Sunday, March 23, 2014

Missing babies while they sleep

These are the sorts of things I watch when the babies have gone to bed and I weirdly start missing them a little, never mind that I always so look forward to bedtime.

Joe turning breakfast into cars:

Riley living her life:
Historically speaking, March is my least blogged month. Partly because few noteworthy things happen (although that doesn't stop me the rest of the year) and partly because I think I get a little Seasonally Affected and my usual interests become less interesting. Also, this particular March has seen a lot of vomit, so...there's that. But with a week of spring break under my belt, I feel like we are due for an update.
Keeping an eye on things.
We have been able to do some fun things this week and see some sun and best of all have our Dave home with us. I really really like him. He was gone for 5 days at an MBA competition last week and we missed him crazy-bad. I got a stomach bug during that time too - the worst - but several church friends came to our aid with dinner and care packages and the babies didn't mind watching movies all day so we did okay. Anyway, Dave got back shortly before we got home from church on Sunday and when he came to help carry the babies from the car, Riley said, "Oh hi Dad...*gasp* DADDY!" It was, in a word, adorable. He is such a good daddy and he makes everything more fun.

Cruising at the mall.
 Joe is our self-appointed morning greeter - now that he can get out of his bed by himself he delights in being the first to trot down the hallway every morning. If I am still in bed he will climb up on me, grab my glasses off the night stand and forcibly shove them on my face so I can see his toothy grin. If I am already up he flings himself at me and locks his arms around my knees and says, "HOLD! ME!"
Cooking in the MN Children's Museum
Riley is an evolving conversationalist. When she doesn't like certain foods, she tells us they taste like candy bars and coconuts and that she doesn't 'wike dat pweeese!' She faces disaster with a frank, "Don't worry 'bout it, Mommy." She is extremely social and practices her greetings on us regularly. "Hi. My name is Riley. I'm 2. Dat's Joey. Wanna pway?" She persistently approaches other kids with this phrase until someone responds and then they become fast friends. I get annoyed when kids ignore her though. I just want to say, "Be friends with my sweet baby you little punks!" I restrain myself, but I have a feeling it is going to be hard keeping mama bear under wraps for the next twenty years.

As for me, I found inspiration this week here for the wild ride of motherhood, and I am looking forward to inspiration in the LDS General Women's Meeting this Saturday. Yesterday I went with a friend to a stake meeting in preparation for Easter, based on the last days Christ's ministry, His death, and resurrection and what it all means to us. It was a really beautiful few hours to reflect on things I don't give half enough thought to. Then they gave us a workbook/journal to keep it all fresh in our minds and I gotta say, I'm excited. I think my soul is hungry.

And on that note, I'm off to bed. Monday is upon us and I find that the best defense is a cushy nine hours of sleep.

Monday, March 3, 2014

It's a birthday!

This year my partner in crime, the man of my dreams, turned 33.
So here are some birthday gifs for Dave (which you might need to click on to get them to work...):



Oh, you wanted gifts?
Shoot. Better luck next year.

Applicable Modern Family situation here.
Claire: "Yeah but you're so hard to buy for!"

Phil: "Things I want: robot dog, night vision goggles, bug vacuum, GPS watch, speakers that look like rocks. I love my wife but she sucks at giving gifts. I'm sorry for the pay-channel language. Oh - yogurt maker! I can't not think of things I want!"
Any one else out there that relate to this? I think it fits us to a "t"! Boys and their toys...that's what I say. The year we had Christmas in Vegas, all the boys/men got remote controlled helicopters and it was like a kid in a candy shop - they were ecstatic!

I guess guys aren't that hard to buy for - I just over-analyze what I am giving I think. If we were millionaires, I'd get him a pony or something and it would be easy. Also, if he was a girl - that would make it easier. He/she would be more likely to keep a Pinterest account and all I would have to do would go check out his "my style" board or "someone buy me this" board. (Pst - boys! Learn about your wife's Pinterest account! Your gift-giving problems will be over forever!)

As it is, I usually end up giving him socks and making him a creatively weird card. This year Riley and Joe helped. They painted cards and pictures for him using nothing but their fingers and some empty toilet paper rolls.

The rest of this post will be black and white. Old and classy. Like Dave. Haha.
Then Riley took his gift-wrapped socks into his room early in the morning, insisting he open them "right now!" Sleep fogged Dave said, "open them now?" and she said, "Okay!" and ripped them open for him. Riley likes birthdays.
Handsomest bed-head I've ever seen.
To us!
We also did a little celebrating at the Mall of America. We rode some rides and ate some fried grease.


It was a pretty fun, relaxing weekend and it was awesome to spend so much time together, sans homework and other responsibilities, and celebrate Dave's 33 years of making the world a better place. Truly we are lucky to have him! He is one of the few genuinely accepting, nonjudgmental people I know. He's a hard worker, an amazing dad, and chock-full of quirky, loving personality. I thank God for him everyday.


Happy Birthday, Dave!