Brock Talk

Things I Want My Daughter to Know

2012-02-13T15:10:00.002-07:00

* You are completely and deeply loved. Now. Just as you are.
* You are beautiful. Now. Just as you are.
* Beauty is so much more than most people will tell you. It comes from within, first.
* You don't have to work to get a man to want you in his bed. The work is to be a woman he respects and wants in his life as a friend, co-worker, mate or any/all of the above.
* Sex does not equal love and one is much, much more valuable than the other.
* You can like pink.
* You can like blue too.
* God knit you together, and he doesn't create knock offs. You are one of a kind and you are spectacular.
* This mound of flesh and bones that we dwell in on this planet will some day turn to ash or rot away. Don't pour so much of your time, effort and thoughts in to it that the part that stays behind pales in comparison.
* A number on a tag does not define you.
* Real love will take you as you are.
* There are countless amazing people on this planet worth your time, energy and heart.
* There are countless people on this planet who will drag you down. Stick with the other kind.
* Always sing and dance like no one is looking, especially when they are.
* You don't have to be afraid, to fail, to succeed, to swim the other way, of the dark or any other thing. Fear only produces stagnation and stink.
* Strong woman does not equal shrieky, self-involved, overbearing bitch.
* Education is a lifelong journey
*You can live free!

Florida

2012-02-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity last month to go to Florida. We were just north of Naples which is a beautiful area. A friend of ours has a place there and generously let us stay there for the week since family was not using it. Lewis got to go on on an airplane for the first time in his memory, and it was a prefect 2 and 1/2 hours long. The house had its own heated pool, and a toy parrot that Lewis fell in love with which he named Polly. He took her with us every time we went anywhere in the car. We got to go to the beach and a local science museum, and we found a really fun place to putt putt. We also had plenty of time for swimming and relaxing at the house. It was a much needed break in the middle of a very busy season for Steve with work right now, and another busy season coming up with baby on the way! Plus, it was one of the coldest winter weeks here at home while we were gone, so we weren't too sad to miss that! I think Lewis thought we were relocating. When he talked to Papa on the phone, he said, "We got a new house and a new car!" He was not ready to leave when it was time. Hopefully we'll be back again soon!

This is a cute little local place where we ate breakfast one morning. I love finding local spots.

Lewis took this.

This too.

Oh Boy!

2012-02-01T18:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, as Lewis and I were walking in to school, three girls leaned out the window and yelled, "Hi Lewis!" and giggled. Oh boy! It's starting already? He didn't pay a bit of attention, so I said, "Do you want to say hi?" He turned half way, stuck his hand up half way and said, quietly, "Hi".

Today, we found out we will be having a little GIRL in June! Yay! This was great news and is an extra special gift for grandmas who have had a lot of grandsons! Lewis was wondering what we should name her, then he said, "Rosellea, like my girlfriend." I asked if Rosella is his girlfriend to which he replied, "Yes, or Ella, or Tia, I don't know, the one who had a broken arm." This little guy cracks me up! I rested a bit easier when further discussions revealed "girlfriend" simply means a girl who is his friend to him. I'm glad for that for now! A change to that definition is probably on the way far too soon.

Now we just need to teach him how to keep boys away from his little sister!

Mysterious Potty

2012-01-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am on the brink of a theory that seems preposterous at face value, but scientific testing is beginning to prove me right. My theory is that there is some mystical, invisible connection between the toilet seat and my son. It matters not if we have spoken or seen each other in 20 minutes or more, the minute my cheeks hit the seat he calls, needs or begins searching for me. No exaggeration. There are many examples, but the two that happened today just made me smile and wonder. So I thought I'd share, even if it is TMI.
This morning, he was up putting his clothes on which is usually a marathon event. I went down to the bathroom. Thankfully I locked the door since we had company, because no sooner had I dropped trou than he was there (fully dressed I might add) attempting to open the door. This evening, we were happily playing with his Legos, and I went to the kitchen to start dinner. I was in the kitchen for a while, he was happily playing with his Legos. I decided to go to the bathroom, and the minute I got there he was yelling "Mommy!" and was in the door within 30 seconds flat.
I know it is a common occurrence for mothers to not get a moment's privacy, even & especially in the bathroom. The difference here, I think, is that I'm not being followed in. It matters not if he knows what I've been doing for the past hour. The minute I'm doing that, he's in dire need of me and instantly in search. I know this system is common occurrence with mothers and phone calls, but I have never heard of it this way. Maybe if I try to make my calls in the bathroom, the two would cancel each other out.
Life sure is fun and crazy with this little man!

New Year's Resolution

2012-01-01T19:37:00.003-07:00

I'm not a big one for new year's resolutions. I tend to set unrealistic, sometimes arbitrary goals for myself. Then I come down far too hard on myself if I don't accomplish said goal in an equally arbitrary amount of time, one year for instance. That said, this year I have set one resolution. I resolve to have a baby by the end of June, beginning of July at the latest. If I don't reach this goal, the munchkin in there will become a toddler, & I don't imagine they're easy to deliver!

We're so excited to be expecting our second child! We will be finding out boy or girl, but not until the beginning of February. Happy New year all!

Conversations With Lew: On God

2011-12-07T19:24:00.001-07:00

After we finished bedtime prayers,

Lew: "Mommy, if we can't see God, how does he hear us? Does he have an invisible drink?"

Me: "I don't know, he might. That's a hard one to explain honey . . . he lives in Heaven and we can't see it, but some day we'll live there and get to see him every day and it will be pure joy all the time."

Lew: "Does he have any toys up there to play with, you know, like toys and fun stuff and things like that?"

He's 5!

2011-11-24T20:53:00.002-07:00

I am behind, but on this Thanksgiving night, I am reminded how thankful I am for our little blessing! He turned five a week ago, and I can't imagine where the time has gone! I want to do my annual letter to him, but I wanted to tell a story first.
We decided to do one last hurrah of double family parties this year and we went to Steve's parent's for a party Friday night, then up to my parent's for a Saturday party. As we sat in Chuck E Cheese Saturday night, it was super fun, but felt crazy indulgent. I began to wonder what we had done. Then, as we stood outside waiting for Steve to get the car, I knew it would all be ok. I heard Lewis off to the side singing an original song, "No one has ever had a birthday like this, and no one could ever have a birthday like this, I'm such a lucky boy to have two birthdays." I rested in the fact that at least he knew this was nuts and he was lucky!

Now to my Sweet Lew,
Five years ago, we were blessed when you came in to our lives! We had no idea what was ahead for us, but it has been an amazing ride! You have brought joy and adventure and learning and so much more in to this house. Though it can present challenges, I love your passion, determination and complete confidence when you know what you want. I will continue to pray that will develop and mature in to the amazing strength I know that it can be. You have the makings of a strong leader wrapped up in that little body. You have an imagination and creativity that blow me away and make me laugh all the time. I look forward to seeing the things you continue to create as you grow. This year I have seen that you also have an incredibly teachable spirit and I am so proud of the ways you have grown and the things you have learned in a few short months. I am so thankful to be your mom, and I'm so excited to watch you grow to be the strong man God has created you to be. Happy Birthday bud! Love, Love!

Why

2011-10-07T13:12:00.002-06:00

Don't have any idea how many readers I do or don't have, but if you're out there, you may remember something I wrote about back in July. It was about a vision I have for a school. I would love so much to see this happen, and it has been in front of me often and from many different sources lately. I need to get moving past the resistance and start thinking about the reality of how. It feels very daunting, but I know every revolution has to begin somewhere, & our system of education needs a revolution to be sure! Below is a fantastic video that a friend shared that talks about the why. If you have 11 min. in your day, please give it your time. If you have any ideas on the how, get in touch. We'll collaborate!

Upcoming Trip

2011-10-01T05:06:00.002-06:00

This month, I will be travelling overseas with a great team of people. I really have much I'd like to say about it! However, because of the sensitive nature of the work we'll be supporting and the safety of all involved, I've been asked not to blog about even the tiniest detail. Really. This is not a set up for an if I told you I'd have to kill you joke. All I can say is, I'm so excited to be able to go! You can ask me on E-mail or offline anytime and I'd love to spill my guts about it. I'd also love any prayers for the team as God gives you wisdom!

Streeeeeetch

2011-09-25T15:39:00.001-06:00

Lately, I've been feeling a lot like this dude:

For those of you who don't know, this is plastic man. I remember being so enthralled by this guy when I was a kid. He was in a superhero cartoon I must have watched, and for some reason I feel like there may have even been a whole plastic family. Maybe that part was just in my imagination, but he clearly struck a chord with me. I just thought it was so cool and amazing the way he could stretch and slide and morph in to other things, some even inhuman. In his stretching and mold-ability was his strength.

Lately, I have been getting loads of practice with stretching out of my comfort zones. It has been tough, and in some cases I did it fighting and kicking. It has also been great and freeing, and I have recognized strength and ability I could not have told you (and maybe would not have believed you if you told me) I have.

I like, as much as the next person, to live in the known. I can easily find comfort in the places I am familiar with, accustomed to and possibly master of my ability in. However, I have come to an understanding that even though those places may feel pretty "safe" and good and it's alright to hang out there once in a while, they're not where I want to get stuck and stagnate.

Picture it like a beautiful plant that you buy from the greenhouse. If you leave it in the pot you bought it in, you will probably be able to keep it alive. It may bloom once in a while and look very pretty and continue to be the plant you bought, but it will not change much beyond that. Yet if you take that same plant and put it in a larger pot with more soil, or even in the ground, it will become larger and possibly bloom more often. In some cases, it will spread so much that you can divide it and share it with others. That's what I want for my life. Maybe it's because I have the heart of an educator, but I want to spend my life learning and growing and discovering new things about the world and myself. I want to be able to pass things on to others I come in contact with.

The stretching is not always easy. Sometimes it downright hurts, and your roots get ripped and torn, but the end result is beautiful! I find I'm more and more open to the stretching the more and more I feel those results!

Bedtime Stories, by Lewis Brock

2011-09-15T20:07:00.000-06:00

Story number one:

"The Baker Makes an Apple Pie and a Poop Pie"

Once upon a time, there was a little baker, and he put some dough in the pan, then he put it in the oven. Then he took it out again and he put poop in it, but he thought it was an apple pie. So he put it back in the oven and baked it. Then he took it out and tasted it and it tasted like poop! Ptpphth (spit, spit, spit, gag, gag). So, he got some more dough, and he put it in the oven, then he took it out and he filled it with apples. He put it back in the oven, and when he took it out, there was an egg on the top. He brushed it off, but then more eggs grew on top. He brushed those off, but then more and more and MORE eggs grew so high on top and he brushed those off too, then he tried it and it was so yummy. The end

Story number two:

"The Man in the Forest"

Once upon a time, there was a man in the forest, and his name was Daddy. He was walking along in the forest, then, suddenly he saw a horrible beast. He had red glowing eyes, so daddy started to run away from the bear. He ran and ran and ran and ran away from the bear. Then he hid from the bear and the bear couldn't see him. Then the bear saw him and he ranned from the bear some more. Then he shot the bear dead. The end.

First Day! The Preschool Year

2011-09-14T12:18:00.001-06:00

Today was Lewis' first day in his classroom as a semi-normal day. It was only an hour and only 1/2 the class, but it was the first day Steve & I were not there with him. He was so ready, I did not even get a "bye mom" fast wave. I turned around and he was gone. In the room and ready to go. I guess I'm happy for that. He also did a great job of telling me what he did in class! I don't expect that every day, but it was nice today. I had a good day as well, but that is for another post. Right now, I just wanted to say I'm proud of my big boy. I'm a little surprised that I could be somewhat emotional about it today if I let myself. It truly does happen way too fast. Mostly, though, I'm excited for new phases in both of our lives!

Pure Joy

2011-09-12T12:34:00.000-06:00

There isn't much better than a kid than splashing in puddles and getting wet!

Creative Space

2011-09-03T09:03:00.002-06:00

I've claimed a second creative space in the house. I have my sewing space in the basement, which I should photograph & blog about soon. I just got it reorganized and have actually started back in to some projects for the first time in way too long. This:

is my newest creative space. It still needs some finishing touches, but if you saw what it looked like before (and some of you have) you would know what a change this is. As I was nearing the end of working last night, I realized I hadn't taken any before pictures. Alas, the after will have to wow you on its own. For those of you who saw the before first hand, it may mean even more.
What, you may ask yourself, do I plan to do in this newly claimed corner of the house? I am planning on diving back in to writing. It is something I have always loved and had an inborn desire to do, but have neglected from time to time for various reasons. Most of those reasons lead back to my not giving myself enough credit or time. When I started thinking about what I really wanted to spend my time on when Lewis started preschool this fall, I just kept coming back to writing. So, I decided I'm going to commit two, and hopefully three days to writing. What, you may ask yourself, are you going to write? That is still on the side of unknown. I have more ideas than I know what to do with cooking in my brain. However, for starters, I just want to start working out the muscles again. This blog has been like a once a month jog, and I need to get back on the treadmill to get my writing muscles back in shape. So you may be seeing more posts from me initially. Either way, I'm just excited to see where it all leads, even if it is just to a little greater sanity on my part.

Hi-YA!

2011-08-20T20:13:00.001-06:00

Lewis completed his first 8 weeks of Taekwondo! After each 8 weeks, they do a "promotion" ceremony and the kids get to break a board. Lewis was so excited about this! He is now officially a white belt with a yellow stripe! We went to Skyline (his choice) afterwards to celebrate. Way to go Kung Fu Lew!

Like, Ya Know?

2011-08-08T12:33:00.000-06:00

Cris Seay was the visiting speaker at Crossroads this past weekend. He was very articulate, funny, inspiring and pretty techno savvy. Among other things he had to say, he quoted this poem by Taylor Mali. It is called "Like Totally Whatever" and I love, love, love it!! This video is actually the poet, himself, reciting it. Please to enjoy:

The End of Something Good

2011-07-25T20:51:00.000-06:00

** Spoiler alert, I will discuss the outcome of the last Harry Potter movie, if you don't know yet and don't want to, don't read this until you do.**

Saturday I went to see the final installment of the Harry Potter films. I have already read the books, so I did not have the anticipation of wondering what was going to happen, but I have loved the way the films have portrayed the books and was very excited to see this last one. It's still an incredibly moving story whether or not you know what's going to happen. I will spare you my Harry Potter fan geekdom of laying out all the things I want to about this story, save to say that J.K. Rowling has a remarkable gift!

I do, however, want to comment on a few things I noticed in the theater. If you ever wonder or doubt that we have an innate desire for good to conquer evil, I witnessed strong evidence that we do Saturday night. It was a very intriguing thing to be sitting in a movie theater with a collection of strangers who were all (mostly all) spontaneously driven to clap when one of the most evil characters (Bellatrix Lestrange) was finally defeated.

I was also reminded of how much this story reminds me of God's story. I know many people will tell you that all stories lead back to that, I agree with that to a point. But some stories parallel much closer than others and this, in my opinion, is one such parallel story. Harry finds out that he has to give his life to save his friends, but he is given a resurrection stone. To truly and completely save them, he must come back and finish the job and lead them to kill Voldemort in one final, all or nothing battle. I'm pretty close to positive I heard a woman in the theater openly weeping when Harry died (must not have read the books). While she may have been a bit too invested (hi pot, I'm kettle), I was moved by that. I wanted to find her and tell her, this is a true story! A man, God even, did that and he did it for you! I don't know if J.K. Rowling intended this parallel or not, but for those who know the story, the God one, it can't be missed! It makes me want to shake all the people who rail against the books (most who haven't read a paragraph in one) saying they promote evil and they're all about witchcraft. I've said it before, I'll say it again. Harry and his friends live in a magical world. That's the world the story was created in, but the story is about SO much more. O.K., I said I'd go easy on the geekdom, so I'm done. I'll just say that if you haven't given the books a chance & you're inclined to reading, try out the first one. I'll bet you can't stop until the last.

The Future of Rock N Roll

2011-07-21T20:44:00.000-06:00

Visioneering

2011-07-18T13:24:00.006-06:00

Several years ago now, I had a vision for a school. At the time I shared it with as many people as I could, because that's all I had. A vision. I figured if I shared it with enough people, I might happen to share it with someone who knew about funding, or state requirements, or any other parts that would need to come together to engineer this vision in to reality. I have no problem with ideas, when it comes to carrying out, I need a good team to help me on that end. Life ramped up for us for a little while, so the vision got thrown to the back burner. But it's rearing its head in me again. So, I'm going to write about it. Fasten your seat belts, folks.

The way school in the US currently works does not thrill my soul to say the least. It was not a good fit for me growing up. I never minded it because I really enjoyed the social aspect, and I could do well enough without putting forth too much effort. Still, it rarely captured my imagination and it often made me feel dumb. Each person is a unique individual. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Yet, I think that school in the United States, especially as it stands right now with it's ravenous chase after the test so we can be better than all those other countries aim, is a one size fits all tube top. Great for some portion of humanity, not so much for others. Education is not a competition. It's not a show. It's not a measuring stick. It's an opportunity waiting to be had at any moment. That gets so easily squashed in the face of, "Learn this right now because you have to spew it out correctly in multiple choice form or there will be hell to pay."

I am not intending in any way to blame, or denigrate teachers in this. There are some amazing teachers out there in the current system. I was blessed to sit under some of them. The system is what's terribly, terribly flawed. Great teachers can only reach so high when they're strapped in to a flawed system. It's recognizable that it's failing. Jay Leno gets many a laugh based on that fact. Yet most solutions work at trying to tweak the system. I don't think that's going to cut it. I believe if education in this country is going to turn around, the current system will have to be completely tossed aside for something almost entirely new.

Think about everything we build for children outside of schools. All the places I take Lewis now are filled with things to touch and climb on and jump on and look at. There are rooms filled with color and imagination and variety. Things that appeal to all of his senses. Moments where you can sit and hear someone talk about something and then try it, or touch things, or go and see them in reality, outside of the door. This is education, and I'm amazed at the things he remembers. Now, think about the fact that in a traditional school, in one short year, he will most often be expected to sit still in some sort of chair in a room that may have some interesting displays to look at for 7 hrs. a day listening to someone talk and tell him what to do. More like 6 if you take out time to move at lunch and recess. Which would you rather do to grow your brain? I know I would have been much more successful with education as a child with the first model. In fact, that is how my father taught me, and I still remember a great deal of what he showed me. I can picture walking on the bay talking about the sea life like it was yesterday. Couldn't tell you what 5x + y -10 = to save my life. Some of that may have to do with my level of interest in the matter, and that's a big part of it. Why do we all have to learn algebra? Some people are cut out for it and can think of nothing more exciting than figuring out a particularly difficult problem. Some people (yours truly) get a headache at the mere mention of the word. Why are we forced to wait until "higher education" to declare what we want to study. Most children have pretty obvious bents from an early age if you take the time to notice.

My vision for a school is not interested in competition with other countries, states or the next city down the block. It is not interested in measuring for the sake of measuring or for comparison. My vision for a school is interested in igniting the imaginations and passions of children and teaching them the love and joy of learning! Not for the sake of a test, or just to have more stored in their brain, or to be better than the kid across the ocean, or to make more money than the Joneses or for any other reason than it's fun in the right context, and it grows us as individuals. It may send some on the path to those other things, but those aren't the goals. The goal is to find and grow your strengths and imagine then go after the best ways to contribute those to the world around you.

That's the why of the vision. I actually have a very clear picture of the actual school too, but this is already a pretty long post. Maybe it will have a sequel. Anyone out there a visioneer?

Conversations With Lew: On Mysterious Substances

2011-07-10T15:23:00.000-06:00

This picture has nothing to do with the conversation, but I was searching through some old photos today and came across this one which is one of my faves from years ago. So, I put it here. Because I can. **Disclaimer: this photo was in no way doctored, or prompted.

Now for the conversation. To set the scene, it is early morning and we have just eaten breakfast. Lew is out playing on the front porch while I clean the kitchen. I hear the screen door slam and hear:

Lew: "Mommy, I have this weird stuff on my finger. I don't know what it is. Taste it!"

I turn to see a slimy, charcoal colored index finger held up to me with sincerity and expectation that I will take a taste. I can't exactly put what I said in quotes because I can't remember exactly how it went. It was something to the effect of not eating dinner but being willing to lick some random thing that could very well be bird poop on his finger. I have had to make my peace with the fact that my boy will be putting foul things in his mouth. If he drops something at meal time (no matter where we are) he has to get it and, he has to eat it. Among other things, we have tried to outsmart him and beat him to the punch, but he's quick and it's not worth the argument or the rest of the plate going cold and wasted while he laments the small lonely crumb on the ground. This, in addition to his tendency to explore unknown items by "tasting" them, have made me realize that I can make us all miserable by freaking out or pushing him on it, or, I can make my peace with it and realize there are bigger fish to fry in this life. Maybe he'll discover some fantastic new food combinations and be an amazing chef someday. Or maybe he'll just be able to recognize bad cooking because he knows what bird poop tastes like. Either way, I think I'm pretty lucky to be mom to this kooky, wonderful kid!

Gratitude

2011-07-08T16:35:00.002-06:00

I intended to write about this closer to the year mark, but it came and went quickly and without much fanfare. I think it deserves celebrating though! A little over a year ago, we moved in to this house. It was a huge gift of a house because it had tons of space, a great layout and was less than the smaller house we were living in at the time. When we moved, Lewis was 31/2 and it was the 6th house he had lived in.
I am so grateful to say that a year has come and gone, and I did not spend one minute looking on Craigslist or anywhere else for a place to live. We did not pack one box or empty one drawer. It has been four years since I have been able to say that! God is so good, and I'm thankful that it has really been such a short time for us to be in a good place after our Idaho experience! I believed this time would come and that it would one day not feel like we were knee deep in mud walking through the thickest fog, but some days it was difficult to hold on to that belief. Then, the next thing I knew, here we were. Able to cover preschool, extra classes, groceries, clothing, all of our needs plus, AND, we get to live in one place for more than a year! It's only by God's grace and faithfulness, and I am so grateful for every part of this journey, the hard parts and the feeling like we're on the other side!
**As a sidebar, I think I need to get back in to action with my camera since I had to borrow this photo from the auditor! :)

Joy

2011-06-29T11:35:00.001-06:00

This is a longish post about a quick little thing that happened to me today, but it got me thinking on a deeper level. I believe God has made me a joyful person. I think he made me to enjoy funny things, and see things in a funny way that sometimes others don't. I also see this in my son. He just brings joy into a room with him. Not always. He is a strong, opinionated 4, people. But I also believe it's built in to him. Recently for reasons still unknown to me, I have allowed myself to become bogged down by the everyday and lost a sense of that joy for both of us. Seriously, there's no reason. I'm blessed beyond measure, & there are good things going on all around me every day. I actually just think the enemy gets very excited about putting us in a place that is the opposite of what God has put in us, and I hate to say I am usually far too easily stripped of my joy.
I could sense this, but sometimes I just have trouble finding my way out of it. So part of what I did was to buy a necklace that I loved anyway, but when I saw what was engraved on the back, it had to be mine! It's an open locket with a painting by Lew inside and on the back are the words "jump for joy". I decided to wear it every day I can to remind me of what God has put in me, and rediscover not only my own, but also the joy of raising a pretty awesome kid. Sometimes that's harder work for me than others, but I can feel myself coming out on the other side.
My challenge now is to move forward and not lament my past woe. That's what gets me back in the cycle, getting mad at myself for having been there in the first place. That's a useless trap that leaves me nothing and nowhere but frustrated and right back where I started. Yuck, & no thank you!
Anyway, what got me thinking through all this today was my sweet son who was playing next to me. He said something so innocently that just caught my funny bone and made me laugh till I had tears in my eyes. It's been too long since I've done that! I thought about blogging about it, then I wasn't sure if it would be funny to anyone else, or if it was one of those "had to be there" moments. I'll share it and if it gives you a laugh, great! Keep finding that joy in little places in your day! I know I need it like medicine. If not, that's ok too. I'll keep replaying it in my head and giggling to myself! Like to hear it, here it goes (any In Living Color fans out there?):
I'm sitting at the table drawing a town for Lewis to run his crayon cars on, and he's doing imaginary talk as if they're auto bots. This may not be totally accurate, but things like, "Optimus Prime coming to save the day!" "Bumblebee is on the way!" Then, suddenly "Here comes, WHITE GUY!" I looked over and it was a car made of white crayons, but the timing, innocence and randomness of it all caught me in just the right way. I just kept picturing a comic with "White Guy" as the hero. Let's face it the term "white guy" does not exactly evoke hero ideas in our minds, mostly "can't jump" and the PC guy from the Apple commercials comes to mind. So there it is. Mostly, I'm just glad to know my joy is finding its way back!

Kung Fu Lew

2011-06-23T19:56:00.006-06:00

From the moment he first saw Kung Fu Panda, Lewis has been smitten. He often practices his "moves" around the house and when we were hiking during our camping trip, he was looking exclusively for sticks shaped like a Y just like master Oogway's. we found something and put together an Oogway stick for him. I knew of a taekwondo school close to us, and once we got home, I checked it out online. They have classes for his age called "little tigers". We wanted to observe a class with him so he got the idea that he needs to participate and listen to teachers and not just run around kicking and punching. We went to observe last night and he could hardly stand it! He was participating and listening on the sidelines! So, today we signed him up and he got his first ever uniform. I think he looks pretty sharp, but I'm a sucker for a man in uniform (am I right ladies)!

Grandma and Latin Heat

2011-06-12T20:05:00.000-06:00

I was in my Latin Heat class yesterday, yes, Latin Heat. I went to what was described as a "Zumba like" class at my gym and found Larry, and there has been no turning back! He's actually a ballroom Latin dance instructor, so his class is a bit different from an actual Zumba class. He has energy for days and is a great teacher, and the classes are an amazing workout. I look like I just got out of the pool at the end of every class. I'm hoping I'll look like J lo at the end of some class, but it hasn't come yet. But this isn't about that, it's about this:
Yesterday, while we were dancing the Rumba, I was suddenly back in the passenger seat of my grandma's gold Chevy Impala (which became mine in high school, don't be jealous), dying over the music she was making me listen to. Couldn't we just turn on some Boys to Men or something? A little P.M. Dawn, anything? This memory got me wondering though, why would my grandma have chosen this music? Had she ever been to Latin America? Did she like to dance? Was it just the style that was popular when she discovered music? Did she just enjoy torturing teenagers? All things I can't ask her now, but wish I could. She passed away when I was still a far too self involved teenager, and it had not occurred to me to find these things out about her. I typically find myself wishing I knew my grandparents a little better, more about their lives before I knew them. My parents can fill in some of the blanks, but they don't always know the answers either. Hopefully I can use this as a reminder to really know the people I love in the now. But also, I just think it's so interesting the random things that will take you back to places and people you haven't thought about in ages.

Here's the car. Complete with butt dent added later by my dad for extra class.

Family Camping

2011-06-10T13:40:00.001-06:00

I am a camper. I like a posh hotel with robe and cable as much as the next girl, but when it gets down to the nitty gritty of it, I like the nitty gritty! I like being in the open, and being close to nature. I like the feel of making it on what we have, or what we brought or . . . what they sell in the commissary at the ranger's lodge. I like the smell and feel of a campfire and making food directly over flames. It brings out my inner cave girl. There are times I fantasize that I would like to live like this as a way of life. I think the truth of it is, I am far too used to and attached to my comforts, but a girl can dream. Steve definitely goes for the outdoors too, but he would always prefer to be able to say goodbye to the outdoors and hello to a bed and air conditioning when the sun goes down. Being the good husband that he is, he gave me a birthday gift that was right in line with what I love. He gave me some camping gear and the promise of a camping trip once it stopped, IF, it stopped raining. Now, husbands, I would not encourage you to follow suit unless you know, KNOW it will go over. There are a large faction of women who would be dissolved to tears over such a birthday gift. I just don't happen to be one of them.

This is a long way of getting to the fact that we actually got to take that camping trip to Hocking Hills, Ohio last week. We didn't invest in too much equipment because we wanted to see how it would go first. We had a tent and some other essentials and borrowed alot. Let me just say that this trip was WAY more organized than it would have been if Steve had not been a part of it. Oh yeah, we may need soap. Good call honey! It also reminded me of how we work well together as a team. We have a pretty good balance of covering each others areas of slack (not that either of us have any of course). The trip was fun. It did not come without it's first ever camping trip with a 4yr old challenges, but it went well over all, and I think we'll be planning more in the future. Lewis had very clear boundaries of the campsite in mind and he mentioned several times that none of us should wander past them or else we may be lost or run in to bears. Not sure where he came up with all that since neither of us mentioned either thing. Probably best that he slept through the midnight Raccoon food raid. We swam and hiked and threw rocks in the lake. It was good for my soul.

Bird House

2011-06-09T14:13:00.001-06:00

We have deemed ourselves the "bird house" this year because after the mourning dove made her nest in the plant by the front door, a robin rather insistently made her nest on the gutter above our back door. Steve tried to knock it down before she finished it to discourage her from that location, but she would not have it and kept right on rebuilding it. I guess she really liked the neighborhood. There may be something to all these birds liking us so much, but I don't know what it is. It did, however, save me some money. I was going to buy a birdhouse I had seen in a catalog that you can attach to a window. Then you can watch the whole process from inside your house. No need! We saw the whole process with mommy & daddy mourning dove and now, as I've read they're prone to do, they're back for seconds (well, thirds and fourths really). If you're interested in bird gestation, stop on by! Apparently, this is the spot.

BIG BUGS!

2011-05-27T20:15:00.000-06:00

Lewis and I went to the Highfield Discovery Garden today to see the new Big Bugs display. It was so good to be outside, and Lewis filled my purse literally half full with all the rocks he found to keep along the way. The bugs were really well done, beautiful and cool to see, but if I'm honest, it was a little underwhelming. I have seen a lot of hype for this display, so I guess maybe my expectations were high. They were cool, don't get me wrong. Just something about the way they were spread out or something didn't have the impact I was expecting. Thankfully, we have a membership and Lewis had a great time playing in the garden too, or as Lew called it, "The regular old stuff" because, if I had payed just to see the display, I would probably have been disappointed. Maybe I'm just a bug scrooge, but that's my take. We also went to the free class they offer everyday which was very cool. Lewis was one of several volunteers who got to wear colorful clothes and choose which flower to hide on to show camouflage. When they were done choosing, and everyone in the class applauded, I saw a glint in Lewis' eye that I don't know if I've seen before. I think that perhaps he really liked that whole applause thing. :)

Amazement

2011-05-22T21:35:00.003-06:00

Going on 13 years, and my husband still amazes me! This went from his head to the stage in our church. He has a gift that is unmatched for environments. If you tell him what you want something to look or feel like, he makes it happen and then some. I honestly believe that you would not be able to find anyone, anywhere who's better at it. I mean that sincerely, and I don't think I'm overstating. I know there are very gifted people out there, but I don't think anyone could match Steve's gift for creating environments. He's tucked away here in Cincinnati, and that's a blessing to our city, because he could go head to head anywhere, anytime. That's what I have to say about it!

Dreaming

2011-05-22T21:29:00.002-06:00

I am a vivid, involved, wacky dreamer. There are many times I wake up thinking I should base a movie plot on a dream I just had. Or at least a mini series. As long as I can remember I've had dreams like this. I can still remember some I had as a kid, and I'm sure my mom remembers frequently coming to my room after I'd had a nightmare and called her. Often times I feel like my dreams have meaning, sometimes I can see or understand different things in them, sometimes friends offer good insight.
Last night I had a dream, and the meaning came more clearly and definite than I ever remember before. I dreamed that I was in a dark room, and I had this lump of clay that I was trying to mold. I was looking around the room at all the other pieces that were there and admiring them. I had a picture in my head of what I wanted my clay to look like, and I was sitting on the ground working hard at molding it into the image in my head. It just wouldn't work though. I kept tearing it, and messing it up, and I was getting frustrated when the instructor walked up and started talking to me about it. I don't remember the exact exchange, but it was comforting. When I woke up, I was laying there thinking about it, and then God so clearly showed me that this is what I'm doing lately. I'm trying to mold myself in to this image that I have in my head as acceptable, and I am continuously frustrated because I'm continuously not getting there. I said right there, God, I'm done with that! You're design for me and artistry is unmatched, and it's nuts to think that I could "handle it"!
And wouldn't you know the things Chuck had to say today lined right up with all of that. I have struggled in this area for most of my life, and I don't want any part of it anymore! The image of that girl sitting on the floor working furiously and in frustration is so pitiful. I don't want to measure up to and pound myself in to some image I have in my head, I want to live and grow and be in the fullness of what God has in mind for me! Whatever that may look like day to day, I know it ultimately looks like being more and more like Christ. Once again, I throw my hands up and say I'm done now God, you take over. Hopefully this time I can stay there!

Little Oddities

2011-05-10T20:45:00.003-06:00

One thing I love about a house with kids is that sometimes, the bathroom looks like this.

I love when I go to a gathering at a friend's house and everything is clean and ready for a party and I spot a playmobil guy or polly pocket in a random spot where it has obviously been stuck by a child and missed in the cleaning. I know it happens in our house, because Lewis is very fond of spreading his toys throughout the whole house and in very random spots. Don't know why, it just makes my heart happy. Something about it says, "Kids dwell here!"
One thing I did not like, but figured anyone with kids would understand, happened after having a gathering of our own. I was standing in the dining room and happened to look over to the bathroom and there, barely peeking out from underneath the sink stand, was the morning's pull up that I had somehow not seen in the cleaning! At least there are no photos of that!

Mommy Day

2011-05-10T20:41:00.001-06:00

Had a pretty simple and wonderful day on Sunday. Awakened by two guys with flowers and a card who then took me to breakfast at the Clifton Mill which is a special place to me, and has a fantastic breakfast with pancakes as big as your plate. The first time I ate there, I did not know that and made the mistake of ordering 3.
On the way back to Steve's parent's house, he dropped Lew and I off on the back side of Cedar lake (pond), and we walked around and back home and giggled about goose poop the whole way. At one point, when Lew looked pretty happy about the whole thing, he ran up and whacked me one, and I was thinking, what the heck, I thought we were having fun. I looked at him and he was smiling an affectionate smile. Then, I don't remember if he said it or I just realized it, but something occurred to me. When you're raising boys, that's love in the purest form, man! When little boys are overwhelmed by emotion and whatever else, that's how it comes out. It doesn't (always) come out in cuddles and hugs. I had a great morning, love whacks and all and felt very blessed to be the mom of our sweet, imaginative, energetic, fierce, chatty, funny little guy!

Birds and M&Ms

2011-04-27T22:03:00.005-06:00

Can you see what I see? Do you see a little round, black eye peeking out of my fern? For some reason this plant, right next to our front door, is where this little mourning dove decided to build her nest. For a while, she would fly off and startle anyone who happened to walk out the door or on to the porch. One morning, Steve walked out the door and there was no flurry of feathers and cooing. He leaned over to look in to the plant and got a face full of flapping.
This whole incident reminded me of and gives me a moment to share something that I think is great about my husband. At the risk of sounding gooey, and/or embarrassing him, I'll share. After the bird flew away, Steve looked in and saw that she has an egg now. That's why she was more hesitant to leave. He looked at it, then said, "I'll leave so she can come back." That may not seem like much of a statement but after I closed the door, I realized I was so grateful for a husband who cares about life. He could easily have tried to get rid of the egg or try to keep the bird away so our visitors don't get attacked or just not cared, but he wanted the mom to be able to come back and care for her egg. That's why I call him my very own m&m (that is, hard on the outside soft on the inside). People who don't get to spend much time with Steve may never get to see his soft side, but it's there. You just can't predict when it will make itself known.

Ahhh, Spring!

2011-04-18T20:22:00.000-06:00

SO glad it's time for this kind of stuff again! Lewis is rarely interested in any kind of craft or project, but I have found that if he gets his hands on the right media in the right moment, he gets really involved. Usually, that means something that doesn't require sitting down. The 3D chalk he got from the O'Brien family was one such media. He had a great time and was drawing all kinds of things and checking them out with the 3D glasses. Below is a picture of another time an offbeat media caught his creative eye. I never know what's going to grab him, but I try to go with it when something does.

(This is when he said it was done and I was allowed to take a picture)

Firsts

2011-04-18T20:00:00.000-06:00

I did my first ever 5k on Saturday to support Transitions Global. I was so glad to support the work of Transitions! I think the work that they do, and the lives that they rescue are so important. If you're not familiar, check out their website. It's a fantastic mission. The sex trade in India is getting greater exposure, but it's still a bigger than huge problem, and there are countless girls out there waiting to be rescued and begin their life with hope and love.
My dear friend, Tracy, walked with me even though she could easily have left me in the dust. I'm very grateful because it would have been a much harder trek and not nearly as interesting! I thought maybe this would give me a desire and drive to start running, but in fact I think it might have done the exact opposite. I think I'll stick to shakin' my booty with Larry at the gym for a while! You can't beat getting a work out and feeling like you are at a party at the same time!

The State of Things . . .

2011-04-13T19:42:00.000-06:00

Do we really need this toy? This was found in the toy section of Lew's favorite shopping spot mixed in with the Superman and Iron Man figures. I mean, I'm all for strong and even super chicks, but I don't think what stands out here is her super intelligence and or strength. That is, unless those things are loaded.

Conversations With Lew: On Scent

2011-04-13T19:31:00.000-06:00

Lew leaned over to give me a hug and put his nose on my shoulder.

Lew: Mommy, you smell like sausage.

He then leans over and smells my other shoulder.

Lew: That side smells like flowers. You smell like sausage and flowers.

Conversations With Lew: On Style

2011-03-30T13:50:00.002-06:00

I got a new pair of ripped jeans, and here is how the conversation went the first time Lew saw them on me:

Lew: Mommy, you have a lot of holes in your jeans.

Me: Yes, I do have a lot of holes, don't I?

Lew: Why do you have so many holes in your jeans?

Me: Well, that makes them cool.

Lew: Why do holes make your jeans cool?

Me: Well, some people just think that looks cool.

Lew: That's not cool, that's just . . . sad.

The Office

2011-03-28T15:11:00.000-06:00

Does it mean that I'm a dork if I just willingly flipped through the Office Depot catalog that came in the mail and secretly (or not so much) wished that I had a reason to go buy a bunch of the stuff in there?

Camping Trip

2011-03-24T14:13:00.004-06:00

Last weekend My friend Tracy's husband and mine were kind enough to let us welcome spring by camping out for a night. We have been camping buddies before, and this trip proved to be as much fun. We hiked for quite a while in Glen Helen then moved over to Cedarville for a small picnic lunch and more hiking near the Cedar Cliff Falls. We wandered in Yellow Springs, saw Dave Chappelle walking with his family and enjoyed food, atmosphere and drinks at Ye Old Trail Tavern, which has been a favorite of mine for years. They have the best fried cheese ever, hands down! We bought some firewood (which was a story in itself) and headed back to John Bryan to kick back by the fire and talk the night away. That is, after a quick jaunt back to Cedarville to borrow the chairs that we both forgot from my in-laws. It happened to be the night of the super moon, and it was amazingly bright. We also had the cool and somewhat eerie experience of hearing coyotes howling at the moon. Other than the far too cold, non-sleeping night, it was a great time with a great friend and such a nice break from "life as usual".

Lewis got to hang out with daddy, and I think they managed to find some fun too. :)

The Buckeye Express

2011-03-22T19:10:00.001-06:00

On the way home from our week in Cleveland, I was feeling like Lewis was deserving a treat and needing some one on one mommy time, so I decided to stop at the Buckeye Express for lunch. I have seen this place several times and thought we should stop, but it has never worked out before. It is on the way to and from my parent's place in northern Ohio. This was such a fun spot! They definitely love Ohio State, and I think it might be an honest challenge for any loyal, blue and gold wearing Michigan fan to go there and try to get service. After we ordered, we started looking around and Lewis saw some trains on a tall glass shelf in the corner. He was looking, then reached to touch something. I was watching him out of the corner of my eye, but looking at other things, and from that view, I thought he had caused the shelves to come crashing down, and I was concerned. Well, I'm not going to lie, I freaked out! Thankfully only for about 30 seconds until I looked down and saw that it said "Dancing Shelf" on a label at the bottom. I had to laugh. They got me good. We sat in the caboose and decided to sit up at a table that was raised pretty high. I though it looked pretty simple to climb up there, but I forgot I'm old and not as spry as I once was. I eventually made it, but not before my lunch landed on the floor twice. It was still quite good despite all that. Way too much to eat, but good diner fare. Lewis loved that we were in a train, that they had free popcorn appetizers, and that he got a chance to ring the bell on the front of the engine! It was a great little diversion. I highly recommend it if you happen to be heading up north on I-71 anytime soon.

What a Week!

2011-03-14T14:26:00.002-06:00

Last week I went north to watch my sister's kids while she and her hubby went on a vacation they won. They spent the week looking at this:

Unfortunately, those of us back in Ohio spent a good portion of the week looking at this:

I had all sorts of ideas and plans for the week that included minimal amount of help from my parents, maximum amount of fun for the kids, and even relaxation and task accomplishment after the kids bedtime. My plans did not include violent flu passing it's way through everyone in the house beginning with me so that we had to stumble through the week just to make it alive and sane. It was definitely rough, and I gained an even greater respect for multiple child households, but it wasn't all bad. The kids managed to find some time to be kids and have fun, and I did end up with some quiet time in the evenings. I could not, however, have done it at all without the tremendous help of my parents (and the prayers of friends)! Here are some of the high points of the week.

Did I Ever Mention . . .

2011-03-02T14:44:00.004-07:00

. . . that I love the Cincinnati Zoo? Well, I do. Just went to Zoo Atlanta, which was a nice zoo and had some fun things, but not comparable. Today, I decided we needed to get out and enjoy some of the sun and warm weather that's around right now. When we showed up, the parking lot looked totally different:

They're adding these totally cool solar awnings all over the whole parking lot, and I would bet good money they'll be using the power all over the zoo. At least you know your $8 parking fee is being put to good use. As I've said, the biggest downside to the zoo is it's pricey entrance fee, but we have a pass which is a steal and pays for itself in about 3 visits. It's a great zoo with tons of animals and features, and it's even totally hip. They have a smart phone app that has a schedule of what's happening at the zoo each day along with other things, and they have spots all over the zoo where you can scan codes with your smart phone and learn more about the animals. It also offered me hope today:

Can you see them?? Those are flowers starting to shoot out of the ground! Yay! OK, I'm totally gushing. Maybe I should just marry the Cincinnati Zoo. Anyway. One last thing I discovered there that made me smile. Lew's professed favorite color to this day is pink. I'm fine with it because color truly does not have a gender. I think he may have some trouble if he tells people that at school, but I'm not going to make him feel like he can't like certain colors, and today I got some proof that pink can be bad ass! This is a Gila Monster:

He's pink.

Atlanta!

2011-02-24T15:02:00.001-07:00

Steve had to go on a trip to Atlanta for work, and we got to go along! We stayed in a hotel with all of Lew's favorite things, a couch bed, pool & free Fruit Loops for breakfast. We got to go to Zoo Atlanta and eat lunch outside. It was SO nice to be outside without a coat even if only for one weekend. The traffic there is otherworldly, really. You can't believe it until you've seen it with your own eyes. We decided you could spend a total of 2 months of your life just waiting at super long red lights let alone stopped traffic. It's a great place to visit, but I could not deal with that traffic every day! For now, we're back in the cold, but the weekend gave me hope that it will actually be spring again soon! You can find the few photos I took here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37869389@N00/sets/72157626130178306/show/
Oh, yeah and here's some video of our gigantic boy doing the climbing wall at the zoo. He just made the weight cut off. He was a pound too light, but they let him go.

Fireman Lew

2011-02-20T14:27:00.002-07:00

Since before he was two, Lewis has had a fascination with anything fire and/or rescue related. I have been wanting to take him to the Cincinnati Fire Museum for the longest time and finally got the opportunity a little while ago. My usual lack of anything in the way of actual cash landed me free parking in front of the museum, which is not a regular occurrence! Yeah for being unprepared. :)

I was amazed at the types and the amount of firefighting artifacts they had. I was interested to learn that in early firefighting days, the alarm was sounded by a drum that I think could house my car, and there were some very fun hands on exhibits. That said, I was glad for the two features you will witness below, because without them, we surely would have paid our admission for 10 minutes time in the museum. Tops. However, with these two things we could have been there for hours on end!

Mid-February, Stinkin' Cold And Snowy, Sick Of Coats And Cold Encouragement For The Day:

2011-02-11T13:45:00.004-07:00

Psalm 34

¹⁸ If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there;
   if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath.

¹⁹ Disciples so often get into trouble;
   still, God is there every time.

²⁰ He's your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
   not even a finger gets broken.

²¹ The wicked commit slow suicide;
   they waste their lives hating the good.

²² God pays for each slave's freedom;
   no one who runs to him loses out.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

2011-01-08T20:10:00.001-07:00

"Now, the moment we've all been waiting for, the hot toothed wonder of the world, the wrastler of disaster, THE MONSTER TRUCK ROCKET SHIPS!!"

Winter Fun

2011-01-06T11:17:00.002-07:00

Last year, Lew was just a bit to little to truly enjoy all the winter fun provided by a good snow. It was still too difficult for him to move when he was all bundled up, so mostly he would just stand there and eat the snow. He still does his share of eating snow, in fact that's the first thing he asked about when it snowed. "Can I eat it, mommy?" This year, though, he is big enough to enjoy some of the other fun stuff. We happen to have a decent snow hill in our front yard, and my parents have a great one at their new house. The pictures and videos should tell the rest of the story.

Christmas Surprises

2010-12-15T15:07:00.002-07:00

Lewis is our Christmas boy. When we started putting up the decorations, Steve said it was like someone flipped a switch on him. He's been a big ball of excitement and giggles ever since. Because of his excitement, generally if I need to do something for Christmas that has to be a secret, I try to do it on my own. That way Lewis is not tempted to "share". :) This time I was trying to get things done and I figured since he is older, I could stress the importance of keeping a secret. So, while he was with me, I bought a suitcase for Steve. We're going on a trip and his are old and beaten. I told Lewis that we need to keep Christmas gifts a surprise so people will have fun when they open them, etc. etc. Then we went home and hid the suitcase safely away. Enter Steve, and the conversation goes like this:

Lew: "Daddy! We have a surpriiise for you!"

Steve: "Let's not talk about it, we don't need to talk about those kind of things."

Lew: "What? I didn't say suitcase."

Moments That Reignite the Fire

2010-12-08T19:27:00.001-07:00

The past couple months as mom have been a real challenge. We have a very strong willed, smart little guy and lately it just seems like even little parts of our day have become a struggle which can wear me completely out. So, when moments happen like what happened yesterday, I cling to them to help me remember it's all worth while! All the frustration, cluelessness, repeating, instruction, consequences, victories defeats, hugs, kisses, love, joy, pain and all of it are for something good, and it does make a difference even when we don't feel like it does.

Lew and I decided to get out all the rescue vehicles he has. This has been a passion of his since before he was two, so his collection has been growing for several years. We have big and small trucks, some that were gifts, some that were 29 cent Valley Thrift steals and some that were hand me downs. So as we were getting them out, I kept commenting on how cool it was that he was able to have so many rescue vehicles and he walked over and set a handful on the table and said, "God, thank you that I could have all these rescue vehicles, I pray your holy name, amen." My heart just melted and it was an instant jolt to my joy and energy level. There is nothing I want to see my son learning more than that he can have relationship with God. It can feel like such a daunting task to teach that concept and everything that goes with it to a child. So many times I feel like my words about God or whatever else I'm teaching about just float out in to the atmosphere never to be thought of again, but moments like this remind me that sometimes things sink in, and you never know what or when. It's a good reminder and encouragement to keep going. To all you moms and dads out there (including my own), if you haven't heard it in a while, thank you! What you do and say is worth it!

** For those who may be interested, meet Bob-Johnny, Glock & Buttons, the best firefighting team ever. :)

Four!

2010-11-16T21:04:00.002-07:00

Today, our baby turned 4. I can't wrap my mind around that. I know everyone says it goes so fast but somehow, I still find myself in disbelief that Lewis is really 4 and I am shopping preschools for next year!

My sweet Lew, I tear up thinking about the gift that was placed in to our arms four years ago today. We loved you instantly and completely, and I never could have envisioned the way that would grow over the years. I see in you such a joy and passion for life. You bring joy in to a room with you! I see determination, immense creativity, individuality, fierceness, strength to fight for what you want or believe, with tenderness and compassion in the middle of all that. You have a huge, strong and generous heart, and I feel so privileged to be your mom! I love that all of those amazing qualities cooped up in your little 4 year old body make it very difficult to sit still for more that 25 seconds. I also love that at times it seems like the ideas are coursing through your brain so fast, you can hardly get them all out of your mouth from morning to night. I love that you are so excited for every day that you just can't sleep past 6 no matter how hard you try (It's probably hard to tell I love this when I can't get out of bed). I love that you would eat chocolate chip pancakes for every meal every day for the foreseeable future if I would let you. I love that you are so willing to give hugs and kisses and love. I love that you say things all the time that I can't even comprehend were in your little mind, let alone vocabulary. I love that you do not miss a thing. I love that I have been immensely blessed to stay home with you and have fun with you every day for 4 years. I think it will be harder for me than for you next year when you go to school even for part of the day. Once you hit 2, I knew this growing up thing wouldn't stop. Now that you've reached 4, I know it's going to hit lighting speed. I'm very interested in the man you will become, but I can wait a little while. Happy birthday little man! Your daddy and I love you more than words can say!

The Go Anywhere Machine

2010-10-18T20:08:00.000-06:00

The other day, Lewis and I were playing out on the porch, and he told me I had to get in to his "Go anywhere machine". After we got in, he told me that when we got out, instead of on the porch, we'd be in a firehouse. He took Steve in his machine yesterday, and today he told us his muscles are big now so he can carry his "Go anywhere machine" with him. I think he's on to something here. I'd pay good money for a ticket to ride that machine!

So Big!

2010-10-18T20:02:00.002-06:00

This is how he was in my belly, only much, much smaller. The dr. always had to hunt way down in the corners to find his heartbeat. :)

Our Little Tumble Bee

2010-09-13T20:36:00.000-06:00

Last week Lewis was scheduled to have his first ever gymnastics class on Tuesday. He was SO excited. However, as we were driving there he told me,"My tummy doesn't feel so good this day". Long story short, the poor kid lost his entire labor day picnic along with breakfast in the van. After I cleaned a layer and turned the van around to go back home he was very sad and kept saying, "I promise I won't puke on the other kids!" Poor kid. I was confident it wasn't a bug, so I scheduled a make up class for the next day and figured I'd cancel if we had any more incidents. He ate normally the rest of the day and it all stayed in there, so on Wednesday, Lew went to his first ever gymnastics class! He loved it and got to jump in a, "Big ball of foam".

We are not doing preschool this year, but wanted him to have some different experiences. I was going to sign him up for gymnastics as our first try. I got a fantastic surprise one day when I was telling a friend about it, and she told me that she felt prompted by God (before we talked that day) to give us this class as a gift. What? Awesome! So, I was loving my day on Tuesday! A day that would normally have been a fun one anyway was so much more special knowing it came out of a place of love from God and friends.

I grew up being told God loves me, but I don't know that I ever fully believed or even understood it. I have come to a place where I more fully understand and believe, but I find I all too easily lose site of the reality, finality and continuality (is that a word?) of God's love. Nothing reminds me of or cements it like these type of things. I was excited about the potential of this class anyway for the benefits it would offer Lew and me. Free time for me, fun, exercise, other kids and learning for Lew. Now, It's all just amplified (as Lew would say) to infinity and beyond! I can't be in that place on Tuesdays every week for two months without knowing I'm loved. At least I can remember it for that long. :) Plus, Lew loved the class and had a great time! Can't beat that!

I Want What I Want

2010-09-01T15:44:00.002-06:00

This is Lewis' favorite new phrase. I will offer an option for lunch, peanut butter and honey, for example. He will say, "Yeah, peanut butter and honey." Sometimes I will remember I have something else he likes on hand and say, "Oh, we have skyline, you could have skyline instead." To which he quickly replies (lately), "I want what I want, mom, ok? I just want what I want". This is true. We have a little boy who knows what he wants and is not easily moved from it. Any reader who knows how much he loves skyline can see that if he'll give it up for, "What he wants".

I see this having two sides. As a strength, I see this quality in his daddy who never really has been moved much by other people's opinion or any other thing. He always has a clear idea of what he wants and is good at being single minded in going after it and avoiding things that would get in the way. I can see some of that in myself as well, though I am sometimes more easily moved by the masses.

The other side, the weakness, is one of those moments where I feel like an interaction with my child opens my eyes to my relationship and interactions with God. I don't remember the specific incident, but I was offering Lewis a list of different options and he chose one, then I offered something I knew he would enjoy more and be happier about, but he insisted, again, on what he wanted. The thing is, once he gets to that point, he's not really even listening to me any more. If I stop him to make sure he hears me, he usually has his feet dug in and wouldn't change if I offered him a firetruck full of rockets and tootsie rolls (his favorite). So I gave him what he wanted, but I knew he would have enjoyed the other thing more. This particular time it clicked a light on for me that I think this is how I am with God sometimes.

Sometimes when I've been praying for something for so long (or what may only seem like long for me) I get so frustrated and don't understand why I can't just have what I want. But I should know better. I have seen times in my life where what I thought I wanted would not have been the best thing, and what God offered was so much better for me. Who knows how many times I may have missed something better because I refused to be quiet and listen and hear or see the rest of the options. This also reminds me of Jesus himself. Based on their understanding of the prophesies about a savior, the Israelites were not exactly looking or praying for a guy like Jesus. As a result, many who would not let go of what they wanted missed out big time on something even better God had in mind.

I want to be a child who listens to my father's voice and lets go of my stubbornness and receives the best of the best of what he has in mind for me. Because I know as a good father, he can give me what I want, and sometimes that is the best. But other times, he has something far more grand in mind. I'll take that please!

Real Life

2010-08-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

My friend and I were just talking about how this whole blog thing can get in to your head in a bad way. I find that if I spend too much time reading them, I start to feel crappy about myself, my parenting skills, whatever. I also know that the people who's blogs I read that make me feel crappy, read other people's, maybe even mine, and feel crappy. While blogs are not the entire problem, I think they are definitely a big contributor at times.

I had this revelation about my photo albums a while back. I was looking at some of them and feeling like, yeah, life was really great then! Why can't I feel that way now? But the pictures were not telling the whole story. There were some really difficult, rough times then too, and I didn't have any pictures to commemorate those. I realized they were creating false memories for me of the way life is, was or "should" be. Again, not that photo albums or thinking about good times are wrong, but if that's all we see of a life, it's bunk, B, U, N, K, bunk! This life can be hard, and there are days we don't really want pictures of. I thought about that with Lewis. I have taken tons of pictures of the boy smiling, laughing, wearing cute stuff, being in fun places, but I didn't take a picture of him yesterday when he was screaming bloody murder in the store and flailing around. I didn't take a picture of him when he screamed at me the whole way home despite the fact that he kept losing privileges and toys. And I didn't think "Oh, I really need to blog about this." But the thing is, those times are meant to be shared too!

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows

I was talking with another friend about the fact that if we only know the sunny times, we never get to experience, and in turn, share the comfort of God. And that is something I would not have an interest in living my life without experiencing. Believe me, I can bitch and moan with the best of them when I'm faced with something in my life I don't like, but the truth of it is, I have seen God in ways I would never want to miss as a result of those hard times. And, hopefully, someday I'll be able to help someone else see God in that way when they're in a hard place.

That's just what I'm thinking about today. Real life is: I'm in a place where I need God's comfort right now, and I don't typically think about blogging in those instances, so I figured I better!

P.S. I spell checked this and fixed the misspelled words! Many things I may be, perfect I ain't!

Conversations With Lew: Catch Up

2010-07-23T12:52:00.001-06:00

The other day, I realized that Lewis is speaking so clearly now, that some of the cute ways he used to say things have all but disappeared. The next day I found a paper that had some of the things he used to say written down on it. I did that so I would blog about it and not forget what he used to say. I didn't get around to it until now.

Woody the cowboy = "Hoodie the cowboy!"
Helicopter = "Hapiler"
Refrigerator = "Fridgery Raider"
He still says girl as "Grill"

He says more words properly, but now he says things that are funny in a different way and keeps us cracking up. One such conversation took place the other day during a visit to my parents house after I handed him a bottle of water.

Me: Here, Lew, here's some water for you.

Lew: Thanks. (long pause) Mommy, what do deers poop out?

Me: Umm, well, they . . .

Lew: Do they just poop out water out of their butts and then they put it in these bottles?

I quickly looked at my bottle to see that I had handed him a bottle of Deer Park water which had a picture of a Buck on it.

Me: Oh! Well, that picture is there because they want you to think they got this water from a natural place where animals run around . . .

Steve: And poop in the water.

It was a great family moment of learning. What can I say?

2010-07-23T12:35:00.003-06:00

Steve & I became fans of this show way back when it first aired in 2005. It doesn't really compare to any other reality show out there. Discovery channel and others have tried to repeat its success by following other people with dangerous jobs, but nothing has matched the following that this show has. Steve can hang with Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men, but I can't! I have seen several places where a person tried to formulate why this show is so popular. I hadn't really thought about it until the other night when Steve & I were watching a particular episode, and it suddenly struck me. These are the dudes that Jesus picked to be his disciples. Fishermen. I think sometimes the disciples get modernized, religified images projected on to them, but they were straight out of the boat, real, rough fishermen. These guys live hard, fast, crazy, dangerous lives, but they are also passionate, unceasing, driven and they know what love is. Yesterday we watched as the fleet of captains found out that their fellow captain and friend, Phil Harris, died. I watched these truly tough as nails guys who stare death in the face every single day weep for a man they loved.

The more I watch this show, the more I see why God chose to hang around these guys and teach them the beauty and the depth of the kingdom. When I watch the fierce, guttural, instinctive passion these guys have for what they do, it brings new meaning to being "Fishers of men"! I'm a bit dorky and have even taken to trying to figure out which guy is like Peter or John, etc.

There are probably many minds better than my own and more highly trained in fields that devise reasons behind the popularity of television shows. I also know that the thrill and imminent danger of this profession keeps interest alive, but I am sticking to my theory. I think people want to watch this show because, of all the people on the planet God could have chosen to hang around day in and day out, he chose guys like this first. If you've never seen it, get the DVDs at the library and dive in. You can't write this stuff!

New Discoveries in an Old Place

2010-06-14T07:10:00.003-06:00

We've lived in Cincinnati for quite a while now, only a year most recently, but about 7 years all in all. Living here, but not having grown up here, our knowledge of the area is limited to the things we have found in the years we've been here. I can easily get in to a routine and think there's not much more to discover, but the other day Steve did a little searching and found a place he wanted to try. What we found was a pleasant surprise! We visited East Fork State Park and found a sizable lake for boating and swimming. There was a much larger than expected sandy (rocky) beach and we were all happy about our discovery. Actually, just that day I had been looking at old blog posts from Idaho about some great places we used to visit. One was a lake where we took Lewis swimming several times, and I was wishing for something like that again. Without Steve even knowing that, this is where we landed. I had to think God was getting a kick out of the smile on all of our faces. Lewis was so excited he just plunged right in to the water clothes and all. We didn't know what we were going to find, so we had no swimming gear or towels. The whole evening did my heart good! Lewis had his first peeing in the woods experience, and wore my shirt home (glad I layered). I think we will be back quite a few times this summer. If you want to come along, we can make it a party!

Moving On

2010-06-05T09:20:00.005-06:00

Early this week, Steve and I spent some time in North Ridgeville, Ohio helping my parents pack up this place. This is significant because my parents have called this home for 34 years! They moved there shortly after I was born and have been there ever since. When they bought it, it was yellow. Since then, it's been blue, and now it's current color, all painted by my dad. It was fun to remember how it used to look and how the landscape has changed. It was nice to think about all the sleepovers and birthday and Christmas and card parties that were held there and all the life and death and change this place housed and saw. It served us well and now, it's ready to keep doing duty for a new young family who will call it home. Maybe for another 34 years. Now, my parents are bravely stepping in to a new place that will take them closer to family, and I'm sure house many more parties and life events that will make it just as much, and maybe even more so, home.

As we're getting ready to move in to our 6th house in Lewis' 3 1/2 short years, we have learned that home has little to do with the walls around you and so much more to do with the people in and around those walls. I hope my parents will find the same and quickly feel at home in their new setting.

Moments

2010-05-07T12:33:00.004-06:00

I am learning quickly that as the mother of a three year old (or at least this three year old), I need to soak in and hang on to these moments that melt my heart because in the next sixty seconds or so, my blood could be boiling. I don't usually get pictures of those moments. :) I am so blessed by our little guy, and I'm asking for wisdom and patience every day!

Love this Kid!

2010-04-29T20:15:00.001-06:00

Favorite quotes of the day:

After a girl walks up to the elevator with her mother (very loudly mind you), "Mommy, why is she walking on a leash like a doggy?" To which the girl's mother answered, "It's so she doesn't get lost or taken!" she then pointed out the cute frog (yeah, that makes it o.k.).

After a guy stands up at the table next to us with his trendy saggy pants (again very loudly), "Mommy, why some guys have their butt hanging out?"

He keeps me laughing when I need it!

Vrooooom!

2010-04-28T14:17:00.004-06:00

We went up to Cleveland to visit my fam this weekend. Lew had fun times with cousins, with Grandma at Chuck E. Cheese and then he got to go for a ride in Grandpa's "grandpa car", a '54 Chevy wagon (it's for sale!). Ever since the first time he saw the movie Cars, Lewis has called any antique car or hot rod "grandpa car". When he found out his Grandpa has a grandpa car he was amazed! Every time we visit it's not long before he's asking to go out and see it and sit in it. This last visit was the first time the weather, the engine, his height and the stars were all in line so that we could go for a ride. I think this picture says it all!

Growing Up

2010-04-13T19:40:00.007-06:00

I can't seem to find time to blog these days, or do much of anything else, for that matter. I know several topics I was thinking of writing about have blown by, so I'll just start where I am. Lew seems to have hit a stage where he is just constantly on the move and challenging just about everything. It does get frustrating, and I definitely am losing my patience more quickly these days, but I keep trying to look at the good thing this will be when he's an adult if God can fill me with wisdom to recognize, and direct and channel that energy and brain power. It became obvious to me today that gone are the days of mommy and Lew just hanging around and shifting from one toy or game to another and picking an activity or two as we go along. This little guy craves stimulation, visual, physical, mental, auditory and emotional. It's great and i'm not going to lie, it's draining. I only have one! I don't know how people who have more are conscious at the end of the day! So, I'm recognizing that I'm going to have to be a little more intentional about our day and our activities and flexible at the same time, because Lew also knows very clearly and definitely what he does and does not want! A great example of that is that he has had the Glee version of "Defying Gravity" on repeat on my Ipod every chance he gets since Sunday. Yes, I'm a Gleek and now I've turned my son. :) At the end of the song he says a loudly whispered, "Yeah", and then loudly yelled, "Again! Again!"

Lew has also taken a sudden interest in my camera and has been shooting pictures like crazy. If you go here you can see a slideshow of some of his first compositions. :)

Potty's and Facial Hair

2010-04-06T19:06:00.004-06:00

Whew, I'm behind on posting! I'm proud to announce that I am officially the mom of a potty trained little boy!!! Yay! I know we may still have accidents in the future, but this little guy has been amazing! Way to go Lew! The other side of that is I was never expecting to have any emotion over that, especially because I'm not prone to lament Lew's getting older. As a general rule, I'm pretty excited to see the man he'll become. Not in a rush, but excited to see it unfold. That said, I definitely had an unexpected strong pang of, "Oh. my baby's really gone" when he started going potty in public and now all by himself without being reminded. It really does happen so fast!

Lew and I went to Gabriel Brothers last week because I had some returns, and of course found some bargains I couldn't pass up. They have gumball machines there and one of them has police themed things in it like a mini set of real handcuffs (what he's really hoping for), police line tape, disguises, all that fun stuff. I let him put quarters in and he got two for one. He got an Uzi key chain (yay) and this cool disguise:

Of course, mommy had to try it too.

We're easily entertained. I guess that's a good thing.

Ladies!

2010-03-19T20:45:00.001-06:00

One of the few days Lewis or I were not sick this week (yes sick again, blah!), we made it to the zoo with some friends and caught a glimpse of this guy showing his stuff. We turned around to see that it seemed to be doing the trick. Photos of peacock babies to follow. :)

Blast Off!

2010-03-14T18:49:00.001-06:00

I want to start by saying that, in the interest of keeping it real, the last post should have included a picture of the T.V.! We did more than our share of that to pass the time!

We have also been trying to encourage Lew's already very vivid imagination, so we have been building him different things in different ways. I remember my mom often taking me to a local appliance store to get refrigerator boxes to play with and I always loved it! I wanted to do this for Lew too, but Steve said appliances don't get shipped the way they used to, and there probably were no refrigerator boxes to be found. So, being the great dad that he is, he first brought home some pieces from work that were going to be throw away, and made a cool firehouse. Since Lewis is three, these things only last so long. Now the firehouse is gone, and Steve built this rocket from cardboard he got his hand on. We got a request for a boat tonight. We'll see where that goes. On one hand, I love that he thinks that he can just name it and we can instantly build it. On the other hand, he thinks he can just name it and we can instantly build it. This can be a challenge when we dont' have time or materials. On both hands, I'm grateful to have a husband who values his child's interests and strengths and is willing to spend time on something that may make him happy for 24 hours and be gone!

Where has the time gone?

2010-03-02T08:34:00.003-07:00

I have intended to sit and bolg several times in the past weeks, it just never seems to happen. Finally, I'm taking a minute. In early February, we went up to my parents house to visit and get a big boy bed for Lewis. He was getting so huge for his toddler bed, and for some reason always seemed to end up sleeping on the floor with that one. While we were there, Grandma took Lew to Chuck E. Cheese. I think he enjoyed himself.

We also stopped in to Starbucks on our way to one of too many doctor's appointments this season. They had a random, huge, red airplane there that they gave to Lew. He was so excited about it (that and his doughnut).

This weekend we went up and met my mom and sister at a hotel with a fun little water park in it. Lewis had a great time the first day, but we had to come back the next morning. I knew something was up when all lew wanted to do was sit in the hot tub. So, today we're in explosive diaper land around here. Seems like it's been something or other since October. Spring is coming and we will be healthy again. I'm making it a mantra of sorts these days. :) Between sickness and snow we've been in a lot, so I have pictures of some of the things we've found to pass the time.

This is air traffic control.

You're under arrest!

POOP!

2010-02-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry, mom. I tried to think of other ways to title this, but this was just the best for the occasion! Lewis went potty on the potty today! Now I know, realistically, that this is just the beginning of a long process, but this event was a huge hurdle in our home. Even getting his booty on the potty let alone actually going is a big deal! If I know my son like I think I do, I think we're finally on the path to Thomas underwear! Or, as we call it around here, choo choo booty! Woo, woo!

Funny Kid

2010-02-10T19:43:00.001-07:00

Lew has been saying a couple funny things that I wanted to share. The first is one that I actually have thoughts of turning in to a kid's book. He calls the refrigerator the "fridgery raider". That just always makes me think of a big picture book entitled: Lewis the Wonder Boy and the Case of the Fridgery Raider. I think it could be a beginning of a Lewis the Wonder Boy series. :)
I'm not sure what to think about the next thing, except that Lew is a pretty determined and creative kid. We have been working with him on the fact that he cannot shush us or tell us to stop talking when we're correcting him about something. The other day, Steve was talking to him about something he shouldn't be doing (I don't remember exactly what) and Lew said, "Dahmer". We said, "What did you say, buddy?" and he repeated "Dahmer". I asked what that meant, and he said it means stop it. What? This boy is going to be a continual challenge for his folks! That is why I am always asking God for wisdom, 'cause I know I can't do it without! So ever since then, once in a while when I'm telling him not to do something, or he drops something or gets frustrated I'll hear a little "Dahmer". I just have to laugh at our little guy. Love him so much!

Secret Getaways

2010-02-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

We have found a couple places that are great escapes for us as a family when we need to get away from life and crowds for some free fun. I'm going to let the cat out of the bag, so don't all rush there at once and ruin it for us. The first is one that is, sadly, too far away now to visit very regularly, and that is the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton. Every time I'm there, I can't believe it's free! We were there on Monday, and I think we were three of ten people there, minus employees. We almost had our own private showing of the space station IMAX film, but the film ripped while they were trying to set it up. It was a great trip anyway, and a good chance to get out of the house since we've been sick and cooped up for quite a while now.

The second spot is the Cincinnati Mills mall in Fairfield. The main draw for Lew is the Bass Pro Shop. There is a giant fish tank there, and on weekends, they do fishing demos. There are also loads of once, yet no longer living animals like bear, moose, raccoons plus planes and trucks. Lewis jumps on all the quads and ATVs and pretends he's flying through the forest. It's a win win for him! Then we go out in to the ghost town of a mall and he can run like crazy. It's really sad how dead that mall is, but it works out well for us. The kids area was the most crowded I've ever seen it tonight, and there were six kids there. It's a fun diversion when you just need to get out and expend some energy. We were there tonight, and Lew rode a fantastic orange quad that mommy would like to own, saw a mommy and baby long nosed gar. We've been sick and overwhelmed, and my sweet husband has been good enough to keep offering us diversions. As Lew put it, "This was a nice night at the fishy store."

May The Force Be With You!

2010-01-24T13:06:00.001-07:00

The background to today's funny tale is that I still have a Star Wars pop-up book that was mine when I was a kid. Lately, Lewis has been enthralled with this book and all things Star Wars, though he's never seen the movie. He always says, "I just like Star Wars stuff, but not the movie because it's scary." He got an R2D2 themed Play doh set for christmas and he loves it! It's funny because he chooses to call him R Tay Dee Toh Dee Too. He knows it's R2D2, we've clarified. He likes the flashy name better I guess.
So, yesterday we were walking through Target and I hear my three year old say very matter of factly, "Look, there's Yoda, the Jedi master." Maybe it only amuses me, but I had to laugh. I didn't know he knew Yoda was the master! Learning well you are, my son!

Christmas Carols With Lew: Take 2

2010-01-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

This morning Lew was watching some cartoons in our bed until it was a reasonable hour to set one's feet on the ground and start the day. A blue bird flew on to the screen on the show, and he said:
"Hey, that's a bluebird, like in the song!"
Then he started singing:
"Are you way
Are you listening
Face of afriad
We're happy today
Walking in a winter wonderland"
After a week like this, I need moments like that to laugh with him, it keeps me sane!

Helping Hand

2010-01-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in helping in Haiti, but don't know where to begin, check out this site Restavek Foundation. This is a reputable ministry that already has people on the ground in Haiti. It's next to impossible to actually go there right now, so they're asking for funding of their current efforts. The man who started this was once a child slave in Haiti himself, and now his organization rescues children out of slavery. Through work, he got hooked up with a couple from Crossroads who has joined with him in his efforts. It's a beautiful story. They are the ones who are on the ground over there and miraculously traveled to a different island before and during the quake! I pray that God amplifies and makes successful the efforts of those trying to help right now and that his love would be palpable to the people of Haiti!

Cool Dad!

2010-01-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

When Steve and I were dating and engaged and maybe even early in our marriage, I wrote all kinds of letters and notes and little things to him. These writings expounded, sometimes for pages, on how much I loved him and how awesome he was. As I recall, a favorite phrase (albeit a bit corny) was "You rock Brock". Sadly that practice has dropped off in the past 11 years or so. So, I'm writing a letter of sorts here to brag on what an awesome man and dad he is. While we were eating dinner last night, Steve told Lew he had an idea of something fun to do after dinner, and we were both very curious about what was running through his head. For Lew, that meant asking every two minutes what it was. After we ate, while I was cleaning up the kitchen Steve built this huge tent, and he and Lew camped out until bedtime. "No grils allowed!" I filled in as the occasional wild animal in the yard that was promptly handled with Lewis' "gun". Where he got that idea, I have no clue. Lew thought it was fantastic, and I felt very blessed to be married to a man who truly loves our son! You rock Brock!

SNOW!

2010-01-11T13:50:00.002-07:00

We finally had a big snow around here and thanks to the snow pants my parents bought for Lew while we were in Cleveland and the snow boots I finally hunted down (it's surprisingly hard to find them for less that $30), Lew and I had fun in the snow while daddy stayed warm and documented the snow angel lessons. It's all about the fall back technique. Lew's first comment as we were wiping huge snow piles off the van was, "This is awesome!" It was awesome. Now I'm ready for spring.

A Fantastic First!

2010-01-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

I've thought several times about taking AMTRAK up to see my parents in Cleveland so that Lew could have an experience riding a train. The problem with that idea is, it's expensive and the trains leave and arrive in the middle of the night. My parents suggested a ride on Cleveland's RTA which was a great idea, and we had a great time on Lew's first ever train ride! My sister and two of her boys and my dad were there too. It was a fun day topped off with lunch at the hard Rock Cafe. Another first for Lew. I know there are talks about several different possibilities of different sorts of train like vehicles in Cincinnati. I have no real idea about the politics and or logistics behind that, but I know I'd ride it with Lew all the time if we had it! If you want to see more pics of our trip, you can go here.

Christmas Carols With Lew

2010-01-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

"Frosty the snowman, was a really happy jolly guy! Oh, frosty the snowman was a really happy jolly guy! Oh, frosty the snowman was a really happy jolly guy, with a cob corn nose and a button nose, oh . . . ."

Time

2009-12-11T12:26:00.001-07:00

Time seems to be fleeting these days, but I have been wanting to post this for a while, so I'm going to do a quick one. I love our silly little guy! We have a pretty good time together most times. We also have our battles and rough days, he's three and he's Steve's & my child. We have our challenges! But, we also have a lot of fun. I try my best (and don't nearly always succeed) to enjoy the time we have right now. There are two times I remember people telling me to enjoy something that they let breeze by. The first was our wedding day, the other is our little guy's childhood. I think that's good advice. I did my best to follow it on our wedding day, and I am grateful because I think it helped me enjoy the day more. Now I'm trying to remember that advice every day with Lew. I still get sick of playing fireman for the 1000th time sometimes, but I try to remind myself (as I've heard many parents say) that I'll blink and he'll be driving off to college, and there will be no more time to sit and hear that sweet giggle and be bored out of my gourd playing fireman! So, in a coulple hours when he wakes up, you know what I'll be doing. "Woo, woo, woo, woo . . . at least for today. I thought of all this because we were at the zoo on one of the last cold but somewhat bearable days last month, and I had one of those times where I just had to laugh and enjoy it. This is how Lewis decided he wanted to ride in the stroller since it was cold out:

I was, by all apperances, pushing an empty stroller around the zoo and talking to it. I had to crack up at what it must have looked like. Then we'd stop at an animal pen and this little guy would pop out of the bottom, look and hop back in. Here's hoping I can savor more days than not in the years to come!

Country Life

2009-12-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to be back in Cincinnati. There are great things about city life in general and city life here specifically. In fact, I call Cincinnati "City of my heart". This is a fantastic place filled with fantastic people and fantastic places. That said, there are some things I miss about country living and I was reminded of some of those while I was sifting through some photos today. I thought I'd share.

Picked (wild) from our front yard

Our Boy is 3!

2009-11-20T15:06:00.005-07:00

I know I'm not the only mom who feels this way at birthday time, but I cannot believe that our little guy is 3! A preposterous amount has happened in our lives in three years, and I often think and remark that this little guy has helped us weather it better than we ever could have otherwise. Lewis just brings joy to a room when he's in it. I know that kids have a way of bringing smiles to people, but it's truly uncanny the way people light up when Lew's around. He is confident and I believe already has the signs of being a leader. I mean, he got no less than 5 adult women to slide down our door post and pretend it was a fire pole! When I was pregnant with Lew, several of our friends were praying for us and for him, and I remember very clearly one friend praying that Steve and I would have the patience to handle the amazing qualities God had put in Lewis until they had the opportunity to mature. I think of that and remind God of that all the time, and it has been such a help for me. When we are going through challenges you inevitably face as the parent of a three year old, I try to look at what we're dealing with and what an amazing quality it will be in this boy as a man. Then I ask God for the strength and wisdom not to squash it, but to be part of developing it to maturity. I sure do love this fierce, tender hearted boy, and I am so glad to be able to watch everything that's great in him now just become greater!

He had an amazing birthday celebration too! Grandma and Grandpa Marr came south with Aunt Heather, Uncle Norbert and his cousins Quaid, Will & Danny. They treated to 2 days and 1 night at Great Wolf Lodge, complete with a party in the room with lots of presents and cake. It was SO much fun! That place is fantastic, and I said you need rehab to come down after spending any more than 8 hours in that building! :) Then he got to party down at Nanna & Pappa Brock's and that was great fun too. He got to meet his new cousin, Effie, we had a firehouse pancake breakfast for dinner and lots of presents and cake too! He easily fell asleep in the car on the way home from that one. They were all great celebrations of a great kid! Happy Birthday, little man! We love you!

Halloween '09

2009-10-31T20:54:00.000-06:00

Lew has said he wants to be a ghost for Halloween for a month now. I've tempted him with other things to be sure this is what he wanted, and he wouldn't budge. "Ghost" was it, the one and only answer to "What do you want to be for Halloween?".
So, tonight he went trick or treating . . . as a fireman! I put on his ghost costume at the top of our stairs, he took one step, pulled it of and said, "I not have to wear it anymore." We explained that he had to wear something to get candy but he wasn't budging, so I offered the fireman and he happily agreed. I did manage to convince him to put it on long enough for me to snap a picture. Steve walked with fireman Sam, and I handed out candy at our place. My bowl of eyeballs was a big hit. I thought they were fun, but I never thought they'd go over the way they did! I so enjoyed sitting on the porch watching everything that was going on tonight. I love our little neighborhood, and it was crawling with little people and their parents tonight. It was a great time! Here are some shots I managed to grab.

Get Away

2009-10-31T20:41:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, thanks to schedules slowing down, and grandparents graciously agreeing to watch our little man, Steve and I finally had a chance to get away from it all! It's been since Lew was born that we were away by ourselves and this time we had three days! We found a cabin in the woods in (well, near) Hocking Hills. There are mounds upon mounds of places to stay in this area, and we were happy with this one despite having a ladybug invasion. Thankfully, that portion was on the last day. It was quiet and off the beaten path. I ate meals and only had to think about what I was putting in my own mouth and we rested. That can be hard for me sometimes but I think it's what we both needed. They had donkeys who liked to eat all kinds of crazy things which was good for this animal lover, and places to start a fire and beautiful views fo the stars. It was a great time, and I hear Lew had a good time with Nanna and Pappa too. The reports are that he was such a good boy! Good times were had by all! Thank you to Nanna and Pappa!

Re-worked

2009-10-26T13:25:00.001-06:00

I bought this chair at the Valley Thrift Store for $5.99! So, with some very cool upholstery fabric that my mom found super cheap at a garage sale and a vision for making things new that was learned from the same lady, I turned it in to this:

Love those bargain finds! :)

Happy Birthday to Steve!

2009-10-25T20:02:00.002-06:00

His birthday was actually a while ago now, but I'm a little behind on blogging! Lew and I made him a special birthday cake. No, he's not 12, but I am, and Lew's 3, and we were the ones making the cake. I have mentioned before what a fantastic man Steve is, but I think that's the kind of stuff that bears repeating. He is a fantastic father who loves our little boy like crazy and wants everything good for him. He plays with Lew and talks to him and sees him for who he is in a way only a daddy can. He is a willing listener even when the subject is the same broken record (for lew and me). He is an extremely hard worker, and I never have a doubt that he will be able to provide for our family, part of the reason I don't doubt this is because he knows where our provisions come from and he has leaned in to that in ways that few men would have been able to without going off the deep end. I am so glad that we are in a place where he can relax and enjoy life more and I hope the coming year brings more and more of that! So, happy birthday, Steve. I love you and I hope you enjoy your last year with those of us in our thirties!

Conversations with Lew: Schooled by a Preschooler

2009-09-29T12:33:00.000-06:00

Lew has been dealing with some pretty typical "toddler fears" lately, and we've been trying to encourage him and teach him that we don't need to fear. Today he got something in his head and said that he was scared about dinosaurs.

Me: You don't have to be scared honey because one thing, (I honestly don't remember what the one thing was, maybe that there are no dinosaurs anymore or something) and two things (pause to breathe)
Lew: God is bigger than the boogie man!
Me: That's right buddy! Actually, that's the one thing!

I'm sorry to say that was not my #2 thing, but so glad to know it was his first thought! I got the "Where's God when I'm scared" Veggie Tale for him when he started talking about being afriad from time to time, because I love the way they talk about that. I'm not saying Veggies are the best thing ever, or always right on or even my go to God teaching tool :), but the message is one I want Lew to get and I'm so glad it's sinking in!
"God is bigger than the boogie man
He's bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on tv
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man and he's watching out for you and me!"

Technology

2009-09-19T11:40:00.003-06:00

I enjoy technology. I take advantage of the conveniences it has to offer, and I can pretty easily pick things up, though I am starting to feel like it's whizzing by me and I'll have no clue by the time Lew's a teen. That said, the thing I don't like about it is how quickly it can go bad and how immobilized that can make me feel. Our computer crashed, so I am using an old computer of Steve's that is fine, but doesn't have the things I am used to on our other one. That makes it more difficult to blog (this one has taken me 4 attempts so far and I'm choosing to live with one, poorly placed picture), so I've been putting it off. That said, here's my actual post: :)

When I was nannying, I used to take the kids over to a huge toy store in KY called Johnny's Toys. It was enormous. There was a train display to play with, a birthday castle, and aisles and aisles of toys. There is also an activity center to play in, but we never did it because it costs to get in and we didn't need it with everything else that was there. The other day I thought I'd take Lew there, and I built it all up and told him about the train and the toys. When we got there and walked in the doors, the place was almost empty. There was probably a 25x100 section that had a few very empty aisles and a couple bins of gadget toys. Since we were already there, I figured we'd just go ahead and try the activity center (Totter's Otterville) and if you can guess from the picture, that was a fine substitute as far as Lew was concerned! I didn't have extra clothes with me since I hadn't planned anything, so Lew just had a great time getting soaked, and rode home in his diaper. I was disappointed to see that the store was a shell of its former self, but we ended up having a fun time and Lew was sure to ask if we could come back another day! It doesn't get much better than squirting your own fire extinguisher for that guy!

Spoonflower

2009-09-05T12:53:00.003-06:00

I don't know if I've blogged about this site yet, but I am loving it! You can design your own fabric, and the options are pretty much endless! You can use photos, or designs that you have created on your own. It's a bit on the expensive side to order, but how often do you get to print your own fabric? They are getting ready to start a new feature on the site to allow people to sell their designs. You earn 10% of the purchase price of any design you sell, and you get 10% off your purchases for being a seller. I'm part of a group they're testing it with, and I am loving this! I've already had one sale, and I'm hoping to get more designs out soon. Check it out. You could be the next big thing in fabric! www.spoonflower.com

There is an After

2009-08-25T17:55:00.006-06:00

There was a request for after shots from the comment gallery. That made me realize that I still have not managed to post interior pics of our new house. Maybe I'll feature a room a week or something. So, without further ado, here are the after and meet our new kitchen shots:

Tryin' to "Keep it Real"

2009-08-25T11:29:00.003-06:00

Betsy, over at my five men, does a blog segment from time to time called keep it real. I think I actually heard my kitchen growl at me when I came down from putting Lewis in bed, so I figured I'd "keep it real", because everybody's kitchen looks like this at some point. We just don't all get to see it. Now, I'm going to tackle the beast.

Stalled

2009-08-24T10:42:00.004-06:00

I know that everyone says boys potty train later than girls, so by that standard it may be a little early to start potty training Lewis. I also know that "everyone" says lots of things as blanket truths that don't really apply to every kid. I'm also not really the type to want to force my kid to be on my schedule, but no more diapers (and sleeping until at least 7am, but that's another post) sounds really great right now. That said, I have been wanting to tackle the potty issue with Lew.

For about a month when he was 20 months, he went on the potty several times, then was suddenly and completely against it. Since then every time I ask him if he even wants to try, I get a resounding NO! I decided Fireman Sam would be the perfect motivator, because he's crazy about Fireman Sam! I even took the route of telling him that firefighters use the potty and he would have to do that to be a firefighter. I ordered this snazzy progress chart all the way from the UK and the day it came he immediately ran up to "try" on the potty. I thought we had found the key! As you can see, we did great with the goal the first week. As you can also see, that's where it ends. I have heard stories of people knocking this out in very short time periods or even having slow but steady progress. I have come to the conclusion that Lew, being our child, will go on the potty when he's good and ready and not a moment before. I can understand that, and I can be cool with it, as long as that day comes before he's 40. :)

Conversations with Lew: The Big Boy Years

2009-08-15T17:59:00.005-06:00

Teacher: (After Lewis "made some tea" for the other teacher) Lewis, can I have some tea?

Lew: I already made some, here's an apple.

********************************************************************

Me: Did you have a snack in your class?

Lew: No.

Me: They have graham crackers in their, buddy. You can ask them for one if you ever want one.

Lew: Maybe I just don't want one.

*********************************************************************

Lew: Oh, I'm dirty.

Me: Yeah, that's 'cause you touched the car, baby, and it's dirty.

Lew: Maybe we could wash it.

Catch Up

2009-08-11T18:27:00.005-06:00

We've been having lots of fun lately and taking lots of pictures, but I haven't been able to carve out time to blog about it all. Thanks to Calley and the girls, we discovered a new discovery garden and have been back already. Lew has been playing lots of Fireman Sam, we went to a touch a truck in Montgomery, and spent this past weekend at my parents for family gatherings. I have no pictures to show for the last one since I took my camera without the memory card.

Theology

2009-08-02T17:55:00.003-06:00

I realize that the annunciation is an important part of the theology of those who love Jesus, but I never thought enunciation would be so vital until the other day. We've had a string of rainy days around here, and the other day we needed to get out. I had a change purse full of left over tokens, so Lew and I headed to Chuck E. Cheese. As we pulled in the parking lot, Lewis yelled, "Chucky Chesus!" I think I have a little explaining to do (though, I'm sure it's not far from heaven for him).

Cincinnati Home

2009-07-25T13:20:00.005-06:00

I guess we hit the ground running here in Cincinnati, because this is the first time since early this month I've had time to spend on our little blog here. I'm O.K. with that. It has been really great since we've been back! I am so grateful for all the benefits of being in the city, and I think I have taken from our time in the country a sense of it being O.K. to slow down every once in a while and leave the schedule blank. I think I will always need to remind myself of that one. The drastic difference in the pace of life from country to city living has been palpable. I don't think either is completely good or bad. I definitely think each could borrow some good points from the other. So, I am loving the pace here, and also trying to remember not to get swept up in it and try to do everything at once.

My parents came for a visit at the beginning of the week and we took my dad to the Cincinnati zoo. I have expressed my opinion about this zoo before, and I am continually impressed by it. I am convinced there are more animals there than you could see in a day if you stayed from open to close, that is, if you take any time to look. When we got to the gorilla pen, the keepers had been cleaning it, so they let the gorillas back in just as we were getting there, so they were really lively and running around. That was fun to see. Usually when we get there, they're just sitting, sleeping or hiding. We had a great time, and the season pass we got has just about paid for itself already. Mom and I had some good shopping time while all the boys rested. We celebrated birthdays and had a good time. They came bearing a firetruck. It doesn't get much better than that for Lew!

Good Ol' American Fun

2009-07-06T19:46:00.007-06:00

We had such a great holiday weekend! On Friday, we met some friends and their kids at a park to hang and play for a while. It was perfect weather, and the kids (and parents) had a great time on the swings. After that, we took Lew to the Red's game. Steve found out that they were doing fireworks after the game, so we thought it would be a great first baseball experience for him. He loved it.

It was Cincinnati Zoo night, so there was a bald eagle that flew from the upper deck down to the pitcher's mound at the end of the national anthem. It was a really cool thing to see. They are huge birds! Lew loved it, but he kept calling it "football". He had his first ever cotton candy and Dippin Dots, and he was such a good boy. The game didn't start until 7, and we weren't sure how he would do. It was becoming very evident that he was getting tired, and we couldn't decide whether to stretch it out for the fireworks or throw in the towel. At one point he looked at me and said, "I just want to go to the home." But then, the crowd would cheer and they'd play music and he'd jump up and say, "I gotta dance!" So, we figured he was still having a good time and we'd try to stretch it. We made it all the way to the fireworks, and they had a fun surprise before hand which was some USAF screaming eagle paratroopers who jumped and landed in the ballpark. That was pretty cool to see too. Then the fireworks started. After two went off, Lewis closed his eyes and went to sleep for the rest of the night. Oh well, Steve and I enjoyed the fireworks, and I guess we enjoyed a right of passage of sorts as parents. Keeping your kids out way too late.

Saturday we avoided the rain and mostly stayed in and caught up on rest. Sunday we had a yummy dinner with some friends and Lew played with a gaggle of girls and broke his first law as he waved his first ever sparkler. It was the perfect holiday weekend, even if it was rainy!

Brave Guy

2009-07-02T12:06:00.003-06:00

Here's a shot of Lew without the bandage. Before we even left the park that day, he was asking to get down and play, and pretty ticked that I wouldn't let him! At the store today, the cashier asked him what happened, and he said, "I had an emergency"! :) Stitches come out tomorrow morning. Again, so thankful this just ended up to be a pretty easy, pretty quick fix!

ER

2009-06-30T13:38:00.004-06:00

This poor little guy. This event was very traumatic for him and for mom, but he's O.K. and yes, that is blood all over my shoulder. There was a major crash between him and a much older boy which sent Lew flying hard and fast into a railing with a bolt sticking out. The good news is, stitches were all that came of it. 5 to be exact. I was very thankful for the kindness of strangers (who I believe God put there for us) and two moms particularly, I wish I knew their names so I could thank them again. They were so helpful and sweet. There were several other ladies who were kind and helpful and called 911 for us. This was one time Lew was NOT interested in seeing a firefighter! I can't get the image of him slamming into that rail and then the ground out of my head, but I am SO thankful it was not any worse! Life's a big, crazy adventure!!

Our New Address: 3011

2009-06-30T13:32:00.002-06:00

Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

A friend helped us move in and saw our house numbers. He felt God was telling him it was like a psalm, so he looked it up and passed it on. Amen! I'll take it!

**more pictures on the way

2009-06-25T05:30:00.002-06:00

I intended to blog about this a while ago, but we've been busy because today, we are moving to this house. It's in Cincinnati. Yay! Yes, it's move number 8, 5 of which have been in the last 3 years. I do intend to do a lengthier blog about this move, but right now I've got the business of packing and moving to do!!

Duuuude . . .

2009-06-23T18:09:00.004-06:00

Lew and I were at the grocery this morning. While I was getting him in his seat, a little blond with big sunglasses and a VW bug pulled up next to us.
Lew looked over. Then he looked again.

Lew: "Hi" (five second pause)
Lew: "Hi, I Lew Dawg, this my mommy".

She was oblivious to his cuteness. I am aware that this will not always be the case.

This also doubles as "comment" to my friend over on the front porch who posted a pic of what she deemed bad parenting. The above photo is my version. What you can't see out of the shot is a DVD player. This is how he spent several lengthy days while we drove back and forth to Cincinnati looking for a place (more on that soon). I think he's been trying to make up for the lost conversation in the last couple days. :)