It's Sumpthin

It was a few months ago when Max uttered the phrase "it's something" or "it's sump-thin" if you're speaking in Max dialect. I was getting him dressed one day when I noticed one of my favorite t-shirts of his was becoming too small. I said something along the lines of, "aw man, this shirt is getting too small." That's when he looked at me with the most puzzled look on his face and said, "it's sumpthin." Yep. He was right about that, it's sumpthin. 

He's continued to say this in different scenarios, including when we were out to eat recently. He ordered mac and cheese --- surprise surprise --- and they brought him out a fork instead of a spoon. Max typically manages a spoon easier than a fork, so Kirk told him he would request one when the waiter returned to our table. Max looked at Kirk and said, "it's sumpthin." Haha! It's turned into our family motto of sorts and we say it anytime life doesn't necessarily go our way, but it's still tolerable. The optimism is seriously appreciated, Max.

It's important to shrug your shoulders a little when saying it in order to get the full effect.

*half smile* "it's sumpthin" *shoulder shrug* 

Lyla & Max started playing school when we get home from school. <-- ironic. Lyla is typically the teacher and I was laughing as she started clapping her hands while announcing it was story time. Max followed her prompts and Lyla offered him a small snack as long as he promised to sit criss-cross-apple-sauce. It's a funny dynamic between them that I'm enjoying while it lasts. I can still remember playing school with my little brother and it was always so satisfying having him willingly obey my demands. I see the exact same behavior in my sweet Lyla girl. The big sister syndrome is fierce.

ALSO, Max's first soccer game was a success. We are so grateful of our good friend Kurt for coaching at last minute due to the YMCA slacking in the organizational department. Kurt did a great job of herding those little rascals in the right direction, not to mention the kiddos were so grateful of having a professional soccer player coach their game. :) If you haven't already viewed my amazing, academy nominated feature film, you can do so by clicking here -----> soccer video.

Handful of Happiness

Summer has officially arrived. We are over here just trying not to melt. The heat actually doesn't seem as dreadful as it has in the past, so I guess that means I'm adapting or something like that. I thought I would share a few giggle-worthy stories with the blog. I will try to keep them short and sweet, but sometimes I can't stop these hands from typing in rambling mode. 

I took Lyla with me to run some errands over the weekend and we stopped in at Marshall's. As we were approaching the entrance, we noticed two police officers escorting a couple into a cop car. It was obvious they had been shoplifting and I took the opportunity to explain the consequences of stealing to Lyla. Her response: "Well, the girl still looks cute." Haha! I didn't expect that observation to come from her, but I appreciate she found some silver lining. Yes, that will be one good looking mug shot. Then I considered maybe she thinks pretty people can't make bad choices. If only the world was truly that transparent...what a refreshing perspective we would all have.

The next story is about my little buddy, Max. We temporarily adopted a kitten while Kurt & Olivia were travelling over the past week or so. He is the sweetest little fur baby and Max immediately took full ownership of sir-no-name kitty. I was hesitant to allow the kitty to interact with Krew unsupervised, so Max was in charge of tucking kitty into our guest bedroom each night and closing the door. As the days passed and kitty warmed up to his new surroundings, I noticed the typical feline-canine tension was nonexistent between them. They even brushed noses more than once. I decided they passed the test and it would probably be fine to release kitty from his nightly prison. He would likely be happier exploring the house and/or sleeping somewhere of his own choosing. The only problem is I made this decision after Max was asleep, so he was not informed of the change in kitty sleeping arrangements. It didn't even cross my mind, to be honest. I just went to bed as normal. My eyes shot open at exactly 6:00 am and I was surprised to see Max standing quietly on my side of the bed. I asked what he was doing, as this is an unusually early wake time for him. As he cradled kitty in both his arms, he whispered, "kitty needs to go back to bed." I rolled out of bed giggling and helped Max get kitty settled in the guest room. I was thankful Max fell back asleep for a couple hours, but I imagine kitty felt robbed of his freedom. Haha! Sorry kitty. Max loves you!

My last story is about a conversation we had during dinner just this evening. We were making predictions about how much longer we think Lyla will remain taller than Max. This led to a discussion about puberty and Kirk pointed out that if Max follows in his footsteps he could potentially start growing hair in weird places in nine short years. Knowing I was being slightly dramatic, I expressed how heartbreaking that will be for me. That's when Lyla chimed in, "Mom, we will still be here. And we will always call you Mom." She won my heart with that logical statement. 

Maxwell: Third Birthday

I finally have real internet access again. It was getting a little tricky living off cell phone data only, but clearly it's a manageable lifestyle. Although I still take full advantage of all the luxurious amenities offered to me, first world problems typically get a huge eye roll from this lady. Hopefully I can get in the habit of blogging on a regular basis again. There has been so many fun things happening in our lives, I would probably overwhelm myself trying to blog about all of it. So, with the exception of the birthday bash of sir Max, the past will be left behind and I will start blogging about life moving forward. 

We celebrated Max's birthday shortly after returning from Idaho. I was feeling like the energizer bunny, trying to adjust back to normal life after our trip while simultaneously plan a birthday party. Max requested a dinosaur party and we managed to pull it off, considering the short amount of planning time that went into it. As Kirk pointed out, Max will never remember the small details that I seem to dedicate to party planning. But let's be honest, I love parties! It's a happy kind of stress, for me at least. First world problems. 

We enjoyed an afternoon of swimming, eating cake, and digging up dinosaurs in the backyard. Yes, technically one would dig up fossils, but luckily none of the diggers made that connection. We all watched as Max ripped through his presents in record time. I would normally supervise a more thoughtful present opening process, but he was so incredibly fast and aggressive --- it was too funny to watch. He did stop for one second to read a birthday card. I found his intent focus to be humorous, considering he can't read yet. 

Texas has been on the receiving end of some atrocious amounts of rain lately, but I was grateful it took a short break during the party. I think Max had a fabulous time and enjoyed being the star of the show. Max turning three reminds me of how much he has changed since turning two. He remains pretty easy going most the time, but the layers of his personality are beginning to unfold. He is an adventure seeker and never lets fear stand in his way, which can be a bit terrifying at times. He is funny by nature. I always smile when I can hear a good belly laugh coming from him as he is playing...by himself. It usually involves any predicament he gets his action figures into, but I love a guy who can laugh at his own jokes. [insert Kirk emoji here] And above all, I admire how thoughtful he is, especially when it comes to caring for Lyla. Max is a big piece in our family puzzle and we are so lucky!

It's hard to believe we have a three year old again, for the second time. I'm pretty sure Lyla was just three. Life isn't slowing down and somehow that 17 month age gap just keeps shrinking. My heart does this funny thing when I think about what life was like when they were babies. It seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago all wrapped into one. The reason I try to capture so much of it is because I never want to forget. They are going to grow up tomorrow and their little voices, their laughter, and even their cry will never be the same. I know these are all precious moments, even on the days they make me feel insane. This motherhood business is a lovely experience and I'm looking forward to all the birthdays to come. 

Oh, and speaking of insanity. Max is on day seven of no pacifier. This comforting little item is known as the "baba" in our house. And I'm not sure who misses it more --- me or Max. The withdrawal symptoms have been super pleasant at bed time and I've definitely had to resist picking up another one, but I think we are through the worst of it. I can't blame him, the baba got us through some tough times together. We were building up anticipation for months about throwing away his baba when he turned three. He was even pumped about it, because obviously being three means you are way too old for a baba. I used this theory on Lyla and it worked like a charm, so I was hoping the same would unfold for the second child. Funny enough, I took three baba with us to Idaho and came home with only one lone survivor. We were keeping it around until the official throwing-into-the-garbage ceremony, but it vanished on its own. It was slightly disappointing, but it's gone and over with now. Bravo Max, Bravo!

Hermann Park Adventure

This week we joined some friends to explore Hermann Park in Houston. This giant park offers all the big city appeal, including no parking and plenty of free spirits roaming around aimlessly. I feel like I'm generally the type of person who is always aware of my surroundings, but put me inside of the city and my danger radar is on high alert. We stopped to play at one of the playgrounds and I quickly scanned every adult wondering which one was there to kidnap my children. I think I nearly crawled into the fetal position when all the kids started running in different directions as they were playing. Oddly, I don't get that same feeling of angst at any of the parks in my blissful bubble of suburbia. My devotion to crime television is likely to blame for my fear on that one. And as I always say, it's better to be paranoid than murdered. Actually, I've never said that before, but I think I'll start. 

note 1. It turns out all those adult creatures surrounding the playground were completely harmless. In reality we all had the same common goal of keeping track of our children. I even said "hi" to one and it said "hi" back. I think they could sense my unfamiliarity to this big city lifestyle. 

note 2. I would suck big time being a real resident of Houston. I would probably have to keep my kids on leashes, assuming we ever left our apartment. And yes, people residing in the city are only allowed to live in high-rise apartments. Don't argue.

note 3. Is my Idaho showing yet?

I will conclude that rambling session and continue writing about our afternoon now...

We had a wonderful time at the park. The weather was perfect. The kiddos rolled down giant grassy hills, found the best kinds of trees for climbing, visited the Japanese Garden, watched longingly as the paddle boats rowed by ---> begged to rent paddle boats ---> cried when denied, checked out some artsy fartsy statues and fountains, and played their little hearts out at the splash pad and playground. We also sat down for an exquisite picnic featuring ham and cheese sandwiches, only the finest for these kiddos. And I was so impressed that nobody ever complained about all the walking. 

I've drove in circles around Hermann Park several times before, but this was my first experience checking it out on foot. It was a really fun time! After we all wore ourselves out, we loaded up the car and returned home to the happy land of suburbia with a vehicle full of five tired kiddos. It was a calm drive home until Max announced he urgently needed to pee and unfortunately the bumper to bumper traffic made it impossible to exit in time. It was all down hill from there. Max may have earned himself the nickname Mr. Peebody, but a soiled car-seat wasn't enough to ruin our day!

Summer Vibes: Part 2

This post was supposed to be combined with the last one, but the words started flowing about the soccer situation and I got a little carried away. This blog is self-serving like that. So I went ahead and separated this post from the crazy vent session.

Anyway, this Texas heat makes it undeniable that summer is here at last! I considered gearing up for a weekly summer routine, but I think we could all use a break from a structured schedule for awhile. I made a commitment to let go of our schedule this summer and just go with the flow instead. I'm a little hesitant to do so because I do enjoy planning out our activities on a weekly basis. As I'm tucking Lyla in for the night, she always asks our plans for the following day and I'm always quick to respond with an exact play by play from morning to night. This summer I want to take it day by day, moment by moment. I'm going to step outside of my comfort zone and see where life takes us. My new response to Lyla's nightly question is, "we are going to do whatever we want." 

Lyla and Max aren't babies anymore. And as much as I miss them being those brand new beautiful creatures, I'm honestly enjoying them now more than ever. I love watching their personalities blossom. I love seeing their bond grow. It's really easy going being a parent right now. We are all best buddies and I think I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Lyla is a big story teller nowadays, she uses "actually" as a filler word in her sentences and it's hilarious. She likes to ask me to tell her stories about myself from when I was three-ish. I tend to make up details now and then, but overall I enjoy reminiscing with her by my side. Max is in a do-it-myself phase, which proves to be equally as hilarious as Lyla's vocabulary. He is also so affectionate and I'm grateful for his loving energy. He literally forces me to sit down on the couch and snuggle him --- not that it requires a lot of convincing to cuddle him, but you know what I mean. 

I've been reminded far too often lately of how quickly life can be taken away from us. Life is short, too short for some. It's been eye opening for me. Grief is powerful. I need a change of direction this summer. I need more spontaneity. I'm not going to wait around for memories to happen --- I'm going to make those happy memories right now! My new philosophy is to do more and worry less. I want to say "yes" more. There will be no regrets and no holding back. I want to prioritize what we want over what we need, even if that means just for the summer. I'm so fortunate for this time I have with my kiddos and I'm going to make the most out of every minute.  

This little summer experiment may cause life to fall a little too far to the chaos side of the spectrum. I'm not sure if peaceful chaos can exist for me, but I'm determined to find out. We can always make change for balance in our lives when nature is ready for another seasonal shift. 

Summer Vibes

There is something in the air recently, I do believe it is called summer! Kirk's birthday has marked the kick off to summer for me for several years in a row. However, now we get an even earlier start to the summertime fun with Max's birthday falling only a week before Kirk's. The back to back birthday madness is slightly exhausting, but I anticipate many more years ahead of celebrating for an entire week. It will eventually flow more naturally.  

As summer begins, we say a bittersweet goodbye to our normal routine. We are finished with our weekly music class, visit to the library for story time, and soccer. Speaking of soccer, I think Lyla is happy for it to be over with as well. She loved playing soccer initially, but instead of using that excitement to improve her skills, she allowed it to transform into a state of panic. And once that seed was planted, there was no convincing her otherwise. It was too much pressure. That string of emotions has to be genetic and I know she got it from me. There are countless moments from my childhood of feeling overwhelmed with anxiety anytime the focus was centered around me. I was intimidated of strangers and shy to the extreme. I even refused to attend daycare, and I mean physically refused to go to daycare. I know my parents tried desperately.

I felt the urge to pressure Lyla to step outside of her comfort zone, only because I know how many fun activities I missed out on when I was younger because I let my nerves get the best of me. I knew she would have fun if she just got out there, but it didn't feel right to force her. I reminded myself that although it's my job as a parent to guide her, it is still her own journey and she has to work through those struggles on her own. It seemed ridiculous to continue going just for us to sit there and bake in the sun, but I wanted her to finish what she started, especially since soccer was her idea in the first place! That was really the only thing that irritated me. Yes, I know she is three. Yes, I know a three year old is still experiencing things for the first time and can't be expected to know what they really want. I don't even think the lesson of being a team player is comprehensible at that age. Ha. Oh well. The only explanation she could ever provide for not wanting to join her teammates was, "I'm just scared of all the people..." It is heartbreaking for me because I totally understand that. And although people tend to annoy me more than intimidate me at this point in my life --- I still feel shy from time to time!

Kirk, on the other hand, was frustrated because he was an athlete who thrived on having the spotlight. He assumed Lyla was intentionally being difficult, as she sometimes is, and it didn't occur to him that she might actually be feeling nervous. He was actually quite confused when I explained it to him. He thought, "Why would she be nervous about playing soccer? Soccer is fun."  I elaborated on some of my own traumatic memories from childhood when I was pressured to do things I didn't want to do. I recall hiding out in the bathroom at my own 6th grade track meet simply because, just like Lyla, I was scared of all the people. It seems so silly now. Kirk made an attempt to laugh at the situation, as he saw all his hopes and dreams of having an athlete for a daughter float away into the distance. I want to feel empathetic for Kirk, but I'm struggling to do so because team sports were never my thing. I think team sports can be very valuable in teaching life lessons and of course I want both of my kids to explore their own interests, but I was never one to understand the thrill of having a crowd watch me compete. Yuck. 

I giggled as Lyla brought up the idea of signing up for ballet immediately after finishing the soccer season. We explained to her that she will have an audience performing ballet as well. Kirk is hesitant to jump right into ballet, as am I. However, I think it's important she is given more opportunities to spread her wings and build her confidence. She will never conquer her fears if she doesn't have a chance to face them. Plus, she is only three. She still has a long road of emotional development ahead of her and maybe she will grow out of that terrified-nervous-I-want-to-puke phase long before her momma did. Although we were surprised by her jitters over soccer, a lot of spunk remains in that little body and I predict she will still be a leader among her peers. 

I've obviously done a lot of reflecting on that topic. Kirk gave me the most puzzling look when I brought up the subject again several days later. Men just don't dwell on things like women, at least in my experience. I applaud Kirk for calming my frazzled thought process. We will chat again about ballet this Fall. 

These photos represent the beginning and the end of soccer. She enjoyed practice just fine, it was game day that was unacceptable. The bottom photo is terrible quality, yet necessary to understand this complex situation. She is still the most adorable [non] soccer player ever. Oy vey...

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Kaili Birthday Celebrations

My dad's adventure was half way over when my little brother arrived. Jake's energy is the essence of our family dynamic and it almost felt like the old days. You know...the 90's. It's obvious we are each others roots. My brother proved he still has the ability to annoy me in under 24 hours. He drives me crazy in the best way. I would still prefer to keep him around as long as possible, even if I want to claw his face. For some reason I have no filter when it comes to my brother and I have no problem channeling all my mean energy towards him. I feel like I should feel bad about it, but I don't. Because he is a turd. It's just how it is. I even yelled at him for not trying hard enough to speak in Barbie voice properly. He just rolls his eyes at me because he is used to it. And then I question why Lyla is so bossy!? Ha. 

Anyway, my birthday was honestly the best day. I was a little worried when I checked a month ago and realized it would fall on a Monday. That day is typically a downer, so I had low expectations. I figured I would call it a good day if I didn't have to lock myself in my bedroom for a five minute breather. Hey...it happens sometimes. 

That was before my house guests made their spur of the moment plans. I am so glad they did. We celebrated my birthday with my Texas family at Benihana's for dinner on Saturday. Then me, my brother, dad, and kiddos went to Galveston on Monday for my actual birthday. My last experience at Galveston was only slightly enjoyable because Max was still in the high-maintenance baby stage. Plus, the beach was covered in sea weed. It smelled like poo. To my surprise, the seaweed has vanished and the beach now looks perfect. We had a great time flying kites, building castles, and splashing in the water. We picked a terrible restaurant for lunch, but turned it into a humorous experience rather than a negative one. Lastly, we stopped at the old fashioned candy story on our way out of town. 

The thing about the beaches around here is the sand hangs onto your body for dear life. I think it's the humidity. I really need to make it to a beach with beautiful, pure white sand in the near future. Anyway, we made it home just in time to wash off the layer of sand, then Olivia brought over a delicious birthday cake. Lyla had been asking all. day. long. about the birthday cake. I don't think she could understand how it was my birthday without any presence of cake. It was a fantastic day and a great way to start my new year. Shout out to my mom for pushing me out of her uterus. 

Speaking of my mom, her and my dad swapped places. My dad went back to Idaho and my mom is officially in Texas. It's like the divorced version of a family vacation. I will likely be blogging about the variety of scarves she brought with her very soon.