10 Things I Learned This Week, Vol 28

Since I got swept away by our Father’s Day excitement last week, this post is twice as long. Lucky you! (Or not. You decide.)

Lesson #1: Lenny’s traveling isn’t easy on the kids, but looking forward to emailed pictures of a stuffed monkey around the country sure makes it a bit more interesting.

Lesson #2: While having your kid learn to read can be exciting, realizing he’s looking over your shoulder as you type—and commenting about what you’re writing—is a bit alarming.

Lesson #3: There are many wonderful recipes for strawberry shortcake. But with Big wanting to be hands on, Little wanting to be hands in and Pink wanting to be in my hands, we kept it simple. Here’s the winning recipe (which was quite good if you ask me!):
Sauce:
1 flat of chopped strawberries, mixed with 3 T fresh lemon juice and 3 T sugar (let it sit for at least an hour).
Cake:
2 packages of Pilsbury biscuits, brushed with cream and sprinkled with sugar, then baked to package directions.
Final Product:
Cut biscuit, pour some strawberry mix in the middle, some on top, then top with whipped cream.

Lesson #4: When you have a newborn, you can’t help but hear love songs in a whole new light.

Lesson #5: Just when you think you’ve got all the crayons, markers and stamps out of reach from your little tattoo artist, he’ll get ahold of the sidewalk chalk. (And yes, chalk does write on skin—from head to toe.)

Lesson #6: Having to take Pink into children’s hospital for invasive tests to see if she has Little’s kidney issue (she doesn’t!), was yet another humbling moment. As I sat in the waiting room watching a mother with a severely disabled son speak to him with a glowing smile on her face, unconsciously massaging and stimulating his arms, reminded me that our challenges are so few and so small.

Lesson #7: Since blogging while holding a baby isn’t a possibility, there are days I wish I was into vlogging. Then again, showering while holding a baby isn’t a possibility either, so it’s best for everyone that I keep that video camera tucked away.

Lesson #8: While it’s great to have a couch that’s easy to spot clean, getting rid of record-setting projectile baby vomit—that hits from one end all the way to the other—isn’t so much “spot” cleaning. (Which may explain why I haven’t done anything about it yet.)

Lesson #9: The beauty of Little’s love for Katy Perry is that his constant request for her music can be met at any given moment among four local radio stations. And sometimes I can even let him choose from two songs.

Lesson #10: During a wonderful night out celebrating our friends’ 10-year anniversary, I loved being reminded that a marriage is about so much more than two people. It’s about the life you build together and the people you invite into that life who fill it with love, laughter and fun. (Thanks, Amy and Brian, for your positive influence as a wonderful couple and truly dedicated parents!)

Any fun lessons or stories from your world this week? Yeah, of course there were. So please share!