The Big One

We had a big week.  I'm not sure yet how I feel about it all but just like all big days in life, they come and go whether you are ready for it or not.  Lorelai celebrated her first birthday on Monday! 

I literally cannot believe she had a birthday.  This first year of her little life has been full of laughs, fun, love and firsts.  I can't begin to describe the joy she has brought to my life.  Nothing more precious than those big round eyes looking back at me. 

Lorelai celebrated with Mom and Dad, brother Wyatt, Aunt Shelley and both sets of grandparents.  We ate a lunch of Great Grandma Dolly's (Viola) meatballs, mashed potatoes (for Wyatt) and the wonderful butterfly cake that her Grandma Kemper made for her.  The cake was cherry chip, just like her Momma used to have for her birthdays growing up.

Lorelai has such a big personality.  She loves her Mom and Dad but especially her brother.  They get along so well and love to wrestle with each other.  She loves her bottle before bed and books.  Loves books.  I have at times found her and Wyatt in their bedroom reading books on their own.  Wyatt normally in the chair and Lorelai on the floor behind the chair.  Just looking at books.  Melts my heart.  Lorelai never stops moving.  She is forever into something and so curious about life around her.  She is my little angel and I love her to pieces.  Happy birthday baby girl!

Promotion Day!

Today was a pretty special day at our house.  Mike was promoted to Master Sergeant!  I am so proud of him and all the years and work he has put into his military career. 

I attended the ceremony today with the kids and got to "pin" him in front of his squadron.  I stand on the left (while I pray the kids behave themselves) while Mike's supervisor is on the right.  They read his orders for the promotion and while the entire squadron is standing at attention, we each put a pin on his collar. 

The pinning! Lorelai is making her escape behind Captain Ehrstein!

Then the fun part...... you make a fist and lightly (or not so lightly if you are ornery) hit him on the pin.  Done!  Master Sergeant!  Then everyone files through, kind of like at a wedding, and shakes hands with those promoted and congratulates them.  It is a pretty neat thing to experience. 

I love Mike's unit.  They are the nicest group of people!  I always enjoy our time there, even if I am constantly worried about who is ranked where and how to keep it straight.  Afterall, I did not grow up with a military background and even though I have been around the Army and Air Force for the last 11 years, it still confuses me to no end!  It is a rare occasion that we get to visit him at work.  It isn't a place you can just walk in and have access to.  There is a blue flashing light every so often that means there are visitors in the building! We got to take a little tour after the ceremony and Wyatt thoroughly enjoyed raiding the snacks in the break room.

Lorelai kept trying to make off with a Snickers.  So much for her MumMum!  So, congrats, Honey.  We will celebrate one day in a big way.  Thanks for your service and I love you!

I Win

I'm a pretty competitive person. Well, at least I used to be before age and kids caught up to me. My parents have never said when the competitiveness started for me.  I have never heard them say, "When you were 4, you could not stand to lose!" Well, my son is 4. And he can't stand to lose. The only explanation I have for this is that it is deeply engrained somehow in his DNA.  Sometimes it is cute.  Like when he gives me the report on last nights game with the Shockers. Other times, it gets so frustrating trying to explain to him what teamwork and being a good sport means. Now I know, he is only 4. But he completely understands winning, so why not gracefully losing?

Wyatt and I play Cat In The Hat every day. And every day he beats me. Now it is not that I don't try to win, there are just certain things I can't manipulate. I physically cannot slide myself under the Trick A Ma Stick. Anyone 5'10" with linebacker shoulders just isn't going to make it under the darn thing. And I just can't control how many STOP cards I draw. I don't cheat. Wyatt on the other hand will do anything obvious to win the game. And I stress obvious. I don't let him get away with much but that doesn't stop him from trying. Today his luck ran dry. If he could count the stars on his cards, he would have quit while he was ahead but because he can't, he has to wait until the game is over to learn his fate.  And MOM WON. It was rather funny watching him realize and comprehend that 26 is less than 30. Then, wait for it, instant tears. The kid bawled for a good 15 min. and then preceded to tell me for another hour that he was the actual winner. I tried to give him the typical high five and good game hand shake he doesn't mind giving when HE wins but he was having none of it. He then informed me we would never play the game again (this was taken back at dinner when he informed his Dad he was beating me tomorrow). Jeez!

He is obsessed. I'm just hoping that one day this little trait is a bonus for him and not a detriment. In the meantime, I guess I will just keep pushing my good game policy and hope eventually he catches on. And I'm going to win and win and win. Because if there is one thing I have learned through all the sports I have played and just plain age, you can't be a true winner if you don't know how to lose gracefully.  Be disappointed but make sure it isn't due to your effort and keep digging in your heals and trying. He will get it, eventually, and I hope his dreams of being a baseball player, football player, basketball player and Olympic swimmer come true! Or maybe he can just pay for college!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had such a great day yesterday.  This is by far NOT my favorite holiday.  Something about all that pink floating around, but the kiddos love it!  I always make Wyatt's cards.  I do the cutting, he puts on the stickers.  Lots of Snoopy stickers!  This was the first year he has been in school for the holiday and they had a fun little party.  Lorelai and I went to help and brought their juice.  Their snack was right up Wyatt's alley.  They had heart shaped Krispy Kreme donuts!

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Is. That. What. I. Think. It. Is??????

They played a couple of cute games and worked on a project too.  I always love it when I get to go hang out with him at school!  It amazes me the teacher can get 14 three and four year olds to behave but she does it with what seems to be relative ease.  Maybe I need to spend more time there!

Counting conversation hearts.

Handing out his Valentines

They were also not forgotten by their Grandparents and had so much fun getting mail.  Lorelai of course knows nothing about any of this but it didn't take her long to figure out her brother was eating something way better than the MumMum mom gave her.

Her very own package!

Wyatt and I made Dad oatmeal raisin cookies.  No one else eats raisins in this house so Mike doesn't ever get them and was pretty happy.  He took them to work so I'm sure most of them are gone today!  Of course we are now in candy rationing mode and I'm trying to stay out of all of it myself.  Not an easy task.  All working parents should be left at home with the candy willy nilly the day after a holiday!  I hope you all had a great day and shared a few treats with your special people.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Gilbert Wedding

We had two weddings today.  Two hours apart.  With kids that hadn't napped all day and the logistics being a little on the crazy side, we decided to stay at the reception for our good friend Astrid. We met Astrid two years ago.  She was our real estate agent when we were moving to our now home and we absolutely fell in love with her.  She has the best sense of humor, super smart and you got to love a girl who matches all her shoes and handbags.  To make a long story short, she isn't getting rid of our family any time soon! 

The wedding was perfect.  She was a beautiful bride and the dress was gorgeous.  Long train and a beautiful overlay of sparkly crystals.  She made her wedding cake which was poppy seed.  Loved it!  I don't think I have ever seen a poppy seed cake at a wedding and let me tell you, more girls should choose a different cake than the regular boring white.  The filling was a layer of sweetened condensed milk that Astrid cooked in a crock pot for 8 hours.  It turns into this caramel colored yumminess that can't be described.  Another great touch came after the garter and bouquet toss.  Astrid gave her wedding bouquet to the couple there that had been married the longest.  Really neat.  A couple that had been married for 40 years took home a beautiful big bouquet to celebrate their marriage. 

Wyatt and Lorelai were amazing little kiddos through all of it.  Wyatt enjoyed the food of course and Lorelai enjoyed the people.  She is my social butterfly.  We enjoyed seeing friends and Astrid's family and even found out we knew her new husband's family.  It is a VERY small world.  I am grateful to have been a part of her big day and wish the Gilbert's many happy years together.  Congrats Astrid!

Manhattan, KS and a 40th Wedding Anniversary

There is one place I have been in my life that I love visiting over and over.  Every time I hit Junction City on I70, I get a little excited.  Then as I exit the Interstate and head into Manhattan, I can't help but smile.  I love the Flint Hills.  Rolling prairie dotted with cows. 

Yesterday I loaded up the kids and we made the short drive to Manhattan.  We had a lot to celebrate, you see, for I am not the only one who smiles when they drive into town.  December 27th was my parents 40th wedding anniversary.  Yep, 40.  Not many make it this long any more.  But my parents have and they met 40 years ago in Manhattan while students at KSU.  My Dad told the story at the surprise lunch we had for them and I hope I get it right.  My Mom was a hostess at the Ramada restaurant which is directly across the street from campus.  It was Dads first night of work as a maintenance man/jack of all trades guy.  They shared the same boss and she was showing Dad around when they walked through the swinging doors of the kitchen and who should be coming in while they were walking out?  My Mom.  He said he noticed her right away.  Her big smile.  He also said their boss noticed the connection immediately and made the remark that she would have to make THAT introduction!  They hung out a lot after hours when all the workers sat around visiting and that was it.  Now, 40 years later they have 3 children and 3 grandchildren and lots of memories in the middle. 

We took my parents to Kites yesterday for lunch and waiting for them were all my mom's sisters, two of their husbands and my cousin Emily.  We totally surprised them and had a great time reminiscing about their wedding. 

Randy, Joan, Monica, Marcia, Max and my parents

My Mom had even found the receipt for her wedding, a little over $300!  Yep, that included flowers, invitations and the dress she made herself.  We were laughing because the ladies that were paid to set up made $1.50 an hour!  They talked about how Aunt Joan was pregnant and wasn't in the wedding (she was at the guest book) because back then you pretty much hid your big belly.  Now, of course, you see pregnant women all the time standing up for brides.  Times have changed in 40 years!

After lunch we went back to my sister's and had cake (cousin Emily has a birthday on the 29th) and ice cream and Mom and Dad opened anniversary cards and looked through the scrapbook my sister and I put together for them. 

Emily, Shelley and the birthday cake!

Opening anniversary cards.

No trip to Manhattan is complete without doing something K-Stateish.  One of Wyatt's favorite things to do is go to the old stadium and play soccer or football.  It is turf and open to the public and a great place to take kids to get rid of some energy.  We took him there before the trip home and he and Deetda (my Dad) played some football. 

After a good meltdown from Wyatt, both kids were asleep in the car before we hit Seth Childs on the way out of town.  Good day if I do say so myself!  I hope my parents had a great day too and enjoyed their night out on the town.  They are going to take a trip to Alaska at some point and I would say that is a perfect anniversary trip.  My Dad has never been and there is nothing like an adventure to renew your marriage!  I love you guys and appreciate all the hard work you have put into your marriage.  Happy 40th anniversary and I hope you have many more happy years together!

Christmas Eve and Birthday Time

Today, at about 5pm four years ago, I brought my little boy home from the hospital.  I unexpectedly gave birth 3 weeks early and got a Christmas present that was the best ever.  I can't believe Wyatt Michael is already four.  It completely blows my mind how fast four years have gone.  He wanted Subway for lunch, his favorite. 

We celebrated with the same people that were here the day he was born, my mom, dad and sister,  plus Wyatt's best little friend, Lunden.  It was of course a K-State football birthday party complete with the K-State football helmet cake that grandma made him. 

Wyatt and Lunden played to their little hearts content and had a great day!

Wyatt got to have his birthday party at school this past Tuesday.  Of course it was also along with their Christmas/Advent party so I had to take football cookies, just to make sure he got something birthday-ish. 

I know the years are going to keep clipping away which makes me even more determined to make sure his birthday gets celebrated.  He is so special to me and I am lucky to be his mom.  Loved having everyone here and so glad he got to spend time with his friend!