hustle bustle version 2013

this post comes early because... I'm getting things done early this year!  thus, my random musings for the holiday season 2013:

for the first time since having accompanied my own peers in yw, I played the piano publicly!  (ironically, I was accompanying the yw again.)

speaking of, the kids are constantly jealous of the fun the yw must be having without them.  so we held a minute to win it playdate with leftover supplies.

 

 

k and I went to see a friend perform in the nutcracker... mature things like this now hold her attention (at least until the last 5 minutes when she asked, "does she ever wake up?") 

 

 

the first and only dusting of snow. (both kids were sure that school would to be cancelled)

 

 

the hilarity of school papers.  jack had a paper about the gifts a family gives to eachother.  a gift that my dad gives me is "hugs."  and a gift that my mom gives me is "my lunch."  kindin had a similar paper about giving gifts to others.  she would give her dad "candy because he likes it" and for her mom she "would go to the store to get groceries because she hates doing it." 

 

k got 3 teeth pulled.  poor girl will likely repeat this process a few more times in the upcoming years with an extra small mouth and an extra tooth.

 

 

for crazy hair day, I successfully carved out a david beckham cut and a pinkie pie look for the kids.

 

 

I'm trying to finish dolly's baby album.... my office space always looks like this!

 



 

and... the Eichmann family efficiently celebrated thanks-mas this year.... otherwise known as thanksgiving on thursday and Christmas on Friday.  grandma had some gimmicky (but adorable) props to ensure the snap of a picture or two!

 

 

updated growing up!

talking out loud!

one of my biggest hopes for my kids is that they can talk out loud - that is, speak comfortably in public.  so as jack neared the end of his second year in primary (the safe haven, if there ever was one, of talking out loud!) without having yet had a talking out loud opportunity, I took the matter into my own hands.  I ever- so- gently suggested to the primary president that jack be given the assignment.  with no result, i had to be a bit more suggestive than that and I was.  when I was asked to have kindin speak (yet again), I politely countered that I wanted jack to accept the assignment.  jack wasn't thrilled about talking out loud but we hammered out a gratitude talk he approved of and practiced over and over.  when he stood up in said safe haven (primary) to speak, he had a huge, sly, embarrassed grin on his face.  dave and I were so proud when he insightfully recognized that a very audible deep breath was needed before he began!  he spoke loud enough to hear and had memorized it perfectly.  he did great!  I begged dave to sneak a picture but he wouldn't (okay, fine, its NOT reverent) so these momentos will have to suffice:

"Apostles talk about gratitude.  The scriptures talk about gratitude.  And we talked about gratitude in family night.   This is our gratitude list.  At first it was hard but then it was easy to come up with 40 things because we practiced.  4 things I want to share are: grasshoppers, banana bread, tv, and cousins.  I know that Heavenly Father is happy when we remember all that he has done for us!  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

on that note....
every week, kindin's teacher hosts an optional show n tell and I couldn't be happier!  I am so happy kindin has an additional safe haven for practicing her talking out loud skills.  every Thursday night, I eagerly remind her (and sometimes force her), to find something meaningful to share.  this week, she proudly brought in her deposit book from her very own savings account!  (can you believe she asked for one on her own? such a cute little saver like her dad!) 

the growing up opinionated kind

dalia has been doing lots of growing up lately: 

she's graduated to a 'big bed'

she is starting to occasionally skip naps

she has a bestie

and she's becoming quite observant and embarrassingly opinionated: 

1. upon seeing a little person at lowe's:  'a tiny guy'.  'ha, a tiny one!'
2. encountering a larger women in the paper isle at hobby lobby:  'ha, ha  a funny tummy.  a funny tummy!'
3. walking past a man at walmart: 'ha. that man has a necklace on. a necklace!'   

Flat Sophia troubles

Flat Sophia snuck into Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo with us and she got herself into a bit of trouble! 

You see, she is the perfect size for fitting into prairie dog dirt mounds. 

When a particularly feisty prairie dog...

...snatched her deep into his hole!  Flat Sophia ended up smooshed underneath a chubby prairie dog!

 

Her cousins tried coaxing the prairie dog out so we could rescue flat Sophia but he simply sat at his hole and glared at us.
 

 

Uncle David quickly found a long stick to scare the prairie dog and pull Flat Sophia to safety. 

 

She was rescued- but a bit dirty.  She needed new Cornhusker duds!

halloween- the year of the mom

I decided a year ago that the 80s cereal monsters would be such a cute grouping of costumes and I spent this past year grooming them to go along with it!  (to be fair, the grooming was simply a matter of dangling sugar cereals in front of their noses.)  I had SO.MUCH.FUN gathering their costumes and, I think, they looked absolutely clever and adorable!

sewing sundays

this not-so-little girl of mine has really taken to her sewing machine lately.  gifted to her by an insightful omi, she loves turning charm packs into 9 patch blocks.  and because she still needs a bit of supervision, I get to enjoy it with her!  sundays have become a perfect day to sit side by side and craft.  I enjoy watching her determination and natural ability- she really has been quite good at arts and crafts since very early on.  (she's been complimented for years on her ability to use things like brads and rub-ons.)  it really wont be long before she'll be sewing all by herself... 

a glove funeral

Today, I threw away these gloves.  They needed to be replaced.  But before I tossed them, I had a very rare emotional attachment to process.  So appease me in a glove funeral if you will.  These gloves were bought 11 winters ago amidst my very selfish, single life.  A life that was half exciting, crazy, middle of the night ER career and half silly, indulgent, carefree recreation.  These snowboarding gloves are perhaps the last physical evidence that I once lived a pretty cool lifestyle!  You see, when I tell my kids I used to snowboard Breckenridge every Saturday, I can tell they don't believe me.  And I don't blame them- after all I'm now a total Nervous Nelly about everything from kites to ferris wheels!  (What is it about motherhood that makes one nerdier and nerdier and nerdier???)  While I can say that I am beyond grateful that "domestication" (if you will) has traded those days for a life with greater maturity, meaning, and spirituality- there is still 10% of me that really embraces those gloves today.  Looking back, while I fully enjoyed that time in Colorado, I worried so much about "domestication" and prayed to begin the rest of my life.  I am so thankful a loving Heavenly Father knew me better than I know myself.  He blessed me with that lifestyle in Colorado because He knew the joy those gloves would still bring me today!

a mushy, gushy pose

despite telling every photographer i've ever been in touch with that I absolutely hate this pose (and despite the fact that I really do dislike this picture), it does capture a bit of how I feel for my Dave.  He is absolutely the rock I lean on.  I lean on his natural ability to smile and his silly, playful humor.  I lean on his ability to be optimistically understanding but also softly confrontational.  I lean on his late night listening ear (unless hair or clothes is the subject matter) and his chatty friendliness to others.  and (even if through gritted teeth) I lean on his more practical side too (i.e. budgeting skills, all things science).... I love my rock! 

parent teacher conference report

she reads at a 4th grade reading level but it is her least favorite subject AND she bemoans the accelerated curriculum

she loves the thrill of timed math tests
she is 'an example' and a 'sweetheart' and 'reserved'
writing is her favorite subject
her teacher (who hosts jack in homeroom) mentioned she cant imagine jack and kindin together because they are so 'opposite'.

he always compliments his teacher (who he has a major crush on)  'your shirt is pretty' or ' you look nice'
his people drawings have improved dramatically and he now cares about his artwork
he is beginning to read and isn't behind like his mother fretted
he 'loves mondays' now!

a punishment that fits the crime

after having been caught in another little and white lie,  mom and dad were sure it was time for a punishment other than just another strong admonition about truth telling!  she'd really not done anything terrible or unordinary- after all, ditching a half eaten dinner when mom and dad aren't looking and lying about it when confronted has gotta be in every textbook on parenting.  but, this little cutie is getting close to her baptism and we were 100% unified in our decision to find a punishment that made her think more about honesty.  and if we do say so ourselves, it was a perfectly dreadful but fitting punishment.  forced to eat her soggy turkey sandwich, she reacted and over reacted for a good half hour with cries ringing through the neighborhood.  feeling perfectly unified in our decision (which, truth be told, can be a rare moment between a somewhat stern mother and a very fun loving father), we couldn't help but giggle and sneak a picture...

  

c-r-y-b-a-b-y

I've learned how to spell c-r-y-b-a-b-y efficiently and discretely in answer to the question: 'how is jack doing in school?'  the first two months of kindergarten has turned jack into a c-r-y-b-a-b-y.  every day when I walked to pick him up, he was already in tears or bursting into tears about the littlest of things- a forgotten waterbottle, tripping on the stairs, it was hot outside, etc...  CRYING every single day!  having held it together all day long at school, he lost it at the sight of me.  at home, he was exhausted, he couldn't handle playdates well because of his irritability, he dreaded the next day of school, and every morning he anxiously checked and re-checked his short list of to-dos.  that is, until this past week.  it has stopped.  he's been confident.  he's playful again after school.  and he has even expressed excitement for school!  it's so nice to have him back.

 

accessing my inner mary poppins

there is a park nearby that's situated in a perpetually gusty spot.  it is, essentially, the perfect spot for flying kites.  truly, one can fly a kite there on any given day.  sounds kinda magical doesn't it?  almost has you breaking into song- 'let's go fly a kite and send it soaring.  up to the atmosphere, up where the air is clear.'  despite numerous attempts, I have yet to access my inner mary poppins.  in fact, I am utterly afraid of flying kites.  this last trip, david and grandpa were again unsuccessful in swaying me from my fear- even using my adorable two year old as bait.
  

 

love it or hate it

overheard at dalia's most recent playdate from her two yr old friend: "dolly, will you put my shoes on?"  also overheard at a recent playdate from another two yr old friend:  "dalia, stop! stop!  no!" 

concerning dalia's repetitive obsession with putting on and taking off shoes for others- you either love it or hate it!

the 'polkadot baby' adoption

Claire first came to our home as the baby kindin picked out with her grandmother at the store.  as one of many dolls kindin liked to caretake, Claire was THE favorite baby- even earning status in kindin's bed at night.  dalia watched jealously from afar and often snuck Claire when the opportunity presented itself.  if kindin was not looking, Claire was in dalia's clutches which would upset kindin and necessitate parent intervention.  dalia soon came up with a smarter game plan and began seizing 'kindin's baby' only when kindin wasn't around (ie. during the school day).  but, every night there was an argument as a frustrated and tired kindin searched the house for where claire had gone.  this angry cycle repeated itself and grandma pleaded to step in with a second baby claire but even she could agree that that wasn't an effective solution.  the anger continued to build and dad stepped in with a very clever reframe.  dad began applauding kindin for getting such a great 'babysitter' while she was gone.  because kindin could hardly argue with that,  she soon began thanking dalia for babysitting every day.  they had inherited a very happy arrangement- dalia babysitting days and kindin had her beloved baby in bed every night.  time passed and kindin soon forgot about claire but dalia did not forget about 'kindin's baby'.  in spite of at least 8 other babies in her possession, dalia always preferred 'kindin's baby'.  she even boldly renamed her 'polkadot baby' when she sensed kindin's lack of care and concern!  claire has essentially been adopted to dalia as polkadot baby and dalia couldn't be happier.  she coos to her and cuddles with her.  she tries to help her walk.  she reads to her and she even reprimands her.  when dalia's upset, the easiest way to redirect her is to ask about polkadot baby.

   
 but she never asks to sleep with polkadot baby- it appears some happy arrangements die hard!

the great niobium experiment

Nb: I really enjoyed the periodic table in middle school but, in all of my memorizing, I have no recollection of niobium.  once unknown to me, niobium is now a hot commodity (or should I say element?) in the parry household.  it all started with a few unsuccessful trials with a variety of different earrings (we'll call them 'variables').   kindin's ears never truly accepted her white gold starter set and reacted more severely to her second, third, and fourth sets of varying compositions.  after hours of wiki/ yahoo/ google fact-checking and consultations with the experts at claire's  (I know- extremely calculated deduction methods), it sounds like kindin is not only allergic to nickel and some metals but alloys in general.  and although the obvious, immediate answer is purchasing high karat gold earrings- have you ever price checked that?  and have you ever tried to find a pair congruent with 7 yr. old tastes?  there had to be another answer to kindin's ear sensitivities.  so, I 'researched' (translated loosely) and nobium emerged as a fairly easy answer to her troubles.  (aside from being able to step into target and just buy earrings at a reasonable price like any normal person! note: scientific sarcasm)  i will say my bibliography heavily sources a miss Maggie from an unknown town in florida but she seemed to know what she was talking about.  so, a hopeful mother (ahem scientist) wanting to increase her sad little girl's chance of success with earrings, sent $53 to an unknown niobium artist.  kindin squealed for joy when Maggie's creations appeared in the mailbox; her 'wear earrings again' claim was tested immediately.  and within days, the oozing, discomfort, and itching stopped!  In fact, the subject reports that she doesn't even feel like she has earrings in.  the great niobium experiment appears to have really worked!

creative (aka sneaky, desperate)

jack has already decided that love and affection from his parents is uncool.  it usually manifests itself as a wiping off of bedtime kisses but has become a rejection of all things hugs too.  of course we still give them but he still rejects them... and, of course, while still desperately needing them!  so we're left using creative (aka sneaky, desperate) means to give affection.  this morning, I was successful when I snuck into his room right as I knew he'd wake up and laid there waiting for him to wake up.  we chatted and cuddled before his manly defenses were up.  and he was singing all the way to school!  his father was successful getting affection by creating (what's always worked for jack) a paradoxical intervention.  and we've found competitions for who is the best at giving kisses also works- mom even got a kiss on the lips with that sneaky trick.  luckily, our creative devices have given him the affection he needs again! 

... just another of those times I scratch my head at parenthood- never imagining the amount of creativity (aka sneakiness, desperation) needed to successfully meet your child's needs!

3 little bug catchers

we've recently found an outdoor hobby all 3 kids absolutely love... and spend hours doing together!  every day, they unite in the great cause of catching cicadas, crickets, roly poly bugs, and butterflies.
 

only child perks

the other day, dalia admitted with a sly grin that she liked having jack and kindin at school.  I giggled that she admitted to what's so painfully obvious!  within just two short weeks, she has already become quite accustomed to an only child lifestyle.  the perks include:

-a LOT of hand holding! "mommy, hold my hand pwease"
-a regular playdate with 4 toddler cuties
-she often gets 'copcorn' on target errands
-free reign to sample her sibling's carseats
-yogurt and goldfish for lunch or self-serve nutella sandwiches

-sometimes, she gets naptime with mommy rather than in her bed
-piggyback rides to the park

-sneaking into siblings' lipgloss collections (and a variety of other collections)
-helping herself to the gummy 'spidermans' (vitamins)
-trying on everyone's 'shoop shops' (flip flops)
and
-eating 'licky' (minty) gum whenever she pleases

jack's first day

jack's first day of school was filled with: plenty of anticipative worry (even a dedicated fast wondering if I should hold him back), dalia's disorientation ('time to get jack?' after the gym), shopping therapy (wandering target for way too long), and tears at lunchtime (sure that despite a hefty breakfast, he was starving).  but relief came when I saw him after school.  he was happy.  he was confident.  and do I dare say his speech was pressured talking about school rules, PE games, and recess!?  and, best of all, he was hand in hand with his older sister!!  (who discretely mentioned she'd just saved him from walking past their designated meeting spot)
 

 

 

 

 

(isn't she so caring, sensing, and poised to be discrete on his very important first day of school?  love the heck out of this 2nd grader!)