The New Bloggy Woggy

I really should hop in the shower.

But I just can't bring myself to do it.

It's snowing today. My sister and her kids and MY MOM are on vacation in Hawaii. 

OF COURSE I am happy for them.....I just wish they were all here with us in the icy-cold of Spokane. 

This post is going to be random, spotty, here and there, it might not make sense.  I've decided to just type what comes to mind.

Dutch is crawling. His knees are always red. He is pretty pleased with himself.

I have recently taken an interest in the art of LETTERPRESS. Yesterday I decided to myself, "I am going to start researching LETTERPRESS, so I can buy one and make my own notecards, stationary, invites, etc."....I went straight to GOOGLE in hopes of making my dream a reality.

Then I got overwhelmed and decided to have Kris do all the research for me. Then I felt depressed because I really want to LOVE something SO MUCH that I become really good at it and can feel pride in my ability to do something other than change a bum and put in pigtails. 

And then it took all of about ten minutes for me to feel excited and inspired by LETTERPRESS straight to, "ehhh, maybe Kris can look into it for me...i need to go put the whites in the washer and sweep the kitchen floor."

I want to know how some MOMS can do it all. Clean house. Prepare dinner. Care for kids. Take time to nuture passions and hobbies. Read books. Run errands. Pay Bills. Run their own businesses and/or have jobs. 

My goal each day? HOP IN THE SHOWER. My sights are obviously set about a mile below the bar.

I think sometimes I just want something that is mine. Something I do that I can do on my own and get good at on my own. I want to make things that are lovely. But I haven't the time. 

And then I think of this quote I saw a while back.

You just have to DO the damn thing!!! Sorry for the curse, but it makes me SO irritated at myself. 

Speaking of me. I am going to do ISAGENIX. The nutritional cleanse. I have been going back and forth about it for MONTHS and MONTHS. But I decided recently that I am going to start in February.

I have actually been listening to podcasts every night and really psyching myself out about it. I even ordered this to put by my bed.

I saw this on a friends blog and LOVED it.

I lack confidence in my ability to NOT eat junkfood, thus the need to try and psych myself up for this nutritional cleanse. 

My lack of confidence mixed with my lack of motivation for exercising is what has kept me from doing it. Plus, its kind of expensive and I want to make sure if we're spending the money that I am 100% committed to seeing it through.

Anyway.....this has turned into babbling. But sometimes I just have to babble to the blog.

Also, I have actually been sticking to my new years goal to read the BofM. I have that. I should be happy that I have that.

Sennah is SO obsessed with SpongeBob and its not cute anymore.  Everything is Squidward this and Mr.Krabs that.....and Sandy, and Gary...and "Mom who is your favorite on Spongebob?"....to which she replies before I even get a chance to speak, "My favorite is Patrick, but I like Spongebob too, and I like Sandy cause she's a girl and can I watch Spongebob Mom?"

At times I feel like I might highly dislike Spongebob.

Something positive now......Sennah has started sharing a lot more with Dutch. She is taking him under her really possessive wing and showing him all sorts of attention and its sweet.  

Kris is GREAT. As always. He will be cleansing with me....a sort of support system, I suppose. 

Wish us luck. Seriously. We need it. 

Dutch got a haircut last Sunday. I kinda love it even though, to me, he looks like such a big boy now. Which kind of makes me feel sad and long-ey for the new baby days again. Love his dopey little right ear (he got that from me--sennah gets my crooked pinkies and dutch, my dopey ear....these kids hit the gene-pool jackpot, wouldn't you say?)

My kids look alike. This picture certainly proves that point.

Sennah continues with her mildly OCD tendencies. She is consistent, if nothing else.

She took this picture of Dutch and I love it.

And to end this incredibly boring rant....I leave you with a quote I wish I had come up with I found on the blog of a friend. It is so true.

We just gotta keep walking--hopefully we have some really cute galoshes though.

 

 

The assessment.

Every New Year it comes around like clockwork.

There is something about January 1st that makes me reflect on EVERYTHING in my life that needs improvement or that has needed improvement since I was in the 8th grade rather...

My body. My sleep. My spirit. My mind. My attitude. My words. It all needs work.

It's very overwhelming how inadequate the assessment can leave me feeling about the job I do. I could work until I am blue in the face and it seems that I am NEVER happy with how I do it. 

But this year I was resolved to look at things differently.

Do I want to be skinny and fit? Yes I do. Very much. Do I want to get more sleep and wake up singing happy tunes and whistling while I work? You bet.

I want it all. I want happiness and health and wealth and the whole kit n' kaboodle. I could drown in it, I want it so bad.

But 2012 has me wanting one thing more than anything else. I want to be a patient mom.

I want to really dial it up in the motherly-patience skills department.

To do this, I realized I needed one very specific presence--GOD.

So this year I am going to make a concious effort to invite him into my life every single day.

And that is it.

Pray daily to ask for help. Read the Book of Mormon daily. 

It seems like I should have already been doing this, I know. But I wasn't doing it at all. 

And now I am excited at the prospect of having the additional comfort I believe it will provide me. I haven't read the Book of Mormon in over ten years and I really thought I didn't need to...I thought that it wasn't a necessary thing for me to do.

I am pretty certain I was wrong. 

It is simple. It is satisfying. And I believe at next years assessment I will have some smiling to do.

Here are some recent favorite pictures of mine. Hope you like them too.

I have been waiting for the day when they could finally get in the tub together--makes life a little easier.

"Look Mom--S, like SENNAH JOY POWELL"--she loves to say her full name.

He loves his Clifford dog...especially when Sen is not tearing it out of his hands and saying its hers.

Playing with my camera in Dutch's room-I got this shot and loved the lighting....her chappy lips and too-long bangs make me smile.

Kris took this picture of Dutch and I love it. The remnants of yogurt still on his face and the longing little look in his eye....when he is 25 years old and I think of him as a baby...this is exactly how I will remember him, I think.

She's got loads of love....boat loads and loads of love for him. He just needs it in smaller doses most of the time.

Here's a good one...

This last one is a real favorite of mine. Sen loves to line everything up. From the food she eats to every last junk toy she has...they all end up in a line at some point.  

For Christmas she got two more monkeys to complete her happy family. I will find them lined up like this ALL OVER THE HOUSE...in the funniest places.

And just in case you were wondering??? Spaceman is their Dad....and sometimes their Grand-Dad.

Always makes me laugh.

Love this quote too.

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered around the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will - to your surprise - miss them profoundly."

- President Thomas S. Monson

 

It was such a great day.

Christmas Jammies

And stockings filled with all manner of junk toys and goodies....

Ebelskivers filled with Nutella for breakfast (with my brand new pan)

Cozy Christmas tree

Snuggling with Dad to try and maintain composure upon hearing that present opening is being post-poned until Dutch wakes up.

Dutch using his iron grip on the candy cane.

Traces of Snowman poop all over her mouth....(powdered donuts). If Sennah walks down the stairs Christmas morning and sees that our snowman has pooped in his bowl--then she knows that Santa has been here.

I am just really glad Kris took about 30 pics of me looking this fantastic....see what I mean about my uncanny resemblance to the late Kurt Cobain.

It's not exact...but pretty-derned close.

Santa left a note for Sen on her new art easel.

I actually managed to suprise Kris this year. It was awesome. I pulled a "Tyrone" and went out the day before Christmas Eve and just went nuts buying random things for him, but it was perfect cause he was happy with everything and was genuinely suprised.

Plum-tuckered out from all the holiday cheer...

We had such a great Christmas. I am bummed we didn't make it to church on such a special day. I really regret not making sure we were up and ready in time....but there is no use in crying over spilled milk. Next time Christmas falls on a Sunday, you can bet your bottom dollar we will be the first ones in the church ( :

A couple days before Christmas we had my sister and her family over for a little Christmas dinner.

We read the Christmas story from the bible and it was really nice to start a tradition with them.

They gave Sennah a Mr Krabs & she LOVED it.

Love this picture of the two of them.

This is a favorite pic of mine too...she LOVES having him sit on her lap.

Dutch ALWAYS has his left hand in an L like this--it is SO cute to me. 

Hope you ALL had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS too.

Now its time to set goals and, glumly, reassess those goals in the coming months.

I wish I was good at accomplishing goals. YAHOOOOOO for 2012. I want to read the Book of Mormon (I haven't in ten years). Wish me luck.

 

The Geezer

Or the Geezy-Weezer. Or the Roozy-Poozer. Or the Son-zee One-zee.

All of them absolutely apply. He's our little Dutch-a-roozer.

And he is almost eight months old. Where does the time go?

Next thing I know, he'll be going on a mission. At least we know he can pull off the parted hair look.

Really, really, really, big fan of this boy. He has one tooth. His sits up all by himself. He is finally eating baby food. And when his diaper is off he quickly rolls onto his tummy and gets in the crawling position, it's really cute. I give it a couple of weeks and he will be crawling all over the place.

He loves to be diaperless. He loves the tub. He loves wheat teething biscuits. He loves to grab faces.

He always laughs when we have Sens' stuffed animals talk to him. He grabs their faces and laughs. I love it. He also laughs when I say "hey geezer!"...he knows its a good nickname.

He snuggles to me when I go get him from naps or from his nightime sleep--its SO sweet and its something I love and am trying so hard to hang on to. I know its just a matter of time before I go in and get him and he wants me to let him down to run and play.

It just goes by too fast. I am going to have to start really doing something with myself soon, I won't have the "I have a baby" excuse for much longer. Goodbye white sweats and maternity shirt. We've had a fantastic run....but the boy is growin' up.

(Can you tell I am using my good camera again?--SO happy to have it back!)

But I couldn't not share these last two taken with the little point and shoot.....she really loves him.

Getting SO excited for Christmas! More pics to come ( :

 

And it's not even December yet!

Visiting Santa? Check.

When Santa asked Sennah what she wanted for Christmas she quietly requested a "mommy monkey" for the pink baby monkey I bought her for her birthday. Last year she just picked her nose while sitting on his lap, so I felt like shouting out with GLEE at this years Santa experience.

Dutch was fascinated with his beard and his white-gloved hand.

I was ecstatic that they didn't scream out in terror to get away from him.

 

I am thankful for these guys.

We went on a Turkey day walk to help work up our appetites ( :

(Furry hoods are full of fun-times)

Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday! If you live in Utah (or DC)...then, rest assured, we missed the dickens out of ya. 

uno, dos, and then the tres...

We celebrated Sen's 3rd birthday on November 12th in McCall Idaho. It was really nice. Thank you Stef & Chad!

Kris experienced a LOT of lower back strain that day, but Sennah was the happiest clam that the McCall ice-skating rink had ever laid eyes upon.

 

And finally, his back could not take it anymore....

She loved it. I was SO happy. I thought she would loathe everything about the skates and how tight we had to tie them and how that meant possible discomfort for her. But, no, she took off and didn't want to stop. 

Look how pleased as punch I am about the state of affairs. This was after she had been doing it for a while and requested to go back out.

For her birthday I would like to document the current top three things about Sennah that I find extremely endearing.

#1-This is Spaceman. He replaced Elmo as best friend and favorite toy. During playtime Sennah ALWAYS makes him the good guy. I bought her the cutest pink monkey for her birthday that I was certain would replace Spaceman. But no, I couldn't have been more mistaken. Spaceman still reigns supreme as favorite toy. I am still trying to figure out why?

But I like this about her. She likes robot, snake, and dinosaur toys. In fact, for an entire day she carried around a long piece of spearmint floss that she called her snake-boy. And it entertained her for the ENTIRE day. I would rather find this fun and quirky than not girly enough.

#2- She loves Dutch SO much. (Not enough to share her toys with him-but we are working on it). To her, he is Dutch-a-roozer (I suspect she doesn't realize that his name is just Dutch). A while ago I told her it was our responsibility to teach Dutch about everything cause he is so little and needs us. Since then I will often hear her say to him, "I have to teach you about things Dutch-cause you're a baby."

She makes him laugh a lot...and when she leaves a room sometimes he will cry until he sees her come in again. I am certain this will change as he realizes she is the one person that takes away all the toys Mom gave him to play with, but, until then, I think its the sweetest thing.

I want them to be friends.

Their mutual distaste for making snow angels is a sure-fire way to start a long-lasting sibling friendship, don't you think?

3- I really love her imagination. From feeding her imaginary robot friends to spontaneously holding her hand to her ear and using it as a cell phone--there is always something new she does to chuckle at. She uses a high-pitched squeaky voice when she is pretending to be someone else, which is both cute and a little thorny to the ear drums. It makes me laugh.

A couple weeks ago in gymnastics the teacher used a beanbag in one of the bar exercises. As soon as she was done using it, she tossed it on the ground next to Sennah. I noticed that Sen immediately started talking to it and playing with it like it was a little friend. She was totally distracted by it for the rest of class and threw a fit when she realized it was something we would need to leave behind. She is very resourceful when it come to toys. I love that. 

I love her. Even when we lock horns--she still reigns supreme as my baby girl.

(She loved that tattoo and would FLIP OUT whenever it would get wet in the tub cause she overheard me saying it would eventually come off in the tub--another reminder to watch what I say in front of her!!)

Whenever we get into a disagreement or when she is coming down from a tantrum and wants to make things right, she will look at me with a sad face, offer me her hand, and say, "Friends, mom?" this instantly melts me down.

"Always friends sis"--I respond. And that will be my response til' the end of my days.

I like to make friends that will last and since she is a lot like me--I have a feeling we will all be friends forever.

 And Dutch too...

 

Lotta growin' to do still.

Sometimes I feel like I really suck as a Mom.  (Very positive way to start my post, right?)

In my defense, though, there are SOOOOOO many expectations one may feel they have to meet during this whole motherhood journey and it gets overwhelming at times.

For example:

-Don't let your child watch more than 2 hrs of television per day.

-Teach them to pray, be kind to others, and recognize Jesus.

-Teach them to share, say "please" and "thank you", and respect all adults.

-Teach them the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors....and don't forget the fun songs and rhymes.

-Spend time reading to them, talking to them, playing play-doh and painting with them. Cultivate their imaginations and their individuality.

-Don't yell at them because they are REALLY quick to imitate all your behavior--so if you yell, they will too. (I know this first-hand...and I wish to high-heaven that I wasn't a yeller).

-Ignore them when they are throwing a tantrum.....no, take them out of the place where they are throwing the tantrum.....no, try to talk to them and settle them down.....the possibilities are endless really. You always hear the phrase "it just depends on the child"

-Biting is bad, Hitting is bad, Not sharing is bad....teach them all of these things, and make sure you teach them well because they need to socialize afterall.

-Mean what you say when you say it at ALL times, cause if you don't they will take advantage of that.

-Make sure they brush and floss and know how important it is to wash hands after potty too.

OH.MY.WORD!!!!!!!!! I had no idea. NO IDEA!!! Because the list above is only a tiny portion of all the responsibilities involved.

Kids get older. They get fizzier. And you look at them sometimes and think "where did my sweet baby go?"

I guess you could say that I have hit a rough patch with parenting. It's a big old patch that I am trying to navigate with patience and resilience. 

And most of all LOVE.

In church last Sunday a sweet grandma remarked how she wished she would not have taken herself so serious as a younger mother. She wished she would have enjoyed it more. That resonated with me in such a piercing way.

How can I make sure I am enjoying all of these moments....even though there are times when I feel like poking forks into my eyes?

Words can do no justice in describing how much I love being a Mom. I feel so incredibly lucky to have two, healthy, happy kids. They bring me so much joy.

I just don't want to ruin them.

I want to teach them all the good things....and have them forget all the moments where I really suck.

It's hard being an imperfect person hoping to raise perfect children. (I didn't come up with that line-I read it on a different blog but found it to be true to how I am feeling at present).

The truth of the matter is: I have in my daughter a little version of me. And I have to look that in the face, and take it on every single day. And I am not easy. I never was. Add some Kris Powell to that mix and we've got a force to be reckoned with.

And that is why my Mom had to give me pastel mini marshmallows whenever I made good choices.

I rarely got them. But I always felt loved and that's what I always remember. My Mom loved me.

I am just incredibly grateful that we can start every single day fresh, with no mistakes. That line is from Anne of Green Gables.....man, I wish I could come up with something original.

As long as she's democrat and I keep trying to do better I think we'll be okay.......( : 

 

 

It's because I love Halloween.

I have a Mom who detested Halloween. It's true.

As a little gal this meant a lot of made-up costumes, with things from around the house, the night before we needed to show up to school in something more than our school clothes.

The following childhood accounts of Halloween are true:

When I was in the 2nd grade my Mom put a little kid's apron on me along with a chef's hat. She then put about five coats of mascara on my little girl lashes and a sign around my neck that said "hi, i'm tammy fay baker."

And that was my costume. 

3rd grade had me as a HOBO...Dad's worn out work shirt, hole-y jeans, dirty shoes, messy hair, and an eyeliner drawn moustache.....AND freckles--because that is HOBO to a TEE.

4th grade is my favorite. I wore my older brothers poncho, a sombrero (we bought in Tiajauna, Mexico), and an eyeliner drawn curly-moustache....I was a Mexican. Thanks Mom.

5th grade. I was actually NOTHING. We could not think of anything the night before that I approved of and being a "cowboy" like my Mom suggested was OUT OF THE QUESTION. She suggested I wear my little brothers cowboy hat and pick a piece of wheat on the way to school to put in my mouth.  She also offered some eyeliner drawn freckles. It was a SUCKY suggestion Mom. I love you. But, No.

6th grade. Punk Rocker. Basically I wore oversized clothes and ratted my hair up & I got to wear blush from my Mom's Avon blush-stick AND bright red lipstick. (Just to let you know I was also given the option of being a pirate--my mom suggested the use of a bandana, a homemade eye patch, and a fake cardboard sword covered in tin-foil).

Unfortunately we don't have any documentation because I think my Mom subconsciously knew her suggestions weren't good ATALL, so why take pictures? 

***sidenote***Kris and I are watching punk'd right now and this show gives me ANXIETY up the yin-yang. I mean it's funny at the end when they find out, but while the joke is going on I want to throw-up cause I feel so awkward for them.

Back to Halloween....

I LOVE Halloween. I love it SO much that I shop the end of holiday sales just to get my kids their costumes for next year. I can PROMISE you that Sen will never be sent to school dressed as homemade Hobo.

I LOVE YOU JOYCE--you just weren't good at Halloween is all....

I present to you Halloween costumes 2011--Sen & Dutch.

Tweedle Dee (I like to call her Tweedle Deezers)

Cheeky Monkey (aka-melt my heart monkey). Ain't no homemade pirate here.

Store-bought costumes are THE BEST!!! Buying them on clearance a whole year before???

EVEN BETTER!!!

Even though my Mom wasn't a fan of Halloween costuming she always ordered pizza for our Halloween dinner, and it was really great cause we ALWAYS knew we were eating store-bought pizza that night...and that's what I like to remember (even though I also remember all of the costume fails). She always made oven-roasted, salted pumpkin seeds too. I always wanted to like them, but I never really did.

You are the best Joyceeeee!

Happy Halloween from the Powells of Otis.

BOO!

 

 

 

 

I kinda like it.

Recent things

1- We enrolled Sen in gymnastics. She has been three whole times. And LOVES it. (Pics below)

2- I made a Halloween craft that involved painting, sanding, NAILING, and vinyl lettering! 

3- Currently planning a Halloween party, of sorts, with my sis and her neighbor. So far I am responsible for: the bean-bag toss game, ghost-sucker making supplies, a bag of candy, and, of course, the WITCHES BREW. Can't wait.

4- Dutch is almost six months old!!!!

5- Kris & I experienced the highs & lows of becoming extremely addicted to the television series Friday Night Lights. MY WORD, I don't think I have ever loved a show more. Was crushed to find out that it is no longer on the air. I miss you Eric Taylor. I do. But as my good friend Megs told me, I have to mourn it and let it go. Mourn it and let it go.

6- We participated in a neighborhood yard sale. We made $130.00. It was awesome because we basically rounded up a bunch of crap the night before and put it out on tables in our garage. People came. People paid. I was FLOORED no one bought the brown boots I put out though, COME ON--they are Steve Maddens for crying out loud!! Are Steve Maddens not cool anymore? 

7- Fall things I am looking forward to: carving pumpkins, halloween cookies, caramel apples, and hayrides!! I am also looking forward to making more soups and possibly homemade rolls.

8- I have recently fallen victim to Pinterest & pinning things takes up a lot of my time. I especially like to pin pictures of pretty food and pretty decorating cause those are two things I won't ever be good at producing.

Plus you can find really cute things like these that make you feel connected to whomever pinned it before you:

Anyhow, I love it. Thanks Britt.

9- I really want to lose these last 15 lbs, but I can NOT find the energy nor the desire to do a whole lot to help me. Really bums me out, but I AM looking forward to eating caramel apples and pinning things, so I do have that going for me.

10- Sennah's 3rd birthday is one month away. I have gone back and forth on what to do. A party at home? A party at Chuck-e-cheese (which she would go ga-ga for)? Should there be a theme? Or should I just be really random and make a plain sheet cake (like we used to get)? Oh, the decisions!

Anyway, lets get to some pics....oh, by the way, we had to cut bangs for Sen cause she got a giant wad of gum stuck in her hair. 

Her first day.

Taken right before being called down to the floor. She only has one other girl in her class.

Balance beam.

 

Bar. I really like watching this part of the class.

Somersalts and back rollovers.

We are signing her up for a little kiks soccer clinic that starts next week. I can NOT wait to see her have to share a single ball with a bunch of other kids. Fun times ahead.

Kris says HI ya'll.

Dutch does too.