January Spring

Today was 45 degrees. It's January 31. It's not going to last, but I'll take it! Also, my sweet husband brought me daffodils and I love them! I can almost see the little things peeking up through the snow. Spring will eventually come.

Also (acknowledging I'm a terrible photographer...stupid flash)...the purple/yellow is for Libby. This, my friend, is why I think BOTH purple and yellow would look great with your dream table.
May you also thaw just a little bit.

Ghost Story

A few days ago, I took a poll on facebook whether or not you believe in ghosts. I'm taking the same poll here...do you?

I think I do. I've had two experiences in my life where I think there have been ghosts. They creep me out a little and I wish they weren't here, but I'm not really afraid of them. Other than disturb the peace, I don't think they'll do us any harm. I thought we had ghosts the other night; there's the story:

For the past few weeks, I've been thinking I'm hearing things at night. I was in bed one night and I heard a noise. I hate irritating noises, paper blowing in a breeze, the shade bumping against the window, etc. It sounded like the shade cord gently hitting the shade, but every time I turned the light on it would stop and the cord was still. I'd shut the light off and there was the noise again. Mostly I was annoyed; I wasn't scared.

Then, a few night later, Jack woke up crying a couple times. He'd cry, I'd comfort him, he'd be quiet for a ten minutes or so and then wake up crying again. Sad crying. Cory went in to comfort him and he was freaking out. So I decided that I'd just rock him until he fell asleep. When I went in there, he was pointing at his (open) closet (we keep only toys in there) saying, "Lights! Lights!" [Cory insists it was probably a toy. Could be.]

I picked him up and brought him into the living room. He was laying on his back looking at the ceiling for about 15 minutes. Every few minutes he'd say..."What's that, Mommy?" pointing at the ceiling. He's at an age where he says random words that certainly mean something to him, but I have no idea what they are. One of them sounds like "samone." No idea what that means, but he says it all the time. That night, when he was laying on my lap, he kept saying, "Seance, Mommy. Seance, Mommy." I realize that he couldn't possibly know what that word means, I'm just saying he said it.

When he fell asleep, I put him back down and he slept the rest of the night. I had asked the ghosts to move on in the peace of God and I don't know if they're (it's?) still here. Or if it ever was. I just think there was reason enough to wonder.

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ETA: Sunday, Feb 1: This morning Jack was in my room. He was pointing up at my door saying, "What's that, Mommy? A guy? Look, Mommy, a guy!" [Could have been "sky" I supposed. Still.]

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Your take?

Massew

Me: Okay, Matty-Matts

Matty: No, Mommy, not Matty-Matts, it's Massew. Like this, Mommy: say, Mass...

Me: Mass...

Matty: Ew. Mass...ew. That's right, Mommy. Massew.

A Bits and Pieces Moment

I had a great bits and pieces moment today! I stopped at Panera on a couple hours away from the house (thank you, Cory). As soon as I walked in, I made eye contact with the ex-CEO from Polaris. He graciously stood up and came over to say hello to me right away. Sometimes people avoid eye contact or pretend not to see each other...who here can say that hasn't happened? Anyway, we visited for only a few minutes, and it was genuinely good to see him. He told me that he and his wife were talking about me yesterday because he bumped into my aunt who works at a grocery store in the area, and of course my maiden name was a giveaway.

I recall on his first day as CEO, he came in with his Sorels. As I remember it, he wore them all day. I obviously never sat in a meeting with him or was a direct part of any of his Chief Executive Officer responsibilities at Polaris, but I did work there with him for five or so years. In that time, he took interest in me, and the other co-workers that I lunched with. We lovingly called ourselves The Table (and still do, even though many of us no longer work there). Tom would sit with us from time to time, and I think he was entertained by us...or he was our source of entertainment...hard to say. Either way, he's a good man. [The Table: another entry for another day...it's coming.]

I left after eating my lunch (sans the 1030 calorie chipotle chicken sandwich, sadly) feeling warm. It made me think again that all people in our life impact us in some way...may I repeat:

"You find you are made up of bits and pieces of all who have ever touched your life. You are more because of them and would be less if they had not touched you. Pray God that you accept the bits and pieces with humility and wonder...and never question, and never regret."

Hoping your bits and pieces make you smile, too.

Professor Bellows: Take 2

For Sherry and Kelly, all the proofs...click here. Sherry, I'm sorry there are no great ones of just the two boys. We can talk about what you want to order once you see them. (oh, and welcome back to work!) XOXO

Our Thanks.

What works for Jack's skin:

Shea butter lotion and body wash
Baths every 36 hours (I just can't do every other day. They stink.)

Thanks for all your suggestions!

Hot Water

I no longer know how many ounces my new water bottle holds. It turns out it is not dishwasher safe...at least on the bottom rack.

Professor Bellows

We took the boys to the Mall of America for the purpose of taking these pictures today. (NOTE: Do NOT go to the MOA on a Saturday unless you have no other choice. We spent half our time waiting in lines...to park...to eat...to go on rides).

My MIL took old time photos of the other grandkids before Matty and Jack were born, and we agreed our boys were a good age to take similar pictures. Professor Bellows is going to post their pictures on their website, but I couldn't wait to share them with you. Aren't they so cute?

Satisfaction

Day in and day out it's the same thing around here. Breakfast, playtime, cleaning, dishes, laundry, lunch, naps/cleaning, dinner, playtime, baths, bedtime. And it's not always filled with pleasure. And then...in an instant...it's all worth it. Because I was there when my child wrote his first word. Thanking you, Cory, for working your butt off so I can be here. Today, I don't even mind the laundry.

Lonesome.

I love the ease of my life right now! I love that we throw a diaper in my purse and away we go. No great fuss. No baby food, bottles, etc. Can hardly wait until this summer for that reason. And then, once in awhile, I miss the baby. Their chubby arms and rubber-band wrists. My plump, kissable, adorable baby.

I wish none of their childhood away.

(Matty...three months old.)

Freedom.

I went to bed last night thinking about why I am grateful to live in America. There are the obvious reasons, of course, but I was thinking of the things that REALLY matter to me. Here are a few things I came up with:

1. I can leave my house without fear. I mean, never do I have to worry about insurgents or suicide bombers. I can let my kids play outside. I have the freedom to come and go as I like.

2. I am valued as a woman. I can vote. I can earn a living. I can get health care. I am not less important than men.

3. I can think and speak as freely as I like. I can worship freely without retribution from my government.

4. I am free to earn a living. If I am willing to work hard, I can live a very comfortable life. My kids have beds to sleep in; I have access to safe food and water. Our kids can get an education and make something of their lives, too.

What things are you grateful for?

Happy Birthday, Kelly!

It's Cole's mom's birthday today. Matty is going around the house singing "Happy Birthday" to her. We won't see her today, but send our love. And in case she doesn't it here, I'll email a copy of this picture!

Prayer for the President

My favorite quote of the day:

"Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations." - President Barack Obama

I read this and loved it. Wanted to share it with you today.

Our prayer today, Our Father, is for President-Elect Barack Obama.

Our prayers include: That You, the infinite font of wisdom, might grant him wisdom daily.

That You, the loving God of all, might grant him love for you and for others, including our enemies.

That You, the holy and righteous God of justice, might empower him to do what is right in all that he does.

That You, the Lord, might grant him the charisma of insight to lead in this turbulent world and time.

That You, the Healer, might grant him the grace of reconciling damaged relations in this country and in the world about us.

That You, the God of Life, might grant him a commitment to act for all -- the unborn and born, the young and old, the civilian and the soldier -- to preserve life and honor that each of us is fashioned in the image of God.

That You, the Father, might grant him the time and wisdom to father his two young daughters and love Michelle, his wife.

And that You, the God of all comfort, might grace him and his family as they mourn the loss of his grandmother.

Lord, hear our prayer.Through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Men: Tips for Hugging.

Cory made a point on one of my facebook photos (my apologies to those of you who are sick of seeing my pictures in so many places), and it got me thinking. Not sure I have any boys that read my blog, but here are a couple hugging tips. Feel free to pass it to your husbands/boyfriends if you want.

1. Hug her with both arms...even in pictures. Not like this (all of our wedding photos have Cory with his arm hanging at his side like this):

But like this (that's a good hug!):

2. When you hug a girl, don't bend down. It makes it awkward and we'd rather hug you around your tummy or chest.

You're welcome.

Tonight's Dinner

This is a favorite in this house...I don't think I've shared it here, have I? Anyway, it's worth sharing again if I did:

Spaghetti Carbonera:

1/2 c chopped onion
4 eggs
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 lb bacon
1/2 c parmesan cheese
parsley

Cook bacon. Remove from pan and sautee onion (I use a little garlic too). Combine eggs, parsley, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Strain, but do not rinse. Mix with egg mixture. Bake at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese. ENJOY!

PS I have edited this recipe to my liking (it's Cory's grandmother's recipe). The original recipe says to cook 1/4 c white wine with the bacon/onion mixture until evaporated and only calls for three eggs. Also, I'm not a measuring cook, so really use a handful of parmesan cheese, etc. Go ahead and make it your own. And let me know if you like it.

PPS So far of my sisters: Amy - no; Laura - yes.

Temp Control

Cory and I have one on-going argument in our marriage. Body temperature. He's always hot; I'm always cold. A couple years ago, he bought me an electric blanket. I LOVE this blanket. He DESPISES it. It's miserable to be hot in the middle of the night, but it's also miserable to be cold.

The boys, on the other hand, seem perfect. Espcially with their slippers.

Stay warm! (Or cool.)

Making Winter Bearable

These guys make January bearable. Fun, even.

Fun Weekend!

My sister Chrissy got married to Brett this weekend. We had such a great time! It was a lovely wedding and Chrissy is about the most laid-back bride you could ever hope to know.

Highlights:

- Her nanny boy Sam when he saw her. His face lit up so HUGE. He kept telling his mom, "Mom, I just love Cwissy!"

- My dad walking her down the aisle. She's always been Dad's baby.

- Almost all of my family together.

- Seeing my blogger friends Ron and Jan and Katie. (Katie - I'll send you an email of apology for not seeing you after the wedding. I'm so bummed.) Also, seeing countless other old friends...what a joy!

Here are a few pictures...enjoy!

The bride and groom:

The mother of the bride (also: the mother of the sister of the bride :))

My sisters and sisters in law:

Jack-Jack:

And...just for Wendy! (you look so pretty!)

Me and my handsome husband:

Me and my baby sister, Mary:

More Internet, More Lonesome

A year ago, I had neither Facebook nor a blog. I had email and a phone which I can both call and text. That's it; the extent of my technology. Now with the addition of this blog and my brand new facebook account, I feel more in touch with people than I have in a very long time. And I love it. Here's the problem. It also makes me sad.

Through the course of my life, I have had countless good friends. At any one time, I'd say I have four or five good "daily" friends. Over the years, they've been primarily co-workers because that's who I saw on a daily basis. Since I've been a mom, my best daily friend has been Penney, but now she's working full time. Over the course of the past six or eight months with my last real estate season and Penney working, we've not been able to spend as much time together as we had previously. This is the natural progression of life, and I harbor no anger over this change, even though I miss her.

Yesterday a few of us were talking on Facebook and Kristin made a comment that wouldn't it be great if we all lived in the same area and we could have girls' nights. And I realize that my "real life" doesn't have a lot of girls in it. And now I'm sad. I am reacquainted with so many people that have come and gone in my life and I realize that I loved them then and I love them still. And I wish they were still part of my real life.

I wish I could take all the people I have become friends with again in the blog world, Arizona girls, all my high school friends, all the fire department friends that I live near and see seldom and bring them all together. I wish that I could live the last ten years again. Not in the past, but right now. Am I making ANY sense?? My thoughts are kind of jumbled.

I am grateful for this, though. I will take it, because knowing all of you again is better than not. And I will adjust to this new mode of relationship and learn to not be sad about it. And, I hope, I will continue to have good real-life "daily friends" who I can see and be near. All these relationships are important to me and make my life better. "Surround yourself with good people" said Roger Brewer. Thank you for making it so easy!

Popsicle.

But I HAVE to give Jack a bath. He has popsicle in his hair. Because he rubbed it all over his hands and then through his hair. I'll get shea butter tomorrow and start skipping days for baths. And I'll stop giving him popsicles (and yogurt, and pancakes, and jello, and chocolate of any kind, and ice cream, and watermelon....)

Motherhood is glamorous.

Sometimes life says, "Hey, you in control yet?" And I say, "Um, no...why?" And life says, "Lighten up! It's funny!" And I find myself agreeing.

Tonight I put the boys in the bath. While they were playing, I cleaned the bathroom (can't say I'm not productive!). Cole was watching them while I went to get their pjs. Suddenly, Matty said that Jack had pooped in the bath. He wasn't kidding. YUCK. Cole went running. I made Matty and Jack stand up and cleaned them with clean water.

Now, I'm a pretty good multi-tasker, but it's REALLY hard to dress two boys after a bath at the same time. I mean, you gotta make sure they're not freezing, one's not peeing on the floor, etc. So I asked Cole if he'd please put a diaper on Jack. He'd never done it before it turned out, and it made for the most hysterical part of the evening. I explained it to him in a hurry, and he did what I said, and mission was accomplished. This is the outcome.

*NOTES: Please notice Jack's adorable little boy haircut in the first picture. Additionally, please feel free to make suggestions for his horrible dry skin (like you can see in the second picture)

I married well.

I almost hate to post this lest I sound like a gushing braggart, but I kind of feel like one today.

Relationships can be hard. They take work. Nothing's perfect. But if you have a husband like mine (and I know most of my readers do!), you'd want to gush once in awhile too.

I had a pretty stressful couple days. Felt out of control on a lot of levels...parenthood, my house, Facebook-mentioned backed-up drain, laundry, the works. I left this morning to go to a brunch with friends (thanks ladies, it was so great to see you!) and Cory had two hours off before he had to go to work at the fire station this afternoon. He was working on said drain when I left. I came home to a spotless house and the last load of laundry in the dryer. I just sent him a text that my husband is better than his wife.

Treat each other well. It's not really in the big things, it's paying attention to the things he or she needs on a day-to-day basis to cope and be happy that matter the most. Like a clean, under-control house.

Yes, he's a keeper.

Ready to call it a (long) day.

I had to wake Jack up from his nap today. This is how I found him. I don't know about you, but that position looks really inviting right now.

A Girl Job.

At least...

...I have Cory's Kevlar jacket to keep me warm.
...I finished before that bitter wind that's threatening to arrive.
...I have time to think of new blog entries.
...Jack's taking a good nap so I was able to sneak outside.
...the other two only interrupted me twice: "Leanne! Your phone is ringing!" "Leanne! We're hungry!"
...I got a little extra cardio.
...Cory's agreed to do the heavy, wet March snow (haven't you, Cory?)

The Letter P

Matty: Mommy, can I say "P" [read: "pee"]?
Me: No, I don't really like when you say that.
Matty: No, Mommy, P! P is a number.
Me: Well, if you're using it as a letter, you may say "P."
Matty (singing): "Oh, P, P, P...P, P, P...it's a number...P, P, P."

Think I should curb this or let it run it's course?

Have a great weekend!

Oopsie Daisy.

I have a yellow-greenish thumb. I can only have non-flowering plants in my house because they don't need as much water. I adore plants and flowers, I'm just forgetful and then I forget to water them and they meet their demise. You should have seen my attempt with a hibiscus years ago. Me and tropical plants are NOT a good match.

Anyway, this poor little guy was relocated to Matty's room for the holiday season since a Santa took his spot on the shelf, but we forgot about him. He's also grossly outgrown his planter, so I need to remedy that. Soon. In the meantime, hoping trimming the yellow leaves off and a good dose of water help get him back in order. Thanks, Matty, for your help. Maybe you'll inherit my little-less-than-green thumb.

Outraged.

If you haven't heard yet, this ridiculous new law will put all retailers of children's clothing that cannot afford testing for lead and phthalates out of business. Literally. It's absurd that this is happening in the middle of a really tough economy. According to the LA Times:

"Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children's clothing.The law, aimed at keeping lead-filled merchandise away from children, mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger -- including clothing -- be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable. Those that haven't been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead....

...The new regulations take effect Feb. 10 under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which was passed by Congress last year in response to widespread recalls of products that posed a threat to children, including toys made with lead or lead-based paint."

So if you've got an Etsy shop or shop at Once Upon a Child and the like, you oughtta care. Write or call your congressman and senators today! Click here if you need a template. A really good blog that explains how it might affect home-based businesses and what you can do about it is here.

ETA: There is an exception for retailers of used childrens clothing and toys (consignment stores, ebay), per a press release issued by the CPSC today.

Wild Rice Recipes?

I cooked extra wild rice today (making cream of wild rice soup for dinner) and looking for other wild rice recipes...wild rice meatballs maybe? Any suggestions?

Slave Labor

I got out of the shower the other morning and I heard Matty monkeying around in the kitchen. When I came in, he said, "Mommy, I'm doing that dishes. That make you happy?" Little boy unloaded the entire dishwasher . Huh. I should make him a job chart.

Cole's Favorite Christmas Gift

Cole got a lot of stuff for Christmas...an Xbox 360, many video games, a r/c helicopter, r/c cars, pjs, books, a sled, etc. When I asked him what his favorite game is, he said "Lego Indiana Jones Game. Cause me and Dad play it together."

I love that his favorite gift is really time with his dad. Reminds me that the rest of it is just stuff...it's the time together that kids cherish. Now I'm off to put mine to bed so I can get some quiet time. Cory's the good parent. Wink.

Scared.

Resolution #4:

Join Facebook...Done.

And it's scary. When I finally joined Myspace, everyone stopped using it. If Facebook meets its demise, it's not my fault. Feeling a little bit like a fish out of water. It gets better, right?

***Five Hours Later: Much more comfortable***

Winter Vacation

Don't know about you, but I'm ready to get back to "real life." It's been a lot of party and excitement, and now I want to get back to my regularly scheduled programming...if you don't mind. In the meantime, we'll enjoy the rest of the sunny snowy days...