Sonny's changes in play

I know I tell you a lot about Sonny. Right now he's changing so fast I'm afraid I'll forget what he was like when Declan starts running around. I hear from lots of mom's they don't remember the cute stages of their toddles when the baby comes. I never want Sonny to feel I forgot about him being an overwhelmed mother of three schoolers and two babies.

Sonny is defiantly not a child you can take your eyes off even for a minute as I have lived with his multiple ER visits. I don't want to forget how incredibly sweet, and smart he is as well, not to mention a force.

Today we went to the park again. I try to get him there a few times a week. We rotate the parks we go to so we don't get bored. Today we went to the big park in the center of Pleasant Hill. It was just Sonny, Declan and myself. I was brave and didn't use a stroller or a harness. Sonny surprisingly stayed with me and held my hand. He quickly met a child I'd say was about four and played with him. Not next to him in parallel play but with him. Sonny told the boy his name and they ran together to each of the different play areas, he then told another boy to come play with them. It amazed me that he was actually playing and including other children in his play.

One of the mothers of the two boys Sonny was playing with wanted to know when Sonny was going to be four. I smiled since Sonny isn't even two and a half yet.

Leaving the park was hard. Typical Sonny bolted when I told him it was time to go. People stared at me as I ran over mini hills carrying my chubby 21 pound baby Declan, chasing my super fast Sonny. Once I caught him my baby Sonny surprised me once again. Held my hard out to the parking lot where the car was parked, got in the car without a fight and into his car seat. I'm wondering now if I did miss the last part of him being a baby. He was a very big boy for me today.

An odd list of things I want .

1. I want a 10 passenger van. Big family of little people I need more room.
2. Find work that keeps me home most of the time.
3. I want a clothes line.
4. I want a bigger garden of veggies that I can choose from all year long.
5. I want chickens. I have my whole life. My dad and I always wanted them.
6. I'd love a bread machine, but first a kitchen I can use all my cool machines in. Like my pasta machine, Warren's juicer, my mixer, oh and a bigger food processor would be nice.
7. I can't wait for my baby to be big enough to ride in my bike trailer. At the same time I can wait since I want to keep him a baby as long as possible.
8. I want someone to come in and organize my house, mostly toys so I can access them but not have to see them all the time.
9. I want to be able to send my kids to classes or sports and not have to worry if the money used will affect bills.
10. I'd love to get my hair cut.
11. A playground in the yard would be fun.
12. A composting class.
13. Time to finish my degree :-) but still be mom.
14. A couple of cats.

Hopefully I don't sound greedy. Just a wish list I can work towards. :-)

A little someone to be proud of

Marysa started a Engineering class today. The only girl in the class. Instead of coming home not wanting to hang out with a group of boys for the week she came home proud. Making me proud that my daughter likes what she is doing in a traditionally male dominated class. I could see her being an engineer. She's just that smart. She had an amazing excitement that she made some kind of engine. I can't wait to find out what's next. Go Marysa!

New Growth

On our Lutz Family farm that is. The kids enjoyed their first taste of the garden this week as the peas were ready. Yum! Here's are garden 6 weeks after out mastermind Joey came up with the idea.

update on the Farming Lutz'

About mid-May Joey talked me into a garden. It was suppose to be sun Flowers inspired by the seedling he started in his 1st grade class. Once we started we added peas. Then how could you have a garden without a tomato plant. Well from each added plant we added another until our garden was complete. In the end out plot of land 5 by 14 had added a lemon cucumber, a baby boo pumpkin, a zucchini, soy beans, and egg plant.

Then came the fear of will our garden would grow? I signed up for an organic gardening group for beginners. It's a great web site an you should check it out.

http://www.beginner-gardening.com/

I watered my garden daily without fail, I fed my plants a liquid tomato and vegetable plant food by Miracle Grow. I plucked all the little seedling weeds out each day and I waited. The garden grew but not so much. The weather believe it or not was cloudy and windy. Then we had two days of real sun. Our garden grew. Mind you we still have no veggies to pick but I have a lot of hope. It's easy to hope when Joey is the biggest garden cheerleader with huge yelps of delight. "Mom did you see the tomatoes they are huge!"

Since the garden began we also germinated flowers and herbs in my kitchen window and have trans planted our seedlings in to a flower bed and pots on my front porch. They are growing. Not as big or as fast as our veggies but I get a little more excited each time I see they are a little bigger. Marysa had the great add-on idea for that. Tanner as much as she hates dirt even got her fingers a little dirty.

Four plus years ago when I met Warren we talked about my tiny little strawberry garden I had in front of my little house in Concord. He told me about this big garden he had in San Leandro. Some how I always feel like I am in his shadow. It must come from being the last of seven kids and feeling like everything is a competition. Even our sweet little garden. Last night Warren walked out to the garden. The first time I had seen him do that. I could feel my stomach racing like a judge or teacher was coming to grade me. I know, how weird and I? Warren said your garden has really taken off. That made me happy.

There will be more to come as the garden grows I'm sure so keep checking on it. I know I will, as I do several times a day.

Work, work, work, kids, kids, kids, and more work

I have 5 kids and a full-time job. Declan is six months old and my job as much as I don't like it has been good to me. I have been able to stay home with two of my babies and Joey for his adoption with the guarantee my job will be there when my bonding time is over.

I got hired there in July of 2000. Marysa was born in December of 2000. My office closed while I was on leave and I had a new job in a new office waiting for me when my leave was over. Mind you Marysa was only nine weeks old and I was only 25 I had a great paying job with great benefits waiting on me. Back then as much as I hated leaving my baby I had the drive to make sure she had every opportunity my parents gave me. They only thing she didn't have was her Mommy at home raising her.

Having Sonny two plus years ago coming back to work was really hard. After all I had this beautiful new baby and I had time to spend with Marysa, my dream. I got to see Joey turn into a different boy than the one I met and Tanner and I got to become friends. I stretched my baby bonding leave out with Sonny until he was 13 months old. Going to work a few weeks with my job and splitting it up with a few hours a weeks at a great job in Walnut Creek. When my time ran out I got lucky with a great daycare a few minutes from my work I could go spend my hour lunch with Sonny and it wasn't so bad.

Then I got pregnant. I found out in April 2008. Declan made me sicker than a dog. I took a lot of time off for morning sickness spending more time at home with my Sonny- Bun.

In December 2008 Declan was born.I didn't think I was going to be able to share my heart anymore but it opened up bigger and I fell in love with him.

I have five mouths to feed. A need for money to feed them and no desire to go back. I am trying to break my time up with Declan. I went back a few weeks in March and I'm back again for a few weeks now. All I can think about is how much I miss my babies. I wonder if Sonny in pinning for me like I am for him? If Declan is going to be like Marysa and need me to hold him all night long when I get home? Is Joey getting left out while the girls play? Are the girls even playing? How's my mom doing with my kids?

I'll be on my leave again in just a few short weeks. Full-time is waiting for me in the not so distant future. My heart already aches to be with my family and my efforts to work from home is getting smashed to bits in this economy. Once again my job is there for me when my time is up and my kids wont miss out on anything but their Mama home. Things wont be bad for them. I'll just miss them.

This one cracks me up

Another masterpiece by Joey.