Just keep swinging

Jim and I have been having a "discussion" about whether or not we should get the girls a swing set for over a year.  Last summer we decided not to because we were tearing out the entire yard and it would have been terrible timing.  I've been hounding him about it for a few months again now.  Sometimes instead of saying "no" and having to deal with me he'll just find reasons to put things off.  For example, I wanted to get it for spring break but it was raining.  He kept saying we have a big park just a couple of blocks from our house that we can walk to and not having to pay for one and then have it take up room in our yard.  I very nicely pointed out that it's not that easy to pack up two girls and take them to the park on a whim.  Stella will have to go to the bathroom, they'll be thirsty, it's naptime, etc.  It would be much more convenient to have our own in our fenced in yard.  Then the flyer came.  The Toys R Us one with the colorful pictures on the front showing 6 kids having a blast on a swing set and by the way... they're on sale this week.  DONE!  I pretty much told him I was doing it and asked if he wanted any input.  It was a pain when we went to pick it up and they didn't have the one Jim wanted (and I'd called to put on hold), but they did have this other one, which happened to be the one I wanted, a bit less $, and they gave us an extra 10% off for making a mistake.  Score!

So, as I mentioned earlier this week, we spent about 6 hours on Mother's Day putting this thing together and still didn't quite finish it.  Stella had no idea what we were doing when we started, we wanted it to be a surprise.  Once she figured it out she was pretty excited and kept asking how much longer it was going to be.  I wish I'd taken a picture of ALL of the wood we had laid out for this thing, we kept telling her it would be done when all of the wood was done.

We spent HOURS outside on it Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  When we came in Wednesday night Jim said, "honey, you're a genius."  That one needed to be written down for all to read and for him to be reminded of for years to come.  He doubted the swing set.  He thought they'd tire of it in a few days.  He thought they'd outgrow it in a few years.  He obviously was not a little girl.  I know that they'll use it for many years.  I told him that when they're 12 and have friends over I can see them just going outside and sitting on the swings while they gossip about boys and how horrible they're parents are.  I knew that at $315 rather than a thousand dollars or more this was going to be worth it's weight in gold (and this sucker is heavy!).  It's the perfect size (it doesn't take up a quarter of our yard) and still has two swings, a "teeter totter", a playhouse, climbing wall, slide, and the cafe below.  Plus, if we ever want to it would be easy to take the little plastic canvas "chalkboard" off the back and build monkey bars or a climbing net.

Now, on to the barrage of pictures!

Here's the hardware my mom laid out (needless to say, it's quite obvious where I get the need to arrange things in rows).

Being the genius that she is, my mom thought it might be a good idea to grab a piece of Stella's sidewalk chalk and number all of the pieces.  I have no idea how much time that saved us, but it was huge!

Pretty much done with the playhouse, Lu started up the ladder after her big sis.

 She wanted to climb the climbing wall too...

She's constantly walking up the slide.

She made it!

All of the girls working to put it together.

Learning to use an electric screwdriver

Probably trying to figure out some of the lousy directions

I didn't even change out of my skirt when we got home Monday so I could finish it.

Lula Bug loved playing with Daddy's tools.

I love this.

Daddy showing her how it works and her little open mouthed concentration face.

Still working

Finito!

Stella loves the little cafe area.  She and Daddy spend a lot of time playing restaurant.

When we got home Tuesday we headed straight outside.  Lu was feeling lovey.

Mama getting some loves.

Stella wanted a kissy picture too.

And then she wanted more pictures.

I was trying to get a picture of them together on this but I was too afraid to let go to get far enough away.

Hours of fun!

After her bath sometimes Daddy will take her back out for a few minutes while I get Lulu ready for bed.

Mother's Day

For the past several years we've had my mom over for brunch for Mother's Day.  Jim's the youngest of 6 so his  mom often already has plans and since I'm an only I get to be with my mom every year.  I always enjoy just having a low key day and being with her.  It still seems like the day is about MY Mom and I often forget that the day is for me too.

Stella loves to take pictures and hams it up - Lu is just kind of oblivious to it all (and it was past her bedtime.)

First, Lulu woke me up at 4:30.  I guess she just wanted to be able to spend a little bit of quiet alone time with me on a special day - she sure wasn't going to get anymore that day!  This year, on top of brunch, my Mom offered to help us put together the swing set we'd gotten for the girls.  I LOVE that I have the kind of mom who'd be willing to spend her special day this way. I love that we were out showing my two girls that women don't have to just sit back and watch while men do the labor. Both girls got some experience with tools and both girls had a ton of fun doing so. (more on the swing set later)

Lucy's first movie night with Stella and I - what a dream!

As much as I loved the day, I'm thinking next year I'd like to do things a bit differently.  I think we'll do brunch on Saturday and Sunday will be a day to just be with my little family and reflect on how blessed I am to have these two beautiful little girls in my life.  I spent so many years praying for kids and so many holidays with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat thinking of all that was missing from our lives.  I don't want to ever get to the point where I take motherhood for granted and where Mother's Day is just another Sunday to get work done around the house.  I want it to be a day that I celebrate, not me as a mama, but that fact that I get to be a mama at all.  A day where I say an extra prayer for the women whose prayers haven't been answered yet and still cry those tears.  I don't forget how much I wanted them, not for a second.  I think about it when I watch them sleep at night, when I watch them play, when they love me up... I think about our life "before" every single day and am grateful.  Now when I cry it's a, "I can't believe how lucky I am.  I can't believe how beautiful they are. I can't believe my body can hold this much love." cry.

 

After their bath, in clean jammies, before bed... such a  dreamy time of night!

I'm rereading the book "Lift" by Kelly Corrigan and highlighting parts that I want to be sure to point out to my girls when they're grown.  The author (who fought cancer) wrote to her daughters, "I've had cancer twice and if I had to pick a fate for you, cancer or fertility problems, I'd pick cancer."  I've never had it so I can't say I'd wish for the same, but it's sure nice to feel like somebody who got pregnant easily understands just a bit of the heartache.

I still wish I had been able to be a younger mom.  I still wish I had been able to choose when I had them.  I wish it hadn't involved all of the $ and trips to Seattle and Drs.  I'm trying to let go of all of that though.  I'm so very grateful for what we have and the Plan that wasn't my own but far exceeded anything I could have possibly wished for.

So next year Mother's Day will look a bit different.  Maybe I'll get to sleep in, have Starbucks delivered in bed, and a family trip to the beach.  I want to take the day to slow down and reflect more.  (Don't get me wrong, I did have a GREAT day.) I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

A beautiful weekend in the PNW

There's so much I want to write about and so many pictures to post with such little time!  We've had a ton of outdoor fun, Mother's Day, a new "toy", and some funny stuff happening around these parts.  I'll try to break it up into a couple of posts.

First, we've been enjoying some amazing weather and everybody seems to be soaking it up.  The last two springs have been miserable and I'm pretty sure everyone would like to just shut down all schools and businesses for the week just to sit outside!  We've definitely been making the most of it.  A couple of weeks ago we got the front yard fenced in.  I'm SO VERY HAPPY that we finally got it done!  Stella is big enough that we don't have to worry as much about her, but with a new walker I'd never have been able to relax out there with her for fear she'd toddle out into the driveway/road. 

I think the front yard at this house is at least as big as our entire back yard at our old house.  We can leave the side gate open and the girls (and dog) can pretty much have the run of the place.  It's such a change from last year when the yards were SO over planted (though I don't think I ever got around to posting about the mammoth job Jim did last year outdoors!)  We still have tons of work to do, but it's the fun stuff now.  Trees, plants, flowers, firepit... I'm looking forward to spending a whole lot of time outside this summer!

We got the girls a fun little sprinkler and I can just sit in the grass and watch them play - lucky mama!

Daddy helping our little chicken jump.

Lu in her clothes oohing at something.

She was pretty interested in it.

Oh, that bitty tongue!

Um, Mom... do you think she knows there are showers INSIDE our house?

Yes, Lula Bug did get to wear a bathing suit.

More "oohs" and pointing

Stella kept running up to it and then chickening out.  I "encouraged" her, but who am I kidding... she IS ME!

Come on...

sizing it up...

working up the courage... 

looking to Mama for reassurance...

She finally went!

...and stuck the landing.  Coach Erica would be proud!

I hope you've been able to get out in the sun and lets all cross our fingers that this summer turns around, I could get used to this!

Teacher Peeps...

You know that time of year when you're tired, crabby, and just need to be done? I'm there today. I know as we get closer to the end it will get better but right now there's just way too much to be done in far too little time and all I want to do is hang out outside with the fam!

For now, I'm clinging to my countdowns, promises of amazing weekend weather and all if the little mini breaks between here and the end that make it feel manageable.

PS- Jim and I picked something up last night that I'm very excited about and have been wanting for a LONG time... You'll have to wait until Monday though. ;)

Winners and walking

Jenn & Lisa, if you email your info to juliem.snider@gmail.com I'll send each of you a vinyl (I just so happen to have two!)

Lulu's been walking a little bit for several weeks now. Yesterday we went to my moms and she walked around and around the house the whole time. I think she's finally realized how fun it is and soon we'll have a full-time walker. It's going to make going outside SO much better! Here's to hoping for some nice weather this spring/summer!

Fours - you got me!

Things were going so well.  I was telling everyone who would listen to me that 4 must be the greatest age ever. Stella seemed to have grown out of the fits that we'd had some experience during her threes (believe what they say - the name Terrible Two is just a trick.  Just when you think you made it through and it wasn't all that bad the threes jump out and slap you across the face!)

Cheering for the undefeated boy's soccer team.

playing with the camera at the game

She was my buddy.  We've had so much fun having dance parties, movie nights snuggling on the couch, and we've mostly outgrown the whiny afternoon period and she doesn't need to be held constantly.  Plus, she's an absolutely A.MA.ZING big sister!

Then last week arrived.  What a reality check for us all.  The fits returned full force, sometimes twice a day.  We got angry, we told her we'd take her toys if she didn't do as she was asked, we tried to rationalize with her, we tried time-out...  This little girl most often would just put her hand on her hip, dig in, and get sassy!  The more sassy and whiny she got, the more patience we lost.  It was a vicious cycle.

This is usually what happens when I try to take pictures of her!

Thursday when we were getting ready for school she wanted her second cup of cocoa.  I'd been having a tough time getting her ready in time so I thought it was an opportunity to use the cocoa to my advantage.  I cheerily told her that she could have it as soon as she got dressed.  Much whining and ten minutes later I ended up helping her get dressed and told her she'd lost the chance for a second cup.  She threw a FIT.  She whined. She stomped. She screamed.  She was still whining and crying in the car.  I calmly asked her why she was crying.  She said, "because I want more COCOOOOOA!"  I said, "I know you do, but we've already left the house and it's too late so why are you crying?"  We repeated those two sentences more than a dozen times.  Finally, she looked at me in the mirror like she was looking at a flying cow and asked, "why do you keep asking me that?"  But guess what, she was so distracted by the fact that I was repeatedly asking her the same question even though she'd clearly answered it, that she quit crying!  It was a small victory, but by that point it felt huge!

She's been practicing her cartwheels and Lulu's been practicing her walking!

Saturday I talked to my mom on the phone about it.  I told her it's so hard because I just don't know how to best handle her fits.  She is SO stubborn and just won't give up... EVER!  I don't want to let her think it's ok to talk to people with that attitude, but at the same time I felt like we were getting into an ugly cycle where she'd be sassy, we'd get frustrated, she'd act out more, we'd get more upset...  We decided to let go a little bit. I don't know how much it helped, but things seemed to get just a little bit better.

Barbie diving

Sunday night I was making our bed while Jim was supervising bath play time.  I heard her tell him, "some mamas love one child more than they love the other."  He asked her why she said that and she told him because some mamas yell at one of their kids but not the other.  I was practically in tears. I know she's had moments where she thinks everyone is over the moon for Lulu and she's been pushed aside a bit.  He asked her if she thought I felt that way and she said, "no, but some mamas do."  When I took over in the tub we talked about how babies don't get into trouble and when she's 6 and Lu is 3 Lucy will be get in trouble SO much more than she does.  Then at 11 and 14 it will be Stella's turn again, and at 14 and 17 we're all in serious trouble!  She was laughing and I told her that she and her sister were my two favorite people in the ENTIRE world (which she couldn't quite believe and made her smile) and that she was the answer to the prayer that I had prayed for SO many years.  I think that she felt it, I pray that she felt it.

I know that she's growing up and trying to figure things out.  She's becoming more independent.  She's learning about life.  I just pray for the patience and guidance to best know how to help her through the frustrating times.