Easter Egg Hunt

Our neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt was today. You would not believe how excited Andrew was for this.

Here he is scoping out the field before things got started:


Jay in action:

Jay's friend Connor giving an egg to Jay:

Andrew in action:


It was a beautiful sunny Sunday for the annual egg hunt. We had fun.

March

March was a fun month.

There was a visit from Oma and Opa (technically this was in the last week of February).

A sign Andrew made to welcome Oma and Opa.

Andrew and Oma freshly squeezing Florida oranges.

Opa reading to Jay.


There was a visit from my brother Chris, my nieces Samantha and Sara, and my nephew Nathaniel.

Samantha and Andrew on the Metro.


Jay and Sara on the Metro.


Nathaniel on the Metro.

Chris and his kids at the Washington Monument (note the White House in the background.)


It also rained a fair amount so the boys have been having fun playing in the mud puddles that form in our side yard.







Seems like there was something else...Oh, right! There was a little trip to....Walt Disney World. It was a Holland Family Grand Gathering. All 16 members of the Holland family met in Orlando for a week together at Walt Disney World. It was awesome!

This is all 16 of us at the Polynesian Resort.

A Walk in the Woods

I have a friend who lives in Maine. Last week, she wrote something on her blog that came back to me this morning as I was lying in bed wrestling with the notion that I would have to get out of bed soon.

I've been dealing with a sinus infection all week. The way I've dealt with this sinus infection was to let the boys watch more tv than usual so I could rest. When I was lying in bed this morning, thinking about how cooped up we've been, and how unfair it has been to the boys, these words from Maine Momma's blog came back to me.

"i have not gone out just because. today i see i need to. i must. a walk in the woods or maybe a climb over that snow bank to reach the beach. something, anything. i need some sun on my face and fresh air in my lungs and to walk off a bit of this cabin fever that has set in my bones and in my head."

All three of us needed to walk off some cabin fever. Of this I was sure. Andrew confirmed this notion for me when he came in to wake me up saying, "Mommy, it's a great day to go outside. It's sunny and beautiful."

So, with every intention of getting some fresh air, clearing the cobwebs, and soaking in some sunshine we headed to Huntley Meadows Park for a nature walk. Bucket in hand we walked along the path searching for nature. Andrew and Jay collected pine cones, sticks, rocks and other things. I collected some much needed fresh air and vitamin D!







Thanks for the inspiration, MaineMomma! This photo is for you:

As promised...a recap of my birthday

It seems to have become a tradition on my mother’s side of the family to celebrate birthdays multiple times. You celebrate once with your immediate family, then maybe again when more members of your extended family can be together. We have come to call this celebrating your birthday “McDevitt” style. In this fashion, you can celebrate your birthday for a week or a month instead of just one day. It’s great!

For example, when Andrew turned 3 we had a birthday party here with some of his friends, we celebrated with dinner on his actual birthday and he had a party at MomMom and PopPop’s house with his cousins. That’s three separate parties to celebrate one birth-day. Understand?

Well, for my birthday...

We (Mark, Andrew, Jay and I) celebrated my birthday on the Sunday before my birthday. It’s much more convenient (and fun) to celebrate on a weekend instead of a weeknight. Mark coined a new phrase for the celebrating of one’s birthday multiple times, “false birthday”. And what a great false birthday it was…

8:30 – 9:30 – church

10:00 – breakfast at Evening Star Cafe

11:00 – 4:00 – putting on puppet shows (Andrew), playing with cars (Jay), crafting and mending projects (me), cooking (Mark)

4:30 – birthday dinner of roasted chicken, stuffing, roasted potatoes and creamed spinach

5:30 - presents

6:30 – birthday cake with our dear friends, the Sprungs

Andrew had planned my birthday cake weeks in advance. And he even managed to keep it a surprise. He was very excited about it. It was so adorable. He absolutely loves birthdays. And he has come to be quite the party planner. He was so sweet in his general excitement for me to enjoy my birthday. The cake was great, there were special animal plates picked out for the cake, and I got lots of birthday hugs and kisses. It was wonderful!

Two awesome gifts:

A pair of crocs from Andrew & Jay along with two jibbitz (a heart from Andrew b/c he loves me, and Mater from Jay b/c he loves Mater)

A single cup coffee maker from Mark. What a cool little machine. It’s awesome!

I’m one lucky lady to have three guys who love and pamper me so.

On my actual birthday, I got the kids to bed early and Mark ran out for some sushi takeout. We had a nice quiet evening in front of the tv with sushi and Netflix.

Having remembered the time when he got to celebrate his birthday more than once, Andrew kindly suggested to my mom that we celebrate Mommy's birthday again when we were visiting my parents this past week. So, one whole week after my actual birthday, I was "surprised" with a birthday cake that Andrew and MomMom made.

I highly recommend the multiple birthday celebrating...it's wonderful! Especially, because it will remind you just how much you are loved.

3-5

It's official now...I am in my mid-30's. I don't really mind this ... well, that's not entirely true. I've come to realize recently that I am no longer considered a young person. ..or a recent grad...or even a young mother. I am a mother of young children, I graduated many years ago and well, (as a friend pointed out) I must start checking a new age group box on survey forms.

But to be honest, I am so blessed and so happy with my life, I really don't mind this birthday nor dread any ones coming after this one.

Still...I think I'll pretend to mind it so I can have this for breakfast...




Mmm...chocolate cake and coffee. Life is good!

PS - I will have to post a picture of my birthday cake later today. Andrew & Mark made me an absolutely awesome cake this past weekend. I will be sure to post a picture and recap my lovely day celebrating my "false birthday".

Here's to a New Year...

Every January the blogosphere is always flooded with posts about New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t typically make resolutions. But, I have set two goals for myself for 2011. And I’m proud to say that I got working on these goals before January 1.

This summer I finally found out why my knees have been bothering me so much for the past two years. Possibly due to many years of playing basketball, the cushioning around my knee cap has deteriorated so that my bones are rubbing against each other causing early-onset arthritis. The condition was technically diagnosed as chondromalacia. This meant I would need to forego running and find other cardio workouts to strengthen my leg muscles specifically my quad muscles. I am thrilled to have finally tried spinning. I joined a new gym in October and I’ve been to several classes in addition to working out on my own. Spinning has proven to be a fantastic workout. I’m very excited about it.

So, that is goal number one – get in better shape, regain core fitness and improve leg strength.

Goal number two was to find a way to bring some income into our household. For some time now, I’ve been mulling selling my handmade crafts. For a couple years now, I’ve been making stenciled tee-shirts and onesies as gifts for my nieces, nephews and friends’ babies. As I was ruminating on what I might sell, my mind kept coming back to these. So, in November, I finally took the plunge and opened an online store through Etsy.

The store is called Brush & Paint. I hope you’ll take a look. Initially, I have been stocking it with my hand-stenciled t-shirts and onesies. Last week, I added some stationery for Valentine’s Day. I’m very excited to finally be underway with this idea that has been in the back of mind ever since I became a stay-at-home mom in 2006. I have had some early success selling my t-shirts and onesies to family and friends. I hope to gain some traction in the online marketplace over the next year.

A snowflake tee:

A lobster lovenote:

Who knows what 2011 will have in store for me? Come 2012, I hope to be looking back at 2011 proud of the work I put into these two goals. Sitting here, right now, I’m feeling optimistic and I’m very excited by the possibilities.

Wishing you a fulfilling and satisfying new year! xoxo, Reen

ah...what fun!

So, I don't think this counts as one of the "joys of motherhood" but, it is one of those moments that can define motherhood (or really any caretaker of small children's 'hood). Let me set the scene for you.

Warning: the rest of this post may not be suitable for everyone (as it deals with p-o-o-h.)

Jay started taking a true interest in potty training last week. I was thrilled since it was his idea and it seemed to come to him out of the blue. He's been doing really well but, as is normal, I've been living in a perpetual state of anxiety about when he might have an accident.

Andrew has been under the weather for over a week with a cough and runny nose. So, it's just been one of those weeks where I felt like I was bouncing back and forth from the bathroom to the tissue box to the fridge for more juice etc. Yesterday, Andrew started having diarrhea. Hoping this was just a result of something he had eaten I figured it would just run its course. And towards the end of yesterday I was feeling really confident in my prediction. Well, this morning he had two more bouts of it.

Here's where the defining moment occurs.

This morning, while I was researching causes for diarrhea online (and choking back my gag reflex at the detailed information concerning such a topic), Andrew appears by my side and says, "Mom, Jay has something in his hand and it smells like poop." I rush downstairs to see Jay holding a large amount of poop in his hand. I wish I hadn't said this but, I said, "Oh, Jay!" at which he turned and immediately dropped the turd to the carpet so as not to get in trouble for having it in the first place.

I think this is one of those times where you need to either laugh or cry. So, I laughed...much later...once I had cleaned the child, my hands, the carpet, the toys that were on the carpet and my hands again!

And to think earlier this week I was saying that I was tired of wiping runny noses. Oh, how I long for the days of runny noses!

First snow of the season...

We had our first snowfall yesterday. We enjoyed somewhere between 1.5 adn 2 inches. I say first because I am so hopeful that we will have more snowfalls this winter. Andrew absolutely loves being out in the snow. Saying he was thrilled to see the snow falling yesterday doesn't even come close to describing his reaction. What's better is I think he might actually think I planned it/ created it for him! (Although, that might backfire when I can't reproduce another snowstorm. Hmmm...)



I am really glad that Jay enjoyed being out in the snow yesterday too. Playing outside last year was a total disaster with Jay. He was too small to walk well in his snowbibs, jacket and snowboots, etc. He wouldn't keep his gloves on and it only took one faceplant in the snow for him to be completely in tears and wanting to go inside. And when I had just spent 30 minutes getting him ready to go out, I was a bit annoyed to be going back inside with him to disrobe. So, I was thrilled that he wanted to go out and play after he saw how much fun Andrew was having in the snow.


Andrew picked up where he left off doing his favorite snow activities: eating snow, demanding we build a snowman, and wiping snow off of the car. Andrew & Jay have also come to enjoy a game where Mommy makes a snowball and hands it to them and then they throw it at Mommy. Jay calls this game "ball". And he very sweetly asked today when we were getting dressed to go out..."play ball with you?" How can I resist? Andrew figured out how to make his own snowballs today and he had great fun throwing them at me.

What a nice surprise this snow was for us.



Happy winter!

If you’ll pardon the cliché…it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! I have not been feeling the Christmas spirit or whatever you want to call it at all this year. I have felt no great desire to decorate or bake or listen to Christmas music. And yet, with a 4 year old who is growing very excited about Christmas, well, I have had no choice but to fake it! (I cannot believe I just revealed that secret!)

We’ve put out our decorations around the house and we have put lights up outside. Mark and the boys picked out and bought our Christmas tree on Sunday. It is a beautiful tree. They did a fabulous job! On Monday, I put the lights on the tree and Andrew put the ornaments on the tree. (Jay had no interest in putting his or any ornaments on the tree.) It is the most adorable clumping of ornaments I have ever seen. All of his and Jay’s ornaments are hanging on the lowest branches. There is a specific cluster that faces the fireplace. Andrew remarked that he put those specific ornaments there so that Santa will see them as soon as he comes down our chimney! How cute is that?

Yesterday, we baked some cookies. We made Spritz (which were always my favorite growing up) and chocolate chip cookies. Now, I’d be lying if I said the boys were a huge help. But, they were very cute in their excitement about making cookies for Santa. Well, Andrew is looking forward to leaving some out for Santa. Jay just wants to eat them now! Forget what’s-his-face.

We made cinnamon ornaments last week. And we have been listening to Christmas music, namely John Denver and the Muppets and the albums my brother Mike made in 2000 and 2001.


All of this combined has made our house look, smell and feel Christmas-y. Yet, I still don’t feel it. It all seems kind of like a giant to-do list of things I must do to make sure this Christmas is special for Andrew & Jay. And I guess that’s what it means to be Mommy. Your job is to make Christmas special for your children. And if I can only do that half as well as my Mom did, well then I’ll be glad.

As I do each of these tasks on my Christmas to-do list: I can’t help but reminisce about the Christmases of my childhood. My mother always made our house look so nice. She would pick out special craft ornaments for us to do each year and it is fun to look back at those now remembering sitting at the kitchen table with my brothers designing them. I have hung eucalyptus on my front door because my mother always had a eucalyptus wreath on our front door. Every time I open my storm door and smell it, I am reminded of my mother. Baking cookies, reminded me of the cookie tins that were always filled with our favorite cookies. I realize now that my mother must have made several trips to the grocery store for more eggs, sugar and butter to make sure when we got home from school that there would be cookies in the tins. I don’t know when she made them…I just know they were always there. Thanks, Mom! Thanks for these warm memories. I hope Andrew & Jay will be able to think back on their childhood Christmases with similar affection.

I will say there is one thing that I have really been enjoying this Christmas season. And that is Andrew’s ability to patiently open one door each day on the Advent calendar. My parents gave us a beautiful Advent calendar that they picked up on their recent trip to Germany. Andrew has been very good about only opening the specific door for today and no others. He is eager each morning and asks Mark or me “what number is today?” I’ve been impressed with his ability to find the numbers on his own and open the doors himself. He seems to thoroughly enjoy finding out what picture is waiting behind the door. I cannot believe the self-control he has shown with this. It makes me happy. Like everything else, Jay is oblivious to the calendar. He likes to look at the picture if Andrew shows it to him…but, I don’t think the calendar is even registering on his radar screen.

Along with his enjoyment of the advent calendar, I’ve enjoyed watching how Andrew can appreciate the special prayers we say each night at dinnertime when I light the candles in our advent wreath. Andrew closes his eyes and folds his hands in front of his face. It makes me feel very warm and content inside. He and Jay have been offering grace before our meals for a couple months now. Usually, they say “Thank you for this family. Amen.” Sometimes, they will add a thank you for an activity or toy. But, the other night, Andrew said “Thank you for my family and thank you for God. Amen.” Now, I realize these are just words to him…but, I found I was bowled over by it. After all isn’t that the message of Advent and Christmas? I love it.

Merry Christmas!

Nature vs. Nurture

Given my latest posts, you might not find it hard to believe that I've been having a nature vs. nurture argument playing in my head. Are the behaviors my sons are presenting a result of their innate nature or are they a result of the environment I create for them in our home each day?

Hmmm....well, here is an exchange I just had with Jay.

Scene: Me in the kitchen, Jay entering

Me: Hey, you!

Jay: I'm not you, I'm me!

As they say "from the mouths of babes"...

Keep an eye on the gauge...

I've often thought of my patience level as being similar to the gas tank in the car. You know that feeling you get when you get in the car and see you have a full tank. Well, I feel just as happy when I know I have a full tank of patience.

Now picture this, you're in your car and staring at the fuel gauge as the needle moves closer and closer to the E. You're wondering how much further could you go before getting gas. Knowing that you never actually want to find out how far by running out of gas. Why put yourself in that position where you've broken down on the side of the road because you thought you could make it .25 miles further.

Well, this morning I felt like I was watching my patience gauge with the same careful eye. My patience gauge has been nearing E all week but, I decided to see how much is left in the tank before refilling. I decided to let Andrew & Jay help me bake a pumpkin pie for tomorrow's feast.

Baking with your children is supposed to be so special. Yet, my kitchen is never quite the scene of a cute Pillsbury holiday commercial.

I'm happy to say my tank has not run completely dry. This gives me a good chance to make it to the next refilling station, a Thanksgiving Feast with my family!

(All of this is in jest. I had fun baking the pie with the boys and they are so proud of it. They can't wait to tell MomMom and PopPop that they made it. And in the interest of full disclosure, I actually made it to a patience refilling station last night thanks to my wonderful husband. I had a girls night out with two of my friends. So my tank was actually pretty near full this morning.)

Love is a Battlefield...

So it feels like I haven't' been posting here very often lately. I gave it some thought and I realized why that is the case. I seem to be caught in a bit of an endless loop of battles with Andrew & Jay. These little people with whom I share my home are under the impression that I want their feedback on every decision I make throughout the day. And I realized I don't like to post about the negative. I prefer to post pictures of how cute they are and how special they are to me. But, that's when I realized I don't post anything because there is not a lot in that pot right now.

Jay is fighting like the dickens to not nap anymore. So long as he's still in his crib, however, I think I will win this battle.

As for my battles with Andrew. Well, he is a fiesty foe. It seems we go toe to toe on every topic under the sun. And that we do so the entire time that we are in fact under the sun. From the minute we get up in the morning, we battle about breakfast, going potty, what we'll do today. And it just continues all day with little flare ups here and there until we are finally arguing about what I made for dinner, the need for a bath and the fact that it is bedtime.

I think this current cycle of behavior is normal. I'm not about to run out and read a bunch of self-help parenting books about 4 year-olds. Because really why would I spend any of my precious free time reading about what I'm living through. I really do think he is just testing limits and trying to find the boundaries for what is acceptable and what he can "get away with". And I realize that I must stay firm with our rules so that he can learn the boundaries and become a pleasant member of this household (community, society, blah blah blah). But, it is just so emotionally and physically draining to be this broken record.

Which brings me to the other battle...which I think may rage on through his teen years. He does not listen. I don't mean he disobeys. I mean he does not actively listen. And I got a glimpse of my future 16 year old. When I asked him to reapeat what I had just said. He said I can't. When I asked him why he wasn't listening. He said I didn't want to. At least he's still so very honest!

And since Jay is always striving to be just like Andrew, he is adopting a lot of the same body language and phrases that Andrew uses when he's upset. So, it feels like a I am battling Andrew and then a little Andrew at the same time!

On some of our harder days, I can't help but imagine what life might be like when they are older and don't need me as much as they currently do. And we won't have these specific battles. (I'm not so naive to think we won't still have arguments later.) Then, as a sign from the universe, from God, or whatever you choose to insert here, I will have a stranger tell me to enjoy this time because they grow up so fast.

So, I'm doing my best to enjoy this time. I'm doing my best to take it one day at a time. I'm doing my best to not look forward, not look back but just be in the present. Frankly put, I'm doing my best.

Daddy B-day

He's known by many descriptors ~ Son, Brother, Friend, Co-worker, Colleague, Manager. But around here he goes by Daddy:


or Husband:


Happy Birthday, Mark! We love you!!!

XOXO
Reen, Andrew & Jay