Birthday Review

Our family made the most of the after school hours yesterday to celebrate our son's birthday. We picked the kids up a wee-bit early from school and headed to the movies to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in Imax 3D. It was an incredible film for its cinematography. The storyline was cute, but the artistry made the movie for us.
I remember reading this book over and over in Miss Kelly's third grade reading class. I loved it! And now, my son is in third grade and he's read the book too, and equally loves it. What a great theme for my son the chef ... all about food falling from the sky!

We were starving by the time the movie was out, so we went to his favorite restaurant; Rainforest Cafe and sat by the stampeding elephants with the thunder and lightening storm. My son the animal lover, I don't think he could outgrow the ambiance of Rainforest Cafe. He's old enough to know it is all fake, unlike the kids next to us who freaked out and had to move during the first episode of the stampeding elephants.
We came home to gifts and cake. My son loves Legos and has a huge collection, thanks to his Grandma who passed down all of my husband's Legos to my son when he was little. The collection has grown through the years as my son continues to get Lego gifts for birthdays and Christmas'. He has never seen the show or movie of Spongebob Square Pants, but has heard enough about it on the schoolyard and so he has been asking for the Lego Spongebob set for the last few years. I continued to ignore the request. Until this year. I finally broke down and his sister gave him the set for his birthday. He hugged his sister unannounced with a big squeeze and a huge Thank You! It was so cute! A long time coming (for both - the hug and the Legos).

After I tucked the kids into bed, I got cozy in my bed and went through my son's baby album of photos. I soon realized that perhaps it was not a good idea; it was bitter sweet seeing my boy on October 6, 2000 and then seeing him grow so quickly through the photo album.

I remember being very sad when my first born turned one and I tucked her into bed after her big party. I remember I kept thinking, "It's okay...we'll have another baby and I'll get to celebrate another 1st birthday party." But now I can't say the same. It was a happy-sad emotion to look through his book and remember all the tiny little things that he did that were adorable ~ the feeling of him so little in my arms. Now he is halfway to growing out his bed, Legos strewn across his desk, with his damp bath towel on the floor.
Do I dare say, "It's okay ... I might have grandchildren some day." Yeah, not the same.

Happy Birthday!

My son turns 9 today! What words can I use to describe the love I feel for him and how proud I am of him? There would be too many words and it still would not come close to a good description. So I have two stories.

Following my sister in laws good leadership, I scheduled monthly photos of my children at the local Sears Photography studio for every month of their first year. And then at 18 months, and then yearly until they were of school age. I cherish these photos.

It gave me a focus every month on choosing the outfit, the pose, the thing that made them unique for the month to document their growth. And once I started, the photography coupons kept rolling in for the next session, so it truly was a low cost investment for the priceless memory of their growing up.

This photo is one of my favorites of my son's first year. He is four months old. Adorable. Plus, it is perhaps the only time in his life where he did not mind wearing a baseball hat. Now, it has to be a very unique situation for him to put one on.
My son weighed in a hefty 9 pounds 5 ounces when we was born. He kept his adorable baby chub for a good while and I loved it!

His love for cooking started young. My parents have held an active part in making his enthusiasm grow. At the age of two my son started making cookies with my mom and was enjoying the frosting of them in her kitchen in this photo. Ah, look at the cute plaid shirt and overalls! The things we can get by with when the kids don't know any better.
When my son was of age to attend Kindergarten, he went to school in the morning while my daughter was full day in second grade. I had already begun teaching piano at that time, so my mom offered to pick up my son from school on Piano Monday's and take him back to her house for an afternoon of cooking. The joy my son endured!!! He came home with fabulous creations and they made a cookbook of all the recipes they had made during those nine months. My son cherishes those memories and the book, as do I!

My son: Strong. Passionate. Loving. Humorous. Smart. A good friend. A fantastic son.
Happy Birthday!!
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Yum Lunch Punch

My son created another recipe and posted it on his blog. I like watching him. He does not do any prep other than getting his supplies and ingredients on the counter. But the talking is all ad-lib. Having watched some of our home videos recently of my son when he was about three years old, I know I will cherish his blog videos when he continues to grow into a young man.

After he created this punch, he added some to plastic cups, and delivered it next door where one of his classmates lives. Now, the cute girl next door tells him just about every day, "I want some more of your PUNCH!" Her mom came over this weekend to chat about homework and mentioned that now her daughter is enthused to cook and checked out a recipe book from the library.

So cool that my son has inspired one more child! Yea!

Enjoy the video!

Pillsbury Pop

Nine years ago October 4th was a Wednesday. I know this because on October 4, 2000 I was preparing my family for the arrival of baby number two. Partly because of how the way I deliver babies (not so well) and partly because that my first labor ended in a c-section, I was scheduled to deliver my second baby the same.

I had the choice to either deliver on Friday, October 6th, or Monday, October 9th when my amazing doctor was on call. Funny how you choose a child's birthday. If we went for the 6th, my husband would have an extra weekend with the baby before heading back to work, versus the Monday delivery would only allow one weekend. Yep, we went for the 6th.

And this all relates to today's date in history because ...

Having my first child born via c-section threw us for a loop. I remember laying in the hospital with my baby in my arms in a mild state of panic; mild because I had the post-c-section-drugs-still-dripping-into-me. Looking at my husband and realizing that he did everything for me in the hospital, and realizing that he would need to return to work at some point since we'd already used up four of his vacation days in the hospital, and realizing that my pain was strong since my muscles and body had also experienced 22 hours of labor prior to delivery, we decided to take my parent's offer to come home to their house, versus our own.

They had a downstairs bathroom and bedroom where I could sleep, they had a nursery bassinet already set up from their first grandchild (who was only six months old), and they had plenty of room (and I knew they would LOVE to have their newborn grandchild under the same roof with them).

Therefore, when our second child was born, we didn't even question about returning to their house. They were an enormous help the first go-round, and now with a toddler sister in the picture, the more hands the better. Thus, on this date in history, I remember packing up my van and heading over to my parent's house to unload our clothing and accessories. I was on a high with adrenaline and excitement and end of pregnancy nesting; mixed in with a little edgy and exhaustion.

I had everything planned to the tee ~ down to what outfits my daughter would wear to the hospital post-delivery to meet her new sibling for the first time. For those that know me well, I have no doubt that you are shaking your head and saying, "Yep, that's Elle J." Which leads right into knowing it was Wednesday, October 4th, because Thursday, October 5th, the exact day prior, I just wanted to chill out with my girl. Emotional-me wanting that last day as a family of three to be nothing but fun, no thinking, no planning, no nesting.

But the real memory is this ... while my mom asked us to stay for dinner that Wednesday night, I told her that I was tired and just wanted a meal at home. She hugged me goodbye and my girl and I left to make dinner and greet my husband home from work.

Back home in my tiny kitchen with denim blue walls and white cupboards, I was preparing those Pillsbury biscuits from a can (shoulda stayed at my parents) and I remember the can going POP right on my belly as I pulled it open. It didn't really hurt, but it was just the POP surprise that I needed to send me into tears.

I KNOW!!! Yes, I cried. Like I said, my emotions were running high and I was tired but excited to get to October 6th and meet this new little one into our life.

Sigh. October 4th is a memory that I hold tight for all the silly reasons that "mothers" hold tight to e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!! And whenever I pass the blue can in the fridge isle of the grocery store, I give a smirk at Pillsbury Pop on this date in history.

Acting as though ...

I am acting as though I have nothing to do today. That my plate is completely clean of any To Do List. But that is not the case. I am lazily getting all the school paperwork that was sent home on Fridays organized, going through my emails, before I hit the shower so that that portion of my To Do is over for the day. The rest of my day will be taken with the short following:

We are headed to the cake store to order my son's birthday cake (yea) and then my son will attend an extra Taekwondo (TKD) class. We observed our first TKD Testing session on Wednesday night and it was very impressive. I think it released a new drive in my son, which was already good, but now he's even more excited! Today's class is taught by black belts as part of their training; they must work with the lower belts to help them succeed to the next level.

We'll come home for lunch and then I will roll up my sleeves and get my son's room painted. He chose a great shade of green. He did not want any accent colors on the walls, so all four will be the same Green Pasture. Assuming the walls go smoothly today, I will be repainting his dresser in browns tomorrow. Then the fun part of finding prints for the walls and new bedding will happen next weekend; or later. While I wanted this project to be concluded before October, at least it will be completed before the first week of October (crossing fingers).

And now, off to start my day.

The Five

My Boots

I have been telling the kids that this year I was going to buy some rain boots. After all, I have to stand outside now to pick them up from school among the mosh-pit of other mothers and children.

I have to walk a distance to TKD from the allowed parking area on the street, through a lumber yard even, there are bound to be puddles.

Dance days are just a hop, skip, and a jump over parking lot puddles before you reach the covered sidewalk.

Not to mention the days when it rains at the grocery store. Target. Costco. Our annual pumpkin patch adventure. Christmas Tree hunting.

You name it, we got the need for some boots around here when our winters are full of raindrops.

I found them.
I love them.
I can't wait to wear them!
Okay, maybe I can wait.
Kinda edgy.
More hip than the traditional rain boot.
Yea, Me!*and the bonus is that they passed the kids approval with "two thumbs up and I want some!"