Disney Mania

After 18 months of Kyle's pleading, we finally made it to Disneyland! Two days of
uninterrupted Disney fun made it too hard to choose our favorites, so here's a whole bunch:

We kind of dragged Grandpa & Grandma Turner along with us, but they were such good sports. It was so fun to have their company, and super nice to have extra helping hands.

We didn't find a ride we didn't like, but Kyle's top three were:

1. Buzz Lightyear
2. Star Tours (I didn't get to ride, but apparently he giggled and cheered the whole time)
3. The Matterhorn (which we kind of had to talk him into)

"Oh, and number four was the Caterpillar ride (Alice in Wonderland)...oh, and
number five was Toy Story...oh and number six was..."

As you can see, we loved it. We didn't think we could make it three days, so we only bought two-day passes. But we left wishing we had just one more day. I guess that's the way to end a vacation -wanting more.

Made with Love

Once upon a time, Kevin's grandmother was a young newlywed, expecting her first baby. In anticipation, she made tiny little dresses, hand-crafted with care and absolutely beautiful. Well, baby #1 was a boy, and he was soon joined by a little brother. The parents called themselves blessed with two wonderful sons, and those tiny baby girl dresses were packed away.

And there they stayed until a few years ago, when Grandpa Turner pulled them out. Grandma had recently passed away and he wanted to share a few of her things with his family. Out came 4 tiny, beautiful little dresses that he gave to 4 grateful granddaughters and granddaughter-in-laws.

I've always been a bit partial to blue, so I chose the white one with a beautiful scalloped edge with blue embroidery. It even has a matching slip, complete with embroidery. It's amazing.

Little did we know that years later we'd have a beautiful baby girl, or that we would name her after this wonderful woman. We didn't know that someday she'd be able to wear this beautiful little dress. And we had no idea how it would match her beautiful blue eyes.

If you ask me, it's pretty meaningful. And if little Marie becomes half the woman her great-grandmother was, I'll call myself blessed.

Radar

You know, I have to give it to Kyle. When he decides to do something, he does it full force. There's no halfway point with this kid.

But this time, his obsessions are affecting me. You see, he's become my own little policeman. And let me tell you, his radar gun is on 100% of the time.

His seatbelt reminders are actually quite helpful. But he recently learned to read the speed limit signs. And it's annoying. Because if that sign says 45 mph, you'd better not be going 46 or 47. Because Kyle will notice. And how do you explain fudging the law with your son?

There's a particular stretch of road on base that changes speed limits 4 times within 4 miles. No kidding. So here's my personal policeman, from the back seat:

"45 miles per hour! Are you going 45 miles per hour?"
(as he cranes his neck to check the speedometer).

"35 miles per hour! Um, mom, I think you're going more like 40."

"55 miles per hour! Mom, it says 55 now. You can go 55."
(And when he says now, he means now).

Seriously, if it wasn't so cute, and if I didn't know he'd get tired of it in a few weeks, I'd be really annoyed.

Blessings

There are blessings and curses that come with blogging. One of the curses is that 15 minutes of blogging so easily turns into an hour. Not because I'm busy posting (obviously), but because inevitably, I'll find some random stranger's blog and get hooked. My husband thinks I'm the biggest loser, when I look at stranger's blogs, but there are some awe-inspiring stories out there. It was this way that I came across the story of a sweet little baby girl fighting for her life. Born with heart defects, she underwent a transplant yesterday. A transplant that didn't go so well. So once again, she's fighting for her life. I can't stop thinking about it and praying for her.

One of the blessings that comes with the blog world is staying in touch with old friends. And it was this way that I learned that a dear friend had lost her husband in combat yesterday, fighting in Iraq. I immediately burst into tears and haven't stopped praying for her since. She's strong. So strong. But a person can only go through so much and she's had one tough year and a half. And now she's lost the person closest to her in the entire world.

It's made me sad. It's made me reflective. And it's made me so, SO grateful. I consider the trials in my life and they seem so silly. I have been blessed so abundantly and somewhere along the way I forgot that. Or maybe I didn't forget, I just took it for granted. I have a wonderful family. I have an amazing husband and beautiful children. And I get to be their mom. I'm so blessed, temporally and spiritually. And I need to be better about remembering that on a daily basis. I need to remember my priorities.

So tonight I'm going to cuddle with my husband and snuggle my kids. Even if Marie's sick and screams and fights the whole time. I'll just love her that much more. Because I have everything in the world to be grateful for.

Grateful

Kyle walked into the room this morning to find me watching the inauguration.

"What's this?" he asked me, suspiciously.

And as I started to explain, I choked up.

I was moved by gratitude and pride for the country in which I'm lucky enough to live. A democratic country where every voice is heard, freedoms are enjoyed, and the transition of power is seamless and smooth.

I may not have voted for our new president, but he has my support and admiration. And I'm filled with gratitude on this day.

Flower Girl

I had an impromtu photo shoot with my little gal the other day.
Sunflower + good lighting + the cutest subject ever = keepsake photos

Museum of Natural History

Kyle loves museums. We used to frequent them often and he's missed them since moving here. So when we asked what he'd like to do for the holiday yesterday, I wasn't surprised when he said, "Go to a museum."

So we found ourselves at the Museum of Natural History in L.A.
We felt like we'd stepped right into the movie, "Night at the Museum."

They had a pretty impressive children's discovery area, and Kyle loved it.

He dug for dinosaur bones...

...and got to pet a millipede.
FYI, centipedes are venomous, but millipedes aren't.

It was a beautiful day, so after we'd exhausted the museum and bought a gigantic rubber tarantula souvenir, we headed outside to enjoy the sunshine, fountains, and rose garden.
What a fabulous day!

Just because...

...she makes me happy.

Success

For a kindergartner, the monkey bars are a status symbol. It's almost a dividing line:

"Can you do the monkey bars?"

"How many bars can you skip?"

"Can you do them backwards?"

Since starting school, Kyle's been obsessed with the monkey bars. For the first few weeks, he came home with a new blister everyday. He'd put a band-aid on, let it heal, then tear it open again a few days later.

But he was determined. Determined to catch up to that friend who could swing across so easily. Determined to do it for himself. And he's succeeded with flying colors. Everyday he shows me a new trick and waits for the "oohs" and "ahhs." He's pleased with himself, and I'm glad. Because he worked hard. He deserves it.

In fact, I've been amazed at his growth in all areas since he started school. I suppose it comes with the territory - they can't sit in school for hours everyday without learning something. But to compare him to the kid I dropped off at school 5 months ago - well, he's not the same kid. He's so confident in what he does and what he's learned. He's loves surprising me with something new he's learned and I love being surprised. It's amazing to watch.

A friend recently asked me if I regretted starting Kyle in school this year. My reply was, "Not yet. I might regret it later, but not yet."

But the more I think about it, the more I think my answer is a resounding NO. He's thrived this year. An extra year at home would've almost been wasted, academically speaking. His teacher has reached him in ways I couldn't. Sure, an extra year might have put him at the top of the class, but he's still in the top half.

And I think he always will be. Because if I've learned anything about my son this year, it's that he thrives on competition. Heaven forbid somebody know more than him or be able to do something he can't.

Oh, he doesn't get mad or jealous, but he notices, and internalizes it. Then he goes forth with a quiet determination to achieve. And when he does, it's magical. For him and for me.

It's a good quality to have, one that will serve him well.

Now, will he hate me when he's 15 and the last one to date and drive? Absolutely. But I think I can handle that.