Sharing and Dreams

Sharing:

I am a big fan of role modeling behaviors we are attempting to develop in the twins. I make it a point every morning before leaving for work of getting their attention to watch as I verbally say "huuuuuuug Mommy" and "kiiiiiiss Mommy" as I do the actions that go along with the words. I want them to see us being affectionate hoping they will get the hint this is the way they should be towards each other and us.

However, the philosophical discussion around how to role model sharing is in question. The concept of sharing has pushed me out of my comfort zone because Kendra is much more open to sharing than I am. So where do I draw the line? Sharing my house slippers? OK, but they are broken in just the way my feet fit them perfectly. Sharing my lollipop? Yeah, we kiss regularly so that's not a huge deal. Sharing my toothbrush? now it's getting seriously questionable... Maybe I'll have to draw the line at sharing dentures when we get old.

Easton and Layla do a great job of sharing most of the time. Sitting on the park bench seat together is a happy occasion.


And so is standing on the couch before bedtime. Oops! They aren't supposed to be standing on the couch. I guess Mommy will reprimand me for not holding the line on that boundary.


There are a few things Easton and Layla don't share well and a soccer ball is one of those things. They have yet to comprehend the concept of playing cooperatively where they kick the ball back and forth to each other. Instead of fighting the battle, we were lucky enough to get a second soccer ball for Christmas. When I say "we" I mean Kendra and I. The two of us are lucky because it saves arguments by having duplicate items. The same concept goes for tooth paste and the tooth brushes. Anyway, back to soccer... Easton much prefers to throw things rather than kick them, but he figured out the concept of soccer and has great coordination.


Layla has a natural knack for being athletic so she runs and kicks the soccer ball with awesome technique and grace. and speed. man, she's fast...


Dreams:

We all have dreams. Some of us are lucky enough to have spouses who do their best to help us achieve them. There are many things Kendra and I do well together. One of those is enabling each other to achieve dreams. Marriage is about sacrifice and enabling the other person to reach their dreams. I dreamed of earning my black belt in martial arts. Kendra dreamed of running a half-marathon. We dreamed of going to Hawaii to relax on the beach. These personal (non kid related) desires are probably the top three for us over the past several years. Oddly enough, all three are going to be realized within a month!

I'm preparing for Tae Kwon Do Black Belt testing in three weeks. I've dreamed about becoming a black belt for over three years now and the dedication and hard work are leading to my promotion to Black Belt. Reaching this dream required sacrifice on the part of Kendra. The time I spent training was time where she cared for the twins and meals and the household without my help. She enabled me to get where I am and that is a testament to her unselfishness.

Kendra is running a half-marathon in 2 weeks so she is keeping up with her running schedule while juggling everything else related to the raising the twins. I take care of the house while she trains. Her accomplishment in completing the race will be her award, but I feel like part of the "team Webb" who enabled her to succeed.

We've talked about going to Hawaii since before we were even engaged! We are beach lovers and adventurers so Hawaii is going to be the paradise we have dreamed about together. All of the pieces lined up within days so we feel it is the right timing and plan. We have only taken two extended vacations in 8 years of marriage. That sucks and I'm the one at fault for not planning regular get-aways. We did attend the marriage conference last year where we spent a night alone, away. But attending sessions and lessons wasn't exactly relaxing or vacationing.

Anyway, to make a short story long, Kendra's parents are going to spend a week here with Easton and Layla at our house while we spend a week in Maui, Hawaii! Our friends hooked us up with an incredible place on the beach, my work gives me Gold card privileges with Hertz (convertible Mustang), and researching the airlines yielded a sweet deal on the flight to Maui. We have a layover in Guam, but at least we have a choice whether to sit next to livestock or terrorists. Just kidding... I found out our vacation rental place has free wireless internet so I plan to continue bloggin' even as my feet are buried in sand.

Daniel Fast:

We are participating in the Daniel Fast along with our church. This means three weeks worth of eating only what comes directly from the ground (nuts, beans, fruits, veggies, etc.). I've never eaten so healthy in my whole life and I'm doing surprisingly well thanks to Kendra's creative cooking. There is a higher likelihood I'll lose even more weight (as if there is anything left of me to lose). My gym at work is closed due to remodeling until mid-February so I'm back on the P90X bandwagon just to keep up my level of fitness.

See you soon!