oh, the snowmanity!

So that was really just for dramatic effect. (And because Joe said that, above, and it was funny.) The snowman cake actually behaved quite nicely:

And Jadyn did finally decide that she was, in fact, 3 and not still 2. ("I'm still little!" is what she kept telling me.)

We painted "snow" on the windows, which was ridiculously cute. Jadyn kept getting upset because somehow, she kept getting painted with snow. This was, of course, a tragedy since the snow paint was made out of soap. "I not a window!" (best read with accompanying frown/grimace)

I think she had fun, and the best news is that today she is still 3.


And now basically everything is over. Sounds absurd, huh? I have a week to pack, and then it's Christmas in Omaha. I'm really glad I have a week to "take a breaver" (as Jadyn says) before Christmas.

In another exciting development, I got a Dremel tool set for Christmas. I am super excited about it, and no doubt I will be posting pictures of my accomplishments throughout the next year! First up, jewelry box.

party!

Jared's birthday "cake." (Out of the 7 birthday parties I've done so far, we've only had a cake twice. And one of those times, the cake looked like Pablo's face, so it was a pretty involved cake.) Isn't it cute?! I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Sometimes I never know if what I cook up in my head is able to be executed in a manner acceptable to my standards. And it's Monday morning, and only the letters and part of the caboose (and most of the wheels) have been eaten.
The birthday monster really likes rice krispies! (And puppy chow, and anything else he could get someone to feed him!)

Then Jared opened presents with his daddy, and then he had to leave his own party early to take a nap. Rough.

In a completely unrelated note, we netflixed the movie Stranger than Fiction, with Will Ferrell (and a bijillion other people). It was really really good. If you haven't seen it, you need to. I'm still thinking about it.

happy Jared!

This look says, "I know mommy wants me to cooperate, but I think I'm gonna continue to do whatever I want!"

Today is Jared's first birthday. For his birthday, I took him to the doctor. Aren't I nice? But before that I made homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I have this tradition of making cinnamon rolls for birthdays. Until this point, they have definitely been popped out of a can. (Who can resist popping open those cans?) But this time, I made them. I think I have bitten by the organic/no preservatives bug...but that's another blog.

His birthday party is Sunday - there will be better pictures then.

In some ways, a year goes by so fast...in other ways, it's been a really long year!

we're going to the beach, the beach, the beach

I can always tell when it's time for me to take a vacation because I very suddenly have no more ability to be productive. I also get impatient. The trouble is, actually taking a vacation is no longer very relaxing for me. So I've found myself embarking on mental vacations. I picked up a sudoku puzzle the other day and figuring out a system of solving those puzzles was interesting diversion for a couple of days. Then I busted out a book of logic puzzles. Doesn't sound much like a mental vacation? Well, it's a departure from the things I have to think about (or at least should be thinking about/doing).

You are witnesses; I am starting the trend. Here is the first "year in review" for 2007: 2007 was pretty much as stinky as 2006, in a whole new way. There were perhaps a few more good things in 2007 than there were in 2006, but there has certainly been just as much drama.

my mom is cool

In case anyone ever wondered where my penchant for kooky ideas comes from, this should explain everything:



Yes, those are my parents. Yes, that is a giant rice krispie treat wedding "cake." Isn't it cute?!

My mom came up with this idea for a friend's wedding party/reception, and my dad helped her execute it. I think it's super cool, and I love that my parents do crazy things like this. I just wish I could've been there to help!

Jadyn is learning a valuable lesson: if she doesn't eat her food in an expeditious manner, chances are good Jared will finish it for her.

This morning, she left some of her pop tart (as usual), and Jared came along and finished it. (Not ideal, but he's almost a year old and pop tarts aren't the worst thing in the world.) This upset her greatly, although I think it was mostly because he ate her food, not necessarily because she was ever planning on finishing it herself...

For those keeping track, Jared's second word: "ba-ba," translated "bye bye," complete with hand gesture. Words 2, Dada 0.

trouble already

Sadly, I didn't have my camera to capture the momentous occasion: Jared ate an entire Jr. Roast Beef sandwich and 1 1/2 potato cakes for lunch at Arby's on Saturday. I told him his Uncle Ravi would be proud. I think Jared will be giving Ravi a run for his money for the eating bragging rights in the near future.

Last night, Jared climbed up the stairs. All of them. By himself. Joe followed him up, but I was highly disturbed watching the whole business. Apparently, he hasn't read the memo about not being a year old yet.

Some days you wake up and notice a pattern to the day. According to my small children, apparently the theme of the day is "let's make a mess for mommy to clean up!"

The leaves started falling off our oak tree in the backyard about a month ago. I thought it was odd, since the weather hadn't changed at all, but perhaps the tree checked a calendar. Silly rabbit, fall is for kids. The tree was merely shedding leaves in order to grow new ones. It's nearly full of bright spring green leaves. Depressing.

this and that

• Anyone who reads this and is not part of our Friday night Bible study will be sad: I have declared October "pumpkin dessert month." Lest the name not be description enough, every Friday night in October we will be having a pumpkin dessert. First up, pumpkin pie. After that...we'll see. My choices abound: pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin creme brulee, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cake... (I'm starting to feel a little like Bubba from Forrest Gump.)

• Jared starting saying "mama" on Monday. It's his first word, and he is the first child to say "mama" before "dada," and the sad part is I would have been just fine with him saying "dada" first. It makes it very easy to hand him off, "See, he's asking for you!"

• I never suspected it would happen, but I'm really enjoying coaching soccer. Last Saturday, my little team actually played like they had heard and understood and were implementing things I had been teaching them. It was pretty exciting. It is amazing how personalities play such a factor at this age, maybe because they haven't learned to be anything but who they are yet. It's also a little overwhelming to try and figure out where to start in teaching them how to play - they really don't know anything, but at the same time they are eager to be taught and then play. I sometimes wish I hadn't had my nose in a book the whole time I was growing up. I think I would've liked to play a sport...I might have been decent at softball.

• If you are at all able, go get some Blue Bell Southern Blackberry Cobbler ice cream. There really are no sufficient words to describe it.

• One of the worst parts about having small children is not being able to just sleep it off when I am sick. Today is the first day this week I feel remotely like myself again. And as a sort of addendum to my previous post (sorry Ashlee!), I must point out that I had no trouble with allergies until I came to the lovely state of Texas.

• In case you were wondering, we have declared September a terrible month. This information is so that you can be prepared next year, as we certainly will be. As far as I am concerned, September is now a close second to January when it comes to months that I don't like. October, if solely by mere fact of the "pumpkin dessert month" declaration, will be better.

• Poor Jadyn is feeling horribly left out because I have started homeschooling Alaina, and Jadyn desperately wants to "do school" too. Given my natural tendency to want everything to be fair, a large part of me wants to include her. The other part of me, which is winning, says that she has to wait until she is old enough and that she's not going to get to do everything Alaina does at the same time.

• Jars of Clay and Relient K have new Christmas albums out this year...look out world!
  

today...

I hate Texas.

I hate Houston.

I hate the weather.

I hate airports.

I hate not getting what I want.

I hate traffic.

I hate having to persevere.

SAVE ROSENBLATT

Okay, I know this post will have little meaning to some of you who read my blog. However, if you have a minute, I'd really appreciate your help.

Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha is the site of the Men's College World Series. The CWS has taken place in Omaha for over 50 years. I don't even know how many games I've been to, or how many times we've stood in line for hours on Saturday morning of the championship (when it was one game, winner take all). Going early and finding the best parking spot on the street is part of the adventure. We have found a couple of "secret" parking spots over the years. We've also parked at the zoo, which is right next to the stadium (even though you're not supposed to, though for the record, we did go to the zoo that day). We used to go during the week, when you could get in with one ticket and stay for two games. We always sit in the right field bleachers and mock the left field bleachers and heckle the right fielder. I'm pretty sure we were at a game that USC was playing and we heckled Morgan Ensberg.

Every summer, one of the most significant things I miss about being in Omaha is going to the CWS. That's part of the reason I will watch every game on ESPN - you can see Rosenblatt and get an idea of what Omaha is really like. There's a reason you will always find an LSU fan at the CWS, regardless of whether or not LSU is in the tournament.

And it's not just the CWS. Rosenblatt is a really great stadium for minor league ball, too. It may not have the swimming pools of new minor league parks, but it has character and tradition, which you cannot manufacture, no matter how much brick you use. This picture is how I think of going to a baseball game (even though this picture is from the wrong field bleachers). Summer, open air, sunshine...no doubt a beach ball is floating around the bleachers somewhere.

So please go here, and sign the petition to save Rosenblatt Stadium. Tell anyone you know who is a fan of baseball, or college sports, or just opposed to wasting money on a new sports arena that isn't necessary. And if you're ever in Omaha I will take you to a game.

assorted musings

From the last week or so...

• If you heard a faint shout for joy last week and were perplexed as to its origin, all I have to say is that Pumpkin Spice Lattes have returned to Starbucks. Bring on the Christmas music!
• More evidence proving the case that I should be commissioner of baseball: Bud Selig reduced his friendship with Cecil Cooper to a race issue. The article is here.
  
• Sunday morning conversation:

Jadyn: I want sa brefest. (translation: some breakfast)
Me: You want some breakfast?
Jadyn: Yeah.
Me: Well, it's almost time for church, so we're going to have to eat breakfast in the car.
Jadyn: Awww, dagnabbit!

• Sometimes they prove they really do love you (or at least need you because they're hungry). The other night, after putting the girls to bed, I stayed upstairs to do some work. Joe and Jared were downstairs. Jared crawled (scooted, more accurately) from the living room to the kitchen, whined a bit, turned around, scooted back to the living room to the stairs, where he started crying when he heard my voice.
• Every week should be a 4-day week.
  

just for Lisa

Ode to My Espresso Machine

The question I ponder
every now and then,
regarding the past,
how it could have been
that I harbored distaste
for a newfound friend?

That friend, espresso,
takes a latte form.
And frantic to and fro
of my daily norm
then takes a repose
while my latte is warm.

So hurrah for my espresso machine!
A true friend will it ever be.
Though small in size, on it I am keen.
But please don't expect more rhyming from me!

breakfast wisdom

I want to share with you the things I learned from my cereal box. These are suggestions from the good people at Cheerios (or at least their marketing or box design department) about how to "mix it up" in your life.

- Make a mix tape/CD.
- Learn one good joke and tell it.
- Write 10 things that make you happy and do one of them today.
- When describing something, use sound effects.
- Write all your emails so they rhyme.

Spanglish

So we Netflixed Spanglish, and I watched it on Sunday. Has anyone else seen it?

Let me start by saying that I really liked the movie. Adam Sandler, and by extension his character, is extremely likable - genuine and human. I have never really liked Tea Leoni, but she plays the role well (I'm beginning to think she's generally typecast). The crazy part is, despite my dislike of Tea Leoni, I still understood her character and even felt sorry for her. Anyway, the movie is really good - I've been thinking over it for a couple of days now. The main theme of the movie is the question, "how do we define ourselves?" Do we let external influences - culture, appearances, wealth, etc. - determine who we are and how we behave? Or do we let internal desires make our choices?

I have hung on to so many things (or people) that provided a definition for me over the course of my life. But at the same time, I react very negatively when someone tries to label me or tell me what I am. I don't think it's an easy thing just to be who you are. I think we'd save ourselves a lot of trouble if we could just figure out how to be who God made us to be and be happy with that.

my new best friend...

a mid-morning latte.

(Just in case you haven't heard me say it yet, coffee and caffeine both have health benefits. Seriously.)

childhood conversations

Jadyn: These flip flops are not working!

Alaina: (not even looking up from her task) Are they the right size?

Jadyn: Yeah. (pause) Pretty sure. ... Pretty sure.

they're back!!!

Though it probably made no difference whatsoever, I will choose to believe that the emails I (and others) sent to M&M Mars held some sway because dark chocolate peanut M&Ms are back!

So I bought some yesterday, and all of you need to go buy some too.

where'd that come from?

So I was watching this show last night on PBS about art. Seriously. It was one of those "by accident" things - the TV was on PBS when it was turned on, etc. etc. etc.

One of the things people might not know about me is that I love art. And it occurred to me as I was watching this show about Rembrandt - and how he was a total rebel and was sticking it to the man through his art (despite the fact that it was the man who had been paying for his art...) - that I have not been to an art museum in a really long time. I think the last time I was at an art museum was when I went to the Chihuly exhibit at the Joslyn. Anyway, that fact makes me kind of sad. Art is fascinating to me, and there's something in me that has missed that. I can't even really explain it.

So to all of those people who will be in the same city as I am at Christmas, I am going to the Joslyn. You are welcome to come with me, or you can stay at home and watch my children. :)

And yes, once again, this qualifies as one of those things that is cooler in Omaha - in my opinion, at least, the Joslyn kicks the Contemporary Art Museum's butt. And I think most of the people who would read this have not been to both museums, so that, combined with the fact that this is my blog, means that I'm right.

Nighthawks
Edward Hopper

how long can he possibly go without sleeping through the night?

Up to eat twice a night for the past week...he's never slept through the night for more than 4 nights in a row.

It will, in fact, be a miracle if I make it until the child turns 1.

a travelogue of sorts

A few amusing things heard on vacation:

Alaina (to Raj): You have short arms.


Alaina: That's Hoppy Bunny. I adopted him and named him Hoppy Bunny Lulla Larry.

Alaina (to Raj): You're weak sauce.

Azina: Jadyn, what is that?Jadyn: Puppy bunny.


Lindsey: Isn't Uncle Raj awesome?
Alaina: Yeah. But Uncle Ravi is more awesome.

Me: Jadyn, do you like your new car seat?
Jadyn: No!

Azina: I have to go back to my house in California.
Jadyn: No!
Azina: You can come visit me.
Jadyn: No!

Jadyn: I want no go to Texas.

That's all I can remember for now.

11.957

According to Joe, this is the number of days left until we go to Omaha. (He's also in need of a vacation...) I started the countdown on the message board by the door on Friday. Alaina is very excited about going to see Grandma. I am super excited about going to Omaha, but I am a little apprehensive about this road trip... The great thing is that Azina will be with us to help (plus she's cool to hang out with!), but I would be happy for any ideas about what to bring with me for a 2 year old and a 4 year old to do on the trip. It's going to be about 16 hours (and we're hoping not any more than that).

That's about all that's going on around here...we're working on soccer, and I'm pretty sure this is going to be the biggest season I've ever been part of. I just have this feeling that we don't know what we're in for!

Joe's parents gave us tickets to the Astros game yesterday for Mother's Day. I was away for Jared for more than an hour for the first time, and it was nice. He's also finally starting to sleep in his crib in his room, and I forgot how much I can get done when a baby is on some sort of schedule! Anyway, that wasn't the point of this paragraph. The point was that Joe bought me an Astros cap for Mother's Day, and I got to pick it out, and it's purple! Is it sacrilegious to get a baseball cap not in the team colors? Perhaps. But I don't care. I finally have an Astros hat. Even Alaina and Jadyn had one before I did, it just wasn't right. And they won yesterday!

Happy May Day!

If I could, I would leave baskets of popcorn and jelly beans at all of your doorsteps.

As it is, I will just leave you with a picture of my new refrigerator.

It's shiny and pretty and the girls love it. So do I. :)

wow...

My sister pointed this blog out to me...it's fascinating. But those bugs are disgusting.

We're so removed from it all in this country. (Or maybe we just have less obvious symbolism to deal with...) Thinking of the things that we do to each other, physically and emotionally, makes me feel ill.

So far this year, someone I know has died every month. Not a particularly delightful thought.

randomness

I'm almost finished reading Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. Go get it and read it now. Seriously, it's that good. Reading it has made me reflect on my past and how amazing it is that I am who I am where I am. It seems as if at any point in my life I could've turned out to be a caricature of Christianity (not that I've got it perfect by any means). But God made sure that didn't happen. And I think a lot of that is because my mom is amazing. Of course I didn't realize that when I was growing up, but in so many ways she did things and believed things that were different from other people but that were true. And she didn't do it aggressively or with an agenda, she just did it. I think she'd say that she learned from the things she didn't like when she was growing up. Joe says that, too. It makes me wonder if I've actually learned anything. I've always been surrounded by people who have learned things, and I feel like I tend to just depend on those around me.

Sometimes it's hard. In the Christian culture, even the anti-Christian culture Christian culture, it seems as if there's a stratification. People who do things that affect large groups of people, particularly oppressed or marginalized groups, are held up as examples and have articles written about them. I'm sorry, I just can't make it to Africa this year, I have laundry to do.

I'm not looking for a pity party, I swear. Sometimes it's just hard to believe that this stratification that we apply to every aspect of life is not how God operates. And if that's the case, then why do we do it? Did He create that tendency in us? Seriously, is it really the same spending an hour with orphans and spending an hour trying to get all of us dressed in the morning? It's like trying to reconcile the idea that we don't know what's going to happen in the next hour or the next day with the reality that we have to make plans, whether it's to go to the beach or what to have for dinner.

Alaina requested "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" as our lunchtime soundtrack. She even knows that it's a Beatles song. I wonder if my kids are going to think I was amazing, despite the freakouts I'm prone to when they make a mess unnecessarily... (Don't squish your muffin! Why did you do that?!?)

My sibs and I used to play the "crusties" game. For whatever reason, people stare at us when we go places together. Inevitably, every time we walked into the mall, we would win because of the number of people who looked at us funny. I sort of feel like I'm playing that game by myself now, but sometimes it's a little less innocuous. It is far from the easiest thing in the world to do errands with three small children. I always have this voice in the back of my head telling me that I did this to myself - this is the choice that we made, so I can't complain. That's not what I used to believe. I used to believe that God would give us children according to His plan for our family. I still believe that. Everything else just doesn't look like I think it should. The way things are going, God is blessing us in ways that I never expected, or maybe even wanted. I'm not sure what to do with that.

By the way, I now believe that a water bottle is completely inferior unless it is filled with candy. (Thanks Azina!) :)

Jadynisms

Things Jadyn has said recently:

"I busy right now." (In response to being told it was naptime.)

"Grumpy, mommy." (regarding her emotional state)

"Angry. No go back." (Complete with crossed arms, after being told it was time to go home.)

"man yo hat" (Curious George's friend)

"I blow him. I squish him with my foot!" (accompanied by stomping; in response to Alaina screaming about a bug, or anything that remotely resembles a bug)

"Don't [s]pank my little bottom!"

the celebrating continues...

Since I was 5, I have always had a birthday buddy. My brother Raj was born the day after my 5th birthday. A few years ago, I discovered another birthday buddy - as Jadyn says, Ashwee!

So happy birthday Raj - I'm glad that we are friends now because the days of me being stronger than you are long gone! I love that we (including those other two yahoos) are siblings who actually like hanging out together and miss each other. And I'm starting to come around to your way of thinking regarding Coldplay...although they will never be better than Switchfoot.

And happy birthday Ashlee - thank you for showing me what Christian friendship was all about. Thank you for going along with my crazy ideas. Thank you for all of the things I've learned from you about God and life. Thank you for loving my children as if they were your own. Thank you for my fabulous birthday chocolate raspberry truffle bars, and thank you for celebrating with me because that way I feel less silly about being so excited about my birthday!

I think we can agree - March is the best month ever.

happy pi(e) day!

I just got home from coffee night, which is always fabulous, but even more so tonight because today was pi day! (March 14th, 3-14, pi is 3.14... yes, I am a nerd, I know that.)

What was really great about today is that I got to celebrate pi day right - I got to make pizza (including the dough), and I got to make a pumpkin pie. And then I got to have coffee and share my pumpkin pie with my friends. And I wish I could've shared a pie with everyone who reads this. So was it really about pi or celebrating nerdiness? A little. It was also a little about taking a day to celebrate people I have been friends with in the past (hello Mr. Biga's math class!).

But mostly it's about taking any random old day and making it special for the people I love. So today I say, thank you Lord for my family and friends (past and present) and for silly days like pi day to celebrate the life you've given us!

here's a new one

So I'm on my way home from a delightful shopping trip with my children. At the last big intersection before my house, where people tend to act like idiots, although not usually in the direction I was traveling, several cars turning onto my road decided to be in the intersection when my light turned green. After letting them go and not cutting them off to leave them stranded in the intersection, as I could've done, the driver of the last car waved at me. Now, normally I would take that as an admission of a vehicular faux pas and move on. However, the driver of the last car waved at me. . . with her cell phone. Yes, that's right. As Joe would say, she was an idiot and could prove it scientifically.

I believe I can now personally update the old adage: Better to remain silent and be thought an idiot than wave your cell phone and remove all doubt.

happy march!

Welcome to birthday month!

Just when I was beginning to wonder when/what God was going to show me needed work in my life, it hit me in the head.

It's hard to deal with the knowledge that potentially every stage in your child's life could be one that affects her for the rest of her life. It's even harder to deal with the knowledge that the way I respond to those stages could be the foundation for emotional neuroses she'll have to recognize and deal with when she's my age. And then you realize the hardest part of all - she's responding because of the way I'm dealing with her. (Which, of course, is all God's fault for giving me a child whose personality I am not prepared for, nor do I think I really understand.) And all those things I thought I knew about raising children, all those things I thought (and still do think) are based on biblical principles, all those things just aren't going to work with Alaina.

So what do I have to do? I have to put aside the fact that I'm always right (which has become prideful in this case, I'm afraid), and I have to learn to respond to her as she is. What does that look like?

am I really turning into a nut?

Inexplicably, I have been very interested in "health food" lately. Organic food, locally grown food, and the like. I don't know why, but I'm seriously considering starting to buy as much locally grown food and organic food as I can. It's very weird because anyone who has been around me knows that usually I'm all about saving as much money as possible at the grocery store. By no means am I about to get rid of the white flour or white rice or refined sugar in my house. But I am considering making my own jelly and things like that. What happened?

(I think I have too much time on my hands. See what happens when I'm not kept busy?)

not meant to be

If you ever needed more proof that we were meant to live in community, my not-yet-4-year-old Alaina told me again today that she wanted "more than just 3 people at our house." (I'm guessing that count included her, me, and Jadyn. Jared doesn't count yet, I guess, and Joe was at work.) That statement was followed by her telling me that she missed Grandma, at which point Jadyn chimed in "grandpa-ina," which, when translated, is "Grandpa, Azina." And not to leave anyone out, Jadyn then said, "Raj, Wabi."

Apparently I'm not nearly as exciting as my siblings or parents...

(It may sound like I'm whining about the status quo, and I'm really not - it's just that when your 2 small children say things like that, you want to do everything possible to fix it.)

"happy newear!"

...a rough transliteration of Jadyn's version of "happy new year"

A new year is always a little bittersweet for me. Perhaps it's because I love Christmas. It is, to borrow a phrase, "the most wonderful time of the year" for me. It's not that we ever do anything that could be called spectacular. That's just how it is.

At any rate, sometimes it's a little hard for me to accept the fact that when the new year comes, we have to start all over again. I'm not opposed to change. I just don't like circumstances forcing me to change.

But at the same time, a new year is full of new days that are full of potential. This is the first year that I don't have a general schedule of events, which is a little unsettling for me. We don't really have anything planned this year: no major projects, no trips. Maybe all of that will change soon. Maybe God will use this "free time" in my life to teach me something. I don't really think life will stay quiet for long; it never does. But here's to a new year with fewer unpleasant surprises than the last!