3 Years-Old

Dear Liam,

You turned 3 a few days ago! Happy 3rd birthday!  I cannot believe you are three!  When I look back on the last three years it feels like a whirlwind of love and awe.  At times it seems that I can barely remember life before you, which is okay because that life feels very insignificant to me.  You certainly gave my life greater meaning and a greater purpose.

Two was quite a year for you as you grew into your own little person.  You are now talking in full sentences and saying the funniest things.  I just love that you now tell me stories and can respond when I ask you about your day. 

You transitioned to a toddler bed when you were around 2 and 1/2 years old.  Your dad and I were worried, but the transition went fairly smoothly.  Although we did have to put a special handle on your door to lock you in your room so you will stay in there at bedtime!  We have a sweet little bedtime ritual, and it's one of my favorite times of the day.  After you get in your jammies and brush your teeth, we read a few books and then you and me, or you and your daddy, or sometimes all three of us snuggle and sing songs.  We always sing the same special songs, Bid You Goodnight, Linger, You Are My Sunshine, and Down To the River to Pray.  I just love that you still like to snuggle and rest your head on my shoulder at bedtime.  I love the way your soft curls feel against my cheek and your little arms wrapped around me.  I treasure those moments because I know they will not last forever. 

You still have your binky but only when it's time to sleep.  Somewhere along the way, last fall, you started needing two binkies to go to sleep!  You suck on one and then use the other to rub your cheek.  Now that you are three, someday soon the binky fairy will come visit you to take the binkies away.

You still go to Leenie's two days a week.  You love to go there and see your friends.  Annie is your best friend but you also like Skyler and Charlie.  It's so fun to see how much you enjoy being around other children.  You also love your friend Cecelia.   The two of you have so much fun when we go and see music.  You had a blast together at the Romp Bluegrass Festival. 

You are really into superheroes these days.  Spiderman is your favorite, but you also really like Iron Man and the Hulk.  You are kind of fascinated by the Hulk but aren't quite sure about him because he looks scary!  You have a superhero Look and Find book that you have spent hours studying.  You really enjoy looking at all of those pictures.  You have recently started doing imaginative play, and you can sometimes be heard talking to Spiderman and the Hulk, which is pretty funny.  You also like the Star Wars characters and love to play with your Darth Tater.  When we go to the library, you always look for the Star Wars books.

You enjoy doing art projects and love to paint.  You usually start out using paint brushes but then end up finger painting.  I think you just like making a mess! You still really enjoy playing music too.  In fact, you love it when your daddy plays guitar with you.

You really enjoy doing puzzles and get great satisfaction when you figure one out all by yourself. You are obsessed with trucks of all kinds and anytime we drive by a construction site, you name all of the trucks that you see.  You got to drive an excavator with daddy in May when we were fixing the sewer line and you thought that was the coolest thing ever!

You love to be outside.  In fact, I try to get you outside every day because you have so much energy.  On days when I don't work, we often go hiking.  You are a pretty good little hiker and love to explore.  One of your favorite things is to throw rocks in the creek.  You could spend hours throwing those rocks!  You also really enjoy the park and love to climb and swing.  In fact, you are fearless when it comes to playground equipment and when we are at home we have to tell you not to climb on the furniture so you resort to climbing on mommy and daddy instead.   

We went swimming a lot this summer.  You are a good little swimmer, especially with your puddle jumpers.  You love it so much that every time we leave the pool, you cry and ask to go back.

One of my favorite things to do is to watch you and your daddy play.  You just love your daddy and watching the two of you is the sweetest thing.  When your dad gets home from work, you yell his name and go running to him.  You can often be heard asking him "Daddy, you want to play with me?"  He is definitely your buddy and you want to be just like him.  If he's doing a project around the house, you are right next to him, mimicking his every move.  You love your tools because they are just like daddy's!

On your birthday, we had a special day with just our little family.  Your dad and I took you to the children's garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden for the morning.  You love it there!  We also ate ice cream cake and you opened your presents.  You got a big boy bow and arrow set, so your daddy taught you how to shoot it.  That evening, we ate pizza and then went to see some music at a park with our friends.

Whenever we get in the car, I always turn and look at you and tell you that you are my buddy.  In response, you say, "Mommy, you're my girl!"  The way you say it warms my heart and gives me the biggest smile.

You have started to test us some, and every so often you throw a little tantrum.  When you are mad or upset you stick out your lower lip and get the most pathetic look on your face.  It's heartbreaking but also super cute at the same time.

You really like Dylan, and like to snuggle up to him on the floor.  He's an old dog, but he's very patient with you and enjoys your affection.

This is definitely a magical stage that we are in.  I love watching you and listening to you talk. You are such a sweet little person. You have the sweetest smile, and I just love it when you break into a little grin.

You definitely light up my world in so many miraculous ways.  I am so blessed that I get to be your mommy.

Happy birthday Liam!  I can't wait to see what kind of magic 3 brings!

Mini-Me

One of my favorite things in the world is watching Liam with his daddy.  He LOVES his daddy.  You can tell that he wants to be just like Andrew, and it is the sweetest thing.  I call him Andrew's "mini-me." When Andrew gets home from a long day at work, Liam yells his name and goes running into his arms.  A frequent phrase in our house is, "Daddy, you want to play with me?"  or "Daddy, you see this?"  

It's darling.  What these two have is so special, and I look forward to seeing how their relationship evolves over the years.

Fixing their chainsaws

Just like Daddy!

All boy

Happy Father's day Andrew!  Thank you for all that you do for us!  Most of all, thank you for being such a wonderful daddy and role model for this little guy.

We love you!

xoxo

Quiet

I've been pretty quiet in this space.  Our lives have been packed full recently.  I have also been in the midst of a big writing push, and I'm happy to say that I sent a large chunk of my dissertation to my advisor on Friday.  The writing is extremely gratifying but also exhausting, and I'm finding it a struggle to motivate myself to write more on this blog.

That's okay.  I'm in a place of acceptance, and I know that this is just a season, one that will soon pass.  If I'm a bit quiet during this time, it's quite alright.  I can fully return when my final chapter is signed, sealed, and delivered~!

In the meantime, here's a glimpse into our lives lately:

• We had a lovely Mother's day weekend.  My boys spoiled me a bit with the most wonderful breakfast.  I had told Andrew that all I wanted was to go on a wildflower hike, and we found the most beautiful, tucked away spot.  The flowers were AAAAAMAZING!  My expectations were completely blown away.  I'm still cataloguing them, but we saw at least 15 different kinds.  Below is a collage of some of them.  I'm pretty sure this hike is destined to become a spring tradition!

• I also got this Shark vacuum for Mother's day, and I'm thrilled.  It's ridiculous how well this thing cleans.  I could not believe what it pulled from my sofa and rugs on the first round.  I had to empty the canister three times, which is scary considering that I'm a clean freak!  It was strangely gross and satisfying at the same time.  I did tons of research and this one had excellent reviews.  Many of the reviews said that it was better than a Dyson.  Dyson's have always intrigued me, but I just can't justify that price.  If I'm going to spend that much $$$ on a vacuum, it should vacuum for me!  

• In my last posts, I referred to our sewer project.  Well...that project turned into a bit of a nightmare.  Here's a picture of our front yard after stage 1.  Stage 2 then required that we bust open our concrete floor in our basement and dig a trench.  So...we are in the midst of repairing our finished basement.  The whole ordeal was one expensive fiasco, but unfortunately, a necessary one.  I'm actually looking forward to having our basement updated a bit. I'm also hoping that this all pays off when it comes time to sell our house!  Needless to say, we also have some landscaping to do....

I had to drink a margarita after this....

• Andrew and I celebrated our 4th anniversary last week.  We've made it a tradition to stick to the traditional wedding gifts, which keeps it interesting.  This year's gift was flowers and fruit.  Andrew gave me this most beautiful bouquet of fragrant flowers.  It smells divine!  He also surprised me with this glass pane with pressed flowers in it! I was having a hard time getting a good picture of it because of the glare, but it's just beautiful!   I made him a batch of chocolate covered fruit :-)

• Our Memorial Day turned into a bit of a bust because our little guy was sick with some kind of virus.  The poor thing.  I swear there isn't anything worse than seeing your child not feeling well.  On the upside, we got lots of rest and our basement is nearing completion.  
• I'm loving these warm days that I get to spend with this little guy.  We have been maximizing our time outside and loving every minute of it!

xoxo

Easter

My Easter post is coming a little late, but that's how I roll these days!  

We spent the weekend at my mom and dad's house.   It was the best weather we've had all spring so we spent much of it outside.

This was Liam's first year really hunting Easter eggs, and he was pretty excited about it. 

I just love how my boys have matching sleepy faces in this picture.    

My parents got Liam these Superman pajamas, which he thinks are so cool.  They have a little cape that attaches with velcro.  When he wears them, he pretends to fly, and let me tell you, I don't think it gets much better than watching your two year-old son pretend to fly!  Pure awesome.

Here he is ready to go on the hunt.

He was pretty proud of himself each time he found one.

See the cape?  You can also see that the Easter Bunny kept his hiding pretty simple this year. 

After he hunted for his eggs, he got to come inside and open his presents.  He had picked out this excavator at the store, and we wrote the Easter Bunny a letter telling him about it.  Liam was really excited when he opened it. 

I feel so very blessed to get to experience the world alongside this little guy.  He brings us so. much. joy.  And truly makes every holiday so much sweeter!

xoxo

Time Warp

Recently, I feel like I'm in a time warp.  I'm so sick and tired of winter and ready for spring, but at the same time, I'm clinging to the days, quietly willing time to slow down.  

I didn't realize the influence this dissertation would have on my perception of time.  I've got a pretty rigorous writing schedule in place, and I'm finding that my days are flying by.  It's okay.  I know that this is how it has to be.  But a life "pause" button would be pretty awesome right now.  

The good news is that I'm making progress.  The bad news is that, aside from being a wife and mom, all I really do is think about my dissertation.  It's super nerdy and strange to constantly be drafting sentences in your head....to lay awake at night theorizing and thinking about data.  Everyone says it becomes a love/hate relationship, and I'm beginning to see why.

In any case, I'm approaching this from a place of acceptance.  If I'm going to reach this goal then I need to dedicate myself to it.  And if that means several boring, isolated months, then so be it.  

I've also accepted that it means 2014 will likely be a light blogging year.  I'm finding that my desire to blog is significantly less now that I'm immersed in academic writing.  I will definitely continue to blog, but my posts are already proving to be less frequent.

It's okay though.  I can return more fully to this space in several months when I come out on the other side.

In the meantime, I'll do what I can.

Acceptance and faith.  That's where I'm at right now.  

And when I'm not "dissertating".  I'm trying to soak up every bit of time with my little family. My boys.  They truly are the lights of my life.  

And this little guy is my anchor to the present.  When I'm with him, time stands still.  He gives me the gift of the moment...reinforcing for me, that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. 

Four Gifts for Christmas

Last year, during the holidays I was reading this blog post and was very inspired by the "Four Gifts" idea.

I told Andrew about it, and we agreed that we would adopt this approach to giving Christmas gifts to Liam.  

Let's face it.  We live in a world that is consumed by "stuff".  As a parent, I think it would be very easy to fall into the trap of over-buying for your children.  I'm grateful that I came upon this idea when Liam was only a year old so we can organically make this our way, without having to get him on board. 

Here's the idea:

Source

Instead of giving an overabundance of presents, the child receives four meaningful gifts:

Something he or she wants
Something to wear
Something he or she needs
Something to read

I really love this idea.  I love the simplicity.  I love the focus on making the gifts meaningful. I love that it will teach Liam to be grateful for the gifts he receives.

I will say this isn't easy for me, because I love to give gifts.  An unexpected surprise, however, is that it has made me more intentional in what gifts I choose for him.  Rather than just buying because I think he's going to like it, I find myself being much more selective.

As he gets older, I would like to incorporate these four actions into the mix as well:

Source

My hope is that by starting these traditions, Liam will grow up understanding the true spirit of Christmas, which isn't about receiving but about giving.

I Love Everything About This

My cousin recently shared this video on Facebook, and I can't get enough of it.

When I was a freshman in college, I was struggling in my biology class.  I went to see my professor (a very old man), and he basically told me that I shouldn't be studying science because I wasn't smart enough.  I will never forget how disheartened I felt after that conversation, and sadly, I let his words influence my beliefs in my own ability.  After that, I had continuous doubts and rarely felt confident in any of my science classes.

I also have some real concerns about the messages that girls are getting these days as they grow up in a society that is obsessed with physical beauty and photo shopped perfection.  Our girls are constantly being sent the message that their value lies in how they look.  Wouldn't it be nice if, instead, we started sending them more messages about how important it is to be smart?!

This video does just that, and it resonates with me in so many ways.  As a female science teacher, I love everything about it.  This is exactly the kind of message we should be promoting.

I know what I'll be buying for some special little girls this holiday season! 

Enjoy!  

(note: I have no affiliations with this company.  I just love what they are doing!)

Jammin

In my last post, I showed a picture of Liam playing the guitar with my friend Dave.

The band Liam is playing with is called Jake's Leg.  They are a Grateful Dead tribute band, and I've been going to see them for years.  Their fans are a tight knit group, and I count many of them as close friends.  I even met my husband while out hearing them play! Needless to say, I'm a big fan.

They play a few times a year at one of the wineries outside of the city.  We usually try to go because it's a beautiful setting and outdoor shows mean we can take Liam.  The last time they played, Liam joined my friend Ryan in playing the drums.

This time, he brought his guitar along and joined Dave on stage.  

I must say, this makes me one proud mama.  I also just love how the band is so welcoming to our little guy.  They love him and just let him do his thing!

I'm pretty sure he's a little rock star in the making....

Enjoy!

Haircut

Things have been busy around here.  I've been caught up in a whirlwind of PhD paperwork...I feel like I've been doing nothing but jumping through hoops.  But alas, the paperwork is submitted and the hoop jumping is over for now (I hope!). 

Last week, however, was a big weekend in our household.  Mr. Liam got his first haircut!  It's taken me a long time to warm up to the idea, but I finally caved.  I loved his sweet baby curls so much.  Once our warm, humid days were over though, the baby curls were starting to look a little mullet-ish, all business up front with a party in the back!  So, for the sake of my son not looking like Billy Ray Cyrus, I decided it was time.

We went to Great Clips where my husband gets his hair cut, and we requested his favorite stylist.  I must say, the entire experience was much easier and smoother than I had imagined.  I had no idea how my two year-old would act once he was in that chair....these days he can be a bit of a wild card.  

I should never have doubted him though.  He was a perfect angel.  And Rhonda, the woman who cut his hair, was wonderful.  She was very sweet and patient and gentle with our boy.

Here he is ready to go!

One last look at those baby curls.

He was pretty fascinated during the cutting process and kept a close eye on what was happening.

And afterwards, he got a sucker as a reward.  He was pretty pleased with himself. 

He's so very sweet. And now he looks like such a little boy.

And much to my delight, some of the baby curls are still there.  You can't really see it in this picture, but he's still got some curls on top.  He's so precious and I just love him so.  I really try to cherish each of these special moments because I know how very fast it all goes.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

Terrific Twos

As most of you know, Liam turned two a few weeks ago.  I know that we aren't very far into the "twos" but, I must say, two isn't so bad!  In fact, there are times when two is delightful.  

Yes, we have our moments.  Moments when he's laying on the floor kicking his feet and screaming.  Moments when he throws his milk across the room and flings his food across the table.  In those moments, I'm very aware that he is testing me.  Trying to see how I'm going to respond and if a boundary is going to be set.  After spending years in the classroom, I know just how important those boundaries are.  I also know how important consistency is.  There are times when I have to force myself to follow through on things, but I know that if I don't, I'm going to be negating my own authority.  

Despite those challenging moments, we are having a lot of fun.  I just love how his little personality is coming to life.  I also love that he is learning new words every day and is now putting sentences together.  I love that he can tell me what he wants.  I love that he says "please" and "thank you".  I love how he jumps around and plays air guitar.  I also love how he laughs and sings songs.

At times, his energy level is exhausting.  But it's also really fun to watch.  He wakes up with so much joy every day and is so excited as he discovers the world around him.

So, when it comes to the twos, I'm choosing to focus on the good.  And so far, two is good.  Really good!

Here are some pics from the three different birthday celebrations!  

Driving Grandpa's tractor

First session of presents

Making a wish

Who wants cake?

Grandpa and Grandma

Oh boy!

A chainsaw...just like daddy's!

He was so excited his little legs were shaking!

Another party with Grandpa and Grandma

Fun with "Boppaw"

Here's to the terrific twos!

xoxo