miscellaneous

On the road - we've spent time in TN & GA during the last week & today we got to FL.  Call us crazy!  We've had a great Christmas - the kids have loved it and that's what is really important to us.  I am ready to be home though!  It's tough to travel with a 4yo and a 2yo for so long.    David got me the greatest gift he could have gotten me this year - a Garmin Forerunner 305.  I will probably take months to learn to use it!  I used it on a run Saturday & thought it was awesome, but I only used the most basic functionality.  Can't wait to really explore what it can do.    On another running note, I *just* (minutes ago) signed up for my first marathon.  I'm staying fairly close to home, going to Cleveland to run it.  The course has good reviews and isn't too hilly.  I can't wait.  I'm giddy with excitement!   We're hoping to be home sometime Saturday but it could be Sunday.  I'll be back online next week :)

Happy 4th Birthday

Happy Birthday Matthew!  We've been celebrating since Thanksgiving, I've sent cupcakes to preschool, and I baked a cake last weekend.  But a boy should have some kind of cake on his birthday, shouldn't he?  He has gotten some packages in the mail so tonight he'll open those & I'm going to put a few candles in a warm delight.    Four years ago right now I was in labor with him but without a long wait ahead of me.  Those moments after his birth are so precious, as are so many moments we've shared since then.    He's grown from a beautiful baby into a wonderful little boy, handsome, smart, outgoing, and mostly pleasant. ;)  I can't imagine our lives without him.

the not so pleasant surprise

Last night when I got out of the shower I heard Matthew making some noise.  This was ~2 hours after I put him to bed.  I didn't think much of it, but then 30 minutes later he started getting louder so I thought he was awake.  David went upstairs to check on him and sure enough, he was out of bed with his light on having a great time playing.  Not only that, but he had taken his shoes OFF!  Yep, just as I brag on him for surprising me, he gets up & takes them off.  That boy!

always a surprise

With children come surprises.  Some parents of clubfoot children find every night a battle.  A lot of them resist the shoes, especially as they get older.  We have been very fortunate with Matthew that he has not fought us.  One morning recently he took his shoes off for the first time.  We try to keep him in them 12 hours a day so we told him that was a no no and that he could only take them off if we told him it was ok.  Now every morning I tell him when it's ok.    We normally put Matthew's shoes on at bedtime, but downstairs, before we go to his room.  Tonight I had them by myself though and I find it easier to take him upstairs without them and put them on in his room.  I left Matthew in his room with his shoes while I put Scarlett down.  When I got back in his room he had 2 of the 3 buckles on one shoe buckled, and was working on the other shoe.  He proudly looked at me and said "look mommy I put my shoes on by myself."  It *almost* made me cry.  I am so thankful for Dr. Ponseti and his methods, and that those methods have been accepted and are practiced now.  I am also thankful for John Mitchell and his faith, which allowed him to develop the shoes that Matthew is wearing now.  We are blessed to have a child who is laid back and easy going and accepting of the shoes.

these kids of mine

Scarlett has been doing pretty well on the potty recently.  She tell me often that she needs to potty and when I put her on it, she goes.  She's pooped in the potty almost every day the last 2 weeks.  I think I've changed 3 messy diapers in that time, so that's nice.  Unfortunately she doesn't stay dry even though she potties regularly.  If I put panties on her she won't even tell me she needs to go, she just wets them.  I'm thinking when we get back from our Christmas traveling I will try to totally train her.  Anyway, almost every time she poops, she flushes the toilet & says "bye bye poop."  The other day she said "bye bye poop, go and see your family."  She really cracks me up sometimes.   Matthew is really challenging me these days.  Sometimes I feel like the world's worst mommy.  Maybe I'm not cut out for this stay at home mom stuff.  I think come January I will try to structure our days a littlel more...right now we are very vague - we get up, he watched Curious George and then we eat breakfast.  Then we play, read books, run errands, whatever...until lunchtime.  After lunch they take naps, then we play, read books, etc. until suppertime.  I usually turn on a short video while I cook supper, then we eat and it's usually bathtime & bedtime.  I think maybe if I structured the mornings a little more, with some specific activities, room playtime, family room playtime, time for him & me while Scarlett plays alone, time for me & Scarlett while he plays alone, time for them to play together, etc. things might be easier/smoother, but I don't know.  I'd try to include specific story times, crafts on certain days, music, etc.  but I'm not sure HOW to implement this idea.    Any advice before I pull all my hair out?

whoa - i didn't realize i'd been gone so long

Where do I start? I tried dyeing yarn a second time. It turned out better but still not what I visualized. I tried a third time & got lovely results. I need to keep working on it though.

We went to Florida for a long weekend. I never know how visits with MIL will be but it was good. It seems they've been pretty good lately, which makes me wonder when the next blow up will be. Florida has some railroad beds that have been converted to running/biking/horseback riding trails. David & I went for a run on one and it was really nice. I didn't have my hydration pack so I tried just carrying a bottle in my hand. That sucked - I dropped it several times. It also wasn't as much water as I'm used to having on a long run, but David did a shorter out & back, then drove to a convenience store for Gatorade & extra water, then picked me up at about the 11 mile point of the trail. It was a great run but running in the 80* weather in FL made me appreciate our Michigan weather! I'd much rather run in 50* (and even 30!) than 80.

My favorite thing about our Florida visit was going to see the space shuttle launch. I was a little wishy washy about it, thinking *I* would love to see it, knowing David would love to, but NOT wanting to drive to the east coast with the kiddos, then to Tampa to the airport, and flying home, all in the same day. That's a lot of carseat time for them. I even mentioned to David leaving them with his mom & just the 2 of us going, but he thought they would like it too. He'd done some research & knew some supposedly good places to watch. Driving along we passed a park with a nice looking playground so we parked near it & had a picnic lunch, then went to let the kids run & play. About 10 minutes before the scheduled launch we headed to the docks and found a spot. It was crowded but not overly so, and everyone was really nice. We listened on the radio as they counted down, then we could see smoke as it fired up, and suddenly we could see the shuttle with the flame & smoke...it was AMAZING. Matthew & Scarlett were in awe too, so I was glad we took them. I got all emotional about it - I decided *everyone* should see it live. There's nothing like it. I say that as someone who could see it when I lived in south GA, as long as the weather was clear, and David could see it from his yard in FL, but neither of us had been that close before, and it was a much different experience. Amazing. That's all I can say.

Kiddos were good on the flights, there & back we flew past bedtime. They were nice & quiet, and finally went to sleep both ways. David sat on the side with them & I sat across the aisle & knitted. What a great husband I have!