Motherhood: My First Year

My amazing Mother's Day present, from a husband who somehow miraculously continues to out-do himself in the area of gift-giving. I am humbled and so very, very grateful for him, our precious daughter, and the Beautiful One who saw fit to make us a family.

12 Steps To Save The Day

1. Before you can save the day, it has to be in a steep downward spiral. Nothing says potential like leaving a full container of Vaseline on your toddler's bedside table.

2. In middle of night, find toddler's bed, carpet, bedside table - AND HAIR - full of petroleum-based (non-water-soluble) Vaseline.

3. Return to bed and leave mess till morning. Be sure to set alarm earlier.

4. Rise early and throw toddler in bath. Wash hair multiple times making no dent in said Vaseline.

5. Rush child to daycare prior to work. Resist temptation to care that everyone she comes in contact with will think you haven't washed her hair in a month.

6. Enlist hubby to research Vaseline removal, and purchase needed removal supplies: (cornstarch, coke, eggs, peanut butter, Dawn, Tide, etc.)

7. Return home to find 7 web articles on Vaseline removal; at least one recommending shaving child's hair off.

8. Notice bottle of Goo-Gone as you grab the 409 to clean countertops.

9. Notice bottle of Goo-Gone has warning that it contains petroleum distillate. Hmmm... Lightbulb moment!

10. Spray Goo-Gone on paper towel and carefully apply to hair (not skin) of devilishly/angelically laughing/screaming child.

11. Rinse hair with Pantene Clarifying Shampoo and blow dry.

12. Presto-chango! Petroleum hair, schmetroleum hair. The day (and imminent 4th b-day pictures) is saved!!

101 Ways To Have Fun!

For anyone who's wondering how these first couple weeks have gone, let it be known: we are having an absolute blast! Each day is a somewhat spontaneous compilation of house time and activity time, going and coming home, going and coming home - learning that home is the place we always land. We've seen many good friends at least once, and a few, two or three times. We've been to multiple lakes to swim, and multiple parks, and Como Zoo, and Giggle Factory. We've been to church and a restaurant, and Gramma's house... Still planning to do the Childrens' Museum and maybe a water park in the next 2 weeks.

Two weeks from today, Ed goes back to work and our days will change significantly. Ironic for an introvert, I find myself craving people and activity during this transition time. The thought of 12 hour days at home without some kind of fun activity to break up the day (especially without Ed) seems crazy to me - Eva is a very active girl!

So... what I'm looking for via this blog post is a list of about 20 or 30 fun kid-oriented activities. Summer, winter (especially), indoor, outdoor, home or away. What are your top two or three FAVORITE activities to do with toddlers during the day? Give specifics - names, locations, good times to go, etc. Let me be clear: we're NOT bored; just looking to expand the repertoire in prep for Papa's return to work...

We'll do this similar to how the recipe post went down previously... The first 2 activities our family decides to do, the suggestioners (I know - making up words) may very well get a call to see if they're available to join us... So - think hard: if everyone out there comes up with two or three ideas, maybe we can brainstorm our way to 101 ways to have fun (with toddlers)! :-)

Nesting

Well, it's official... wondered if it would ever happen without pregnancy hormones and a rounded stomach. But it has. I'm nesting! And it's just too bad for everything else I'm responsible for because clean floors under the couch, bathroom cleaners out of reach, and a customized bedroom niche, perfectly suited for our daughter are now more important than work, food or even sleep! (Sleep?? Now THAT's important). We made more progress on the house this past weekend than in the past 3 months put together.

As we pour our hearts into preparing, it strikes me how natural and good it is to prepare for a child in our home, and has inspired thoughts about the root and true meaning of this:

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am..."

-Jn 14:2&3-

I've read this verse hundreds of times before, but have never 'gotten it' like I've started to this past week. I guess I've always focused more on the practicalities of His making a place for us... like He's doing it more out of duty:

A. He has to in order to keep His promise.
B. There has to be somewhere for us to go after life.
C. There will be lots of us, so it better be big, etc.

But, newer for me, are thoughts about how much love and care, thought, and JOY there must be in this nesting of nestings; the ultimate preparation. Maybe it's a little like our own human nesting, but on an even grander scale...because:

A. He loves us.
B. He's delighted just thinking about when we'll be together in that place.
C. His heart gets full designing unique surprises for each eternal home.
D. This is a priority for Him; important and satisfying work.
E. His 'prep work' is directly linked to His great desire to see our joy, and to enjoy us.

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of truths that will sink deeper as our perspective continues to shift these coming months. Sure it's probably stuff all you parents out there have already thought of and 'got' long ago... but I'm thankful, and hope to share more.

We get to see our first video of Eva tonight. Eva with sound and motion... what a gift!

Note to Eva

Last week, I promised - and here she is...! One of my less vocal committee members is a 13-yr.-old version of me; we'll call her 'TeenV' (a.k.a. "Bangs"). Despite the bangs, glasses, sweater, and a number of other less obvious issues, TeenV is actually a sweet, conscientious and remarkably intelligent little thing. And, since she had the honor of writing the first-ever note to my children (her future children), I'm honored to introduce her and give her a voice. Go, TeenV!! Her note (scrawled in turquoise pen with hearts over 'i's and bubble exclamation points on a ripped-out triangle of lined notebook paper), has somehow survived 20 years and 10+ moves, and surfaced recently in my bedside table. It reads:

"Kids,

This sounds pretty funny to me right now because I don't know who you are yet or even who I will marry yet, but anyway - Someday, I'm going to read this letter to you when you get sent to your room because of something that seems unfair or hurts a lot. Right now, I am SO upset! I'm 13 yrs. old and my mom has sent me to my room. I feel like such a dork! I was fixing some pudding for our family - me, mom & dad, Jeremy, & your Aunt Valene (that's weird!!) and I told Valene not to tell mom because it was a surprise. Well, you may or may not know this already, but little sisters are pains in the behinds & she told! ;-) I got mad and "accidentally" smacked her. So, here I sit in my room feeling miserable. Someday, I will be able to remember what I feel like now and help you!

I (heart) you! (heart on the bottom of the exclamation point).

Mom"

Well, hopefully 20 years has equipped me with some better parenting and conflict resolution skills - but we all start somewhere, right? Good job, TeenV, way to make a contribution! And, wow, you sure do know how to fix some bangs...