A perfect Saturday

As Trey has gone through different stages, I have joked that he is a bipolar child.  I was thinking today that sometimes I feel like a bipolar parent.*  Trey can go from the happiest toddler on the block to the most miserable within about 30 seconds, and sometimes it feels like he can cycle through this range of emotion multiple times in a very short period.  As a mom who wears a few hats (parent, wife, housekeeper, educator, friend, daughter, sister, community member to name a few) I feel like sometimes I can also cycle through a range of emotions rather quickly...although not as fast as my two year old.

I really love the blog post on Momastery called Carpe Diem.  She probably has a nicer way of describing the ups and downs than me saying sometimes I feel like a bipolar parent.  I relate so much to her message as I know thousands of other women do.  I definitely go through the dregs of parenting but feel those moments of joy (the Kairos moments) throughout the day (and I feel several each and every day) that make me cherish my role as mother, especially as Trey's mother.

Randy is out of town this weekend to San Diego for the Broncos game on Monday night.  Monday Night Football!  How cool is that?  He is visiting Dave, of course, and staying with our friends, Kim and Shane, with whom we traveled in China.  This means that I am on my own for four days.  This would be a piece of cake (ha) if Trey wasn't having some bedtime woes and if he would nap for me like a normal child.

My solution to the napping was to drive to Eugene for the weekend.  Trey and I had a pretty perfect day on Saturday.  Trey slept in until 7am (the beginning of a perfect day in my book) and we went to breakfast with Randy at Cup and Saucer.

 After breakfast, Trey and I dropped Randy off at the airport and headed to music class.  Trey was in a funk of some sorts because he would not let me sit down in the circle for the first four songs at least.  Actually, it wasn't until everyone got up and started moving around that he got comfortable (easy for me since I was already standing).  After music class, Trey and I went to meet Amy for lunch before driving to Eugene.  Visiting with Amy was fabulous and the drive to Eugene was a breeze.  The combination of my decaf grande skinny vanilla latte, Trey's nap, and my audiobook by Anne Lamott was about as good as it could get.

Side note: if you haven't read or listened to Anne Lamott before, then you should start now.  I am not a huge fan of her fiction, but I really love her nonfiction.  I love her book on her first year with her son called Operating Instructions, and the book I'm listening to is the sequel to that which is about the first year with her grandson.  I also love her books on faith.  Even though I am not a religious person or a church going person, I enjoy reading about it at times, and Anne Lamott's writing is a mixture of faith, social liberalism, and humor that I adore.

Our afternoon and evening at my dad and Sandy's was as good as it gets.  Trey opened his eyes from his nap as I turned down their driveway and said, "Heeeeyyyyyyy!!!!  Papa's house!!!"  I was greeted by Sandy saying, "I was hoping you'd get here soon so I could start drinking wine."  Let's get to it!   Trey was in a great mood, immediately wanted to be on the trampoline, played with my dad and Sandy, and even cuddled on my dad's lap.

We had a nice dinner, and then I got to attack bedtime.  My dad joined us for story time, and at one point I got the boot so my dad could read stories to Trey.

Seeing them together like this seriously melted my heart.

After a two hour bedtime (beginning to end), I basically went to bed to read my latest book club book and I was looking forward to a really great night of sleep.  Needless to say, I was happy that my boy slept through the night, but I slept like shit.  What a disappointment.

What was actually a bigger disappointment was that my plans with Sarah Long got cancelled for Sunday morning because her kids were both sick with the stomach flu.  Getting to see Sarah this weekend was one of the main reasons I drove to Eugene, and we were both really bummed that it didn't work out.  I was also really sorry for her that she had two puking kids, and I hope she made it through unscathed.

What this meant, of course, was more time with Papa and Sanny.  Trey and I had a nice morning and early afternoon with them before we left for home.

The "guys" needed a ride!   

I loved watching how Trey walked each one of them to the 

back of the truck and had them hop their way in.

Trey playing on the piano 

This was one of my Kairos moments...

sitting on the floor with me playing the accordion and singing songs 

like Old McDonald and Twinkle Twinkle while Trey sat in the boat and smiled down at me was pure joy.  I was sort of surprised he didn't tell me to "sing better" like he did the other night at bedtime.  

Naptime...how cute is he? 

Trey and I had a nice Sunday night at home.  We played with toys, read stories, FaceTimed with Randy a few times, watched some shows, had dinner, and had a pretty easy bedtime (hopefully, this doesn't mean he will bless me with some middle of the night wake ups).  I think my favorite moment of the night was Trey cuddled up next to me watching Curious George.  Sometimes he sits on my lap while he watches a show, but this time he just jumped up next to me on the couch, sat next to me, and cuddled me with my arm around him.  As I sat there I was thinking of all the chores I needed to tackle, but instead I told myself to sit and enjoy these cuddly moments with my boy.  

Still not ready to sit on the potty...

We have a really busy week coming up.  Randy will be gone Monday and Tuesday, I have a late conference on Wednesday, there is a book event I want to attend at Powell's on Thursday, daycare is closed on Thursday and Friday, and my dad is coming to spend the night on Thursday and watch Trey on Friday.  Friday night I am also supposed to host book club, but I'm hoping to switch with someone.  A girl has to know when to say when! 

*Disclaimer: I mean no offense to anyone suffering from or knowing someone who suffers from bipolar disorder.  I know it is a debilitating disease causing turmoil in people's personal, educational, and professional lives.

Family pictures

Julie and I wanted some pictures with us and the boys, and I also wanted some family shots.
Look what we got!  Some of you family may be able to guess what's coming for Christmas, but no way could I keep these under wraps until then!

Hoping these boys will love each other like brothers! 

Trey at 27 months and Grady at 1year 

Thanks to Sarah at Tulipifera Photography for her great work!

Happy Birthday to Grady!

We just celebrated Grady's first birthday!  I can't believe a year has gone by already and my nephew is already moving out of babyhood into being a little boy.

Grady and Grandpa

Trey has been talking a lot about the potty lately.  He's also showing some other signs of being ready for potty training, but I'm not even going to go there yet.  He's been slow with everything else, so I'm going to assume he'll be slow with this too.  Regardless, I want to encourage his interest, so I bought him an Elmo potty seat so that when he asks to sit on the "big potty," he can do so without falling in.  Needless to say, he thinks his new potty seat makes a great hat.

Dave, our friend who won a gold and silver medal in the 2012 Paralympics in wheelchair tennis, was in town a few weeks ago.  We hung out at Breakside for a little bit enjoying the nice fall weather.

Dave and Jackson, Kellie's son, who was seeing an Olympic medal for the first time

Jackson asked his dad, "Dad, when am I going to get one of those?" 

Trey and I started a music class this fall through Music Together.  We took the infant class when he was a baby during my maternity leave, and I have been excited to get back to it.  Trey seems really drawn to music and loves to play instruments.  He loves the guitar at Kris and John's house, and he always plays the keyboard at my dad and Sandy's house.  One day a song came on the radio with a piano intro, and from the back seat I heard Trey say, "piano!"  Who knows if he will have a talent for music, but he loves it now and I want to foster that.   He was immediately comfortable in class and really happy to be there.  Normally, he takes a while to warm up, so this made me really happy!

Trey pounding his drum 

This summer was my 20 year high school reunion.  I was on the planning committee and had so much fun reconnecting with old friends and planning a great party.  We had a party to celebrate the success that was our awesome reunion.  I was super excited to see everyone since it had been two months since the reunion and I was going through some withdrawal.  Unfortunately, I forgot what it's like to go to a party with a 2 year old - you don't really get to talk to any of your friends because you have to parent.  Lucky for me, I had Randy to entertain Trey.

Doesn't he look thrilled to be at the party?  

20 years ago we were six friends hanging out on weekends, 

and here we are with a shitton of kids.  14 kids to be exact.   

I don't know if you know this, but I really love my daycare.  It is like Trey's second home, and we feel really lucky to have such a great place for Trey to spend his time.  On Friday he was the only kid there, so they went to the zoo.  AND they got to ride the train.  How lucky is Trey?  Later I got these pictures texted to me and this message "We have had such a great day!  They are such good friends and so well behaved.  We are lucky to have Trey in our lives."   I mean, really, I think I am the lucky one.

Trey and V. (our daycare provider's daughter) on the train 

This is one of those pictures where I think "when did he turn into a BOY???" 

We just finished up a fun weekend.  We had Kris over for dinner on Friday to enjoy some of the chinook salmon Randy caught last week, Trey and I went to music class, I got to babysit Grady, and then we celebrated Grady's birthday on Sunday.

Trey at music class, ready to cheer on the Ducks AND wearing his cool Elmo hat 

Sweet Grady

I was more than happy to pass on this noisy table to Grady.  

I'm not sure Julie was as thrilled.  

Singing happy birthday to Grady 

Enjoying his first cupcake 

Trey was enjoying his cupcake too. 

Sanny, Trey, and Grandpa