by the numbers

16 days until I go back to work
106 days until my next marathon
6.5 miles run today
100 miles run this month
180 dollars spent at the vet this month
10 days for the dealership to get the part and fix the recall on my car
588 miles run this year
1007.5 (half of 2015) miles pledged to run with my running partner
27 books read this year (goal of 40)
6 books read this month
2 cups of coffee I've had today
239 number of cups my sister probably needs after Jane's first night in her big girl room

two

Untitled from c525600 on Vimeo.

twenty four months

Dear Joshua,

Here's just one little example of how you keep me on my toes.  You had an ear infection a couple of weeks ago and the doctor started you on Amoxicillian, which you enthusiastically enjoy to put it mildly.  You were chewing your bite of pancake one morning and I set the dropper of medicine down on the counter and turned my back long enough to tuck Julianna's lunch box into her book bag.  By the time I had turned back around a large portion of your pants and the bar stool were covered in pink goopy medicine.  You obviously couldn't figure out how the dropper worked at first and squirted it everywhere.  We started the process of getting dressed all over again.  I hope your bite of pancake tasted good with that little bit of thick pink goop you managed to get down.

You absolutely love the song "Whatever It Is" by the Zac Brown Band and you request it any time I turn on music in the car.  Fortunately, I don't mind at all.  I've tried several times to record you singing along, because it is just too cute for words, but I haven't been able to capture a good clip of it yet.  There's just something about the way you say "she's got a gentle way that puts me at ease" and "I do."

The other night in the car we were all fighting.  We were grumpy from a long day of work and school and it was a Friday night so I had no dinner plans and we headed out to pick something up.  You were in the backseat screaming, as usual about the sun being in your eyes.  Over and over again you declared, "Sun in MY EYES! SUN IN MY EYES! SUNINMYEYES!" Daddy finally just told you to close your eyes, after all we'd already tried everything else.  You stopped screaming and looked right at us and said, "I close my eyes in my bed, Daddy, every night."  It was another one of those moments you want to remember forever.

Josh, I'd like to say thank you for improving your eating habits this month.  The other night at dinner you ate your 4 piece serving of broccoli and then asked for more.  I mean it; you really did.  I couldn't believe it either.  And the icing on the proverbial cake was the way you said "Brock-ee."  I died.

You know so, so many words and your teachers still remark on your verbal abilities.  You do tend to get some funny ones confused occasionally.  You say, "Look at that airplane down in the sky!" and like a lot of toddlers, you don't use the proper form of certain words like when you use him or her instead of he or she and it makes me chuckle every once in a while.

Just this past week we were at a steakhouse and sitting underneath a neon Budweiser sign with the "King of Beers" crown.  You are obsessed with Humpty Dumpty and this book about him and his friend King Moe that we read every night.  So naturally you looked up at the sign and said, "It's King Moe's crown!"  You've heard the video featuring the way you say Humpty Dumpty, right?  Of course we're making your birthday cake a Humpty Dumpty cake.  You've been practicing blowing out your candles and I hope you don't freeze up when everyone looks at you.

Because you talk.  And then you don't talk.  If anyone speaks to you when we're out in public you practically climb my leg.  You rush to find someone you know and cling to them for dear life.  Heaven forbid anyone glance your way and smile or ohmygoodness if they ask you a question you bury your head as far down as you can get it in the folds of Mommy or Daddy.  But it's OK, Buddy.  Your aunt wouldn't order pizza until she was practically in college because she didn't like talking to people and she is a fully functioning adult today.  I think you'll survive.

Plus, Julianna and I have a plan. You see, there's this woman who works at Julianna's school and she sits outside by the door to the school every afternoon when we go to pick Jules up from school.  For whatever reason, you're terrified of her.  You won't speak to her.  You hide your eyes from her everytime we go by and you won't even begin to walk down the sidewalk near her.  You make me carry you every time.  So Julianna and I intentionally tell the woman goodbye as we pass her every day.  I'm optimistic that by the end of the school year you'll be jabbering to her like you do to everyone else in the family (so much so that Daddy doesn't think you ever stop talking).

You'll go to the doctor for your two year old check up in a few weeks and we'll learn more then, but I know that you weigh around 28 pounds (compared to your sister's 30 lbs at this age) and you're wearing 2T clothes (something she never really did when she was 2 so I know you're a little shorter than she was.  I love that you're different than her.  And I love that you still long to be just like her.  I know that won't last forever.

You still have that beautiful dark blonde/light brown hair and big brown (yes, still leaky) eyes.  You go down the stairs standing up now instead of scooting on your bottom.  You've cracked your head more times than I can even count.  You are young enough to still like to go grocery shopping with me and in general, you're just a good little boy to have around.

I love you, Buddy.

Love,
Mama

twenty four months

Dear Julianna,

My sweet little baby girl. My sweet little big girl. I can hardly call you a baby anymore. Somewhere around the two year mark is when people stop speaking in terms of months for your age and instead start speaking in terms of years. It’s bittersweet really. While I know that time inevitably marches on, I also long for the days when I could snuggle you easily whenever I wanted instead of just when you want. I long for the days when I could put you down and you wouldn’t run off and get into trouble. I long for the days when you needed me for everything. But at the same time I’m excited about the future days when you realize something new all on your own and you share it with me happily. I’m excited about the future days when you can dress and bathe yourself. I’m excited about the future days spent with you doing “bigger kid things” and I’m excited about the future days when you accomplish something you’ve never done before and I get to see that proud smile on your face.



Today when I picked you up from school you were giving your teacher the sweetest, most enormous bear hug I’ve ever seen you give. It made me smile from ear to ear and I couldn’t wait to hold you again even though you said you’d rather walk and then asked “Where Pap is?”


One of the cutest things you’ve learned this month is how to say, “Play marbles with me, please!” or “Play cards with me!” or “Read it to me.” Sometimes you’re so stinkin’ adorable that it’s hard to deny you a thing. That’s why every day since Easter you’ve had a cupcake, a chocolate egg, a piece of monkey birthday cake, or a ring pop – whichever you ask for that day. I’m a sucker for your brown eyes.

Plus you’ve got these amazing half-curls that stick out above your ears. You call your blonde hair “so pretty” when you brush it and you are turning into a beautiful little girl.

You’re doing better in the sleep department. You’ve stopped waking up in the middle of every night and only wake up every few nights. It’s also pleases me to be able to report that you’re still easy to get back to bed whenever you do wake up. You’ve moved into your big room and into a queen bed. The first night you slept there (your birthday night) you pooched out your bottom lip in protest just like you did exactly two years before (your real birthday) but of course you were easy to comfort and you did great sleeping there all night. We really, really, really love you for that.


Jules, you’ve made your daddy and I so proud to be parents. We weren’t sure how hard or how easy it would be but luckily you’ve made it loads of fun. The rewards of being your mama can’t compare to anything else I’ve experienced and I gush about you to anyone who’ll listen.

I can fondly remember those early days two years ago when I’d sit on the couch and closely examine every wrinkle in your long and tiny toes and I’ll treasure every moment I had like that with you, but I look forward to the new moments we get to share together and I’m so glad to have you. Happy birthday, Big Girl! I love you!

Love,
Mama

Two in March

Untitled from c525600 on Vimeo.