I feel like I need to clarify something up front here....I am not a helicopter mom, but I am always close enough that I know if something went seriously wrong, I could swoop in if needed. I was better at hovering when I was a SAHM with Brennon, but now I am much better at stepping back, allowing my boys to try to solve most problems on their own, and jumping in to play with them for short intervals. Ok, so now that you know that, let me tell you about something that has been on my mind pretty much non-stop for the past 24 hours.
Yesterday after school, the boys and I went swimming at my friend Leslie's house after school. It was sweltering outside again, and it wasn't worth even being outside without being in the pool, so it was a perfect day to relax in the pool (especially after Leslie and I--and the rest of the second grade teachers--were testing kids all day at school). We had spent pretty much all summer in the pool at either Leslie's house, the water park, my Aunt Nancy's house, or Mimi & Pop's house...oh, and in our little backyard pool too, of course. At the beginning of the summer, I had to spend most of an afternoon coaxing the boys into the pool. They just wanted to hang out on the stairs or "on dry land". Finally, they were both loving being in the water and becoming little fishes who were becoming quite happy to be in the water. I love that, because now they wanted to jump off the side or even the diving board and have me catch them or they'd want to swim around the pool hanging on to me or sometimes they just wanted to throw things in and have me dive after them. Anyway, we were really having fun swimming. Each time we went swimming, I became a little more comfortable with them being around the water myself and I didn't worry so much about them. They knew their limits and I trusted that they would pay attention to them.
Back to yesterday, I was taking times swimming the boys around the pool and I had just set Brennon up on the side. I took off my sunglasses and set them on the side of the pool, and then I was swimming back and forth across the shallow end while the boys played on the side of the pool. I had just come up from going under to get my hair wet and cool myself off in the 105 degree heat, when I hear a splash. I look over and Gavin is under the water. I probably was moving close to the speed of light to swim to him, but it felt like the entire world was moving in slow motion. I have never felt such sheer terror in my heart as I saw the top of his head barely peeking out of the top of the water. I know that he could not have been under the water for more than 2 full seconds, but it seemed like an eternity.
He was fine, just scared, but I know that he couldn't have been more scared than I was. It was awful. I hugged him and squeezed him and loved him a little more. I cannot imagine what could have happened so quickly if I hadn't been right there, paying better attention, hovering closely by. So, my helicopter might be a little closer at the pool next time, but more than anything I have thought about my boys nonstop since then. Before bed, I said extra thanks for them, first thing this morning, I gave thanks for them being safe, healthy boys, and throughout the day I couldn't wait to see them. I'm not going to become a crazy worrying, controlling mom. That's not me, but I may just move my helicopter's perimeter a bit closer.
Today, my friend Leslie said she was impressed with how calm I was and how well I handled it, and I thought to myself, "SERIOUSLY, I was a mess!" So, hug your kids and remember tonight how much you have to be thankful for, because I now understand how quickly something could change. Thank God it didn't. Or maybe it did, just not in any way that you could see or that would change my Gavy....instead it changed me and made me realize that no matter how tired I am at the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
I'm a Foodie, You're a Foodie....
I admit it. I love good food. I mean really excellent, beautiful, and sometimes even pretentious food. Is there anything better than a gorgeous plate that is filled with not just food, but someone's delicious artistic expression? I think not! Luckily, I have a few friends that are also foodies, so I get some excellent recommendations for where to eat and what. They have great taste in food, and so do I! (By the way, if I give you a recommendation for food, you can trust that it's worth checking out...my standards are high!) So this past weekend when we were in Kansas City, we took a recommendation of a friend and fellow foodie and tried a gelato place in Park Place in Overland Park. This was A-MAZ-ING! I mean seriously, I cannot tell you how awesome it was!
There were so many flavors, the shop was so quaint, and the people working there were so nice, but really the important thing was that the gelato was unbelievably delicious! It was creamy and light and sooo good. However, the thing I loved the best was that I realized that Ryan and I have passed on our foodie tendencies to our sons. I'll show you what I mean....
Look how excited Gavin is before he even starts eating. He is smiling, not because he's tasted the yumminess of his mint chocolate gelato, but because of the sheer anticipation of the first scrumptious bite. Now, Brennon has just taken his first bite, and it may not look like much, but just a moment later...
Pure bliss....ahhh.....
I should have gotten a picture of Ryan's banana chocolate chunk, but I couldn't stop concentrating on my own long enough to do that.....and then it was gone by the time I thought of it, which by the way wasn't that long.
I scared you a little bit didn't I?
Ok, here's some more enjoyment, less creepiness...
Right back to it. Do you know what else I love? Even in this tiny little kiddie size, they can fit several flavors. So, Gavin got half mint chocolate (has to be just like his brother) and half raspberry cheesecake, because, well, he's a boy after his mama's heart.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
10 Things I Love, Love, Love
I seriously thought that I would be able to come up with the things that I love the most easily, but it really took some time. There are a lot of people that I love, things I love to do, and places I love to go, but narrowing it down to what I love the most was kind of hard. Those of you who are close to me could probably guess a lot of them, but I think I have a few surprises up my sleeve for all of you. Here it goes...
10. Trains. I love being able to hear the train from my house. When we first moved in, I thought it would drive me insane to hear the train whistle blowing at all hours. When my boys were tiny babies, I would be so nervous that it would wake the boys after working so hard to get them to sleep. It never did. I hardly ever hear it at night, and sometimes I don't even notice it during the day. That's not to say that it's not there, but I just don't always hear it. There is something so comforting about it just being there. When life seems so crazy and you think everything is falling apart, it is grounding to know that the train is there, the world just keeps going and whatever we are going through will pass as well.
9. The beach. I know it sounds totally lame to say that, because who doesn't love the beach? I love it because it's peaceful, because I have so many memories of being there growing up, and because it reminds us that we are just one small speck in a world full of God's creation. I love to play in the waves and sand and act like a silly kid with my silly kids, but I also love to just sit there and take it in. My absolute favorite memory of Gavin is when I took him out in the ocean when he was only one year old. He just laid his head on my shoulder and we moved with the waves for probably an hour. Every beach is different. They all have their own unique aspects, but I could be happy at any of them.
8. Friends. Both kinds. I love my girlfriends that I can talk to for hours, but I also love my other Friends, as in Monica, Rachel, Pheebs, Ross, Chandler, and Joey. I own every episode and I can quote from every one of them. I used to do it a lot more often, but then I realized that only a handful of my actual friends new where it was coming from. So, now I save my quotes for Kristi, Shanna, and my poor husband. Watching Friends can pull me out of just about every funk. So next time you're having a poopy day, watch it, and think of me. Maybe it will work for you too!
7. Language. I love learning new words, using new words, and especially finding grammatical mistakes. I'm human. I make them too, but maybe that's why I love to find someone else making them. I'm a dork, I know. I'm okay with that. In fact, I might even be a little bit proud.
6. Pizza. Yep. It made the top ten, but seriously, could there be a more perfect food? You can do anything to it, and have a new food experience every time. I love a hot, fresh pizza straight out of the oven at a pizza place. I love the bubbles in the cheese when it is done just perfect. I love that you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you feel like depending on your mood. In other words, it is a food that is okay with you being moody. What's better than that? (On a side note, this is also why I like tulips so much. Can you see that I have accepted my moodiness and even embraced it? I'm a girl
!)
4. Barnes & Noble...especially the kids section. I love just browsing through the shelves of book after book. I mentally add books to my wish list for my kids, my classroom, or my kindle (which is kind of ironic to be doing at a bookstore, I know). I look at books and think of how someday I will definitely be publishing my own book, because if some of those books there could get published, I've got nothing to worry about. I look through the whole children's section every time. I remember going there before I even had kids of my own. I would say I was buying things for my classroom, but really I was looking at all the books I wanted to make sure I would share with my own children someday. I also have really good memories of sitting in the coffee shop (and sometimes then in the car in the parking lot after getting kicked out aftre closing) with my closest friends and talking for hours about life and everything else that would float in and out of our conversations. It's a magical place, and if I lived in a different time, my dream would be to own a children's bookstore, but we all saw how that turned out for Kathleen Kelly and The Shop Around The Corner. (Makes me cry every time...)
3. Photography. I love to take pictures. In another life, I would have been a photographer, but then who would be there to teach my class of second graders with a smile and a healthy dose of reality everyday? I took some classes in college, but my teacher was a real, well, let's just say I'm not a fan of his. It kind of turned me off to the idea of doing it as a career, but I have taken a some senior pictures for people I know, and they have all been happy with them, so I guess that means I'm pretty decent. I love photographing my kids, and I am that parent that posts too many pictures on facebook, but oh well. I love it.
2. My family. Another generic answer I know, but my family is my life. I don't know where I'd be without them. They are my people, my light, my source for smiles, sadness, and tender moments. I don't say this to mean that I see them as a burden. It's quite the opposite. Because they are so intertwined in my heart, what they feel, I feel. I love my husband with all my heart. We have the most precious gifts in the world, and no matter what we go through, as long as we're together, we are blessed. I cannot say enough about them, so I'll stop...or maybe not. No, I will.
And drumroll, please.....
1. Jesus. Obviously, without Him, I wouldn't have all the other things I love. He gives us new life every morning, and He teaches me to rely on Him when I'm not able to do it all on my own (and who would want to, anyway). He blesses us in the biggest and smallest ways each day, and I can only hope that I am a good example of His love for my children. I'm not perfect, and I'm certainly not going to preach, but I am thankful for a source of strength that will NEVER fail me.
There you go. I know this was a long one, and now that it's over, the other posts won't be so long. Now you know a little bit about me, and from now on, I can give you a glimpse of what it's like for me to live my life.
Erin
10. Trains. I love being able to hear the train from my house. When we first moved in, I thought it would drive me insane to hear the train whistle blowing at all hours. When my boys were tiny babies, I would be so nervous that it would wake the boys after working so hard to get them to sleep. It never did. I hardly ever hear it at night, and sometimes I don't even notice it during the day. That's not to say that it's not there, but I just don't always hear it. There is something so comforting about it just being there. When life seems so crazy and you think everything is falling apart, it is grounding to know that the train is there, the world just keeps going and whatever we are going through will pass as well.
9. The beach. I know it sounds totally lame to say that, because who doesn't love the beach? I love it because it's peaceful, because I have so many memories of being there growing up, and because it reminds us that we are just one small speck in a world full of God's creation. I love to play in the waves and sand and act like a silly kid with my silly kids, but I also love to just sit there and take it in. My absolute favorite memory of Gavin is when I took him out in the ocean when he was only one year old. He just laid his head on my shoulder and we moved with the waves for probably an hour. Every beach is different. They all have their own unique aspects, but I could be happy at any of them.
7. Language. I love learning new words, using new words, and especially finding grammatical mistakes. I'm human. I make them too, but maybe that's why I love to find someone else making them. I'm a dork, I know. I'm okay with that. In fact, I might even be a little bit proud.
6. Pizza. Yep. It made the top ten, but seriously, could there be a more perfect food? You can do anything to it, and have a new food experience every time. I love a hot, fresh pizza straight out of the oven at a pizza place. I love the bubbles in the cheese when it is done just perfect. I love that you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you feel like depending on your mood. In other words, it is a food that is okay with you being moody. What's better than that? (On a side note, this is also why I like tulips so much. Can you see that I have accepted my moodiness and even embraced it? I'm a girl
!)5. Baking. I love to bake. It is so wonderful to know that you made something from scratch and that no store-bought item can even come close to it. Some of my favorites are banana bread, peanut butter cookies, and snickerdoodles. I love sharing my baked creations with my family and friends, experimenting in the kitchen, finding new recipes and making them fun, using my vintage Betty Crocker "Cooky Book", and I LOVE when the boys help me make bake. I also love cooking, but there's just nothing like the scent of a kitchen with fresh baked goodies. No candle can truly capture it, and no amount of HFCS or the other junk they put in mass produced store-bough cookies can compare to the taste of cookies right out of the oven! It's so much fun to do, and your creations can turn out differently every single time....kind of like life!
4. Barnes & Noble...especially the kids section. I love just browsing through the shelves of book after book. I mentally add books to my wish list for my kids, my classroom, or my kindle (which is kind of ironic to be doing at a bookstore, I know). I look at books and think of how someday I will definitely be publishing my own book, because if some of those books there could get published, I've got nothing to worry about. I look through the whole children's section every time. I remember going there before I even had kids of my own. I would say I was buying things for my classroom, but really I was looking at all the books I wanted to make sure I would share with my own children someday. I also have really good memories of sitting in the coffee shop (and sometimes then in the car in the parking lot after getting kicked out aftre closing) with my closest friends and talking for hours about life and everything else that would float in and out of our conversations. It's a magical place, and if I lived in a different time, my dream would be to own a children's bookstore, but we all saw how that turned out for Kathleen Kelly and The Shop Around The Corner. (Makes me cry every time...)
3. Photography. I love to take pictures. In another life, I would have been a photographer, but then who would be there to teach my class of second graders with a smile and a healthy dose of reality everyday? I took some classes in college, but my teacher was a real, well, let's just say I'm not a fan of his. It kind of turned me off to the idea of doing it as a career, but I have taken a some senior pictures for people I know, and they have all been happy with them, so I guess that means I'm pretty decent. I love photographing my kids, and I am that parent that posts too many pictures on facebook, but oh well. I love it.
2. My family. Another generic answer I know, but my family is my life. I don't know where I'd be without them. They are my people, my light, my source for smiles, sadness, and tender moments. I don't say this to mean that I see them as a burden. It's quite the opposite. Because they are so intertwined in my heart, what they feel, I feel. I love my husband with all my heart. We have the most precious gifts in the world, and no matter what we go through, as long as we're together, we are blessed. I cannot say enough about them, so I'll stop...or maybe not. No, I will.
And drumroll, please.....
1. Jesus. Obviously, without Him, I wouldn't have all the other things I love. He gives us new life every morning, and He teaches me to rely on Him when I'm not able to do it all on my own (and who would want to, anyway). He blesses us in the biggest and smallest ways each day, and I can only hope that I am a good example of His love for my children. I'm not perfect, and I'm certainly not going to preach, but I am thankful for a source of strength that will NEVER fail me.
There you go. I know this was a long one, and now that it's over, the other posts won't be so long. Now you know a little bit about me, and from now on, I can give you a glimpse of what it's like for me to live my life.
Erin
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