true boy tales: February 2011

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Post Vday Blues

Ok...that title is completely over dramatic. In fact, its not even true at all. But I have to admit, looking at people's facebook posts and reading all kinds of cute blogs left me feeling a little guilty (and maybe a teeny bit sad) that we didn't really make Valentine's day particularly special in our house. I mean, Jon and I had a lovely day together (a lunch date at Mojo's since he had to work that night. And then he brought home Cold Stone to eat while watching the Bachelor. And [tmi alert mom & dad!] there was also a hot tub and candles involved). So I really have no complaints because my hubby definitely made me feel loved.

But when I saw this and this and this (she puts every mom to shame) and THESE! I dunno...just made me feel that, "I'm-a-boring-mommy-who-doesn't-do-cute-and-crafty-things-with-my-kids-because-I'm-lazy-and-hate-cleaning-up-extra-messes" guilt.

That's the dang problem with the internet. You think you have it pretty good until you start comparing yourself with others! That just reminded me of a great verse I mulled over and chewed on recently:
Galatians 6:4 -5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. (The Message)

My creative best. Hmmm...not sure I'm coming close to that during this season of my life when I'm just focused on getting through the day without losing my patience. But the whole point here is to look at myself to determine whether or not I'm living up to my full potential as a mom; not to all those uber-talented bloggers out there. I'm pretty sure we were all better off without the internet. (Remember the days when you had to look something up in an Encyclopedia?? Weird. Sorry...tangent.)
Anyway, my sister and I get to go to this conference this Saturday in Minneapolis. We decided to go since we know everyone speaking there and half of them are close friends of ours. I'm pretty sure this is coming at the perfect time in my life. I just feel really open and ready for God to do a big remodel in my heart. I'm sure I'll have some thoughts to share when we get back.

Hope you all had a wonderful Vday--that lived up to your expectations! Off to bed...I don't know why in the heck I always stay up so late when my hubby's travelling!?

Monday, February 7, 2011

Life is Good

We've had a really fun few days around here. I feel refreshed and happy. Here's the series of events that got me to my happy place:

Last week my Mom took the boys for an afternoon and Jon suggested we go catch a matinee. There's something so luxurious as a mostly-stay-at-home-mom to go on a date in the middle of the day. We saw 127 Hours. Great movie (although I did have to close my eyes during the last half of "the scene" for fear of fainting right there in the theatre.)
Friday evening I squeezed in a mini shopping trip after work with my sister and blew through the rest of my Christmas money. Being at the mall with NO KIDS is always a mood booster :)
Saturday my mother-in-law hosted a lunch for all the past and present ladies from America's Family Coaches (where I work). 90% of the reason I love my job is the women I work with. A lot of them are some of my closest friends and it was great to catch up with a few I hadn't seen in a really long time. My MIL had a gorgeous girlie lunch for all of us and again...a few hours with NO KIDS does wonders for a young mom's soul!
Then that night, Judie offered to watch the boys for us so we could go out on a date! Holy moly. My weekend just kept getting better. Jon and I met up with some friends and went to Des Moines' improv group, Comedy Xperiment. They put on a hilarious show that's well worth the $10 ticket. Plus Jon's gone to so many that the entire cast and crew know him by name and they all love him (and will probably be asking him to join their troupe any day now).
Afterwards we picked up some awesome barbecue at Smokey D's in Ankeny and brought it home to eat while we snuggled in for some SNL. SNL has been hit or miss these days. We're still devoted fans as long as Kristen Wiig's on the cast but this season's been a bit of a let-down with the four new cast mates. Well Saturday night, they made a huge comeback. Dana Carvey hosted and it was so stinkin' hilarious. It was the perfect end to our Saturday night (ok, and Sunday night too since we always fall asleep before its over and have to watch the rest the next day :)
And of course to finish off the weekend with a bang...we got to ~~watch the Super Bowl~~ eat awesome food and chit-chat all night with a great group of friends. (No, I couldn't care less about the game. But any excuse to eat good food, and I'm there. Hello guacamole and sangrias!!). And to sweeten an already super sweet deal, we got to leave Dawson with Judie. Which means I got to enjoy myself! (Oops, did I say that out loud?)
The temperature is going to be in the 40's next weekend!! WOO HOO!! That's giving me a perma-grin for the rest of this miserably cold week!

This weekend was enough to get me up and out of the winter blues that were starting to sink in. I'm so thankful for all the laughing Jon and I got to do together this weekend. Man, its just refreshing to have so much time together doing fun stuff. With two kids now, I often find myself thinking of how amazing our years together will be after our kids are out of the house. I know, I know, live for the moment, enjoy these years because they go so fast, yada yada. But you know what? My husband is my best friend and I just really look forward to those years when its just the two of us again. (If you have no kids, or just one kid...I'm sorry to sound so cruel. You'll understand too, someday ;)

BUT...to make sure you all know that I love my sweet boys to death, here are a few of their most recent adorable/lovable/smoochable/squeezable moments:

Trying to escape, Mission Impossible style:

This boy loves his blueberries:

Dawson wearing Bennett's monster slippers. This boy is obsessed with wearing shoes and wants me to put different pairs on him all day long.

Cheap entertainment in the wintertime (Its even funnier with the big Dyson vacuum because I can get both of them on at the same time!):

And more cheap entertainment:

for the book lovers {my recent favorites}:

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan: An incredibly haunting medical memoir. There's a lot of medical info to read through but I didn't find those parts boring and difficult to wade through. I thought she shared just enough. But if you like a book that's easy to read, this isn't it. I couldn't get this one out of my mind for a very long time. An unforgettable true story.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty: I'm just going to lump these two together because they're in the same category. I'm calling them deep chick lit. A perfect summer book to get lost in. Read them. Both. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that you will LOVE them. (I liked them both way better than Where'd You Go, Bernadette.)
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner: Most of my favorite books have a main character with a whole lotta grit. I wasn't quite sure about this one when I first started it but, oh, did it sweep me in and not let me go til the last page. I also love a book that makes me "emote out loud" as I like to think of it. This one had me smiling all the way through and crying my eyes out at the end. It follows a young girl through her life in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. A must read for anyone who likes Historical Fiction.
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. I LOVED this book. Its a very well researched historical fiction novel about a young girl kidnapped from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. It follows her through her whole life and the unbelievable heartache and trauma she lives through. I've been telling people I liked it as much as Unbroken but the main character is so much more endearing and has so much spunk.
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison. I have a thing for modern day memoirs of utterly heartbreaking stories (Like Breaking Night and Blackbird). This is a Foster mother's first-hand account of the children she took in over the years and the unbelievable trauma they went through before they came to her.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I loved this lighthearted yet emotional story of a strong woman making the best of a hard life in the Southwest, beginning in the 1930's. I love her writing style--just cuts to the point of every story without too much "fluff" and yet tells it in a way that you can picture everything in vivid detail. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, is one of my all-time favorites, and this true-life novel about her grandmother didn't disappoint.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Modern day fiction about a girl raised in Foster homes and her struggles throughout life. She learns about the Victorian Era language of flowers and that becomes a huge part of her life. I finished it in two days. An easy read but very emotional and moving.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The true story of a man's experience after Hurricane Katrina when he decided not to evacuate in order to look after several properties he owned. Quite an unbelievable story and so hard to believe this happened in the US only a few years ago.