Welcome Back

The past week has been incredible in the most boring sense of the word {if there is a boring sense of that word}. With both Jason and I on Christmas break and all of our holiday stuff done, we decided to pretty much lay low and do nothing for the week. It was amazing. I read two books, played board games with the boys {read: played with Gehrig while Milo tried to destroy all the pieces}, went to bed early, watched movies, and just enjoyed spending time with all my boys with little to no obligations.

Having all this time to enjoy my kids and husband made me realize just how crazy our Fall semester was. I didn't recognize just how distracted I was with 3 classes, 2 side jobs, Gehrig starting preschool, juggling sitter schedules, all while Jason organized a TEDx event at school {which I'm so proud of him for but I think we're still recovering from the seismic activity it brought on our life}. 

Basically I've just been reflecting a lot on how nice it is to focus on the things that make me happiest and as I get ready to start a new semester, I really want to keep this perspective. I'm a much more fun person/mom/wife when I'm not constantly thinking about the 80 papers I have to grade and the next thing we have to do. I have many goals for the new year, but the most important one, I think, is to remember this feeling of balance and true contentment in my house and with my family. I want to notice little things and appreciate the moments that make being a mom so great. 

Here's a little roundup of my observations this break:

Gehrig will be four in a couple weeks and he might be in one of his best phases yet. After a really tough summer with him and a somewhat trying fall, he all of a sudden seems so old and unbelievably well behaved. It might be preschool, the fact that he's just getting older, or our approach toward parenting him, but some huge shift happened recently and he is such a joy these days. He cracks us up with great delight, tries to direct his brother in all their games, loves to sing and dance, and rattles off animal facts like a zoologist. My favorite moments with him come when we're cuddled up reading books or I'm singing him to sleep because I see flashes back to when he was my baby. I also love {and loathe} how much he talks. He's always spoken in paragraphs, even when he was a babbling baby, but the kid almost never stops talking now. He wants to tell me everything and, while it drives me crazy sometimes, I never want that to end.

Milo is a clown. His brother makes us laugh through clever little jokes, but Milo's more of a slapstick guy. If people are looking at him, he puts on a show with a crazy walk or randomly falling on his face. He is a daredevil and thinks he's 4 already. But he's also in a super cuddly phase right now, probably because he's been sick with the flu, then an ear infection, then a horrid diaper rash from his antibiotic. Whatever the reason, it is sort of the greatest when he finally stops being so busy and just crashes on me. While he's more independent than his brother ever was, he is still nursing when Gehrig quit at 13 months. He's kind of a study in contrasts. My favorite moments with Milo are when he tackles us with kisses and when he says a new word for the first time. Some of the cutest include: "uh-oh", "smooo" {smoothie}, "Gehgeh" {Gehrig}, and the "WOH" sound he makes when he's excited.

Here's to the new year and keeping a healthy perspective {along with eating healthy and exercising and blogging more, blahblahblah}.

All photos by Kristy Ter Haar Photography.