Hey lovely friends! I have MOVED locations! I had a redesign in mind for this blog, and decided to just move EVERYTHING on over. SO, if you’re still checking for updates here, you’re missing out. I am NOW blogging over at my new home spot on the web at a blog called Stellar Day Blog. You can find me talking about all the same things I did here and MORE at www.stellardayblog.com.
Come check it out and sign up for my emails so you don’t miss out on anything.
SEE YOU THERE.
Rider has taken it upon himself to create a new fashion statement of his own. And he seriously WILL NOT TAKE THIS OFF HIS HEAD.
It’s hysterical. When I try to take it off, he gets REALLY upset. Like, screaming, tantrum throwing, I just removed his soul from his body kind of upset. So, I obviously let him run around with it on his head. I’m not quite sure what he thinks it is, BUT it’s pretty hysterical to watch. Kids are so funny. My Rider-man never ceases to amaze me. His bubbly little spirit and fun energy keeps us all smiling all day.
I’m simply in love with him.
This post should appropriately be titled, ‘Swim Lessons, 2012 AKA Cruz hates his life’. This kid seriously, SERIOUSLY HATES swimming lessons. But his teacher is awesome and I just really, STRONGLY believe that it should be a law that EVERY kid gets swim lessons. Drowning shouldn’t even be an option!! Gosh, that freaks me out in a state where EVERYONE has pools in their backyards. Well, we put him in swim last year and he SCREAMED the entire time. I mean, I understand it can be quite unsettling as a little kid. And I even remember loving the water when I was a kid, but not being particularly fond of swim lessons. But he really hates it.
But he’s gotta swim, so we go back.
And he’s really getting the hang of it! I’m so proud of him. This year, he wimpers a little bit when we get there, he cries when the instructor pulls him in for the first time, and then he’s actually ok. And does a great job. It’s nice that he’s an entire year older because I feel like he understands things A LOT better. Last year I think he was slightly confused. HA. Poor kid. But I’m so grateful I’ve found a great instructor who is patient, loves kids, and does an amazing job to do her best to make them feel comfy in the water. I can’t wait until he can swim on his own. How crazy it will be to watch him go!
I’m planning to get Rider into swim too. This particular teacher doesn’t take them until they’re two, so I was going to wait until next year. And THAT thought proved to make me a true idiot. Watching Rider around water has made it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to get him into lessons as SOON as humanly possible. The kid has ZERO fear. I mean, seriously, he’ll jump right in if no ones looking. So you ALWAYS HAVE TO BE LOOKING. Scary stuff. This teacher we are going to is full for the summer, so I’m coming up with plan B for him. But next year, he will go to her too WITH Cruz. Oh man. Talk about cute overload. HA.
Here’s a few photos I snapped on my iPhone while there these past two days. And if you want to check out last years video, you can see it HERE.
Is anyone else addicted to their iPhone? Does your ENTIRE LIFE exist in it? Do you rely on it A LOT? I do. If my computer exploded, aside from editing photos, I could do the VAST MAJORITY of my work from my phone. That’s pretty neat, if you ask me. That we live in a time and place in history that we are able to enjoy little gadgets like that. And that they enrich our lives as much as they do and help us to be productive.
But lately, Jason and I have been having a heated conversation about whether or not it’s super healthy to be on our phones as much as we are. I say ‘heated’ because it causes me to get a little defensive for some reason (red flag #1). It’s been a good, healthy debate- don’t get me wrong. Weighing the pros and cons of how much we actually use our phones, how often we should be on them, and what it takes away from socially sometimes.
And what it’s taking away from our kids. Yikes.
He shared a blog post that I’m going to share with you today. You may or may not have read it. But holy moly, it is convicting. It makes me wonder exactly how much am I missing in my kids lives, just because I am on my phone. It reaffirmed the conversations that Jay and I have had about how you can be in the room, but not really there. Not listening. Not connecting. Because there is an entire world on the internet that is always distracting me, pulling me in another direction, and vying for my attention. All while two little boys of mine are vying for my attention too. And they don’t know anything about the world wide web.
And nor do they care.
They are going to grow up before my eyes. And I am going to miss it if I am always on my phone. I am going to regret it if all I do is pin stuff, Instagram stuff, and ‘Like’ every status known to man. But I WON’T regret being there for them. I WON’T regret watching them grow up. The internet is always going to be there in some form. But my small, little boys won’t always be. I don’t want them to remember their mom with a phone always in her hands. I want them to remember me as a mom who played with them. Who was silly with them. One who tickled them and made them laugh until they couldn’t laugh anymore. I don’t want them to think I was too busy ‘working’ that I couldn’t build legos with them.
I need to put my phone down more often during the day.
This article was super convicting to me. I’m not saying that being on the phone during the middle of the day or when your kids are awake is a bad thing. BUT, I am suggesting that you read this blog post and figure out what this might mean for your own life with your own kids. There’s a lot of things I HAVE to do during the day through my phone because of the nature of my job and because I have toddlers. I work a lot and at very random times during the day. But is it out of control? Am I too busy on my phone to actually SEE my kids? Am I missing huge parts of their childhood, even though I’m a stay at home mom? That’s what I’m sorting through right now.
Read the blog post HERE. And then make your own conclusions. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Sometimes, being busy is a good thing. Sometimes, it’s not. I feel like for myself, these past several weeks have been a mix of both extremes. I have been finding myself extremely overwhelmed with work, thankful for the job I have, busily rushing around you both, AND trying to make intentional time to focus on you and just to be a mom too. This balance that I have to find, I will never understand. I’m often told by other mom’s that it looks like I am super mom. That it looks like I have it all together. And that I do it with grace. While those are HUGE compliments to me and also very encouraging, I DO sometimes feel like the world is running AROUND me. That I’m NOT making time for what’s important. And I’m constantly feeling guilty for the nights that I can’t tuck you in. AmI doing the right things here? Do I work too much? Am I shuffling around my boys- the very REASON why I stayed home to begin with?
It’s a constant battle. One that I fight every day in an effort to make sure that I am maintaining some sort of BALANCE. And it’s not ever easy. I find that in my life, Satan does everything that is possible to make sure that the balance in my life is constantly chaos. If it’s chaos, it means that I am doing something very, very wrong. And it means that I’m not focusing on what’s important here. And that I’m not spending time with Jesus and allowing HIM to direct my steps. It only means that I’m relying on myself and all the things that I think are important to get done. And I’m not focusing on things from above, like the Bible calls us to.
Anyways. I guess this quick little letter is my way of saying. ‘I’m sorry’ to you both. You’re both too little to understand all of this big vocabulary, but someday you will. I’m sorry that I’ve spent the last few months rushing around you, impatient, sleep deprived, and grumpy. Mommy is doing some things to get back on track, including changing my diet so I’m not so irritable. I’ve been really, really horrible at keeping and maintaining any kind of balance these days. And you boys have gotten the short end of the stick, somewhat. I do promise you, that mommy is doing the best that she can. And I promise you that you really ARE the first things I think about when it comes to any decision I have to make. And I promise you that I’m going to strive for more balance in all the areas of our lives. And that when the balance scale is starting to tip, I will be more intentional about spending time with Jesus to get me back on track instead of just plowing forward, hoping the season will end soon.
Even though I am your mommy, and I’m trying to do the very best that I can, I still make mistakes too. I’m still learning and growing too. And I’m so lucky to have both of you as my little boys. Both of you sweet, patient with me, forgiving. And loving me enough to see past the mistakes I’m making along the way. I’m so grateful that we are in this journey together as a support system to one another. That’s what family is. And I’m so glad you’re mine.
I love you all the time.
Mommy xo
I just wrote up an entire blog post and decided to stop myself before I published it. For if I published it now, it would be out of a heated moment and about a topic that really gets me going. So instead of ranting and raving like a crazy lunatic with no self control, I’m going to BREATHE. Then, I’m going to edit my blog post a little bit and post it here once I’m not so worked up.
But for now, I leave you with this. For THIS is what I’d REALLY like to say to a few peeps today. But would regret it if I said it any other way:
Have you ever been to The Hangar Cafe? HAVE YOU? Oh my sweet goodness you HAVE to go.
It’s at the Chandler airport not TOO far from where we used to live. When we lived out in the East Valley, we never went to it, although I always heard good things about it. So one day a week or so ago, I decided to take the boys. So we picked up my sister and headed out there for the morning. And it sure was AMAZING. Right when you walk in, they have planes just parked only feet away from where the cafe is located. Cruz was ELATED to see these big planes up close. Well, they actually were SMALL planes, but big to him. You know, those kinds of planes that you couldn’t BRIBE me to fly in. But they were very cool to see up close. The cafe sits right along the runway, so we got to eat, talk and watch the planes come and go right from the patio of the cafe. The food was super good, service was fantastic. After lunch, we were allowed to go INSIDE the hangar and see some of the planes they were working on up close! I cant wait to take them back to the Hangar Cafe. If you’re in the area and looking for a fun lunch spot, look no further! Especially if you have little boys, this is better than a museum!
I have REALLY been beating myself up lately over some habits I’ve formed that I’m not SUPER proud of. Meaning, we eat out too much, I’m eating too much processed food, and not cooking or preparing for me week the way I’d like.
Well my friends. THAT IS ALL ABOUT TO CHANGE.
Tomorrow I’m starting a NEW weekly habit. And I’m nervous about it because I’m NOTORIOUS for starting something of this nature and not following through. It takes a lot of discipline. And while I have quite a bit of discipline in my life, the area of anything domestic or if it involves working out is super hard for me. I’m not ashamed to admit it, BUT it is slightly embarrassing. It IS embarrassing to say that I’d rather get take out than cook. It’s not my favorite thing to do.
But alas. It IS better for my family. And it will save us a ton of money. And while I’m not one to clip coupons or only shop at the grocery stores that have the bargains this week, I DO think I need to be a better steward of what God’s given me in this area. Plus, it will be healthier for us. The food industry is pretty gross these days and I constantly feel convicted about not taking the time to prepare my week in such a way, so that I don’t need to eat out. But I’m exhausted and don’t take time to do it. Well, tomorrow starts a new day for me.
I have already done ALL the grocery shopping for next week. I have cleaned/organized our pantry. And I have a plan for tomorrow. Tomorrow, I am basically going to get most of what I need ready and in the fridge so we can quickly grab snacks and prepare meals within our busy schedules. Sundays is usually a down day for me anyways. My family usually comes over. I should be able to stand in the kitchen and prepare for the week while I’m visiting with all of them. And my sister even offered to help! Now I really have ZERO excuses.
So tomorrow I am going to be cutting fruits and vegetables and getting them organized into tupperware. If they’re all ready to go, it’ll make snacking and cooking with them much faster. I’m going to be baking two loaves of bread (yes, homemade bread!), banana bread, Amish friendship bread, homemade coffee creamer, no bake energy bites, breakfast cookies, quinoa, brown and white rice, and cooking enough shredded chicken to have on hand in my fridge to last me for the week. Are you tired? I AM TOO. But I really think this new approach to my kitchen is going to help me. I’m not trying to be super mom. I just DON’T have time every single day to cook. We are super, super busy people. But I DO have time on Sundays to prep for the meals we’ll need during the week. And I’m really convicted about what we put into our bodies and trying to avoid all the chemicals that are on the shelves these days. If you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t be eating it. It’s SO hard. So I’m going to try it. I’ll definitely post my success and/or failures that may ensue tomorrow. HA. Hopefully I have more successes than not. And I’m really praying and asking God to bless my time doing it so that it will make for a fruitful week. I’ll post my favorite recipes once I figure out what I’d like to share.
Wish me luck!
So two days ago I just nonchalantly posted THIS comment on Facebook yesterday:
‘Got great news at Rider’s doctor appointment! He PASSED his hearing test! First time ever in his life to pass 100% and there’s no more fluid in his ears!!’
It was later that I realized that not a lot of people really knew what we’ve been praying for and wondering since Rider was born. So, I thought I’d clarify. I never said anything earlier because we just weren’t really sure what the deal was and wanted to wait until we got some specific answers before we just started saying/announcing things that we just weren’t sure of.
Basically, since Rider was born, we haven’t been 100% positive that he could hear. There was even a small period of time that we thought potentially that he was deaf. When he was born, he failed his hearing test in the hospital twice. FINALLY he passed and since he did, none of the nurses were too concerned with it. Getting a false reading on those tests CAN be normal. When he was four months old, we realized that he never turned to look at us when we made noises or called his name. There was probably a good week solid that I had so prepared my heart for the news that he was deaf. Then, when we were at Disneyland, Jason made a REALLY loud noise near him that startled him into a screaming hysteria.
So that answered our questions, or so we thought.
He then proceeded to fail his six month, nine month, twelve month AND fifteen month hearing tests. But all during this time, we HAD discovered that he COULD hear us. He was responding to us, answering to his name when we called, and could follow basic directions that most kids can follow at his age. We just weren’t sure to WHAT degree he could hear. His pediatrician could see fluid in his ears, but nothing too concerning. He never seemed to have ear infections that bothered him. No fevers, no illness, no staying up all night with discomfort. So I never pushed wanting to see a specialist JUST YET. I knew that sometimes fluid in the ears could go away and IF that’s what was causing the problem, we wanted to see if it would clear up on its own.
His doctor agreed, mostly because he wasn’t in any pain. It was to be at THIS last appointment that we would have discussed further options.
BUT, we went and got GREAT news! He has no more fluid in his ears AND he FINALLY passed his hearing test in both ears!! I was so ecstatic when the doctor said that his ears looked great. And I was relieved to know that he CAN hear! The next steps from here is to really work with him and encourage him to start talking. Our doctor wants us to wait until past his second birthday to discuss going to a speech therapist. One COULD say that he’s a little behind on his talking, but we’re going to wait and see how things progress there. He’s not behind on anything else and it could just be that his speech has been a little delayed due to the difficulty he’s likely had with his hearing.
So for today, we are THRILLED to know that Rider CAN hear. Whether he can hear or not obviously doesn’t change how much we love this kid. And if he WAS deaf or partially deaf, we would have embraced that news and made the absolute best of it. But we are thankful for little ears that can hear the way they were intended to hear. It’s a prayer I’ve been praying for since he was born and I’m very thankful to have an answer.
Sorry I wasn’t too public about it! We just wanted to be sure of what was going on before we said TOO much. But thank you to those of you who were aware and who were praying for us too! We are beyond grateful for a community of people who are crazy about our kids like we are.
I still feel like I’m recovering from Vegas. NO, not like THAT. I just mean, getting back into the routine of things and catching back up! BUT I’m still thinking about that week and how crazy and amazing it was all at the same time. It went by too fast if you ask me. We love traveling with the boys whenever we can. It always makes things a little bit harder. Kids are hard. And they are LOTS of work. But when I became a mom, I knew that I wasn’t going to sacrifice certain things that I loved JUST because it was harder with kids. Your life and business doesn’t have to stop once they enter your world.
But you do have to work harder.
In my experience though, it is always worth it. The sweat, the tears, the late nights, the planning, the preparation- the SACRIFICE. It’s all always worth it to make sure that you are bringing your kids along to experience something that you love to do so much. Traveling is that way for us. It’s a huge passion of ours and so whenever we can go experience something new, we bring them along! And it always takes more preparation. And there ARE certain things we might have to miss out on. But bringing our family with us while we work is something I hope we ALWAYS do.
We took Cruz and Rider onto the strip at night to see all the lights and the Bellagio fountains. Yes, we were THOSE people with a stroller on the strip. But they LOVED it. It was completely worth the efforts to take them to see the lights and the fountains and all the different fountains in Las Vegas. It was an experience that they might not have had otherwise.
And Cruz keeps talking about ‘BOSS BEGAS’ in his cute high pitched voice that just makes you want to die it’s so cute.
He LOVED every minute. I know that traveling with the kids is hard. I know that it would be easier for Jay and I to just have my mom stay home with the boys while we catch a flight there and back in the same weekend. I know we’d save a lot of money if we didn’t bring them. But it’s not about that for us. It’s about being together as a family, bringing them along with our lives, and giving them the opportunity to experience new things.
Sacrifice it might be for me. But although this job as a mamma is the hardest work I’ve ever done, I’d work even harder and sacrifice even more to give them the entire world if I could. Having them come along for the ride has been the greatest thrill of this thing called motherhood. And discovering that we actually DON’T have to sacrifice our own lives to have a family.
It was a great week. I can’t wait until we travel again. It looks like this summer we are going to Dallas, North Carolina AND maybe NEW YORK CITY. NYC has been a life long dream of mine. So we’ll see what happens!
