Christmas reflection

Christmas is a great time for reflection, isn't it?

Recently I was asked on a couple different occasions to envision myself as part of the nativity scene. I was asked to reflect upon the different characters and try to figure out which one I identified most with. Would it be the excitement of the angel, presenting the news about the birth of Jesus? Would it be the curiosity of a shepherd? A camel, who had a heavy load to carry?

And yet, I could never get past Mary. That may seem obvious, as a mother, to identify with the mother in the story. Some of the feelings seem very natural for me to identify with - the dread of the pain that childbirth would bring, the wonder and amazement of seeing my child enter the world, and the fear of being a good mother and bearing that responsibility to raise my child right.

I know the Christmas story quite well. I grew up doing advent calendars and hearing the Bible stories. But I recently read something that hit me a little differently than before. I read a verse I must have seen many times, and yet don't remember very much.

After Mary gave birth to Jesus, and after the shepherds had come to see the baby, Luke 2:19 says this: "Mary treasured up all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

What a beautiful picture of the Christmas story. A young mother, with her tiny newborn baby, feeling overwhelmed and scared and amazed and exhausted.

But what does Mary do? She treasured those moments, and pondered them in her heart.

And then I got it. This is the reason I identify most with Mary.

I am way too busy over the Christmas season. Too many projects, too many activities, too many errands to run. And yet, in the busyness of it all, I want to make sure to be like Mary.

My kids are young and adorable and bright-eyed and filled with wonder. They love Christmas songs, decorating the house, seeing Christmas lights, watching Christmas movies, and reading Christmas books. They eat Christmas goodies, get dressed up for Christmas parties, and sang beautifully and off-key for the Christmas production at church.

And I can't help but treasure up all these things and ponder them in my heart.

Halloween Candy

Live and learn, is that some sort of motto for parents? It should be.

That's the reality around here. Case in point: Halloween candy.

The last couple of years on Halloween, we went to a neighborhood close to the OU campus, where there was always lots of trick-or-treaters and plenty of decorated houses. This year we decided to stay closer to home and trick-or-treat around our neighborhood.

Adele as Princess Tiana and Henry as our little lion man

We went for dinner to a friend's house and the kids got to visit the homes within about a 2-block span. (Side note: Henry couldn't contain himself and led the pack, running from house to house yelling "Come on guys! This way!!") On the short walk back to our house, we stopped at just a few more houses - only the most decorated ones. Overall, it was definitely not overkill.

But somehow, we ended up with even more candy than the last couple years! People in our neighborhood were very generous, giving handfuls of candy or even already-prepared goody bags.

That night, we let the kids each pick a couple pieces of candy. Henry chose candy he already knew - smarties and a sucker. Adele laid out each piece and carefully picked a couple new ones that looked most intriguing to her.

The next day we did the same - two pieces of candy each.

Then we ended up talking to some people who said that it's actually better for their teeth (and to not develop a routine of candy every day) if they eat it all right away and then are totally finished with it.

We've heard of lots of ways to deal with Halloween candy. Choose a set amount of pieces and let the kids determine the speed in which they consume it, spread out the candy they get over days or weeks, have a "Halloween fairy" (or witch?) come and collect all the candy, donate the candy for money...etc.

When I was growing up, I remember having the option of keeping the candy, or trading it in and going to the toy store to pick out a new toy. Of course, we always chose a new toy.

Well, on Sunday we decided that since we didn't have much going on, we would let the kids devour their baskets of candy to their heart's content. They both ate a great lunch and then we shared with them the "good" news. I'm not sure what we expected to happen...though we had high hopes that they would eat a few pieces excitedly and then be finished for the day.

Ha! They proved us wrong and had just the best time eating a ton of candy all day long.

Along with the consuming of candy came true expressions of excitement. Things like "Best day ever!" or "There is so much candy I just can't decide what to have next!"

David and I simply stared wide-eyed as sugar took over our kids' brains and they began bouncing off the walls (almost literally). It might have been one of the most amusing days we've had watching our kids.

Finally, toward the end of the day, Henry would open a piece of candy, take a bite, and exclaim "It's yucky." And eventually..."I don't like candy." Hurrah!

I'm not sure what we'll do next year, but it will probably be different than this year. Live and learn, right?

And as for the rest of their candy from this year...they each have about a half a basket left. We are taking a break from the mass consumption of candy. And David and I are "helping" the candy disappear quicker than they realize...

To clean or not to clean

I've heard it said that it takes 21 days to form a habit.

There always seem to be things in my life that I would like to turn into a routine, and habits I would like to form as I seek to improve as a mother and housewife.

A while back I saw a "cleaning schedule" on Pinterest. I have never been a great cleaner. I've not been a bad cleaner, but it's been hard to stay motivated to keep up with the deep cleaning of the house. 

I'm not talking about simply doing dishes and picking up toys - because let's be honest, those things have to be done every-single-day-almost-every-hour in order to just have the appearance of a clean house. No, I'm talking about things like cleaning out the fridge. And washing windows. And polishing the wood furniture. And scrubbing the floors. 

It's exhausting keeping a clean house! And with 2 young kids in the house? One might argue that it's impossible. "Cleaning a house with young kids is like brushing your teeth while eating oreos" is more than just a funny saying - it's a reality. 

So I decided to take it upon myself to experiment a little bit with cleaning and figure out a routine that would keep me on top of the deep cleaning, while not stressing me out. I've tried various cleaning ideas - deep cleaning all in one day, all in one weekend, and splitting up tasks over different days - like dusting one day and cleaning all glass (windows/mirrors) another day. 

After seeing yet another cleaning schedule on Pinterest, I gave it a shot. And so far, I like it.

Monday - Thursday I deep clean clean an area of the house.
Mondays: Kitchen. Wipe down counters, clean out fridge, clean microwave wash windows, sweep/scrub floors.
Tuesdays: Living room. Put away everything - mail piles that collect, toys, etc, dust, wash windows, polish wood furniture.
Wednesdays: Bedrooms. Put away /, hang up/put away all laundry that's accumulated, wash windows, dust, polish furniture.
Thursday: Bathrooms. Clean countertops, mirrors, scrub toilets, sweep/wash floors, wash shower/bathtubs

*As a disclaimer, our house is small, so breaking the house up into 4 areas makes each day seem fairly easy.

**As another disclaimer, I have two little kids. Easy is not a very accurate depiction of keeping a house even remotely clean.

A few notes: vacuuming is not on the list. Henry is terrified of the vacuum cleaner, so it takes two of us to complete the task - one to vacuum and one to comfort him in the other room. Also, there are tasks I do not do every week (washing windows, polishing furniture). But if I stick to the weekly schedule, I still concentrate on that area on each given day. And if I miss a day, it's not overwhelming to pick it back up the next day.

I also make my own cleaners! To see recipes, check out this post on our other blog: http://familywellnessessentialoils.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/green-cleaning/

Dare I say it's becoming a habit? Not yet...but I'm working on it. With the excuse that because it's a weekly routine, I am giving myself 21 weeks to make it a habit. :)

Fall Fun

We've only had a handful of days this year where it's actually FELT like Fall...but this year I'm celebrating October as Fall month regardless of what the thermometer says.

Someday I want to be able to decorate my house according to seasons/holidays better. More grown up. I want to be crafty and have my house all decked out for things like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even Easter.

But for now, I have an almost-5-year old and a 2 1/2 year old. I want them to learn about the wonders of being crafty and discover their own creativity inside them.

So now, when I "decorate" for seasons and holidays, it has my kids' handprints all over the decorations.

As Adele is enjoying all things school right now, she doesn't exactly need help discovering her own creativity - she just simply needs opportunity to enjoy and practice being creative and crafty.

This year for Fall Break, I wanted the kids to enjoy having some extra time at home. I wanted it to be a little different than a weekend, and since it was going to be 4 full days, I also didn't want to go crazy myself.

So we took outings, read numerous books, baked pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bread, and did some fun fall crafts.

Painting leaves!

                                             Fall trees and paper pumpkins!

 Spiders to decorate the house!

I suppose, of course, once my kids are older and I decorate my house in a more grown up way for seasons and holidays...I am quite certain that I will miss these days of doing fun crafts with my little kids!

And if any of you have kids who like Curious George and you also have Netflix, you should check out the Curious George special "Halloween Boo." It has become my kids' favorite thing to watch this fall, and here is David re-enacting "No Noggin'".

Couldn't resist...

I know I recently posted some cute saying around our house, but I just couldn't help but post another one today.

Here are some funny/cute Adele-isms:

-Recently Adele was perusing a magazine and found a pumpkin all cut and ready for Halloween. She asked if we could carve a pumpkin just like that and I told her to ask her daddy because he is the pumpkin master. She replied, "But...I thought he was the bird expert!"

-We are beginning to see that maybe Adele is getting too used to Oklahoma hot weather. The first time it was only 61 degrees outside she said to me sadly, "I don't think we're going to be able to play outside for recess today. It's too cold...must be already winter."

-Earlier this week it was fire safety day at school. Adele explained to me how you call 911 for emergencies, but call the regular fire department number for a fire alarm that doesn't work. She asked me what the regular number was, and I said I didn't know. So she asked, "Did you learn fire safety in school?" and I said yes I had, so she followed up by saying, "Bet you weren't paying attention when they gave the regular number, were you?"

-This week we dropped David off at school/work and Adele started talking about how she missed him already. I said I did too, but sometimes we need to go off and do things and then come home and hang out as a family. I told her that even though we knew she was loving school and having a great time, we missed her when she was gone. She thought about that for a second and said, "Yeah...I forget to miss you when I'm at school..."

And a cute Henry moment:

-Both kids have skeleton clothing - Adele a shirt, and Henry pajamas. They both put them on and were going to wear them to bed. They loved them, played in them...and then found out they glowed in the dark. Henry was a little afraid of that, and when it was time to go to bed he told me he had to take off his skeleton pajamas, saying "I don't want to see my bones!"

Rain!

Oh rain, how I love thee...

I've never thought of myself as a big fan of rain. Those people live in Seattle...right?

I AM a severe weather fan though. Not because of destruction...but because of the power the severe weather represents.

Growing up in Iowa, we had four distinct seasons. Not exactly the prime location for severe weather, but I took what I got. I would watch radars for thunderstorms in the spring (and the occasional exciting tornado warning), and look for weather updates for the chance of big snowfalls.

I don't remember paying too much attention to just RAIN.

After having lived in Costa Rica for 4 years, and experiencing hours upon hours, days upon days (months upon months) of rain, I couldn't help but develop an appreciation for rain.

You would think I would have gotten sick of it. And of course, there were days when I had enough rain. I was tired of soggy shoes. Never being able to do my hair. Feeling like my rain jacket AND umbrella were permanently attached to me.

October brought two of the rainiest weeks every year. There were multiple times during the month of October where we got stuck in tropical storms, or had landslides along the road.

And yet...I miss the rain. I miss being amazed at the sound of the intense, powerful rain beating down on the roof. Having to quite literally yell at David just so he could hear me over the rain.

And now that it's October, I can't help but think of our rainy days in Costa Rica.

Somehow, rain in Oklahoma just isn't the same as the cloud forest of Costa Rica.

My excitement builds and builds as the forecasters begin predicting rain days in advance. I check regularly the upcoming daily forecast. Then the hourly forecast. And then the radar, as the rain approaches the state of Oklahoma...and then Oklahoma City...

And then, after a short time of wonderful, refreshing rain outside, it ends. Almost just as quickly as it began, the rain is gone.

And I go back to looking at next week's forecast...

A thirst for knowledge

When we used to work at QERC in Costa Rica, facilitating the semester program for college students, we often saw a very exciting thing - once the students began to interact with the neighboring Costa Ricans, they all of a sudden became very eager and motivated to learn Spanish.

David is teaching an Ecology Lab this semester at OU and he often sees a similar phenomenon with his students - once out in the field, they develop a thirst for knowledge and an eagerness to learn more and more.

And now, we are seeing that same thing happen with our 4- (almost 5-) year old.

Now that she has started school, she too has developed an eagerness in areas we haven't seen before. Whether it's practicing spelling and reading words on her Leap Pad, or working her way through her educational books, or even looking at many, many, many books late at night...she simply can't get enough.

And so with it being Fall Break, we are having to come up with some fun-filled fall days so she doesn't miss school too much!

A new blog

In previous blog posts, I've mentioned that my family uses essential oils.

Because that learning process of using essential oils and incorporating them into our daily lives has been...well...a journey, my sisters-in-law and I are attempting to record that journey in a new blog. 

(Clearly my history hasn't proven that I'm able keep up with this blog, but there will be 3 of us contributing to the new one...so...we'll all be at fault if we don't update regularly! And yes, I'm aiming high and keeping this personal blog too.)

We plan on talking about things we've learned, discussing ways to use essential oils, and sharing stories of success that we've experienced along the way. 

If you use essential oils, or have heard about them and are intrigued to learn more, or simply just enjoy reading a little bit about my life, you can follow along at https://familywellnessessentialoils.wordpress.com.

Fridays are tough

Adele had still been taking a "rest" time in the afternoons before school started - and quite often, falling asleep. You can imagine that the transition to afternoon Pre-K might be tough on a girl.

Here's proof of that. Friday afternoons we pick David up from work - and in the 5 minute drive from our house to his work, the inevitable happens.

This particular Friday we even stopped by the
bank and got a sucker! She still fell asleep.

 



Yesterday we actually picked David up from school first, so I thought I might not get my Friday sleeping picture of Adele. But soon after we got home, this is what I found:

My most favorite place...in the U.S.

My family started vacationing in Estes Park in 1987. I was 7 years old. Each summer we would get up at 4:00am and take off on the long 12-hour drive for our week in Colorado.

I can vividly remember the stops we would take for breakfast, our lunch stop, and...well that's all I remember of the drive until we hit the canyon with enormous rock walls as we neared Estes Park. I would sleep pretty much the entire drive, sprawling across my sisters and getting as comfortable as possible while still technically wearing a seatbelt. 

For many years we rented a cabin at the YMCA in Estes Park. During the week we would pick a few days and us kids would attend the day camp offered. We'd go horseback riding, mini golfing, take some hikes, learn camp songs, and make new friends. As a family we'd spent countless hours in Rocky Mountain National Park, searching for elk, deer, and bighorn sheep. 

A while back, my parents got a time share in Estes Park and in our adult years we would stay just outside of RMNP. However, on each visit, we would still spend a lot of time at the YMCA - reliving our memories getting ice cream at the administration building, and going horseback riding through the Y camp on tours that took us through RMNP. 

When David and I started dating and then were married, he gladly jumped into family vacations in Colorado. Each year we continued to reminisce our old memories, and David added to the family by pointing out birds on the trail (and the bear that we all would have walked by without seeing).

This fall, David had the opportunity to attend an American Ornithological Union conference and present his research. Once we found out the conference would be held at the YMCA in Estes Park, we were all excited. While the kids and I didn't HAVE to go with him to the conference...it seemed like a no-brainer that we would join him. As a bonus, my parents have been using their time share week in September in recent years, and had conveniently already booked their week in Colorado for the SAME TIME we were planning on being there. 

So last week, we spent 4 full days in Estes Park. While David attended presentation after presentation about ornithology, the kids and I joined my parents (and my Uncle Mark for half the time!) as we re-lived some of my favorite memories growing up.

The kids enjoyed some Daddy time when he was finished for the day!

Henry walking around the YMCA with Grandma and Grandpa

Having two little kids with us was sort of like starting over in life. Rather than planning our days around which long hikes we were going to do, we planned our activities around the kids.

Instead of taking a couple hour horseback ride through Rocky Mountain National Park, we took the kids on pony rides and I was reminded of my younger sisters when they would ride the infamous pony Minnie.

Adele riding the pony Strawberry, led by my Uncle Mark

Flashback to my sister Rachel, riding Minnie

Instead of taking hours to peruse the shops in downtown Estes Park, we quickly went in a couple of places and instead spent hours playing on the playground inside the YMCA.

Instead of long day hikes, we "hiked" the 0.8 miles around Bear Lake, and the kids climbed almost every rock along the short trail.

But some things never change. The views inside Rocky Mountain National Park are stunning, the herds of elk are impressive, and the cinnamon rolls at Glen Haven are delicious.

The view from up at Rainbow Curve, inside Rocky Mountain National Park

And being there in the fall is truly unforgettable. The stark contrast of the yellow and orange leaves on the aspen trees against the dark green forest. The male elk that bugle loudly to attract the female elk, while they gather them in a harem and fight off other interested males. The beautiful weather.

And nature that is enthralling for kids and adults alike - the ability to see elk and deer 5 feet outside the cabin window, the walks around the YMCA collecting wildflowers, and seeing mountains from every view.

This male elk and his harem of about 18 females 

liked to hang out around our cabin!

Dancin' girl

Adele started dance classes this year.

After the fun she had with gymnastics last year, I gave her the option of doing another year of gymnastics or trying out a dance class.

And as much fun as gymnastics was...it was a no-brainer.

The first few weeks she and her teammates started learning some basic dance terminology and techniques, and (mostly) learned a simple routine to a short song.

And then their practice outfits came in.

And then they were given their performance outfits. AND they performed at the Oklahoma State Fair.

And if she enjoyed dance before, she LOVES it now. She's definitely cuter than me...

School changes...for all of us.

So Adele started school this year. Pre-K, technically.

Her school is right around the corner from us, so we drive past it every day. Ever since we registered Adele for school last spring, she points out her school as we drive by. To say she was excited is a bit of an understatement.

Two days before school started we went to the Meet The Teacher night. She got to see her classroom, find her cubby, dance around on the rug a bit, and introduce herself to her new teacher.

Naturally, even though she is in the afternoon group and doesn't need to be at school until noon, she was standing beside our bed early in the morning on the first day of school whispering loudly "I get to go to school today!"

Like most moms who are sending their kid off to school for the first time, I spent a lot of time attempting to prepare Adele (and myself) for school. We talked about what she might expect, things she might do, things she was excited to learn. We got her dressed, hair done, ate lunch early, took pictures, and felt like we were ready.

And like most moms, I swallowed the lump in my throat and wore my sunglasses to mask my eyes filling up with tears as she lined up with her class and walked bravely and excitedly into school.

Unfortunately, with all the preparing Adele and I had done, we seemed to forget to prepare Henry.

All morning long, when Adele would say "I get to go to school!" he would reply "me too!" When she got her backpack, he went and found one as well.

When we took her picture on the front porch, he wanted one too.

When she lined up with her class, he begged to get down and stand next to her.

When all the kids went inside, he stood at the door begging to go in with her.

And finally, the poor kid gave up and gave me a big hug, burying his head in my shoulder and sobbing so sadly.

On the positive side, I was forced to focus my energy on something other than my own empty feeling.

And of course, I should mention David's school changes. He finished up his Masters this past spring (YAY!!!) and rolled right over into the PhD program this fall. So proud of his accomplishments!

I didn't want him to feel left out, so I snapped a picture of his first day of school this year too as we dropped him off. :)

The ones that make me smile

It's now been over 4 months since I've written in this blog. Each time I've sat down to write, I've gotten overwhelmed at the idea of starting up again - I mean, where do I start?

Maybe later I'll touch on some of the important aspects of the past 4 months. But for today, here are some funny things heard around the Hille House as of late:

-Adele started Pre-K earlier this fall, which has brought lots of funny moments. We use essential oils on our kids a lot. But, the night before her first day, we opened a letter from her teacher and read a poem about "jitter glitter". Adele was excited to sprinkle the glitter under her pillow before going to sleep...however, not more than 5 minutes later she looked at me and said "Mommy, I just don't understand how this jitter glitter is supposed to help me sleep! Can you just go get my oils instead?"

-A few days into the first week, Adele told me about a girl who speaks no English. I asked her what she spoke, and she answered confidently, "Nicaraguan!"

-Adele is in afternoon Pre-K, which has meant she has totally given up naps. One day after school Henry was bugging her in the car. I told him to stop because she was crabby, and she chimed in "Yeah I've had a long day with school and dance class and church and I DIDN'T get a nap today so I'm crabby!"

-Adele's deep thoughts: one day she was sitting on the toilet doing her business, and she told me "it's too bad poop is brown. If it was pink or purple I would want to poop all day!"

-And a glimpse into Henry's world: he was attempting to sing the ABCs (fairly successfully, much to my surprise), so I tried singing other kid songs with him. We were NOT successful until we came across some of his favorites - "Frosty the Snowman" and "Let It Go."

Silly kids. :)

Memories in music

On our last long drive back home from Iowa, everyone in the car was asleep except for me, as I was the one driving. I had my ipod playing and headphones in, and listening to my playlist entitled "favorites."

Songs have a way of conjuring up old hidden memories, don't they? Sometimes I will hear a song and get totally lost in it, overcome by thoughts and emotions tied to a particular person or event.

Every now and then I go through my playlists, with good intentions to delete some songs, and find that I just can't do it. The songs bring a smile to my face or make my tears well up with tears as I belt out songs off-key, behind the comfort of my headphones.

Some songs may very well be forever part of my "favorites" playlist. Songs like "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show, which takes me back to the campfire I stumbled upon in California at an outdoor education retreat where hippies were sitting around singing that song - exactly how I imagined it in my head.

And then there's "Canción para la Navidad" by José Luis Peralta, which I love playing every Christmas (and sometimes other times of the year), because it takes me back to the campfire with our neighbors in Costa Rica where we sat around sitting Spanish Christmas songs.

The song "China Roses" by Enya instantly takes me back to high school, when I would listen to that song on repeat doing homework in my room.

The "Elephant Love Medley" from Moulin Rouge takes me back to my coaching days at Iowa Christian Academy and driving some of my players to practice after school.

"Love Generation" by Bob Sinclair reminds me of all the movie commercials in Costa Rica.
Walking on Sunshine takes me back to basketball games in college.

"Scarborough Fair" by Simon and Garfunkel takes me back to elementary school, when I first started loving their songs and haven't stopped since.

"Smashing Pumpkins'" 1979 brings back high school memories when I would belt that song on my really cool Discman.

I can still quote every other word of the chorus to "Breakfast at Tiffany's", knowing my sister is somewhere far away quoting the opposite words.

"When I Look Into Your Eyes" takes me back to awkward dancing at middle school dances.

"You Don't Treat Me Good No More" by Sonia Dada takes me back to 8th grade.

And the entire album of Ace of Base instantly brings me back to 5th grade, hanging out at Courtney Strutt-Todd's house in the pool.

There are many, many more. And yes, all are on my "favorites" playlist.

I'm pretty sure that years down the road, many "Frozen" songs will be a part of my playlist and tears will fill my wrinkled eyes as I remember this time in life that my kids were so young and I would sit in their room at night, waiting for them to fall asleep while each randomly sang along (half-asleep) with Anna and Elsa. Which is exactly the scene right now as I type this blog entry.

I am always adding new playlists...but my "favorites", that's where the memories are. :)

The last of the Gosselinks

The Gosselink sisters are no more. Well, we're still sisters. But we are no longer Gosselinks. The last of us got hitched a few weeks ago and that was that!

Katie and Shawn celebrated a beautiful and simple wedding outside with immediate family only, where she officially became Katie Johnson. 

Following the wedding was a larger reception with LOTS of Katie's handprint all over it - being a very crafty person, she truly made almost everything at the reception. I'm not sure I've ever been to a more creative wedding before - from invitations to centerpieces to wall decor, it was awesome. 

Because of our busy spring schedule, David and myself and the kids drove up to Iowa on Thursday to get there just in time for the bachelorette party, and left Sunday morning in time for David to finalize preparations to defend his thesis for his Master's on Monday morning. 

It was a fun whirlwind of a 2 1/2 day visit to Iowa and not many minutes to sit still. Beginning with the par-tay Thursday night, continuing on to pedicures and helping finish crafty details on Friday, a rehearsal dinner Friday night, decorating and hair done Saturday morning, wedding and pictures Saturday afternoon, and finishing with the reception and clean up Saturday evening/night - we were relying upon lots of coffee to make it back to Oklahoma on Sunday. :)

Here are a few pictures from the quick trip.

Heading out for the bachelorette party!

Lovely ceremony shot.

The sister bridesmaids and the bride!

The married couple and the cute kids.

Hard to believe it's been almost 10 years since our wedding!

 The beautiful couple - Mr. and Ms. Shawn and Katie Johnson!

One of the really cool centerpieces - books wrapped up, paper flowers made from books, cut out paper hearts from books, literary couples, etc. Awesome!

David's best friend Matt Chitwood happened to be in the U.S. for a short visit (he lives in China) so he came to the wedding and hung out with us too!

 

Adele REALLY wanted her hair done like the big girls, and I simply couldn't refuse. She looked adorable and so grown up! Here she is dancing with good friend James (son of my best friend Theresa)

So Henry turned 2...

This spring has been a whirlwind of activity. I vaguely remember January and February, griping about winter blues and feeling overall grumpy with weather and monotony of life.

Then March hit.

Since our Costa Rica visit in March, we have been swamped with the busyness of life. And I mean swamped. Big things, too. Not just normal cleaning and errands and kid-busyness and regularly-scheduled activities. We're talking the kinds of activities that have forced David and I to stay up very very late every single night, just to be able to accomplish what was necessary for the following day.

Somewhere toward the beginning of this ridiculously busy season (March 26th to be exact), Henry turned 2.

Since I'm having a hard time remembering a lot of past details these days due to lack of sleep and having to think about future to-do lists, I figured I need to blog so that I can look back and see what Henry was like as a 2-year old.

Plus, it's fun to dote on my kids. As a proud mama, shouldn't that be a purpose of a blog??

Henry is...tremendo, as a dear friend would say in Spanish. He is busy, fearless, and loves to be the center of attention. He tests limits and has gotten more swats on the hand and leg, and more flicks to the mouth than Adele as a 4 1/2 year old. (Granted, it doesn't take much more than a stern talking to for that girl to feel bad and change her attitude. Usually.) He loves to try to get away with jumping off furniture, sitting on the kitchen table, tackling his sister, and making play-doh balls and throwing them around the kitchen.

Henry is into making faces, just to make us laugh. He is particularly interested in working on touching his tongue to his nose, and he has made a lot of progress thus far. If there is ever a pause in conversation or lull in activity, it will be Henry who looks around and does something funny like falling over or doing somersaults just to break the ice.

Among Henry's few favorite things are Frosty the Snowman and dinosaurs. Sometimes one or both "visit" our house, and Henry will randomly point to the door and address them or tell them goodnight. Henry is not nearly as articulate as Adele was at this age, but he talks just as much or more - and it is quite common that he will somehow manage to work Frosty and dinosaurs into any given conversation.

Henry also loves cars, buses, airplanes, and trains. Often he will run through the house pushing his trains or buses, or flying his airplanes. Outside, he is able to hear any airplane that passes overhead, and yells "choo choo" every time we cross train tracks.

Besides the fact that Henry is a LOT of fun, he is also super cuddly and loving. He gives great hugs and kisses, and snuggles in really well to watch something on TV (at least for a few minutes).

We love you Henry!

Pushing his trains around the house

Dress up with sister...a scene I like to call "80s workout session"

So much more fun to brush your teeth in a tiara and high heels

The glasses totally fit Mom!

I wish I could say Adele forced Henry to do this...but it was his idea.

Best mask ever! After a family night at the University of Oklahoma featuring dinosaurs.

Always fun playing outside!

Trying to convince me they could go to sleep together at night - it didn't work.

Birthday boy!