Thursday, February 26, 2009

Favorite Foto(s) Friday

This adorable little man is my last baby.... He has completed our family and added so much joy and laughter! He is often found laughing at his brothers or playing trains. He loves his cat and is our best eater!


He looks JUST like his mommy...which I think is why he's so adorable...but I'm a bit biased!


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Sugar and Spice and mostly nice....

This is one of my four nieces...the other six are nephews, we are hoping the next one coming will even out the girls side a bit. This little doll is the youngest of FIVE and is a bit of a miracle child. Her mommy (one of my sisters) had taken every precaution to not have any more babies, just 19 months before she was born. She had her tubes cut, tied and burnt....the Lord had other plans. Today, we enjoy our sweet little one.

This little pistol, made her Auntie Bep wait, wait and wait some more at the hospital to watch her birth. She made no signs of making an appearance for hours, unlike her other siblings who made swift entrances. I left and this little Chickie was born 20 minutes later - from 3cm dilated to birth in 20 minutes. We should have known then....

The sweet angelic face in these pictures can rival a tornado ANY day. She can eat more than any of the boys in her family and can fight with the best of them. As rough and tumble as she is, she enjoys baby dolls and cuddling just as much. She had a fun time with her impromptu photo shoot with Auntie. Her are just a few of the hundred or so pictures I took of my little doll baby.













Sunday, February 22, 2009

Not Me Monday

It's time for my cleansing, my confessional of sorts. For more fun Not Me Mondays, check out the blog carnival at My Charming Kids.

This week, I did not, take at least 300 photos with my new camera. That would be extreme and obsessive.

I also did not, get three movie gift certificates for my birthday. That would be enough to see 3 movies for both my husband and myself or 6 movies all alone...including money left over for popcorn AND a Diet Coke! That would be more than a girl could ask for!

I certainly did not sleep until 11:20 am on my birthday. Even if my husband allowed it, I would never sleep that long!

I definitely did not enjoy doing NOTHING on my birthday...seriously nothing. No kind of housework at all...oh wait, I did put a glass or two in the sink!

I was not surprised for the first time in a long time. You can not pull anything over on me...especially surprise.

I definitely did not, for the second time in a week, start my washing machine, put soap in it, and then forget to put clothes in it. I am always orderly and on top of things. I never forget anything.

I did not laugh hysterically, again, while telling someone a story about the time I forgot to wear a shirt to a Dr's. appointment...just a coat. I never relive moments like that and certainly don't find them humorous.

These are just a few of the things that I didn't do this week...what didn't you do?

Kids Speak

My children always say cute and adorable things...at least I think so. This morning, their cuteness was confirmed by my sister Nancy. She called me early this morning to tell me that my children, did indeed say funny, and adorable things.

She told me that S told her the following this morning:

"Aunt Sissy, in the morning, my daddy gets hot and throws the covers off of him.........then he says he's gonna have a PANNATACK (pannic attack)." He said it and walked away as if he knew just what he was talking about.

She later asked M how much chocolate milk he had drank. He informed her, matter of factly, that he had drank gallons and gallons. He was so sure that he had an accurate amount!

O has of course been talking up a storm. His brothers find him hysterical and make him say things all the time...odd things at that. O can often be heard saying the following:

WEE WEE Kitty....
Doo Da Doo Da Doo BEANS
EWWWW Pingu

and it is often followed by hysterical laughter...why, I have no idea, but they think it's super funny!

They are growing far too quickly for me!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

It's Official

This is normally, far to many pictures of me, but for all intents and purposes, it is my birthday, so.....
Modeling a lovely shirt, from my bestest friend, who also happened to put the majority of the party together, with help from my mom and sweet hubby.


What girl, born in 1979, didn't grow up without a mixed tape or two...I actually got a mixed tape, twice, during my dating life!


We all know that this mug couldn't be farther from the truth...but it sure is fun!


And this is a picture of my blog book! I am still in awe at the thoughtfullness of my husband! I've even started reading it again...some of the stuff I had forgotten about, so it has most certainly served it's purpose!


Surprise

Not a party...nope, I know I'm having a party. I specifically asked to NOT be surprised on my 30th. I am not a huge surprise fan and to be quite honest, I'm very difficult to pull one over on. I someone can mange to figure out surprises, no matter how hard everyone tries.

I have been surprised a few times in my life...I had a surprise going away party when I left for college, a surprise 19th birthday party, and I was legitimately surprised when Matt proposed. I was also surprised twice...with pregnancies, but those hardly count!

Today, at 11:20am, which is when I woke up, my husband and three sons brought me my first birthday present of the day. I was officially surprised by it! I got my camera, which was FAR more expensive than it should have been, and thought that it was plenty. My sweet and loving husband thought twice. Let me just say, his thought was a phenomenal one!!!!

He, put together all of my blogs, from July of 2006 on and edited them to make a book. He put a cover on it and all! I have 2.5 years of blogs in a 368 page book! I could not been happier. We had talked often about printing it and saving it for our boys to have, since many of the blogs are about them. I am not a big scrapbooker, although I love it, I just can't seem to find the time to fit it in or the money to spend on all the supplies. For under $40 I can have, on paper, a legacy of our life. I am so thrilled!

So thank you Matt! You managed to surprise me again! I love you!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Reflections of a 30 something...

I had typed this horribly long blog about my life. Was it funny, yes, entertaining, certainly. To long to read - absolutely.....so I would like to try to condense it. Lets see how that goes!

As I approach 30, rather quickly I might add, I've thought a lot about how "old" that seems. Not in reality...as I know, 30 is not old. In fact, it's quite young. In 30 years though, my life has been full...fuller and more fulfilling than I could have ever dreamed possible.

Life in the first 10 or 12 years starts out fairly slow. Regular stuff: Barbies, big wheels, Kool Aid stands, scraped knees, stolen bikes, found bikes, dead pets, new pets, laughing, sleep overs, new schools, old friends, new friends...all sorts of fun kids stuff. There was also the "duck stage", that awkward stage between childhood and adolescence. That time when nothing fits quite right, your hair is never coiffed properly and your glasses and teeth are both way too big for your face. It's a rough patch for sure!

The next 5 or 6 years is when it all gets really interesting and seemingly complicated. Now, looking back, it wasn't that complicated at all. Granted, in that moment in my life, some of the things were horribly difficult to deal with. There were the fun moments with friends, cheer leading, banquets, parties, sleep overs, date nights, Spirit Weeks, all the fun stuff that came along with High School. There were of course the awkward and less then fun moments...notes of contempt from dear friends, break ups, stolen boyfriends, car accidents and broken collar bones - not yours but your best friends..that YOU inflicted! First kisses, first drivers ed test - followed by two more to finally pass! Term papers, silly girl fights, tests you barely pass, quizzes you breeze through. I experienced my first, second and third experience with death during these years, a family member and two friends.

By the end of high school, I had chosen a college, breezed through the ACT's and taken an AWESOME senior trip...a trip on which I would meet, my future husband for the first time. At first meeting I was less than impressed with the young man, but he would rock my world, just a few months later!

The end of the year was met with a very difficult choice for me...a choice that was HORRIBLY difficult to make, but a right one. I would loose my first love and be devastated, but secure in the fact that I had chosen what I felt the Lord had for me.

The next few years were a whirlwind. I would officially, meet, date, break up with, take breaks from, chase and run away from, the most wonderful and Godly man, the Lord has ever allowed to cross my path. I was shocked with the way this young man would take over my heart so quickly and how soon I would be certain that he was what God had for me. I love the way that Matt says that I "chased and chased him, until he finally caught me"...which is so completely true.

I would cram 3 years of college into two and still not finish my studies...that boy got hold of me and I just had to marry him. I met wonderful friends and had the time of my life. I would experience a great loss, with the sudden death of my sweet mamaw, I would get food poison at her funeral dinner! I had three roommates my freshmen year, one my best friend from college, the other a girl from Japan and the other a girl from Yugoslavia. Neither spoke great English. My friend and I would often joke that we had the UN meeting in our room!

College was a wonderful experience and one I will never regret doing! It was a great time of growth and change in my life. It helped me realize a bit more who I was.... I had the honor of working for Dr. Jerry Falwell and had a full ride scholarship. I'm still not sure what possessed me to give that all up and get married...oh yes I am, his name is Matt!

The next 5 or 6 years were WOW!

Wow is the best descriptor I can think of....
I was married to my wonderful man in 2000. I would walk an "aisle" in the Rose Garden at The Henry Ford Museum. At the end of that aisle was a man that I have saved myself for and he for me. I was honored and proud that he and I both choose to keep ourselves pure and experience something extremely special and rare with each other that night. We honeymooned, traveled and slept in on a regular basis!

I fell pregnant after only a few months of marriage, only to be devastated when, on Christmas Day, I miscarried our little one. The love that grew inside of me, even for such a short time was immense. It was also a feeling I longed to experience once again. The speed with which this was to happen was not at all like I planned...

In between we would weep at the brush with death that my father in law had and rejoice with tears of joy, when the Lord chose to spare his life. We would struggle with anxiety issues and work through it all.

We struggled with infertility for a year before I finally became pregnant. We prayed, begged, pleaded and were angry with God during that time.... I prayed Hannah's prayer over and over again. I asked God specifically for a son. The second I saw that double pink line, I knew, without a doubt that God had given us a son and his name had to be Samuel and nothing else!

That big bundle of joy would arrive, two days over due, weighing in at a whopping 9 ounds, which wasn't all that impressive, until you added in the 15 inch head and chest and the 22.5 inches long that he was! He made his mommy suffer for almost 2 days before making his noisy debut two days late. He made his entrance with lots of pomp and circumstance...daddy passed out and the c-section was an emergency. He would struggle for a bit after birth, but has proven to be our healthiest child. My life changed forever that day. I heard that cry for the first time and knew I'd never hear a sound sweeter than that. I was wrong...I would hear a sound equally as sweet...two more times in fact. It was a joy to watch Sammy experience all his firsts...and I especially loved his laugh. There is not a much sweeter sound that a babies belly laugh!

My pregnancy with S was relatively uneventful except for preeclampsia and a MASSIVE weight gain. Had the regular morning sickness that lasted a bit longer than expected, but nothing big. We moved into a new home and set into a routine. I was thrown for a loop when the Lord gifted us with the middle child....

S was just 4 months old when I got pregnant with M! The couple who would have to use IVF to get pregnant had managed to do so again and in record time! This pregnancy was a nightmare! Morning sickness plagued me all day long, for nine months. I would puke, puke and puke some more. I actually lost weight that pregnancy and went against all my better judgement and took medication once dehydration became an issue. I had to function and couldn't spend all my time puking with a 4 month old crawling around...S would press his little face to the baby gate that was in the bathroom doorway and babble to me as I heaved up whatever was left in my tummy.

M made his debut, right on schedule, 10 days early. He tried to sneak in at 35.5 weeks, but the kind Doctors at the hospital wouldn't allow him to do so....

His delivery was calm, scheduled and quick. The Doctor set some sort of hospital record in fact with his delivery. My little peanut came into the world weighing 8pounds and had that whopping head and chest like his brother...but was a bit more delicate looking with a 14.5 inch head!! He was healthy and wonderful. Cried and cried and cried some more, which seemed to be his course for the next 6 months. He was our high matience little one.

I went back to subbing and cried like a baby the first day I had to leave my boys at home. I was thrilled when I was able to stop and stay home all the time with my boys. We would loose Matt's grandma during this time as well.

Baby O, would make his debut after only 36.5 weeks baking. He surprised us all...both in his conception and his appearance. I thought two babies was all that was in store for us as Matt was convinced that two babies would be all he could handle. Thank the Lord and the makers of a faulty contraceptive, our little O came into the world kicking and screaming. My pregnancy with him was much like my second one, only the sickness wasn't as severe. It did last the whole pregnancy, but was I was at least functional with him! O was our easy, laid back baby. Went with the flow and just loved being with his mommy, daddy and brothers.

After O was born, Matt started a new job and was laid off after six months. Thankfully, he had a job to return too! The Lord was caring for us. We lost Matt's other grandpa, right before Owen was born. I had a horrible time with post partum issues and am still not immune to the ugly beast of panic and OCD.

We have experienced many things in the last 6.5 years since our children were born. A world of firsts...and hopefully lasts! I cried as I watch my oldest walk into school for the first time on his own, and cried a bit harder when that day was a full day of school. We struggled over the decisions of where to send the kids to school and when to send them. We;ve cheered at first soccer goals, endured eternity long tball games and laughed at our boys who thought that laying on the soccer field was a better idea than actually playing!

We had first steps, first teeth, lost blankies, and weaning from the paci. We've battled bad dreams, illness, and missing blankies. We've faced health issues with our middle and last boys. We've had a son diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and one with a vision issue in one of his eyes. We rejoice in the Lord and the healing that we know he will provide for us.

We've wept with friends and family members who have lost children, before they ever breathed their first breath here on earth and wept even harder at their burials. We've seen friends married and babies born. I lost a grandfather this past year as well.

My 30 years have been full. They have been blessed. They are far more wonderful than I could have ever dreamed possible. The Lord has blessed my life far above what I could have asked for. The years have not been without heartache or grief, but they have been filled more with joy and laughter.

I'm looking forward to what the next 30 have in store!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Brotherly Love

I love the way sweet O is looking at his older brother. He was listening so intently to what his big brother had to say about the race car in the museum. He loves his big brothers and they love him.



O, refused to hold my hand while we were there. He wanted to walk like a big boy, but I told him he had to hold hands. The museum was just too crowded that day. He insisted that M or S hold his hand and not his loving mommy.



Twice, his oldest brother was his hand of choice...it melts my heart!



Even M got in on the hand holding duty....

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Kids Speak

As I listen to my sweet, middle child, babble random things, I had to laugh when he said: "What's shakin bacon". Not sure where this phrase came from, but it's funny nevertheless.

While driving to a museum yesterday, S commented on a community service road crew that was working. They were wearing their lovely orange vests and cleaning up trash on the side of the freeway. S, spoke up and said: "Look how nice those people are, cleaning trash up on the side of the road! I've seen them do it in the summer, but not in the cold winter. That, is really nice of them".

I smiled, told him that it was indeed nice of them and left it at that. I didn't feel the need to go into detail about WHY they were so kind to pick up trash in the winter time. I didn't want to explain, writing bad checks, DUI's and other infractions on our way to a nice museum trip.

O, has begun to follow in his brothers footsteps nicely. He has begun to call me by my first name now. Yesterday, while he was trying to get my attention, he patted my leg and called, "BEFF", which is typically how my name comes out for small children...that or "Bep", either of which are fine with me!!! Rest assured, all of the children quickly outgrow that stage and go back to calling me mommy. I still, to this day, will call my parents by their first names when I can't get their attention! Somthing about hearing the voice of your child calling your first name does the trick!

Sweet little O, has also taken to calling my mom by her first name....sometimes he includes a "mas" in front of it, which is what he calls his grandmas. I guess he throws that one in for respect.

M, looked at me the other day, quite seriously and said: "I hate to tell you this mom, but, I want a poptart". He was dead serious. My response was:"I hate to tell you this M, but NOPE". He didn't think it was funny, but I did.

O, was pounding on his chest today and kept pointing at himself and jumping up and down, he was also screaming, "I TART, I TART". He was requesting a poptart....but I didn't disagree with him.

One of my nephews, happens to be, "best buddies" with M. They do not refer to each other as cousins, but only as best buddies. They are always together and beg to see each other every day. Nephew C was going to spend the night, and so was niece A, last week. The kids were all playing and enjoying themselves, when out of the chaos, a large yell was heard. Five small children were all playing, so a yell was certain, but it was a hurt yell, so we went to see what it was. To make a long story short C, hit our S, with a large wooden toy. The hitting wasn't the issue, it was the refusal to speak to either Matt or myself when it happened that got Mr. C into a heap of trouble. We ended up taking him home and wouldn't allow him to spend the night. I sat M down to tell him that we were going to have to take his "best buddy" home because of his behavior. M, looked at me, quite seriously and started to say something, I had prepared a short lesson in my head on respecting adults and listening and not hitting, so that M could learn from this experience. I was certain he was going to be crushed. Instead, this is what I heard from M: "Is A still staying the night" I told him she was and his response was "Well, that's fine then, take him home, as long as I have A with me, it's not big deal". So much for being a best buddy!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Tantrum Thorwing 101

Begin by throwing yourself on the floor, in a room full of people. Be sure that people are watching:

Then look around and scream at the top or your lungs. Growl, yell and cry. Again, be sure that people are watching.

Raise leg, continue screaming and flaling. Make sure that mommy and daddy both know what your crying about. Consider whether or not kicking would benefit your cause.

Decide that kicking would indeed benefit your cause and try to kick daddy in the leg. Roll a little more, kick again....and then instatnly dry it up when mommy puts the camera down - reevaluated whether kicking was indeed a good idea?!?!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Sweet Snapshot Saturday



Since I missed Fridays blog...her is a picture of me and my love - seeing as it is Valentines Day and all! Note the straight hair - my youngest sister is a miracle worker. Give her some scissors, hair dye, a blow drier and a round brush, and she can make any hair look wonderful!

**Please ignore the fat face that goes with the great hair and handsome man...we are working on that one!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

My Mud Magnet

We had a bit of a heat waver here in the North, the last two days. It was a welcome change! 56 degrees was a far cry from the -17 we had not long ago!
S is enjoying his new found freedom in walking home from school! He is officially a "big boy", at least in his mind. Thankfully, the school is a stones throw from the house and I can see him the entire time he's walking.

His walk was relatively uneventful, if you discount the large rocks I saw his throwing into a puddle near the road! He had a great time stopping and watching things, looking into the creek and attempting to NOT step in puddles.

It came time to cross, and me, being the genius that I am, told him to cross where he was standing and not worry about walking to the park driveway. He started to run across the road and the rest is...well a mess.

Notice in this picture, not my handsome son, but the large, mud filled median. Since the road construction early this winter, we have lots of mud still.


I noticed he was stuck, and immediately grabbed my camera. I took it out with me to try out my new camera and lens outside. I'm so glad I did. By the time I stopped laughing and was able to focus the camera he had one foot out of the mud.


He just kept pulling and trying and pulling and trying. As you can see, his feet were definitely sunk in that mud. I started to cross the street and get him....


and he freed his other trapped foot!


He quickly darted across the street, with his mud laden tennis shoes! He was less than thrilled that his good school shoes were full of mud. Mind you, had he gotten his shoes muddy of his own accord he would have been fine with it!


The muddy hands - from removing......


The muddy shoes! No worries though, the mud came right off those Sketchers and look as good as new!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


This week, I did not do the following things:

I did not, on two occasions, stay in my pjs until well into the afternoon. I am not that lazy.

I also did not have my husband come home from work, on one of those pj afternoons, that I did not do, and hear him say, "your still in your pajamas"!!

I certainly, did not steal an idea from MckMamma's blog, and then sing her praises when it kept my children busy for hours. They are not still playing with the same dried beans!

I definitely did not, thoroughly enjoy an evening out with my husband and cousins. I never enjoy leaving my kiddies at home.

On the night out that we didn't take, we did not see a great movie, that caused me to audibly gasp! I'm never that caught up in what I'm watching.

I definitely did not, take a nap, almost everyday this week. I never nap that frequently.

I certainly did not let my two younger kids eat mini Oreos with their breakfast this morning...after all, we always eat balanced meals.

I did not, nor did my husband, resort to holding our 2.5 year old up in the air, to have him point at what he wanted when we simply could not decipher what he was asking for. We always make him use his words.

I also didn't turn into "one of those moms" at church last week, when for the second week in a row, my 5 year old dumped his cup of chocolate milk down the front of this shirt, before service even started. I was not overly annoyed that we had to attend a baby dedication after our church service and I was not incredibly dumbfounded at the fact that the words "do not tip this cup like you did LAST WEEK, or it will spill again", had just left my mouth.

I also did not, under any circumstances, not do laundry for three days. I know that not doing laundry would create a massive, mound of mystery stained clothing and moldy towels - so I'd never do that!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Adventures in Potty Training

This post isn't for the weak tummies. It involves several bodily functions. All are messy and unwanted anywhere but in your bathroom toilet....they didn't occur in my toilet all the time.

So, I decided it was time, for my non verbal, slightly spoiled and completely adorable child to be potty trained. We are pushing three here folks....thankfully, O is small for his age, and still looks totally small enough to be placed on one of those shopping mall changing tables.

I'd put it off long enough. I was dreading potty training my last little man. The older two boys were so different in their potty training routine, I wasn't sure what to expect.

S was a breeze. Took about 2 weeks to get him mostly trained. He still needed diapers at nap and bedtime, but that was just fine. Two diapers a day versus 6 or 8 was a huge money saver - and yes, at 2.5, I needed that many diapers a day. Our children, thankfully, are great poopers. Yes, folks, I'm talking about my children's bowel habits on my blog.

S did great. He needed little prompting and had to sit backwards to pee for the longest time, but it worked. He also had to take off his pants, shoes and socks to go potty, which was fine as long as we were at home, not so fine say at...the grocery store or church. He has outgrown that habit...in case you were wondering.

Then it was M's turn to train...WOW! I had met my match. We tried training right before O was born, but I went into labor 3.5 weeks early and that kind of went out the window with a newborn at home. We tried again, once I was feeling better from the post partum issues, and M was used to having a new baby in the house. He was almost 3 by this point. Dangerously close to 3. I always swore I wouldn't be one of those mothers, hoisting a 50lb 3 year old up on the changing tables...never say never. Thankfully, M still doesn't weight 50lbs and he's 5...but still, he was big.

The child was impossible. He is laid back...so laid back in fact, that he would poop and or pee his pants and not care. He'd sit in underwear that were soiled and not say a word. It wouldn't be until I smelled/stepped in something that I discovered the "accident". I was convinced as time went on, that is was less and less an accident and more laziness.

We had to resort to a spank every time he peed his pants when he told me, "I just don't want to go in the toilet, I'm busy". It took months to get him trained enough to leave the house without extra clothes. He was still having accidents at 4.5. He's yet to stay dry through the night - but in hindsight, his diabetes might have had something to do with the accidents later in age and the night wetting....

O, I was certain was going to be a nightmare. He still wasn't talking much and it's difficult to potty train when a child isn't verbal. The first week was shaky at best. He didn't want to go in the potty and would fight when we tried to put him on it...I was persistent.
Week 2 went oddly well and we've continued down that path for quite some time!
Naps often are accompanied by a dry pull up....nights, not so much! He's doing great and is even to the point where he tells us he has to go potty, instead of me taking him every 30 minutes.

That being said, I've cleaned up my share of poop and pee puddles around our house. Some, poop issues are to disgusting to even talk about...like the time, he tried to dump his own potty and missed, and then tried to clean the poo up himself.....just let your mind wander on that one.

I've also been reminded that the makers of potty chairs, aren't always conscience of little boys and how their plumbing works....until a boy learns to pee standing up, there is some direction issues. I've cleaned up more pee of walls and doors in my boys lives than I care to remember.

We've also had some moments of poohing on the playroom floor....not fun for your brothers who happen to to playing in there with you. Those moments are often accompanied by, two screaming brothers...one of which is dry heaving from the site and smell.

All in all, it's been mostly smooth sailing and for that, I am grateful. I'm sure there are still more wet pants and undies that have to be thrown out in store trash cans to be had.....but for now, I am proud of my newly potty trained boy, and of myself, for getting the last one out of diapers....

So long Pampers, Luvs, Huggies and mostly store brand diapers...you have served me well for the last 6.5 years, but alas...I have no need for you anymore. We have graduated to your more superior counterpart - the Pull Up - equally expensive, but much better suited for our needs.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Who Knew

Who would imagine that a bag of dried pinto beans, a few trains, a cookie sheet, a spoon and a toddler would bring hours of fun, not to mention peace! He had such a wonderful time pushing those beans all around. He would load them in his cargo cars and crash them. He laughed and chattered away the whole time!



I tried to get him to look at me and smile...this is the face my sweet O gave me. He was just too busy working to pay me much attention.

He kept telling me - "Beans are rocks mommy". I told him, before he started playing, that these beans were raw and he shouldn't eat them. As is par for the course with my rebellious always obedient children, he only tried to eat the beans twice! He loves pinto beans...any bean really. One or two bites of dried pinto beans was all he needed to convince him that mommy was right on this one!

I love his sweet, hardworking, little hands!



For more awesome and kid friendly ideas, check out MckMammas blog. She had a bunch of fun ones! I'd heard of doing this with rice, but the thought of rice stuck in the grooves of my hardwood floor was more than I could handle for one day. The beans were simple and an easy clean. As a matter of fact, we left them on the tray, ready for a fun day of play tomorrow.
M and S, who wanted nothing to do with the idea at first, saw how much fun their little brother was having and begged to join in the fun! They even shut off the computer! This kept them busy until dinner - which was 45 minutes and they begged to keep playing. O played for almost 2 hours. That's right folks...2 hours! A 2.5 year old sat and played for 2 hours and only stopped once to go potty!

Life Lessons and Theology

I had a long conversation with M the other day about the ocean. This conversation, was of course, inspired by an episode of Sponge Bob, as all our great conversations are....
M: Mommy, is the ocean real.
Mom: Yes, it's beautiful. One day, we will go a see it.
M:(insert jumping up and down) I can't wait to see the ocean.
M: Are jelly fish real?
Mom: Yes, they are very real.
M: Can you catch them like Sponge Bob does?
Mom: No. You can catch them, but not like Bob does, and you really wouldn't want to.
M: Why?
Mom: When mommy was a little girl, she and grandma got stung by jelly fish in the ocean.
M: Did it hurt, did you cry, what did you do?
Mom: Wasn't horrible, yes it hurt a little bit.
M: NEVER MIND! I'm never going to the ocean.
That was the end of that conversation. I'm certain, I have now traumatized my child, and have made it so that he will never swim in the ocean!

S is always asking me questions about deep, theological things. Things I rarely know the answer to.
A few days ago, while at the eye doctor, he wanted to know who made tornadoes and why. He wanted to know if God made tornadoes, why does he let them happen? He then wanted to know if one would come here....The only thing I could answer is that if one came here, we have a plan of what to do and that we trust in the Lord and his plan for our lives. If was hard to explain the whole "God allows things to happen because of our choices" thing to a 6 year old. I did try though.

On a silly note....S has been complaining about his eyes not seeing well and being blurry. I asked him what was blurry.
Is it blurry up close? yes
Is it blurry far away? yes
Is this blurry (holding something in front of him)? (squinty eyed) yes
What isn't blurry? Nothing. Everything is blurry.

I assured him he was going blind then...and that seemed fine with him. I told the eye Dr. and so did S. S told him how everything was blurry. The kind and understanding opthamologist told S that his eyes were still perfect...but that maybe one day, he could get glasses. That seemed to end the blurry vision.

O has been talking up a storm. He's trying to tell us stories now and has taken to calling one of his grandmas or MAS as he calls them, by her first name, Nancy. It's quite funny!

No Flashing

I love the quality of pictures I get when I don't use my flash. I wish I could figure out how to NEVER use it! I just need to purchase one of the big umbrella light thingies, that photographers use and carry it around with me every place I go. I can do that right?!? Just add it to the diaper bag with all the other junk necessities.





Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Our Hope Endures

This song, Our Hope Endures, by Natalie Grant, has blessed me and spoken to me in many ways. I hope it will do the same for you. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, there is a link to hear the song.
You would think only so much can go wrong

Calamity only strikes once

And you assume that this one has suffered her share

Life will be kinder from here


Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years

Sometimes the sky rains night after night

When will it clear

But our hope endures the worst of conditions

It's more than our optimism

Let the earth quake

Our hope is unchanged


How do we comprehend peace within pain

Our joy at a good man's wake

Walk a mile with a woman whose body is torn

With illness but she marches on


Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years

Sometimes the sky rains night after night

When will it clear

But our hope endures the worst of conditions

It's more than our optimism

Let the earth quake

Our hope is unchanged


Emanuel, God is with us El Shaddai, all sufficient

Emanuel, God is with us El Shaddai, all sufficient

Emanuel, God is with us El Shaddai, all sufficient

We never walk alone


This is our hope Our hope endures, the worst of conditions

It's more than our optimism let the earth quake let the earth quake let the earth quake

Our hope is unchanged



Monday, February 2, 2009

Not Me Monday

If you love the "Not Me" therapy, visit MckMamma's blog carnival HERE. I am certain it will make you laugh....and feel just a little bit better about your Not Me moments!

This week, I did not, sit in our lazy boy for three hours. That would simply be lazy and I don't have the time, or the energy to be lazy!

I definitely, do not live in such a cold state, that I heard my husband say, "WOW, I'm not wearing this sweater today, it's going to be 32 degrees!". That would just be too cold of a state to live in to think that 32 was a heat wave!

I most certainly, did not tell my family, that I don't want a surprise 30th birthday party, and proceed to help them with the planning. I am not that vocal, ever!

I also did not "sniff" a pair of yoga pants this week to see if they were clean. My laundry is always, clean folded and put away. I would never have to sniff clothes to see if they were "not stinky enough" to wear.

I did not have a fun time with my friend Carrie, laughing and feeling like we were in a twilight zone while dining at a local Wendy's restaurant. The girl behind the counter did not yell, curse and shoot dirty looks to all her fellow workers, while the rest of us stood at the counter and stared. I was not hysterical.