Hallelujah the pink eye has passed! AND, no one else in my family had to suffer its ill effects...just me. I am back to wearing my contacts and make-up, and my running schedule is back on track. It is good to be well.
September brought many great things and we have much to celebrate and be thankful for: Baby Maddox and Baby Noah , Addie's growing relationship with a wonderful man, and Mason and Smith are nearly 17 months old.
Now that they both have an arsenal of teeth, M and S are able to enjoy more 'adult' foods. Consequently, we are working toward sitting down to eat dinner as a family. In the past, I would prepare a separate, toddler-appropriate meal and feed it to the boys around 5:30. Then we would play with them a bit and them put them to bed by 7pm. Once they were in bed, Matt and I would sit down to eat, enjoying the peace and quiet and one another's (mostly) undivided attention. This worked marvelously for us this past year or so. However, change is good, and enjoying a meal together as a family is great. It requires a little more planning, a bit more patience, and a whole lot of time management (this describes parenting twins as a whole :). We have three family dinners under our belt, thank you very much. They are much more chaotic but also much more lively and fun.
I managed to stage a photo of our family dinner (aided by the gorillapod Mom and Dad got us for Christmas...thanks Myers'!). Matt's mouth is full - hence the serious, close-mouthed face.
Smith inspecting a carrot we harvested from Grammie Myers' garden.
M, not a fan of walking barefoot in the grass. I am picking green beans.
Much more confident in their walking skills, M and S have grown to love toddling around the park/playground. The tunnel at Bogert Park is definitely one of our hot spots. (Smith)
Mase. Smigget contemplating a slide attempt.
***FYI - Matt will celebrate his 27th birthday on Saturday, Sept 27th.
Today I am so thankful for my eyes. Yes, that's right my eyes. Eyeballs are a wondrous organ...they are squishy, spherical, wrapped with tiny blood vessels, and they see. I'm not really sure how they see but I know it has to do with cones and rods and reflection or something.
Oddly enough, I am feeling grateful for my eyes today because I woke up at 5am this morning to find that my eyes were crusted shut. After applying a warm washcloth to my face for several minutes, I was able to open my eyes 1cm...after which I quickly shut them - what I saw wasn't pretty. Dull story short - I have conjunctivitis, or pink eye, in both my eyes. Awesome.
It's not so much painful as it is miserable. Irritating. Gooey. Gross. Inconvenient. (Along with feeling miserable, I have to look miserable, too, as I have to wear my glasses and no make-up for a week. More awesome-ness.) I am most comfortable when my eyes are closed...a luxury this Mama of Toddlers can't afford. Thank goodness for nap time. We're staying home and inside today. So far, M and S have played nicely together. Unfortunately, most of the activities I would normally enjoy while staying home sick require my eyes to be open - reading, watching a movie, surfing the internet, blogging. Granted, I'm still doing those things...I'm just not enjoying them as much :).
I googled the phrase "poems about eyes" and this poem was the very first result...no joke. This Reese, the one blogging, is not the author...it's another Reese, but weird, huh?
Eyes
by Reese
I gaze into twin pools of warmth Bright and sparkling I see something indescribable Something I can't quite put my finger on.
Twin pools, blazing and brilliant Making all your sweetness And all your compassion Crystal clear.
Twin pools shimmering and glimmering Showing how you're Sweet, sensitive, caring and kind Funny athletic cunning and friendly
It goes on, but you don't need to read the rest to come to the conclusion that it's a pretty lame poem. If I were to write a poem like this, it would go:
Eyes by the real Reese I gaze into twin cess-pools of gooey eye boogies Bloodshot and irritated I see something indescribable Something I best not put my finger on
Equally lame.
Along with eyes, I am also thankful for the fact that Mason and Smith don't have pink eye...yet. Please pray that I could quarantine the conjunctivitis and that no one else in our house will have to endure the nastiness.
Today, be thankful for your eyes...for the ability to see. I imagine you'll find that most of the things you really enjoy require the use of them. I came up with a few things you can enjoy without sight...sleeping - first and foremost, a book on CD, a massage, music. Think about it, people.
**A "shout-out" to Hannah today as she's experiencing something far more inconvenient than pink eye - child birth. Woohoo!
Matt and I have worked out a flexible morning schedule that allows me to go for a run before he leaves for work. He leaves the house around 6:50 am. Consequently, I am up at 5:45am, out the door by 6am and back at home by 6:45am. Surprisingly, getting up and out of bed hasn't been as difficult as I thought. The dark, cold mornings haven't deterred me either...in fact, in the last two weeks, I haven't missed a day of my 4-runs-a-week goal (not all of these have been early morning workouts...I work a run/walk into the day if it doesn't happen in the morning).
I am partly motivated by the upcoming trip to Hawaii - I'd like to feel comfortable in my two piece swim suit. But, I am mostly motivated by the enjoyment of exercise and being alone with my iPod and the sunrise. In fact, last week, one of my early morning runs proved to be quite moving. I had the luxury of leaving the house at 6:45am to run - it was a Friday and Matt decided to start work at 8am - the sun had almost risen and there was light enough to run a route the earlier morning darkness normally prevents me from doing. So, rather than pounding the pavement illuminated by street lights, I enjoyed a trail surrounded by green grass and small ponds, lit by the sun. What a glorious morning!
About half way through my run, my iPod shuffled to a Rich Mullins song titled "The Color Green". All around me was solitude, the soft colors of dawn, the silhouettes of the many mountain ranges surrounding our town, and Rich Mullins was singing this praise song to God: Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise
Exhilarated, out-of-breath, overcome by the Spirit, I began to weep. I was confronted with my lack of spiritual discipline (thanksgiving, devotion, prayer) in contrast with my physical discipline (running, healthy eating). I am diligent and devoted to my fitness regime, but I forget to be thankful, to fill my heart with God's word, to pray for the burdens of others, to praise and enjoy God. I am committed to making my body fit...but I have let my soul grow flabby.
In that moment of exhilaration, surrounded by the grandeur of His creation, I was so thankful for 'the color green'...and I can tell you honestly that I have never felt thankful for a color before. Tenderly and graciously, my Father approached me that morning through song and surroundings and reminded me to be thankful, to discipline my heart, to exercise praise, to "train [myself] to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come"(1 Tim 4:7-8). I returned from my run a changed woman...sweaty, red-faced, tear-stained, changed...eager to discipline my soul as determinedly as my body.
This verse has always expressed my heart but is particularly relevant for me right now:
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
If you get a chance, listen to the song. (Mom, I have your copy of the Rich Mullins CD...sorry, I'll return it.)
Lanie and her little man. She's looking quite radiant in her new role as "mama". This was taken roughly 24 hours after Maddox arrived.
Papa Bing and Maddox.
Smigget meeting his newest cousin for the first time. He welcomed M by bopping him on the head a few times.
Happy Aunt Addie...she has many reasons to be smiling!
After a quick trip to Billings, playing with Papaws, Grammies, and cousins, staying up late, waking up early, and not napping on the car-ride home - I had some tired little boys on my hands. S completely crashed when we got home and slept for 3 hours before I woke him up to go to the park. (M too but only for 2 hours)
We're headed to Billings this morning to meet our new nephew/cousin Maddox Birchfield Perrine! More details and pictures to follow, but in the meantime, please enjoy these pictures and video clip.
Since learning to walk, M and S have grown to love being outside - toddling around our backyard, throwing rocks, and this day - stomping in rain puddles. Above, Smith examining his dirty hands.
Buddies...wet buddies. MayMo!
Loving the large 'tupperware' I made available for play time.
It seems that it is Fall all of a sudden here in Bozeman. The mornings and evenings are cool (sometimes downright cold), school has started, and I'm starting to crave pumpkin spice lattes and caramel apples. I am also looking forward to wearing jeans again...and socks. Matt and his crew are quite thankful for the cooler weather, especially after Matt had the misfortune of experiencing heat stroke. I am so thankful to not be starting school...as in teaching. Loving the mom gig...most of the time. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Lane and Bing's baby boy - her due date is Sept. 4 so we're expecting the call any day now.
Smigget put himself in his cart. He got stuck and so decided to hang out and suck on his fingers.
Haircut time...again. Smithy's in the chair and MayMo's lookin' tough with his buzzed head and bare chest. M and S are getting better and better with each haircut. I gave them each a cell phone to play with while I was buzzing. In a matter of minutes, S broke Matt's cell phone. Not sure how it happened, I give the boys my cell phone all the time and it comes back to me a little beaten but working just fine. Anyway, Matt wasn't too happy with me. Fortunately, we have insurance and it wasn't too expensive to replace it. (Between the kids dropping/banging the phones and Matt submerging them in the rivers he's fishing, the insurance has been a wise investment for us.)
It's as if he's saying, "Here. I don't want this...it doesn't work anymore."
S trying to get the camera - looking quite "ninja" about it.
MayMo, upset at not getting to handle the camera. He's getting a new tooth there on the bottom.
Saturday morning I had the luxury of driving to Dillon, MT, with Sara, to shop the Patagonia Outlet Sale. Scored some good stuff. Meanwhile, Matt and the fellas played in the garage, inspecting the hunting gear and calling in elk.
I managed to stage a photo of our family dinner (aided by the gorillapod Mom and Dad got us for Christmas...thanks Myers'!). Matt's mouth is full - hence the serious, close-mouthed face.
Smith inspecting a carrot we harvested from Grammie Myers' garden.
M, not a fan of walking barefoot in the grass. I am picking green beans.
Mase.
Smigget contemplating a slide attempt.
