Baby Soren is 1

I haven't blogged in 2 weeks because I didn't want to move forward without acknowledging baby Soren's birthday.

Why yes, I am still calling him Baby Soren.
I'm also still nursing him (hardly), still using a bucket style infant carseat (hey it still fits), and still carrying him around everywhere. He doesn't walk (thank goodness) and probably won't walk until he is 25 because he doesn't really know he has legs.  Aaron tells me I'm raising kobe beef cow.  You know...those calves that the farmers feed all day, but never give the chance to walk, so they'll be nice and fat?  My kobe beef baby and I like this arrangement just fine. Soren is such a lovey baby. He is a snuggle baby and a cuddly guy and I love it.  I know it won't last, and that breaks my heart, so I soak it up while I can, which means I hold and spoil him a lot. He deserves it.

The night before his birthday I didn't want to put him to bed. I knew it was my last night with a real baby baby in the house. I rocked him and sang to him and he humored my need for baby time by sucking his tiny thumb and nodding off in my arms.  It was perfect.

We celebrated with cake (yep, from the walmart bakery. Eat your heart out, fancy party pinterest moms), a candle, and a lot of laughs.

He grabbed his slice right off the serving spatula and shoved it into his mouth before it ever had a chance to touch the plate. These pics were after slices 2, 3, and maybe 4...

He cried every time he ran out of cake. 

So we gave him more. 

I love this baby so much, I probably don't even need to write it down, because everyone I know is sick of hearing how much I love him.  

Sweet Soren, your life is one of my greatest joys.  You are a perfect little pleasure and being your mother is truly a gift. You are a constant reminder to me of God's love and power. 

I love you, I love you, I love you. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have ourselves a miracle.

It appears that we may have turned a corner in the Willy House in the last week.  Corbin has began to poop in the toilet.

This is a huge event.

I have been praying, pleading, sobbing, begging on hands and knees for this time to come for 15 months.  That might sound ridiculous to you, but the child gave up pull ups nearly a year ago and I have been calmly, lovingly, and patiently washing soiled underwear and gaining an understanding of long suffering ever since.

12 months of cleaning poop off of everything I own.

We haven't arrived completely, but the mere fact that actual progress has been made truly makes me feel like my prayers are heard. That the many tears shed on behalf of a little boy who takes his time to learn every life lesson the hard way have not been shed in vain.  The Lord does hear me, my prayers matter, and my son matters to him.  It's been a very long learning experience.

Yay Corbin!

One Day More

This little guy was so excited to start preschool that he woke up several times last night. The third time he was awake it occurred to me that it might not be excitement keeping him up and perhaps he didn't feel well. I checked his temp: fever. 

Oh man was he disappointed when I told him he couldn't go to school. It was so sad. He felt fine at 6 the morning when he woke up for the day, but knowing he'd been burning up all night, I just couldn't send him. He even pooped in the toilet and begged me to send him. "See, Mom? I'm so big I can go to school!". It killed me that I couldn't deliver. At 7am he went back to bed with the Quetzalcoatl blankie and fell back asleep for a couple hours. 

We made up for it by making a visit to see Sarah's horse and donkeys to cheer up. A delicious lunch date at Chick fil A finished us off. 

It was so nice to have my guy home with just one more day. Little Corbin, I love you so. 

Update: this afternoon/evening I sent Corbin upstairs with a stack of laundry to put away in the girls' room. I went to the basement to read with Quincy, and came upstairs to find this at the top of the stairs: 

This boy is a whole lot to love. 

Do It

Tonight we had our annual "back to school feast". The children set the table with the yellow dishes (even the kids used "nice" plates and real glasses tonight), school bus centerpiece, and some cute notebook paper printed napkins from the dollar spot. My favorite part was the sticky note with a message or picture from Quincy that was stuck to the table under each plate a la hidden secret fortune. Perfection. 

I made a pot roast with carrots and onions, mashed potatoes, gravy, and fruit. Kasey brought homemade sourdough (yum!) and jello (another must have for a school themed feast). Our other friend, Sue joined us for dinner as well and the night was a nonstop thread of awesome stories and all around happiness. It was simple, fun, and full of excitement and love. 

The Willy Family Theme for the 2013-2014 school year is "Do It". 

This year's theme was selected by Aaron and we are all encouraged to be more intentional and take initiative to make good things happen.  Last Monday we talked about what it means to be proactive. We discussed the difference between saying we "should" do something and actually doing it. This year is the year we will just Do those things. One example is that we often talked about having Sue over to join us for dinner again over the past several months, but then with the house being for sale and then the move and summer craziness, it hadn't happened.  Well it happened this week and wow we have been missing out. What a great woman. We love her so much. The timing was perfect since her birthday is coming up on Tuesday. (More on that celebration later). 

Anyway it was a good reminder to us that it can be so simple to make good things happen. Dinner was easy--crockpot baby! (Let's face it, kasey did the real work on the meal by bringing the bread!) Decorations were thrown on the table after being collected from the playroom floor. What made the night really special was that we made a proactive effort to make it happen. This year, if we have a good thought, we will just share it. Kind words? Just say them. A project to finish? Get to it. A great idea for service? Just do it. We will stretch our capacities for love and not ignore the potential  for good things to happen go unexplored.  

Dream Big, Willys! 

3 weeks later

The green tomatoes are ripe! 

At least I can enjoy my "garden that once was" a little longer. I really miss my little green space. 

This week we are:

Eating Cheetos for the first time

Photo bombing and stealing Cheetos

Hanging photos and bookshelves and steaming carpets. And while we're at it, cleaning out and vacuuming/shampooing the van as well.

Fixing bunk beds that broke in the moving truck

Getting crafty making dramatic play backdrops for preschool 

Picking gallons if wild blackberries

Making midnight jam from all those blackberries

Crying over forgotten bread that was left to rise for too long

Reshaping and baking the lumpy bread anyway, and eating it slathered in butter and jam. 

We're also: 

Back in swimming classes at the fitness center (not loving Corbin's teacher this session)

Starting soccer for Corbin, this weekend! 

Learning a lot about our new callings

Taking back my garage. Boxes be gone! 

Scratching a million mosquito and chigger bites. Nasty little pests. 

Enjoying lots of playdates

Sorting closets and packing up everything we aren't keeping

Riding bikes around the island with the neighbor friends after school. 

Visiting with Pam

Loving this weather and the peace that comes from getting back into a daily routine. 

First and Third

These lovely ladies started school on Monday. 

He was devastated, clearly. 

Mr Young is a great principal. 

Q told Mrs Gauthier that her dress looks like a spider web. Nice. I later agreed that  it was a little dark and "witch-looking", to which Aaron commended, "we'll she is Mrs GOTHthier. Maybe spiders are her thing"

Reese really likes her vote teacher, Mrs Ulichnie. She sits alone on the back row for math in Mrs Tweedy's class. 

Per tradition, a donut run was made by The littles and I. 

Look at those eyes. When he bats those at me, I can't help but give him everything he wants. 

It was a great first day back at school. I missed my girls all day long and couldn't wait to pick them up! 

Here's to a great year, children!

 You are my light.