Hurt

I have always said that I'm most happy when the people I love are happy.

But it's a two way street.

When the people I love are in pain, I hurt for them.


My bestie is hurting.

I am a fixer. That's what I do.

But I can't fix this.


I can only love, listen and pray.

Pray for them and their sweet unborn baby that went to heaven this weekend.

And ask you to pray for them too.

Exhibit A

Lord help me.

I am a person who constantly struggles with the virtue of patience. I don't like waiting in line, commercials bother me, and I am maddened by perceived inefficient processes that waste my time. But never in my 29 years of life have I found a greater test of my patience than raising children.

I recently told a group of my friends who don't have children yet that child rearing is the most amazing, rewarding, miraculous and simultaneously mind numbingly frustrating thing I have ever done. I stand by that.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my children more than words can say. Given the chance to go back and choose the path for my life again I would choose the one that leads me to these two sweet babies every single time without a second of hesitation. Yes, even knowing now what I didn't know back then I'd still pick my kids.

By now, you're probably wondering why I'm boring you with this so I give you test of my patience exhibit A.

Tonight Riley was coloring at the dining room table. She asked me to help her which I did gladly. As soon as I sat down she started directing me on who to draw and where to draw them. She's a little bossy these days, but we're working on it.

First, she wanted Daddy. Then Mommy. Then "my Winsey" aka my bestie. Then Buddy (her little daycare pal), Boosta and Bug (Bestie's kids). I was drawing heads and she was doing the bodies. It was great teamwork.

Then she asked me to draw Winsey. I pointed to the one we had already drawn. She persisted, "NO! I want Winsey, Boosta's Mommy." Again I showed her that we had already drawn her. "NOOOO!", she wailed, "I want Winsey! I want WINSEY! I WANT WINSEEEEEEEEEY! Buddy's mommy!". (She's screeching by now).

Suddenly it dawned on me that she meant Buddy's Mommy, Miss M, not Winsey. So I said, "You want Miss M?!?"

What happened next made me grit my teeth and grip the crayon I was holding and reach into the very depths of my patience.

She looked me straight in the face like I was the dumbest person on the planet and said, "YEEEESSS Mommy. That's what I already said to you."

And then she actually sighed.

And yes, she's only 2 1/2.

And yes, I still love her, maddening patience testing ways and all.



With that face (and that mess of a hairstyle) how could I not?

Sisterly Love Abuse

Oh my baby Camden. Just as he's getting old enough to be awake long enough to actually enjoy time playing with our little family he gets smothered with sisterly love.



Or abuse.


Depends on who you're asking.

Prayers for Sweet Twins

I know I don't have a huge following, but I would love to ask my readers to say prayers for a twin boy and girl.

Their mother is one of my sister's very best friends. She knows our family well and has even been on a family vacation trip to Hawaii. We don't allow just anyone to go on those trips so that should tell you how close to us she is.

This spring she was blessed with a pregnancy of twins! She has been very excited about their impending birth and becoming a new Mommy.

She had a healthy pregnancy, but at 32 weeks she started having contractions that resulted in the eventual emergency c-section to deliver her sweet baby boy and girl.

Hattie and Drake are both in the NICU at her local hospital and are fighting each day to grow stronger and get healthy enough to go home. She has been updating daily on their progress and specific issues they are working to resolve on her blog 2 dogs, 2 kids and Us.

Throwback Tuesday

Riley, at almost 4 months old.






Camden, at almost 4 months old.





Oh, how the years go by.

Riley's First Real Picture

Riley has been coloring for a while now because when our babies were about 14 months old me and bestie decided that they were ready to tackle coloring. This consisted of them sitting in our laps and awkwardly moving their chubby hands around on a paper until we were satisfied and they were bored.

As Riley's gotten older her interest in coloring independently has grown and she now colors pretty well within the lines in coloring books and tries to mimic shapes and simple pictures that TG and I draw for her. She's definitely a lefty which she must get from her Gigi because I believe the rest of her immediate family are rightys. She is also extremely heavy handed and pushes down with all her might when she writes and colors just like her Tata.

Lately she is very into me drawing people for her so a few nights ago we were sitting on her bed and coloring together before bedtime. She asked me to draw her family "all togedder" so I did. She helped out by coloring the bodies and letting me guide her hand to write everyone's names. I think the end product is fabulous.



Then she asked me to draw her Gigi and Papa so we did that together as well. After we finished she said "My turn! First the head. Then eyes. Then teef. Then hair. Then dose. Then wegs. Then shoes. Dere. AWL DONE! YAY TO RILEY!". Check it out.



She started another "person" in the lower left corner before she decided she was done and wanted to read a book.

I know what you are all thinking after seeing my portion of the pictures...clearly she gets her amazing drawing skills from her mother.

Bahahaha.

So Excited

A couple weeks ago I entered a blog contest on Domestically Challenged's blog. Her blog is on my blog roll and one that I read regularly because besides hosting fun giveaways she's so honest, shares some of my neurotic tendencies and makes me laugh.

Anyway, I entered my comments and then pretty much forgot about it. So imagine my delight when Sara e-mailed me to let me know that I won! I've never won anything in a contest in my life. Okay, well technically I've won something before, but I don't think that the t-shirt featuring a banana in a hammock from Baskin Robbins in the 10th grade should count.

The giveaway was for $80 to spend at CSN stores which is basically a one stop shopping joint online selling everything from pet products to light fixtures. I immediately started browsing at their 200+ stores and I kept shopping there for about two weeks. First I looked at bedding, then chandeliers, I even considered power tools, car seats, and a few cooking utensils before I discovered that CSN really does sell everything under the sun.

Sara, I know I told you I was going to get shoes, but when I saw this I just couldn't help myself. This new homeowning, wannabe domestic diva has had her eye on one of these for a few months now.

If it helps I still use my microwave to make family meals on a regular basis. :)

Thank you so much for hosting the giveaway!

We're Going to Get Cupcakes

Last week we were having a rough day so while Cam was napping I told Riley we could go get stuff to make cupcakes.

I went upstairs to get ready and came back five minutes later to find her marching around the living room by herself singing "We going to get cupcakes, we going to get cupcakes!"

Of course I had to get her to sing it on tape.

By the way we got sprinkle cupcakes with chocolate frosting and they were delicious.

Untitled from Lindsay Vinson on Vimeo.

Peas in a Pod

My two babies enjoying the last lazy days of summer together. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! TG is officially back to work less than a week from now. We're going to make the best of our last 7 days of the summer of 2010 and we are looking forward to fun times with our family and friends this fall.

Seen and Heard

SEEN:

Camden loves his bath time! He gets a bath every night as part of his bedtime routine. TG is usually the one in charge of that and he calls it their "man time" giving Riley and I the opportunity to hang out together one on one right before she goes to bed too.

I just love his big brown eyes and his chubby little rolls. Two weeks ago he started kicking his feet and splashing around while he's in the tub so we've graduated to bathing him in the baby tub INSIDE the big tub instead of out on the floor.


HEARD:

Me: Something is stinky.
Riley: It's me! I stinky! I tooted. I a toot maboot.

Me: Dinner time Riley!
Riley: Mommy! (in her best incredulous and amazed voice) That my dinner? It looks so dewicious. Thank you so much, Mommy dear.

Riley: Mommy, I have to tell you a secret. Daddy stinky. Pffft.
Me: Riley, I have to tell you a secret. You are my favoritest girl!
Riley: Mommy you are the silliest girl ever!

My Smiley Guy

There is something about my baby smiling that makes my heart stand still. Camden started his first real big smiles somewhere between his 7th and 8th week of life in response to me leaning over his little face and saying "OHHHHH!". It was the perfect timing because my Mom was in town for a visit and was able to see them in person.

A few days later my bestie was over and managed to capture some of his early smiles on film for me. Of course I swoon because he's mine, but how could you not just want to smooch his little gummy grinning face?!?

You think you can make me smile? Whatcha got lady?


Okay that's funny, I can grin.


Oh ho ho you're making my sides hurt, I'll smile a little bigger.


You're on a roll now, I'm getting my whole face involved.


Bahahahahahaha.

Cereal Face

Camden still refuses to take a bottle. We've tried every suggestion friends have given us and every trick we have read online. We've attempted about 10 styles of nipples and even a sippy cup. We've tried different positions, people, and times of day. He's simply not having it.

And I am STRESSING it because that means I am his only source of food.

Don't get me wrong. I love breastfeeding my child as much as he loves being breastfed. I think it's a wonderful thing for a mother to do if she is able. I plan to feed him as long as he is willing in the first year of his life. But, work and a couple of social engagements are rapidly approaching. Social things that cannot be missed like my own sister's wedding.

The worry that he'll refuse to eat while I'm gone and just be so confused and miserable makes my stomach turn.

Enter cereal. About a week ago TG and I both noticed that he had started to very intently watch all of us eat. After thinking about it I decided to introduce cereal now in an effort to make sure he can at least eat something if he continues to refuse a bottle when I'm away.

I was a little surprised because Camden is on the young side of eating solids, but he is just like his sister. Cam LOVES to eat. After just one feeding where he did the whole push it out of his mouth thing he started wolfing it down like he had been eating it all his life. Complete with opening his mouth and making smacking sounds if I'm taking too long to get him another bite.







I feel slightly better knowing I'm not his only option. Plus a cute cereal covered face always makes me smile. But if you have any suggestions or tricks for bottle feeding let me know!!!

Big Girl Bed

Riley's first big girl bed experience was almost a year ago, when she was just shy of 2 years old. We went to my parents house for Thanksgiving and she slept in my old bed. It was like she'd never slept anywhere else.

I've heard lots of stories about kids getting out of their bed, playing in their room, or even leaving their room. But for one reason or another Riley just intuitively knows or maybe even assumes that she is not to get out of bed until someone comes for her. Most mornings when TG goes to get her she's sitting quietly, playing with her dolls or watching the massive construction happening outside her window.

Doesn't matter where we are either. She's slept in a sofa bed on a cruise ship, a twin bed on a sleepover away from TG and I, a pull out couch in a hotel in Corolla, and of course her very own beautiful big girl bed Gigi and Papa got for her here in our home.

Trust me, we are very thankful that she transitioned so smoothly. We're hoping we can enlist her help in training her little brother on this someday. Looks like she's already starting to fill him in on how it's supposed to happen.

"Someday brudder you going to have you own big boy bed."


"Lay in it. Love it. BUT DON'T LEAVE IT until one of these yahoos comes for you. Or else."


"Now smile for Mommy liddle guddy!"

Sandy Tush

There's nothing quite so fun as a giant, neverending sandbox! Everyday it became a surprise to see how much sand would fall out when we took off her swimsuit even after a thorough rinsing with the showers outside the hotel.

Raking.


Surveying.


Getting her dig on.


Our little mermaid in the sand.


PURE. JOY.

My Hapa Hapas

There's no doubt these babies are mine. They both have my dark hair, brown eyes, tan skin.

No doubt that they are related. They look like twins separated by 2 years.

So as if you needed more proof, but I just have to say...

Get a load of my hapa hapas. Eat your heart out haolis!







ALOHA!

Boogie, Oogie, Oogie

Riley's fearless. Yawn you say. Been there, said that.

But even I was surprised that she wanted to boogie board. The day after she did it I was chatting with the lifeguard and she told me, "Yeah I was little concerned because the shore break was vicious yesterday."

Vicious shore break? Whatever. More like super fun in Riley's world. And yes she owns a rash guard from Hawaii courtesy of Gammy and I think she makes the cutest sufer girl ever. But we all know I'm biased. On to the action!

Heading out to sea.


Ready.


Set.


GO!


Riding the wave in.


She even wiped out a time or two. Even I would have stopped at this point.


But not Riley. What 2 year old do you know that would get rolled by a wave and go back again laughing for more?


PURE. JOY.