Grandmadele and Sheldon giggling together
Super Duper Underdogs!
Love this girl!
My boy loves the swing!

A trip to the butterfly pavilion
Looking at the butterflies eating the nectar

Trying to get a picture in front of the awesome flowers, but it was too bright!


"Family isn't a static thing. There are always changes going on. Like with continents, sometimes the changes are invisible and underground, and sometimes they are explosive and deadly. The trick is to keep your balance. You cannot control the direction of your family any more than you can stop the continental shelf from breaking apart. All you can do is hold on for the ride." -Kristen Hannah from The Winter Garden

I just finished the book, The Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah. It was a really powerful book about mother daughter relationships throughout 4 generations. Part of the book took place in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), during WWII when the Germans were bombing. It was a striking tale of the strength of women during the war and their ability to support their families and survive. Anyhow, the above quote really caught my attention and I have been thinking about it a lot recently.

Tonight, I took Sheldon to church with me. Ryan is out of town with some friends on a mountain biking trip and my mom and Steve took Coranelle for a special sleepover. So, I get some quality time with my boy. I, once again, attempted putting Sheldon in the nursery and was, once again, called out almost immediately. I went to "rescue" my screaming, red faced, hyperventilating child. It turned out that I couldn't concentrate on more than a few minutes of the sermon in the busy, cry room. And then I attempted to nurse him and failed miserably. He was too distracted and I did not let down. So, I left early to come home to nurse and pump. Whew.... Kind of a wash.

I am a bit frustrated that Sheldon is going through the same intense attachment that Coranelle did. I would selfishly love to leave him and enjoy a church service, an hour at the gym, or even a morning at Mops. But, I don't foresee that happening successfully any time in the near future. I suppose I could get really bent out of shape about the situation. But, like the quote says, there are some things that you just cannot control. I just have to hold on for the ride. I need to keep in mind that Coranelle went through the same thing and eventually (6 months later) got over it. Sheldon will grow up quickly- too quickly. I won't be able to hold him on my lap and listen to him babble and chew on his toys for much longer. I need to cherish this moments and stop looking forward to the next step or when my kids are older. In reality, they are constantly changing. I should feel a little flattered that my son is most comfortable with me, because that wont always be the case.

The books I have been reading recently have put my recent trials with my kids into perspective. I am not living in a war torn country with people starving and freezing to death all around me. I don't live with the fear or effects of a horrible disease. I am really lucky to have the healthy, happy family that I do and live in such a beautiful, safe place.

I am going continue to really work on giving up the need and desire to control all of these crazy situations that I deal with as a mom, and enjoy the ride.