We've gotten some snow the past few days. The first day that we really had a good covering was Monday, and Matt came home form work and was ready to get to shoveling right away. I knew Hayden would want to join him so I wasted no time getting him bundled up. I stayed inside where it was warm but Hayden seemed to have a good time.
This week Hayden another box of birthday presents- he is really making out well this year! Grandpa Bert and Grandma Joyce sent him some new toys and he had lots of fun opening them and playing. He was all over the place when he and Matt were opening them so I had a hard time capturing the smiles, but he was excited!
We celebrated Thanksgiving quietly just the three of us at home this year. As always we were missing our families from back home, but we enjoyed being together as a family and celebrating the day. Hayden really enjoyed the Macy's parade, more than I thought he would. He loved the balloons and the marching bands and kept waving and saying "hi" to all the people waving on the floats. He even tried to sing along to some of the songs. While he has recently found his singing voice and loves to sing a long to music, Matt and I are pretty sure he is NOT musically inclined! It seems he inherited his mommy and daddy's singing abilities.
Matt's mom, Nancy sent Hayden three huge Tonka trucks in the mail recently. I had a hard time keeping them covered until Matt got home because he wanted to be here when Hayden "opened" them. Of course, my memory card was full not long after I started taking a video. Also, I failed to tell Matt that I was taking a video instead of a picture so he is extra obnoxious in this one. You might want to turn your speakers down.
Wow! Hayden has really had a whole week full of festivities. I'm a little glad it's over...whew! Today was his birthday party and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. We just had a small get together at the house with a few friends. Hayden enjoyed playing with all of his buddies. Here are a few of the pics that were taken:
I started Hayden's birthday last year by taking a picture first thing when he woke up in the morning. I decided to do the same this year. Unfortunately, Hayden is still getting over his cold, so this is how we have been starting our mornings lately:
We can hardly believe Hayden turns two today! We started celebrating yesterday by talking on Skype to my family back in Florida. Despite my best intentions to take pictures of Hayden talking to everyone, I forgot! He really enjoyed talking to them, and they got to watch him open the birthday presents they got him. My parents and brother got him his first toddler trampoline, an electronic one that plays music and has games on it. He loves to jump! Unfortunately I have yet to catch him mid-air, but I'll keep trying. I'll also get a video soon because it's pretty funny to watch him.
I wrote this for the MOPS newsletter last week and I thought I'd share. Hope you enjoy!
The First “Thank-you”
We have all heard it a thousand times. In fact, it’s almost become cliché. Thought to be flippantly said by stay at home and working moms alike, so often that most people hardly give credit to the statement anymore. It goes something like this: “being a mom is such a thankless job.” In reality, one can hardly expect people who have not experienced the profound truth of this statement themselves to understand it. I know I never fully understood it, but then one day I found myself not only living out that reality but also feeling a surprising sense of emptiness and loneliness because of it. I remember in frustration sharing with my husband that although I perhaps have more responsibility now than I have ever had in my life I see almost no tangible evidence of the efforts that I am making every day, my best efforts as a new mom who sometimes feels like she doesn’t know what she’s doing. He very sweetly reminded me that the efforts I am making as a mom are more important than almost anything else, that my efforts have eternal effects. While I took comfort in those words at the time, it is sometimes hard for me to remember what he told me as I move throughout the menial tasks of the day-today.
But then one day it happened: Hayden was playing with his animal train as I was running around trying to get some housework done. In my rush to pick up toys off the floor I paused to hand Hayden the elephant for his animal train. To my surprise, as he reached up and took it from my hand he looked at my eyes, smiled and said more sweetly than I can express in words, “ganku.” That was, of course, his best effort at saying “thank-you” and my heart melted right on the spot. Since then, he says thank-you for everything! Even when I wipe his nose he looks up and me and says “ganku”. Just tonight as I was getting him ready for bed, I pulled his pajamas on and as his head popped through the shirt there was an enthusiastic “ganku”. I realize that this is just a phase, that he will not continue thanking me for everything I do for the rest of his life. If you are like me, though, you know that I do not do what I do for a thank-you. For now, this sweet expression of his reminds me that the little things I do are important in shaping a child with a heart that is pleasing to the Lord, a child who seeks obediently after God’s own heart. But even though I know it might not last much longer, I am enjoying it while it lasts, and when it comes to thank-you’s, I will take what I can get!
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