On Turning 5

It's been over a week, and I haven't even written about Caitlin's birthday! Probably because it's taken me until now to recover from it all! I'm not sure why I agreed to letting Caitlin have a sleep-over, even if it was with only 3 other friends. Probably because her older brother got to have one for his birthday. I'm not sure why I agreed to Brandon's request to have his friend J spend the night during Caitlin's party. Probably because on of Brandon's friends came a long distance for his sleep-over in September, so I added in the friend's little sister (a friend of Caitlin's as well) to sweeten the deal. But I do know why I was exhausted..... too many kids!!! :-)

So, as you know, Caitlin requested a sleep-over for her birthday. It was more of a requirement, actually. She came up one day and announced the names of the friends she wanted to invite to her sleep-over. Excuse me? We're having a sleep-over? In the end we agreed, and managed to whittle her list down from just about everyone in her school to 3 close friends.

We did the party the Friday before her birthday. My preference would have been doing it the weekend after her birthday, but I was gone that weekend, so that wouldn't work. Doing it when we did meant jumping into birthday planning with both feet right after returning from our holiday trip. Nothing like sending out a birthday Evite a week an a half before the event! Crazy at it all was, it went pretty well. We are all aware of the bossy friend, and the quiet friend, and the rambunctious friend. I now know which of Caitlin's friends doesn't do well staying overnight, and which ones will eventually go to sleep if Brian plants himself on the couch at 10:00 pm. I even managed to plan a menu that worked well with nut and dairy allergies. Go me! I sometime think we're the only family around without any food allergy issues. I also know that having a friend over for the other sibling isn't necessary, just fair. But now we're all even, so I don't need to do this for a loooonnngggg time.

Caitlin's sleep-over was a success, and I brought snack to her school the day before her birthday. We were all set to bring snacks to AWANA on the night of her actual birthday, but the crazy, fast, windy, blowing snow got all evening events cancelled. We did managed to celebrate her birthday with Daddy after he arrived home almost 3 hours after leaving work. I'm sure his co-workers were thrilled with the 3 dozen frosted cupcakes he brought to work the next day. I was happy to see them leave.

I'm also happy that I don't have to do another birthday party for 9 months. Yay!

School Celebration

Since there's no school tomorrow, Brandon's class celebrated his birthday today. I didn't manage to catch all their birthday song, but what I got is cute. Brandon loved being celebrated!

On Turning 4

We made it! Caitlin turned 4 today. And, honestly, if I never see another cupcake again in my life, it won't be too soon.

We all talked, and decided that Caitlin's birthday this year would be celebrated outside of the house. Last year we had her party at our house, along with her friends, their siblings, and parents. That's a lot of people to host, but it would have been a very small party without everyone! This year Caitlin waffled between a Chuck-E-Cheese party and an indoor swimming pool party, finally choosing the pool. I managed to call and rent a room over Christmas break (while we were in California, no less!) for the 16th - the Saturday before her birthday. We send out an E-vite, and began preparing. She had a blast! Her happy face right here shows her joy.

Her actual birthday was today. I made arrangements to bring cupcakes to preschool. This time I got to stay with her during her little party. I wasn't able to stay at Brandon's school, which was part of a larger Christian school. That made me a little sad. I think Caitlin was happy to celebrate at her school, but I'm not sure. Maybe it was just a little overwhelming. She got to wear a birthday crown all day and was just thrilled! She asked if we could go play games at Chuck-E-Cheese after dinner, so our little family headed down to play skee-ball, and a whole host of other games before bed time. It was nice to not have to watch a whole host of other kids there, and nice to not have to eat there as well.

Happy 4th Birthday, Caitlin! I know how happy you are. This has been a big year. First you started preschool, also a big deal, and now you are finally four! I hope this year is wonderful!

Still Dragging

Man, two days after the birthday party, and I'm still dragging. The joys of chronic fatigue. Not only do I get really tired, but things that should be routine take days to recover from. I'm not sure if I need to visit a coffee shop this afternoon or what. Caitlin and I needed to get out of the house this morning. I was in serious danger of falling asleep on the floor. That, plus the urge to clean up the mess from the weekend and get the house in order were gnawing at my brain. If I succumb to that today I may be too tired to wake up tomorrow!

Birthday Party

Wow - 10 days since my last post. We're still around. I'm still here. I'm just tired. Every time I think that we (meaning me and the kids) have adjusted to our new schedule, I'm reminded in so many tangible ways that I'm wrong!! Brandon's birthday was yet another reminder of how unprepared I've been lately.

Over the summer the local bowling alley ran a $2.00 per game special if you got there before 5 pm. We went one day at 4:45 and the whole family did two games. Our total bill, including shoes, was $22.00, I think. It was cheap. It was fun. The kids had a blast all through game one, and about halfway through game two. It was a fun thing we did as a family. On the way home Brandon announced that he wanted to have his birthday party there - well, either the bowling alley or the roller skating rink. The bowling alley was closer, and Caitlin doesn't cry at the music like she does at the roller rink.

So, off we go.....

Even thought it was at the bowling alley, I still had to prepare a few things. Goody bags and cupcakes were on the agenda. I'm a little tired of goody bags. They may go out the door in the future. I just can't see the point! But I did them this time for posterity, complete with mini-bubbles and glow sticks! Then there were the cupcakes! I had forgotten until the evening before that I was in charge of bringing cake. It was easy to forget, as the general rule at the bowling alley is no outside food allowed, except cake during birthday parties. So, due to a lot of frozen butter and short supply of sugar, I was at Safeway this morning buying cupcakes. I left with 36 of them. Yes, you read that right. 36. We only had 11 kids there! I got in my car and started to back out of the parking space before realizing how unnecessary those numbers were and returned a dozen cupcakes! Luckily the store took them back! Probably because only 5 minutes had passed since I purchased them.

Other things, besides the cupcakes, that I seemed unprepared for:
The bowling alley
While I did pay them to set up a party and provide us with food and fun, they assumed I was in charge and did nothing until I asked. I'm not use to this. No instructions. No "what is expected of the kids". No bowling guidelines. And the food was late (which was hard, since that was suppose to be the first order of business)! We did manage to keep the kids entertained by opening gifts. Little kids are almost as excited to give gifts as to receive them! It was cute.
The arcade
No, I did not know there were arcade games there. I would have brought quarters. Especially in light of the late food (see above).
Shoelaces
We had reservations about a couple of the kids that Brandon wanted to invite. The mere thought of those particular kids with bowling balls brought fear to our hearts. But never once did the horrific thought of shoelaces enter my mind! And how most kids Brandon's age have always worn velcro shoes and don't know how to tie shoelaces anymore! 20 shoes to tie. It took a while.
Shoes
No, I don't know all the sizes. Help! And returning them was another thing to keep in mind. Only one pair of shoes left the alley, which the parents returned later in the day.

In as much as I complain, we had a fun time. Brandon was so excited and happy he could hardly contain himself. Brian and I are grateful for the parents that stayed, since many kids needed a little help with aiming, bowling technique, and being told not to jump off the benches. The pizza was better than at most places, and we only left with 4 cupcakes!

And Brandon had his happy birthday party, which is what it was all about!

Happy 6th Birthday, Brandon

Six years ago today, at this hour, I was probably in the hospital in labor with my firstborn. Aahh, what memories. Painful memories (in a literal sense).

This morning, while Brandon was getting dressed for school, his zipper got stuck. He struggled and struggled with it. When I offered to help, he retorted with "I totally *do not* need your help, Mom!"

So much for turning 6 today. I think he's turning 13 and is just really short for his age.

On Being Three

The kids and I headed down to the park, and were talking to Caitlin about her birthday. Since we'd had a party for her on Saturday, she thought her birthday was that day, too! I think birthday's should be celebrated on the actual day, too, so we had cake tonight, and opened gifts from family.

Caitlin celebrated her birthday in style on Saturday. Her bestest buds, of which there are 3, and a their parents and siblings came over to party. I thought that Shrinky Dink necklaces would be a fun idea. I *must* have been thinking Caitlin was 5 or something, as it was a little too much for the 3 year old set, but the 5 year olds and parents were really getting into it! Oh well. My other wonderous craft was decorating your own cupcake, which went over a little better than the necklaces. We went through a heck of a lot of cupcakes and sprinkles, 10 dozen Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets, and a bunch of cut-up fruit. We really didn't think we'd go through all those nuggets, but we were wrong!

It was only 3 hours out of our day, but Brian and I were just beat after everyone left. We should have napped when Caitlin napped, but there was much cleaning to do. We ended up going out to dinner that evening because I couldn't muster up the energy to cook. It's amazing how tiring even doing a simple party at home can be!

The funniest part of our day today was when I told Caitlin that today was her real birthday, even though we'd celebrated with friends on Saturday. She got a very confused look on her face, and said, "But I'm not big." I was also confused, so I asked her "Did you think that you'd be big like Mommy when you turned three?" Her response? Yes! Poor Caitlin. You have many more birthdays to go before you're as big as Mommy! I'm not in a hurry for that!

5 Today

Another year goes by, and I wonder where my baby went. Is this a parental thing? I am always going to wonder where the little baby I had went, even when he's 21? Am I ever going to feel fully prepared to parent into the next age?

But my baby is 5 today! The big 5. The youngest child in his kindergarten class. But the biggest kid in my house!

There have been a lot of changes in the last year. Between moving, preschool, and now kindergarten, Brandon has been growing up. Although still a sensitive child, he has really come out of his shell as far as his personality is concerned. He has become adept at making friends, and became a "boy" during his preschool years - meaning that he ran around with his little friends (mostly boys), yelling, playing with balls and toys, and generally acting like what everyone expects boys to act like. He can read, write marginally well, and has a mind bent towards logic and conclusions (math and science, anyone?). He managed to make friends despite moving twice. This year we had 11 kids at his birthday party!

Happy Birthday, little one. I love you so much!

2 Years Old!

Caitlin turns two today. This shouldn't really come as a shock, but sometimes I just look at her and think "where did you come from?" After all, I gave birth to a chubby little baby. Now I have a full-fledged girl. She wants to wear my lip gloss and my shoes, but also thinks trains and fire trucks are equally as impressive. When Brandon was little (as in baby), I was in no hurry for him to grow up. He was my first, and I really didn't know what stages came next. Unfortunately for him, he's still to the experimental, wait-and-see-what-happens next kid. It's that whole stupid birth-order thing, I guess. Caitlin was different. She cried a lot as a baby, and I couldn't wait for her to get a little older. Having a massive case of PPD didn't help, either. I could barely drag myself out of bed each morning, and would fall off to sleep each night dreading the next day. It was fun when Caitlin started crawling at 6 months. Crazy, but fun. I was happy when she reached that stage. Even better was the sleep-through-the-night phase. That made this mommy's life a heck of a lot easier! Even though it has been occasionally punctuated by nightmares and much screaming, Caitlin's been an easy sleeper. At 9 months she started to walk. She was seemly made of jello and couldn't stand. That soon changed, and my second little baby become a toddler. And my, how she toddled! Into every wall there is. Still a klutz, even after over a year of walking.

A couple of weeks ago Caitlin looked at me and said "Mommy pretty flowers on the wall." At first I didn't know what she was talking about. Then I realized that she'd seen the new flowers in the wall vases. I'd taken out the Christmas decorations and replaced them with red flowers. Smart girl. Nice sentence structure. She says a lot, and her sentences are better formed than most kids. She's not as easy to understand as Brandon was at the same age, but she's getting there. She wants to wear her "boops" (boots) every time it snows, and pronounces "train" like "bean".


Our celebration this year was small. Brian is in San Diego for work for a week and a half. Love it when his job combines things. Single parenting is really my thing (not!). He travels a lot. After our 10 days of traveling over the Christmas holiday, I just couldn't bring myself to do anything for Caitlin's birthday. I'm tired. And besides, we really don't know anyone. I could have invited Emily and Ethan over, but didn't. We did have a little celebration this morning when she opened her presents, and the three of us headed over to Chuck-E-Cheese's for lunch and play time. It's waaaayyy to cold to be outside (hovered around 5 degrees). Besides, the kids love it there. And they can't escape, which is nice for me. Brandon and I made a cake for her during her nap, and we'll have that after dinner tonight. I know that I shouldn't worry too much about having a party. She is, after all, only two. But I still feel a little bit guilty. I'll have to do something next year. I'm sure by then she'll know what a birthday party is, and will want one of her own! But for now, this is okay. She's happy. She's had fun with her toys. And I'm sure she'll love her cake. Now... on to wake up my napping girl!

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is my birthday. I'm 38. I don't feel old. I don't feel 14, but I don't feel ancient, either. Although I think I look my age, most people think I'm 3 to 4 years younger than I am. Maybe they're just being nice. Better than them thinking I look 3 to 4 years older! But seriously - how do I know I'm old? Here's how:

-I have a mortgage.
-I have little kids. The days I can't keep up with them make me feel much older than I really am!
-I can talk about things I did over 20 years ago (example - I've been wearing glasses for 27 years. I graduated almost 20 years ago. The list goes on).
-My younger brother, Keith, use to watch classic Weird Al videos. I cringed because I remember when they were new!
-Yes, I watched "Friday Night Video's". We didn't have cable, so it's where I saw those classic videos in the first place!
-I started doing freezer meals because it's easier to prepare several meals at one time than spontaneously take my children to a restaurant when I don't feel like cooking.
-I'm reading a home organization book.
-Massages are more of a necessity than a luxury. But I just love getting them.
-I can afford a massage (the young usually cannot)
-My jeans are much lower than I'd like. While I don't want to wear "Mom Jeans", there's a pair out there somewhere that doesn't create the "mushroom top" effect that is ever so popular, yet ever so unflattering, these days. Even my thin, in-shape friends have the same problem! Almost no one looks good in today's jeans. Someone has got to make jeans for those of us who aren't 20, but are not yet 50!
-I think popular fashion is highly unfashionable.
-Every now and then I see a shirt or skirt in the window of Coldwater Creek or Chicco's that I think is really cute (so far I haven't gone inside to try anything on, so I'm still okay!).
-I'm no longer in any demographic. I don't matter to the television authorities, since the viewership they care about is males between the age of 18 and 34. All Old Navy clothes that look cute on the models look like crap on me, and are usually such poor quality that I wouldn't buy them anyway! 'Cause now I even care about that!
-Wait - I'm in the mini-van demography. Oh yay.
-VH1 is far more appealing than MTV (if I watch either one of them at all)
-I listen to talk radio more than I'd like to admit
-I don't get a lot of the "music", or what stands in for it, that I find on the radio
-I confess, I do love to listen to the "all 80's" weekends on the radio when I'm out and about by myself (provided they play more than the most common tunes). I turned up Billy Idol's version on "Mony Mony" the other day and sang at the top of my lungs. Good thing I was alone.
-I really don't get rap.
-I like naps. Don't get them often, but I like them.
-The only time I get looks anymore is when my daughter yells "NAKED" at the top of her lungs while running through the airport or mall. And those stares aren't anything like what I use to get when I was younger, thinner, and blonde.
-Over Christmas I found a sweater that I got when I was 14 (24 years ago - See point #3 above). It's back in style. In fact, I bought one very similar to it in early December. Why it was still in the closet at my parent's house, I'll never know (they've moved 4 times since I left home). Still, I washed my old sweater and brought it home with me.
-It's okay if I don't go out on a Friday or Saturday night.
-My four year old tried to count up to 38 on his fingers. He gave up.

Such is life, I guess. I'm not bemoaning my state. I still don't feel grown up. Just old. I'm happily married and have two wonderful kids. We're slowly figuring out our new lives in a new state with new people. Maybe all the change has made me feel old. Maybe it's the kids. Moving is such a great time to reinvent yourself, but I don't have the time or energy. Oh well. My birthday was happy! Even if I am old now! I got a gift certificate to a spa. For a massage. Now that's a good husband!

The Lunchtime Miracle!

On Wednesdays Brandon stays at his preschool until 12:30 so that I have time to get home from my women's bible study at our church in Boulder. I pack his lunch in the morning, and he's usually close to done when I show up. Today I packed a whole sandwich (that's two pieces of bread, people), a container of applesauce, and a Trader Joe's fruit strip (imported from California). When I showed up at the preschool, I noticed that Brandon had eaten his ENTIRE sandwich! This has never happened before! Not only had he eaten his sandwich, but he'd eaten both fruit strips in the package, and almost all of his applesauce! I am so proud of him that I have to tell everyone! Brandon's a skinny boy, and there's a reason for it. Lack of food will do that to you.


Brandon's class also celebrated his birthday today. He had a little sign on his cubby that said "Happy Birthday", and was wearing a little birthday crown and sticker when I arrived. I brought some mini-cupcakes for snack, and the kids sang "Happy Birthday" for him during snack time. They were going to do it Monday, but one of the teachers was sick, and all the kids were indoors the entire time due to the rain, so it was a bit overwhelming. I had prepped Brandon ahead of time so he wouldn't be surprised, so he was understandably a little sad when nothing happened. He was so excited today, though, to have had his birthday celebration. You can see the joy in his face in the picture above (although he has no neck. What happened to my photo taking skills?). When we got home, and he took off his sweatshirt, he wanted me to take the Happy Birthday sticker off his sweatshirt and put it on his regular shirt. I think he's still proud.

On Turning 4

Dear Brandon - today you turned four. That's twenty eight in dog years. For those with childen under the age of one, he's 48 months old. Pregnant? Have a newborn? He's 208 weeks. But hey, who's counting?

So, you are finally four. Four short years ago I was still in the hospital, stuck in bed, but happy that my baby was being held by others. Or maybe you were eating. Who knows? Here you are, only 3 hours old! And, as pointed out by your Nana, counting the hours on your fingers. Smart already.

And here you are, my fondest memory of you in the hospital, swaddled and sleeping in your bassinet. You didn't cry in the hospital. You saved that until after we got home. Even then you rarely cried. You just whined. A lot. Your whining was enough to make me come unhinged. It still is.

You've had many birthdays. We threw a large party a week before your first birthday (it was on your Nana's birthday). Why? Who knows. We were such proud parents, and were equally proud that we'd all made it a whole year! Family and friends showed up, and you had a great time. Funny, but at the time I thought you were so grown up. Looking back now I see my tired baby boy who had no idea why he was getting toys, wouldn't wear a party hat, and cried at the cupcakes. We finally got you to eat part of one. Daddy left that evening on a plane bound to New York. Two days later we got on a plane, met Daddy in New York, and went down to Washington DC. It wasn't that difficult. You were and still are a great traveler. The idea of doing that same trip with your sister terrifies me! You walked for the first time less than a week after your birthday! A few days later you were off and running, literally.

Stalking ducks in DC on your actual 1st birthday.

At your birthday party a week earlier

We had another party for your second birthday, but none of your friends could show up for one reason or another. However, your grandparents and aunts and uncles all showed up to cheer you on! This was the year of the train. You liked them before, but when your friend Max gave you a little train set, it was love. We could set it up on the coffee table. And we did. Every. Single. Day. You were so into your little IKEA set. Who knew that little set could bring you such joy!

Your third birthday was the "kid party". We had about 10 kids and their parents over to play! It was crazier than I thought it would be. My word for the day was underprepared. However, you had a great time, and the kids seemed to have a great time, too. I didn't even take any pictures at your party, and had to rely on what other people gave me. Friends can click here to see pictures from that party! I did manage to get a few pictures later on in the day, after everyone left. Here is one that clearly expresses the joy of your new train table and train set.

And now you are four. How did you get to be four? It is amazing that you are four. Such a big boy. In many ways you are older than four. Your vocabulary and command of the English language is amazing (well, for a four year old). You've been rhyming words and making up your own words for almost a year now. You've been potty trained and out of diapers since before you were three. You love your "baby sister", as you call Caitlin, except when she takes your toys and runs (she does this because you get upset. You do understand this, don't you?). In some ways, such as whining and not listening to your parents, you act far younger than what I expect from a four year old. But we're working on those areas!

We moved from California to Colorado when you were 3 1/2. This rocked your world. You were happy. You were sad. You made sure that we put the same things on the walls in our new house as we had in your room at our old house. You got braver, bolder and more outgoing. You had to or you'd have no friends! You loved your summer preschool, and you love your new preschool. You're so proud of all the fun things you get to do. And you have friends. On your fourth birthday we went to Chuck-E-Cheese, and your new friend Eli came as well. The two of you had so much fun together. You even told me a story about how you and Eli went into the women's bathroom instead of the men's bathroom, and Eli's daddy had to stand outside the door and call you. I don't know how true it is, but I can see it happening! This time I was prepared, and took pictures!


Happy Fourth Birthday Brandon! We love you so much!

love, Mommy and Daddy

Happy First Birthday

Happy First Birthday, Caitlin! I can't believe that you are one. This time last year, I was in the hospital, and you were almost ready to come out and greet the world (and boy was I glad!). And here you are, one year old. You walk, and sort of talk. Your first word was "hi", and we love how you say it when you enter a room, and you wave at us.


Just think of all the things you've learned in the last year.... how to eat, how to
drink, how to crawl, how to walk, how to grab things away from your brother, how to demolish a train table in 27 seconds flat.... the list goes on. I've learned a lot of things, too. Mostly, I've learned about speed....speed cleaning, speed showering, speed dressing, speedy food for you (since patience is one of the lovely virtues you have not learned!), and speeding after you as you quickly moved from room to room in our house!


You have been active since day one, and kept us on our toes with your rolling over at 3 1/2 months, crawling at 6 1/2 months, and trying desperately to walk since you were 9 months old. You finally succeeded right after you were 11 months! There have been some bumps and bruises along the way, along with a trip to urgent care to bandage up the nasty cut on your head. You've explored every possible nook and cranny in our house, and pulled open every drawer. At least all those house I spend babyproofing our house paid off. I've never had to secure so many things to the wall. Safety and earthquake inspectors would be proud!

And now you are one. My little baby girl. You're a toddler now, I suppose, with that little Frankenstein walk! The last year was a blur, and I don't expect it to get any slower as you and your brother continue to grow. And so we go.... sometimes the days crawl, but the months and years go by at lightning speed. Soon you'll be two, three, riding a bike, dating, moving out to go to college.... so slowly, and yet so fast at the same time. It's all worth it. I'm so excited to see who you'll become in the next few years. Let's just take it one year at a time, shall we? I'm glad that God chose me to be your mother, and I'm proud to be able to stay home and take care of you. It's been fun. I still *love* naptime (on many different levels), but I look forward to more years of fun!

Happy Birthday Brandon!

Happy Birthday Brandon! You are three. How did you get to be three? I had a baby, and now you're a boy. So fun, so bright, so energetic! You are so funny. At your birthday, you told us you couldn't be three until you had your cake. You waited a little while before we had cake, thus delaying your ability to turn three. Then it happened. That magical moment. And now, you are three...... Happy Birthday.