Thursday, December 30, 2010

A Joy-filled Year

Tomorrow is the last day of 2010...wow...it's so surreal to think that this time last year I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my baby boy...and now he is almost one!
This time every year I love to recount all the joys that I experienced during the year...and since I'm blogging now I can write them all down!

Giving birth to my precious baby boy
The experience was so joyful!  We actually got to deliver him in the same room that we delivered Lilly!  Tim read scripture out loud, and peaceful praise songs filled the air.  It was so calm and peaceful.  He came into the world with no complications and even made me think...I could do this again!
Welcoming my first two nephews into the world
My sister gave birth to twin boys on May 13.  Thankfully there were no complications and the boys were healthy.  I never knew I could love two little boys that much that were not my own.  I am so happy to be an Aunt...and I have a fun aunt name...Aunt B!
Doing Preschool at home
With the turn of the economy we had to cut several fun activities from our budget.  One of those being preschool.  I was so nervous to do this, but God blessed me with the ability and curriculum to do preschool at home!  We started in the summer doing school-time while Graham would nap.  Lilly took to it very well.  Even though we have backed off of it considerably (do to the fact that Graham doesn't nap as much) Lilly has learned just as much from me as she would have at school.  Plus, it was precious time with her that I will never get back.  We are going to keep it up and then in August 2011 she will go back to preschool.
Turning Four
Lilly turned four this year.  We had a birthday bash for her at our home...and it rained like crazy!  Thankfully we were still able to do all the slip-n-slides in the rain.  She said afterwards, "I didn't mind the rain at all...it made it more fun!"  I love my positive little lady.
Welcoming my first niece into the world
God blessed us again in September with little Gracelynn Rose.  She was born to Tim's brother Stephen and his wife Melissa.  She was so tiny, but has grown considerably in her first little 4 months of life.  I love that little girl so much.
A White Christmas
One of the biggest blessings of all was getting to celebrate Christmas.  It was Graham's first Christmas and God blessed us with snow!  The first time in 128 years!  It wasn't much, but it was still beautiful.  And even more proof that God loves us and cares about the little things.  (I can't tell you how many times I have prayed for a White Christmas!)

These are just a few of the great milestones from this year.  I am so thankful to have this blog as an outlet to record all of Gods blessings.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

I am now a conspiracy theorist

Maybe it's because we didn't leave our home for 94 hours (yes I kept track).  Or maybe they were just bored, but I swear my children have been conspiring against me for the past few days.
Here's how it all went down:

We have been cooped up all week because some magical force transported my entire state to the frozen tundra.  After two days...cabin fever set in.
As I was vacuuming my room Graham was happily playing with the cord...sounds a bit dangerous I know...but I was watching him closely.  Plus..HELLO!!!...I was actually getting to vacuum!!!
Suddenly I realized I wasn't tripping over him anymore.  I dropped the vacuum (still running) and darted into the bathroom...only to see him grinning at me with both hands splashing in the potty. 
I quickly scooped him up and proceeded to wash his hands thoroughly...all the while gagging.  (Let me make note here that the toilet was clean...it's just still gross to me)
When out of the corner of my eye what do I see?  Why it's my innocent darling girl jumping on my bed with a dirty broom. 
"Ewwwwwww!  Get that thing off my bed Lilly!"  I screamed. 
As I was shooing her off the bed, and the dirt and dust bunnies the broom left behind, I set Graham down. 
When out of the corner of my other eye I notice him sucking on the snot jerker!  (Booger snatcher, aspirator, turkey baster...call it what you may...it's disgusting!)
"GROSS!!!!!  Get that thing out of your mouth Graham!"  I hollered.
All the while the vacuum cleaner is still running.

Thank goodness I don't have more than two eyes.  I can only handle catching them doing gross and disgusting things so much.  

Monday, December 13, 2010

Oh the innocence...

Lilly is such a smart little four year old.
This was worth more than just a little Lillyism quote...
Our nightly routine includes reading one or two books to the kids...well usually just Lilly because Graham is not interested.  We always read the title and the author to her, but tonight Tim also read who the book was dedicated to.  This is how the conversation went:
Tim:  "For Nancy Boyd"
Lilly:  "Who is that?"
Tim:  "Oh, just someone the author dedicated the book to."
Lilly:  "Who's the author?"
Tim:  "Marilyn Janovitz"
Lilly:  "Who?"
Tim:  "That's the name of the lady who wrote the book."
Lilly:  "Oh...and she wrote it for Nancy Boyd?"
Tim:  "That's right."
Lilly:  "Well did she accidentally send it to me on accident?"

This just made me smile and giggle.  I love her innocence.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Have Yourself a Multicultural Christmas

Today was an exciting day. 
Lilly was counting down the hours until she got to go see Santa. 
She couldn't wait to put on her pretty Christmas dress and new lace tights.  And she couldn't wait to introduce her little brother to Santa.
Needless to say I was excited too!  I couldn't wait to put both kids on Santa's lap!
As we were strolling through the mall we approached the Santa castle where a different kind of Santa sat waiting for us. 
We didn't know what to do. 
We were taken off guard.
So we kept walking.  All the while Lilly was shouting "WAIT...WE PASSED SANTA!  WAIT!!!  WAIT!!!" 
Then she said, "Wait a minute...that wasn't Santa." 
Then I was really stumped. 
Do I turn this into a learning time? 
But this was just supposed to be a fun Christmas outing!
Should we leave?  Go find a different Santa that looks like the one Lilly has in her mind? 
We decided to stay and sit on Santa's lap.
We told Lilly that he was one of Santa's Elves and would report to Santa.
That made her even more excited! 
But wait!  She couldn't tell him she knew he wasn't the real Santa! 
We had to tell her to "act" like he was the real Santa so she wouldn't hurt his feelings.  Lilly was more than willing to play along...and that got us out of an uncomfortable social situation.
So we turned back around and went back to Santa-land.
As we stood in line all eyes were on us. 
It was almost like people were wondering if we were trying to teach our kids some sort of multicultural lesson. 
In the end it turned out just fine.
We got a picture we will remember forever...Lilly sitting on a Santa-elf lap with her screaming little brother beside her.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving...

...and all through the Holland house, I was walking around going over everything I was thankful for. 
-Toys scattered on the floor
-Laundry on the chair
-A happy husband watching basketball
-Bills that are paid...and a few that are not
-Pictures of the kids on the wall
-Two cars that work
-A goofy pup
-Clean bathrooms
-Stain spots on the carpet...and each one has a story.
So many of these normal things get overlooked everyday.  Or I find them annoying.  But not tonight.  Tonight I am so incredibly thankful for all of the day-to-day things.  They are a constant reminder of God's love and faithfulness.  And for that I am most thankful for.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Oh No! He's Discovered "IT"

When the nurse said, "Well, it looks like you are having a boy!" I literally screamed!  I was that excited!  She immediately reprimanded me and I put my hand over my mouth like a two-year old...but that's another story. 
And in about as much time as it took me to scream with elation, I was immediately consumed with reality...
"Oh my gosh I'm having a boy.  What do I do with a boy?  How do I take care of a boy?  What do I do with that...thing?"  Those are just a few of the questions that consumed me while the cold jelly was being rubbed over my belly that day.
I eventually got over it...and had my adorable little guy.
For the first few months I couldn't tell the difference between a baby boy and baby girl.  They both just lay there, make little noises, and poop...no big deal.  Even diaper changes weren't nearly as traumatic as I envisioned them. 
Then it happened.
The thing that I knew would happen.
He found his "thingy". 
Last night in the bath tub Graham stood up and pee-peed.  The sound of it caught his attention and he looked down...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! 
I tried to stop him! 
I knew that once he saw "it" there would be no turning back.
And, like a kid who tries candy for the first time, he grabbed "it" and looked at me.
Even though my little man can only say a few words...his eyes told it all:
"Mommy...what's this!  Why haven't you showed "it" to me before!  Watch me make "it" disappear!  Watch me try to pull "it" off!  LISTEN TO MY HYSTERICAL GIGGLE!!!!"
Now what! 
I'm at a complete loss for words. 
I have no idea what to do...and of course Lilly is observing all of this.
Tim walks in at this point and cracks up.
And of course...he has to throw in his two cents..."see, God gave us a permanent toy!" 
Now it is night two of Magellan's "discovery".
I was thinking that maybe he would've forgotten all about his "new toy"...he is a guy right? 
Well of course he didn't forget! 
As soon as that tiny tooshy hit the water his little fingers went straight for "it".  But tonight he was the conqueror!  Gone was the look of innocent discovery.  Tonight he was all about conquering this "new world."  And since he couldn't tell me how proud he was to explore his "new territory" he simply stated it with an Indian noise..."IIIIIIIIIIIII-YIIIIIIIII-YIIIIIIIIII" (not really sure how to describe this noise...but I've heard Indian's make it at pow-wow's on TV).
So what do I do with this?  I know that he's a boy...and this is supposed to happen...but I'm not a boy!  I didn't have any brother's.  I didn't even own a boy animal! 
So I will do my best to navigate these new waters...and try not to let him see me laughing.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

To Ignore...or not to ignore

Today I was smacked in the face with the realization that I treat my kids differently!
Ahhhhhhh!!!!!

We were visiting with Tim's family today and having a great time.  The kids were laughing and playing.  All was well.  I noticed that Graham was playing with a glass block figurine, but didn't think much of it...or chose to ignore it...I'm not sure.  As I was talking I heard a loud banging sound on their glass coffee table.  I glanced over but didn't think much of it...or chose to ignore it...I'm not sure.  A few seconds later I heard an even louder banging sound on the glass table and realized that yes I was choosing to ignore the problem, and yes he was about to shatter two different things.  Instead of leaping to the rescue and snatching it out of his hands I said, "Oh, that's just Graham," and went back to my conversation.
WHAT!!!!
Was my conversation that important!!!!
Apparently it was because again...I chose to ignore him.
Then, having realized what I just did, I said, "if that would have been Lilly I would have snatched her up and away so quickly her head would've spun!"
WHAT!!!!
Am I really treating my kids that differently? 
I can't seem to figure out if it's a second kid thing, or a boy/girl thing? 
I really need to give this some thought...or I could choose to ignore it.

Friday, October 29, 2010

The Apple Didn't Fall Far from the Nerd Tree

I'm not a complete dweeb...but I have my moments.

At a party in middle school a magician asked for someone to yell out a geometric shape.  Having just studied geometry that week in math, I yelled out "parallelogram!"  to which the magician ignored.  He proceeded to look around the room and say, "does anyone know a shape?"  To which I replied even louder, "rhombus!"  At this point the whole room of parents and middle schoolers are laughing at me, but I didn't care.  I knew that those were geometric shapes...I just didn't know the magician was looking for someone to say "square" or "circle". 
I was proud of my knowledge!
And I had no idea that you could pass down nerdiness...until about a week ago.
At a birthday party for my godson I saw a piece of my nerd-gene that was passed to Lilly.
We were doing a treasure hunt at the party and Eric, the birthday boy's dad, was reading the clues out to all the kids.  One clue said something about finding the biggest nerd in the crowd and that was who had the next clue.  All of the preschoolers looked at him like a dummy, so he had to elaborate.  He said, "Who is the biggest nerd here?"  (Implying his teenage nephew)  Well my innocent little Lilly shot her hand up so fast and proud she almost fell over.  We all giggled under our breath.  Eric, trying not to burst into laughter, repeated himself, "who is the biggest nerd here?"  To which Lilly shouted "ME!" and raised her hand even bigger. 
At this point I had a flashback.
My palms were sweaty. 
I held my breath.
I didn't know how she would handle everyone laughing at her.
But to my surprise she was super proud to be a self-proclaimed nerd.
And I proudly said, "That's my girl!"

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

A Good Day

This is what I call a productive day...

First, we played mechanic and fixed an airplane.




Once it was safe to fly...the kids took it for a spin!

Then we journeyed out into the rain for some strolling...rain boots make the best for pedaling.

Then I cooked a FABULOUS dinner for all of us to enjoy.

 And we finished the night with a game of Pretty Pretty Princess. 

I call this a super successful day.

Monday, October 18, 2010

The Early Bird Gets Wet

I love being a mommy.  I have always known that this was what I wanted to do, and I receive great fulfillment at the end of each day.  The part that I have always struggled with in being a mommy is the lack of sleep.
For some reason my children do not sleep well.
Lilly started off her little life sleeping great.  At five weeks she was sleeping through the night.  I remember thinking...no patting myself on the back...what a wonderful job I was doing as a mom.  HA...that's all I can say about that.  Then she became a real baby and woke up all hours of the night for months and months.
Then my little Graham came along.  He didn't sleep well from the beginning.  We are starting to get somewhere now.  He's nine months old and only wakes up once in the middle of the night to eat.
So Graham wakes up once a night to eat, and Lilly wakes up once a night to either go potty or to just make sure we are still there.  And then there are the occasional storms in the middle of the night, the dog needing to go out, or the guy in my attic that always drops his left shoe (at least that what it sounds like to me).  Couple that with the fact that I can't ever seem to get into bed before 11 and that my kiddos can't seem to sleep past 6:30am...and you've got one tired little mama.
I don't mean to sound like I am complaining.  I know most of the world is up at 6:30, but I've just never been an early bird.
I proved that to Lilly and my dog Beans the other morning.
It had been one of those nights where I was up about five or six times, and sure enough at 6:15 Lilly came strolling in my room.  I told her to go away...but that didn't work.  So then I said she could get in bed with me.  First, she ran to her room to get her two favorite pillows and stuffed animals.  When she came back I was already back asleep.  I felt her climb into bed and knew that I needed to move Tim's pillows to make room for half of her own bed that she brought with her.  As I rolled over to lift Tim's pillows (which, by the way, is one of those super heavy pillows made of that molding foam or something) up over me and off the bed I lost my grip and the pillow came crashing down on my nightstand.  This is how it all went down:
First it hit my glass of water.  And it didn't just gently knock it over, it LAUNCHED the cup halfway across the room and hit three pieces of furniture on the way down.  This caused water to pour out all over my unsuspecting sleeping pooch.  This caused her to leap out of bed with a yelp and violently shake water all over my room.  At the same time, my Bible fell off the nightstand and whacked Beans in the head.  So now I have a wet dog whose been hit with the Word of God...and not happy about it.  She proceeds to leap into bed and lay on top of me because she has no idea what is going on.  As all of this unfolds, Lilly is laughing hysterically which wakes Graham up for the day.  Now the Holland house is up.
As I look back on the series of events I cannot help but think it all could have been avoided if I would've just pushed Tim's pillows off his side of the bed instead of trying to pick it up over my side.   But I blame that on my lack of sleep.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

A 9 Month Blur


Tomorrow my little guy will be nine months old...I have no idea where those nine months have gone!  I look back over these nine months and I cannot help but laugh at what a funny little guy he is turning out to be.  Here are just a few things that he does that make me smile:
-wrinkles his nose when he smiles
-claps at everything
-crawls like a bulldog
-loves playing with his nightlight...while it's plugged in
-can't stay away from the toilet
-loves his stuffed animal monkey by attacking it 
(I have to wash this poor little guy every few days because it is always covered in slobber!)
-yells while eating
-loves bath time...and splashing
-impossible to change 
-plays in dog food
-loves absolutely everything about life

I've loved every second with him and I cannot wait to see what new things he will discover tomorrow!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

It's All in a Name!

I just love the creativity of a four year old!  These are Lilly's stuffed animals...and yes she sleeps with all of them every single night.  Their names always crack me up...so I have to list them.
From left to right:
Baby, Froggy, Piggy, Nemo, Sheepy, Pibblesquash, Odette, Carol, Blueberry II, Bee, Blueberry I, Baby Addie, Minnie, Cinderella, Gumby, Obaheeta.
I had no part in naming any of these...they are all from the mind of a four year old.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

One Little, Two Little, Three Little...WHAT?

(This entry comes with a disclaimer...we do not talk like this in our home)

Lilly loves to sing...she always has.  Even before she could speak words she would babble (in Chinese I think) different songs. 
The other day she said, "Mommy, let's sing!!"  Thinking back to the other day when she busted out with the Flo Rider song, I was wondering where this road would lead us.  I said, "Ok baby, you start."  This is what she sang:
"One little, two little, three little midgets.  Four little, five little, six little midgets.  Seven little, eight little, nine little midgets...ten little midgets now!"
Ok...this time there was no hiding it...I busted out laughing in complete shock.  I said, "Lilly, where did you hear the word midget?"  She said, "Chief told it to me (chief is my dad)." 
I proceeded to call Chief and tell him...to which he vehemently denied.
So without making her feel bad, I asked if she meant to say ingene instead and she said "oh yeah!" 
BUT...when you ask her to sing the song...she still says midget. 
I guess I'll correct her later...it's just too cute.

Friday, September 24, 2010

A Rich Tradition

As long as I can remember, traditions have been a HUGE part of my family.  We have always done the holidays the same way, we said our dinner blessings a certain way, we even vacationed in the same spots.  We weren't boring...we just loved our traditions!  One tradition that stands out in my mind, and is still a tradition, is the Mulkey Family Reunion.
Every third Sunday in August was dedicated to my grandmother's side of the family...the Mulkey's.  We would wake up early and get ready for church, like normal, but instead of going down the road we would drive an hour and a half north to Nelson, GA.  The only thing in Nelson is a marble factory (where my great-grandfather worked), a few homes, and Bethesda Baptist Church.  The church is one room with two bathrooms and it sits right in the middle of a large mountain cemetery. 
The reunion worked like this:
We would all arrive in the church and sit on or designated sides...Georgia folks sat on the left side of the church, and the Tennessee folks would sit on the right.  We would then begin by standing up and introducing ourselves...to our family members...even as a kid this baffled me.  After formal introductions, we would listen to the Treasurer of the reunion deliver the minutes from the previous years' reunion.  The minutes are approved and new business is brought to the pulpit.  After all of this we would sing and have a sermon.  All the while the kids would be STARVING!  Once the church service was over we would dash out the doors to the open pavilion where we would eat AMAZING southern food.  The problem with the pavilion was the only table was used for the food...so we had nowhere else to sit.  The kids would all pick a tombstone and eat on it, while the grown ups stood around balancing their plates and drinks.  (This must have been before lounge chairs were invented). 
Once we were done eating the Georgia cousins were forced to play with the Tennessee cousins in the graveyard.  There was not much to do except play hide-and-seek, or pick a lovely bouquet of grave flowers for our moms.  (This must have been before bringing-toys-with-you-to-things-like-this was invented).  Then it was time to leave...until next year.
That is how I remember the reunion as a kid.
Now I am a grown-up...and we just celebrated the 53rd Annual Mulkey Family Reunion last Sunday.
Only a few things have changed.  We now celebrate the reunion the third Sunday in September (so it's three degrees cooler than August), and we eat first (they got tired of hearing us whine).  However; the introductions STILL take place, we are still segregated to the GA and TN sides of the church, and the children still love to play in the graveyard.  Watching Lilly pick me flowers from someones grave made me smile and cringe at the same time.
Although I make light of my family tradition I know that it is an important one.  Each year I see how deeply rooted we are and how my family is truly centered around Christ.  I am a very lucky girl.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Homemade Applesauce...yum yum!

So I made homemade applesauce yesterday with North Georgia apples...and it was amazing!  A friend suggested I post the recipe...so here you go Rach!

Peel and slice a bunch of apples!
Put them into a crock pot with a little bit of water in the bottom
If you like cinnamon applesauce then sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top
Turn the crock pot on high and let them cook (a few hours)
Stir every now and then
When the apples turn mushy you can either mash them up with a potato masher (for lumpier sauce) or put them into a blender for a creamier sauce.
(I do the blender version because after it's creamy I pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it to make baby food for later)
Serve it hot for an awesome HEALTHY dessert!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Welcome to the fam Dave and Nita

We have recently added two new members to the family...and no I did not have twins.  Dave and Nita have joined the Holland ranks in the imaginary realm.
Lilly has recently discovered a TV show that she loves called Imagination Movers.  There is a guy on the show called Dave (who has ugly hair in my opinion) and a girl named Neena (but Lilly thinks her name is Nita).  From this show she has pulled Dave and Nita into our family.  They go everywhere with us!  At dinner the other night I had to pull a chair up for Dave and Tim had to pull up a chair for Nita.  We even incorporate them into our conversations.
Recently her imagination went even deeper.  Dave transformed into Old Dave and New Dave.  Old Dave is from the Movers show and New Dave is from a movie we watched called Hotel For Dogs.  This is the first time I have noticed Lilly showing a little crush on a boy.  One of the main characters' name is Dave.  Her eyes lit up when she saw him on screen...it was really cute.
So throughout the day Dave and Nita pop in and out of playtime, dinnertime, and bedtime...however they do not sleep with her...they sleep on the trampoline.
Each day it is something new and exciting, and I'm glad to have them as part of the family. 

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Too Many Weddings?

This summer has been an absolute blast for my family!  Even though we didn't have a long vacation like we usually do, we still managed to pack it full of lots of fun and exciting adventures.
Some of the adventures of the summer included several weddings that we all attended.  Weddings are always fun.  They make me remember my own wedding...and I get all teary eyed.  The weddings we attended this summer all had one thing in common...dancing.   When you tell a four year old diva...I mean girl...that there will be dancing at the wedding, "excited" doesn't even begin to describe the emotions coursing through.  And at each event she proved to us that she DEFINITELY knows how to break it down.
The other day at breakfast Lilly came out of nowhere and said, "Mommy, can we sing a song?"  I was excited because I thought it was going to be one of those mommy/daughter moments you remember forever...sitting at the breakfast table singing Jesus Loves Me or BINGO.  I even thought that maybe she was recalling one of the newer songs she had learned from my grandmother.  Needless to say I was excited about this special moment we were about to share.
I said to Lilly, "Go ahead sweetheart...let's sing."  What came out of her mouth surprised me so much that I laughed out loud.  She sang, "Apple bottom jeans and the boots with the fur...she hit the flo...next thing you know...baby got low low low low low low low low." Song (If you are unfamiliar with this song click the link and close your eyes...now picture Lilly singing)
I was speechless.
Finally I said, "Lilly...where did you hear that song?"
She said, "Oh, just the weddings."
So with all the fun things we did this summer I am left asking one question...did we go to too many weddings?

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Carrot Explosion

When Lilly was a baby I decided to try my hand at making baby food.  I thought it would be a great way to save money and a way to give her the best possible nutrition...pat on the back.  For seven months I made her baby food, and I barely used the store bought baby food.
Needless to say when baby number two came around I was going to do the same thing...little did I know I would barely have time to shower much less make homemade baby food!  But, I was not ready to give up!  So I resigned myself to the fact that jar baby food wasn't so bad and if I could throw in SOME homemade baby food I was doing good.
The other day Publix had carrots on sale and I decided to make Graham some steamed carrot baby food....yum yum!
During his nap I had time to wash and chop up the carrots (while reading a story to Lilly) and put them in the steamer.  He woke up before they were done cooking.  So with baby-on-hip I poured the cooked carrots into the blender and turned it on.  All was going well...Graham was enjoying watching the carrots in the blender and Lilly was playing with her imaginary friend Dave (more on him later).  During the blending process, several of the carrot pieces got stuck to the side of the blender.  So I grabbed my spatula and gently pushed them down into the blades (this is where I messed up).  I realized at this point that I needed to set the spatula down, "hmmm," I thought, "I really don't want to set this down on the counter and get orange carrot juice on the counter."  So, in my sleep-deprived brain, I thought it would be a good idea to leave the spatula IN the blender.  How quickly I forgot that the ONLY job of a blender is to pull food down and chop it up.  As I was stepping to the side to grab a napkin, the vicious blender proceeded to pull the unsuspecting spatula down into its grasp.  As soon as the spatula hit the blades an eruption, unlike any I have ever seen, proceeded to take place.  Carrots shot into the air and covered the following surfaces:  ceiling, cabinets, sink, fridge, door, me and Graham...and the counter!  The counter that I was SO worried about getting a spec of carrot juice on was now unrecognizable!
I quickly turned off the blender as Graham turned to look at me.  If an eight month old can give you an "are you kidding me" look...he did.
And he had jar baby food for lunch.

Monday, August 30, 2010

How to diaper my boy

Graham has decided he no longer wants to wear diapers.  I don't understand why, or how, this realization has dawned on my almost eight month old, but it has.  This is how it works:
-I lay him down
-he flips over
-I flip him back over and get one snap off of his shirt...
-and already he's flipped back over
-This continues until all snaps are undone
-Sit up and stretch my back because I am hunched over on the floor because the changing table doesn't work anymore (why you may ask) because he has almost flipped off of it too many times...sigh
-While I was stretching he has crawled to his nightlight and is trying to get it off the wall
-I drag him back and begin to undo his diaper
-The constant flipping continues...but this time there is screaming involved...on both parties
-If there is a "surprise" in the diaper I proceed to wipe it off of the feet, ankles, knees, my hands, my elbows and what ever is left on the bum-bum
-Sit up and stretch again...wipe brow of the tiny beads of sweat
-Realize he is no longer in the room...check the bathroom first because he has discovered the toilet...see him pulling up on the toilet...gross!
-lay him down again and start handing him toy after toy
-toys no longer work...start making crazy monkey sounds to get his attention
-monkey sounds work for one side of the diaper...now he is bored...
-flips over again
-start making popping sounds
-popping sounds work for the second side
-AND HE'S DIAPERED!
-do victory dance
-fall on my face from exhaustion
-realize he's left the room again

Saturday, August 28, 2010

The First Word

So yesterday was an exciting day in the Holland house.  My little man Graham said his first word!! 

In the morning he always watches his daddy go out the front door to work.  Since he has learned to crawl, he takes off for the door...usually crying.  Yesterday he took off for the door, hollering at the top of his lungs, dadadadadadadadada!  I thought, "oh, how cute...there's no way he said dada though."  For the rest of the morning I proceeded to brainwash my son with
"say mama...mama...mamamamamamamamama"  And each time he would laugh at me.
Lunch time came around and we loaded up and headed to McDonalds (still too hot for the park down here).  I joined two of my best buds for chicken nuggets, apples, and dirty playground feet, only to hear them say "I think Graham is saying dada!"  Well...I was still not ready to give in. 
For the next couple of hours I kicked up the brainwashing a notch...I had Lilly join me.  So between the two of us we said "mama" about 4.5 billion times.  And each time Graham would laugh at me. 
As Tim pulled into the driveway I said "Lilly, Daddy's home," only to hear my little man scream "DADA" and ferociously crawl to the front door. 
So I gave in.  My little man, who only wants ME at 2am, and who only chews on ME with sweet potatoes all over his face, and who crawls over mountains of laundry to get to ME...said Dada first. 
At least he is the greatest Dada in the world.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Here I go!!!

Ok, so I'm new to this whole...blogging thing...but I guess I will give it a try! 

I was recently inspired by Aunt Sue to write a book about life at the Holland house.  She came down from Iowa for a visit and felt that our house held some interesting things that other folks might like to read.  Maybe it was the way my daughter turned into an oompa-loompa after eating strawberries, or the fact that my son likes licking floor vents...I don't know what made her think that someone might find our life funny!  Either way, the thought of attempting a book scared me, but blogging could be fun!  I'm kind of looking at it like a diary!  Except you have discovered it under my bed and are reading it...shame on you!

So I will now raise my glass to my first blog entry and call it a night...and hope that I can learn to navigate this site and make my page look more appealing.  And I can only hope that my next entry will be even better!

To all you pro-bloggers out there...if you have any tips I would appreciate them.