In the past few weeks we have...

Spent an awesome weekend with great friends:

 

Received visits from my grandma

And from my family-- the world travelers.  They just got back from a 

trip to England and Italy. It was difficult not to feel a little sorry 

for myself for not getting to go with them.

Read a really good book (The Book Thief). 

Enjoyed the flowers at City Market.

Bought a couch.  It was a very impulsive buy.  I love vintage furniture 

and have been (very) s- l-o-w-l-y collecting pieces.  

I'm very happy with it, and it's also super comfortable.  But it's blue, 

and my walls are blue.  A little much.  Ross says I'm not allowed to 

paint yet, since we've only lived here for a year.

And.... TA-DA!

Yep!  That's right! James has landed a spot on Ethan's rear-end. 

I would say he's 95% potty-trained.  It was not quite as big of a deal 

as I thought it would be.  I got some good advice from 

my sister-in-law and just put him in underwear 

and braced myself.  It took a few days, but now we are there. 
GO ETHAN!

Eeeeeethan

 I've been meaning to talk a little about Ethan.  I haven't updated about him in a while.  Ethan is a light.  Delightful.  Full of joy.  Thoughtful.  Sweet.

And then he flips a switch and he is.. el diablo.  Luckily he's 80% delight and 20% diablo.  I think a lot of kids are that way.  I'm hoping that he is peaking with his tantrums and that they will start to dissipate over the next couple of  months.  He is SO strong willed.  It is tricky to discipline him, because one little innocent time-out often turns into a 45 minute long scream fest.  Dude.  Just do your time and get over it!

He is still not interested at all in potty training.  I'm trying my best to wait patiently for him to decide he wants to start.  I'm thinking that most likely he'll be in diapers when he goes to kindergarten.

 I love his hugs.  And he gives me smacking kisses on the cheek.  He pats his little hands gently on my face and says, 'you're a nice mommy.'   He still loves to snuggle.  Loves to read books, loves cars.  Currently his favorite movie is UP and will request it as much as possible.  I love it too, so I often comply.  Answers questions with full, descriptive sentences.  "Yes, I DO want to go to the park and play on the slide."

I'll admit I've been struggling a lot with being patient with him.  And with Leah.  I hope I can overcome that so that when he grows up he'll remember me as the 'nice mommy' and not as the annoyed mommy.

I'm grateful to be a mom.  Grateful to be his mom.