Everyone Deserves a {Naked} Day

After our week long vacation in Washington, we've been slowly trying to get back on East Coast time. We've had some lazy days, waking up at 10 or 11, lounging around and swimming in the kiddie pool out back (no thanks to this crazy heat wave we've been having. Oh, how I miss Spokane weather!). And lately, Will has been so obsessed with "be naked", wanting to wear nothing but his b-day suit. So, after our jaunt in the kiddie pool, when Will requested to "be naked" to eat lunch, I thought, "Why not?" I mean, his window of opportunities to prance around naked are quickly coming to a close, right? So, he may as well enjoy it now because what better way is there really to eat lunch than this:

And, when I finally at least diapered him and he tried to escape to the outdoors in nothing but his dog boots, I insisted that he put some clothes back on. His naked day was over.

Fathers & Sons' Camp Out (a.k.a. Jessy's Day Off)

Will and Josh's first fathers and sons' camp out. Sure, they had a good time--eating s'mores, playing by/with the fire, sleeping in a "camping bed" (as Will called it) and eating a yummy campfire breakfast of "pankicks". Sure, Josh was in heaven, snuggling with Will in the tent all night (Will's first time not sleeping in a crib, by the way, and he did just fine). Sure, Will still talks about sleeping in the "camping bed." But really, what it was all about was what I got to do (because, let's be honest, this is my blog and isn't it always all about me?). I got to go for a nice long bike ride, without rushing back home. I got to CLEAN all the floors, with no one spilling or messing up around me. I got to take a nice long, hot shower. I got to watch a non-Hollywood action thriller (BBC's Bleak House. Slow but wonderful. Josh could have never stomached it). I got to go to bed nice and early. I got to SLEEP IN. I got to go on a nice loooooooong run. (Of course, I did lock myself out of the house after my run, but luckily Josh and Will were on their way home). I say: let's have a fathers and sons' camp out every weekend. I know I could sure use the break.

My cute boys.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Here is the babe himself, lining up all his bikes. And below, he lines up all his cars. He is obsessed with lining everything up. He always comes and gets me to show me how proud he is of his accomplishments.

I just wanted to record a few of the crazy things Will has said of late before I forget them:

• He was holding my cell phone, "talking" to his cousin Beth when he dropped the phone. I heard a loud crash and then Will's response, "Oh, curse me!"
• Josh, Will and I were all cuddling on our bed, Will playing with all his cars. Will fluffed and Josh asked him, "Did you fluff?" to which Will replied, "No. Blue car fluff." Right, Will. The blue car fluffed.
• I was upstairs, using the restroom, when Will came crashing through the door. He looked at me, saw I was using the toilet and then asked, "Where's your book, Mama?"
• We try to encourage Will not to throw toys, only to throw balls. It must be something we tell him often because one day when I was cleaning the kitchen, I threw some spilled food into the sink. Will looked at me, pointed his finger and said, "No throw food, Mama. Only throw balls."
• Will looooves to play cars, especially on Mamadada bed for some reason. Our bed is a pillow-top so it is high off the ground, which makes it difficult for Will to get on. One time when Will was trying to climb onto Mamadada bed, he slipped and fell. All of a sudden I heard an, "Oh, Mensch!" from Will's direction. Apparently, he got this expression from his German-speaking father who often says this (it means "oh man!" in German).
• Will likes to put his cars down for a nap. He lays them on their side, puts a blankey over them, sings them a song (usually "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"), and rubs their backs. Then he uncovers the blanket, picks them all up and says, "Good nap. Good nap."
• One time when I got Will up from his nap, I asked if he had a good nap. He quickly replied, "Sure did, Mama. Sure did." It was too funny.
  

I'm sure there are more things, but this is all I can remember for now. Every day is entertaining, living with a chatty two-year-old.

Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?

Yup. Sure did. What did I do, you wonder? Why, I sewed 1.5 baby wrist rattles in twice as many hours (and let's not focus on the fact that all the charitable people around me made about twelve hundred rattles in the same amount of time). And now I feel I must pose the question that was running through my mind as I sat there, fingers bleeding, sewing those blasted wrist rattles: why, oh why, does every service project entail sewing? I will gladly clean your house, watch your kids, pull your weeds, mow your lawn but please, please, don't make me sew anything. ever. again (sorry, Mrs. Strangburg, my 9th grade home-ec teacher; I have failed you). At least I will sleep better tonight, knowing that I have, in fact, done some good in the world today. Because I am sure, certain, that my 1.5 barely-recognizable wrist rattles make the world a better place.

El Dia de los Madres

{Note: Since I took enough Spanish classes in college to be fluent in the language, I feel justified in entitling this post in said language. Mind you, the only reason I passed these classes (not only passed but received top marks) is thanks to my Uruguayan teacher's assistant who just happened to teach all my classes and who also just happened to take a liking to me; thus, in all my oral exams she asked me the exact same questions (all about mi esposo). Thanks to her, I didn't learn much Spanish but I did gain a love for Shakira and let's be honest--how much Spanish do I use in my every day life? Nada. But how much Skakira do I use? Muchos. That's right, "The Hips Don't Lie" is a vital part of my daily life}.

On this day of the mothers, I try not to get overly sentimental. Instead of focusing too much on all the "what ifs" (what if I were a better mother, what if I could just get pregnant again, what if I NEVER get pregnant again, etc., etc.), I choose to focus on the important stuff: breakfast in bed, fresh flowers, long afternoon naps, and homemade dinner. That said, don't think for a second that I'm not grateful that I get to spend every day with this rugrat:

Don't think that I don't love every hug given, every laugh bellowed, every nose kiss received, every song sang, every "wuv you, mamas" offered. I daily recognize that I'm living the good life, spending every day doing what I love most. And while it could be easy to focus too much on all the "what ifs", I choose to focus on the "what I've got". Because what I've got is good. Really good. Will and his mama; Mother's Day 2010

Here he's giving me "eye kisses" (butterfly kisses).

And here he's giving me "no'e kisses" (Eskimo kisses).

Palmyra Pilgrimage

Every year, in the spring, we trek to Palmyra, to revisit the place where it all began--in a grove of trees. Every year, we visit the temple, walk through the grove, see the hill. And every year, I remember why, why I go, why I believe, why I do what I do. Because a boy prayed, in a grove of trees, early one morning in the spring.

This year our pilgrimage wasn't quite as magical as in years past. Will wouldn't sleep in the porta crib {or anywhere else}, I didn't sleep when he didn't, the humidity was rampant, the BUGS were out, Will was a tad crabby from the lack of sleep, I was a tad crabby from the lack of sleep and our favorite sandwich shop was closed. Even still, we met Jane there. We went to the temple. We walked through the grove. And my testimony was fortified.

Did you hear that Palmyra adds ten pounds? I guess so. I'm figurin' it's time to do some bicep curls.
Wouldn't it be fun to be as beautiful as Jane? {Don't worry, I'm not jealous.}
That cute Will.
I love this shot of him. What a ham!

How to Have a Great {31st} Birthday

1. Wake up at the crack of dawn so that you can beat the crowd at the DMV (nothing like putting off your driver's license renewal until the very last minute).
2. Half hour after that wake-up time, greet your child in the hallway, a child who has previously never met you in the hallway in the morning. Yes, that very child, on your special day, has learned how to climb out of his crib, altering life as you know it. Happy B-day, Mama.
3. Arrive at the DMV at 7:57 a.m. Attain the coveted #1 spot and quickly exit with a shiny new driver's license (unfortunately, also exit with a much lighter wallet. $65 are you kidding me!?).
4. Go grocery shopping at Walmart. (I don't know about you, but Walmart is always on my list of fun things to do on my birthday)
5. Drive to grocery store #2 since the aforementioned Walmart didn't have everything you needed.
6. Pay an exorbitant amount of money at grocery store #2 and suddenly appreciate the value that is Walmart (with the good comes the bad, right?)
7. Change your first (and let's hope only) major toddler blow-out (and I mean BLOW-OUT), complete with giving said toddler a bath.
8. Babysit two neighbor children, leaving you to care for three children under the age of three.
9. For first half hour, think to yourself, "I could totally do this--having three kids 18 months apart isn't so bad."
10. For the next two and a half hours, think to yourself, "AHHHHHHHH! Why would anyone do this?"
11. Rock crying 8-month-baby girl until she finally falls asleep. Read your own child a story and get him in his crib for his afternoon nap.
12. Once again, greet your child in the hallway, accompanied by squeals of delight at his proud accomplishment.
13. For the next hour, continually be greeted by child in hallway. After that, just give up, lock your child in his room for 1/2 hour, only to hear him playing choo-choos and cars.
14. Once your hubby comes home, go on a much-needed bike ride.
15. On that bike ride, get chased by a dog, stared-down by a cow and followed by a chicken.
16. Come home to a newly fashioned crib for your child (holes drilled lower to move the mattress down), a clean house, a sleeping child and a scrumptious homemade dinner. (It was a long bike ride).

Happy Birthday to me. At least I got I greeted by a b-day video from this guy: (Josh had this video waiting for me on the computer when I woke up. Very sweet). And at least every year I insist on having a birthweek. So, here's to more, and hopefully better, celebrating! {Friday is when I plan on having my b-day re-do since Josh has this Friday off}. Enjoy this little gem of Will singing "Mama Mia!" and wishing me a Happy B-day!