Todd

Did you know that whenever you give me one of your big grins, I nearly melt into a puddle?

Did you know that you end up sleeping on the floor almost every night?

Did you know that you have almost given me a heart attack I don't know how many times?! You are such a climber and explorer.

Did you know that you love "choo choo's" and that you are so good at constructing tracks? You love building all sorts of things.

Did you know that sometimes you get very upset and don't know how to control your emotions? That's okay. I'm helping you learn. You and timeout are pretty good friends lately.

But did you also know what an all around happy, joyful, pleasant boy you are? You are so full of life and others around you can sense it too. I squeeze the living day lights out of you multiple times a day.

Did you know that you are my favorite two year old little boy ever?! And that I love you dearly?!

Don't you forget it.

Ever.

Never ever.

Lucy

I want to always remember your enthusiasm for everything. From the type of cereal you eat in the morning, to the color of your shirt. You have a way of seeing the beauty in every little thing and you can't contain your excitement!

I want to always remember your love of learning. You get so excited when you learn something new and you repeat your new found knowledge over and over again.

I want to always remember how much you love to draw and write letters. I love the notes that you so meticulously construct and how you want to make one every day for your friends and family.

I want to always remember those two little freckles - one to the right of your nose, the other on your left cheek. 

I want to always remember how affectionate you are. You squeeze me oh so tight when I ask for a hug and those kisses are painful at times. You are always bursting at the seams!

I want to always remember the funny things you say - "Mom? Can you bark like a quacker?", "There's no animals in my ears! Just angels!", "I need to tell you something...want to snuggle me?" - and how you used to always say "got-for" instead of "forgot". 

I want to always remember YOU! My exuberant, strong-willed, friendly four-year-old. 

It's true what they say...

...time has a way of changing things.

Being the "Mama's Boy" that he is, I wasn't sure how Todd was going to handle having another baby around. I was pretty sure he was going to be a jealous mess and that this new baby would be cramping his style. When Anna was first born, my predictions were pretty accurate. He just wasn't a fan. He didn't like when I'd nurse her and he hated that I couldn't hold him because I was holding her. There was an occasional toy thrown at her face and the constant stealing of her binki.
But somewhere along the way, he decided that he somewhat liked her. Then loved her. Now he's obsessed with her! From the moment he wakes up, he is in her face trying to get her to smile. When she's fussy, he brings her toys to cheer her up. When he hears her making any noise through the monitor, he runs as fast as he can to her aid. It drives me nuts because I'm usually trying to get her to sleep, but he's too fast for me to catch him!
But oh! How it warms my heart to see him love his little sister and do what he can within his two-year-old abilities to make her happy. And he's very successful. Annie is always cracking up at him.

Yup, she definitely loves him too.

Around Here

*Nothing like watching a rain shower at 7:30 am before daddy has to go to school.
*This post is my 400th post since I started blogging five years ago. I feel like a celebration is in order. :)

*We've recently become members of the YMCA. It's so great to be able to drop off the three kids for an hour or two to allow me to exercise. Though, truth be told, I usually bring a book and walk on the treadmill while reading. But needless to say, my sanity is always found once again at the gym.

*I've become a smoothie master lately. My Jamba days back in high school sure have helped. Hardly a day goes by without a refreshing, healthy concoction of fruits with the occasional handful of spinach.

*Lately, Lucy has become fixated with the English accent. Maybe it's from watching Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. She says things like "Ello. How do you do?" and "Good day!" with an English accent to the best of her ability. She knows how to speak some Spanish (thanks Dora) and some "English-es"

*Annie's first laugh came right after I had some dental work done. I was trying to smile at her, but only half of my mouth would curve upward. She apparently thought it was hilarious! Then I would laugh, which must have looked even more ridiculous cause she was busting a gut!

*Todd is still a little behind in his speech development, but is progressing well. We've mostly had to work on Lucy not speaking for him or answering every question we ask him.

A "Sleepover" Party

Lucy is always begging to have a "sleepover" party with me and her dad or with her aunties. Her definition of a sleepover party is staying up late and snuggling with a movie and popcorn. I was having a hard time deciding what to do for her first birthday party with friends. A "sleepover" only made sense! 

We started off the night coloring some shirts. I drew on nine shirts, either a boy or girl owl with each child's initial. 

Todd was more interested in the marker caps then he was actually coloring.

 Next, Alex and a friend of his made a blanket fort where the kids watched a Disney sing-along movie while munching on bowls of popcorn and strawberries.

We then sang "Happy Birthday" to Lucy with her "donut cake". You would think it was Todd's birthday by these pictures. :)

 Next was presents. Annie is just chillin on the couch back there.

For the last activity of the night, we colored "sleep masks" and played Pin the Sleep Mask on the Raccoon. They all peeked and placed their masks perfectly. Little squirts.

The party favors were not only the shirts they colored, but also a mini box of doughnuts. I frosted some Cheerios and dabbed a little bit of frosting on the bottom of each one to make sure they stayed in place in the box. For the white doughnuts, I rolled Cheerios in powdered sugar after sprinkling a little bit of water on them. The box was made out of scrapbook paper.

I didn't have time to get to my shadow puppet theater, but overall, I think it was a big success! The four-year old's had an absolute blast. After the fact, I was exhausted and my voice was practically gone... 9 kids ages 4 and under, at bed time mind you, was CRAZY! They were all bouncing off the walls/breaking down in tears.
And let me explain Lucy's hair....I had it all cute in two braids and about a half hour before the party she ripped them out. She refused to let me fix it. You could say I was a little embarrassed when here her friends are coming over to her party with their hair perfectly combed and looking adorable. I don't even want to know what the other mom's must have been thinking!! :)

iLovin

{mid-week musings} Lucy's Prayer

It was eleven o’clock and Lucy was still not in bed. We have been going nonstop for the last couple of days during the Geyer family reunion. Earlier in the evening, Lucy’s little body finally couldn't keep up and so she fell asleep for a hearty two hour nap at 5 pm. Any mother knows the consequences of such a late nap.  At 10:30 pm, I figured I needed to start getting her upstairs. But it was so hard for me to leave the guitar/piano singing session with some of the adults. Lucy, too, was having some guilty fun. It’s like she knew that all the other cousins were sound asleep in their beds and that she figured out how to work the system. Maybe she thought that her infectious smile, impressive dance moves, and added cuteness were what bought her the extra time with the adults.

Yea, she figured it out.

I finally pried her away and trudged up the stairs with Lucy in tow. I did the 2-minute version of the bedtime routine. Todd was already fast asleep, and so Lucy crawled in bed next to him. I told her a brief story followed by my goodnight kisses.

But then she started whining for her brown bear. “Where’s my brown bear?! I need my brown bear!” I looked around the dark room, using the faint glow of the nightlight to try and find this coveted brown bear.

I found a cow.

“Here you go!” I said hastily. “You can sleep with this tonight” I shoved it in her arms and tried to make a run for it.

Nothing gets past Lucy. “Umm…how ‘bout my brown bear?”

I stopped in my tracks. Okaaay, okay. A couple extra seconds could hurt. I looked around some more. Nothing. I crawled up on to the bed to look down the crevice between the wall and bed. But Todd was right there, making it difficult. Now I was on a mission - I was going to find this brown bear! I reached down, feeling along the wall, Todd’s deep heavy breaths practically in my face. 

Nothing. 

That mission ended quickly. 

I stood up on the bed, preparing the “I’m sorry, Honey, but…” speech. As I turned around to get off of the bed, there was Lucy, down on her knees, fingers clasped together, with elbows resting on the bed. I heard faint mumbles coming from her direction. “Shoot!” I thought as I raced next to her side. Why didn't I think of that? Aren't I supposed to be the one teaching her about praying when we need help?! I quickly joined her, scooting as close as I could to hear every word uttered.

“Oh please, Jesus. I really want my brown bear. Oh please! Oh pleeeease! Can you find my brown bear? It’s my favorite and I really really need it to sleep. Please Jesus. Just do it. Amen.”

Oh alright! Now I really had to find this bear! How could I let her down after a prayer like that. 

Just do it. Thanks Nike.

I got my handy flashlight phone and quietly searched the game room among the sleeping cousins.

Ha! Found it!

I hurried upstairs and proudly gave it to Lucy, anticipating the contentment to cross her face

“Umm…it’s a dog” 

She might as well have been thirteen said “Duh, mom!”

It was a brown cow and brown dog to snuggle that night. Her prayer was answered in the morning, thanks to Grandma who found it.