Motherhood | Page 20 | Minivans Are Hot

Mom, Dad – I’m Sorry

March 31, 2010 by Kelli

There’s a tree down the street from our house. It’s branches are splayed left and right, front and back, one after another. It is the perfect climbing tree. And my kids love to climb it.

As a kid I was a bit of a dare devil. If a tree could be climbed, I scaled it to the top. If a bench was before me, I tried to flip off of it. If I could climb to the very tip of a mountain, I did it, then hung over the side for good measure. Remember, I am the same child who thought it would be a good idea to climb onto the roof out of her second story window as a kid simply because I wanted to see what the world would look like from the very tip of our house. And it is but a miracle that I didn’t break my neck trying to get away from the nest of horse flys that I stepped in on my ascent to the top.

I can distinctly remember as a kid, my mom giving me the freedom to explore while watching warily and saying a frillion times, “Kelli. Be careful. Kelli. Slow down. Kelli!” To me, it was hilarious watching her get nervous and scared because “Moooomm, I’m totally cool. I got it.” Then I’d plunge backwards and flip off the top of the football goal at our local high school.

Or hiking with my dad in Colorado the summer before my senior year, when we got to the top of Pike’s Peak, I thought it was so funny to climb down onto a little ledge over an expansive cavern below andhave dad take a picture of me from ground level looking like I was hanging on for dear life. Dad laughed, took the picture, then demanded that I get back up on solid ground before I gave him a heart attack.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise to me that my kids are a little dare devilish. And I probably deserve the hyperventilation that comes from watching them. As I stood under the tree last night watching Tia slither in and out of the branches, all but swinging from limb to limb by one arm, I got so panicked that I had to turn away. Lee laughed, Sloan and Tia cackled and I told them to hurry up and finish and get back on solid ground before I had a heart attack. In my minds eye, all I could see was one of them plumetting to the ground and my heart raced.

It’s the same feeling I get when we go to a local park that has a significant hiking trail. At one point, there is a rock that juts out over a large ravine and the kids love to go sit out on the rock and look out over the sky. I don’t blame them – it’s exhilerating. But I can’t watch. Lee has to go with them and I have to walk away so I can’t see them teetering 100 feet off the ground. Of course it’s not like they’re anywhere near the edge of the rock and they have to sit or stand very still, but I always envision them tripping and plunging and sweet mercy, I’m gonna be ill…

Mom, dad, I’m sorry for the grey hairs on your head that were caused by my insanity. If it’s any consolation, I’m pretty sure I’ll be grey early. Go ahead, I give you full permission to throw your head back and break forth with an almighty laugh of satisfaction….

*pause*

Okay, that’s good. You can stop laughing now.

Filed Under: Family, funny stuff that happens, Kids, Kids do the darndest things, Motherhood Tagged With: dare devil, Kids, mom fears, tree climbing

My Stud Muffin with his Stud Muffie

March 29, 2010 by Kelli

I can’t get enough of watching Landon handle a ball. From what I hear, he’s better at two than his daddy was, which is apparently a big deal. It’s just so fun to watch him get hold of a basketball and start dribbling. He is now starting to run and dribble and he gets a very intense look on his face when he does it. I love that the child who was named after his dad (his middle name is Lee) is so much like his dad. And I love watching the kids play with their dad. Landon shares his daddy’s love and skill in basketball. Sloan shares his dad’s love and skill in golf. And Tia shares her dad’s love for competition. They all got a little bit of him.

As you can see, Daddy gets a bit intense about dribbling a ball. So much so that sometimes he has to be reminded to share. Ha!

My husband is hot. S’okay – you can agree with me. 🙂

I found this picture on my computer this morning and it made me smile. I love my family…

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Landon, Lee, Life, Motherhood, Random Tagged With: Basketball, Family

The good news? I’m a blonde again…

March 10, 2010 by Kelli

Sorry brunettes – you guys may be smarter, but after several months of being a brunette myself I’ve come to the conclusion that blondes actually do have more fun.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if I had pictures to back up my claim? But alas, I suffer from mom syndrome in that I am always the one behind the camera, never in front of it. Not that I mind, really. Because rarely am I in any position to be standing in front of a camera unless someone with professional editing capabilities is ready and waiting to touch me up. So you’ll just have to take my word for it – I was a smart brunette for three months and I am now a fun blonde again.

See? Look how much more fun I am already.

Ahem.

So….

The two older kids are leaving today to go to Florida for a week with their grandparents. I’m excited – and a little jealous, but just a little. They’re going to have a great time. And it will be fun to have some one on one time with Landon this week, although I’m afraid he and I both may be a little bored. I’m not entirely sure what to do with just one child any more. I remember the days when one child was overwhelming…

It’s always a little nerve racking sending your kids away without you. I hate the feeling of being out of control. I can only imagine how terrifying it will be when they get older and they’re driving and I really have no control over what happens to them. Ugh – I feel an ulcer coming on just thinking about it. Would it be wrong to sequester them in a padded room from the age of 13 until about 23?

Did I mention that I was blonde again? I feel all sassy like. Well, except for the extreme fatigue that’s resulted in bags and circles under my eyes. I was up until 1:00 last night working on my article for STL Family Life. I finished it yesterday morning and needed nothing more than to add the photo and a few hyperlinks. But WordPress and HTML had other ideas – namely eating entire portions of my article not once, not twice but three flippin’ times! By 12:30 I was near tears and muttering all manner of unladylike words (being blonde has made me saucy).

But alas, I finally conquered and prevailed and posted and went to bed. Only to be awoken by a very excited little girl who stormed my bedroom at 5:45 announcing that today was the day they went to “Fwowida.”

Remember staying up until all hours of the night in college and it being all fun and easy and what not? I was trying to figure out why it’s not fun, easy or…what not…anymore. And I think I got it. I had no responsibility back then. I had merely to drag myself to a class or two, then back home where I could sleep as long as I wanted before getting up again. There were no kids to feed, no beds to make, no suitcases to pack, no hugs and kisses to dole out, no fights to break up…life was way less complicated. It was also pretty boring now that I think about it.

So in writing this post I’ve come to a sad realization – while being a blonde makes me more fun, being tired makes me a terrible drag. I’m going to close it out before I bore you all to tears…

To read today’s article on STL Family Life, click here.

Filed Under: Family, funny stuff that happens, Kids, Life, Motherhood Tagged With: Blonde's have more fun, Life, Motherhood, STL Family Life

The Dance of the Little Bee

March 1, 2010 by Kelli

I observed a strange little phenomenon on Friday. It took me a little off guard, made me laugh and also opened my eyes to the fact that this motherhood thing is as easy as it’s gonna get right now. Right at this moment. It’s not going to get any easier. Which kinda stinks because motherhood is really hard right now.

We were in Walgreens picking up a certain variety of medicine that is supposed to ensure that no more little Stuarts enter this world when we ran into a group of giggly girls who had clearly walked over from the Middle School across the street. As I looked at them wandering the isles all silly-like I had a quick flashback to my own days of walking to this very plaza from the same school. The Walgreens is newer and now sits on the corner instead of in the back of the plaza, but it was still funny to watch them flitting about, laughing about things that weren’t even remotely funny and filling the sleepy store with the raucous sounds on tweendom.

At least they weren’t smoking around back, which may or may not be what I did back in my Walgreens days. I was such a rebel when I was 14. ::eyeroll::

As soon as we walked into the store, Sloan’s radar went off. He was immediately aware of the older girls that were in close proximity. And it turned him into something that is beginning to emerge with greater frequency the older he gets. This shouldn’t surprise me given recent comments he’s made, but I found myself utterly baffled by the abrupt change in behavior he exhibited. He was like a little bee, buzzing here and there, ever aware of the females in his presence.

Like every other girl, my mom told me as a kid that the reason boys bothered me was because they liked me. I never believed her, of course. I just thought boys were incessantly annoying. Until, you know, the day they became not annoying.

But as I watched Sloan turn into a ninja warrior in that store, hiding around corners, jumping out and pretend shooting the girls, I caught a glimpse of that little nugget of truth shared by my mom so long ago. And as the girls giggled and squealed and exclaimed, “Oh My Ga, he’s, like, sooooo cute,” I saw Sloan’s face flush and a look of male dominance flash through his eyes. His chest puffed out and he aimed his “gun” (his fingers accompanied by a gun sound that only a little boy can make) at the group once more and shot. And they laughed in such a high pitch tone that my ears began to bleed. And I laughed and shook my head and ushered my little Ladie’s Man along.

“What are you doing?” I asked Sloan who walked along with a satisfied smirk on his face.

“I just like girls,” he said with a shrug. “I like to be with girls. By myself.”

And off he flitted, my little bee, dancing to the beat of a rhythm I wasn’t fully prepared for just yet. He is aware of girls, he is fascinated by girls, he is attracted to girls (obviously in a completely innocent way). And here I sit, his baffled mother, wondering what on Earth we’re going to do with him.

What am I going to do with him? I see the innocence of his actions. He is aware that girls are different from boys and the difference is attracting. He is also still completely grossed out by the site of boys and girls kissing (thank God Almighty) but at the same time I think he is equally fascinated and mortified by the attraction between boys and girls. Oh yeah…he’s only six. Six. I expected this behavior around 10. Not six. Lord help me…

It is interesting, this process of watching your child grow up and mature. It is both terrifying and thrilling all at once. And as this self awareness begins to develop I find myself entirely unprepared to handle the dance of the little bee. We have time, of course. But if there’s one thing I’ve observed since having children it’s that time does not, indeed, slow down. In fact, I’m quite sure it’s speeding up. It won’t be long until I have a tween who is still innocent in the issue of attraction, but whose impulses towards attraction are much stronger. I wonder if I will still find it so baffling and hysterical?

I also have a girl who will one day be one of those silly, giggly, Middle School girls who knows how to flirt and laugh in such a way that little boys lose whatever reason they may have and begin acting in a way that makes your head spin. Maybe Christ could return before that – like…today.

Filed Under: funny stuff that happens, Kids, Kids do the darndest things, Motherhood, Sloan Tagged With: The birds and the bees

Sometimes sticking to your guns is hard

February 24, 2010 by Kelli

I took Tia to the doctor yesterday for her 4 year exam. I made the mistake of telling her the night before about the appointment, which caused much consternation and dread as she knew they would have to examine her ears. Shots? No – she wasn’t scared of those. But the doctor taking a tiny peek inside her ear canal caused hyperventilation.

She did not dissapoint in the drama department with the ear exam came. She screamed bloody murder. She kicked, she flailed, I had to lay on top of her to keep her still. The doctor was able to see inside enough to know that Tia’s eardrums are, indeed, no longer visible due to wax build up…again. But, because she seems to be hearing fine at this point and cleaning out her ears without sedation is out of the question, we let it go. We will probably have to have her sedated again next year before she starts kindergarten.

Cleaning out that girl’s ears is getting expensive.

After we talked a bit, the doctor told me that Tia would be receiving two immunizations, then she packed up her stuff and left. I didn’t think to ask her what the immunizations would be – I should have. It was my mistake for not asking…and maybe her mistake for not saying it in the first place.

Just before the nurse came in to administer the shots, I checked the sheet and noticed that one of the shots was the chicken pox vaccination. This is a vaccine that Lee and I have decided, for the time being, to pass on. (we are skipping or delaying several vaccinations. You can read about why we decided to do that here.) So when the nurse came in, I told her that I didn’t want Tia to receive that shot. Her eyes narrowed and she got a peeved look on her face.

“It’s a $70.00 shot and I’ve already drawn it up. It is only good for 30 minutes after it’s drawn up,” she said. And my heart sank. I honestly didn’t know what to do. So I asked for a minute to think about it. I wasn’t able to get in touch with Lee so I called my mother-in-law and got her opinion, then the nurse came back.

I felt really terrible, but I couldn’t justify giving Tia the shot simply because I didn’t want to waste the vaccine. Had I known before the doctor left the room I would have declined the shot earlier, but the circumstances left me to decide what I felt was best for my child. So I declined the shot.

To the nurse’s credit, though she was obviously annoyed, she did not treat me poorly and was very forgiving as I apologized profusely. She did want to know why I wasn’t comfortable giving Tia the vaccine and I explained to her that I just don’t think it’s a warranted vaccination and I want to wait until more research is done on the long term effectiveness of that particular vaccination. At this point, it’s considered to only be effective for up to ten years, which means kids are going to need booster shots likely for the rest of their lives whereas if they would only receive the chicken pox in childhood they would build up an effective immunity.

Now, the obvious dilemma in not giving them the vaccine is that it will be extremely difficult to expose them to chicken pox in childhood since almost everyone is being immunized. Which means that sometime down the road we may have to vaccinate them. But this is a shot that I have no problem holding off on and waiting until more research is done. If we have to give it to her later, then neither Lee nor I have a problem in doing that.

She may not be too happy with us, of course, but we’ll cross that bridge later.

Yesterday, however, I felt terribly guilty and even a little embarrassed. While the nurse was patient with me, I imagine I was discussed as one of those crazy paranoid mothers after I left. And I’m really not a crazy paranoid mother. But I am an aware mother and I hold firm to the fact that, ultimately, I am responsible for these little lives placed in my care and it is more important to me that I stick to my guns and fight for what I feel is right than bend on my convictions so that the doctor isn’t out a $70.00 vaccination.

Thankfully, my husband confirmed my decision when I got home…

What are your thoughts?

_________________________________________________________

To the right you will notice I’ve added a banner for this Saturday’s Help Haiti Live benefit that’s being put on be Compassion International. It is a one night, two city concert being broadcast from both Los Angelos and Nashville. If you are in either of those areas you can purchase tickets and see the event live. If you are nowhere near, then you can watch the event live via the lovely internet. Consider taking part and contributing to the fundraiser they are sponsoring to continue the work of rebuilding Haiti.

Filed Under: Immunizations, Kids, Life, Motherhood Tagged With: chicken pox vaccination, delaying vaccinations, Vaccination

Major Mom Fail = Lesson Learned

February 22, 2010 by Kelli

It is no secret that my six year old is terribly, desperately horribly frightened of thunderstorms. He’s also mildly overly obsessed with them. He checks out library books on weather, he watches the weather channel and reports back to us what part of the country is expecting severe weather for the day. He knows the difference between an F5 and an F1 tornado…

He knows weather.

So last week, when I saw that the movie Twister was coming on TV, I decided to record it and let Sloan watch. I don’t know why this seemed like a good idea. It just did. It seemed like something he would enjoy watching. I know, I know…trust me, I’ve slammed my hand against my forehead more than once these last few days saying Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!

So, Friday afternoon I sat the kids down and turned on Twister. I sat to watch with them so I could skip any parts that I thought might be inappropriate. I get points for that, right?

About 10 miunutes into the movie, I had a nagging feeling that maybe this wasn’t the best idea. As Sloan peppered me with questions, (Is that an F5 mom? Is that guy going to die? Are we going to get a tornado, mom? What happens if you get sucked up by a tornado?) I wondered if I should turn the movie off. But he didn’t seem scared – just interested. It was the same type of interest that he shows when he reads books about tornados.

So alas, I unwisely shoved aside the concerns and figured we’d just pay for this poor decision the next time it stormed and if you’ve ever been with Sloan during a storm, you’d know that he can’t get a whole lot more skittish than he already is.

You don’t need to say it – I already know. I get a big, fat F in motherhood for Friday.

So we finished the movie and the kids commenced to playing tornado. They ran around the house yelling, “It’s an F5. We have to go. Get down in the cellar. Oh no, I’m being sucked up. Tia heeeeeelp meeeee.” And so on and so on. It was cute and funny and I enjoyed watching them.

Then it got dark.

“Dad!” Sloan shrieked running into the room and leaping onto Lee’s lap. “I’m scared.” And my heart sank. In fact, I think I mouthed the word Crap! And it was downhill from there. He wouldn’t walk outside without holding our hands. He wouldn’t go into a dark room. He was jumpy and certain that a monster tornado was looming around the corner waiting to pounce on him.

At bedtime, we prayed with the kids and assured them that we would not be experiencing a tornado, reminded them that the movie wasn’t real, and told them that God gave us a strong house to protect us.

At 9:30, Sloan woke up with his first nightmare. He came tearing out into the living room in tears and still half asleep. We put him back in bed and assured him all was well.

At 10:30, he started crying in bed and this time Tia woke up terrified. She ran into our room gasping that Sloan was crying and there might be a storm and OMG the world is ending! So we walked her to bed and we talked with both of them.

I will now be seamlessly transitioning into the lesson and moral of the story…

We assured Sloan that God was in control of everything – even the weather. We reminded Sloan that God is our protector and we can trust Him in all things. Then we prayed with him and asked God to fill his mind and heart with good things and to remove the fear. We asked God to protect Sloan from fear because fear is not of God. Before we were finished praying, both kids were asleep again and they both slept through the night.

When Sloan woke up Saturday morning, he cralwed in bed with me (Lee had left early for a meeting). As we snuggled close, I asked him how he slept. He told me he had no more bad dreams and that he had a really long good dream. From there we were able to talk about how God answered our prayer and gave him peace. Sloan’s response?

“Mom, I know I can trust God and I know He answers prayers. Sometimes I will probably still get scared, though.”

So precious. And so true. I know I can trust God and I know He answers prayers, but sometimes – I get scared. I fear failure, I fear something happening to my husband or kids, I fear…

My fears are no less real than Sloan’s fear of death by tornado. But how quickly do I forget that God is in control? That He hasn’t forgotten me? That He won’t abandon me? It’s easy to share that lesson with my six year old as he’s huddled under the covers, but for me to embrace it sometimes feels momentous. But how true it is.

And so, when fear threatens to overwhelm me – when the night seems so dark and the shadows so large, I will remember the simple lesson that we learned from Sloan – I know God is in control, I know I can trust Him to protect me and answer my prayers, but sometimes I will probably still get scared. And in those moments, I will pray and ask for His protection, then I will sleep soundly and awake to the morning sun that always works to dispell the fears of the night. And I will trust.

I will also not let him watch that movie ever again…

Filed Under: Kids, Kids do the darndest things, Motherhood, Sloan Tagged With: Twister: The Movie

Puttin’ on our big girl pants

February 18, 2010 by Kelli

I have a confession to make…sometimes the blogging thing gets to me. I love blogging, I really do. I love the record that I’m keeping for my kids. I love knowing that despite the craziness of life, there’s always something I can write about that makes me smile (and hopefully you all as well). I love the connection that blogging gives people, particularly mothers. I love a lot of things about blogging.

There are times, however, where blogging gets a little cumbersome and even annoying. I have to fight the longing and hope for lots of comments (it sounds so petty to say, because deep down I don’t need comments, but sometimes, when you pour a lot of energy into something, it can feel discouraging when there is little feedback). I’m working on that nasty little aspect of my blogging personality.

And then there is the pressure of trying to come up with something interesting to say. Again, I am working on not trying to please and just writing for the pure love of the written word. But the fact of the matter is that I do feel the pressure to be engaging and to write in a way that encourages others, makes people smile and honors my family. And sometimes I just want to walk away – scrap the whole blogging thing and give up the internet altogether.

But the idea of facing the withdrawals is so terrifying that I continue to indulge, if not for myself but for my kids and for family members who enjoying keeping up on our lives.

And because I’m addicted.

There – I said it. I feel better already.

There are other aspects of blogging that I find to be terribly discouraging as well. One of them is the viciousness that the online world can bring out in others, particularly women. It’s terribly sad and thankfully the hatred and gossip is not directed at me, but I am always aware that it only takes one person who disagrees with you to suddenly make the blogging experience a negative one.

You see, the beauty of blogging is that it gives anyone and everyone a platform. The blogsphere is inundated with soap boxes, and that is precisely what it was designed to be. And I’m all for people expressing their opinions – but sometimes, if one soap box crowds another – well, it can get ugly. Here’s the deal – if I enjoy reading a particular blogger’s opinions, I will usually do so (even if I don’t necessarily agree with them), but if I don’t enjoy them or the way that they write, then generally I choose to stop reading. It’s as easy as that. I don’t leave nasty comments, I don’t start hateful blogs in retribution and I don’t vent my hatred for everyone else to read.

In short, I try not to cyber fight. Because there’s no point. Life is too short to get your panties in a bundle over someone who shares a different viewpoint than you.

So recently, when I saw some pretty vicious attacks against a fellow blogger and a fellow mother, I was pretty sickened by it all. So much so that I wanted to shut my blog down and walk away from this little hobby of mine. It may seem silly, but part of me doesn’t want to be identified with the pettiness that can ben associated with blogging (particularly mom blogging) Of course, I’m not going to shut down my blog. The viciousness isn’t directed at me and I don’t even know the person they are attacking personally, but seeing how terribly hurtful mothers could be toward one another caused me to feel so discouraged. I just don’t get it.

If you don’t agree with someone? That’s fine! You’re entitled to your opinion. I’m sure there are some of you who read my blog who don’t agree with everything I say or do. I welcome dissent (respectfully, of course) and I hope that people feel the freedom to share disagreement with me. What I don’t agree with or understand, however, is hateful speculation and false claims without any basis to back up said claims. You don’t like the way a woman writes about her everyday life? Again, that’s fine. But don’t accuse her of being abusive or neglectful of her children or worse, using her child as a cash cow. Those are serious allegations and they are coming from other mothers! I thought we women grew out of this type of behavior in junior high, but sadly that’s not necessarily the case…

Here’s my opinion – if you don’t like what someone says or how she acts, then you should privately go to her, make her aware of it, then walk away and leave it at that. But to start an anonymous blog just so that you and others can make accusations and waste precious time digging up dirt on a fellow mother is just so disheartening and sad, not only for the blogger under attack, but for those who are so desperate to attack her.

There is danger in this online world to somehow separate ourselves from the reality that is life. We can be whoever we want to be, say whatever we want to say and attack whomever we want to attack without repercussion because we are doing so under the umbrella of “free speech” and “keepin’ it real.” I say, let’s live honest lives, not take ourselves too seriously, and get over ourselves.

Life is so short. And I certainly don’t want to waste the precious few moments I have to make an impact in this world harboring jealousy and hatred toward someone I will probably never meet. I would encourage everyone else to do the same. Blogging should be fun. It has the potential to be a special glimpse into those moments in life that pass too quickly. I am working on enjoying this thing called life and living in reality, not in the 15.6 inches of computer screen that sit before me right now.

With that in mind, I will continue to blog, not for the benefit of having my ego stroked in the comments section, but rather for the benefit of knowing that someday, hopefully, I will be able to look back and see a life well lived.

And now, I shall pack up my soap box and move on.

A few asides – one that pertains directly what what’s written above and two that have nothing to do with it at all…

Though many of you are probably already aware of the website to which I am referring and the nastiness that is being directed toward other bloggers, I would appreciate not discussing any of them by name in the comments. I’m not writing this to get into a cyber fight – as I said above, life is too short to engage in such nonsense. I purposely avoided naming names for that very reason. 🙂

For any of you reading this who are interested in learning more information on book publication, I recently led a Lunch and Learn that very topic and wrote up a couple of posts on the St. Louis Bloggers’ Guild site. Check it out if you’re interested.

Next week, I will be leading a break-out session on blogging at the Ladies Nite Out event at my church. If you’re interested in hearing me yammer on about blogging for a bit, then check out this website for information on how to sign up. If you want to come and have no interest in listening to me yammer (and I don’t blame you) but would like to check out some of the other fabulous topics, then go ahead and sign up! It will be a fun event.

Filed Under: Blogging, Life, Motherhood

The Winter Blues

February 11, 2010 by Kelli

It’s that time of year. The time of year when Lee and I both being ramping up our desire to move to Florida. The time of year when I drool over beachside properties. The time of year when I just struggle.

It’s the time of year when I look at pictures like this one, which I took last June in South Caicos, and get a lump in my throat as I long for heat, shorts and the smell of salt in the air:

I’ve never thought of myself as a bluesy person, but I’m really feeling bluesy this winter. Part of it is hormonal, I know that. I’m still trying to get things in order after the third born and my body is still not working the way it’s supposed to be working. But a lot of it is just this feeling of blah that comes with being cooped up a lot.

I’m tired of school schedules. I’m tired of the day in/ day out routine. I’m tired of everyone being on top of each other, fighting and bickering. I’m tired of trying to keep the house clean and fighting things like dripping snow boots and layers of clothing. I’m tired of laundry and I’m tired of the TV. I want to send my kids outside and know that they will stay there for a solid hour, expanding their imaginations and exercising their little bodies. Even they are feeling sluggish and blah.

We’re all just tired.

When I was growing up, our family moved to Wisconsin for six years. Wisconsin – the land of the never ending winter. I remember my mom getting very tired of the cold weather and snow and thinking she was loco. Snow was fun! The sledding, the snowmen, the igloos we built in six foot drifts. It was a blast!

Um, I get it now. Winter is not fun as a grown up. Sure, I might enjoy it if I got to sit inside in my jammies all day long reading a book in front of a roaring fire. But I don’t get to do that.

The monotony of winter is what really kills me. We can’t run out to the park to get out the afternoon squiggles; we can’t go to the Zoo to satisfy the itch for exploration; even running minor errands becomes a chore as we have to pile on jackets and sweatshirts – and then there’s the 6 year old, who hates, nay – loathes – wearing pants. It’s a day to day struggle to get him to dress appropriately in the cold weather.

I’ve given up, by the way. I’ve decided to pick my battles and when we are home, if he wants to wear shorts and a T-shirt, he’s welcome to do that. He knows to put on a sweatshirt if he gets cold.

So, I’ll quit complaining and get on to my question. What do you guys do to break up the monotony of winter? How do you fight the winter time blues with your kids? What are some fun activities you do with your kids to keep the TV off and keep them from killing each other?

Suggestions are not only welcome, they’re imperative to my sanity.

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Life, Motherhood, Random Tagged With: Winter blues

Katya Rose

February 2, 2010 by Kelli

Moments ago (or so it seems) the doctor laid a tiny, squirmy baby on my chest and said, “Congratulations, you have a baby girl.”

My daughter.

I never thought I’d have a daughter. And yet, as I held her in that very first moment and looked at her face, somehow I knew her. It was like I had always known her, her face was so familiar to me.

And now, four years later, I’m wondering how it happened so fast?

How did she go from this?

To the smart, witty, mischevious four year old sitting on my couch?

Where did the baby go? The one who’s eyes and cheeks swallowed her face?

To say I adore this little girl is quite the understatement. She’s just awesome. And Lee and I both agree that our time with her has seemed especially fast. We sometimes struggle to remember her as a baby. I think it’s because, as babies go, she may have been the best infant on the planet. She slept 19 hours a day until she was six months old. She ate like a horse (maybe a pony) and she smiled near constantly.

There’s also the fact that she wasn’t a baby for very long.

As soon as she figured out she had the potential for mobility, she took off. By 5 months she was crawling, by 9 and a half months she was walking and by one she was giving me a heart attack by jumping off any and everything in sight.

Before she was two, she was a big sister – a role that she was born to play.

But this contributed to the feeling that somehow she’s just grown up too fast. I feel like I missed it. Even though I relished in her girlness as a baby, now that’s it’s so far removed, I feel like it happened too fast. And now this small person stands before me. How did that happen?

I love having a girl sandwiched between two boys. She brings a bit of sensitivity to the bunch. Not much, of course, because she makes it known she wants to be one of the guys.

I look forward to seeing these relationships grow as they get older – to see the boys protect their sister and Tia look after her brothers.

It’s been one heckova year for Tia. There have been a lot of milestones reached. Most good. Some, ahem, not so good.

And here we are, Feburary 2, and I’m wondering how we got here so fast. Tia pranced into our room at 6:15 this morning and, with her tiny mouth inches from my ear, stage whispered, “Moooom. I’m four now.”

I know, sweet girl. I know.

Happy Birthday, Katya Rose.

Last year, I wrote this post for her birthday. It’s still one of my favorite posts. I’m not sure I could ever say it better than that.

Filed Under: Kids, Motherhood, Tia Tagged With: Happy Birthday, Katya Rose

One more week

January 25, 2010 by Kelli

For one more week, I get to tell people that I have a six year old, a three year old and a two year old. Then it changes when this girl turns four:

For a couple of months now we have been threatening to make her stay in bed all day long on Feburary 2, telling her that we were going to make her stay three forever.

Then we realized she didn’t get the joke and she was genuinely concerned that we weren’t going to let her turn four. This was proving to be devastating because, you see, for Tia four is a stepping stone. It’s a stepping stone to five and when she is FIVE, my friends, the world will be her oyster.

Because at FIVE she gets to climb the rock wall at the gym. She’s going to be sorely disappointed the day after her birthday when I tell her she’s got 364 more days before that momentous event.

For now, though, I get to say she’s three. My adorable, sweet, fun little three year old.

Incidentally, it still freaks me out when I’m recording birthdates and I have to write down that I had a baby in 2006 AND 2007. What were we thinking?!