Getting to Know Us, Better.

I am going to concentrate on blogs that will help you know our family better. Some of you live very far away, and we don't get to see you as often as I would like. And, I miss you dearly! So, here is my attempt at keeping you in our life. I am going to share with you openly about our family adventures.
Right now, I am a stay at home mom (SAHM). It consumes every waking (and some sleeping) minutes. I am very happy being home with my kids. I help in Ayden's Kindergarten class twice a week. I am actually keeping up with my chores too! I think my mom never believed that I had the capacity to keep laundry clean and off the floor! Whew, glad she was wrong about that one! I am a friend to many people. I think that's the best part of not having a "day job". I can be available to those who need me (kids included). I can say YES a lot more! There have been days that I was a life saver to someone, if I had a job, who would have helped them out? My role as SAHM is very important to me. My kids know me, really really know me. And, I know them. I have been the woman who helped them learn all new things (bike riding, coloring, sharing, reading, loving). I sincerely admire those mom's who work and maintain sanity in their homes at the same time- you are truly amazing. I am so blessed that I don't HAVE to work. My work, although it is unpaid, is so wonderful. I love my job!
So keep checking back. Every day is an adventure and I'll make sure to share them as much as possible.

Jade

When she was a baby, she had no personality. Seriously. She would eat, scream, sleep then repeat. For months on end this was her life. That all changed when she turned one. We had a baby girl- finally!! She giggled, played, cuddled, and danced.
Now at the tender age of 3 1/2, she is a walking tornado. Destroying anything or anyone who gets in her path. She has reverted back to the eat, scream, sleep stage of life (short on the eating and sleeping, so mainly she screams).
She tries my patience to the extreme every day, and I am a patient person. She throws things at me, kicks me, whines incessantly (I really don't think she has a normal voice), sneaks away to do naughty things behind my back, hits her brother...... and on and on.
I couldn't love her more. She is my favorite little girl in the whole world. Every day, she takes a break from wrecking havoc to give me a big hug and kiss on the cheek. She apologizes to me by reminding me that "I still love you mommy". Some of her favorite things are: meekup (make up), dancing, cuddling with whoever has a minute, AYEN (yes, that's how she says it), and her family (Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc).
She is the most spirited, determined, stubborn (some of her tantrums have lasted for more than 3 hours), lovable little kid. If I can find a way to harness these traits for the good, can you imagine the wonderful things she will accomplish?
Someone asked me recently why I think Jade was meant to be part of our family. I didn't hesitate for one minute, her lesson to me is unconditional love, her lesson to Steve is patience! She is right where she belongs (even if 1/2 of her day is spent in time out!).

Ayden

My heart is full with this post. I had an emotionally challenging evening with Ayden, and not for the reason you may think. We both grew last night. Here's the story:

Yesterday, there was a Ballroom Dancing assembly at Ayden's school. Exciting, right? Ayden was pretty impressed with the blond boy dancer, he wants me to dye his hair blond today. At some point during this assembly, a fellow kindergartner got sick and threw up. Ayden was close enough to this boy to witness the whole thing. He relayed the event to me when I picked him up from a birthday party that afternoon.

During dinner time last night, Ayden was not his usual self (annoying his sister, talkative, or pretending to eat). He pretty much sat there, looking morose. I had the feeling that he was getting sick. I told him he didn't have to eat if he didn't feel like it, so he went up to his room. I followed and insisted on him talking to me. I asked him all the usual questions, "does your tummy hurt?" "Do you feel like your sick?" "Are you tired?" I got a round of NO's as response. So, I ventured further asking him about the boy getting sick. At that moment, his whole body collapsed into tears. "Mom, I liked him, he had cool shoes, I wanted to be his friend!" He gave me the impression that he believed the boy would no longer be at school. He was so upset, his whole body was rocking with his sobs. I was dumbfounded. I didn't know what to say, so I did the best I could. I explained sickness to Ayden and how it happens no matter where you are and people always get better. I told him this boy would most likely be at school again on Monday. Then he could tell him that he liked his shoes! He was taking it in little bits at a time and slowly calming down. But, it wasn't enough.

So, we prayed. Jade joined us and hugged her brother while I asked God to help his friend get better and help Ayden understand. We also thanked God for the wonderful things Ayden had experienced that day. It did the trick, by the time we said "Amen" he was totally and completely calm. My heart was filled with so much love that I started crying (totally confusing the kids).

Ayden's heart is huge. And it's size makes it so much easier for him to be hurt. I want to build a wall around that heart and keep it safe. I pray that the love and compassion he has now for people continues to grow, despite the terrible things he will endure as he has more and more life experiences.

Big things await this boy, but for now, he is helping his mom in more ways than he will ever know.

Back the Truck Up!!

A monumental thing happened yesterday. A really, really big thing.
AYDEN READ A WHOLE BOOK BY HIMSELF!!!!
I had such mixed feelings. Proud of him for sure, but at the same time it's another milestone that is now behind us. I can see him growing up right before my eyes and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Wow, wow, wow.

Using their words.....

Ayden: "Mom, there is this skate park in St. George and it is totally SICK, it's like OLD SCHOOL."
Further inquiry proved that SICK is equal to COOL and OLD SCHOOL is somewhat like an old VOLKSWAGON. Reminder: he's 5 and his dad is Steve.
Jade: "I'm a Princess in my TOWER". She is currently dressed in a hand-me-down, flaming pink, dance recital dress. She also has a crown on her head and makeup on her face. Her TOWER is her room. Now, if I could just get her to make friends with some magical mice and get that tower cleaned up!!!!

Halloween- a week late!

Mom was Cleopatra, Dad was a Toga Man, Ayden was a skeleton, Jade was Cinderella AND Tinkerbell. Too much fun was had by all.

Crazy Hair Day

Jade does not let me do her hair. That is, unless I strap her down with duct tape and force her head into a vice like hold- she will of course be screaming so much by this time that she may also be vomiting. So, I don't do hair. This is why I was so excited for Crazy Hair Day!!!! Ayden gave me permission to put his hair (which he is growing out) into many piggy tails. By the time we were done, Jade was jealous and let me do the same to her hair!! I was in heaven. I know, it's lame being so fulfilled by putting pig tails into my kids hair, but it's the small stuff that counts, right?