He's moving!

Probably only grandmas will be interested in this, but the baby is making forward movements. I love a baby's first crawl because it's so spastic and uncoordinated, yet they are undeterred by their lack of control over their own bodies. Connor does this funny move where he gets up on his knees and rocks his body forward, and his chest goes flying forward while his arms buckle underneath him, and then they finally follow the rest of him and flop out to the side.  Other times he's up on his toes and pushes his body forward with his toes. It's all very adorable, naturally.

(PS this video is entitled "Ryan Crawls" even though it's actually Connor. I just have too many kids and not enough brain cells left to keep all their names straight.)

I can pass on your congratulations to him if you'd like. But as you can see in the video, it would probably be more appropriate to congratulate him on simply surviving in this family so far.

anyone past 20 is OLD!

This conversation just happened between me and Alexis (9) and Tyler (7).

Alexis: Mom, were you alive during the Dust Bowl?

Me: (Thinking we're talking about some sort of football game) I don't know, when was it?  What was it?

A: It's something that happened in a small Utah town (she then provides more explanation that I've already forgotten). 

(Long pause)

A: In the 1930's.

Me:  (Trying to control my laughter) Uh...no.

A: Well, do you know anyone that was?  It happened in 1935, so how old would they be?

Me: I don't think I know anyone that age.  They would be 79 at least.

Tyler: Oh, I do!!  My school teacher!

Just so you know, Tyler's teacher is probably in her 40's.

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Speaking of football (sort of), Tyler received a set of 32 miniature football helmets--one for each NFL team--for Christmas.  He knows which team each helmet belongs to, and likes to quiz everyone (and I mean, EVERYONE) on them.  When he has friends come over he sits them down and pulls out the helmets one by one, asking them to name the team it belongs to.  If they get a helmet wrong, he sets it aside and makes them practice it.  The other day I asked him to quiz me on them.  First I named each team and got probably 30 of them correct, which I think is pretty good for a person who doesn't even like football.  Then he wanted me to go back and name what city or state the team was associated with.  That was a little harder and I think I missed 5.  But hes got me practicing them 3 times a day and I'm sure I'll have them down in no time.  (Not really.)

a resolution?

I was reading through some of my old posts on this poorly neglected blog this past week and I realized how grateful I am that I've written here.  I read so many things that I had forgotten, that I (of course) never thought I would forget.  And I resolved to myself that I would do better about writing on here, whether or not anyone else is reading.  When I write here, I write about the good parts of being a mom.  I know there's more to me than just being a mom, but I think I write the most about that part of my life because it's the part the needs constant vigilance to see the good.  It's no secret that being the mom is hard, and if I don't choose to focus on the good, the hard and frustrating parts can sneak to the front and make it harder to find the joy in being a mother.

A few days ago I found myself feeling really sad about the fact that Connor was already six months old.  He's started to do the really fun tricks: getting up on his hands and toes, rocking his body while on his hands and knees, trying to move forward, rolling over both directions, and sitting up.  They are such fun things, but they always make me realize that my baby is changing from a little baby to a big baby.  I started to think I was so sad because Connor is my last baby (according to my current plans), and it means I'm finally moving out of the baby stage of parenting. But then I read through my old posts from when Ryan was the same age, and I realized it's just what I do--with each baby I get a little sad when they start to move.  It only lasts for a short time, and then I remember all the fun that lies ahead.  I've come to see that sadness is a necessary feeling.  It makes me appreciate the stage I'm in before it really is gone for good.  As a result, I appreciate each time Connor still rests his little head on my shoulder, and each (rare) time I get to hold his sleeping body in my arms.  It makes me appreciate the times in my day when I have to sit down and nurse him, even if I think I'd rather be doing something else.  It's taken me four children to get here, but I've learned that it really is a privilege to be a mom of a baby.  It lasts for such a short time, and I intend to enjoy every last second of it. 

 P.S. Christmas happened.  It was awesome.  I've said it before, but Christmas with kids is really the greatest thing ever.  All the work is worth it to see their faces and hear their exclamations on Christmas morning.

 

Also, this is my new favorite family picture (taken at an Ugly Sweater Party).