Daddy rocks

If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that Marty thinks that Richard rocks.  I don't know if there is anything he loves more than watching Richard play guitar.

That's not true.  Maybe the one thing he loves more than that is to actually play guitar with him.  When the band is jamming in the basement, Marty will stand in the front room, or at the top of the stairs, or on the porch if we are outside, and just dance.  And I don't think that it is any coincidence that his dance move of choice when Richard is involved, is the head nod.  It's almost a full-on head bang, and I'm sure once he's acquired the necessary amount of coordination, it will be.

So, it is no surprise that he has been their biggest fan at the shows I've taken him to.  The first one was in a bar.  I didn't know if I'd get away with it, but I did!  Anyway, it's official:  Richard is rocking both of our worlds.

Oh-wow

"Oh-wow."  That was what Marty Boy said more than anything the day that we took him to the HAFB air show.  And we never got tired of hearing it.

It was a super hot day, and there were lots of people there.  But it was a little boy's dream come true walking around and through, and sitting in planes.  He was a little cranky because we'd cut his nap short, but overall it was a fun memory.  One that he's too little to recall, but that Richard and I will never forget.

We were all hot and sticky.  And the fact that Marty wanted to be held 90% of the time because of the crowd (by me, oddly enough) made it a little hotter and stickier.  But no less enjoyable.

I even pulled off a successful shoulder ride!  It was a good day.

And seeing this look on his face, while he said those magic words, made even the dreadful sunscreen application before we left the car seem totally worth it.

Stealing kisses

there was this one night, before bedtime, that richard kept asking marty for kisses.  and every single time, he got what he asked for.  every time.

but for some reason, whenever i asked for a kiss, this was marty's response.  he would throw his head back and laugh his little head off.  like what i was asking was absolutely ridiculous.  we got some video of it.  probably for one of those times that i'm feeling really bad about myself and need a little self-esteem boost.  oh wait, no that wouldn't work at all.

this was actually the start of a good week-long (or maybe a little longer) stretch where if i even entered the room at bath time or bedtime, marty would go nuts and think i was going to take him away from richard.  at first it really hurt my feelings.  i mean, it was dramatic.  but i guess i'm just thankful he loves his dad so stinking much.  and i got to where i just enjoyed a little break at the end of the day while the boys were hanging out together.

funny how motherhood often feels like a big ball of contradicting emotions...sometimes at the end of the day i feel like i could use a little break, but when my boys are having fun together i just feel like i'm missing out and want in on that action.

Happy Easter

I know that Marty is still too young to understand the meaning and all the hype behind most of the things we get excited for him to experience these days.  Easter was one of those things, but it didn't make it any less enjoyable for me or Richard.

We took him to an Easter egg hunt at HAFB that weekend.  Yes, we were the parents who brought a plastic bag because we didn't think about buying a basket (but really, he didn't notice, and it would have just been filled with dirt anyway). And yes, he was more interested in the dirt around the baseball field where the hunt was taking place than in the hunt itself.

Our goal was for him to pick up at least one egg.

It was close.  I think he ended up with three.  I think he only actually picked up one of them on his own, though.  Even that is a miracle when you consider how cutthroat some of those other parents were, pushing their kids around the field at warp-speed, yelling at them to pick up eggs.  Luckily there were only stickers and little plastic prizes in the eggs.  I'd hate to imagine what the parents could have been like had there been candy involved.

There was rather large success that morning:

After the Chuck E. Cheese and Santa Claus incidents, we were pretty nervous about letting the boy see the Easter Bunny.  We weren't going to go out of our way to point him out, and we definitely weren't going to force a photo.  But wouldn't you know, when that giant rabbit was walking across the field toward us, Marty stopped and stared.  And then he actually started walking in his direction to get a closer look.  The bunny stopped a few feet away from Marty and knelt down, reaching out his hand.  Marty didn't move a muscle.  Thank heavens the bunny had the good sense to stand and walk away.  Had he pushed the boundaries of Marty's little bubble, we may have seen a meltdown that morning.  However, Marty decided to follow the bunny to the edge of the field.  It was adorable.  And it also gave us hope that we will one day be able to take him to Disneyland.

Instead of a basket, Marty received an Easter bucket, with a couple a swimsuit, some empty Easter eggs, and the movie Frozen.  I admit, the movie was more for me than it was for him....or so I thought.  He loves the movie and we watch it (or parts of it) almost daily.  I know it's mostly because of the music, so I think we just need to get some other movies with music in them.   

We also went to church to celebrate the true reason for Easter.  And clearly, we are very reverent.  Only the most reverent people take pictures while still in the church building.

I am so grateful for the atonement of my savior, Jesus Christ.  I am blessed to be a wife and mother, but I am far from perfect at either of those things, and I mess up a lot in every other aspect of life, too.  But it is comforting to know that someone understands all that I am going through, and that I can be forgiven of my mistakes.  The fact that there is hope for me to become better, and that I can live with these boys forever is the most special gift.  I am one lucky girl.

Moving on

In January, Richard left the job he'd had (for over 4 years!) in staffing on Hill Air Force Base for a new position as a Management Support Specialist for the business office of 309th Maintenance Support Group.  As much as he loved the people he was working with in staffing, he is really loving his new job.  There are busy days, of course, but he seems very happy here.  Something I remember him saying about his work in staffing is that he was part of a process, and that he really like opportunities where he could see a project through from beginning to end.  He is getting a lot of those opportunities these days, and I think he is feeling more fulfilled because of it.  Not to mention he gets to rub elbows with some pretty "high-ups" on base, and that is pretty cool.

His old staffing team had a farewell luncheon for him before he made the switch, and they were nice enough to invite Marty and me.  We are so proud of Richard, and so thankful for all of his hard work to support our family.

Mommy's little helper

I remember when I started watching little Andy Francis once a week, back when we lived in the basement apartment and didn't have any kids of our own.  I remember thinking, "How does anyone with kids get anything done?"  It's a completely different ball game getting things done with a little buddy as your sidekick 24/7.  Let's just say that nap time is pretty productive for me.  As long as I'm managing my time well, that is.

When Marty Boy is awake, he is willing to help me do my hair

He loves organizing drawers in the kitchen when I'm making dinner, or doing dishes.  It is almost impossible for me to load/unload the dishwasher without him trying to climb in.

So, like I said, nap time is pretty productive when it comes to doing the things that I can't really do with my little buddy, but the time when he is awake is always way more fun.

Seeing and learning knew things, and making memories is way more fun than making the bed.

sloppy kisses = best kisses

I had so much fun doing this little photo shoot with Marty Boy for Valentine's Day!  He was only 14 months old, so we were still being pretty careful with the amount of sugar he was getting - not that we aren't careful now, but let's face it, he's getting a crapton more now.  Anyway, it was kind of a milestone as far as his sugar consumption goes.  He loved it.

I plastered my lips with cheap red lipstick (that didn't fully come off for days), stripped him down, kissed him all over, and let him go crazy with the box of chocolates.  He was a mess, the couch was a mess, and we were both having a ball.

It was so fun to hear responses from family members that we sent these cards to.  I'm totally one of those moms that loves to dress her kid up, and I'm going to get it ever chance I get!