Avengers Training Camp

Guys, I made a thing. It was an awesome thing and so much fun happened. So much love from friends and beauty in the day and there was happiness and joy and all of it was to celebrate my little baby boy turning 5!
I can not believe he is 5 now! It sounds cliche to say, but it really seems like just yesterday I was bringing home this little guy and was so scared and looked at the world and felt like it was nowhere near good enough to have this little child in it. And now he has made the world better just by being a part of it. He has made friends and learned so much and its all still SO brand new and amazing.

Today we celebrated his day by hosting Avengers Training Camp.

For snacks we had Hulk SPLASH! Punch, Thor's Hammer Cheese on a Pretzel, Hulk colored grapes and not Avengers related, but Nana Judy's Special Birthday Cookies. She has been making these for 18 years now for 6 grand children and great nephew's and niece's birthdays. It is just a simple sugar cookie recipe, but something about it is just perfect. This year I didn't even get to eat a single one before they all got munched!!!! We also did some hot dogs on the grill but I couldn't think of an Avengers theme to those, so they were just hot dogs.

I made the cake myself. I am a big believer in home made cakes, but I want to make them awesome too, so I had to learn. I am still learning and its far from perfect, but as the kids grow so will my skills (I Hope!). He really wanted Spiderman included, so I made it work even though there was no room on top for him.

The games were Captain America's Shield Bean Bag Toss. Yes I made the bean bags, I tried gluing the stars and stripe to the red and blue parts and it was a no go so I stayed up late last night sewing the parts back on. We nailed (yes nails, they hold the plate down and come up easy enough) paper plates into the lawn with the score, but no one was keeping score for real of course!

My husband and I have been hoarding the boxes we buy milk in (2 gallons at a time so it comes in a box) and we taped the handles shut and 4 (!!!) cans of spray paint later we had bricks for the Mjölnir throw. It was this game that was the biggest hit, the kids seemed to really enjoy smashing down the wall of "bricks"

 We also did a fun event of Hulk Smash Balloon Pop. It was fun watching the younger kids try to pop the balloons and most of the bigger kids bit theirs. 

Then we had a mask making table, but the glitter glue didn't dry in time, so many masks were left behind.... I felt a bit sad about this and if I had to do it again I would use metallic sharpies instead of glitter glue. Also, these plastic masks from Michael's craft stores were pretty gross to wear because of the sweat they held against the skin.... if I had thought about it sooner I would have bought some cardboard ones online before the party. But the big bowl of shape stickers were a big hit and easy to put on the plastic mask, plus now I have a bunch of leftovers for craft projects this summer.

Of course we ended with cake and gifts and lots of thank you's. 

I had a box of sticker books and little craft projects to do that came from the bins at Target or the clearance section of Fred Meyer and some of the little dry towels crammed into a little square that you put in the bath tub to make them big. Each kiddo got to pick a couple of toys to take home with them. I don't really do the cheapo goodie bag crap, I wanted it to be something they could enjoy and it didn't have to be Avengers themed since I wanted each kiddo to feel like they got something THEY wanted, so we had everything from Avengers stationary sets to Frozen word search games to packs of mini glo sticks. 


We saved the gifts from family members who couldn't be here for Liam to open on his actual birthday so that they would have their own special time for him to enjoy them. 

All in all, it was an AWESOME day.

Mason Jar Cozy!!

I have been loving the Melita coffee maker my husband got me for Christmas, but pouring boiling water through the coffee grounds to brew it sure does make some HOT coffee. So I've been brewing it into a quart sized mason jar so it cools faster than in an insulated cup (did I mention that I LOVE coffee), but this is a rather large vessel now filled with nearly boiling hot liquid. I was having to use a hot pad to move it to my desk so I could sit and knit and sip my super hot coffee.

I decided that I wanted to make a mason jar cozy.  I wrote it up just in case anyone else felt like making themselves one.

Without further ado, here it is.

Mason Jar Cozy (fits Quart size jars)
Yarn: Peaches and Cream Cotton
Needles U.S. #8 (5mm) circular needles (yes you can use DPN's if you like them better)
Gauge: not super important, but I did knit it pretty tight. 

Cast on 36 stitches and join to work in the round, place a marker before the first stitch if you need the help remembering where the beginning is.

Round 1-3 Knit all rounds

Round 4 *K1, P1* repeat until the end of the round
Round 5 *P1, K1* repeat until the end of the round
Round 6 *K1, P1* repeat until the end of the round
Round 7 *P1, K1* repeat until the end of the round

Round  8-13  Knit all rounds

Round 14 purl all stitches
Round 15 *yo, k2tog*  repeat to end of row
Round 16 purl all stitches

Round 17 - 38 Knit all rounds

Round 39 *k2, k2tog* repeat to end

Round 40 Knit all stitches

Round 41 *k1, k2tog* repeat until the end

Round 42 Knit all stitches

Round 43 k2tog, k2tog, k2tog, k2tog, k1

Cut yarn with enough length to thread through the 5 stitches. Draw them to a close and fasten off.

Weave in your ends, and them go put your cozy on a nice big mason jar and fill it with something hot and yummy!

Enjoy!

Sick of the Sick

I've been losing my mind. Liam is sick, what I thought was just a cold has turned into a double ear infection and pink eye in both eyes. The antibiotics have made him feel good enough that he now is feeling well enough to be bored, but not well enough to resume things like running wild or going out in public. Mostly because I am still worried about his eyes being contagious and if I saw a kid with gooey eyes at a park I would have to go home and dip my kids into a vat of Purell because NO ONE wants to get this shit. But his boredom has turned him into a little whine beast who is giving me attitude like I would expect from a 14 year old followed by a need for some massive snuggles. Of course, I don't mind all the snuggles.

T.V., my beloved standby for sick days and Mommy Needs 30 Minutes of Peace is no longer a viable option. The only shows desired right now are Transformers Rescue Bots and My Little Pony. While I love Heatwave and Twilight Sparkle, watching all the seasons of both shows in the last 5 days has left me a little weary of both shows. The kids are equally as bored of the shows but not willing to try anything new. Netflix has a show based on King Julian from Madagascar and one of Puss in Boots from Shrek that I would love to check out, but not enough to watch them on my own. Both shows have been met with "But I HATE that show!!!" followed by me trying to be calm and saying "You've never seen it, how do you know?" and their insistence of needing BowBots (Robots, translated as Rescue Bots) or "Ponies!" So I put those shows on, and in 10 minutes both kids are bored and have moved on to torturing each other, decimating a muffin and throwing the crumbs on the floor, jumping on the couch and smacking into each other, or yelling in the dogs face.

Equally as boring are books, drawing, any of the 50 million toys they have, going for a walk or doing anything that doesn't involve something that requires me to monitor them with at least 95% attention.

I wrote up a list of fun things to do with the kids, but most of these are messy and require me to actually remove the laundry pile/legos/my work from the kitchen table to give them a place to work at being messy. Add to that their uncanny ability to take anything colorful and fun and turn it into brown puddles of paint or an argument between them over who gets to use a certain color, and I am just kind of over it.

I just don't have the energy right now. I've been thinking I have a thyroid issue and need to go pester my doctor to do some more tests, or it might just be the sleep deprivation from Evie's little routine of popping up 20 times a night and then coming into the bed at 3am to toss and turn and kick me in the face for two hours and then try to get everyone up at 5am unless put back to sleep with a bottle of milk.

Sometimes, I wish my children were the kind who could do a project without getting messy in ways I didn't even consider when taking my precautions to keep the mess contained. Or were the kind who could be content playing with their toys for even a few moments. I do love them, but my children are the kind who need to be spilled out into the wilds of the back yard or let loose in the park. They are free range kids who do best when given the freedom to be a little crazy. Our house just isn't big enough for that! Our winters are so wet and cold and muddy, it almost makes me miss California. Almost.

Spring can not get here fast enough! Or the end of this cold. Whatever comes first.

Dirt Fairy and the Quest for Sleep

Evie was three months old when the symptoms started. Tossing and turning, waking frequently, snoring, fighting sleep, needing help to get to sleep.

At first, we thought it was just her being an infant. But by 6 months she was addicted to a bouncy chair and waking 20-25 times a night, I knew there was a problem.

Sadly, her doctor did not agree. Wait it out. Maybe she has reflux. Let her cry it out.

So we let her cry. Within 5 minutes of crying, she had vomited all over her crib, herself and the floor. Well. That sucked. Crying wasn't going to work.

Months went by, she outgrew her bouncy seat and finally accepted the swing. She burned through three swing motors over the next year. Partially because of lots of use, partially because Graco apparently doesn't build motors to accommodate 14lbs. even when the manual says that the swing is good until a child is 20lbs. But they DID send us all of our replacements rapidly when I call them with all the fury of a sleep deprived mother. 

We finally talked our Doctor into a referral to a sleep specialist. But when I called Dr. Ji's office to set up an appointment, I found out that it would take them 6 months just to GET to our referral. After that, 3-4 months for an appointment. I could speed this up by having our doctor call them and tell them she had a more urgent problem. But of course, our doctor didn't agree that her problem was worth a phone call. Evie was 14 months old when we got the referral. She was waking 20-25 times a night, snoring, fighting sleep, tossing and turning, waking often and being hyperactive and pissy all day.

At about 1 year she started showing signs of having a sensory processing disorder. Seams and weird fabric and crunchy plastic on her crib mattress were making her angry, so we started taking measures to reduce those things. Inside out jammies, super soft fuzzy blankets, foam over her mattress to take away the sound from it.

About this time she also started with the food aversions. She wouldn't eat anything crunchy or hard. She wouldn't eat anything gooey. We had cheese, apple slices, milk, grapes, sauteed chicken and bunny crackers on the approved list.

She became hyperactive, burning more calories than she was taking in and leading our Dr. to ask for weight checks on her as she was getting taller, but not weighing any more.

Still she couldn't sleep. She would fall asleep in our arms and we would put her into her crib, she would last about an hour up there before she woke up crying so hard she was gagging, during her hour in her crib she tossed and turned and rolled and scooted. We then would put her into her now non-swinging swing and she would fall back asleep.

Soon after Easter, when she was 1.4 years old, she fell asleep on a dog bed, and it was all over from there. She would sleep on the bed, it was bigger than her crib mattress, and it was soft and fuzzy. So we washed it, we put her blankets on it, and she slept better. No more waking 15-20 times a night, we suddenly dropped to 5 times a night and we all rejoiced.

Dr. Ji's office called, they had finally processed our referral and we could set up an appointment. The soonest one was 4 months out. I scheduled it and put it on the calendar, but forgot about it as things worsened. 

Then, the staying up late started. She was resisting sleep. She would keep herself up until midnight or later. We started bed time at 6:30 and from 7:30 until whenever, she would alternate between dozing off and jerking awake and then jumping on the couch.

Evie had grown attached to her dog bed. Sleeping in her own bed led to episodes of vomiting from crying too hard, waking more often, and then she started climbing out of her bed.

We wound up switching doctors around the middle of summer 2014. I had some issues and our doctor at the time was dismissive and rude to me, she had never listened about Evie and I was just DONE with them.

Evie turned 2, and we moved her and her brother into a room together, thinking that maybe she was lonely and he would be another person for her to be around. It didn't help. We made her bed into a toddler bed so that when she climbed out she wouldn't hurt herself.

In October of 2013, we went to our appointment with Dr. Ji. I almost didn't go. I was so pissed off at our doctor for ignoring all of our concerns, I was tired, sleep deprived, angry all the time and if it wasn't for pictures I wouldn't remember any of my daughter's infancy. My 4 year old son was acting out and he began to throw tantrums again. I was in despair that anyone could help me. I was not in the mood to be dismissed again.

Dr. Ji was amazing. Is amazing. She listened to me, she really heard me. She spent almost 2 hours with us and saw how Evie was being hyperactive and crazy. She believed me that something wasn't right, she ordered a sleep study. I felt like maybe there was hope after all. She started Evie on a dose of Melatonin to help her FALL asleep at a reasonable time.

Almost overnight there was improvement. We gave her 1mg of melatonin, and she slept. She fell asleep. At 7:00. Sure. she woke at 9, 11, 1, 3, 5, 6....... She rolled and tossed and snored and snorted and gagged and cried. But that was our normal now. We would spend the time getting her to sleep. My husband took the 10pm to 2am shift, he stayed up late to be there for her, because once he was asleep he was dead to the world. I got the 2-7 shift, waking up with her and helping her fall back to sleep, holding her when she cried. She was sooooo tired. she wanted to sleep so much.

We showed up at Randall Children's Hospital with a dog bed, pajamas, and melatonin in hand for our sleep study. I gave Evie her pill and we watched her get drowsy. She was hooked up to all kinds of things. She fell asleep and the study began. From the moment she fell asleep, she moved. She tossed and turned and kicked and rolled. She tangled up wires on her head and chest, she woke many times. I got NO sleep that night. I think I spent about an hour asleep total but in 15 minute segments. 

We were sent home and I got to put her in the bath and scrub paste out of her hair at 6:30 in the morning before we BOTH collapsed on the couch and slept for an hour. My husband took Liam to school that day and I was so grateful for it.

A few days later we went back to see Dr. Ji. We had the results of the sleep study. Evie had roused from deep sleep 96 times in 8 hours. She had 84 episodes where her breathing became restricted, and one time where she stopped breathing for 27 seconds. She had rapid limb movements and that was waking her as well. Final diagnosis, moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Our orders were to find an ENT and see about getting her tonsils and adenoids taken out to open her airway.

She also was diagnosed with low iron, which could be a cause for her limb movements that were waking her.

So, we went to our normal doctor who gave us a referral to an ENT, no problem. This doctor loves that I do the footwork for her, I find who I want to see and she gives me the referral. We went to go see Dr. Ghaheri at The Oregon Clinic. He is a super star ENT who got rave reviews and we had lots of hope for him. He looked at Evie and said that her tonsils were not big enough to justify taking out. But to go get a second opinion from a pediatric otolarongologist.

I messaged our clinic and asked for a referral to one of those. They said they had one, I would go see him. So I set up an appointment and waited and went and we got there and we didn't even get to see the actual specialist, just someone else. But HE assured us that the guy would totally take out Evie's tonsils. I asked a lot of questions, and in the end, decided that no. This guy wasn't for us. He didn't want to do it because he saw a problem, he wanted to do it for the money. I googled him and his little assistant when I got home, and got nothing but BAD reviews. And discovered that he was NOT a pediatric otolarongologist like I had asked for, he was an ALLERGY SPECIALIST!   Auuugh! Not what I wanted.

I called Dr. Ghaheri back and asked for help, he gave me the names of two pediatric otolarongologists, one of whom was affiliated with our main medical provider! How they didn't find him I don't know, unless the person who did the referral was just lazy.... But we got a referral to them and now I am waiting for THAT to get processed and get the phone call saying we can schedule an appointment.

Evie is now 2.25 years old. She is hyperactive, easily irritated, prone to tantrums over everything. She can not sit still long enough to learn, so she doesn't know her colors, or shapes, even when I try to make it an active game. She throws things, she hits people. If she doesn't get her way she screams until she gags. She wakes a few times a night, though this week has been good, better than last week. She snores like a lumberjacks chain saw, and she wakes up gagging and crying in distress.

If her tonsils are not enlarged and causing this, I am at a loss as to what is. I just take life one day at a time and try to find ways to keep her happy without turning her into a spoiled brat.

She still will not eat many things. She just wants milk, or soft foods like pasta (nunu's she calles it), dried fruit is ok sometimes. Granola bars are out. Scrambled eggs are ok, but toast is a big nono. Smoothies are usually a good thing though, so we're doing lots of those.

We tried her on an iron supplement for the limb movement issue, but it had her so constipated that it set us back MONTHS in potty training because now pooping hurt, and she was not having it. 

I wish there was more I could do for her right now, but I just have to wait and be patient and maybe we will get an answer soon. I sure wish I could help my Evie sleep more. I wish I could sleep more. I want to find out how to help her. I want this to get better.

I hate blogging

There. I said it.

I hate the feeling that I HAVE to post anything. That if I don't post something for a week or a month or a year that somehow I have failed at blogging.
So maybe I should say I hate what I thought blogging was supposed to be.

But I LOVE having a place to go more in depth than social media.

I love the idea of sharing my ideas with anyone who gives a damn.

I don't like feeling like I can not be myself for the fear of pissing someone off.

So.... I want to blog, and I am going to do it my way. Updates are when I have something to say. If I offend you, just stop reading.

And I am not about to write a summary of all the crap I have been through this last year and a half. I've lost folks who I love and I don't want to drag all those feelings up again.

The important thing I DO want to write about soon is that Yes my daughter has sleep apnea, we're all tired as hell. I've seen the darkest side of dawn and felt despair crash down on me in waves. I've been dragged through my daily life trailing sleep deprivation behind me like toilet paper stuck to my shoe. I have given up on playing nice with the doctors and I am gently but firmly pushing at them to help me fix this, to help me help my daughter get some sleep. I've cried in front of strangers, yelled at undeserving receptionists, had too much wine to drink a few times while trying to find any way to cope for just one more day. I've given in to the demands of a two year old just for the promise of 30 more minutes of sleep. I am not proud of everything I have done, but chances are I will do it all again.

I want a blog so I have a place to spill all these things that rattle about in my head out into the world and maybe somewhere down the road someone who needs my words and thoughts can find them.

So I am going to blog again, but I am not promising rainbows and sunshine. I'm promising my truth and my heart laid bare. As stated by Anna Nalick "These words are my diary screaming out loud and I know that you'll use them however you want to."

The Horrible Parents Club

A friend of mine was recently accused of being a horrible parent. In fact, I think it happened a few hours ago. He wrote a post in reply to that.

Dear World,
I am a horrible father. I woke up at dawn today to get everything ready for my 5-year-old's first day of Kindergarten. I spent the next few hours playing with my new-born daughter, until it was time to pick up big sister from school. I let her go play next door while little sister napped, did some cleaning, and checked in with school. While big sister began eating dinner, I spent some much needed “me” time trying to socialize online. Mommy will be home in a couple hours, then it is time for big sister to go off to bed for another exciting day of school tomorrow. Little sister, mommy, and I will spend some time cuddling and playing, and then I have several hours of homework to do into the wee hours of the night. I will get a couple hours of sleep, and then do it all again tomorrow, with a smile!
I am a horrible father because I do not currently have a job. I understand the importance of having a parent at home for my precious children; we choose who works by current earning potential. But, I am a horrible father.
I am a horrible father because sometimes my house isn’t spotless. I am in the middle of 12+ years of clinical and administrative medical studies, and I know that even though it is driving me into the ground now, it will provide a beautiful future for my angels. But, I am a horrible father.
I am a horrible father because I censor my children from ‘certain’ people. While it is important to let my children learn all cultural aspects of our society, I do not think it is appropriate for a 4-year-old to come in contact with marijuana. But, I am a horrible father.
I am a horrible father because I do not advocate for illegal substance use. I don’t spend all my time rallying for other families who have lost their children over drug-related charges because I don’t have that time to spare, nor would I advocate the intent. But, I am a horrible father.
I am a horrible father because I let other people have time with my children. I know, a loving auntie who treats my little girl like a princess is such a bad thing! I have taken the time to gauge who I can trust with my children, and who I cannot. But, I am a horrible father.
I am a horrible father because I don’t keep up with everyone else’s drama. I prioritize the time and effort I do have to make “home” a great place for the girls; making nutritious meals, cleaning, and striving to improve our lives every day. I know, I should keep track of extended family drama, but my girls are more important. I love my babies, but, I am a horrible father!
So look at this horrible father and pass judgment over me! I don’t mind at all. Take a moment and ask mom if I am a horrible father; she’ll probably slap you. Take a moment to ask big sissy if I am a horrible father; she’ll laugh and say, “No! I love my daddy!” Take a moment to ask my baby if I am a horrible father; she’ll just look at me and smile the cutest little smile! I almost feel sorry for them, not knowing what a horrible father I am.
So I promise, world, that I will try harder every day to be a better father to my children. Your judgments and personal agendas are far superior to those of my family unit. So, I am sorry for being such a horrible father.

 And I realized that some folks would see a jobless parent who stays home with their children as a bad parent. Someone who has set aside the drama of their childfree life in favor of worrying about the important things. 

 I am a jobless parent. I do not get paid money for the work I do, but I am working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day for the last 3.25 years since my son made his grand entrance to this life. I kiss boo boos, I wipe noses, I potty train, I fix broken things, do more laundry than should be humanly possible. I cook, I clean, I shop for food. I teach, I learn, I go on walks that are very very slow. I pick up the same toys 50 times in one week. 

 I have chosen to stay home. Daycare would cost about what I could make. Well, a GOOD daycare where I knew my kiddos were safe. I have chosen to be here with them day in and day out for as long as I can be. As they grow, their demands on me will be less, their time in school will be longer, and I can rejoin the workforce when this job requires less of my time.

Some parents might call me too strict, as I expect my child to learn manners and be polite. Or some might think I am horrible because I let him explore the playground without me hovering at his back. I might be terrible because I let him get muddy in the creek, but you could call me simply awful for the times I say please do not play in the dirt right now when we are not equipped to do a clothing change on the fly and have more places to go before home. I might be horrid because I want him to eat his fruits and veggies, and some might call me wrong because I have let him have days where he has had three small bags of M&M's and later on a slice of pizza was dinner. 

Parents are judged a lot. Everything we do that someone sees is criticized. Everything our children say and do is held up and examined by other people. I have been guilty of this. A child was rude to Liam, and I mean downright MEAN. I immediately had the thought of "What on earth are his parents teaching him!" I am sure that some parents who have seen me with Liam and Evie think I might be doing things wrong. Everyone has their own way of being a parent. But unless you are hurting your child or neglecting their basic needs, maybe its time to find a way to realize that there is no One True Way. If your kids are fed, clothed, have a warm bed and a set of arms to find comfort in, maybe someone should find a way to tell you what you are doing RIGHT. All too often I see criticism from others in the parenting community, online and in person... I want to start telling others what I see that was RIGHT, not wrong. 

I am tired of parents beating each other up. Lets all just be parents together and learn from Bambi. If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nuthin' at all! 

But if you want to call me a horrible mama for being jobless and having rules, feel free. I will OWN that role! Welcome to the Horrible Parents Club. Pants are optional, but healthy foods are a must, and you must hold hands when crossing the street. Bed time is at 8, and yes, you have to take a bath at least once a week.

 

What Else Can I Do?

I don't know what to do anymore. I am lost. I tell Liam that it is time to sit on the potty and I get a SCREAMING tantrum from hell. He hits his sister, takes away any toy she picks up, totally ignores me when I am talking to him even when I am face to face with him. He freaks out when I give him water or any food he suddenly decides he doesn't want and dumps it on the floor and throws the cup or plate at me. I don't know what I have done wrong to get to this point with him. I talk to him on his level, simply, face to face and he will not listen. I tell him to not throw BEFORE He throws, I put him on a time out when he does something wrong. I praise him when he is good. But this is just getting worse and worse. He is a little monster sometimes and it is driving me up the wall. He NEVER does it around people, only when its just me and him and Evie. Dan has seen a small fraction of the behavior I deal with for hours on end every day.
Maybe he is bored I thought, but every activity I give him to do is done for 20 seconds and then discarded and he is off and running pulling the dogs hair, running over Evie, taking her toys out of her hands, shoving her off of whatever she is standing on.... He will happily sit and stare at TV for hours if you let him, turning away only to kick or push Evie if she gets near him.
I don't what what to do anymore. I have tried so many things and nothing seems to be working. I end each day in tears because by the time its bed time I have had to yell at him to get him to listen at least 10 times. "Do NOT hit your sister, No, put your hand down, Stop Liam, STOP! NO HIT. NO HIT NO HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I said no hit, go, time out, now" as I am trying to comfort a screaming baby who just got smacked.
He identifies with bad guys in TV shows, he saw Caillou being a brat to his sister, so he started talking to Evie that way. We nixed that show, We're about to have to nix Jake and the Neverland Pirates because now he steals her toys and says he is Captain Hook taking all the treasure.
My poor baby is covered in bruises. The more he hurts her the less time I have to spend with him because I am trying to calm her down which only makes things worse. I try to have fun time with just me and him, I play with him, I listen to him and talk with him about good things. We have good moments, but the bad moments are getting worse and worse.
It is breaking my heart, I don't want him to be a bully.

Liam's Third Birthday!

I know I am not good at sending thank you cards. I will openly admit this. I do not have the time these days to sit down and send out cards. I feel bad about this, but also hope that everyone will understand.

So, here is my thank you card. This time, right here, right now, when I am getting to sit down for 10 minutes (and then get interrupted after 5 minutes and come back 2 hours later to rush to finish up the post in 15 minutes) and write a blog post and put up some pictures for everyone. This is my thank you to everyone. To the gift givers, the trash picker-uppers, the food buyers, the yard work doers, the chair scrubbers, the guests who came to celebrate that Liam turned three. This is my thank you to you for today and every other day that you celebrate my son and my family by thinking of us and helping us and being so kind and thoughtful.

And with that said, lets show off some pictures!!!!

yup. I made that. yup, we have leftovers.

he ate 5 slices of watermelon. 5!!!!!

He was doing really well about sharing his new toys

Nym licked Dotty's elbow, she was offended.

Evie got to nibble on a mint leaf, it was a hit!

I am sad that Liam decided not to be part of this picture, but stopping play time for 10 seconds was too much to ask!

The Good with the Bad

I've been thinking about writing a post for a while. SOooooOOOoooOOOOOO much has been happening. Those of you who follow The Daily Liam and The Daily Evelyn know that my updates have been a bit sparse.

A few things have been on my mind. Bad dreams. My Non-sleeping Toddler. New Life Changes.  and a few more. So I will just go down the list. I will alternate good and bad and end on a good note. Just because I can.

Bad:  Bad Dreams
I've been having some dreams where bad things are happening to the kids. First one was a house fire when I was 3 houses down the street and somehow running back was like jogging through molasses. The other was where Liam went under water in the bathtub and when I pulled him out he wasn't breathing, I started CPR.. and then jerked awake and had to go into his room and just hug him for a long while. This one haunts me. I can still see his hair floating out, his face all calm and peaceful like when he is sleeping. Last night it was that someone was trying to take Liam, and I pushed them down the stairs and they broke their back. I guess I am in some sort of worry mode.

Good: Big Brother Liam!
Liam is turning out to be a good big brother. He shares toys, is pretty darn careful of where he is crashing and where his limbs are landing when Evie is nearby. He asks if she is ok when she cries, he brings her her toys, he offers her his food. But he isn't so good that it makes me worry he is not still thinking about himself as he should be right now.

Bad: Liam Won't Sleep
Liam still has not slept through the night. In his 2 years and almost 8 months he has only slept about 15 nights without waking up at least once and/or not getting up early (like, 5:30 am early). We are in an ongoing process to figure this out. Right now we are on limiting nap times to two hours and delaying bed time another half hour later.

Good: New Life Changes
I am implementing a rule for me and Liam... Dan can choose to follow it if he wants or not. But I am not feeding me or Liam any food that has a TV commercial. Other than Cheerios, the occasional mini bag of M&M's and a rare treat of delivery pizza. Already I have found that I am happier and have more energy. I am cooking more at home and finding some simple recipes that I can make even while bouncing Evie in her chair as she sits in her chair in the middle of the kitchen.

Good: Evie Is Growing!
Evie is such a happy baby. She is full of smiles and giggles, she is rolling over and starting to get good at pulling things into her mouth. She is content and just goes along with the flow for the most part and really only cries when something is wrong like being hungry, really wet, super tired or being stuck on her tummy now that she can roll.

More good than bad.... Not too shabby really!

Merry Christmas!

Liam is sitting in my lap helping me pic out whichpictures to use for saying thank you.

he also  is helping me type this. i am holding his hand and helping him find the letters I want to use on the keyboard.

We opened the gifts from Dan's Family on Christmas Eve, and the ones from Mama and Dada and Mama's family on Christmas Morning. 

So here it is, our big picture heavy THANK YOU! for everyone who made Liam's Christmas amazing!

We started out with an Early Christmas with Grumpa Dave and Grandma Kathy

Liam was VERY excited

He got many amazing things, like a firefly lamp for his room...

...and a HUGE sticker book!

Evie got some pretty new clothes, and some books

Liam played with that sticker book for DAYS!

Evie fell asleep after all the excitement.

 Then, we had some Christmas Eve joy!

Thank you Grandma Glenda for the warm fuzzy clothes!

And the amazing Cars Puzzle and Book!

Liam HAD to put it together right away!

Thank you Aunt Mel and Uncle Kurt for the amazing wooden toys and the fun outfits!

And thank you for the outfit for Evie as well! Liam helped us open it.

He really liked his wooden bus!

Liam enjoyed the gift from our neighbors too! It was a Lightning McQueen photo frame.

We got a gift from an unknown source at the family breakfast, there was no name on it, but Liam ADORED the Hot Wheels inside of it!

He got a watch and a puzzle from The Mess Crew...

and a copy of Charlotte's Web, one of my FAVORITE movies that I can not wait to open and share with Liam!

Thank you again to Mel and Kurt for the books! Liam will have fun reading them and Evie will really enjoy her books soon.

Evie got a neat set of blocks from Great Grandma Glenda, she seems to like them already and soon enough she will be building towers out of them.

And Christmas Morning was full of MORE fun!

On Christmas morning, Liam's pile of gifts was HUGE!

he got a LOT of new Cars!

Evie loved her wrapping paper!

Had a stare down with a frog...

before deciding he was pretty cool!

The methods of packaging toys gave Dada a hard time!

Evie got a soft warm new shirt from Uncle Rob and Aunt Amy! She is going to look so GOOD in it!

and she got a pack of tactile balls which she already had worked on touching and licking.

Liam got a tool box from Uncle Rob and Aunt Amy, and he had a BLAST opening it and then measuring the box using his very own Tape Measure

Evie was rather captivated by the wrapping paper all morning

Liam waited patiently for help opening some of his toys

He was so happy to see some new Cars characters

Johnny had to come play with some bows and get his bum in a picture

and Liam enjoyed his stocking that Grandma Julie sent him last year, restuffed with new gifts!

His blanket from Grammy Wanda was an instant hit!

Evie pondered the pointy ball for a while

Both kiddos got fun gifts from Aunt Saskia and Uncle Bob

Evie loved her hat

and her scarf...

and both at the same time!

And to say it again, Thank you to everyone!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!