Pumpkin Face

Tonight we carved a pumpkin for the first time in years. This year was so much fun going to the pumpkin patch and picking our perfect pumpkin, but as Halloween was quickly approaching I feared it would be another year that our little orange friend remained faceless. Neil did all the heavy scooping while Tristan flung strings of pumpkin goo in Cooper's face, and Cooper ate as much as he could (which could be really gross in the middle of the night tonight). We had to call it quits when T started to slip in the goo and he went off to the bath while I mopped the floor. As I type, Neil in true great dad fashion is carving the face of Mickey Mouse in our pumpkin while Tristan is fast asleep. I can't wait for him to see it in the morning!

Table For One

I had a lovely date with myself tonight. I went to the movies and saw a comedy that was not funny and a bit blasphemous. I followed that up with a nice dinner of salad and wine at CPK paired a good book (The Shack). Somewhere in the middle of dinner, I was so into my book that I tuned everything else out. When I "came to" for a drink of wine, I noticed that it was quiet in my corner of the restaurant. I thought everyone had left while I was in my own world, but actually the tables had all turned over. I was surrounded by people who probably looked at me and felt bad for me that I was by myself. There were people from all stages in life: a family of five, a mother and teenage daughter, and a couple in thier fifties. They did all have one thing in common... nobody was talking. I waited a few minutes to see if I had just caught them in a lull, but I hadn't. The silence at my table was the only comfortable one in the place. I made a little vow in my head to try to enjoy my times with my family as we grow. I hope we laugh and talk more than we sit and stare.

Pablo Conway- Rose Period

I took Tristan to his first art class today. I went with high hopes of bringing home a Rothko-like painting for my wall. Maybe I set the bar a little high, but I still LOVED watching him go!! The first activity was a class mural and T did really well. This was the first time he ever painted with a brush and when I dipped it in the paint and showed him how to drag it on the paper you could see the excitement start brewing! The picture of the painting is the section where he painted. He didn't paint the orange or pink, but the rest of it was all him. He was SO proud of himself. After story and snack there was another project to do. The kids were to make a ladybug out of different pieces. I let T do most of the work himself as I fetched him the pieces. He was happy and I was impressed. As we were leaving the room I saw, to my surprise, these PERFECT ladybugs being carried out. All the spots evenly spaced and beautiful antennas right on the top of the head. Two things came to mind:

1- I'm proud to have a son who does art in the style of Picasso and not Thomas Kinkade
2- These are all the moms that will be up until 2am doing science projects in 10 years

I was glad that I was there to see the sparkle in his eyes when he first dragged that brush across the paper, and I can't wait to see all the beautiful colors in his future!!

DON'T "say cheese"

Last weekend we did a little family photo shoot with a wonderful photographer, Morgan Trinker. There were no sqeaky toys, fake backdrops, or crying babies in the neighboring cubical. It was fun, easy, and totally relaxed. Because it was so smooth and we just hung out while she took photos with little direction, I had no idea how they would turn out. Well, I got the photos today and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about them! I am beyond happy that we have captured how happy we are right now with our lives in these photos that we will have forever. I am truly blessed and I can't wait to see what life has coming our way! I think we will see more family pictures by Morgan in the future... she is SO talented and I am blown away!! I just wish she didn't live in Salt Lake City...

Come on Moms... give me a smile!!

Today at group therapy, I mean MOPS, I didn't say what I wanted to. I actually didn't say much at all, so I thought I would say it here. It was one big "woe is me" fest that I did not quite know how to participate in even if I had wanted to. I looked at these moms who had children young and old and they were still hung up on the disappointment that came with the birth and beginning of their relationship with their kids. I just want my kids to know that I like being a mom and not just a mom but their mom, well, just Tristan so far.

I thought I would hear horrible birth stories where mothers and/or babies almost died, but what I actually heard were stories not unlike my own. My one experience so far was scary and went not as planned. It was hard, I could not push hard enough or long enough to get Tristan out so they had to assist. Instead of being sad and feeling like a failure, I choose to look at it a different way. This was the first of MANY times in Tristan's life that God will tell me, "it's not always about you... this is between Tristan and I, and I know what is best." I'm thankful that I get to be a part of my kids life and that I have been entrusted to guide them for the first part of their life. I wanted to speak up today and say, "I love being a mom! It's hard, but did any of us really think it was going to be easy? It's going to go fast, so laugh a little more." I didn't say any of that because, well, I just didn't. I think the only people that need to know that I am/was happy are my kids!!!

Surprise!

These days I try to multi task as much as possible, but sometimes that backfires on me. Yesterday, I put Sesame Street on and went to get in the shower. I closed my eyes to shampoo and rinse my hair, and when I opened them again Tristan had ever so quietly climbed into the tub, the little monkey! I was really surprised! Fully clothed, he looked up at me and started laughing thinking he was the funniest thing, which of course he was. He walked closer to the water and put his head down for me to wash his hair. I didn't, but I did let him play in the water for a bit... why not, he was already wet. I guess I will have to shower during nap time from now on.

Sharing

Tristan shared for the first time today! There was a shy little boy at Gymboree that wanted to help T and I throw balls into a big bucket but just could not pull himself away from his mom. I would hold a ball out for him and he would come over to quickly throw it in the bucket and run back to his mom. Well, Tristan must have been watching because after a few times, Tristan picked up a ball and took it over and handed it to Julian. He did this three times...it was SO CUTE! I must have looked like an idiot praising him like crazy with the hopes that this sharing thing would stick. Good job, Tristan!

Did you want something?

I taught Tristan to sign words to me and then I forgot to watch. I was in Starbucks picking up a coffee today and T was in his stroller.
The woman behind the counter said, "what does that mean?"
Me: "oh, that means please. He knows a few words- help, please, eat, all done."
Starbucks lady: "and what is that?"
Me: "Sometimes he puts a few together. That's Eat please, but you don't really want to eat do you?" And then I turned around to get my coffee.
Starbucks Lady: "I think he might want a banana"
As a look and now actually pay attention to my son, he is practically jumping out of his stroller pointing and staring down the bananas on the counter while continuously signing 'eat please, eat please, eat please!'
Thank you Starbucks lady for helping me be a better mom...

Sick Day

Tristan is in heaven today during my misery. I woke up this morning with a stomach bug and have the energy to do NOTHING. So far we have shared a bowl of pretzels and a box of Mac and Cheese. If Tristan doesn't take a nap soon I fear he might go into a tv coma from the amount of Sesame Street and Little Einsteins we have watched today. I am so glad T got a new toy last night, a toy dinosaur you put balls in and it lights up and goes through tunnels and stuff, it is keeping him amused for a long time. He must know something is up because every so often he will stop what he is doing and come give me a hug. What a sweet boy!

Lions, and tigers, and doggies? Oh my...

Tristan and I went to the zoo today with our friends Kendra and Blake. We decided instead of seeing as many animals as possible, we would put the boys down and let them see what they could see. Our motto, "if we only see 4 animals it was still a good day." Well, we saw 5 so it was a GREAT day! Tristan would walk up to where the animals were and just stand there looking around. You could tell the instant he saw the animals because he would gasp, point, and yell, "doggie, doggie!" Yes, today we saw 5 "doggies" in the forms of buffalo, elephants, monkeys, penguins, and leopards. We stood at the elephant doggies for a while and made thier noise and used our arms for trunks. He did not really like the Merry-Go-Round, but loved the train. He even learned to pump his arm and say "Choo Choo", well kind of. It actually sounds more like Ta Ta, but I'll take it!