Race Horse: A Birthday Bash Part One

Yesterday Gunnar turned 3.

I have always been fascinated by time. How it heals, how there really is no present, just a present second, and then it becomes past, how it changes things, and I am currently marveling at how fast it goes, and how I desperately want to capture and freeze it forever.

I remember our life before Gunnar, but I would never want to go back to living without him.

I thought our passes for Disneyland were blacked out yesterday, (I found out later they weren't. Bummer.) so we headed to another cespool of germie fun, Chuck E. Cheese's.

Kids stinkin' love this place. What is it about silly games, collecting tickets, and choosing a cheap plastic toy that is so cool? I remember loving it too actually. I also remember being freaked out by the Chuck E. Cheese guy in suit that walks around and waves at you. Gunnar was not afraid at all.

"Keep your eye on the road Chuck E. This is serious driving here."



I learned a huge lesson: eat before you go. The food is gnarly bad and a total rip off. Gunnie could have cared less about what we had ordered to eat. He was too excited about putting his "pennies" in the slots and playing the games. I told him he had to eat before he could play the train game. He scarfed down a piece of pizza, grabbed a penny and was off to play engineer.

"You see Ky-Ky the process of running a train is quite simple. Push this up and hit all these buttons simultaneously. See? Simple. Although, it does require skill, dexterity, and patience, I believe you too can do this. All you really need is a penny from your mom. Get one from her or from my mom. They have a ton."

$10.00 does buy you a lot of tokens.



There is one thing I do hope we own some day and that is an air hockey table. I LOVE THIS GAME! I would play it all day if we had one!! Gunnar partook of it's airy fun as well.



He scored on himself a few times too. No problem. It happens to the best of us.



His favorite ride though was this race horse.



The object was to make it go faster to help your horse win the race. Gunnar had no concept of that. His horse kept running into brick walls, jumping into lakes, and standing still completely. He did not care. It was the fact that he was sitting on something much taller than himself that had a reign, which made him happy.



"No more tooting, Horse. It stinks when you do that. And go faster. We are losing every race."



Gunnar's life is playing out like a horse race. It is going way too fast for me. My goal each day is to just be present and enjoy his moments of growth, discovery, challange, and laughter, but I still struggle with how quickly his horse is galloping. I wish I could slow it down to a trot sometimes, but Time doesn't let that happen with a child's youth.

Last night Jaren and I watched The Kite Runner after putting our tired birthday boy to bed. (Who had partied like a rock star on 25 minutes of cumulative car sleep yesterday.) I was so touched by the book, but per usual was expecting something different from the movie; it just never reaches the same level of genius. This movie did still hit the same nerve. I am sure many of you are familiar with the plot, and I don't want to give away any bit of the story, but at the very end the main character, Amir, repeats something that his best friend from his childhood told him, "For you, I would run a thousand kites." This is the spine line of the entire book and the entire film. It is the central message to both creations.

I was already feeling emotional at the thought of my baby turning 3, but his birthday connected with this touching film about two little boys hit my heart.

Gunnar, Your dad and I would run a thousand kites for you, over and over again. Your life will continue to happen, your stories will continue to be written, your horse will continue to ride freely. Dad and I will be riding along side you every step of the way enjoying your happiness, drinking in your spirit and love of life, giving thanks for the blessing and gift you are to us. Happy Birthday, Son. We love you.



p.s. Stayed tuned for part 2 of the birthday tale. We have a pirate party in the works for this weekend. Should be good stuff! ;)
Oh yeah, before I forget. When he woke up yesterday he kept asking if his birthday was outside. I told him, "Yes, your birthday is inside, it is outside, it is everywhere. Today is your day." He kept wanting to look outside the window to see if his birthday was "out there". I just realized today that he was looking for the bounce house we ordered for Saturday's party. ;) We have been talking about it for a while now, "For your birthday we will get a bounce house..." His birthday came, the bounce house was supposed to too. He is so smart.

"I'm a buy this Mom!"

A quick Gunnar anecdote:
Gunnie and I were at Michael's the other day picking up a few things for his pirate party. He found a few plastic animals he really wanted to see and play with for a bit. I told him he could bring them with us while we walked around the store. When it was time to go he put them all back but one.

"I'm a buy this Mom."
"Do you have money for it?"
"In-a here." He thinks he has endless funds in his pockets.

I asked him twice to put the dinosaur back where he found in. He looked at me and with determination walked to the check-out.

"I'm a buy this." He told the lady.

She didn't understand him. (That makes me sad, but I have been with him everyday of his life so of course I understand his language and others don't.)

He said it again, because that is what you do when you don't get results or someone just doesn't understand you.

"I'm a buy this." I stood back and watched to see what he would do, what she would do. She started looking for the funds behind the dinosaur. By this time I had moved to the other register to purchase our "booty". I told the lady to pass the dinosaur to me; Gunnar of course ran over thinking it was going home with us. By the time he got to my side of the register the pre-historic creature had "disappeared". I told him it had to go back to be with it's Mommy and Daddy. He was fine with that answer.

I love his determined spirit. I see it in both his parents. :)

Gunnar- May you always push for what you want, and may you have a good attitude when you don't always get it. Tomorrow is your day little man! After that- no more birthdays! :) xoxo Mommy Mom

Dirty Laundry

I am working on a project for my sis-in-law's company. It concerns washers and dryers and such. It's cool and fun to be a part of. Gunnar and I rolled to our nearest laundromat today for a little inspiration.



Remember the last time you had to fish through your car, the couch, or a roommate's drawers to have money to do your wash?



It makes me laugh a bit thinking of the laundromat stories I have stored in my memory from college. A particular tale concerns my groom. I asked a few questions tonight to clarify the story and I was right, it is just as I remember. If you didn't stay by your laundry then the minute the washer or dryer finished someone was there to remove your clothes and replace them in the mechanism with his or hers. Sound familiar to anyone else? It happened to me all the time and drove me crazy because my clothes were never finished drying (the washers and dryers at my college apartment complex were recreated from WWII scrap metal; you had to run things through the dryer twice, maybe even three times before they were dry. It got very expensive after a while.)



One Saturday after we had been dating a while Jaren and I, by chance, met in the a laundry room to wash, not to do other things. Come on. ;) We chated for a few seconds while switching our clothes. I was a touch embarrassed because my wet load headed for the dryer was my itsy bitsies, if you know what I mean. I quickly put them in my basket and changed them to the dryer. I headed back to my studies and Jaren to his apartment. When I came down to check on my laundry it had, of course, been taken out of the dryer. I found out later it was Jaren that took it out. He told me then and again tonight that it had been sitting there, in the dryer, for a really long time, and that he needed to get his clothes dry too. Sure J.

I don't see you rushing to get my clothes out of the dryer these days. ;)

"Back off, Man! These are my unmentionables; they aren't dry yet."



"I'll just have to stand here and guard this dryer. Seriously, I don't want anyone handling my Thomas or Pirate underwear. They haven't even been worn yet. Geez. I am just washing them for when I am ready to wear them. Until then, I will protect my post so no one touches them prematurely."



"Seriously. I left for like two seconds to get a Gatorade and play a video game. Who touched this dryer?"



"I'll just have to get cozy then and resume my watch."





I used to stay down by my clothes too. I would do my homework in the laundry room sitting on my respective washer or dryer until they had finished, as many cycles as needed.

Gunnar, if you go to BYU I know several people in the neighborhood with washers and dryers at your disposal (your grandparents and your Aunt Kori). Go to their homes. Then you won't have anyone touching your "Thomases and Pirates". They might still be new by then! :) If you go somewhere else, Dad and I will send you extra quarters; you will need them.



I love you little man. I can't believe it is almost your birthday! I have washed your clothes the past three years and will wash them for the next three. After that, it's your job. ;) Thanks for the fun outing. "What shall we do next?"