Snippets

*In Jonas' prayer tonight: "Thank you for Jesus...  and everyone else."

*I misheard Max the other day and thought he said, "The next step in growing up is owning a knife."
I was shocked Glenn's answer was "That's right." until they clarified that he had said something about how things are fun at night (he's been getting to stay up to watch the original Star Wars movies).


*Jonas thinks that graffiti is Chinese writing on the side of buildings. He also thinks homeless people are just camping :)...

*Ali lets me do her hair now and feels pretty- braids, buns, ponies, twists...  it kind of makes me really feel like a mom.

*The Lego store is pure bliss to Max.  I don't know that we'll ever have to go to Disneyland or Legoland again.

*The kids are in the dearest stage right now.  I hurt that they can't live like this forever.  They love each other and play the cutest games and take care of each other.  Do they really have to grow up to be teens?

*Glenn and I are going to do a 10K on May 18th!

*I have the sweetest Muslim friend across the street.  Just learned today that they celebrate Easter too!

*Ali is speaking in full sentences now.  She loves it.  Her personality is changing with it.  She'll be randomly dancing around and happy, or a bit more sassy.

*Today I was wearing a cute black hat that looks like it is from the 20's.  Ali kept following me around saying, "Mom, do magic?  Mom, do magic?" I finally realized she thought my hat was a magician's-- ha!


These pictures are from the Star Wars day at our Science Center last Sat.  It was the perfect way to cap off Max's Spring Break that we themed as our Star Wars week.

And...

Once Upon a Time there were two boys born on the same day, in the same hospital.  

They didn't meet, however, until they were 16 at a leadership conference... but they were destined to be the best of friends ever since.  Oh, and their names were Glenn and Joe.  

And they liked California... a lot.  

And they had an amazing day at Six Flags (12 rides in 6 1/2 hrs.), and in Hollywood, and The Disney Concert Hall, and Dreamworks,, attempting Jay Leno, and going to the pier.... And they didn't part until Glenn had to go back to work and Joe headed out to Jay Leno (and got a seat on the front row... which maybe made Glenn cry in his sleep that night).  

And Glenn's kids loved their Uncle Joe and especially his magical iPhone4... which Glenn's wife now begs to get.  

And then the fantastic friend hopped on a plane and went home to his very nice family who we want to see too.  

And we hope he (and his family next time) comes back very, very soon.

He dreams...

We have a dear friend who professionally trains company employees for better collaborative work.  As part of the training, they do personality tests and categorizing.  Normally, I am against that- we are all a rainbow of personality traits, I don't like boiling it down to two main traits.  However, I have learned a LOT about myself and others as we've discussed personalities.
He is winning me over on this one!

One of the main things I have learned is that I have a classic "dreamer" on my hands in Jonas.  This isn't a bad thing-- not at all.  As a matter of fact, I am immensely charmed by it (it has its downfalls... especially when you want to hurry, or need him to focus on boring things... but overall it is wonderful!).  I am not a dreamer, so I love that I am learning a little more about this fun way of thinking... and maybe I can adopt a little more of it myself, if I am lucky.

Jonas is constantly talking about his "strong gum", or "green power that is like soup" (shoots from his hands and makes things grow), his blue horse with a blue nose, or his ten blue dogs (yes, blue is his favorite).  He jumps around the house envisioning he is on 'Wipeout' (yeah, I think we know where he gets that dream...) to earn $13, or battling a dragon that shoots fire and water.  He's adorable.

Sometimes I wonder why some of us are built to dream like my little Jonas, and some of us are built to worry (like his mother).  Can we change how we inherently think?  I am so much like my grandmother who continued to worry about everyone under her wings to her dying day (which really has blessed us all, but was definitely a heavy thing for her to carry).  But her daughter, Aunt Ali, can let go of things out of her control with a shrug and be off to something more productive.  I don't want to be a worry-er.  But I guess I don't know how to NOT be a worry-er.  How do you shut off the same thing that motivates you to serve others, be reliable, clean the house, get paperwork and policies done, pay bills, avoid debt, and foresee problems- thus evading a lot of trouble?  But on the reverse side- I cross a million bridges we may never come to, just in an effort to be prepared.

Sometimes it is plain exhausting.

He gets so lost in thought in the bathroom... usually about the way things work: toilets and pipes, bones and muscles, etc

He and Ali are so cute together. She loves to run up and hug him. 

It is hard to tell from this angle, but Ali is getting close to Jonas' height.   I get asked a lot these days if they are twins.

I know a lot of people don't read this, especially since I keep this new blog address pretty quiet, but I really would love to know how you mellow your worry-er side.  Mine's gotten a LOT larger since having children-- and some days it drives me plain nuts.

And So It Begins...

I should probably mention at some point that Max has begun T-Ball.  A stage I have dreaded for years.  I'm just not an excited-to-sit-through-practice-and-games-while-corralling-a-2-and-4-year-old kinda gal.  But hey, this isn't about me (repeat to self. multiple times.). 

So, we should get on to Max, who this IS about!

Max plays for the Mets--  an awesome team, with an awesome coach.  

We love coach Richard (we're pretty sure we got the best coach).  

We love these cute little men (and one little lady!) on the team- and their devoted parents who tag along.  

Last week they had the opening ceremonies and their first game (no one knew what the score was at the end- I guess they don't even bother to count on the 1st grade T-Ball level!), but I am pretty sure we won (is it pathetic that I care?!).  Even more wonderful though-- my boy played!  He hit, he ran, he threw, he rounded home plate!  I was beaming.  Seeing these pics makes me beam all over again.  

Thanks for indulging me. 

*The first game was followed up by the whole team heading over to Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday party. The bonds are going to run deep with these boys.  T-ball, video games, prizes... what more could a kid want?

This is Jonas with his new dear friend, Emmett.  Emmett is the coach's son and also has to wait through practices and games...  he is my saving grace!  He has adopted Jonas and plays with and entertains him the whole time.  He is one of the sweetest 9-yr.-olds I have ever met.  

He doesn't know it yet, but Jonas is planning on adopting him.

I'm Prejudiced...

I know I am his mother.  I know that doesn't give me the most credence for being unbiased.  But, in my humble opinion, this little boy is brilliant.

Glenn has been on a chess kick and wanting a neat chess board.  Max heard about this and we suddenly realized a Lego chess board would be especially cool.  Our minds stopped on the idea there, but not Max's (who loves to play chess with his dad).

A couple of days later, Max presented this:

It took every red piece and lego man he had, but lo and behold-  this is a real working chess set.  We keep track of the Bishops because they are the ones with hats "Because bishops wear hats Mom".  The only two female pieces are the queens.  He is VERY specific about which pieces are the kings (one is the oldest, the other looks like Darth Vader). We keep track of pawns by raising their arms up. It actually makes for a really fun game! 

The kid is good.  He is so smart I forget to go easy on him when we play.  He keeps pointing out "Mom, whenever we play, you win.  Whenever I play with dad, I win."  This may be a subtle suggestion :).

Just life lately...

A few moments of late:

* Max randomly decided he had a goal of doing 500 push-ups this morning.  So he did them.   Then he made his own lunch and snack, got himself dressed, combed his hair, and brushed his teeth without anyone asking.  Where did I get this little man?

*I learned a warm blanket from the dryer might be the trick to actually getting Jonas to really go to sleep for nap time (well, and bribing him with M&M's for his new gumball machine might have helped too)...

*Two days ago our lovely friend was over right before Valentine's Day.  As she tucked the kids in bed, she said "Kids, I want you to pray for Aunt Sara to find a husband." :)...

A moment later, Max popped up and said "You're lucky you asked me because I have very good prayers!"


*I totally lost track of time today and missed Max's school  pick-up time by 15 minutes (a first)!  I felt awful as I ran up to get him from the office.  His first words were: "Mom, I was freezing!"

Hot chocolate was only a natural part of my penance on that one.  We all gathered around the table with hot chocolate, whip cream, and marshmallows sipping happily.  Sometimes I wonder why we don't do that everyday.

*I have a mean canker that hurts like the devil when I eat chocolate.  This may be an answer to my prayer for help to get some self-control on my love for chocolate!

*Last week Jonas was very sick in bed and I stayed with him to sing him songs and tell him stories. After a while, Jonas decided it was time for him to tell me some stories.  He told me the story of how I got him.  This is it:

In heaven there was a race, and I drove a purple car in the race.  There were loops and a very high jump (I didn't look down).  I won the race and Jesus told me I could pick anyone I wanted.  I pointed up in the sky at Jonas and said, "I want that one.  I want that perfect boy."   And I was so, so happy because I wanted him so, so much.

Completely epic.  I buy it.

Lovin' it!

For years, I have wanted to hang some of Glenn's art on our walls.  He never felt like there was the right piece to put up, but this year I started the real begging.  It was #1 on my Christmas list.  I left a spot on our wall in the living room to hang not one, but two pieces of his work :).  I poked.  I proded.
I practically cried when he'd work on any other project.

So, when Valentine's Day came and I got this beauty, I think you know exactly how I felt!  What fun to be married to an artist with such a sweet heart.  Glenn, I'm one lucky gal.