It's Not Raining. It's Not Pouring.

There was once upon a time when Lyla was the leader of bedtime theatrics. I never thought she would ease up on the constant negotiating, but she has finally settled into the law of the land and passed the torch to little brother. Max learned his most frequent bedtime requests from big sister ---- thirsty, hungry, fan on/off, bathroom, nightlight placement issues, etc. But last night his creativity went above and beyond.

The difference with Max, compared to Lyla, is he isn't afraid of walking downstairs to approach us with his request. Lyla has always preferred the route of screaming at us from above until she gets a response. Anyway, shortly after a rather smooth bedtime routine we were greeted by Max at the bottom of the staircase. He approached us and exclaimed it was raining in his bedroom. "It way-nee-ing my bed-woom." Kirk had to take the lead with this conversation, as I was burying my head in my sweatshirt trying to hide my laughter. His little voice saying "raining" is so cute. And it was the most random complaint I've ever heard, especially considering it wasn't even raining outside. The conversation continued down the road of hilarity as Kirk asked him if his bedroom was wet. Max answered by saying "Yes" and Kirk asked if he needed an umbrella or perhaps a towel. We noticed a slight smirk, as he responded by confirming an umbrella would indeed solve the issue --- "need un-bwel-lah." His tone was so very serious, but it was still clear it he trying to pull one over on us. He pouted as Dad sent him back to his room. Kirk checked on him shortly after, reporting there was no moisture found in Max's bedroom and he cooperated in lying back down.

I guess Max will have to add that one to the list of excuses that do not work. Haha!

Interesting. Hilarious. 

How do they come up with this stuff? 

Mindful Motherhood

I was in bed the other night trying to quiet my thoughts and find dreamland when I heard Lyla walk downstairs and enter the kitchen. I'm suddenly wondering how I knew it was Lyla at the time --- psychic mother abilities, I guess. Anyway, I listened as she dispensed some water out of the fridge and went back upstairs. If you know Lyla, then you can understand why I was in disbelief thinking about what just happened. I can count on one hand the number of times she has returned to her bedroom without assistance after waking up in the middle of the night. I felt proud of her, as I selfishly stared at the empty nest of pillows and blankets I arrange for her each night on the side of my bed. Only a few minutes had gone by and I found myself upstairs crawling into her bed snuggling up next to her. I giggled to myself for being completely ridiculous as I drifted off to sleep.

That's how this parenting stuff goes a lot of the time, for me at least. I am constantly conflicted by mixed emotions and being pulled in opposite directions of wanting to slow down vs. hurry up. I want them to sleep in their own beds, but feel sad when it actually happens. It's so odd. I tend to do a lot of reflecting anytime my kids make a transition into more independent beings, which seems to be a lot lately. It makes me happy and sad --- happysad. That word should probably be an actual synonym of "bittersweet."

We have reached a chapter in this childhood/parenthood dynamic that I have looked forward to for a very long time, including when becoming a parent was just a dream of the future. I've truly enjoyed most aspects of my parenting journey, some more than others. I loved loved loved my newborn babies, but those days were much more challenging for me emotionally compared to now. The place we are right now is a lot of fun for me. I have these two little people who can communicate their needs and wants, they are old enough to participate in a broad range of activities, and most days they let their imaginations lead the way. I'm so grateful for the time I'm able to spend with my kids. I'm entertained on a daily basis. And somehow, I feel this blissful stage slipping through my fingertips faster than it ever has before. Why do I dwell on the inevitable changes of the future? I have no idea.

I am constantly coming to the realization there are some things I will never experience again, in regards to my own children that is. I will never change their diaper again. I will never worry about one of them crawling around the playground eating bark, uhh or cat poop. I will never smell like boob milk again. I'm even nearing the end of helping to get them dressed each day! And eventually all these other little tidbits of parenting are going to pass by me as well --- things like buckling car seats, turning on light switches, and sharing the bed with two tiny bed hogs. And although I'm well aware this is the natural process of how this whole thing works, it still just seems shocking how fast it all happens. I'm doing my best to make myself aware of all these little things that add up to being a parent. In making myself aware and fully present, I hope to look back upon these years with no regrets. It doesn't have to be perfect either. 

The time I have right now with my children is something I value beyond anything else, but that doesn't mean I don't require being reminded of such insight on a regular basis. I occasionally end the day with a feisty attitude and think "Alright, you guys are four and two. That's probably good enough. Time to move out!" Joking ... but I do have to remind myself every single day to savor these small moments, the daily and routine moments. It can be challenging --- especially during the frequent battles of sibling rivalry where hitting is the preferred method of communication, the bad attitudes paired with back talking, and all the other limitless amounts of frustration that come along with raising children. Screaming back at them has proven to be unproductive.

Although putting together each piece of the puzzle can sometimes feel overwhelming, I have to remember that all those things and all those lessons are contributing to one big picture. And the big picture is preparing our children for a world from which their parents cannot shield them from. It's hoping we've done enough to teach them right from wrong, let them experience enough but not too much, and allowed them to make choices and learn from their own mistakes. And most importantly, it's loving them enough to know no matter what happens or how old they become, there is always a space in Momma's bed for them.

There really are so many aspects of childhood that can easily get rushed through simply because we are so eager for our kids to advance to the next checkpoint in life.  Obviously my thoughts on motherhood have only progressed for four years, so I'm interested to read back my logic in another 10+ years.  But one mindset I'm confident will never change is the reminder to myself to slow down. breathe. & enjoy. 

And now I miss my mom after writing this. siiigh. 

Charlie & Matilda

We recently introduced Lyla & Max to two new [old] movies and their initial interest has quickly transformed into an obsession. The past few weeks it has been the only thing they want to do following nap time. It's become our afternoon snuggle-session ritual, as they recover from the fog frequently caused by naps. We are generally able to hang out on the couch for half an hour before they become energizer bunnies again. Then it's not uncommon for them to make Kirk sit down for the remainder of the movie when he arrives home. The repetition of their movie choice can start feeling a little...blah. But if I've learned anything from being a parent, none of these phases last for long.

It all started with the original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory movie. Max was instantly infatuated with the main character, Charlie. He even insisted on wearing a red scarf, just as Charlie does in the movie. It was a bit confusing at first before I figured out he wanted the scarf to hang over the back of each shoulder, again, just as Charlie. Talk about attention to detail! He has also renamed the movie Golden Ticket. It's my favorite when he says it  --- "doh-den tih-tet." Lyla took interest in the character known as Varuca Salt, which has been just about as terrifying as you could imagine. Although she swears she is only pretending, I've still had to bring her back to reality a couple times.

I was able to find the movie Matilda at the library this week and it distracted them from the above mentioned movie. This was one of my childhood favorites and I've been thinking for awhile about how much they [especially Lyla] would enjoy it. Just as I thought, Lyla was captivated by the magic and intelligence portrayed by Matilda. Fortunately for me, Lyla forgot all about Varuca Salt and has since been acting as Matilda. This includes wearing a ribbon tied around her hair, bringing a stack of books to the dinner table, and focusing her vision on certain items very intently hoping to initiate some magic. 

It's been entertaining watching them act out scenes from each movie during their free time. I've enjoyed playing different roles as well, including Grandpa Joe and Principal Trunchbull. They are reluctant to stop playing pretend even when Mommy becomes bored of it, this includes continuing their games of fantasy in public places. The fun never stops for these two.

Oh Hey, Monday!

I am blogging on a Monday afternoon...this feels criminal. I have both the kiddos taking naps and, oddly, already defeated the weekly mound of laundry over the weekend. So, here I am sitting alone with actual free time. The sound of silence is golden right now. I'm thoroughly enjoying getting back into the groove of our normal routine after the holiday craziness. We accomplished a few in-depth cleaning projects over the weekend and checked off some other items that kept falling to the bottom of the priority list. Overall, we had a really productive weekend. This new year is feeling joyfully balanced so far, granted it's only been eleven days. There will inevitably be new flames that get tossed into our juggling act at some point as we progress through the year, but for now I'm soaking in the days of contentment and calmness.

This is an exciting week for us because we are going to tour some preschools for Lyla. She won't be attending until later this year in the fall, but from my understanding, most schools start the registration process in the spring. I don't think we will be enrolling anywhere of such elite status that it develops a waiting list, but you never know. We're just trying to stay ahead of the game. So at this point we are going to start with a few potential schools and go from there. I chose these prospects by a very rigid and informed process of elimination...based off the curb appeal of their website. Ha. I'm excited though, it will be fun. I'm looking forward to including Lyla in the decision process and letting her explore all the different options available. Obviously she won't be able to weigh in on all factors, but we want to make sure we pick somewhere she feels comfortable. I really don't think she will be hard to please, she seems mostly concerned with making new friends. We are simply gathering information to present to Kirk so we can eventually make a decision as a family. And Max will be tagging along too, of course. I wonder what me and Max will do when Lyla is at school. Hmm strange to think about...

I really can't imagine Max having any free time that doesn't involve Lyla. They have developed such a close bond that I'm almost a little nervous about something like preschool threatening that. I know it will all be fine, but it would be unlike me not to worry about every possible scenario. They currently have this ongoing game of "House" going on and it's so funny listening to their story line unravel. Max alternates between being the dad and baby. It can be confusing because sometimes he will start yelling, "Mommy! Mommy!" I will hurry to his rescue, only to find him saying "No, not you. Yi-yah mommy" [Yi-yah = Lyla in Max language.]  And it's never a real emergency, just a pretend one in their world of make believe. Those moments will never get old for me. Lyla says she can't wait until she grows up so she can marry Max. I don't dare break her heart about that one quite yet.

We also had a chance this weekend to complete Lyla's birthday interview. She never seems to answer the questions like I expect, but she is still a cutie nonetheless. Hopefully one day she will start taking my birthday interview questions more seriously. And hopefully by that time she also learns nose picking during an interview is an undesirable quality.....haha! Enjoy!

 

Life In A Nutshell...

She Did It!

As previously mentioned, Lyla decided she wanted to get her ears pierced as a stepping stone to turning four. If you care to read about how I terribly over-analyzed this decision when she was a baby, feel free to click here ---> [hi] I have to laugh at my silly self now, but at the time it seemed substantial enough to require some critical thinking. I actually feel completely neutral about babies with pierced ears, it's really not a big deal. Alas, I'm glad we ultimately left it as a choice to make for herself, even though it does make her look way more grown up.

We arrived to the salon on Monday morning right as another little girl was getting her ears pierced. Unfortunately, we entered the doors simultaneously as her screams echoed throughout the building and her arms were being held down in a locked position. It was a serious case of terrible timing. We tried to distract Lyla as best we could and luckily she was unaffected by the other little girls apparent traumatic experience. 

I fully expected Lyla's nerves to creep in and for her to chicken out. To my surprise, she remained confident as she picked out her earrings and sat in the chair. She waited patiently for the employee to finish with another customer, remaining cool, calm, & collected. 

When the time finally came, I laughed as Lyla refused to hold my hand or the stuffed animal they had to offer comfort. She basically had the attitude of "let's just get this over with" and that's exactly what they did. It was a simple process and I was shocked when Lyla didn't even let out a peep. Considering she sometimes wails when I brush her hair, I assumed a needle going through her ear might generate some real tears. Nope. She was so brave. In fact, I was the one with leaky eyeballs. Haha! I'm so proud of my girl.

They gave her an official certificate and we filled it out when we got back home. One of the questions asked who she was excited to show her ears to. I thought her answer was cute... "everyone, except for people I don't know." Then she said, "write it in just like that, Mom."

This reminds me a lot of the method in which she stopped using her bottle. I stressed for months about taking away her bottle, as all my attempts seemed to fail. I finally decided to just let it be when Lyla openly agreed to throw away all her bottles when she turned three. We encouraged this idea, but really didn't expect a three year old to have so much self-control. I assumed it was just a stall tactic, yet it was a justifiable excuse to ease my worries about having a bottle dependent daughter. We celebrated her third birthday and without any mention she announced that she would no longer use a bottle. No questions, no complaints, no crying --- she was just done, all on her own. Although there was little involvement from her parents, I still consider it an incredible victory saying goodbye to bottles. 

Anyway, I think this ear piercing decision was a lot like that one. She has been talking for months about how she would get her ears pierced when she turned four. Thanks to Kirk, she was fully aware the procedure required a needle going through her earlobe. But she insisted she would be ready at four years of age. And once again, she followed through just as she said she would.

Link to YouTube video: Phase One  & Phase Two

 

Birthday Girl

Lyla Birthday Celebration

We have officially celebrated FOUR birthdays with this girl. Then I started thinking about it and we celebrated her actual day of birth the day she was born, so doesn't it count as five? Why doesn't zero count as a number? I guess because we are counting only the years following the big debut, like it's been four years since her entrance into the world. It makes sense but it doesn't. My brain hurts from analyzing this situation. I should probably just delete this entire paragraph now...hmm anyways, moving on. Does anyone have any tips to make these little people stop having birthdays? Seriously, time flies. 

Due to Lyla's birthday falling on a boring ol' Monday, we decided to celebrate a day early. We asked what she wanted to do and her request was a trip to the zoo. Kirk and I giggled upon realization the zoo has become a frequent birthday activity for us and we're not even sure how. It's a tradition that occurred by complete accident, considering the two adults in our family don't particularly love the zoo. Ahhh accidental confession! I guess it's my own fault for planting that seed at an early age. Lol.

We faked some enthusiasm and happily agreed to her zoo idea, of course, and we were accompanied by some of our favorite people. It was so sweet of everyone to dedicate most of their day to celebrating with Lyla. She is very loved. The kids were especially fond of petting the goats, while I found our up close interaction with a snake the most thrilling. We finished our day of entertainment at our house with cake and ice-cream, along with a plethora of gifts. The inventory of Barbies continues to grow and I'm pretty sure she has acquired enough "Occupation Barbies" to start their own village. I know Lyla was appreciative of everyone's participation and generosity, as she kept saying what a great day it was as I tucked her into bed. However, her reaction to opening any gift containing clothing was hilarious. 

I told her about one gift I had saved for her real birthday, tomorrow. She pleaded to open it tonight and I agreed because it's not really that big of deal, as long as she has a clear understanding there will be no gifts to open on her actual birthday. Anyway, she was bursting with excitement upon learning she had one last gift to open from us. She ripped the paper aggressively and when she opened the box to find more clothes her facial expression was absolutely priceless. We had a good laugh. I guess clothes are pretty boring when you're four, but if the girl would stop growing I wouldn't have to keep refreshing her wardrobe. She seemed a little less disappointed when she learned it was a Barbie shirt.

I did feel bad for Max today, as he asked several times about when it would be his birthday. We've all experienced that at some point, so I know he will survive. Regardless, his sad little eyes stabbed my heart. Lyla was very sweet to include him in opening gifts and even let him play with her new toys. She's developed pretty good habits when it comes to sharing and I'm grateful for that. We spent the evening riding bikes outside, followed by watching 'Inside Out' snuggled up on the couch. As I laid there, I thought about how it was my last night squeezing my [technically still] three year old. I'm actually feeling content with her turning four, only because we've been talking about it for so long. It's when I start to think about how she will turn five next year and then start kindergarten that my heart starts swelling. And I don't like shopping in the big kid section for her either! I really can't believe how grown up she is. She has all her own thoughts and ideas, asks grown up questions, and she's pretty easy to reason with these days too. It could very possibly be all in my head, but it seems anytime a birthday passes for either of my kids they suddenly start acting differently. older.

Overall, the past four years have been so good to us. I am excited for more growth & adventures with our little family as we enter another new year. Lyla claims she would like to get her ears pierced tomorrow for her real birthday, but I'm skeptical if she will follow through. l will keep you posted on the final result of that one. Happy Birthday to Lyla!

I couldn't choose my favorite photos so you get basically all of them. There are a few that may leave you scratching your head, but I don't really feel like adding captions. And lastly, I'm wondering how Charli escapes nearly all my forced photo ops!?!