Save it for Sunday | 6.3.18

It's your lucky day. Two weeks worth of Save it for Sunday for the price of one! We were having too much fun last weekend with company in town to bother with blogging. Every other week posts may become a summer trend given our lineup of visitors and planned traveling.

The Highlights

Brad finally came home from his field training exercise. You know, the one that was supposed to take him away from us for two nights but instead ended up being days shy of a full month. That's the one! Never have I ever been more relieved to hear the garage door open the night he got home. It was a marathon of a month in so many ways. I could go on forever, but here are the top three things I appreciate most about having him back again:

     1. His hugs.
     2. His optimism.
     3. Not having to clean the litter boxes and pick up dog poop from the yard.

Divide and conquer. Life is better with you, Dadford. 

Uncle Preston came to visit! Preston is a writer in NYC, has no kids, rocks a man bun, and is one of my favorite visitors to host. His creative lifestyle is hugely different from our military world, yet his presence in our home is always so effortless and enjoyable. Again and again, I am so impressed by his willingness to get down on the floor with the kids and dream up stories and adventures with them for hours on end. He is eager to help and very adamantly wanted to learn to buckle Eloise into her car seat and fold up and down the stroller on his own. He just takes the initiative to dive into the kids even though their sticky, stinky, messy world is so far from his own comfort zone. The Colorado Springs portion of the visit was spent grilling, swinging, and swimming in the backyard and playing board games until the wee hours. The boys built a platform for the grill to save space on the patio and took the kids for a long run so I could finally plant my flower boxes in blissful peace. My heroes! We did a mini getaway to Rocky Mountain National Park for some incredible hiking too. Our buns were burning after about 2,000 feet of elevation gain. We cherish any time we get with Preston and wish it could happen much more often than it does. In the words of Eloise after Preston dove into Emerald Lake, still partially iced over, "Uncle Preston, you're wild!" Wild in the best uncle way. Thanks for a great visit, Preston! Can't wait for you to choose my title idea for your book.

Lots of big Rantz family happenings the past two weeks. On May 25th my sister Whitney got engaged! Her fiance is a devoted Spartan and a cat guy, so obviously they're a perfect match. The scream to end all screams came spilling out when she flashed her beautiful ring at me via FaceTime. I am over the moon excited to have a new brother-in-law and for my kids to have another uncle to love. It is looking like their big day will fall right around the same time as Brad's return home from his next deployment, and I am already giddy thinking about what a love-filled time that will be. Not to mention wedding planning, bridal showers, and a bachelorette party for my favorite big seester will keep me plenty busy and focused on positivity. Bring on the wedding planning (if I suddenly go missing, check the rabbit hole that is Pinterest first)!

Exactly one week after the proposal, my parents retired. They sold their restaurant on June 1st after almost eight years of running it flawlessly together. My dad bravely stepped out of corporate world after 25 years of being overworked and undervalued. And my mom bravely joined him on the big adventure and quest to be their own bosses. They packed up the home I grew up in, moved back to the college town where they fell in love, and started what would become one of downtown Lansing's most successful restaurants. To say I am proud of them would be an huge understatement. They have put their heart and soul into providing not just delicious food, but warm, genuine customer service too. I know their regular customers will miss their welcoming smiles, but I know two grand babies who are thrilled that Papa and Grandma Sue's schedule is about to include many more Colorado visits. They are already westward bound to see us this Thursday. Too much to ask that the new owner still honor my free meals when we visit Michigan? Mom and Dad, job well done and we love you. You are an inspiration to all of us. On to the next chapter! 

December 4, 2010 & June 1, 2018

We are in full blown dance recital prep mode over here. An abundance of recital pictures and videos is surely coming next Save it for Sunday. We had picture day this week followed by a celebratory ice cream date with our best dance buddies. I think there is something about Michiganders that just naturally draws us to one another. Finding a fellow midwest mom and military spouse is like hitting the jackpot. Ashley and I have grown in friendship since the first day of class, and our weekly park or play dates are certainly a highlight for all of us now. Eloise and Addi are two peas in the cutest pod, and I bet Harvey and Emmy are soon to follow suit. Cannot wait to see the big girls on the big stage this Saturday.

The Small Moments

The stomach bug that took Eloise down for Mother's Day lingered into the beginning of the week. Having sick babies is such a helpless feeling, but I can't complain because I got so many snuggles. She sat with her head on my chest, holding my hand for an entire movie. Those of you with an always-in-motion threenager know how rare of a treat that is. I didn't hate a single minute of it.

Eloise calls the living room floor her carpet pool. Troublesome when she tries to dive into the carpet pool from the couch. Adorable when she says, "Harvey, let's go swimming in the carpet pool!" Eloise laid down and gracefully pretended to swim. Harvey flopped down right next to her on his belly, flailed his arms and legs rapidly, and laughed hysterically. I might have cried it was so cute.

My transformation of our concrete slab into a patio oasis is nearly complete. The past two weeks I added a storage bench for outdoor kid toys and extra seating, lots of color via flower boxes, hanging plants, and potted plants, my beloved hummingbird feeder, string lights overhead, and a glorious swingasan chair from Pier 1. You may not know exactly what a swingasan chair is, but know that you need one in your life. Brad calls it my egg chair. I knew from the moment we first laid eyes on it that our mountain view deserved the comfiest seating for soaking it in. My favorite egg chair moment so far was cuddling up in it with a blanket under the covered portion of our patio during a big thunderstorm. The coziest! Even Lola loves to sit out there with me and watch the sun go down behind the mountains now.

The Ways We Grew

Consider the toddler slide conquered by Harvey P! He can now climb up and slide down his little slide all by himself. The transition at the top of the ladder getting his feet out from under him without falling backwards nearly gives me a heart attack every time, but he always gets it. I love seeing his goofy grin as he comes sliding down. And I love that he'll climb it 62 times in a row leading into a solid four hour nap time.

Eloise has become the ultimate deal maker. I read somewhere that the best way to handle the big emotions of a strong willed little lady such as ours is to make clear deals with her. For example, "We can't stop hiking right now, but on our way back down the mountain we can explore that little cave. Deal?" And yes we did try to sneak past the little cave without her noticing. No it did not work. In all seriousness, it is super important to try to follow through on the promises 100%. Once they build that trust, the deal making works like a charm. I just used this method today when she nearly melted down over something so little as taking our lunch to go instead of eating it at the restaurant. "We have to take our food home to eat, but I will let you give Ruby a treat when we get there. Deal?" Using one of her favorite things to do as the deal incentive gives her something to look forward to and takes her mind off of the Earth shattering disappointment she feels in that moment. I have seen a noticeable decrease in the number of tantrums thrown in public places lately, and I am really proud of the progress we've made working on it together. She is exactly like me. When her expectations for how things should go are not met, she gets flustered. This age is a tough one, and I am sending solidarity to anyone reading this who can relate. The trouble is she has started to use my own methods against me. "If I poop right now since we're in a big hurry, you'll give me three M&M's instead of one. Deal?"

This week Harvey has been using two word phrases, favorites being "hi, papa" and "all done". He also will respond to questions by nodding yes or shaking his head no and says "woof woof" when you ask him what the doggie says. All speech is usually followed by his famous scrunched up nose smile. I am thinking perhaps his rapidly expanding vocabulary may have something to do with the fact that his big sister has to ask the same question six times at a minimum and never, ever stops talking.

The Eloise-isms

"Uncle Preston. I can't see around your hair." -- Riding in the hiking backpack Preston so graciously carried so I could hike kid free.

"Mommy, clean my messy old face." Later that day: "Mommy, Ruby has messy old paws."

"I can save my milk in the 'frigidator' if you like?" -- Some words I hope she never figures out how to say the right way.

"Thank you for building my new school, mighty dads!" -- Watching the construction in the field behind our neighborhood. She calls all construction equipment mighty dads because of a cute book we have. And yes, her school for kindergarten until our next move will be brand new and within walking distance. Dream come true!

"Should we get out some cars to play with?" --Me
"No. Not today. Today I am reading. But thank you." --E


In other noteworthy news, here is what I am watching and reading these days to replace the newsfeed scroll. I am newly and completely addicted to The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu (thank you, Aura). There has been some hardcore binging going on over here. So dark and difficult to watch at times, but so thought provoking. And I am already about halfway through "The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty (thank you, Kristin). I love good TV/movie/book recommendations, so send them my way please.

Happy first full week of June and end of the school year to my teacher pals. Summer is here!

Save it for Sunday | 5.20.18

Happy Sunday! This week I am adding something new. My favorite Eloise-ism from the week. You guys, this girl. She says the funniest, most ridiculous things! She is constantly surprising me and making me laugh out loud. I know I will kick myself years down the road if I don't start documenting her quotes somewhere.

The Highlights

Eloise got fitted for her first dance recital costume! I was initially not a fan of the costume itself, but seeing them all together as a class in their cheetah print made my heart skip. Costume day at the studio ranks right up there with Christmas morning. These girls were ECSTATIC. I was also able to capture a practice run of their exit off stage after their performance. Eloise is the very last one stage right, and they exit stage left. So my tiny dancer has to chasse all the way across the big stage. And boy does she go after it! She doesn't cheat a single step. The other moms have promised me they will hoot and holler on show day as she slowly makes her determined little way across. At the end of the video you can hear her teacher Miss Debi say, "I'm telling you that's going to be the best part of recital right there."

On Friday night I had plans to take my zoo over to a new friends house. Her husband is deployed right now, and Friday was the inaugural gathering of a reoccurring dinner group she will be hosting. We were only going to be able to stay for an hour before bedtime melt downs hit, that is until our new babysitter texted me. Her flight out of town had randomly been cancelled, and she wondered if I needed a night out. Serendipity! This mama really needed the good food and laughter that followed with no overtired hooligans to chase around. Not much can beat the solidarity of sweet military wives after conquering another solo week of work or parenting (kids and puppies alike) while missing our spouses. I left feeling uplifted and thankful. Thankful for the quality time with five strong women and new friends. And that someone else had fed my kids, bathed them, and put them to bed so I didn't have to. 

Saturday was a much anticipated day at our house. Dadford was home! For another fleeting day off he came home from the field, and we soaked up every minute with him. We went on a donut date, both kids had their assessment for new swimming lessons, and we attended a great unicorn themed birthday party for Eloise's best friend Paisley. I think the highlight for me though was Brad serving up a gourmet lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup to me on the couch while we watched the very first episode ever of Grey's Anatomy. Is anyone else out there still watching with me after 14 seasons? I still love it, and Brad had voiced a desire to start from the beginning. It was an unusually chilly day yesterday, so the comfort food, husband cuddles, and nostalgia were just what the doctor ordered. In all honesty, I feel a little bit like I am at my breaking point on week three of this field training when he was originally supposed to be away for two nights. I can do the time apart, but I certainly do it much better when I am given proper mental preparation. I woke up in the wee hours this morning to Brad quietly sneaking out of bed and placing his pillow up against my back where he should be. Back at it. I wiped away a few tears and will be thankful all week for the gift of yesterday together. 

The Small Moments

On Monday night after a full day of sun it rained hard for only a few minutes. With the storm door screen on the front of the house open and the middle window facing the backyard open we get the most amazing cross breeze. I stopped and stood next to Oliver and Lola, my original babies, sitting in the window sill looking out at the mountains to the left and prairie to the right. We smelled the rain and felt the breeze. Man did it feel good. There is not much I love more than a spring storm and a cat (or two) in a window sill. They know how to recognize and appreciate the goodness of life! Not to mention our view as the storm rolled in over the mountains was pretty okay too.

The cows came home. Literally! The first few weeks we were in our new house in October we had cow friends in the prairie behind us. We saw them every morning for a while, and then they disappeared for the winter. Well, they're back! And with a lot of baby calves (busy winter). This morning I could hear moo's from bed, and sure enough, a cow parade was marching right by our fence. By the time the kids were up to welcome them back, there was a hot air balloon floating out there too. I have said it once but I'll say it again, the magic of this backyard is unbeatable. We can't get enough of it. Eloise spent a good portion of the morning moo-ing back at them. And Oliver, the only one not a fan of the cows, spent a good portion of his morning protecting us from the intruders.

I usually spend nap time cleaning, finally feeding myself hours after lunch should have happened, catching up on shows on Hulu, and scrolling through Instagram while not even watching the show I sat down to enjoy. This week I have made the back patio my nap time hang out instead of the couch. On Tuesday I sat in the sun and read Rachel Hollis' "Girl, Wash Your Face" while exchanging Marco Polo messages with my lifelong friend Josh. He had encouraged me to download the app earlier that morning, and so far I am loving it for exchanging videos without the FaceTime pressure of connecting at the same time or the comparison monster of social media creeping in. Anyways, I sat in the sunshine and laughed out loud at Rachel's writing and at a funny Josh story. And I laughed when the sprinklers came on and I didn't even bother to move I was enjoying my "me" time out there so much.

The Ways We Grew

Sorry in advance to the non-parents out there for this one. But when Harvey poops in his diaper now he walks right up to me and says "poop." Actually, it sounds more like "pewp" which makes it exponentially cuter. Is it possible that there will come a day when we are at last a diaper free family?! I consider his "pewp" realizations and confessions as a step in the right direction!

We have a budding artist in the house. After quite some time of silence from the playroom, Eloise came running out with her magnadoodle. "LOOK! Humpty Dumpty!" This marks the first time she has shown any skill past the scribble and her signature kitty face. We had a few friends over for a play date at the time, and I think they might have thought I was nuts given my thrill over the oval and lines she revealed. But c'mon. So cute!

Eloise is finally earning her keep. Kidding! Sort of. She is taking after her mama and showing her love of a good routine. She has a few daily tasks that she is responsible for, and she takes great pride in them. Her favorites are clearing her dishes and Harvey's from the table after meals and watering our potted plants. These pictures made me lose my breath. Stunning and so big. And for those of you who know her, Aunt Meredith's twin, right??

The Eloise-ism

"When I grow up, I'm going to have earrings and big boobies."

There is video proof. It will be played at her wedding someday.


I will leave you with this. Don't mind me while I have a sign from the universe moment. Earlier this week a hummingbird flew right up to me in our backyard, hovered there for what felt like a very long time, then flitted away. It right away reminded me of one of my favorite quotes featured on the insert of Papyrus greeting cards. You know, the fancy, beautiful ones you can never afford.

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. Hummingbirds open our eyes to the wonder of the world and inspire us to open our hearts to loved ones and friends. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover and to savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer and to celebrate the joy of everyday. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation."

Thank you universe. I needed that sweet and perfect sign. And I'll be putting my hummingbird feeder up this week.

I hope your week was a happy one!

Save it for Sunday | 5.13.18

The very first Save it for Sunday! Welcome.

Most of these will be a tiny bit rambling and maybe even a little boring for some of you. But I am hoping to create a snapshot of our week including a few of the big moments we enjoyed, the simple small ones that made us smile, and a few ways we grew as a family.

This past week is a biggie for me every year. It was nurses appreciation week, military spouse appreciation day on Friday, and Mother's Day today. Might as well declare this one Kayla week next year, right? Here is how we celebrated.

The Highlights

I finally put the finishing touches on our newly decorated guest bedroom. From now through June we've got seven sets of visitors coming!! Back to back most weekends. I am so thrilled we finally live somewhere that our friends and family are excited to visit. Where were all of you when we lived in middle of nowhere, Missouri?! Just kidding. I really can't even blame you. Not for a single second. Anyways, prior to my decorating, the room was an old bed frame with a hand me down mattress. That is it. Now it is such an enjoyable space Brad said we should just move into it from the master bedroom. I tried to really think through what little details would make the room comfortable and accommodating for all of our travelers. I hope my mission was a success. At the very least, the room is a beauty. I look forward to my peek inside at the top of the steps every trip upstairs.

We discovered a great park and met new friends. A playdate that felt a little like a blind date (set up through a mutual Facebook friend) was fortunately a hit! We met up at a park near us that we had never been to before. I highly recommend Bear Creek Park for our Colorado Springs friends, and Eloise will likely be on her first soccer team that meets up there on Saturday mornings throughout the summer. What struck me about it was that it was so green. I wasn't expecting Colorado to be so...brown...dead? You can tell Bear Creek is well cared for, and it's lush open space was much appreciated by the tiny pitter patter of the feet of new friends as they chased each other and giggled. The mom is also a nurse with a sweet little 3-year-old girl with blond, curly hair. Needless to say, we had a lot in common. The girls got along great, conversation between the moms flowed easily, and Harvey was just happy to be along for the ride in the sunshine as per usual.

Jackie came to visit! On Friday, military spouse appreciation day, we picked up one of my longest and most beloved Army wife friends from the airport. She is pregnant with twin girls, and seeing her perfect bump for the first time was emotional in the best sort of way. Jackie just returned to the States after living in Italy for three years, so how could I say no when she lit up at the sight of Target and Chick-fil-A? The best part of our time together was exactly that. We made small outings that might seem mundane to most, but just being together was more than enough. She is one of those friends who just soaks up time spent watching the kids be kids and was thrilled to sit in our blow up pool eating popsicles together in the backyard during naptime. We did have a babysitter over last night so we could sneak in a date night just the two of us. The dinner and pedicures were lovely. The conversation, relaxation, and sangria from the full service bar at the nail salon was priceless. This morning Brad surprised us home from field training with two sets of gorgeous flowers in hand. He spoiled us each with heartfelt cards (Jackie cried) and chocolate chip pancakes. My love meter sure was overflowing sitting at the kitchen table on Mother's Day morning with them.

Eloise took this silly picture. I sort of love it.

 

The Small Moments

Harvey can identify his belly, nose, and head now. He loves to be asked, and his smile makes it obvious how proud he is of his new party trick. I dare you not to smile watching the video.

Eloise has been sick with a nasty stomach bug the past few days. Great timing for Mother's Day. Although I do really think nothing says Happy Mother's Day quite like snuggles with your preschooler that hardly ever snuggles anymore. Brad's original surprise plans for us was to do a new hike and go to what he described as a family spa in Denver. Eloise and I had Mommy & Me Manicures scheduled. She overheard us canceling our reservation and got really upset. To help cure the sadness I took her along with her puke bucket out to the patio for some sunshine and girl time. After I painted her nails and toe nails she thought it would be best to swing to air dry them. She and I sat on the swings together while Brad, Harvey, and Ruby ran through a sea of bubbles. As it turns out, it was the perfect Mother's Day.

It sounds silly, but ever since I put my hiatus from social media into action, the moments I have enjoyed the most are just watching my kids run (or waddle in Harvey's case) around the backyard. Ruby is usually right there with them every step of the way. We ate homemade watermelon lime popsicles one afternoon and Eloise taught Harvey, entirely unprompted by me, to cheers with their treats. The combination of this week's perfect weather and our backyard view and set up has made for the best play time lately.

The Ways We Grew

Harvey finally has new teeth to expand upon his goofy two toothed grin! When I was changing his diaper the other day I made him do a big belly laugh and noticed two of his MOLARS have come through. So strange. And we didn't even have a clue. My kids are both such easy teethers. If there is one thing we know about Harvey its that he forges his own path when it comes to his milestones. He takes his sweet time and I guess takes the path less traveled when it comes to the usual tooth eruption pattern. I can't help but laugh every time I imagine his new smile with only his two bottom teeth, two molars, and two canines which appear to be next in line. In addition to new teeth, Harvey's vocabulary seems to grow by leaps and bounds daily now too. His new and favorite words are currently mama, duck, up, help, hug, book, milk, snack, and bubble.

Eloise officially asks for her cup without a lid at every meal and doesn't spill a drop. So big now. First it's the lid on her cup, next thing I know she's moving away to college. She also discovered during her time on the couch with the stomach bug that she loves the movie Shrek. Which I think is hilarious. For a few months now whenever she feels like she has disappointed you or can tell someone is sad she will say, "Are you happy? Are you happy right now?" It's adorable but also a little heart breaking that she is so in tune with and affected by negative emotions at such a young age. She is certainly a people pleaser. This week though she added a new request to the end of her questions. "Show me your big smile." We've been smiling a lot around here lately, even when we don't feel like it. When Eloise asks you to smile big, you smile big without even needing to force it.

There you have it. My first Save it for Sunday complete! I do want to say thank you quickly to everyone who has reached out to support me in this change. It means a lot to hear so many of you say you are feeling the exact same way and my words have inspired you to make a change too. I also do feel a little bit guilty but flattered at the number of people who are right there with Grandma Sue in missing our social media presence, particularly on Instagram stories. Direct quote from a sweet friend: "I might go through withdrawals without videos of Eloise's sunshine and rainbows outlook on life." It makes my heart so thankful that what I have shared of my kids has painted their personalities in an entirely accurate way. I hope these highlights will help maintain a small connection that you will enjoy weekly. I'll be back here again next Sunday after another week soaking up the sunshine and rainbows. And probably a few rain clouds too if I'm keeping it real.