February 14, 2011

Young Enough

"I am not young enough to know everything" - Oscar Wilde

I've talked to a few people that don't read my blog too often, and when they see the title, Bump Watch, they immediately think... is she expecting again? And, I normally laugh and firmly tell them nope - it was the blog name chosen when we found out about Jacob, and I never changed it.  And I've been wanting to for a while.

I have opinions on several things, not just on Jacob's growth and up bringing, but lately a common theme arises in my conversations... can you believe that we are old enough to...
...be married for 5 years
...be 10 years older than those college students I advise
...have an almost 2 year old
...have been working full time for 6 years
...plan that high school reunion
...have been driving for 12 years
...be embarrassed that I don't know how to cook a proper dinner
...recognize I have plenty of clothes {oh...that's a hard one!}
...think a few more cardigans and a few less sleeveless tops would be more appropriate
...hear my knees pop when I get up off the ground or climb the stairs too fast

I never feel as old as those things should make me. I often still feel as I'm in my very early twenties. I know I don't look it, but I feel closer to 20 than 30. It's weird. I think a lot of that has to do with my respect of adults my parents age.  To me they are the "adults" I'm still the youngster, learning my way around and trying not to goof it all up.
I view myself as young, young enough...

...to be scared to tell my parents we were having a baby, even though we'd already been married almost 3 years
...to ask my mom to make meat loaf for dinner and bring it to my house to feed my family
...to have an 8 year old sister
...to drive with the windows down and blaring the radio on a sunny day, with the bass up...through campus...
...to have no clue what to do when my son gets sick
...to just now have my college friends having babies
...to still wear my pink North Face jacket every day, even to work
...to read the newspaper online, only in print on Sundays with coupons to clip
...to get all caught up in Kappa Delta recruitment
...love weddings, and think flip flops during the reception are perfectly appropriate attire
...to not be very domestic, and think I still have plenty of time to learn
...to not be taken seriously when I walk into a financial seminar full of "gray hairs"
...to use the term "hot mess" at work, and receive blank stares in return
...to decorate with pictures and not paintings
...realize I'm no where near old yet :)

And so, I have decided the young enoughs out weigh the old enoughs, and I just enjoy "young enough" more. 

I'm old enough to know better, Young Enough to pretend.
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Jacob has a special Daddy

I always remind myself, that I am quite the lucky girl. I married a man who's mother taught him how to keep house.  He can cook, clean a house, do the laundry and mend buttons onto his clothes in addition to all the "manly" duties in keeping the house in order. He's also a pretty fun Dad.  Often when we're together with our friends Pat will disappear, and we'll find him hiding in a play room or chasing all the kids around the basement. He enjoys the little ones, and it melts my heart.

A LONG time ago, circa 2003, I was told to get dressed up for Valentine's dinner and be ready by 8:00.  A few minutes before 8:00 one of Pat's best friends arrived at the back door to the KD house, all dressed up {this was unusual for our "farm boy" friend whose nickname is Ox} and with an umbrella in hand since it was raining. Pat was no where in sight. Instead I was chauffeured to Pat's house, where he and his roommates had moved all of the furniture out of their living room and set up a single small round table with two chairs and two purple candles. Pat was waiting for me, and as we sat down at the table his roommates, all dressed up proceeded to serve us our dinner and drinks. Pat had made the dinner himself, spaghetti - normal spaghetti, but with a special sauce. Not Ragu. His mother had taught him how to make spaghetti sauce from scratch. Complete with dicing up vegetables and each spice being put into the pot on the stove at a certain time in the process.  

It was fabulous! And so I began to realize even more, what a neat guy he was.  He had made our dinner completely by himself, not exactly common for a 21 year old male college student.  He had convinced his college friends, all with girlfriends, to spend their Valentine's night with us acting as waiters and chauffeurs.  I don't remember what gifts we exchanged, but I very vividly remember our dinner - and how my love for his spaghetti dinner came to be.  We have since used his spaghetti dinner to celebrate many occasions, and often have it on Valentine's Day.

This picture now resides in a scrapbook, so I took a picture of the picture

This year, we had decided we didn't want to make a big fuss about Valentine's Day, but that we wanted to start a tradition with Jacob. A spaghetti dinner tradition. {almost Lady and the Tramp style, right??} and so tonight, Pat will make for Jacob and I his spaghetti and home made sauce. For us to enjoy. And hopefully as Jacob grows older, and we continue our Valentine's dinner he will realize that his Dad is pretty special, and maybe learn how to make the spaghetti sauce for his Valentine when he gets older.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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January 23, 2011

Love the Ones You're With

Love Confetti Pink Valentine's Day Card
Modern greeting cards and party invitations by Shutterfly.
View the entire collection of cards.

January 17, 2011

The good stuff

...and this has nothing to do with Jacob.

I'm talking about when you are sitting in a moment. Across the dinning room table from your husband, after 16 people have left your house and you are sharing left over crackers, peperoni and cheese with him... and you realize as you're talking about the issues that have come up recently in other situations, and you are sharing your opinions, thoughts, ideas and trying to grasp understanding (out loud) of why another person did what they did that you are a part of an amazing conversation, and you would not rather be having that time with anyone else...
And you stop mid sentence, take a deep breath and hope you remember it.
Because it's very sweet.
And you don't always get to recognize a moment until it's passed.

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January 10, 2011

2011

Why, hello there, 2011. Nice to see you!

I can’t predict the future, but I have a feeling about this year... a feeling that it will be FUN! I hope so, at least! The wedding count for the year is already at four.  The expected baby count is up to eight.  Three trips are on the books - two are places I've never been before {New Orleans and Arizona}.  Pat continues to pursue that second degree... learning is fun, right? Those are just the highlights and I hope the remainder of 2011 follows suit.  I would like to live, celebrate and enjoy life this year, instead of just watch it pass us by so quickly it makes my head spin.

Do I have any specific goals for this year? Sure.

I’m kicking off meal-planning and home cooking this year. For our health, sanity and to save money to free up funds.  I'd like to minimize the day long question... what's for dinner - and get home at 6:15 without a clue, and a screaming, starving child in my arms who has a food allergy...

Do a better job of sticking to a budget. I'm in the financial profession, you'd think I'm better at this than I really am. I know the HOW and implementation, it's the follow through that gets me every time. 

Celebrate 5 years of marriage.  With a weekend trip, this idea started out as a whole week vacation, but I'll settle for the weekend away. 

Learn to parent with more patience, grace and consistency.  **we are currently taking the pacifier away from Jacob, and that patience and grace thing would be GREAT to have to lean on right about now**

Be thankful. I have made a mental effort the past few months to remind myself to be grateful and thankful for the life we lead, the people who are in it and the experiences we have each day. 

I am humbled every night when we say Jacob's prayers by the lines:
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep
Guard me, Jesus, through the night
And, wake me with the morning light

Each night, as I pause to reflect on what I am saying and asking for Jacob I am reminded that each day and each breath is not in my hands, but is a gift.  I take it as my responsibility to cherish it, fully.  Amazing what having children allows you to comprehend on a completely different level than before.

Happy New Year, a little late! Hope it's a good one :)

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Help Wanted

See Bedroom 2 below?



Below is what the room looked like when we first moved in. We've since moved the bed long ways against that far exterior wall, added a bookshelf full of DVDs on the wall opposite the windows, and a TV on the short wall. It's just become a catch all guest room. And, that needs to change. PRONTO!


I need some help, ideas, something! We want to make this room a functional playroom with a guest bed. I will keep the white rod iron bed frame but, it can't be painted or refinished (as it was my stepmom's Granny's that has been given to me on loan).  Other than than, there's a blank slate, literally, we still have the builder white walls in this room.  So, anyone have any ideas?? Places to go for inspiration?

This will also be a budgeted adventure. I want to make the change, but not feel bad if in a year or two it needs a total redesign again. Oh, we also already have a rug for the room... it's a street map rug that cars and trains can move along... someone got it at an after Christmas sale for a little guy, about two and a half feet tall... and he's been playing in this room with it (and the little guy) ever since.

I also should be catching up on blogging here soon. I've been super busy! Kelly's Kids selling starts this week (http://www.kellyskids.com/), and I have three parties in three days and company coming this weekend! So we're busy, busy, busy at the McKew house. :)
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December 13, 2010

Santa

Going to see Santa was quite the event this year.  Last year, Jacob was a mere 6 months, we went before Thanksgiving so there was not a line and he cozied right up to Mr. Claus.
This year in preparation we looked at the picture from last year several times. We would show Jacob and ask if he knew who the man with the white beard was.  We'd point Santa out in movies - and Jacob would get SO excited when he would see a Santa.  Pat and I packed up on Sunday and headed to the mall. We didn't know that Santa took a late lunch, so upon our 2:30 arrival - we were told Santa was going to lunch and would be back in an hour.  The line was blocked off, so we took a stroll through the mall and came back a little before 3:30 - and found about 10 families in line already! We jumped in line and then Pat and I took turns taking Jacob from line to wonder around and kill time. He was SO anxious to get to Santa. 45 minutes later, we were next in line and Jacob was squirming like crazy to get in front of the kid before him - he wanted to go see Santa.  He waited patiently as the little boy and girl ahead of us told Santa what they wanted, and Jacob kept jumping, and trying to run towards Santa... UNTIL the elf lady turned and said - you can go up there now.
Jacob froze. Put all his weight back on me, and wouldn't move.
We picked him up, and he clung to me as we walked towards Santa in his big red chair.
I tried to set him down, he scrambled back up my body.
Santa asked if Jacob would stand next to him, and he did - holding tight to my leg.
We inched Jacob closer and closer, but it wasn't going over well.
Santa got a bright idea - books! Does Jacob like books? He asked. Normally the answer is yes, but not that day.
Finally, Santa sat in the floor, Jacob sat in Santa's chair while I held his hand - and this is what we got.


Not too sure about Santa this year... maybe next?
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