Monkey business

This weekend we went to Lincoln Park Zoo. From the moment we told Zachary where we were headed, to the time we walked through the gate, the only thing we heard from his mouth was, "We're going to see MONKEYS!"

So, see monkeys we did. And penguins, apes, chimps, giraffes, zebras, lions, tigers (polar) bears, and so much more. But, the monkeys stole the show. As does our little monkey, oftentimes.

Seeing the zoo and its animals through an almost-three-year-old's eyes was an astounding experience. Every little thing had to be studied and questioned. The things we take for granted ("the seal looks bigger right now because it's underwater and the glass is curved") can be breathtaking discoveries for a little one.

I sit here tonight reflecting on our adventure so thankful for the gift of Zachary. I am a better person because of his existence. His open, curious, sweet, gentle nature is a reminder to me that I can, and should, appreciate God's creative work more often than I do.

"There they are, Mom!"

The meal of choice these days, "hot dog and bread"

He did his best to drive the train, but this was the closest he could get.
Successful train ride, tired boy missing a nap.

This was a familiar sight around the zoo.

Coffee date with Mommy in Greektown.

Jumping on the hotel bed with Cousin Kaitlyn's Flat Stanley

Z's first time on a train. Flat Stanley's, too.

The end of a great adventure.

Are you happy?

At almost-three years old, Zachary has begun to place labels on emotions that we experience. Curiously, he is particularly interested in, and in tune with, mommy's emotions.

In recent weeks, receiving a stern talking-to, or being disciplined, he stops, looks at me, shines his genuine, signature smile and says, "Are you happy?"

That makes it difficult to continue with the stern mommy-face. I am sure he sees that, and that is why he does it. What a goofy, goofy dude. He sure makes us laugh!

New habits

So, Zachary is *almost* potty trained. He is, in that, he wears underwear, has accidents if we don't put him on the potty regularly, and still wears diapers at nap, night, and for "number 2." We still have a long way to go, but I now have hope that he will be trained before heading to pre-school in the fall.

Along with his new potty habit, he has taken to falling asleep in "his chair." We have found him fast asleep in the chair each night for close to two weeks now. We finally had to take a picture of it, because neither one of us imagine being able to sleep in the particular position we found him a few nights ago.

A few pics of the aforementioned activities follow:

Thumbs up for underwear!

Showing our muscles is a favorite pass-time

How in the world can he do this?

Gettin' a little perspective

Sometimes it just takes a little peek outside of ourselves and our circumstances to gain a little perspective.

I admit, over the past few months I have been wrapped up largely in my own concerns. Both Adam and I have been busy with work, taking care of family tasks (big and small), and trying to make headway with seemingly unending projects.

Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure of packing food for Feed My Starving Children with our church. 115 of us packed 108 boxes of food in just over an hour. Those boxes will feed 64 children for a year, in one of the 50 countries that FMSC serves. What a truly great experience to be a part of something to make the life of a child richer. Perhaps I should say, it is gratifying to know our work may help save lives.

Last week, we took Zachary to a pediatric dermatologist at University of Chicago. He has a birthmark we have been watching for some time, and felt it was time to get it checked out to make sure it wasn't anything more threatening than just a birthmark. Thankfully, it's not an urgent concern. But, while at University of Chicago, I was constantly reminded of the urgent concerns that others were facing at the very same time we were breathing a sigh of relief.

Both of these opportunities gave me a gentle reminder that--although we do have stress and concerns--life is rich for us. We do not rely on the kindness of strangers for our one meal per day, we have good health, and we have a community to support us, encourage us, and pray for us when things are not quite smooth sailing.

We are thankful for the perspective we gained in the past few weeks. To end this post on a lighter note, I am posting two photos below: one is Zachary in his very first "doctor's visit gown", and Adam at the food packing party.

Being Mom

A friend recently posted the following article on her Facebook profile. I took the time to read it and found myself laughing uproariously. If you'd like to read it, click on the image, it should bring up a full-size page for you.



If you can't read it, or don't want to take the time, in a nutshell: a reader writes in...she can't fathom why her friend with kids is so tired all the time and can't seem to eke time out for her friendships. Carolyn Hax responds artfully with great insight; she humorously defuses this reader's bomb with a description of what it's like to Be Mom.

Just two weeks ago a friend and I were laughing about the fact that when we were DINKS (dual income, no kids), we just didn't understand why many of the moms we knew looked constantly like they'd been through the wringer. Now we know.

It's not just the things that Ms. Hax mentions in her article. It's also the weight of the world known as growing a healthy, contributing member of society without sending that individual into years' worth of therapy--all while working on weeks/months/years of five or six hours of broken sleep each night--on your shoulders.

Single moms who have to work full-time while raising their kids (like my very cool, older sister raising four kids on her own), especially deserve kudos for their hard work.

This stuff is hard. But, it's also pretty great.

Being Mom is the hardest and most gratifying work a woman can do, should she choose to go the route of motherhood. All of the women I know that are moms would absolutely do it all over again in a heartbeat. So, while it's hard, it also brings moments of sheer joy. But, as curious as this reader is about why moms don't have time for friends, I would suggest it may be best for her relationship with her mom-friend if she lose a bit of the edgy 'tude. I can guarantee that's the last thing a tired, spent mom needs to deal with. And, it may just be why she hasn't seen her friend in a while.

Photos of that glorious day...

...well, the glorious five minutes, at least. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, scroll on down to my most recent post, "Sneak Peak..."

Getting the "Mee-mos" on

Uh, these feel a little weird

Poor kid, we've got some great blackmail pics

Checkin it out

Sneak peek into our future

We recently experimented with Zachary in "big boy underwear". He was so incredibly proud of himself, and we were, too! He was strutting around in Nemo underwear (and, subsequently, Elmo underwear just for fun), as if he was the STUFF. He stayed dry for the entire five minutes of our experiment. Score one for true potty training (true vs. false being he has had at least one trip to the toilet each day for the past six months)!

The next day, I brought out the "Meemo" underwear at his request. I pulled off his diaper, put on the "Meemo's" and left the room for 30 seconds to toss the diaper in the proper receptacle. When I return, what should I find? Of course! A wet spot on the special "Meemo's". Score one for the not-quite-yet-trained bladder.

I imagine that this is a song I will be singing several times this year. I do vow to have that boy in "Meemo's" for good within the next few months. So, stay tuned!

Other thoughts and cherished memories:

*Zachary really "got" Christmas this year. He absolutely loved learning about Daddy Joseph, Mommy Mary, and Baby Jesus, both at his school, and at home. He also thoroughly enjoyed the toolbench Santa brought him.

*Each night, before bed, Adam reads to Zachary. The book of choice these days is You are Special by Max Lucado. The book tells the story of the Wemmicks, and each one's uniqueness in the eyes of his/her creator. This is an excellent book for each child's library. After storytime, we all sing four songs together--all of Z's choice, and always in the same order--Rock-a-bye-baby, Jesus loves you (me), Twinkle, twinkle little star, and The alphabet song. This bedtime ritual has become a cherished time for us, singing at the top of our lungs with great vigor, and not always all on the same pitch. I'm sure for an outsider listening in, it could be a humorous moment.

*Some of Zachary's recent sayings include: Yeah, baby!; I'll get it for you; Pick you up, mommy; I'll share it with you; I'm so proud of you. I also often catch him singing some of his favorite songs to himself, or his "friends" (stuffed animals).

This is a sweet, challenging time in our life with this little boy. He is an amazing human being, so gentle, loving, and funny. We look forward to seeing what 2009 brings with him!