Birthday Girl

Happy 4th to my sweet Marlee Monkey.

Love you to the moon and back.

Can't believe your FOUR!

things she loves: dolls, the egg game, fruit, the trampoline, all things princess, 

alligator (gatorade), her doll house, magnatiles, music, play-doh and dorothy gail

...and that's a wrap || preschool

The Cupcake Thief

So yesterday while out running errands Marlee picked out cupcakes for her birthday today. Princess ones, naturally. She asked a couple times last night and again this morning if she could eat her cupcakes. I reminded her they were for her birthday party and she accepted the answer without complaint.

Then this afternoon I left Marlee playing Legos at the dining table while Brynlee, Jace and I went outside to play some basketball. I lost, but I’m sure you already knew that.

Anyway, when we made our way back inside I found the Legos abandoned and a newly three year old girl locked in the bathroom with her loot – a dozen {half-eaten} princess cupcakes. And by half-eaten I mean the top half. Understandably. Because there is absolutely no reason to waste your time eating cake when there’s still more cupcakes with frosting to be licked.

Happy 3^rd Birthday Marlee. You little stinker.

Well, hello...

So I quit blogging.

Again.

Yada yada yada.

Because you know how it goes…the further you get behind, the more you get behind. And then you’re so far behind you don’t know where to start. So you don’t. And then you get even more behind. In fact, you get so far behind that you forget to even think about ever journaling again. And you’re good with that. You think.

Until its 1:00 in the early morning on a Friday in June and you can’t sleep. S0 you update the blog, marathon style. Without thought, or word, or reason. Because why the heck not. You just haphazardly open picture folders on your computer, pick random photos (eeny meeny miny moe), press publish and call it a post.

Bam. Updated. Like a rockstar.

P.S. Three years ago today Marlee was born. Happy Birthday sugar pie.

Attitude

Yesterday after church Marlee's nursery leader sent me this text message:

Just for the record: sisters got a side of sass!

Laundry Day is Getting Bigger

The littlest is on outfit number 16 (and counting) for the day.

This one is an ensemble composed of Brynlee’s hand-me-down Christmas pajama bottoms (without underwear, but I didn’t tell you that) and a shirt from the “too small” bin (turned inside out and backwards) and wonkily layered atop a purple tee worn tube-top style with no arms in the arm holes and which I am absolutely certain was pulled from the very bottom of her laundry basket. And not the freshly Tide & Bounce’d basket either.

This is a new experience for this mama. Sure I’ve heard the tales and endless woe of constant childhood wardrobe changes from other "in the thick of it" moms. But my other two didn't dance this dance. We dressed once. First thing in the morning. 

(Okay, fine. Back in those days we dressed closer to the noon o’clock hour. But who’s keeping time?)

And then at the end of the day we took off the exact same clothes that we had put on all those hours ago and exchanged them for footy nighties in various shades of pink or blue and called it a day.

But Marlee is certainly not the one outfit a day kinda gal. Apparently girlfriend likes a wardrobe change. Or two. Or seven hundred and twenty seven. But who’s counting.

Not me. 

Except that's a lie, because you better believe ... I'm totally counting!

*see told ya, the purple tee was totally worn earlier this week.

love note

I made Peach Crisp for dessert tonight. We ate it on the deck to end our day. Marlee ate sans pants and underwear. …because she’s the boss. And I served myself an extra scoop of Costco vanilla ice-cream. Because I was aching for a pick-me-up like something fierce.

It was a puffy eyed day today. Puffy and stinging. I tried hard to bite my lip, to roll with the punches, to save my mascara. But yet, the tears rolled. The dam broke. The sting gave way. And it felt unfixable until every last tear had trickled down my face and dripped from my chin. 

I told Spencer that kids certainly don’t have a clue how much their parents worry about them.  And he agreed, they don’t.

When you’re a kid you kind of just do your thing. And you expect that your parents kind of just do their thing too.

But truth be told, when you’re the parent, your thing is their thing! 

***

Brynlee, Jace and Marlee-

Mom and dad love you. We love you more than you can fully comprehend at your young age. We love you more than we can put into words or into actions. But, someday, when you’re all grown up, you too will have little people that you are responsible for. And you will love them. And pray for them. And marvel at their every move. You will protect them. And care for them. And occasionally brag about them. And sometimes, you will cry for them. And when that time comes you will think “never before in the history of ever has a parent loved their children as much as I love mine!” And you will be wrong. Because dad and I, we love you that much! 

And we always will.

XOXO, 

Mom

this feburary

Just as I expected the stomach bug continues to make its round, taking us down one at a time. Right now it’s Spence’s turn. It came on quick and knocked him flat. Jace started crying when Spence started throwing up because he didn't want him to get sick. That boy makes me smile. He has the biggest heart. His latest is that he says, "whatever you say boss" or "aye, aye captain" whenever I ask him to do anything.  He's Spence's little mini-me, following him around everywhere and trying to do everything just like dad does. Those two are inseparable; I hope it always stays that way.

Tomorrow Brynlee gets to go to Achievement Days (is it called activity days now?) for her first time ever. She is so excited. I can’t believe she’s eight. Holy Moly. She got her ears pierced for her birthday. Grandma Showell took all of us girls to get our ears pierced for our 8^th birthday. It was a much anticipated and prized birthday present. So when Brynlee started asking to get her ears pierced I told her that she had to wait for her 8^th birthday, just like I had to. Of course, come birthday time, that was the first thing on her birthday wish list. She doesn't do pain real well so I made double extra sure she wanted to go through with it. She insisted. The first few day were kinda rough for her – we were visiting with friends out of town and I don’t think that helped. But now she really likes them and is glad she did it.

Marlee wants to be outdoors at all times. The trampoline is her favorite. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I don’t have to bundle her six billion times a day and drag her in when I fear that her extremities might be suffering from mild frost bite.  When Brynlee and Jace were about Marlee’s age they both turned into major daddies kids. I sorta became dead to them and daddy could do no wrong. But Marlee? Not so much. She is a mommy’s girl through and through. Sometimes I joke that I wish she would hit that stage because mom just needs a five minute break. But really I love it. She’s my sidekick. I love her so much. 

Anyway, a few pictures from February, just ‘cause I never posted any.

Big room, little girl.

Big sisters are the best.

Jace and the snow covered golf course.

Rosy cheeks.

Exhausted.

Building Turtle Mania castles.

She fits in a bowl. Also, we don't comb her hair.

A valentines day box in process.

Brynlee was determined to make her valentines box all by herself this year. I helped her prime a box and google an idea (its pinterest for the lame) and then she ran with it. She was so proud of her end product, mainly because it was entirely her product. 

Building snow stuff.

He was a little top heavy and didn't stand for long, but it was fun while it lasted.

Jace has been writing his entire name lately. Middle name included.

The cutest mailman ever.

#careerdayatpreschool, #jacesidea, #weloveourmailman

And here's her Valentine's Box all done. She did such a good job.

a goof in googles

One, Two {skip a few} ninety-nine, ONE HUNDRED!

{one.} We are already eleven whole days into 2014! That makes my head spin. Time goes so fast.

{two.} Unless we are talking about how looooooooong it is taking for January 28^th to get here. Because that is taken eleventy million years!

{three.} January 28^th is a big day around these parts – Spence gets his neck brace off!

{four.} (Also noteworthy, January 28^th is my Grandma Marilyn’s birthday. Very important dates ya’ll should remember.)

{five.} Anyway, neck surgery. Did I tell you Spence had neck surgery?!

{six.} No? Well, he did. An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

{seven.} Here’s why, since I know you were about to ask. He had an old injury – a herniated disc - that he reinjured about 18 months ago. The dumb thing was doing a sweet job of making his arms and hands constantly tingle and go numb. Plus, he was losing mobility in his left hand.

{eight.} So he had surgery on December 16^th.

{nine.} And after he got over the nausea… {side note: puking + a fresh incision across your neck + a neck brace sort of mixes like water + oil}, anyway, since then things haven’t been too bad. The first week or so was absolutely miserable though {for all parties involved}.  It didn’t help that I got strep throat during that time. Because of that whole raining, pouring thing, I suppose. But now we are three and half weeks in and it is more of a nuisance than anything.

{ten.} He still can’t take off the neck brace. Ever! Even has to wear one in the shower. It’s annoying. Or at least that’s my assumption.

{eleven.} And he can’t pick up anything that weighs more than a gallon of milk. Things like firewood, and rambunctious little blonde haired, blue-eyed one-year-olds, and snow shovels. Or help carry laundry baskets or unload groceries. And he especially can’t drag 9 ft artificial Christmas trees down into the under house storage. Or take down Christmas lights.

{twelve.} But I’m not complaining. In case you were confused.

{thirteen.} But he {and this awesome neck brace} went back to work a week ago Friday. So that’s good news.

{fourteen.} Unless you consider the fact that he can’t drive. Cause that is a tiny bit, majorly, extremely inconvenient for his caretaker/wife/taxi driver. My lands!

{fifteen.} But again, just as a reminder, this is not me complaining. Just want to make that clear.

{sixteen.} Because really, I could be the poor sap in the neck brace that can’t drive or pick up anything heavier than 8 pounds.

{seventeen.} But, in happier news … Kate’s pregnant!

{eighteen.} It’s a boy, due May 13^th. Yea!

{nineteen.} And also exciting, Kate and Jake are almost done with their six months stint in Ohio! We’ve missed them.

{twenty.} Actually Kate came home from Thanksgiving to New Years. Which was nice, and very helpful.

{twenty-one.} Let see, what else.

{twenty-two.} Marlee is addicted to my phone’s camera.

{twenty-three.} The Young Women “snowflake” attacked our house before Christmas. The kids thought that was fun.

{twenty-four.} I think Brynlee managed to perform her entire school Christmas program without smiling once. Talent.

{twenty-five.} The kids got new rollerblades for Christmas and we spent Christmas evening at the church borrowing the gym floor. Good times.

{twenty-six.} And Brynlee has been saving money for a doll.

{twenty-seven.} A doll? It’s weird only because in all seven years and ten months of her life leading up to this point she has never showed an ounce of interest in dolls. It’s just never been her thing.

{twenty-eight.} But both her cousins, Brookie and Livvie, got Our Generation Dolls for Christmas and she decided that she would love to have one too.

{twenty-nine.} I told her if she saved enough money for half the doll I would pay for the other half.

{thirty.} I figured making her earn her own money for the purchase would be the telltale sign if she really, really wants a doll, or if it was just a fad because, you know, everybody else has one.

{thirty-one.} She started off really strong, earning four dollars in just a few days.

{thirty-two.} But the other day she was looking through the Scholastic Book order and started questioning the need for a doll. There were just “so many good books that she might like more than a doll”. Because “dolls aren't really that fun anyways”.  

{thirty-three.} It made me smile, because it didn't surprise me in the least.

{thirty-four.} But yesterday she came home from school requesting more “doll-money” chores. So I guess we will see how it all pans out.

{thirty-five.} She’s been a fool for the rainbow loom as of late. Making bracelets and rings and pencil toppers and animal charms and all manner of rubber band goods.

{thirty-six.} She brought home a weekend to-do rubber band request list that she has promised to friends. Long live the rainbow loom.

{thirty-seven.} I am Jace’s primary teacher again this year at church.

{thirty-eight.} He was pretty excited when he heard the news. Which was just the pick me up I needed, because when I asked Brynlee if she wished I was were teacher again this year (I was her primary teacher all last year) she smiled and said “kinda, but kinda not”. Ha.

{thirty-nine.} I taught Jace’s little class on Sunday and I couldn’t believe how much smarter and more mature they had gotten since I taught them in Sunbeams in 2012.

{forty.} One year is a heck of a long time in childhood years.

{forty-one.} Jace has been in seventh heaven with daddy being home from work for three weeks straight.

{forty-two.} It helped that I saw fit to remove the kid’s Wii time restrictions during that time. Mainly because a Wii remote doesn’t weigh more than 8 pounds and Spence and his BFF, the neck brace, weren’t capable of doing much else.

{forty-three.} Jace and Spence spent many of Christmas break hours defeating Super Mario  Brothers Wii. Jace thought he had died and gone to a heaven where the streets were paved with gold coins and one-ups.

{forty-four.} He enjoyed it so much that I was a little nervous that he would have withdrawals when school started again and Wii was removed from our list of daily things to accomplish. So far though, he’s been a super trooper.

{forty-five.} Jace and I were playing superheroes the other day and I went to grab Iron Man from him and in process scratched his face with my thumb nail. Poor kid. I got him good.

{forty-six.} At school yesterday his teacher asked what happened to his face and Jace told her honestly, “Mom did that!” I felt so bad.

{forty-seven.} Marlee still rules this roost. Boy Howdy.

{forty-eight.} She got a cozy coupe for Christmas and its provided hours and hours of entertainment for the little clown.

{forty-nine.} The amount of love she has for that little car actually makes me feel a tiny bit guilty that Brynlee & Jace were never gifted one when they were her age. I didn't want the excess clutter of a giant children’s car in my house. Parent fail, I suppose.  

{fifty.} But the good news is with age (or maybe with kids) I am becoming less and less bothered by things like that. It’s almost like I don’t even know who I am anymore.

{fifty-one.} Although, you better believe, come springtime I will be itching to make that car an outside only toy. 

{fifty-two.} Um, completely unrelated, Jace just came and asked me if we could make a basement in our house. I told him to go ahead and get started.

{fifty-three.} Let’s see, what else … our little family went seven weeks without eating out!

{fifty-four.} One Family Home Evening we decided that we were going to save money to help buy Christmas gifts for children that would otherwise not have a Christmas.

{fifty-five.} We started a collection jar the first part of November and the kids donated all their chore chart money from then until Christmas.

{fifty-six.} And, without anybody even making the suggestion, Brynlee threw in her tooth fairy money too.

{fifty-seven.} In fact, both the kids emptied their piggy banks of leftover birthday money and quarters they were saving for quarter machines and any other money that was saved in their piggy banks to add to “the giving jar.”

{fifty-eight.} And, as a family, we didn't eat out for seven weeks and put the money that we would have otherwise used on eating out in “the giving jar”.

{fifty-nine.} It was such a fun thing to do.

{sixty.} And that Saturday that we found ourselves in the ShopKo toy aisles buying gifts for children that were in need is not a day that I will forget anytime soon.

{sixty-one.} And I don’t think the kids will either.

{sixty-two.} It was definitely a start to a tradition that will be the center of many Christmas’s to come.

{sixty-three.} Both Brynlee and Jace asked if we could start sooner next year so we could save more money and buy more gifts. You betcha.

{sixty-four.} Kate took the kids to McDonalds, for their first time in seven weeks, while Spence and I were hanging out at the surgery center. She texted and said they ate every.single.bit of everything she had purchased. Ha. After a seven week void fast food tastes like manna from heaven.

{sixty-five.} Did you make New Year’s Resolutions this year? I made one. Only one! And it has nothing to do with losing weight, or working out, or eating right. And nothing to do with going to bed earlier or doing better at daily personal scripture study. I ignored all my usual resolutions and am focusing all my resolution energy on one resolve. It’s a super fun resolve too. One that I am so excited about putting into action.

{sixty-six.} Speaking of New Years and resolutions, do you pick a word for the year?

{sixty-seven.} I never have before. In fact, I had absolutely no intention of doing so this year either. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind.

{sixty-eight.} But then I was sitting next to Judge Smith at church on Sunday. He is such a kind and spirited man. Anyway, when the closing song started playing Judge Smith started whistling the tune, without control or reserve, in true Judge Smith manner.

{sixty-nine.} Carry on, carry on, carry on.

{seventy.} And then it hit me. I would chose a word for 2014, and that would be it. Carry on.

{seventy-one.} I’m not entirely sure what 2014 will bring our family. Maybe change. Maybe more of the same. Maybe it will be speckled with trials or a smooth sailing sort of a year? Maybe it will be one for the books. Or maybe one, come December 31^st, I want to wrap up and store away in a locked chest to not have to worry about any more. But whatever it brings I intend to do that: carry on, carry on, carry on.

{seventy-two.} Alan & Jaelynn and Jami & Zeb brought their kiddos and hung out on New Year’s Eve.

{seventy-three.} We actually took a break from our card game at the right time this year to celebrate the New Year.

{seventy-four.} Usually we are the dorks that look at the clock at 12:15 and realize that we managed to start the New Year running fifteen minutes behind. Typical.

{seventy-five.} Everybody, except for Marlee, toasted the New Year with sparkling cider. Even Chloe made it to midnight.

{seventy-six.} And then after we drank our sparkling cider and were getting ready to send the kids to bed, Brookie asked when we were going to start “the party”. Ha. Now that I think about it, the clock striking midnight is a little anticlimactic, isn't it?

{seventy-seven.} And then later in the week the Francis family came and hung out.

{seventy-eight.} We had to cancel our traditional sledding day this year {due to some dude in a neck brace} {lame}. But they came and spent the day with us anyhow.

{seventy-nine.} It’s always so fun to spend time with them.

{eighty.} And every time we hang out I add a new board game onto my wish list. Sarah has a knack for finding all the cool board games.

{eighty-one.} In December, before the neck surgery, Brynlee and Spencer went roller skating for their Daddy and me day. Brynlee had a ball.

{eighty-two.} And now that it’s January it’s Jace and my turn for a night out. We haven’t decided what we are doing yet. But I am pretty sure ice-cream will be involved. That’s always Jace’s first {and usually only} request.

{eighty-three.} Let’s see…eighty-three? Sheesh. Now that I think about it one hundred things is a lot! Why the heck did I have to be so ambitious when I titled this post? It’s like setting myself up for failure.

{eighty-four.} Speaking of failure … I planned on posting more often in December. I originally planned on posting a December Postcard daily all month long.

{eighty-five.} Then I only got around to posting three in the first week so I decided that I would keep that up and post a few a week.

{eighty-six.} I posted a grand total of three all month long! Three, oops.

{eighty-seven.} It is getting harder and harder for me to find the motivation to blog.

{eighty-eight.} I don’t want to quit this little family journal I've created, but at the same time I need something new and fresh to encourage and stimulate me to document. Ideas?

{eighty-nine.} You know, there are actually a few things I never told you from late 2013 and wished I’d written down. Now sounds like a convenient time to do so.

{ninety.} Like how Marlee and Brynlee both won first place at the zoo boo costume contest this year.

{ninety-one.} Brynlee can finally cross that off her bucket list. Phew. She's been waiting three years to bring home that title.

{ninety-two.} Brynlee also got second place, and Marlee third place, at a local department store costume contest. They won $50.00 collectively. The three kiddos divided the money and used it to purchase Christmas gifts for each other. Win, win.

{ninety-three.} Jace was pukey sick on Halloween. Did I already tell you that? Anyway, if you ask me, that totally falls under the Things that are NOT One Bit Fair in Life category. He didn’t even eat one piece of candy. Major childhood holiday fail.

{ninety-four.} So, what else ... fall soccer season. We had so much fun this go around.

{ninety-five.} Spence and I didn’t coach, and Brynlee and Jace played every.single.game at the exact.same.time. On opposite sides of the park. Every single Saturday. But it worked out, we made do, and we had a great time.

{ninety-six.} There is nothing more fulfilling as a parent than watching your children succeed at something. And for those few months this fall, soccer was that something. They both did such a great job. And more importantly, had so much fun.

{ninety-seven.} And here’s a few pictures since I never posted any.

{ninety-eight.}

{ninety-nine.} And, I made it. 100 things.

{one hundred.} The End!

Postcards from December // two

A Smashin' Tuesday

Everyone hail to the pumpkin song

A quick Halloween photo posted for a homesick Aunt Katie. We love you Kate & Jake. The kids missed our yearly Halloween hook-up at your house. Brynlee said maybe you could give them double next time around. I told her if you guys gave her double what you normally do there was a good chance her teeth would fall right out of her head. She agreed.

 

Brynlee as Cindy Lou Who

Jace as Thor

Marlee the Cabbage Patch Kid 

The first of October

Hi there.

It’s Tuesday. 

And we are just up to the typical shenanigans.

What are you up to?

Monday's Hair.

Little Person{ality}

Marlee ripped her dress at Jace’s soccer practice on Friday. She got herself stuck under a chain-link-fence as she tried to make a quick soccer field get-a-way. Her dress was the only injury, thankfully. But I tell you what: that chicka is a monkey!

One of my absolute favorite of all of my favorite parts of mothering is watching my children’s personalities grow, develop and change. Each of them so different than the other, yet having bits and pieces of familiar traits that are shared among all three. In another life I am destined to be an anthropologist – but for now I study my children.

*****

Brynlee is our true-to-definition oldest child: responsible, dependable and a bit bossy. She’s organized, determined and catches on to things extremely quickly. There’s not much that girl can’t do. Although she is still soft spoken, she is a lot less timid than the younger version of herself. She loves school, doing crafts and eating treats. She’s goofy, laughs easily, and loves to be silly. Also a bit of an overachiever, that’s fed, I suppose, by a quiet competitive streak. She grew up so much this summer, becoming more independent. All summer long she would wake up, make her bed, get showered, dressed, and do her “homework” – all before Spencer and I would roll out of bed. She wants to do good, is an excellent student, and craves adventure.

*****

Jace is our peacemaker. He’s chocolate covered, dipped in sugar, covered in syrup, and anything else that is sweet. He’s the one that divides a stick of gum into five equal parts so we can all have a taste. He’s a natural sharer with a heart of gold. When comfortable he’s a joker, silly and thinks typical little boy humor is hilarious. When in social settings that he is unfamiliar with he is quiet, reserved and shy. He doesn’t like to be the center of attention, and freezes when put in the unexpected spotlight. He’s a listener more than a talker and an observer more than a participant. He doesn’t demand a lot of attention and seldom ever has a complaining word to say. He calls his dad, ‘Old Man’; Marlee, ‘baby’; and his best friend Kyle, ‘brotha’. This summer he mastered all his letters and sounds and can count all the way to 100 will a little help.  He has a huge imagination, still loves all things superhero, and is the constant protector and defender of his sisters.

*****

And then Marlee. Marlee is our monkey. She makes us laugh, is a bit of a showoff and loves to be our families little center of attention. Although still a bit reserved when around people she doesn’t know – proving that she definitely belongs among our children – she tends to be more comfortable in larger groups that either of her siblings. She idolizes her big brother and sister, but is also fully aware that she has them wrapped around her little, baby finger. She loves babies, cars, books and coloring. She climbs anything and everything, jumps on the trampoline like a pro and can kick a soccer ball across the yard and into the net. I always find her dancing on the dining table or standing on the back of the couch or sitting all the way on top of the little play kitchen.  She’s constantly bruised, banged and goose-egged, but rebounds quickly. She wrestles Jace like she’s just his size and squawks at ridiculous levels just because it’s funny. She’s got spice.

*****

I am so glad God blessed me with them, and all of the little things that make them who they are. They make my life so much fun.

Photo taken by Sarah, dec 2012.