an attempt to avoid the wrath of Mom) So, that is how I got my reality check that 2 year-olds, however much potential they show, are still 2 year-olds, and that 2 year-olds like to dump things.

Dueling Laundry Baskets

So at first glance all you may see in this closet (besides a big mess) are two ordinary upside-down laundry baskets, but they are so much more. When I walked into my closet this afternoon to put away some clothes, I saw this sight and heard, "yes" (from one basket), "no" (from the other), "yes", "no", on and on. The boys were hiding under the baskets arguing back and forth over who-knows-what and then laughing their heads off.

Why I Pay Tithing

Have you ever had something happen that was small, but it made you feel like you won the lottery? That happened to me today. Payday isn't until Thursday this week, and although we had enough money to get by, it was looking like it would be a pretty tight squeeze. Today, I got a rebate check in the mail from a fertilizer spreader that we bought like 2 months ago. Then I found a refund check from our insurance in my wallet, from the beginning of May, that I had forgotten to cash. I also found some cash in my wallet. I NEVER have cash, so I never think to look in there to see if there is any. But I had forgotten some that I got from a friend a few weeks ago when we split buying dinner. I have a firm testimony of the blessings we have received from paying our tithing (10% of our income to our church). We have had many instances of huge blessings received from that small act of obedience, especially during college and our "dirt poor" years, but little things like what happened today are (surprisingly enough) just as much as of a faith building experience for me as the big stuff. Isn't it funny how that works sometimes.

OUCH!!!

So, this morning I had a really klutzy moment. I slipped at the top of the staircase and slid down about 4 stairs. The rest of me is fine, but I smashed the toes on my right foot. This is what that foot now looks like.
The photo doesn't really do it justice. That toe is pretty black. (Not to mention the fact that I really need a pedicure) Plus, it hurts like the devil. I can still move it so I don't think its broken, but I really hope it heals soon or it is going to be a very long week.

The Sweetest Thing

My church assignment is to play the piano for primary (the children's group). The chorister that I work with recently had ankle surgery and was out for 2 months, and so I stepped in and filled in her position, as it is easier to find people to play the piano than it is to find people who will lead singing for 7 weeks in a row. Anyway, she is a very vibrant and energetic person who loves being around the kids and always makes them excited to sing. I am by nature a rather shy reserved person, and although I know how to lead music, my last teaching job was with teenagers and they are a different can of beans than kids aged 3-11. Anyway, I took over leading singing time, and had some fun with it, and pulled through the best I could. Today I was back and the piano and glad to be there. At the beginning of the meeting today, one of the 10 year old girls came up and handed me a card. She had written it herself. It said: "You make music very fun, you're the best music teacher, Love, Sydney". Wow! How cool is that? It makes me feel good that I could have an impact on the kids, even if I am not as bubbly and outgoing as their usual music leader. Sydney totally made my day today.

"Lets Paint Each Other"

This evening, the boys spent some time watercoloring. They actually started out watercoloring on paper, and when I looked up from the project I was working on, I heard Buggy say to Beefy, "Lets paint each other". At this point, I knew that baths were coming anyway, and I was feeling nice, so (after taking off their shirts to avoid potential stains) I let them have at it. Here are the results:




A haircut and a bath later, the results are pretty good.

Blessings

I have been pretty whiny lately. The weather here SUCKS!!!!! My kids have been grumpy. My husband is working a lot of overtime, and he has been sick. And, to be honest, I have been a little PMS-y. Okay, actually a lot. My sister, who also has a lot of the same tendencies, told me yesterday I need to go take a box of Midol. I know its bad when she is telling me I'm a grouch. But sitting and reflecting on my state of being, I realized that I've wallowed in my own mud for long enough. There are a lot of great things out there that make me happy and I need to realize it more. So, without further ado - I present my "count your many blessings" list.

• Family: This is a given right. But maybe not. Sometimes I really have to sit back and think about why I did this (got married, had kids, stayed home with them, etc.), and I realize that they are the most important things in the world to me. Yes, there are days that I want to sell them, but not really, and I know I would be crushed if anything ever happened to them. Buggy came to me one day recently and said, "Mommy, when I die you are going to break into pieces." He caught me off guard, and the most I can get from him is that he learned it in primary. I can kind of guess what the gist of the conversation was that brought him to this conclusion, and when I think about it he is right. If he, or his brother, or his dad (or aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents) died, I would break into pieces a little bit. I did when his sister died, and we never even got to see her. The beautiful thing is the knowledge that those pieces can be put back together again, because death isn't the end. I am grateful for an eternal family.
• Friends: Another given, but one that has been pretty important to me over the last few months. Our extended family all live at least 1000 miles away from us right now. We are kind of on our own, and have really learned to rely on good friends who are willing to help us, and step in when our families can't be there. I am eternally grateful for friends (and sisters) who will still let me cry to them when days get hard and my hormones are all over the place. And for friends who don't judge me, and listen and understand when I need to talk about baby stuff, while at the same time not wanting to talk about baby stuff. I am also grateful that I can be a friend, and hopefully do the same for others who are hurting too.

So these are intangibles, I know. But they matter. At the end of the day, I realize that everything I have is better because I can share it with those around me. I will admit though, that there are plenty of "material" things I am grateful for too. Because they remind me of someone or something, or they just make me feel happy. So I would also like to add my less important "blessings that make me smile" list.

• My ipod: My husband got this for me for Christmas last year, he was trying to surprise me, but I am way too nosy and figured it out well before Christmas. I love this because I love music, and it has been a great way for me to expand my music collection. My tastes are pretty eclectic and this way I can play a song sung by Ernie from Sesame Street, and have it immediately followed by The Proclaimers, or Barenaked Ladies, or Les Miserables, or Beethoven. My music (crazy and eccentric as it may be) definitely makes me smile.
• My hobbies: I like to do crafts. I like making homemade cards, and sewing, and stuff like that. And, my husband is very understanding of my need to do these things. Right after Buggy was born, I was a full time student, and a new mom. I wasn't working at the time (other than school work, house work, and mom work) and I was going crazy spending all my time with the baby or at classes. My husband saw my desperate need for a hobby and encouraged me to start looking, until I found things that I liked to do. Even now, four years later, he is still encouraging me to go to classes and workshops, and to get out and do the things I like to do. They make me happy and give me a break from "life", so that when I go back, things are easier.
  

So these are obviously condensed lists (this post would go on for miles if I didn't cut it down to this much), and there are millions of other things out there that I am grateful for. But writing some of them down got me to start thinking of good things. I truly am blessed, and need to remember it more often. But then, I would guess that this is probably the case with most everyone sometimes.

Enough Already

When we moved to the northwest, almost two years ago, we knew what we were getting ourselves into. We had been warned by plenty of people about how rainy it was, and the gray days and cloudy skies. Don't get me wrong, all those people were right-the thing is, I usually like the rain. I love how refreshing it is, and the way the rain smells on the pavement. And to be honest, the rain here is more of a light constant mist than a real rainstorm. We don't even own umbrellas, and 96% percent of the time we are fine. We made it through last winter in splendid fashion, and the spring, summer and fall here last year were beautiful. This winter though, has gone on long enough. It is June 5th. My kids have been able to wear shorts (at the most) about 10 days this entire year. Our last warm, sunny day was almost two weeks ago, and we are now going on 4 days straight of heavy rain (the kind you can't go out and play (or do anything) in). Even for a person who likes the rain, I've got to admit I am getting sick of it. Enough is enough, and I am ready for some sunshine.