A Mommy's Mind

Mall of America and the Backyardigan's...

2008-07-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Eli loves the Backyardigan's. Our DVD player is on a continuous loop of various Backyardigan's videos. He loved all the Backyardigan's stuff at the Mall of America. There are statues of all five of them... on this day, he loved Tyrone and Austin, so that is who he posed with...

While in the gift shop, Eli decided that he loved Pablo, so we bought him one... he is sleeping with him as I type this.
Although he loved the statues of the Backyardigan's, the living, breathing Uniqua scared him to death. Isobel stepped up though... she loved seeing Uniqua wondering the halls of the Mall of America (and we loved getting a few free rides from her companion).

For those of you who are concerned that Tasha was forgotten, fret not... Isobel did get a stuffed Tasha. Just in case the Backyardigan's are reading this, I don't want Tasha's feelings hurt... they love you all equally.

New pictures (just a little late)...

2008-07-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of our vacation. The kids had a great time.

Isobel and Grandpa spent some time fishing. If you ask Isobel how it went she will respond "It was so much fun, but we didn't catch any fish. We only caught weeds, weeds, weeds... everything was weeds." She was really unhappy about the weeds, but loved spending some alone time with Grandpa. Unfortunately (for us, fortunately for Jon's parents), they sold the lake house, so we will not be back. Hopefully, they will end up somewhere that will allow Isobel and Grandpa to spend more time fishing. Perhaps they will catch something other than weeds... perhaps a fish.
And finally... here are two pictures with Eli almost smiling. He really loved the boat...

I have some great pictures from the Mall of America coming soon.

more pictures...

2008-07-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

You will notice that there is not one single picture of Eli in this bunch. He has become very difficult to photograph. He will either stand in the shot and not smile or refuse to be in the shot. I took a couple today on the boat, and it is possible he was smiling... I am not going to get my hopes up though. Perhaps if I was better about taking pictures, I would get one or two of my son... Oh well, I will take what I can get.

The last picture is Isobel showing her cheer from cheer camp to her Grandparents. It is so cute. The final line of this cheer is "you think you can beat us, whatever!" Isobel definitely has the attitude for this final line. Those of you who have known me since high school can just imagine how well she does it... Oh and just for good measure... she has also inherited my classic, passive aggressive, "fine". I am sure there are a number of you smiling right now thinking that it is a classic example of what goes around...

Lakehouse Fun...

2008-07-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

The kids are having a great time in Minnesota... in fact I am not sure they ever want to leave.

Did I mention that Emmy is walking now. She is doing pretty well and getting better each day.

Today we rented a pontoon and explored the Lake. It is quite a bit bigger than I thought. It was so very nice. I wish I could spend every free minute of my life in a boat on a lake... of course, if it were my fantasy world I would have a speed boat and go crazy fast... unless I had the kids with me, then I would go crazy slow because I am an anxiety ridden mother hen.

I hope everyone else had a great holiday weekend. I will post more pictures soon.

Welcome...

2008-07-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

This morning, shortly after 8:00, my family welcomed its newest member. We are happy to have him here, but wish he would have continued to call my sisters uterus home just a little longer, perhaps 7 weeks longer...

I am heartbroken that my sister has to live through this experience. Emmy was nowhere near this early and I remember the emptiness and pain that I suffered. The idea that Michelle's experience will be even more trying is unbearable. The saving grace is that I know my sister is a strong person and she will rise to the NICU challenge with grace and dignity.

If you would like to see some pictures of my gorgeous new nephew, you can do so here. I have to say, he is a lucky boy to get all that cute, curly, black hair. I guess if there was ever any question as to whether my sister and I are really related, they were answered when we had children. Isobel looks like Michelle and Ben looks like me... I wonder if this is the Universes way of telling us, or at least me, to leave the past in the past.

Happy Fourth!

2008-07-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Today we are relaxing at Jon's parent's lake house in Minnesota. It took two days to get here, but it felt like a life time. I am discovering that my children don't travel as well as they used to... although an 11 hour drive is a lot for kids, even when divided into two days. However, it was worth it. There is nothing better than watching the sun set over the Lake. We are looking forward to the fireworks, which should be soon... twilight is upon us as I type.

I will post pictures, if I remember to take any...

Have a wonderful and safe night!

Gum vs. Peas...

2008-06-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight, at dinner, Eli told us that he hates gum. This is an odd statement considering he has never had gum. So, of course, I decide that I have to test this theory and see if he really hates gum. I decide the best way to do this is an ultimatum, one that will ensure he will pick the gum.

My bright idea... "Eli, you either have to eat your peas or chew this gum."

His first reply (after much thought) was "peas". Well, Isobel could not allow it; she was shocked. This made Eli change his mind and pick the gum.

I got out a piece of gum (EXTRA bubblegum) and gave it to him. He put it in his mouth and immediately spit it back out and said "I hate gum".

He then ate his peas.

Who knew that gum could work in this capacity? I typically consider gum a reward. Apparently I have to rethink the power of gum.

Happy Fathers Day!

2008-06-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have been very lucky in my life when it comes to Dad's.

I have a fantastic father who was (and is) always there for me. He is one of those dad's who lets you make your own mistakes and then helps you pick up all the pieces when it is over. Although, he has not always liked my decisions, he has always supported them, and for that he will always be my hero.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you!

I also have a fantastic husband, who is a fantastic father. I cannot imagine raising my children without Jon. He is the one who gets up in the middle of the night when the kids cry (I am such a heavy sleeper, it is insane), gives the kids baths, reads to the kids before bed and he rarely misses an event. I am very lucky to have him, and so are our children.

Happy Father's Day, Jon! We love you!

Wait...we can cuss?

2008-06-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Created by OnePlusYou

Okay, so I know I am new to this blogging thing, but did you know you can cuss? I am one of those people who cuss all the time, and I mean all the time. I use the "F" word as if it is going out of style, but I never imagined that you could cuss on your blog. Yes, yes, I realize that it is a web journal and therefore, it is whatever you want it to be, but still, cussing never occurred to me. In fact, I have been very careful to not cuss. As I am reassured, unnecessarily, that I have no cussing on my blog, I find out that the average on the web is 11%. That means that of the posts on the average blog, 11% contain cussing... I really have to get my act together, or rather, let it fall apart...

Two weeks in, Two months to go...

2008-06-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Summer is exhausting. As a child, I hated the idea of year round school. As a parent, I am open to it.

Isobel spent the first week of June at Safety Town. If you have a child about to start kindergarten and you have Safety Town in your area, check it out. It really was great experience for her. She was sad when it ended.

My parents were here last week with my niece (L) and my nephew (Z). I am so glad they came. The kids had a great time and I finally got to spend some time with Z. He is such a great addition to our family and I am so thankful that he and my sister found each other. I have never spent much time thinking about adoption, but I am so glad that it is available. I can't imagine any reality without Z as a part of our family. If anyone is looking for an International Adoption blog, feel free to check out my sisters.

Now that we are back on a semi-ordinary schedule, I will be able to blog more (I am sure you have all been checking daily and cursing me for my lack of posts). I will add some pictures soon... of course I didn't take a single picture last week, so there won't be any of L and Z... but then I would have to ask my sister for permission to post them, and I am too much of a rebel for that...

Emmy's birthday...

2008-06-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I didn't post pics from Emmy's birthday...

Bored...

2008-05-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Isobel has a hard time being home all day. She will get very grumpy after spending just a few days in the house. So, I have been very concerned that summer will be very difficult for her.

So far it has not been too bad, but we aren't very far into the summer. She has taken up photography to pass the time. There are about 12 pictures exactly like this one...

Some random pics that I love:

Summer Vacation...

2008-05-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Isobel's first day of her first summer vacation. I realize she was only in preschool, but I have decided it is enough. She did start school in September and finish school in May, which is, technically, a school year. Therefore, in my mind, it counts.

Today Isobel told me that summer vacation is a sad time. She is going to miss all of her friends from school. There are only two other kids from her class going to her grade school. I have tried to explain to her that she will get to make new friends, this makes her sad, which makes me sad...

She has a lot of fun stuff planned for the summer, hopefully it will occupy her.

She has Safety Town next week, my parents are bringing my niece and nephew the following week, cheer camp is the week after and then a couple of weeks later we go on vacation. She will also have tumbling, swimming and gymnastics each week. I don't think she will have much time to dwell... hopefully.

woo-hoo...

2008-05-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

Eli spent Friday morning wearing only a shirt, that afternoon we progressed to underwear. He had one accident, which bothered him tremendously. He woke up Sunday morning in a wet diaper, but has not had an accident since. He even woke up in a dry diaper this morning... I am so psyched... I am just hoping I am not jinxing our success by writing this.

He is so cute. After he goes to the bathroom, he comes running up to me and says "Mommy, I went pee-pee in the potty" then he yells "woo-hoo!" and his arms shoot up over his head... he is so proud of himself (as he should be).

He seems to be very surprised that there are potty's other than those at the YMCA and our house. When we are out and he looks like he needs to go, we ask, and he replies with "They have potty's here?" It is refreshing that something like a public restroom can make him happy.

Therefore, we are officially using underwear at home during waking hours, and pull ups at night or if we leave the house... no more "baby" diapers.

Woo-Hoo!!!

Full circle...

2008-05-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

I had a horrible habit as a child, one that my parents have never let me forget. I tagged everything I could with my name. Even today, my parents will pull out pieces of furniture and my name will be written all over the back. I just couldn't help myself. Every piece of furniture in my bedroom was tagged, most of the walls in our house... everything had the word Missy written on it.

Yesterday I found this...

Isobel did not want me to take a picture of it...

and to think... I was once concerned that I wouldn't pass anything on to my daughter...

Graduation...

2008-05-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Isobel is now a pre-school graduate...

She had a fantastic year as a Rocket. She made some great friends and learned a lot. We are so lucky to have found Lakeview Preschool when we moved here. If you are looking for a great Pre-K program in the Landen area, I strongly recomend Lakeview.

In fact, Eli will be starting in the two day program next year...

They grow up so fast...

2008-05-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Emmy and Eli had their well child visits...

Emmy is 29 1/2 inches tall and 24 pounds. She is so big. She is doing great, and at this point there are no issues with her at all. She had to have three shots, which she took like a pro, a few tears, but she calmed down very easily. In case I haven't mentioned this before... she is the perfect baby...

Eli is 38 inches tall and 32 pounds. He is very healthy, but needs speech therapy, which we already knew. So today I started the process of finding a speech therapist. Of course, our insurance does not have an in-network speech therapy provider within a 100 mile radius, so we have to go through a pre-certification process. The process wouldn't be so annoying, but in order to do it we need to have an appointment. One would think this wouldn't be so difficult, but apparently it is. I have given the speech therapists Eli's information and they will look it over then call me with an appointment. They said they will call the first week of June. So, I have to put all of this on the back burner, which means it runs the risk of being forgotten. Good thing I have this blog to help me remember...

Tonight, Isobel graduates from pre-school. I will post all about it tomorrow, as I am in the process of gathering the tissues for tonight. I have already started crying and don't anticipate stopping until Emmy graduates from high school.

They grow up so fast!

Newport Aquarium

2008-05-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday at Newport on the Levee. We started the afternoon with a picnic overlooking the Ohio River and the Cincinnati skyline.

It was chilly, but occasionally the sun would peak out from behind a cloud and warm us up.

After lunch we went to the Newport Aquarium. Isobel, Eli and Jon had been once before, but this was Emmy and my first visit. The kids had a great time. This aquarium is the perfect size for families with small kids, and they have great exhibits. There are sharks, alligators, all kinds of turtles and a fantastic Jelly Fish display. The best part, however, were the penguins. There were quite a few and they were so very rowdy. The kids really loved watching them dive and leap out of the water. They have an entire habitat which stays on the schedule of the Southern Hemisphere. Allegedly, they are one of the few aquariums to take this approach and it has paid off. Of the 5 King Penguins born in captivity in 2007, three of them were born at this aquarium. Apparently this is a very big deal...

It is always nice to leave any kind of attraction feeling like you got your money’s worth. I definitely felt that way when we left the Newport Aquarium. So, if you are in the Cincinnati metro area and looking for a short, family friendly excursion. This is your place.

Here are some more pics of the day...

New Kids on The Block...

2008-05-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

I can now freely admit that I was a New Kids on the Block fan. I spent 7th and 8th grade in love with these boys (I was a Jordan girl). However, on my 14th birthday my sister gave me Pretty Hate Machine (Nine Inch Nails) and the transformation began. It took me some time to completely give up the Kids, but I eventually did. After I came out of my New Kids fog, I was so embarrassed of this obsessive past that I denied it (as my sister predicted I would). However, New Kids have always had a special place in my heart.

After a break the Kids reemerged as NKOTB. I remember driving to Clinton lake one night with my friend Jeff and the DJ on the radio said that NKOTB was playing at Liberty Hall. Tickets were still available. I made a joke that we should blow off the lake and go to the show, he laughed, but didn't change his course... we spent the rest of the drive making fun of New Kids on the Block fans. This solidified the fact that I couldn't share my deep, dark secret.

I remember the first time I admitted that I had been a New Kids on the Block fan. I was 19 and I admitted it to my friend Doug. He just shrugged and said he wasn't surprised. Doug’s response made me realize that the New Kids were a phase most girls my age went through. I was no longer ashamed of my past... in fact I embraced it.

Now, the New Kids on the Block are back. They have recorded a new album, are going on tour and they performed this morning on Today. If you missed it, like I did, you can see footage here.

I was shocked at the number of people in the crowd. However, watching them perform took me back to the innocence of my early teens. It made me realize that this reunion comes at the perfect time. Most New Kids fans have moved beyond the embarrassment and are ready to reminisce about the past.

Welcome back, old friends. It is nice to see you again.

May Weddings...

2008-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have met a number of people who have anniversaries around the same time as Jon and I. In fact, of my three bridesmaids, one was married on May 17th (2 days after Jon and I), and one was married on May 13th (she just celebrated 2 years... congrats, S!).

Today, a very dear friend of mine will marry the love of her life. I am very happy for both of them and wish I could be there to celebrate their union.

Congratulations J&W!

I will be thinking of you more today than usual.

9 years down, till death to go...

2008-05-15T06:51:00.001-07:00

Today Jon and I celebrate 9 years of marriage.

Happy Anniversary, Jon!

And he is three...

2008-05-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today is Eli's third birthday. He is at the age where he understands that he is a year older, but doesn't really grasp the concept of birthdays. We decided that we would open gifts first thing this morning, so he would have all day to play with his new toys. Unfortunately, Isobel has been sick, so she wasn't a lot of fun today. He has spent most of the day asking people to play with him. Isobel has been obliging for short stints, but hasn't been able to do a full day play-a-thon as Eli would have liked.

Here are some pics of Eli and his favorite gifts...

Tonight we will have pancakes for dinner and a giant chocolate chip cookie with a Diego topper for dessert... I will miss the cake, but Eli doesn't like cake. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that he has any Byrne in him at all.

Happy Birthday, Eli! We love you!

Other Mommy's minds...

2008-05-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

I tend to procrastinate by reading random mommy blogs. I typically find them reassuring. It helps to know that some of my kid’s quirky behaviors are simply because they are kids, not because they have some horrifying mental deficiency. There are so many intelligent, well written blogs in the mommy realm that they always make me think, and often make me re-evaluate my own mommy mind.

As most of you (hopefully all of you) know, Mother's Day occurred recently. It seems in the mommy blog world there is a trend of mother's who find mother's day to be unnecessary. It seems the most rampant reason for this theory is that we should respect mothers year round and we shouldn't need someone to tell us that a mom deserves recognition. While I agree 100% with these statements, it made me think about my relationship with my mom. One of the great things about family is that, although you should appreciate the things they do, it is okay to expect them to be there for you and help you when help is needed. With this dynamic, it is easy to take them for granted, almost inevitable. As a mother, I am not sure I would want it any other way. I want my children to expect me to be there for them no matter what.

However, I find that I enjoyed Mother's Day more as a daughter then as a Mother. I don't need a day to tell me I am a good mom and my kids love me, but perhaps my kids need a day to show me that I am special to them. Is it possible that by diminishing the importance of this day, we are taking something away from our kids? As women and mothers, we tend to take care of our families needs without demand or thought. Perhaps we don't allow them to reciprocate as much as they would like. Perhaps Mother's Day is the one day they can pamper us and show us how much they appreciate what we do for them.

So, my official stance on Mother's Day is that as long as my children want to do something for me, I will be excited to participate in the events of the day. After all, as a mother, I am most comfortable making sure my children are happy, and if pampering me makes them happy, who am I to complain...

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

My mother is perhaps one of the most amazing people I know. She is one of those people who loves unconditionally and will always put people first. However, she is also strong and is more than capable of sticking up for herself when it is necessary. I know that I can call my mom at 3:00 in the morning and she will be there to listen and I know that she will always find a way to help me no matter what it takes. She is amazing.

A couple of years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was one of the hardest things to ever happen to me, so I can't imagine how hard it was for her and my dad (and my sister, who was there to help mom through it). I consider myself lucky that I didn't have to see her daily struggles; I think it probably would have killed me. Of course, as she is my mother, she knew this and kept most of her pain from me, she was very brave for my sake and I thank her for that.

Today is Mother's Day and today Major League Baseball is covered in pink to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. So, if you feel like today is a good day for baseball, head out to your local MLB game and see all the players use pink bats and run pink ribbon bases. It is the third year of the event and is sure to be another success. Remember, most of the items used in the games will be auctioned off here. If you are interested, you can get some great sports memorabilia and help some amazing people, like my mom.

So, Happy Mother's Day to all of you! Especially to my mom who I love more than she will ever know.

I also want to say Happy Mother's Day to my sister. Although we may never see eye to eye (and she didn’t call Isobel back to share her favorite princess), she is an amazing mother and has made a difference in so many lives. She is able to handle an immense amount of stress while still maintaining her composure. I will always be grateful that she was strong enough to be there for our mom, when I wasn't.

Twilight...

2008-05-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

I am a book whore. I will read anything that is put in front of me. With this book weakness, I have been lucky to have a husband who was a book buyer for a major book retailer and is now in publishing. I tend to salivate when my husband tells me he is going to Borders on his way home from work. All I have to do is ask him to bring me a book and he always obliges. The fun of this method is that I never know what he is going to bring home and it is often a book I never would have picked out for myself.

One Friday night, about a month ago, the above scenario occurred and my wonderful husband came home with a copy of the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Now, one would think being the book whore that I am, I would have heard of this book…I had not. I started reading at about 9:00 pm and could not bring myself to stop. I finally finished around 4:00 am and collapsed into bed. The next morning my slightly surprised, but not shocked, husband confirmed that the second book (of which book 1 contained a fantastic preview), New Moon, was available for my reading pleasure. I got a much earlier start on that book and was able to finish it by dinner, and guess what... there was another teaser at the end. Yes, there was yet a third book in the series, Eclipse, beckoning me. However, my husband was unwilling to make a second trip to Borders that Saturday (third for the weekend), so I was forced to go and get my own book. I have to say it was well worth the trip. I did not read all night, as I was exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before, but I was able to finish it on Sunday.

This series is one of those guilty pleasures for me, much along the lines of Harry Potter and Stephanie Plum. The books you are not sure you should be reading, but can't help yourself. It is the story of a young, forbidden love that can't be denied. I have fallen in love with these characters and I am anxiously awaiting the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, to be released in August.

So, my friends, if you have a few minutes and want a light hearted read about a teenage girl and her much older, vampire boyfriend, look no further than the saga of Bella and Edward. I hope you will read them and enjoy them as much as I did. Oh, and let me know what you think. I would like to know if you fall in love as easily as I do...