Rock-A-Bye

Every night before he goes to bed, Tony goes and gets Gabriel out of bed and take him to pee. Usually Gabriel barely even wakes up for this, just enough to do the deed and make it through the night without wetting the bed. It's really cute to see him so sleepy and out of it though. Tonight I asked Tony to bring Gabriel to me after the bathroom trip, I wanted to rock him. We went through a phase with Gabriel, when he was much younger, where rocking was the only way to get him to sleep. It had to be big rocks, enough to make his little head bobble around, as if we were shaking the poor child to sleep. But man, it worked. I used to love to sit there and hold him forever after he finally gave in and passed out on me. I knew it wasn't what all the parenting books say to do, but I loved it. He'd have his thumb in his mouth, his warm body cuddled up against me....pure bliss. So, tonight I wanted to rock him once more. Tony brought him to me and my heart just melted. He's so big now. Still with his thumb in his mouth (yeah, yeah, yeah, we're working on that) and still so warm and cuddly against me....and over me....and hanging off of me. When did he get so big? I sang to him, rocked him, and tried not to drop him...and it was the perfect ending to my day.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

In honor of Lucy Vodden...subject of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds...who died recently. This is not the boys' best performance, but possibly my favorite because it's typical Kai, anything Gabriel does I will do to....oops, distracted by to...ys....and I'm back. Kinda long, but entertaining.

Love

Ok, I need a fill light to help with the massive shadow behind Kai.....but isn't this such great brotherly love?

Oh Yeah

Oh yeah, I have a blog. No, I didn't forget about it really, I just seemed too consumed with other things to attend to my blog. Not good since my word for the year is "effort." I haven't been putting much effort into my blog.

I think I've just felt kinda blerg about my blog. Seriously, how many people read it? Am I concerned about readership? Should I be? Or should I just care that I have this place to record memories that I might otherwise not ever write down and eventually forget?

Also, I think the heat melted my brain this summer. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it.....we did not break the record for most 100+ degree days in one year (unless of course we magically hit 100 or higher in the next week or so). The record here is 69 days, we hit........68. You've got to be kidding me. I endured the hottest summer on record to come 1 day shy of tying, 2 days shy of breaking the most 100+ degree days in 1 year?

Poor Abby, my cousin Sara's youngest daughter, stuck it out for a week as well. She came to visit and it was just so hot, it almost wasn't worth doing anything. We loved having her though, and I hope she comes back. I hope she had half as much fun with us as we had with her. After she left the boys kept asking where she was, when she'd be back, and why she left. Now if only we can get her mother to come visit.......

I continued my Team Weightloss class through its 12 week course, took a week off and then started again. After about 2 weeks in the new class I knew it was time to move on to bigger things so I changed to Team Fitness. It was a great class and I was making excellent progress on my fitness. I think last I checked I had lost another 2% body fat bringing my total close to 6% body fat lost in about 18 weeks. Unfortunately that took a toll on my body - or years of bad eating caught up with me or something...and I started having pain. Turns out my gallbladder was going bad and I ended up having it taken out two days ago. I'm feeling much better now and I'm looking forward to getting back into the gym as soon as possible. I really feel like the food and exercise choices I was making were making a huge difference in my life, and I don't want to lose too much ground.

Now the fall is upon us and so is busy season. Gabriel has started his new preschool which he (thankfully) absolutely loves. He goes two days a week still but this time it's longer - 9:30-1:30 so I have more time to get stuff done and he gets to eat lunch there with his friends. On Tuesdays he has chapel and music class and on Thursdays he has Spanish class. He's learning a ton and loves going to school. He also is playing soccer again and had two games last weekend. It's still 4 year olds chasing the ball around the field, but a lot of fun to watch. And finally he is doing church choir again - so every Wednesday night he gets to go to choir practice while I get to join in a great discussion group with other adults at our church. I have absolutely fallen in love with our church and the incredible community of people there. I feel so lucky to have found it (thanks Mom!)

So, I will try to work on my word again - EFFORT. I will make a better effort to make this blog a place I visit more than once a month. Hopefully you will visit too, and maybe some of your friends as well. I hope everyone else is doing well and know that I've been keeping up with your blogs....thanks for keeping me entertained.

10 Years

Today marks a sad anniversary for a good friend of mine. 10 years ago today my friend Teri lost her sister, Miriam, in a tragic car accident. I will never forget receiving the call that Teri's sister had died. At the time all I could think was, "how awful." As time passes I continue to think about what happened that day and as I grow older I am amazed at how my thoughts have evolved. I would call Teri to check on her....sit and talk to her...and finally admitted one day that I honestly just didn't know what to say. What do you say to someone who just lost a family member? At the time my thoughts were primarily with Teri because she was a good friend and had lost a sister, but even more so with her parents because they had lost a child. Even though I had never had children of my own at that point I just assumed the pain must be so much more difficult for her parents because it was their child who had died. But now that I have my own children and my own family...I realize that the pain is equal. I look at my kids and I'm not sure what I would do or how I would handle it if something happened to one of them. I would be devastated and feel like my world was falling apart. Then I look at them playing together and think how their world would never be the same if one of them was gone. They love each other so much, and have a bond unlike any bond they have with their friends. How would it be to have that bond ripped apart?

I'm not sure what is compelling me to write all this today except my deep feelings of love and admiration for my friend Teri. She's such a great person. She does such amazing things and brings light and joy to so many people, despite the darkness and pain she's had to suffer. I hope she knows and understands the magnitude of love out their for her and her family. I actually never knew her sister Miriam other than stories of her, but I will never forget her. If you know someone who has lost a child, or a sibling....don't forget. Tell that person you love them, you remember, and you're thinking of them. It's important.

Drawing

Our family according to Gabriel.....

Can't Blog - Too Hot

I can't blog because my brain has melted. It's too hot here. Our grass is brown. Our garden is dead. My ability to do anything fun with the kids has diminished.