Today the boys were playing in the living room, the sun was shining in and I gave up accomplishing whatever task I was thinking about accomplishing and just started snapping pictures. This worked out well, because poor Finn hasn't had the beautiful professional pictures that the other kids had for their first birthday due to the world spinning a bit out of sync lately, maybe when he's two we'll catch those bunny pictures? You think he'll notice his don't match? Will he care? Will it drive me nuts forever? Maybe if I ever get all my beautiful pictures on the wall, until then, no one but me will really even know. I digress, Finn, natural light, a window sheer, peek a boo, beautiful pictures taken by mom for free(if you ignore the green marker stripe on his cheek). He then proceeded to take his first steps! 3 of them, of course I didn't have the camera in hand then, but at least I documented what he looked like on the day he took his first steps! We are on the way now! My baby is growing up, sniff, sniff!
After the first steps and the soft, sweet little boy pictures the whole image of the beer bong in the distant future was fading until my darling came crawling through the kitchen like this... He apparently found a pair of Lily's underwear and decided they made a great hat. This thought was contagious and sent Dax running through the house to find a pair of his own underwear... Which ended up in an entertaining little dance, that left me laughing and once again shaking my head thinking of what the future might hold when these little guys are older!
Finn seems to be coming into his own as of late. I guess a first birthday and a couple weeks of being an only child instead of the third does that to a boy. Although, as this personality emerges I feel a bit worried.
Seems whenever Dax needs me, Finn takes full advantage of the situation. Today Dax yelled for potty help, Finn helped himself to Dax's yogurt. It did however leave him with a rockin hairdo. He eats cereal puffs off the table with his face, rather than his hands, he dances like a crazy man, laughs easily, and will do about anything to make others laugh. He enjoys any sort of musical instrument and has a special affinity for little pretend people of any kind. He rolled over before he was two weeks old, but has yet to take a step. He seems to have the strength, the balance, but just not the faith, we're working on that. I figure if I could get him off the floor he'd stop putting so much weird stuff in his mouth. (Did I mention his love of dog food?)
He also has been blessed with his mother's grace. I have had two toddlers before this one, he is not the speed demon stealth bomber his brother always has been, nor is he the innocent well behaved little angel his sister was (ok, it's been 9 years, I barely remember, but she was much easier than Dax) he is his own guy. If there some place to hit his head, he'll hit it. If there is a drawer to pinch his fingers in, he'll pinch them. Probably, he'll pinch them multiple times. Yesterday he pinched his fingers in the same drawer 5 times in ten minutes. At what point as a parent is it ok to drop the sympathy and simply say "duh"?
You would think the way I'm speaking of him that he's not the sharpest cookie, but no, he sat down today and tried to put a sock on his dad. He builds with blocks, he loves books, and he seems to play really well with toys way too old for him, heck he can already connect the Geotrax tracks. He really seems very bright, just not all that blessed in the coordination department.
Right now I see a nice klutzy jock (or maybe just friend of jocks due to injuries) who loves to throw parties and make every one laugh, if I could get the beer bong out of the image it wouldn't be so bad! I know God has a plan for this one too, maybe rather than imagining him as a college freshman I should stop and just enjoy my new little toddler. (and maybe invest in a few more ice packs!)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Praises...
Watching Dax walk around the house in my fuzzy pink crocs, if only I'd gotten a picture I could have used it later!
Getting to take Finn to the doctor today sans Dax (thanks, Traci)
7th grade girls who make the dance team. Woo hoo for you ladies! (you can see their picture on Traci's blog, I'd link you there, but I'm not sure how, so you'll have to scroll down and look for the link!)
American Idol (yeah, I know, hush already)
Thursday Night!! Yeah!! I haven't had one in weeks, and it sure felt good to get out!
I'm doing this in alphabetical order... Amy, Donna, Elaine, Kim, Lisa, Megan, Nicole, Sarah, & Traci A very special praise and thank you to these women who took over my children, my laundry, cooking, and even my dog so that I could worry about other things over the past weeks. I don't know how to even begin to say thank you!! I couldn't have done it without you guys!
Prayers, and words of love that just keep coming in. Thank you!
Friends who let me babble on or not talk at all depending on my mood. I love you guys!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Praises...
Being home
Amazing love from great friends
Walking into a room full of people who care
Maintaining composure
7th grade girls who meet you at the door with hugs and the best smiles
Normalcy, almost
3 days of big boy pants
A dog who licks yogurt off of carpet, tables, & one year olds
2 year olds who volunteer to take a nap, early... ok, so he really just wanted a binky fix and fell asleep, but I'll take it!
Great notes from old friends who send love from many miles
Sitting at a table with great friends
Returning to praises
Although American Idol was not the usual tonight, just to make up for last week, I'm gonna show you a couple of my favorite songs from tonight's episode...
This comes at the request of my husband who tonight asked, "Are you ever going to go back to regular blogging?" Seems his lunch time blog fest has been slow lately. He says other than Nicole's pretty regular updates, the rest of us are failing him. So tonight, I decided it's time to get back into the swing of it. It's time again to praise, he reminded me of that with this evening conversation....
let me preface this a bit by telling you that we both had a rough day and after sending Lily to her room again, he walked into the living room with me and began....
Mike ~ "I'm thankful I have a boss who is willing to loan me a truck to drive home.
I'm thankful I have a job I need to drive back and forth to.
I'm thankful when my brakes went out I was close to a place that could fix it at as fair a price as anywhere.
I'm thankful I have the ability to work 20 hours of overtime to pay that fair price.
I'm thankful this is a three pay check month.
I'm thankful I have a family to come home to."
I responded with a smile and said,
I'm thankful I have children with minds and voices that can express their true thoughts.
I'm thankful that I have a washing machine that works to do 10 loads of laundry.
I'm thankful that I have towels to clean up pee pee on the floor.
I'm thankful for my dog who cleans up crushed pretzels.
I'm thankful for a baby healthy enough to make enough poop to fill his diaper and his entire outfit.
I'm thankful to not have one of those annoying husband's who comes home and complains that the house is not clean and wants to know where his dinner is."
Mike responded with "Where is my dinner, dammit?"
We both laughed, I am thankful for laughter, and the ability to see any situation from a different perspective and I'm thankful to have a husband who is right there with me.
And just for Mike, to make it more normal, here are my American Idol favs....
This one reminded me of my mom. (she has a little thing for Tapestry)
225 people came not to a funeral, but to a Celebration of Life. My dad was a man who loved to be the ring leader, he only appreciated noise if he was in charge of it. He would have loved this party. I was amazed by the love and the memories. Hearing the memories of so many helped me to see the bigger picture of my dad. I, as his daughter, saw him from one angle, one view. He touched so many people that I will never know and no matter how many ups and downs we had I know his heart was good and loving. I'm proud to have had him as my father.
This day was long and short, hard and easy, sad and joyous all rolled into one. It was what it was in many ways because not only of the man at the center but because of the cast of characters that made his private life what it was. I have an amazing, graceful, strong, beautiful mom and two amazing, funny, kind hearted brothers. When I figure out how, I'll get the slide show that my brother, Ryan, put together up and running for all to see. The Page clan is also blessed to have some pretty incredible add ons to the family as well. You all know I'm one pretty lucky person to have Mike around, but he seems to be the standard for this family, Carly and Jessy have been there through all of this with so much love and compassion, always willing to do anything. We are truly blessed!
We hadn't seen this little girl in 8 years, we have pictures of she and Lily side by side from that anniversary party, because no one could tell them apart. This time the cousin had a major height advantage, but the similarities in appearance were still rather eerie! These girls are the 1st great grandchildren of identical twins. (My Dad's mom & aunt)
After the services, we headed back to my parents house to enjoy the beautiful April day, some inappropriate music. & great memories of my Dad. The laughter would have made my Dad smile. Lily danced with the cousins. Dax kept the beat. Mike & Dosh did something weird with a bag of puppets left unattended.Dax tried to hit on a cousin. A cousin hit on Finn...I'm gonna have to explain to my boys that no matter how cute or how distant the cousin, probably not the best source for dates!
The house is quiet, people have scattered here or there and for a few moments the house is calm, and I can think.
Dax has stopped throwing up! He threw up for hours this morning, but then he chose to eat pizza for dinner and well, I figured it's worth a shot. He's now peacefully sleeping.
Everyone else is feeling better...after a week of the stomach bug hitting every single person in this house, many with a repeat visits, we all seem to be holding our own tonight...pray that continues and no one else starts..we might have to post a contamination warning on the door!
There are flowers throughout the house and they are the happy flowers, not the sad ones. ( yeah, that might not make sense, but it's ok)
Finn has learned to climb up and down Nana's staircase like a pro, at least a semi pro.
Dosh, my medic, was here when Finn took a tumble down the stairs under his big sister's supervision. (I can say much, if it was under my supervision I probably would have fallen too)
Finn, after careful evaluation seems to have walked away with a small bump and a bit of rug burn.
Cards, Cards, & more cards. Notes from people via the Internet. I am amazed at the love pouring out. The notes that are coming from people none of us know, only Dad knew..I'm seeing more of my Dad then I realized was out there.
The planning is over. the CD's are made, the music is chosen, the programs are run, the words are written. Now we can only hope that we have been half the party planners my dad always was and that he would be pleased with our efforts to make tomorrow a day he would have loved. I sure hope we live up to his expectations! A family that I love with my whole heart.
Having a great husband, having him back with me.
Having my whole little clan back together after too long apart.
34 years and 20 hours with a dad who I didn't always understand, but I always loved and who did his best at being a good dad. If he was not my dad, I would not be me, and I am so blessed that God gave me this family.
Laughter.
The ability to see joy in all of these moments.
A song for my dad...
There are a million, but this is one of the fun ones that was placed on the "at home after the service when it's just the close friends and family CD", with all the other inappropriate for church songs.
There was a moment a couple of years ago that in just seconds changed my outlook, I guess you could call it my “ah ha” moment.
I have been a pretty positive person for quite a while. It’s easier to be positive when you learn to walk by faith and realize that God is ordering your steps (when you let him). When you close him out or forget that faith, the worry starts and the complaints begin to flow… but back to that moment because although inconsequential, it was so clarifying.
Dax was little, maybe 10 or 11 months, he never sat still (hasn’t changed much!), he was into everything all the time, and I’m sure I’d had words with Lily, but honestly I don’t remember what got me to that moment, just that the day had been bad. Dax was in the bathtub, I was sitting on the toilet (lid down, thank you!) and he started to splash...not just a little splash but the kind of splashing I imagine comes before a tidal wave or a hurricane. I put my head in my hands and began to cry. At that moment, Sophie, our dog nudged open the bathroom door and started to lick the water off the side of the tub, then the floor. Dax started to giggle, and splash more…I started to laugh through the tears.
I told myself to “suck it up” (a term of endearment I’m sure will echo through my children’s thoughts as they fondly think of their mother's common phrases).
I lifted my eyes and my hands upwards and simply said, “thank you Lord for the dog that licks up the splashes, and for the little boy who makes them”.
From that moment on I made the conscious choice to choose joy.
I am no Pollyanna, I do my share of complaining. I know that everyday there is sadness, everyday there are struggles. As time passes (too quickly!) more and more I realize that the only pot of joy at the end of this journey is the one in heaven, but joys on this worldly journey are all around us. Even in the middle of the busyness and the sadness, there is laughter, the smile of a child, a phone call, or a friend’s hug. If we take the time to see, hear, smell, taste, & feel all that God has laid on our path the ride can be an incredibly joyous one.
So as life is spinning around me, there are moments I may find myself wanting to sit and cry, but at the end of each day I want to see the joys, revel in the praises, and take these memories with me. When I started this it was just for me, but as it continued I felt I needed to share…so, if you've joined my journey, enjoy the pictures, feel free to find joy in my joys, but most importantly, each time you stop in, take a minute to revel in the joy on your own journey.
Today the boys were playing in the living room, the sun was shining in and I gave up accomplishing whatever task I was thinking about accomplishing and just started snapping pictures. This worked out well, because poor Finn hasn't had the beautiful professional pictures that the other kids had for their first birthday due to the world spinning a bit out of sync lately, maybe when he's two we'll catch those bunny pictures? You think he'll notice his don't match? Will he care? Will it drive me nuts forever? Maybe if I ever get all my beautiful pictures on the wall, until then, no one but me will really even know. I digress, Finn, natural light, a window sheer, peek a boo, beautiful pictures taken by mom for free(if you ignore the green marker stripe on his cheek). He then proceeded to take his first steps! 3 of them, of course I didn't have the camera in hand then, but at least I documented what he looked like on the day he took his first steps! We are on the way now! My baby is growing up, sniff, sniff! 
