Enjoying the Good and Getting Through the Bad

Kai has been a handful lately.  He is starting to throw tantrums and fits and has an ear pounding scream when he doesn't get what he wants.  It's been hard to know what to do when he acts like this, and it makes my days at home more of a challenge.  I find myself very discouraged and disappointed with myself not always being the best mom; not always knowing what to do and not only that but enjoying doing it.  Then I came across this article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html ) and realized that motherhood doesn't need to be about enjoying every second of it.  Being a Mom is hard and although everyone around you is telling you to enjoy every minute because it goes by fast, I know that as long as I am noting and remembering the good moments then all the hard stuff I can grit my teeth and just get through.  Because honestly, no, I do not enjoy trying to calm Kai down in the middle of the store, or forcing him into his car seat, or cleaning up his high chair for the millionth time, those are the moments I do hope go by fast.  But I do enjoy watching Kai's face light up when he laughs because I pulled a funny face, and hear his babbles in the back seat of the car while I am driving, and just like it said in the article I feel so blessed to afford all the food I feed my family.  These moments I know may not last forever, there will come a day when I pull a funny face and Kai will roll his eyes, or instead of cute babbles in the backseat I will hear fighting and if circumstances arise there might be a day when paying for food doesn't come so easy.  I am finding peace in enjoying the good moments and feeling the accomplishment of getting through the bad.

Here are a few pictures of the good moments!

Making brownies with Kai

Catching Kai "decorating" his room wearing his favorite boot (he asks me frequently to put this boot on him, I think he is drawn to the color).  The other boot was thrown in the D.I. bag by Kai without anyone noticing, so now he gets to wander around the house in just one boot.

Christmas 2011

Christmas Eve

 

  

We think Santa hit it right on the nose with this gift, Kai loves it!  As soon as we put Kai down in the hall he saw his basketball hoop and came running to it.  He still loves it and plays with it all day long.

 

Santa brought Ben a Kindle Fire and Me a KitchenAid.

Kai really enjoyed opening his gifts.  He got the movie Dumbo, an instrument set, and a radio.  He really loves music and dancing to it.  He will go and turn on the radio or ask someone to do it for him by grabbing their hand and taking them to the radio; then he will go and dance. It's pretty good entertainment.

After opening gifts Kai "helped" me make some chocolate silk pies.

Last Thanksgiving we took a picture of Kai's cousins that were born in 2010.  This is all of them again in 2011, it was much more difficult to take pictures of these wiggly toddlers this year.

December Magic

Kai is our little  T.V. junky, he LOVES movies, which has been a lot of fun...he fits right in with us!

  

This was our Christmas movie night.  We watched The Polar Express and had chocolate chip cookies and milk.  Kai was too preoccupied to look up for pictures.

Ben scheduled a cousin sleepover and had Annika, Kaylee and Micha over for the night.  I had just got my wisdom teeth out and wasn't much fun so Ben made up for me.  Here they all are decorating Christmas cookies.

Kai enjoying his Christmas cookie.

 

Kai loves to be outside, not matter how cold it is.

Playing in a box 

(in case you didn't know what he was doing)

Preston's Festival of Lights

I think this will be more exciting for Kai next year but I think he still enjoyed the lighted floats.

 

All About November

Holidays have come and gone, I can't believe how fast time gets away from me.  Here is a look at what we've been up to!

This picture doesn't do it justice, but this was Kai's nail polish incident.  

While I was getting ready Kai got into my nail polish and one dropped and broke open.  It went all over the floor, wall, clothes and his hands..  He did not enjoy his acetone sponge bath I gave him to remove the polish from his skin.

Kai enjoying his first snowfall, or rather not enjoying it.  He HATES his snow gear, mostly because he is practically immobile while in it.

 Even upset this face is irresistible to me!

First doughnut...success!  Takes after his momma.

I didn't get any pictures of Thanksgiving, I have been really bad at taking pictures lately, but here are some pictures of Kai and his cousin Caleb playing together the day after Thanksgiving.

 Little Lulu (Luci), Rob and Sara's baby was born on October 31, Kai was being so sweet with her.

 Her cheeks are to die for, runs in the family!