5 minutes of toddler happiness

Imagine a peaceful afternoon in the Richards house.  Emily's just home from school and outside with Jane jumping on the trampoline.  I'm in the recliner on my computer updating my blog.  I hear Aaron in the kitchen.  Feeling assured the fridge and pantry is locked I assume he is playing in his favorite Tupperware drawer.   He then whimpers and says "stuck".  That means come help me in.  I turn around and see Aaron sliding all over the 1 1/2 dozen eggs cracked all over the floor trying desperately to get out of the mess.

 

 I rush over yelling "Who left the fridge unlocked".  I take a deep breath and kind of smile at my busy monster.  Then I take this picture, scoop him up and give him another bath for the day.

My little Nink in the Sink

Aaron's favorite book right now is Dr. Seuss "There's a Wocket in my Pocket"  You know the one "Do you ever get that feeling there's a zamp in the lamp?  Or a Nink in the Sink? Or a Woset in the Closet......

We read it multiple times a day.

I am trained just like Pavlovas dog.   When I hear water running in my house, I get this feeling there's a "Nink in my Sink".  I'm usually right.

Isn't he the cutest "Nink" around?

After Ten Years......

Today I celebrate my tenth anniversary with Bart. 

 

  At work I was talking to a co-worker about ideas of what to do for Bart.  She suggested looking up the traditional gifts and going from there.  I saw that the 10th anniversary gift was tin and brainstormed some ideas and came up with this idea to fill a tin up with sweets and on it I wrote "After "Tin" Years of Marriage, I'm still sweet on You".   Aaron, Jane and I took this tin of candy to his work and surprised him on this happy day.

 I've been thinking about these last ten years. Here are some thoughts


 After ten years....

 One glass has survived from a set given to us at our wedding

Our couch has about had it....  We bought this pleather couch set, a month after we got married with my, first year of  work after college, tax return.  The couch, loveseat, comfy chair and ottoman cost us $1100.00.   It's endured many leaky sippy cups, sticky fingers and gymnastics. Besides it looking rather worn,  there's a big hole on the side which causes the stuffing to come out.  Aaron went through a phase where he would stick his hand deep inside and pull it out and scatter it around the house.   A few weeks ago Emily was making a diorama of penguins in the Artic for school.    I was dreading that we would need to make a quick trip to the store for batting to use as the snow.  Emily saved the day by suggesting we use some of the stuffing from the couch!  I was hoping the traditional gift in the next couple of years would be leather but it was a few years ago.  Dang!  Maybe we could retroactive the gift.

Our 2001 Civic was once fairly new.  Since neither of us owned very reliable cars, Bart's parents lent it to us for our honeymoon drive to Long Beach.   A year or so later, when Bart's Accord died, we bought it from them.   It's been a great car.   The only time we had our differences was after Jane was born and her infant car seat had to go behind the passenger seat.  Being the compact car it is, naturally the front seat had to be pushed forward as much as it could and the back was at a slight tilt forward.  Back then Bart drove a work car so whenever we rode together as a family it was in this Civic.  I had to tilt my head a little and felt like my forehead was being pushed up into the windshield.  Occasionally Bart would get so annoyed hearing my pleas for a bigger car he would volunteer to sit in that position.    Of course Bart's stubbornness never allowed him to admit how uncomfortable it was and luckily Jane grew up and we moved her into a forward facing car seat and I regained my love for the Civic.  Now days with almost 190,000 it sounds like a race car, the heater only works when you are driving fast on the freeway, and it has a few bumps and bruises given to her mostly from the old garage at our old house.  We still love it anyways.  Cross our fingers we are lucky enough that she will keep chugging along!

We've both lost a little hair, although mine is growing back.  Lol.  I've always told Bart how wonderful it is that our love for each other has never been based on each others hair.  

I'm still learning how  to avoid "setting Bart off" with things like our first fight which was when Bart came home one day and discovered I had hung some pictures on the wall and heaven forbid I make some holes in the wall.  Or our last fight which was when I persuaded Bart to come Black Friday shopping with me knowing he would be the best at snatching the $5 dollar movies.  It didn't turn out well.  



I think Bart's learned to ignore little things or at least not bring it up like the holes in the walls.  And that it's best if he is ornery to be firm and tell me to get lost when I want him to come Black Friday shopping with me, especially if I try the guilt trip talking about how much fun we had and the deals we've gotten in the past.


I've learned that Bart does not like me to ask him hypothetical questions.  So if I feel the need to analyze the world I just call my sister Allyson.


I've learned that we both hate, hate, hate, yard work.   We really should be condo living type of people.   Ironically my kids can't get enough of our backyard.  Even as I write this Jane and Emily are both outside having fun with imaginative unstructured play in the trees.  It does make me happy to see them experiencing a little of how I grew up.  It is also fabulous not to have neighbors behind us watching us eat dinner each night.

 Adding 3 beautiful kids has really enriched our marriage.  I mean who else will listen to me brag about my awesome, strong, talented kids endlessly and sparkle with joy instead of roll his eyes.  

I can still count on Bart.  He is strong and steady and if he says he's going to be there he is there 5 minutes early.

I've learned how important it is to have the gospel as the center of our marriage.  How blessed we are to be able to go to the temple and keep the right perspective in our lives.

I've learned how amazing it is to be connected to a strong priesthood holder who is close to the promptings of the spirit.  I can't express the comfort and peace he gives me when he tells me some of these promptings especially if I'm nervous or stressed about situations in our life.  

I still enjoy hearing "love you Letty" each night as we fall to sleep. 

So after Ten years I'm still in love with this tall cute blond man I met at a party once.

Train is a comin...

Jane came up to me and showed me this picture.

J:  Mom look at my picture
M:  Oohh I like it.  Tell me about it
J:  Well this is you and this is Emily and this is me giving flowers to Aaron.  We are at a train station and it's raining.
M:  Why are we at the train station?
J:  So we can go to the library because all of the tires in both of the cars are flat.

Killing me softly....with his love

I love my Aaron more than words can express but seriously this kid is killing me lately.  Maybe I'm just experiencing life with a busy boy but man I can't keep up.   I should have had Aaron when I was 20 and physically fit.   He's in to everything.  It's beyond the dump and go stage.   I turn my back and he's in the pantry pouring himself a floor full of cereal.  While I am cleaning it  up he's pulled a bag of chips off the counter dumped them on the floor breaking them apart for the pure enjoyment of hearing them crack.  I know in a year or two I'll be thankful for his tallness because I won't have to lift him up to things like public bathroom sinks but for now it's hard that he can reach so many things.  Don't ask me how he can open my heavy refrigerator door but he loves to open all the fruit drawers and take out all the ball looking fruit (apples, oranges etc) and throw them or roll them  across the floor or open the drawer and use it as a basketball hoop to throw them back in.  Speaking of throwing he thinks chucking his sipping cup across the table, floor or at his sisters is so entertaining.  Believe me this kid has an arm so when you see him put his sipping up to his chin like it's a shot put  its best to hit the deck.  No joke Aaron with his He-Man skills pulled so hard on my flour drawer that he completely broke the child safety latch.  Since then Aaron's been having a grand time tracking flour around.  Not to mention how happy he was when he found a screw and put it in the hole of the pantry door and got the privacy lock undone.  I should sign him up for the kid tester for child proof objects.  The product can only pass if it holds up against Aaron.  In the last couple of weeks he's learned how grand it is to climb.  I've found him in situations like sitting on my bathroom counter turning on the hot water.  I try hard but I can't keep him off the dining room table.  The other day he fell trying to get on it and I thought well maybe he'll learned his lesson and will stay off.  Sure enough I let him down and he goes straight back to the chair with this determined look that he is not going to let that table get the best of him.

Just when I feel like I'm at my wits end he'll turn on his charm and I melt into love with him again.   Like when I come in the door from work and he drops anything he is doing and runs over full of giggles, smiles and loves just for me.  Or when he's hanging out in his highchair while I'm doing the dishes and I'll look over at him and he'll  flash me his big Aaron smile and say Hi aa  while waving at me. It tickles me when he is in my arms and I'm talking to someone and he wants my attention. He will put his face right in front of me until our noses are touching and I'm looking right at him and he'll jabber and point until I know what it is he wants.  Or at night when it's time for bed and we sit in the rocking chair after we've read books with the lights off and he'll put his head on my shoulder and sing primary songs with me.   

I guess it's very nice to be killed softly with Aaron's love!

The Cat and the Hat Comes Back

When Jane told me she wanted a cat in the hat birthday party I was thrilled to be able to use all the treasures I've stored away in a box from Emily's b day party.   Of course she wanted her dad to dress up as the Cat.  My response...  "Go ask your Dad"    Well softy Bart just couldn't tell his princess Jane no so once again the Cat came back.  The night before when I was setting up for the party and said this is a piece of cake doing this party since we've done it before.  I think all of our kids should have this party.  Bart looked at said Oh really,  let's not.   I smiled and in my head thought just you wait until your little man Aaron asks you to be the Cat again, good luck telling him no.  

The party turned out perfect.  Jane was as giggly as ever with all of her friends around!   Bart and I were happy as ever seeing the joy in our Jane's eyes

The invite (Thanks Ally for always being my personal graphic designer)

What cute kids with their own creative hats!

How about some pin the tail on the cat

 Next up the game clean up with Thing one and Thing two (Mary's hard work gets another chance to make kids happy)

 How about some cake?

 

Jane's primary class!!!   Serious cuteness in the primary room each Sunday!

Fun Connections

 We headed out to use our Pass of all Passes at Hollywood Connection.  First we did some miniature golfing.  What's it like to Golf with a 15 month old who loves to chase around any type of ball.  Well it looks like this.   He added a little more challenge being the moving obstacle.

We also rode a few rides, skated and enjoyed a few arcade games.   It was such a treat to have Bart around all day!!!!