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The Good: A Year in Review

Written on December 21, 2012 by Jennifer in Hallmark, Little Monkeys, Pictures

I still feel raw and tender after last Friday’s horrific school shooting in Newtown, CT. It’s not okay. How will it ever be okay again? And the only thing I lost was a sense that my kids are safe at school.

Those kids. Those babies. Those teachers, heroes, police officers, parents.

It’s really too much to bear, isn’t it?

My children are 5 1/2 and 7 years old. I don’t want to let my mind go there, but away it goes. I can’t stop the thoughts and the terror. I can’t stop imagining.

This rock-you-to-the-core tragedy has made me hold my babies tighter. It shouldn’t take a tragedy to force me to realize that I should savor every moment of their precious lives.

Our family has had a great year, a really great year. Carson and Ella are kids suffering from the typical ups and downs of growing up, they have made me want to pull my hair out and scream and they have made me so proud. These moments with them are what life is supposed to be. Between Ella’s freak out sessions nearly every morning over what jacket and boots to wear, Carson’s sass that rivals any 14-year-old, ear infections, flu, lost Wii time, and dinnertime battles, there are big things and little things that I can look back on this past year and celebrate.

I love this age, this perfect early elementary school age where they have actual conversations about there life that is separate from our life at home. They are learning to read and they still believe in Santa, but they are also beginning to reason. I love their emerging independence, but I love that they still need me.

Carson has discovered geometry. Three-dimensional shapes have captured his imagination, as he could sit for hours drawing spheres, cones, and pyramids.

Ella started Kindergarten this year. To be honest, I was worried about how she would handle the rigors of Kindergarten, this girl who would still nap if there was enough time in the day, but she’s having a great year. Her teacher says she’s right where she needs to be, reading words, writing sentences, and studying geometry like Carson.

Getting Mae, our WILD puppy has shown me a whole new side to Carson and Ella. They have shown me a side of themselves that is so caring and responsible, helping to feed her and let her outside. We’ve all had to learn a lot (A LOT!!) of patience, but I think adding Mae to our family has added something only a new family member can add.

One of the highlights of this year was taking Carson and Ella to Destin last October. Everything about the trip was great, the weather, the food, the good company, the condo, the Gulf’s sun and surf….EVERYTHING. The best part was watching Carson and Ella play for hours together along the shore, building things out of sand, chasing each other, and laughing–there was so much laughing! If I could have bottled up the trip, I would have. The only thing missing from our trip was Tate, it was too bad he had to miss out on all the fun.

We spent our summer on the lake, swimming until we were ravenous for lake sandwiches. I lost count of the number of bottles of sunscreen we used, but it was somewhere in the range of five to A BUNCH. Noodles and life jackets were our must-have accessories for the summer.

It only took FOREVER, but Carson and Ella went to their first St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. We bought overpriced souvenirs and ate hot dogs and Cracker Jacks. It was perfect, well, except for the fact that the Cardinals lost.

Carson and Ella have FINALLY begun to learn the art of sleeping in. We’ve had a year of Friday night movie nights and wrestling matches. Our backyard became a campground during the summer and fall, where we made s’mores and slept under the stars.

The thing from this year that I’ll most hold onto, though, is that Carson and Ella both reach out to hold my hand after school. As we walk back to our car after school, they don’t hesitate or worry what their friends will think if they’re caught holding my hand. Any day now they could decide that they’re too cool or grown up to hold my hand, so each day I get hold their hands is a gift.

Every day with them is a gift.

Every day with them is good.

Thanks so much to Hallmark for inviting me to be a part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign this past year. I’m so honored that I was chosen to share my stories as a Hallmark ambassador in 2012. While I am compensated for my work, all stories are original and true.

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Turtles and Bumblebees of Halloweens Past

Written on October 30, 2012 by Jennifer in Hallmark, Little Monkeys

Last Friday night, I worked a local trick-or-treating event, handing out candy. Ella and Carson came along and sat beside my booth and watched as droves of costumed children trick-or-treated along the trail.

They announced nearly every child as they approached, a kind, snark-free version of Fashion Police.

“Look! It’s Ironman!”

“I like your zombie costume!”

“Mommy! It’s Thomas! We have that costume.”

“What’s a crash test dummy?”

“Another Batman, like me, Mom!”

“Hey! That girl’s a butterfly!”

Later that night, we talked about all the costumes we saw and recalled our costumes from Halloween past. They were shocked to find out that even I used to dress up when I was a kid.

“You mean, they had Halloween all the way back then? Was that when George Washington was president?” Carson asked. Kids, man.

I told them about my angel costume and pioneer costume that my mom had sewed for me. They were really impressed that Nanny had made my costumes since I prefer the easy way out with shopping. I also told them about all the years that I dressed up as Madonna.

“What’s Madonna,” asked Ella.

I searched through old photos of them dressed up for Halloween and we spent a cold and rainy afternoon looking at all of their costumes.

Carson, only three days old on his first Halloween, didn’t really get in the holiday spirit. By his second Halloween, he was quite adorable dressed as a baby bumblebee.

Ella’s first Halloween: A Pumpkin. Carson dressed as a baseball player, but I can’t find any pictures! (Bad Mommy!)

Ella: A darling, but fierce lion. Carson: Thomas the Train.

This may have been my favorite year, when Carson and Ella dressed up as Mario and Luigi. It was also the last year that they let me choose their costumes.

Ella: Raphael, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, a costume she randomly picked, but loved with every fiber of her being. She truly embodies the ninja spirit, don’t you think? Carson: Lightning McQueen

This year’s costumes took months of planning and thought to choose. Costume catalogs arrived in the mail sometime at the end of August and both children pored over the book, dog-earing pages. Costume selection has been serious business. Ella wanted to be a horse, then she wanted to be a My Little Pony specifically, but she also wanted to be Sonic the Hedgehog. Carson waffled between the Sonic costume and Batman. Oh the agony of final decisions! In the end, Ella went with Sonic and Carson went with Batman, but not without moments of regret.

They’re already planning next Halloween’s costumes.

“Maybe you could sew us something like Nanny did when you were a kid?”

Kids, man.

Thanks so much to Hallmark for inviting me to be a part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign this year. While I am compensated for my work, everything I write is original stories from my life.

Check out Hallmark’s adorable Scooby Doo Interactive Storybuddy and their Shadows and Shrieks witches hat door decor this Halloween season. They’re even offering a 30% discount using code BLOG30 on your order from Hallmark.com!

Sign up here for Hallmark’s e-newsletter to get special offers and discounts!

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Too Much

Written on October 24, 2012 by Jennifer in Little Monkeys

Nearly 6 years to the day when he finally got his first tooth, which happened to be the day after his 1st birthday, he finally lost his first tooth. It was a much anticipated event, with days of wiggling and waiting. The tooth fairy came and brought a Sacajawea coin, which according to Tate is the coolest thing ever.

Carson turns seven on Sunday. S-E-V-E-N. That is just simply not possible. Six blew my mind, but seven? Somehow he’s in first grade and reading chapter books and doing word problems and asking unbelievably insightful questions. It’s like he’s a kid, or something. It’s INSANE.

For the past several days, he’s been a little sick with a sore throat and fever. His voice is hoarse and deeper. Combined with the missing tooth and impending SEVENTH (??????!!!!!) birthday, it’s just too much.

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The Story Behind the First Day of School Outfit

Written on August 20, 2012 by Jennifer in Hallmark, Little Monkeys, Pictures, Quirky Me

Ella looked so cute on her first day of Kindergarten, didn’t she? Let me tell you, it was a long, uphill battle getting to the cute. For a few weeks leading up to Kindergarten the prospect of her looking cute, or even presentable, for her first day of school was dismal. She had her own ideas about what she wanted to wear–and I had a completely different idea.

It all started sometime in July as I was started to get her fired up for Kindergarten.

“…And we’ll have a girls day and get our toes painted before school starts!” I told her enthusiastically. “Then we’ll go shopping and find a cute new shirt for school.”

“Okay, but Mom? I already know what I want to wear for school. I want to wear my elephant shirt!”

Oh, the elephant shirt. It sounds harmless, right? It sounds like it has cute-potential. It seems like one of those battles that I probably shouldn’t pick? Well, you would be wrong. The elephant shirt is this old, ratty, stained shirt from a certain big box discount store. It’s size 3T and even on tiny Ella, is way too small, nearly showing her belly. It’s a shirt that’s perfect for a day playing in the dirt or painting, but not for the first day of Kindergarten.

Nevermind that the elephant shirt is her favorite shirt. I hate to squash the emerging fashionista, and I swear that I’m not a fashion tyrant, but I responded with a hearty, “Uh, no. No. And no. You can’t wear the elephant shirt on your first day of Kindergarten.” This was one fashion battle that I was going to win. I’ve learned to not argue with Ella about what she wears. She is a girl with very specific tastes about her clothes and I’ve accepted that even though it sometimes kills me a little when she refuses to wear a dress, but on this occasion, I just had to put my foot down.

If you have a child, particularly a daughter, who has specific ideas about their clothes, then I’m sure you can imagine how well Ella responded. I’ll give you a hint: Not Well. She cried. She pouted. She whined. She almost annoyed me enough that I strongly considered giving in.

“But Mommy! It’s my favorite!”

“Ella!” I insisted, “I’m offering to buy you a brand new shirt! Who doesn’t like new shirts?!”

This went on for probably longer than it should have (weeks), but I held firm. No way could I allow her to attend her first day of school in that elephant shirt. She finally relented when I took (okay, dragged) her shopping and we found a pink shirt with birdies and flowers that she agreed to wear it for her first day of school. Victory was mine!

I’m sure you can guess what she wore for her second day of Kindergarten. Whatever.

Just for fun, here’s a picture of me from my first day of first grade. I’m the one on the right and I’m wearing my most favorite Hawaiian shirt with blue slacks. Slacks! So much more presentable than the elephant shirt, that’s for sure. Too bad there’s no picture of me holding my Dukes of Hazzard lunch box.

Thanks so much to Hallmark for inviting me to be a part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign this year. While I am compensated for my work, I love getting to share these special occasions. Because life truly is a special occasion, each and every moment.

Sign up here for Hallmark’s e-newsletter to get special offers and discounts!

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Skipping, tears, and the first day

Written on August 16, 2012 by Jennifer in Little Monkeys, Reader Appreciation

I was fine last week, yesterday. I’m a pro, afterall, having just a year ago done the whole Kindergarten thing. Over at Babble, I even wrote a step by step guide on how to survive sending your baby to Kindergarten. Easy peasy, no biggie, ain’t no thang.

But I was wrong. She is the baby of the family and sending her off to be an elementary school to become an independent little girl, left a teeny tiny hole in my heart. She didn’t see me cry as she waved, skipping and smiling in line behind her teacher. I’ve spent the whole day with a lump in my throat, thinking about her being in Kindergarten. Kindergarten!

When I finally get to pick her up, I can’t wait to hear about all of her Kindergarten adventures, like eating in the cafeteria, making new friends, and going out for recess.

There she was YESTERDAY. How did I send her to Kindergarten today?

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If You’re Thinking About Getting a Puppy or a Six Year Old Boy, Read This.

Written on August 7, 2012 by Jennifer in Little Monkeys, Pictures

Puppies, man. They are ROTTEN. Well, maybe they aren’t all rotten, but Mae is a spaz. We picked her up on Saturday, a sweet, affectionate little puppy that didn’t even make one peep during the 2 1/2 hour drive home. She seemed so sweet and innocent, snuggling and napping in our laps. Tate and I each secretly wondered if we had hit the puppy jackpot or if maybe it was just the calm before the storm.

Hoo boy, it was definitely the calm before the storm. She constantly terrorizes Carson and Ella, pees on the floor seconds after coming in from outside where she just peed, cries for hours during the night in her kennel, and is a fuzzball of constant motion.

For the record, Mae is a perfectly “normal” puppy, exhibiting perfecting “normal” puppy behaviors. I mean, she’s only lived with us a few days and still needs to find her place in our family. I’m just really, really thankful for her kennel.

And I’m also really, really thankful for Carson.

Six year old boys, man. They are AWESOME. Well, maybe they aren’t all awesome, but Carson could not have been more helpful these past few days with Mae. I’m in awe of how patient and kind he is with her, even though she is WILD as a buck with her constant nipping.

Carson listens carefully and follows all of our suggestions with how to deal with Mae’s nipping. When Mae has peed on the floor and I have had to rush her outside, Carson has cleaned up the tinkle without me asking. Today, we had to bring a poop sample to the vet and he’s the one that reminded me to grab the bottle with poo before leaving to run our errands. (Gross, I know.) He has watched her when I’ve had to run to another room. I keep forgetting to bring a treat outside to praise Mae’s pottying and Carson has suddenly come to my rescue with a treat.

“Hey Mom. Did you forget the treat again? Thought I’d bring one out, just in case.”

His eyes light up every time he sees her.

This kid! Seeing Carson shine has been the best part of adopting Mae so far.

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Parenting Confessions

Written on August 2, 2012 by Jennifer in Little Monkeys, Mommydom, Pictures, Randomness

1. You know those library summer reading programs? Kids read a certain number of minutes or books and at the end of the summer, they get prizes. My kids? HATED it. HATED. IT. After a few weeks of yelling and tears to get them to read for a measly 20 minutes a day, I gave up. We watched lots of Netflix instead.

We are summer reading program drop outs and I’m okay with that.

2. We didn’t eat at Chick-Fil-A yesterday or anytime recently. Not because we were making a political statement, but because my kids don’t actually like eating chicken in general. They just go for the play area. Too bad our local sushi place doesn’t have a play area because THAT would really get my kids excited. They love sushi and that soup with the two mushrooms that Japanese restaurants serve.

3. I’m trying to influence Ella to choose gymnastics over soccer this fall. We only allow them to choose one activity to participate in at a time. Ella is actually doing well in gymnastics, but lately she’s been saying she wants to play soccer. Well. She has played soccer before and within a few weeks, grows bored, cries at games, and I just…would rather not deal with that. Also, gymnastics is once a week on Tuesdays! GLORY!! Yucky old soccer is twice a week, including early on Saturday mornings. BOOOOO! Add in the fact that Carson will be playing soccer, that means we’ll be at the soccer fields a minimum of four times a week. QUADRUPLE BOO!

I’ve been feeding her a steady diet of Olympics Women’s Gymnastics in hopes that I can tip the scales back to gymnastics.

4. I’m feeling far less weepy about Ella starting Kindergarten than I was for Carson. In fact, I’m sort of giddy with excitement about it. Just think! FIVE DAYS A WEEK of sweet, sweet silence.

5. We have had a ridiculously busy summer. Two trips to St. Louis in two weeks, swimming lessons, more swimming, a visit to a waterpark, baseball games, children’s museum, local parks, splash pads, sprinklers, easy bake oven baking, ice cream making, bike riding, camping, fishing, boating….I have to say, I ROCK as mom.

6. I have ignored my kids quite a bit this summer while catching up on reading. So, yeah, I don’t always rock as a mom. So far I’ve read and liked: Bel Canto, The Dovekeepers, The Night Circus, The Devil in the White City, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb. I’ve also read and didn’t really like: The Recipe Club and Petty Magic. I’m currently reading The Witching Hour and it’s SO GOOD. (All those links are affiliate links, suckers!) (Just kidding about the suckers part.) (I’m just trying to get extremely wealthy off affiliate links.) (Thanks for understanding.)

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