Quick William Wednesday

Austin leaves today so we are busy busy...

So a quick W.W. It is!

Yesterday William asked me if he could go play in the backyard by himself. I thought to myself, 'what harm can be done in our 15x15 hole of a backyard?' Then I told him to stay in the backyard, leave any dog poop alone (thankfully we have been somewhat on top of cleaning it!) and to leave Dada's grill alone. That should cover it, I thought.

Oops

I forgot about the water hose.

He told me it was very hot outside so the backyard needed to be cooled off. Oh Lord help us if we ever move to a climate which actually sees 80+ degrees.

Go! Bolivia

I haven't written about it yet, because a lot of pieces were in the air and uncertain, but now I can say that on Wednesday Austin will be leaving to go on a missions trip to Bolivia.

Our church partners with compassion international to sponsor a community in Bolivia and families in our church individually sponsor some of the kids in the community. This will be the third trip to Bolivia since we started working with compassion in 2012, and one trip has been made to a second community in Burkina Faso, Africa. Our church has a sister church in Virginia and about 20 members from the two campuses will join together for a 10 day trip to Bolivia.

The timing of the trip didn't quite fit into our personal timing, but after prayerful consideration we were both confident this is what God wanted not only for Austin and our family, but for the children he will meet while he's gone. We are very excited for what will come of the trip, and we're sure we can't begin to imagine it.

Austin drafted a letter a month or so ago to send out to family and friends to help fund the trip, but we ended up deciding not to solicit donations and instead adjust our own living to fund it. With my absence from work it hasn't been as easy as it may have been at other times, but I think that is part of the lesson to be learned. We also feel like we already ask a lot of family and friends when it comes to relay and visits out to Monterey to see us, so we didn't want to burden anyone else. But, I think Austin's letter says a lot about what this trip will mean to him so I wanted to share what you may have received had we sent it out:

Dear family and friends, 

I am writing today to ask for prayers for myself and Amanda, William and Charles. We need prayers to help us as I am bound for a trip to Bolivia on July 30 - august 9. As I walk my path with Jesus I have felt called to travel with our church in support of Compassion international by both traveling to Bolivia as well as sponsoring a child in the community. As a family we are sponsoring a 4 year old boy named Salvador from Burkina Faso and a 4 year old girl named Jhanayna from Bolivia, who I will hopefully get to meet.

All I am asking for are your prayers, however with the addition of Charles to our family and Amanda not working this summer, I strongly ask for prayers to help us financially support the trip and life back home. The cost of the trip is $3,300 which I'm not sure how we will raise but I do know The Lord will provide it.

I am truly excited to finally be able to go to a foreign country to assist those who have less than we do without it involving a major military conflict. The Lord has blessed our family with so much and it is our duty as Christians to share the fruits of the spirit. Thank you for your prayers and if you feel compelled to assist us your donations as well. I know your support will be a great investment in the word and work of The Lord.

Sincerely,

Austin

I am excited for Austin's journey and proud of him for going. Not a lot of people would use their vacation time and extra money to go to an impoverished nation in support of God's call. And I can say with certainty neither of us would have ever imagined we could or should do this a few years ago, but we have grown a lot and have been blessed greatly in our time here.

Please pray for Austin and those he is travelling with, and pray for those they will minister to. I have no doubt God has great things in store and I'm excited to hear about them. Oh - and if there's room left in your prayers after all of that, pray for the 3 of us back home, our sanity, our patience, and our endurance with relay! In true wallis fashion, it'll be a whirlwind!

Because We are better than blessed, may we be blessed to be a blessing to others.

Relay Friday

Whew. We are coming in for a crash landing. We will be frantically working until the last minute and I am very ashamed to admit the lack of organization and coordination in our relay. I had grand ideas, as did other people on our committee, but a lot of things have hindered that.

But! We have raised almost $15,000 and I am still hopeful we can step onto the relay site with $20,000 in the bank. That'd be HUGE! It wouldn't be our goal, but it'd be huge and a great contribution to a great cause.

We are in the final logistical planning stages. Who is bringing what, who is selling what, how will we entertain people, etc. I feel like I just need to sit down and devote 8 hours to lining it all up. Why don't I just have 8 hours???

Austin will be on a plane on his way home from Bolivia when we kick off relay but we are hopeful he will be back in time for the luminaria ceremony. And we are so thankful to have my mom an Alfredo joining us again. I may have said it before but it's true! It'll be a great way for us to bid it farewell.

Please pray that we are able to get it all lined up and I can free up some time to close out my commitment on a high note. Keep following our success at 

Www.relayforlife.org/seasideca

And if you feel lead to, please find team WTB and donate in one of our names to help us reach our goals. Thanks for all of your support - as always!

Relay Friday

Well, here we are. One month from the close of the 2014 Seaside Relay for Life - and this is my first post about it. I can't describe the guilt I feel that this baby (my relay baby) has suffered so much with the arrival of my real baby. It's not for a lack of care, just for a lack of time - or time management, as I mentioned before.

In any case, we are approaching our final Relay in Seaside. It's bittersweet. We have poured so much time and energy into building this Relay and we will be glad in some ways to hand it off to our successors. The only way to keep something fresh and growing is to keep it new and changing, so we know we need to be replaced. But we both love the organization of the American Cancer Society, love Relay itself, and will be sad to step down and let it go. But, hopefully we can stay involved in Relay no matter where we go.

Enough of that though - it's not over yet, there's still PLENTY to do! So, here's an update on what we've been up to.

As you may remember, last year we blew our goals out of the water which was SO exciting. But, it set the bar pretty high for this year and we have been working to try to keep that momentum going. We moved locations this year in anticipation of growth and in an effort to involve more areas of our community. Our event will be held at the Seaside Middle School August 9-10. And we're so excited that this year my mom and Alfredo get to  come back to relay with us! They were there for our first year, so it's nice that they'll be here for our last.

I am hoping that this year with a stronger committee I will be able to relax a little more and really take in more of the event - I can't tell you how many times I jumped over the baseball fence to run here and there and everywhere last year, never sitting and hardly eating. Not to mention the tasks I missed while taking care of other things. But I have confidence in our committee this year and think we will be able to spread the duties well in order to do more and enjoy more.

We have a DJ lined up, 20 teams registered (whoa! last year we only had 13 at the event so that's some improvement) and we have raised double the amount we had at this point last year. But that's not enough - we are still about $30,000 from our goal and that number haunts me at night. I really want to leave Seaside Relay on a high note and better than ever, but I can't do it without the help of my supporters - be it financial, physical, or prayerful. I'm asking that you join me for me last year here in Seaside and help make it the best relay our community has seen.

My personal page can be found here or you can visit www.relayforlife.org/seasideca and navigate through the list of teams to find Team WTB. There you can see the progress of our team, my teammates, and find my personal page. 

I'll do my best to keep the blog updated on progress and status - and please check our page regularly to see how we're doing! If you can support in any way, I can't express my gratitude. If you have in-kind donations you think the event would benefit from, if you have a talent you'd like to share in an entertainment slot, if you want to JOIN us in our fight to end cancer with your presence, or if you feel called to give financially I appreciate your help.

Let's Relay!

Time management

While I'm running around like a chicken with my head (and arms and legs) cut off and yearning to once again manage my time masterfully, my son has apparently acquired my lost skill.

We have always attempted to minimize electronics with William; tv, movies, iPad, iPhone, leap pad, etc. there's so much mindless electronic stimulation and we don't want it to spiral out of control. He needs to play hands on and truly interact and run around outside -- be a kid. So we've tried to stay in control of it, but recently we put a number to the minimization. His doctor said he should have less than 2 hours per day, so we chose 1.5 hours as the magic number. A great day is one in which he never uses a minute of it - that usually means we had great family fun. But, sometimes you just gotta let it go. Anyway, since instating this rule he's been very good and we have been very diligent.

But Sunday after church we just wanted a little r&r. On our way home I said 'William I have a great idea! When we get home we should all 4 cuddle in mommy Dada's bed and watch monsters university!' Sounds brilliant right? I thought so, and at first he agreed.

But then those ever-moving wheels in his head started cranking a little faster. About 10 minutes after my proposition he said, 

"Mommy I don't think I want watch monsters university that's a long movie and it will be past my electronic time. I want a shorter movie so I don't use up all my time'.

Say what??? Wha...how...what?????? 

I was torn. I was crazy-impressed with his time management skills, proud that he was obedient in following our rules, and so so so mad at myself for declaring a rule that was going to punish myself. And so soon! 

When the student becomes the teacher.

First Time Mom

People love to ask moms of infants if they are a first time mom or not. I always say he's my second and the reaction always indicates that they assume I know what I'm doing - duh, I've done this before. 

I think I'm going to start saying I'm a first time mom for the second time. Because let me be honest - I don't know what I'm doing.

For starters, I'm breastfeeding Charles. I don't remember if I ever blogged about it, but I was unable to with William. There are a few contributing factors there but basically, after 3 weeks of trying we had to give up on my one ounce of breastmilk and just accept formula. The best thing his pediatrician ever said to me was 'was Albert Einstein breastfed?' I said I didn't know and he said 'exactly. Your baby's future and life are not determined by breastmilk or formula'. William was (and is) a happy healthy boy and we did the best we could, and formula isn't a sin. But, I wanted to try again with Charles and (for the most part) I'm so thankful it's working this time. It's healthier, it's cheaper, and there's a special bond that I can't describe.

But.

At 1:00am when I just fed him at 11:30 I sure would love if my snoring husband could feed him.

And when I'm trying to get groceries and the line is really long and he wakes up it'd be really nice if I had a bottle ready to feed him in the grocery store Starbucks while I sip on an iced tea.

being one of the most modest people I know, it sure would be nice to not want to tuck myself into a corner while people are visiting.

And It'd be really really nice not to have to select my wardrobe based on the availability of and access to my boobs!

I'm not bashing breastfeeding here - it's just different and new and And area where I'm a first time mom.

We are also attempting cloth diapers. I'll let you know later if it's a success or if it sticks, but it's another new challenge to tackle. William had sensitive skin and often got rashes all over his stomach from certain brands. There were brands that worked but it still raised the question of: what is IN those diapers?? They're also insanely expensive! And for people more concerned with the environment(I don't fit that bill so much but that's ok!), there's that pro-cloth argument too. Overall I like the cloth a lot. A lot! After cleaning William's dirty underwear during potty training dirty cloth diapers are nothin, and my laundry is already on a constant cycle so what are a few diapers added? No big deal. And he NEVER has redness on his bottom or skin anywhere.

But.

Changing diapers every 2 hours isn't fun, plus it usually involves waking him (which then requires more feeding). And remembering plastic bags everywhere we go hasn't quite become habit yet. And mastering the stuff-the-cloth-into-the-diaper-before-he-pees skill hasn't come naturally. 

Basically it's not easy. And between those 2 things my hands are generally tied.

But wait - there's a 4 year old running around here too. I'm still his mom too right? It's not all breastfeeding and diapers it's also Legos and lunches and the things I love about being William's mom. So in the avenue of juggling 2 - I'm DEFINITELY a first timer.

Add to all of that the fact that each baby really is so different, and I'm as new as they come. I'm learning who Charles is - and so far he's not much like William at all. That's fine - and in some ways if he wants to be opposite William I'll gladly welcome that. It's what makes us each unique and special, but it's also what keeps me wondering 'how in the world am I so lost when I've already done this all before???' 

So - yeah, I already have a son. But most of the time I'm just as new as they come. Loving life's adventures, I'd just like it if I could take the blindfold off and actually see where I'm going sometimes!

Is it Wednesday? No?

It takes me a bit of time to figure out what day it is - so asking if it's Wednesday was in seriousness, sarcasm aside. I realize it's not, but I also realize its probably been 2 months since I wrote a William Wednesday so I better just go ahead and do Timothy Thursday before I lose another week.

How is William. Well. He's BIG. I can't figure out if he grew over night, if it's a trick of the mind because he just seems so big with an itty bitty boy around, or if he became big just by becoming a big brother. In any case - he's a big kid now. 

The month of may (and April and maybe march) proved to be a challenge for william. He had some behavior issues at school that spiraled down and it got to the point where Austin and I cringed taking him to school for fear of what report we would hear back. We still have no clue what started it all or what happened to spur the spiral, but it went fast and by the time I was on bed rest I was ready to find a new school. I had already started looking and getting recommendations from people but then bed rest kind of put a hold on that. The day before Charles was born William and I actually visited a place and I told her 'I'll talk to my husband and give you a call Monday'.

That didn't happen! But I did call later that week and in early June William started at a new preschool. It is a lot smaller, the environment and structure are both very different, and so far he really seems to be loving it. I wouldn't expect any big behavior problems this early, but with each passing day I grow more confident that the issue was either environmental or just dealt with a person/persons and we have hopefully removed all of that.

I struggled with the idea of moving him back in April when we first debated it. I didn't want him to think it was ok to just run away from problems and felt like we should work through it. But - he's 4, and that just wasn't going to happen.

In the end I am SO happy with the move. He's back to his happy, confident, secure self who loves going to school and is excited to play and see friends. wish I'd done it months ago, honestly.

As for being a big brother, he's better than I ever could have imagined. I knew he'd be helpful because he loves jobs and responsibilities, but I didn't know just how much he would adore Charles. He loves to give him kisses (nonstop!) and loves talking to him. His pride radiates when we go places - he constantly asks strangers, 'do you want to see my baby?'. I always wondered if he would get tired of people always wanting to talk about his baby brother but 9 times out of 10 he beats them to the punch. When people come over he is quick to say 'oh! Let me show you Charles!' And he always wants to be in on whatever we are doing with him.

He's still his quirky funny self, and the words that come out of his mouth still crack me up! Yesterday he weighed himself (like he does almost daily) then asked me if I could weigh myself. Before I could answer (with what would have been a resounding NO anyway) he said 'oh noooooo you can't! You'd break it!'

He is still working on the art of manipulation. Most of the time I can catch it, like the day he tried to tell me that we needed to read Charles bedtime books after he realized he had lost all of his due to behavior earlier in the day. But sometimes he gets one by me, like the day we picked Cici up from the airport. He asked me a few times if he could play octonauts on my phone and I kept saying no. 10 minutes later he said, 'mommy can I show Cici the Jesus loves me song I made on your phone?' 

Why OF COURSE you can, my little sweet child who melts my heart each time he sings that song. Here, take the phone I repeatedly said you couldn't have and you show Cici that precious song.  He did play the song for her and I grinned ear to ear. Then suddenly I realized I heard the theme song to octonauts. Oh, my child.

He's a ball-playing, bike riding, almost-reading 4 year old...it's like I blinked and he developed all of these skills. I can only imagine it goes even faster from here, so I better hang on tight!

Everyone Warns You

When you're young and in love for the first time people warn you that puppy love doesn't last and that when it ends the heartache will feel like nothing you can imagine.

And you scoff at the idea. Because of COURSE yours won't end. Yours is REAL! You won't experience that heartache.

Until you do. (98% of the time) and then you say to yourself, 'wow! They weren't kidding!'

Then when you graduate from high school and everyone tells you to cherish the memories because the friendships won't last you, again, scoff at them because your friendships are stronger than anyone else's and you won't let time or distance or life get in the way. Your friendships WILL last.

Until you find out that only one or two out of 10 strong friendships stand the test of college. No real fight or falling out, just life happens - and you miss your old friends, despite how much you love your new ones. You may even long for a time when life was simpler - back when you had your 'gang' and your favorite hang outs. Then you think to yourself, 'man, they were right! Friendship is hard to maintain sometimes'

And just FYI: 'They' are also right about how much fun and challenging and trying and rewarding college can be. And how quickly it will fly by. 'They' are also right about how much work marriage will be. And that no matter how dreamy he looks at the altar there will be hard days and days when you can only cry. 'They' are also right about how rewarding and draining parenthood will be.

And you know what? 'They' are absolutely right about how much harder it is to be a parent of 2.

'Its exponentially harder' they said. 'Its more than double the work' they promised. And yet, I was just sure it was all a dramatization. How can it be more than double the work? It's simple math. You double the kids, you double the work. And while it may be harder than just with one, I was also sure that I (being super mom, naturally) would take it all in stride and prove that it really isn't exponentially harder. 

But then I found out that 'they' actually weren't lying at all. It just is that much harder.

Would I change it for anything in the world? No. Absolutely not. Am I head over heels in love with my boys? Absolutely. But would I love for there to be a magic formula for how to juggle showers and exercise and chores and meals and sleep (and work and relay, mind you) all while maintaining friendships and this lovely little blog of mine? Why yes, yes I would.

If you have that formula, send it on over my way. But if that formula in fact just doesn't exist, just like 'they' always said, then please excuse my discombobulated communication. I'll catch up in a decade or so. 

Cause by then I'll have it all figured out...even if 'they' insist I won't.