Planning for Successful Summer Adventures

It's summertime again. The time when we all try to slow down, but it seems like the days speed by faster than we'd like. This is the time of year the our family looks for adventures to enjoy together. Living in a climate where it seems like we have six months of cold, we really treasure these long hot (or at least warm) days.

The other day, the kids and I went fossil hunting and...wait for it...we think WE FOUND A FOSSIL!

 Awesome? Yes.

Coincidence? Sort-of.

Adventures (as my kids like to call them) have a risk for not turning out as fabulous as planned. That's why I try to think of all the 'what ifs' before heading out with the kiddos, having a Plan A,B,C,D....Z ready ahead of time.

Little Man loves fossils. Baby B couldn't wait to find a 'dog bone' as she likes to call them (and to play in the dirt.) I was a little nervous since actually finding a fossil can be a bit like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack.

However, this wasn't the first time that we have gone fossil hunting at this particular location.

The last time we went fossil hunting was before Baby B had joined the family. Little Man, some of his cousins, and myself went out one HOT summer afternoon and sorted through lots of rocks and dirt. It was a risky proposition with a major chance of the entire outing being a bust. Initially I remember feeling frustrated that the kids weren't getting as serious about the whole fossil hunting mission as I was.

Then I realized that I had become that parent who helps their kid with their science fair project by doing the project themselves. Thankfully, this dawned on me before I had ruined the day for the kids. After talking myself down from my sad, type A, goal oriented, "LET"S HAVE FUN LIKE THIS" ledge, I realized something.

Finding a fossil wasn't the point.

 We were there for the adventure.

The challenge, the mystery, the imagining of what if, and 'what was it like here years ago' discussions. The heat, and the sweat, and the scraped knees, and the dirt. The 'remember that time we went looking for fossils?' stories that we shared later. The 'man, I'm sooooo thirsty...I wonder if this is how thirsty you feel in the desert?' questions.

Thankfully, we did find a fossil on that first trip. But, even if we hadn't, I had several things working in my favor to make it a successful adventure.

1. All of the kids loved playing in dirt/sand.

2. I had researched online about where and what we should be looking for.

3. We didn't have a long trek to get to the 'dig' site.

4. I could find some nice rocks for bordering my flower beds while we were there.

5. I had taken a year of geology in college because I thought 'why not, it would be fun' (and only slept      through some of the classes) so I kind of knew what to look for.

And my ace in the hole:

6. I planned to take them swimming afterwards whether or not any fossils were found.

On this most recent trip, we had success. The kids were able to wallow in the dirt AND we found what looks to be a fossil. Plus, I found some more rocks for my flower beds. Little Man and Baby B are hoping for many more adventures this summer. I have some ideas up and MANY backup plans. More importantly, I'm trying to keep in mind that for an adventure to truly be and adventure, there needs to be the element of the unknown. Maybe even a little danger.

ad·ven·ture

adˈven(t)SHər,ədˈven(t)SHər/

noun

1. 1.

   an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

   "her recent adventures in Italy"

   synonyms:

   exploit, escapade, deed, feat, experience "her recent adventures in Italy"

verb

dated

1. 1.

   engage in hazardous and exciting activity, especially the exploration of unknown territory.

   "they had adventured into the forest"

My job is to accentuate the unusual and exciting and eliminate (or at least minimize) the hazardous part of the adventure. This time, it turned out great. We'll see how our next adventure works out.

Here's to adventures guys. 'Tis the season.

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The Deconstructed Home

Deconstructed food is all the rage these days. The Barefoot Contessa was on today and Ina Garten was making a deconstructed lobster salad. I've seen other shows where they have deconstructed different dishes-everything from strawberry shortcake to chicken kiev to black forest cake. There are even pinterest groups dedicated to the idea. Pretty fancy schmancy stuff from what I've gathered. ☺

Today as I flipped past the deconstructed lobster salad, I was hit with a genius thought. (Hang with me here).

According to one definition of the word deconstuct it means to break down into components;dismantle. Well, I don't know about you but we are super good at breaking things down and dismantling in our house. (Don't mean to brag or anything.) It's just the whole putting things back together part where we struggle.

In fact, we are so good at deconstructing that I am currently hoping to "reconstruct" our home into something that less resembles a home in the early stages of packing up to move.

We all want a clean, beautiful home. But life happens and since we live in our home, that is not always the case. Especially when it's the end of the school year...and you're me.

I recognize that even the top chefs who love created 'deconstructed' dishes do not ONLY make deconstructed masterpieces. Speaking only for myself, I am definitely on a mission to eliminate all of the extra 'stuff' out of our home (I blogged about that quest before), create defined spaces for the stuff, and make the housework more manageable. Frankly, right now we are at one of our low points as far as having things organized and looking presentable.

My main goal for this month is to donate a ton of junk and create concrete parking spots for the stuff that we do keep. Little Man is all in, and Baby B loves putting things away when it's a game. Will there still be days where our house looks a little bit deconstructed? Absolutely! To me, that's how you know you're in a house that people truly live in.

 But, if someone pops in for a surprise visit when the house is a mess, I now have a new explanation.

Oh, and if you are planning on stopping by before July, could you give me a couple of hours heads up so that I can shove everything in a closet put away a couple of things? Thanks.


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What Makes Someone Brave?

A couple of weeks ago I was having a tough go of it. Feeling overwhelmed, incompetent, never able to complete things that I felt had to be done, and short tempered with those around me.

Then somebody told me I was brave.

When she said it, I stopped short. I had been in the middle of mentally telling myself not to cry (after being told something cutting another person had been saying about me.)

I have never thought of myself as brave. I am frequently second guessing myself. Often fighting off fears that I am doing the wrong thing or that things are about to go badly. Berating myself for all of the mistakes I have made. The would haves, could haves, should haves. When a job needs to be done, I'm an 'okay' fill in, but never first pick. Last choice. Stubborn, yes, but never brave.

Yet, this person saw me in a totally different light. I didn't know what to say. I started to ask myself, why didn't I think of myself in that way?  It almost felt like God whispered in my ear at that moment and said "See, cut yourself some slack."

My doubts and fears can partially be attributed to the voices I have chosen to listen to from outside.

You know how it goes, those off handed comments comparing us negatively to others ("Oh, her mom is sooooo nice, she never gets crabby or anything." "When so and so used to work here, this is how he did it." "Did you let her pick out her own clothes today?" ) Those watchful eyes, analyzing your every move, yet staying painfully silent. The noises of disapproval ("Hmmm," "Ooookaaay," "Well that's so...nice.") Then my favorite, the outright bossy, direct approach: "No, no, no! That's not how you do it at all. When I was raising my kids..."

The thing is, I've chosen to listen to these negative messages and internalize them.

But lately I been asking myself, if I don't consider myself brave...then what is brave?

Here's what I've come up with so far.

~Pushing forward even when you feel like giving up.

~Loving, no matter what you get back in return.

~Sacrificing for others, expecting nothing in return.

~Knowing who to listen to in our lives, and who to ignore.

~Speaking up for those who have no voice.

~Risking failure for a good cause.

The more I thought about it, the more I have realized that brave does not have to mean loud, or flashy. "Brave" isn't just reserved for the big stuff. It's in the little things too. The day to day trek through lifes ups and downs. Through the homework struggles, car payments, and aging.

Faithful, quiet, steady, but determined.

Something like this...

That's the kind of brave I'm going to try for. Anyone else ready to be brave?

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7



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Math Club, Matchmaking, and Other Mysteries

Some things in life are a complete mystery to me.

Take math club for example.  Growing up, I knew people that were in math club (or Math Masters). They were very nice people, fun people. But I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that club was not for me.

Solving mathematical equations for fun? No thanks, I'm good.

The ironic part is...I now run a math club at our school. The kids are having a blast, I'm having a blast...I still can't believe it. Who'd have ever thought?

Matchmaking. Yikes. I have gone on dates with men that people have matched me up with. They weren't horrible dates, but we definitely weren't a match.(Okay, so one of the matches actually was pretty bad. He had recently quit taking his medication...but that's a whole other story.) Now we have all of these dating sites like Match.com, eHarmony.com, ChristianMingle.com, etc. with ads proclaiming their success. I love the idea of finding my perfect match, but matchmaking freaks me out.

For Pete's sake they even sang about the risks of arranged marriages in Fiddler on the Roof..although that tune really sticks in your head.

Potty chairs with an Ipad stand attached.. I'm not even kidding. Sigh. Like we need to kill children's imaginations at an even earlier age.

Not to mention all of the germs. Ugh. Enough said.

Those are the 'big' mysteries bothering me these days. Although, there are a few minor one's still floating around in my head (Like banana popsicles, fruit juice that contains no actual fruit juice, high heeled tennis shoes, kidney pie...)



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The Parent Olympics

The Olympics are always inspiring to me. The dedication and drive it takes to achieve that level of athletic excellence amazes me. My life in comparison doesn't always seem so, well...amazing.

To quote "You've Got Mail "  Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? 

Except, parenting is brave. One of the bravest things there is, when done right. Small, helpless humans entrusted into our care for eighteen years or so. Their future dependent on how we choose to love and guide them throughout every day of their lives.

Keeping that in mind (and the fact that it's a little late for me to be an Olympian) I was thinking about those aspects of my 'valuable, but small life' that would qualify for "The Parent Olympics."

Yes, they exist...I just invented them. ☺Here are some events I think I might have a chance at medaling in.

Sibling peacekeeping.
Two or more cranky children, one parent, you get the idea.

Food cutting challenge.
How fast can you cut up your child's food into bite size pieces (while they sit in the high chair crying)?

Lego phone run.
One living room, a box of dumped Legos, let's run for the phone.

Bedtime Story Reading
Can you read the bedtime story correctly, all the way to the end without falling asleep?

Closely followed by...

Midnight diaper change.
Dark room. Sleep deprivation. Wet baby.

The 'Angry Eyes' Stare Down
Stop the misbehaving child's behavior, using only your eyes.

Missing shoe scramble
It's time to leave for school, and your child can only find one shoe. Who can find the missing shoe in the shortest time?

'New Math' Homework
Help the student complete the math homework...using the 'new math' rules.

Snow-pants Wrangling
Cloth the small child in full snow attire. Points are deducted for all chins that are zipped up in the process. (If you live in an area with cold winter weather, you know what I'm talking about.)

The Interrogation
A room full of toddlers. One adult. Lots of questioning. Automatic DQ for crying under the pressure (crying by the parents that is.)

The games have already begun but we still are allowing late entries. What events would you medal in?

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Little Man's Mama

I wasn't surprised when I received my referral for Little Man. The agency had made it clear that, being a single female, I would in all likelihood receive a referral for a toddler boy. Little Man was nearly three when we flew home from Ethiopia. Although there was a definite transition period, being a mom to my little boy seemed to fit like a glove.

Growing up, I was a bit of a tomboy. I loved hanging out in the garage with my dad while he worked on different pieces of heavy machinery. I clearly remember sitting on a large Skidder tire eating bean with bacon soup and tuna sandwiches with my dad, thinking 'This is the best!" Climbing trees, playing in mud, riding bike through puddles, playing tag at night...I loved them all.

All of these experiences made me very comfortable with the idea of raising Little Man on my own. I figured if any single mom was ready to raise a boy, I was.

Once the initial transition period was over, I started on my mental list of  'things that most little boys would like to know how to do, and their dad's would normally teach them.' I didn't want Little Man growing up not having the opportunity to do all those boy things. I know, I know not all boys like the same things, and some people would argue that there are no such things as 'boy things'.

Those people apparently haven't met Little Man.

He came wired and preset to 'manly'. An "I take care of that for you" kind of guy. A statement he made when he was three and just learning English  really says it all.  "Mama, if you get cow...I will cut it for you. It takes many mans to cut cow." Yes, you read correctly. Although a bit shocking by our standards, Little Man had witnessed a cow being butchered and wanted to help provide meat for his new mama.

I have made it my job these past five years to support, foster, and champion those activities that Little Man enjoys. Some of the activities I enjoyed to start with, and some I have (ahem) had to acquire a taste for.

Catching frogs and salamanders. Check.
Climbing trees. Check.
Riding bike through mud puddles. Check.
Cooking over an open fire. Check.
Soccer. Check.
Reading nonfiction. Check.
Holding snakes. O.K., if I have to, check.
Random science experiments. Check.
Fishing. Check.
Belching. Ahem, check.

I've loved being Little Man's mom even more than I expected I would. God knew we would be a good fit. Now that Baby B, our little princess, has joined our family it will be fun to see how the two personalities will balance each other. 

I wonder how Little Man feels about tea parties? 


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Just Be...

A Quitter

Ever notice how sometimes we cling to things and keep pushing in different areas of our life when we really just need to let go? I don't know about you, but I know I have done it many times (and I'm sure, will continue to do so.)  Most recently, I have decided to start a new trend in my life, a be a bit of a quitter.

Now let me clarify. One of our family motto's is (to misquote Winston Churchill) "Never, never, never give up." So, you may ask, how does being a quitter fit in with that motto? Let me explain.

I have been working on potty training with Baby B. She decided that it would be a good area of her life to assert her independence (even though she was the one who wanted to be potty trained in the first place). It has been truly, ahem, lovely. Baby B would stand across the room. Suddenly, she would look me in the eye and mess her pants. You could almost hear thinking, 'Take that Mama!' Or, she would wet her pants and then come happily tell me that they were wet.

Aaaaargh. To say I have been frustrated would be putting it lightly. One day, I left Baby B with Grandma while I went to town for some grocery shopping. When I returned, Grandma told me that Baby B happily would come and tell her whenever she had to go to the bathroom and off they would go. No power struggle whatsoever.

 It was then that I decided that I quit.

The constant frustration just wasn't worth it. (Now, if you're wondering if I was being too pushy with the potty training, I was really trying not to. I was offering rewards when she did go, giving lots of praise. I admit that every hour or so I would say, "Tell Mama if you have to go potty." but I wasn't forcing her to go. ) Baby B is a VERY smart, very independent little girl.  This was just the area that she decided to use that intelligence.

Once I quit, a funny thing happened. My little girl decided that she would go to the potty all the time, instead of in her pants. Yep. All that work for all these weeks and now when I decided I didn't care...

It made me realize that maybe there were other areas in my life that I need to just quit pushing so hard, and let go.

There are people in my life that disappeared when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Now, two years clear, they've come back because my life is now easier to handle. Part of me is tempted to let them back in to my inner circle of trust-but they have already shown that they are not ready for that level of friendship and that's okay.

I often have unrealistic expectations about how my house, myself,  my family, or my life should look.

There are projects that I have taken on for who knows what reason...maybe appearance sake? Then, when I can't complete them to my satisfaction, I beat myself up over it.

Sometimes, something's not working and you can't fix it. Then it's time to move on.

But you know what?

True friends will always be there, whether we see each other frequently or not. My house will never look like a Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot. I will never look like I walked out of a magazine (I don't have stylists to help me with that). There is no such thing as a perfect mom, something I am sooooo thankful for. My children will always be their adorable selves (no stylists needed there ☺) fighting at times like all good siblings do.  Our family will always be a titch quirky. I will really try to not take on random projects, just because I feel that I should.

Anyone else feel like quitting some things with me?

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Freebie Friday!

I love coffee, puppies, kittens, my children, sunsets, (sounds like the start of a singles ad) but none of that really matters. Sometimes we forget that love is an action word. God calls on us to love one another. 

That means we make sacrifices, without expecting anything in return. We show compassion, without waiting for the other person to say, "Gee whiz thanks for being so nice to me!"or "Wow, you are such a good person!"  When wronged, we don't carry the anger with us, but make the choice to forgive.

As group DC Talk used to say back in the day, Luv is a Verb. (I love that song.)

 John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

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Just B...

Focused

I just finished running errands with Little Man, Baby B, and Princess Cousin.

Without a list.

Not my best idea ever. We kept running into people that I knew every few minutes as we walked through the stores. Baby B was showing off her tired funny self to cousin. Little Man was all a twitter about his upcoming birthday. Princess Cousin was very helpful. I was like a lost sailor at sea. I apologize if you saw me walking around with glazed eyes and I didn't say 'hi.'

I have always been absent minded and being a mom has definitely not helped matters. Just when my brain seems about to settle on a clear thought, it flies away again in another direction. I blame it on being creative and having so many great ideas floating around in my head.  ☺Nevertheless, I think that it is time to take drastic measures.

That's right. I am going to re-implement the use of .....The List.

In reality, I adore lists. Pretty little planners get me excited. Put me in an office supply store where I can dream about a beautifully organized life and I am glowing. (Never mind the fact that since my attention span is about the length of a gnat I probably will never stay focused long enough to truly organized.)

This would be cute in our kitchen.

Life is pretty busy right now, and only going to get busier when I head back to work. So, it looks like its time to get a new planner (excited giggle). I know that I could use my phone, but it's just not the same. Call me nerdy, old school, whatever, but there's just nothing like putting a pen to paper.

Now, do I go shopping,make one of my own, or use one of these cute free ones from online?

kayleighscraftycreations

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Rosetta Stone, We're Not

It's interesting bringing home an older, internationally adopted child. Unlike bringing home an infant, who has not yet begun to talk, older children have already made that leap. Even in bringing home a baby, you will notice that their jabbering may sound different than what you may expect. There are sounds in other languages that we don't have in the English language.

Little Man came home with the most adorable accent. His birth language is Hadiyya, the care center where he stayed used Amharic, and then he came to the U.S. and had to learn English. Wow. I love watching the old videos of him when he was first speaking English. The accent is adorable! He picked up the language really quickly, but he still had the inflection that you would hear in his birth language. I have a voice mail saved from when he was three because it just sounds soooo cute.

We have been working really hard to help Baby B learn English so she can tell us what she needs more easily. She can understand most of what we are saying, but she is still working on being able to speak English herself.

The results have been...interesting.

Apparently, Baby B thinks that her name is 'Mama'. Either that or 'No.'  (Little Man thought he'd be silly one day and start telling sister that his name was Mama, so she thought her name must be mam too...then I tried to correct the confusion by saying no, whenever Baby B would say her name was Mama. Sigh.)

When you are finished eating, according to Baby B, you say 'Cacca.' Now, I'm not sure if you know what cacca really means (it involves using the bathroom and going number two) but I definitely don't want her running around saying 'Cacca!' whenever she finishes with something. This happened as a result of Mama trying to potty train and saying "Cacca, all done?" Whoops.

Baby B can say the word 'kitty' really well. This word can be used when referring to cats, dogs, rabbits, cows, elephants...

We've got 'Amen' covered. Baby B is even praying before she uses the potty these days. (I'm letting Little Man clear up the confusion on that one.)

I have discovered that we say "Okay" around here. A lot. My little princess walks around saying "Okay? Okay. Okay?" all day long. She's totally nailed that word in the English language. That and the words: yes, all done, more, and eat.

I'm thinking I'm not going to sign up to teach English anytime soon. Rosetta Stone people, you're safe.

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Great Expectations

Sometimes we have to adjust our expectations. Last night, Little Man and I were reflecting on how our life has changed since Baby B came home. To quote Little Man: "I thought the day we brought her home would be, like, the best day ever....and it was really more like a really bad dream. But it's good now." Yep. He summed it up pretty well.

Now, to clarify what he meant. Bringing home a new member of the family can be rugged at first.

Little Man did not expect the tantrums, or how hard it was to travel with a two year old who alternated between trying to take off into the crowds, pitching fits, and laying on the airport floor. He didn't anticipate what it would feel like to have to share his mom at bedtime, with a little stranger 'messing up' the routine. He didn't realize what it would feel like to have a two year old riding in the car, interrupting him while he tried to talk to his mom on the way home from school.

I didn't realize what it would feel like to have my heart divided in two, feeling badly for both my children as they struggle to get to know each other. I didn't know how hard it was when both of your children are mad at each other (irrationally) and you are trying to keep the peace. I didn't expect how different bringing home a two year old would be from bringing home an almost three year old developmentally. I forgot how much patience I would need.

We turned a corner a few days ago (Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, we had a dusting of snow.)

Suddenly,  Little Man and Baby B are truly siblings. He plays games with her and she doesn't feel the need to constantly try to get him in trouble.  (Seriously, she is so good at faking getting hurt...I can't believe it.) Little Man will come lay in my room while I am putting Baby B to bed and then we still have time for just the two of us to read books after she falls asleep. This morning while I was getting ready in the bathroom, Little Man was reading books to Baby B while she ate breakfast. When I came out to check on them, they were both glowing with happiness. Yay!

I'm not second guessing myself on whether or not I am doing the right thing. I'm just Mom and we're figuring it out as we go along. She's my baby, and some days she can be a real turkey, but most days she's so much fun. I've kind of figured out how to juggle having two little sweetie pies in my life. It is hectic, but it is forcing me to be much more organized and intentional with my time.

Yesterday I noticed the biggest change.  Baby B was having a tantrum about something. Before, Little Man would have gotten frustrated and left the room. His response, a tender smile, a hug for his sister, and a whispered "Mom, she is just so cute I don't even mind the crying anymore."

Happy sigh.

Now, we will ride off into the sunset and my children will never fight again. Oh, and I will always be an organized, put together, cool mom.

 That's how it works in a "real" family, right? ☺

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Keeping Things Clean

Today I was very excited that I stayed clean for a little over an hour! Granted, Baby B was asleep during most of that time, but still... These days, seeing me wearing clean clothes is rare. 

Who am I kidding, even seeing me look half way put together is rare.

Today I went for a walk with my sister. She looked completely cool wearing her yoga pants and a cool turquoise shirt and tennis shoes. (She also has older children.)Meanwhile, I'm walking around in my old jeans, old t-shirt, old tennis shoes, and sippy cup in my back pocket.  Sigh.

Yep, totally not going to show you a picture of that.

To get back to the clean clothes thing though, I think I might have a solution.

I thought about trying this, but realized it wouldn't take care of my lower half (the 'run to Mama and hug her' zone).

Then, I thought about something like this. 

Longer, but probably a little hot to wear inside. 

 Then I stumbled upon this little gem while cruising Pinterest . 

Silicone!

designsponge.com

I'm thinking about sealing all of my clothes with it, so they are like oilcloth! The original idea was to do this with book pages, to make crafty little table cloths, but I think my plan is much more useful. 

Okay moms, who's with me!

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Just B...

...Tricky

Having Baby B home has made me think about many things in new, ahem, more creative ways. 

Take eating a meal, for example. Baby B does not understand why ALL food in view is not for her. She will chow down her plate of food, and if I haven't eaten my food yet she will be very upset (or irate) that I am not giving my food to her.  The same with Little Man's food.  I have actually taken to eating many of my calories while she is sleeping...or hiding in the bathroom.

According to Baby B the old saying is...What's mine is mine and what's yours is also mine?

We are currently potty training Baby B, so hopefully she will be nearly trained by the time Grandma starts taking care of her when I head back to work. I know that Baby B is only two, but she really was not liking having wet or dirty diapers so we started potty training. Then, smart girl that she is, Baby B realized this was an area where she could assert her own will. That girl has bladder and bowel control like you wouldn't believe! Luckily, I have heard many parents who have used the M & M trick...I ended  up using  chocolate chips, along with wild "You did it! What a big girl!" cheering. I never imagined I would be jumping up and down because of someone's successful elimination of body wastes. Hmmm.

Bedtime. I can't be the only parent who pretends to be falling asleep so that their toddler will succumb to Mr. Sandman. She's really good but I always win out in the end, at least so far.

How did I acquire such 'tricky' skills, you may ask. I worked for years with middle school students, have been an aunt for eighteen years and loved every minute of it. I especially love the challenge of getting kids to want to do what I wanted them to do (without them realizing that I was doing it.) 

Always a good time.

Hopefully, these skills will continue to come in handy while I raise Little Man and Baby B. I don't know though, I'm a little afraid that they might start to outsmart me before too long.

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Good Days

Baby B is running around laughing, and screaming while she plays with her big brother and big cousins.  Earlier she was giving me big sloppy two year old kisses being silly. (Usually she kisses dolls or, frustratingly enough, the T.V.) These are both very big deals.

Today is definitely a good day.

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So, now that we're home

Now that we're home, I know people are waiting to hear about how things are going, see tons of photo updates, etc. 

Yikes, no pressure right?!

Okay guys. Let me put it this way, suppose you were pregnant...for years. Then suddenly you have a toddler. This is where everything gets very real (now fairy tale imaginings anymore.)

How does that feel? 

Wonderful, overwhelming, surreal, amazing, tiring...you get the picture. (Little Man didn't realize that his new 'squishy and cute' sister would be having toddler tantrums. )To put everyone's mind at ease, we are doing really well. Every day is better that the one before. Baby B is a super smart, funny, loving little girl.

 There are definite hiccups (which I will share with you one day) but we are becoming a family.

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Freebie Friday!

 Hope you're all having a happy day! Go do something.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

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Date Night

I was treated to a movie and dinner with the man in my life tonight.

Isn't he handsome? 

Growing up, my dad would take us girls out for our birthdays. I decided that Little Man and I would make it a regular thing to have 'date nights.' I think it's good for him to learn how to be a good date. How to order, how to talk to the server, table manners, etc. He loves it and always feels really important (although I'm not allowed to tell our servers that we are out on a date...He claims that I talk too much?!)

Sometimes, Little Man will surprise me by announcing from the back seat that he is treating me to a salad, and to 'turn in at McDonald's'. It's so sweet. He'll always lean forward after I've paid and ask, "You paid with my money not your's right?"

Wish all my dates in life had been so considerate!

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