I Hate Goodbyes

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

In a Bob Dylan state of mind tonight.  I'm in the process of processing all the changes that have recently taken place in my life.  As we transition into the new month of March I have started a new phase of my life and taken a new job.  While you might say a job is a job, I've been lucky enough to say mine has been so much more.   

To sum it up I'd have to say I just left a job I loved for a job I am excited about. For the past 3 1/2 year I've had the privilege of working with some truly amazing people that have taught me a lot about life, faith, friendship and myself.  

I've coordinated activities for a retirement community of over 100 people that have let me into their homes and lives.  I've played a lot of bingo, made a lot of crafts, baked endless amounts of cookies, listened to a lot of songs well before my time but most importantly I've made a lot of memories.  Whether they were good, bad, sad, happy or a little bit of everything in between they are all pretty special to me. 

I've been blessed to be able to share my life and my boy's life with all of these people.  They've watched Cy grow from an 18 month toddler, when I started, into a little boy now in school, and with Sage since before he was even here they shared the excitement and anticipation of his birth.  And I found a lot of love and support when Sean followed his dream of opening his own business.  From all the special moments to everyday moments we've all shared, it's meant something.

I'm going to miss my circle of co-workers, all special women that have helped show me how to lay the path that I think is so important to balancing work, children and family.  We've shared a lot over the last couple of years along with a lot of laughs along the way.  

I'm not a person that likes or is good with goodbyes.  I do see the new path that is laid out in front of me and for myself and my family it is a direction I want to take.  I've gone back and forth whether I was going to write this post and if I could even get myself to type it.  For someone that has wrote about almost every aspect of my life for the past year on this blog I thought it was right, it was needed, I had to bring myself to do it.  So bear with me for a little of this in between.  

I'm looking forward to getting into our new schedule and new routine.   I definitely need to get around to updates about my boys and their latest endeavors in life.  We have a big birthday, #5 for a special someone right around the corner in March.  The times are always going to be changing I'll take with it that's life and be thankful for where it turns.

Full of It

Life has been full of it lately and so are my boys.  Literally and figuratively we've all been up to a bunch of nonsense.  But the fun, this is what life should be full of nonsense. 

Happy meal toys, pajama days, dinosaur capes and escaping about sums up our weekend.  Of course I've got to add in a few good lines from my little buddies:

Cyrus enlightened me in several ways:
Did you know cats from Ohio eat hay?  Me neither, according to Cy this is fact because well, he just knows.  
During a trip to Joann fabrics Sunday we came across the Crayola aisle, Cyrus, " Mommy you should have known better than to take me by this aisle.  You know I can't control myself I love it. "

Sage is non stop and trying out his new extended vocabulary.  We now get dada, mama, nana, papa, b (my mom), dooie (depending on the context my sister or scooby doo)..... and bumpa (great grandpa) taught him this new one: "How Dooo"

My biggest one Sean has been up to it too.  Whatever it might be.  This is what he came home with tonight.  Yes seriously a stack of coffee filters.  The lady at Wilson Farms gave them to him.  

It's a weird phenomenon that boggles both him and me, if you get to know Sean you'll learn people like to give him things and tell him everything.  Yes, again seriously.  He came home with fifty million free coffee filters and way too much information about the cashier who use to live in Detroit and made a bad joke about Sean getting lucky on lotto tickets.  Enough said.   

On another note I ate too many chocolate chip cookies tonight.  In hindsight you remember while cookies might be forgiving your pants aren't.  Pretty sure that's all the wisdom I have for tonight, not that it's going to stop me from eating some more cookies at Jones Bakery tomorrow!

Snowy Sunday

This post might be a little bit late, as most of the snow outside has turned to green grass over the past two days.  But Sunday we got all bundled up for a beautiful sunny, Sunday in the snow. 

Sage was a trooper and actually left all his snow stuff, gloves, hat ect. on.  Poor kid got a new nick name, Humpy Dumpty, courtesy of big brother.  His snow suit was so puffy he looked like he might just fall over and keep rolling.

And what's the best part of coming in from outside in the snow....

 Hot chocolate with marshmallows of course!

A Weekend of Firsts

We enjoyed a weekend of firsts......
Over 3 months ago I posted:

I have to admit I am one of those parents, moms, that waits and waits to get their baby's 1st haircut. (to my husband: yes you read that right, I said it myself)  There is something so sweet and innocent about those soft little baby locks that you just don't want to give up. 

We (I) finally gave in...

 Sage got his first haircut!  That little stinker sat there good as gold.  He hardly wiggled, was having too much fun in the little car seat they put him in.  He only cried once he was out and Cy's turn came, he wanted back in the seat!

 Cy the old pro (aka he knows he'll get a sucker and a trip next door to the dollar store if he's good)

My big Jones Boy, Sean also got his haircut but this once I will spare him public humiliation on my blog. 

Our other first was for Cy-- First trip to the MOVIES!

With Aunt Dooie and Mommy to see Beauty in the Beast in 3D.

Before the movie: Cy informed my sister she could have some of the M & Ms we got because they are the big bag and they say share on them.  (sharing size M & Ms)

As the movie started, lights went out:

Cy,"Okay now what's going on, oh it's okay I think we are getting started". 

Followed by: "It's Alive!"

About  the middle of the movie: "Mommy..... mommy I'm done now with the movie.  Can we go get a stuffed animal?" (the claw machines at the entrance)

Me, "No Cy I don't have anymore money, watch the movie".

Cy (after about 2 minutes) " Mommy I really don't like it when you are out of money".

And so goes Cy's first trip the movie theatre.  The 3D glasses were a big hit he wore them all the way home, at 6:30 p.m. in the dark.

A good weekend of firsts.......

 

Back for the New Year

Hello 2012!  We welcomed you with beautiful sunshine and a great stay at home with the family day.  I’m excited to see everything you will have to bring us in the coming year.  Hard to believe this year in the spring we’ll have a 5 year old and by the end of the summer a 2 year old.  May you bring us as many great memories as were made in 2011 and hopefully so much more.......

I’ve been taking a little blog-vacation this past week.  Just recouping from all the holiday hoopla and enjoying some family time.  I love being able to look back and see how I’ve preserved so many memorable and candid moments throughout our past year. 

My very first post this past year in April was of a little baby just learning how to stand up in his crib all by himself.  That little baby is just about a toddler who can scale and climb almost every piece of furniture in the house.  Then in June my blog kind of found it’s niche with weekly children’s art posts with my favorite little artist Mr. Cyrus Jones.  He is absolutely amazing both as my little boy and a little artist.  Thank you for helping me reconnect and find the joy of bringing art making into our lives again.  

My biggest Jones boy, Sean, made it through another busy year of work, meetings and personal projects.  Although I do like to tease him when he falls asleep sitting up on the couch 9 p.m. on a Saturday night, honestly I don’t know how you even make it to Saturday.  Love you honey thank you for tirelessly following your dream and providing for our family.  It’s not always easy, but life is about the journey and I’m glad we get to figure out our path together!

Me well, usually I am busy talking about everyone else in my life and I do like it that way.  But I do have to say 2011 was a good year, a year I found a little balance.  It's hard trying to figure out who you are as a wife, mother and person.  I've found this year through different personal journeys that if you get a good grip on each one it helps them all in the long run.

Occasionally I have my rants and melt downs , after I recover from an over dose of reality things seem to calm down.  And a couple of cute little faces remind me what's really important in life.


I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things here shortly, with weekly art posts, my organizing projects I never got organized enough to share and well just a little bit of my life in general.  I need to start with remembering to write 2012 and for that matter January as the date....... here's to making it through the first work week of 2012!

Christmas Snooper

A snooper is born.  Christmas snooper that is.  My four year old, Cyrus, has done for the first time what all children do, snoop for their Christmas presents.

Sean and I made our annual last minute Santa run, thanks to my mom and dad for watching the boys.  Later when we got back home I had some presents for my niece and nephew out.  First Cyrus was quite upset that there wasn't anything for him, then he launches into a Christmas interrogation. 


"Did you get me anything?  What did you get me? Can I have a present now? Where are the presents?"

I thought I had answered each question respectfully well and adverted any melt downs.  But then while I was making dinner someone slipped past me yelling I'm getting something from downstairs.

"Cyrus what are you getting?"
Long pause..... response," ummm.... I'm getting something."

As I followed behind him to flip the laundry, I catch him running around scanning every corner.

"Cy stop snooping".
"I'm not, I'm sniffing", moving his nose up and down like a little bunny.  "I have the sniffies".


So it's official he has learned to snoop for his presents.  Next year we've got to step up our game and find a few new hiding spots.  Not that he found anything, but there are two large black, garbage bags stashed right in the first spot he looked, the basement.

I saw this a couple of days ago on facebook (don't want to name drop you but thanks this was cute), I completely agree --with one suggested addition A Christmas Snooper Section!

The Christmas countdown pursues, almost into it's final stages!  I'm not quite sure how we made it into the middle of December.  That reindeer that ran me over left some tracks.  Today was the first day in a week I could speak and be heard, thanks to a bout of laryngitis and a slight cold.


So as I posted I had a few ideas for homemade presents and organization posts to share.  I am aiming at the most to get through the latter.  I'll hold out to January to get it together enough to pretend like I am organized.  The days to come I've got some fun homemade presents I've already finished and more on my list along with some tasty treats that need to be made.  

Boys waiting for Santa this year, Sage untied the snowman's scarf

I'm still hanging in there if you'd like to grab a branch and join me, 12 more days to make it through!!  Here's to making wonderful, lasting memories with the kids and Sean over the next week and a half of craziness.......

Where'd the Weekend Go?

The weekend came and went before I really knew it was here.  Friday night was the annual down town Christmas parade, which all the kids look forward to.  But I felt like I was run over by one of Santa's reindeer after the parade. 

I don't know if it was a cold, the flu or weeks of not sleeping but I was out for the count Saturday.  I caught a nap while Sage took his.  Only to wake up and find Cyrus playing up in their room.  I said Cy you woke up your brother.  He responsed, "no I didn't he did that on his own".  Just for clarification I guess.   

Cy was full of good ones this weekend as most of Saturday I watched them play from the couch.  I told Cy I was going to go take a nap and he could babysit Sage.  At first I got no response, but then a look like is she really serious, did she just say want I thought she did?  Finally in true Cy fashion," NO WAY, I AM NOT THE BABYSITTER!".   Good to know.

The kids did end up having a good weekend.  All the cousins were together, little and big, for the parade.  Although only a select few adults made it to the end, outside.  It was 2 hours long and as the crowds thinned it got a bit colder.  We caught the last half hour inside from the bakery windows. 

Saturday night was the Jones annual Korv party.  Sean's grandparents host, you bring your own meat to make Swedish sausage.  Cy and Sage entertained themselves with their cousin Hugo.  In a bit of a haze I didn't take any pictures this year,  but think some cousins got some good ones in of the boys before they had too much glogg.  I'll have to update.

Here's some pictures from last year.  Hard to believe how little Sage was, we laid him out on the blanket while the big kids played and tickled him.  Not this year, he was in the mix of it running around.  My apologizes to Gigi and Bumpa's living room, I have a feeling you will be finding potato chips and lego pieces in various spots for weeks to come. (the other picture is Sean in my "swedish" apron, sorry had to tease you with this photo one more year :))

So we kicked off December..... still a lot more to come.  We've got to go find Santa, finish up cookies, shopping and presents!  Stop by tomorrow to see what Cy and I made for his Pre-K friends' Christmas presents.

This is how Cy ended his weekend, we all felt the same.  He fell asleep in the backseat on top of his big chex mix bag he was eating after we left Sam's Club. 

It's Here.... December

No Explore Art post this week.  We've been a little off our schedule lately.  I can't believe it's December 1st our countdown officially starts!  And a little bit of panic begins to set in.....

We've been busy decorating trees, making Christmas cookies and writing letters to Santa.  For the month of December my weekly posts are going to be a mix of homemade/ handmade gifts and organizing projects.

Every year the kids, mine and extended family, get a handmade gift and fun Christmas day gift.  Last year it was fleece hat and scarves, there was lots of blankets when they were little, back packs, homemade playdough and mold crayons.  Well here's a sneak peak for this year:

Felt play cookies (inspired by Dana at Made)

The before picture, chunky crayons for Cy's Pre-K class

I've also got a list of real cookies to make with some treats like fudge.  I went a little different than my usual freezer jam this year but still a tasty treat.  Stay tune and I'll share some of my favorite recipes.

 And last but not least to feed into my slight obsession with organizing or let's say containing and maintaining the chaos of toys.  I've got a few new projects and some that I'm continually working on to share.  See my little helper, Sage loves organizing too!  He put himself away.

So welcome December, oh and thanks for that beautiful snow yesterday!  Love you.

'Tis the Season

'Tis the Season

Holidays, Festivities, Family and Friends

We're right in the mix of it now!

The next couple weeks are my favorite time of year.  

There is this sense of magic that just seems to float in the air.  Watching your kids discover this is one of the most amazing things.

 We've got up our Christmas trees. Ornaments have been strategically placed this year. The bottom of the tree is lined with wooden or plush ornaments, half of which already line the floor.  The boys have their own tree which stands 2 feet off the ground, perfect height to decorate and continually re-decorate daily.

Pulling the Christmas ornaments out is like opening an album of memories.  I've had enough ornaments to decorate my own tree before I even had a house to put my own tree in.  My mom gives everyone ornaments every Christmas, usually tied on your wrapped gift.  Little jingle bells with our names painted on them, new house ornament, new baby for corresponding years.

Cy had to look and see what every ornament was, Sage just explored what this big tree with lights was.  

And of course the cookie cutters came out.  Actually I had to dig them out of Cy's things, he's been making his own coloring sheets tracing different shape holiday cookie cutters.

But I got in trouble because after they were cooled I put most in a bag and threw them in the freezer. ( I make 2-3 kinds every weekend in December so then they can all be pulled out right before Christmas) Cyrus did not like the idea of giving Santa Claus a frozen cookie.  We had to explain they'd be thawed for him.  I didn't give him the explanation Santa probably wouldn't like a 4 week old cookie if we left it out.  Ha, kids.  

We're looking forward to our upcoming weekend line up annual Christmas parade on Friday and Korv party at great grandma's & grandpa's.  Looking forward to making more memories with these little boys as they discover the magic of Christmas.

Countdown

Thanksgiving Kids Table- 2 years ago

So I've been a little less here and more there lately.  Although I'm not sure I could tell you where here or there is!

Life has taken us into a whirl wind once again as it often does.  I am still in denial that in less than two days it will be Thanksgiving.  Good thing I'm not hosting!  And after that an onslaught of Christmas preparation.  I've been holding Cyrus off at bay about Christmas decorations, promising the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  But too quickly that is now approaching.

The weekend came and went and honestly the past couple of days have just been mushed together.  By the time appropriate parties have all been picked up in the evening delivered home and fed the night's just about over.  

Baby Thor has be coaxed to bed by 7 p.m. because honestly I think he finally looses the strength to fight it. (He's still only on about an 1 1/2 hour nap daily) He looks so angelic with his little eye lids closed so tight and lips puckered out. 


Captain Cyrus has been a manic 4 year old, either suffering from early onset cabin fever, the holiday rush or just too much energy and not enough daylight to get it all out.  Luckily we've snuck some alone time before bed to read his favorite "stories". 

Let the Thanksgiving countdown begin. I'm looking forward to a day not so much of rest, but a day to just take for ourselves.  Enjoy family, friends and good food.  I'm sure there will be a few melt downs along the way, it wouldn't be a holiday with out them, but in the process I hope my boys will gain some lasting memories. 

Adventures of Shopping with Small Children

This is a picture of Sage "helping" put away the groceries Sunday afternoon, after we survived our weekly Wegman's grocery trip.

I say survive because shopping with young children is always an adventure that at some points you might wonder if you'll survive.  My theory is within the first 5 minutes you know what kind of trip you're in for whether the good, bad or the ugly.

An essential tool for shopping with children is the shopping cart.  Not only does it give you somewhere to put the items you are going to purchase but it also contains and restraints your children.  

Although you can encounter problems with this tool.  Like when you get to the store and go to pull a cart away from the row of carts and you realize it's stuck.  Nothing like trying to pull carts apart while holding a child, a handful of reusable bags and trying to make sure your other child doesn't run off.  Or you get the squeaky cart and about half way through the store you are about ready to loose your mind.

Once you're in the store there are about 3 types of misbehaving children, which most children including mine have been on numerous occasions.  

Sage got his first sucker over the weekend, he sure remembered what it was as we passed them grocery shopping.  Did he scream!

The screamer, whether they are screaming for something they want or just screaming.  When Cy was about 18 months old he went through a phase that when ever we got into a store he would just open his mouth and scream.  Really for no reason, searching for something to do I'd put my hand over his mouth and make a dash for the door.

Cy is my whiner, but we set expectations for him with a little reward like a quarter ride if he's good.

The whiner, this usually because they want something, are tired or bored.  Sage hasn't fully discovered yet that if he whines he'll get something.  (I know it's terrible but you have to admit you've done it) He is the whiner because he's tired, bored and does not want to be in that cart.  He'll whine from one end of the store to the other, usually only appeased by snacks/ food.

The third type is the runner/grabber.  On the occasion when there isn't a shopping cart available or you've had a temporary lapse in sanity and let your children walk in a store this can happen.  

Friday afternoon we made a stop at Rite Aid to pick up a script for Cy, big surprise it wasn't ready.  So we amused ourselves by looking at Halloween and Christmas decorations.  The interest was lost before the script was ready.  My kids we loose in the toy aisle and soon enough loose in the whole store.  Sage is a grabber, he'll grab and knock over anything at his level.  He also turned out to be a runner at the same time Cy did and one went one way the other well, the other way.  Needless to say we left without the script. 

They are cute but boy will they tag team you and any given second.

Now when encountering any of these types of children in a store you can pick out the parents and non-parents.  Fellow parents give you that sympathetic glance and slight smile, saying been there done that.  Non-parents give you the look of disgust like you need to control your child. 

Sunday's grocery trip we crossed paths with a few other moms as Sage was in a I want to throw everything on the floor mood.  Not the best mood when grocery shopping on the busiest day and time of the week.  I was picking up items a couple times every aisle, and as I would say NO, NO, NO he'd mimic me in his little baby voice.  Which got a few giggles from fellow shoppers.  

More than 3/4 way through the store we, I realized we were short and shoe and a bagel.  10 minutes of back tracking I summed up they were both a loss until a lady came around the corner looking for someone with a little child that matched a shoe she found.  She had to have been a mom, who else would have spent the time. 

So thankful for those who understand the "adventures" of shopping with small children.

A Weekend Spent In

I've been in a bit of a procrastination rut, although it did take me a few days to admit it.  I've got things that I could do that I just don't feel like doing and things I need to do and just don't want to.  So it was a weekend of this and that, things got done but I still lacked that feeling of getting something accomplished.  

We got a taste of the late fall/winter weather this weekend, a preview of the approaching change of seasons.  A cold, dreary two days we bunkered down practicing for our winter hibernation.

The boys watched morning cartoons, played with toys they haven't had out in a while, stayed in their pajamas till after lunch and got afternoon baths.  

The change in season does not only affect your daily routine it also has an impact on your mind set.  Colder days chasing you indoors, approaching holidays with family your mind has a tendency to wander and reflect.  

Lately I've been staring at my boys, not just watching them but really looking at them, memorizing their little faces over and over again.  It's quite amusing to catch their similarities and differences and watch them learn to play together.

Cy has gotten over his encounter with baby thor and the two spend most of the weekend somewhat sharing toys, but at least playing together.  Cy is still learning you can not leave a castle of building blocks you just built alone in a room with a 1 year old.  Once he got over it they continued to play building or banging blocks, making play food and tearing apart their play room. 

We survived the weekend but boy everyone's whooped.  I'm going to sneak in one last time to stare at my sleeping babies in their beds before I escape to mine.  My littlest buddy will probably be up in a few for his late night cuddles. 

A little of this, a little of that

This weekend we did a little of this and a little of that.  With temperatures dipping into the cooler 40s we stayed bundled inside most of the weekend; experiencing our first taste of cool fall weather.  

A stark contrast from last weekend, when we ate Popsicles on the front porch. 

It's funny to watch how your children grow by what ice cream they choose.  Sage has graduated to getting his very own ice cream to hold himself.  

His pick, the orange sherbet push up pop that he has enviously watched his brother eat for months.  

Cy has moved on, although it was a very hard and long 2 minute decision at kwik fill, to the sundae ice cream cone with chocolate and nuts.  Half way through I think he was rethinking his decision, until he found out about the little bit of extra chocolate at the bottom of the cone.

A sticky yet tasty cool treat for our last burst of warm summer weather.  This weekend we opted for something that would warm us in more ways than one.  Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Ooey gooey in our tummies and nice and cozy in the kitchen with the oven on.

My assistant who was nominated to lick the spoon.

We made the most of our first weekend hibernating.  Snuggling a little closer and playing a few games to pass the time.

Even with all the fun there was to be had I'm not sure I'm ready for the start of those long cold days.  I better get out a few more cookie recipes and the extra blankets soon enough we'll be in for the long haul of winter.