All the Sun For You

A mom, two boys, a husband, and a whole lot of adventure!

Category Archives: FUN!


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Something Fun!

The internet is a weird place.  I have been fascinated all morning by the “Other Side of the Rainbow” hoax, wondering why anyone would do such a thing.  Then, I find out that this is not new and that this stuff goes on all the time.  I must be super naive – because I had no idea!

Instead of spend any more time on this madness, I wanted to share something precious.

I went out last night for an hour and a half without Matthew – he went with his dad to dinner (in light of the rainbow story that had not been revealed as a hoax yet, I was a little edgy about being separated from him – I even cried as they left).  I had to go to one of those very wonderful, fun, interesting in-home direct-selling parties.  You know the ones?  Where your friend invites you to a fun night of food tasting, or jewelry shopping, etc. and then they try to get you to host a party as well?  FUN….  Not really!  Anyway, this party wasn’t as bad as some of the others I’ve attended and I made my obligatory purchase and came home.  No one ever asked me if I wanted to host a party myself (the answer would have been no).  EXCELLENT!

On the way home, I called B to see how dinner went.

He informed me that Matthew is now blowing kisses.  Honestly, I didn’t believe him.  Matthew does his little pow wow sound (is it politically OK to say that?  I don’t think so, but I don’t know how else to describe it) and I figured maybe his little blown kisses were just an abbreviation of that and not intentional.

But when I got home, Matthew blew me ONE little kiss with a “mmmmwwwaaa!” behind it.  I almost died of cuteness!

He did it all night and has been doing it all morning.  I have a very warm, melted heart right now  🙂

I GOT A VIDEO (well… I got a few videos!)!


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Color Me Happy!

I have never been a pool girl. Never.Ever. I have never been confident in my body, even at my peak fitness level, so pool time just wasn’t going to happen for me.

Until now!

I took Matthew to the public aquatic center today. We were there for 3 hours. We went with another mom friend of mine and her SWEET daughter. We all had a ball! And it was not so warm… Topped out at 76 American degrees (are we the only ones who measure in f?) as we left. If was 69 when we got there, but it did not matter… We had a super time. We had so much fun that I bought a summer pass and we’re going back tomorrow!!!

I now understand how some families live at the pool in the summer…. I may be one of those mothers. I need to stock up on Little Swimm.ers and sunscreen. It’s a good thing I bought 2 new swimsuits the other day. Matthew and I are set!!!!

I think I’m finally getting the hang if this SAHM gig of mine. 🙂


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Advice?

I did something for my own sanity that I’ve been thinking about for a long time.  I started a play group!  I sent out the email to the interested moms and nannies last week to solidify a weekly day and time (Thursdays at 12:15) and I setup the first activity for THIS Thursday!  I am really excited about it because I know these moms and nannies, and I LIKE these moms and nannies!

It’s now summer, and I need to keep this little boy busy!  I am working on his activity schedule that I plan to follow pretty closely.  I am making sure we leave a free day in each week to just do whatever it is we feel like doing.  Here is what I’m thinking:

  • Monday – Gymnastics
  • Tuesday – Aquatic Center
  • Wednesday – Free day (or Aquatic Center make-up day)
  • Thursday – Playgroup
  • Friday – Indoor Swimming at the Y

I have the Monday, Thursday, and Friday activities set for every single week.  Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be our flex days.  This may sound really rigid (because it is), but Matthew is super social and needs to be with other kids a lot – and I like the idea of him getting to play with other kids most days of the week.

We have a date with my friend and her daughter for the aquatic center tomorrow and I can’t wait!  I may even take Matthew’s lunch with me and have a little baby picnic while we’re there.  We’ll see.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to contain him long enough to eat anything while at the pool!

In other news, Matthew is walking again, slowly but surely.  He’s very tentative but by the end of the day, he’s crossing the room again.  He crawls more than he walks, but that’s OK because I’m sure he’s still a little sore and scared.  It doesn’t help that his 3 year old cousin was over yesterday and literally pushed him to the ground at least 3 times.  I watched her walk right up to him, put both hands on his shoulders, and push him to the floor.  What do you do when another kid pushes your baby?  I was stunned!  The third time was on the tile floor and she literally threw him to the ground and he hit his head pretty hard.  She also just walked up to him once and smacked him across the head.  We’re not happy.  B is going to talk to his sister about it because she kept acting like they were accidents and they.were.not.accidents.  I have no idea what causes a 3 year old girl to do this to a baby.  B mentioned today that he’s probably nervous about walking around, living in fear that his cousin will jump out and toss him to the floor.

This whole cousin thing has me riled up because I have to see them again on Thursday without B there – and this little girl knocks Matthew down every time they’re together so I  know it will happen on Thursday.  I think I’m going to intervene and tell her to never do that again because it’s mean.  Advice, anyone?  I have been told by a few people that as his mother, I have a right to tell her to stop if her mother won’t.  Thoughts?


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First Medal!

So something happened today that B and I viewed rather differently.  Matthew got his first medal.  I did not know he’d be getting a medal today at the gym – but he did, and it was cute, and thank God my friend was there with a camera!  It was absolutely adorable, but I didn’t think it was that huge of a deal.

So there we were at dinner tonight (I insist that we go out at least once a week for a nice dinner so that Matthew keeps his manners!), and I tell B, “oh, hey, Matthew got a medal today at the Litt.le Gym.”  He stopped eating and looked up at me with a stunned look, and asked, “what for?”  I explained that next week is his last class as a Little Bug so they decided to give them medals like they do with the big kids.  I just kept eating my dinner, not making a big deal of it.  B asked, “so if he’s not a Bug anymore, what will he be?”  “A Little Bird,” I replied without looking up.  There was some silence so I looked up and he had this look on his face that I can’t really describe.  He said he wished he could have been there, and I assured him that I did not know that this was happening this week (I really didn’t.  The other mother knew because her other kids go there and they told her about it earlier this week.  That’s why she had her camera.).  With that, he turned to Matthew and promised to never miss another event in his life.

How sweet is that?

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One More Time

I was inspired by Allison to visit my grandpa today.  I love my grandpa – he’s very special to me and is my final living grandparent.  No matter what family drama was going on at the time during my childhood (and there was always at least one going on at all times), my grandma and grandpa were always very good to me.  My grandma passed away this past winter and that was hard on me – very, very hard.  I think of her at least once a day – and always when I see something that’s purple.  She loved purple!  I spoke at my grandma’s funeral on behalf of the family and cried through the whole thing.  I was a wreck.  When I got done, I told my family that there is no way that I can do the same for my grandpa, because it would be even harder to get through.  But – when the time comes – I’m sure I’ll speak again on behalf of the family because I’ll want to send him off with warm, spoken words all about him and his influence on my life.

Grandpa is doing well – too well, or so he says.  He told me today that he’s doing too well and that he just wants to go be with my grandma.  I get that.  It breaks my heart a little because I will miss him terribly when he does go to be with her, but it also warms my heart.  Theirs was a love affair like no other – and I’m sure he just aches for her.

Grandpa loves babies and little kids.  Nothing makes him happier than seeing and talking to a baby.  He can be in the worst of health or moods, but the entrance of a baby turns his entire day around. I didn’t tell him that I was coming today.  B had a work meeting in Omaha (right across the river from my home town) so I tagged along.  I called my parents on my way back and they were tied up with doctor appointments, but visiting them was not my priority.  When I got to my folks’ house, I called my grandpa over and over again to let him know I was on my way to see him, but he never answered.  So – I loaded Matthew up in the car and just headed up there.

We found Grandpa in the dining hall – all by himself.  The sight of him alone hurt my heart.  He gets up late so he eats breakfast around 11:00, after everyone else is long gone.  He couldn’t see who was approaching him, but he saw a baby and lit up like a Christmas tree.  When he finally realized that we were there to see HIM, and that it was his favorite grandchild (truly – I know that I am – it’s no secret!) – he teared up.  My heart hurt again.

We had a wonderful visit – a truly wonderful visit!  We watched Matthew crawl and cruise around the open area and laughed as he found new things to explore.  Grandpa told me again how he met my grandma and how they dated while he was in law school.  I felt bad because I had to interrupt the conversation a couple times to tell Matthew to be safe, but he understood.  Grandpa would stop whatever he was saying, and say, “oh, Honey – oh, Honey.  He is just the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen!  Aren’t you so happy?”  Yes, Grandpa, I am!

We went back to his “apartment” to visit because it was now time for the other folks to use the dining hall for lunch.  Matthew was ALL about climbing in Grandpa’s lap.  Had my dad been there, he would have said that it wasn’t a good idea to let Grandpa hold him without help, but I was comfortable with it and I stayed close.  Matthew and Grandpa had a nice chat, and I had a wonderful time watching them.  There was so much laughter and noise – and I know that it made my grandpa’s week (it made mine as well!).

As we left, Matthew waved “bye bye” and I got to tell Grandpa one more time that I love him.  I never know if it’s the last time – so I say it many, many times before I leave.  Grandpa likes to say, “God bless,” as you walk out the door.  I’m not the most religious gal, but for Grandpa, I always say it back to him.

Memories were made today – and pictures were taken.  Thank God for camera phones!

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My First (Almost) Wordless Wednesday

I can’t promise that every Wednesday will be so wordless!

Matthew has a rotten cold, and we did not sleep much last night (I was up until 2 working on his birthday banner – he woke up coughing at 3 and was up until 5 – and back up at 7), but we salvaged the day and had a super fun day together!

I love this boy more and more every day – he is just SO MUCH FUN!!!!

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Family Ties

My cousin lives in the same town as me, and I don’t see her near enough.  She’s the same age as my younger sister and we all had a great time when we were growing up, hanging out at our grandparents’ house every few months.  Times at our grandparents’ were magical – and the best thing was that we knew it at the time.  They had one of those houses that was welcoming to everyone of all ages, with lots of land and activities for the kids, and they were relaxed about what the kids did.  We really had no limitations – and no responsibilities while there – and we knew that this was very special.  I miss those days.

My cousin and I share a very similar IF history in that we both struggled a great deal to get pregnant.  She tried and tried for years to get pregnant – 4 total.  She was not as aggressive as I was in getting treatment/assistance.  IF treatments really weren’t for her and she figured they’d just keep trying on their own.  I, on the other hand, was a regular at the RE’s office and never skipped a cycle with them.  I took no breaks – that’s just how I am.  She figured it would work out some day for them.  I figured it would only work out if I took control of the situation ASAP.  We are very different.  Where we are similar is that we knew of each others’ struggles and discussed them, and I think we both secretly hoped that we wouldn’t get pregnant before the other one.  We didn’t want to break each others’ hearts.

When I did get pregnant, I didn’t know how to tell her.  I asked my mom to tell her mom (our moms are sisters) and she agreed to do that for me.  I figured the news would be best coming from her mother.  In hindsight, that was so cowardly of me, but I just didn’t want to be the source of pain for her.  When my mom called her mom, she said, ‘Courtney has some news that she’s not sure how to tell K.  Their latest IVF worked and they’re finally pregnant.”  What do you think my aunt said?  “Are you kidding me?  K is pregnant too!  She didn’t know how to tell Courtney!”

My mom called to tell me, her mom called to tell her, and then we called each other and let out a collective sigh of relief.  It felt so good to feel SO happy for someone else when it came to pregnancy – and for that someone to be my cousin!  I felt relief for her, for myself, and for our families.  We both got our wishes granted, and at the same time.  We did it in our own ways though – her via good old fashioned trying and perseverance, and me through modern science.  Different paths but the same result – with the same timing.

Throughout our pregnancies, we were due just 6 days apart.  When I was told I needed a C-section because M was breech, I got very excited because I was allowed to deliver 6 days early which meant that we may have our babies around the same time and be hospital neighbors.  Our babies ended up being… exactly 6 days apart.  I went to see her and her daughter (H) the day after H was born and it was marvelous!  Sitting there holding her miracle, with mine still inside me, was surreal for me.

M and I went to visit them today.  We had planned to go last Wednesday, but our geothermal issue got in the way.  I love watching the babies play together.  M just sits back and watches while H runs the show.  That’s the way it’s always been and probably will always be.  It’s adorable.  H has the sweetest little baby voice I have ever heard.  Her soft, melodic voice almost moved me to tears today – it’s just so precious and something I hope to remember forever.  I could sit there, with my eyes closed, and just listen to her babble for hours – her voice is so peaceful to me.  M lit up at the sight of H and he jumped right in to be her friend, even if that meant letting her climb all over him and knock him around a little.

I feel privileged to have shared a similar path to parenthood with my cousin.  I look at K and H and can’t help but be reminded of how far we’ve all come, and how lucky we were to have each other during such a trying time.  I’m so fortunate to have such wonderful people for family!