As little girls, my sisters and I were always putting on shows. Whether we were acting, showing of our singing voices or dancing, we three always had the next big show in planning.
Until recently, Mackenzie didn't seem to show much interest in being a little performer. I would catch her singing to herself or dictating a scene to her dolls or stuffed animals but she was not one to stand in front of people, endlessly showing off her talents. That is, until now!
My favorite thing is introducing her and hearing her say " SPY LOT ON!" which is really a direction : " Spot Light ON!" and then you never know what sort of talent she may wow you with. Check out this video we shot of her yesterday being a little performer. The rec center in our town offer dance classes which don't start until age 5. I'm sure our little dancer will have lots of new moves by then!
For some reason, my videos aren't up loading to blogger so easily so, for now, cut and paste this link into your address bar and press play!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZH9tohpBM&feature=youtu.be
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Pony tail
Ever since finding out that I'd be having a girl, I was excited at the prospect of all the cute hair styles I would be able to try with her. Working in day care in my late teens and early 20's, I'd often braid the little girls in my classes hair and couldn't wait for the hopeful day that I'd be able to do up my own girls hair. Mack spent most of the first two years of her life bald or sporting some form of a mullet but since then, I've been able to do all sorts of fun things. So I'm not sure if I'm sad or excited that she has shown the same excitement about doing her own hair.
She hasn't perfected the art just yet. Usually her morning routine consists of brushing the length of her hair, leaving most of the tangles behind, followed by spritzing one section ( usually the right side) with water, detangler and several squirts of the Plumeria body spray I gave her. You can always tell when her routine is complete because the scent of Plumeria fills the air. Lately, her abilities have increased and she manages what she calls a pony tail:
So far, she's only mastered wrapping the little pony tail holders around the " pony tail" one time so the " pony" doesn't hang around very long but I still think getting that far is a real feat! The other latest craze is to braid her hair into tiny little sections after her bath so that the next two days, she can sport "crazy hair". It's always fun the next morning to take out the many braids and see what we are left with. The poofier/frizzier the better for this wild child!
She hasn't perfected the art just yet. Usually her morning routine consists of brushing the length of her hair, leaving most of the tangles behind, followed by spritzing one section ( usually the right side) with water, detangler and several squirts of the Plumeria body spray I gave her. You can always tell when her routine is complete because the scent of Plumeria fills the air. Lately, her abilities have increased and she manages what she calls a pony tail:
So far, she's only mastered wrapping the little pony tail holders around the " pony tail" one time so the " pony" doesn't hang around very long but I still think getting that far is a real feat! The other latest craze is to braid her hair into tiny little sections after her bath so that the next two days, she can sport "crazy hair". It's always fun the next morning to take out the many braids and see what we are left with. The poofier/frizzier the better for this wild child!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Vet time!
It's check up time in the Long House ( we've all been to the doctor for one reason or another over the last three weeks) and Ellie isn't to be left out. Mike took her to visit the vet last week and, of course, Mackenzie could not be left behind. Mackenzie reports that Ellie did a great job even though she had to get two shots (Mack assured me this is still not as impressive as the four she got at her check up!) . The vet agreed with the humane society and thinks that Ellie is most likely some combination of lab and border collie. She's one healthy pup and quite pretty, if I may say so, too! Here she is getting in some extra fiber:
My favorite time
I love watching Mackenzie when she doesn't know anyone is paying attention. Her imagination takes flight and you can see that she's in a world all her own. I snapped these pictures of her today while she was playing on her swing set. She had asked me to tie this ribbon into her hair and , when I took the pictures, she was imaging that the edge of the ribbon was a rocket ship:
Here's what happens when she notices me:
Consider me showered!
My mom and Annie along with help from Samantha put together a " little" baby shower. When I tried to explain that I'd already had three great baby showers when I had Mackenzie and I still had most of the "big things from her" and that I didn't want to be greedy, they quickly reminded me that they didn't have the chance to "shower" me when I had Mackenzie and now that I am in Colorado, they intended to throw me a shower, whether I was there or not! So I was there. And I was so spoiled! I don't have any pictures of my own but a good number of my family and friends came over to celebrate the impending birth of our little boy and they most certainly did not come empty handed:
And don't think for a second that our mail box was ever empty over the last few weeks! Our Michigan family and Arizona family were missed but their thoughtful gifts reminded us how truly loved and blessed we are to have so many people all over to celebrate and encourage us as we delve back into the world of parenting a baby! Words cannot express how thankful I am to have so many good people in our lives.
Check out this adorable cake! We sure have kept Samantha busy this month:
Here are some updated photos of the nursery:
This is a bear that my mom made from my wedding dress! The sheets in the crib were hand made by Samantha's mom, Rhonda. :
My favorite thing is that ,when I look around the room, I find so many reminders of the people who will be so important to Mason's life. He doesn't know it yet, but he is one very blessed little boy.
And don't think for a second that our mail box was ever empty over the last few weeks! Our Michigan family and Arizona family were missed but their thoughtful gifts reminded us how truly loved and blessed we are to have so many people all over to celebrate and encourage us as we delve back into the world of parenting a baby! Words cannot express how thankful I am to have so many good people in our lives.Check out this adorable cake! We sure have kept Samantha busy this month:
Here are some updated photos of the nursery:
This is a bear that my mom made from my wedding dress! The sheets in the crib were hand made by Samantha's mom, Rhonda. :
My favorite thing is that ,when I look around the room, I find so many reminders of the people who will be so important to Mason's life. He doesn't know it yet, but he is one very blessed little boy.
Imitation
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery- Charles Caleb Colton
I just hope my shirt covers a little more than hers does!
I just hope my shirt covers a little more than hers does!
Hapy Birthday, Mike!
Mike celebrated his 33rd birthday this week! This was also the day that " The Hunger Games" was released to theaters. Mike and I had both read the books and were both anticipating seeing the film together. Samantha offered to keep Mackenzie ( who informed Mike that he could not go to Samantha's. Instead, he'd have to go to the movies with mommy. Such a chore it must have been ) who had a fantastic time!
Mike didn't know that Annie and I had something up our sleeves. He thought that I was being a real pain by making us drive all the way out to Keenesburg where Annie's parents live to pick up chairs for my baby shower the next day before we could go for dinner. Thankfully, he agreed to the plan as long as he could take a quick " breather" in the chair. Once I heard him snoring, I snuck his favorite cake ( Tres Leches) which my mom and I had baked the night before, into the back seat of the van . I woke Mike up and off we went....for chairs.....on his birthday!
When we arrived , the whole " Aden" gang jumped out, shouting their surprises! Both Mike and Mackenzie were so surprised! The kids ran off to play and as the adults chatted , awaiting Dave's smoked brisket , salads and a whole buffet more!
It truly was a great way to surprise Mike. Annie was so thoughtful in suggesting the idea because she wanted Mike to know that they think of him as family and how happy they all are to have Mike back in Colorado, too! I know from experience that it's not easy to leave behind friends and family that you've known your whole life. I love the fact that all of my friends , old and new, love Mike. It does help that Mike has the best sense of humor and fits in easily in most any crowd.
I didn't remember my camera ( I can barely remember my pants these days!) but snapped a few pictures with my cell phone:
Mike and Brian talking about turkey hunting and watching college basketball, beers in hand. Seems like a lot of testosterone to me!
Marcia is a middle school science teacher and a grandma to three very boyish boys and one tom boy girl . She and Mack had a great time researching and building a worm habitat and looking up at the stars. Mack picked up a few new planet facts that she uses to wow and amaze those around here:
Mike didn't know that Annie and I had something up our sleeves. He thought that I was being a real pain by making us drive all the way out to Keenesburg where Annie's parents live to pick up chairs for my baby shower the next day before we could go for dinner. Thankfully, he agreed to the plan as long as he could take a quick " breather" in the chair. Once I heard him snoring, I snuck his favorite cake ( Tres Leches) which my mom and I had baked the night before, into the back seat of the van . I woke Mike up and off we went....for chairs.....on his birthday!
When we arrived , the whole " Aden" gang jumped out, shouting their surprises! Both Mike and Mackenzie were so surprised! The kids ran off to play and as the adults chatted , awaiting Dave's smoked brisket , salads and a whole buffet more!
It truly was a great way to surprise Mike. Annie was so thoughtful in suggesting the idea because she wanted Mike to know that they think of him as family and how happy they all are to have Mike back in Colorado, too! I know from experience that it's not easy to leave behind friends and family that you've known your whole life. I love the fact that all of my friends , old and new, love Mike. It does help that Mike has the best sense of humor and fits in easily in most any crowd.
I didn't remember my camera ( I can barely remember my pants these days!) but snapped a few pictures with my cell phone:
Mike and Brian talking about turkey hunting and watching college basketball, beers in hand. Seems like a lot of testosterone to me!
Marcia is a middle school science teacher and a grandma to three very boyish boys and one tom boy girl . She and Mack had a great time researching and building a worm habitat and looking up at the stars. Mack picked up a few new planet facts that she uses to wow and amaze those around here:
A nice night for a camp out
A living room camp out, that is! Mackenzie has been itching to try out the tent Gram's gave her for her birthday. Though the weather has been great during the day( with temps in the low to mid-70's) it's still too chilly at night to brave back yard camping and certainly too cold to head for higher ground for mountain camping. So, Mike improvised!
Mike and a very excited Mackenzie worked to get the tent together. Though it is only a two man tent, it took up the whole living room! The pair then popped popcorn and popped in a movie! Once the movie was over, the room quieted. The sounds of Mike's familiar snore filled the living room and I could hear Mackenzie restlessly tossing and turning in her sleeping bag. I asked her if she'd be more comfortable in her bed or if she wanted to stay in the tent, she choose the tent but after another hour of listening to her tossing around, I knew that neither of the campers would get much sleep in their current spots and I relocated every one to their respective beds. Though the camp out didn't last all night, I think it was still a night well spent! Mack was just bummed when it was time to take it down in the morning.
Ellie knows she is one of the family and isn't left out of much that we do:
Mike and a very excited Mackenzie worked to get the tent together. Though it is only a two man tent, it took up the whole living room! The pair then popped popcorn and popped in a movie! Once the movie was over, the room quieted. The sounds of Mike's familiar snore filled the living room and I could hear Mackenzie restlessly tossing and turning in her sleeping bag. I asked her if she'd be more comfortable in her bed or if she wanted to stay in the tent, she choose the tent but after another hour of listening to her tossing around, I knew that neither of the campers would get much sleep in their current spots and I relocated every one to their respective beds. Though the camp out didn't last all night, I think it was still a night well spent! Mack was just bummed when it was time to take it down in the morning.
Ellie knows she is one of the family and isn't left out of much that we do:
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Pasta and playset
Sounds like the perfect combo to us! Ellie trying to claw her way up the slide for a nibble made for the perfect lunchtime entertainment.
Monday, March 19, 2012
A spot of my own
Look what Mike did for me- my very own work station. My mom even gave me a bar stool that fits perfectly there. Funny thing is- Mackenzie has so far gotten more use out of it than I have! Move over, Macky girl, mama's got work to do!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Ants in my pants!
Here I am, 34 weeks, feeling antsy! Which is really strange because I feel like this pregnancy has flown by with barely any time to actually fully fathom that I am pregnant. There are still times that I completely forget that I am pregnant which is crazy to say because I am really, REALLLY pregnant . See?
So what is the cause of these sudden antsy pants? Babies are being born ALL over the place! My Facebook news feed and text message in box is FULL of red faced, chubby cheeked newborn baby photos and it's making me so excited to meet MY red faced, chubby cheeked newborn. Don't get me wrong, the other half of my brain is crying out for time to slow down! This is, likely, going to be my last pregnancy and I truly LOVE being pregnant and want to enjoy every last minute of it. The two parts of my brain are battling. So with just over five weeks to go before our boy has no choice but to appear, I will try to balance things out and be content to gush over other people's babies until we can meet our own. Just over five weeks!
So what is the cause of these sudden antsy pants? Babies are being born ALL over the place! My Facebook news feed and text message in box is FULL of red faced, chubby cheeked newborn baby photos and it's making me so excited to meet MY red faced, chubby cheeked newborn. Don't get me wrong, the other half of my brain is crying out for time to slow down! This is, likely, going to be my last pregnancy and I truly LOVE being pregnant and want to enjoy every last minute of it. The two parts of my brain are battling. So with just over five weeks to go before our boy has no choice but to appear, I will try to balance things out and be content to gush over other people's babies until we can meet our own. Just over five weeks!
What a guy!
My toes are seemingly further and further away these days and the last time I could easily reach my toes nails to paint them was sometime in early February. Mike, taking pity on my inability to paint my own toes nails, gave me a very relaxing pedicure:
Pretty Pretty Princess
Grammy sent Mackenzie the game " Pretty , Pretty, Princess" for her birthday. It wasn't long before she ( and Mike) were covered in jewels and shouting " I'M THE PRETTY PRINCESS!" upon their individual victories.
Princess Mackenzie won two out of three games:
Mike was quick to rid himself of any princess paraphernalia when the camera came out. Also, check out his mustache; he's apart of a hospital wide contest at UCH . The participants were to find creative ways to dress up their ' staches, collecting money from those who felt their mustache was the best. The wearer of the most creative mustache wins the title of best mustache and all the proceeds are donated to a charity. The jury is split about Mike's March mustache. Mack thinks it's very cool. While the look is growing on me ( bad pun not intended) , I will be glad for the return of Mike's usual facial hair starting April 1st. Even still, Mike is, indeed, a very pretty princess .
Princess Mackenzie won two out of three games:
Mike was quick to rid himself of any princess paraphernalia when the camera came out. Also, check out his mustache; he's apart of a hospital wide contest at UCH . The participants were to find creative ways to dress up their ' staches, collecting money from those who felt their mustache was the best. The wearer of the most creative mustache wins the title of best mustache and all the proceeds are donated to a charity. The jury is split about Mike's March mustache. Mack thinks it's very cool. While the look is growing on me ( bad pun not intended) , I will be glad for the return of Mike's usual facial hair starting April 1st. Even still, Mike is, indeed, a very pretty princess .
Yet another spring surprise!
One of our bushes had burst into bloom when I got up this morning! I can't tell for sure, but I did a google search that turned up a few imagines that looked like these beauties and all of those pictures showed a bush variation of Cherry blossoms. Anyone recognize them? Of course, Mack was out in her jammies picking me a bouquet to put in my window vases.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Guess who's a preschooler?
Ok, so maybe not officially. But we did complete our enrollment requirements and Mackenzie will be starting the preschool program at Twombly Elementary school in August! Along with all the proper forms, documents and questionnaires, Mackenzie was given an assessment to see where her development lies on the scale for average kids her age. It was no surprise to us that she finished at the top of the scale. The teacher was impressed at the things Mackenzie has already learned and the creative ways that she answered questions. Mack had so much fun, telling the teacher " Let's do this again tomorrow!" as she slipped her hand into the teachers and they walked down the hall together. While it's still hard for me to think of our days as Mackenzie's sole teachers as over, I know that the most important teaching still continues at home. And though I will miss her those four days a week, three hours a day, I am so excited for her and how her world will suddenly expand when she slips on that back pack in August.
Well, Hello!
Well, Hello, Spring time! So nice of you to join us so early. You are showing yourself in many ways and we are excited to see every single sign that you are here.
Mackenzie has shown great self control in not picking all the crocuses in our front yard. Every day their bright faces open to the world and it's hard not to smile when I see them. You can see the remains of a few Crocuses who have fallen victim to the hands of a well- meaning preschooler:
And look what's coming up among the Crocus flowers! I'm not the best gardener, but those look like Tulips ( I'm sure the gardeners among you will enlighten me if I am wrong) ! I sure hope so since I sure do love the way Tulips capture the sun ( this is the wanna be photographer in me speaking) In the back yard are more Tulips and also Daffodils!
Our back yard Weeping Willow has baby leaves sprouting:
And my all time favorite sign that spring is here- we bare our pasty white legs , wearing capri's and shorts!
I've seen many late May snow storms in our area of Colorado so the long pants and snow boots aren't far away but we are enjoying our mid 70's this week . It sure is nice to run errands with out jackets!
Mackenzie has shown great self control in not picking all the crocuses in our front yard. Every day their bright faces open to the world and it's hard not to smile when I see them. You can see the remains of a few Crocuses who have fallen victim to the hands of a well- meaning preschooler:
And look what's coming up among the Crocus flowers! I'm not the best gardener, but those look like Tulips ( I'm sure the gardeners among you will enlighten me if I am wrong) ! I sure hope so since I sure do love the way Tulips capture the sun ( this is the wanna be photographer in me speaking) In the back yard are more Tulips and also Daffodils!
Our back yard Weeping Willow has baby leaves sprouting:
And my all time favorite sign that spring is here- we bare our pasty white legs , wearing capri's and shorts!
I've seen many late May snow storms in our area of Colorado so the long pants and snow boots aren't far away but we are enjoying our mid 70's this week . It sure is nice to run errands with out jackets!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Isn't 4 supposed to be...fun?
There is one thing that is certain- shortly after Mack's birthday is Mack's yearly well child exam. Until now, all of Mackenzie's doctor's appointments have all been with the doctor I worked with before having Mackenzie, Dr. Baker. I have been used to calling the office and knowing the person on the other end of the line and being able to predict the way Mack's exam would go since I worked so closely with Dr. Baker for so long. Needless to say, it was a bit tough to call a completely new office and to start all over again building a relationship with Mack's new doctor.
The four year exam is not one I ever looked forward to when I was working and it was even worse anticipating it for Mack. Four year olds are wise to the fact that the doctor usually means shots . What's more, there are four shots at the four year well child exam. So I started prepping Mack a few weeks before the appointment, reading her books and pretending to do exams on her and her on everyone else. We talked about the fact that there may be some shots but that the doctor will decide what she needs and , if she does need them, it won't last long and hurt much. Never the less, she was a nervous girl going into the exam but did very well. She followed the directions of the medical assistant and the doctor perfectly and answered all of their questions very well. Dr. Weddemeyer was very nice and the appt went well. Despite having to have four shots and a finger poke ( for an iron test) Mack did very well ! Here she is after her appointment showing off her finger poke:
Mack continues to be very tall for her age, topping off at the 90% and weighed in at 41 lbs. The doctor was very happy with Mack's growth and I was very proud of her for facing a new situation bravely! It helped lots that we were leaving from the doctor to go pick up cousins Cam and Anaka to stay for the weekend!
The four year exam is not one I ever looked forward to when I was working and it was even worse anticipating it for Mack. Four year olds are wise to the fact that the doctor usually means shots . What's more, there are four shots at the four year well child exam. So I started prepping Mack a few weeks before the appointment, reading her books and pretending to do exams on her and her on everyone else. We talked about the fact that there may be some shots but that the doctor will decide what she needs and , if she does need them, it won't last long and hurt much. Never the less, she was a nervous girl going into the exam but did very well. She followed the directions of the medical assistant and the doctor perfectly and answered all of their questions very well. Dr. Weddemeyer was very nice and the appt went well. Despite having to have four shots and a finger poke ( for an iron test) Mack did very well ! Here she is after her appointment showing off her finger poke:
Mack continues to be very tall for her age, topping off at the 90% and weighed in at 41 lbs. The doctor was very happy with Mack's growth and I was very proud of her for facing a new situation bravely! It helped lots that we were leaving from the doctor to go pick up cousins Cam and Anaka to stay for the weekend!
What more could a girl want?
No, honestly! If someone asked Mack if there was anything she needed or wanted, after this last week, she'd have a hard time coming up with anything! Not only is this girl completely spoiled but she is totally loved. From cards, to phone calls, texts, Facebook messages and emails to gifts, the girl is covered in love.
Mack's birthday party went off with out a hitch and she had a great time! While a few of our favorite Colorado loved ones couldn't make it to the party, most of those on our guest list arrived to make it a great day for Mackenzie. The cake, made my Samantha, was just gorgeous and everything that Mackenzie could want- both tasty and beautiful:
With Mackenzie ( technically) having a winter birthday and us living in Michigan, I never thought we'd get to throw an outdoor party. I also never thought we'd find ourselves back in Colorado again, either! But with forecasted temps in the mid 60's, we opened the windows and doors and the kids played in the Mike's homemade bubble solution, wrote with sidewalk chalk or played on the new play set! Everyone had a great time enjoying snacks, cake, and a few of Mack's new toys.
Mack contemplated wearing one of her princess dresses but soon realized this would hinder her ability to run, slide, swing or hop along with her friends. She traded that idea for a pair of comfy jeans.
The only thing missing from our day was those we love in Arizona, Michigan and numerous other states who would have made our celebration complete. We hope that you could feel our hugs and kisses on the wind and wish we could share our birthday cake with all of you!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Happy Birthday, Big Girl!
Mack has always loved play grounds. She loves them so much that " swing" was one of her first words followed not long after by " slide". As much as we'd love to have had the luxury of swinging and sliding in comfort of our back yard, we never actually had our own back yard. Well...Now that that's changed we couldn't help be be giddy at the thought of finally making her dream of having swings and a slide in her own back yard. Since we're on the cusp of spring, all of the local stores have been advertizing their model play sets and each time we pass one, Mack can hardly explain how badly she NEEDS one. Lucky for her, Mike and I decided way back in December that our back yard was definitely in need of a play set.
The only way we could imagine giving it to her was by surprise. The anticipation of giving a gift to your child that you know they will absolutely love is intoxicating. Our only option for surprising Mackenzie was to work on putting the set together the day before her birthday so she would see it when she woke up on the actual day. I would take her out for the day while Mike ( going on four hours of sleep after working three in a row! ) worked on putting the play set together, a job that was said to take up to 8 hours with two adults. Thankfully, my mom offered to come over and help Mike while I entertained Mackenzie away from the house. We played at the play ground, celebrated the last day of "3's" with a mini- blizzard, hung out at the library, successfully ( though Mack did wear her ear muffs) saw " The Lorax" and had dinner at Chick- -Fil -A. We were BOTH exhausted by the end of that afternoon:
Mike and mom worked diligently and got about half way done by the time it was dark enough for Mack and me to come home. Mike and mom closed up all the windows that faced our back yard ( including Mack's bedroom window). When we got home I quickly ushered Kenzie upstairs for a bath and put her right to bed. From there, Mike and I worked another three hours and got the play set to with in an hour of being done. At that point it was 10 pm and we decided to call it quits before the neighbors were disturbed. We turned off our work light and set our alarms for 6 am.
6 am -Sore and exhausted, the thought of surprising our little girl on her birthday was the only thing that pulled us from our beds. While the weather the day before was gorgeous- full sun with 70 degrees- things had changed drastically over night.We were now faced with a 50 degree temperature drop and were being pelted with tiny beads of frozen rain. But we were so close to finishing and a little freezing rain and wind wasn't going to stop us now ( even though the screws for the play set froze to the structure as soon as we set them down)! FINALLY, all the lumber was used up; the roof top tarp was the only piece left to hang. Mike worked to secure the first side and I glanced at my watch to see that it was nearing 7:30, when we heard a tiny knock coming from above. Mike and I looked at each other and then up at Mackenzie's window where we saw a bed-headed, super excited little girl with a look of disbelief written across her face. I raced ( well, race-waddled) into the house , up the stairs and swiped up the newly 4 year old girl, put her coat , boots and hat on over her pajamas and set her free to see what waited outside for her.
She could hardly believe it was true. She hugged Mike and thanked us for such a great birthday present .She made comments like " I never KNEW I'd get one of these!" or " I'm gonna swing ALLLLLL day long!' and " Great work, Daddy!" Mike and I smiled at each other ,knowing that all the exhaustion, stiffness and frozen fingers were completely worth it for just one look at our sweet girls contented face as she hurried onto a swing, kicked off and threw her head back with an excited "WHOOOOOHOOOOOO" , on her way to swinging allllllll day!
Even with all the excitement, it was hard for even Mack to shake the yawns:
The only way we could imagine giving it to her was by surprise. The anticipation of giving a gift to your child that you know they will absolutely love is intoxicating. Our only option for surprising Mackenzie was to work on putting the set together the day before her birthday so she would see it when she woke up on the actual day. I would take her out for the day while Mike ( going on four hours of sleep after working three in a row! ) worked on putting the play set together, a job that was said to take up to 8 hours with two adults. Thankfully, my mom offered to come over and help Mike while I entertained Mackenzie away from the house. We played at the play ground, celebrated the last day of "3's" with a mini- blizzard, hung out at the library, successfully ( though Mack did wear her ear muffs) saw " The Lorax" and had dinner at Chick- -Fil -A. We were BOTH exhausted by the end of that afternoon:
Mike and mom worked diligently and got about half way done by the time it was dark enough for Mack and me to come home. Mike and mom closed up all the windows that faced our back yard ( including Mack's bedroom window). When we got home I quickly ushered Kenzie upstairs for a bath and put her right to bed. From there, Mike and I worked another three hours and got the play set to with in an hour of being done. At that point it was 10 pm and we decided to call it quits before the neighbors were disturbed. We turned off our work light and set our alarms for 6 am.
6 am -Sore and exhausted, the thought of surprising our little girl on her birthday was the only thing that pulled us from our beds. While the weather the day before was gorgeous- full sun with 70 degrees- things had changed drastically over night.We were now faced with a 50 degree temperature drop and were being pelted with tiny beads of frozen rain. But we were so close to finishing and a little freezing rain and wind wasn't going to stop us now ( even though the screws for the play set froze to the structure as soon as we set them down)! FINALLY, all the lumber was used up; the roof top tarp was the only piece left to hang. Mike worked to secure the first side and I glanced at my watch to see that it was nearing 7:30, when we heard a tiny knock coming from above. Mike and I looked at each other and then up at Mackenzie's window where we saw a bed-headed, super excited little girl with a look of disbelief written across her face. I raced ( well, race-waddled) into the house , up the stairs and swiped up the newly 4 year old girl, put her coat , boots and hat on over her pajamas and set her free to see what waited outside for her.
She could hardly believe it was true. She hugged Mike and thanked us for such a great birthday present .She made comments like " I never KNEW I'd get one of these!" or " I'm gonna swing ALLLLLL day long!' and " Great work, Daddy!" Mike and I smiled at each other ,knowing that all the exhaustion, stiffness and frozen fingers were completely worth it for just one look at our sweet girls contented face as she hurried onto a swing, kicked off and threw her head back with an excited "WHOOOOOHOOOOOO" , on her way to swinging allllllll day!
Even with all the excitement, it was hard for even Mack to shake the yawns:
Saturday, March 3, 2012
4 going on 40
While we were at the hospital for my appointments last week, we had a bit of time between them and decided to stop for a snack to waste time ( and appease my growling belly). After getting our snack, Mike wanted to stop into the gift shop and told Mackenzie that she need to hold off on opening her snack until after we finished in the shop. To this, Mack's shoulder slumped down, her head dropped and, in a defeated tone, she replied replied " You're always bossing me around." I could hear the cashier of the store giggling as I responded " That's pretty sad. When you're the mommy, you can be the boss." And in the same defeated voice, she responded " Oh. Okay, Mom."
Later that week I was trying to entice Mackenzie into playing doll house with me. She said she didn't want to do that so I suggested that we play kitchen or read books or do a puzzle. Mack , with her best exasperated voice, said " Why are we having all of these issues? You know I don't like issues."
One last " Mackenzie-ism" - Mackenzie doesn't like loud noises. She dislikes them so much that she doesn't like to go the movie theater any more because the noise is so loud and the room so dark. In effort to ease her past this phase, we bought her some ear muffs to block out some of the loud noises that plagued her. It's since become her ritual to wear the " muves" while I vacuum. On this day I had gotten Mack set up playing on starfall.com, an early reading preschool website, and lugged the vacuum down the stairs. Mack, upon seeing this, requested that I get her ear muffs for her and I told her that if she wears her ear muffs, she won't be able to hear the game she was playing. With out blinking an eye and a slight shrug of her shoulder, Mack said " Well, I won't be able to hear it over the vacuum either." Off I went to get the ear muffs.
And so it goes these days. Mack, with complete calm in her voice, tosses out a bit of timeless wisdom that leaves me wondering if she's my daughter or I'm hers...
Later that week I was trying to entice Mackenzie into playing doll house with me. She said she didn't want to do that so I suggested that we play kitchen or read books or do a puzzle. Mack , with her best exasperated voice, said " Why are we having all of these issues? You know I don't like issues."
One last " Mackenzie-ism" - Mackenzie doesn't like loud noises. She dislikes them so much that she doesn't like to go the movie theater any more because the noise is so loud and the room so dark. In effort to ease her past this phase, we bought her some ear muffs to block out some of the loud noises that plagued her. It's since become her ritual to wear the " muves" while I vacuum. On this day I had gotten Mack set up playing on starfall.com, an early reading preschool website, and lugged the vacuum down the stairs. Mack, upon seeing this, requested that I get her ear muffs for her and I told her that if she wears her ear muffs, she won't be able to hear the game she was playing. With out blinking an eye and a slight shrug of her shoulder, Mack said " Well, I won't be able to hear it over the vacuum either." Off I went to get the ear muffs.
And so it goes these days. Mack, with complete calm in her voice, tosses out a bit of timeless wisdom that leaves me wondering if she's my daughter or I'm hers...
Friday, March 2, 2012
A whole lot of maternal sappiness....
There are few things that can bring a mother to tears like seeing pictures of her growing child set to sappy music. Every year, after spending countless hours constructing Mack's birthday video, I sit down with a box of Kleenex at the ready to watch it. This year I can't help but notice that the imagines flashing across the screen show times' progression as ,with each passing picture, Mack's face shows a little less baby and a lot more " girl".
Though I'm a "new" mom by all accounts, having only four years (and 1.75 kids ) in the game, it seems like an eternity ago that I held this little chubby cheeked baby across my chest, feeling her tiny lungs breathing in new life, amazed that this tiny baby package contained so much potential and wondering who she would grow up to be.
Four years later, I still marvel at her but now there are a few less unknowns. I know that Mackenzie will always love to laugh and love to make others laugh. I know that she will be the first one to offer help when someone needs it. I know that she will always be hungry to know why something is the way it is and " I don't know" won't ever be good enough to satisfy this hunger. I know all of these things because on a daily basis, Mackenzie coaxes out true genuine laughter from me with her made up knock knock jokes or her silly antics. She is the first one to wipe away my hormonal pregnancy tears with her bare hands and kiss my cheek with a gentle pat on the back. She amazes me with the questions she asks and the ability to solve problems with out any help at all from me.
March 7th is a day that changed my life into something so much more meaningful than I could have known then. That tiny body that grew from mine has taught me so much , transformed me and pushed me to be better than I was . And because she laughs, I laugh. Because she loves, I love. Because she learns, I learn. This is the beauty of motherhood and I am so honored to be one of the hands she holds as she finds her way through life.
Happy 4th Birthday to the girl whose hand I proudly hold,
( click the little box underneath the red bar to enlarge the picture and turn your volume up )
A note about the songs: The third song " Big Yellow Taxi" is a favorite of Mackenzie's and it's a strange choice for a bed time song. One night, well over a year ago, Mack asked Mike to sing " The Taxi" song. She was requesting a children's song that is sung on Nick Jr. about riding a taxi across town. Mike hadn't heard this song at the time, so he sang the only " taxi" song he knew of, " Big Yellow Taxi" . Though this wasn't at all the song Mack had originally asked for, she loved it and it's now a part of our nightly bedtime routine.
Though I'm a "new" mom by all accounts, having only four years (and 1.75 kids ) in the game, it seems like an eternity ago that I held this little chubby cheeked baby across my chest, feeling her tiny lungs breathing in new life, amazed that this tiny baby package contained so much potential and wondering who she would grow up to be.
Four years later, I still marvel at her but now there are a few less unknowns. I know that Mackenzie will always love to laugh and love to make others laugh. I know that she will be the first one to offer help when someone needs it. I know that she will always be hungry to know why something is the way it is and " I don't know" won't ever be good enough to satisfy this hunger. I know all of these things because on a daily basis, Mackenzie coaxes out true genuine laughter from me with her made up knock knock jokes or her silly antics. She is the first one to wipe away my hormonal pregnancy tears with her bare hands and kiss my cheek with a gentle pat on the back. She amazes me with the questions she asks and the ability to solve problems with out any help at all from me.
March 7th is a day that changed my life into something so much more meaningful than I could have known then. That tiny body that grew from mine has taught me so much , transformed me and pushed me to be better than I was . And because she laughs, I laugh. Because she loves, I love. Because she learns, I learn. This is the beauty of motherhood and I am so honored to be one of the hands she holds as she finds her way through life.
Happy 4th Birthday to the girl whose hand I proudly hold,
( click the little box underneath the red bar to enlarge the picture and turn your volume up )
A note about the songs: The third song " Big Yellow Taxi" is a favorite of Mackenzie's and it's a strange choice for a bed time song. One night, well over a year ago, Mack asked Mike to sing " The Taxi" song. She was requesting a children's song that is sung on Nick Jr. about riding a taxi across town. Mike hadn't heard this song at the time, so he sang the only " taxi" song he knew of, " Big Yellow Taxi" . Though this wasn't at all the song Mack had originally asked for, she loved it and it's now a part of our nightly bedtime routine.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The Crocuses are here!
Last week I heard Mack's excited voice calling for me to come see what she found. Her voice came out in a squeaky screech ( that I'm pretty sure only moms and dogs can hear) so knew it must have been something good:
And it was! Crocuses! And since Crocuses poking their heads out in Grammy's yard was always the first sign that the long Michigan winter was coming to a close, we all did the " Yay, it's almost spring!" Dance. Too bad those beautiful flowers will be covered in snow by morning. So goes life, right? At least after tomorrow's snow, we have highs in the mid to upper 60's to look forward to, just in time for a special birthday!
And it was! Crocuses! And since Crocuses poking their heads out in Grammy's yard was always the first sign that the long Michigan winter was coming to a close, we all did the " Yay, it's almost spring!" Dance. Too bad those beautiful flowers will be covered in snow by morning. So goes life, right? At least after tomorrow's snow, we have highs in the mid to upper 60's to look forward to, just in time for a special birthday!
Did you know?
That Mike has a blog, too? Initially, it paired up two of Mike's many hobbies, beer brewing and wood crafting. Right now, it's mostly about Mike's love for snobby beers and his quest to create his own perfectly snobby brew. Sound interesting, right? Check it out! Here's the link .
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