Friendships

Some of the most important relationships we have are with our friends.  As kids we make friends easily; however, as we grow older our life changes and we do as well.  Making friends still may be easy; however, keeping and maintaining friendships can be difficult.  So remember the golden rule when being a friend. And know it is okay to let go of friendships that no longer are beneficial to you!

Raising Jack

My Jack - My Instinct - Our Journey.  Jack was born on time and healthy.  As our first we "knew" it would be hard raising a child but truly we had no idea!  The first three months were tough, Jack cried when the sun hit his eyes, a bottle was introduced, a hat was placed on his head, he was held or he was not held.  Nothing made sense.  The crying intensified. From early evening until late at night, jack cried.  I cried.  My wonderful husband, held, shushed, swung, walked Jack all the while reassuring his desperate wife that we would get through that stage.  And we did!  Finally, our doctor confirmed what we already knew, Jack had colic.  But, since those first days, raising Jack has been a journey.

In the end what worked for our infant was discovered through trial and error.  A hairdryer rigged up near Jack's crib or any type of white noise (radio static in the car) soothed Jack's crying, finding his thumb, daddy, comfy clothes, lots of sleep and consistency were our main saviors.  My savior was talking.

Throughout our journey we have felt Jack had differences that were hard to explain.  He never liked toys, he would have meltdowns getting into the car seat, being offered a glass of water, learning ABC's, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, putting ketchup on the "wrong" part of his plate!  Being my first I felt confused.  Was I not disciplining enough, too much?  Was I too uptight?  Too consistent?  My ego was obviously too big!

Outside family (mainly my MIL) would say Yes to all the above.  She "hinted" I should have put him on the bottle with soy formula, put him in daycare and get back to work!  Today's influences on parenting are confusing and defeating to say the least.  But, my husband and I did one thing right!  We communicated.  We supported one another and became closer as a family unit!  The harder things became the closer we became!  In my eyes that is what marriage is about!

Dealing with arguing and fighting.

This is one of the hardest issues to deal with - Fighting (sigh).  As a mother my love is for all of you and when you argue with each other I find my own emotions in havoc.  Being fair and helping you work through your own anger or emotions can be confusing.  I often fall back on house rules, try to acknowledge your anger, practice speaking to one another and then separate if all else fails!

But the turmoil it can cause for me is one that I am trying to understand and work through!  All kids fight, right?  It is a normal part of development and a part of parenting.  So, why do I want to run or scream myself when the boys are fighting!!  Keeping my emotions in check is a constant battle.

This article from Parenting is how I want to handle Sibling fighting and in an ideal world I would do this consistently, for now I will continue trying to hone in on my skill!

Be impeccable with your words....

Our world is misguided by social media, constant criticisms of parenting styles, judgements of each others financial decisions and a general sense of competition. Our capitalistic ideals have driven individualistic greed for more, for bigger and for better.  How does it stop?  When does it stop? Only when we stop feeding the beast.

Don Miguel Ruiz author of the Four Agreements captures the spirit for living a life of fulfillment.  A life based on happiness internally not externally.  One of the agreements is to be impeccable with your words.  Easy, right?  Not at all.  However, the toxins that build in us from not following this agreement hurt family, friends and ourselves.

Rewrite your beliefs on success.  Tomorrow go one day with only positive words or words of necessity.  Cease to complain, argue and degrade just for one day

Moving on...

It's been three years plus??  The boys are growing and life is forever moving forward.  Jack is 8 and in 2nd grade, Griffin is 5 (almost 6) and in Kindergarten and Cooper is 4 and in preschool!  Our home is chaotic and although there are days I think I may pull either my hair out or theirs, I wouldn't change a thing.

We are settled into Fort Collins and happy to be where we want to be (at least for the moment)..  My itchy feet are a horrible thing to tame but I am trying!  At least for a bit!

One down, One to go!

Griffin is done with diapers!  We are all so excited!  About a week before his 3rd birthday he decided to show our sitter his potty skills.  Which was a surprise to us!  So, we ran with it!  He has picked it up and done great!  He is such a big boy that in the last few days he has decided that he does not need anyones help and that he is going to stand like a big boy to go potty!  Pretty funny to us!  Griffin has done well the last two nights, no accidents, no pull ups, lets just keep our fingers crossed!  Good Job Griff!

Update ~ 2011

This winter has flown by and spring is slowly arriving.  Jack participated in his first school concert, hopefully the first of many.  It was great, they focused on transportation and each grade sang songs from their mode of transport.  Too cute.  Griffin is begging to go to school, have friends over for playdates and just grow up like Jack.  Griffin also had Croup this winter and his first trip to the ER, hopefully not the first of many.  We have narrowed down our preschool choices to two and just need to make a decision.  Both will be good options but trying to decide which one Griffin will like better is the tough part.  Cooper is BUSY!  He is talking a lot and willing to try any word, he is extremely active and has found his voice in the family.  Garry's job has settled down for the most part and with that his home improvement list has picked up.  Poor guy.  Not really, he loves it!  We both do, it's nice to live in a home that the renovations are not immediate and it gives us time and ease.  Garry had a boys weekend with his dad and brother to Vegas.  I am off to Arizona this weekend with girlfriends to relax by the pool, talk a lot, and relax!  I can't wait.  I also have had my graduation date set: 12/16/11.  A pretty big deal, I finally will have finished my MSW!  What a long road but one that is worth it.  We think of all of our friends and family often and welcome visitors!

Washington Park

Cooper

Jack

Griffin

Cooper is a busy boy!

Today I took Cooper to the Doctor for a well check up.  He is doing great, growing and hitting his milestones.  He is more "mature" than his brothers were at this point and we believe it is because he is watching his brothers.  He insists on using his own fork and spoon (which he does do very well).  He is saying quite a few words - mama, dada, more, ball, bird, Jack, juice, hot, this, plus a few others I am forgetting.  He has been climbing up and down stairs since Ogallala and is very safe.  He is active, getting into everything and on everything (kitchen table for example).  He has figured out how to push himself around on one of the many bikes we have and is just determined to stay up with his big brothers.

Christmas 2010

Although I didn't write a Christmas letter this year.  I enjoy writing down my thoughts of the year and my hopes for the new year.  2010 started in Ogallala, NE and ended in Laramie, WY.  It was another challenging year, having three little ones, finishing our remodel on the golden peacock, selling the golden peacock, buying a new home, moving, Garry starting at a new position, finding an internship, starting my final year of school and everything in between...  So, as you may imagine I am actually glad to be done with 2010 and looking forward to 2011.  We are thankful more and more with the blessing of our lives.  Our boys are growing and very special to us.  We have our health.  A beautiful Warm home.  Love.  Friendships.  And for the first time in awhile I feel like I am in a community that I could stay for awhile.  Laramie has been a great fit for our family and I love discovering all the wonderful things it has to offer.  2011 is our year!

Jackism

Jackism of the day:  I just finished reading to Jack for bedtime.  I asked him to go brush his teeth and as I did this I started pulling back his blankets.  He turned to me and said "don't lift up my pillow, 'kay".  "OK".  As he cautiously left the room I turned back to lift up the pillow "of course".  Underneath his pillow lay one shiny hershey kiss awaiting his arrival back to bed!!  Too funny!  PS ~ I left it there..  He's probably savoring it at this very moment!

Vegas Getaway!

Garry and I were able to take a quick getaway to vegas.  We left on a Friday and were home on Sunday.  It was perfect.  We couldn't have had a better time!  We even had a chance to see Jo Koy!  Funny...

Cooper is Walking!

Cooper is busy, busy, busy!  He took his first steps on October 3rd and hasn't slowed down!  I love it, but he is getting quick...  Cooper also has 10 teeth and is working on his 11th (a back molar) as I write.  Hopefully the rest will come in as painless as the first.  Thanks Cooper for being such an easy 3rd Child, your momma needed you to be just as you are!

Jack's First Day of Kindergarten!

August 23rd, 2010 ~ Jack is at Beitel Elementary, he has a full Day of School, 8:20am to 3:15pm.  Jack is doing Excellent, we are so proud of him!

Jackism

Jack got a new pair of sneakers tonight...  Of course they make him "fast".  We were sitting on his bed when he told me "mom, there's this girl in my class that's not very nice..  I'm gonna show her my shoes tomorrow, maybe she'll like them"  "Jack, Why do you think she's mean?"  "That's just the way she was made."  If it could always be as simple as that, life would be easier.

Flathead Lake, Montana ~ Summer Vacation

August 2010 ~ Two weeks of heaven on Flathead Lake at the Armstrong Cabin!  Garry and I fell in love with Montana, the boys played in the water, roasted marshmallows, stayed up too late, went for a boat ride, fished and were just boys...  It was a relaxing two weeks and one that will forever be remembered!

Happy Halloween!

Jack is a fish, handmade by mom and dad. Griff is a cowboy, handmade by grandma kathy...

Jackism

"Mom just don't stress me out, I just got home from school" This was while making dinner I asked Jack if he learned anything new today... Funny kid.

We made it..

Finally, we are back together. The moving truck showed up Monday morning and quickly unloaded our goods. Then we scurried around trying to find some order in all of the chaos. Thanks to Christy she was able to keep me on track and focused on the task at hand, which was getting my kitchen organized. Garry's dad - Curt and brother - Rusty came up and helped with a few odds and ends.

I love Laramie already. It reminds me of Gunnison but larger. There are tons of bike trails, great parks, a fun and vibrant downtown area, and just a great feel to the town. We have met a couple neighbors and enjoying our neighborhood and home. I am pleased with our house choice.

I have already started picking out paint colors and yes we are going to end up doing work on this house as well but I am not one that can just move into someone else's home and hang pics up. I need to make it my own. We are off on vacation for two weeks this next week, so we are having hardwood floors installed in the kitchen and dining area. Right now there is carpet and that would be tough with 3 kids.

Anyways, so far so good. I am happy to be here with Garry and have closed the book on my last chapter.

Moving day slowly approaching...

The closer we get the slower it goes.. Ahhhh. I have never been good at patience and now more than ever this is true, 4 days left till the movers arrive to pack us up. Here are some pics from over the summer.

Moving day fast approaching..

We are counting down the days.. We move out on the 20th and we move into our new place on the 30th. It feels so close.

Grandma and Grandpa are coming to celebrate the 4th with us, which will be fun for everyone. We haven't seen a lot of them lately because they are getting ready to sell their home and build a new home on some land out by the Tigges farm.

All of the boys are busy, busy, busy. Cooper is standing and walking from side to side, trying to keep up with his brothers. He had his 9 month checkup. He weighed 16#7oz. and 27" long. All is well.

Boys, boys, boys...

Cooper is now 9 months old and a handful! He still remains calm and easy going but now he is on the move. He has been crawling for a bit and about a month ago started climbing stairs. His current tasks is working on standing without support. He will stand.. let go.. fall.. He is good at squatting and lowering himself down to a seated position but you can tell he is determined to get this standing thing figured out. He has had two bloody lips already and barely seems to notice. He is a good sleeper and eater. We have totally moved him away from babyfood, he loves almost anything enchiladas, turkey, cheese, crackers... All I can say is busy, busy.

Griffin is two and talking. He is funny. I took the kids for a walk on their bikes the other day and Griffin picked up quite a bit of speed as he rolled into our driveway. I was running next to him telling him to stop but he kept going launching himself up into the air as he entered our driveway!! He did the superman bit in the air then a faceplant across the blacktop! Ouch. The funny thing is that he will do it again..

Jack is my helper, well most of the time. He surprises me every now and then and will tell me what a word says. He won't admit to knowing how to write all his letters but will easily ask me how I spell my name and then proceed to write it... If I ask him to practice his name or a letter he will refuse. Not sure why but he will not take any direction from mommy!

Garry has his hands full with his new store! But he will get it in shape. He got an award this last month for his service scores which I think he only told me.. Only 12 awards were given out of more than 100 managers... Modest.

I am doing better than I thought. The longer I am alone the more I have relaxed and gotten myself into a routine with the boys. The weather has helped, playing outside and going for walks makes everyone happy! I am in the process of looking for my internship for the fall and will start classes in September. Both I am looking forward too.

The count down begins..

We are all anxious to be back together. We close on our current home on July 22nd and then close on our new home on July 30th. It is going to be crazy but exciting. The movers come on the 21st to pack us then they will load us on the 22nd. We will stay with Garry's folks for a few days, get to see Rusty and Heather and enjoy Levi and Misti's Wedding in Estes Park. Then we will stay in a Cabin in the Mountains for a week while we enjoy the feeling of no responsibilities.. Then back to reality when we close on our home and somehow get hardwood floors laid prior to us moving in, hmmm, that should be interesting since we only have the cabin til the 31st. We may have to stay with friends, funny, the Rickart V showing up on your doorstep.. Somewhat scary! Then we are off to Montana for two weeks... First a stop at the Rapson's which I am looking forward too and then to the NW corner of the state to Melissa's cabin! It sounds absolutely beautiful. A much needed break from our day to day lives...

We have a crawler!

Cooper is now 7 months and is crawling everywhere. He is trying so hard to keep up with his big brothers and is content just to be in the same room with them as they play. He loves sitting and he loves climbing over pillows and anyone laying on the floor, but he has his eye on the prize... He wants to go up the steps and I have caught him on his knees in the crib pulling up the rails! Oh poor mommy, he is too young to be doing all of this and I see my baby not being a baby anymore. We have also entered the world of teething. Cooper has 4 teeth, two bottom and two top (not the two front though, the two on the sides of the front).

Griffin continues to master his vocabulary, loves trains and curious george. We are having a train birthday party for him on his birthday the 16th. We have rented the train in Fort Collins and invited our CO friends. It is a good excuse to see all of our friends and sit and relax.

Jack is almost done with preschool. Sigh... His last day is May 17th, which makes me so sad and so excited. Next year will be Kindergarten, happy, but it also means Jack is officially not a preschooler any more, sad..

Garry continues to be in Laramie and missing us and we miss him.

I am being a single mom, hats off to all those women and men out there that are single moms and dads... Sometimes I think I am not going to make it but then you find the strength to push forward. I am looking forward to starting up classes in the fall and my internship, but more importantly being back together as a family.

Missin daddy...

Today is another day closer to moving.. Our days are fine, but just not the same without Garry. It seems that our days go so much better as the weather warms and we are all able to play outside but today is chilly and windy.

Cooper is 7 months old

I have been absent from the world of facebook and blogging for sometime. It never seems to stop or even slow down in our house hold but what I have realized is this is practically true for all those trying to get ahead while raising a family.

Updates: For those who don't know, we are moving, I know, again... Garry has rec'd another promotion and the only negative we could decide on was packing up, selling our home and finding a new one. Which the company will do the most of for us, so here we go again. This time we are off to Laramie, WY, back in the mountains... Again, coming from a small town in upstate NY, I would never have dreamed that I would be wandering around these western towns.

Garry is already there, sad for me and the boys but we hope to be together sooner than later. He has started house hunting and this time we hope to find something that is move in ready not needing a total update!

The boys are good, Jack is Jack... He is maturing and definitely keeps me busy. Griffin is sweet. He is talking a lot and has a sweet way about him. Then there is Cooper, Garry says he is the kid that could be forgotten at a store cause he is so quiet.

Anyways, we know this transition will be hard but are excited at the same time.

Happy Birthday GBR!

Today is Garry's birthday. A normal day, getting Jack off to school, daddy off to work and spending time with Griff and Cooper. Had a bouquet of balloons sent to Garry at work - just to embarrass him since he hates things like that and am working on his cake - red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and coconut. A few gifts and then daddy is off to Vegas for a man-cation. I must admit I am jealous but happy that he gets to have a break. If anyone deserves a break it is Garry.

Also, just wanted everyone to know that Garry has been uploading a ton of videos of the boys on You Tube. So if you want to check them out go to You Tube and type in Rickart Roost.

Cabin Fever!

I woke up this morning to -4 degrees out, that is without the windchill. Yikes. Another day of staying in the house. The boys are feeling it and so am I. There is only so much you can do with playdoh, moon sand, coloring and forts to make the day seem exciting before you want to pull your hair out. What I wouldn't do for warm enough weather to go for a walk with the kids. Feel free to email me any ideas of fun things to do with the boys...

Adios Flynn...

Flynn in Chicago

Yesterday was a big day... for Flynn that is. Flynn packed up his bags and headed to Chicago. He decided there was better things in life aka Heather and Rusty Rickart. Yep, that's right Flynn moved to Chicago to live with Garry's brother and wife where he can once again become the king of his throne. I know, I know it may seem a bit strange to ship a cat across the country for a move but it actually worked out perfect.

During Thanksgiving Garry and I were giving Rusty a bit of a bad time about molesting their parent's cat ~ Cali. We joked that they should get a cat and Heather mentioned that they were thinking about it. I then laughed and said "you can have Flynn." Rusty said "I like Flynn." Although we do love Flynn he slowly has moved down the ladder in our house. At the end of the day, after running after 3 boys there is little time for Flynn in our home. We had talked about finding a new home for him for the sheer fact that he deserves more attention. So this seemed like a perfect opportunity for Flynn and us. Flynn goes to a loving home where he will be spoiled with lots of love and attention.

The move went well also. Our friend Phil lives on the border of Illinois and was traveling back home after Christmas. He stopped here for the night and the next morning loaded Flynn up. Rusty and Heather drove to meet him and the switch was made.

As of today it sounds like Flynn is doing great. He is slowly making his mark on his new home and checking out every crevice of their home.

Happy Holidays!

Well, the end of the year is fast approaching and it has gone faster than ever. Of course everyone knows this year we welcomed our newest addition, Cooper Hiram. He is now 3 months old and a wonderful little man. He has truly brought us a sense of peace. He is easy going, happy and a joy. He was a surprise to us and a much welcomed surprise. Griffin is getting big as well, he does his best to keep up with Jack, he is a true ham. He loves to make us laugh and wrestle with dad. Griffin especially loves to put hats on and shoes. It doesn't matter who's and the bigger the better! He definitely keeps us laughing. Jack just finished his preschool concert. It was great. This year he has grown up so much. He loves working on his letters, drawing, reading and of course playing outside. He is really excited about Santa coming and going to grandma and grandpa's.

Garry and I are doing well. We have settled into a routine here in Ogallala and must admit we like the pace of life here. Last night we had a Christmas party with some close friends and feel very blessed that we have been able to meet some great people.

Garry's has done well as Manager and continues to complete small projects on the Golden Peacock. We have pretty much finished the interior remodel but now are working on updating the bathrooms. It has been a big project and proved to be difficult while raising children but we are proud of our home and all the work we have put into it. I am home for the time being and wouldn't have it any other way. I will start back up on my Masters degree in the fall and hope to have it completed by December of 2011.

2009 was the most difficult year we have experienced as a couple and family. The move to Ogallala, living in the Cabin while we bought and remodeled our home, being pregnant with two small children and the birth of Cooper. But now as the year ends we feel happier than ever, we love our family and look back over our challenges and feel stronger as a family. I am so thankful for all the love and support we had this year. Especially from Curt and Kathy, who helped us time and time again. My mom, who came and helped us for a month when Cooper was born. And my girls, Elexa, Christy and Melissa for all of the support you have given to me this year. We love you.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The Rickart's