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A Very Friendly December

PERSONAL

Like many of you, we had a busy December.  So busy that it kinda flew by and we forgot to blog about it.  Well, we didn’t forget as much as other things took priority.  Either way, it didn’t happen.  BUT since this metamorphic beast called Bower Power is supposed to be a place for me to log all the activities we have been up to, consider this a peak into what I would have put in my diary in December.

Dear Diary…(already this is kinda fun)…

December was cah-razy.  We didn’t get as much done as we would have liked because the first part of the month snuck by and then all of a sudden, it was Jeremy’s birthday and we hadn’t decorated and parties and activities needed to be checked off our to-do list.  Then it really exploded with family and travel and making sure we had the gifts we needed and not just thrown into a Kroger bag as gift wrap…not that I would ever do that.  No.  Never.  Except in dire emergencies 🙂

Jules had a party and invited us…it was a kid-friendly party but Will was in a mood…and it was anything but friendly.

I never get to socialize at these kind of things.  For some reason I always sequester myself into the room with the kids and end up watching them all for the majority of the time.  Then on the way out the door I seem like that crazy person that doesn’t get out of the house very much.  Which is very true.  I am.  And I don’t.

So this time I told Jeremy before going in that I really didn’t want to watch Will the entire time and I was surely not going to watch someone else’s kids…at least I would try not.  And I would definitely try to push down those feelings of inadequecy and insecurity and just try to connect with someone within my age range.  Not that I don’t enjoy the company of 5 year olds…I do…but sometimes I really struggle with knowing how to carry on a decent conversation with another adult.  Especially girls.  Is that weird?

Anyway – there was cookie decorating…and I helped with the sprinkles.  But I was in the room with all the other moms…and that counts for something.

And since my friend Jules is like a whiz in the kitchen, her homemade gingerbread men were perfect.  She makes me want to be a better cook.

She had sparkling pink champagne for the moms.

I can definitely say that one amazing thing about not being pregnant is sparkling pink champagne.

There is only about five days in a month that you can have it when you pull the goalie…although some folks say it would be fine in moderation even if you knew you were already pregnant or in that funky unknown stage…but I, in my better-safe-than-sorry mindset decided I that if Aunt Flow was in town, it was sparkling pink champagne time.  Yum.

Jules had Jade build a fence around their tree so that Ethan couldn’t snatch things off it.  Will thought it was a jungle gym.  He also doesn’t understand why other kids want to watch Toy Story 2 when you can throw stuff and run around screaming.

We did attempt one group shot of the kids with Jule’s christmas hats.

Yeah, that’s Will – the only one screaming.

His pouty little face cracks me up.  I know I am not supposed to laugh at him when he cries like that…but it’s. so. dang. hard.

This month we also checked off the carriage rides from our Christmas photo list.

The line was unreal.  Last year it was so short we literally walked up and onto the carriage.  This year involved a little more waiting.

Good thing we met our friend Brook & her girls there because Will would run out of line every time the horses looped back around.

This was the view most of the time.

And then running out of line.

And then sitting in some random bushes.

And then popping up to see the horses again.

And then more waiting in line.

That’s Brook with her camera.  She’s tagging along to some of my shoots with me.  It’s been fun.

Will and Lilley…Will digs Lilley…and her baby sister Maggie…but mostly Lilley.  Lilley is sortof on the fence about Will.  Although there was this one time in the bathroom when we were getting them ready for the tub and she spied something ‘interesting’ about Will.  Let’s just say I have not laughed that hard about a crouching child in my life.

Finally it was our turn.  Good thing too because we had officially run out of fruit snacks and the sippie cups were empty…any mom will tell you that’s like CODE RED with toddlers in a line.

This is my ‘I’m a little too-excited-to-be-doing-this face”…

I remember this was when Lilley was trying to hear the horse hoofs on the pavement.  Brook’s such a good mom.  She was tapping out the beat so that Lilley could hear it better.

I had hats for the kids – so we tried to get them to wear them.

Will, for the first time ever, left it on his head.  He usually only wears a hat if it’s cold outside.  But for whatever reason, he left it on.

The girls loved them.  I need a girl.  I need a girl who likes dress up.  I need that like yesterday.  Will is so tired of it. There are only so many hours in a day that a feather boa and a tiara are acceptable.

The route wasn’t especially scenic or anything like that…but the kids LOVED it.  We clapped and sang and pretended like we were riding over snowy banks…at least that’s what I did…and it was one of those remember-this kinda moments.  even with the parking lot cars and the random shoppers crossing the road in front of Coldwater Creek…this was a magical Christmas sleigh ride.

It reminded me of last year’s ride.

Will was so chubby and squishy…and my mom sported what I like to call her gangsta look.  I swear she was carrying a piece in her coat 🙂 Kidding mom.  Sortof 🙂

Back to this year..

once the ride was over, we walked over to see Santa.  He was waiting for us 🙂

I love that they moved him this year.  Last year he was in a weird place…it was like near a few dumpsters and the back of some diner that didn’t open till after four…so this was a much better location for Jolly Old St. Nick.

I dare say that it was even the same Santa from last year.  And yes, I plan on framing all Santa pictures for a display next year…it’ll be an ongoing thing.  And when Will is 18, I will ask him to sit on that lap for the last time.  After that, it’ll be of his own accord.

My how Will has grown…

he even wears shoes now 🙂

And Santa Claus looks like he needs to start wearing sunscreen.

 

And was able to tell us “No more” when he was done with his photo 🙂

Lilley loved it.

Maggie – notsomuch.

Literally she wanted to have nothing to do with Santa.  Which of course, both Brook and I find hilarious.

Since nobody else was waiting, we did a few more pictures.  This is Will hugging Kris Kringle 🙂

And this is Will saying “all done” and pointing to the stroller.

And this is him kissing the beard.  I don’t exactly know how Santa feels about that…but I can imagine it’s awkward.

See the set up this year?  So much better.

Maggie was still having a hard time.  Lilley is singing and Will is telling me where his peepee is.  This is a pretty accurate picture of playdates in general for me 🙂

Will gave Maggie a hug.  He really loves other babies…and children in general.  Maybe that means he’ll be a teacher someday.  I say that about everything though.  Every time he asks for cheese, I swear he’s gonna be a dairy farmer someday.

I love this photo.  It’s very Will.  He discovered his pockets and strolled all the way back to the other side of the outdoor mall with his little fingers tucked safely inside.  And yes, he is a narrow little thing…only 32% in weight…but 94% in height…and his shoulders are so small that his overalls all fall off.  And his little pouf of hair in the back is always up.  I need a photo of him with a cow so that one day I can make him believe bovine actually licked it up like that.

In front of the Learning Express, Elmo came out to see us.  Lilley wasn’t afraid but Will wasn’t buying it.

He gave him a high-five but only when Aunt Brook was holding him.

Will was fascinated with the eyes.  Maybe I’ll see if I can find an Elmo doll somewhere.  If nothing else, we could identify body parts 🙂

And yes, he is saying booger.  I only wish I was kidding.  The kid inside the costume was laughing.

So that’s it dear diary…that’s some of what we did in prep for the holiday.  There’s a whole lot more.  Maybe later though.  I’m off to have a glass of sparkling pink champagne.   xo – kb

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  5. katie,

    First – I love your red and white top – so cute! Where is it from?

    Secondly – I completely understand the party thing… and hanging out watching the kids instead of watching the adults… or wait… I mean interacting with the adults… I’ve never been able to just let my kiddo run around doing whatever… so I think that’s why I’m always (or it feels like I am) the designated babysitter at things… sigh. I don’t mind being with my kid… but I do feel like I miss out on adult stuff… I commend you for hanging with the moms! 🙂

    Love your photos!
    ~liz

  6. Welcome to my part of the ‘hood! I totally forgot the carriage rides were there! Dang it! Next time, you need to travel about 3 miles south and you can come visit. I promise I’ll serve something bacon and I have a whole play room that is used to the abuse of thrown toys. LOL

    On the flip side, my oldest (now 7) was a carbon copy of Will. I always was chasing after him and never able to socialize, much less breath. I always felt like the outcast with a kid who was crazy, was tempermental and over all, just full of too much energy. I felt like other moms were judging, that I was inadequate. It was rough. My second son is polar opposite. So, God knew I couldn’t handle 2 like my oldest and gave me both sides of the spectrum. For which, I am glad because I don’t know if there is enough medication to live with 2 like my oldest.. hehe

    On another note, with my oldest ..believe it or not, I cut all gluten from his diet earlier this year and what a transformation in behavior. Just food for thought if you ever think food is contributing at all.

  8. I literally hear you talking when I read this (and most) posts. I’m not sure I’ve got the accent right in my head, but I can hear it.

    And, I swear our boys could be twins, behaviour wise at least, I can’t go anywhere without spending all my time chasing him, pulling him off other peoples couches,feeding him, stopping him from throwing things..

    great post kb!

  10. Katie, I can totally relate to the socially awkwardness – I too struggle with conversation w/other women. I really want to have close girlfriends, but I am so self-concious and inadequate-feeling, so I hide behind my son! I am working on it – sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and do things you normally wouldn’t.

    Anyway, you are hilarious and Will is a cutie! Thanks for sharing the cute pictures! We’re trying for #2 as well (our son is 4), so I’m hoping we both have good luck in the coming months. Keep your chin up!

  11. I totally agree about trying to make friends with other girls as an adult. It use to be so easy when we were younger (you would just look at each other and some how you were instintly friends) but now I think we’re more picky!! I don’t have any kids and just moved to a different town and its been a struggle to get to know anyone the same way I know my bestie….ugh. I give you a lot of credit…you did what you could and..put your self out there to fight your butterflies and insecurities!! Ya not getting pregnant is such an emotional rollercoaster and bitterswet at times but it’ll happen. My aunt for Christmas just announced she was pregnant with her second and they’ve been trying for eight dang years!! So there is hope!! Ps. It takes a lot of courage to write about yourself on the internet especially when there are so many reading. I hope I can get past the “what will others think” and just write what I feel!!

  14. I totally get the struggling to talk with other girls thing. I always had way more guy friends than girl, and now that I’m married, I obviously don’t hang out with a bunch of guys without my husband. It’s always super hard when everyone wants to split up by girls/guys for hang out time. I mean, I’m sorry, but I’d much rather go out to eat and have a scotch with the guys than sit around and talk about diets and try a new dance move with the girls.
    Sigh.
    I’m working on it.

  15. That looks like fun! We missed our carriage ride this year, it was raining the night we were going to go. My 2 year old was disappointed. By the way are you planning to go to the Haven conference in June? Just curious, I would love to hang with you 🙂

  16. Im so glad that other women are saying they struggle with carrying on conversations with other women. I have always had more guy friends than girls. I almost feel like I have more in common with them, esp. football. Maybe we should have a girls group that can’t communicate with other girls! 🙂

  18. Will is adorable! I wish I could get my son to stay in one spot long enough to get a cute picture, but Caleb loves my camera. Every time he sees it he goes running towards me. In fact I think the first time he ever ran was when he saw that magic little black box. Now I have to be a photo ninja or a magician by either sneaking up on him (which means he’s not looking at the camera) or distract him with a toy (which means he’s not looking at the camera). Maybe my 15 mo old will be a photographer one day… but I think he’d much rather be a moose. He loves mooses…. meese? Probably still just moose. Have any photographer secrets to share to get great shots of a child always on the move?

  19. My daughter is 21 months and I still dread going to other people’s homes with her. I spend ALL of my time making sure she doesn’t break their glass end tables by banging toys on them and stop her from going through their drawers. It’s exhausting!! Glad I’m not the only one.

  20. If I lived closer we could be awkward together. 🙂

    Do I smell partnership with you and Brook? 🙂

  21. Not right now…she is still trying to learn photoshop – and that is my strength…so that is why she comes to shoots with me…so we can work on the same subject and then see how to photoshop them.
    xo – kb

  22. Hang out on the floor with them maybe taking pictures of other stuff…eventually they get uninterested in whatever you are doing…then you can get your shot perhaps 🙂
    xo – kb

  25. I’m going to try and sound as non-stalker-y and normal as possible, but I want to be your friend. I feel the same way about parties. I have such a hard time talking to other women, so I mostly keep quiet. I need adult interaction though! I SAH with my 16 month old and don’t have others my age nearby. I’m really pushing myself to be more outgoing, but it’s hard!

    Yikes, this turned into a long and embarrassing confession. Anyway, loved the pic of Will and his pockets. Adorable.

  27. All those photos are so cute! Our outdoor mall has a train that goes around the mall, but I think I’d like a carriage ride better. I love the picture of Will pointing at Elmo’s nose! I can picture him saying booger too! lol

  28. I completely understand also! There is too much pressure when talking with girls, and it feels so competitive. It always ends up with ackward silence. Guy conversation is so much more laid back and fun. I’m also working on it…

  29. looks like fun! we have a similar Santa picture this year where my 4 and 6 year old girls are standing nicely next to Santa and my 10 month old little guy is screaming his head off…very amusing. 🙂 Hey- next time you go see John and Sherry, stop in Charlotte, NC for a playdate!

  30. I also am the mom that hangs out in the room with the kids while the adults socialize. I can write all day and express my thoughts and feelings pretty well on paper, but in person I tend to shy up. Not sure why, guess I’m just not good with small talk and starting conversations. My New Years Eve was spent in a similar fashion. My husband “Mr Social” had a great time with the adults. My hilight of the evening was getting home from the party and giving my boys baths and laughing like crazy with them as they splashed around in the tub. Ha 🙂

  32. Adorable pictures! My kids are still terrified of Santa…and the Chick Fil-A cow, Elmo, dogs… pretty much every non-human that walks around. But I laugh at them when they cry, too!

    Sorry you were able to drink the pink champagne. But I hope you enjoyed it! 🙂

  33. I love reading posts about your son Will. My son Reed is the same age – I think even born the same week 4/6/10 – and acts the same way. I can totally relate – I’m usually a sweaty mess from chasing after him where ever we go.

  34. My son and I never got out of the house much, either. So he was always the “let’s examine (and break) all the fragile stuff in this new place!” kid. I used to go into total panic mode whenever we’d visit someone else because all I could do was stare at the breakables. That doesn’t leave much time for making friends.

    The other issue I have is that I’m mid-20s with kids, which means I have zero in common with other mid-20s people. But I also have zero in common with mid-30s people who have kids because 1) their kids are much older than mine and 2) they’re way ahead in their marriages, careers, lives, etc.

  35. Katie, I think you are hilarious. I so look forward to reading your posts each day during my lunch break at work. I am still a little young to have any babies of my own, but I hope that I will be as hilarious and involved as you are with Will.

  36. The mental image created by telling us about your Aunt Flow and the pink sparkling champagne… that was NOT appreciated.

  39. Soooo, I’m not a creeper, but I’m kind of obsessed & in love with reading your blog! I stop in everyday, first thing in the morning – as Bower Power is third down on my favorite sites I’ve bookmarked. I found your blog thanks to the Petersiks close to a year ago and have been hitting you up ever since! But this is actually my first time leaving a comment! How’s that for a long, random, boring story of how I came to find Bower Power?… 🙂
    Anyhoo, after reading your post today, I had to comment simply because I so related to your comments on feeling insecure and inadequate in the group/party setting; especially with girls! You could have pulled what you wrote straight out of my head everytime the hubs and I are about to go to a party. I’m the weirdo walking around with a drink looking at how they’ve decorated their house or in the corner with the dog. I didn’t think for the life of me there was anyone else out there that felt that way, I honestly thought I was a complete weirdo. I feel so awkward if I’m in the presence of two or more people I don’t know and I get so self-conscious… so know you’re not alone! On a random side note, the first picture of Will hugging Santa Claus, looks like he’s trying to give jolly St. Nick a chest bump (an awkward, unreciprocated, chest bump) which made me belly laugh 🙂
    I believe you’re very familiar with Chattanooga, TN, which is where I was born, raised and I proudly call home! So here’s sending some love to the Bowers from Chatta-Vegas!

  40. LOVE it! I read your blog daily but when you post about Will like this, I always want to chat! My boy is 18 months old and has been a handful at times (of course he’s lovely and I’m obsessed with him), with the still not sleeping through the night, crying when other kids are happy, etc. Any my boy now points at his pee-pee too (in the cutest way possible of course), so that cracked me up.

    Happy New Year!

  41. The bag is made by skip hop. They retail for around $90. You can find them online or at a bed bath and beyond store that sells baby stuff.

  42. Katie! They have a small Elmo doll at Target for about $5. My son is the same age as Will and adores the Elmo doll. He sleeps with it every night. 🙂

  43. Will is so adorable. Great pictures too. My son had a cowlick in the front of his hair when he was younger and still has it today. His face was priceless when I told him a cow licked him when he was a baby and that’s how he got it. He actually believed it for a minute anyway!!

  44. Omg that is so amazing that your town does a carriage ride! I wish we had that here 🙁

    And I must say having a girl isn’t always what it is cracked up to be….yes their is lots and lots of pink, and dresses, and tutus…okay maybe it is haha. But when it comes to hats, and bows, and hair? My girl won’t have any of it. When she was a wee baby I always did her hair and put bows and hats on her (she was born with alot of hair) but ever since she hit 10 months old she won’t have any of it. Bows, ponytails, and hats all get ripped off faster than fast. Sigh 🙁 Hopefully she’ll let me do her hair again one day!

  48. Oh did I tell you about it? Because I didn’t think so. I can. Let’s start with the size and consistency of the clots 🙂
    xo – kb

  52. Will’s cry face in that picture (the one where he’s not holding a hat) looks EXACTLY like my daughter’s cry face.

    I know *exactly* why it makes you laugh. There’s nothing really wrong and they look so darn pitiful.

    He’s adorable!

  53. ^^This above comment is the very reason why I believe that you and I could be great friends. LOVE IT! HaHa! I also always find myself talking about poop, is that a problem that I should see someone (a therapist perhaps) about?

  54. I love this post and I about died laughing at your commentary 🙂 Thanks for keeping it real girl

  55. Totally agree! I am so tired of hearing about why someone can’t eat something because they are so fat (and they aren’t overweight at all). Or they talk about exactly how many calories are in a grape. Give me a break.

  57. I too adore this post- you’re a great mom. I feel like my social awkwardness is getting worse as I get older…making grown up girlfriends is hard work!

  59. Beautiful pictures! What wonderful Christmas traditions you have created for your family. Happy New Year!

  60. you took great pictures of santa + will this year. nice! and… this was one of the funniest posts this week so far. laughed out loud. for.reals.

  61. Ugh, yes on the calories! We as women do NOT have to be obsessed with them! Seriously, the other day we were all talking and the guys mentioned getting together to try some moonshine (why yes, I am southern), and one of the girls said “great! the guys can meet up for moonshine, and the girls can have a juice fast!”
    Shoot me now. Or better yet, give me a shot of moonshine.

  62. The way you write about your love for Will and about his boyishness helps me love my own 5 month old boy more. Thank you.

  64. i found your blog by way of the “Redneck family picture” and then started reading other posts. i saw your post about stone mountain and realized you were local (?) to me! i had to laugh when i saw this….i know exactly where it is! we could possibly be neighbors! 🙂
    such a small world!

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