Bite the bullet Friday

Possibly better explained as bullet point Friday or brain dump Friday but either way here is my end of the week brain spilling all over the place stream of consciousness style.

• I can't stop thinking about birthing Alyssa.  Possibly it's because sweet Layla was just born or because my dear friend Becks just announced her second pregnancy but either way I daydream about that fabulous day all the time.  
• I just watched the video with Riley right after Lyssa came out and Daddy talks to her telling her how much he loves her and how pretty she is.  Makes me fall in love with him all over again.  He says over and over again that he wished he knew what to call her...we didn't name her for a few hours as I had to make sure that my name was out the window.  She just looked like Alyssa Marie though so there you have it.  
• Since I am 'dumping' all things baby I will just throw this out there-I LOVE being pregnant.  I miss it right now.  Not saying I want to be pregnant but I miss Lyssa Lu swimming around in there, kicking me and getting hiccups.  I miss reading the weekly updates and seeing my midwife every month.  She became a friend and I just saw her in the hallways this week at work and we hugged and I realized how much I miss it all.  Yes, I read every weekly update with Alyssa.  
• Chasing Cars came on the radio today and I don't think I have heard that song since Feb 9th when on the way to the hospital we heard it 3 times.  Twas baby girls theme song.  Have you ever really listened to the lyrics.  Perfect baby-having song.  

I don't quite know 

How to say

How I feel.

Those three words

Are said too much

They're not enough

All that I am

All that I ever was

Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see.

I don't know where

Confused about how as well

Just know that these things will never change for us at all.

If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

• Speaking of music did you know that you can make your own Playlist?  Just scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click on "make your own Playlist" or "pop-out playlist" and then you can listen to my music or make your own.  Is it obvious that I am obsessed currently with John Mayer?  
• I worked from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. today.  I feel oddly young again like before I had kids and had just started at Pathway.  I was working crazy mad overtime hours back then and just an extra 1.5 hours oddly made me feel young again.  
• I just finished a book in 5 days.  It was one of the best books I have ever read.  Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.   Same author as my other favorite Firefly Lane.   It was a story of great loss, survival and love.  The story in the story was utterly heartbreaking and I could not put this one down.  It was a total feel good story that left me in tears on my lunch break.  No surprise with the tears.
• I am looking forward to church on Sunday and hearing our new Pastor preach.  
• I am going to spend all weekend soaking in my kids.
• School starts for Riley on Wednesday and I am eagerly anticipating waking up to my kids midweek and caring for them in the morning before dropping him off at church and then going out to coffee with Tammy a fellow preschool mommy.  
• Although I do not want to be pregnant anytime soon I cannot stop thinking about our baby making dilemma/disagreement.  I want 2 more kids, D wants 1.  I have a really hard time imagining that the next time will be the last time.  
• We had family pictures taken last Sunday and I can only see the bags under my eyes, the chub around my middle section and the drab hair on my head.  Also Lyssa's ear folded is driving me nuts so I am going to have to replace her head with a better ear shot!  
• We ate at Perkins last night with my family.  My Uncle works there and gets a free meal every month for up to 6 people.  We had malts, apps, dinners and muffins for free.  Our tab was $130 and we only had to cover the tip.  Who'd have thunk you could spend $130 at Perkins!?  
• Can you believe 9-11-11 is coming up.  10 years.  I will never forget waking up in the dorm to my roommate screaming and crying while I tried to comprehend what was going on.  Getting home to my family and Derrick was the most important thing and a huge part of my not wanting to be away at college anymore.  
• I miss my sister.  I want to see her more and more often these days.
• I am buying new Jillian Michaels DVD's this weekend in hopes that these last 10 lbs finally fall off of me.  
• I finally got through the renewal ceremony pictures and I am not overly happy with the results.  My brain was 'loose' that day and I was ill-prepared.  Hopefully come September 24th I will feel more confident or at least act more confident so Anne and me rock it.  
• I am crazy content right now with life.  It is good.

I feel better now that my brain has been emptied.  Cheers to Friday!  

For the love of my Riley

I have just been sitting back and watching my Riley lately and the pride that starts swelling up within me all the way from my toes to my heart is just about to explode.  We were all "strap in for 3" and really, he couldn't be any sweeter.  He obviously has his moments where the whining starts and where the not listening gets the better of him but overall we have one very well behaved, content, happy, well-adjusted 3-year-old.  He is so much fun to be around and just a little smile or hug from him keeps me going long after my exhaustion level has bottomed out. 

At the end of the day after Lyssa Lu is in bed we all trek back to Riley's room and he lays sandwiched between Daddy and me while we whisper goodnights and love you's back and forth.  Every night he recites "me check yours feets and make sure they are up on mine bed."  Without a doubt he gets up and has to check our feet.  I think this means that if our feet are up on the bed he feels secure that we aren't going to make a break for it.  He has also started asking for "one more hug pees."  This has replaced his need to grip our shirts tightly so that we can't go anywhere.  When Daddy picked him up for that one more hug last week he said "this is my favvvvorrrrite part Daddy," and as soon as Daddy laid him back down he said "but this is not my favorite part."  Haha...you almost got to sleep with Mommy and Daddy!
I was lying with him this weekend while Daddy was getting Lyssa down when he asked me "seep in mine bed forever Mommy, you not need to seep with Daddy."  I said forever!?  What do we do when the sun comes up tomorrow morning?  to which he replied "go fishing of course Mommy!" 

Have you seen the recent video of the fallen Navy SEAL and his dog who laid in front of his casket during the whole funeral service?  We watched it recently and didn't even realize Riley was paying any attention and apparently he was because he started asking questions about why he had to die and if he was in heaven.  He told us that it made him so sad and that he wants to lay with hig doggy like that.  Broke my heart that something we watched unintentionally caused his little heart to hurt.  He is young enough though that he was able to forget that SEAL after hugs and reassurance from us, I unfortunately was not able to and thought of him with tears long after Riley's bedtime.  So thankful that my boy has a soft heart that is full of compassion and love for others. 

We visited a new church this weekend for a baptism and a young group rapped and danced to 3 or so songs (somewhat awkwardly) but also somewhat entertaining especially if you were Riley.  He nodded his head front to back with the beat and when one of the guys started breakdancing he tugged on my skirt and begged me "I want to do that Mommy, I want to be up there and do that with them Mommy, come with me peese?"  Haha, no thanks little man.  I was able to talk him out of it and instead he sat in his seat and started doing the actions along with the rest of us.  So yesterday at Nana's house he apparently started breakdancing to the Go Diego Go theme song and my Mom couldn't figure out what he was doing and where he learned it from.  Even after he told her church (turch) she still didn't get it until she talked to me and I almost peed my pants laughing.  He's got rhythmn, yes he does! 

After his last dentist appt we were told he was able and ready to move up to big boy toothpaste so he chose some SpongeBob stuff (I strongly dislike SpongeBob.) in fruit flavor or something.  Without a doubt he tells me everynight "this toothpaste is picey (spicey) Mommy."  It smells like candy and is neon blue in color so spicy isn't exactly the descriptive word I expected to hear from him! 

We attended pre-school orientation on Tuesday and there was a TON of families there.  He immediately said "I miss my Lyssa and Daddy."  We met his teacher whom I have already known for many, many years and filled out some forms.  While all the other kids were playing he sat in my lap and just took it all in.  He asked questions about whether or not I would be going to school with him...break my heart...and he was a bit nervous about there being that many people in his class.  I tried my best to explain to him how much fun he will have and that these kids were here with their whole families (seriously...you just had to bring all 4 of your kids, the grandparents and the dog with you!?-just kidding about the dog) and when he goes to school it will only be the little kids and his teachers.  Try explaining this all the while staring at his cute, concerned face when I felt like crying too!  I am just not ready for a pre-schooler and stop it with the "what's the big deal?"  The big deal is that he has never been without his immediate family, the people who love him dearly and unconditionally.  He has never had his feelings hurt without one of us near enough to help break down the situation and make everything better. Yes, I know he needs to learn that sooner or later but this is my baby boy and I am just not ready.  He is so kind and sensitive which worries me that he will get shy and intimidated and end up being a wallflower.  Thankfully this is a Christian school, the same one that started my education all those years ago and I know that the teachers will love him similiar to us.  I know that he will be fine.  I know that he will LOVE it.  I know that all and still it will break my heart to drop him off Wednesday morning and kiss my big boy goodbye. 

How fast you have grown my sweet boy.  Mama loves you this much!...and will be there to pick you up Wednesday for a special lunch and nap just the 2 of us. 

Get cuter, why don't ya!?

Paper Mama: Favorite of August

Busy, busy over here in the Theisen household...I have so many things swirling around in my brain right now that it is insane-insane in the membrane has taken on a whole new meaning in my life.  I have much to share as I reflect on the end of summer, the end of our girls gummy smiles and the end of round 5 in 11 weeks.  Can you believe it!?

For now though http://thepapermama.blogspot.com/2011/08/paper-mama-photo-challenge-favorite.html. 

She is my favorite gurl!

Twas a weekend to remember

Twas indeed!  It was one for the books...at least for Lyssa Lu and I. 

We spent all day saturday as just the girls.  We took in an early morning nap that stretched until lunchtime.  We slowly but surely got loads of laundry done, a load of dishes washed and finally we got shredded by none other than Jillian Michaels.  She loves to watch me work out.  I think she in entranced by the cans of pees and corn I use as weights.  Silverish flashes of the cans entertain her as I do chest presses, back exercises, punches and more all at the prodding done by Jillian who say's "look, we are doing it with you, we know it's hard..." yet she isn't breaking a sweat and is still talking after 27 minutes of shredding.  I am soaked in a sweat that makes it hard to take off the anti-sweat shirt I bought, I can hardly talk and my legs are shaky from all the exercise. 

But, I digress.

All the while Auntie Katie had come over only to lay down and take a nap in Riley's room...for 2 hours!  Thankfully little lady also laid down for a nap after the shredding so I could shower in peace.

My parents came over shortly after and my Dad watched Lyssa Lu so we could take in "The Help."  I was a bit nervous about my Dad watching our girl but he said yes to it and she is really easy to put to bed so we proceeded on with our plans.  Popcorn, nachos and a hidden pop in my purse later I still had no new messages on my phone so we were golden.  The movie was incredible...I thought they did a superb job on casting the characters and it was touching with great acting and just enough laughs.  We left laughing ourselves and the laughing continued when we found my Dad with our TV set to channel 9984 playing re-runs of Jersey Shore because he didn't know how to change the channel.  Luckily Alyssa was easier to handle then the remote and she was good for him.  She continued her goodness and slept until 7:30 Sunday morning!  Yay, baby girl!  We dressed and headed off to church where she sang her little heart out to the songs, snoozed on a new lap, was passed around to countless people while I helped serve beverages after the service and was told an innumerable amount of times how extremely cute and social she was.  It was a long morning as our new head Pastor was installed but it was fun to see so many 'old' faces and we both really enjoyed ourselves.  It is so fulfilling to be part of something that dates back to childhood.  To see and exchange sincere "hello's" and "oh my gosh, is she/he yours?"  To see grown adults who used to babysit us Hutchies as kids and now introduce them to my child.  To be hugged by parents of my oldest and dearest friends that I haven't seen because of time and space.  It is special, it is good.

I love weekends but this one was just special.  Quiet, lazy Saturday followed by a busy and exciting Sunday capped off with the boys returning home and dinner with Nana and Papa later in the evening. 

This summer has flown by. 

I can't believe our baby girl is a sitter now.

I can't believe it's nearly the end of August.

I can't believe Riley starts school in 2 weeks time.

I can't believe we will be enjoying deep fried pickles with cream cheese soon : )

 I am thankful for the special alone time I am granted to spend with my girl...

I am thankful to have my family back under 1 roof after being spread out under 3 Saturday eve.

I am thankful to have met (baby Miles) and spent time with extended family on Saturday in Hamel.  It was so much fun to be packed together bumping into eachother and watching happily as our children played together all the while enjoying appetizers and conversation. 

Twas once again a weekend for the books. 

The boys enjoyed nice weather and fishing.  Riley really, really enjoyed the fishing, but of course! 

Bernie the bass, picture complete with sandals on the wrong feet!  : )