Knock Knock, Too Smart, and Fun Family Times

We took the kids to Famous Dave's for dinner tonight.  It's one of our favorite places, and earlier in the week, Jack had requested that we visit again.

"You remember that place with the big bear?  And the moose on the wall?  When can we go there again, Mom?"

So I thought Saturday before school started would be a fun, family celebration.  Only in order to make it back on time for the kids to have baths and go to bed, we decided to visit the closer location rather than the one we normally eat at.  And unfortunately for us, it is not set up in exactly the same way, i.e. bear outside and moose on the wall.

When we got there, Jack shared his disappointment.  I tried to explain that maybe they had brought the bear statue inside since it was going to rain.  And look!  They have animals on the wall, too!

He wasn't buying it.

The animals were not in the right place.

And the statue?  It's way too heavy for someone to move it because of the rain.

Literally.

Those were his words.

We don't get anything past that one.

*****

On the way home, Hannah decided to tell her very first knock-knock joke.  She just randomly started saying, "Knock, knock."

So finally, I asked, "Who's there?"

And believe it or not, she said, "Cow."

"Cow, who?"

"Moo!"

We laughed and laughed and laughed.  And then we heard the same joke 27 times before we got home.

*****

The kiddos were so good at dinner.  Maybe we're at the ages now where it's okay to eat in public more often.  No screaming and/or tantrums.  Everyone ate.  It was wonderful.

The potato salad was good, too:)

We survived...kind of

Well, we survived our first week back to school.  Jack and Hannah started their new daycare last Monday when I went back to work.  Originally, I'd planned to send them twice a week from the beginning of August to get them in the swing of things, but we were having so much fun together, and I didn't want to take them to school while I was home.  I decided we'd all start together - that no matter what, the first day would be stressful for all of us.

It wasn't too bad.  The timing went well, and we all made it on time.  I was so proud of Jack, not a single tear, and he didn't really go into his own classroom right away because it was so early in the morning.  Hannah didn't do quite as well.  She was very upset and cried.  She's cried every morning since, and she whimpers at night if we talk about school.  Her lip quivers when we pull into the parking lot in the morning.  Friday was her splash day, so I got her dressed in her swimsuit.  When we pulled into the parking lot, she asked, "We go pool?"  I felt so bad that she'd gotten confused.  My heart just broke.

Today wasn't any easier.  I'm trying to give it time.  I'm not thrilled with our new place yet, but change is hard, and I need some time to adjust.  Jack seems happy, and Hannah's happy when I get there.  Just not when I drop her off.  At all.  It's so hard to leave her there when she's so unhappy...

The other problem?  Hannah came home with a runny nose on Friday, and she wasn't feeling well all weekend.  She woke up with a fever on Saturday morning, but she seemed to get better as the weekend progressed, and today she was able to go to school.  Being exposed to all those other kids always seems to bring the sniffles, but such is life.  The rest of us seem to have gotten by unscathed.  Fingers crossed.

In other news, Jack tried to bribe Brad with a quarter tonight, and Hannah, when asked, "Who's the prettiest little girl in the whole wide world?" answers, "Hannah did."  They make me smile.

Today is Belle's seventh birthday, and we sent her a birthday video.  Joe said their ears perked up when they heard our voices, and then I felt bad.  I hope we didn't get their hopes up or confuse them.  I miss them.

Oh...

and I have a new job.  I start tomorrow.  I'll be teaching first grade, and I'm super-excited.  Also a tiny bit scared since parents come Thursday, we meet students on Friday, and school starts next Tuesday.  You'll understand if I'm away from the blog for a few days, no?

Wish me well - I'm going to need it!

Hannah Bear

Last weekend, Jack and Hannah were jumping on our bed, and Hannah shouted out, "Here comes Hannah, I need you to move!" before belly-flopping onto the comforter.

*****

While I was trying to listen to one of Jack's stories, Hannah Bear was simultaneously asking me for a snack.  This is not unusual - there are many times a day where it just seems like they are both talking at me at the same time.  But this time, Hannah stuck her little hip out to the side and asked, "Are you listening to me?"

I'm just going to go ahead and admit that she got that from me.  There.  I said it.

*****

Hannah came up to me with her Doc McStuffins toy and said, "It's not working very well."  I was so impressed with her use of well instead of good that my jaw dropped.  I kissed her and told her how much I loved her.

She apparently wasn't satisfied because she repeated herself.

That's when I remembered that I'd turned the battery-operated toy off because I couldn't stand to hear that song one more time the other day.  So I "fixed it" for her, and off she went.

"It's not working very well."

How perfect is that?

*****

When Brad and I say, "I love you," to Hannah Bear, she says, "Okay."

*****

While playing on the floor next to Dylan, I heard Hannah say, "Don't get Hannah tootsies!"  I turned to find a Baby Dylan swiping at her little toes.  I think she was worried he might eat them:)

*****

It didn't take long.  I was holding Hannah after dinner last night, when she stuck her wet, sloppy finger into my ear and said, "Wet willy."  She was so proud of herself, and then...

"I get a quarter."

Brad and I had a good laugh about that one.

*****

This morning Hannah asked for Gracie and Belle.  When I reminded her that they were at their new home, she said, "I want them."

Ensue tears.  Mine, not hers.

"I know, Baby.  Me too.  But they are having such a good time at their new home."  All said while smiling like a crazy person.

And that was all.  She didn't bring it up again.

*****

 

Right now, Hannah seems to be in a phase where she inserts the word probably into most of her sentences.

I probably need help.

I probably need juice.

I probably want binky lovey. (This is actually how she says this: binky lovey, always together.)

*****

Hannah knows exactly when and how to soothe herself, by the way.  As soon as she's upset or disappointed or frustrated, she goes off in search of her binky lovey.  She also likes to fiddle with tags.  All of the tags on her lovies are super-soft from being rubbed by her tiny fingers for countless nights.  It's adorable, and I love it.

*****

{This is the best picture I took of Hannah this week.  She was trying out Jack's new Thor costume, and I think she liked it.}

Feed Crazy

Apparently Brad has a to-do list on his phone titled "Feed Crazy."  I've mentioned that Brad and I each have our own quirks, but I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned that he thinks mine make me crazy.  He does.

I think my craziness makes our lives easier and more organized.

He thinks I create routines and structures for myself that we could live the rest of our lives without.

We agree to disagree.

{This is what I got Brad for our engagement anniversary - his favorite children's book with a personal note inside and that plaque about how, without me, his life would be a mess.}

Recently Brad's decided it would be fun to encourage our little lovelies to sometimes randomly do the things that make me crazy, such as:

• wet willies
• messing up our light switches
• putting stickers everywhere, including the stair railing, the back door, and the coffee table

You get the idea.

I found out about this list because I noticed him watching me and then quickly rushing to his phone to jot things down.  These moments seemed to immediately follow my moments of frustration or craziness, perhaps after some daily routine he didn't quite realize I had.

I asked, and he told me about the Feed Crazy list.  Lovely.

Now it seems that Jack's number one goal in life is to give me a wet willy.  Gross.

And he's especially focused because someone gives Jack a quarter (only one/day) every time he gets me by surprise.

Unintended Consequences

You may remember that for Hannah's second birthday, we threw a "You Are My Sunshine" party for our little girl.  Complete with a perfect-to-match mylar balloon:

I literally squealed with glee when I found it at the party store.

After the party, I cut the helium balloons loose and put the sunshine balloon in Hannah's bedroom.  It was too adorable to waste, and it brightened up the corner of her room.  All was well.

Cut to many weeks later, when for the first time that I can remember, Hannah woke up from her nap crying.  And not a little whimper, but a full-out cry.  This never happens.  With Jack, it was always how he woke up from a nap, but not Hannah.  Hannah wakes up and smiles and coos and plays until someone comes to get her.  Not on this day.

This day - full-out cry.  I ran upstairs to see what had happened, and nothing was unusual except that she was pointing to her balloon that had moved from the corner towards her ceiling fan.  I thought maybe as it moved on the ceiling, the noise had awoken our baby girl.  After some cuddles, she seemed fine, and we went on with our day.

Until that night, when right before bed, Hannah started to cry and say that she wanted to sleep with Mommy.  Hannah never asks to sleep with us.  Ever.  I chalked it up to the fact that she'd just gotten hurt before bed, so we snuggled for an extra long time, and she went to sleep.

Except that the same thing happened the next night.  And she had not just gotten hurt.

We snuggled and tucked her in, and finally she fell asleep.

The next day, I was in the house alone, and all of a sudden, I heard what I thought was a bird upstairs.  Lots of flapping and noise, and I immediately called Brad to see if there was some way he'd accidentally let an eagle into our home.  Whatever it was, it sounded huge, and I was scared.

I got up the courage to crawl upstairs and peek towards the noise, when I realized that it was, indeed, not an eagle, but Hannah's sunshine balloon being beaten by the ceiling fan.

I turned off the fan, took the balloon out, deflated it, and saved it for a keepsake.

And while I was doing all of that, it hit me.  This must be what woke Hannah up from her nap the other day.  And why she's so scared to go to sleep at night.

And oh-my-goodness, I'm the worst mother ever because this balloon, which I find simply adorable, is scaring the crap out of our tiny tot before she goes to sleep every night.

I felt a tiny bit better after Brad told me that his parents put a black panther poster with yellow glowing eyes in his room when he was young:)

But still...

Last night, after about 15 minutes of sleep, Hannah woke up crying and scared.  We went in and explained that the balloon was all gone, but she wasn't quite satisfied.  We ended up having to take down her mobile which we've been hanging on to just a tad bit too long.  Last baby syndrome, is what I'm calling it.

Poor thing.  I felt so bad.

But right now?  Princess is fast asleep.

And all is right with the world.

Silent Sunday

{So much love - the puppies haven't been alone since Friday, the 9th.}

{We couldn't be more grateful, Joe!}

A White Belt and a Lesson Learned

This evening, Jack graduated to a white belt in Tae Kwon Do.  We are so proud of our little man.

He'd been asking me to take Tae Kwon Do for about four months, but we wanted him to finish swimming and soccer.  When those two sessions ended, we signed him up for a month-long trial of Tae Kwon Do, and Jack loves it!

 {warming up with a soldier crawl}

{stretching}

At home, we've noticed a change in his level of respect and use of manners.  And in class, I'm noticing that Jack's ability to focus is getting much better.  In addition to all that Jack is learning, I'm also learning some classroom management skills that will be useful when I go back to the classroom.  His teacher is really amazing at getting a bunch of wiggly five year olds to listen, participate, and focus.

Hannah's picking up some things, too.  Just the other day, Daddy asked her to do something, and she said, "Yes, sir," and gave him a thumbs-up!

To celebrate Jack's success, we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner.  We had a good time - shared a Mountain Dew (for us) and milk (for them) toast to Jack's white belt.  They both thought that was pretty cute.

Tomorrow is my last day by myself with the kids before I go back to work on Monday.  I've been really proud of myself all summer, as this was the first time Jack and Hannah did not go to school at least twice a week during the summer.  We did really well, and I don't want it to end!

This week we've been keeping really busy, trying to get every last fun thing in one more time before we all go back to school.  We went back to Volcano Island, went to Bethesda's play museum, and played at Sport Bounce.  Today we ran some errands and then did some back-to-school shopping.  But while we were out and about today, Jack asked me when we were just going to stay home and relax.

Oh.  Ouch.

Here I am, thinking I'm super mom with all these great, fun things to see and do, and all they want to do is stay home and play with their toys.

I realized that maybe to them, staying home and playing with their toys and not having plans can be fun, too.  I know it's fun for me, but the truth is, I usually feel guilty on days we don't get cleaned up and leave the house.  I feel like they must be bored - we didn't do anything!  But apparently, that's not so.  They need some down time, too.

And so tomorrow, that's just what we're doing.  We've cleared our calendar, and we're staying home.  And we can't wait!

Against my original thought that I would keep the kids with us all weekend, I decided to take Grandma and Grandpa up on their offer to watch the kids on Saturday.  I need to run a few more errands, and it will give me a chance to get a few things done around the house and to get organized for Monday while the kids are having fun playing with their grandparents.

Then we can have a relaxing family day on Sunday.

I know that Sunday night  I won't be able to sleep, and on Monday I'll be stressed with a new school and schedule.  But until that time comes, I'm just going to enjoy my little loves for a few more days.

Soak it up really well.

And next summer - I'm keeping one day a week where it's just a stay at home and relax day.  Because they need it just as much as I do.

Hannah Bear

Hannah definitely gives us a run for our money...a tiny bit frightening since she's only two.  I can only imagine how that will play out for us as she enters her teenage years.

{do you see the sass on her face?  because we certainly do.}

*****

When she's negotiating for something she knows I don't want her to have, say peanut M & M's at 9 am in the morning, she smiles, keeps heading in their general direction, cocks her head, and asks, "Just a little bit?"  If I don't answer right away, but I smile at her, she points at me and says again, "Just a little bit!"  Usually, I cave.  I'm working on it, but she's just so darn cute.

*****

If Hannah doesn't perfectly agree with the plan, she'll sarcastically ask, "Really, Mom?"

This is definitely something she's learned from Jack.  Who learned from me.

Sometimes I just can't help myself.  He does something so completely off the wall or unacceptable that a "Really?" creeps out.  I'm working on it.

*****

If she disagrees with me about something I've said, she might reply, "Yesh, it does!"  even if it doesn't make sense. 

For example:

"Hannah, you don't need your binky right now.  You can have it at nap time."

"Yesh, it does.  I need binky now."

or

"Hannah, we don't need to clean up now, we can get it later."

"Yesh, it does!"

*****

Occasionally, when I'm taking a shower, Jack and Hannah will play in our tub.  I get them all set up with a little bit of water and some toys, and then I take a shower right next to them.  The other day, I had just gotten in the shower when Hannah came over and attempted to turn the water on by herself.  When I explained that she had to wait for me so that she wouldn't get hurt, she emphatically announced, "I'm fine, Mom.  I'm fine."

Again, from Jack.

*****

We have a pretty set bedtime routine at night, and usually it involves me putting Hannah into her bed, rubbing her hair, and telling her how much I love her.  Apparently, I must say exactly, "Goodnight, Princess.  I love you."

Because the other night I didn't say that.  And so Hannah told me to.  "Say goodnight princess."

"What, Baby Girl?" I asked, as I took her binky out of her mouth.

"Say goodnight princess."  Completely serious.  With big, blue eyes looking up at me expectantly.

Brad and I got a good chuckle out of that one:)

*****

She also likes to reaffirm to me every night that "Daddy kiss hannah on the bed," after I've held her next to him for kisses.  She likes for him to tuck her in after I do each night, and she doesn't want us to forget.

*****

She's completely fearless.  Well, until a bunny rabbit heads her way or she gets a little too close to Chuck E. at Chuck E. Cheese.  But other than that?  She's our risk-taker.  I was trying to get a video of Jack going down a water slide the other day.  He'd practiced over and over again, and Hannah had gone down a couple of times as well.  I knew Hannah was in line behind him, but I planned on setting down my phone before helping Hannah down the slide, as I'd done the times before.  This was not her plan at all.  Thank goodness I was right there, and Jack knows to always look out for his little sister.

No fear.

*****

She gets hurt and falls down constantly, but barely cries.  She gets back up, she might stick out her bottom lip a bit, and then she just keeps on going.  She banged her toe the other day and pretty much lost her toenail.  Not a peep.

*****

She also says/requests the following all of the time:

I gonna be right back.
Don't touch it.
Be back in a second.
Don't eat Hannah waffle/corn/cookie/juice/snack.
Don't kiss Hannah tootsies/cheeks/nose/arm.
I'm not tired.

She often says all of the above while pointing her finger at me.

Sure, she's sassy.  But my, do we love her.

*********************************************************************************

We can add to the list of tiny things I notice about the puppies being gone that no one comes immediately bounding down the stairs when I open the fridge late at night for a before-bedtime snack.

Other than that, today was much better.

Our Puppy Dogs

Our house feels unbearably quiet and empty.

And yes, I know we have a five year old and a two year old, so that seems impossible, but it's true.

I mentioned that Saturday was a sad day - that's because it was Saturday when Brad drove Gracie and Belle to their new home and handed them over to their new family, a very nice man named Joe that we've come to know over the last several weeks.

Putting our puppies up for adoption was a very long and painful decision, but it finally came to the point where we knew it was the right thing to do.  And not only for us, but for Gracie and Belle as well.  Before we had Jack and Hannah, we had Gracie and Belle, and we doted on them like they were our babies.

Truth be told, it is harder to dote on dogs when two little kids become involved.  You have less time, energy, patience, and money - and their lives changed.  They weren't by any means miserable or mistreated, so please don't misunderstand me.  They just didn't get the same level of attention that they were used to getting before Baby Jack came home from the hospital that very first day.

And while they haven't always been in a crate during the day, once we moved into our new house and I just couldn't put toys away every day before work, we had to crate the dogs.  Otherwise, they would chew on tiny, toy pieces.  They were jealous, and this was how they showed it.

But they were oh-so-good to us.  To our babies.  To our family...  Very loyal, very loving.  Never aggressive.

The year that Jack turned two, he had a very rough winter.  He started wheezing, and we ended up having to visit an allergist and putting him on an inhaler and allergy meds that he's taken every day since before he turned three.  He just recently turned five.  When we had him tested for allergies, dogs did come up slightly, but he was so young and they couldn't be sure.  Dogs and horses.  And seasonal allergies.  The girls didn't seem to be an issue for Jack, and so we let it go.  We believed it was the brutally cold temperatures that he had to play in during his daycare hours.

But what the allergy tests did do, was they heightened my awareness to Jack's reactions to certain things.  For example, I began to notice that when he played on Gracie and Belle's beds, that he would get red and blotchy.  Or if he sat in his bean bag chair that Belle also slept on at night after Jack was in bed, Jack would get little bumps on his arms or face.  He would sneeze a lot in the morning or after playing with the girlfriends, and we started to worry.  And over the course of a few years, Jack's reactions to the girls seemed to be getting worse.

Jack had certainly overheard Brad and I talking about the puppies and his allergies over the years, but I never really noticed exactly how much he thought about it.  One day, I was driving in the car with Jack and Hannah, and I was telling them about how much I love them, and how lucky I am to have two happy, healthy children, when Jack announced that he wasn't healthy.  When I asked him what he meant, he mentioned his allergies and the puppy dogs.  And my heart sank.

We love Jack and Hannah more than anything else in this world, and we would do anything to protect them from danger or harm of any kind.  I just never thought that might involve putting our puppy dogs up for adoption.  A few weeks ago, we made the decision to post the puppies on a Shih Tzu rescue site.  Against the suggestion of the site to list the animals separately, I posted Gracie and Belle as a packaged deal and within hours we had several interested parties.  I wanted to back out.  I didn't.

We weeded through a couple of interested people right away, but that very first night, a man emailed me and asked for as much information as I could give him about our puppies.  We began an email strand that is still going on to this day.  He'd had two Shih Tzus of his own up until about a year ago when he went through a divorce and his ex-wife got custody of their dogs.  He's been looking for a year for a pair of pups to love and take care of, and then he found ours.

Over a couple of weeks he asked a million and one questions about our dogs, and we were happy to answer every last one.  We believed that only someone with the greatest heart would know what questions to ask and he knew.  He's retired and doesn't want anything to do with our crate.  Brad went to meet him, and we knew that day that we'd found the person who was supposed to take care of Gracie and Belle from here on out.  We made the arrangements and decided that in order to make it easier on the kids, Brad would drop off the puppies and all of their belongings, and I would stay home with the kids.

Saying goodbye was not easy.  In fact, it was quite brutal.  Mostly because the kids seemed somewhat oblivious and unattached, but Brad and I were a wreck and trying at the same time to not push those feelings off on the kids.  We took some family pictures and gave them lots of cuddles (and half a pound of roast beef, each), and then they were gone.

Lucky for me, I hadn't showered yet, so I was able to cry my eyes out in the shower without the kids seeing.  But then I had to pull myself together and go on with our day.  I took them to their new school, Hannah napped, and then we went to the store and to Chik-Fil-A for dinner.  I randomly teared up all day long, embarrassing myself at every stop we made, but I couldn't help it.  I was a mess.

Their presence is missed.  I didn't realize all the tiny things I would miss every day, but I do.

On Saturday, I tried to take a nap, but I couldn't sleep.  Gracie and Belle always napped next to me, and even if they weren't on the bed, I could hear them sigh or snore or stretch and it was comforting.  And now they aren't here.

No one barks when we pull into the garage.  When we come home, we aren't rushing to let them out of the crate.  The space in our office where the crate used to be?  It feels huge and empty.  It looks wrong. I'm going to have to do something with that space, and soon.

When I would go get Hannah up from her naps, Gracie would follow me and jump up against her crib. Now Hannah doesn't look out and say, "Greasy wake Hannah up."  She doesn't seem to notice our routine has changed, but I do.

When Hannah dropped some steak on the floor last night, no one lunged to get to it first.

These things make me sad.

Do Gracie and Belle know how much we love them?  Do they think we deserted them?  Are they happy?  Will they remember us and our babies?  Will we ever see them again?

My heart is broken.

I don't think I've been this sad since my grandpa passed away, and that was nine years ago.

Our kids?  They seem much better than we expected.

Sunday morning, Hannah (who by the way, became best friends with the puppies the week before their departure) looked around asked, "Where Gracie go?  Where Gracie and Cuddlebug?"  I told her that they were at their new home, and she seemed perfectly fine with that answer.

Only tonight Jack came up to me and said he missed the dogs.  I told him I do, too.

The only thing that helps?  Gracie and Belle are happy.  They are getting so many rubs and walks.  They have constant companionship and aren't competing for attention.  Joe is cooking them food and sharing popsicles for dessert.  The girlfriends are getting so much love.  We are so very thankful for our new friend, Joe.

And Jack seems to be sneezing less.

It is for the best.  I know this to be true.

But oh-my-goodness, it sucks.

Silent Sunday

Out of the Mouths of Babes

It's been a really long, sad day.  I can't share just yet, but I will.

Instead, tonight I want to remember the silly things my kids say and do - always makes me smile.  You'll have to indulge me; I'm a little behind.

*****

While we were staying at Great Wolf Lodge and on our way to the Golden Corral, we forgot Hannah's binky and lovey.  On our way back to the hotel to retrieve the forgotten binky, Jack must've said that word at least 25 times.  And Hannah was getting increasingly more upset.  Finally, I turned around and said, "If we keep saying binky, she's going to keep wanting her binky, so if we could stop saying binky, that'd be great."

We got a good laugh out of that one - Hannah included.

*****

When Hannah starts fussing, and Jack knows it's fake, he calls her on it immediately.  "Hannah, that's fake."

That's all.

And then?

She stops.

*****

One night, we were trying to get Hannah to eat carrots.  She hates carrots.  Jack had already finished dinner, and as he was standing by, he announced, "This...is not going to go well."

Every time Brad and I hear something we say come out of Jack's mouth, we just crack up.

*****

One morning, I went into Hannah's room to get her out of her crib, and I caught her off-guard.  She looked up at me, stuck her bottom lip out, and said, "Scare you."

"Mommy scared you?"

"Yes."

I felt so bad, but after I gave her some kisses, she was much better.

On our way down the stairs, I told her, "I love you, Baby Girl.  You make me happy."

And she just smiled.

Because she knows.

*****

For Hannah's birthday dinner, I made ziti, salad, and garlic bread.  Our kids don't like salad, but they love bacon bits.  Love with a capital L.

Hannah likes to get her own bacon bits, and she was literally just pouring fistfuls into her tiny hands and shoving them into her mouth before I could take the jar away.

When I did, she asked, "Last time?"  That means she wanted more.

When I started to say no, Jack chimed in and said, "It's her birthday, you can't just leave her hanging."

Brad and I thought that was pretty hysterical.

Needless to say, Hannah got more bacon bits:)

*****

When I took Jack and Hannah to a local water park, we had to drive down a wooded road to get there. There were trees lining the sides of the street, and you could see some vines hanging from tree to tree.

Jack, in awe from the backseat, told me, "I love swinging on vines."

And then he whispered, "But I've never done it before."

I just thought that was the cutest thing in the world.  I don't think I'll ever forget it!

I Love You, Bunny Rabbit

This afternoon, Jack and Hannah spent some time at Grandma and Grandpa's so that I could go to a meeting for work and then get my haircut.  When I went to pick them up, we noticed a bunny rabbit hopping around in Grandma and Grandpa's front yard.

Jack and Hannah were so excited to see a bunny rabbit and they tried to get as close as they possibly could.  While inching closer and closer, Hannah let out a little squeal and said, "I love you, Bunny Rabbit!"

The bunny rabbit hopped into the bushes and while Jack tried to get closer to him on one side, Hannah and I went towards the other side to see if he would come out that way.

As Jack got closer, sure enough, the bunny hopped out of the bushes...and straight for Hannah!

She immediately threw her hands up in the air, screamed the girliest scream you've ever heard, and ran for my legs.

"Bunny Rabbit scare Hannah," she said, sticking out her bottom lip.

I assured her the bunny rabbit would not hurt her, but we certainly got a good laugh out of the fact that seconds earlier she'd been telling him how much she loved him.

Apparently bunny rabbits are only lovable from a distance!

Silly girl...

iCloud, I love you

that is all.

isn't it ironic?

...don't ya think?

No seriously.  I'm astounded at the irony I've come across within the last few days.  Now feels like the right time to share.

On Saturday, I went to Ikea with Hannah Bear and my parents while Jack spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa.  Mom and Dad wanted to look for some new furniture for their new house, and I was in need of picture ledges.  I'm finally getting around to the bookshelf project I planned for the playroom last summer.  And by, I'm finally getting around to, what I really mean is I bought the shelves so that Brad can install them.  The rain gutter idea - disaster.  I hated the way they looked the moment they arrived, and I've searched for the better part of a year for an alternative.  I finally decided on one, and I can't wait to share pictures of our finished product!

I digress.

We went to Ikea.  I was in full shopping and Mommy-mode.  I was juggling Hannah Bear, a paper tape measure, a tiny notebook, and oodles and oodles of exciting (and relatively inexpensive!) furniture and accessories at Ikea.

And then I put down my phone.

Somewhere.

I went to take a picture of a desk lamp that we wanted to find in the Lighting section, and it was gone.

I didn't panic, as it's happened before.

I checked my pockets.  Every inch of my purse.  Our entire cart.

I had my dad check his pockets and my mom check her purse.  I retraced my last steps.  I went back to the chair I'd taken a picture of because it was oh-so-comfortable and I wanted to buy it for our bedroom.

It wasn't there.

And then I panicked.

My dad thought to call my phone.  And it had been turned off.

Beyond panicked now, I thought I might die.  (I'm exaggerating a bit, but not by much.)  I did not know what to do.  What time was it?  Had I recently downloaded my pictures onto the computer?  Why is my phone off?  Did it fall out of my pocket and onto it's power button?  Can I remember what is on my grocery list?  What is my sister's cell phone number?  Didn't the person see my photo with Jack and Hannah on the phone?  Had my passcode gone into effect before some crazy, horrible stranger picked up my phone and turned it off?  At Ikea?  Is this even happening?  Do I call the police?  I'm at Ikea!!!  Bad people don't shop at Ikea!

This is when I rationalized that some nice person picked up my phone, turned it off to save the battery, and turned it into the lost and found.  I put on my happy face and finished our shopping trip.  I! was! at! Ikea!

It was not true.  No one turned in my phone.  Or was trying to save my battery.

My phone is gone.

I have officially been without a phone since Saturday at approximately 2:30 pm.

I'm going slightly crazy.

My new phone will arrive tomorrow.  The nice Verizon woman agreed to let me upgrade 26 days early to an iPhone 5.  I'm excited.  And nervous.  I hope it's true that my things are in the cloud.  Or on iTunes.  Or wherever they may be.

Today, I started to accept the reality that I would be getting a new phone.  Hannah's been reminding me approximately every 45 minutes by saying, "Mommy lost her phone.  Don't be sad."  So I ordered a case and some adapters.

And then I read an article that the iPhone 5S will be coming out in three weeks.

Of course.

love and marriage

On this day, eight years ago, Brad and I got married.  It was a perfect day, and I remember it well.  I was so excited, so confident, so in love.  Our biggest worries involved whether or not traffic would cause our guests to be late (we delayed our ceremony by 15 minutes), whether or not it would rain during our outdoor ceremony (it did not), and whether or not we'd get to eat the yummy food we'd chosen to serve for our wedding dinner (we did).

We knew nothing of mortgages, household chores, and babies - although we couldn't wait to dig in and do it together.  'Til death do us part.

We've been married for eight years, but we've known each other for more than twice as long.  He is my best friend.  He knows my quirks and I know his.  We both have a lot:)

The truth is, marriage is hard.  Really hard.  And, to us any way, it seems much harder when children are involved. There are so many decisions that have to be made about kids that you never even thought about before you had them...how to discipline, how to make sure they eat their vegetables, what school they should go to, who should take care of them if something were to happen to you both...  The list goes on and on.

It's hard to put your marriage first and to feel madly in love with someone when your life takes on a daily routine that involves feeding, cleaning, working, and then feeding and cleaning some more.  When kids are whining and talking over you and it's hard to have a conversation.  When it seems like the only time you have to spend quietly together has to be spent making decisions when you most often don't see eye to eye.

It's not easy...that's all I'm sayin'.

But it's a decision.  A promise.  We look at each other, and we watch our babies walk off in front of us as we walk around the neighborhood, and we think, "We've made this great home, we made these beautiful children, and look how far we've come!"

I saw a blog post via Kelly's Korner that I could relate to the other day, and thought I'd share.  You can visit it here.  It's a good one.  Made me think about all those times Brad has shown how devoted he is to me.  Also made me think about the times I've done similar things...it was refreshing.

At this year's Oscars, Ben Affleck got a lot of flak for calling his marriage work.  But I knew just what he meant.  It is work.  But it's good work.

We've come a long way, Baby.  I love you.  Happy Anniversary!

Silent Sunday

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!  We love you, and we hope you enjoyed Sunday Steak Dinner:)

Thankful Thursday

It's been awhile...

Today I'm thankful for several things:

I am thankful for Jack's creativity.  He continues to astound me on a daily basis.  Really, I'm just in awe, and it makes me wonder what he'll end up being when he grows up...

Just the other day, when Brad realized Japanese beetles are attacking his beloved Crepe Myrtle, Jack made a bug trap.

How adorable is that?  I only helped by giving him the empty box, and he did the rest.

Luring the bugs in with other bug friends...

Ladybugs...

Bumble bees...

Lightning bugs?

And inside the box, a spider.  I helped him cut out the circles and the legs, but Jack did the gluing and that fancy design on its body.

Then I came downstairs yesterday to find my little man making a knight helmet.

And so, I'm thankful for the creative little boy that is all ours:)

I'm also thankful for longtime friends.  I had lunch with my friend Jeannette today, and we had a great time catching up at Burger King while Jack and Hannah chased each other through the tunnels.  It's nice to sit and talk to another adult and catch up on our jobs and families.  I miss working with her, and so it was good to see her again.

I'm thankful for this little boy (below), who has stolen my heart.  And for his Momma, who has stepped into this role with nothing but grace.

I'm thankful for Hannah's big, blue eyes.  Seriously, they make me swoon.

I'm seriously a happy girl.