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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Golden Sky Blogfest
I am posting this blog for The Crazy Life Of A Writing Mom's The Golden Sky blogfest. I am excited to take part in this blogfest as I've gotten to know EH through her posts. They are both funny and entertaining and I truly enjoy her outlook. When I learned that she was hosting a blogfest in honor of her book release, about the death of her young son, I couldn't help but join in. Her son, Zeke would have been nine years old today. Through bits and pieces that I've read on her site, as well as reviews, it looks to be a very inspiring book. I look forward to reading it.
I have been blessed in life, thus far, when it comes to the topic of losing a loved one. I have yet to lose anyone truly close to me. I have watched three grandparents pass through out my childhood and young adult years but it was somewhat expected or in my grandfather's case, when I was two or three, unclear to me what exactly was going on.
I was never very close with my grandparents, they were not very healthy, and when they passed I grieved more for my mother than I truly did for myself. It's not that I didn't love my grandparents but it just didn't hit me the same way it would have perhaps if it had been my own father or mother passing.
I can say though that I have occasionally grieved for the fact that I never met one of my grandparents. I will never know my father's mother, what she looked like, sounded like, what she liked to do. I only have a few pictures and a random story or two to base her off of. And even through I've never met her she is just as much a part of my life as any other family member. If there was never a her, there would never have been me... and so on.
I think what makes me sad in my mind when I think of her is that I often consider that maybe I was like her. I am very much like my father, perhaps he was like her too. I think I also morn for my father when I think of her because I can't imagine being a young college student and losing your mother. You expect your parents to see you start a career and nurture your own family. I was not the closest with my parents growing up but if the security of my parents was taken away from me I would have struggled to carry on, like a house that loses it's foundation, I would surly topple over.
I have also been by the side of a friend or two who have lost someone very close, a boyfriend or a parent. I just couldn't grasp it but hoped that I was bringing them some comfort as I sat by their side and listened.
There is a lesson here for me though. To value each day because life is unpredictable, it throws us a lot of bumps and curves, each moment is precious.
You can find out more here :The Golden Sky
I have been blessed in life, thus far, when it comes to the topic of losing a loved one. I have yet to lose anyone truly close to me. I have watched three grandparents pass through out my childhood and young adult years but it was somewhat expected or in my grandfather's case, when I was two or three, unclear to me what exactly was going on.
I was never very close with my grandparents, they were not very healthy, and when they passed I grieved more for my mother than I truly did for myself. It's not that I didn't love my grandparents but it just didn't hit me the same way it would have perhaps if it had been my own father or mother passing.
I can say though that I have occasionally grieved for the fact that I never met one of my grandparents. I will never know my father's mother, what she looked like, sounded like, what she liked to do. I only have a few pictures and a random story or two to base her off of. And even through I've never met her she is just as much a part of my life as any other family member. If there was never a her, there would never have been me... and so on.
I think what makes me sad in my mind when I think of her is that I often consider that maybe I was like her. I am very much like my father, perhaps he was like her too. I think I also morn for my father when I think of her because I can't imagine being a young college student and losing your mother. You expect your parents to see you start a career and nurture your own family. I was not the closest with my parents growing up but if the security of my parents was taken away from me I would have struggled to carry on, like a house that loses it's foundation, I would surly topple over.
I have also been by the side of a friend or two who have lost someone very close, a boyfriend or a parent. I just couldn't grasp it but hoped that I was bringing them some comfort as I sat by their side and listened.
There is a lesson here for me though. To value each day because life is unpredictable, it throws us a lot of bumps and curves, each moment is precious.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I think I'm ready, Hannah.
So here we are, Hannah. You're due, according to the doctor, this coming Sunday, the 20th. But we both know you'll arrive when you want to. You've tricked me once already, as I've been feeling contractions now since Monday morning around 4 AM (over 24 hours ago). Oh false labor, you can be so cruel...
I was worried we wouldn't be able to fit bear's last trip to Disney in before you arrived. I was determined to get there and perhaps my own determination slowed you down. I do not know. But either way, thank you for that time.
Whatever the case I am blessed that bear was able to have this one last moment. We saw the Christmas parade, squeezed in a few last rides, watched the fireworks for the first time, and saw snow! Foam really but you, my sweet bear, had no idea. You thought it was amazing and I enjoyed every second of that flurried snow fall right outside New Orleans Square. Disney really knows how to suck you in, I don't regret the money we spent on our pass one bit! It's made for some really magical times for us and I feel blessed that I was able to spend those moments with you, bear. We'll go again for Christmas time next year and you can show Hannah all the exciting things we experienced at Disney, for the first time, together.
The next few months are going to be rough. A new born is no easy task; delightful, a blessing, oh so exciting, yes. But I know how much I like my sleep so I'm doing my best to embrace the infant induced insomnia that I'm about to experience. The hardest part this time will be taking care of toddler while taking care of new born. But I'm certainly not the first mother to have more than one child; so many out there are taking care of much more than just two. So I will just simply pray and ask for the ability to go with the flow and to remind myself that the sleepless nights will not be forever. Some day Hannah will sleep just as well as bear but it will take time and patience.
Oh, I am so scared yet so excited! Excited to see you, meet you, smell you. Excited to see if you'll look more like me than daddy and maybe if you have some of mommy's quirks about you. Bear seems to share a lot of quirks and qualities with daddy, which are all wonderful parts of her. If you're not like mommy, that's ok. Even if you're just like your daddy, you'll still do it in your very own way.
I can't wait for you to meet your big sister, she's ready to help take care of you too. She kisses you frequently and hugs you tight. She's going to love you very much!
To my sweet Hannah, hurry up... just a little!
I was worried we wouldn't be able to fit bear's last trip to Disney in before you arrived. I was determined to get there and perhaps my own determination slowed you down. I do not know. But either way, thank you for that time.
Whatever the case I am blessed that bear was able to have this one last moment. We saw the Christmas parade, squeezed in a few last rides, watched the fireworks for the first time, and saw snow! Foam really but you, my sweet bear, had no idea. You thought it was amazing and I enjoyed every second of that flurried snow fall right outside New Orleans Square. Disney really knows how to suck you in, I don't regret the money we spent on our pass one bit! It's made for some really magical times for us and I feel blessed that I was able to spend those moments with you, bear. We'll go again for Christmas time next year and you can show Hannah all the exciting things we experienced at Disney, for the first time, together.
The next few months are going to be rough. A new born is no easy task; delightful, a blessing, oh so exciting, yes. But I know how much I like my sleep so I'm doing my best to embrace the infant induced insomnia that I'm about to experience. The hardest part this time will be taking care of toddler while taking care of new born. But I'm certainly not the first mother to have more than one child; so many out there are taking care of much more than just two. So I will just simply pray and ask for the ability to go with the flow and to remind myself that the sleepless nights will not be forever. Some day Hannah will sleep just as well as bear but it will take time and patience.
Oh, I am so scared yet so excited! Excited to see you, meet you, smell you. Excited to see if you'll look more like me than daddy and maybe if you have some of mommy's quirks about you. Bear seems to share a lot of quirks and qualities with daddy, which are all wonderful parts of her. If you're not like mommy, that's ok. Even if you're just like your daddy, you'll still do it in your very own way.
I can't wait for you to meet your big sister, she's ready to help take care of you too. She kisses you frequently and hugs you tight. She's going to love you very much!
To my sweet Hannah, hurry up... just a little!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Happy Skele-gin Halloween!
Happy Halloween! Yes, it's over but I wanted to share some of our photos.
I decided again to make bear's costume this year. The hard part was trying to figure out what bear really wanted to be since she kept changing her mind almost at an hourly rate. First she wanted to be a ghost, so I came up with a great idea on how to make a fun ghost costume. Then she decided to be a skeleton *Skele-gin!* which then quickly transformed into a skeleton princess.
So I started doing research on this costume. But before I could even head out to the craft store bear changed her mind again and became fully set on being Cinderella. This costume idea stuck with bear through the majority of October. I was a little bummed... This meant that I would not be making bear's costume as my sewing skills are not really on par with the fabulousness of the Disney princess dresses. She probably would have ended up looking more like Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas if I had made any sort of attempt at this one.
Even though I was a little disappointed, I didn't tell bear. I wanted to make sure that she got to be what she wanted to be and headed off to the Disney store to buy her a new princess dress and a ridiculous pair faux glass slippers. I could still make my costume ~ so no big deal really.
Fortunately (in the long run...), bear had a big tantrum in the middle of the Disney store which prompted me to leave since she wouldn't calm down. We left without a costume; me flustered by the audience I was obtaining as we rushed out and bear bursting with tears and anger, simultaneously trying to fight her way out of the stroller...
But it would end up working out for the best, even though it didn't feel that way at the time...
The very next day daddy asked bear again what she wanted to be. Bear said "skele-gin!" Yay!
She then asked: "What are you gonna be, daddy?" Daddy said, "I don't know, what should I be?"
"A skele-gin!" Said bear.
Overhearing this conversation, it was officially decided. We would all be skeletons! Daddy has been very anti-dressing up for halloween but he couldn't say no to bear. And I was certainly going to exploit this moment as much as I could!
Knowing my tummy was going to be quite large by Halloween, I had been planning a bump included costume for myself. Some of my ideas were Mike from monsters ink (wear a green shirt and paint a large eye ball on my tummy) and a bump drawn pumpkin.
But while searching for templates and pictures of bones for bear's costume I came across this blog: make it and love it Which is where I got the idea for my part of our skeleton family costumes. Make it and love it provides a helpful tutorial. All I needed was black shirts, black pants for bear, freezer paper, exacto knife, iron, and fabric paint.
I drew all of our bones onto the freezer paper, used an exacto knife to make stencils with the drawings, ironed the stencils on to our shirts, painted, peeled, and added a bow for little miss number two, on my tummy. Easy! A little time consuming, but easy! It made for the perfect family themed costumes and we now have some great pictures to cherish as this Halloween was bear's first time trick-or-treating!
So that was our Halloween. Our first trick-or-treating filled Halloween was a success! Bear got lots of candy, saw lots of skele-gins, and loved her costume!
Now it's time to get ready for Thanksgiving since we'll be celebrating the holiday two weeks early.
Happy Candy Eating!
bear's mom
I decided again to make bear's costume this year. The hard part was trying to figure out what bear really wanted to be since she kept changing her mind almost at an hourly rate. First she wanted to be a ghost, so I came up with a great idea on how to make a fun ghost costume. Then she decided to be a skeleton *Skele-gin!* which then quickly transformed into a skeleton princess.
So I started doing research on this costume. But before I could even head out to the craft store bear changed her mind again and became fully set on being Cinderella. This costume idea stuck with bear through the majority of October. I was a little bummed... This meant that I would not be making bear's costume as my sewing skills are not really on par with the fabulousness of the Disney princess dresses. She probably would have ended up looking more like Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas if I had made any sort of attempt at this one.
Even though I was a little disappointed, I didn't tell bear. I wanted to make sure that she got to be what she wanted to be and headed off to the Disney store to buy her a new princess dress and a ridiculous pair faux glass slippers. I could still make my costume ~ so no big deal really.
Fortunately (in the long run...), bear had a big tantrum in the middle of the Disney store which prompted me to leave since she wouldn't calm down. We left without a costume; me flustered by the audience I was obtaining as we rushed out and bear bursting with tears and anger, simultaneously trying to fight her way out of the stroller...
But it would end up working out for the best, even though it didn't feel that way at the time...
The very next day daddy asked bear again what she wanted to be. Bear said "skele-gin!" Yay!
She then asked: "What are you gonna be, daddy?" Daddy said, "I don't know, what should I be?"
"A skele-gin!" Said bear.
Overhearing this conversation, it was officially decided. We would all be skeletons! Daddy has been very anti-dressing up for halloween but he couldn't say no to bear. And I was certainly going to exploit this moment as much as I could!
Knowing my tummy was going to be quite large by Halloween, I had been planning a bump included costume for myself. Some of my ideas were Mike from monsters ink (wear a green shirt and paint a large eye ball on my tummy) and a bump drawn pumpkin.
But while searching for templates and pictures of bones for bear's costume I came across this blog: make it and love it Which is where I got the idea for my part of our skeleton family costumes. Make it and love it provides a helpful tutorial. All I needed was black shirts, black pants for bear, freezer paper, exacto knife, iron, and fabric paint.
I drew all of our bones onto the freezer paper, used an exacto knife to make stencils with the drawings, ironed the stencils on to our shirts, painted, peeled, and added a bow for little miss number two, on my tummy. Easy! A little time consuming, but easy! It made for the perfect family themed costumes and we now have some great pictures to cherish as this Halloween was bear's first time trick-or-treating!
Little miss number two gets dressed up too!
Bear, The Skeleton Princess
The Skeleton Family
It's hard to tell but my husband has a beer, hamburger, and martini in his stomach. It was very fitting for the day since he spent the weekend in Vegas. It was an early 30th birthday event as little miss number two will be arriving right around the actual day.
So that was our Halloween. Our first trick-or-treating filled Halloween was a success! Bear got lots of candy, saw lots of skele-gins, and loved her costume!
Now it's time to get ready for Thanksgiving since we'll be celebrating the holiday two weeks early.
Happy Candy Eating!
bear's mom
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