for those of you reading this that do not have kids, i'd imagine its because it's not the right time in your life to be reproducing, or you might not be blessed in the fertility department (and i hope that God decides to bless you soon), or you may have just avoided it like a coworker with a cold. for those of you who are simply on the fence on the issue, let me recant our evening in a jeff foxworthy-esqe way, stating "you might want to wait to have kids if....."
1. "....you like to go to a restuarant and eat in peace". tonight was our friend's ryan birthday and his wife kami and son kade and then our friends rd, jenna, and their two kids sumner and sarajane went out for dinner. we went to california pizza kitchen and the begining of the dinner was fine; hte kids colored and snacked until the food came. as the night progressed, landon yelled for more food, kade and sumner crawled under the table, kade didn't want any of the dinner ordered for him, landon threw his food on the floor, and kade managed to tip over a table and spill some drinks and break a glass. to an outsider, like the people sitting next to us who just so happened to get up and move in the middle of their dinner after almost being drenched in pepsi, it might seem like the table full of kids was chaos and a handful. truth be told it is, but it's so nice to be able to enjoy being out and being all together. so, if you can look past spilt soda, yelling, and possibly disrupting others, you might actually be ready for kids.
2. ".....you like to take your time shopping in the store". i remember when i could spend an hour if desired just aimlessly wondering around a store, looking at everything and sometimes buying nothing. with a child, not only are you looking for particular items, but you're also keeping the tiny one you're with from grabbing everything off the shelf. it isn't the same as shopping for yourself in quiet and with no time restraint, but you get the joy of picking out outfits and shoes and things for your kids to wear which ultimately reflects on you as a parent; the appearance of your child is important. so i want to shop a little less for you and oo and ah a little more for shopping for a toddler (or even more fun, a baby) that you might actually be ready for kids.
3. ".....you like having uniterrupted conversations". my son landon started walking at 10 months and since than, he runs everywhere....including wanting to run at the park, at the store, and at the mall. even though there was a designated play area, landon escaped and ran wild. needless to say that chasing a toddler in a hundred different directions isn't conducive to adult coversations with friends. as soon as you'd start a sentence, it'd be cut short when you've have to dart away to keep landon from making a break for it. also, watching a toddler automatically takes your mind away from what someone is saying to begin with and you aren't meaning to be rude, paying only half attention, but you also have the obligation to make sure your children doesn't disappear. so you have friends that understand that talking to you might have to include a pause and resume button, than you might actually be ready for kids.
4. ".....you like walking around the malll". as previously mentioned, my bubba runs everywhere and just because we are somewhere crowded and unfamiliar, it doesn't stop him for taking off. it gives you some exercise and it keeps our child safe but it's exhausting. so if you don't mind jogging or taking off in a sprint in the mall, you might actually be ready for kids.
5. ".....you like to come and go as you please". with children, so much of what and when you do something revolves around them and their schedule. if they are hungry, bored, hot, or tired than what you are doing is second to them. kids don't know that you are waiting for a check at the restaurant. all they know is that they are done eating and it's time to go. after they've been running around with an abundance of energy and then suddenly slow down, you know they are tired but they don't...which is why they start acting out; throwing tantrums, throwing stuff, hitting, yelling....a tired kid is a shape shifter. you're never sure which version of your child you will get. so if you handle the impatient, tired, bored, hot, clingy child but can take in the deep sigh when they fall asleep on you, than you might actually be ready for kids.
6 "......you like coming home to a clean house". after a nice evening out with our friends, we came home and the wrath of landon he had unleashed on the loft earlier was still there...toys everywhere. also, the mess from lunch was still lingering in the kitchen. but if you can pick it all up and nothing is permantally damaged and it only takes alittle bit of time at the end of the night and than you can enjoy just sitting and doing nothing, than you might actually be ready for kids.
so again, for those of you don't have kids yet for whatever reason, keep in mind that this was one short evening out...not even the whole day. parenting is a marathon, not for the weak or for those who lack endurance. but if you can harness the energy from somewhere, you might actually be ready for kids.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
pics from our trip
http://picasaweb.google.com/dunnboy10/TripToWashingtonAndOregon#
follow to link to look at some pictures from our trip down the oregon coast and visiting in washington
follow to link to look at some pictures from our trip down the oregon coast and visiting in washington
happy easter
random, but easter has always been a curious holiday for me. the comedian jim gaffigan said it best when he asked why the symbol for easter began a bunny. someone in a marketing meeting asks why a bunny? a the guy says, don't worry, there's eggs. i wonder how a bunny got associated with the ressurection of christ. it's not like he came back to the earth bearing jelly beans and hopping around. he didn't gift the people who believed in him small, lop eared animals......anyway....
today was a good day. landon slept in a little bit and then we all had a french toast breakfast. we gave landon his easter present, a ride on fire truck and little people noah's ark set. we held off on giving him candy because he has no limit to how much he can eat and that's all we'd need would be our crazy little boy eating his weight in sugar. this was a peep-less household this year. logan, felicia, and taylor came over. everytime i see that little girl she's a different kid. she pulls herself to stand now and in a few brave moments, let go and stood on her own. she hadn't managed to take those few first steps yet, but i don't think it will be long. her and landon actually interacted this time and played together. we tried to get them together to take notoriously adorable easter pictures with the two of them in their matching easter outfits and after several attempts, we resorted to bribing them with candy, and then eventually gave up. we had a nice lunch and the guys played ping pong and fooseball and the girls talked about the kids (what else). it's funny how adult conversation flip flops between "how's work? how's this and that?" and "you should have seen the tantrum landon threw" or "she still sleeps all the way through the night" once you become a parent. it's almost like there are two personalities speaking from one body.
here is a picasa link to some of our easter pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dunnboy10/Easter09#
baby news flash....20 1/2 weeks and i am starting to feel the baby move around throughout the day. it's getting to the point where you can almost feel the movements from the outside. even though we had landon and went through all of the exicting moments, like feeling him kick, it was still as amazing. as i lay half awake this morning, i felt the little flutters and it made me smile. i wanted to wake jordan up to have him feel, but they were very light, as if the baby was just saying "hi, i'm in here and thank you for taking care of me"...and just as i drifted back off to sleep, the movements settled and i think he probably fell asleep to. only four more months until we get to meet this little stranger.
today was a good day. landon slept in a little bit and then we all had a french toast breakfast. we gave landon his easter present, a ride on fire truck and little people noah's ark set. we held off on giving him candy because he has no limit to how much he can eat and that's all we'd need would be our crazy little boy eating his weight in sugar. this was a peep-less household this year. logan, felicia, and taylor came over. everytime i see that little girl she's a different kid. she pulls herself to stand now and in a few brave moments, let go and stood on her own. she hadn't managed to take those few first steps yet, but i don't think it will be long. her and landon actually interacted this time and played together. we tried to get them together to take notoriously adorable easter pictures with the two of them in their matching easter outfits and after several attempts, we resorted to bribing them with candy, and then eventually gave up. we had a nice lunch and the guys played ping pong and fooseball and the girls talked about the kids (what else). it's funny how adult conversation flip flops between "how's work? how's this and that?" and "you should have seen the tantrum landon threw" or "she still sleeps all the way through the night" once you become a parent. it's almost like there are two personalities speaking from one body.
here is a picasa link to some of our easter pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dunnboy10/Easter09#
baby news flash....20 1/2 weeks and i am starting to feel the baby move around throughout the day. it's getting to the point where you can almost feel the movements from the outside. even though we had landon and went through all of the exicting moments, like feeling him kick, it was still as amazing. as i lay half awake this morning, i felt the little flutters and it made me smile. i wanted to wake jordan up to have him feel, but they were very light, as if the baby was just saying "hi, i'm in here and thank you for taking care of me"...and just as i drifted back off to sleep, the movements settled and i think he probably fell asleep to. only four more months until we get to meet this little stranger.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
a busy couple of weeks
now that i have a few free moments, i'd thought i'd catch everyone up on what has been happening with the phoenix dunn family. we just got back this weekend from our trip to washington and oregon. the vacation couldn't have come a better time. when life gets stagnant and even getting up in the morning to greet a new day seems tiresome, it's time to take a step back and relax to gain perspective again.
before we left for vacation, we had a doctor's appointment to do our anatomy ultrasound. the purpose of this visit to evaluate the growth and development of the person growing inside you. our doctor's office finally realized that parents have a hard enough time telling what the gray, white, and black without having to squint on the tiny ultrasound machine. they put in a nice mounted flat screen on the wall and you can watch in comfort as they navigate through the process. the baby looks great. he......yes, it's another boy.....is growing at just the right pace and all his bones and organs look good. it was the perfect way to begin the trip.
landon, jordan, and i flew into seattle with little fuss from landon on the flight. we flew at night and that helped. we stayed the night in a cinematically scary motel with a hunchback front desk attendent who called us at 2am to notify that she didn't know how to work a credit card machine. the phone in our room rang loud enough and eerie enough that it sent chills down my spine. the next morning, the dunn family came to pick us up! it was so good to see them. it's amazing how intact and whole you feel when you're surrounded by family.
we made our way down to seaside oregon. although it was spring break and it was the begininging of april, the oregon coast did not fall in line with typical beach weather. it was about 40 degrees out, windy and raining. being the tourists that we were, we tried not to let it stop us from strolling the streets in search of local fare. seaside is a not a place for those on a diet....it's shore food to the nth degree. corn dogs, salt water taffy, fudge, candy, ice cream, and the like were everywhere. we attempted to enjoy the actual beach but it lasted only a few moments when because the wind almost knocked us off balance. the next day was better weather wise. we started the day with a nice, hearty breakfast at a place called pig and a pancake. we spent the rest of the day at the beach, on the boardwalk, and eating. landon got to take a ride on a carousel for the first time. he loved it, although he sat on some freak of nature flying bunny and then on a giraffe. he loved walking in and out of all the stores. some of the stores were not kid friendly and the "you break it, you buy it" policy was in force, so we kept him close.
after seaside, we drove down the oregon coast and although the drive was long and brought out hte three year old side of my sisters in law, it was so amazing. living here in arizona, there is no blatant beauty. you have see the desert as a beauty in itself, unless you go up north and take in the splendor of the trees and snow. driving down the coast, you see the ocean in all its glory. you can see out to the place where it meets the sky. the worn cliffs are an indicator of how long they've been waiting for you to pass by in awe. we stopped in newport and the sun came out and shined so bright that it sparkled off the water. my little landon headed down the beach, right to the edge of the ocean. he wasn't afraid of it. he approached it as though it should be intimated by him. he put his little feet in the sand and
before we left for vacation, we had a doctor's appointment to do our anatomy ultrasound. the purpose of this visit to evaluate the growth and development of the person growing inside you. our doctor's office finally realized that parents have a hard enough time telling what the gray, white, and black without having to squint on the tiny ultrasound machine. they put in a nice mounted flat screen on the wall and you can watch in comfort as they navigate through the process. the baby looks great. he......yes, it's another boy.....is growing at just the right pace and all his bones and organs look good. it was the perfect way to begin the trip.
landon, jordan, and i flew into seattle with little fuss from landon on the flight. we flew at night and that helped. we stayed the night in a cinematically scary motel with a hunchback front desk attendent who called us at 2am to notify that she didn't know how to work a credit card machine. the phone in our room rang loud enough and eerie enough that it sent chills down my spine. the next morning, the dunn family came to pick us up! it was so good to see them. it's amazing how intact and whole you feel when you're surrounded by family.
we made our way down to seaside oregon. although it was spring break and it was the begininging of april, the oregon coast did not fall in line with typical beach weather. it was about 40 degrees out, windy and raining. being the tourists that we were, we tried not to let it stop us from strolling the streets in search of local fare. seaside is a not a place for those on a diet....it's shore food to the nth degree. corn dogs, salt water taffy, fudge, candy, ice cream, and the like were everywhere. we attempted to enjoy the actual beach but it lasted only a few moments when because the wind almost knocked us off balance. the next day was better weather wise. we started the day with a nice, hearty breakfast at a place called pig and a pancake. we spent the rest of the day at the beach, on the boardwalk, and eating. landon got to take a ride on a carousel for the first time. he loved it, although he sat on some freak of nature flying bunny and then on a giraffe. he loved walking in and out of all the stores. some of the stores were not kid friendly and the "you break it, you buy it" policy was in force, so we kept him close.
after seaside, we drove down the oregon coast and although the drive was long and brought out hte three year old side of my sisters in law, it was so amazing. living here in arizona, there is no blatant beauty. you have see the desert as a beauty in itself, unless you go up north and take in the splendor of the trees and snow. driving down the coast, you see the ocean in all its glory. you can see out to the place where it meets the sky. the worn cliffs are an indicator of how long they've been waiting for you to pass by in awe. we stopped in newport and the sun came out and shined so bright that it sparkled off the water. my little landon headed down the beach, right to the edge of the ocean. he wasn't afraid of it. he approached it as though it should be intimated by him. he put his little feet in the sand and
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