March's Enrichment night was a hit. This is my calling at church and one I've enjoyed immensely. I was made chair of the committee in January and did February mostly on my own. But with three amazing ladies assigned to work with me, March was even more fun. Since we have a lot of new sisters in the ward, we kept it very social and casual. We used the theme of Relief Society "Sole Sisters" to celebrate the organization's birthday. We served dinner (soul food--fried chicken, baked mac n cheese, cornbread, salads and peach cobbler) and decorated the tables with quotes focusing on the sisterhood of Relief Society. For our activity, we asked all the sisters to bring a favorite shoe and piled them into the middle as everyone arrived. Then I held up one shoe at a time and we made observations trying to guess who it belonged to. As sisters claimed their shoe, they introduced themselves and explained why it was their favorite. These reasons were usually a really good reflection of their personality and we had a great time.
I went to a bridal shower for a good friend from the gym. In fact, it was all ladies that work at the gym as we are a pretty close group of friends as well as instructors. Some of I know really well and some not nearly so well. But it was a ton of fun. We all brought snacks and treats and lounged around talking and teasing. It was a great night and a ton of fun to spend time with these ladies I admire.
I also went to a similar neighborhood potluck ladies night. It was very simple and casual, but again, so fun spending time with great ladies. I love that I live in a neighborhood that does this kind of thing. I think it gets harder as an adult to develop close friendships, mostly because we are all so busy keeping up with our kids. So I'm really loving the chance to get to know more of my neighbors.
Last weekend, one of my roommates and best friends from college visited, spending the night and bringing her family. It was unbelievably good to see her. Her three boys and my three girls played great together. After dinner and playtime, we put them all to bed and then spent a couple hours just lounging and talking. It's one of those beautiful and precious friendships where I haven't seen her in well over a year but still, we pour out our hearts as best friends. I love her SO much and have missed her like crazy. Their visit was short but I'm hoping to see her again sometime this summer.
Also last weekend, I went on a date night with my amazing husband. He won a contest at the gym, earning a $100 gift card to a fancy steakhouse. So we cashed in his prize on the best steak I've ever eaten and relished in the luxuriousness of the evening. We lounged around the table, talking and sketching and dreaming tentative plans for landscaping at our new house, eager for springtime.
More upcoming adventures: another date night :), a girls weekend at the scrapbook expo and another Ragnar race! As I write, looking over my calendar at recent adventures, I notice that while my life really does revolve around my beautiful children, I've had better luck lately sneaking in more things of just my choosing. With three kids, it's gotten really hard to have those adventures. Of course, my three kids are my greatest adventure and I love to be with them. There's nothing more fulfilling or challenging than parenthood. The frequently given advice to continue developing your own hobbies and take time for yourself alongside parenting is a great idea but often difficult to do. I love being at the gym and am sure it's what keeps me sane. But an active social life drifts into the kids' playdates and an occasional phone call. And weekends away become a near impossible challenge unless I can take the kids with me. But then again, it won't last forever, I'll miss them being little, etc. I know all that. It's just easier said than done. Mostly, I wish I was better at absorbing the good of each stage and finding balance so I can enjoy it all.
Monday, March 17, 2014
silver linings
This really isn't my news to share. but fortunately (for this particular occasion), I've told very few people about this blog so it's really just for my own personal growth and remembrance. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing here.
Three years ago, my MIL caught pneumonia. During a scan of this nasty virus, a shadow in her lungs appeared. That shadow was investigated, identified, and removed as a cancerous tumor. It was a nasty, difficult procedure and stressful to say the least. She had a beautiful and brave disposition about it and came through brilliantly. Fortunately, the doctors "got it all" and no treatment was necessary.
In a routine follow up scan more recently, another spot on her lungs abruptly changed from "small and of no concern but monitor it anyway", to "hey that's a much larger problem and we need to act". During the scan, they also observed a void on her brain. That was announced almost dismissively. But just in case, a more detailed scan was ordered to clarify the void.
The second scan delivered the heart breaking news: she has brain cancer. The initial news was devastating and seeming with no hope. Meeting with multiple radiologists during the next few days gave much more information and greater insights. She still has a lot of treatment options available to her and every hope that she will respond well to those treatments.
A silver lining was that husband's brother and his family happened to be in town, on a furlough to finish his dissertation. The family was together and had some really choice experiences. As Mom met with various doctors, always at least one of her kids were with her to lend support, ask questions and gather information. The children, who are unaware and unaffected by the emotional roller coaster of Mom's news, got to have some great cousin play dates. We went on a picnic to the park, played with toys, watched movies and went to library storytime together. One evening, we got a babysitter for all the kids and spent the evening shopping and going to dinner just as adults. We even managed to schedule a photographer and had some great family portraits taken. It was beautiful all week and then bitterly cold the day of pictures, so little E was not her usual sunny self, but other than that, the pictures are perfect.
So for now, radiation treatment begins next month. We will hope and pray and make a lot of memories.
Three years ago, my MIL caught pneumonia. During a scan of this nasty virus, a shadow in her lungs appeared. That shadow was investigated, identified, and removed as a cancerous tumor. It was a nasty, difficult procedure and stressful to say the least. She had a beautiful and brave disposition about it and came through brilliantly. Fortunately, the doctors "got it all" and no treatment was necessary.
In a routine follow up scan more recently, another spot on her lungs abruptly changed from "small and of no concern but monitor it anyway", to "hey that's a much larger problem and we need to act". During the scan, they also observed a void on her brain. That was announced almost dismissively. But just in case, a more detailed scan was ordered to clarify the void.
The second scan delivered the heart breaking news: she has brain cancer. The initial news was devastating and seeming with no hope. Meeting with multiple radiologists during the next few days gave much more information and greater insights. She still has a lot of treatment options available to her and every hope that she will respond well to those treatments.
A silver lining was that husband's brother and his family happened to be in town, on a furlough to finish his dissertation. The family was together and had some really choice experiences. As Mom met with various doctors, always at least one of her kids were with her to lend support, ask questions and gather information. The children, who are unaware and unaffected by the emotional roller coaster of Mom's news, got to have some great cousin play dates. We went on a picnic to the park, played with toys, watched movies and went to library storytime together. One evening, we got a babysitter for all the kids and spent the evening shopping and going to dinner just as adults. We even managed to schedule a photographer and had some great family portraits taken. It was beautiful all week and then bitterly cold the day of pictures, so little E was not her usual sunny self, but other than that, the pictures are perfect.
So for now, radiation treatment begins next month. We will hope and pray and make a lot of memories.
L's dance competition
L had her first dance competition!
Grammy arrived early in the morning to attend with us. So we spent the morning lounging with sisters, slowing packing and readying. Soon, we left A and E with Daddy (deciding it would be too and difficult of a day for them) while L, Grammy and I drove to the competition. We arrived and found her studio's prep room. It was chock full of dancer, mom's and piles of costumes. She dressed and wiggled with excitement as I did her hair and make up. Her adorable little team called the "Sparkles", made up of 6 girls ages 5-6, competed as a "novice jazz" entry. (meaning they all had been dancing less than one year and dance less than 3 hours a week.) They preformed "Singing in the Bathtub" and did great. They were full of smiles and adorable innocent sparkle. After Bathtub, they dressed for the production number, "Calling All the Monsters" which is four groups from the studio, ages 5-10. They practiced awhile in their prep room and then lined up on the floor. It was the first time I had seen this routine and it was amazing! Their costumes were incredible and the dance was adorable. It had a ton of charm and showmanship personality.
After her Monsters dance, she dressed in playclothes again and we ran a few errands. The three of us went to dinner at Chili's (her choice) and had a blast. One of my favorite things about the whole day was getting the one-on-one time with her. She's charming and wonderful and it's hard to find time for that one-on-one. And we loved having time with Grammy too. We got to relax and play and I got to help the studio directors while Grammy always made sure we had great seats to watch.
We returned to the competition to find the gym stage wrapping up for the day. L was really upset at first because she hadn't gotten to watch any other studios preform. Luckily we found the auditorium stage and settled in to watch several numbers preformed by some of the older groups. It was so fun to sit and whisper as we analyzed their performances. She loved the costumes, the long extensions and graceful turns. She balked at the more suggestive hip hop styles and we all found some of the musical theater numbers and little weird. But her favorite was the lyrical numbers. The awards ceremony was long, starting with a list of auctions and recognitions. But finally the teams were invited to the stage. L and a friend from her class headed for the stage and some of the older girls helped them find a place to sit. I think she was a little bewildered by the chaos and excitement. But she got to stand and received applause as the adjudication awards were read. Bathtub and Monsters both received a Gold. And then the judges awards were presented. Bathtub received a choreography award (L got to stand and accept it!) and Monsters won the Costume Award. But I was most proud of our studio receiving the Sportsmanship Award.
Soon we collected our little dancer and all her gear, loaded her into the car and began our long drive home. She was asleep in minutes. :)
Grammy arrived early in the morning to attend with us. So we spent the morning lounging with sisters, slowing packing and readying. Soon, we left A and E with Daddy (deciding it would be too and difficult of a day for them) while L, Grammy and I drove to the competition. We arrived and found her studio's prep room. It was chock full of dancer, mom's and piles of costumes. She dressed and wiggled with excitement as I did her hair and make up. Her adorable little team called the "Sparkles", made up of 6 girls ages 5-6, competed as a "novice jazz" entry. (meaning they all had been dancing less than one year and dance less than 3 hours a week.) They preformed "Singing in the Bathtub" and did great. They were full of smiles and adorable innocent sparkle. After Bathtub, they dressed for the production number, "Calling All the Monsters" which is four groups from the studio, ages 5-10. They practiced awhile in their prep room and then lined up on the floor. It was the first time I had seen this routine and it was amazing! Their costumes were incredible and the dance was adorable. It had a ton of charm and showmanship personality.
After her Monsters dance, she dressed in playclothes again and we ran a few errands. The three of us went to dinner at Chili's (her choice) and had a blast. One of my favorite things about the whole day was getting the one-on-one time with her. She's charming and wonderful and it's hard to find time for that one-on-one. And we loved having time with Grammy too. We got to relax and play and I got to help the studio directors while Grammy always made sure we had great seats to watch.
We returned to the competition to find the gym stage wrapping up for the day. L was really upset at first because she hadn't gotten to watch any other studios preform. Luckily we found the auditorium stage and settled in to watch several numbers preformed by some of the older groups. It was so fun to sit and whisper as we analyzed their performances. She loved the costumes, the long extensions and graceful turns. She balked at the more suggestive hip hop styles and we all found some of the musical theater numbers and little weird. But her favorite was the lyrical numbers. The awards ceremony was long, starting with a list of auctions and recognitions. But finally the teams were invited to the stage. L and a friend from her class headed for the stage and some of the older girls helped them find a place to sit. I think she was a little bewildered by the chaos and excitement. But she got to stand and received applause as the adjudication awards were read. Bathtub and Monsters both received a Gold. And then the judges awards were presented. Bathtub received a choreography award (L got to stand and accept it!) and Monsters won the Costume Award. But I was most proud of our studio receiving the Sportsmanship Award.
Soon we collected our little dancer and all her gear, loaded her into the car and began our long drive home. She was asleep in minutes. :)
good bye diapers!
Last fall, we made a half hearted attempt at potty training. We used the same tricks we tried on the bigger girls, the training doll, the treat rewards, cute panties, etc. By the end of day 2, we knew E wasn't ready.
Two weeks ago, she didn't seem any more "ready" in particular but we decided to give it another shot. Rather abruptly actually. So on a lazy Saturday morning, I offered her panties and we had begun. With lots of encouragement from sisters and M&Ms as frequent rewards, we spent a few days close to home and had minimal accidents. At her one week mark, she stop having even occasional accidents and has been dry ever since. I have no idea what the difference was; her sisters took nearly six months of pull-ups before we felt confident in their new skills. But this little one was much easier and she's now potty trained.
But one big step meant another: converting her bed. L attempted to climb and fell out of her crib at 15 months. A at 18 months. So they were both in toddler beds and even twin sized beds by the time they were 2 and a half. But E never tried so she has kept her crib status until now. But being potty trained means she needs to get out of bed on her own at night. So that same day, Daddy converted the crib into a toddler bed. (This part, I was less ready for. I got a little sad just watching him dismantle it and even more so when she tried climbing in and out for the first time.) But for the first week, nothing changed. She still went to bed easily, slept well, and when she awoke, she sat in her crib and called for me until I picked her up. Eventually she realized she was able to get out and then my peaceful little world abruptly and we have struggled ever since. She won't go to bed on her own, I have to beg and bribe and then sit with her until she falls asleep. She wakes up at least twice a night until we sit with her again and then she promptly cries again/escapes as soon as we leave. Mostly, she just ends up in our bed. But she's really fun to cuddle. (sometimes. sometimes she's a midnight acrobat and flips in full circles while she sleeps. like a small but fierce Tasmanian devil.) She's also quickly realized that we can't make her stay in bed to nap anymore either. So we've taken to letting her join the big girls for a "quiet time movie". As long as they all have blankets and a pillow, she's fallen asleep and gotten the nap in anyway (most days).
And apparently she's decided if she she uses the potty like a big girl and gets a big girl bed she is definitely not going to use a high chair but needs a regular chair like a big girl too.
So somehow, seemingly overnight, my sweet baby has turned into a kid. The good news is that I'm not buying any more diapers. The bad news, she's kind of a monster. stubborn and brilliant and running a million miles an hour. And I kind of miss having a baby. a lot.
Two weeks ago, she didn't seem any more "ready" in particular but we decided to give it another shot. Rather abruptly actually. So on a lazy Saturday morning, I offered her panties and we had begun. With lots of encouragement from sisters and M&Ms as frequent rewards, we spent a few days close to home and had minimal accidents. At her one week mark, she stop having even occasional accidents and has been dry ever since. I have no idea what the difference was; her sisters took nearly six months of pull-ups before we felt confident in their new skills. But this little one was much easier and she's now potty trained.
But one big step meant another: converting her bed. L attempted to climb and fell out of her crib at 15 months. A at 18 months. So they were both in toddler beds and even twin sized beds by the time they were 2 and a half. But E never tried so she has kept her crib status until now. But being potty trained means she needs to get out of bed on her own at night. So that same day, Daddy converted the crib into a toddler bed. (This part, I was less ready for. I got a little sad just watching him dismantle it and even more so when she tried climbing in and out for the first time.) But for the first week, nothing changed. She still went to bed easily, slept well, and when she awoke, she sat in her crib and called for me until I picked her up. Eventually she realized she was able to get out and then my peaceful little world abruptly and we have struggled ever since. She won't go to bed on her own, I have to beg and bribe and then sit with her until she falls asleep. She wakes up at least twice a night until we sit with her again and then she promptly cries again/escapes as soon as we leave. Mostly, she just ends up in our bed. But she's really fun to cuddle. (sometimes. sometimes she's a midnight acrobat and flips in full circles while she sleeps. like a small but fierce Tasmanian devil.) She's also quickly realized that we can't make her stay in bed to nap anymore either. So we've taken to letting her join the big girls for a "quiet time movie". As long as they all have blankets and a pillow, she's fallen asleep and gotten the nap in anyway (most days).
And apparently she's decided if she she uses the potty like a big girl and gets a big girl bed she is definitely not going to use a high chair but needs a regular chair like a big girl too.
So somehow, seemingly overnight, my sweet baby has turned into a kid. The good news is that I'm not buying any more diapers. The bad news, she's kind of a monster. stubborn and brilliant and running a million miles an hour. And I kind of miss having a baby. a lot.
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