Kids | Page 17 | Minivans Are Hot

Disconnected, Unedited

March 25, 2011 by Kelli

I have had a lovely time in Florida with the kids. This week I have purposely disconnected from the internet. I felt bogged down by my overwhelming need to be online all the time and I just needed a break. Other than a few photos on Facebook, I’ve simply kept the computer off and have relaxed.

It’s been fun to reconnect with the kids. We’ve played tag and Crazy Eights. We’ve watched movies and played for hours in the sand. We visit the tennis courts daily where I “play” tennis with the kids. It consists of me chasing the ball for a half an hour while they laugh manaically as they swing with all their might.

And today, I totally earned Mom of the Year for wading out into the frigid ocean with Sloan because he wanted to snorkle. Apparently his skin is made out of leather because he didn’t seem to notice the cold. I, however, thought I was going to go into hypothermic shock. Because my skin is made out of paper…

Today could not have been more perfect day. So perfect that I ended up with a bit of a sunburn, which I hate because I’m all paranoid about the wrinkles that are cropping up on my face. But whatever, each new wrinkle represents a day of fun in the sun.

That doesn’t at all make me feel better, but I’m trying really hard to not freak out.

Photos, straight out of the camera because I don’t feel like editing them:

She didn't like the cold water. Or the waves. While trying to run out of the water she fell and cut her toe. Good times...

More fun in the sun awaits us while everyone at home is bundling up against the final remnants of winter. I will read, rest and delight in the laughter of my kids. Right now, I will sleep!

Filed Under: Family, Kids Tagged With: Clearwater Beach, Kids and Photos, Spring Break

Emphasis on Spring

March 21, 2011 by Kelli

Perfect weather is a beautiful thing…

And this last photo just to make you laugh out loud. I freaking love this kid…

Tomorrow? The Beach!

Filed Under: Family, funny stuff that happens, Kids, Kids do the darndest things Tagged With: I love spring, Kids, Outside, Photos, Spring Break

Spring Break

March 18, 2011 by Kelli

Today begins Spring Break. What are we doing so far?

We’re counting our Spring Break money, drawing on the ipad, learning to read, being goofy and playing with the basketball that was signed for us by Zac Efron himself.

I am also in possession of a signed photo. The kids think “Troy” signed them for him, but we all know Zac signed them for me. I have good friends – good friends who know people…

Yes, today starts Spring Break and much fun awaits us. In just four days we’ll be here:

Happy Weekend and Happy Break everyone!

Filed Under: Kids Tagged With: Spring Break

On Earaches and Mary

March 14, 2011 by Kelli

On Friday night Landon asked to go to bed. This was after he asked to take a nap on Friday afternoon and he slept for two hours.

Not normal.

At 11:00 Friday Landon woke up crying. He was at the tail end of a cold so a little medicine, a kiss and a cup of water and everyone settled once again. Until…

One O’clock rolled around and we heard the desperate pleas of our little one. And he never went back to sleep.

“My eeaaaw huwts,” he cried all night, clutching at his left ear. We rocked and sang and he’d slowly drift to sleep only to jolt awake again with a cry. Back and forth we went between his room and our own room, Lee and I alternating trying to sleep and holding our hurting boy. We debated heading to the ER but knew it was an ear infection and decided to wait it out until morning.

At 5:30 we put in High School Musical and I dozed on the couch. By 9:00 we were in the pediatrician’s office where it was declared he had a nasty inner ear infection with a painful looking bulge and by 10:30 we were home with a little boy who looked like this.

Not only did he look exhausted, he also look abused due to an unfortunate run in with the corner of the iPad the night before that left him with a shiner. He was pitiful and in pain most of Saturday but by Sunday morning had perked up considerably thanks to numbing drops, antibiotics and twleve hours of solid sleep. We were on the mend, and we were happy.

When his ear began dripping blood on Sunday morning we began fast and furiously treating what we think may have been a slight perforation in his ear drum with both antibiotic ear drops and oral antibiotics as we are flying a week from tomorrow and we need his ear healed. So far the pediatrician has cleared us to fly and is confident that he will be fine by the time we leave. This is a good thing because if she said he wouldn’t be I was already planning the car trip.

Sunday afternoon I went to a practice for an Easter drama that a few of us are putting on on Easter Sunday. It’s a beautiful piece of work and I found myself very emotional at one point when the character of Christ speaks the word, “Mother?” This happens during the crucifixion scene.

And my heart broke a little as I pictured Mary watching her baby suffer. My heart crumbled just seeing Landon suffer through ear pain, but Mary watched her son beaten, bruised and hung. She watched the blood drain from the very hands that she held as a small child. She saw the flesh torn from the back of the boy she bathed as a boy.

She suffered.

As my children grow I’m realizing more and more that I will always and forever see the infant form of them. Sloan is developing a man-child look about him and yet I still see the expressive toddler who marveled at the moon. Tia’s face matures a little more each day and yet I still see the big-eyed infant who couldn’t wait to conquer the world.

Landon is right where I want him right now. He is today who I will never forget.

Mary felt the same way. I understand that more and more the longer I parent. She saw the man who hung on the cross, but did her mind flash to him toddling into her arms? It most surely did. Did she remember sloppy kisses and delighted laughter? I’m sure of it. As she stared at his arms stretched wide across the beams, did her own arms ache with the memory of the weight of her infant? Did she smell the stench of the stable and see the dark, round eyes of her firstborn nuzzled against her chest?

What kind of memories flooded her mind’s eye?

And as he suffered and died slowly, did she experience pain herself? What was swirling through her heart? It pains me to even think about it, as it pained me to watch my toddler clutch at his ear in pain.

When they hurt, we hurt.

And then, when she heard He was alive – what did she feel? What kind if disbelief and shock and fear and joy coursed through her veins? When she saw His resurrected body, did she still see the little boy she raised or was He different somehow? Did He give her an extra long hug and a kiss on the cheek, a balm to the wound she had suffered three days before?

I wonder about these things.

Mary was a mother.

I am a mother.

And so I ponder.

Filed Under: Easter, faith, Family, Holidays, Kids, Landon, Motherhood Tagged With: Christ, Crucifixion, Easter, Mary, Resurrection, thoughts

The one with the bags under my eyes

March 9, 2011 by Kelli

The clock read 4:32 am.

“Moooooommmmmyyyyyy,” came the pitiful cry. I quickly got up and went to Tia’s room. She is my sleeper. She is the child who could sleep through any illness, the one who once vomited then went back to sleep in it.

Gross.

So when she cries out in the middle of the night, there’s usually a good reason for it. Usually.

“What’s wrong,” I asked, kneeling by her bed. Her eyes were closed. She was asleep. Like a cruel joke she roused me from my bed then fell back into a deep slumber. I stumbled back to bed.

The clock read 4:36 and I felt the heat of little eyes staring at me from the bedside. “Tia, what’s wrong, honey?” I mumbled.

“I had a bad dream about tornados,” she wimpered. We can all thank her big brother for that phobia. I got up and walked her back to her room and put her back in bed. “Think about happy things,” I told her. “Think of the beach and ice cream and gymnastics.”

I fell back into my bed a minute later.

The clock read 4:40.

“Moooom?” Her call floated down the hallway like bad alarm that won’t go off. I waited. Maybe she would think I was asleep and she’d give up. All rationality had left my weary body at that point. “Moooom?”

I sat up and hissed, “Tia, hush!”

A few minutes later. “Moooom?” With less sympathy and a modicum more frustration, I flung the covers off my body and briskly walked to her room.

“Tia! What?!”

“I sneezed,” she said, her tiny face peeking out from under the mountain of blankets.

I did not respond. I held onto my own advice of When you don’t have something nice to say, Ssshhh! Say nothing.

That was two nights ago. Last night the same situation played itself out only she complained of leg and head pain (I believe she’s growing) and she woke up crying because she had a nightmare that Sloan was scratching her.

So if you run into me today and notice the bags under my eyes, or think you can make out Route 66 in the red lines criss crossing my eyeballs, now you’ll know why. I have slept all night in more than two weeks.

T-Minus 13 days until we leave for Florida. I may not sleep anymore down there, but at least I’ll get a little tan to mask the bags. That’s my happy dream…

Filed Under: Kids, Kids do the darndest things, Motherhood, things I don't need to hear, Tia Tagged With: kids sleeping through the night, Mom fatigue, Motherhood

He’s made it abundantly clear

March 2, 2011 by Kelli

He really,

really,

hates

taking

his Tamiflu.

Thank God he only has one dose left, although I will miss laughing at him as he gags dramatically…

Filed Under: funny stuff that happens, Kids, Kids do the darndest things, Sickness, Sloan Tagged With: kids and medicine, Kids do the darndest things, Tamiflu

Bieber Fever – Post Update

February 16, 2011 by Kelli

Justin Bieber’s got nothin’ on this kid.

I’m thinking it’s time for a trim. Not a cut, mind you, because I love his shaggy little locks. But his haircut is quickly morphing into a mullet and we can’t have that, now can we?

I’m trying to figure out how I can get someone to give him a real Bieber haircut while still maintaining my (and his) dignity in the process.

Suggestions, anyone?

We had it cut today and, with a bit of shame, I asked for a Justin Bieber haircut. It looks cute. It’s really difficult for something to not look cute on this child…

Filed Under: Kids, Landon Tagged With: Bieber fever, Bieber haircut, His mom's crazy, Justin Bieber

Final

February 14, 2011 by Kelli

We had our final harrah in the snow this weekend. Or what we hope I pray was our final harrah, anyway. We donned our hats and our gloves, our snow pants and snow boots and spent one more afternoon playing in the white fluff that’s graced our yard for much of this winter.

We took one last run down the mole hill we call a front yard.

We ate snow one last time.

Then we licked it off our chins.

We made silly faces for the camera.

Some of us were just cute for the camera.

And, of course, we made our final snow angel. We hope. Seriously…no more snow, ‘kay?

Yes, on Friday we enjoyed one last romp in the snow. By Sunday it was 60 degrees and the piles of white fluff were transformed into black slush. And we were outside riding our bikes in shorts.

And by We, I mean They. I was just the chick behind the camera, taking it all in.

Come on Spring! We can’t wait for you to get here!

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Random Tagged With: Kids sledding, Photography, pictures, spring is coming, winter

The one where we plan a trip

February 10, 2011 by Kelli

I wanted to go visit my parents in London, but logistically it just wasn’t coming together. So when mom emailed me yesterday and said she was coming back in to the States in March during the kids Spring Break and asked if we’d like to join her in Florida at their condo I don’t even think a second passed before I said Yes!

After calling Lee to confirm that worked with him, we booked our tickets and BAM! We’re getting out of here in 6 weeks. This is just the pick me up I needed to get through this final push of winter. We moved to St. Louis when I was 12. We moved from Wisconsin, so I do know that winter can be worse other places.

But hands down, this has been the worst winter I have ever experienced here in St. Louis. It’s just been nuts and I think everyone is feeling the effects. The winter blues have settled in big time. But alas, we now have something to look forward to. Sunshine. The beach. Hours playing at the park. Sunsets at the Sand Pearl.

In six weeks we will be doing this:

And this…

And we’ll probably watch a few of these…

There may not be a cure for the Summertime Blues, but this is definately my cure for the wintertime blues!

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Life, Motherhood, Travel Tagged With: Clearwater Beach, Getting away from winter, Spring Break, Winter blues

Wednesday Whatnots

February 9, 2011 by Kelli

What Not’s? What Nots.

Grammer makes me crazy…

So today is a hodge podge of random tidbits for your reading enjoyment. Or for my writing enjoyment. Someone will enjoy themselves today!

Speaking of writing enjoyment. Remember the novel I told you about? The one I started, then stopped, then started, then stopped, then started again? I wrote a little more last night!

So at this pace, I should finish the book by the year 2024. I am on a roll, folks!

Seriously, though. It’s really difficult to find time to write. I don’t know how people do it. Yesterday I got up at 5:30 with the sole intent of working only on my novel. By 5:40 I felt awake enough to open up the file and at 5:45 Landon stumbled into my room and the morning was shot. I left my house at 8:00 and only came home for two seperate one hour bursts before 10:30pm.

Then I had to work on the things I’m actually getting paid for. So, I’m still planning on finishing that book, but I haven’t yet figured out how.

This is where I flawlessly merge from one topic to another.

I officially signed up for a marathon relay yesterday. Me and three others will split up a marathon. I ran this race four years ago. One week after finishing the race (and not dying) I found out I was pregnant (surprise!) with Landon. Here’s to hoping we don’t have a repeat of that this year, right?

Oh…and here’s to hoping I don’t die. Considering I can only run 2 miles right now (3 miles on a really good day…which has only happened twice) and I need to be able to run 6.5 in two months, that’s a legitimate prayer worth lifting up.

And again, we transition.

I think you should all go back to last week’s post titled I laughed until I cried and read E. Lehman’s comment. I laughed out loud, pretty hard, when I saw it. Then I pumped my fist in the air and yelled, “I rock,” as the dog looked on in bewilderment.

Speaking of the dog (transition), she’s making me crazy. I’m pretty sure she’s clinically depressed and I’m wondering if I should get her on Prozac. She mopes around the house, wimpering, and she stands right underneath my feet every second of every day. Every second I’m home that is. Mostly she’s cooped up all day and she’s bored and I feel terrible for her.

Not bad enough to walk her, of course, because it’s only 10 degrees outside.

She’s not a dog who enjoys laying around the house. She’s active and she is bored and I feel bad but I don’t know what to do about it so I keep giving her food, which means now I have a depressed dog who’s getting chubby.

I’m running out of pithy transitions so I’m just going to insert a line from here on out to signify a topic change.

I have a PT appointment today for my shoulder where I may or may not have a torn rotator cuff. I’m supposed to go see a Sports Medicine guy about it, but I haven’t yet for two reasons:

– I’ve really been quite busy and haven’t found the time to schedule the appointment.

– I’m a scardey cat and I don’t really want to know if it’s torn because then I’ll have to actually do something about it.

So for now I’m sticking with my PT because I like him a lot and I’m hoping I can nurse it back to health ala natural.

___________________________________________________________________

My mom and dad are in England having a grand old time and I’m glad for them, but…

I miss my parents. I want to go see them but, you know, logistics. So I just try to live vicariously through my mom’s Facebook pictures and talk to her every few days instead. I thought about taking the kids with me to see them, but then added up the costs and remembered that I would be trapped in a small space with them for an entire day with the eyes of strangers watching and decided Skype was a lovely invention worth making use of.

___________________________________________________________________________

I sang at an event at our church a couple of weeks ago where I got to cover several great old standards. I had way more fun than I even dreamed I would and out of the deal have made contacts with a few people here in town that do these sorts of gigs both professionally and as amateurs. There’s a good chance I’ll get to do a bit more singing around town and I couldn’t be more excited.

Or nervous…

Final transition into the closing paragraph.

I’ve got another video idea rolling through my head and just need to find the time to put it together. In my mind it’s brilliant, but it’s probably really lame in real life. Either way, I’m hoping to include more video posts in the near future because I’m ready to spice things up a bit on the old bloggy blog.

And with that, I shall officially conclude this blog entry.

The End.