Our Life, in Pictures

Apparently the new name of the blog should be the title of this post: Our Life in Pictures.  I just can't ever seem to find the energy to do more than post a bunch of pictures with whatever almost-funny captions I can come up with.  I feel bad - and also I feel like I'm missing out on one of my outlets.  But life right now is just madness.  I keep thinking it will get better "when" - but who knows when that "when" is.  Maybe tomorrow.  Maybe in June.  Maybe in three years?  Who knows.

So, for now, and probably for the foreseeable future, here's our life in pictures:

Looking at the TV through his binoculars, because clearly our TV isn't big enough.

Our most frequent view of Jayden swimming after swim lessons.  

And oh my gosh, how long is his hair!!!

Longer story: after swim class, Jayden wanted to go out to lunch at a restaurant where he could play.  So I took him to one of the only two fast food places I'm willing to take him - Chick-Fil-A.  He was playing in the play area while I was sitting at the table with Dakota.  There were a bunch of other kids playing in there, including a girl who I believe had Down Syndrome.  I saw her hit one of the other kids, but was hoping it wouldn't happen to Jayden.  Well.  It turns out Jayden went right past her to go down the slide.  She grabbed his hair, hit him in the face and pushed him down the slide.  (the picture shows the red mark on his face from where she hit him).  Jayden came down the slide sobbing.  The girl's mom asked him if he was okay.  I ran into the play area to check on him.  He was fine.  It clearly hurt and he wasn't happy, but he was okay.  It turned into an opportunity to talk about people who think differently and who don't necessarily understand when they're doing something that might be considered mean.  It was good to have that conversation, and Jayden actually absorbed it, because that's how he explained it to Carmen a couple days later.
BUT, the girl's mom said nothing to me.  And wasn't really watching the girl most of the time she was in the play area.  My primary concern is that there were a lot of little kids in there, like two year olds.  If she hit hard enough to leave this much of a red mark on Jayden's face, she could really hurt a smaller kid.  I didn't say anything, because it's obviously a sensitive subject.  And, I've never had a kid with down syndrome, so I have no idea what that is like.  And honestly, we're all moms just doing the best we can.  But if my kid made another kid cry, no matter the circumstances, I think I'd at least check in.  I think.  But maybe, in some situations, I wouldn't.  Maybe I'd be so used to being defensive or protective that I'd just want to get out of there.  In any case, I am in no way mad.  And, like I said, it gave me the opportunity to have an interesting conversation with Jayden about people who think differently than he or I do.

The struggle is real.  Uh - there's this thing behind me, but I just can't quite arrange my arms and hands so that I can grab it, chew it, test it out!

Freshly washed curls.  Mama has got some serious work to do working with Miss Dakota's hair.  It's quite dry and frizzy, but also fine.  I think I'll have to get her a haircut soon (which is crazy - I didn't cut Jayden's hair until he was 17 months!), and hopefully the hairdresser can teach me some tricks.  I definitely need to find the right hairdresser.  

On Sunday Jayden's swim buddy Maxwell had a birthday party at the Santa Ana Zoo.  I love Maxwell, and his family too.  I wish I could find a way to be better friends with them - we're just both so busy it's always difficult to coordinate.

Another lesson learned for me: we were doing a scavenger hunt around the zoo.  Maxwell was running and ran smack into a door.  He was really sad about it.  I could tell - I'd seen the same expression on Jayden's face.  I knew he needed his parents, but they were back at the party spot.  I had Dakota in my arms and was chasing Jayden, but I asked him if he wanted to go see his mom or dad.  He said yes.  So I was getting ready to do that when one of the other dads came along and said "oh you're fine, be a big boy, keep going - you're a big boy, you're fine!"  I didn't know this dad or his relationship with Maxwell, and Maxwell ran off and was sort of okay for a minute, so I let it go and didn't take him back.  Eventually, another friend's parent called Maxwell's mom/dad and his dad came to get him.  Later on I was texting with his mom and she said Maxwell told her how much he wished I'd taken him to see his mom/dad right away.  And my heart just broke.  I totally failed that little boy!  My gut instinct was right, and I should have stood firm with that dad and his "big boy" talk.  Sometimes they are so big, but so often they are so little and still need their moms and dads.  Poor kid.  

Luckily for me, the kids were on opposite nap schedules - as soon as Jayden went to sleep, Dakota woke up.  And when Jayden woke up, Dakota was ready to nap. The good thing about it was it let me have some alone time with Jayden.  The bad thing was I got no rest.
But I did get this cute picture of baby girl.

This is blurry, but this is her new face.  I love it.  I could stare at this particular facial expression all day long.  We have no idea what she's thinking when she does it, or how she's using it, but it's awesome.

My heart.
These two are just too much.  

Watching her daddy and brother goof off together.  Nobody can make her laugh like her family, but especially her brother.

Even though his eyes look funny, this is a real Jayden smile - sitting on the bench on the carousel at the mall - one of his favorite things to do!

Chillin at a birthday party on Saturday.  One of Carmen's co-workers had twins a year ago (after a really stressful and medically challenging pregnancy) and we were celebrating their first birthday.  It was a cute little party at a park.

And Carmen decided we should be the Jordan family - so all of us, including Jayden and Dakota, had our Jordans on.  I couldn't get Jayden to stand still long enough to include him in this shot.  But with the three of us you sort of get the idea.  

Tonight Jayden and I whipped up a skillet cookie before dinner.  If you're ever in need of a quick dessert, I highly recommend this one.  It took us about 10 minutes to mix everything and then 20 minutes to cook.  Another 10 minutes to cool while we were eating dinner, and served with a little ice cream - so yummy!!!  Even Carmen had some, and he almost never has dessert.

Two comments: (1) prettiest little boy ever, and (2) oh my goodness his hair is so long.

We'll get him a haircut one of these days, it's just so hard to schedule!

And now it's once again Sunday night.  Last night I slept about two hours (1:30-3:30) in our bed, and the rest of the time I spent in the glider in Dakota's room.  Something disagreed with her stomach and she had a terrible time sleeping.  Needless to say, I was exhausted today.  Rather than napping, I took Dakota and Jasmine for a run - and I actually got about three miles in!  It definitely made me feel better.  But if I don't get sleep tonight, the rest of the week could will get ugly.

Carmen wasn't supposed to travel this week because the Broncos won today, but now it turns out he's going to Alabama tomorrow and not coming home until Thursday.  My week is pretty brutal work-wise, so I'm a little anxious about the next few days.  I know we'll survive, but I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be.  I intended to have dinners made and the house a little cleaner.  But I did what I could do.  And the rest we'll figure out.

I hope everyone had a good weekend, and has a good week ahead!

More excitement

This weekend we went to a birthday party for one of Jayden's best friends from preschool (Greyson, for those of you keeping track).  It was at Chuck E. Cheese.  I was totally dreading the Chuck E. Cheese birthday.  Turns out I was right to dread it, although the pizza wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting.  And they did have fountain sodas, which in my mind makes everything better.  :)

Greyson and Jayden are totally the odd couple, but they are oh so cute together.

Greyson started opening presents, and Jayden went over to him, handed him the wrapped present and said "wanna know what I got you?" two second pause "it's a Spider Man hand that sprays webs!"  So yeah.  Greyson got a not-so-sneak preview of his gift.  His parents were cracking up.  Chuck E. Cheese wasn't so bad, but it was hectic.  Turns out I just don't do well in hectic, especially with the kids.  But we survived, mostly, and Jayden had a great time, which is what was important.

We now have a SEVEN month old.  Her mini photo shoot from this morning:

                            

And now a brief section on me:
I finally got to go for my first run since having Dakota on Sunday.  I am still sore (it's Tuesday) and I have terribly shin splints.  But it was so seriously amazing to get out and run.  I am going to really try hard to do it once a week.  It probably won't happen in the next month with all of Carmen's travel, but even if it's ten minutes on the treadmill, my mental health will improve greatly.

I ran out of steam on this one.  But yesterday I flew up to Sacramento to testify in front of the California Assembly Banking Committee on payday lending and short-term and long-term installment loans.  It was a really great experience.  But it was also really sobering to have such a motivating and inspiring day and to come home back to bottles to wash, milk and food to prepare, a baby who wakes up at least two times a night, a four year old who wants to do the opposite of anything I ask him to do and a husband who is about half helpful, but who, last night, couldn't barely say five words to me.  Talk about polar opposites.  All in all, a good experience.  But

My cute little rental car. 

The State Capitol!  My first time there.  

An exhausting day of traveling, strategizing, testifying, and then resuming mom duties as if nothing changed.  Oof.

Happy Holidays, Merry New Year and all of that!

The last however many days - in pictures!

Never has anyone been so unhappy to get Jordans.
But I really just love this picture.  Look at her little toothpick legs!  And that face!  We are seeeeeriously in trouble.

Jayden's Jordans.  :)

We went to a winter festival at the Discovery Cube.  This was actually just an inner tube slide, no snow involved.  Jayden refused to go on the big one, even though this little one went reallly slow.  He enjoyed it, which is all that matters.

Jayden and his friend Landon, holding hands while waiting in line to play in the snow.
Landon always wants to hold hands and Jayden doesn't always.  They're so cute to watch together.

The tree on Christmas Eve.  Think we have enough presents?!???

The kiddos, putting out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and the reindeer.

The snacks, along with the Santa note:
"Dear Santa, Dear Santa, I'm a great kid.  Dakota is a cute baby and a fast eater.  If we scare her, she laughs.  I'm a great kid because I run so fast that I slip sometimes.  Also because I try to be gentle.  Love, Jayden Love, Dakota"
I told Jayden that he might need to help out Dakota this year, so that's what he came up with.  Awesome.

I CANNOT WAIT to put her hair in pigtails.  Seriously going to be the cutest ever.  I mean she is already, but pigtails will just amplify the cuteness by about 100%.

Santa came!

Enjoying Christmas morning.  She even tore a few pieces of wrapping paper.  :)

Seriously loving his marble run.  And his parents were kind of impressed by it too.  We all had fun contributing to the building of the marble run.

Daddy and Jayden enjoyed the remote control BMW i8 as well.  Jayden liked to smash it into walls mostly, and Carmen kept trying to protect it.
(the present - from Auntie - all stemmed from a comment I made to her about what Jayden wanted for Christmas, which was that he wanted a BMW to take him to and from preschool.  She definitely made the right choice in getting the remote control car as opposed to the real thing!)

Playing with an indoor soccer "ball" from Gigi.

Family photo on Christmas Day.
(courtesy of the selfie stick I finally broke out and learned how to use - pretty awesome!)

What you do when you arrive two hours early for your flight and it takes you seven minutes to get to your gate.  Interpretive dance by the window, watching planes take off and land.

And THEN you get on the plane and you get an entire row to yourself, your four year old falls asleep during takeoff...

...and the six month old falls asleep a few minutes later.  I must have done something right for karma to come around and benefit me like this.
My kids are so seriously awesome it's not funny.
(at least that was my thought at this stage of the trip - I would later deduct a few points for inability to sleep in a new place, but overall they came out winners)

The ferris wheel on the Seattle waterfront.

Sibling love on the ferry boat.  This is absolutely a picture I'm going to make them recreate when they are 20 and 24.  I can't wait.

Ready to go play soccer in the snow with Grampa!  They also caught snowflakes on their tongues.  Pretty awesome.

The snowy/slushy view from the kitchen window.  Oh how I miss this place.

Hanging at the house while Auntie and Gramma were at the Seahawks game.  We were there in spirit, sporting our Seahawks gear.

Even Dakota - although she got the sport wrong.  ;)

Monday we went to the children's museum on Bainbridge.  They had this cute setup outside.  Jayden's face in this picture kills me.

And everything in this picture kills me - her face, her jumpsuit and her house slippers.  :)
The outfit is from a fabulous little company called June and January, and the house slippers were donated by one of Jayden's friend's moms.  The face is courtesy of a well-fed baby.  

Tuesday we went into Seattle and did some shopping, had lunch with my friend Stacy (I need that picture, whoever took it and is holding it hostage!) and then rode the ferris wheel!

We were not so excited about the beginning part of the ride.  And by "we" I mean Jayden, me and Ellen.  The three of us were ready to press the emergency button about five minutes in, while were stopped, loading more people below and swinging back and forth.
Turns out it got a lot better once we started the actual ride.

We were able to smile later on, and even Dakota enjoyed it!

The golden city.

Playing a game, and got a little marker on his face!  Still so cute.

We went home the next day.  The flight home was a little dicier, but at the end of the flight my seat mate turned to me and said "your kids are really amazing travelers - just amazing" and then proceeded to tell me how his wife flew to ASIA when their oldest was eight years old and their youngest was EIGHT WEEKS.  So his wife wins the world.  But he wins the world for telling me my kids are awesome and reassuring at the end of a looong trip.

Happy New Years Eve!
Dakota is saying "I want a glass too!" (thanks Vanessa, for that one)
Jayden is saying "just let me watch TV!" (thanks Von, for that one)

We are ALL celebrating with sparkling cider.  We watched the Netflix countdown for kids and got the kids to bed just a little bit late.  Carmen and I did not make it to the West Coast countdown, but that was completely okay with us.

New Years Day we went to a friend's house for an afternoon party.  Jayden found a friend from the year before and they had a great time, and we were home in time for dinner and bed.  It was a nice relaxing day.  

Dakota has been babbling all over the place.  I love it.

Saturday Carmen had to work so I took the kids to a local kids museum called Pretend City.  They have a little gated area for infants so I could even sit Dakota down and let her play a little.  She loved this mirror with bees on it.

And Jayden drove all over the place in his car, with his friend Landon. Also, Jayden wore his pajamas all day, because he just didn't want to wear clothes.  Worked for me.

Cutest story - the museum has a time card kids can fill out and then take to the ATM to withdraw money.  Jayden and Landon went on a scavenger hunt (with me as their guide) to fill out their time card.  Then they started withdrawing money.  They withdrew a LOT.  Landon's mom asked him what he was going to do with all the money and Landon said he'd give some to all the people who didn't have as much money as he did so that they could have some too.  Sweetest answer ever.  Parenting at its best, seriously.

Dakota rocking some early 80s clothes.  Seriously.  This was an outfit I wore when I was little.  I'm guessing I wore it earlier than she did, since I was much bigger than her.  She's just so tiny!  But still adorable.  I love the ruffles on the overall straps.

Back to soccer as usual on Sunday.  We're still outside for now.  They did some cool new exercises (like this one) and drills and Jayden picked them up so quickly.  Carmen and I are thinking we need to enroll him in AYSO in the summer.  It means some early weekend mornings for us probably, but will be good for him I think.

Watching Jayden play soccer.  Her legs look a mile long in this picture.  I adore this outfit too - the Adidas tracksuit and hot pink socks?  Nothing better.

Adorable baby in blue.  I really think this color is beautiful on her.  She looks so angelic here. Don't be fooled.  She's been testing us recently, awake for a couple hours every few nights.  And with Carmen, she'll sleep right away.  With me, she thinks it's Christmas morning when I walk in the room and she giggles and coos and wants to nurse and hang out.  At 3 am.  I want to SLEEP.  So she and I are working through it.
I'm mostly scared because Carmen is about to be traveling extensively so it will be just me for a few days at a time, which is potentially very difficult.  I foresee quite a bit of Dakota sleeping in my bed from mid-January to early February.

Dakota is getting big enough to be held/cuddled by Jayden, and sometimes she even enjoys it.

Bubble bath fun.  

Dakota kept splashing the water to move the bubbles away, and I kept putting the bubbles back.  I think they both had a pretty good time. 

And now it's 2016, I'm back to work (now doing THREE jobs - since I got what my friend called a promotion punishment) and the kids are back in school.  Dakota is waking up about two times a night and Jayden once.  Needless to say, Carmen and I are running on empty.  Being back in a routine has been helpful the past few days, and I think it will continue to get better.  The kids are definitely more tired, which is both good and bad.  2015 was by no means a bad year, but the second half, learning how to survive with two kids, was definitely challenging.  Here's hoping that challenge evolves in 2016 and that everyone stays healthy and as happy as can be!