I was reminded this morning of one of the best moments of our Christmastime travels - the Christmas Eve service that Steph and I went to in the Woodlands.
The Fellowship of the Woodlands church - a megachurch - had 20+ pre-Christmas services across 4 difference campuses. The last one was held at the "Chapel in the Woods" at their Woodlands location at 11 PM on Christmas Eve. So, after we put the kids down, we stayed up long enough to go. And I'm so glad we did.
It was a beautiful building, this Chapel in the woods. There's obviously a lot of money that has gone into the church and the chapel was a reflection of that. Simple architecture, huge glass windows, awesome A/V system (their TVs were mounted on these devices that rolled in/out of the walls), sat about 300. And it was completely full.
The service consisted of Christmas carols sung by all, solo and choir performances, and few brief messages by their Guy Smiley-pastor. He was a little creepy, but said some nice things.
The solo performances were, by far, the best thing about the service. This one lady sang "O Come Emanuel" and it was haunting. I felt like I was there, in Bethlehem, the night that baby Jesus was born and this was a poor woman's proclamation. She sang it with such emotion. It was stunning. Their version of "O Holy Night" was good, too, but not as good Emanuel.
Steph and I left feeling great and making a commitment to each other that no matter what, we need to make a tradition out of going to the Christmas Eve service every year. It just reminds us of the true meaning behind Christmas - Christ's love for us. It is amazing. Much more amazing than any gifts we could give each other and all of the other hoopla surrounding this time of the year.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Christmastime, pt. 1
What a rich and eventful Christmas it's been. We're back home now, after travelling to The Woodlands for 2 days and Austin for 2 days (Woodlands pre & Christmas morning, Austin post & Christmas afternoon). We always ask which one we went to first every year, I should just read this blog to tell us the answer. Duh.
Travelling this year was bittersweet because it's our last year to travel. This has been something that Steph and I have talked about for 2-3 years now, and finally, we've both reached that place to where we're at peace with the decision, and even more, excited about it. So, all of our travel and family time this year, was underscored by knowing this was the last time we're doing it.
Family is great to be around for Christmas. It's just part of Christmas for both of us. Ever since we've been married, we've travelled together, first to one place, then to the next - and that's how we spent our Christmases. And when we're there, for the most part, there's no better feeling. As the years have gone on and certainly with kids, there are moments where we've wished that we were in our house, but by and large, there is an overwhelming sense of comfort when it's family-time Christmas. It's the travelling. Especially with 3 kids. That's been the biggest strain. Whew.
And now, our kids are old enough to where they can appreciate Santa and even look forward to his arrival in our very own house. They'll get to wake up in their beds, come into their living room, and look under their tree for what Santa has left them. That's what we really want. That's what the kids deserve and need.
So, we're going to see how it all works out next year. :)
More about the trip later.....
Travelling this year was bittersweet because it's our last year to travel. This has been something that Steph and I have talked about for 2-3 years now, and finally, we've both reached that place to where we're at peace with the decision, and even more, excited about it. So, all of our travel and family time this year, was underscored by knowing this was the last time we're doing it.
Family is great to be around for Christmas. It's just part of Christmas for both of us. Ever since we've been married, we've travelled together, first to one place, then to the next - and that's how we spent our Christmases. And when we're there, for the most part, there's no better feeling. As the years have gone on and certainly with kids, there are moments where we've wished that we were in our house, but by and large, there is an overwhelming sense of comfort when it's family-time Christmas. It's the travelling. Especially with 3 kids. That's been the biggest strain. Whew.
And now, our kids are old enough to where they can appreciate Santa and even look forward to his arrival in our very own house. They'll get to wake up in their beds, come into their living room, and look under their tree for what Santa has left them. That's what we really want. That's what the kids deserve and need.
So, we're going to see how it all works out next year. :)
More about the trip later.....
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
More Catch
Max wanted to play catch again last night. So we did. He placed himself about 3 feet away from me, stood firm, and then started throwing. Then, catching. He's got the timing down for that distance. We played for about 5 minutes then it was time to go to bed. He got upset and wanted to continue just like I did with my dad when I was little. So we went on for about 5 more minutes. Then it was really time for bed. It was awesome.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Our First Catch
Max and I played catch for the first time last week. I've thrown the balls around with the boys many times before, but they haven't done anything but chase it and throw it wildly across the room. This was the first real game of catch that we've played where he was just as engaged as I was and we actually threw and caught back and forth.
He's got this little squishy football that fits perfectly in his hands and he started throwing it to me, actually pretty good too. Then, when I would through it back to him, he got the timing right so he caught them almost every time.
This is the moment I dreamed about when I was a boy, playing catch with my dad. I thought, someday I'm going to be able to play catch with my son and I want to play catch with him as long as he wants because as a boy, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than play catch. And now, Max knows what it means to play catch. I love it.
He's got this little squishy football that fits perfectly in his hands and he started throwing it to me, actually pretty good too. Then, when I would through it back to him, he got the timing right so he caught them almost every time.
This is the moment I dreamed about when I was a boy, playing catch with my dad. I thought, someday I'm going to be able to play catch with my son and I want to play catch with him as long as he wants because as a boy, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than play catch. And now, Max knows what it means to play catch. I love it.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Mr. Mommin' It
Today was another full-on Mr. Mom day. Even though they're rare, I enjoy them. They give me a satisfaction at the end of the day that is hard to beat, like I handled these 3 little munchkins and came out on the other side. God bless Steph for doing this every day. She went to The Woodlands this morning for Mariane's 70th birthday party, so it was all me and the kids here.
It was harder than the last time. My strategy didn't change - run them ragged - but they are more difficult to handle now than before, so it was a doozy.
It's about them all waking up at 6 AM. This has to stop. I really hope they come into their own with morning sleep. At least till 8.
So, Steph left early, the kids were up just as early and we ate breakfast and celebrated Lola's (Gracie's favorite doll) 1 year birthday this morning (in truth, she's just as old as Gracie because she's been with Gracie since birth) and by 9, we were headed out the door to find something to do.
It's cold and windy here, and Max is in this stage where he freaks out with cold and wind, so we couldn't really play at an outside park. We went to the Galleria Mall and played at that fancy indoor park. It was nice and the kids loved it. It's kinda like a mix between Central Park (with all of the stones to climb up on) and a children's animal museum (other than rocks, the only things to climb on are real big plastic, foamy animals). It's the nicest indoor mall park we've played at, so as far as those things go, it's a definite do-over and recommend.
After the park, we went to write Santa a letter and drop it in the mailbox. On the way, we actually saw Santa, Gracie sat in his lap, and they all 3 got balloons (separate from Santa). They were happy with the exception of having to sit in the stroller. Max just wants to be independent and walk. I can't have that in a big mall like The Galleria when we're just roaming.
We ate, came home, and the kids took an hour nap. Only an hour. I didn't fight it.
Once they got up, I gave them a snack and we went out again. This time, to run errands - UPS store, Best Buy, FBC to see the live nativity which wasn't there, and Blockbuster. We stopped by KFC on the way home for a little dinner, came home, and ate dinner over Barbie's Mermaid Adventure or something.
Gracie was a great little girl today and she wanted to go to FBC's Christmas musical tonight, but they didn't have a nursery for the boys. Sitting through a musical like that in a closed space like that is a recipe for disaster for the boys. She just couldn't understand why it was so. Once we got over that we weren't going, I told her we would pick up any movie to watch in place of the musical tonight. Her pick was Barbie Mermaid Adventure or something.
Tonight, I was able to spend good time with them before they went to bed. I need to take this time, when it's just the four of us, and do purposeful things with them, other than trying to run them ragged. So, tomorrow, we'll just hang around, read some books, play some cars, do whatever they want to do as long as it doesn't involved breaking stuff, coloring on things not to be colored on, and/or general destroying of our items. All else is pretty much fair game and I hope they're in a good mood and/or all getting along, at least for moments, so I won't have to referree or teach or....it's not going to happen. And it's all good. We will have a great time. :)
It was harder than the last time. My strategy didn't change - run them ragged - but they are more difficult to handle now than before, so it was a doozy.
It's about them all waking up at 6 AM. This has to stop. I really hope they come into their own with morning sleep. At least till 8.
So, Steph left early, the kids were up just as early and we ate breakfast and celebrated Lola's (Gracie's favorite doll) 1 year birthday this morning (in truth, she's just as old as Gracie because she's been with Gracie since birth) and by 9, we were headed out the door to find something to do.
It's cold and windy here, and Max is in this stage where he freaks out with cold and wind, so we couldn't really play at an outside park. We went to the Galleria Mall and played at that fancy indoor park. It was nice and the kids loved it. It's kinda like a mix between Central Park (with all of the stones to climb up on) and a children's animal museum (other than rocks, the only things to climb on are real big plastic, foamy animals). It's the nicest indoor mall park we've played at, so as far as those things go, it's a definite do-over and recommend.
After the park, we went to write Santa a letter and drop it in the mailbox. On the way, we actually saw Santa, Gracie sat in his lap, and they all 3 got balloons (separate from Santa). They were happy with the exception of having to sit in the stroller. Max just wants to be independent and walk. I can't have that in a big mall like The Galleria when we're just roaming.
We ate, came home, and the kids took an hour nap. Only an hour. I didn't fight it.
Once they got up, I gave them a snack and we went out again. This time, to run errands - UPS store, Best Buy, FBC to see the live nativity which wasn't there, and Blockbuster. We stopped by KFC on the way home for a little dinner, came home, and ate dinner over Barbie's Mermaid Adventure or something.
Gracie was a great little girl today and she wanted to go to FBC's Christmas musical tonight, but they didn't have a nursery for the boys. Sitting through a musical like that in a closed space like that is a recipe for disaster for the boys. She just couldn't understand why it was so. Once we got over that we weren't going, I told her we would pick up any movie to watch in place of the musical tonight. Her pick was Barbie Mermaid Adventure or something.
Tonight, I was able to spend good time with them before they went to bed. I need to take this time, when it's just the four of us, and do purposeful things with them, other than trying to run them ragged. So, tomorrow, we'll just hang around, read some books, play some cars, do whatever they want to do as long as it doesn't involved breaking stuff, coloring on things not to be colored on, and/or general destroying of our items. All else is pretty much fair game and I hope they're in a good mood and/or all getting along, at least for moments, so I won't have to referree or teach or....it's not going to happen. And it's all good. We will have a great time. :)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Boys First Haircut
So, yesterday was the day that we broke down and said, we're going to let someone cut the boys hair. It was LONG overdue. Steph tried to cut Max's when she cut Gracie's at the end of summer, but it didn't take long for it to get as unruly as it was before. And honestly, I don't think she wanted to mess with his hair anymore. So, we left it to the professionals.
There's this great place called Cool Cuts for Kids that's designed just for little kids. Games, movies, toys - you name it, they have it. Even little cars for them to sit in vs. chairs. You can even bring your favorite movie for them to watch while the cutting happens if you like. We did.
Steph and I had a meeting before we arrived and agreed that we wanted their hair cleaned up, but didn't want anything crazy. To Steph, that meant Justin Beiber. To me, that meant way short (and Justin Beiber). I told her that I didn't want to lose the spirit of their hair, I just wanted it to be less-mullet-like and clean. She laughed. But she understood.
When we got there, that's what we told the stylists. They laughed. And they didn't understand "spirit." But they did a good job.
Surprisingly, Nick was the hardest to keep still. He didn't like the gown. He didn't like getting sprayed. He didn't like the scissors around his head and he didn't really like sitting there.
But Max was a champ. He was so sweet. He sat there. Didn't mind the gown or the spray or the scissors. He looked down when the stylist asked him to look down and he answered her when she talked to him. He was awesome, really. Where is this boy the majority of time???
They both look great. Gracie now wants a haircut of her own at this place. I don't know if that's going to fly with Steph.
The stylists were so nice and it's an ideal place for little bitty haircuts. A little expensive so I don't know if we'll be going back. I'm sure we will, at least for the next couple of times. Until they get get comfortable with the idea of getting haircuts. Then, they'll be able to go with daddy!
There's this great place called Cool Cuts for Kids that's designed just for little kids. Games, movies, toys - you name it, they have it. Even little cars for them to sit in vs. chairs. You can even bring your favorite movie for them to watch while the cutting happens if you like. We did.
Steph and I had a meeting before we arrived and agreed that we wanted their hair cleaned up, but didn't want anything crazy. To Steph, that meant Justin Beiber. To me, that meant way short (and Justin Beiber). I told her that I didn't want to lose the spirit of their hair, I just wanted it to be less-mullet-like and clean. She laughed. But she understood.
When we got there, that's what we told the stylists. They laughed. And they didn't understand "spirit." But they did a good job.
Surprisingly, Nick was the hardest to keep still. He didn't like the gown. He didn't like getting sprayed. He didn't like the scissors around his head and he didn't really like sitting there.
But Max was a champ. He was so sweet. He sat there. Didn't mind the gown or the spray or the scissors. He looked down when the stylist asked him to look down and he answered her when she talked to him. He was awesome, really. Where is this boy the majority of time???
They both look great. Gracie now wants a haircut of her own at this place. I don't know if that's going to fly with Steph.
The stylists were so nice and it's an ideal place for little bitty haircuts. A little expensive so I don't know if we'll be going back. I'm sure we will, at least for the next couple of times. Until they get get comfortable with the idea of getting haircuts. Then, they'll be able to go with daddy!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Gracie's Pledge of Allegiance
Yesterday was Gracie's Thanksgiving Feast at her school. It was a family affair and actually, the boys were well-behaved and it wasn't the circus I thought it might be. The highlight came at the very beginning of the meal, when we saw Gracie getting escorted down to the front of the stage, all in her little pilgrim bonnet and collar. She stepped right up to the microphone and asked everyone to stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance! Then, she said it all by herself! Like a pro. Public speaker Gracie! Rocking the Pledge of Allegiance like she owned the place. It was awesome. Unfortunately, neither me or Steph could make it to the front so we could get a good video of her. I had Max in hand at the back of the cafeteria. And to push through the crowd in the span of the Pledge was impossible. So, we just relished in hearing her leading everyone in the Pledge. No nerves. And the cutest thing ever.
You can hear it here...
You can hear it here...
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Tales of Max
Last Sunday, it was poop. This Sunday, it's marker. Max is going to destroy this house, one Sunday at a time. Actually, we'd only be so lucky if it were once a week. It's usually multiple times a day. I suspect that it's a 2-year old thing, but it's also a Max thing. And Max things are not age specific. I just hope as he gets older, the things evolve into something less destructive and more agreeable. Or at the very least, he channels into something productive - like painting the house or mowing the lawn or building something. Woo-sah.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Strep throat and Super-mom
Another month between blog posts. Shameful, I know. It's this and that and the other thing - everything that can prohibit me from posting has. Mainly my prioritization of recording the madness that is our lives right now. I want to do better and post more frequently, but it's hard.
It's a busy season for sure. I'm distracted right now listening to Max go through a vocabulary book and saying words that Steph is pointing out. He's gotten good. You can show him an entire ABC book with pictures and he knows and says 90% of everything in there. And always says, "um" in front of them. It's very cute. Nick is running at about 75% of the book and is much more deliberate in his word delivery and pronunciation. Now, Steph is disciplining Max to put something back. Sounds like a drink. That boy. Wow. He is going to make his mom older in a day and it's going to take me a couple of days, but he'll do the same to me.
They're on antibiotics right now b/c out of the blue, 2/3 of them got strep throat. I think the anitbiotics have some sort of steroid-type effect. They have been wired for the past 4 days, talking more than they ever have, destroying things like they never have, not sleeping....it's been eye-opening and just a tad exhausting. Just a tad.
I've been traveling quite a bit lately. Last week, I was in Denver for 2 days for a big pitch. Next week, I'll be in NYC for 4 days for a conference - I'm speaking on a panel at the conference. I know it drives Stephanie to the limits, her watching the kids all day/night by herself for days on end, but if she didn't do what she does, our family would be in shambles. It's hard. I know it's hard. It's hard work and it's hard for her to realize that she's doing an incredible job. It's hard for her to see the purpose in this many times, this staying home with the kids, being a full-time mom. The thought of a "full-time mom" probably sounds so ideal for girls, before they're actually in it, and once they are, there are few things elegant about picking up poop from the floor and refereeing fights and picking up "stuff" all day long and asking 5 times for something to be done and having 3 kids glued to your legs and loading in and out of the car and the store and the gym. I am convinced that there is nothing harder than being a full-time mom, much less being a good full-time mom, much less being a great full-time mom. This family is blessed with a great full-time mom. Kids - when you read this, when you can read this, go to your mom immediately and thank her for everything she did for you and then sit up in her lap and tell her a story. Or read to her. Or sing her a song. And tell her that you love her.
We went to our first parent/teacher conference of the year for Gracie on Friday night. The nut - Gracie is doing a good job. She's a very smart little girl. But she's "social" - she talks a lot. And her sociability gets in the way of her focusing and following directions. If she can learn to control her sociability, she is going to be the queen of her class. Valedictorian. She's going to be the queen of her class anyway ;) The best thing that the teacher said the other night was not about her smarts or things we need to work on or her report card (very first one!) - it was that she is a happy girl. The teacher (Mrs. Brown) said, "you guys must have a happy home because Gracie is a happy girl."
I rubbed Steph on the back and thanked her for everything that she does. We do try to set a positive example for our kids and we do things together and when I'm not irritated that I don't already have an iPad, things are more than pleasant around here. But it's the times when I'm not here, which is the majority of the week, that the real modeling takes place. And that's all Steph. Regardless of her mood (I know she's not "happy" all the time), she gives the kids everything (and more) that she has each day - energy, patience, teaching, discipline, compassion and most of all, love.
We have super-mom here at this house and we're all better for it. Homeade breakfast, of course, is now ready. Off for another meal, day, month of madness and fun.
It's a busy season for sure. I'm distracted right now listening to Max go through a vocabulary book and saying words that Steph is pointing out. He's gotten good. You can show him an entire ABC book with pictures and he knows and says 90% of everything in there. And always says, "um" in front of them. It's very cute. Nick is running at about 75% of the book and is much more deliberate in his word delivery and pronunciation. Now, Steph is disciplining Max to put something back. Sounds like a drink. That boy. Wow. He is going to make his mom older in a day and it's going to take me a couple of days, but he'll do the same to me.
They're on antibiotics right now b/c out of the blue, 2/3 of them got strep throat. I think the anitbiotics have some sort of steroid-type effect. They have been wired for the past 4 days, talking more than they ever have, destroying things like they never have, not sleeping....it's been eye-opening and just a tad exhausting. Just a tad.
I've been traveling quite a bit lately. Last week, I was in Denver for 2 days for a big pitch. Next week, I'll be in NYC for 4 days for a conference - I'm speaking on a panel at the conference. I know it drives Stephanie to the limits, her watching the kids all day/night by herself for days on end, but if she didn't do what she does, our family would be in shambles. It's hard. I know it's hard. It's hard work and it's hard for her to realize that she's doing an incredible job. It's hard for her to see the purpose in this many times, this staying home with the kids, being a full-time mom. The thought of a "full-time mom" probably sounds so ideal for girls, before they're actually in it, and once they are, there are few things elegant about picking up poop from the floor and refereeing fights and picking up "stuff" all day long and asking 5 times for something to be done and having 3 kids glued to your legs and loading in and out of the car and the store and the gym. I am convinced that there is nothing harder than being a full-time mom, much less being a good full-time mom, much less being a great full-time mom. This family is blessed with a great full-time mom. Kids - when you read this, when you can read this, go to your mom immediately and thank her for everything she did for you and then sit up in her lap and tell her a story. Or read to her. Or sing her a song. And tell her that you love her.
We went to our first parent/teacher conference of the year for Gracie on Friday night. The nut - Gracie is doing a good job. She's a very smart little girl. But she's "social" - she talks a lot. And her sociability gets in the way of her focusing and following directions. If she can learn to control her sociability, she is going to be the queen of her class. Valedictorian. She's going to be the queen of her class anyway ;) The best thing that the teacher said the other night was not about her smarts or things we need to work on or her report card (very first one!) - it was that she is a happy girl. The teacher (Mrs. Brown) said, "you guys must have a happy home because Gracie is a happy girl."
I rubbed Steph on the back and thanked her for everything that she does. We do try to set a positive example for our kids and we do things together and when I'm not irritated that I don't already have an iPad, things are more than pleasant around here. But it's the times when I'm not here, which is the majority of the week, that the real modeling takes place. And that's all Steph. Regardless of her mood (I know she's not "happy" all the time), she gives the kids everything (and more) that she has each day - energy, patience, teaching, discipline, compassion and most of all, love.
We have super-mom here at this house and we're all better for it. Homeade breakfast, of course, is now ready. Off for another meal, day, month of madness and fun.
Friday, October 1, 2010
It all happens so quick
September came and went in a blur. I wanted to write numerous times, but just didn't get around to it.
There was Labor Day, where we were going to travel to the Woodlands, but then decided against it because we'd go later in the month for Alexandra's christening. We stayed home and finished the back porch tiling project and hung out with the Stovall's and the Schwarte's. Both were fun.
There was the opening weekend of NFL, which around here is a pretty big deal. Kids - there's little that I find more enjoyment in than opening weekend of NFL. It was a great weekend.
Then, there was Max starting to be more than a handful. Now, there is still Max being more than a handful.
There was Alexandra's christening, which was more about wrangling Max more than anything for me. But the ceremony looked beautiful from the TV in the back room in the church.
Then, there was more Max. Driving Stephanie crazy. Seriously. She's had a couple of breakdowns due to the little man. He is so head strong and independent and insecure and overall, misunderstood. He needs A LOT of attention and right now, a lot of discipline. Steph does a great job with him, but it is exhausting. And that's an understatement.
There was us taking down their cribs because they climbed out of them too many times and they wouldn't sleep during nap or at night. There was the potty training, which as of tonight, seems to be going great for Max, and so-so for Nick. Max tells us everytime he has to go to the bathroom and does it by himself. Nick doesn't tell us all the time. He's getting better, though.
Then, there was also the stomach bug that ripped through our house last weekend, right before we went to Austin for my mom's 55th birthday. First it was Max. Then, it was Gracie. Then, Steph, then me. That ended this past Wednesday. It looks to have avoided little Nicky.
There is the talking more - surprisingly, Max is talking more clear words than Nick, and there is also the learning by Gracie. She's doing great in kindergarten. She's got a few behavior issues that Steph is working on in all her spare time, but overall, she's doing really well.
And now we're here. October 1. Wow. Family night movie night, Wizard of Oz on, Steph asleep, Gracie glued to Dorothy and Toto.
It all happens so quick, just as evidenced right here.
There was Labor Day, where we were going to travel to the Woodlands, but then decided against it because we'd go later in the month for Alexandra's christening. We stayed home and finished the back porch tiling project and hung out with the Stovall's and the Schwarte's. Both were fun.
There was the opening weekend of NFL, which around here is a pretty big deal. Kids - there's little that I find more enjoyment in than opening weekend of NFL. It was a great weekend.
Then, there was Max starting to be more than a handful. Now, there is still Max being more than a handful.
There was Alexandra's christening, which was more about wrangling Max more than anything for me. But the ceremony looked beautiful from the TV in the back room in the church.
Then, there was more Max. Driving Stephanie crazy. Seriously. She's had a couple of breakdowns due to the little man. He is so head strong and independent and insecure and overall, misunderstood. He needs A LOT of attention and right now, a lot of discipline. Steph does a great job with him, but it is exhausting. And that's an understatement.
There was us taking down their cribs because they climbed out of them too many times and they wouldn't sleep during nap or at night. There was the potty training, which as of tonight, seems to be going great for Max, and so-so for Nick. Max tells us everytime he has to go to the bathroom and does it by himself. Nick doesn't tell us all the time. He's getting better, though.
Then, there was also the stomach bug that ripped through our house last weekend, right before we went to Austin for my mom's 55th birthday. First it was Max. Then, it was Gracie. Then, Steph, then me. That ended this past Wednesday. It looks to have avoided little Nicky.
There is the talking more - surprisingly, Max is talking more clear words than Nick, and there is also the learning by Gracie. She's doing great in kindergarten. She's got a few behavior issues that Steph is working on in all her spare time, but overall, she's doing really well.
And now we're here. October 1. Wow. Family night movie night, Wizard of Oz on, Steph asleep, Gracie glued to Dorothy and Toto.
It all happens so quick, just as evidenced right here.
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