I love Saturdays!!!! Especially when Chad is home after a week of being away......there's so much to catch up on (especially with 2 energetic boys that have been deprived of wrestling with their dad all week.....or in other words....2 little boys with way too much pent-up energy....
Celebratory pancakes.....i can still hear Zahnny cheering now......."oh yeah oh yeah pankcakes" doing his funny little dance.....
Jazzys first pancake......11 months old....that's old enough for a little bit of sugar isn't it???)
custom made 'character' pancakes thanks to our 'artist chef' Chad.......today it was 'Sackboy' from Little Big Planet......the boys LOVED them......
next: moving onto planned activities......
bike riding (time to start burning that built up energy)
Rylan's favourite part.......ringing the bell (we try really we do.....but the boy just dosen't love it.......)
helping get the bikes ready for Zahns 'first' go on the big bike
a little unsure.......look at that face - oh i love it!!
boys working together.......
play some football
tying shoes lace practice (serious business)
Little Big Planet
Shopping (only mum.....ahhhh a little respite)
more play time
funniest home videos......(followed by a quick 'soft' ball fight in the lounge room with dad - even though they know they're not supposed to do it inside.....
and finally bed for the kids....and a week catch up of 'the office' for mum and dad!!
There's nothing quite like getting lost in a good book. In my pre-children and teenage years I would just DEVOUR books.
I can remember countless hours spent at the library filling my bag with fine bound paperbacks, reclusing to my room whenever I could and reading for as long as I could (I'm sure this drove my mum mad when I was still at home :) I would read as fast as I could then be back at the library borrowing more.
My absolute favourite library was the school library when I went to boarding school in New Zealand. (oh how I loved my 2 years at CCNZ). So many authors including LDS that I grew to love and all at my fingertips. I remember some Saturdays in the dorms with one of my ‘roomies’, staying in our pjs, reading all day – I loved it!!!
So, I am a reader. Or, I used to be.
Over the last few years I haven’t read as much as I would’ve liked. I do admit, sometimes I get carried away when I’m in the ‘zone’ and loose the control I should exercise by reading until the early hours of the morning. Obviously this is not really condusive to motherhood because it results in a tired, possibly cranky, did I mention tired, mother. BUT I just love getting immersed in a good book! I love reading and thinking about things that are so far removed from my little world (and NO I’m not talking about pretending I am a young girl in love with a gorgeous, perfect vampire. hahaha. Actually I am NOT a swooner of the elusive Edward :)
I love reading with the boys and love it when they excitedly ask about the books I’m reading.
I love that we read with the kids everynight before they go to bed.
I love sneaking in extra reading with Rylan at night and am always SO amazed at what he can read and how long he can read for!
I love it when Zahn "lets" Rylan read to him. It's so cute seeing 2 little brothers snuggling up with one reading to the other.
So I keep thinking about starting a book club with a some friends of mine. It's just what I need to motivate myself to get back on that reading bandwagon that I really do miss, and there's nothing like a new deadline to make something happen, right? :)
So I'm blogging this so it becomes official and I am then accountable to follow through because I have said it - out loud. I (along with my lovely friends) am starting a book club. I already feel excited. Now I just have to find a REALLY good (and suitable) book to get it started!!!
ps) Abby, I know you {quote}, “only read for educational purposes”….but I would love it if you joined the club......hahahaha that 'quote' makes me laugh everytime :)!!!
The only (if any) positive thing about Chad being away.......
I make my quick fix lazy meal pretty much every night. Continental {wholegrain} pasta with steamed vegies.
Besides the capsicum and zuccinni - the boys love it, and luckily for me, despite their dislike they still eat it. Even if Zahn was chanting almost the whole time, quote "noodles are the best, chuck out the capsicum" (sung to the tune of 'Astons are the best', a song carried on from chads childhood) It was very funny, especially when his words were changing everytime he re-sung it.
I think the last version went something like this, "noodles are the best, chuck out every capsicum in the whole wide world"! Aahhhh always good for a laugh that boy!!!!
On Saturday there was a Relief Society service activity......chad was out doing his last day of shooting for 'wounded' (yay - more about that to come) and I couldn't get a hold of my babysitter....... so I decided to take the kids with me......(a risk of course but one i was prepared to take :)
although their excitement may of been short lived (well Zahn of course completely loved it) they did a good job and it was really cute watching them incorporate 'ninja turtles' into their 'weeding assignment'.......
quote, "look at my moves mum".....not sure what the 'one eye closed means??
Zahn's ninja weapons.....
Although it looks like Rylan is just digging up dirt.......i'm pretty sure there were a couple of weeds in that area....i think.....
"turtle power"
favourite part of their morning.......checking out bugs on the ground.........and eating the hot cross buns I may (or may not) have bribed (i mean encouraged) them with!!!
I'm sure it's true that at some stage in our lives we all think to ourselves (our young, child-free, single, somewhat 'unaware' possibly even ignorant selves) that we'll never be the parents at the shops with 'those' kids (you know, the kind of 'crusty' ones). The ones with dirty faces, texta stains on their arms and messy hair......(of course i'm not talking about chad here. He is happy to take the kids out despite what they're wearing, and how they look....crazy hair, dirty faces and mix matched pajamas at 12 o'clock in the middle of the day. I know this because one of my friends saw them, had a laugh and told me about it)
Me on the other hand would not take the kids out like that. Well that's what I used to think anyway!! I had a good laugh to myself on Friday when I realised that I was indeed the parent with the 'crusty', crazy haired, (at one point crying) kids out and about!
Of course it all started out with clean, happy, fresh faced children ready for the day, but these are some of the events that unfolded during our day that contributed to the appearance of me and my 'raggedy' kids.....
- Went to visit a friend and let Jasmin crawl around outside and pretty much play in the dirt (I couldn't just hold her on my lap for an hour while all the other kids were running around playing.....could I??) - mental note to self: bath her when I get home. Only, she fell asleep in the car and there was NO-WAY I was going to wake her to give her a bath.....plan: do it when she wakes up!!
- However Jazzy sleeps longer than usual. When she wakes up my sister Emma was at my place and was a bit shocked by her dirty feet (I think her words were something to the effect of...."come to Aunty, i'll take care of you"......(I really do have clean children.....really ;)
-due to oversleeping, give Jasmin a 'speed' feed lunch - again no time for bath......plan: pick up Rylan from school, go home and give her a quick bath before we head off to a birthday party for Rylan, and a date for Zahn and I.
-get to school and decide to play at the park and again let Jasmin have a bit of freedom on the ground. I mean what's the worse that could happen.....she'll get dirty????
OK. Not looking too raggedy here. But clothing and limbs are not shown.
can we stay here for ever mum???
everyone having fun and playing so nicely.......OK we can stay.........
Big brothers playing with Jazzy - I love it ........OK we can stay longer........
Getting carried away taking pictures (Rylan actually smiling at the camera instead of making faces) turn back to Jasmin and laugh when I see the food I haven't wiped off her face due to my distraction with the camera......her crazy wind swept, unclipped hair (I am a little obsessed with clips) and her dirty shirt and hands
this photo really doesn't do justice to her 'raggedy' condition.......
I figured by this stage, she was already beyond cleaning with the wipes so I let her 'go for it' (in the background you can see her having the best, most free day of her life so far)....
kids still having so much fun......ok - we'll stay just a little bit longer.......
a few more swings.......
Zahn having a great time on the monkey bars until he decides he should probably get some help.......
I race over with my camera strapped to me, but as I approach him, he starts crying because I wasn't quick enough (I know it seems cruel that i'm taking a picture of him crying, but he was hanging above the step and his feet were only about 1 foot away from it, so I was trying to encourage him to drop down by himself.......
gets down safely, but now having a little 'tanty'.Oh I love that little freckled face.......
this was by far the most dramatic moment of his little 'outburst'......I try not to laugh because it's just SO extreme
Zahn decides he doesn't want to have his picture taken anymore so he turns away, and sits down to calm himself a little, and relax for a moment......
and 2 seconds later he's back to happy Zahn, laughing about how funny he looked in the pictures I just showed him of his 'crying'.
ahhh peace restored to the park once again.
more raggedy pictures of my baby.....
Jasmin and her one track mind.....get that stick and eat it......
munching on one, with another in hand waiting to feast upon.....
If you look closely you can see just how dirty those little hands are.......Jasmin was truely in heaven!
So after we left the park it was again too late to go home and give Jasmin that bath she SO desperately needed, so we took off to the party only to realise that Rylans thongs wern't in the car like I thought......so he ends up wearing his black school shoes (without socks) with his boardies and a t-shirt to the party.
So there you have it. After having 3 kids there are days that I have indeed become 'one of those mothers' with raggedy, crazy haired, public tantrum throwing kids!! Bbut what can I say, on days like this I feel quite liberated that I am able to look past 'the raggedy', sweaty, dare I say again, crusty kids, that are mine and love them nonetheless!! We had such a fun afternoon!!
...that we're going to Japan CHILD FREE.......now as exciting as that may sound to some....I am already having withdrawals from 'my little chubby face' fix everyday,
from my zahn 'freckle fix' and cuddles ('ziggy' is my favourite freckle - yes they have names)
and my Rylan chats and bed time stories....
10 days seems like forever to be away from them.....i'm already making ridiculous plans for them while i'm gone.....photo books.....letters.....treasure hunts.....making a video for Jasmin of her and I playing (me doing crazy things to make her laugh that only her eyes and I guess my sister Emma will view (i have to do some crazy things to get her to really laugh - not always a pretty sight (bryen family - think fiona doing the monkey to get the kids to laugh.....
But on the flip side of all this pre-mature anxiety.....i'm looking forward to spending 10 uninterrupted days with Chad.....it's been almost 8 years since we've had that much 'alone' together time, so we are both excited for 'the longest date ever'!! I SO can and can't wait for this trip!!!
The other day I was picking Rylan up from school and when I saw him, I excitedly gave him a big hug to which he quickly shrugged out of and a kiss that he quickly wiped away. At first I didn't quite get it until I said, "what's up buddy" and he said "muuuuummmm, wait till we get to the car". "oh" I said realising I had embarrassed him. I quickly changed the subject so he didn't continue to feel embarrassed (i have turned into one of those embarrassing mums :) Of course when we got to the car he was all good for the hugs and kisses (phew)!
As I drove home I realised that my boy, my sensitive and sometimes emotional Rylan is growing up! OK - calm down I know he's only 7 turning 8 but since that little inciden' let's call it, I have noticed other things that have changed.
Sometimes he doesn't want me to hold his hand (OK this is ONLY when we get into the school grounds) and if i even try he looks at me with his head tilted to the side speaking quietly and says "muuuummm" in that way :)
I am NOT allowed into the play ground UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES - I tried to go and say something to him the other day and seriously he nearly died when he saw me walking towards him and his friends (his eyes were bulging at me as if he was saying "muuuuuummmmm", so I quickly abandoned that plan realising what i had to say wasn't really that important.
I realised that despite all these changes and the fact that Rylan is growing up, some things haven't changed. He still wants me to sing him lullaby every night when he goes to bed. He still wants me to cuddle him to sleep (despite our desperate attempts at helping him to go to bed independently). He still wants club penguin stories every night and he still loves to go to bed in my bed and talk to me before he falls asleep. And even though I'm not allowed to embarrass him at school he still loves that I help out in his classroom.
Sometimes I really do wish I could just bundle him up and keep him this innocent little boy forever. In saying though, I've also realised that I DO actually LOVE that he is growing and changing. I love that we can talk about stuff that 'he gets' now. We can have conversations about things that matter and things that are important and he can understand them! But most of all I love that even though I sometimes embarrass him, deep down he is still 'my boy' and he knows it!!!!
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