Year 2, Day 44: Abishai's "Imperfect" Birthday

<big sigh from the momma>  I don't like feeling unprepared or rushed.  And I have been feeling both this past week and this week.  Granted, we had an unexpected trip to Michigan last week, and I would have used that time to prepare (at least in my mind) for Abishai's birthday and Valentine's Day.  We don't do a big thing for V-day, but I like to do something thoughtful, not rushed.  And I did think through Abishai's birthday enough to get a balloon and special plates through Amazon.com and I have gifts to wrap that we bought him a month ago on an awesome clearance sale at Meijer.  So, I guess I am a bit prepared.  I don't have a card ready, and I have to go out tomorrow to get pizza and cheesecake so we can celebrate with Gary and Leah tomorrow night because they both had other meetings to attend tomorrow night.  But hey, they did get to see Abishai on his birthday this year!  That's a new thing to celebrate, right?  See, I CAN find the positive in a situation.  Writing a blog definitely helps with that.

I would have wanted to post Happy Birthday and reposted pictures of Abishai earlier in the day, but we had co op and my phone is finicky, so I don't like to use Facebook on there.  Abishai spent a good portion of the day with Grandma, but did have his usual fun and more with her.  THAT is a special thing for both of them!  Then we got to see Daddy, too, finally.  I think part of my brain not working well is that Jared and I have not had a lot of physical time together just to talk through things.  I (we) am still adjusting to him being gone at work all the time.  I know some of this stuff is trivial in the grand scheme of things.  I get that people are starving.  I get that I have what they call "first world problems."  But I know God cares and will help me through this seemingly minor things, that give me anxiety issues.  So, deep breaths.

The kids and I did have a great day at co op.  I did buy them valentines to give to their friends, which they did.  Another older mom who loves holidays brought a Valentine's bingo game with her that we played during our math time when they were done with their math pages.  She also had the younger kids decorate bags so that while they were in class, she could put little treats in them.  Mrs. Serena definitely knows how to bring joy to everyone's lives, including mine.  From her smiling sunshiny face on Monday mornings, to her thoughtful rewarding of her history students who memorized all the presidents of the US in order, to keeping all of us on track with our co op day.  She's amazing and I will definitely miss her as we move on in our homeschooling journey.  Each one of our moms brings something special to our co op.  It will be bittersweet at the end of the school year.

But I digress, sort of.  Other moms brought in some Valentine sweets for the kids, and they gobbled them up of course and then proceeded to bounce off the walls of the gym in between classes, lol.  Crazy, but cute and fun kids.  All very unique, and very loved by all.  Again, I'll miss those little stinkers.

So, steady on.  I'm sure I've said this before, but one of my personal counselors in the past said this when my mom died when I just don't know what to do next, just do the next right thing. Don't worry about the 10th step ahead, just do this next step, whether it be a load of dishes or laundry, or getting homework done and ready for co op, or picking up pizza tomorrow for Abishai's birthday celebration.  Just take the next step.  Put the rest in God's hands and on the back burner.  (Like looking for a house).  Or, what I like to do after a "brain dump" of things I need to do, put an actual date to each major task as to when I really need to focus on it.  Just having that plan gets it off my mind so I can focus on today's task.  Choosing 1 phone call to make tomorrow (or the next day), before I head to bed so I can attack the day head on, is so helpful.  And so is typing all of this out.

I think I'll write more about our 2 year old tomorrow, and all his crazy busyness and such, maybe even in a letter form to him, but put it as a blog post.  I don't know what I do without him.  He brings us so much love and joy, especially in this last 2 years of hard times and transitions.  Nothing phases him.  He brings me hope and a sense that nothing else matters but the joy in simple things that God has given us, like bubbles, or cheesecake, or giggles galore, or a train, or Grandma's famous chocolate chip cookies (which EVERYone, except me, automatically, instinctively got into the cookie jar when we went to pick up Abishai today, including Jared.)  My sister Stefanie talked with him and me on Facetime this evening and Abishai gave her the biggest, silliest faces and laughs, just because they were on a screen together.  It was incredibly adorable.  Like those stir crazy giggle fits he gets into.  Abishai is just so much fun.  Typical baby of the family, too.  Extrovert, class clown, too smart for his own good.  The best 2 year old I know!

One last thing, I had a little bit of homesickness for PEI today because they got one of their really big snowstorms today, and will get more snow later in the week.  I'm talking about the Confederation Bridge was shut down, schools were canceled before it started, huge winds, nasty stuff.  But when it's all done, it's crazy beautiful and a marvel of God's handiwork.  Remember, there was a huge snowstorm the Wednesday before Abishai was born on a Friday and then the very next day, another huge snowstorm hit for two more days.  We came home from the hospital only 30 hrs after we got there because we didn't want to get stuck there too long.  I hope that someday, we will get to go back to the Island for a visit, even in winter, so Abishai can know and understand where he came from.  Abishai is definitely the best "souvenir" we have from there.  And we'll never, ever forget that he was born in the dining room at home and that his Daddy got to catch him.  One of the best experiences in my life, despite the pain, which was short lived and a lot less agonizing than chronic pain.  After he was born, we wrapped him up in a towel and just stood there for a few minutes in awe.  We have a baby boy.  I got the birth I wanted.  I did it.  He's ok.  Wow, we are parents again.  What a miracle!  And with the panic over (I was trying to move fast and get to the hospital), I was at peace and we were calm as calm can be, like we knew what we were doing, because we kind of did know what to do.  5:26 am.  Before sunrise, before the craziness of people going to work or school, when all is still quiet and still.  Just beautiful.  And THAT'S how I want to remember this day every year.  The absolute joy those moments brought and still bring to us when we look at our little Abishai.

Special moments of the "prince" captured by Shauna.  They were all taking turns in the bucket and being paraded in as Kings and Queens and we were told to wave to them as we passed by.

Big teddy bear at the hotel we stayed out last week with cousin Nora.

Chocolate milk with a crazy straw at Bob Evans in Michigan with the family (before we arrived).

Birthday breakfast included his favorite frozen sausage links from Aldi's, fruit loops, and corn pops.

I have a hard time resisting getting themed birthday party supplies, so I got one of the biggest Thomas mylar balloons on the planet.  We got it filled at Party City before we picked up Abishai.  He actually didn't care for the balloon at first.  He just wanted to go home.

One of his favorite activities, playing Baba's drum set.

Another favorite activity, stealing Baba's rubix cubes and messing with them.  This is a really cool one that Benaiah's classmate let him borrow.  I think she has like 20 different kinds!  It has different sizes of rectangles instead of colors on the sides.  Pretty neat!

Abishai knows how to turn on Grandma's TV, and hold onto the remote.

Within a minute of coming in the door, the kiddos grabbed Grandma's old and new Nook devices and started playing.

After a day at co op, they do need to relax, but don't you want to say hi to Grandma first?

Same thing with this kid, let me play my video games so I can relax!

Aw, nice family birthday picture.

Jared and Abishai definitely have a very special bond.  And when Daddy's been away a lot, Abishai will chant "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" when I tell him we are going to see him soon.

Awww.

Frame worthy!  And check out those laugh lines on my man!  Those two are adorable!  (and so are laugh lines, at least I think so!)

"Beep, beep!" And then he honked Grandma's nose, and my nose, and Justin's nose.  Too cute!

Always building and figuring!

Having 2nd breakfast at co op with his favorite new hat.  I think he wanted to sit in the tall chair because he does that at Grandpa's house.

Mrs. Serena always writes up a little thing for each co op day, so she included Abishai's birthday on it today!  The kids drew the hearts and everything.

Blue tongue from blue frosting on a cupcake Keturah ate.  Yummy? or Gross?

This is SO Abishai!  I think he will be labeled OCD someday, or at least very picky or orderly, neat, etc.  He was in the store with Grandma and lined up all the buses from a bin.  Then, he put them all back.  Too cute!

Birthday lunch of cookies and ice cream!

And that is the end of Abishai's actual birthday day, which wasn't so "imperfect" after all.  Round 2 coming up tomorrow!