Cory’s Baptism Day

Saturday February 16th at 3:00 pm –  Cory and his cousin were ready to share their baptism day.

The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful.  It was sunny and nearly 80 degrees in Southern California.  {We should have taken our family pictures outside, especially since the lighting was so terrible inside.  All well, I am just impressed that we at least managed to capture a few photos of the event since there was a lot going on behind the scenes .}

Cory is at the age where he does not like getting his picture taken. He doesn’t like holding still or having more than one picture snapped.  Throw into the mix an energetic 4 year old and a wiggly 21 month old, and you end up getting a lot of outtake pictures – tongues being stuck out, somber and smile-free expressions, noses being picked, etc.  At least we will always remember these fun and silly phases.

These family pictures were the best of the bunch.

Our family of six with Randy’s parents.

Our family of six with my parents.

This is my favorite picture of Cory on his special day.  I love the look of contemplation my mother-in-law captured when she took this photo. So sweet.

While those who participated in the baptism ordinance were drying off and getting dressed, the rest of us watched a slideshow presentation I created of Cory and his cousin.  It was set to instrumental music and it contained over 300 pictures of the two of them, from birth to age eight.

Putting it together was a labor of love, but it was definitely worth it.  I was somewhat unprepared for all the emotions I felt as I pored through old photographs of Cory – him as a newborn, him learning how to walk, him giggling unrestrained as a preschooler, him showing his love and passion for life.  Re-seeing him progress in these early stages of life seemed to strengthen the love I have for him. I am blessed to be his mother, blessed to raise such a sweet and determined spirit.  Those feelings were a tender gift given to me from the Lord, and they were just what I needed to feel at the time.

Cory with his Great Grandma (my dad’s mom) in June of 2005.

After the baptism, we all gathered at my parents’ house to eat, gab and celebrate.  There were nearly 70 of us there, both friends and family.  Here are a few snapshots of the fun:

Keri and her cousin doting on the baby of some close friends.

Keri and one of her many aunts!  (There are seven of us girls in my family!)

Grandma love!

Gourmet s’mores cupcakes my sweet sister lovingly made.  Scrumptious! …  I wish I had one in my hands right now!  I loved the graham cracker crust and the rich chocolate layers!

My entire family has not been together for over two years, so we made sure to get a picture of all 28(!) of us.  My family is something I treasure and cherish and I am beyond grateful that we were able to celebrate this sacred milestone with them!

P.S.  And of course we missed most of Randy’s family who couldn’t join us.  We are glad we were able to spend some quality time with them last summer (a blog post for this trip is still in the works).  Here is a picture of all 23 of us on his side.

Darth Eli

Last week 4 year old Eli got a couple of surprise packages in the mail from his Uncle who adores Star Wars as much as he does.

The occasion?   Just your usual early birthday (July) and Christmas gift .

Eli was beyond thrilled with what he received.  He got his very own Darth Vader light saber.  (Yes, it has to be the right color and have the correct handle.)

And he got his very own Darth Vader costume, complete with a helmet (not a mask like I was calling it), cape and Darth Vader gloves.

To be completely honest, I have no idea how Eli even first learned about Star Wars. One day while we were at the library he got extremely excited when he spotted a Yoda book.  I was shocked he knew who Yoda was. We checked it out and his obsession was born.  Right now we have a gazillion and one Star Wars books in our home – it’s a good thing we know how to utilize the hold system for our local library.

What I find interesting is Eli is fascinated by the dark side of the force.  He even makes up songs about Anakin being pulled to the Dark Side. I really should have written down his lyrics the other day while he was gleefully singing.

Maybe one of these days he will gain more of an appreciation for Jedi and the light side of the force !

Perhaps if we start playing our Star Wars Trivial Pursuit game with him more often (a gift from the same brother from years ago), I can use some Jedi Mind Tricks [not a Jedi Mind Meld!] to persuade him to the right side.

{final image courtesy of Jeremy Stockwell}

Cory Turns 8

My Facebook status from nearly 2 weeks ago:

Happy eighth Birthday to my dear Cory! I adore your warm smiles, your joyful laughter, your tender heart, your enthusiastic energy, your fun sense of humor, your desire to learn and your sweet faith! I hope your day and year are beyond wonderful!

Since Cory’s birthday was on a school day and since we were heading out of town the very next day, we decided to do his cake celebration on the night of his birthday eve.

He tried to convince us that he should open presents then, too, but we compromised and said he could open one gift in the morning before school, and the rest later in the evening once everyone was home.

The gift and card that greeted Cory on his birthday morning.

Keri was pretty excited to give Cory a gift just from her.

She gave him a little Lego set.

Next year I think I need to help Eli pick out a gift to give.  He kept insisting that he wanted to give Cory some new Pokemon cards.  (Eli also really wanted to open all of Cory’s presents. He spent most of the gift opening time perched on Randy’s shoulders.)

Cory thoroughly enjoyed opening his gifts. He is not normally one who likes the spotlight on him, but in this instance he didn’t mind … nor did he mind the festive Christmas wrap .

Of course he asked for more Pokemon cards, and his wish was granted. (It’s a good thing I stocked up on these things in a very efficient and inexpensive manner.)

I wonder if he will still be on a Pokemon kick next year when his birthday rolls around or if he will have moved on to something new.

The morning after his birthday, we woke up bright and early to head to the airport.  We were going to fly to Southern California for his baptism (and a couple of other family events). We had planned for Cory, and his cousin who turned eight 4 days before he did, to share this special milestone together at a family baptism.

I adore the fascination the kids have of the font filling.

Unfortunately the flight we had scheduled with JetBlue never materialized.

The rest of that story, though, will have to wait for the next post.

But I will say we drove, and drove and drove some more.  We couldn’t handle crushing the dreams of our kids – the tears streaming down their faces were truly a sight to behold.  We also didn’t want to disappoint our family … or ourselves … by missing all the activities that had been planned while we were supposed to be in town.

Pokémon Inspired Birthday Party

We are gearing up for Cory’s 8th birthday next week (8 is a significant age for us since we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), so we decided to throw him a birthday party to help him celebrate.

My mode of operation?  Simple, low-key and budget-friendly.

Cory decided he only wanted to invite a handful of friends from school (at times he can get a bit overstimulated in large groups) and since many of them have extra curricular activities on Saturdays (Japanese school, ski lessons, basketball games, etc.) we thought it would be best to hold his party on a Friday evening.  I wasn’t expecting everyone we invited to be able to come, but apparently Friday nights are the time to hold a party because we had everyone RSVP a firm yes!  Good thing we only invited 6 friends because a houseful of energetic and silly boys can be quite an active affair.

Cory is still currently obsessed with all things Pokémon so it was easy for us to choose a theme for his special event.  I decided to plan way more games and activities than I knew we would need in a two-hour  block just so I could channel all the energy if I needed to.  (We only ended up doing about half of the activities planned, which was perfectly fine with me. My main goal was to keep the kids content and occupied.)

Guess the number of Pokémon Eggs – We used jelly bellies for our eggs.

Pokémon Activity Station – We had the following available: coloring sheets, index cards so they could create their own Pokémon characters and lots of handbooks (from the library) for them to look at.

Raichu Pokemon Bingo [you can make and print a variety of bingo card themes from this website] - We used skittles for the markers.

Pokémon Training Mission – We colored an extra bingo card and cut the squares apart.  We put each square in a plastic egg and then hid them in our family room downstairs.  The kids then had to find all the missing Pokémon.

Caterpie Cocoon Wrap – You use toilet paper to wrap your teammate, like the mummy game.  (You could judge who was the fastest, who had the strongest wrap, who was wrapped the most creatively, etc.)

Baltoy Tag –  Baltoy is a Pokémon that is a top so the kids played tag, but they had to hop on one foot.  They added a spinning element to their game as well.

Pikachu, Pikachu, Onix – Good old fashioned duck, duck, goose.

Ash Says - Good old fashioned Simon Says.

Energy Basketball – Every time they made a shot, I gave them a Pokémon energy card.  (It’s a good thing I have a large stash of Pokémon cards that I have collected from consignment stores, friends and family.)

When things got too hectic, I simply turned on some Pokémon shows I recorded from the TV.

The boys all seemed to have a lot of fun.  I think they really enjoyed being able to do what boys this age do best – being loud, silly and crazy!  They also looked at each others Pokémon cards (I can’t believe the collections these kids have!) and then we had cake and opened presents.  I have now been introduced to Lego Chima and beyblades, things I wasn’t overly familiar with prior to his party.

As our guests left, we handed them their goody bags. We definitely made sure there were Pokémon cards as party favors!

All in all I think the party was a success.  One of Cory’s friends at school today even said it was the best party ever!  Not sure if I would go that far !!  The most important thing, though, is Cory had a blast!  That made all the planning and enduring of the boisterous and booming noise worth it !!

[I would have documented the party more with photos, but we didn't have enough hands to coordinate all the activities involving constantly moving boys, take pictures and then make sure the 4 year old and 21 month old siblings stayed out of trouble !!]

First Grade Haiku

Cory’s homework assignment tonight was to write a haiku.  I still have vivid memories of writing haiku myself while in 2nd grade.  My teacher was Mrs. Moroto and we hatched baby chicks in our class.

Cory hammered out his poem pretty quickly.  He was quite pleased with himself until we pointed out to him that reptiles has two syllables, not three … even though it can sound like three with the way he pronounces it.  We decided to consult our trusty dusty friend, dictionary.com, and Cory quickly realized that it was indeed two syllables.

He was not happy.  Not in the least bit.

After many tears and some 7 year old tantruming, he emerged from his room and was rather content with his new masterpiece.

Cobras eat lizards.
Amphibians are slimy.
Treefrogs live in trees.

Happy Seventh Birthday

My Dearest Cory,

Happy seventh Birthday to my “little” man who is growing up so quickly!!

Thank you for making me a mother for the second time.

Thank you for opening up my world to all things boy.

Thank you for helping me to appreciate dirt, chaos and loudness.

Thank you for reminding me to laugh, smile and be silly.   Thank you for reminding me to slow down and to embrace the beauty of spontaneity in life.

Thank you for teaching me about exuberant [joyously unrestrained; lively; spirited] and exuberance [joyful enthusiasm; energy].  You feel deeply.  You live deeply.  You love deeply.

Thank you for teaching me how to be patient.  Thank you for teaching me how to think outside the box.  Thank you for teaching me how to stand tall while marching to the beat of my own drum.  Thank you for teaching me to be and love my own unique person.

Thank you for consistently trying to be your best.

Thank you for being forgiving, especially towards me.  Often times I feel wholly inadequate to be your mother, the one who is supposed to nurture you and raise you.  But I know God gave us to each other for a reason.

Thank you for being grateful and for having a big heart.

I am incredibly proud of the remarkable young gentleman you are becoming.  I adore your passion for life and the passion you possess to learn anything and everything about the world and people around you.

Cory drew this from memory. He can’t get enough of
maps and geography.

I cherish your radiant and uninhibited smile  - it is ever so handsome and it instantaneously brightens up any room you are in.  And when you smile, I love the way that pure sunshine also reaches into your eyes.  They always sparkle with joy and excitement when you are happy.

I love you deeply and am grateful beyond words that you are a part of our eternal family.  Thank you for being my sweet boy and allowing me to be your mom.

much love,
Mommy

Three Year Olds

I just adore this little guy.

There is something wondrous and magical about the age of three.  I think if we could all see the world with the eyes of a three year old, our world would be a much kinder and forgiving place.

Eli’s enthusiasm and passion for life melt my heart.  He is so pure and innocent.  And I say this despite the fact that he is my most stubborn and most fiercely independent child thus far.

He wants so badly to be a complete big kid like his older brother and sister; he is constantly imitating them. In many ways, he is growing up so quickly. He is quite adept at doing things and is rather resourceful … sometimes too resourceful.

He can’t wait to go to school and ride the bus like they do.  At least he will start preschool next Fall.  He is thoroughly excited (as am I)!!

He wants to draw and color and do art as well as they do.  Though I must admit I am pretty impressed with how well he can color within the lines.  He is even mastering the use of scissors earlier than his older siblings did.

He wants to be as active and fast as they are when they run around and play games.

He gives the best hugs and snuggles.

He is all boy. He loves cars, machines, boats – he has a thing for pirate boats lately, motorcycles and all things that move and build.

He is a good little helper and I am amazed at how well he can organize and clean up and put things where they belong … of course when he wants to.

And some funny and cute things Eli says:

1)  As we are driving to the gym a few weeks ago he saw a ton of frost on the grass in the meadow where we often see deer and exclaimed, “Mommy!  Look at all the frosting on the ground.”

2)  After our stormy winter blast, a rather large branch fell off one of our trees and was blocking a portion of the driveway. I mentioned to him we needed to take care of it and he said, “Yeah.  We need to put it back up on the tree.”  Precious!

3)  Nearly every morning when getting him breakfast cereal he declares, “I want some lots.  Give me some lots.”

4)  For as long as I can remember, he calls all excavators “snorts”  … he adapted this terminology from the book “Are You My Mother” by P.D. Eastman.

5)  And of course, I simply adore when he expresses how he is “growing up and getting taller like Daddy.”  Love it!

P.S.  I am also loving the fact that he is potty trained!  Hooray!  Though now we need to endure the next six month phase where you have to be careful while in the middle of shopping and being out and about that you take heed of their sudden declaration to use the restroom.

My Little 3 Year Old

Dearest Eli,

I just wanted to take a few minutes to capture a snapshot of who you are at this moment in time.

You are still my fiercely independent three year old little man whose stubborn streak is a mile wide.  You think you rule the roost, especially when you try and parent your older brother.  The loud and firm voice you attempt to use is quite endearing, even if it does earn you some reprimands.

You are very particular about many things – you must have your “pack pack” (aka back pack) and sometimes your real phone and your real keys so you can go to the bus stop with your older siblings.  Your socks must be put on before your pants.  You must have your “papple” slices in your own bowl.  You must get your own stool and your own toothbrush ready before brushing your own teeth – it’s hard for us to inspect your work when you are done.

And if things don’t get done quite to your liking, you are sure to let the whole neighborhood know.  You were born screaming – you were definitely my loudest in the delivery room – and your lungs still know how to get a good workout .

But you also have a tender side that I adore.  I love hearing your sweet and infectious laugh that bubbles throughout the whole room.  Lately you have loved to laugh at the antics of Little Bear while watching his adventures.

I love to hear your sweet voice sing along to “I Love to See the Temple” while we are driving around in the car running errands.  And yes, I will put that song on repeat so I can hear you sing along that much more.

I love to snuggle with you and I love the warm embraces you offer.

Normally you love to play with only things that are real, but lately you have allowed your imagination to grow.  One of your favorite things at the moment is using your play tools to fix things around the house.  Your other favorite thing to do is cook.

You go shopping downstairs in the family room/playroom area.

You then haul your goods upstairs to the kitchen and then insist you set up your space in the real kitchen so you can cook.

Then you slice your food.

And put it on the stove.

And adjust the temperature.  (Yes, you told me all about every step you were doing.)

And then eat your yumminess … though we need to properly teach you that we pretend to eat the pretend food.

Well, right now you are calling again.  I adore that sweet voice of yours and I love hearing you explain what is going through your mind.

lots of love,
MOMMY 

P.S.  This post has been submitted to MamaBlogga’s October 2011 Group Writing Project.

 

My Nighttime Engineer

My 5 year old spirited Cory does NOT like going to bed.  He dreads it with a passion.  He is much like the energy bunny in that he prefers to keep going, going and going.

However, in order for me to preserve the little bit of sanity I have left, I still insist that he be in bed with lights out typically by 8 pm.  Normally, though, he doesn’t fall asleep until 9 or 9:30.

Every night before I go to bed, I always check on the kids.  Lately this is the scene I find on Cory’s bed.

He is very proud of his “museum” wall [his terminology] where he tapes up much of his artwork.  He also likes to sleep in a “tent.”  That is why there is a blanket hanging down on the bed .

If you can’t tell, that is the kids’ clock that he ingeniously hangs up in the bunk bed slats with his silkie blanket that Grandma made.

Some nights when I check on him he is laying on top of the clock.  Other nights his precious clock is tucked underneath his arm.

This night light of his gives him just enough light to look at his I Spy books or to play with the few Hot Wheels cars we let him take to bed.

I don’t mind this at all as long as he is in his room, quiet and not disturbing me.  I need some alone time where my thoughts belong to me and only me!

I think Cory takes after my own heart. I am a night owl, and I have become even more of one since having children. I C.H.E.R.I.S.H. my late evening time where I can get things done without being constantly interrupted. I cherish that time where I can have an adult conversation with my husband and where I can think without someone barging into my thoughts.

Now I just need to figure out how to not be so tired in the morning when my kids – namely Eli at this point – wake up early.  So far I haven’t figured out the magic cure.

Consequently I need to work on a habit I have been trying to perfect for the last few years.

Going to bed early.  And my early is by 11 or 11:30.

Maybe if I write it down here for all the world to see, it will make me more accountable.

And maybe you all can gently encourage me to hit the hay earlier.

What habits are you working on?

What ingenious things do your kids do?

Share away !!

You Know You Are Raising Boys When …

… the inside of their pants look like this.

I think nearly every single pair of pants that Cory owns is patched in the knee.  Numerous times.  And has some hand stitching on the front as well.

I have also noticed he is much harder on the left knee than on the right one.

I wish I possessed some sort of mad sewing and creative skills so I could figure out a way to prevent all the wear and tear.

But come what may and love it. At least he has a passion and zest for life that is unbeatable .

**********************

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my handcrafted Etsy jewelry giveaway!

My Baby Is One

My Sweet Little Eli,

My heart is full as I sit here and think about all the joy you have brought to our family this last year.  Having a tiny baby in the home is such a tender blessing and gift from the Lord.   Your presence has forever changed all of us for the better.

You make the eyes and face of your older sister sparkle and beam with pride.  You make the laugh of your older brother ring out loudly.  You make your daddy’s heart melt and all his worries disappear every time he sees you. And you make me relish motherhood more than I ever thought I could.

Your delightful spirit is healing.  It is calming and soothing.  It causes one to forget their troubles and trials and helps them to focus instead on the abundant life they live.

Your smile is radiant and infectious.  Members at church, people at the gym, strangers in the grocery store.  They all fall prey to your cherubic grin.  And even though it is no longer toothless since your two bottom teeth finally broke through a few weeks ago, it is still just as charming.

I adore your koala clinging hugs and snuggles.  I am already dreading the day when you will be too big for me to embrace so easily.  Or the day when you might decide that being smothered in hugs and kisses from your mother isn’t something you need anymore.

Last week when you took your first step, it was a bittersweet moment for me.  I applaud the independence and freedom you are slowly acquiring, yet my heart aches a little that you are growing up.  Growing up so quickly.

My love for you runs deep.

Deep and wide.

I am so grateful the Lord blessed me with you.  And that He also blessed me with your brother and sister and father.

Happy Birthday my baby!

Much Love Always and Forever,
Mommy

Eli peering into his package.

Eli sneaking a taste of his cake.

Happy Fourth Birthday

Dear Cory,

Happy fourth Birthday to my little “big” man.

The word BIG suits you rather well.  You arrived in this world over a week early, yet you still weighed in over 9 lbs and were 22 inches long.  All the nurses on shift at the hospital had to come and check you out because they thought your hands and feet were huge.

By 10 days you were 10 pounds.  By 2 months you were over 16 pounds.  By 4 months you were already 20 pounds.  Your growth still hasn’t slowed down much.

Cory at 5 months and Keri just shy of 4 years.

But not only are you big in stature, you are big in energy.  There are many days … well, most days … where I wonder how in the world am I ever going to keep up with you.  You go and go and go all day long.  And when you are tired, you get even more hyper.  Your Grandma used to say to your Daddy when he was little, “You are going to be the death of me.”  I feel the same way, but I wouldn’t trade you in for anything for the things you teach me are priceless.

When I take the time to step back and pause and watch you for just a moment, I am in awe.  I can just breathe in your passion and adoration for life.

You feel deeply.

You live deeply.

You love deeply.

You have a natural curiosity about everything.  You love to explore the world around you.  And you accept it all with wonder and amazement.

Cars, trains, planes, treasures and nature boxes.   Letters, words, drawing, being silly, roaming freely outside.  Finding “mysteries” in the carpet, following a bug in the dirt, throwing rocks into the stream.  You drink it all in.  You soak it all up.

I must admit there are times when I feel inadequate to parent you, as if you were given the wrong mother.  I feel at times that I am too structured and too orderly.  You are a lively spirit who craves freedom.   Perhaps this is God’s way of showing me He has a sense of humor .

But I know we were meant to be together.  We are meant to learn from each other.  We are meant to find balance together.

You show me how to embrace life and to live it fully.  After all, you are not afraid to be who you are, who you want to be.  You have no rules, you just follow your heart.

You definitely march to the beat of your own drum, and you do it without looking back, without caring what others think.  You march proudly, with a rhythm of your own.  And of course, along with that beat and rhythm there is your own left-arm-swinging Cory dance that goes right along with it.

I love you Cory, more than you will ever know!  Thanks for being a part of our family!

Much love,
Mommy