Category: Cole

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Activities Cole Mothering Parenting Ryan

Spring is Here

 After having a week of rain, sun, then more rain, and clouds, I think spring is officially here.  This morning started off cool and cloudy, but it is now sunny in the 60’s, and the boys are having a blast playing outside.

By Sunday, we are supposed to reach the upper 80’s!  This weekend is plant buying time!  I have purposely held off on buying bedding plants, because the weather was being so weird.  There was a frost warning one night this past week, so I am glad I held off.

The one aspect that I am sad about is I won’t be planting a vegetable garden this year.  We have plans to move this summer.  I just can’t see doing all that work, in spring and summer, only to leave it, and not be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor!  I know I am setting myself up here- because if we did plant vegetables, then of course, our plans would go like clockwork.  By not planting a garden, thinking we won’t be here, is surely tempting fate, that we will still be here later in the summer.  Then I will be regretfully asking myself why I didn’t plant at least a few vegetables!

At any rate, we are going to be pretty busy this summer, and I am counting on not having a lot of time one way or another to devote to my veggie garden.  I did buy one cherry tomato plant that I will plant in a pot, and keep in the spot I normally would plant my four or five tomato plants.  Fortunately, my father-in-law plants a wonderful garden every year, so we will still have access to some of those wonderful homegrown veggies.  We also have a great vegetable stand from a farm in town, and the Farmer’s Market.

Ryan is already in love with the tomato plant. The other night when I was bringing the plant in, he started talking to it.  He calls it Mr. Tomato Plant.  He tells the plant he is going to grow us yummy, sweet tomatoes, and then he gives it a hug.  Thank goodness Grandpa has some seeds for Ryan, and Ryan gets to help Grandpa in his garden. 

Ryan is such a sweet, and thoughtful child.  I think he will really enjoy gardening.  Maybe next year I will be able to plant a garden, with both my boys.  Starting the garden is always a symbolic gesture for me that the cold, short days of winter are finally gone, and finally the warmer, longer days of spring are here.

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Activities Cole Family & Friends Holidays Mothering Parenting Ryan

Mother’s Day

I had a wonderful Mother’s Day.  This was my fifth one already!  (How did that happen?)

We got up early so we could make it to my favorite breakfast cafe, before the crowd got there.  It is a Creole cafe which serves to die-for beignets (which is like a cross between a sopapilla and a donut), and homemade biscuits among other goodies.  I got eggs, Creole style- which were scrambled with peppers, onions, cheese,  potatoes, and topped with tomatoes and an avocado. This was served with the biggest buttermilk biscuit you have ever seen, topped with homemade strawberry rhubarb jam.  It was delicious, and of course the boys loved the beignets and biscuits.

After breakfast we went to Joe’s parents house, where we had a present for Joe’s mom.  I had compilled all the best pictures during the last year, and made a photo book for her on Shutterfly.  I have to say, as a former scrapbooker, Shutterfly made the whole process incredibly easy, and fun.  The hardest part for me was picking out the photos to use, and cropping them before I downloaded them to Shutterfly.  I loved the way the book turned out, and I was so happy I ordered a copy for us too.  It is a wonderful keepsake, and Joe’s mom was very happy with it. 

After visiting for a while, we went home, where we all took a nap, except for Ryan.  Bless Joe’s heart- he “napped” in the living room on the couch, so he could watch Ryan.  After I got Cole to sleep, I took a luxurious hour and a half nap in my bed.  It was great.  I woke up to Ryan telling me I had a Mother’s Day card.  This was the envelope:

When I asked Ryan if that was him on the envelope, he said, “No, that is just a hairy guy.”  Okay- I guess my son thinks I like hairy guys.  🙂

Cole was still sleeping, and Joe decided to assemble Cole’s birthday present.  Even though it is in about two weeks, we bought last week, and figured the boys should get as much use out of it as possible.  The directions said it assembled in less than an hour.  Uh, right.  We spent triple the time assembling it.  Cole had woken up in the meantime, and I fixed the boys lunch, which they ate outside, while they ‘helped’ Dad.  (I’m going to write more about the present with pictures closer to Cole’s birthday). 

I got a little yard work in, and cleaned the front porch.  When the toy was done, the boys played for awhile, and I told Joe I wanted some pizza from my favorite pizza restaurant-so off we went to a neighboring town, and we had a nice 20 minute drive or so.  I was a little worried the restaurant would be crowded, and we would have to wait, but we got right in, and it wasn’t super busy, until we left. 

When we got home, I went on a long walk by myself.  The weather was wonderful- warm but not too warm, and not cold enough to need a jacket. 

After I was finished with my walk, the boys were ready for their bath, and bed.  Ryan was so tired, but he told me Happy Mother’s Day again, and asked me if I had fun, “celebrating me.”

As I laid Cole down in his crib, he pulled my face in for another kiss, and then just held my cheek to his, smiling.  He gave me a kiss, and rolled over on his side saying, “night night.”  It was the best moment of the day.

I loved today, and even though I know I will have some things to catch up on, I wouldn’t have changed any of it.  I loved having a fun, relaxed, and easy day with my family.  🙂  Here are two pictures, after we arrived home from breakfast:

         

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day, how ever you chose to spend the day!

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Cole Family & Friends Holidays Mothering Parenting Ryan

Happy Mother’s Day

I read a great blog post today From Daily Mish Mash on the commercialism on Mother’s Day, and how it can make us feel when our expectations aren’t fulfilled. 

I admit that I too, had unrealistic expectations of Mother’s Day, when I first became a mother.  I assumed it would be like a commercial, with my husband thinking and planning that “perfect” day for me. 

Fast foward four years, and I have learned.  Mother’s Day is not about just one day of having a perfect day.  For me, Mother’s Day happens year-round, when my four-year old gives me an unexpected hug, or tells me something super sweet, like, “Mommy, you are my best girl.”  Or when the boys play together and actually have fun, and don’t bicker.  Or when they both do something I ask, just because I asked them, or when Cole looks into my eyes to give me a hug, and I see pure love in his big, blue eyes. 

Oh, surprises are nice too- who wouldn’t love a diamond necklace, like Daily Mish Mash mentions?  But I agree with her that expecting these amazing, thought out, well planned gifts, is just setting ourselves up for disappointment.  I have also become way more proactive, and instead of hoping and then getting mad that I don’t get the Mother’s Day I am hoping for, I have started to let Joe know what I would like to do. He makes it happen, and he is happy, because he is doing what I really want to do, and I am happy-obviously.  This seems to work out well for us. 

My husband is not the world’s best surprise planner.  I have learned that about him.  But he will drop whatever he is doing at a moment’s notice to help me with the children.  He will go to the grocery store for me at 11pm at night, if I have a dessert craving, and he will do anything for his family.  I may not get a diamond necklace on Mother’s Day, but I will take the little- and never ending gifts I receive every day, from my family over a diamond necklace any day.

Besides, where would I wear a diamond necklace to anyway?  I suppose the cashiers at the grocery stores would be very impressed, if they manged to notice it over my mom-stained shirt.  🙂

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone.  I leave you with some quotes I like for Mother’s Day.

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.  ~Rajneesh

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love.  ~Mildred B. Vermont

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.  ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

It kills you to see them grow up.  But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn’t.  ~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. ~Unknown  

And my favorite, since I am part Irish, and have two boys: 

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.  ~Irish Proverb
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

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Cole Family & Friends Mothering Ryan

Motherhood in a Picture

 This picture is of Ryan, Cole, and myself, about 14 hours after Cole was born.  It was the first time Ryan met and held his new brother.  This picture represents the essence of motherhood for me.  I not only had a brand new life, but also my firstborn, and two brothers before me, who are my sole responsibility.  I am still in amazement that I have been entrusted with these two precious little lives, and looking at this picture reminds me what a miraculous experience motherhood is. 

I am participating in 5 Minutes For Mom’s Giveaway with this photo, on what motherhood means for me. 

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Cole Mothering Parenting Ryan

The Princess & The Baby

The past few days, Ryan has started telling me I am his princess.  He’ll give me a hug and say, “You are my princess, Mommy.”  Tell me that wouldn’t melt your heart. 

Tonight as I was tucking him in, he told me that again, so I asked him what he wanted me to call him.  He said, “You can call me “Prince.”  So I gave him a hug and said, “Goodnight, prince.”  He got a huge smile, and then said, “Okay, you go away now Mom- I need to go to sleep.”  I guess the fair princess has been banished out of the prince’s room.  🙂

Cole is starting to talk up a storm.  Yesterday he started saying his name, very clear- at least Joe and I think it is clear.  Before this, when we would ask him his name, he would always say, “Me.”  He calls Ryan, “Eye-in,”  which is pretty good for an almost two year old. 

Cole’s latest dramatic antic when he wants something-anything, to pucker his face up, start whining, and cry, “Baby, Baby,”  while pointing to himself.  The boy is good- it gets my heartstrings every time (and Joe’s), but he still is my baby, and I guess he knows it, and is working it to his advantage.  At least  I haven’t been banished by him-at least not yet.