Malakai's 1st Eye Exam

The more time passes and the more behind I get on posting certain events, the more reluctant I am to post current events...which means I get even further behind. SO at the risk of things being all out of order (ugh), I'm posting about something that happened TODAY. I haven't done this in forever, I think I might like it.

This morning Malakai and I dropped Desmond off with Grandma Debbie and headed to the eye doctor. I talked it up all morning, practiced a few things, and reminded him of the episode on Sesame Street when the little girl goes to the eye doctor. He was actually kind of excited about the whole thing by the time we got there.

He greeted the receptionist and was thrilled that they had toys. He even picked them up without being asked well before we were called back. I was wondering if I somehow had the wrong child with me.

Ben met us there, and they started with a few preliminary tests. This included the dreaded "air puff". Ben and I both have issues with this one. He cannot keep his eyes open to save his life and I will flinch without fail. I know it's coming but I have an uncontrollable reaction, it's terrible because the HAVE to continue doing it. Malakai got through the 1st eye with one try. The 2nd was a bit more challenging because he knew what was coming, but he did well. Afterward though he told the assistant "Don't do that again, it hurt my eye." I love his growing vocabulary and ability to express himself.

He did so well through all three of the 1st tests that I got a little emotional sitting there, realizing he's growing up. I'm going to be a puddle on the floor in 2 years when he goes off to Kindergarten. Somebody hold me.

Then we walked down the hall for a few other tests, just looking at cards with shapes and such to see what he could point out as they got smaller. He's not even a little bit colorblind and was happy to show off his knowledge of shapes. He refused to wear an eye patch or funny glasses though, even with the mention of "Jake and the Pirates".

Next Dr. M came in for a more in-depth exam and we could tell why were were having to pay big bucks (thank God for HSA) to be there. She was an expert at working with preschoolers and instead of pushing Kai to wear a patch or one sided glasses she let daddy cover one eye and then the other to get the same result.

We learned that at this age, all children are far sighted. Also, Malakai is slightly less far sighted than his peers, which isn't a problem. He does have astigmatism on one side and one eye performs slightly different from the other, but neither indicate a need for correction or vision therapy. Ben + I breathed a sigh of relief as Ben had to undergo pretty intense vision therapy at a young age and still wears a contact in one eye.

Afterwards Kai was pretty stoked that he got to come to work with me. He tore my office apart a couple times, but put it all back together by himself. He followed me around as I prepped the classes for Sunday. We had a blast together and I think I may take him to work with me more often if he so chooses. However, I think he enjoys his trips to Grandma's even more than hanging out with me on the job.

Somehow I was thinking today would be a lot more difficult, and am so thankful for how pleasant it turned out.

Thankful on a Thursday

This week I'm thankful for...

1061. All the hard work that went into our backyard makeover {now we just wait for the grass to grow!}

1062. The kiddos staying healthy despite both Ben + I being sick.

1063. Regaining my voice after almost a week of struggling to talk.

1064. The love and support of an amazing man.

1065. Our successful trip to Portland. So many things could have derailed the whole thing, but everything went smoothly.

1066. A fantastic boss and co- workers. I love my job!

1067. My busy boys. Des is such a speedy crawler now, he has taken to following Kai everywhere. Kai LOVES it.

1068. Getting some fun crafty supplies in the mail.

1069. Morning coffee ala French press.

1070. God's word with me wherever I go. 

{YouVersion Bible app}

Now on to a VERY busy weekend!

Thankful on a Thursday

Thursdays are always so busy for me that I often forget to post these. Perhaps it's bad timing, or perhaps it's when I need to pause and reflect the most.

This week I'm thankful for

1051. an upcoming opportunity to see an out of town friend for her 30th birthday.

1052. days when naps coincide and everything falls together smoothly.

1053. daydreaming of a possible 5 year wedding anniversary getaway with Ben.

1054. 30 minutes of quiet in the sunshine, all by myself.

1055. patience coming at just the right moments.

1056. watching Malakai and Desmond start to play together.

1057. getting to order new cordless room darkening blinds for all 3 bedrooms!

1058. the opportunity to redo our backyard complete with sprinkler system.

1059. quiet evenings curled up on the couch with my hubby and our favorite shows.

1060. this blog. while it's far from perfect and surely not as interesting as it has been or could be, it's a great way to record our family's history and connect with those that have stuck around through the lulls. Thanks for reading!

Thankful for Mothers

I know I'm late on my thankful post, but better late than never. I wanted to be sure to share my thankful list as it relates to mothers + mothering.

I'm thankful for...

1041.  the opportunity to mother my children every day. I get to learn and grow with them and I find that to be a huge blessing.

1042. my mom. She is thoughtful, caring, loving; everything a mother should be. She is my best friend and a fantastic grandmother to our boys.

1043.  my mother-in-law. She has become like a mom to me over the past 6 years and I'm increasingly grateful for our friendship. She's also a wonderful grandma.

1044. My gram. She is such a fun lady and we don't see her often enough.

1045. Ben's grandmas. I've enjoyed getting to know them over the years and they are so sweet with our boys.

1046. My late great-grandma. I miss her tons, I often wish she could be around to meet my kids and see me as a mother.

1047. Mama friends. I have so many friends of all ages with kids at every stage who are great role models for a young(ish) mom like me.

1048. Getting to parent with Ben. He is such a great father and husband and I credit him with much of my ability to mother our sons well. I especially look to him for guidance in being more patient; with our boys and with myself.

1049. teaching my children. As a teacher I enjoy and look forward to teaching my kids at home, but will most definitely be sending them to public school once they are kindergarten age (and of course supplementing their learning at home then as well!)

1050. the funny + sweet moments. As I write this, Malakai began to stir during his nap...and is currently falling asleep sitting up. Yesterday he called me a "stinker". Desmond's belly laughs are the best pick-me-ups of all time, and I just love watching his little personality begin to shine through. Watching my sons play and interact is one of the best rewards parenting has to offer.

{the three of us on a typical day; Kai trying to help Desmond out with a "rope"}

Motherhood has it's ups and downs and it would be very easy to get caught up in the difficult parts and be ungrateful for the rest. Just today Kai threw a pretty epic fit that had me clenching my teeth. Every single day I choose to love mothering, even the hard parts. 

{mama + her boys}

What/who are you thankful for this week?

Thankful on a Thursday

A quick list...

1031. Our church D-Group.

1032. Kai's desire to play with his baby brother.

1033. No desserts in our house at the moment (I'm really bad at resisting)

1034. Running water, of which we were without for 24 hours.

1035. my upcoming hair appointment (I only go once or twice a year)

1036. when Kai snuggles.

1037. Desmond's new sounds (he said "ma!")

1038. late night talks with Ben, even when we wake up exhausted the next morning.

1039. a sweet sleepy baby.

1040. my sister, the best babysitter out there!

Thankful

1021. a garage that (usually) fits our car. It's cramped but it keeps us out of the rain. Although, right now, it's undergoing some spring cleaning...so the car is in the driveway.

1022. borrowing cars. We are borrowing my in-laws car again- because our 2nd car is having some issues. I won't pretend to understand them enough to explain...hopefully it'll be back in use soon!

1023. nap time. Today was rough, but I realize that most days I have it pretty good since at least part of Desmond + Malakai's naps overlap.

1024. support. We have such a wealth of support in our family, church family, and friends.

1025. my smartphone. It seems silly but it makes a lot of things convenient for keeping work and home life organized.

1026. snuggles from my boys.

1027. PBS kids. Kai can't get enough of Curious George, which has been essential on occasion.

1028. a husband who is willing to share the load when it comes to getting up in the night.

1029. when the house is quiet.

1030. patience as an answer to prayer.

Thankful on a Thursday: Time.

Thursdays sneak up on me most of the time. It's funny because I'm guessing for most people that it's Monday that is sneaky. I always work Thursday mornings and we always seem to have plans on Thursday nights so they're rather busy. Like right now it's almost 11pm and I had to think about what day it was...already Thursday again!!!

We've got a LOT going on, and I keep waiting for it to slow down even though I know it's not going to. Busy is becoming our new normal for a lot of reasons and that's ok. We are doing the most important things as best we can: serving God,spending time with our families, loving and caring for our boys and each other without restraint. If the busyness were to get in the way of those things- then we'd have a problem.

So despite my feeling like last Thursday was really just yesterday, here's another list of what I'm thankful for.

1011. the flowers outside finally getting some warm weather to keep them alive (the ones that survived the snow last month anyway)

1012. Kai's growing ability to communicate. He is such a talker and learning more and more how to tell me what he wants or needs without tantrums over miscommunications.

1013. Desmond's speedy developement. Within the last two weeks he has mastered a number of new skills.

1014. My sister letting me borrow Hunger Games. It was such a nice little break from reality and it's such a good read. I just finished it today and Ben currently has his nose buried in it.

1015. Easter candy. I'm also really not thankful for this at all...it's a daily conflict really.

1016. starting to feel more caught up at work.

1017. Everyone being healthy in our household for the time being.

1018. Kai's independence outdoors.

1019. Desmond's sweet little voice as he starts to babble more and more.

1020. a clean house.

Soon I'll find some time to post Desmond's monthly update!

Thankful on a Thursday- gratefulness.

So I haven't posted a Thankful list in almost 2 months. Apparently when I hit 1000 I subconsciously thought it was time for a break. I didn't realize just how long it had been (felt like maybe a week or two) until I looked back to find the last post. Yikes!

I was reminded this past Sunday during a really great sermon how important gratitude is. I need to remember all the blessings on a daily hourly basis. It helps to keep the grumpies in check.

Here's a small list of some recent things that I have to be thankful for...

1001. my health. I've been whining about this lingering cold (or whatever it is) but looking at the big picture I'm relatively healthy.

1002. fun grandparents for my kids. Both my parents + Ben's parents are so playful with our boys, they are so blessed to have grandparents who are happy to get on the floor or go outside and play with them.

1003. food. If you've been to our home you know our kitchen is TINY. It's the source of much frustration on my part when I'm trying to prepare meals, especially big ones. I get really irritated when it comes to storing large items. I digress. I am just thankful to have a home, a kitchen, and food to fill our bellies.

1004. jobs. So many people are jobless right now and are forced to relocate for work, or worse. Ben + I are well aware of how precious our jobs are. Not just for the income they provide our family, but because we both enjoy what we do and who we work with.

1005. saving money. We are in the middle of a refinance on our home. We already had a super low interest rate, but we have an opportunity to save even more per month once we're on the other side of this tedious process.

1006. My children love each other. Desmond grins and gets so happy he can't help but squirm when he sees Malakai, especially first thing in the morning. Likewise, Kai lights up and giggles just being in his brother's presence. I really hope this lasts for years to come!

1007. a happy marriage. "They" all tell you that marriage is a lot of work, and it's true. It's also beyond worth it. I couldn't imagine going through life without Ben, he's my soft place to land after a hard day.

1008. knowledge. I'm learning so many things with the new part of my job and I'm even able to apply them to the job I've been doing for over a year now. It's so nice to work with people who are willing to teach me what they know and show me patience as I learn.

1009. friends. One of my very best friends just recently got engaged and I'm over-the-moon excited for her! I can't wait to celebrate her big day. I also just appreciate the rare opportunities to sit and visit with my girl friends. Let's try to meet up more often ladies!

1010. sleep. I don't nearly get enough these days, and we've just started sleep training with Desmond (resource: The No-Cry Sleep Solution.) but when I get a few consecutive hours it feels so nice!

Want to join me? Tell me what you're thankful for this week, or do a blog post of your own and link back, I'd love to read your list!

Thankful on a Thursday

Here we go again, another sickness making its way through our house. Thankfully Kai has stopped coughing and my sore throat isn't getting worse, just lingering. Little Des is teething like crazy which means nobody is getting a full night's sleep around here. I'm really hoping for some relief for him and rest for all.

Yes, once again I'm blogging about sleep...or the lack of. Yet this week I'm thankful for...

991. Malakai beginning to sleep better, although he did skip nap today.

992. a fairly short lived cold (hopefully).

993. an actual date with my husband to look forward to.

994. a productive work week and seeing the fruits of my labor.

995. Des' check up going well today.

996. Finishing our tax returns.

997. being able to tag-team bed time + night wakings.

998. the help of my patient husband, he takes the best care of us.

999. quiet times with Ben in the evenings when the littles are finally asleep.

1000. grace amazing.

Thankful on a Thursday: sleep

Sleep has been a big issue in our house recently. Malakai is having a hard time taking naps. At 2 1/2 I'd question whether it was time to stop taking naps and just transition into quiet time in the afternoon BUT kiddo can't keep his eyes open after about 5:30. Last week he fell asleep reading books just before dinner and then again at the table.

Last night really took the cake. Kai refused to nap again and was really drowsy at 5pm. He got really cranky and was hurdling towards a total melt down. I whipped him up a grilled cheese sandwich because he said he was hungry. While I was cooking he sat at the table and zoned out, I put his food in front of him as quick as I could to get him to wake up, but instead this happened....

{If we're friends on facebook I'm sure you've seen this already}

I've never seen something so strange in my whole life. I didn't know it was possible to continue eating while asleep. My husband is a sleep walker and has some crazy stories, but none of them are this odd. I've seen kids fall asleep into their food or while eating, Kai did this just last week, but continuing to eat while asleep astounds me.

Anyway, all that to say that little mister is really keeping himself from getting the sleep he needs. Thankfully he passed out in the car on the way home from Grandma's after lunch today.

This week I'm thankful for...

981. my two boys, currently fast asleep, getting the rest they need.

982. Desmond sleeping through the night twice!

983. small group- I'm really enjoying getting to know people better.

984. a clean house (hosting small group is a great motivator to keep the house uncluttered!)

985. my tech guru- aka Ben.

986. a very productive week at work/home.

987. new shelves in my office.

988. crossing some projects off of my long to-do list.

989. getting to indulge my creative side here and there.

990. a happy and healthy family.

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful on a Thursday

Wow, Thursday just keeps sneaking up on me. Since working twice as many hours the weeks have just been flying by! I was afraid when I first took on the additional role at work/church that I'd feel guilty about leaving my boys for about 10 hours a week. While I do miss them, I'm so much more productive when they're with grandma or mima that when we're together again I don't have as many other things on my mind. I can more easily focus all my attention on them and that is such a good feeling!

This week I'm thankful for...

971. God's work in my life. It's mysterious, and sometimes seems crazy, but it's always blessed.

972. my healthy growing boys. I'm a little scared to say it, but we've been free of sickness in our house for a long while now and it feels great!

973. synchronized naps. I will never stop being excited about this because it's such a rare and happy occasion (and it's occurring right now!)

974. quiet time with Ben. Another rarity is an early enough bedtime for both kiddos that Ben and I actually get some time for just us. I cherish it every time.

975. Grandma Debbie + Mima Tami = Ben's mom + my mom. They are instrumental to our survival each week.

976. With my increased hours will come increased income. I'm really excited to put that extra money into savings (thrilling, right?).

977. girl time. Yesterday when I was in the office, Liz + I were getting so talkative. She mentioned that it was some of her only "girl time" because she's often in the office by herself. I realized that it's some of my only "girl time" every week because I'm often at home with my boys!

978. the sun shining through my window. We haven't had much of a "winter", but I'm already looking forward to spring.

979. small group. We're hosting a church small group, it starts next week and I'm so excited!

980. new friends. I feel like through work and church I'm meeting a lot of new people and creating closer relationships with people I've only barely known. This is so good for me, as most stay at home/work at home moms probably know!

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful on a Thursday

I've missed my thankful posts the last couple of weeks, but as you can probably tell I haven't really been updating around here as much as I usually do. It started with the holidays and then just compounded after that. Just before Christmas I took on an additional role at my job/church, which means most of my "free time" is taken up by work and household chores.

The boys haven't been napping simultaneously for a long time until the past week, so that cut my time to get things done way down. I mean, I still do laundry and dishes and other household stuff while they're awake if I can. BUT my main priority is to take care of their needs, teach them, play with them, and watch them grow. Sweeping, blogging, cooking, and checking email can all wait.

However, now that they have been napping at the same time (although sometimes it takes for-ev-er) I've had some time to myself.

This week I'm thankful for...

961. time to read, for pleasure even! I'm currently reading The Help. It's really hard to put down.

962. snowfall at the beginning of the week.

963. our ice cream maker, winning that has had such a huge pay off.

964. time to work. I'm starting to establish a routine of being in my office two mornings a week.

965. Malakai's increasing interest in his brother.

966. Desmond's increasing interest in everything.

967. generous family + friends- you all are keeping our boys well dressed this winter!

968. amazon prime trial + subscribe and save. cheap diapers and other deals, right to my door, super fast.

969. discovering new recipes and changing up our dinner routines.

970. and as always, these two...just everything about them.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful on a Thursday: today I turn...

and I'm thankful for...

951. so many wonderful things that happened to me in my twenties.

952. Desmond's belly laughs.

953. generous and thoughtful gifts.

954. Ben taking care of me and the boys while I was very sick.

955. Christmas gatherings.

956. the boys not getting the stomach flu, better me than any of them!

957. a church that I love, flaws and all.

958. games that Malakai makes up.

959. surprises.

960. having lived another year full of blessings.

Thankful on a Thursday: hustle + bustle

I feel like I've been procrastinating,  but really I just have two little ones that need all my attention. This means that 3 days before Christmas we are frantically trying to get the kids to sleep so we can wrap presents and bake goodies in preparation for upcoming celebrations. Whew, the days have gone by way too fast!

Still I have so much to be thankful for...

941. a very unexpected + generous Christmas bonus.

942. Desmond's first laughs.

943. Malakai's manners.

944. my mothers. they have been and will be integral to my being successful in my "new job"

945. seasonal beverages + other treats.

946. speaking of treats...our neighbors from down the street.They came by earlier this evening with a plate of goodies for Christmas- ADORABLE!

947. watching Desmond + Malakai interact.

948. the ability to get gifts for my boys.

949. my hard working husband who puts in at least 42 hours every week at work and then comes home to  diapers, tantrums, spit up and other non-glamorous parental duties and lets me take a "break" to get other things done. my hero!

950. the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, without whom I would be lost.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thankful on a Thursday

This week I'm thankful for...

931. that Kai still falls asleep in the car and stays out for transition to bed, most of the time.

932. that Desmond has finally learned that his car seat isn't the worst place to be.

933. for a job where I can bring my children if need be.

934. for free babysitting courtesy of the grandparents so I don't have to bring them to work or even shopping all the time.

935. for kid-friendly Christmas gatherings that get us out of the house and socializing with other adults.

936. the arrival and departure of our Christmas cards.

937. having time in the evenings to get some gift making done.

938. answered prayers + God's timing.

939. snuggle time with my boys.

940. quiet time to myself.

Thankful on a Thursday: holiday mess

Our house is currently a rather gigantic mess. We got halfway through decorating the tree last night before Malakai was more interested in playing with the computer (I consider this a success) so the decor boxes are still out until Ben and I can get to putting the ornaments on the tree. Time to ourselves is so scarce these days, I think it'll be a while before it's finished.

Also, due to having no time away from the children, our living room and bedroom are being taken over by laundry that needs to be put away. There are few things that frustrate me more than trying to find clothes in piles rather than the closet and drawers. The desk is piled with my work documents, notes, calendars, and to-do lists. There is a pile of craft supplies ready for me to find more of that free-time I hear so much about so I can get Christmas gifts made. The gifts that are ready await in a rubbermaid container to be wrapped.

Then there are the constant things that we just can't find a good place for...like the carseat and the baby bath tub. I keep wanting to put the baby tub in the bathroom but then it gets in the way every morning and every night at shower/bath time. I think we're getting a little too cramped in this space and I feel the need to purge things again...only to have the holidays and all the stuff that comes with it upon us. I kind of wish I could forego all the gift exchanging this year, but that seems rather out of the spirit doesn't it?

We did have a very lovely outing to get our tree last weekend and I really want to get pictures up to share, but haven't had enough time to go through them to get them posted here. There's always tomorrow.

This week I'm thankful for...

921. the festive smell of our fir tree.

922. finding a pin that matches Malakai's for Desmond's stocking



923. coming back to the knowledge that my God always provides, after living in fear over our finances.

924. a soft warm bed and a roof over my head.

925. my two sweet sons- always.

926.  the generosity of others.

927. starting my work at home job up again.

928. the rare moments of quiet.

929. promo codes that enabled us to do a photo Christmas card again this year.

930. my laptop still working after spilling tea on it...yikes! (although some of the keys are sticking...)

What are you thankful for this week? Big and small, it all matters.

Thankful on a Thursday: December

I'm sure December is a busy month for just about everyone because of the holidays. Here is what our month looks like:
*starting work again this week
*Christmas shopping
*Christmas tree family outing
*church leadership meeting
*Children's ministry Christmas Party
*church staff Christmas lunch
*Ben's work Christmas Party
*Church Play/helping coordinate childcare
*Desmond's 2 month check-up
*possibly more doctor appointments to cram in before the new year.
*Family birthdays (including mine, 28 more days left of my twenties!)
*Christmas eve service and at least 4 different family gatherings over Christmas weekend

And that's just all the stuff I can remember off the top of my head. whew, it's going to be an exhausting month! November flew by and I have a feeling December will go even faster with everything on our calendar.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by how busy life can get. This week I have a lot to complain about, but I choose to count my blessings instead. I am so thankful for...

911. the privilege that is being a parent.

912. Desmond's sweet smile.

{Ben captured his little grin for the first time}

913. money-saving opportunities, especially at the holidays.

914. Malakai in his batman pj's. He's about a month late on the dress-up thing, but the cuteness was worth the wait.

{da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na...BATMAN!}

915. having our family live close by: we see both sets of grandparents just about every week.

916. the baby bouncer + binkies. Kai didn't use either, Desmond loves both.

917. getting Kai's big-boy bed tonight. (here's hoping it's a smooth transition from toddler bed to twin)

918. "me time". When Ben comes home I usually bake something while they play.

919. homemade gift inspiration (aka pinterest)

920. getting a chunk of my Christmas shopping done yesterday.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful on a Thursday

This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for a lot, here are just a few things...

901. my oldest sleeping sweetly in the next room

902. my baby wiggling happily next to me

903. getting home early enough from our festivities to relax and watch some tv with my man.

904. visiting with extended family that we don't see often enough.

905. mashed potatoes and turkey smothered in gravy, mmmm.

906. watching Malakai run around with our cousins.

907. a dry garage to return home to on a rainy night.

908. fitting into more of my pre-pregnancy clothing.

909. having Ben home for a 4 day weekend.

910. leftovers!

Happy Thanksgiving,

P.S. the current giveaway ends tomorrow night at 11pm PST. Go enter now!

Thankful on a Thursday: a quick list

This week I'm thankful for...

891. all of us being healthy again!

892. Malakai's growing vocabulary.

893. our extended family.

894. Desmond's smiles.

895. funny toddler moments.

896. playful banter with my witty husband.

897. fresh baked goods for breakfast.

898. practical gifts that help us get by.

899. a clean kitchen.

900. naps.









The Nourish Organics Giveaway ends TONIGHT at 11pm PST. Head on over to get your entries in. I'll announce a winner before the end of the day tomorrow.

Thankful on a Thursday: support system

After posting about our rough night with Desmond I received a good amount of feedback and support from other mamas. Thanks so much for the suggestions and commiseration.

Our pediatrician had us come back in yesterday to make sure there wasn't something more than colic to Desmond's fits. Thankfully his ear is looking better and he is showing signs of the sickness nearing it's end. She also told us that gas meds like Mylicon are not really helpful, but that there's more research to back up the effectiveness of gripe water. So we went out and bought some last night. We gave him some and he only cried for about half an hour on and off. A HUGE improvement from the 3 hours straight in the evenings prior

This week I'm thankful for...

881. a support system of friends + acquaintances; online and in person.

882. a pediatrician we can trust and that we happen to adore.

883. Desmond napping through Malakai vomiting, taking a bath and needing me to sit with him til he fell asleep for nap this afternoon. No clue what's going on there...

884. the blogger app Ben added to my iPod, which is always by my side for Des' activity tracker. Please excuse future grammatical errors and such as I'm not the best at typing on it.

885. forgiveness.

886. reconciliation.

887. upcoming giveaways around here to treat my amazing readers with (coming soon!)

888. grace.

889. frozen meals: I've cooked maybe twice since Desmond was born between the pre-made meals and those brought fresh during the first couple weeks.

890. the power of prayer. (please pray for our friends' son Christian, he is 7 months old and in the hospital needing a miracle).

I've noticed a lot of you posting daily about what you're thankful for on facebook and twitter. It's so encouraging to see what others count as blessings.