Friday, August 24, 2018

Just another day at the pool


Last week I took the kids to our typical pool location for an afternoon of sun and water fun. We were playing. Bella was practicing flipping in the water. Luca was showing off his flipping abilities and Grayson learned in two seconds flat. Me, I didn't even try! So she tried flipping for a solid 2 hours, I mean seriously 120 minutes people. No joke! She didn't quite master it but she was persistent!

While I was working with her, I noticed two girls about her age watching. Then I realized they were talking about her hand. Sometimes I want to go all mama bear, but I hold back. That day, I realized what they were doing and I wondered if she realized. I finally asked "Did you notice those girls looking at you? Maybe they know how to flip." She approached them, introduced herself and then they started playing.

Later, her and I were sitting poolside while her brothers played. I always walk the line... do I ask if she noticed or do I say nothing and pretend I didn't notice. I opted to ask. "Bella did you notice those girls you were playing with looking at your hand?"

"No, why?"

"I noticed and wondered if they said anything when you were playing with them."

"No, they didn't say anything. We just played."

"Does it bother you when people stare?"

"Sometimes but most of the time, they'll ask if they have a question. But, if they don't, that's on them."

"True fact sister boo!" I said as I hugged her tight. We continued our conversation about something completely unrelated to those girls.

I thought about it later though. How would I feel if I were Bella? Would I be as confident as she is? Would I be able to just look passed it and invite them to play? Would I even notice the stares? My sweet girl is a bigger, bolder, braver, more confident than I am. Where did she get that? How do I continue that as she grows? I build her up, that's how. I build me up, that's how. I remind her how kind she is, how she's always looking out for others, how caring she is to others. I remind her that I am SO very proud to be her mother and I'm so glad she's my daughter. I remind her that she's currently my favorite 9 year old on the planet and she's my favorite daughter. Yes, we laugh, because she's the ONLY 9 year old in our house and she's my ONLY daughter. I'm her favorite mother too :)

How do I build me up so that she knows that she can continue to be confident? Some days I run around in work out clothes after a gross workout. Guess what, don't care! I'm strong and I got a good workout even if I smell like locker room. Today I encouraged the kids to check out my "bulging biceps" to which Grayson responded "Your weakceps?".  I responded right back "You wish! This mama is STRONG!" As I flexed my biceps. Strong or not in the eyes of others, in my eyes, I'm strong  currently and I'm cool if others don't think that. I build myself up by feeling comfortable in heels and a dress or sweats and no bra. I remind Bella that it's most important to be yourself. I remind her that most of my friends now are "new friends" from the kids school and my closest friends remain in touch frequently. I remind her that it doesn't matter what the rest of her grade thinks of her, that it matters what SHE thinks of her.

How do you build up your kids? What works at your house? What can I learn from you?

Friday, August 3, 2018

Can we talk about "camp dads"?

Which ones are daughters and which ones are dads? Hard to tell with the hats and dresses but I'm pretty sure the facial hair gives it away! This is the second year that some of these guys have dressed up for the talent show because their girls asked them. Talk about a dedicated group of men.

Guess who? I'd hate to give it away BUT I will tell you there's yellow tape over his nipple because Luca promptly came down the stairs and said "I see your nipple"... nipple covered= problem solved!

Who's this stud? None other than my handsome husband! I about died when I saw him! I came down the stairs to ask him to go with me to take a family picture on the beach... needless to say that didn't happen. He also said he was glad he's not a woman because the dress is itchy. Too bad that's the least of my worries as a woman! Let's give him some boobs, some stretch marks, 9 months pregnant, and some heels and see how he does :) I'm kidding... kind of!
Can we talk about these lovely parents of TRIPLETS? Dad is a military cop. Mom is a badass, homeschooling, military wife with triplets with all different needs. He put the boobs in his dress on his own. I bet Erin is glad he belongs to her :) 

In all seriousness, I meet with these dad's in the parents group. They share intimate details of their lives and challenges they face, fears they face and the way they handle situations that challenge them with their kids. These dads are incredible. I wish I had a picture of ALL of the amazing dads at camp. Idaho camp has some killer dads that are super involved with their children. Another dad comes to mind that has a teen, he's a strong guy who is attempting to instill a strong dose of confidence in his kid. 

These guys are completely incredible. They share moments at camp with each other and the other families. Watching their bonds form stronger each day and each year continues to make me proud to know them all. 


At the end of camp, I'm reminded how blessed I am to have this man by my side. Thirteen years ago, our journey together started, in a car across the country. Thirteen years ago, I had no idea that we would be here today sharing this life together. After less than a year of dating, I knew that I wanted him to be my husband. Today and every day for the rest of my life, I will love this man to the depths of my heart and soul. I'm glad he's on my team to parent our babies. I'm glad I get to share Camp No Limits with him. Here's the thing, some times I take for granted that we have each other. In the last year especially, I'm reminded why we picked each other. Together we can work through anything and come out stronger together. I'm beyond lucky to have such a strong man by my side! 


Thursday, August 2, 2018

Day one CNL Idaho!

When Mel said “it’s so rustric” she was SO right! Which is part of what draws us to this location. The little cabins, the rocky beach, the staff at the location, the boat rides, tubing, learning to swim, kayaking, hiking, the deck at Wells, the docks, the arch area… the snakes. Yep, I said it, this year I saw TWO snakes and thought that we might never come back to Camp Cross. I’m kidding, kind of. Snakes are NOT my friends.


You fly into Spokane and then make the trek over to Camp Cross, which is a little over an hour away. We rent a car. It would be a long Uber ride and honestly it just doesn’t seem realistic with the 5 of us and all of our luggage. It's really a pretty drive, so much lush green, mountains, sunshine. I was really soaking it up this time. 
This year we stopped at this little hole in the wall cheesesteak place that we found on my phone. It got great reviews so we opted to give it a shot. It was the best cheesesteak I've ever eaten and this girl loves her cheesesteak! Though with recent changes to my diet, I haven't had one in SO long. Maybe that's another reason I really loved it. Ryan and I both got different ones and loved them. The kids got cold cut sandwiches, lame! However after a long travel day, we started at 330 am, we opted to just let it be. Boy did they miss out! 









The first afternoon at camp is a lot of reuniting with old friends and making new friends. There’s no quicker place to make friends than right at camp! I can’t even explain how quickly friendships are formed or how they build over the years and through miles across the country. This picture is of "old friends" reuniting, or more like, the little girls sucked Keegan into kayaking the minute the waterfront was open!






These strangers become family by the end of the 3 ½ days. You come to know information that may not be shared with others. You hear about their story, the way their child’s limb difference occurred, their feelings behind finding out, the difficult experiences they’ve been through, the accomplishments, the fears, the way others react, how they advocate for their child…. The list goes on. I told my nursing students that I wish they could learn from the way these parents advocate for their children. I'm almost amazed when I leave camp at how sad I am to say good-bye. The photo below is new friends that were made instantly!

Due to our travel, we arrived right before waterfront activities. Lots of bonding occurs on that rocky shore, among kids, among adults, among volunteers and families... it's endless, honestly. Watching the kids go from barely knowing some of the campers to swimming together, jumping in the water holding hands, kayaking, canoeing, building rock forms and this year painting rocks!
I didn't get many pictures of "Rubber Pig Baseball" but I did happen to grab a couple. I'm not sure why it's called rubber pig baseball considering I only ever saw a rubber chicken! Either way, it was a blast.Fun was had by all! 

 We finished the night with S'mores by the campfire. The fire happens RIGHT on the rocky shore overlooking the water. It's so relaxing and refreshing.


I think everyone really likes the S'Mores considering my kids
kept asking if they could have more! The great thing is that we all come together again and teamwork makes the dream work. The volunteers, teens and adults just  all pitch in to help with all of the kids. It literally is a village of people that cares about you and your family. There's not a better reminder than the first day back at Camp No Limits!

The joys of being a mama

Being a parent is NO joke. I just had a conversation with one of my aunts about how as parents we do the very best we can and sometimes its ...