My sweet boy

So, this isn't a long thought-out blog entry. Just one to say I love that Chase just started giving us kisses. He's always been a really cuddly, affectionate, and gentle boy but has never really been into anything but hugs, "pat-pats", and what we call "gentle"- where he strokes his hand gently on your face. But lately he will pucker his little lips and give us a kiss. I'm getting all the kisses I can before this little man becomes too old for this!

Mommy Olympics

Here are the upcoming events in Mommy Olympics 2010 hosted right here in the blistery town of Roanoke, VA. It's no Vancouver, but I guarantee it's in a league of its own.

Diaper discus- Begin this activity from the same starting point each time. I suggest the top of the stairs. Simply toss the dirty diaper down the stairs and measure your distance. (Since my house includes curves in the staircase, I start from Chase's changing table upstairs in his roomand try to throw a curve-diaper around the corner and down the stairs. I've never actually made it to the bottom. I'm not sure if it's scientifically possible, but I like to try.) Anyone considering pre-trials should focus on biceps, triceps, and even some abdominal crunches for the instances you have to bend down to pick up the diaper because it doesn't make it to the pail.

Belly balance -(This would actually qualify as a summer Olympic sport as it does not involve ice or snow though it could if performed outside during the winter months). In this sport, you need a baby bump (sorry all you non-preggos) and you must balance one infant on your belly-which contains another baby. Skilled belly-balancers can balance multiple children on their belly without passing out from inability to breathe. This requires strong core muscles such as abdominals, obliques, etc. Even though the stomach muscles are key to qualifying for the Olympic trials, don't be alarmed if your belly seems to get bigger each month. That makes you the perfect candidate!

Speed Sweep- This is similar to speed skating as it does involve speed, agility, and leaning as you make circular motions around the rink to clean up all of the toys. Expert speed sweepers can clean an entire toy room in less than 30 seconds and less than 3 orbits around the rink. Perhaps a gold tipped glove may make you fast as Apolo Ohno!

Kitchurling- This one is not as familiar to most, because it requires a canine who is in shedding season. A feline can also be substituted for the canine, but the judges will take a 1 point deduction (as felines are partially self-cleaning). This can be a winter sport, depending on how wet the kitchen floor is from slobbery bulldogs. You only need a broom to move the animal hair into a ball. Use of vacuum will also result in a 1 pt. deduction as less bending is required, however your overall score takes speed into account. The bigger the hairball, the more force needed in your lumbar to do the bending. Mimmick the sweeping action as seen in curling towards your partner a.k.a the trash can. Your partner's fixed position is an asset to those liking predictability. If you are a risk-taker, than kitchen curling is not for you. Try mom-moguling!!

Mom-moguling- This extreme sport is the most versatile of all sports in Mommy Olympics. This sport is all about survival. There are jumps and bumps, slim visability and slick spots. (And taking a spill can be devastating to your finish.) Picture yourself with all your gear nearby: bottle, sippy cup, snack grabber, diaper, changing pad, pacifier, age-appropriate toys. Your goals is to glide downhill through the 5 o'clock flag finish. However there is a catch. Several catches, actually. Every 3 seconds you encounter a massive bump in the slope that threatens to throw you full speed to the ground. This could be any number of obstacles but they all require mom-like precision and attention to detail while also mandating absolute flexibility during your entire 8 hour stretch. (Most of us agree that it's more like a 12+ hour stretch as one does not take off their skiis simply because it's 5 o'clock.) Though mom-moguling appears to focus on cadence, a true mom-moguler can balance that with endurance and cat-like reflexes to absorb all the bumps along the path. If you've ever seen a mom-moguler towards the end of her course, you can imagine the absolute exhaustion. And if you survive, and the pig-tails stay poised on your head, give yourself the gold!

SOVA sledding- And finally you come to the most dangerous event there is! (This one is a spectator sport, as I do not participate more than to laugh at the athletes.) Of course this does not require that you be a Mom, a Bob, or an owner of a ginormous SUV; but there is one requirement to compete: you must SOVA- Seriously Overestimate your Vehicle's Ability (to drive in snow). As long as you fit into this category, you may attempt whatever feat you choose and in whatever vehicle your heart fancies. Be it a front-wheel drive sportscar that slams on breaks just in time miss the guard rail, a rear-wheeled honda attempting to steer up our hill, or a 4WD (who in my opinion make the best SOVA candidates) that wrecklessly careens towards our house just in time to miss the fire hydrant- any of these will do! The more mismatched the car and the more ridiculous the feat the higher the score!

So there you have it!

snow days mean...

father and son time

choc chip pancakes....mmmmmm

pj's all day
(How do you like Chase's bully long-johns? Thanks Great Aunt Jean!)

scary icicles

carrot-nosed snowmen (no- that's not a rabbit on Brian's head)

frosty the outdoorsmen
(apparently he likes hiking with his boots and stick... you can tell who made him)

Our Bully-cicle

Here is our hilarious bully who turned into an icicle as she plunged face first into the snow. It's the first time we've had a back yard for her to run around in.


Face first! She looks like Santa.

Tongue Out. Eating the snow.

She reminds me of snoopy in this one.

Nice motion shot of Zoe, B!

You can hear Chase laughing in this one as Zoe does her crazy girl run!

HS BFF's reunited

I got to spend some time with one of my best friends from high school, "Baratta." She is married and living on the west coast now, so her last name really isn't Baratta anymore but she'll always be that in my mind. (The kids weren't quite cooperating in the photo, but oh well.)

In many ways, Baratta is the main person who gave me the opportunity to hear about Jesus. She invited me to church, to youth group, and was a great sounding board for any questions I had about Christianity. I learned a lot through her life just by observing what kind of values and beliefs she had. Her faith was evident in her daily life. I am thankful, to this day, that her parents chose for her to go to Byrd (my public high school) after she attended a local Christian school. Turns out that decision impacted my walk with God (and probably others').

I was thankful that God provided her to break my stereotypes of Christians: You know... the dorkyness, the social awkwardness, the booknerd with no cultural insights. (Come on! You know you've had those same stereotypes.. unless of course you were that dorky Christian. haha) Baratta was nonesuch as a Christian. She redefined what it meant to be a Christian to me. She was also a classmate with a profound understanding of literature and an admirable taste for music. We once performed a Beatles song with Beatles wigs and suits on for our high school talent show. (Let's just say most girls were not interested in musical talent but just drawing attention to their provocative dancing on stage. We didn't exactly care that the Beatles act would not draw the guys!) She had this way about her that she could care less what others thought- not in a provocative or confrontational way- but in an assuring/ "I know what I value" kinda way. This is unheard of in the teen years. She saw the value in the sacred but could appreciate the secular and there wasn't such a dichotomy that a curious person as myself would feel embarassed if they asked a question. She never made me feel ashamed of what I didn't know. She was also my running-mate in cross country. She's a lover of the outdoors. Of the seasons. Of the coffee shop downtown. Of a good piece of classic literature or an independent film. Did I mention that she and my other bff from high school (Emily) made a movie for me (and our hs bff Katie) with clips of video they had taken throughout the year with music and everything? I digress...

My favorite detail about Baratta was in her high school graduation speech b/c yes, she was also a fellow valedictorian (I know, I know... at our school there were many of us b/c we all made 4.0 or above...that's another story). She actually quoted Scripture (in public school!) at risk of offending many and perhaps being kicked offstage, being suspended, etc. But she really showed boldness, maturity, and wisdom that I hadn't seen in peers my age. Basically we all made our speeches, some pointing to their own achievements, some turning it outward towards others (like the "you can do it if you try hard enough" speech), some with their braniac examples to further puff their egos, and mine was mostly thanking family/friends (you know, the emotional shout-outs to all your posse). But Baratta's went a step further. She questioned what the GPA's, college acceptance letters, and SAT scores really meant. She reminded us that there is an eternity out there and that if our treasure is in any of that and not in heaven (specifically in Jesus!) , we will be heavily disappointed. For it is those things that moth and rust destroy. But not God. He is eternal. She pretty much summed up my Christian testimony of how I became a believer: wanting to achieve perfection and striving as if I could achieve that and as if it was a noble and reasonable goal- and then realizing what is this all for? It is for my own sense of accomplishment and pride? For impressing others? Or perhaps setting some historical record? Or earning God's approval? Listening to her speech really helped me put things in perspective and truly affirmed the cry of my heart.

Anyways, years later (after I missed her wedding b/c I was overseas in Venezuela) and she missed mine as she was out west, we still held fond memories of each other and great thanks for how God had kept us connected despite the distance.

Baratta is now married to a great guy and they just had their first son, Aiden who is just precious!

Thanks, Baratta, for being so special to me and not being afraid to march to the beat of your own drum. I will have to tell your son one day of his great spiritual heritage!

Resemblance

I was looking through pictures as more and more family & friends said they could see how much Chase looked like me. I decided to go through our pix to see if I could find any truth to it. I don't think he looks much like me (Krisha) now, however my childhood pictures actually show quite a resemblance! I think it's the curly hair and pouty lips. Some people tell me that it's the eye shape or spacing, but Chase's eye color is probably closer to his daddy's. I think Chase has the cute Whited nose, but I see hints of Indian in his ears.

Chase with his pouty expression

Me with my pouty lips



Chase laughing and squinting

Me laughing at my daddy with the same squint and toothy smile! Notice how our curls flip out at our ears. (This is my favorite childhood photo of me and dad. Dad sure did know how to make me laugh!!)

I'm convinced that if Chase's hair was darker and I actually let it grow to the length mine was as a toddler, we'd look even more similar. Somehow Chase wound up with light brown hair despite Brian's and my dark hair. Who knows what our next baby will look like!