Daddy's 6th Father's Day

This Sunday is the day we honor our fathers. I know I posted a bunch of pictures of Steve on his birthday back in March, but I thought it might be fun to do a few more. I ran into a little trouble at one point, not sure which baby he is holding in a few of them. It's a good thing they were dated.

2002: Daddy with Baby Noah. He wasn't comfortable holding newborn Noah without the boppy in his lap, but look at that smile.














2003: Playing with Noah and a big ball














2004: A lot more comfortable swinging a newborn around with Baby Aaron



















2004: Toddler Noah at the beach



















2005: Geo Trax with Noah.














2005: Vacation snuggle with Aaron














2006: Pool with Noah














2006: Beach with Aaron














2007: Parade with Noah



















2007: Apple picking with Aaron



















2008: St. Louis Zoo with Noah



















2008: Playing with Aaron















Grandpas are daddies too



Grandpa B with Baby Noah


















Papa W with Noah














Grandpa B with Aaron
















Papa W with Aaron














Happy Daddy's Day, Everyone!

Playtime with Mom and Dad

I spend every day, all day with the boys. Steve spends all evening, every evening with the boys. It's the best schedule for our family. Sometimes we both find it hard to do creative things that keep the boys amused and getting along. I am already worried about the boys being together too much and it is still only the first week of vacation. The bickering set in a little today.

Nevertheless, both Daddy and I found creative attention grabbers this week.

I came home from work the other night to find this in the living room:














Daddy and boys made a fort and watched television and even ate dinner in their creation. The boys have been asking every day since for me to make them a fort. I explained to them that it is a "daddy thing". They're okay with that.














I found a fun book at the library, "Kid Concoctions." How fun are these? Our first one didn't turn out too well so we resorted to making the cupcakes that I never got for my birthday. I actually let the boys do a lot more than usual. I let them put the cups in...














use the mixer...














spoon the batter...














lick the spoons (yes, I know you're not supposed to)...














and even do some of the frosting.














This was actually a big step for me. I tend to be a bit of a control freak about things like that. I don't know who was more proud when it was done, the boys for helping so much, or me for letting them do it. Either way, the first thing the boys asked this morning, "What concoction will we make today?"

Happy Friday.

It All Started With a Waffle...

Happy Mother's Day to everyone (a day late). I have been reading about so many wonderful mother's day celebrations across the blog lines. I am so glad everyone had such a marvelous day.

I will try to spare many details for the sake of being too wordy. I'll only give the nuts and bolts of my Mother's Day.

Noah made me a cement heart with his hand print in it. He spent the morning at church telling everyone "I gave Mommy a stone heart". I thought it was kind of a funny quote.

We had a pretty normal morning at church. The boys sang This is the Day in front of church with me for a Mother's Day introit. We didn't get any pictures :(

Afterward, we headed up to my Dad's place for a little gathering. As many of you know, my step mom is more of a mother to me than my own so it was fitting that we went there. My brother and sister's families were both there, as well as all three step brothers and most of their families. (Madison and Piper were with their mom)

The best realization of the day was that it was the FIRST Mother's Day that Steve didn't have to change ALL of the diapers. We didn't HAVE diapers (or pull ups) anymore. First time in six years.

The guys settled in downstairs to watch sports and all the kids (except for Baby Ronin) were down there as well, watching movies and trashing the entire condo (the kids, not the dads). It was raining all day and they couldn't get outside.

So as the day went on, the kids were wanting snacks and Nancy pulled out some Lego waffles. No big deal.

However...
it set off a bit of a flood works in me. For some reason, the lack of control over what Noah and Aaron were eating , knowing there would be yet more battles about food the next day, set me into a major tailspin.

With sparing the details of all the feelings that came out (for the sake of not losing it AGAIN), I just started venting about all of the frustration I am feeling in the role as mother. I had shared that Mother's Day has ALWAYS been my least favorite day of the year...both as a daughter because I didn't feel loved by my mother, and as a mother because I know I can never be the mother that I wanted to be. By the time it got going, my sister was also sharing the struggles with parenting boys with challenges and not having the mother "mold" to take after. By the time it got going, I look around the room and all five of us (my oldest niece was in on the girl fest) are crying and a bit out of control. Nancy shared some kind words of our past that made me feel better about myself as a daughter, which I really needed to hear.

I really am not much of a hugger or physical person, but I gave in to the group hug suggestion. I don't really know what came out of the whole "sharing" session, but it actually may be the first Mother's Day that I will actually remember in the future. At one point, my Dad came upstairs , took one look at what was going on, and turned around and headed back downstairs. I am sure there were some warnings given to the other males when he returned to the basement.

After the floodgates closed again, we returned to normal "woman" talk. Nancy shared some funny "raising boy" stories that I think Shannon, Jenny, and I all appreciated. We also were able to get a clearer picture of what our trip to Florida will look like. We found out that Shannon's family has decided to join us and that we will be able to visit with both my and Steve's family while we are down there.

When we got home, the boys went downstairs to bounce and gave me a little bit of down time I needed and then I went down to the basement join them and we four snuggled under a comforter on the couch and watched Funniest home Videos before we put them to bed. It was the best snuggle I'd had in a long time.

I know it doesn't sound like much of an exciting Mother's Day but it was really what I needed. I have to work better and living "One Day At A Time" and stop bringing my future OR my past into my parenting. If I can live for today, maybe I will bring a better outlook to things myself, and therefore better for my boys. I am not MY mother, and I am not a BAD mother. I am just another woman who has been blessed with two of God's angels to care for and love.

Thanks for listening. Have a great day.

Hydrangea Novelette

Oh My...you are SOOOO in for more hydrangea DRAMA. (hee hee hee)

So, I "treated" my hydrangea, (that was actually starting to grow pretty nicely) to a special diet of plant food. I also gave it a little extra love through the means of actually watering it.

This is how it thanked me...














Ouch!

So, I was still trying to decide whether to pull it or not. People seem to agree that I watered or fertilized too much and it still has hope. So I was going to leave it. Others DARED to suggest that it was protesting me forcing my loyal readers to put up with St. Louis posts all week. (LOL)

Then today happened.

For history, I will sum up by saying my mother and I DO NOT have a mother-daughter relationship and probably never will. It is a trust issue that will not be resolved and I am okay with that. However, she tries to pretend that there is a relationship there once in a while and shows up at our house to see the boys. So that is what she did today. Along with her, she brought a little cherry tree for Aaron (she had given an apple blossom to Noah several years ago) A very nice gesture.

So now I have:
A. A cute little tree that needs a home
B. A hydrangea that doesn't seem to want to grow high enough to cover the drain pipe sticking out of the front of my house
C. A DECISION to be made.

Pretty simple...Pull the hydrangea...














and replace it with the little tree.



















Now, I have a hydrangea that I have blogged about and we ALL seem to have a little piece of hope for the little guy (yes, it must be boy since everything else in this house is) Aaron still wanted to water it sitting on the front lawn.














So I say to my husband, "We HAVE to plant this somewhere...it has too much invested in it."

So he and my mom decided that it can go in next to the steps. I fight this because I don't like it when it is not uniform on both sides. So my mom says, "We want to go to Flowerland anyway, why don't we go get you another hydrangea to put on the other side." So I pull $20 from our garage sale money (see future posts) and send them off to the store to get another one.

They come home toting TWO hydrangea plants. UGGGHHHH!

Now, I have two beautiful hydrangeas to plant in the front yard. It will be nice and uniform around the front steps. Wonderful, right?














Can you even see the little purple on the two sides?

What about my poor little injured guy in the first place?
Steve decided to plant it next to my lilacs on the other side of the house.














Maybe life next to plants that are actually GROWING will be a motivator for the little guy.

Who would have thought that one could write so much about a little bit of yard work. I must say though, this has been kind of a fun entry to write.

So...my loyal readers. you will now be subjected to Hydrangea, Chapter II
"After the Transplant"
Aren't you relieved the story goes on?

Isn't this sweet?

My parents are down south for a few months yet and my in-laws will also be leaving for the warm south soon. I think it is great that they have a chance to go away from the cold weather and spend time together. Both couples are very busy while they are up here with social agenda and both are active in the lives of their many grandchildren. It is good to have time to reconnect with just each other. I hope someday that Steve and I will have the opportunity to do the same. Actually, I pray for it with all of my heart.

My father has become quite the photographer since he retired a decade ago. He takes some amazing pictures. One if his favorite subjects is wildlife, especially birds. There are a few pictures he's taken through the years that are just so neat. Yesterday, he sent me a few pictures that he's taken down there. I loved the one of my step-mom by the crocodile (or was it an alligator) warning sign but I thought the one I'm showing was just precious. It really makes me think of so many wonderful couples who have been together for decades and still adore each other. I do believe that if we choose right, then this lasting affection is the reward God gives us for that choice. Thanks Dad for the picture.

Have a great Thursday everyone.