Race day!

This blog post is probably going to come across a wee bit self-congratulatory. Fair warning. I'm just feeling really excited because I DID IT!!! I ran an entire 5k without stopping! I know people run 5ks all the time (and my mom and sister both have a marathon under their belts, which makes it hard to feel good about a measly 5k), but I have to stress that I am NOT a runner. My sport growing up was softball, where the farthest you ever have to run is around the bases, and only if you happen to get a home run (so, yeah, I didn't do a lot of base running).

The Color Me Rad 5k was a good race for a newbie like me. It was a casual atmosphere and as far as I could tell very few people actually attempted to run the whole thing. That could have had something to do with the fact that it's June in Arkansas--automatically not the best racing conditions. Or it could have had something to do with the massive hills we had to go up and down. (Okay, okay, they weren't massive. But when you're in the middle of running up them, they might as well be Everest.)

To add to the fun, we got blasted with colorful chalky stuff (yes, that is the official term) every five minutes or so. Here's a picture of me and Trey post race:

 



Don't we look rad?

I used to say that I would only run if a serial killer was chasing me (not just your garden-variety murderer, mind you. It takes a lot to motivate me to move much faster than 2MPH.) But after this experience I feel like I would maybe possibly do a race again sometime. No serial killers necessary.

My excuses

I just realized today that it's been over a month since my last blog post. I apologize to my faithful followers (all three of you). We're in an incredibly busy season of life at the moment, and as much as I want to document every interesting/weird/funny moment of my family's life, sleep usually wins out at the end of the day.

Perrin flooded our bathroom last week and it actually would have made for a pretty good blog post (well, it would have once I got past my fury). But I never could find a spare moment to jot it down. Oh, well. Long story short: He plugged the sink and left the water running for about half an hour before I realized it. I stepped into the bathroom and was instantly in water up to my ankles. I had some semi-sarcastic commentary all planned out in my mind for the blog, but it's gone now. Maybe it's best I forget about that whole fiasco anyway.

Aside from the day-to-day chaos of raising a toddler and an infant, Trey and I are also training for a 5k, so we're out running three times a week now. We've been training for 8 weeks and can both run 2.5 miles without stopping--a big accomplishment for a couple of couch potatoes! I'll try really hard to make time to write a blog about race day next month (if we survive, that is).

I was much better about keeping up with the blog when Perrin was a baby. It seemed like I documented every milestone, growth spurt, amusing anecdote, and temper tantrum. Brielle is growing up so fast and I've hardly written any of it down. Just within the past week, she's started scooting backwards across the floor, has sprouted her first tooth, and has learned how to give kisses. I feel like these precious moments are slipping away before I have a chance to fully savor them. Someday she'll ask me, "Mom, how old was I when I learned to crawl?" Or, "What was my first word?" And I'll either have to make something up or admit that I didn't keep up with her baby accomplishments with quite the same dedication as I did for Perrin.

On second thought, I'll tell her this: "Brielle, I may have forgotten a few of the details and special moments, and I may not have done a great job of documenting your life as a baby. But some things are unforgettable, including your sweet baby grins and giggles, the way you loved to splash around in the bathtub, and the way you looked when you were nodding off to sleep in my arms. The only reason I didn't write down every precious detail in those early months is that I was too busy enjoying you. You were in my arms practically all day every day, and I wouldn't have given up those special moments with you for all the dozens of posts I could have been writing."

I do love having old blog posts to read back over to remind me of the special moments, but even more than that, I love living the special moments. And if that means I only have the chance to blog once a month (or less), so be it.

Vacation!

I love vacations. That's probably an understatement. If the cost of an annual vacation means I have to drive a junky car, cook all my meals at home, and forgo cable TV, so be it. Totally worth it, in my opinion.

Lately I've been getting the vacation bug, so Trey and I made a somewhat spur-of-the-moment decision to spend a long weekend (4 days, 3 nights) with the kiddos in Branson. I wasn't sure if going on vacation with an infant and a toddler meant that we were adventurous or just plain crazy. But you know what? It was great!

We went to Silver Dollar City, hiked in the woods at our lakeside resort, swam in the indoor pool, went out for ice cream, played mini golf, and visited the Butterfly Palace. (Not all in one day... we're not THAT crazy.) Yes, it was a little more work going on vacation with kids, especially since I'm still nursing Brielle. But it worked out just fine. And now that Perrin is big enough to ride most of the rides, I think I've discovered a new riding buddy! We went on lots of rides together, including ones that Trey refuses to go on with me (i.e. anything where he might come within ten feet of a drop of water). Even Brielle got to have some fun--we took a train ride together, played in the ball pit at Geyser Gulch, and rode on a boat through a flooded coal mine. Plus she loved watching the butterflies... and she loved the attention from fellow tourists who couldn't resist grinning at her happy squeals.

Vacation with kids is a little less romantic and a lot more work than our solo trips have been, but the extra work is rewarded with the great family memories we're building.



This was Perrin's first time to play mini golf. He was so cute (and ridiculously bad) at it! After the first few holes, he just started placing the ball about an inch from the hole, then scooting it in with the putter. Then we'd all clap and celebrate that he got it in the hole. So fun!

 

We're looking at some rainforest critters at the Butterfly Palace. I asked Perrin if he wanted to take the animals home with him, and he said, "No, they would eat all my toys."

Brielle was so happy to be on vacation!

 





Weekly date night

What do you get when you cross an oatmeal-stained ceiling, a dog with stickers on her back, and a strange smell coming from the bottom of the toy box? Daily life in the Richardson house! Seriously though, as much as I joke about the craziness of life with little ones, sometimes I just need a break from it all. Unfortunately, Trey and I aren't in a position to hire a babysitter every week just so we can get out for an hour or two of refreshment. So a couple months ago I came up with what might be my best idea of all time: weekly date night at home.

We've declared every Friday night "date night." We do our best to get the kids to bed early (7:30ish), and we have a few uninterrupted hours where we focus just on each other--no kids, cleaning, work, or stress of any kind allowed. We take turns planning date night. For example, last week was my week, so after the kids were fast asleep, I made hot chocolate and we went out to the car and curled up under a big blanket, listening to music and talking. I made "conversation hearts" out of construction paper and whenever we reached a lull in the conversation, I let Trey pick a heart and we would discuss the topic or question on it.This week is Trey's week to plan it, so I'm not sure what we're doing, but I think it involves games and cocktails. Sometimes we bake together; sometimes we play video games or watch a movie; sometimes we do a project or activity (crossword puzzles, looking through photo albums, creating "art" of some sort); sometimes we read and discuss Scripture. We might do scavenger hunts, photo shoots, puzzles, etc. The list goes on and on. It's surprising the amount of things we can come up with! Friday night has become my favorite night of the week... it gives us something to look forward to and gives us a much-needed break from focusing all our energy and attention on the kids. Planning date night is fun because I get to decide what we do and what we eat (and thanks to Pinterest, I have LOTS of good food ideas). But letting Trey plan it is fun too because I don't have to do anything but wait for whatever surprises he has in store for the night.

Honestly, date night has become so important to us that I don't know how we survived without it! I highly recommend it for all you parents out there. And if you have your own "date night at home" idea, I want to hear it! Cuz I might steal it. :)

Three!

My sweet little boy is 3 years old! He's getting so grown up... he loves making friends and telling jokes and asking "why" a thousand times a day. He's so smart and funny and energetic, and I love seeing his personality develop. He's so interested in the world--he truly loves to learn, and he's so creative and spunky.

We had a great time celebrating his birthday over the weekend. We rented a huge bounce house and invited a few of his pals over. We bought him a Thomas birthday cake (cuz the boy is OBSESSED with Thomas and anything train related). It went great--Perrin loved playing with his friends and opening presents, no one got hurt in the bounce house, and I'm guessing every kid slept really good that night after bouncing up and down for a good hour and a half.

Although I miss the baby he's grown out of, I love the curious toddler he's become. He cracks me up every day. Here's a tiny taste of what life is like with him--these are questions Perrin has asked me in the past 24 hours:

"Is Brielle baby Jesus?"
"Can I build a giraffe?"
"Do trains go pee pee?"
"Can I shoot you with silly string?" (by the way, I let him... and I wish I'd gotten his maniacal laugh on video)
"Can you take your hair off?"

And on and on it goes. He gives me good blog fodder every day, but I never get around to documenting most of it. I really should start writing things down more. Three years has gone by quick... I'm sure the next three will too, and before I know it he'll be out of this hilarious stage where nearly everything he says makes me smile.

Happy birthday to the best unintentional comedian I know!

Tackling tough topics

My grandfather passed away last week. We'd been expecting it for awhile (he's been battling cancer for a couple of years), but even though we were prepared and even though I can be glad he's no longer suffering, death is always sad. And it presented a new parenting hurdle--how much should I tell Perrin? How much is he capable of understanding?

The funeral was about a 5-hour drive away, and unfortunately Trey couldn't get off work. So I loaded up both kids and a ridiculous amount of luggage for a one-night stay, and the three of us trekked off to Missouri with my parents and Julie. When Perrin found out we were going on a trip to Missouri, he asked about "Big Ba" (which is the name he gave to my grandpa). I explained that Big Ba had died, and that meant he wasn't sick anymore. Perrin seemed content with that explanation, so I didn't bother elaborating.

When we got to the viewing (open casket) on Monday night, I decided to take my cues from Perrin. If he wanted to go see Big Ba, I would let him, but I wasn't going to push him toward that if he wasn't interested. Perrin hovered a little ways back and kept asking me, "What's Big Ba doing?" I'm sure he noticed relatives around him crying, and I think he wanted some assurance from me that everything was okay. I sat him on my lap and told him again that Big Ba had died. I explained that he had gone to heaven and we would see him again someday. I was feeling very somber and hoping I had given the right amount of information for him. Perrin looked at me with wide eyes--apparently he thought I said "Kevin" instead of "heaven"... (Kevin, in case you don't have a two-year-old obsessed with Thomas the train, is a piece of machinery that works at the Sodor Steamworks), so he got excited and asked if Big Ba was with Kevin and Thomas. I cracked up. I couldn't help it. Here I was trying to explain death to my toddler and worrying that I was going to crush his little heart once he realized what was really going on, but he was imagining his great grandfather having a jolly time with all his train friends.

For Perrin's sake, I'm glad he's not quite old enough to understand death. I'm glad he's picturing Big Ba playing with trains on the Island of Sodor. I'm glad as a parent that I can dodge this tough topic for the time being. I know someday he'll understand death and he'll lose someone he loves. I wish I could protect my children from every heartache, but it's just not possible. Fortunately, I can point them to a God who loves them, who is in control, who understands their fears and pains, and who has already defeated death for our sakes.

Big Ba, we'll see you again someday. I'm so glad you're no longer in pain, and I smile every time I think of you seeing your wife and son again. Save us a seat, okay? Oh, and Perrin requests that you say hello to Thomas and Kevin for us.

It takes two

Trey's been in Denver for the past few days for work, which means I've gotten to experience a brief glimpse of single motherhood to a 2-year-old and a newborn. Single moms: HOW do you do it?? Trey: Please please please don't ever leave me ever ever again!

Yep, I've decided I'm simply not cut out to do this alone. Both kids are very needy at the moment (Brielle because she's a newborn, and Perrin because there's a new baby in the house... and he's still only 2 after all), and I constantly felt like there wasn't enough of me to go around. (WHY does Perrin ALWAYS decide he needs help using the bathroom when I'm in the middle of nursing Brielle? Poor girl never gets an uninterrupted meal these days. I guess she gets him back though because she always wakes up screaming when I'm trying to fix him breakfast. The sibling rivalry has begun.)

Anyway, I think Perrin had a tough time with his daddy being gone, too. Last night he woke me up at 11:00, crying and saying he wanted to snuggle. I assumed he was probably missing Trey and just needed a little love. I hugged him and carried him back to his bed, prayed for him and said good night. End of story. Right? Nope. He showed up again at midnight. I repeated the process. Then again at 1:00. Repeat. Then again at 2:00. Repeat.

But as I sat here today feeling tired and sorry for myself and counting down the minutes until Trey would be back home, I realized how blessed I am that I have someone to rely on and help me raise our kids. Lots of single moms do it day in and day out with virtually no help and no end in sight. I've never thought much about single moms and what they have to do to provide for their families, and I know my four days alone (and working only a couple hours a day instead of full-time) isn't sufficient to really show me the extreme difficulty of it.

In summary:
1. I'm extremely thankful for my husband and so glad that he's back home
2. I have the utmost respect for single moms who are making the best of a very tough situation
3. I need to stop my whining, because I'm pretty darn fortunate
4. But I am still very, very tired today so I'm going to call it quits and go to bed