Iowa Blues

Obviously, I am over the moon to be back with our kids! But seriously.......

The Sweetest Moment

When Dave is gone overnight and there's no school the next day, Layla and I have a slumber party in my bed. Last night, we looked through old pictures on my laptop and I told her stories about the past.

We snuggled in, nose to nose, and I asked her "Layla, what's your favorite thing about being in this family?"

She looked at my laptop and, without a word, pointed at a picture of her brother.

"Not my bunsies!"

There is really no way for me to describe this winter weather. You need to live on my road and have my driveway to understand how quickly it will drift closed. Yes, I said CLOSED. We've lived here 7 years and have never had this much snow. Most winters, we don't have to worry about putting up snow fences and Dave only needs to clear the drive with the tractor a few times. This year, he's clearing it almost daily. I have a Ford Excursion, which means I have a heavy vehicle with 4WD. I know that if I get enough speed, I'll make it through most drift. The kids know, when I gun it into the drive, they start chanting, "Go, mommy, go mommy."

Well, last Tuesday night, I met my match. I got stuck, only 2 hours after Dave had cleared it. Dave wasn't far behind us in the tractor, which also got stuck. The neighbor had to come get us both out. We had just come from dinner where Layla had drank an enormous amount of milk and we were stuck for an hour! About 30 minutes in, I suggested I take her outside and she could go. She was thinking about it and when her stomach really started hurting, she thought that might be a good idea. I went to open my door.....and I couldn't get out. The drifts were so high and so hard, I couldn't get any of the doors open. I told her we may have to stick her bunsies out the window. To which she cried (literally)...."No mommy, I don't want my bunsies to to have icicles on them. Not my bunsies!"

She held it and daddy eventually got us out! In Layla's words, "Daddy is our hero!" Here's a view of the drive as we waited to be rescued.

There's a Little Boy I Know.....

....and adore. Cooper David is just as sweet as he is stubborn. Just as kind as he is tough. And as serious as he is funny. There are moments, like the ones shown here, where I just love to stop and watch him. The kids have a little table and chairs downstairs, they use daily. So, about a month ago, I brought their outdoor picnic table in for upstairs. Here is my serious, little Cooper, working his heart out.

Our Cowboy Princess

To celebrate this week's letter at school, P, all the kids got to dress as princesses or pirates. Here is the princess outfit Layla picked out. She called it her Cowboy Princess outfit. This girl has a lot of princess clothing. She could have chosen Cinderella or Belle. She even could have picked a princess dress that fit, not the fairy dress from her Halloween costume when she was 2! But, this was what she picked and she loved, so I decided to love it too!

The Answer for Mom Brain

Honestly, I used to have a much sharper mind. But, with each year and with each pregnancy, my memory just isn't what it used to be. Dave would say I still don't forget much. But, Layla thinks I forget everything. She can remember what she wore to a party when she was 2 years old and what kind of cake she ate while she was there. Me? I can't even remember going to the party.

Tonight, while tucking Layla in, she told me she had a great "invention idea" to help me remember things. This was shortly after watching the DVD of our wedding day when she commented, "Wow, Mom and Dad, you looked a lot younger."

"Mom, wouldn't it be great if you could put a machine on your head that would help you remember things? Then you just squeeze a button and the things you need to remember would just pop into your head?"

Hmmmm, I'm thinking, Layla, wouldn't it be great if you just kept a few thoughts to yourself?!?!?!?

If "Stubborn" Had a Face...

...it would look like my son in this picture. On Sunday, Dave took the kids outside for a little winter fun. When it was time to come in, Cooper would not come. Now, let me explain something about my son...he can be stubborn just to be stubborn. Yes, we could have picked him up and hauled him in the house, but he would've screamed his head off until he figured out a way to get back outside. So, we just opted to let him stay out and come in when he was ready. He stood in the garage for 12 minutes. Every few minutes, I would open the door and ask him if he wanted to come in and the answer was always, "uh,uhhhh!" Eventually, in his own time, he came. So, here he is, wearing Daddy's hunting hat, with that stone cold look on his face that says, "I'm not budging."

Some may question my decision to let my 22 month old stay outside in 20 degree weather, all by himself, until he chose to come in. But, right or wrong, here is what I've learned about my strong willed children. Some things are just not worth the battle. I understand their need to feel some independence; to feel like they have some control over something. So, in the little things, I let them figure it out on their own. Layla may go out in public looking like she dressed herself and did her own hair, because she did. And, Cooper may have to fall off the same chair 10 times before he realizes why we tell him not to stand on it. This parenting thing is quite an adventure.....and I'm thankful to be on the ride.

A Numbers Game

;
Walking out of McDonalds after lunch today, Layla started to run and fell. I was a little exasperated with her, as I had told her numerous times not to run while we were there. After I could see she was fine, I said, "Layla, how many times have I asked you not to run in here?"
"Four times mommy."
"Four times, really?" I asked, a little surprised that she had a number.
"Yes, I counted. I also counted how many times you told Cooper to sit down while we were eating. You told him 3 times."
Pause...............
"You also said crap one time yesterday."
Thank you Raymond.