The Brake Is My Friend

I am not a runner. Never have been, and especially not now that I am pregnant. But I got my run in this morning whether I wanted it or not.

First of all, it was freezing outside and I would rather have stayed home, but I really needed to run (no pun intended) some errands . So I got the boys all bundled up and headed out.

At our first stop, I pulled my hood up over my head, jumped out of the van, and got the stroller out as fast as I could. "It's not so bad," I thought as I walked around to Cole's side of the van. Just then a gust of wind came from out of nowhere and sent my "it's not so bad" far, far away. That wind was downright shocking, it was so cold.

Not wanting to wait for him to do it himself, I unbuckled Cole as fast as I could. I swept him out of his seat and swung him around to put him in the stroller. But there was a slight problem... the stroller was missing.

My head jerked up and around just in time to see my big, double stroller sailing through the parking lot. The wind had caught it and swept it away so fast that in the 3 seconds I had my back to it, it was already across the aisle, almost to the next row of cars. At the speed it was going, I was worried that it might put a little ding into the side of the parked car it was headed for.

"Stay here. I have to get the stroller!" I yelled as I quickly took off. Somehow the stroller managed to miss the parked car and redirected it's course through the empty space next to it. I was glad it hadn't hit anything, but desperately wanted it to stop. Or at least slow down.

The wind picked up it's speed, and so did my stroller. "This is crazy!" I thought, as I picked up my speed, trying to catch the thing before it rammed into a parked car, or got hit by a moving one.

Now when some people run, it is something wonderful to behold. They seem lighter than air, with grace, strength and elegance oozing from their every step. And then there are others, like me, who's body parts look completely at odds with each other with every heavy, earth-pounding thud.

So there I was, swollen belly and all, running as fast, and as least awkwardly, as I could to catch an empty runaway stroller. I'm sure I looked as ridiculous as I felt.

I finally caught my rogue stroller and turned to hurry back to the van and 2 boys. Cole was smiling giddily. "What happened, Mommy?" His voice chirping with laughter and excitement.

Chuckling at the ridiculousness of the situation, I said breathlessly, "The wind blew the stroller away and I had to go catch it."

Still smiling, Cole replied, "You forgot to put the brake on, didn't you, Mommy?"

Ahem. Yes, thank you, Cole, for that little reminder. I believe I did forget the brake.

But lesson learned: The brake is my friend...even on strollers!

Tiss

"Huh?"

That's probably what you're thinking after reading the title of this post.

Well, that's exactly what I want to know. What the heck is "Tiss"?

A few months ago I realized that we have completely uncreative names for the stuffed animals in our house. The three that reside on Cole's bed are called "Puppy," "Lamb" and "Bear."

Not that it matters very much, but I remember having names for my dolls and things as a kid. I don't know why I haven't been able to think of anything else besides puppy, lamb and bear lately, but I thought maybe it was time to change that. And what better way to spark a little creativity in my three year old than to have him come up with the names.

So, I picked up a soft, fluffy dog from the toy box.

"Hey, Cole," I asked, "Why don't we think of a name for this dog?"

Cole thought for about 2 seconds and perkily said, "Let's call him Tiss."

"Tiss?" I replied, "Well, ok then. If that's what you think we should call him, then Tiss it is."

Since then, every time he's playing with something that needs a name, he calls it Tiss. Cars, trains, animals, it's all Tiss.

So after my sonogram on Wednesday, I said to Cole, "Now that we know the baby is a boy, we can think of a name. What do you think is a nice name for our new baby?"

I'm sure you see where this is going. "Tiss," was his answer.

I don't know what we are going to name the baby, but I'm pretty sure it won't be Tiss.

I will say one thing for it, though. We wouldn't have to worry about too many other kids having the same name. I'm pretty sure he'd be the only Tiss around. Until he came home. Then, he'd be one of a hundred.

No, sorry, Cole. Not Tiss. What else ya got?

It's a...

BOY!!

We had our 20 week sonogram this morning and everything checked out great. Our littlest baby boy looked super sweet hanging out in his comfy home! We are thrilled that he seems healthy, as best we can tell, and are excited to have a date set for his delivery...that is, unless he decides to come sooner! Otherwise, my 3rd c-section will be the morning of April 14.

Now the name hunt begins!

Not Your Ordinary Hat Box

Does anyone know what this is? You might guess that it's a toilet, in light of the fact that there is toilet paper next to it. But did you know that it's actually called a "Hat Box" Toilet? Well it is, and apparently, this is the new, and very stylish, thing in plumbing.

So, why do I have a picture of this toilet? Because I'm an ordinary person, accustomed to ordinary things, and my experience with this little gem of a toilet was a little, well, out of the ordinary.

I recently had the privilege of attending the beautiful wedding of an old friend from my childhood church. The reception, which was held in the bride's parents' elegant mansion, was in itself something to blog about. But for now, I'll stick to the toilet.

Just before a delicious dinner was served, I excused myself to visit the ladies room. When the time came to flush, I habitually reached for the usual flusher handle. You will notice in the picture, however, that there is no tank on the back of this toilet, and therefore no usual flusher. Hmmm.

At first I thought it might be motion-censored. But after standing there staring at it for a few seconds, I realized it wasn't.

"Maybe you lower the lid," I thought. No, that didn't work.

"Is there a peddle?" No, there wasn't.

"Well, how on earth do you flush this thing?" I thought, half panicked as my mind flashed to the embarrassing thought of having to stick my head out the door and announce to the person in line behind me that I didn't know how to flush the toilet.

And then I saw it. A little, quarter-sized button on the left side. I touched my finger to it, and Voila! It flushed! Phew...embarrassing moment averted. But, really, they should post instructions for that thing, don't you think?

Maybe you are more cultured than I am and would have known how it worked. But if you are an ordinary person like me, accustomed to ordinary things, now you have a head's up. If and when you are faced with a "Hat Box," you will know just what to do with it!

It's All In Your Perspective

Recently our family gathered together to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. Amongst the delicious dinner fare was a great salad with all kinds of yummy goodies in it, including grapes. Once we had filled our plates and were chatting and settling down into our chairs to eat, one voice rang out over the rest.

My nephew, Jake, who's four years old, yelled, "Hey, why is there salad in my grapes?"

Argentina

Today is a big day for us. In just a couple of hours the boys and I will be taking Derek to the airport so he can catch his flight to Argentina. He is going with a team from our church to do some mission work in Buenos Aires. It's a wonderful opportunity, and hopefully a great experience, to partner with the many teams our church sends into Argentina to evangelize and start new churches. I look forward to hearing about all the people he gets to meet and the work he gets to do.

But...

I'm a little nervous about him being gone for a whole week. Now I know a week is really pretty short in the grand scheme of things, but to a pregnant woman with 2 little kids, I'm afraid it might feel a little like an eternity! I do have lots planned, though, so hopefully we'll have a fun week too.

After we drop Derek off at the airport, we're heading over to my mom and step-dad's house to spend the weekend with them. Cole is SUPER excited about going to see Nan and Grandpa. I am too, for that matter. I know we'll have a great time visiting with them.

Then we'll come home for a couple of things I've got scheduled for the beginning of the week...my mom's group, a girl's movie night, and, of course, the routine "boring" parts of life like cleaning a grocery shopping. On Wednesday we'll head over to my in-law's house and spend a couple of days with them. Again, Cole is SUPER excited about this trip too.

On Saturday, we'll wake up crazy early so we can be at the airport to pick-up Derek, who gets in at 6:15am. Yikes! Now, I'm not a morning person AT ALL, but I suspect I won't have any trouble hopping out of bed and getting the boys loaded in the van this time. I will be so happy to see Derek and hear all about his trip. And, of course, he better get his ears ready, because we'll be worded up and ready to tell him all about our week, too!


Lord, please protect Derek and the team as they travel to Argentina to do your work. May many people be born into Your kingdom through their efforts. Help them also find those who believe already and connect them with other believers so that they might meet together and encourage one another. Let them accomplish much for Your purpose and glory and return them safely to us next week.

And for us who remain, let us be diligent to pray and to work Your purposes here, remembering that You are working all the time, everywhere, even in the small and humble life of my family. Give me patience and strength to parent these boys in a way that would please You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Aisle 6

The other day we all went to the grocery store to pick up a few things for family night. After we'd gathered almost everything, I said, "Alright, all we need now is juice."

Cole promptly replied, "Oh, we need to go to aisle 6."

Really? Aisle 6? Sure enough, there was the juice on aisle 6.

I wonder what else he has stored up in the little brain of his?

Max's 13 1/2 month stats

For the first time in my parenting history (ok, it isn't that long of a history, but still) I dropped the ball* and forgot to schedule Max's 1 year check-up. And since our doctor books up quickly, the soonest I could get in was this week making Max's 12 month check-up come at 13 1/2 months instead. Thankfully, he's a healthy boy and seems to be growing and developing very well.

Weight: 24 lbs, 75th percentile
Height: 32 3/4 inches, 97th percentile

Here is some of what our little guy likes:

Favorite foods: Paper, followed closely by cardboard. Oh wait, that's not food. Ok, then cheese and grapes (cut up, of course)
Favorite game: "Mr. McGreggor & Peter" (Chase)
Favorite book: Counting Colors
Favorite toys: Mommy's cooking spoons, balls
Loves: Music & dancing, playing outside, pulling things out of Mommy's bathroom drawer while she's trying to get ready in the morning, reading books
Dislikes: Diaper changes, wearing shoes, coming inside after playing outside, waiting for a meal
Vocabulary: Still won't say "Mama" or "Dada" but has a nice little repertoire of words and is adding more everyday: Ball, Dog, Spoon, Balloon, Uh-oh, All done, Stuck, Banana, Book. Sometimes he'll combine a couple of his words into a little mini sentence..."Ball stuck," for example.

Max is a fun-loving little guy. He is very independent and likes to explore any new drawer, cabinet or box he's let into. He thinks his big brother is pretty cool, but sometimes finds torturing him by hitting to be more fun than playing nicely. He loves to look at books and is a great little communicator, even with his limited vocabulary. He understands a ton of what we say to him and will follow simple commands like "Put your cup on the table" or "Put that paper back in the trash." Most of the time Cole thinks Max is a great little play-mate, and I look forward to seeing their friendship grow through the years. He's a joy and a blessing, and we are so thankful for our sweet little Max!


*Let it be said that I am not claiming this to be my first parenting mistake ever, just the first one in regards to scheduling an appointment. Needless to say, there have been plenty of other mistakes!!

Quote of the Day

"You're the best girl ever, Mommy!"

-Cole, while getting dressed this morning

The Unexpected

You never know what you'll find in the everyday flow of life. Sometimes it's pretty, like a rainbow in the sky. Sometimes it's sweet, like a son giving you a freshly picked flower. Sometimes it sad, like the news of a tragedy. Sometimes it's gross, like spit-up on your shoulder. And sometimes it's funny, like a baby in the dishwasher.

September

So, what has kept the Rowden Family so busy that there has been only one post in the month of September? Lots and lots! Here are a few highlights:

**Max's 1st Birthday**
Our little munchkin is 1! We had a nice little celebration with family at my in-laws' house (to save most everyone a long drive to our place), and enjoyed the usual birthday festivities...cake, ice cream, presents and lots of family fellowship. Max had fun opening the first few presents but didn't put up too much fuss when Cole insisted on "helping" with the rest. For the first few, we restrained Cole, obviously to let Max have his fun. But when it became apparent that Max was done with the tedious task of unwrapping, we let Cole lose, and he had a blast. After a fierce battle with screws, wires and weird plastic connectors, the toys were set free from the packaging and some serious play time began. Fun times!



**More Birthdays**
September is a big month for birthdays on Derek's side of the family. Besides Max, there is our nephew, my father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and grandfather-in-law. That's a lot of partying!

**Family Pictures**
We decided to have an annual family portrait and take care of all our pictures at one time instead of taking the boys at different times during the year. There is good and bad to this...good because there's only one picture day a year, bad because it's a long time to be taking pictures with 2 little boys! Over all they did great. Well, let me rephrase...Cole did great. We got lots of great shots of him. Max, well, not so much. Our normally smiley little baby (I should say toddler, sigh, he's growing up), didn't want to have anything to do with the camera. We finally got one really great shot (see right) of him smiling, but that was it!! Of course, there were lots of other cute ones, because, really, Max can't take a bad picture (ahem, no biased mom-talk here). Our family picture is ok, but when the adults have to sit smiling at the camera for an unknown amount of time waiting for the goofy assistant to pull faces and toss stuffed animals up in the air trying to get the kids to smile, it's hard to keep it fresh, you know? Anyway, over all it went well.

**Bathroom Renovations**
We added a second sink in our bathroom, and with that came a new counter top, sinks and faucets. While we were at it, we changed the cabinets for more storage, and hopefully soon, I'll paint. I won't post a before and after picture because, well, I completely forgot to take the before pic, and it's not quite finished, so we don't have the after. So, I guess you'll just have to imagine that it's a big improvement!

**Morning Sickness**
Yes, you read that right. We are expecting baby #3! I'm 11 1/2 weeks pregant, due mid-April. We are thrilled! And, to answer the two questions that seem to be the most popular with this announcement, no, it wasn't a surprise, and yes, we would love a girl, but we would also love another boy, so we'll take what we get! It would be very fun to have a little girl to help balance out all the testosterone in the family, but I love my boys and they are so very sweet that I'd be thrilled with another. And, we have all the boy stuff. So, either way, we just pray for healthy!

Well, I guess that about sums it up. Lots going on in the Rowden household these days. Now that I'm almost out of the first trimester, I'm feeling LOTS better (the fatigue just about did me in), so hopefully I'll be able to post a little more regulalry. Then again, maybe not. Only time will tell!

Bedtime Antics

Getting Cole to take a nap has never really been much of a problem. He usually goes down without much fuss and goes straight to sleep (This is after many sleep battles as a baby...but that's another story for another day).

Anyway, bedtime is another story. He's tried every excuse in the book to get out of bed after he's been tucked in. He comes out of his room, all squinty-eyed from adjusting to the light and walks ever so slowly, as though he knows he's on thin-ice. "Will my excuse work this time?" I can just see his little mind ticking.

For a while it was the typical "I'm thirsty" or "I need to go potty." But as Derek and I have wised up to his schemes, he's running out of excuses and is forced to get more creative. Most of the time it's easy to keep a straight face. In fact, I'm not amused at all. It drives me crazy that he won't STAY IN BED. But every once in a while he comes out with something so ridiculously desperate, I struggle not to laugh out loud. Here are a couple of our favorites:

"Cole, get back in bed."
"But I need something."
"What do you need?"
"I need help staying in bed"

And, my personal favorite:

"Cole, what are you doing up?"
"I don't have enough energy to go to sleep"

Now, who can resist a giggle at those lines? Especially when delivered so sincerely by an adorably cute, pajama clad little boy whose too smart for his own good?

Not me.

And so, the bed time antics continue. I guess we'll get past this somehow, but in the mean time, Cole sure knows how to entertain!

The Maxinator

One thing we've learned about Max in the last 11 1/2 months is that he's resourceful. He can turn virtually anything he comes across into a fun activity or afternoon snack.

For example, the curtains are perfect for a riveting game of peek-a-boo.




The kitchen chair and trash can make great push-toys.



And as for the snacks, well, I don't have pictures of everything I've fished out of his mouth, but here's a partial list: strands of carpet, sand, toilet paper, tree bark, dried up bits of food from places in his highchair only he knows about, and door stoppers. Yes, he wiggles the door stopper until it comes off the wall, and then puts the little white rubber part in his mouth.

The good thing is, he's not a picky eater. Pretty much anything I put in front of him, he'll eat. Except carrots. Which I find a little strange. I mean, he'll eat cardboard, but not carrots? Oh well, to each his own, I guess.

Our little Max is such a joy, full of smiles and sweetness. He's a handful sometimes, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Cole's 3 Year Stats

Height: 39 1/2 inches, 90th percentile
Weight: 37.2 lbs, 90th percentile
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Potty Power
Favorite Toy: Blue (Dinoco) Lightening McQueen
Favorite Activities: "Whacks" (Baseball), Chase, Hide and Seek
Other favorites: Reading, Riding escalators, Counting
Favorite food: Dessert
Little Quirks: Likes to speak in clues. For example, instead of saying "Let's go get in the van," he'll say, "Let's go get in the big blue thing in the garage. Do you know what that is, Mommy?"

Cole is a very sweet, loving boy. He's incredibly cautious and thoughtful, and doesn't like to try new things very easily. Socially, he's coming out of his shell a little, perhaps out of necessity, since we have people over from church so often. He still loves to cuddle, much to my absolute pleasure, and he's eager to help around the house. He loves his little brother, Max, and likes to try and make him laugh. We are so thankful for these 3 wonderful years with this amazing little boy, and eagerly pray for and look forward to many more to come.


***I am keenly aware that 3 of my 4 posts have been about Cole. I guess it's because his birthday happened to fall the same week I started a blog, but as a mommy, I want all things concerning my boys to be even. So, little Max, don't worry, I'll make up for it in the next few entries!

Party Time!

Last Wednesday, on August 13, Cole turned 3! We had a great day. It started with Cole's favorite for breakfast, oatmeal pancakes, followed by opening presents. After Max's morning nap, we went to the mall (at Cole's request) and rode escalators and played on the indoor playground. After lunch at Chick-fil-A and a nap at home, we had more playtime and then pasta for dinner with brownies for dessert. Before bed, we got to watch (most of) the movie Cars, a big treat for Cole since he requests this movie on a regular basis but usually doesn't get to watch it because it's so long.

Saturday was party time! Many of our family came over from Dallas to help us celebrate. Mickey Mouse is a big name around our house these days, so it seemed appropriate to have decorations that followed that theme. The party was scheduled for the afternoon, so naturally, the morning was spent getting ready. Much of this time was as anyone would imagine...blowing up balloons, hanging the birthday banner, picking up toys, etc. However, there was one rather unexpected turn of events that must be mentioned if anything about this day is mentioned at all.

First, a little background. Cole had requested a blue, Mickey Mouse cake. Perhaps this is an easy task for the experienced cake decorator, but for me, it was a big challenge. I went round and round in my head trying to decide how to accomplish this. Should I just make a Mickey Mouse shaped cake and put blue frosting on it? Should I try and paint his face on the cake? Should I just make a rectangular cake and put a Mickey Mouse candle on it? Etc, etc. For weeks I chewed and chewed on what would be the best way to do it (Yes, I do realize it's just a cake and it probably didn't really matter what it looked like, but I wanted it to be perfect for my boy) .

Anyway, just when I thought I'd made a decision, I'd change my mind. So here it was, Saturday morning, I'd made the cake and I was still stressing out over how to decorate it.

As I was filling Derek's ear with all my cake woes, he said something that came as a complete surprise. He said, "I have an idea for a cake, why don't you let me do it."

Um...what was that? Did Derek just say he wanted to decorate a cake?

Skeptically, I replied, "Are you just saying that because you want to help me out? Or because you really want to do it?"

"I think it'd be fun, and I'd like to give it a try," he said.

To which I replied, "Well, ok, then. Have at it..."

So, in typical systematic and mathematical Derek fashion, he set about to draw his design on paper and use a tape measure to figure the measurements for each piece of his plan. Here are some photos of the prep work...





I have to say, I am so impressed with my husband. He did a fabulous job on the cake and Cole absolutely loved it. Here's the finished product...



So, if anyone needs a birthday cake decorated, you know who to call!

The birthday boy as we sang "Happy Birthday" to him...

Again

Over the last few weeks, Cole has really upped his game in asking questions. I knew it had to be coming, since this seems to be about the age kids do that, but I don’t think I was quite prepared for the persistence that often accompanies them.

For example, a conversation in the car might go something like this:

“What’s that car doing, Mommy?”

“Uh…It’s driving down the road, Honey.”

“Where’s it going?”

“I don’t know, Sweetie.”

“Well, is it going home?”

“Maybe so.”

“Well, what street does it live on?”

“I’m not really sure where it lives.”

“Does it live on Mayflower*?” (Our street)

“I’m not sure, Honey.”

“Well, does it live on Sunrise?” (The street we take to get to church)

“I don’t really know where it lives, Honey. I guess it might live on Sunrise”

“Well, does it live on Lone Oak?" (Grammy and Poppy’s street)

“Honey, I don’t know where it lives.”

“Well, does it live on Kingsley?” (Nan and Grandpa’s street)

(Taking a deep breath) “Sure, Honey, it might live on Kingsley”

(Pointing to another car) “Where's that car going, Mommy?”

Sigh…

I could go on, but you get the point.

Sometimes I think I might lose my mind over questions like these that come all day long.

And then, sometimes, I smile with wonder at this marvelous little creature with such a capacity for learning. My hope is that I’ll be able to answer all his questions adequately, or at least help him find the answer if I don’t know it myself.

One night last week I wondered if I had answered him adequately.

We were just finishing up my part of Cole’s bedtime routine. Derek usually gives him a bath, brushes his teeth and reads him a story. At that point, I take over and sing 3 songs, Cole says a prayer, I say a prayer, and then we cuddle for a few minutes before I kiss him goodnight. Cole is very predictable in his routines, most of the time. His prayer is often the same, “Thank you, God, for Mommy and Daddy and Cole and Max, and thank you for you, too, and baby Jesus. Amen.”

This night was no exception, until I’d finished my prayer.

The conversation went something like this:

Cole: Mommy, is God a train?

Me: A train? Uh, no, Honey, He’s not a train.

Cole: Well, what does He look like?

Me: Well, um, we don’t really know what He looks like (Pause for thinking, trying to figure how to explain an invisible God to an almost 3 year old). But we do know He’s big and strong and…

Cole: (Interrupting) Does God have a house?

Me: Um, well, yes, sort of…

Cole: (Cheerfully and matter-of factly) Then we can go to His house and see what He looks like.

Me: Oh, well, see, God lives in heaven, and when we get there, you’re right, we’ll see what He looks like. But for now we know He’s big and strong, and we can see the things He’s made, like you and me and Daddy and Max, and…

Cole: (Interrupting again) Yeah, He made us like puzzles.

Me: (Confused) Like puzzles?

Cole: Yeah, He put our heads together with our bodies and our arms and legs, and then He put in teeth so we could chew things.

Me: (Concealing a giggle) Oh, I see. Yes, I suppose it might have been something like that.

Cole: (Content and thoughtful for a brief moment, and then, solemnly) We should pray to Him again.

Me: Yes, Love, let’s pray to him again.

Oh, how I pray Cole will always think so much of our God and will always want to pray to Him again.

For now, let the questions come.

And my prayer: “Lord, give me the answers I need to guide this dear boy down Your path. And may I, too, always want to pray to you…again."

*Street names have been changed for privacy.

My Very First Blog

Well, I've decided it's about time I start a blog! For many months now, I've been reading and enjoying my friends' posts. Every once in a while it would cross my mind to start one of my own, but almost immediately after that thought another was close behind: What on earth would I write? And even if I had something to say, when would I find the time to say it?

I'm still not exactly sure what the answers to those questions are, but I do know that these days with our young children are passing so quickly. Cole is 3 now, and Max will be 1 in less than a month. They are growing and changing so fast, each one with his own unique personality, and I would love to have a written record of some of their sweet, and maybe even not-so-sweet, moments. If I can manage to find a few minutes each week to jot down a few words, hopefully one day, many years from now, we can look back on these precious, fleeting days and remember them a little more clearly, giving thanks to the Lord for what He has done in our lives.