Q&A - Preschool Style

As we (Garrett and I) were driving to an appointment yesterday morning, Garrett proceeded to ask, interrogate, quiz and then repeat himself about anything and everything.

G: Mommy, why is the woad bumpy?

G: Mommy, why is that not our tuhn?

G:Mommy, how come we awe not going that way?

G: Mommy, can I play my Leapster?

G: Why not?

G: Why not?

G: How come?

G: How come?

You get the drift, right? I finally got to a breaking point (uh-huh and it was only 9 a.m.) and answered with the worst parenting answer ever:

M: Because I said so, buddy.

G: But, Mommy, why do you say so?

G: BECAUSE I am the Mommy. When you ask me a question and I tell you the answer, I need to you to believe that Mommy is telling you the truth and what I decide is to protect you and is best for you. And then, do not ask me again!

Silence.

G: Oh, Mommy. I am just full of questions!

I am so thankful for his cheery disposition (most days) because with that response, Garrett filled my heart with joy and I couldn't help but break out into laughter. Yes, yes indeed he is 3 years old and is supposed to be full of questions. I needed that reminder....I was reminded I am thankful he can speak, thankful his little mind is at work and thankful he is just who he is!

A Respite...

OK... so here's the deal, yo. Jill is out running errands, so I (Kenny) will be your guest blogger today. I only want to share a quick thought or two, and then I'll be done.



Sometimes life feels like this...

And sometimes I want to get away to this...

But you know what? Sometimes all that's needed is a quiet Saturday night with my wife, listening to Kate Walsh (yeah, do yourself a favor and click the link. Turn on your speakers, close your eyes, and enjoy). While she sewed, I read, and Garrett pretended to sleep.

Sometimes all that's needed is a Sunday morning at church where Garrett decides "I am going to go to my class today, because that is where I have fun at choi-ch." So while our little man took another big (no, HUGE) step in his little life, Jill and I were able to sit down together and listen to our pastor and be reminded by our experience and by the Holy Spirit why we love our church.

Sometimes all that's needed is lunch with my family at Randy Whites, Garrett sitting next to me NOT sharing his fries (especially not the Daddy-sized fries, 'cause you know... those are special) :), Jill sitting across from me, and my family enjoying a great lunch together.

As lunch was ending, and Garrett was working his way though an ice-cream cone while sitting in his mother's lap, I was reminded by God that while life may indeed feel like that first picture sometimes, and while I think what I REALLY need is to find a beach, turn on my ipod, and check out from life for awhile, in actuality I need something else. I need Him. I need my family. I need to love others like He loves me. I need to move CLOSER to life, not farther away from it.

31 Candles...

Happy birthday, Love!

I say it each and every year and I'm sure it's so cliche by now, but, I am so thankful that you were born! Your life has enriched mine (and others) in so many ways. You are a loyal friend, a faithful husband, a dedicated father, a follower of Christ. You serve, provide for, entertain and care for Garrett and I day in and day out without complaining. Year after year your disposition has not changed. Maybe you are a bit fiestier (yes, that's a word to me) but at the center of who you are is a man that is selfless, genuine and eager to bring joy to others around him. You are still full of jokes and laughter, especially in times of stress. You are always looking for ways to lighten the load; you are a helper and servant. You are mature and yet quite playful. I have fallen in love with you all over again as I watch you build train tracks and shoot hoops with our little man.

And I remain firmly in love with who you are to me - my best friend. The friend who provides comfort, security and joy. I rest easy in your arms and plan to stay that way for decades and decades of birthdays to come.

With much love,


Jill

*I cannot get Blogger's spell check to work - so pardon the spelling messiness!

Ah, Much Better!

So, is your jaw on the floor like mine? Are you totally nuts about my new blog header, too? Okay, so maybe you aren't as invested in this gig as me, but wow! I woke up this morning with a sweet, sweet surprise in my e-mail box - the above picture/header from a friend who apparently knows that pictures, and good ones at that, make my heart tick! I squealed like a little high school girl and ran through the house to find Kenny. Literally, I jumped up and down over the excitement. Maybe I'm a dork. But, wow! I just kept saying, "It's so pretty!"

I can now visit my blog and feel welcomed in to write - almost as if a room in my house has been fully decorated. Seriously, I know. It is sad that's the analogy that came to my mind. But it's true. I can rest easy when it comes to my now decorated blog.

It's the little things, people. Thank you Ms. Janet for the gift - we LOVE it! You are truly a thoughtful, thoughtful friend. Even in the midst of Stomach Bug 2008.

PS: And, people, don't for a minute think that I knew or figured out how to install the header. I'd like to take a sweet little minute to thank our lovely in-house computer whiz - thanks, Babe!

Little Monkey

As I sit here waiting for my tile grout to be restained (hallelujah!!) I decided it was time to rip off the band aid and make this a day of doing things that I've been putting off...like getting the grout stained back to it's original color, tagging clothes for a children's consignment sale, sorting through all of my leftover fabrics, cleaning out the magazine holder thingy, ordering some much needed supplies on-line and oh yes, POSTING something, ANYTHING on what was supposed to be my on-line family "journal". So, in the spirit of not procrastinating any longer, this is the best I've got today:

Could you imagine anything you'd rather be doing than hanging out with this little monkey?

Not me!

Seeing Santa 2007

Sunday we journeyed on out to the Gaylord Texan for our annual visit with Santa (yes, a tad bit late, but better late than never, right?). We went last year and really had a fun time, without the large crowds of a mall, seeing Santa and many other fun sights! Here's a little recap from this year's trip:

We opted for the family photo with Santa because if we hadn't, there would be NO photo! And, as you can see, even though we all snuggled up to Santa, Garrett STILL was unsure it was a good idea. Bless his little heart!

But lo and behold, after our family photo and about 3 feet between him and the big guy, Garrett warmed up and expressively gave Santa his wish list: plastic cars and a camera.

The train displays at the Gaylord are amazing! And, since Garrett is VERY much into trains this year, it was hit! This is one of my favorite photos of my boys....I just love pictures that capture their shared moments of discovering things together!

"Just takin' a wittle bweak"....I think we sat on every bench that Garrett saw. The boy loves him some benches!

And, last but not least, this was my attempt to capture a photo similar to the one we took of Garrett last year in an effort to show his growth....the one on top is 2006 and the bottom is 2007.

Markle

Last Saturday afternoon, our door bell rang with a package straight from the North Pole. Apparently, some very special people called Santa for us and told him that our house needed an extra set of eyes to watch Garrett and report daily back to Santa. So, inside our package came our very own elf and book. We read the book and immediately followed the instructions:

1. Name your elf. Garrett chose "Markle". Hmm.

2. Only Mommies and Daddies can touch the elf. If kids touch Markle, he will lose his special powers to report back to Santa all of the good (and bad) choices that the children make. And therefore, causing Santa not to know whether or not he should bring us treats.

3. Each morning, look for Markle in a new spot. Every night after Garrett goes to sleep, Markle flies back to the North Pole, reporting to Santa Garrett's behavior for that day, and then flies back to our house, landing in a new, prime watching spot. And, for your entertainment purposes, here are just a few places we've spotted Markle this season:

It has been really fun to start a new tradition in our home this year! We would highly recommend that if your home is without an elf this year, get one for next year!!