Ca and I successfully pulled off Mom's surprise 70th birthday party yesterday! She thought she was coming over to babysit while I went to a doctor's appointment, so you can imagine her surprise when all her friends and family jumped out of the toy room yelling "SURPRISE"! As you can see in the pictures, she was TRULY surprised! And thankfully she came toting her safety lantern, just in case ;)
And a BIG thank you to all her friends and family for preserving the surprise. As I experienced first hand with both my bridal and baby showers, it is SUCH a cool thing when a surprise works, both for the surprisers and the surprisees.
And we were all thrilled that Marion was able to trek down from VT after a hip scare earlier in the week. And that Marti, after all she's been through these last couple months, was well enough to come. And she looked great! Kyle was just saying the other day how we haven't seen Marti in a long time, and he was absolutely GIDDY when she arrived :)
The highlight of the party for Luke was DEFINITELY the giant balloons, or "b'unes" as he says in his cute little voice. He liked tangling himself up in the ribbons and running all over with them bouncing around. He didn't like, however, when Kyle climbed in the 0, as it slowed him down a bit.
It was a great time with a great bunch of people. And I was happy to have the distraction on what was an extra tough day for me yesterday...it would have been our 10 year anniversary. As time goes on, I miss that love, happiness, and pure contentment I shared with Jared more and more. That life just feels so distant, almost like a dream, hard to believe that "I really had it". But I just have to continue to try to find that happiness and contentment in my "new life". And I am hopeful that some day, I will get there.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Happy Halloween!
The boys had fun trick or treating last night with their cousins! Kyle, aka the Fire Chief, kept up with the big kids, and sometimes remembered to say "trick or treat" and "thank you". And sometimes tried to go right into the people's houses! Luke, aka Mickey Mouse, wasn't quite as eager as Kyle and kind of hung back and did his own thing (like trying to serenade Aunt Ca with his VERY hard-to-understand "I saw a pumpkin..." song, over and over again). It's crazy to think that Luke wasn't even walking yet last Halloween! Or eating! What a difference a year makes.
I think the highlight for both kids was crashing the neighborhood Halloween party! They just made themselves right at home. Kyle helped himself to the veggies and a piece of pizza...he looked a little sheepish when I first saw him chowing down, but his look of elation quickly took over :) And Luke even gnawed on a piece of pizza, and had his first taste of juice! And when he was done with his juice box, he kept saying "I really, really like juice" :)
And the other highlight for them was each getting to eat a piece of candy when we got home. And after they went to bed, I made myself a very balanced candy dinner :) And felt pretty gross afterward :( Thankfully Luke's school is collecting extra candy to send to the troops, so I can get the rest out of the house for a good cause.
I think the highlight for both kids was crashing the neighborhood Halloween party! They just made themselves right at home. Kyle helped himself to the veggies and a piece of pizza...he looked a little sheepish when I first saw him chowing down, but his look of elation quickly took over :) And Luke even gnawed on a piece of pizza, and had his first taste of juice! And when he was done with his juice box, he kept saying "I really, really like juice" :)
And the other highlight for them was each getting to eat a piece of candy when we got home. And after they went to bed, I made myself a very balanced candy dinner :) And felt pretty gross afterward :( Thankfully Luke's school is collecting extra candy to send to the troops, so I can get the rest out of the house for a good cause.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Kid Update
I feel like I am long overdue for a general kids update. So here it goes...
I'll start with Luke, because there is lots of good stuff to report! I don't think I ever posted about his 24 month well visit, namely his specs. He was 36.5" (95th percentile) and, drum roll please....29 lbs 10 oz (a whopping 70TH PERCENTILE) for weight...YIPPEEEE! This was his highest weight percentile since birth and I finally feel like he's where he "should" be. This should be the last time I report his weight with ounces, but I just didn't want to shortchange him in this post :)
And he has made HUGE progress in the eating department this past month or so (once again, it coincided with him being under the weather oddly enough). He is now pretty much a normal 2 year old eater! I basically give him what I give Kyle, and he happily/excitedly feeds himself and chews/swallows at a somewhat normal rate. And he's not picky, and eats all healthy stuff! And isn't gagging/barfing it up!
There are truly no words to describe the massive weight that has been lifted off my shoulders. Needless to say, it has been a very difficult couple years and his impossible eating issues REALLY pushed me to the brink of what I could "handle". But I feel like it's basically behind me now. And from all the feeding clinics and Early Intervention feedback, I was expecting it to go on much longer, as they all said that eating issues take years to resolve. So I am VERY pleasantly surprised that we're almost there!
And another great Lukey Pooks development...I can now leave him out in the family room with Kyle while I exercise and shower in the morning. He knows he has to stay down there, and amazingly he stays out of mischief! Before, I would leave him "caged" in his crib and he was relatively content for a while if he woke up before I was done. But that changed this past month and he started getting REALLY upset if I didn't get him right away. So I tried him out with Kyle a few times for short stretches, and he did great and really seemed to "get" that he had to stay in the family room and be good. And now for the last couple weeks he's been good for the whole hour! Like the feeding progress, this is also very liberating and makes it so much easier to work in my exercise/shower windows.
And Luke LOVES school! His teachers always have good things to say about him too :) And when I pick him up, he loves telling me things that he did, and talking about his friends/teachers. I'm just so happy that I signed him up for it...I really love that place and feel like the two mornings/week is just right for both of us. He's just a very happy, thriving, smart, fun little boy :)
But he is DEFINITELY in a tantrum phase these day, and just can't quite "handle things" if something doesn't go his way. Sometimes it's sort of funny to watch (if we're not rushed and/or out in public), and sometimes it's NOT funny (when we're rushed and/or out in public). But he's two, so this is par for the course and I will take this ANY DAY over feeding issues.
Now for Kyle...he just had his 4 year well visit and was 42.5" (90th percentile) and 43 lbs (also 90th percentile). So I have a couple big boys on my hands! He's also doing really well in school and making such great progress in so many areas. Unlike last year, I love how he WANTS to tell me stuff about school when he gets home (instead of getting really mad if I ask questions).
And he is VERY into writing letters, and is really good at them (both upper and lower case!). He likes writing his name, and he's getting interested in learning how to spell other words too. He has been able to tell what letter a word begins with for a while, but he's now interested in learning the rest! And I love how he is so proud (and loves when I'm proud too) of all these new things that he's learning and able to do.
He's also started asking a ton of questions lately. He never really went through that "why is the sky blue" phase when he was younger. But now he is, and just seems so much more curious/aware of the world/people around him. I really feel like he's matured a lot these last couple months and is heading in the right direction.
And I think our nightly articulation work (which he has become very tolerant of) is starting to pay off too. I see noticeable improvements when we do our "lesson" each night, but now I'm also starting to see improvements during his everyday conversation...he'll actually correct himself sometimes without me prompting him. He's just such a sweet, smart, well-behaved little boy and I'm so proud of him :)
So as you have probably gathered, I feel like I'm in the best place with my kids that I've been, and have the best handle/outlook on life in general that I've had since Jared died. Life as an only parent is exhausting, lonely, stressful, monotonous, frustrating, overwhelming (the list goes on and on), but I am feeling more "rewarded" lately than I've ever felt before, seeing all their wonderful progress and maturity, and overall enjoyment of life and each other. They are such little blessings and are truly my world. I just wish with all my heart that I was sharing them with Jared...that feeling is such a constant in my life and has just become ingrained as part of my "being".
I'll end with pictures from some of our recent fall outings (apparently, I REALLY like to dress my kids in red/navy clothes)...
I'll start with Luke, because there is lots of good stuff to report! I don't think I ever posted about his 24 month well visit, namely his specs. He was 36.5" (95th percentile) and, drum roll please....29 lbs 10 oz (a whopping 70TH PERCENTILE) for weight...YIPPEEEE! This was his highest weight percentile since birth and I finally feel like he's where he "should" be. This should be the last time I report his weight with ounces, but I just didn't want to shortchange him in this post :)
And he has made HUGE progress in the eating department this past month or so (once again, it coincided with him being under the weather oddly enough). He is now pretty much a normal 2 year old eater! I basically give him what I give Kyle, and he happily/excitedly feeds himself and chews/swallows at a somewhat normal rate. And he's not picky, and eats all healthy stuff! And isn't gagging/barfing it up!
There are truly no words to describe the massive weight that has been lifted off my shoulders. Needless to say, it has been a very difficult couple years and his impossible eating issues REALLY pushed me to the brink of what I could "handle". But I feel like it's basically behind me now. And from all the feeding clinics and Early Intervention feedback, I was expecting it to go on much longer, as they all said that eating issues take years to resolve. So I am VERY pleasantly surprised that we're almost there!
And another great Lukey Pooks development...I can now leave him out in the family room with Kyle while I exercise and shower in the morning. He knows he has to stay down there, and amazingly he stays out of mischief! Before, I would leave him "caged" in his crib and he was relatively content for a while if he woke up before I was done. But that changed this past month and he started getting REALLY upset if I didn't get him right away. So I tried him out with Kyle a few times for short stretches, and he did great and really seemed to "get" that he had to stay in the family room and be good. And now for the last couple weeks he's been good for the whole hour! Like the feeding progress, this is also very liberating and makes it so much easier to work in my exercise/shower windows.
And Luke LOVES school! His teachers always have good things to say about him too :) And when I pick him up, he loves telling me things that he did, and talking about his friends/teachers. I'm just so happy that I signed him up for it...I really love that place and feel like the two mornings/week is just right for both of us. He's just a very happy, thriving, smart, fun little boy :)
But he is DEFINITELY in a tantrum phase these day, and just can't quite "handle things" if something doesn't go his way. Sometimes it's sort of funny to watch (if we're not rushed and/or out in public), and sometimes it's NOT funny (when we're rushed and/or out in public). But he's two, so this is par for the course and I will take this ANY DAY over feeding issues.
Now for Kyle...he just had his 4 year well visit and was 42.5" (90th percentile) and 43 lbs (also 90th percentile). So I have a couple big boys on my hands! He's also doing really well in school and making such great progress in so many areas. Unlike last year, I love how he WANTS to tell me stuff about school when he gets home (instead of getting really mad if I ask questions).
And he is VERY into writing letters, and is really good at them (both upper and lower case!). He likes writing his name, and he's getting interested in learning how to spell other words too. He has been able to tell what letter a word begins with for a while, but he's now interested in learning the rest! And I love how he is so proud (and loves when I'm proud too) of all these new things that he's learning and able to do.
He's also started asking a ton of questions lately. He never really went through that "why is the sky blue" phase when he was younger. But now he is, and just seems so much more curious/aware of the world/people around him. I really feel like he's matured a lot these last couple months and is heading in the right direction.
And I think our nightly articulation work (which he has become very tolerant of) is starting to pay off too. I see noticeable improvements when we do our "lesson" each night, but now I'm also starting to see improvements during his everyday conversation...he'll actually correct himself sometimes without me prompting him. He's just such a sweet, smart, well-behaved little boy and I'm so proud of him :)
So as you have probably gathered, I feel like I'm in the best place with my kids that I've been, and have the best handle/outlook on life in general that I've had since Jared died. Life as an only parent is exhausting, lonely, stressful, monotonous, frustrating, overwhelming (the list goes on and on), but I am feeling more "rewarded" lately than I've ever felt before, seeing all their wonderful progress and maturity, and overall enjoyment of life and each other. They are such little blessings and are truly my world. I just wish with all my heart that I was sharing them with Jared...that feeling is such a constant in my life and has just become ingrained as part of my "being".
I'll end with pictures from some of our recent fall outings (apparently, I REALLY like to dress my kids in red/navy clothes)...
Monday, October 8, 2012
Beach Day!
The boys had a great time at the beach this afternoon with Nonnie! They loved running around, chasing the seagulls, and exploring all the little tide pools. And there were horses walking along the shore when we got there, which they both thought was pretty cool.
It was cute, Luke was so excited to be at the ocean that he was literally (as you'll see in the pictures) jumping for joy. He was absolutely giddy :) He loved scooping up handfuls of sand and throwing it everywhere. Fun for him, not so much for those in his firing zone. And he liked digging holes and finding "more ocean" in the ground.
Kyle liked getting chased by Nonnie and writing letters in the sand. And he was very proud that he was not afraid of the waves knocking him over this time (phew!).
They were both pretty good on the drive up, but the drive home was a different story...LOTS of traffic (I guess because of Columbus Day) and Luke refused to nap. Not a good combination. So Luke was VERY fussy, and Kyle flipped out any time that traffic brought us to a dead stop on the highway (which unfortunately happened a lot) and demanded that I "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO".
The highlight of our drive home was a "game" where they took turns asking me to say "mmmmmm" (a sound that Kyle normally gets mad when I make, as an absent-minded response to his endless road trip commentary). But for whatever reason, they both thought it was hysterical when I complied. And it required very little effort on my part so all the better!
But we made it home safe and sound, and I managed to wrestle two very uncooperative, grumpy boys through dinner and all the nightly chores and baths. Long day but they definitely had fun, and I'll (at least theoretically) sleep well tonight!
It was cute, Luke was so excited to be at the ocean that he was literally (as you'll see in the pictures) jumping for joy. He was absolutely giddy :) He loved scooping up handfuls of sand and throwing it everywhere. Fun for him, not so much for those in his firing zone. And he liked digging holes and finding "more ocean" in the ground.
Kyle liked getting chased by Nonnie and writing letters in the sand. And he was very proud that he was not afraid of the waves knocking him over this time (phew!).
They were both pretty good on the drive up, but the drive home was a different story...LOTS of traffic (I guess because of Columbus Day) and Luke refused to nap. Not a good combination. So Luke was VERY fussy, and Kyle flipped out any time that traffic brought us to a dead stop on the highway (which unfortunately happened a lot) and demanded that I "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO".
The highlight of our drive home was a "game" where they took turns asking me to say "mmmmmm" (a sound that Kyle normally gets mad when I make, as an absent-minded response to his endless road trip commentary). But for whatever reason, they both thought it was hysterical when I complied. And it required very little effort on my part so all the better!
But we made it home safe and sound, and I managed to wrestle two very uncooperative, grumpy boys through dinner and all the nightly chores and baths. Long day but they definitely had fun, and I'll (at least theoretically) sleep well tonight!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Birthday Bash!
The boys had lots of fun celebrating their birthdays yesterday with all their family and friends! Kyle was definitely focused on the three "main events"...pizza, presents and cake, and he thoroughly enjoyed all three. He was a little restless in between though but was able to pass the time thanks to his "pushers" :) And for the first year, he didn't cry when I brought out cake and everyone sang. Yay Kyle! He also blew out his candles for the first time (and blew out Luke's for him too). Such a big boy, my little four year old. And Luke actually ate a little pizza and cake too...yay Luke!
Thank you to everyone for helping to make the day so special. My boys are blessed to have so many wonderful people in their lives who love and care about them. And the gifts were all so generous and fun, even if you didn't get much positive feedback from the boys during "Hurricane Open Presents".
And a special, HUGE thank you to Auntie Jayne, who flew in from the boondocks of Arizona for a long weekend (and drove about 8 hrs round trip yesterday) to be at the party. And this was after just being here last month! Thank you so much Jayne...it meant so much to me and the boys that you (and Amresh) did all of that to come.
And also a big thank you to Viv and Hank, for coming to the boys' party, even though it was their own very special day...happy 50th anniversary Viv and Hank...the boys love you :)
Thank you to everyone for helping to make the day so special. My boys are blessed to have so many wonderful people in their lives who love and care about them. And the gifts were all so generous and fun, even if you didn't get much positive feedback from the boys during "Hurricane Open Presents".
And a special, HUGE thank you to Auntie Jayne, who flew in from the boondocks of Arizona for a long weekend (and drove about 8 hrs round trip yesterday) to be at the party. And this was after just being here last month! Thank you so much Jayne...it meant so much to me and the boys that you (and Amresh) did all of that to come.
And also a big thank you to Viv and Hank, for coming to the boys' party, even though it was their own very special day...happy 50th anniversary Viv and Hank...the boys love you :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
And Happy First Day of School, Luke!
Today was Luke's big day...his first day of K'tonton preschool at the JCC, where he'll be going Tuesday and Thursday mornings. He seemed to kind of "get it", that he's going to school like Kyle now that he's 2, and that he has teachers, and friends, and snack, etc.
And he was pretty unaware/distracted when I dropped him off this morning (I don't think he really understood that I was actually leaving), so it was easy/undramatic. The teachers said that he did cry for a few minutes (possibly because a couple others were crying), but then he stopped and had fun! And I got a big smile when I came to pick him up, and he said "Mommy came back and now we go home" :)
So Day 1 was a success, and I'm so hopeful that this will be a fun/positive experience for him. Because if it's positive for him, it will be VERY positive for me, getting those impossible kid-free windows in the house.
During today's 1:55 minute window, I rotated in/out Luke's clothes (for size, season, hand-me-down, etc) and started on Kyle's. Good feeling and long overdue, and nearly impossible to do with Luke around!
And that's my plan...each Tues/Thurs morning I will have one little doable task planned, things that are tough to do with kids around. To me, that's the best way to spend this time...getting stuff done from the never-ending list of chores/projects that overwhelm me. I'm excited to hopefully start feeling more "caught up on life", instead of "just staying afloat" :)
And he was pretty unaware/distracted when I dropped him off this morning (I don't think he really understood that I was actually leaving), so it was easy/undramatic. The teachers said that he did cry for a few minutes (possibly because a couple others were crying), but then he stopped and had fun! And I got a big smile when I came to pick him up, and he said "Mommy came back and now we go home" :)
So Day 1 was a success, and I'm so hopeful that this will be a fun/positive experience for him. Because if it's positive for him, it will be VERY positive for me, getting those impossible kid-free windows in the house.
During today's 1:55 minute window, I rotated in/out Luke's clothes (for size, season, hand-me-down, etc) and started on Kyle's. Good feeling and long overdue, and nearly impossible to do with Luke around!
And that's my plan...each Tues/Thurs morning I will have one little doable task planned, things that are tough to do with kids around. To me, that's the best way to spend this time...getting stuff done from the never-ending list of chores/projects that overwhelm me. I'm excited to hopefully start feeling more "caught up on life", instead of "just staying afloat" :)
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Happy First Day of School, Kyle!
Kyle's first day of preschool last year...
And this year! He had a great first day :)
And Luke, watching Kyle's "bus" drive away, is ready for his big day next week :)
And this year! He had a great first day :)
And Luke, watching Kyle's "bus" drive away, is ready for his big day next week :)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Happy 2nd Birthday Lukey (2 days late)
I was hoping to take a little break from blogging, but I realized that I never posted for Luke's birthday and would feel incomplete if I didn't. So here it is, with some pictures from the day!
His special day kicked off with Kyle going into his room with a "Happy Birthday" wakeup song, which Luke loved :) And Luke went on to sing "Happy Birthday to Luke" throughout the day :) And he also thinks it's funny to sing Happy Birthday to random objects..."happy birthday to computer...", etc.
Last week, Kyle picked out a little UPS truck for him on Amazon, and understood not to tell him about it. He helped me wrap it but had trouble parting ways with it when it was time to actually give it to Luke. Luke was so excited when he opened it! And he was also excited about the cow stuffed animal I got him too..doesn't take much at this age.
Grammy came over too and watched the boys have cake. Luke was a bit scared of the candles, but Kyle helped and blew them out for him. Kyle of course LOVED the cake, and Luke surprisingly/willingly took about 5 bites...yahoo!!
And then I woke Luke up for a late night birthday snuggle in my bed before I went to sleep (it's my new guilty pleasure...we both LOVE it). So we all had a good day, despite the usual aching void on days like this.
Luke is just such a sweet, happy, adorable, funny, smart, feisty little 2 year old who lights up my world and I love with all my heart. Now for a little blogging sabbatical...
His special day kicked off with Kyle going into his room with a "Happy Birthday" wakeup song, which Luke loved :) And Luke went on to sing "Happy Birthday to Luke" throughout the day :) And he also thinks it's funny to sing Happy Birthday to random objects..."happy birthday to computer...", etc.
Last week, Kyle picked out a little UPS truck for him on Amazon, and understood not to tell him about it. He helped me wrap it but had trouble parting ways with it when it was time to actually give it to Luke. Luke was so excited when he opened it! And he was also excited about the cow stuffed animal I got him too..doesn't take much at this age.
Grammy came over too and watched the boys have cake. Luke was a bit scared of the candles, but Kyle helped and blew them out for him. Kyle of course LOVED the cake, and Luke surprisingly/willingly took about 5 bites...yahoo!!
And then I woke Luke up for a late night birthday snuggle in my bed before I went to sleep (it's my new guilty pleasure...we both LOVE it). So we all had a good day, despite the usual aching void on days like this.
Luke is just such a sweet, happy, adorable, funny, smart, feisty little 2 year old who lights up my world and I love with all my heart. Now for a little blogging sabbatical...
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Fun Visit with Grampa and Auntie Jayne!
We had a wonderful visit today with Grampa and Auntie Jayne! The boys were so excited and had lots of fun playing with them. We packed a lot in!
First we played inside with their new toys from "G and AJ", as Aunt Ca dubbed them on FB :) And Kyle loved Grampa's "maneuver" where he flipped him in the air with his hands! Then we played in the backyard, and G and AJ quickly learned how much Kyle and Luke LOVE to swing (they were their held-hostage "pushers"!).
Then we went for a walk on the rail trail, so the boys could show G and AJ another one of their favorite activities...throwing "big huge rocks" over the bridge and watching the splash! You'll see them hauling some big ones out to the bridge in one of the pictures :)
And I was so happy that Kyle didn't resist going to the rail trail after getting stung there on Thursday. I was afraid that negative association would linger. He talked a lot about how he didn't want to get "stunged" again, and I assured him he (probably) wouldn't. He didn't and as usual, both boys had a blast!
We then came home, had lunch (with Kyle making some lovely sound effects from the "can" for part of it), visited some more, and said our goodbyes. The boys had a great day with two very special people. And we look forward to seeing Auntie Jayne again at the kids' birthday party in less than a month!
First we played inside with their new toys from "G and AJ", as Aunt Ca dubbed them on FB :) And Kyle loved Grampa's "maneuver" where he flipped him in the air with his hands! Then we played in the backyard, and G and AJ quickly learned how much Kyle and Luke LOVE to swing (they were their held-hostage "pushers"!).
Then we went for a walk on the rail trail, so the boys could show G and AJ another one of their favorite activities...throwing "big huge rocks" over the bridge and watching the splash! You'll see them hauling some big ones out to the bridge in one of the pictures :)
And I was so happy that Kyle didn't resist going to the rail trail after getting stung there on Thursday. I was afraid that negative association would linger. He talked a lot about how he didn't want to get "stunged" again, and I assured him he (probably) wouldn't. He didn't and as usual, both boys had a blast!
We then came home, had lunch (with Kyle making some lovely sound effects from the "can" for part of it), visited some more, and said our goodbyes. The boys had a great day with two very special people. And we look forward to seeing Auntie Jayne again at the kids' birthday party in less than a month!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Another fun Nonnie visit, except....
We had a fun visit with Nonnie today! The only downer was that Kyle's ear got stung by something on the rail trail bridge. Poor little guy was in a lot of pain :( But he was a trooper and turned the corner when we got home and had lunch (food has that effect on him!). Although his ear was still really red and swollen at that point :(
It looked fine when he went to bed tonight though, and he wasn't complaining about it anymore, so I think he's okay. Next up, Luke's birthday tomorrow (how is my baby already 2?!), and Grampa and Auntie Jayne on Saturday!
It looked fine when he went to bed tonight though, and he wasn't complaining about it anymore, so I think he's okay. Next up, Luke's birthday tomorrow (how is my baby already 2?!), and Grampa and Auntie Jayne on Saturday!
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