Lesson #30 God is in the Details

I am working on the big 1 year birthday post- it is lengthy with lots of pictures, so you'll have to wait a little longer.  But while I have been focusing on that post, I realized that I should probably post some of the milestones that Liam has been reaching lately.  I want to make sure to remember the nuances of his life- not just the big celebrations. 

EATING

Our boy is a healthy eater.  He has been eating rice cereal since 5 months, then baby food at 6 months and by 9 months he was pretty much eating whatever we ate with very few exceptions.  Until last Thursday night (just one day after his 1st birthday), we had never found anything he didn't like.  And then it happened.  We were sitting at Waldo Pizza and had made a plate forLiam from the salad bar.  As always, he gobbled the egg whites with gusto, he snarfed down the pasta salad, he even seemed to enjoy the brocolli. 

And then we gave him a beet.  He spit it out.

We gave him another one.  He spit that one out too.

I should be upset that he refused to eat something.  But it was a beet.  I hate beets.  So I think I can live with it.  Uncle Michael (Barr) believes he can turn him around with his amazing beet culinary skills.  He probably can- Michael could make dirt taste good.

While in general he is not too discrimatory when it comes to food, he does have favorite restaurants.  On Saturday mornings, he likes to come to First Watch, hang out with the ladies, listen to their joys and woes, and of course, eat English muffins.

Salty Iguana in Corinth is a huge favorite of his because of the colorful walls, loads of ceiling fans and, of course, their black bean burritos.

Sunday post morning nap lunch is usually dim sum at Bo Lings.  He likes to share with Daddy.  Sharing is a new development and pretty adorable.

He also loves to share his veggie straws.

But I think the best thing about his eating habits right now is that he is totally open to trying new things.  He is so much better than I am at that- he hasn't been tainted by many things that he thinks are "gross" or "yucky" yet.  Just the other night our friends, The Sinklers, had us over for a dinner party.  Everyone was in a great mood since KU had just beat MU in overtime at Allen Field House and we were celebrating the win with many cocktails.  Anyway, Daron Sinkler is a master BBQ-er and has even won local BBQ contests.  He smoked ribs for hours that day and they literally fell off the bone.  So as we are drinking wine and lingering after the meal at the table, I noticed that Liam had become very quiet next to me.  This is why.

Ryan had give n him a bone to gnaw on and he was in Heaven.  If you put a little makeup on him and some painted nails, he could be mistaken for Mimi.  Have I told you about how my mother LOVES to gnaw on bones?  She used to make pork chops for us, not have any of them herself, and just gnaw on all our scraps when we were finished.  True story.  He must take after his grandma.

SLEEP

Liam's sleep schedule is pretty set these days.  I thank God every day that in just over a year, he has always been a good sleeper.  I know this will probably change.  So I am going to relish it now while I can.

The biggest change I can think of in regards to sleep habits is that he rarely lets us snuggle and sleep with him.  He is squirmier than he used to be so the days of him falling asleep in my arms to cozy up for a long nap are close to over.  Some nights if he is really tired, I get to hold him while he's sleeping.  Those moments are magical.

Liam sleeps until  6:45am - 7:30 am most mornings. Sometimes it will be until 8am if we're lucky.  Just the other day when Mimi was watching him, he was awake early and frustrated because he had thrown all his binkies out and there is still quite a dependency on them for him to fall asleep.  Knowing said binkies were on the ground by his crib, Mimi stealthily crawled into his room and tossed them back into the crib.  He saw her, cried for a minute, put one of the binkies in his mouth and fell back asleep until almost 8:30.  Well done Mimi.

After he is up for the day, he plays, takes very little of his bottle (as I write this, we are beginning to exchange his formula for whole, organic milk), and plays some more.  Mornings are fun!  Then he eats breakfast, frequently consisiting of some fruit, a granola bar and perhaps an egg or some toast, depending on the day and what's in the fridge.  Breakfast and playing are apparently exhausting because he takes a morning nap around 9:30 that lasts a good hour and a half usually.

Then he plays, eats lunch (sometimes out so I can meet them), plays some more or goes for a walk in his stroller, and then is exhausted again so he gets a bottle and goes down for his afternoon nap around 2:30.  This one can last between an hour and half to just over two hours.  Ryan and I tend to get home from work during this nap or right at the end so we can enjoy a couple hours with him before it's time for bed once again.  We eat dinner together because Ryan and I are big believers in "he eats what we eat", then it's bath time, a book (if he sits still long enough for one), and a bottle then bed.  He is usually asleep by 7:30pm. 

I call him Rip Van Flurry.  The kid can sleep.

PLAYTIME & FRIENDSHIPS

Playtime is best spent in the mornings, footie pajamas still on, awaiting breakfast.  Putting toys "in" things and taking toys "out" of things is really big right now.  This simple toy of colorful rings is an oldie but a goody.

Liam loves to bang on things.  I figured he would- all 3 of the Flurry boy cousins love to as well.  He goes to town, banging anything he can.  His favorites these days include his little wood hammer.  Unfortunately, he uses it less on the toy it came with and more on the glass tabletop.  Sometimes he uses the remote controls to bang on things as well... he loves remote controls.  Fortunately for us, Aunt Nancy got him a toy remote control that counts and sings and does far more interesting things than turning the volume and channels on the TV. 

Sometimes he just stands by the table, hoping the remote control will magically appear from behind my back or under my butt, wherever I have chosen to hide it.  By the way, I love this picture.  His Puma sweatpants pulled up over his gut reminds me of Tony Soprano.

After saying "no, no, no" too many times to count as he is banging things loudly on the glass-topped coffee table, I decided to just embrace it.  I got him a drum set.

Okay, now while you are all rolling your eyes as if I am CRAZY to bring such a loud instrument into the house, you should know a few things...

1.  It was free.  A student of mine by the name of Ryan Cooney donated it to our family.

2.  It is tiny.  Really, it's the perfect size for him.

3.  It will be kept downstairs after the novelty wears off, to be used on "special" occasions.

4.  With four older boy cousins, I see a rock band in our future.

5.  Let's face it- drummers are cool.  The girls are gonna love him!

Because of the crazy, unseasonably warm February weather (although as I write this, it is actually snowing outside), we have visited the playground recently.  And Liam actually gets out of the stroller and plays on the equipment.

Well, doesn't actually play on it.  More like bends over it and picks up leaves.

Sometimes he ventures onto the merry-go-round.  But really only for photo opps with Mimi.

We hope to spend a lot more time on the playground in the weeks (and I suppose years) to come.

Special days are spent with cousins and friends.  Miss Vivienne Scarlett Lillian Lukas is one of them.  Sometimes she invites Liam over to play in her play room, have tea parties with her, and even snuggle up in her favorite chair for hugs and kisses.

ROUTINES, QUIRKS, and HABITS

Liam's always been a social guy, so he likes to get out and about.  Almost every weekend involves a trip to House Depot with Daddy.  This one was not sexy- we were buying a toilet.

He has also discovered a love for the grocery store.  Especially Price Chopper because they have car carts.  Beep beep... look out!

Visiting SM South and SM West is always fun too.  His daddy is a Raider.  His mommy is a Viking.  But he will be a Lancer.  We are a multi-cultural family. 

We dress him in green and gold for South games and black and gold for West games.

But hanging out in the classroom, writing in his journal, is probably what he enjoys most about school.

Fortunately, Liam loves to "help" around the house.  I was given bathroom duty as one of my chores growing up.  I hated it.  I mean really hated it.  But Liam is apparently just fine with it.  Thank God.

Recently he has taken to crawling on top of the dishwasher door when it's open and sitting there.  Soon I hope he actually can help with the dishes, but it's cute for now.  Unless the dishes are dirty- and then it's just gross.

Finally, one of my favorite habits of Liam's is the same as his daddy- being outside whenever they possibly can.  It is not unusual for me to arrive home to a scene like this.

I am excited to post about Liam's big 1st birthday celebration.  But when I reflect on his first year of life, I realize that God is in the details.  Lesson well learned.

Lesson #29 The Salon Is Where It's At

The official "before" photo

My sister Amy got the good hair genes in our family.  It is thick, lucious and grows so fast she is always complaining about having to get it cut "yet again."  I, on the other hand, got the fine, straight hair of my grandmother Weezie's side.  And it grows slowly.  Very slowly. 

I have always hated my hair.  Ask anyone who knows me.  I have been complaining about it since I was a little girl- when Mom would curl it, I would want it straight.  When it was brown, I wanted it blond.  I had perms for years, regular and spiral.  I have actually always fantasized about having gorgeous "ethnic" long hair like Jennifer Lopez or Charro (yes, I'm that old that I remember her on the Love Boat with her "coochie, coochie, coochie").  Alas, unless I decide to buy myself some extensions or a weave, I will have to settle for my fine hair. 

Fortunately my son has AWESOME hair!  I was surprised when the sonogram showed so much of it and even more surprised when he arrived with a mass of dark hair on his head.  I have had a blast watching it grow with a mind of its own, some days conservative and flat like a little mathematician and most other days sticking up like a mad scientist.  I love his crazy hairdos.

So you can imagine how I felt about cutting Liam's hair.  Sure, I gave it a little trim the night before his Baptism (see earlier post) and another one the night before his 8 month photos.  But let's face it- I'm no stylist.  But it was time.  Even I had to admit it.  The crazy days had been outgrown and it was way too long to funk it up- it just hung there flatly and in his eyes, over his ears and down his neck. 

Eventually Liam will go to a manly and official Barber Shop, straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.  But for his first real hair cut experience, I called my friend and hair stylist, Anita Graves, who I have known for over 15 years.  Some of you might remember her from the wedding.

She happily scheduled him for Friday, February 3rd at 4:30pm.  There was no backing out.  I brought Kleenex for my impending weepfest, and a candy bracelet.  Yes, a candy bracelet. I will explain later.

First, Liam just hung out, taking in his surroundings at Salon Kismet, got used to the booster chair that made him very tall, and made sure he showed Anita the picture of his friend Carter Heide's hair- his inspiration.

Anita began by simply showing Liam all her "toys", including the big brush to wipe off his whispies and the spray bottle to wet it all down.



Once she wetted it down and combed it out, I had to admit that it was in dire need of some trimmage.  Although I kind of love this "ducktail" look.

But eventually it was time to get down to the very serious business of cutting.  Anita was amazing!  I have always known her to be a fast-moving, fast-talking, creative lady.  But she had tricks up her sleeve that I have never seen before.  

She was lightning-fast!  When he was obsessed with her clippers, she gave Ryan another set to plug in and voila, distraction.  When he was fascinated by her red comb she was using, she said, "Rojo!" (yes, Spanish lessons are apparently included free of charge) and then she handed him a white one of his own to play with.





Now, back to the candy bracelet.  No, I didn't bring them out of my love for accessories, but for a very practical reason.  When my nephew Benjamin was younger, he hated going to the barber shop.  So, my brilliant sister-in-law Shannon brought a candy necklace with them the next time.  Benjamin played with it and ate it off her neck, sitting still for the barber.  I used a bracelet instead and am happy to say that it worked beautifully!

When it was almost over, I posed with him to capture the moment.  I think he looks very pleased with his new look, doing little show-off moves for Daddy.

Even with our extensive parlor tricks, the little guy did get a bit annoyed with the sitting still and the paparazzi flashing their (my) bulbs in his face.

Time to blow dry and style.  He liked this part- the "wind" in his hair.

We all managed to get out alive.  A few tears shed by yours truly, but also a feeling of incredible pride that my baby is growing up to be such a happy, healthy little guy with a lot more "firsts" to come. 

And now he knows, just as I have for years, that the salon (Kismet) is where it's at.  Lesson well learned.



The official "after" photo



PS:  Like a good lasagna, it was even better the day after ;)

 

 

Lesson #28 Appreciation is the Best Resolution

Every year on the first day back to school, I have my students in English class write a journal called "Reflect and Resolve".  It is about 8 minutes of written reflection on the previous semester that has just ended, and an 8 minute written resolution for the upcoming semester.  I encourage them to focus on all aspects of the person they are, including student, child, sibling, athlete, musician, employee and so on.  I tell them that it is a way to wrap up last year so we can learn from it and then say good-bye, as well as a time to focus on self improvement with our resolutions.  What they learn later in the week is that it is also a sly way to introduce Ben Franklin's "Moral Perfection" essay to them as well :)

And just like every year before, I join them in both reflection and resolution.  This time, however, I wrote more than usual.  I wrote more than usual because of Liam.  My reflection of the past year now includes this amazing little guy in it- and I must report that some of it included minor regrets as well as just how hard being a new parent is.  But mostly I bathed in the reflection of the joy he brings to my life every day, how much I love him, and how he has taught me.

My resolutions included a lot of cliched things (get in shape, get organized, finish house projects, etc.) but focused mainly on appreciating the small (and large) blessings that I have been given every day.  So here goes...

I appreciate that Liam has such awesome hair that it begs to be coiffed, even by my students who visited my house a couple of weeks ago.

I appreciate that two of the most important things in my life, my family and teaching, can merge occasionally and be celebrated together.

I appreciate that Jacob Schnackenberg, National Honor Society President, was my Secret Santa AND has mad blanket-making skills.

I appreciate Olathe Glass for their beautiful lighted flowers that provide Liam with endless minutes of entertainment and in turn, provide all who care for him endless minutes of saying "No, no, no... don't touch."

I appreciate his strong, chunky legs and big feet that have been helping him stand with strength and confidence, just enough to pull up on things and "cruise" along furniture while trying always to grab the remotes.

I appreciate Liam's bottom two teeth, the first of what is now six to have come in, as they are beautifully visible in almost every picture.  So I guess I should also be appreciative that Liam tends to be a mouth breather- it makes for a better photo.

I appreciate Liam's love for the simple thing in life.  With toy after toy filling up our house at an alarming rate, he can still spend a lot of his time with simple everyday items (that he sees as toys) like Tupperware, pretzel jars, lotion jars and unlit candles.

I, for one, appreciate padded car seats that allow him to fall gently to sleep.  I imagine Liam, however, would appreciate a neck pillow.

I really appreciate his like for Asian food, including Thai Place where he can flirt with the waitresses... 

and dim sum at BoLings where he can flirt with the waiters...

I aprreciate his implied patience and thoughtful pose while I finish fixing his dinner.

I appreciate his learning to share- even though Ryan and I are now constantly offered half-chewed graham crackers and slimy, spit-ridden Oreos.

I appreciate Liam wanting to "help" with the chores.  Ryan and I both kind of like doing laundry, so he takes after us.

We both HATE emptying the dishwasher, so I am encouraged that soon it will be Liam's job.

      

I appreciate Liam allowing me to dress him up in all of the clothes in his closet, including funny hats and puffy vests.

I appreciate Liam's support of our travel habit, even taking the time to help me pack.

Those are the simple blessings.  The bigger ones are what this blog is usually all about.  My huband Ryan.  Mimi and Papa and Grandma Becky.  My sister Amy.  Her husband Michael.  Jodi, Jeff and Jeremiah.  Shannon, Michael, Benjamin and Dominic.  Aunts and uncles.  Cousins.  And friends, friends, friends.  These are the people that bless Liam's life every day and who complete ours.

And so, like my students, I am striving to hold to my resolutions.  Franklin struggled with the virtue "Order" his whole life.  Maybe I will never run a marathon, or organize my jewelry drawer, or finish all of those household projects.  But I will continue to thank God every day for the blessing of Liam into our lives, and I will appreciate the daily joy that comes with him.  Appreciation is, after all, the best resolution I can make.  Lesson well learned.