Reunited

We are reunited again! D did amazing away from home and I am told he didn't ask about us once. I am not sure whether to rejoice or cry?? I was home just long enough to see my stylist and get an inch cut off my hair, be reminded that Walgreens is the most happening Friday night place in Cleveland, enjoy my family, see a few friends and have some awesome pictures taken.

My friend Cortney Wheeler just recently began a new business venture taking pictures. She is extremely patient and creative and I just LOVE the ones we have seen so far. If you are looking for a photographer check her out on Facebook at Cortney Wheeler Photography.

The airport is becoming more doable everytime. Although I am not a fan of traveling with two kids alone through the airport, I feel like it's getting easier and easier everytime. I don't have any funny stories about our airport trip this time. One older woman did ask to hold Cola. Yes, psycho. Our conversation went a little like this...

Lady: Here. Let me hold her. (Arms stretched Cola's way.)
Me: Uhh, NO.
Lady: (Totally offended and shocked as if I should let her put her hands on my child.) Well, I am right here and I am safe.
Me: Well, I don't know that! I do NOT pass my children off into the hands of people I don't know and I have NEVER met a good mom who would do that.

I may just start my own t-shirt line for moms. Some of the phrases may read...

*NO, you may NOT hold my child.
*Just because my child is smiling doesn't mean I want to have a 30 minute conversation with you about their name, weight and age.
*Hands Off Stranger

I just still haven't figured out why people think its ok to ask to hold children they have never met. And I just love the brave ones that try to get an attitude when you say no. PUH-LEASE!

C will be 7 months in just a few days and D will be 3 in a few weeks. I can't believe it.

Day 2 from Day 3s perspective

Well, I would have updated about our toddlerless week on day 2 but I went to bed at about 9:30 and my awesome husband let me sleep until 10 am. I thought I was over my juvenile obssession with sleep but I have come to the realization that in the last few years I have only supressed the longing to sleep all the time because it has become less and less of an option in my life. So here is to my still alive and well love for sleep....CHEERS!

Yesterday we were gone literally all day. I FINALLY found Dalen a school...SCORE! It is a Christian school and totally organized with a really nice facility that reminded me of his school back home. He will start in September when he comes home from Tennessee. We also went car shopping (with no intensions of buying) to get a little guidance of what kind of payment we will get approved for and what kind of down payment we will need. I guess maybe I saw a ray, just a ray of light at the end of the tunnel.

Dalen is having so much fun in Tennessee. I am not sure if he has even asked for us one time which makes me so very proud that he is being so independent and it gives me peace that I can rest assured knowing he is homesick. I told my dad to be extra sensitive if he got teary at bedtime since he is in a new house (my parents moved) and my dad said, "I ain't raising you no mama's boy!" For those of you who know my dad you are probably laughing and for all of the others he is a good man...somewhere down in there lol.

Today we walked to the car with our diaper bag, baby in her carrier, and loaded suitcase (my husband is on the road again) and my husband looked at me and said, "Isn't it crazy that at one time we thought one kid was a lot?" I responded, "Yes, crazy and nieve." You just don't think that one more kid is going to be that much different but it SOOO is. It makes me so sad to see the many expressions C makes and I know that I miss them everyday b-c I am just too preoccupied.

Every morning I have been woken up with soft sqeals only to find the prettiest little girl smiling from ear to ear just waiting for someone to lift her out. My eyelids are usually poked by Dalen's finger with him screaming, "Mom, I need a snack!" He surely keeps us on our toes.

Day One

Well bloggers, blog readers, snoopers...I am officially toddlerless. Little Dalen flew with me to Tennessee today so that he could spent an entire week with my family. I then boarded the flight that took off just 25 minutes after we landed and came back to Orlando where I was welcomed by my husband and sleeping baby.

I have to admit that was totally overwhelmed by the thought that Lady has been here for half of a year and we have never really been able to indulge in her like we did with Dalen. I am missing Dalen but I am enjoying watching this baby like a hawk with no distractions.

I kissed Dalen's little cheek goodbye, checked in and celebrated an hour flight all by myself by devouring an entire bag of Garden Salsa Sun Chips and I have to shamefully admit I didn't feel guilty that I didn't share not even one! I requested the seat closest to the front and was assigned to the front row and had it all to myself! This is my little secret...when you are on the front row you are the last to board and first to exit. In other words you spend the least amount of time on a crowded plane. One older man walked passed and asked are you going to have that entire row by yourself, I smiled and responded I surely hope so. This was my nice way of saying don't you even get any ideas of asking to be moved, this row has my name all over it and God wrote there himself. Haha...I am such a sweetie, huh??

We got home and I cleaned my plate quickly and joined the baby for a 2 1/2 hour nap. Yes, you read that right hate me now, envy me later! I woke up only to find her butt straight up in the air and her feet gracefully crossed at the ankles. It was one of those moments where you just want to devour the stillness of the moment and observe everything and I did. I realized in that moment that this little gal IS strong enough to get up on her knees and therefore she COULD crawl at any moment.

Tonight I saw Eat Pray Love. This movie is a MUST SEE! I LOVED it and it is a story about balance and the lessons we learn without it. It was almost eerie and strange that the movie was about that because I had been thinking about some of the major themes of the story all day.

Why is it that we allow time, stress, work and setbacks rob us of enjoying the love looking at us everyday? Today I realized that constantly love is reaching for me to embrace it back by simply taking it all in. May it be from today on that I never see my baby smile without enjoying the warmth I feel in my heart or never let it be that I don't stop long enough to be entertained by my hilarious toddler. Embrace love, it is always reaching.

So here I am, wet hair wrapped in a towel, baby fast asleep, and with my sweet husband sitting across from me as I embrace love. I find myself giving more thanks when my arms are fully wrapped around love.

What will day two hold??

Little doors

As a mom, I have finally realized that little doors create BIG moments in the minds and hearts of our little ones. I am fully aware of the fact that all moms have their own systems and ways of introducing their little ones to spiritual essentials. I refuse to let little doors of curiosity stay open, only for the world to enter in and inform my son of things I should tell him. I don't believe my son is ready to hear everything in the world pertaining to life and spirituality but I do NOT think that two is too young to begin a few basic introductions to things he is becoming curious about.

Today my son saw my with a notebook and Bible on my bed. The baby was sleeping heavily beside me and I was studying for tomorrow night's message. My son very quietly (wow, that's rare) climbed up on my bed, got right in my face (HUGE pet peeve) and asked, "What you doing?"

Me: "I'm studying. Want to pray for me?"
D: YEP!
So I close my eyes, hold his hand and he begins to make a bunch of sounds that I am sure I have heard in an altar somewhere but where he got the sounds I am not sure. So I wait until he says amen and carefully walk through that little open door.

Me: What were you saying in the prayer to God?
D: You know, Mom!
Me: No I don't or I wouldn't ask. You were making some noises at the beginning but they weren't words.
D: confused and silent
Me: Did you hear someone doing that during a time of prayer?
D: Yes
Me: That's called speaking in tongues. Do you know what that means?
D: No what is it?
Me: It's when God helps you talk to him with words that only he understands.
D: Oh, like this?

D begins making the sounds again while smiling.

Me: It may sound like that or it may sound differently but the only time you do speak is tongues is it you are being helped by God.
D: Oh ok.

Runs off and plays in my room and suitcase. Not much time passes & I hear him doing it again.

Me: D?? (I look at him like he owes me an explanation)
D: What, mom?? I was being helped!!

Wow, of course I didn't expect him to comprehend the whole talk and I was super sensitive to the thought that I surely don't want him thinking he will be in trouble when the time does come for him to have that real experience so I left it alone and felt satisfied that he was introduced to what the sounds are and the appropriate time to use them.

Our pastor is an AMAZING man of God. I just cannot ever make it through a day where I don't experience feelings of blessing at the thought that we get to learn from a man so brilliant, experienced and well known. His wife is amazing as well. He LOVES kids and Dalen is his buddy. His show airs on TBN weekly and Dalen just loves to watch him. He thinks he is preaching right at that moment at our church and actually sits quietly while he speaks. He thinks its super exciting when Bishop looks right at the lens and laughs and says, "He's looking at me!" Dalen already has a love for God and church and a respect for the leaders God has ordained over us.

To all the mom...don't fear the little open doors. They are open because you are welcome right on in.

Morning Madness

It is 5 a.m.. The house is quiet and I hear an occaisonal deep breath taken by my son, who is somehow now asleep on the couch. Little Lady decided to play the "I can't find my passy and squeel until someone comes to my rescue" game and after that I was fully awake.

After updating my blog with the briefest blog ever, I realized how much I haven't blogged about.

* I was a volunteer for VBS. Actually, Mario and I volunteered to be "crew leaders" for 5th and 6th graders. I am NOT kidding by the end of the week I felt as though I had been hit by train and ran over by a bus. JUST the year we come on board our church has the greatest response to VBS ever-a total of 92 kids. Guess who had the largest group?? Yep, us. 25 preteens with 'tudes. By Friday Mario had left the country (seriously) and the other helper I was supposed to have got grounded which left me with 25 kids alone and I had to get a pie in the face because my kids won the offering contest. I am certain there will be some extra jewels in my crown.

* Our last visit to TN was for my friend's wedding and Dalen spent a lot of time with his super aunts. My middle sister let him come over to swim and challenged him to swim to "Mets-i-toe" (Mexico). Since then I have been introducing him to places all around the world via internet (haha) and he is really finding an interest in "places". This was his conversation with his Auntie just a few days ago.

D: Hey. You got a passport?
M: A passport??
D: Yep, I'm going to Posa Rica and we are going to drink Margaritas.

Wow. I can't even remember how the Margarita part was learned but this is just hilarious. This was his conversation with his Papa just a few days ago.

D: Papa, where's your passport??
P: Passport?? What do you know about passports?
D: Going to Bangladesh.
P: You ain't going to no Bangladesh boy!
D: YES I AM! (sincerely mad)

My Dad gets me on the phone and asks how in the world D knows about B and I do what my parents did to me my entire life...I answer the question with a question. "What do you think I do all day, sit and don't teach him anything?"

* Cola is JUST about to crawl. I mean she is SOOOO there its not even funny. Dalen gets sooo impatient with her and eventually snatches her by the wrists and drags her across the carpet. I will put a toy in front of her and she will squeel and just kick away and then get frustrated when she realizes she isn't actually moving. She wore her first pigtails this week and I must say she was the cutest little piggy ever. Dalen even told her, "Wow, sissy girl you look boo-tiful with your curly bows."

* I had my first illness here in Florida. I had the worst UTI one could ever imagine and strep throat. Try knocking that with two little ones. I did get through it with the help of a natural doctor here in town who is actually know all over the US. Although his process of dianosis was a little strange I must say the guy is totally legit and loves God. It was pretty cool for his nurse to come in and tell him of a patient who didn't have Cancer afterall he clapped and gave thanks to God right in front of all of us.

* And the update you have all been waiting for I am sure...I have 16 pounds left to lose and I will be the weight I was when I got pregnant with D. I am so proud of myself for developing self-control and taking one day at a time. I have DEF realized I will probably struggle with my weight forever but I know the root of my problem now.

And that's all for now.

I can't believe that a month and a half has passed and I have written two blogs...that's it! That means two things: The two readers I had are long gone and I must start from scratch. Here is a quick update about our life.

1. Cola is 6 months old! Like half of a year! I can't believe it. When we moved here she was in NB clothes and she is now wearing 3/6 or 6 m.

2. Dalen's vocabulary has tripled....again. He still keeps us entertained 24/7.

3. Mario is in his perfect element and doing awesome as Youth Pastor. I have learned when husband is happy, wife is happy.

4. I am just still changing diapers and wondering why this full time job doesn't come with insurance and a 401k.

I still love Orlando. I love how culturally diverse it is and I am loyally in love with our church. I have learned so much as a member of this congregation and feel so blessed to be a part of a rich ministry.

I have no idea why I am not compelled to blog. Our life is funnier, more challenging and more entertaining than ever but I just don't get that motivation.

So here's to blogging and letting someone out there know I am alive, the kids are healthy and my husband is so very happy!