Spring Break Day 4

Hanging with my aunties who are "my people". Done.
Hanging with my aunties who are "my people". Done.
Hanging with..... Not excited, nope, not one bit!!!

Spring break Day 3

Breakfast and lunch with two handsome men! Check!
Exploring a bike path with Ryker..check.
Using the Hodessy to put in the Whole stroller. Done.

Family Photos!

I'm cheap.  Super cheap.  I don't like paying for photos of my family.  And part of the reason is that I'm really picky about family photos.  I like different funky candid ones.  And I swear it is really hard to have this funky eye for what kind of photo I want, with this angle, and this color tone.  I'm not a professional photographer by any means.  But I know what I like.  And from this session I found out that I have a HORRIBLE time articulating (story of my life) my vision to my subjects.  Dah well.  I suppose I can't be perfect at everything...!  But there were some fun ones!!

Love,
Momma

Lions and Tigers and Bears!

Awhile back we went to the zoo with our friends the Merlers.  It was so fun to see Aylen pointing at all the animals.  Here was some...well I can't remember what they were...Gazelles?  I don't know, but Aylen kept "Mooing" at them:)  Too funny!

Grandma insisted that we take Aylen on his first carousel ride.  Aylen enjoyed watching it from afar, but then it when he was on the peacock he wasn't sure AT ALL.  He came over to me and we rode together:)  But I was so proud of him for being so brave and riding the FIRST big ride of his life!  

This montage of photos is very near and dear to me.  My dad took several photos of me like this when I was a little bit younger than this.  Dad felt such a tie to those pictures.  It was so symbolic of the life that we were beginning together...my Dad saying Goodbye to me as I ventured off into the big world, and me always turning around to make sure my Dad was there...  This is exactly what happened here.  Aylen took off running so DARN fast, it actually made me a tid nervous.  So of course I hollered at him to come back and just when he got a bit too far for my comfort-he came giggling back.

I love that boy, more than anything.  He is AMAZING.  And so sweet and ornery at the same time.

Love,
Momma

Spring break Day 2

Aylen and I taking care of our babies.  This included Aylen rocking, covering baby with a cloth diaper, and even using the aspirator on the NOSE.  Check.

Going for a run and talking the talk with this dude.  Check.

AND best part of the day was going to the park with these two guys!  Sliding down the slide beside Aylen, with Ryker in the moby:)  Check.

Spring Break Day 1

Take a nap with someone you love.
Shopping with someone you love.
And...lunch with a handsome man.
Check, check and check!

St Pats Day!

Snowboarding=killing my body because it's not in snowboarding shape, but 8 hours of alone with the hubby thanks to Grandma.

Kilt=a big boy in an awesome outfit again thanks to Grandma!

Friends= a dinner with our great friends and their youngster. Crazy times with boys!!

It was a good day.

You asked.

I'm getting good at multitasking! Yea like painting nails while lifeguarding for Aylen's bath! So when he asks for his nails to be painted, I obliged! He loved it!

Love,
Momma

Just give him a chance.

Ahhh the lovely debate of nature vs. nurture, girls vs. boys, trucks vs. dolls. I was thinking about this a lot since having kids, and wanted to make sure I offered Aylen a wide array of toys. Awhile ago I brought up some cabbage patch kids for Aylen to see.  Immediately he went over and threw the dolls across the room.  Right...he's a boy.  Whatever.  He'll "play" with them in boy-like ways.  Well since having Ryker around, Aylen has been interested in these dolls lately.  The other night he picked up his "baby" and put the baby on the floor mat to play.  He then decided that the baby needed a bottle.  So I went and filled up the bottle with water and Aylen sat and fed that baby.  IT was so cute and made me happy that I had put those dolls upstairs in the play area.  That night the doll went "night-night" in the backpack, carefully put there my Aylen before he treked upstairs to go to bed.  So sweet!

Love,
Momma

I'm not an Expert. I'm a Generalist.

Awhile ago I had supervision with my supervisor and I told her that I felt like I've been dealing with the fact that at this time I can't be good at everything, but decent at most things.  Unusually, I was able to come to a quick realization that I'm not an Expert, but rather a Generalist.  


I have to share what started this train of thought...I picked up Aylen from daycare and he was wearing sweet PINK pants.  I was informed that he had a bit of an accident and needed pants and we hadn't left any for him.  For some reason this hit me hard that I had dropped off my responsibilities as a mom to have all the things that Aylen needed at daycare.  I know most people are saying..."Megan, it was just pants.  Give yourself a break."  But it's more that the pink pants are symbolic of various things going on in my life.  


I sometimes am so tired by the time that I get home that I find myself being short with the boys.  In my mind I wish I was more patient, more creative with things to do, more content just being with the boys.  Sometimes I'm at my job and I just sit starting at the computer-knowing that I need to more on data or pull a student or FIND some darn SELF-ESTEEM packets for students to work on..BUT I don't have motivation.  


With my hubby, I want to do crazy fun date nights.  I want to dress up for him.  I want to do fun girl nights and go dancing and BE a fun girl.


BUT it's so hard.  I'm tired.  I'm pulled in multiple directions.  And sometimes the mantra of doing the best you can with what you have is seriously what I live by.  I want to try harder.  I want to fit it all in.  I'm trying to find balance.  

I think back to when it was Russ and I and no kids. I think back to when I was in school and 3+ jobs.  I managed that like a bad-A#@.  I rocked school, and could use my planner like a PRO to figure out how to work all 3 of my jobs.  I kind of sucked in the social area.  BUT man I had it all under control.  Now...yea....it's pretty much not like that.  

I know how to do the Mommy basics (showing love and keeping them alive!), but I'm in a constant mode of trying to figure things out.  How to get your child to sleep?  How hard is too hard when something falls on a child's head?  How to keep your life interesting with you partner with two young kids?  How to pretend you slept well at work when you didn't?  How to get in "me" time?  How to learn fun things like tennis, rock climbing, etc?  How do I get my legs to fit in my old pants?  How to experience Colorado with young kids?  So much to figure out!


So maybe this is good for me.  I always said I liked school.  I'm a life long learner baby...trying to figure out and then refigure out and refigure out again how to be a great Wife, Mommy, and be me!


Tough stuff sometimes.


Love,
Momma

Ryker 29

OMG.  I could just scoop him up and eat him for dessert!  Meet Ryker 29.  My little happy boy!  This guy is great.  He is really into talking to you right now.  I LOVE IT.  The mornings are the best.  He will just coo, make bubbles, squeal, coo, make bubbles, squeal on and on and on.  He tells you about EVERYTHING!  And he loves to smile.  A couple weeks ago I took him to Target and several ladies came up to say Hi and of course he smiled right at them.  Heart THROB.  This week I took a sick day because I've had this continuous sore throat so that is/was about to drive me bat crazy.  This little guy took naps with me almost the WHOLE day.  He knew his Momma needed some cuddle time!

Russ asked if I had made a post about my nickname for Ryker.  Ryker 29.  Here's how it came to be-be prepared to follow this momma's train of thought..."Ryker.  Sounds like Breaker.  Ohhh Love that part in that Eve rap song where they go Breaker Breaker 1-9.  Hey Ryker was born on December 29.  2-9. Ryker Ryker 2-9.  Perfect!"

Ha!  And so a nickname was Born.

:)
Love,
Momma

2 Month

Love, Momma