sometimes i'm afraid

We have been spending a lot of time at the Waterloo Library lately. We brought home a big pile of our favorite local author's books, Maribeth Boelts, this week. I definitely suggest you check them out! Maribeth is an amazing woman and as I'm finding out now that I have a kid and now that I read children's books - she is a great author too! Tonight we read "Sometimes I'm Afraid" (for the 20th time this week.) On one of the last pages, there is a part where God whispers to the children who are scared. There is a verse- Isaiah 41:10- "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." I whispered this to Addelyn tonight as we looked at the last page and she looked up at me with wide eyes and said in a cheerful voice, "YEAH JESUS!"

catching up on easter

Tanner & Addelyn colored some Easter eggs.

On Sunday afternoon of Easter, we spent time with the Kramer side out at Travis and Jen's house. Here is Addelyn and her cousin Autumn petting their bunny.

They had an Easter egg hunt. Addelyn was easily distracted by the cat.

We hid a few Easter eggs at our house. I told Addelyn she needed to wait until she found all of the eggs to open them. After Addelyn found a few and realized they had some treats inside- she said she was DONE looking for eggs. She wanted to go inside and open her eggs and eat her treats!

My favorite part of Easter was on Easter morning when our family sat down together at the breakfast table to eat. We read Addelyn's new Easter story book that explained the true meaning of Easter and had some good quality family time. Those are the moments I want our family to capture and remember.

from the mouth of a child

These are the things we hear out of Addelyn's mouth these days.....

*"Toodles!" This is a mixture of toot and a word from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show- she thinks it is hilarious)
*"I tooted." She announces this everytime with a grin.
*"You help me!" This is when Addelyn wants to help me (in the kitchen usually)- she has her me and you confused!
*"I hit friends?" Addelyn knows she should not hit her friends. However, recently, she has had a little hitting problem with her buddy Ian. So everytime before he comes over, she asks this question - and I swear she has a smirk on her face when she asks me.
*"Nasty." I know, Mom says this word way too much.
*"Are we going that way?" She asks this question every single time we leave the driveway and she points different directions.
*"I go to park." Every day, all day since it has been nice out.
*"What time is it?" She will sometimes ask me this thirty times in a day- as if the answer makes a difference to her.
*"In a little bit?".....OR "after while?".....OR "in a minute?" Usually when she asks me to go to the park, if the answer isn't yes- she responds with one of these questions.
*"6:40." If I say anything about time, Addelyn will say her own time. For example, I got home from running the other morning and asked Mark what time she got up. She responded before Mark could- "6:40."
*"Goodbye! Have fun! I go to ____(insert place)." It is usually Nonnie & Papa's or Ilene's or Austin's or School. She usually has a purse on her shoulder or has my shoes on or Mark's hat on.
*"What is dat?" Over and over and over and over, all day!

These are fun days with many conversations!

can't be crabby

It was one of those moments. I was tired, cranky, and ready for my little girl to get to bed. Did I tell you it was past her bedtime too? On a Monday night, after a long day?

Mark and Addelyn were wrestling in the living room, goofing around, and having a great time. I was the crabby Mom who came in and said it was time to get her pjs on and brush teeth. The play time continued without much of a notice of my asks. I got a bit cranky at this point and started to share with my husband how necessary it is to have him helping, being on the same page as me, blah, blah, blah, blah....I'm sure you can imagine this picture. Crabby Mom lectures Fun Dad.

Guess whose innocent little voice interrupted my lecture, I mean comments?
"Mommy, why you talking?"

Such an innocent question but truly at the heart of the moment. Who can be crabby in a moment like this? I'm sure when she says something of this sort in 5-10 years, I will not find it endearing but right now I can't help but smile.

you never know who is listening

Mark has really hairy legs and kids always seem to notice the hair on his legs and comment. When he worked at Boys and Girls Club, one little girl would always rub her hands on his calves and say, "King Kong! King Kong!" It makes me laugh every time I think about it. Mark has been wearing shorts around the house more now that it is warmer and tonight I made a comment to Mark about the hair on his legs (I know, after being married four years, I probably should get over it). Our little listener (who had been busy playing until I commented) walked over and rubbed Mark's leg and said, "I pet Daddy?"

binky is DONE!

I've been getting lots of asks about how the binkyless nights are going. I have to say losing the binky was much easier than planned. On Sunday, Addelyn wrapped up her binkies as a present to give to "babies that need them" and we left Des Moines right around nap time. I did get a little teary as I watched her taping the wrapping paper for her binkies, I will admit it. Papa and Nonnie took the binkies with them (they really did- I was too nervous we would break and give them to her). She cried for about fifteen minutes on the way home- she was overtired. Finally, she crashed. Mark and I high fived each other and breathed a sigh of relief. That night, she cried a bit for a few minutes but went right to sleep. We haven't had an issue during the night at all. She has asked about where they are a few times but usually answers her own question and says, "with the babies!" It was much easier than we planned. The binky is gone- a milestone is reached!

bye bye binky

I'm tempted to not actually write about this because I have always had a "binky" opinion. Before becoming a parent, when I saw toddlers/children with pacifiers in their mouths- I would say things like, "My kid will never be walking and talking and still using a pacifier...."

Ahhh the things we say before we become a parent. Addelyn likes her binky for naptime and bedtime and in the car. Those are the only places we give it to her unless there are unique circumstances, like she is sick. She is almost two and a half years old. She was one of those babies who really took to a binky to help her sleep well and it has still been one of those parts of her sleep routine.

When she came close to her one year birthday, I remember our doctor encouraging us to think about getting rid of the pacifier. I agreed with her and kept planning to do so. I would say, "Next weekend we are going to get rid of it for good." And then something would come up and I would move back the "saying goodbye to binky date."

I still am working through my binky issues. At certain times, I feel the need to explain why Addelyn uses her binky and I almost apologize for it. At the same time, I have realized that I'm a different mom than I thought I would be. I planned to follow every "rule" about raising a child that I read in a book and was told by the experts. I've chilled out a bit (in some ways ha ha).

I don't believe my daughter is going to still have a desire to use her binky at age 15. I understand the whole language development argument. But Addelyn doesn't have her binky during the day and she has many words to share with us. :) So what is it with the binky issue?

This weekend we have a Hoskinson family get together. We told Addelyn that we are taking all of our binkies with us. We told her that when leave DSM to come home on Sunday, that Nonnie and Papa Hoskinson are taking her binkies home with them to Perry to give to babies that need them. She keeps repeating this idea over and over to us and seems excited. Does she really know what is coming? I'm not sure.

"I give binkies to Papa and Nonnie. They give to babies in need in Perry."

Why NOW you ask? Why finally make this binky "jump?" Why not a year ago? Why not wait a few weeks, a few months longer? I think it is a mixture of a few things. Our daughter is using her binky at night as a game. She will throw it. She will cry for it until we get it for her. If we don't get it for her, she will cry for awhile. A long while. She is a stubborn, persistent little girl (qualities that will be SO GOOD later in life, right!?!) So instead of playing the game, it is time to be done for good. I have kept putting it off because Mark and I value our nights of sleep so much. The thought of a terrible night or week of sleep is hard for me to handle. We often have weighed it out in the past and sleep always trumps.

Mark's cousin Andrea has twin toddlers. I saw on her facebook this week that she said goodbye to 'fiers and that all was going well. Maybe it was that glimpse of comraderie and knowing that someone else was taking the leap too and that they were surviving. A part of me cannot wait to be done with the binky and at the same time, a part of me is saddened a bit because the last little bit of "baby" left is saying goodbye this weekend. I have come to realize that maybe it is harder for me to let go of the binky than it is for my little girl.

twinkle twinkle little star

wanna take a picture?