Daily inspiration: life

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

~ Mary Oliver
(from this blog)

I think about this all of the time. Am I using my time wisely? Does my life have purpose? Am I making the most of the opportunities and time that I have?

I have always wanted to help others, volunteer my time, speak another language, travel, create beautiful things, read more, dance more. Maybe write a book.

Lately, I feel mired down in child maintenance. I get that it is important - really important - to give you a strong start in life. But the endless stream of dishes and laundry and bedtime and potty breaks and diapers and (well, you get the picture) takes far more time and energy than I ever imagined. On the whole - parenting seems to take every bit of my energy and love - and then just a little bit more - so I'm left feeling like I am doing ok but still in the B+ range, not quite making the honor role just yet.

There is nothing significant left over for community volunteer jobs, contributing to solutions for world problems, or creative expression. Keeping up with my job and my love life is difficult. Extended family and friends get a morsel now and then but I'd give myself at C in those categories at best.

And the personal maintenance - makeup, wardrobe, remembering to shower every day - God help me, I'm getting a D-. The only thing saving me from a flat-out FAIL is that I do floss and brush every day. Thank goodness for oral hygiene.

Anyway - I am trying to do well with my wild and precious life. I guess right now that means spending it all on taking care of you.

Henry is One!

How did a whole year just fly by? How did you get so big?

All week we have been thinking about where we were one year ago and what we were doing. It is amazing to think how far we have come.

Especially when I think about how deeply in love with you we have all fallen and how much you have become cemented into our family. You have shaped our family and completed it in ways we never could have imagined.

I love you so much, Henry! Thank you for being in our family!!

Here you are smashing your cake with gusto.

And some recent photos and videos online here.

Resorting to fairy dust

Lucy, getting you to brush your teeth is a serious chore. We decided to enlist some help from the fairies...

So far, you've been eager to brush so you can get your puzzle piece. When you've got all 8 and the puzzle is complete - you get to see THE MOVIE. And I've got a little Tinker Bell doll hidden away, ready to make an appearance when you need even more incentive.

You can thank me later by cleaning my dentures when I'm too senile to notice I've got meatballs stuck in them.

Henry's First Steps

You took your first steps at Great Wolf Lodge last weekend. You - like ALL of your Crow cousins, took your first steps to your cousin Khia. Obviously, he is a special guy. You were also ready to stay upright since your legs were sore from crawling around the pools.

Here you are walking, crawling, mounting a Zebra, and cruising in your favorite obstacle course - the neighborhood Swap Shop.

"Arrooooo" - Our trip to the Great Wolf Lodge

Jamie, Jayson, Papa and Grandma Crow plus cousins Khia and Dane came over from Idaho to celebrate Jeremy's big 4-0 and my 3-5 at the Great Wolf Lodge.

It turned out to be a kid paradise and we had a fantastic trip.

The rides were all to big for toddlers but there were still lots of accessible water features for Lucy. And the zero-entry wave pool, various fountains, and baby areas gave Henry plenty of room to play too.

The features outside the pool were more impressive than I expected. They have a magical adventure game built into the resort so once kids buy a wand ($30 or so), they can search through the hotel for clues and complete quests. Or if you are just a toddler, you can point your want to the various treasure chests, fairies, and crystals and watch them light up. It seemed like a gimmick at first but after watching loads of kids running stairs (hello parents - we are tiring them out for you) and waving their wands at everything, the $30 seemed worth it.

The Cub Club had a bunch of books, games and drawing materials too - along with some reasonably priced crafts and activities so you had some quiet activity options.

The restaurants are limited and not for the foodie. But I have to say, they were very kid-friendly.

Would I go again?

Definitely. We had a really great time and the environment was perfect for cousin adventures.

What I would do differently?

• With multiple days of swimming, you want exactly the right gear so kids will be comfortable. I wished we would have put pants on Henry the whole time. His little legs got scraped up crawling on the non-skid surfaces. Great for preventing falls! Terrible for sensitive baby skin!
• I would think twice before booking over a holiday weekend. It was really CROWDed. The pools were absolutely packed and we had to wait for slides and other features. The staff was consistently courteous but I had the feeling that they were as overwhelmed as we were at times. I think we would have had better service and a more relaxed feel (plus probably a better room rate) if we had gone mid-week.
• The bunk-beds were fun but since Lucy wasn't really safe on the top, it wasn't a great idea. Who wants to police a toddler? Not me.
• It seems like parents of kids who are 42" and independent swimmers got the most out of the resort. That way, everyone could ride the rides and parents could have some of their own adventures or relaxation time.
• A waterproof camera would have been a good thing to bring. Although - with 2-toddlers around water, an extra hand to snap photos is not usually available. Maybe next time.

A few photos online here.

Daddy is 40!

Time flies! This little guy:

Is now this man:

Grandma came from Utah to help us celebrate - and to give mom and dad some time to ourselves. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever!!

The two of us had a great time heading out to dinner and movies - getting a taste of our life B.C., i.e. Before Children. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. We love you guys but boy, it is WONDERFUL to have some time alone together. It is the thing I miss most since having children.

I absolutely adore your dad. He is an amazing person and the most wonderful husband and father I know. His life is such a precious gift for all of us.

Daddy on day #1:
And sometime around day 14,600:

I'm counting on thousands of more days to spend together.