Keeping Momentum -- This Kind of Got Away From Me

So I always find myself ready to go at the beginning of the week. Monday I have lots of plans, and I generally carry them out. I'm motivated, happy and certainly not ready to have a psychotic break for one weak reason or another. I am a productive woman. On Mondays.

By Thursday, this empowered woman has decided that she is too tired to vacuum and sweep the floor. Even if it is the only day of the week she is supposed to do said chore. She usually just reads a book or watches a movie or sleeps when the baby sleeps.

You know this is old because he still has a binky.

To be honest, I love both of these sides of me, and think that both are perfectly natural. I am not a powerhouse of energy, and I never have been. There are a few things at the very top of my list that pretty much always get done (exercise, and make sure I don't kill Packer), the rest is kind of hit or miss. I suppose that in a lot of ways, this makes me flaky and/or lazy and/or human. If someone wants to label me with any of these things, that's okay by me.

These are old pictures -- but I am feeling Nostalgic

I think that a lot of women see the best in others, and compare it with the worst in themselves. I think that there are a lot more opposing character traits in each of us than we care to admit. I know that I go to someone's house and see how clean, organized and well decorated it is. Coming home to the slobs that seem to occupy my abode is irritating at the very least. However, I have found that the less I focus on how much I want to be like someone else or have what they have, the happier I am.

I know that these are all sleeping pictures, but I rarely get to see him actually asleep anymore. So it makes me smile in my mommy heart!

I also find all my friends also compare their children to other children. Sorry, let me rephrase, I have to battle this instinct in myself. I have a lot of friends who have children the same age as Packer. It seems to be a competition as to who crawls, walks and talks first or the best. While I think it is important to know the basic milestones that any child needs so that you can help your child reach them the best they can. However, I think it is a dangerous principle that children are bound to imitate. It is easy to be disappointed in a child who is constantly compared to someone else. Whereas, when you just ask a personal best, every small victory is cause for celebration.

This is from when we had to go back to the hospital. I often complain about Packer not eating solids, but in reality, I am just so thrilled he figured out eating at all!

Good Book to read: Divergent by Verionica Roth -- dystopian, young adult, fun fun in the sun!

Good Movie to watch: Big Trouble in Little China -- the plot does not make any sense, but it is the funniest show ever!

Workin' it through Wheeler Farm

About a week ago, our family went to Wheeler Farm. This is a functional farm, a family tourist attraction, and also a wedding venue. I know. They have a diverse portfolio.

We went so that Packer could see the baby farm animals and get some sort of interaction with animals in general since we don't own any and he rarely sees them.

A few things struck me when we went to visit.

First: Yaks really do have bad breath. Not that I meant to get in it's face, but these things happen. So when my mother says "You have the breath of a thousand yaks" I have a pretty solid reference point now.

Second: Jameson gets pretty freaked out when Packer would touch an animal and then stick his hands in his mouth. This wasn't a surprise, but made letting Packer get involved in touching animals a little bit tricky.

Third: I was reminded of the hard work it takes to run a farm. I saw signs for FFA everywhere. While I was never a member of the FFA (in my infinite teen wisdom, I was sure it was filled with know-nothing hicks), I had a few friends who participated and raised animals. They are some of the most honest, hardworking people I know. In that respect, they are the type of people I want my son to be like.

I clearly understand that my son will have failings in his character. But there are a few things I really hope that I can curb as a parent. I hope that I can teach my child never to be intentionally mean, to have a measure of faith, and to avoid laziness.

The subject of entitlement and how much we hate it has cropped up in conversations Jameson and I have had over the course of our marriage. We don't live on a farm. My children won't really see concrete proof of the work that they do and how it relates to the success or failure of our family. I have read a lot of articles on this, and how to teach children the value of hard work. My conclusion: whatever you decide works for your family from chore charts to family businesses, the core concept is the same as with any other parenting principle. It will work as long as you are consistent over the long haul. The work a child consistently does in their life will teach them to work hard.

Good Book to Read: Nightingale by David Farland -- I originally bought this book because his family was suffering a tragedy and needed the book sales. It had won several awards, so although I didn't know much about it, I figured it was probably a win/win situation. It totally was!! This book made me really think about the power of our memories, and the ideas that define us. Very worthwhile young adult fiction.

Good Series to Watch: Madmen -- That's right, I finally broke down and watched a few episodes. I don't really like the story line or the characters, to be frank. But the costuming and design set are to die for. The portrayal of 1960 Madison Ave is positively entrancing. I almost died when the pregnant woman was drinking and chain smoking.

9 Month Check Up

Packer is now 9 months old and is becoming more and more like a little boy and less and less like a baby everyday. In many ways I am so proud of him (who would have thought that I would be incredibly proud when my child learned to feed himself?) and in many ways I want him to stay little. I have surprised myself with how much I enjoy each stage of motherhood.

To sum up:

Packer is 17.1 oz (5%) and 28.5 in tall (54%) and his head is also somewhere normal, but I don't quite remember.  17.3 in (I just checked the papers).

He is almost sleeping through the night. He goes to bed at 8 pm and wakes up at 6:30, eats and then sleeps for another 2 hours or so. He takes two or three naps, depending on how long he sleeps during said naps. It is either 2 two hour naps or 3 naps, two of which are 1 hour and one is an hour and a half.

He eats three meals and a snack. Due to his low weight (normal for him) the doctor said we may want to start calorie packing his food. Essentially, this boils down to adding lots of fatty things such as whole milk, thick and creamy yogurt, etc.

He crawls around like crazy, but is hesitant to pull himself up past his knees. If properly motivated (such as a phone just outside his reach) he occasionally will pull himself all the way up on the couch. This is a rare occurrence though currently. He seems content to cruise around on his knees for now. I am not complaining, as baby proofing is not at the top of my list.  He can use the pincer grip, but really only does so when he can't grab food whole fisted.

His favorite activities include chewing on his bath toy fishies, playing with a spinning toy (similar to a dreidel) that his Grandma Becky got him, and flirting with everyone he sees. He gets outrageously bored when we spend most of the day at home, and thoroughly enjoys his Mommy and Me group at church and all the children there. He loves to sit in my lap and read books, and demands this before he takes any kind of nap. He is very vocal, if not quite verbal yet. He babbles all during church, and he seems to be beginning to understand what mama and dada means. He loves to go outside, rain or shine, and is only happy when some portion of the day is spent in the great outdoors. He travels fairly well, but needs to have his blanket (crocheted by his Tia Cami) in order to really sleep well. He is beginning to understand 'no' and what our expectations are for behavior, but mostly he is oblivious to these things. We try to keep the rules few and simple (don't bite Mom while nursing is really the only standard right now). He has two teeth and uses them to his full advantage.

Overall, we just love this little sweet baby. We are fortunate that he is so happy and sweet.

Good Books to Read: Nameless by Lili St. Crow -- this is for all those young adult fantasy fans out there. Great twist on Snow White -- including lots of other fairy tale and fantasy creatures. Much darker though, FYI. Also, I loved our book club book 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Good read to understand and develop/improve relationships in your life. I always like to temper my fantasy reads with some nonfiction so that my dreamy head doesn't stay in the clouds.

Great Movie to Watch: Lars and The Real Girl -- I have wanted to watch this for like 5 years, and finally got around to it. I thought it would have more comedy, but it was much more poignant than I expected. I have been reminded so much lately how important it is to have a support system in times of tragedy or crisis or trial. More on that in another post, I am sure. Point being, the movie really showcases how a community can come together to heal.

Dog Gone Adventures

There were a few adventures that have happened in the last few weeks that both startled and charmed me.

This little lab/boxer mix puppy narrowly missed becoming our first household pet known by either Back Up (after the dog on Veronica Mars) or Kaiser. Depending on if Jameson or I were to name him. Ten points if you can guess who belonged to which name.

I was out on a walk with Pack Man when Back Up ran up to me and followed me all the way home. It was rather sweet and charming. I called some friends to figure out what to do when you find a dog on a walk and he follows you home. Turns out you call animal control and they keep him for five days and if no one claims him, he is yours. I called Jameson and he was so excited. He rather suddenly really wanted a dog. Unfortunately, the owners claimed him before animal control could even pick him up. However, I am glad that he had a home where they loved him a lot.

Here are some things I learned from this experience:

1. Puppies are really hard to control. Meaning: he play attacked Packer the whole time, so I was holding Packer almost the whole 2 hours he was here. Not Fun.

2. Packer LOVES dogs. For a small amount of time, Packer was in his jumper, and the dog just licked his face. Packer would giggle and laugh and reach for the dog, who would promptly run away.

3. Jameson really wants a dog. After this experience, I got multiple emails detailing the sort of dog we should get. I said not until we are done having kids.

The second doggie adventure occurred on April Fools Day. Packer and I were on a walk and we ran into a man with a sheep dog. This is Jameson's favorite type of dog. I asked if I could take a picture, and the flattered man kindly agreed. I then text Jameson and said that there was a man I met on my walk that wanted to get rid of his sheep dog because he was moving -- were we interested? Jameson immediately started asking me questions, and as soon as he was on lunch called me. Feeling it would be cruel to let it go on much longer (he was just so excited!) I clued him in to the joke. I have done my duty (haha -- duty) to the April Fools Gods for until next year.

For family living far away -- here are a few current photos of Packer Man:

This is with his good friend, Mattie. Long story short, we had to shove them both in the stroller. Packer was NOT a fan.

Here he is with his friend Portland from church. They were twiners and we tried to get a picture - Portland tried to cooperate, but Packer was not going for it.

Our feet

Book I read: Seriously . . . I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres. Not that good. It's like she just mind puked onto a page and got it published. Quick read though. Definitely NOT in the same caliber as Tina Fey's bio.

Series we are Addicted to: Grimm -- it isn't on Netflix yet which usually means I won't watch it. But they had the first season at the library. Score!! Totally my kind of show.

Easter at The Cabin

We just had a lovely weekend at Jameson's family cabin in Bicknell Utah. Traditionally, he and his family spend Easter there. It is beautiful little well kept secret, as seen here:

This is looking Northwest from the Cabin and you can see the Fremont River winding away. Very pretty in the fading light.

We left Friday night and put Packer to bed in his car seat. This was one trip where his sleeping patterns were not totally thrown out of wack. He slept sooooooooo well, it was such a blessing. I was really concerned that I would have everyone up in the cabin at all hours of the night. But we didn't. We arrived late Friday night and then spent most of Saturday lounging about and letting all of Packer's relatives man handle him. He totally ate it all up. Jameson caught a fish (not pictured) and we ate it on Sunday. He also was the sweetest hubby ever and we went to the Sunglow (which I referred to as the sundowner on more than one occasion . . . honestly by accident), a fun little local restaurant that serves Pickle Pie. It was delicious and was much like a slightly sour pumpkin pie both in taste and consistency.

Packer with his second cousin Kaylee (who came with her 'stupid awesome' fiance Thane -- Jameson was jealous that he caught a fish before him).

Jameson kicking a flat soccer ball against the cabin. Even in the middle of nowhere -- he finds a soccer ball to play with.

Sunday, Dad got a late start. While everyone else when to Coleman Lake, we stayed home and did our family Easter traditions which include reading John 20 and filling our shoes with candy and hiding them. The shoes thing has been passed down from my grandparents. We aren't sure if it was a dutch thing or if it was a 'we can't afford baskets thing' but it has stuck and it is what we do in place of Easter baskets.

Sunday morning -- we were the only two up. It was pretty, if a little cold.

He found his shoe -- with candy in it that he didn't eat.

This came after our 'date night' at the Sunglow. He was really happy to see Dad.

Later, we took an ATV ride down to visit the horses at the adventure camp just down the hill and for a scenic drive along the river.

Jameson was afraid the horses would bite him or Packer, so I went up and help him pet the VERY tame horses.

Cute Picture with Dad on the ATV

Unfortunately we ran out of gas and had to walk back. It turned out to be more fun than the ATV ride.

Walking away from the now out of gas ATV

Look Dad! No Hands!

We left just after Easter dinner. It was a wonderful weekend that helped our little family fall in love with this place just a little more.

Good Book to Read: Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman. She has such pretty prose -- but this is a hard read for me. Lots of babies and mommies and since it is a story, there are some mommies that get hurt and some babies that you hurt for. So. Good. Definitely tugged at my heartstrings. Also, I think she has a great sense of magic realism (my favorite!!).

Good Music to Listen to:  Little Bird, Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell