all grown up

Dear Grant,

I’m not really sure when it happened, I swear just yesterday you were whining to me about something totally inconsiquential like a complete baby, but this afternoon, you acted all grown up. Not in the self important, you think you’re big now, but in the quiet mature, wow you really are big now.

I picked you up from school and you calmly, yet happily came to give me a hug. The teacher didn’t have to tell you not to run at all. You looked peaceful and happy and rested. You were no longer missing your nap, practically dragging by the end of the day. You sat in your seat and carried on an actually conversation with me, paying attention. It was not filled with ‘what?’ ‘huh?’ and ‘i don’t know’ as you spaced off into the distance. I got real answers and a big boy smile.

I’m proud of you kid, you’re a good kid, and I’m really happy for days like this when I can see it so clearly. Because it really was yesterday when you were whining about nothing and it will be tomorrow again too. But the big boy is shinning through these days, and I think he’s pretty great.

Love you,

Momma

Just a typical day at the office

When I got in this morning, this is what greeted me. It’s a vintage, out of print, classic. My favorite is the author’s pen name.

Happy birthday Jena girl

Dear Jenavieve,

You are three years old now, your birthday was actually five days ago. You, however, were not convinced you were really three until today, when we had your party and presents. You are a beautiful little girl, there has been so little baby for so long, it’s hard to believe you’ve just now turned three. You were excited about all your presents, even the clothes, especialy the clothes. Princesses galore, coloring books, hair clips and paper dolls, you are a girl.

You went to Disney with your daddy this year.  You were very excited and told everyone about it. Three weeks later you’re still talking about it and how you’d love to go again.

You love to color, paint, and create. You also love your brothers. You are a sweet sister, it is a joy to watch you play and share so easily. They do not always reciprocate in kind, but you do your part, and I’m proud of you.

It is very hard for me to describe you in words. You try me to know end and then melt my heart the next minute, you are a strong, willful, beautiful little girl. I’m at a loss for words, so I’m going to leave you with a picture, that’s worth a thousand, right?

Mommy loves you baby girl

random updates…yes again

I just finished the taxes! I had to tell that to someone. Every year it seems like a miracle it actually happened. It is always more stress and anxiety than it’s worth. One huge weight off. This was also our last year of easy taxes for awhile, just two w-2s and charitable deductions. Next year will be all the headache of being a landlord, and all that small business filling entails. We’ve been there before, it’s fun, enjoying this year’s 1.5 hour experience, next year will be double I’m sure.

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We get to go gluten free around here. There’s another yay! Not! Truthfully, though enormously overwhelmed, I am excited about it. This really feels like it could be a real answer to our years of struggle with Grant’s allergies. He is also very excited his nose is going to stop running soon. Having already had to pull dairy out of multiple family members diets I feel at least somewhat prepared to pull another additive out that is in litterally EVERYTHING.

We went to the store today and stocked the pantry and freezer with staples for Grant, chicken nuggets, sausage, pasta, and bars, all gluten free, and all 4 times as expensive as the regular version. We’ve got a few types of bread, I’ve heard they can taste awful, we tried a couple. He was super pumped at the grocery store though. He is so excited his nose is going to be clear. I suppose I shouldn’t be telling him difinitevely this is going to do it. I mean I really don’t know, we think and the doctor agrees, that his symptoms are classic for a gluten intolerance. So I’ve been telling him he gets to eat a bunch of new food that his nose will like and he is excited. He was thrilled to get colored curly rice pasta and gluten free chocolate chip nut bars, and peanut butter gluten free cereal and gluten free bagels, all for him! Hope is more likely to heal him than despair regardless and we all, including him, have been in despair about the whole ordeal lately.

Let’s hope he actually likes most of it. The plus side of a kid who is perpetually stuffed up is he will eat a lot of things most 4 year old won’t (IMO), I mean it’s not like he’s really tasting it anyway. Let’s hope that part stays even when he’s clear. I have more hope than I have had in a while, he will be clear.

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So the new house, yeah, been meaning to say stuff about that. I feel like we’re pretty settled in. I’ve got curtains to hang in the kid’s room and guest room yet, but I have plans to do them tomorrow! Hanging the curtains in our bedroom a few weeks ago helped ease my mourning of our old place significantly. It was much more intense than I had anticipated, the mourning that is. I loved, still do, our old place. It does ease my mind some that it is still ours. I still miss it, especially the location, any time I leave to go shopping. The kids are adjusting, though Jena told me again this morning she wants to go back home, to our other home. I only hear things about the old house every now and then, these days, from the kids.

I have plans to do a things I like about the new place vs things I miss about the old place post. We’ll see if it happens. In the meantime I’ll leave you with coat closets are the most awesome thing ever, I love living in a two story as much as I always thought I would, and I’m so glad we had a spot for my swing.

 

new record

I’ve reached a new all time low on posting. I just thought that was worth documenting.