It's all good

I grew up playing card with my grandparents, actually pretty much all of my mom’s side.  It’ came mainly from grandpa Stroh who was known to count cards and cheat.  He would have been one to have in Vegas with you on the blackjack table.  Grandpa did teach us to gamble at a young age with the game “May I?”

Cards have always been an activity we do when we get together.  My grandparent’s dining room table was always big enough to get us all around to play a card game called Krazy Bee.  I’m going to google that game so I can buy it for our family I love it so much.  It’s one of those long games that you can eat, carry on a conversation and play cards all at the same time.  Nick’s family also has a history of playing cards, so it’s only natural to get the boys involved.  Fin mainly has stuck with UNO but we will be branching out to Krazy Bee, Skipbo and Phase 10 very soon.  He’s got most of his numbers down but the games will help him with the number order.

A few weeks ago while Fin was playing with one of the neighbor families in the backyard it started to rain.  So Nick and I decided to have them all come in and play UNO.  They had so much fun and Fin was on cloud 9.  He has a long line of card players in his family.  He thought he was a big deal with he got out his UNO cards and his card holder my dad made him to hold all his playing cards.

I do miss being close to my family especially when I think back to our card playing days.  We have friends that love to play cards also, hmm…they are also from the Midwest…is it a Midwest thing?  I think we might have to have a card night pretty soon.  Just gotta love playing cards. Oh, I can’t wait till Griffey get old enough to play “Go Fish” or “Old Maid”.  Papa Motorcycle (my dad) has a few years to make another card holder. 

Baby to boy

I knew he needed a hair cut but I just loved that baby fine hair and the way that it naturally just falls that made me so sad to cut it off.  You have to look close to see the baby face, to see my baby…my last baby.  Seeing my sweet Griffey Bear’s hair fall to the floor, my heart sank. 

The lady that cut his hair asked me how I wanted it done.  I informed her to take off just a little.  I warned her that I wasn’t ready.  She looked to Nick and Nick told her to trim the sides and back and leave the top a little long.  I wanted to stay strong and luckily the ladies were telling me how cute both my boys were so I could smile.  I was a bit excited but I find when it’s Griffey it’s more a little bittersweet than if it were Fin.  Fin’s milestones I find exciting, Griffey’s I know it’s the last time I get to hit that milestone with a child. 

The trimmers came out and Grif was still and smiling.  He wasn’t afraid and just watched Fin as he sat there so still across from him getting his hair cut.  Now I want to have Fin keep his hair a little longer but he hates getting it styled so I don’t argue…it’s not a battle worth fighting for.  Anyway, I tried to focus more on Fin doing a great job so Griffey would do the same…monkey see…monkey do with those two.  I saw the trimmers go up the side of Griffey’s head and there it all fell.  Luckily the Holy Spirit held me down (and reminded me that hair grows back) because I wanted to get up and leave…well , she was really nice too.  I wanted to cry but I got some sense knocked into me and kept going and breathing.  It’s hair…he looks so cute either way.

Griffey sat there like he had gotten a dozen hair cuts before.  He loved getting his hair (and face) sprayed with water.  He was a seasoned pro sitting in the line of 3 Stern males getting their haircuts at Sport Clips.  Luckily he won’t need is haircut as often as Nick and Fin because I don’t think my heart can take the stress of seeing my baby become more like a boy every 4 weeks (I’ll do every 8 for now).   

Can I get an amen?

 

Toothless

Fin's new toothless growl

Friday afternoon I’m walking through Hallmark and saw the cutest book on the Tooth Fairy and it also came with a cute tooth pillow…granted it was purple but it was so darn cute.  I commented to myself that one of these days Fin will start losing his teeth. 

Hop to Friday night and we are sitting around the table after dinner and Fin says, “Mom, my tooth is loose.”  Nick looked at him asking if he was sure because the other day when he told Nick his tooth wasn’t loose.  I wiggled the cute little tooth in the front and low and behold it was really loose.  Fin gives Nick a dirty look. I laugh at the both of them.  I’m not sure who was more excited, Fin or me. My baby is not only about to go to Kindergarten screening on Tuesday but his first tooth was loose. I was clapping and letting him know through my excited that this was a BIG DEAL!!!  Darn, I wish I would have just gotten that book.  I show him how to wiggle the tooth with his tongue and he only sticks out his tongue…he can’t grasp the concept…oh well.  He’ll get it by his second.

Saturday morning we are hanging out in bed after the boys got up and I ask Fin about his tooth….he wiggles it it’s still there.  MOM, MY OTHER TOOTH IS LOOSE!!! And you thought I was excited about the first tooth, you are underestimating my love for milestones.  Fin and I did a little dance. 

Skip forward to Sunday night dinner at Ashley’s and Fin’s tooth (the first) is hanging by a thread.  I take the advice given to us and for the life of me I can’t get it with the napkin…it could have been Fin’s hand pulling my arm back as I try to wiggle it loose.  I hand him the napkin and viola…the tooth is free!  Fin goes running out to the kitchen to show Gammy and Ashley.  This is where he shows the most excitement…he was excited when it really came out…when it was real to him.  His cute little tooth in his hand; oh, my baby is growing up.  Fin is losing his teeth just as Griffey is finishing up with his baby teeth.  Ash takes a picture to commemorate the event.

We get home and I get out the ipod…must put on instagram and facebook (no, no iphone yet) and my regular camera.  As I’m wiping his pudding off of his face he pulls away yelling MOM! And then realizes that his second tooth is in his mouth loose!  TWO IN ONE DAY….ROCK ON!!!  There should be a special award for that.  Ok, extra money.  I’m sentimental and heck instead of a buck or two…. The tooth fairy will upgrade to $5 (The tooth fairy wrote a letter stating that that was special and good teeth are $2, a tooth with a cavity is only a buck).   

As we get ready for bed, Fin is all bummed out because he’s about to give up his teeth.  He wants to keep them to show them to his friends.  Nick and his quick thinking (no wonder Mr. Gould called him Quick Nick in high school) came up with the idea of writing the tooth fairy to see if he could keep them for show and tell.  Brilliant!  Fin heads off to bed and I head to the computer to type up a letter and start the iron to get the $5 nice and crisp…heck, the Tooth fairy only leaves nice dollar bills.  It was the least I could do since I didn’t have a fancy tooth pillow to leave the teeth in. 

By the way, I’m not over the tooth pillow bit, heck I turned out ok and all I got to do was stick the tooth in a glass of water. 

Easter (a little late)

I'm a little behind with work and home being super busy.  I finally have some Easter pictures to post.  Man, trying to take pictures of two very active boys is harder than I thought. 

 

What a surprise, he's got a ball in his hands?

Look like such cute little business men. Griffey trying to close the deal, Fin just flashing his cute smile.

Welcome to my world!

I'm not the only one

Last week being completely crazy busy at home and at work things slipped through the cracks...most of which was unimportant but it felt good to know that I wasn't the only one that let things slip.  Nick...Mr. Arranger of all things actually forgot about a football event.  It secretly made me feel good for two reasons.  1. It was football and football usually trumps everything else.  2. It was football and he FORGOT!!!  Granted it wasn't a must be at event, but it was a FOOTBALL event....one must never miss a football event. 

The fact that I forgot that Finley had class pictures was nothing compared to Nick and football.  I felt horrible that I remembered about his pre-school class picture at 2:30 in the afternoon.  For crying out loud I sent him to school in a shirt that said "Busted" and wouldn't have an "official" picture of his class.  My first thought was what kind of parent doesn't have the day circled on the calendar...me!  I was so busy trying to stay afloat that I will not have a picture of his class.  Then I woke up and realized that if his school scrapbook (I don't even have his baby one finished yet) doesn't have a picture of his pre-school class, I won't die and either will he.  thew.....

Is it bad that I celebrated someone's downfall?...especially Nick's.  Ya, probably..but it did make me realize that even if we missed an event or a picture it's not the end of the world.  We'll forget more events as time goes on.  One must not sweat the small stuff...cause it really is all small.

New favorite

 

We've got a new favorite cake in our house to take to potlucks, parties and such...Butterfinger cake. I got the recipe from a bible study I had done a while back and gave it a try a few months ago and now it's my go to cake.  So without further ado...

chocolate cake mix

1 can of coke

1 egg white

2 Butterfingers (King size or 10 mini size)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 small can of sweetened condensed milk

cool whip

13x9 pan (greased pan)

In a mixing bowl combine the dry cake mix, 10 oz. of coke (drink the last few oz.) and egg white.  Mix and follow baking temp of 350 and whatever time limits are on the box. 

With the last few minutes of baking, Crush Butterfingers in a bag and divide into two amounts. 

Over the stove, combine sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to warm mixing till smooth.    Once the cake is done, take out of the oven and poke holes in it with the end of a wooden spoon.  Pour peanut butter mixture over cake and then cover with 1/2 the amount of crushed Butterfingers.  refridgerate to cool. 

Once cool, spread cool whip over cake.  Then add the last amount of crushed Butterfinger over the cool whip.  Keep refridgerated until served.

Oh, so awesome!

 

Season opener

Last night was Fin's t-ball season opener.  He looks so darn cute in his little baseball outfit I could just eat him up.  I'm a sucker for a Stern in a sport uniform.  Surprisingly he is one of the older ones on his t-ball team...he sure towers over them but that is nothing new. 

As we pulled up to the field last night he asked if anyone would see him hit.  I said "yes, the mommies and daddies." He didn't want anyone to watch him....he's got a bit of social anxiety and I said a little prayer that he would be fine and low and behold he was the first one to the plate to hit and of course he's a natural.  He wouldn't have the coach pitch to him like he has at practice...he didn't want to stick out...wonder where he gets that from? 

I only got to take one video and that was of his first at bate.  You might notice Griffey crying in the background...hence the reason for one video.  I'm hoping tomorrow with Nick there I'll be able to get some pictures and more video.  5 year olds playing baseball is the cutest thing. 

 

Brothers

I love this picture. It’s their relationship in a nutshell; Griffey wanting to be like brother and Fin wanting to be right there for him.  It’s so darn cute.  I’m savoring it. 

The boys almost worship each other.  I say almost because they are boys and still fight over toys.  Toys that Griffey wants to play with because Fin has one or toys that Finley hasn’t played with in 3 years but all of a sudden wants to play with because Griffey is….usually it’s the later of the two.  It’s human kid nature…but so is the loveable brotherly bond.  And of course I’m a sucker for the brotherly love. 

Griffey is a little like Fin and loves to give and get kisses so there is a lot of affection around our house and to see the boys giving each other kisses, it’s so cute.  Griffey gives those cute open mouth kisses sometimes and looks away just like Fin use too.  Fin just giggles then.  Oh, I miss when Finny was Griffey’s age. 

Fin is doing a great job sharing with Griffey, but mostly sharing food…not toys.  They share their snacks that I bring them when I pick them up but Fin is not a fan for sharing the fire truck that Griffey got as a Christmas gift.  Still working on that one…it’s going to be mine pretty soon.  I think pretty soon we are just going to have cushy balls all around the house because they love playing catch and if either one of the boys has a baseball or football in their arms they are happy campers….hmm….don’t sure where they get that from? 

Driving home the other day from daycare, I looked in the rearview mirror (yes, I did take my eyes of the road but I was at a red light) and saw them having a little conversation (even if it was a little bit one sided).  My heart did a little leap seeing them so happy with each other.  I couldn’t help but think a little into the future in what their relationship will hold. 

 

Keep praying and going

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  –Matthew 6:34

Friday- Nick overnight

Saturday- t-ball pictures, Nick umpire, date night (thank you)

Sunday- God's day

Monday- Nick has a game, I have bible study

Tuesday- Nick has a game, Fin has a game

Wednesday-breathe

Thursday- Fin has a game

Friday- Nick has a game

Saturday- Nick has a game

Wow...it's the beginning of a crazy week and the one thing I would really like to do is panic but I'm not...at least I'm going to try not to. I just don't think I'm a good parent without Nick.  We are a team and I do feel one man down when it's just me.  And people think we should have more kids....I don't think so..I'm mentally capped.  Anyway... I got my daily devotional sent to me and of course it came in perfect timing.   

Friday night I laid down next to Fin at bedtime and felt I aced the day.  Granted it was mac and cheese for dinner and the movie Beethoven for our family movie night so one really couldn't go wrong.  I still continued to pray little prayers to stay with God.  I prayed them all weekend and I wouldn't say that I failed Saturday but I also didn't do my best.  I'm not sure how single parents do it.  Every day is a new day but man there are days I get capped out.  I'll just keep on praying and keep going.