I might do better next year

First off, it has been way to long since my last blog post. I have wanted to write. At one point I felt like I needed to write, but I have continued to find other ways to fill my time. After far too long of a break, I feel like it's time to start writing again. Maybe it's because I missed writing. Maybe it's because the holidays are over, and I feel like I can decompress a little more now. Maybe it's because I just finished Amy Poehler's book Yes Please, and I feel inspired. Yup, it's definitely  the last one. What can I say? I am easily influenced by awesome women.

Anyway, It's December 31st, and everyone is reflecting, making resolutions, and setting goals for themselves. I have never been great at the whole New Year's Resolution thing. Most people aren't. Year after year, 92% of us make these goals, then crash and burn only two weeks later.

Sometimes we fail because of fear. On New Years Day 2008, I made a resolution to be bold and tell my crush that I was interested in him. I was a freshman in college and he was a junior. What's the worst that could happen? I knew he was a nice guy. I knew that even if he wasn't into the idea, he would let me down gently. I got back to school, saw him, felt myself shrink to about 7 inches tall, and immediately decided that it was a stupid resolution. I then attempted to bury those ridiculous feelings as deep as humanly possible. The fear of being rejected was literally too much for me to bear. Thankfully, by fall 2008, things had worked out on their own, and Shane and I started dating. Now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever told him this story... I guess he can read it here... Hi Honey! I love you!

Sometimes our resolutions get thrown to the wayside because of laziness. Running a marathon seemed like a cool goal. But come on, there is no way I was actually going to run a marathon. I can't even bring myself to jog three times a week. I gave that one up after looking up training schedules and the work out regimen required to complete a physically demanding task like a marathon. 26.2 miles is really far, you guys!

On the rarest of occasions, we don't reach our goals because of circumstances beyond our control. The first New Years Shane and I celebrated as a married couple came about two weeks after we got married. I made a resolution to lose ten pounds of fat and get toned (I miss the days when I was only 10 pounds from my target weight). I did fantastic for about three weeks. I was getting up every morning and really seeing some progress. I was losing weight and feeling great! Then all of a sudden, I was incredibly sick. I would throw up off and on all day, until around 7 PM. Even with this random illness, I was still pushing myself to reach my goal. Weigh in day came, and I have gained three pounds from the last week! How did this happen? Well, apparently I was three weeks pregnant. Yup. I was pregnant with Jude. My honeymoon baby was due in late September. Instead of losing ten pounds, I gained around 50. Yikes. That first pregnancy really did a number on me.

Needless to say, I am not making a resolution this year. I am the worst at them. Instead of doing the whole charade, I am just going to look forward to 2015 with excitement and anticipation. Every year is different and awful and amazing in their own wonderful way. There is so much that can happen in a year. It's 365 mini adventures, and I am looking ahead with an open mind and open heart.

Good luck to all of you with goals and resolutions for this year! I would love to hear what they are, what your secret is to keeping your resolution, and how successful you've been in the past.



Happy New Year!

Prove it.

Abigail

About a week and a half ago,  I wrote a post about my daughter Abby letting everyone but me see her walk. I went on and on about how it had been five days since she took a step, and it wasn't fair that I am the one that spends all my time with her, so I should get to see all her milestones first... blah blah blah. It was basically an all around whiney post. Well, Abby decided that it would be hilarious to start taking steps in front of me only a few hours after I I claimed she might not ever allow me to see her walk. I was so ecstatic to see her walk, but I couldn't help but  think "You just wanted to prove me wrong."
That really got me to thinking. I hope my kids keep proving me wrong.

I am a pretty pessimistic person, by nature. I am a glass half-empty kind of gal. I don't mean to be, and I don't like that that's how I generally see things. It's something I'm trying to change, but it's a long row to hoe. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who balances me out perfectly. Shane is a total optimist and dreamer. It's one of the things I love most about him. I worry, he dreams big, and we usually end up somewhere in the middle.

Gideon

Jude

It's the same with our parenting. I worry about our kids constantly. Shane sees all the great things our kids are doing, and only worries when there is actually something to worry about. I tend to forget that our kids are much more capable than I think. This results in me being wrong. A lot.  I don't know why I doubt their abilities. It really isn't a reflection on them. It's a reflection on my own lack of confidence in my parenting. I see a shy boy, because I didn't find him enough social interaction as a baby. I see a boy who can't keep interest for very long in anything, and it must be my fault. Basically, my entire day consists of me worrying that I have broken my kids in one way or another.

 When someone asks the boys a question that I don't think they can answer, my first thought is "Oh great, let's just see how little my kids know and how I am failing as their first and most important educator." Then the amazing happens. One or all of my little ones prove me wrong on a regular basis. Gideon sits through an entire sporting event. Jude initiates a game with kids at church. Abby walks right in front of me!

Sometimes I'm going to need my three brilliant, beautiful, hilariously wonderful kids to prove me wrong. So far, they have done so with gusto. I hope that never changes.

Chyan

5 days.

I am with my kids twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. It has been a point of pride for me. I like to be able to say I have seen every major and minor milestone each of my three children have accomplished. Well, that is, until last Sunday.

Shane, the kids, and I were all in the living room Sunday afternoon just relaxing and doing our own things. The boys were playing with toys, Shane was cuddling with Abby and watching t.v., and I was looking at all the great pictures I had recently captured of our kids. I am by no means a photographer, so any picture I can get that isn't blurry seems pretty great to me. It was a lovely, lazy afternoon.

It makes me want to cry, too!

After a little while, Shane put Abby on the floor to play. She then picked up a throw pillow and took two steps toward Shane. Her first steps!!! We knew she would be taking steps on her own soon, and Shane was worried she would start walking while he was at work. Imagine his excitement when she chose to take her first steps right in front of him! Really, it was in front of both of us.  What was I doing during this exciting moment, you ask? Well, stupid me was looking at the stupid pictures on my stupid phone. I was stupidly thinking that I should load those stupid pictures on to my stupid Facebook page. Looking back, none of those pictures were that good, anyway.

I was so happy Shane got to see her walk, but I was furious with myself for not paying attention. The rest of the afternoon, I tried to get Abby to walk for me. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada.  That evening, Shane and I had a small group to go to, and the kids were at my parents' house. While I was at small group, I received a text that said "guess who just walked to her grandma?" Are you kidding me???? Is this some kind of cruel trick? Am I being punished? All I want is to see my daughter walk!

We got home, and still nothing. Monday came and went. Nothing. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday passed and there was no pitter patter of her
perfectly chubby little feet. Now it's Friday. A full five days since her first steps. If I don't see Abigail walk today, I am going to lose my mind! I know she is doing this on purpose. She likes to see me frazzled. Her twelve month old mind has concocted this scheme to drive me to the brink of insanity. Irrational? I don't think so.

Maybe I should bait her with something.

Chyan

Why is it so hard to keep eggs in my house?

Have you ever been obsessed with something? Have either loved or hated something so much that it's all you can think about? It seems like you can't eat sleep or breath without every thought being consumed by this thing? When I was engaged,I became obsessed with being married. I wasn't as consumed with the  wedding, but the marriage itself.

Gideon has this obsession with eggs. He loves them. He loves the way they look. He loves the way they feel. He loves the way they taste. He loves that so many animals are hatched out of eggs (I'm pretty sure this is the number one reason Jude won't eat eggs). He also loves carrying eggs, and cracking eggs over my carpet. Because of this, eggs and carpet cleaner are always in short supply in this house. I am starting to think he just loves driving me insane.

crafthub.com

We cannot have a carton of eggs in the house with out Gideon losing all sense of self control. He will see me put a dozen eggs in the refrigerator, and it's like that's the only thing that his little mind can focus on. He knows that he is not allowed to get into the fridge by himself, and he is really not supposed to touch the eggs, but the tiny amount of self control a three year old has is completely gone when those white ovals are around. It becomes an intense game of cat and mouse. I have become very quick at getting to the refrigerator before the door is completely open, but sometimes Giddy works in super stealth mode, and is able to sneak an egg or two out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Once the egg(s) has been kidnapped from the cardboard habitat, there are three different things that could happen.

1. Gideon will be so excited about his conquest that he will just have to start clapping, and the eggs will be broken all over the carpet.
2. Gideon will decide that we wants to make a nest for his eggs, not be gentle enough, and the eggs will be broken all over the carpet. 
3. Gideon will be caught by me, panic, drop the eggs, and the eggs will be broken all over the carpet.

It's like a choose your own adventure book that always ends with me cleaning eggs off my son and out of the carpet fibers.  Even Jude thinks it's getting out of hand. I was doing laundry one day, and I could hear the boys talking in the kitchen. "Gideon, don't touch the eggs" Jude warns in an urgent tone (Jude being the voice of reason is just as alarming as whatever Gideon is doing). "What's going on out there?" I ask. "Um... Don't give Giddy time out, Mommy! Giddy, no eggs! Let's get outta here!"

I hurried into the kitchen just in time to see the boys hiding around the corner, and the refrigerator open. I asked Jude if Gideon was trying to play in the eggs. Jude looks at Gideon, and then throws his arms around me and says, "I love you, Mommy! You're my mommy in the whole world!"
Bros before moms, I suppose.

The shortest and longest year ever.

My baby girl turned one on Wednesday. Miss Abigail is now an entire year old! Wow, this year really flew by! Well, that's not entirely true. There were times when it seemed like this year would never end. I suppose moving three times (twice being cross country moves) will do that to you/

Somehow, even though the majority of this year moved at a glacial pace, Abby's first year of life raced away from me at a break-neck speed. How is that even possible? How can a baby change so much in just twelve short months? This is my third time watching one of my tiny babies turn one. I shouldn't be so shocked by growth and development, but I am.

Abigail went from being the most adorable newborn baby girl I had ever seen, to being a smart, feisty, and beautiful one year old. It is astounding to me that in just 365 days an infant can go from not being able to hold her own head up (in the words of Jim Gaffigan, "babies are so lazy"), to standing all on her own and building up the courage to take her first steps!

I think Abby's development is so impressive to me, because it's happening so differently than Jude and Gideon's did. At this age, both the boys said four or five words regularly. Abby, on the other hand, can say so many words! It's not just that she can mimic (the boys did a lot of mimicking at this age), but she can identify things and call them by name. I told you she was smart.  I know, I'm bragging... sorry, not sorry...

I think my favorite thing about Abby is her personality. Like I said earlier, she is so feisty! She can give her brothers a run for their money, and she's not afraid to get in on the silly and rough play. Just don't get on her bad side. She's not above using those six teeth! Abby is also more than okay with dramatically throwing herself on the ground and pretending to cry. Yeah. She's sweet, but she's also a bit of a diva. You've got to watch out for her, because she uses her whole cute and innocent thing to her advantage. Her eyes say it all. "Mommy, look at how little and cute I am. There's no way I unrolled all the toilet paper, took my diaper off, and pooped in the hall. It must have been one of those wild and crazy boys... that are nowhere near this huge mess" Those big eyes and long eyelashes say more than words ever could.


This little child is also so loved by her big brothers! It's amazing to watch a three and four year old have a baby sister who can mess up their games, knock over their towers, and bite them so hard, and love her so unconditionally! That might be my favorite part of our family dynamic. I heard that older brothers are instinctively protective of little sisters, and I guess it's true. It really is sweet to see all three of my little nuggies interact.


I love my silly, sweet, beautiful baby girl! I am so thankful for such a darling daughter. She really does make our family complete. I cannot imagine life without her. The past year has been such a joy, and I can't wait see what the next year has in store!

Chyan
PS. Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Interview with a 4 year old. Christmas list edition

Jude and I have this game we play. One of us asks the other one a whole bunch of questions. The other person answers the questions. Basically, we are just having a conversation, but we like to pretend it's an interview.

Jude and I were playing interview last night. I was asking him a series of questions, and he was giving me awesome four year old answers. It was too cute not to share!

Christmas is always a popular topic in our house. Here's the part of the conversation that revolved around Christmas presents.

Me: Jude, what do you think we should get Daddy for Christmas?

Jude: I want.. hmmm. I know! TOYS!

Me: I know you want toys, but what should we get Daddy? What kinds of things would Daddy like for presents?

Jude: Soda! Daddy likes soda! He drinks it, and it goes in his tummy, and he says "mmm. Delicious!"

Me: That's a good point! What else do you think Daddy would like for Christmas?

Jude: Maybe like a cartoon, he likes to watch cartoons with me. Daddy can read. Get him things for reading. And a toy.  Something spooky for Halloween. And some guy fruits.

Me: What are guy fruits?

Jude: Like... guy strawberries, guy cherries, and guy watermelon. And apple pie

Me: Oh I see. Okay, well what do you think we should get for Giddy for Christmas?

image credit: dreamtime.com

Jude: Mommy, I want toys okay?

Me: I know Jude. I didn't forget. It's just nice and fun to get other people presents, too. Okay?

Jude: Okay.

Me: What should we get Giddy for Christmas?

Jude: Two toys.

Me: Two toys? what should the toys be?

Jude: A lot of race car toys.

Me: Aw, Jude! That's a nice idea. Giddy loves to play with his race cars and race track!

Jude: Aaaannnnd VeggieTales' Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber VeggieTales toys.

Me: Okay

Jude: And a Disney Junior Jake and the Neverland Pirates book. And that's all.

Me: What about Abby? What should Abby get?

Jude: Just baby toys.

Me: Well, what are good toys to give babies?

Jude: Just toy food and a baby doll toy.

Me: Okay. Anything else?

Jude: She likes baby bath toys for baths. And a bowling ball!

Me: You think Abby needs a bowling ball?

Jude: Yeah! Come on, Mommy! It will be fun!

Me: (After a fit of laughter) Okay. Here's a hard one for you. What should Mommy get for Christmas?

Jude: Just... like... a box.

Me: A box?

Jude: Yeah. And you and Abby share girl food. You can eat it and it can go down in your tummy and you say "mmm. Delicious!"

Me: Girl food? What's that?

Jude: Apple pie

(So I get an empty box and a pie that I have to share? Thanks a lot, buddy.)

This kid is a hoot! I have no idea why food is being categorized as "girl" and "guy," but I can tell you that all the "guy fruits" are his favorite fruits. He eats them, and they go down in his tummy, and he says "mmm. Delicious!" Apparently, he also has apple pie on the brain.

Another thing you may have noticed, is that Jude is very specific about certain things. It's not just Jake and the Neverland Pirates. It's Disney Junior's Jake and the Neverland Pirates. It's not just Bob and Larry toys. It's VeggieTales' Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber VeggieTales toys. When Frozen is on, he is not just watching "Froyen." He is watching "Disney's Froyen."

Jude is just one of those kids that is so dead serious and literal about things, that he doesn't realize how hilarious he is to the rest of us.

Chyan

Beautiful and weird little minds

Let's do a little experiment, shall we? Imagine we are talking about different kinds of animals, and their characteristics. Now imagine I ask you, "what kind of animals can swim in the water?" What do you think your answer would be? Fish? Shark? Dolphin? Maybe  whale or octopus? All these answers are correct, and probably the most common and obvious answers. Well, at least they are the most common among adults

How did my children answer this question? Gideon said that ducks could swim. He is right, and I don't know why I was surprised by his answer. Water fowl is often found in lakes and ponds. Gideon loves birds.  Of course ducks should be right up there with other top answers. Why did I not think of that? I loved that his answer was just a little outside the box

image source: pinterest/ebay

Jude answer threw me for an even bigger loop. If Gideon's answer was a little outside the box, Jude's wasn't even aquatinted with the box. What was Jude's answer? Elephants.  I was blown away! Yes, elephants do swim. In fact after Jude said that, I spent fifteen minutes online looking at pictures of elephants swimming under water. I have to tell you, it is absolutely breathtaking (I didn't include a picture, because of copyright laws. So you got the eleduck instead). I told Jude that I really liked his answer (and that he was right), but I was just wondering why he gave the answer he did. He just said that he liked that elephants could swim, and he also liked their "trunk noses" and that their trunk noses can be loud and scoop up water to drink. "Oh! And bears can climb trees!"* Wow. He just really liked that elephants could swim, so he remembered that. He deemed elephant a more acceptable answer than fish, because it was more interesting to him.

I asked the boys if they could think of any other animals that could swim. Jude said hippos, and Giddy's second answer, accompanied by some pretty adorable motions, was octopus.  For the record, it took going through four or five more animals before either of them said fish. I have to say, I loved that the most common answer was not anywhere near either of their first answers. I love how their creative, and seemingly odd, minds work! It breaks my heart to think that one day, they might think that giving the most common answer is better than giving a more unique, equally correct, answer. I hope to foster the idea that the elephant and duck answers in life are just as valid as the fish answers. Maybe we could all use a few more not-so-common solutions.

Chyan

*By the way, I realize the bear thing has nothing to do with any of this. I just thought it was really cute, (and this is my blog) so that's why it's a part of the story.*

Some days are just awesome

I love my kids. I love all the laughs, the learning, and the cuddles I get from my relationships with each of my little nuggies. I love that my husband makes it possible for me to be able to spend every day with my children as they grow, learn and develop. My life is very blessed and I am very thankful!

Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to make my life seem like a candy-coated dream world. Sometimes being a mom is tough. Sometimes being a wife is tough. Sometimes just being a grown up is tough. There are those days when I wonder what the... heck... I got myself into. There are times when I think that there has to be other women that would be better suited for my husband and my kids. There are days when my greatest fears and anxieties seem realized. Some days are just the worst.

But then again, some days are just awesome. Yesterday was one of those days. You know it's going to be an awesome day when Jude initiates affection. He is not big on cuddling. Sure, he lets me give him hugs and kisses, but sometimes it's not even half-hearted on his end. Yesterday, for no reason at all, Jude ran up and threw his arms around my neck. Then he looked at me and said "You're my mommy in the whole word!" I'm still not sure if he was saying that I was his only mommy, his favorite mommy, or the best mommy, butI don't care. It made me cry. That little gesture was by far the sweetest thing he has ever done.

Then we "played Disney Preschool." I should explain. You see, Jude and Gideon don't like the idea of practicing letters or numbers unless it is part of a game. Jude actually came up with the brilliant suggestion of playing Disney Preschool. Now we can work on and practice all kinds of things... as long as it is Disney themed. During our Disney play time, it really registered with me how well Gideon is doing with his colors and shapes! It was very exciting.

We wrapped up our day with an eventful trip to the post office, where Gideon announced "I like stamps! They stickers!" And Jude informed me that the post office needed him to make a special delivery of toys. I told him that was very nice of him, but he can't because he doesn't work for the post office. "Um, yes I do!" Oh boy... well, he always says he wants to drive a mail truck at Disney when he grows up. Yeah, we are big on Disney here.

Oh and no big deal, but Abby pointed to a tree and said "tee," then she pointed to a couple of dogs and said "gog." I am one proud, happy, and content momma. Let's hope today is just as awesome as yesterday!

Chyan

I guess he's not an infant anymore.

It's been a week, and I still can't believe my little bitty Giddy is three now. For some reason, I am having a hard time seeing him as any older than 18 months. He just still seems so baby-like to me. Jude started looking like a little boy fairly early, but Gideon still has his wonderfully round baby face. Do you remember the cartoon Tom and Jerry? Gideon reminds me of Jerry the mouse. He has these perfectly round cheeks, and the little pot belly that most toddlers have, and all mommies love to squish. When you look at Jerry the mouse's physique, and compare it to Gideon's, you will not see a big difference.



Not only is Gideon wonderfully squishy, he's also ridiculously sweet and cuddly. If you need a good cuddle, Gideon was the baby to call. He might not be a little baby any more, but he can still out-snuggle anyone, any time, any place. Maybe that's why I'm having a tough time letting him grow up. I can't imagine not packing Gideon around. I can't fathom a world where I don't wake up in the middle of the night with Giddy curled up at the foot of my bed like a little puppy. What if he out grows his cuddliness? I literally cannot let myself think like that. I just can't handle it.

Gideon is showing me in so many ways that he is growing up and changing. Potty training is almost complete (praise the Lord), and he is handling it so well! His vocabulary is also growing, which is great, but I just wish he still called me "Momma," instead of the more grown-up "Mom." Gideon also has a great grasp on numbers and colors. He is a fast learner, and loves to make new friends. He is also very polite. His new favorite thing to say is "no thank you." Sometimes it doesn't even make sense, but it's always his go-to answer. "Gideon, have you seen your black shoes?" "No thank you, Mom!"

I am so proud of the little boy Gideon is, and the man he is becoming. I can't help but burst with pride every single time I look at him. He is loving, and has such an amazing sense of humor! Giddy might be a middle child, but he is using that to his advantage! He is never without a playmate, and instead of being pushed aside, Giddy is always finding innovative new ways to be the center of attention.
 Gideon is such an amazing little boy, and I am so blessed to be his mom!

Giddy at 3 years

Giddy at 1 year

Lying to my kids should be easier

Yup. I lie to my kids. I know people say you should always be 100% honest with your kids, never ever tell them a white lie, blah blah blah. First of all, I'm calling bull...poopy. Even the most honest parent lies to their kids every one in a while.

It might be a lie of omission. "Uh oh. That really noisy toy you have isn't working." Maybe it "isn't working" because you needed a battery for the t.v. remote, and that toy has been on your kill list for a while now.  That counts as a lie.

Some parents tell white lies "Wow! What a beautiful picture!" Is it really a beautiful picture? Or does it look exactly like the drawerful of other monochromatic scribbles your two year old has handed you over the  past month. Of course you love your precious baby's artwork, but even you know it's not going into an art museum any time soon. So technically, you lied

Some of us just straight-up bald face lie to our kids. Let me give an example other than that tired old "Santa" lie. My dad has an abnormally long, almost  hook-shaped scar from his appendix being removed as a boy. All five of his children, and two of his three grandchildren, have seen it and asked about it. All of us have gotten the same answer. "That's where Captain Hook got me when I was fighting him on his pirate ship." Yup, my dad led all of us to believe that he fought Captain Hook... on his pirate ship... wait a minute! That must mean he's Peter Pan! I don't think I need to explain that this is a huge lie. (Shout out to my dad. Love you! Love that story!)

I have to admit. I lie all these kinds of lies, and probably more, to my children, but that's not what this is about. My problem is that it's already getting harder to lie to them! My oldest just turned four! What is going on? I should have a few more years of lies left, right?

I noticed things were going down hill fast for me just a few days ago. It seems like the biggest time I lie is when I am trying to get Jude to eat. He is my picky eater, so I will say just about anything to get him to eat. Gideon and Abby will eat just about anything, so they are never the concern.

Well, the other day, I was making lunch and I realized my produce was getting low. I didn't have any carrot sticks. I didn't have any "broccoli trees." I didn't have any lettuce to make a salad. Was I really out of apples and bananas? Uh oh. Looks like I am going to have to serve canned veggies. You should know that Jude has two arch enemies: Meat, and Canned Vegetables. What was I going to do? He needed to eat something! Well, he was just going to have eat the french cut green beans.  just in case you forgot what those look like, let me refresh your memory:

cantstayoutofthekitchen.com

Yeah, they are not a visually appetizing food. I would have to convince Jude that it was either a different food, or that canned french cut green beans was something he would want to eat. If I could pull this off, it would be my greatest con yet! 

I decided to give the green beans a cool new name. I gave Jude and Gideon their plates. Giddy didn't even seem to notice the green slimy veggies that were plopped down next to his entree. Jude, on the other hand, couldn't see anything but that wet mound of... something on his plate. "Mommy! I don't like that!" He knows he isn't supposed to say stuff like that, but he does anyway. "You don't know if you don't like it. You've never tried it. It's... dinosaur food! All the dinosaurs on Dinosaur Train love to eat it!" Gideon said "No they don't." Thanks a lot, Giddy. He's supposed to back up my story by eating those soggy strings of bean. 

Jude looks at me like I am an idiot, then looks at the green beans, then back at me, then back at his plate. Finally, Jude just sits up and says "That looks like green beans." Busted. I must be getting sloppy with my lies, or maybe Jude is just getting smarter. "Fine." I say defeated "They are green beans. And you still have to try them"

I might be a liar, but hey, my kids still have to at least try everything I give them. 

Are there any lies you regularly tell your kids, or am I just a monster?

Chyan

That is NOT FOOD!

I have three beautiful, funny, sweet, smart, and... gross children. It seems like every single time a have a child around one year of age, he or she feels the need to taste items that just should not be tasted. Don't believe me? I have compiled some examples from my sons around that age

Around the age of one, Jude and/or Gideon ate:

• Dirt
• Soap
• Paint chips from the corner of the wall
• Bubbles
• Play Doh
• Light bulb (This one was attempted. I caught him as soon as he tried to take the first bite)
• Deodorant
• Lip Balm
• Diaper rash cream
• Glitter glue

Yes, all of these things are nasty. Yes, all of these things being consumed are cause for concern. No, humans with any level of logic or common sense would never consider putting any of these things inside their mouthes. I guess it's a good thing we are talking about babies, and I was able to stop them before too much, or any, was actually swallowed. 

I thought my boys had prepared me for anything, but just this weekend, Abby did something that threw all my experience and super-speed mom-reflexes out the window. 

My beautiful baby girl and I were outside enjoying the lovely fall weather, when we both noticed a snail creeping along. My thought was "Man, snails move so slow!" Abby's first thought was apparently "Hmmm. I should eat that slimy moving thing." Then my daughter did the grossest thing possible. She popped that little disgusting thing in her mouth! My sweet little Abigail put a live creature in her mouth. I have never seen her move so fast in my life.It was the grossest thing I have ever seen any of my children attempt to consume... and Jude tried to eat a light bulb! the worst part was, I think she would have eaten the entire thing if I hadn't stopped her.

Little Abigail after her "snack"

Happy 11 months, baby girl! I hope this is the end of your "eating inedible things" stage

Chyan

Do I really have a four year old?

Tuesday was my precious firstborn's fourth birthday. I simply cannot wrap my head around that. In just two years, he will be starting Kindergarten (a year later than most, because of his September birthday), and that just seems too soon for me! He's just a little baby, right? Apparently I am very wrong.

Lately, Jude has been doing so many "big kid" things, that I can't deny he has outgrown the baby or toddler status I try to give him. It is such a weird feeling to be so incredibly proud of the person my son is becoming, but at the same time be completely heartbroken that he is growing up. I know I am not alone in feeling this. For moms everywhere it's a tale as old as time, song as old a rhyme. Okay, yes, I did technically just use a line from Beauty and the Beast, but I think I've made my point.

Even though it's hard, I love seeing how much Jude changes every year. I think I have seen the biggest changes this year. I look back to his third birthday, and I can see how much has grown and developed. He is now fully potty trained (and has been for 7 months), his speech has improved dramatically, and he is a more patient and empathetic little boy than I ever thought possible.  Jude is an amazing big brother and has  amazing memory/ recall skills. Just last week at church, he informed me that he was too big for the nursery, and it was time for him to go to the big kid class! This was a very big deal for him, because the big kid class is a very loud and overwhelming for a little introvert like Jude. He did great! I am so proud of these accomplishments. I mean, I could literally explode with pride.

Jude is changing so much before my very eyes (apparently he like broccoli now). Every single day, he has learned something new that he wants to share with me. I adore his curious and independent spirit. I am thankful we made it through the tyrannical threes (I don't care what anyone says, three was worse than two. Two was a vacation!) relatively unscathed.

I love my little Judester, and I can't wait to see what this year will bring us!

                                                  Jude at one day old vs. Jude at four years old

Competitiveness starts early.

I love winning. I mean I love it. I like when my favorite sports teams win. I like winning bets. I especially like winning board games. Just ask my husband. I am a monster to play board games with. I don't know what's worse, when I'm winning or when I'm losing. It is so bad, that when we were in college, Shane refused to play board games with me, unless we were on the same team. It gets pretty brutal.

I thought I had started to chill out a little when I had kids, because I don't want my children to learn my incredibly poor sportsmanship. Now I am starting to think my competitiveness was passed down genetically to my poor kiddos. I have witnessed, on more than one occasion, my competitive nature being mirrored in Jude, Gideon and even little Abby. It is a little terrifying to see.

As of right now, Giddy and Abby are mostly just in competition with one another. If Gideon is making Daddy laugh, then Abby will start yelling "Dadda! Dadda!" and cruise back and forth along the couch. If Abby is getting cuddles from Daddy or Mommy, then Gideon will do anything to make sure he is being seen by the preoccupied parent. I think of it has to do with Giddy and Abby's fight for "baby status"

mini flag football

Jude on the other hand, will find a way to compete with anyone. This was Jude's first year in any kind of organized sport... well, as organized as a sport can be with three and four year olds. He played mirco soccer/ mini flag football. Basically, a whole bunch of three and four year olds kicked soccer balls and learned how to throw and catch a football. Jude had little to no interest in playing (he preferred to use the cones as megaphones and take water breaks), but he showed some great potential when he would actually participate. I asked Jude after his five week "season" had ended, why he didn't seem to like football or soccer that much, and he told me he didn't get to play real football. I asked him what real football looked like, and he showed me. I threw him the football, and he ran the route he learned from his coaches. Then he

micro soccer

proceeded to block for himself by slamming into me both and Gideon. He than ran to the end of our yard and yelled "football touchdown!" He wanted to play the incredibly physically challenging game he had learned from watching football with Shane and me every weekend. He didn't understand that it is important to learn the rules first.

Jude also likes to know that he is the best at whatever he is doing, and he thinks quite highly of himself. Last week, we got stuck in a bit of rain on a walk to my parent's house. I told the kids we would need to walk quickly, so we wouldn't get soaked. Jude said he would run to Grandma's. We were only two blocks away, and he can tell you how to get from our house to Poppa and Grandma's house. I said that was a good idea, and that I would have Gideon ride in the stroller with Abby, and I would just run with him. He stopped dead in his tracks and informed me "You can't run with me! I'm too fast!" I had to run three or four steps behind him, because heaven forbid someone could keep up with him!

Hopefully this competitive attitude in my three kids is just a phase, but I highly doubt it.

Chyan

Simmer down, Bob

Okay, I just have to ask. Does anyone else feel uncomfortable watching Bob the Builder with their small children?

If you haven't seen this show, it's pretty self explanatory. Bob is a builder and he has lots of friends that are construction equipment. He is also friends with a scarecrow. Bob also has one very special friend named Wendy. Now, before I go any further, you should know Wendy is a human, so at least it's legal. Anyway, any time Bob and Wendy are in a scene together, there is some very clear flirting and there is some very palpable..ahem... tension.

Before you start thinking I am some sort of creep, I should inform you that I did a Google search, and I am certainly not the only parent who thinks that. It's pretty obvious that they have some feelings for each other that go deeper than just a work or friends relationship. My kids have just recently started watching Bob the Builder, so maybe I am missing something, but I don't think I am.One morning, I was getting ready in the other room so I could only hear it, and just the way Bob and Wendy were talking to each other made the tension so thick, I could cut it with a knife. "Oh, forget your birthday, Bob? Never!" 

Source: photobucket.com

Why do I share all of this? Because I think it's kind of icky. Bob is only on our t.v. on the rarest of occasion now, because the whole situation creeps me out. I just do not understand why a supposedly educational cartoon feels the need to "educate" my kids in the matter of unresolved feelings and romantic tension. Maybe I am just being ridiculous, but children's shows don't really need that whole "Sam and Diane, will they/ won't they" vibe. The show was originally British, so maybe these kind of relationships are a little more commonplace  on children's programming over there. I don't know



Anyone else get the hee-bee jee-bees fro this relationship? Any other children's cartoons out there that strike you as just a little weird?

Chyan

The One With The Friends Title

Have you heard about the Friends 20th Anniversary Tribute?

Well, you may or may not know that the iconic t.v. show Friends started twenty years ago. As a tribute, a pop-up Central Perk (where Ross, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, Monica and Chandler spent most of their time) will be open in downtown Manhattan from September 17th through October 18th. From the pictures released online, it looks pretty legit. Complete with Gunther (the ever-present barista), and the famous orange couch, hard-core fans can go and experience the iconic coffee shop for themselves. Now, I like Friends as much as the next twenty-something, but I am not about to fly out to New York on my dime to see this place. However, for the truest of fan, this might feel like going back and reliving a really special moment.

Image Credit: Erik Matey/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

This got me to thinking, if I could go back and relive a moment from my life, what would I choose? I can say, with almost 100% certainty, that I would choose the day Shane proposed to me.

Fasten your seat belts, it's mushy-lovey-dovey  story time:

It was January 2009. Shane and I had only been dating since September, but we both knew we were in love.  We had already had that whole "I could see myself marrying you" conversation. On Wednesday, Shane called my Dad for permission to marry me, and then he said he wanted to take me on a date Thursday night. I was so excited! I already knew we were going to look at rings in the city nearest our small Canadian college town, and I already knew the ring I wanted. What? I did a lot of online ring shopping. 

Well, we got to jewelry store, and I think I only tried on one ring. It was the one I had been eyeing on the website. The saleslady could see I loved it. As beautiful as the ring was online, it looked even better on my nineteen year old finger! Being the smart saleswoman she was, she made Shane feel like he needed to buy it right that second... right in front of the woman he planned on proposing to! Not sure exactly how to handle the situation, Shane bought the ring and suggested we shop around the mall a little before we go out to dinner. We went to a couple stores, out to dinner, to a movie (I was really distracted by the ring in Shane's pocket, so I still can't tell you much about what Benjamin Button was about... he was an old man/ baby?), and then we just drove back to campus! He kissed me goodnight and that was it! 

I went back to my dorm and told my roommate, Kaylan, that he bought the ring right in front of me, showed it to me a couple times throughout the night, and then put it away and didn't talk about it. We talked through every scenario, and decided that he would probably propose to me in a really special way that weekend. The next day, I had a really hard time focusing in class. I barely saw Shane that whole day. It seemed like he was avoiding me. I was sure he had changed his mind. I wasn't sure if I was more sad or angry at the idea of Shane getting cold feet. Thankfully, I heard from my friend that his friend said Shane wanted to wait until Spring Break to propose to me. Well, that wouldn't be to bad. I could wait two months, right? Ugh. Two months is an eternity. 

In the late afternoon, Shane had someone deliver a beautiful bouquet of dark red roses to my room. Half an hour or so later, my friend, Krista, came running into the hall screaming that my other friend had burned herself in the kitchen upstairs and needed my help. I ran to my room and got my roommate (the only person with a car) and told her to come with me, just in case my friend needed to go to the hospital. We ran upstairs and my friend Nicole was standing there with a cool paper towel wrapped around her hand. She said it was really bad and she wanted me to go with her to the hospital. We hurried out of the hallway, and into the upstairs lobby. When I pushed the door open, I saw all of my and Shane's friends standing in a circle, watching me. Apparently, Shane had enlisted those three friends to get me to come upstairs, so he could surprise me with the cutest proposal ever. All that spring break talk and being standoffish was just his way of throwing me off the trail. 

I walked into the lobby and I was led to chair in the middle of the circle. Shane had formed a quartet and he led them in singing "Grow old with you" (the song from the end of The Wedding Singer) to me. After the song was over, he dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him. You can see the proposal, and the dumb faces I make, here: 

If that doesn't work for you, you can copy and paste this link: 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=45238192885&l=3065338254377336479

It is by far my favorite proposal I have ever seen, and if I could relive one special moment, it would this.

Chyan

When I grow up, I want to be...

Ask a small child what they want to be when they grow up, and you will get all kinds of answers. I like to periodically ask my little guys what they want to be, and I have gotten some pretty awesome answers. Jude has wanted to be:

• A mailman that works at Disney and plays with toys
• His Daddy (aw, how cute!)
• Donald Duck
• Someone who works at the Disney store and watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

As you can see, Jude is really in to Disney right now. Gideon's answers has been a bit different:

• "No, no. I Giddy" (that's all he should ever be)
• A baby
• Buzz Lightyear (Jude put that idea in his head)
• Not a bad guy

 I often ask my boys what they want do when they grow up, and I always tell them, that can be anything they want, as long as they are honest and work hard enough. This morning, I realized that I it has been a while since I really evaluated what my goals were, and what I want to be when I "grow up'

For a long time now, I have wanted to do something involved with writing. Okay, I really want to write for Saturday Night Live, but I feel like that might be just a tad unrealistic. I love writing and making people laugh, so I would love to be able to combine those two things and somehow make money while doing it. I don't know how plausible that is, so I think I will share what I really, really want to be when I grow up... 

When I grow up, I want to be: My Great Grandma Dorothy!

People often tell me I remind them of my Grandma Sandy. Grandma Sandy is my dad's mom and my Grandma Dorothy's daughter. I love hearing that I am like Grandma Sandy, because she is a woman who isn't afraid to be honest with people, and she doesn't let anyone push her around. If you are loved by Grandma Sandy, you are loved with an unconditional fierceness!  My grandma stands up for what she thinks is right, and won't back down. She is one tough cookie, but a little boy can melt her in an instant. I love my Grandma Sandy, and like that people can see a lot of her in me. 

Grandma Dorothy, Me, and Grandma Sandy

I only hope that one day people will see my Grandma Dorothy in me, as well. Grandma Dorothy was born during the Great Depression to hard working family that lived in the Silverton Hills. From a young age, she helped her family in any way that she could. She even left high school, so her family could save money. She is a selfless mother of eight, grandmother/ great grandmother/ great-great grandmother  of... you know, I'm not even sure I could count that high. Grandma Dorothy is a hard working and loving woman, and she has a sacrificial and servant spirit that can only be mirrored by some of the Bible's top heroes. Think I'm being hyperbolic? Well I'm not. She will give up anything that is hers to help another person. Her house is always open, and anyone is welcome. 

Not only is she the hardest-working, most loving person I have ever met, she is also tenacious!  This is a woman that went back to high school in her sixties, so she can get the high school diploma she was unable to receive as a teenager. She is still mad that my Grandpa Dwight, he's my Grandma Sandy's husband and he could have a post all his own, hid her ladder from her last year. Apparently, 80 year old women shouldn't be climbing ten foot ladders. 

When I think of Grandma Dorothy, I think of  things:

*Her catchphrase :"I'm fine" (Do not question her about it. SHE IS FINE! She doesn't need a thing)

*Getting a birthday card from her in the mail. Every single year. On my exact birthdate. Even though   I only live about five minutes from her. When I was a kid, there was always $5 in the card. SCORE!

*Cookies: This woman could bake a human finger into a cookie, and it would still be the most      delicious cookie you'd ever experience!

*Canning. My poor mom got tendentious trying to keep up with her, while canning applesauce 

*She may look tiny and sweet, but don't get on her bad side. She can mess you up! (I am only half-  joking)

I love my Grandma Dorothy with all my heart, and I cannot think of anyone else I would call my hero. I would sincerely like to be her when I grow up... with my Grandma Sandy's spunk and my Grandma Laura's (Mom's step mom)shoes. 

Chyan 

Curse you, Web MD.

I am a worrier. I always have been, but being responsible for the three little lives has flipped a switch inside me that turned me from a worrier to a straight-up paranoid mess. I worry about everything, but my over-the-top concern really shows up when my kids are sick or hurt. 

Poor Giddy

If you follow me on Facebook, you know that Jude is a magnet for "owies" and illness. In the past 6 months, he has been to the ER three times! The worst part is, Jude has a very high tolerance for pain, so I always assume it's super serious and he just isn't showing me how bad he really feels. Gideon and Abigail are a little more gentle on my nerves, but they still scare me whenever possible. 

When Gideon was fifteen months old, he fell and sprained his wrist but it was swollen and he couldn't move it. Naturally, I assumed it was broken and took him in. The doctor confirmed it was just sprained and put his arm in a soft cast. Fifteen minutes after we got back from a check up for his wrist, he tries to climb up in a chair, trips, and bites a huge hole in his tongue! So I had a bloody-mouthed, soft cast-wearing baby for a while. I still can't believe no one thought I was one of those horrid moms that beat their kids. 

Well, as if I didn't worry enough, now Jude has a cold. Okay, I'll admit it, at first I thought it was much more serious. You see, yesterday he seemed tired and was salivating more than usual. Then he told me his throat hurt, so I did what every healthcare professional tells you not to do, I went on Web MD. Guess what I diagnosed  Jude with? Lye Poisoning (I told you, I am paranoid)! I automatically jumped to the worst conclusion possible. Where could Jude come in contact with lye? I have no sweet clue. It took a while for me to calm down and realize that it's just a little cold. Almost every kid catches one at the start of autumn. 

Wait a minute... I heard on the news that there is a very serious respiratory illness  called Enterovirus going around! It presents itself as a cold, and then turns much more serious! Oh great! That's definitely what Jude has. I better Google it. Oh, it's only been reported in the midwest and south east? Hmmm, I better keep and eye on him anyway. 

Oh man, now I'm starting to feel under the weather. I'm sure it's nothing. What? My health is the only thing I'm not concerned about. I think it's a mom thing.

Chyan 

The most honest and private post I will probably ever write about myself.

I am an incredibly private person, so this is hard for me to put out on the internet. I just feel like I am supposed to, so here it goes...


It's no secret that I have gained an insane amount of weight after having my kids. It is something I am currently trying to change about myself. I am not getting healthy so I can be the skinniest mom at the park. I just don't want to be the mom who can't chase her kids, because her gut keeps hitting her knees when she tries to run. I paint a pretty picture, don't I? I know that if I don't do something now, it will only get worse.

I am a person who has always loved fitness, sports, and exercise, but I have also been a little chubby. Even at my healthiest, I was at a healthy weight and was exercising twice a day, I had a certain roundness to me. I also really love food. I would definitely say that I have a tendency to overeat and make poor food choices. It's something I have to keep in check and under control. Not using food as a crutch is something that I am having to relearn and work on daily. 

Being someone who had struggled with my weight my entire life, I have also struggled with a horrendous view of myself. There have been times when I have looked at myself and literally hated what I see. It didn't matter what the scale, my pant size, or the bmi chart said. I could be incredibly healthy, and I would still see myself as an ugly, fat, disgusting blob. Because I deal with such a terrible self image, I am usually incredibly hurt by other people's suggestions and comments about my body/ "weight loss journey" (I hate that cheesy term, but you know what I mean). 

I have never really understood why people feel the need to inject their opinions about my body or my weight issues into conversations. When I was in high school, I was quite healthy, and I was actually starting to feel okay about my body. Then someone would make a comment like "well, you still have a ways to go, but you are really starting to look good!" Wait a minute. Still have a ways to go? That must mean I look like rising dough getting stuffed into a pair of too-small old navy jeans every day. People must be sickened by the sight of me. How could I ever think I was even close to my goal? I would work out even more and hate myself every time I ate something.

Another thing I cannot understand is when people give beyond obvious advice. "Why don't you just try eating less?" Oh really?  Is it that easy? You mean I can just stop  eating so much, and I'll start losing weight? For some people, it is not that easy.  As I mentioned earlier, food is more than just an energy source for me (and many other people). I am learning new ways to comfort myself and new things to do when I bored, so I don't have to rely on eating all the time. I have never been anorexic or bulimic , but I have always had a love-hate relationship with food. I love eating it, but hate myself for eating it. This is not the kind of example I want to set for my children.

Basically, I am trying to change for the better. I want to feel better, look better, and be a better example for my family. It's not going to be easy, and things aren't going to automatically change. I understand that. Don't worry. I am not going to go on some extreme diet, or even completely cut out any foods. I am just going to make better food choices and exercise regularly (at least three to five times a week). I am just ready to be healthier overall, and not be ashamed of myself anymore. I have worked very hard to make sure there is very photographic evidence of what I look like over the pst few years. In fact, I cringed every time a friend would do the ice bucket challenge, because I was worried I might get nominated. I didn't want to have to put up a video and show people I haven't seen in a while how far I let myself go. No more! I am going to stop being ashamed of myself and my body. It's mine, and I cannot hate myself anymore. Even if I do not lose a pound, I have to learn to that my body is not something to be hated, but loved. It literally breaks my heart to think that one day my beautiful daughter might look at herself with the same hatred and disgust that I have looked at myself with my entire life. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that I set a better example of how to view and talk about yourself, because kids learn everything from us.

Anyway, it felt really good to write this and get it off my chest. I am sure as soon as I publish it, I will regret it, but I am not going to delete it. Someone else out there might need to read this even more than I needed to type it.

Chyan

I'm thankful... kids say such weird stuff

In honor of it being Friday, and the last of my "thankful" posts, I thought I would post something a little more silly.

One of the best things about being a mom, or surrounded by little kids in general, is hearing all the insane things kids say. I have compiled a short list of some funnies to get you through the day

* Jude: "Mommy are you a lady?" Me: "Yup, I'm a lady" Giddy: "Haha! You're a Lady!" I think he thought it was an insult

 *My newly-adopted little brother: "Chyan, you look the most beautiful! You must have all your make-up on today!"

*Jude: "Is today my birthday?" Me: "Not yet. You have a little over three weeks." Jude: "Okay, can it be Grandma Terra's birthday? I want some cake."

*Me: "Gideon, do you need to go potty?" Giddy" Haha, no Momma! I Giddy! I not go potty!"

*My newly-adopted little sister: "Did you know I'm part Messy-kin?" (Meaning Mexican)

*Jude: "Poppa, You got hair on your chest?" My Dad: "Yeah, it's because I eat my beans." Jude: "I have hair on my chest, too! (looks for hair and doesn't see any) I don't like beans."

*Giddy: "Jude, don't cry. Eat food, be happy!"

*Jude: "Hey, what'd you do that for?!?!" The doctor had to put a staple in the back of his head

*Shane wanted Jude to pull a prank and tell me that the chocolate on him was actually poop. This is how Jude phrased it "Mommy! My chocolate has poop in it! HAHAHA!"

*Me: "Gideon, what kind of cake do you want for your birthday?" Giddy: "No, no, no. MEAT!"


Have an amazing weekend

I'm thankful... all kids eventually potty-train

What was I thinking? Potty training sucks! It almost sucks as much as changing an almost-three-year-old's diapers. How much does it cost to hire one of those really mean drill sergeant ladies to come in and potty train your kids in one afternoon? Nah, I don't want to have get my house ready for company.  

Maybe I should back up. I am currently trying to potty train my middle minion. I waited until now, because over the last few months we had moved twice. I read somewhere that kids have a hard time giving up the "big d" (oh, relax, I mean diapers, not divorce) when there is a lot of transition happening. In reality, I just wanted some space between potty training my boys. My oldest was incredibly stubborn when it came to potty training, and wasn't fully potty trained until he was three years and four months old. I was just trying to soak up of the last of those good feelings you get when you complete a seemingly impossible task. Since we are only a month and a half away from Giddy's third birthday, I suppose it's beyond time to hunker down and really focus on getting rid of the diapers. 

Meet my new best friends

I guess I just forgot how much work potty training actually requires. There are the trips to the bathroom every fifteen minutes, and the singing of "Let it go" on every aforementioned trip (my boys think it's hilarious when the lyrics "let it go, can't hold it back anymore" synch perfectly with... you get it). Then you have to choose between a variety of non-diaper options. Pull-ups? Regular undies? Au naturel? A combination of all three? Oh, and let's not forget the constant cleaning of messes and accidents that don't really seem all that accidental. Thank goodness for family-safe natural cleaners. These things happen with even the best and easiest of potty-trainers, and it's horrifying!

All of this is enough to make a momma want to pull her hair out. At least once a day, I think "Forget it, he can just wear diapers until he's twenty. He'll eventually be able to clean himself up and pay for his own diapers!" Then I look at Jude, the world's hardest potty trainer, and I realize that he doesn't even need reminded to go try any more. He has had maybe two accidents in the past two months. I look at Jude and I remember that it will get easier, and I am thankful that all kids do eventually potty train. 

I am also thankful that after Giddy, I am done with the potty training! Ah crap, I forgot about Abby. After Giddy,  I am done for like 10 months. I'll take what I can get, I suppose. 

Chyan

I'm thankful for: The friends you never seem to get rid of

I have never been the type of person to have a lot of close friends. Most people who know me understand that I am very private about my feelings, private struggles, and the tough, real stuff we all have to deal with in our lives. Sure, I am the first to share funny stories or weird experiences, but real stuff? Nope, not my style. This kind of personality has always made it easy for me to have a lot of friends, but these are friends I keep at a distance and the friendships have no  chance of lasting. Case in point, I only keep in touch with one friend from high school. (Shout out, to you, Jess!) We have been friends since the sixth grade, and she was the maid of honor at my wedding. We may not talk as much I would like, but I still consider her a very dear friend. I love and adore this woman, and she is one of the few people I ever felt truly comfortable around. Jessica, we need to catch up, soon.

Jessica, me, and Becky at my wedding. Love these women!

There are those few people I feel like I can share absolutely anything with. One is obviously my husband. Shane knows everything about me, and his friendship is why I fell in love with him in the first place.

The other friend that has been around seemingly forever is my amazing friend, Becky. Becky and I went to church and school together as teens. I was a lowly Freshman, and this awesome (and pretty crazy) Senior took me under her wing. She and I hung out at church events and would occasionally hang out at school, but we really didn't get close until college. I am fairly certain I was at Becky and her husband's place at east three times a week. Becky and I just get each other. We are very similar in a lot of ways, and I have always felt like I could be vulnerable with her.

When I was a Freshman in college, my  little sister got incredibly sick. It was very scary, because I kept getting updates from my mom, and she was just getting worse and worse. I was in school over 3,500 miles away from home, and I felt completely helpless. I broke down in front of Becky one day, and I told her how serious the situation really was. She let me sit on her couch and cry for probably a good hour. The next day, Becky told me that she and her husband had found a way to get me home for spring break (the next week), so I could see my sister. Naturally, I bawled for another hour. She acted like it was no big deal, because that's just the kind of person she is.

Becky was the first person I told when Shane told me he loved me and eventually wanted to marry me. She let out the weirdest squeal/ gasp/ throat noiseI ever heard, and told me to get over to her place so we could start online shopping for the perfect ring. five months later, we both left school and didn't see each other until my wedding another six months later. It was like no time had passed. We picked right up where we left off. I just saw Becky a few months ago (after four and a half long years of the occasional Skype conversation), and you would have thought we saw each other every day.

Becky is one of those people I know will always be my friend (mostly because she always has a "that's what she said" joke for me to laugh at), and I don't think I could get rid of her if I wanted to!

Chyan
PS. Are you happy now, Becky? A post basically all about you... Diva...

Jumping on the thankfulness band wagon

I don't know if you've seen it, (it's almost as popular as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, so I don't know how you could have missed it) but many people on Facebook are doing something called a Thankful Challenge. Basically, you write three things you are thankful for every day for five days, or something like that. I have to admit, I usually just scroll past those posts to get to the cute pictures and funny videos. I know, I know, I'm a monster.

Anyway, I thought it might be a good idea if I posted something I was thankful for on my blog every day for the rest of the week. Some posts will be sweet, others will be more practical, and hopefully all will be at least a little entertaining. Since I didn't post a thankful post yesterday, I will post two short ones in this entry.

Here we go:

Thankfulness Day One: The obvious one. My Family.
There are four people on this earth that I would literally do anything for. Shane, Jude, Gideon, and Abigail are the people in my life I am most thankful  for. I thank God every day for giving me such special people to hang out with all the time. I  have absolutely no idea what I would do without Shane. He really is the greatest husband and friend on the planet. If you don't agree with me, I will physically fight you. I'm not even kidding.  My kids have changed me so much, and most days, it's for the better. I am obsessed with my loving, hilarious, beautiful, exhausting, insane family. I wouldn't trade them for the world.


Thankfulness Day Two: Social Media
I know what you're thinking. It's not just because I love funny videos. Shane is from Florida, and I am from Oregon. It is physically impossible to live near both our families. We have, at different times lived near, or nearish, his family and my family. Right now, we are so happy to live near my family, but there is a huge gaping hole in our hearts for Shane's side of the family. I am one of the few lucky ones that actually get along with my in-laws, so not only do I miss them for Shane and the kids' sake, but for my own sake as well.

The amazing family I joined (well, most of them), and a very pregnant me.

That is why I love social media. We can stay in touch with each other easily. My Facebook profile is always full of posts about the kids, so my in-laws can see and hear how Jude, Gideon, and Abby are changing, growing and making us laugh. It is also great for my little ones, because they never get a chance to "forget" who their amazing family is. Do you remember doing that as a kid? You might not see a certain family member for a few months, and you just can't quite place who they are? I refuse to let that happen. Every time Jude and Gideon see pictures or Skype with Shane's side of the family, they know exactly who they are looking at. Speaking of which, we really need another Skype date!

Even though social media is nowhere near as good as the real thing, I am still very thankful it exists!

Chyan

What's in a nickname?

I love my children, and I love the names Shane and I carefully and lovingly picked out for our children. Each my children's names was picked after much thought, consideration, and vetoing. What do I mean by vetoing? Both Shane and I hold the power to veto name suggestions the other parent makes, because sometimes, there is such a thing as a bad idea.  Although, I am pretty sure Shane has vetoed way more of my ideas than I have. If anyone needs ideas for baby names, I have quite the collection of names I love and Shane hates. Maybe he's just picky. Maybe I just have weird taste in names. Who knows, Okay, I know. I fall in love with some pretty weird names, sometimes.

We found it was easiest to stick to a formula for names. First name: Biblical. Middle name: Family name (from either side is acceptable). Last name: Milne (obviously). After all this hard work to pick out the perfect name for each of our children, do you think we ever actually call them by these names we worked so hard to create? Of course we don't!

Our family is full of nicknames. It came pretty naturally to both Shane and I call our kids by cute or silly nicknames, because both our parents did the same with us. I am still rarely called "Chyan" by my parents. Because Chyan is pronounced "shy-ann", most of my nicknames start with the "sh" sound. I will respond to many names: Shiney, Shiney-Shoes, Shinerella (my mom called me that when she wanted me to do chores), Shy-Shy (my little sister called me this, and it stuck), Shiner, Toots (my dad calls all three of his daughters Toots, so it can get confusing), and She-ann (my brother used to call me this when he was mad at me, now everyone uses it). This is not an exhaustive list, but you get the idea.

Anyway, when Shane and I had babies, it seemed natural for us to start calling them by silly nicknames. Every child responds to a variety of names. It's pretty awesome Here are some favorites

Jude-Jude

Gidster

Abs (or Absmatazz, or Abs of Steel)

Judetastic-bombastic

Giddy-up

Abby-dooby-doo

Schmuchacho (it started out a Muchacho, but Jude and Giddy are both so smooshy! It's a hybrid)

Applegail (This is how Jude first pronounced Abigail's name)

The list really could go on and on. Now that I'm looking at some of these names, I am realizing it would probably be faster to just call them by their full birth names. It's a wonder my kids know their real names at all. Oh well, nicknames are fun!


Anyone out there have a really bizarre nickname?

Chyan