So the day has finally come. We are officially homeowners as of 5pm this afternoon! I really can't believe this all happened so fast, and how we've dreamt of this for years and years and now it's happening.... I am so excited, scared, nervous, and hopeful. So a little about the house:
It's incredibly ugly on the outside, but has potential.
It's fairly large on the inside, and will suit our family well.
It's on the same street as Zyan's school, which will be fun.
I never imagined that we would buy a house with Taco Bell style stucco on the outside or a black wrought iron fence. But here we are. Time cures everything, right?
We had a lovely celebratory dinner with Dave and Clarissa tonight and tomorrow it's time to get to work and start fixing the place up! I will really miss this cute little bungalow we have grown and raised our little family in. When we moved here, Zyan was only 4 years old, and 6 years later we have two more kids, and little Paisley was born in the bedroom!
Time to move on, though.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Adlai, Paisley, and I were all in my bed. It was pitch black, and I could only see their silhouettes. Paisley kept giving Adlai kisses. "Mmmmm." She would hum as she leaned over to give him yet another kiss. He would fling his arms around her and kiss her back each time. Finally he said in his sweet, husky little voice, "Ohhhh, I love you too, Paisley!" And then he flung his arms around her one more time.
Suddenly, the lights are abruptly turned on and a giant man walks into the room. With each step he takes there is a pounding on the floor, and the bed shakes a little. The closet door opens, and there is a loud ruckus as the man throws on a sweatshirt. The closet door slams shut, and I hear, "Daddy? "
"Yes?" Says the man.
"You look beautiful."
"What?" Says the man.
"I SAID, you look beautiful. You're all black and dark blue."
"I look beautiful? Why thank you very much, Adlai."
I smothered my head in the pillow as I laughed. I agree, that man is beautiful.
Suddenly, the lights are abruptly turned on and a giant man walks into the room. With each step he takes there is a pounding on the floor, and the bed shakes a little. The closet door opens, and there is a loud ruckus as the man throws on a sweatshirt. The closet door slams shut, and I hear, "Daddy? "
"Yes?" Says the man.
"You look beautiful."
"What?" Says the man.
"I SAID, you look beautiful. You're all black and dark blue."
"I look beautiful? Why thank you very much, Adlai."
I smothered my head in the pillow as I laughed. I agree, that man is beautiful.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tiny Bits
I just got back from Mommicon in Seattle. (Well, Auburn, WA to be exact.) Had an AWESOME time. Can't wait for next year!!
Adlai: "Daddy, I miss Mommy. She's SOOO cute."
Zyan washed all the dishes tonight, and no one asked her to do it. LOVE HER!!
Paisley is starting to talk. She says "up, all done, please, Mommy, Daddy, Zyan, Adlai, Olina, milky, kitty, dog, and apple." Except they all sound like "Ahhaaah." Or some variation of that. She has started climbing everything in sight, and she turned 15 months yesterday. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!
Kim shaved his head. Praise God. The long hair was beginning to have an impact. Let's just leave it at that.
Adlai: "Daddy, I miss Mommy. She's SOOO cute."
Zyan washed all the dishes tonight, and no one asked her to do it. LOVE HER!!
Paisley is starting to talk. She says "up, all done, please, Mommy, Daddy, Zyan, Adlai, Olina, milky, kitty, dog, and apple." Except they all sound like "Ahhaaah." Or some variation of that. She has started climbing everything in sight, and she turned 15 months yesterday. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!
Kim shaved his head. Praise God. The long hair was beginning to have an impact. Let's just leave it at that.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Evolution
So, Princess Paisley did the inevitable. She turned one. She got her first haircut. She had her first cake. She wore pearls. A girl's got to do things right, after all!
As I watch my kids grow the true meaning of their milestones has begun to hit me harder and harder. I am *so* proud of them, and I really love and enjoy each new phase. But there is a realization that as they grow, they change, and once they grow *up* into the next phase, the old one is lost forever. Sounds so depressing, doesn't it? I don't mean it that way, but truly that's what I've realized in the last few years. All you really have is your memories, so better make them last and make them good.
Luckily, I have figured out a few ways to do just that. Since I'm working and juggling plates (aren't we all?) I've learned that instead of being mad that I can't find the time to journal every single day, or even blog once a week, let alone take pictures frequently enough, that if I at least record the important stuff - the milestones - I've accomplished something. So, over the years I've discovered that I like to throw decent birthday parties. I find the planning and themes fun, and it makes me feel really present and part of the milestone. I never feel like I blinked my eye and it was gone when I spend that much time planning. The parties themselves are always really fun too - a great way to catch up with old friends. This is the same reason I do baby showers for every child. While some consider it taboo, I think it's the first real milestone, and every child deserves to look back and see who was celebrating their arrival!
This year for Paisley's first birthday I went all out, more than ever before. Something came over me, and several times I shed a few tears at the idea that this could possibly be my last daughter and she's already leaving babyhood. Kim and I had so much fun coming up with all of the decorations and planning everything, and even had to change the location at the last minute! (SO glad we did!) It all turned out just perfect, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Most importantly, Paisley had a blast! Here are the pics... (Double click on the cakes - they turned out A-MAZING!)
As I watch my kids grow the true meaning of their milestones has begun to hit me harder and harder. I am *so* proud of them, and I really love and enjoy each new phase. But there is a realization that as they grow, they change, and once they grow *up* into the next phase, the old one is lost forever. Sounds so depressing, doesn't it? I don't mean it that way, but truly that's what I've realized in the last few years. All you really have is your memories, so better make them last and make them good.
Luckily, I have figured out a few ways to do just that. Since I'm working and juggling plates (aren't we all?) I've learned that instead of being mad that I can't find the time to journal every single day, or even blog once a week, let alone take pictures frequently enough, that if I at least record the important stuff - the milestones - I've accomplished something. So, over the years I've discovered that I like to throw decent birthday parties. I find the planning and themes fun, and it makes me feel really present and part of the milestone. I never feel like I blinked my eye and it was gone when I spend that much time planning. The parties themselves are always really fun too - a great way to catch up with old friends. This is the same reason I do baby showers for every child. While some consider it taboo, I think it's the first real milestone, and every child deserves to look back and see who was celebrating their arrival!
This year for Paisley's first birthday I went all out, more than ever before. Something came over me, and several times I shed a few tears at the idea that this could possibly be my last daughter and she's already leaving babyhood. Kim and I had so much fun coming up with all of the decorations and planning everything, and even had to change the location at the last minute! (SO glad we did!) It all turned out just perfect, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Most importantly, Paisley had a blast! Here are the pics... (Double click on the cakes - they turned out A-MAZING!)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Mommy Success.
I feel a mommy fail has occurred. I honestly thought it had maybe been a couple of months since my last blog post... maybe 3 at most. Instead, I just counted on my fingers, "ok, October - 1,2,3,4,5,6,7......what WHAT?!?!?" IT'S BEEN SEVEN MONTHS since I blogged?!? And even that last one was a one liner, so really eight months since my last real post. ARGH!! Is this what happens when you have 3 kids? You lose all sense of time, feel like you have alzheimer's, and then feel horribly guilty about silly things? Oh wait, I think that actually happened after my first child. There's the alzheimers again. Apparently it gets worse with each child and some nice mother dubbed it "mommy brain" just to make us all feel better, but let's face it, it's alzheimers.
So, why is it a mommy fail that I haven't blogged? Well, because I haven't been any better at writing in my journal, and that means I haven't recorded the good stuff for most of the first year of Paisley's life, which is a pretty important year. Guilty. The truth is, I've had a pretty hard time catching my breath since I went back to work, and I just don't have the energy. I hate it that I don't, but I really just don't.
Ok, enough looking back at what I should've done, here's what we've been up to:
Paisley is turning ONE!! I really can't believe it, this Sunday she'll be a year old! She is so cute and funny and sweet and her little personality is blooming lately. She reminds me SO much of Adlai. She has his crazy funny personality and the slightly (hah!) stubborn side too. She has Zyan's big eyes and very widely spaced two front teeth, although her eyes are a beautiful shade of brown that turn slightly green in the light. She is very advanced like Zyan always was - she started walking at 10 months and hasn't stopped since! But she is slightly mischeivous like her brother, and likes to tease and play. She LOVES her big brother and sister so much, and watching them all together is a blessing that I couldn't have imagined. Zyan is like a second mommy to her and Adlai is almost like her twin - they get along perfectly and Adlai always protects her. We are having a big party for her this Sunday for her birthday, and it is a Paisley theme. I got some really pretty paisley patterned fabric for accents and she is going to have a cake to match and of course herself! I will definitely post pictures afterward...
Adlai turned 3 and is as cute as can be these days. He says THE most hilarious things. I wish some of them would come to mind but the alzheimers is really hitting me hard these days. Some of his more memorable events in the last couple of months have included drinking river water from a shoe while we were camping, attempting to see what would happen with scissors near his penis (thankfully Kim caught him before he actually got to see what would happen,) and playing in the bathroom with water only for me to come in and find him sucking on the sponge I used to clean the tub with. EW ew ew!! That one topped the gross charts for me. Oh, and apparently last night he hid Kim's keyes in the "trunk" of a toy car he has. This morning after searching frantically for an hour, Kim woke up Adlai and asked where his keys were. "In my underwear," Adlai responded. (This was because last night before he hid them, he actually did walk around with them in his underwear for awhile.) Finally after several times asking where they were, Kim told Adlai if he found them he could watch cartoons. Within one minute I hear "DADDYYYYY!!! I FOUND YOUR KEYS!!!! I FOUND THEM!! LOOK!!! I GET TO WATCH CARTOONS!" And sure enough he did. Bribery works, people!
Miss Zyan just turned 10, and she is such a sweetheart. She is just as helpful as she could possibly be, and so sweet and kind. I do feel guilty (ugh, there it is again!) that I often seem so busy and preoccupied that I don't feel like I get enough real one on one quality time with her. I feel lucky that she gets in the car and recaps the days events, but I think I have to earn that kind of trust with her and I definitely need more time alone with her. Plus, the brunt of being the oldest is that you give up your quality mama and papa time for the next littles down, and sometimes I just feel for her because I remember what that was like. She never complains though. These days she is back into heavy gymnastics, training for level 4 competitions this fall. She goes 4 days a week for 2.5 hours each time. She works really hard and I am very proud of her for setting goals for herself and working hard toward them. Gymnastics is such a long term sport - there is really not much instant gratification if any - and the physical exertion could be exhuasting to some, but again she never complains. She is right in the middle of the pre-adolescent drama that starts around 4th grade, the mine is better than yours, the making fun of others, even name calling, but thankfully she hasn't had to bear too much personally. She has had a few times where she comes home sobbing because a friend was mean or hurt her feelings, and even went through a short period where she said she was feeling very alone. My heart broke for her, but I was so proud that she was even able to articulate those feelings. Thankfully, that stage seemed to last only a week tops.
I love that girl.
As for me and Kim, we are constantly striving for me to be a stay at home mom. I guess we'll just keep on striving until we reach the goal, eh? Not much other choice, really. Kim wants so badly for me to be home, and he is so talented, so I have faith that it WILL happen. I love that man.
Ahhhhh. Success.
So, why is it a mommy fail that I haven't blogged? Well, because I haven't been any better at writing in my journal, and that means I haven't recorded the good stuff for most of the first year of Paisley's life, which is a pretty important year. Guilty. The truth is, I've had a pretty hard time catching my breath since I went back to work, and I just don't have the energy. I hate it that I don't, but I really just don't.
Ok, enough looking back at what I should've done, here's what we've been up to:
Paisley is turning ONE!! I really can't believe it, this Sunday she'll be a year old! She is so cute and funny and sweet and her little personality is blooming lately. She reminds me SO much of Adlai. She has his crazy funny personality and the slightly (hah!) stubborn side too. She has Zyan's big eyes and very widely spaced two front teeth, although her eyes are a beautiful shade of brown that turn slightly green in the light. She is very advanced like Zyan always was - she started walking at 10 months and hasn't stopped since! But she is slightly mischeivous like her brother, and likes to tease and play. She LOVES her big brother and sister so much, and watching them all together is a blessing that I couldn't have imagined. Zyan is like a second mommy to her and Adlai is almost like her twin - they get along perfectly and Adlai always protects her. We are having a big party for her this Sunday for her birthday, and it is a Paisley theme. I got some really pretty paisley patterned fabric for accents and she is going to have a cake to match and of course herself! I will definitely post pictures afterward...
Adlai turned 3 and is as cute as can be these days. He says THE most hilarious things. I wish some of them would come to mind but the alzheimers is really hitting me hard these days. Some of his more memorable events in the last couple of months have included drinking river water from a shoe while we were camping, attempting to see what would happen with scissors near his penis (thankfully Kim caught him before he actually got to see what would happen,) and playing in the bathroom with water only for me to come in and find him sucking on the sponge I used to clean the tub with. EW ew ew!! That one topped the gross charts for me. Oh, and apparently last night he hid Kim's keyes in the "trunk" of a toy car he has. This morning after searching frantically for an hour, Kim woke up Adlai and asked where his keys were. "In my underwear," Adlai responded. (This was because last night before he hid them, he actually did walk around with them in his underwear for awhile.) Finally after several times asking where they were, Kim told Adlai if he found them he could watch cartoons. Within one minute I hear "DADDYYYYY!!! I FOUND YOUR KEYS!!!! I FOUND THEM!! LOOK!!! I GET TO WATCH CARTOONS!" And sure enough he did. Bribery works, people!
Miss Zyan just turned 10, and she is such a sweetheart. She is just as helpful as she could possibly be, and so sweet and kind. I do feel guilty (ugh, there it is again!) that I often seem so busy and preoccupied that I don't feel like I get enough real one on one quality time with her. I feel lucky that she gets in the car and recaps the days events, but I think I have to earn that kind of trust with her and I definitely need more time alone with her. Plus, the brunt of being the oldest is that you give up your quality mama and papa time for the next littles down, and sometimes I just feel for her because I remember what that was like. She never complains though. These days she is back into heavy gymnastics, training for level 4 competitions this fall. She goes 4 days a week for 2.5 hours each time. She works really hard and I am very proud of her for setting goals for herself and working hard toward them. Gymnastics is such a long term sport - there is really not much instant gratification if any - and the physical exertion could be exhuasting to some, but again she never complains. She is right in the middle of the pre-adolescent drama that starts around 4th grade, the mine is better than yours, the making fun of others, even name calling, but thankfully she hasn't had to bear too much personally. She has had a few times where she comes home sobbing because a friend was mean or hurt her feelings, and even went through a short period where she said she was feeling very alone. My heart broke for her, but I was so proud that she was even able to articulate those feelings. Thankfully, that stage seemed to last only a week tops.
I love that girl.
As for me and Kim, we are constantly striving for me to be a stay at home mom. I guess we'll just keep on striving until we reach the goal, eh? Not much other choice, really. Kim wants so badly for me to be home, and he is so talented, so I have faith that it WILL happen. I love that man.
Ahhhhh. Success.
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