home renovation

We were really lucky to have Meredith and Mackenzie in Kinston for Easter this year.  Kaden didn't get to go to church on Easter Sunday, because he was running a fever.  A few days later we recreated the moment and had the kids put on their Easter duds for a quick cousin photo shoot.  They were less than cooperative:

 
Seriously.  That's about as cute as it gets.  They were not interested in looking at the camera at the same time, or, in most cases, looking at the camera at all.  If we did manage to get them looking at the camera, if one was smiling, the other wasn't.  You get the idea.


We decided to try to get some individual shots.  Here's what Kaden thought about that idea:

I think they're still pretty cute, even though they're not perfect portraits of our kids. 

Kaden had a blast with Mackenzie while she was here.  I think he is going through withdrawals now that she is home in Denver. 

In the beginning of April, Chad maintained his status as best husband and father ever by letting me whisk Kaden off for two weeks to visit my family.  If he asked me to take Kaden somewhere without me for two weeks I would probably say no, so I think it's pretty awesome that he didn't object. 

Kaden and I flew to Utah in the evening, with my brilliant plan being that he would likely fall asleep since most of the flight time would be his normal sleeping time.  He was remarkably good, but he didn't sleep much.  On the first leg of the trip, he bonded with the drunk man next to us--who kept hinting that he'd like to hold him.  He reminded me a lot of one of my favorite travel journalists:

Seriously.  He looked so much like Anthony Bourdain.  And he was swearing and drinking like Anthony Bourdain.  The thing is, as much as I think the real Anthony is a fantastic writer and an interesting persona, the likelihood of me letting HIM hold my child is pretty slim, so the drunk impersonator next to me didn't stand a chance.  I do not profess to know a lot about alcohol, having never consumed an alcoholic beverage myself, but I do know this:  vodka is some of the stronger stuff, and he purchased a lot of it from the flight attendant.  Just saying.  And another thing:  what stranger asks to HOLD someone's baby?  So weird.  I don't know you!  You could be some crazy pedophile!  Maybe I'm too paranoid, but I don't see my philosophy on that changing any time soon.

After landing in Denver, we were given the unfortunate news that our flight to Salt Lake was delayed.  At this point, Kaden still had not slept, and I was starving.  The only food stall open was a TCBY, so I bought a smoothie and then tried to coax Kaden back into a REM cycle by moving away from the chatty mob of high school girls who camped out behind us right when he was finally asleep.  He fell back asleep just as our flight began boarding, so that nap didn't last long either.

Even so, the flights went better than I expected they would.  Kaden did great in the umbrella stroller in the airport, and as long as I let him shake the menu card and tear up copies of Sky Mall  on the plane ride itself, he was happy.  I feel so much better about traveling with Kaden alone now, although it is definitely MUCH easier with another set of hands.

 We only spent a few days in Salt Lake, but we had a good time.  Kaden got to bond with Uncle Jared, who is still living at home.  We also got to see Bryan and Lizadel.  We even went to the What Women Want! expo at the convention center with Lizadel and her mom, which was a lot of fun.

 
On Sunday afternoon Mom, Dad, Kaden, and I jumped in the car and drove all night to get to Prosser, Washington.  Kaden did AMAZING in the car, and slept pretty much the entire ride.  We stopped in Prosser to visit my Aunt Arianne and Uncle Howard and my awesome cousins Anya, Alissa, Evan, and Alissa's little boy, Brody.  Kaden LOVED Brody.  He is fascinated with other kids now, and Brody was so sweet to him.  He was also so good about sharing all of his toys.  I was very impressed!  We didn't have a lot of time together, but we made the most of the time we had.  We ate so much good food (thanks, Aunt Arianne!) and laughed, and laughed, and laughed some more.  I love my family.  They are some of the funniest people I know.
 



It is always sad for me to leave a visit with them, because I never know when I will see them again.  The last time I saw them was in the summer of 2009.   I hate being so far away from so many people that I love, and I hate that Kaden will miss out on really getting to know them.  But, c'est la vie, right?

After our stop in Prosser, we drove to the metropolis of Moses Lake, my home town.  Nelson Mandela once said, "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."  I don't think there is a more fitting quotation to describe my visit home.

In Kinston, there are very few people who know me just for me.  Most people know me as "Chad Reese's wife," or "Joy Reese's daughter-in-law," and that is OK.  I am proud to be a Reese; it's a good thing!  In Moses Lake, though, I am still Katie Jensen, and that is kind of fun, too.

In Utah, my mom is Susan, but in Moses Lake, she is Sue. 

We stayed at my Grandpa Jensen's house.  I love that house.  There is no dishwasher in the kitchen and the cabinets are sea-foam green.  There is no Internet, and there is no cable TV.  It has not changed much since I was a little girl.  It's a different color on the outside, and the tree that used to sit in the front yard is gone now.  It still feels the same, though.  It is still full of my grandma, too, even though she passed away nine years ago.  When we first got to Grandpa's house, I went in the back room and cried.  I think we always miss the people we love when they are gone, but there, surrounded by so many things that reminded me of her, I missed her more than I have in a long time.  I so wish Kaden could have met her, but I know he will someday.  We had a lot of fun watching old family home videos with Grandpa at night and sharing lots of old memories.








We didn't have much time in Moses Lake, either, but we did a few things that any Moses Lake tourist must: sampled some amazing Legacy Chocolates thanks to Nesha and Brenda, ate arroz con pollo at Inca (just as amazing as I remembered), devoured a greasy Hockstetter pizza from Chico's, and drove down a lot of country roads.  We were able to see a lot of old friends while we were there, but there wasn't enough time to see everyone I would have loved to have seen.  I did drive to Othello one day to visit my old high school chums Lena and Crystal.  I don't know why, but for a while in high school we went through this phase where we all referred to one another by our first and last names.  Even when I talk to Chad about my high school friends, I still say, "My friend, Lena Campbell" or "My friend, Crystal Montoya."  They are Lena Gilbert and Crystal Harris now though.  We only had a few hours to visit, but it was great to see them.  I love seeing my friends as mothers.  They are great moms and have terrific children.  


After our visit in Moses Lake, we drove to Seattle to spend time with our family on the other side of the state.  We stayed with my Grandma Joy at my Uncle Shawn and Aunt Karen's house in Marysville.  Jayden and Skyler, my cousins, are so grown up now.  I still think of them as tiny, little kids, but they are far from it.  You know you're in for a great time when your welcome dinner consists of crab legs AND homemade fettuccine alfredo (note to self:  must buy pasta attachment for Bernice).  As if the welcome dinner wasn't enough, we also had a fantastic brunch later during our trip.  There is nothing like Uncle Shawn's crepes and beignets.  So good! 

The time flew by while we were there, but we did squeeze in visits with lots of relatives in addition to the ones with whom we stayed:  Uncle Mark and Aunt Jaime and their girls, McKenna and Lilah; Nicholas, for a very brief visit one morning; Aunt Maryann; and Uncle Paul and Aunt MalaRee and their crew, Chloe, Hayden, and Sterling. 

Some of the highlights of our trip were the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley, Pike's Place Market in downtown Seattle, eating fish n' chips at Ivar's on the wharf, and visiting Flower World--a giant plant palace of a nursery that I wish existed where I live.          


 Before we knew it, it was time to fly back to North Carolina.  We had a wonderful time, but I think Chad was definitely ready for us to come home, and we missed him lots, too.  After a long trip it always feels good to be home, and my home felt extra good since it included a newly painted fence and deck!  I always miss my family more after spending time with them, but the good news is Kaden and I get to go back to Utah for another visit in July.  We're looking forward to it! 

I wish there was one, and I wish there was a cash prize involved.

Unfortunately, the only prize being a neglectful blogger has brought me is guilt.  I've pretty much thrown out any hope of ever completing Kaden's baby book (Isn't it sad that I'm already like this with baby #1?), so any notes on his development not made on this blog are probably not going to be recorded anywhere. 

I just realized the last time I wrote anything substantial about Kaden was two months ago.  Sorry, Kaden Bug. 

So, some of these things Kaden has been doing for awhile, and some of them are relatively new. 

At eight-and-a-halfish-months old, Kaden . . . 

• Has three teeth.  Two on the bottom, one on the top, with a fourth tooth on the way.  Meredith pointed out the other day how sad it is when babies lose their gummy smile, and I have to say I agree.  Already, Kaden looks more like a little boy to me than a baby.

• Sits by himself.

• Can play peek-a-boo by himself, if he's in the mood.  When he first learned to do this, he did it all the time, but he hasn't done it much lately.  I'm so sad we never got it on video.  Sometimes, we'd be shopping in the store, and I'd realize he was lifting his burp rag to hide his face, just waiting for me to say, "Where's Kaden?"  Then he'd throw the burp rag down, I'd say,"Peek-a-boo!", and he'd give me a huge grin.  

• Scoot-crawls backwards and in circles.  He hasn't mastered how to do this while on his knees, and he can't figure out how to move forward yet.  This does not stop him, however, from moving all over the room.

• Gets up on his knees like he's going to crawl, then face plants or rolls to his side instead of actually crawling.

• Pushes up on his toes when he's in a crawling position.  Heaven help me.  I think walking will not be far behind crawling.

• Is a rolling machine.  Gone are the days of leaving my baby in a room and expecting him to be in the same place when I come back.  Gone, also, are the days of simple diaper changes.  Now, those feel like wrestling matches.

• Doesn't like his exersaucer or jumping toy as much as he once did, now that he has mobility on his own terms.

•  Babbles with inflection.  I love it when you hear him end a baby-language sentence that sounds like a question.  We still hear Dadadadadadadadadadada most often, but he does say Mamamamamamamama and Bababababababababa.  He also gargles and yells on occasion.    

• Often gets fussy if I leave the room and he can't see me.  He wants to be with someone at all times.  He still does pretty well being held by anyone, but sometimes he wants just Mommy or Daddy.  Sometimes he turns this into a game.  He will reach for me to hold him, then cry and reach for Chad, then cry and reach for me, etc.

• Is a master of the "drop it-pick it up" game.  It's a shame this is not an Olympic sport, as I feel Kaden would win world fame as the youngest athlete to medal in the event.

• Wears 12 month clothes pretty comfortably, although he still fits into some of his nine month outfits, and a select few six month ones (let's face it--those are mis-sized).

• Can feed himself puffs and tiny pieces of banana, with moderate success.  Sometimes the entire fist goes into the mouth when he can't figure out how to get the food out of his fingers.

• Has tried mangoes, apricots, blueberries, and oatmeal since my last account of his food choices, and has liked every dish placed before him.  

• Wears size four diapers, the same size as his two-and-a-half-year-old cousin. 

• Thinks his daddy is the ultimate toy.  It is so fun seeing Kaden's face light up when Chad comes home from work or when we see him at lunch time during the day.

• Has played in the kiddie pool for the first time, and seemed enthralled at bath time later to realize he got to play in the water not once, but TWICE in one day! 

When I flew home from Seattle, my fence and deck looked like this:






Way to go, Chadwick!  I don't know what I love most:  my beautiful, new white fence and deck, or the fact that my husband sacrificed all of his free time while I was gone to do this just for me. 

1.  Watching Kaden's face light up in the children's section of the library.  He fell in love with the giant fish tank full of swimming friends.  Maybe he thought they were the same ones he smiles at every day while he watches his mobile spin around?  I think we will have to get Kadester a pet fish for his birthday this year.

2.  New board books from the library, and one from the used book store, to entertain me and my little man.

3.  The juicy clementine I just devoured.  Oh how I love a clementine!

4.  Driving home from running errands and looking at all of the signs of spring.  I can't wait for the azaleas and dogwoods to join in the fun!

5.  My Kitchenaid Mixer.  Have I told you lately, Mrs. Kitchenaid, that I love you?

6.  The homemade pizza dough rising in the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer.

7.  The homemade pizza sauce waiting for the dough in the refrigerator.

8.  Kaden taking a long enough nap this morning for me to work on my sharing time and talk for sacrament meeting on Sunday.  Oh, and a long enough nap this afternoon for me to bond with Bernice, my Kitchenaid mixer.

9.  Knowing my cute husband will get home in two hours and we can eat homemade pizza together.

10.  Laughing while Kaden practices his new trick:  shaking his head no.  We're a little young to be starting this, aren't we?

It has been a great day.

The past couple of days, I have come to some realizations, some big and some small.

For example, I realized yesterday (while strolling to the park with my handsome son) that now that I am a Southern gal I find it not only extremely odd if someone I pass on the street doesn't wave at me, but I am somewhat offended when they don't.  I mean, come on!  If I'm going to live in a town where I have to drive at least 40 minutes to buy a packet of curry mix there need to be some perks.  One of those perks is having everyone be friendly, which means strangers on the street are supposed to wave at you.  And most of them do.  Which is why I was shocked yesterday when three didn't.

I also realized yesterday (while cleaning my father-in-law's office, because he's awesome and gave me that job so I can afford health insurance) that some people are just nasty.  Case in point:  who pees all over a toilet (and I don't want to get TOO graphic here, but I will suffice to say that when I say "all over a toilet" I really do mean ALL OVER the toilet) and just leaves it.  I would be mortified to leave a restroom covered in my urine, knowing that someone could walk in behind me and know that I DID THAT.  A second office example:  who deposits their chewed stick of Big Red on a leather, waiting room chair--on which someone else may sit! So gross!  These people had mothers, did they teach them NOTHING?  

I also realized yesterday, that I occasionally enjoy trashy TV.  I guess I've always known this, because as a youngster, I used to watch episodes of a show starring these lovely people:

That, my friends is the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful.  I don't mean to expose my mother's inner-most secrets on this blog, but she watched this show when I was growing up.  She still watches it (sorry, Mom).  My Grandma Joy watches it, too (sorry, Grandma).  I don't watch it anymore, but I do tune in with her when I go home to visit.  She records the episodes, and we fast forward through the commercials.  That means one 30 minute episode probably ends up being closer to 18 minutes.  The amazing thing is, I can tune in for a couple weeks a year and feel like I never stopped watching.  That's the beautiful thing about soap operas.  I mean, my mom will have to fill me in a little bit (about which divorcee is now married to which "I-thought-he-was-dead"-"no-he-was-always-alive-just-was-in-a-coma-and-forgot-his-identity" fellow) but it won't take long for me to be completely up to speed.

I denied I had rekindled my trashy TV addiction for a while when I first started watching this:

See that smiling, sensational actress in the left-hand corner?  That's Sally Field.  If you don't know who she is, I suggest you go to rent my favorite movie of all time, which just happens to be Steel Magnolias.  If you don't want to watch the entire film (which is a ludicrous thought--OF COURSE you want to watch the entire film), you can fast forward to the funeral scene--look for the part where she starts screaming, "I'm fine"--and I guarantee you will still cry:  that's how amazing Sally Field is.  Anyway, I started watching this series because I could stream in on Netflix, which we currently have due to a wonderful Christmas gift from my parents.  (Plus, my friend Lacey told me about it.  Sorry, Lacey.)  The plot lines were a little extreme (see how honest I'm being, maybe you shouldn't judge me too harshly), most of the acting was mediocre at best, and Sally was still amazing.  I couldn't stop watching.  She sucked me in.     I have now watched the first three seasons (remember that part earlier about not judging me too harshly?).  Anyway, despite the at times melodramatic nature of the show, I didn't think it was a soap opera.  I mean, it airs in the evening (even though I stream it at all times of day while I nurse Kaden or fold a load of laundry).  Then, Chad caught a few snippets of episodes. One time, he walked in while I was watching one and we had a conversation that went something like this:

Chad:  You're still watching this show, huh?

Katie:  Yup.  It's not even that good, but Sally Field is so amazing I can't stop.
 
Chad:  Wait a minute, they're dating?

Katie:  Yup, they're going to get married.

Chad:  I thought they were brother and sister.

Katie:  No, no.  They only THOUGHT they were brother and sister.  They thought she was his father's illegitimate child from his mistress, Holly.  Then they found out her real dad was a man named David, so they started dating.  The real illegitimate kid is a boy, some kid named Ryan.

Chad:  I seriously can't believe you're still watching this.

Light bulb.  Once I heard myself explaining the plot out loud, there was no denying its soap opera-ness.

And the thing is, I can't believe I'm still watching it either.  But every episode ends with some plot twist that makes me stream another episode later, because I just HAVE TO KNOW what happens.  Evil.
  
Today (while watching my sweet baby go for his first swing) I realized that the likelihood that this face will ever stop melting my heart is non-existent:

 It's hard not to forgive me for my trashy TV addictions when I bombard you with photos of a precious face like that at the end of a post, isn't it?  I'm very sneaky.