Valentiney Time.

Valentine's Day was extra special. I don't know what it is about those Lovelands, maybe it's the Love in their last name, but they sure know how to make me feel special and loved, and close to home, despite the distance between us.

We kept it pretty simple this year. For Ross, I decided to do 14 Days of Valentines, with just a little something on each day. I found some cute Valentiney fonts and downloaded them. On January 31st, Ross woke up to this poem:

Oh, my Valentine,
I love you in so many ways,
It'd be too hard to fit it all,
In just one special day.

You will receive not just one,
But fourteen times,
Special days of Valentines.

At first, each morning he'd wake up to a little something left on the dining room table. Some of the days took a little more work, so he had to wait till he got home for them. It was super fun and helped me realize simple things I could do to support and serve him. He always does so much for me, especially since I've been going through an exhausted, lazy phase.

Anyway, some of this things I did were:

A photo book of all of the pictures of just the two of us, with a note about our adventures. I even attempted to draw the house from Up!, and wrote Adventure is out there!

A massage with the works. (The Loveland men love back scratches) I turned on my yoga station on pandora, dimmed the lights and used some massage oil.

A white T shirt with a town and road drawn on the back. When Ross gets home from work, he's tired. He loves playing with the girls when he gets home, too. So that way he could lay down and get a little massage while the girls climb and play all over him, driving their cars.

A mug. I got a mug from the dollar store and drew on it with Sharpies. When you bake them in the oven at 300, for 30 minutes, it becomes permanent. Permanent, but not dishwasher safe. We made that mistake when we made family plates a few months ago. It had a Captain America shield, and a line from our favorite song, "You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson.

There were a few hot and spicy days, but I won't be sharing those. I'm sure anyone that wanted to do this could come up with their own.

The girls made a poster. I painted their feet, and we made prints in heart shapes and wrote, "From the bottom of our hearts, to the tips of our toes, we love you, Daddy." It looked kind of like this.

 A frame for his office. He's supposed to go through and find his favorite picture of me, then I'll get a copy for his frame.

I did a cheesy basket full of little things I picked up from the Dollar Store and Hobby Lobby and made cheesy sayings for each of them. I think he liked it and thought it was funny.

A list of 101 things I love about Ross. He liked that one so much, he stuck it on the fridge. It really wasn't hard coming u with that many things.

The last couple of nights were supposed to be more romantic. One night, we pulled out the bed from the sofa, grabbed our pillows and blankets and rented Skyfall from amazon. We were so busy with school and the move, that we never got around to seeing it.

Then yesterday, I cut out some hearts and had Claire decorate them. We hung them up on the entertainment center and did some decorating. I made London Broil in an awesome marinade. My other Valentine, Kamikins helped me find the Love Song station on Pandora so Ross and I could have a mini dance in our living room.

Ross got home while I was finishing up the steak. Claire wasn't very happy to be awake, so he had some time with the girls and helped Claire. After dinner we Skyped with Ross' family to open the package they sent us, and then with one of Ross' sisters since we've been missing her a lot. We gave the girls their Valentines from us, and then sent them to bed.

Ross then talked about his gifts for me. It turns out, one of my gifts was sent to our old address. We have no idea if they're keeping it, or if they had forwarded it for us. haha but anyway, one of my favorite lifting books, The New Rules of Lifting For Women was in there. It's written by a guy from Men's Health magazine and it is fantastic. And then Ross read me a poem he wrote.

An Ode to Kate

Oh, Katie Loveland, my very best friend,

You’re mine forever, there is no end!
And so on this special Valentine’s Day,
I’ve been thinking how it came this way.

It all started out at a little stake dance,
The girls dressed up cute, the guys in nice pants.
Then my friend, whom I owe quite a lot,
Showed me this girl who has turned out . . . well, HOT.

We fast became friends, we had some great times,
Once to your school, where girls danced to the rhymes.
But my favorites are those pranks on you I led,
When you wanted revenge, I made sure it turned on its head.

Then I went off to the Y, after gaining admission,
From there for two years, I went serving a mission.
Yet when I came back, you were still there,
But to say you were the same just wouldn’t be fair.

Oh, the girl I remembered was cute, to be sure,
But now she’s drop dead gorgeous, and very mature.
You helped this RM adjust, get back on his feet,
As the truest of friends, you were perfectly sweet.

I could talk to you about anything, even the ladies,
You told me my worth, I didn’t need a Mercedes.
And so in the end, there was no tough choice,
It came down to you, for that I rejoice.

In April of the year, two thousand and nine,
I went to Rexburg, Idaho, and you became mine.
With a great big hug, a long smooch in the street,
I, too, became yours from my head to my feet.

Our love was so pure, simple, and great,
We never even needed to date.
And so at the temple, we met up in white,
Became husband and wife, by the Holy One’s might.

We started our family, just the two of us then,
Now four, later five, who knows . . . on to ten!
Sure, life can be hard, takes us up and then down,
But I’ve got a girl who can cure any frown.

You’re kind, sweet, and smart, you sure can be funny!
My life is so blessed by my cute little Bunny.
Because of you, life has so much more flavor,
Every minute with you is truly something to savor.

And so you can see, I feel so lucky you’re mine,
I love you, Kate. Happy Valentine’s!

Sometimes he writes me poem on special days, but this one is my favorite. And it was too good to not share.

Our dance didn't happen, but it will happen sometime this weekend. Ross had a headache, so instead we got caught up on one of our shows and then had some reading time before bed.

I love Valentines and I can't put it better than my sister in law did yesterday.

"A lot of people don’t really like Valentine’s Day. Maybe they see it as a reminder that they are single, or too much pressure, or too commercialized. But I love Valentine’s Day. Perhaps because my last name has "love" in it, and when I was younger hearts were my favorite shape and pink my favorite color, so naturally Valentine’s Day was my favorite holiday. I have never had a boyfriend, but I love Valentine’s Day. I don’t see it as only a day to express love to your boyfriend or girlfriend, it is a day to express love to everyone you care about: your friends and your family. In my family it has always been a day about telling each member of the family what we love about them. So while lots of people dislike this holiday, it will always be one of my favorites.
On this Valentine’s Day I want to express my love to all of my wonderful family and my fantastic friends. ♥"


This year so far has really been focused on our little family, and I'm so grateful for the love that we share. I couldn't have asked for a better family.  

Tender Moments, And Claire's First Interview.

My favorite sound in the whole world is my two girls laughing together. They are so much alike, even their laughs are the same. It's an eruption of giggles and belly laughs that could go on forever. Claire has a wonderful sense of humor and is constantly making us laugh. But every so often she says something so tender and sweet it digs through my and melts my heart. Lately I've become obsessed with how I measure up as a mother. I'm 22 with two kids, and to be frank; sometimes I think what I do as a mother doesn't make any difference. Especially when it comes to spiritual things. From prayers, to scripture study, to family home evening, sometimes I wonder if it really matters.

Today we drove Ross to work.on the drive back, Claire sat in her seat and said a prayer. All by herself. And it was kind of long for her. As if that wasn't heart warming enough, a few minutes later, Aoife started fussing. Usually Claire sits back and screams, "NO BABY!!!", but instead she tenderly said another prayer asking for Aoife to be happy. And then the tears started flowing.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about our little family. And it just warms my heart. I love Ross, very much. For Valentine's Day, I actually split it up into 14 different days. On January 31st, Ross woke up to a poem explaining that he'd be celebrating Valentine's Day over the next 14 days. Each day he's gotten a little present. Nothing big or fancy, sometimes just little acts of service, but I wanted to do something that would show my appreciation for him without having to spend a lot of money. Focusing on him has made me realize just how much he does for our family, and especially for me. I don't know how I snagged such an amazing gentleman, but I'll forever be grateful. And I love our little girls. I was worried about having two girls so close together, but I love it. I wouldn't change anything. They each add something different and special to our family. Aoife's turning one next month, and it honestly feels like she was just born two weeks ago. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed.

Anyway, so I saw this thing on Pinterest last night. (Too many of my conversations start with that.) It was a list of questions a mom had asked her two children and their answers. I thought it'd be cool to do an interview each year. I love family videos. A little too much, probably. So instead of just writing it down, I decided to record it. I made up my own questions on the spot, you never know how long a two year old would hold out or what questions they'll actually answer, but it was fun. Here's the video. Since I am fluent in toddler, I'll translate for you.

Claire's First Interview.
Age 2.
February 10, 2010

Today we're going to interview Claire. Hey Claire, How old are you?
Claire: Two!

You're 2? How old is Mommy?
Claire: Uh... 40.

Okay, and what do you like to do with Mom?
Claire :At home.
What?
Claire: At home.
What do you like to do with Mommy?
Claire: uhhhhh

Do you have a fovorite color?
Claire:Purple!

What's Mommy's favorite color?
Claire: Mom. Mommy Black, red blue!

Black red and blue? Ummm do you have a favorite animal?
Claire: A Tiger.

What does a Tiger say?
Claire: HHHEEEWWWCCHHGHHH

Oh that was good! Can you count?
Claire: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Alright, do you know what comes after 5?
Claire: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
 
Good. Hey Claire, what does Mommy say?
Claire: WAAARRGH

And what does Daddy say?
Claire: ARRRRGH

What about Aoife, your little sister?
Claire: Little sister.
Yeah, what does Aoife say?
Claire: WAAAARRRRR!

Do you like having a little sister?
Claire: Yeah.

Can you tell me her name?
Claire: Aoife.
Aoife, yeah!

Ummm Can you tell me, how tall is Mommy?
Claire: Uhhh talley.

And, what's your favorite song?
Claire: Popcorn Popping. And I am a Child of God.
Oh, those are good ones.

What songs do you like that Mommy sings?
Claire: No idea. Good songs.
Oh.

So what does Mommy do all day?
Claire: Day.
Yeah, what does Mommy do?
Claire: Do.
What does Mommy do for work?
Claire: Uhh work.

What do you think Daddy does at work?
Claire:Reads books.
Reads books?
Claire: Yeah, that one. Stories.

Hey Claire, how do you know that Mommy loves you? Do you know that Mommy loves you?
Claire: 1, 2, 3.

Can you give me a smile? Show me your happy face. Do you have a happy face?
Claire: *gives sad face*
I think that's your sad face, what about a happy face?
Claire: *happy face*
Oh K that's good. Now, do your sad face.
Claire: *sad face*
Mad face?
Claire: *Unsure of what to do*
That's funny, huh?


Do you want me to ask you more questions?
Claire: yeah.
Yeah? Okay Ummm what's your favorite movie? What your favorite movie?
Claire: Uhhh huh I don't know.
You don't know? Do you like watching movies?
Claire: Yeah.
Yeah? But you don't have a favorite movie?
Yeah.
What is it? What's your favorite movie?
Baby Einsteins!
Oh, Baby Einsteins! You still like those?
Claire: Yup!

Yup? What do you want to be when you grow up?
Claire: Want it.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Claire: Want that one. Book.
You want to read books when you grow up?
Claire: Yeah.
Yeah?
Claire: Want this book.
Okay. Thanks for the interview.
Claire: Bye!
Bye!

Wisconsin. Again.

This morning, the girls and I dropped Ross off at work. Usually he takes the car and the girls and I play at home. Back in Utah that wouldn't have flown with me. Here, we're all a bit cold, I don't really know the area, so we just play at home. I need to make a list of cute stores and fun places to go.

Anyway, it was so cold this morning, one of the doors to the car was frozen shut. I pulled and scraped and pulled until I thought I was going to rip the door handle off. You know you live in the Midwest when...

So we dropped Ross off, and then took a little detour on the way home. Middleton has a population of just over 17,000. It is the smallest town I have ever lived in. We took a drive through the streets of downtown Middleton. There were dozen of cute shops and boutiques and museums. It had that small town charm feel. And I instantly fell in love.

On our drive home, Claire and I were talking about all of the fun things we were going to do today. (Visitor's center, cute shops, the mustard museum, things like that) yes, the national mustard museum is in Middleton. Claire chimed in and said, "and see Santa?"

I had to hold in my laughter, it was just so cute. I explained that Santa was at the North Pole right now, but that he was still watching us to make sure that we're being nice. Then she asked if Santa was watching Boston, too. Boston is her cute friend back in Provo. She was delighted to hear that Santa was checking in on him, too.

It was funny, and once again showed me just how smart she is, but it also completely melted my heart. I have had so much fun with the girls lately. It's made me so much more grateful for families, especially mine. Life is pretty freaking fantastic right now.

Mommy School.

I am constantly worrying about how I am doing as a mother, what I'm doing wrong, how my poor children got stuck with me and all of my imperfections, and what I could be doing better.

Toddlers are crazy. They're curious, full of energy, busy, and loud. To put it simply, toddlers are absolute maniacs. And then there's Aoife. She's climbing everything, even more curious than Claire, all over, fast, into everything, and equally loud. In fact, they feed off of each other. It's really cute when they're laughing together, but when it comes to screaming, better run for the hills.

Claire is smart. (Not to brag or anything) but she's shocked me with just how smart she is the last couple weeks. She knows the alphabet, knows the letters, and counts really well. She even recognizes some numbers. The other day she brought me two toys. I asked her how many she had and she said 2. Then she went and grabbed two more, so I asked her how many she had now. Without missing a beat, she proudly announced, "FOUR!" She didn't need to think or count them. We count together a lot throughout the day, and she requests the alphabet song multiple times a day, but I didn't teach her letters, addition, or numbers. It shocked me, but it also hurt a little.

I wasted so much time worrying about how clean my oven was and ensuring everything was in the right places, that I missed out on teaching opportunities. Simple things I could have done to enjoy these special years and have fun with Claire. 

Our library is really cool. They have a fun kid's section with a puppet theater, cool magnetic toys that helps kids trace letters, toys, tons of stuff. But they also have little themed discovery backpacks that you can check out. They're full of books, toys, movies, CD's, and puzzles all centered around a specific topic, and organized by age. We've been going to the library every week. This last Saturday I decided I'd get a backpack and spend the week going over the material with Claire and help her learn. Rather than scurry around the house cleaning in the mornings, I want to spend meaningful time with both girls.



This week we're learning about seasons. We read a book about winter, looked out the window and talked about things that were in the book. I put some paint in a Ziplock bag and taped it to the table. We practiced drawing different letters in the paint. Claire loved it, and the best part was...no mess!

After a while, I let her play on her own with the paint while I made some cloud dough. I wanted to do a sensory activity that also involved some motor skills. Usually, I'm crazy about not making messes, but I took a leap of faith and just let Claire have at it and explore. She used the measuring cup to scoop the dough and poured it into her cup. I'm pretty sure that could have kept her busy for hours. Claire ended up covered with flour, and the carpet was white, but Claire really did have the best time. Aoife had fun watching while she ate.






Then we had music time. We sang songs that Claire has learned in nursery, and then we made a "family band". Aoife played the spoons, while Claire and I banged on our pots. We mixed it up a few times, and sang songs while we "played the music". It was almost impossible to end the band.










 

We've always read scripture stories before bed time, and I'll read to Claire when she hands me a book, but I want to read more with the girls. So I decided we'd have story time together. We picked one of my Mom's books to read together and then it was nap time. Perfect!





This year, I want to focus on being a better mom, and enjoy it more, too. I usually count down the hours till nap or bed time, and depend on caffeine to make it till Ross gets home. I don't think I've really taken the time to enjoy the girls and really spend time with them. (Sounds awful, I know.) School starts in two weeks and then I'll really be busy, so I really want to make the most of my days and change the way I spend my time. I don't have many pictures of me with the girls. Long ago, I was unofficially pronounced "family photographer." So we have a gazillion photos of the girls, Ross, and Ross with the girls. I read an article about the importance of taking pictures of you with your kids, despite how you think you look. So here we go. Photos of me with my girls, still in my jammies. Hope they appreciate this one day...

Thank you, Pinterest for all of the cool DIY projects and fun things to do with kids! I am looking forward to actually doing the things I've pinned!

Potty Training Day 3.

We're done. Not the exciting, "yay we did it" kind of done, but the "it's not working" kind of done.

The last few days for me have been exhausting and frustrating, but also allowed me to step into the supportive encouraging mothering role. Frankly, Claire isn't quiiiiiiite there yet. She likes the idea of the potty, could spend all day on the potty, but she doesn't like actually going in the potty. So while I sit there and try to excite and encourage her, it would appear that I was torturing her. And I felt awful. So I think we'll wait until she really really wants to.

I think it'll be better that way. We still have tons to explore and it will be nice to not stop to go potty all of the time. Right?

We Survived Day 1.

Yesterday we began potty training. It was exhausting, it was hard, and at the end of the day I wasn't sure if I was up to the task. In fact, I convinced myself that I'd rather go through natural child birth than endure potty training. The problem with that idea, is that I'd then have 3 kids to eventually potty train. The resolution: we will be adopting the rest of our children. And they will need to be potty trained already.

Ok but seriously, we spent Saturday talking up using the potty, getting Claire excited, watch some potty song videos, and even took Claire to pick out her own rewards. (Chocolate candies. She takes after her grandmother. )

The morning went alright. 2 successes and 2 accidents. And the afternoon was just insane and frustrating. After the girls went to bed, Ross and I just relaxed. Come bed time, I was prompted to ask Ross for a blessing. I didn't know what for and it was probably the longest blessing I've ever had. And I knew that it wasn't Ross giving the blessing. He was a tool for Heavenly Father so He could talk directly to me.

After that I felt so much more peaceful, confident, and whole. Yesterday was just awful and challenging. I read the same stupid board book probably 10,000 times while she sat there, sang ridiculous songs, and had chats. I'm just not realizing how socially awkward I am. Not just because I spend my days talking to a two year old (and lately it's only been about poop and pee), but also coming out of Utah county. It's interesting, every time I go out, it's impossible for church to not come up in a conversation. Anyway...

This morning Ross and I woke early. While he got ready for work, I got ready for potty training day 2. I cleaned the front rooms, set up the potty next to a hot breakfast, and prepared myself for the day.

This morning was a little frustrating, but we had two successes and I think she's starting to get it more. She seems a little afraid of actually going, but hates having accidents. I read somewhere that some toddlers see going to the bathroom as literally losing a part of themselves, so I've been trying to be as compassionate and patient as possible. Ross gave Claire a blessing this morning, as well. Hopefully that'll help her figure this potty thing out.

I think she's getting it, but I'm absolutely expecting lots of accidents over the next few days. I've seen a lot of "potty train your child in 2 days" or 1 or 3 days things going around Pinterest, but I think Claire will need more time than that. She should have it down by this weekend though.

After last night, I feel a lot better about the whole thing. I'm not worried about cleaning or cooking. Aoife is fine just playing and watching Claire. Maybe I've finally figured out I don't need to do it all. And not having it all together doesn't mean I'm a terrible homemaker or mother. And I'm really really looking forward to just having one kiddo in diapers. We survived day 1, and now we just have to survive day 2. Feel free to send us a Hallmark card. I'm sure they have something for parents enduring potty training, right?

Cutting Myself Off.

Before we moved, my nutritionist girl friend came over. After her visit and amazing consultation, I was determined to stop my bad habit. And I did. For a little over two weeks. And then my kids got really sick, and we were moving, and yada yada yada. I have I think four more cans in the fridge and after they're gone, that'll be it. When we went to the store, I got a replacement, just a little flavoring to add to water. I have a new fitness goal and a reward set in place and I really need to start taking care of my body. So here's to you, Diet Coke. You have been a faithful friend, but it's time to end our relationship. I love you.