Fun times

So, in between the struggles, we also have fun times.
Here's a few pics of the good moments:

Candy face; it was a bribe for going potty before having an accident.

It worked that day.

Time for swinging.

Painting with mommy; a practice run for a RMG craft event.

Darla was being soooo cute last night. I love the giggles. :)

Darla sitting up and teething.

Derick and Darla playing together.

When time outs don't work anymore...?

About a week ago, something changed between Derick and I. We have been in a power struggle! Up until then, if I had to discipline him, he'd sit on his time out step (for the most part) for three minutes. It was an effective tool for us to get him to correct his behavior. All of a sudden, he won't stay on the step. Last Wednesday, it took me 1 hour and 20 minutes of putting him back on the step for him to stay there and do his time. (Supper Nanny style) And, during that process, Mommy LOST HER COOL! It was a moment I am not proud of. I had to put myself in time out to cool off or someone was going to get hurt! This situation has happened three times in the last week and a half. Each time, was a struggle. I asked Jeremy to watch me a little closer and to give me feedback on how I am relating to Derick. I'm trying to spend more time with him one-on-one during Darla's naps; instead of doing chores. I'm trying to go to that blank place when I do have to discipline him. That place void of emotion. It's tough for me....the emotional queen. Every time I see that look in his eyes....when I KNOW he's going to test the boundary, I get Anxious! Angry! Frustrated! My confidence as a parent and mother has taken a hit. I am questioning myself now, whenever I correct him. Am I being to hard on him? Am I being too soft and getting manipulated? I know there's no right answer and each family handles it differently. I'm hanging in there and doing my best. Sometimes, it just doesn't feel like it's enough.

Darla turns Six Months

I can't believe our baby girl is six months old, today. Half a year! Where has the time gone? She certainly is growing fast. I am just falling more and more in love with her every day. Her newest adorable thing is to say, "Ahhhh" while she smiles this HUGE open mouth smile. It's so cute! She also has *just* started to sit up, unassisted. We have to stay pretty close to her, but she's holding her positions longer and longer every day. She loves to taste everything; and will grasp for anything that's in her reach. We have to really watch what we are doing now, with her in our arms.

While Derick was hanging out in his room today, she and I had a little photo shoot. (Above) As soon as Derick figured out what we were doing, he had to get in on it. These ones below, are from Derick's point of view.

Derick's first Dentist Apt

We took Derick to his first dentist apt today. I was lucky, Jeremy and Darla were able to come with us, so one of us could be hands free if needed. But, it turns out, we didn't need it. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about how it would go, not knowing how he would do with the whole thing. Sometimes, he can be so shy and unsure with new situations. And other times, he'll just jump right in with both feet. The good news: Today he was amazing. What a confident big boy! We took him to a kid's dentist. Actually, The Kid's Dentist, in Renton. It's the same dentist that Jeremy saw when he was a child. (Newer offices, of course) They were wonderful with him. They gave him a tour of the place, told him all about the tools, even let him try them out himself! The woman cleaning his teeth was very patient and kind....letting him try the suction tool over and over again. He let them clean his teeth, opened wide right away and followed her directions very well. He even sat still for two x-rays!!! I was soooo proud of him and I know Jeremy was too. At dinner tonight, I asked him what his favorite part of the visit was. He said, "The bubble gum part. Cuz I wanted to scoop it up and put it in my mouth." Who knew that all it would take was some yummy flavored toothpaste to make him happy!?

The Funny Things Kids Say

If you've had a toddler in the house, then you know how limited their tastes in food can be. We've been encouraging Derick to try new things at the dinner table. After a long session of coercion conversation, he actually DID try something new. I've forgotten what it was that night. But, here's how the resulting conversation sounded:

Daddy: "See Derick, that wasn't too bad. It's pretty good!"

Derick: "Yeah, it's not too bad. I think I like it."

Another bite went in.

Derick: "Dad, when you try new things, it makes you want to go somewhere."

We laughed and I said, "Yes Little Man, when you try new things it DOES make you want to go somewhere! Let's go on vacation.....I wanna try new foods too!"

Recent Pics

Some recent pictures of our little family having fun......

Friday Photo Shoot; Darla was in the mood for pictures.

She loves to chew on cloth...I think it feels good on her gums.

Teeth are a-commin.

Flapping arms

Big smiles; these are the smiles that make it all worthwhile.

Reaching out; I just love her eyes in this one.

Beautiful Baby!


Sand Box Days are here again, Whoo Hoo!!

Fish Face silliness

Playing on the floor with Daddy....brings back memories of when my sister and I used to play on the floor with my dad.

Day at the Park

Yesterday was an impromptu day at the park, and it turned out to be so much fun! It was one of those times when I was really loving my kids. Darla took a morning nap, so we didn't get started until after 11am. I had to run to Target, so while in the store, Derick said to me, "Let's have a picnic!" I thought, why not? So, we headed to nearby Coulon Park. We picked up some Kid Valley yummies (had a gift card left over from X-mas) and headed out to the end of the dock to watch the water and eat. While we were there, a male Mallard duck came by to see if we had any food for him. It came pretty close to us and Derick and Darla had a front row seat. I had fun sharing my small amount of Duck knowledge with D-man. Derick was pretty excited about this close encounter, and watched the duck swim away with all kinds of great questions. Then, we went for a quick walk around the park and spent some time playing at the beach. Derick loves the sand and water and forgot all about the playground until it was time for us to leave! On the way out, we got to see a train moving on the tracks near the entrance to the park. This MADE Derick's day. It was all he talked about on the ride home and couldn't wait to share his news with Daddy, who was working from home. Then, he slept soundly for two hours! Fun times. For all of us!

Sensitive Boy

This morning, I awoke to the sounds of Derick talking quietly. Usually, I hear him get out of bed (it's not subtle, and is close to the sound of a heard of Buffalo). But due to lots of interruptions during the night, I missed it this morning. Bleary eyed and confused, I hopped out of bed and went in search of him. I found him seated in my nursing chair, softly speaking to his buddy, Baby Bear. When I asked him what he was doing, he replied, "Baby bear was scared, so I had to rock him." What a sweet boy! I love it when he shows his sensitive side.

Stay at home, Mom?

Recently, Jeremy was teasing me about being a stay at home mom. He said, "For a stay at home mom, you really aren't home much." And, he's right, I'm not. I like to be on the go, doing something. We don't have many mornings that are here at home, with no plans. Some of my friends tease me about getting together. They tell me they have to schedule a visit weeks in advance. Sadly, this is fairly accurate. Today, I realized why. I think there are three reasons.

The first: Chores. When I'm home, especially unexpectedly, all the chores I could be doing, stare me in the face. There's always something to clean, put away, or tidy up. I do try to just play with the kids. I do! But it never seems to last long, and there I am cleaning again. Add to that, the chores I do try to do, take me three times as long! There are constant interruptions, Mommy I want this, Mommy I need that, Mommy-WAAAAAHHHHH!

Second: My previous life has conditioned me to be busy. For many years, I had a career outside of the home. There, I was rewarded for staying busy; multitasking, and getting things done. To sit idly by and just play all day is so foreign to me. Even after three years of it.

Third: Loneliness. I miss adult conversations! Even if it's about laundry, cooking, or what happened at the grocery store, I need to talk to other adults. This is one of the main reasons I went looking for a mom's group three months after Derick was born. I was soooooo lonely. I'm thankful for my Mommy friends. And on days like today, I am all the more reminded of how much they mean to me!

So, I guess the truth is, I'm not so good at the staying home part of a stay-at-home job. It's just not as easy as it might look!

Derick turns 3 years old today!

Our little man celebrates his birthday today. This morning, at breakfast, I told him it was his birthday. He looked at me and said, "Right now?!?" I confirmed that it was indeed his birthday, right now. He said, "Oh Wow!" and followed that exclamation up with a face splitting grin. At three years old, we don't always have the greatest days together. He can push the boundaries and test the limits, just like any other three year old. But, I do enjoy those moments when his sweetness comes through. He is a tender hearted boy, who loves his friends and family very much. He adores his sister, and is constantly loving on her. If he doesn't know where she is, you can bet he is asking me, "Mom, where is Darla?" His uncles are his idols and he loves to tell stories that involve them. We also listen to stories about his cousins, Jordan, Jewel, and Cooper almost daily. His imagination has taken off the last 6 months and as his vocabulary continues to develop, the stories get more complex. They usually involve a truck of some sort and most often, there's a problem to be solved. It's so fun listening to his creativity.

Derick's first word was CAR and his love affair with all things mobile hasn't diminished. He currently is into driving his Silverado Truck that Santa brought at Christmas-time. He can spend hours playing with his hot wheels cars; they are the toy that is the hardest for him to share at play dates. He enjoys technology very much: cameras, PDA's, telephones, computers, and TV....all of these things are very interesting and cool. His newest obsession: Music! He loves to turn on the CD player in his room and crank up the tunes. He also LOVES to dance any chance he gets. Our guests are usually pulled up to his room almost immediately on arrival, and shown the, "Cool Music." And usually, he asks them to dance with him.

He has been potty trained since the end of August/early September, although he still has a few accidents when he's distracted or doesn't want to stop what he's doing to go use the potty. We are working with him on using manners; saying his please and thank you consistently is still a challenge.

I'm not sure if this is a boy thing, or more specific to Derick, but he has always loved to be outdoors. When asked how he wanted to celebrate his birthday, he said, "At the Park!" So, we had a friend party this morning at local park just down the street from our house. A few of our Renton Mom's group friends braved the rain and cold to celebrate with us. It was wet, but Derick enjoyed himself!

Cupcakes at the park

My heart is swelling with pride and love as I sit here writing about him. Since he didn't sleep during quiet time today, I'm listening to him play downstairs. It's time for mommy to go hug her boy, her three year old boy!

Growing, growing, growing

Darla turns 5 months old, today. Where has the time gone to? I have to say, those newborn days are quickly becoming a distant memory. Our little girl has grown into the cutest little baby! She is cooing, blowing raspberries, and has most recently started to squeal with delight. Her big brother can get her to smile the fastest, and each one of us feels special when she laughs at us. When she holds eye contact with you, you can get lost in those deep blue eyes. I wonder about all the thoughts she must have about this world she's living in. She still has clogged tear ducts, but the doc keeps telling us that they will clear on their own. I'm ready for her to be goop free!

This past weekend, she rolled from her tummy to her back and today she rolled from her back to her tummy!! Finally, tummy time has become more fun. She is grasping at things close by and connecting with her intended target more often than not. Her sleeping pattern at night has changed again, not to the delight of her mommy. She is back to waking every 4 hours for a feed.......and I'm back to feeling like a sleepwalker during the day. But, I know it's just another phase that will change again sometime soon. She is very interested in what we are doing at the dinner table and watches intently when we eat or drink. It won't be long before it will be time to try solids. We have noticed that she is a very active girl, who seems to thrive on people and activities. She enjoys watching her brother play and sometimes it's almost like she'd like to jump right into the fray with him. One of her favorite things to do right now is play in her jumperoo. So, I took some photos of her doing just that, today. Enjoy!

Easter Sunday

The morning began with a quiet smile exchanged between my love and I. I love waking up to see his sleepy face, with a small smile gracing it. The rain was falling gently outside and the kids were still asleep. It was a peaceful moment. To me, Easter is a time of hope, new life, and beauty as we watch the plants and trees in our yard awaken. It's one of my favorite times of the year. On rainy days like today, I like to just sit and watch it fall on the green grass and pink flowers: renewing, refreshing, and giving life.

We've had a VERY busy couple of weeks. It's been fun and a bit overwhelming. There have been lots of gatherings with family and friends. We've been celebrating Easter with egg hunts and good meals, with one more celebration today. So, instead of going into all the details, I thought I'd let the pictures do the talking.

Renton Mom's Group Egg Hunt














Easter Dinner with the Sommerdorfs

Easter Morning, relaxing with just us.

Waggoner family Egg Hunt and meal

Nikanne's birthday celebration was Friday, and I just adore this pic I took so I had to share it too! Don't they make a cute couple?

May you be blessed this day with love surrounding you and those you hold close to your heart. May your hope and spirit be renewed, and may your garden grow green and rich with color.