Weekend Wrap-Up: The Thankful Edition

It has probably been obvious that it has been a blah couple of weeks.

And after I had my little vent session I felt a little bratty.  But what do ya do?  It was how I was feeling at the time.

The reality is, our little 2-year-old is amazing like 94% of the time.  It is just that darn 6% that sticks in our minds sometimes.  But as my dad said today, most people would give their right arm for an amazing 94%.  So true.

We had a great weekend.

Friday
It started with a pizza dinner at the Koch's house.  Callie had a blast playing with Christine and Michael, and got a bunch of new Little People toys to bring home.

She manages to find an iPad wherever she goes

Saturday
Saturday was busy.  We started off by going to get our church directory pictures taken.  I prepped her ahead of time, saying that we were going to church and were getting our picture taken and needed to smile really big.  We practiced.  A lot.  She knew what to do.  However, for the first bazillion shots, she was stone-faced.  Nothing made her smile.  We managed to get a few good ones, some pictures ordered, and leave before a total meltdown or expensive camera equipment destruction.  Whew.

We headed straight to Donald's 1st birthday party!  We could only stay for a bit because it was nap time, but it was fun to see the adorable birthday boy.

After nap time we had some great playtime with her new toys.  She also enjoyed me blowing in her face creating "wind."  Whatever entertains, I guess!

Saturday night we headed to G-ma and G-pa's house and got to hang out with them, Auntie Cat, Nana, Papa and G-ma's sister Terese. 

Playtime with Daddy

Books with Auntie Cat

Sunday
This morning Callie and Chris went to Como Zoo while I went to an A-MAZ-ING brunch buffet with my friend Adrea. 

Free mimosas!

After a great 4 mile run with a neighbor, and a long nap for the toddler, we headed to the condo, had a very...uh...busy dinner at Davanni's (busy = refusing to drink her juice and instead preferring an open water glass with lemons and taking the lemons in and out of the glass and getting herself and her mommy wet in the process and entertaining Bops and 2 aunties by making mommy very tired) and then church.  At the condo she conned Bops into giving her a ride in the basket.

"Up high Bops!"

 Then she conned Mari into it later.

"Please, Ma-yi, Please"

So all in all, I'm thankful.   I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  It was just what I needed.

ABCs

Watch out, this may be the cutest ABCs you've ever heard!



She's a little rock star even when battling a super stuffy/runny nose and a cough.

Happy (Almost) Friday!

Surrendering

We went to church on Sunday and Pastor Chris' sermon was about surrendering.  More specifically, surrendering control.  He used many different examples of this, one of them being in parenting.

It could not have been a more perfect message for me.

I've blogged about this challenging toddler business before, and the lack of control is what is getting to me.  Big time.  Why can I not control this little person?  I am a teacher.  I should be able to figure this out.  And yet I have seriously NOT been able to. 

So I've just finally came to the conclusion that, despite by irrational thoughts that it shouldn't be, parenting is hard.  Even with a relatively easy kid like Callie.  It is totally new territory- we are learning as we go, and she is doing the same.

Pastor Chris ended his sermon by saying that surrendering is a process.  A habit we have to practice.  So everyday I'm praying for a little more patience, and a little less need for control.

My mind keeps coming back to this Sara Groves song, "Remember, Surrender."  If you have a few minutes and want to hear to a beautiful, peaceful song, have a listen.



Thank you for reading this blog, and in turn, supporting us through this phase in our lives.  :)

Weekend Wrap-Up

It is late.  So this Weekend Wrap-Up will be brief.

First off, shout out to our college friend Angie, her husband Jason and their 3-year-old Reese who welcomed another little boy, Drake, on Thursday.  Congrats!!!!

On to the weekend.  Here are the pics.

Dr. Seuss event at Target with Charlie

Dinner with Sydney

Books with Pa

Beanie Babies with Aunties

Cute in the kitchen

And we were treated to a couple of performances this evening:





It is WAY too late for me to be awake considering the busy week ahead...so I will say goodnight!

26 Months Old!!!

I had to literally click on January and find the previous blog post from the 22nd because I was too lazy to do the math in my head (ridiculous, I know, but it has been a long day!).

If I think back on the past month, I think mostly of my toddler's brilliance- and how she used it for good (her sponge-brain was able to learn SO much!) and sometimes for not-so-good (too-smart-for-her-own-good tantrums). :)

Regardless, she is well into 2-years-old and everyone comments about how old she looks, like what a little girl she is.

I agree, and I love it and hate it at the same time.

A Couple Videos

Daddy taught Callie a new trick:



Dave, Cherilyn and Sydney gave Callie a Mrs. Potato Head for her birthday...she LOVES it.

Weekend Wrap-Up: The Two Callies Edition

I wasn't sure how to start this blog post.  So I decided to google "quotes about 2-year-olds" and see what came up.  I found a few quotes that seem to sum up this weekend.

"You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance."  ~Franklin P. Jones

"Having a two-year-old is like having a blender that you don't have the top for."  

~Jerry Seinfeld

Friday

The Cute-Callie/Crabby-Callie show started the moment I picked herup from G-pa on Friday afternoon.  Drama.  So. Much. Drama.  And by drama, I mean Crabby-Callie engaging me in a 5 minute screaming battle to get into the car seat.  And then, two minutes later, Cute-Callie was asking me so very politely to turn on her favorite song ("Eliza Jane please Mommy!").

And then, at home, Crabby-Callie came out again with MULTIPLE episodes of flinging herself onto the carpet and screaming.  And then Cute-Callie was on display at the party at my school.  She had a blast running around, playing with other kids and dancing during the student talent show.   (I apologize in advance for the obnoxiously loud Justin Bieber music in the video).

Saturday

The two Callie's were out in full force again, switching up faster than we could keep up with.  But we did manage to make real "wuffins" with Cute-Callie using a recipe from the Muffin Cookbook Boom gave us for Valentine's day.  

 After a relatively brief nap, Chris and I were totally okay with sending Callie with G-ma, G-pa, and Auntie Cat for an overnight.  They had a blast swimming at the Y and playing with the only Callie that was around for them: Cute-Callie (of course).  

 Meanwhile, we had a date night- dinner and a movie.  And then stayed at our favorite B&B.  It was an evening of relaxation that was VERY much needed.

Sunday

Today was better.  More Cute-Callie appearances than Crabby-Callie meltdowns.  Thankfully!  We picked Cute-Callie up from G-ma and G-pa's house late morning and brought her home just in time for nap time.  Then after some play time, Cal and I headed for a little shopping outing and dinner while Chris went to the T-Wolves game.

So that about sums it up.  We are trying to predict the unpredictable and I sometimes catch myself thinking "Who IS this crazy child??"  when she has thrown herself on the ground for tantrum #347 of the day.  But then, she does something adorable like sitting in the middle of her puzzles and patting the ground next to her saying "Come, Mommy!  Come!" 

So the third quote I found is spot on.

"Even though your kids will consistently do the exact opposite of what you're telling them to do, you have to keep loving them just as much."

~Bill Cosby

And we do!