You can call me Mom

“You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms.”

Author: Neal A. Maxwell  (he is a favorite of mine)   
Tonight both my children were calling out to me....

For quite sometime both of my children have  referred to me as "DAD" has humorous as I and everybody that over hears them refer to me as that have found it and as awesome as it has been when I asks my sweet children "who do you want to change your bum, Mom or Dad?".....My heart has been aching to hear my sweet children call me "Mom." 

Mom is such an all encompassing word I love all it stands for..making it it such an enduring term. It is an honor (but doesn't always feel that way ;)

So tonight when they were both yelling impatiently "Mommmm, mommm" I hesitated responding and completely soaked in the moment. Sweet music to my ears. 

Smiling that I am their Mom!

Because the night they were born so was I....

photos by Yan Palmer (she and this session deserve a post all to themselves ;)

You can see even more of our family photos HERE. I just love them!

“Don’t be ashamed, because shame is not productive. Shame only makes addictions worse because it leads to despair, not hope.”

addiction happens to GOOD people- people who are loving and kind and wonderful. Many times, these addictions start as curiosity and them burst into a full-fledged flame of unstoppable need.

Cursing....is it okay when it has to do with your 10 favorite digits??? My Winnie seems to think so...

I have never had a problem with cursing....I mean c'mon my Mother raised me to be a lady....or so she thought....A few weeks ago it was in the morning and Kyler and I were frantically rushing around getting ourselves (and two little ones) ready for the day when something happened that caused both of us to stop dead in our tracks. Our little so incredibly sweet soft spoken Winnie stubbed her toe.....

And exclaimed in the cutest little voice "Gosh *Dang*-it!!" WHAT?!?.... Kyler quickly looked over at me in disbelief! Shaking his head (and having a very hard time masking his smile I might add :) In a drawn out voice heavily laced with accusation.... "CAAAAAATE...." I stood there wide eyed wearing an expression of contriteness!! It was an exact replay of me the night before....

Whoops....

I was guilty......and that was for "*dang* sure...."

If she wasn't so incredibly sweet and it hadn't caught us off guard  I think I might of felt a tiny bit {more like a heavy dose} of shame. But luckily for me and my conscious any guilt was quickly over shadowed by how darling she is....

I mean you have to admit that is kind of incredibly funny! Especially for a little lady with so few words as it is!

But since I do want to keep my status as a lady.....On my girls scouts honor I vow to do quit cursing completely!!....You may want to consider reading this post in order to fully comprehend the weight of such a lofty promise...{wink-wink}

Oh how we are loving the little personality that is emerging....trust me when I say it is a good one. She loves to dance and shake her tiny little bum whenever music might comes on bopping her little shoulders and saying "huba-huba!"

Is ^ that even my child I am writing about?!? Her spunky personality has to be some wonderful recessive gene!! I have it by good authority that both of her parents are in fact introverts. 

Don't be alarmed she picked up the above phrase from a children cartoon and not from me......but no shave November is doing my husband gooood...so maybe I will have to chant it right along with Winnie (Jett just started saying it too and it is equally as darling) when their Daddy gets home from work today;)

But back to the toe...Anyone who has had the unfortunate event of their large toe having a excruciating run in with a hard object knows that it hurts like heck!! And mandatory cursing is okay.... as long as you are age 1 and under ;) Sorry folks....I don't make the rules I just occasionally/apparently have broken them....

Tonight Kyler came up stairs and in the tone of voice that should be used when you say something like "hey do you want some popcorn?" or something equally exciting he tells me he stubbed his toe! I give him a sympathetic are you okay without even looking down....Just ensuring my title of wife of the year ;)

Then I look down....and immediately wish I hadn't!!

Holy smokes.....his toe nail was practically gone! It was pulsing blood.  He claims it's because his big toe has an actual heart beat! I bandaged and drugged him up the very best I could! Trying to make him comfortable.. Taking the saying waiting on him hand and "foot" to a whole new level! I am not a nurse but I do have a sister and friend that are so thats gotta' count for something....right? ;) But I think he may have broke it!

Web MD  and I are voting we go the the doctors and have it checked out! Kyler and his pride are voting not too.

He didn't even swear!

What an amazing man!!! It is clear Winnie and I both have a thing or two to learn from him!
He really is awesome!  

Tragically...

Sandals will likely never look the same.....at least that is what I keep reminding him...ha
Yep, he didn't think that was funny either! 

Oh and sorry to disappoint anyone but I didn't take any pictures....because you guys are disappointed right? ;)

10 tips on parenting

There is something about a large round belly or a toddler in tow that attracts advice giving people. Most of the time I love it! Oh sure there are times when it isn't quite as well received or dare I say even welcome?

But since a few of the tips and tricks others have so willingly shared have completely changed the way I try to parent my two small children I have come to appreciate the advice from others. I am the first to admit that I don't know what the heck I am doing!!

These are my top 5 favorite tidbits: enjoy.

1. When you are at your wits ends with your children spouse love them more. I will grab my rambunctious 3 year old and squeeze him and say "I love you to much to let you do that."

2. Take a breath before you react. So simple right? Yet the effect is profound. In that split second I am able to save my children from myself. I respond to them a bit calmer and not with a swat on the bottom ;)

3. Tell your child what you would like to happen not what you don't want to happen. Example "Keep the milk in your cup please." Instead of " don't spill your milk." Because guess what as soon as you say the second phrase guess where the milk goes.....This one has been tricky for me but I am improving!

4. In a study I read it mentioned that there are 9 minutes in every day that have the greatest impact on a child. The first 3 minutes of your childs day, when you first greet them after  school or for younger children after a nap and then the last 3 minutes before you say good night. This is the time to touch them and make happy.

5. The last thing actually takes 10 minutes but has made THE biggest impact friends and that is having 10 minutes with out any distractions where you are simply with your child. You are at their level, letting them take the lead. There is nothing  or nobody more important in those few moments then them. They lead and you follow = them feeling so incredibly loved and connected almost magically improving their behavior. MAGIC!

My favorite mothering websites are:
-Power of Moms (They Leave you feeling empowered and excited about motherhood)
-Positive Parenting solutions (that lady has the answers to everything!)

Favorite books:
- Deliberate motherhood 12 powers
-The 10 basic principles of good parenting
-Duct tape parenting (I have yet to read this one but have only heard wonderful things)

Almond flour cookie recipe: sometimes we like to break rules.

On Sunday morning Kyler announced that he was going to make us breakfast! I smiled and pulled the covers over my head! You can imagine the thrill and happy squeals when he pulled those morsels of heaven right out of the oven!

Cookies for breakfast!? I was secretly just as thrilled! And amazingly enough my children did excellent through 2 out of 3 hours of our Sunday services (Winnie was our  little social butterfly during sacrament  she felt a  dire need to make her rounds and visit all the surrounding pews ...that little lady can work a crowd ;)

I mean like really good, as in when we were pulling out of the parking lot I was cheerful and not on the verge of tears! That was a phenomenon I realistically didn't expect to happen for at least another decade!!

Which led me to ask that man of mine what he put in those things? Almond flour.

You can find our recipe of choice here. Enjoy. May they work magic on your family as they did mine! I can't help but hope this is a tradition in the making!

Oh and the best way to eat these cookies are naked!! just ask Winnie ;)

Wild kittens my first ever GIVEAWAY!

Our home in Idaho came complete with the most charming front porch and two barn {garage} cats.  Grandma Thea and her son Tommy. Winnie loved to feed them, they caught mice for us. It was the beginning of simple and beautiful working relationship.

Just weeks after we moved in my parents came to visit. They warned, cautioned and advised us to have those cats fixed.... and don't delay it! I gave them my girl scouts honor that I most surely would. It would take top priority.

Then I forgot. I mean after all moving to a new state with toddlers in tow is not exactly a walk in the park.

Grandma Thea was suddenly in the words of my husband "soooo fat!"  Then miraculously she suddenly wasn't (that lucky cat;) 

I mean we hadn't been here for very long? At the time it had only been like two months!!....apparently cats are only pregnant for 58 days....live & learn folks.

At this point Kyler was still in denial about the birth of the kittens.

Kyler was going out to the garage late one evening when he yelled down stairs to me "Cate you are going to want to see this....." 

They are wiLd little kittens for sure. Never meowing only hissing....if that doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling I really don't know what will... :)
Two have bobbed tails a with the largest paws. They never run only scurry.

We have had more then one person comment "what the heck are those things?!"

Kyler votes that Tommy is more then a brother to those four kittens...
I think they may be part lynx!

We will go with part lynx, they should be worth a fortune!! {wink wink}
But only because I love you guys I am willing to give any one of you lucky readers all the kittens for FREE...Consider this my first giveaway!

You're welcome.