Safe Keeping

Today, the Lord, saw fit to spare the lives of my boys and I. There is NOTHING else that could have stopped the events of today. No one.

While driving down the road this afternoon, with the boys, I was frustrated. The boys were being silly and fighting. While in the store, they spilt their drinks twice. We had to let a friends dog out, the boys let him out the front door. It was just one of those days. My fuse has already been abnormally short lately. I've stayed on edge. I've spent far too much time yelling and fussing at my boys.

It was really sunny this afternoon too.

I was driving, into the sun, and fussing at the boys. I was approaching a railroad crossing. One of those awkward ones, in the middle of a main road...one of those dangerous ones, with no gate that comes down - just flashing lights. I was paying attention to the road and watching traffic. The car in front of me kept driving. I happened to notice that the cars, on the other side of the road had stopped, that's when I heard the train honk. I looked up, just in time to see a train, approaching at full speed.

In that split second, I thought for sure, we were going to be hit. I knew if I gunned it, I wouldn't clear the tracks and the train would hit us head on. I immediately slammed on the brakes and yanked the wheel to the right. Instead of going on the track, I went down into the "ditch" alongside the train - the spot between the train track and the signal pole. If I would have rolled down my window, I could have touched the side of the train as it roared passed.

Something in my, in that split second knew, I had to NOT go on the tracks. I knew, that meant serious injury or most likely death for me and the boys.

I sat in the van. I didn't move. I didn't try to back the van up and get back on the road. I did nothing. After a second, the kids had calmed down and I had gathered my thoughts, I calmly got out of the car and got in the backseat with the boys. I immediately told them what had just happened. I told them that the Lord, saw fit to save us. To spare our lives. We stopped and prayed and thanked God for HIS protection.

The train conductor stopped the train a bit down the tracks. He walked back to the van to check on us and be sure no one was hurt. I apologized profusely and explained to him what happened. With the sun shining you couldn't see the flashing lights. I just missed it. The car in front of me must not have seen the lights either because he blew right over the tracks. He told me that people were on the way to get me out of the ditch and to come and help.

Within a few minutes the police had arrived and some more people to inspect the train - which broke something when it braked to try to miss hitting our van. The second train driver came back and talked to me for a minute - well, he talked and I cried, a lot. He told me, he was shocked that I didn't hit anything. He also wanted to be sure that the train didn't hit us at all. He was shocked. He thought for sure we would hit. He was so very kind. He said hello to the boys and asked them if they were ok. They assured him they were fine.

After we determined, my van was indeed stuck, the tow truck came to get me out. The driver of the tow truck was also extremely kind. He was patient and helped explain everything to me. He was telling me how he had to charge me, but to send the bill to my insurance and they'd pay us back. He also only charged me half of what he normally would. He told me he was glad we were all ok and that he knew I must be really scared.

The police officer, who wasn't quite as friendly, told me that he wasn't going to give me a ticket - even though he could have. I told him I understood all of that and that I really couldn't see the signal...he told me I might have been daydreaming. I didn't argue. I was too overwhelmed. He told me that the mental anguish of what just happened would probably be enough. He wanted to be sure I really understood what had just happened. I assured him I did understand. I told him, the Lord protected us and kept us safe.

I'm convinced someone else took control of my car in that split second. What made me choose to go off the road, along side of the train, I'm convinced was not me.

The Lord, for some reason, chose to spare our lives today. It isn't the first time God has spared my life, or the lives of one of my children. It is however, the first time, that an event, this large in scope has happened. Myself and my boys were a split second from being hit, tboned, by a freight train. A split second reaction changed that.

I struggle with why the Lord chose to spare us, when so many people will loose loved ones today. There is a purpose and a plan that God has for us. I'm certain of that. I thank and praise Him for allowing us to live.

Silly Phrases

*Matt was watching The Polar Express with the boys. There is a scene at the end where the reindeer at tired from pulling the heavy sleigh. M made us all laugh when he announced: If I was a reindeer, I'd totally hit Santa with my antlers for making me pull that heavy sleigh around! We all died laughing!!!

*O has recently learned how to play a few games on the computer. The other day, he wasn't allowed to play computer. When I told him no, I wouldn't turn a game on for him, he told me...That's fine, I'll just watch the blank screen.

*One Saturday morning, a construction crew was across the way. It was early and they were LOUD! Loud enough to wake several of us up, quite early, on a Saturday...but I digress... M, woke up scared to death. He started crying. Finally, Matt figured out where the noise was coming from and I was able to explain it to M. His answer made me chuckle...Oh good (insert relieved sigh here), I thought it was an alien ship landing in our front yard to come and take us!!

*S, has gone from saying lots of funny things...to lots of profound, sassy and silly things! He's getting to the age where he's far more serious than the other two about things.

*S, has taken to wearing sports jerseys as much as possible. His friend gave him several once he outgrew them. I had to make him take his Michigan jersey off yesterday. It had been three days...and nights. I assured him, I'd have it washed in time for the "big game" on New Years. He's getting so big!

*S got all A's on his report card - we were so proud of him! He's a bright boy and a hard worker. His teacher said his behavior is wonderful too!

*M, also got what would be the equivalent of all A's - he still gets number grades. His teacher said we need to work on bringing him more into "reality" without squashing all his creativity...good luck with that one!!!

Growing Up

My babies are growing up...WAY TO QUICKLY!

We just had to buy S, some new clothes. If it isn't holes in the knees of his pants, his pants are too short on him. This seems to be a trend for him..buy him new clothes in the Fall - buy him the next size in the winter. I love that he's still not picky about what he wears. There are a few things, I know he won't wear to school, but other than that, he'll wear whatever I set out for him.

M, has taken to a new "fear" thing. I'm not sure where it's come from, but he's afraid to go in ANY room alone. I feel bad for him, but struggle to not be annoyed when he won't back to the entry way to get his coat by himself.

When we were talking about fear, we were remembering back to some of the things are boys have been afraid of...ants, birds, balloons, spiders, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, ANY costumed character really, these little "playdough" characters that used to sing on Nickelodean. Lots of fun things. One of my favorites, was when S, insisted he had a family of bears that lived in his bedroom. He was right around 3 at the time. The most "challenging" fear, was O's, fear of balloons...that was just obnoxious. Birthday parties were a nightmare. We had to walk on the far side of the hallway if a store had balloons in the entry.

The other day, I was dancing in the living room. I was messing around with the younger boys and doing silly dance moves - as if I know any REAL dance moves - S, looked at me and asked me to stop. I told him no because we were having fun. Then he pulled out the big guns..."Mom, your embarassing me"...WHAT!!?!?!? Have we already reached that point.

While playing cars with the boys, the informed me that I wasn't doing it right. When I apologized, S, told me, sweetly, Mom, don't worry, your only being about 2% annoying. Good thing, I was only being 2 percent annoying...Sheesh. I'm not looking forward to the day when I'm going to be 100% annoying!

S announced that he'd like to move to Virginia. We told him that we would be far away from our family here and he said...that's ok. They can just come and visit. Typical male...

M was at a party with us. There was a boy at the party who was tormenting him all night. Finally, after M had enough, he walked up to us and said: "Can someone just TELEPORT that kid outta here!"...and then walked away.

I was getting ready to drop O off at work with Matt on a Saturday. The older boys were already there helping him to some things. When we were getting ready to leave, O asked if daddy's black teacher was going to be there...I stopped for a minute, stunned and trying to figure out what he was talking about. Our older boys still haven't differentiated or called attention to skin color so we were a little surprised. After a few questions, I figured out who he was talking about. I told him what his name was and that we would call him that. O looked at me and smiled and said: "I hope he's there. I love him. I love black...it's my favorite color"

A few days ago, O was telling me that daddy plays trains with him. I've been feeling guilty lately about spending enough "quality" time with the boys, so I asked O what I do with him...he told me...sit on the couch. YIKES!! Score one for the mommy guilt.

The boys continue to do well in school. I love S's papers...105% on a Social Studies test, 106% on a spelling test...and he's getting A's on his Math tests too!
M is breezing through in his typical fashion. He still says he's bored and that the work is too easy - but he loves that he gets three recesses still.
O has been doing work with me at home and is learning the rest of his letters. I fear he's a little behind where the older boys are...in fact, I know he's behind M. M was reading by this age. I know all kids are different though. For all the letter knowledge O lacks, he has twice the common sense of his older brothers.

M's diabetes seems to be under good control and the doctors don't seem concerned with his B12 levels anymore. I think it was more of an oddity that they wanted to check out than anything.

All in all, we are a blessed family. We want for nothing - the Lord has continued to provide for us above and beyond what we need.

Sometimes

Sometimes, I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants.
Sometimes, My kids make me want to laugh, cry, scream and hug them...all in a span of 10 minutes.
Sometimes, I have NO idea what I'm doing.
Sometimes, I feel like I'll never catch up.
Sometimes, I think I'm too lazy.
Sometimes, I spend money I shouldn't spend.
Sometimes, I get REALLY excited when I get a great sale on something AND I have coupons.
Sometimes, I'm secretly proud that my boys ask if stuff is on sale and if I have a coupon for it!
Sometimes, I ignore my kids.
Sometimes, I feel guilty for ignoring my kids.
Sometimes, I enjoy doing ANYTHING alone...even if it's just going to the grocery store.
Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed with responsibility.
Sometimes, I feel like too many people depend on me.
Sometimes, I am amazed at my children's abilities.
Sometimes, I feel crazy.
Sometimes, I think I have it figured out...then I realize I'm wrong.
Sometimes, I take things for granted.
Sometimes, I say things I shouldn't.
Sometimes, I'm scared...of everything.
Sometimes, I let my mind run away with itself and don't trust in the Lord's protection.
Sometimes, I lack faith.
Sometimes, I'm rude.
Sometimes, I laugh until I get a headache.
Sometimes, I let my kids eat candy for breakfast.
Sometimes, I forget to set meat out for dinner...on purpose.
Sometimes, I take my husband for granted.

The Rambling Post

O, shouted out the window the other day, to the boys principal no less...."See ya wouldn't wanna be ya"! Yep, that's my 4 year old.

M, after dancing like a maniac at my brothers wedding, was walking to the car with me. I stopped him and told him that he was a dancing fool. He looked at me, with all seriousness and told me: "Mom, I told ya I got the moves!". He does have the moves too!

O has taken to asking, since we drove through 6 states in 12 hours, on the way to my brothers wedding, if we are in Michigan all the time. If we drive for more than 10 minutes, he wants to know if we are still in MI. Poor kids confused I think!

The boys were great travelers. I'm quite sure they did better than Matt and I!

I wish I didn't struggle so much with motion sickness. I find it is getting increasingly worse. I hate it.

I've decided that my dream home will have a first floor laundry room and two bathrooms. My wants are simple.

I've become increasingly grateful for my husband. The man works hard and comes home and plays with our children, helps around the house AND is working on his Masters.
The Lord has richly blessed me with a wonderful husband and father.

We can't decide on whether or not we should get the boys DS's for Christmas this year. We are pretty anti video game around here, but think that having these little games might be nice for the kids. We'd have to put some strict limits on them with the boys....who knows. I will ashamedly admit, that in the back of my mind, I've thought it would give me leverage as a punishment sometimes. I'm a mean mom.

I'm thrilled that we've found another babysitter. A responsible young lady from church, who is able to care for M's needs. She grew up with a mother who had Type 1 diabetes, as well as an insulin pump. She's no stranger to the signs and symptoms of hypo/hyperglycemia. It's so wonderful to have someone else to call for help!

I bought my boys a $5 movie while away for the wedding. It was Flushed Away. We'd never seen it. I think my boys watched it 4 times on the way home. I've never heard such belly laughing in all my life. I love that sound...except for when we've been in the car for 11 plus hours....then it gets a little old.

I love Glee, but was a bit "put off", but their photo shoot for GQ, though not surprised. I was MORE outraged, by the fact that, a photo that my sons would have NEVER seen, a photo that was meant for a magazine that we would never purchase, was plastered all over my TV screen all day long, on channels that are often on for us to check weather and such. At one point, I had to quickly turn it off when I saw my 8 year old son glued to the TV set.

I also had an interesting conversation with my boys last week. They had some questions about someone that we saw at my brothers wedding. There were some questions as to a guests gender and the way that they were behaving. The kids wanted to know why a boy would want to look and act like a girl. I was thankful, after a brief prayer, that I was able to answer the boys in a way I felt proper. I told them, in a nutshell, that we should be thankful for the gender that God made us. That he made boys to act/look like boys, etc. I told them that we need to be sure that we act/dress like the sex that we are as well. I was also sure to tell them that although we don't agree with their choice, we don't hate people who choose that life style, nor do we make fun of them or call them names. They responded very well.

I am happy with the pictures I was able to get of my brothers wedding and of our boys while we were there. It was fun to be able to get some nice pictures of my children, instead of someone elses for a change!

Mouth of Babes

O, asked me last week if I could change his brain to blue. He informed me that he was done having it red and would like me to paint it blue. Alrighty then.

M, after getting all ready for picture day at school, looked int he mirror and proclaimed...WOW, I really look like a man mom!

S, told me that my idea for his costume this year was, in no uncertain terms, LAME. Lame...seriously. He's 8...isn't everything lame when your 8?!?!

O, told me that when he grew up he wanted to be big like me. When I told him, he would probably be bigger than mommy, he said, he wanted to be big and fat just like me. Yep...big and fat.

M, informed us that all of the kids think his shoes are "sweet" and that is why they all play with him and want to follow him around. He's also convinced that it their was a power outage or a lock down drill that they would call on him to have his "sweet Sketcher Illuminators", lead the way through the dark!

O, told us that his favorite Grandma is Grandma Venita...not because she loves him or spends time with him or anything like that...it's because she has a "Hi phone" - translated I phone.

S, told us that he was moving in with some family friends. When I asked him why...his answer was simple - they have TWO I phones, a Wii, lots of ice cream, and a HUGE snack basket that you can get stuff out of whenever you want. I told him I wanted to move in there too. He didn't think it was funny.

Just a FEW of the things my kiddies have been saying lately.

Murphy's Law

I TRY...really I do...to be a positive person. I try to find good in most things, to enjoy life as it comes. It doesn't always work. Last week, I had one of those mornings. You know the type. A day when, if it can go wrong, it will. It was almost the stuff reality TV shows are made of, or at least a comedy of some sort. At the time, I was NOT laughing. Now, it's a bit more humorous.

M had an appointment at Children's Hospital, downtown. The appointment was at 10. This would give me enough time to get S to school, get all of us packed for what could be a three hour appointment, get gas and head down there. To park often takes quite sometime too.

The drive down is sometimes interesting too. When there was construction last summer it took me 25 minutes to get there one time and then over an hour to get there the next!

This appointment was with Hematology. It was an appointment I was anxious to have, as it was to discuss the B12 levels M has had and to see if we could pinpoint why he wasn't gaining weight like he should. The nurse who booked his appointment didn't help put my mind at ease with her answers to my questions..."The doctor wants you to come in and speak with her"...I hate that answer. Is my kid ok or not!?!?! Turns out he's fine...just a bit of a medical oddity!

I drop S off at school and M and O, and I are off. I tell the boys we have to stop and get gas. Instead of going to the gas station right at our corner, I decide to go a bit further down the road to the cheaper station. We live directly off a freeway exit/entrance ramp and the gas prices are often quite higher than the stations another 1/2 mile down the road!

I pulled in, put $10 in the tank and then decided I'd get the boys and I a drink. We still had a little bit of extra time. I started the car and moved it away from the gas pump so someone else could pump gas.

We went in, bought our drinks and walked back to the car. I buckled O in his seat and tried to start the car. It wouldn't start! I started talking to the car... and tried starting it three more times. I noticed a REALLY strong gas smell and hopped out to see if I could see something wrong...drivers side of the car was fine...passenger side was NOT! Gas and antifreeze was dumping out from underneath my car!

I quickly grabbed the boys and moved them away from the car and told them to sit down while I ran to get the car seats and my purse from the car. The whole time I was thinking, I hope a smoker doesn't come and toss a lit cigarette near me"...with visions of my car exploding, flowing through my mind!

The objects were retrieved with no incident. I ran in to tell the cashier that gas was all over the parking lot and she came out to pour that stuff they pour on it when gas spills.

I called my husband and we began calling everyone within a 10 mile radius to come and retrieve us. No one answered. Seriously...no one answered their phone. My dear husband, finally got a hold of his mom...and sent her to the wrong gas station! No big deal right?!?! We are in the age of technology - we'll just call her...except she left her cell phone at home!

My brother in law/father in law are going to leave and try to catch up with my mother in law...only they forgot to reattach the bed of the truck - they had removed the "cab", the night before and hadn't reattached the bed yet.

My mom calls me back...she's going to come and rescue me. I call her after a few minutes of thinking she should be there. She went to the wrong gas station! No lie. I tell her where I am...fighting back tears the whole time.

How on earth can TWO people go to the wrong place! Is that even possible! By this point, I've called Children's twice to let them know we are running late, begging them at the same time to not cancel M's appointment. It's so difficult to get in there and I didn't want to miss it.

My mom pulls up at the station at the exact same time my father/brother in law does...my phone rings at that same second and it's my mother in law. She's driven back home to get her phone. Everyone came to my rescue...all at the same time. I can't help but chuckle just a little bit.

I loaded the boys and ran my mom back home. I receive a phone call that sends me over the edge and the tears start flowing. One problem, I'm a HORRID crier...ugly, messy, nasty crier. I gag and dry heave by the end of it - it's rough. I'm trying to regain my composure and drive my boys at the same time - thankfully, I brought it under control in a timely manner.

We pull into the parking garage at Children's - drive up all 14 levels and back down again. The whole structure is full. In the 3.5 years we've been going to children's AT LEAST 5 times a year, it's never been full...NEVER. Today, it's full.

I pull up to the valet who quickly tells me that I need to get locks on the rims of my car (which happens to be my dad's AWESOMELY sweet red Impala) because people STEAL THOSE RIMS all the time. What?!?! Someone's going to steal my dad's rims while I'm here was my response to his statement...his answer...a shrug.

To make a very long story...just a little less long....

His appointment went well - much better than I had expected. His odd blood work is just that...odd. Nothing to worry about. He gained a little weight and actually grew a little too!

The rims were still on the vehicle when I returned.

The funniest part of the whole story is this:
Matt got home from work and started looking at the car. He couldn't see anything wrong. He got in the car and it started right up. No problems...do leaking...nothing. We've tried to recreate this "issue" to no avail. The car is fine.

So - the moral of the story is...well...I have no idea. I'm certain the Lord was trying to show me something that day...possibly patience and reliance on Him. I'm learning Lord.

Lessons of Motherhood

I watched a video about what first time mothers would tell themselves if they could go back to before their first child was born...got me thinking...what would I have told myself...

DONT weigh yourself when you first get home from the hospital. It won't help you feel better about yourself. If you retained ANY water during pregnancy and had IV fluid during your hospital stay, you WILL NOT come home any lighter. It takes a week or two for you body to adjust...THEN weigh yourself.

Sleep is optional...especially at night.

Sleep when the baby does - at least once a day.

If you don't breastfeed, your children will not be learning impaired, sick all the time and allergic to everything - including air.

You are NOT a failure or love you baby any less if you choose to give them a bottle. You are however a champ if you stick it out and nurse...just not a better mother for doing it.

You are not a failure if you have a c-section. The goal is a healthy baby...regardless of how their entry is made.

Drugs during labor were MY friend - they are not everyones.

Your heart will now beat outside your body.

Your mother and your mother in law know more than you about newborns.

Trust your instincts

Your baby will get sick. You will panic. You will call people at all hours of the night to see how you use that boogger sucker outer thingy.

You will realize that you are capable of a love much deeper than you ever thought possible.

You will deal with more bodily fluids than you ever dreamt of...and none of them will gross you out like you thought they would.

You will love your husband more truely and deeply than before.

Don't google any odd things your child does or has...it will only panic you.

You will cry as much as your child during their first set of shots.

You can't die from not sleeping.

Your child will EVENTUALLY sleep through the night.

Sleep at night helps you handle just about anything during the day.

Sometimes babies cry for no reason.

Pacifiers are your best friend...and your worst enemy...all at the same time.

Learn to swadle.

Babies don't need shoes.

Those gowns are all you need for night time sleeping with a newborn...no buttons or snaps at night!!

Baby boys will pee on their face at some point...you will be baffled as to how he does that...there will even be a point where their will be pee everywhere, BUT, in the still dry diaper.

It will take you 1 hour longer to do anything or go anywhere.

You will wonder what you ever did with all of your time before your little one comes.

Free time is no longer in your vocabulary.

Mommy guilt is real.

Mommy guilt SUCKS.

Never say the words...my child will never...it's dangerous.

You WILL buy character clothing/shoes...even if you said you wouldn't.

One will look just like you. One will not.

It is possible and ok to think your newborn is ugly.

You might have to take a bit to bond with your little one before you feel like a momma!

Your husband may say: " I CANT BELIEVE THEY ARE LETTING US LEAVE WITH IT!!!"...you will agree and laugh!

Seven

My middle boy is seven. Seven long years have passed since he came into this world - after a brief attempt at being born at 36 weeks - he held out until 39 weeks. He weighed in at a whopping 7lbs and 15ounces - 1 pound smaller than his big brother and ten days earlier! He cried right away and helped to put his momma's mind at ease. That day, my heart grew bigger than I thought it could. I was so concerned about how I'd love another person as much as I loved S...but it came naturally. I felt more at ease as a mother and better equipped to handle a newborn.

M, was NOT the easiest infant. He slept through the night around 8 weeks..not to shabby. He woke to eat every 4 hours through the night - which wasn't bad. During the day, for the first 12 weeks, it was another story! He was what my mother in law refers to as a "lap baby". He wanted to be held...all the time. Even holding him didn't always cut it. He was our fussy boy. After 3 or 4 months though, something changed. He turned into a content and easy going little one. He still is an easy going guy. Goes with the flow and often has fun by himself.

M, has a wonderfully vivd imagination. He is kind and protective of his little brother and shares his things quite well. He's HORRIBLY picky eater and extremely strong willed. He once sat at our kitchen table for 3.5 hours because he wouldn't eat a bite of banana!

He is extremely intelligent. He knew his letters and sounds by the age of two and taught himself to read by 4. He has surprised me many days with the things that he knows. His common sense though isn't quite up to par though!! He has often been seen wearing his shirt, inside out and backwards, his shoes on the wrong feet and his coat inside out! We are thankful, he's stopped wearing his pants backwards!

He has handled his diabetes with the grace and strength of a warrior. He rarely complains about his finger pokes and he's more than learned the functions of his pump. He still hates bloodwork..despite the frequency of it. He's small for his age...but has stayed on his growth curve.

I look forward to his healing in the near future.

Our life has been richly blessed, but the VERY unexpected arrival of Mr. M! He was not planned, but more than what we could have asked for!

Now Recording

I'm going to make a recording of all the things I need to say to my children each day. I have begun to feel like a broken record.

Put your glasses on.
Where are your glasses?
Stop looking over your patch.
**These three phrases are heard at least 42 dozen times a day in our house.
Get out your pump.
Check your sugar.
Did you dose yourself?
It's 27 carbs....
**These phrases are also said multiple times a day...more than the glasses phrases I would venture to guess!

Some others...
Don't hit your brother.
Get your hands out of there.
Don't touch that.
Stop flipping over the furniture.
Quit jumping on the bed.
Put your sheets and pillowcases back on the bed.
Turn off the TV.
Stop whistling.
Stop yelling.
No you can't have a THIRD Popsicle.
Brush your teeth...with toothpaste...and water...and a toothbrush.
Wash your hands...did you wash your hands...your hands are disgusting.
Stop walking along the top of the couch.
Put that back.
No, you can't go to grandmas and play Wii.
No, we are NEVER buying a Wii...or any video game system for what it's worth.
You can't only eat peanut butter sandwiches...you need other food to live.
No more junk.
Ouch...pick this up...the ouch is from where I've stepped on various Legos, Hot Wheel cars, etc.

Just a few of the things that I say on a daily basis. Makes you wonder why kids think I'm mean...I sure have to tell them no a whole lot!

Interviewing my boys

I interviewed my three boys...there answers are labeled. Funny boys, barely made it through all the questions!

1. What is something mom always says to you?
S - No and sometimes yes.
M - I love you
O - Don't take off your glasses.

2. What makes mom happy?
S - When our room is clean
M - When I listen to you
) - When you tell me I can play trains


3. What makes mom sad?
S - When our room is dirty
M - When we don't clean our room
O - Don't clean up

4. How does your mom make you laugh
S - When we fall on the ground.
M - When we say "cowabunga"...insert fart noise.
O - When I smile.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
S - Clumsy and lovable
M - you played with daddy?!?!
O - Mrs. Fart Pants

6. How old is your mom?
S - 31
M - 31
O - 60 ...I'm four and Roy is four too.

7. How tall is your mom?
S - 28 feet
M - 30 feet tall
O - 60 30 30
**clearly we need to work on heights

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
S - Mowing the lawn
M - Go to the store
O - Fart - so the four year old has farting on the brain.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
S - Have fun, don't miss us and laugh
M - Miss us...and I miss you!
O - Laugh

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
S - Lawn mowing service
M - Have a lot of money
O - Lawn mowing or swimming

11. What is your mom really good at?
S - Lawn mowing
M - Taking pictures
O -

12. What is your mom not very good at?
S - loving us....sometimes you only tell us "I love you", every few hours.
M - I don't know....
O - Punching.

13. What does your mom do for her job?
S - Take pictures
M - Take Pictures
O - Help daddy

14. What's your mom's favorite food?
S - He refused to answer...his 8 year old attitude kicked in on this question.
M - Hamburgers
O - Eating and drinking...any food. He's so right!


15. What makes you proud of your mom?
S - I don't know.
M - That you might take us to the dollar store
O - Burping...again with the bodily functions

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
S - Jerry - from Tom and Jerry
M - Princess Peach from Mario
O - Catwoman

17. What do you and your mom do together?
S - Lawn mowing
M - Play UNO
O - hold hands and see shooting stars...we do hold hands...the shooting star thing hasn't happened that I recall. It sounds nice though.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
S - We both have feet
M - because when you got to the store I go to the store.
O - He named a bunch of video game characters that we could all play


19. How are you and your mom different?
S - We aren't the same size
M - When you take pictures, we don't go.
O - Swimming...I don't swim in the big pool.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
S - because you give us hugs and kisses and say you love us.
M - all the time you say you love me.
O - because she gives me cereal

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
S - to the store
M - to take pictures.
O - to the Children's Hospital

Things a 4 year old MIGHT....

I have three boys...that means I'm on my third, four year old, male. You'd think one would have the hang of it by now...not so much. O, he's a unique kid. Totally different than his older brothers. He reminds me a lot of myself. He's really laid back and kind of goes with the flow. He isn't picky about food - If I eat it, he will too. The child has no fear. None. He's a monkey.

He has recently acquired a skill. A funny one. A painful one for me though. He has learned, with one jump, to land on my shoulders. It's really funny at first...by the 57th time he's done it, it's painful.

The child is unable to sit still ever. He jumps on the furniture...all the time. He climbs over everything. He jumps and spins and flips constantly. I think he may need to join gymnastics.

I have seen the child actually hanging from the handle of the Walmart cart...upside down. I turned to grab something off the cart and found him hanging upside down from the handle by his legs. Yep...that's my kid.

Just this week, we had our first incident with the EMS...ever. I left the gas can out in the driveway. O decided it would be a good idea to use the hose to fill the gas can with water....this resulted in a SCREAMING four year old, a panicked mother and a house that stunk like gas for 24 hours.

To make a long story short, he is fine. His eyes suffered no damage. My heart didn't fare as well!

Last night, he announced to his daddy...."You shouldn't put Tinker Toys in your pants". Good advice.

He's recently started telling us...I missed you! This phrase of course melts our heart!
This child is on the go. I'm going to have to tie him up.

Camping Do's and Donts

Do cover yourself in MICHIGAN tattoos before you leave. It is imperative that you make your uncle who is a huge STATE fan, angry...at least according to my sons who covered themselves in U of M tats. I drew the line at tats on the forehead.
Do pack bug spray.

Don't bother to spray yourself with it because the mutant mosquito's we have this year are immune to it...even the kind with enough DEET to kill an elephant.

Do take the camper with the air conditioning...

Don't let your kids leave the door open all the time.

Do scream incessantly to "SHUT THE DOOR" to the kids while your camping...

Do feel like your parents for repeating the above a dozen and a half times an hour.

Don't let you four year old take himself to the bathroom in your RV...he will use a full roll of regular toilet paper...and that's bad. My nephew experienced this first hand.

Do let your kids go four wheeling with their uncles, daddy and cousins.

Don't be surprised when they come back covered in mud.

Don't be shocked when you have to wash your hair three times before the smell of the camp fire comes out of it.

Do enjoy sitting by a roaring fire with family and friends at night.

Don't leave a half eaten cake in a box on the picnic table...unless you purposely want the raccoons to eat it.

Do let your kids stay up WAY to late eating junk, drinking pop and playing with their cousins.

Don't be surprised when they still wake up early.

Do let your children have a Pepsi and a Popsicle for breakfast.

Don't deny it when they tell other people that you allowed this to take place.

Don't assume your feet will EVER be clean while your camping.

Don't wash egg leftovers down the sink.

Do take a shower in a campground shower...just so you can experience the smell/feel of well water.

Do take your portable DVD player.

Don't pay attention to people who say.."that's really roughing it".

Do pack several extra changes of clothes...not just for you children but for yourself.

Do not be surprised when you get home when you four year old still wants Pepsi and Popsicles for breakfast.

Do not assume when you see what appears to be a lovely campground pool, that it's actually a "lovely" pool. Do be shocked when you step on the ground of the pool and find it's uneven and clearly put over an area of cement that has been uneven, broken, cement.

Do sign up for the "speel", that gives you 14 free days of camping.

Do not be shocked when the 45 minute talk goes for 2.5 hours.

Do NOT buy the package....it's a scam.

Do enjoy yourself and your family.

Eight is enough

Eight. That's old enough. My oldest blessing is eight. The child I begged God for. We prayed and tried and prayed and tried some more! Finally, our little miracle was on his way. I often think back to the DAYS, yes, DAYS of S's labor. Induction was certainly NOT the way to go with him. After all was said and done our, not to little, blessing was born and after a few small issues was in our arms and healthy!
The time has flown by. I blinked and he was walking, I blinked again and he was starting school. I blinked once more and eight years have gone by! I think I'm done blinking for fear that the next time I do he'll be moving out and getting married!
S is such a sensitive boy. There are times when I desperately want to foster this trait in him and times when I want to yell, "SUCK IT UP" or "SPARE ME THE DRAMA SON...Your NOT a girl". I refrain from yelling either of those things...barely.
He is also a passionate boy. Everything is said with passion and drive. He does little half heartedly. He is always incredibly animated. His stories are full of hand motions and facial expressions.
He has developed a love for all things sports. He often will turn off cartoons to watch a game or monster trucks. HE love history and learning about new things. He's been seen watching the history channel or shows about how engines are made.
He is such a bright boy. He reads far above his grade level and does very well in school. He has lots of friends and is a sweet boy to others...except his brothers. All bets are off with them!
S continues to struggle with anxiety. I hate that for him. He tends to obsess about things...weather, money, people...anything. He has to know the plan for each day and wants to know how it will all play out. He needs details. LOTS OF DETAILS.
He's lost four baby teeth and HATES when they fall out. His grown up teeth are typically right behind the ones that fall out. We've not yet had that big toothless grin! I especially love his front tooth...his adult tooth that I affectionately refer to his "Chiclet tooth". It's far too big for his mouth and doesn't match any of his other teeth. It tends too look like he's stuck a piece of "Chiclet gum" right in front!
S has a tender heart and a love for the Lord. He professed Christ last summer...he's actually done this a few times. He's asked a few times about baptism, but we would like to wait until he can also explain it to us a bit more. We continue to pray that he will follow Him and become a man of God.
S is a cuddler. He's always up for a hug. He doesn't think he's too big to sit on my lap or hold my hand. I love that about him. I'm thankful that he's yet to seem embarresed by me!
S LOVES music. He sings along with almost any song he knows...and even a few he doesn't know all the words too! He doesn't know it yet, but his wish for an electric guitar is about to come true...thanks to his grandma!
I am so thankful for this little man. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank the Lord for His answered prayer.

Strange Kroger Shopping Lady

While picking up some more overpriced food for our new healthy lifestyle, I heard a voice say: "Do you really?". An audible voice. Not one in my head. A real live voice.
I continue to look at my peanuts, checking carbs (for Max's diabetes), protein and calorie count for Matt and I, and am just about to place them in the cart when I here: "Do you really?", even louder.
I look up to see a woman standing next to me and looking right at me. I politely asked her, "Are you talking to me?" and the following conversation takes place:

Lady: "Yes, I'm talking to you. Do you really"?
**I look at her, at my jar of peanuts, back at her and dumbfoundedly answer:
"Do I really what....need these peanuts....yeah I kind of do."
Lady: "No, love your husband" "Do you really love your husband"?
WHAT?!?! I look down to realize I'm wearing my shirt that says I LOVE MY HUSBAND across the front.
I quickly answered that yes, I do in fact love my husband very much and that he's a great guy. She looked at me, turned and walked towards the wine aisle saying nothing else.
Alrighty then strange Kroger shopping lady.

It's Summer

I know because:
*My bathtub is regularly coated in dirt and sand now.
*I have counted swimming and playing in the hose as a "shower" on more than one occasion.
*Their is always a grass trail from the backdoor to the refrigerator and the bathroom.
*I have found wet underwear on my porch on more than one occasion...I've actually had to ask "Whose underwear are these and who isn't wearing any?", more than once.
*My children have had freeze pops before 10am more than once.
*I've found cups in the fort of the swing set"
*We are ALL covered in more mosquito bites than we have skin.
*I regularly brush dirt and sand off my kids sheets.
*Our boys now ask why they have to go to bed when it's still light out.
*I hear "CAN WE PLAY IN THE WATER", before my eyes even open in the morning.
*There is constantly a pile of wet swimsuits in my bathtub and no towels in my closet.
*My children have gone outside in their jammies to play.
*We have had to search more than once for shoes in the yard.
*I've had many instances of shrieking children because bees are chasing them...yes, I have boys...don't ask.

Ten Years

I've been married for 10 years. TEN...YEARS. Ten years is a long time. Matt and I have been together for 13 years. I barely feel old enough to be with the same man for that long. Am I really old enough to have been with someone for 13 years...and married for 10 of them!?!? Where does the time go? I'm almost afraid to blink for fear that the next 10 will go by even faster!
In ten years I feel like I've learned some things about marriage. I by NO means have it all figured out. In fact, we had a nice arguement just the other day...about something that I continue to do that really bothers him...but I digress. Since I love making lists, let me begin:
*Marriage is work. HARD work.
*Laughter really is the best medicine. If you can't laugh with each other and at yourselves than you are in trouble.
*Communication is key.
*He can't hear me when he's watching sports.
*I can't hear him when I'm reading a blog...well, I can hear him, but I can't respond.
*Children add a lot of stress to a marriage.
*Children bring immense joy to your marriage.
*Your love will change...in it's scope and it's definition.
*Money will always be a source of tension.
*A kind answer is always best.
*Honesty is ALMOST always the best policy. There are a few areas where a slight "fib" are in your husbands best interest..."yes, dear, your dinner tastes wonderful...even though it's burnt to a crisp"...or "no, your butt doesn't look big".
*The word "boobs" will always get your husbands attention. Yes, I said it.
*We may NEVER like the same movies.
*Life will be full of trials and tribulation, but a faithful partner will make the walk easier to bear!
*There will be some issues where you will NEVER see eye to eye and that's ok.
*Your intimacy level will change from your honeymoon to year 10. It doesn't mean it should...but it will.
*When you see your husband hold your child for the first time, you'll never love him more.
*Life goes by at a whirlwind pace.
*Don't yell
*Nice matters.
*Make time for dates.
Just a bit of my profound thoughts.

My Little Gymnast

Other than his pants being backwards...he's a pro!

What's that Smell?!?!

I bent down yesterday to pick something up off the floor. No biggie, until I stood up. On my way up I got a whiff of some SERIOUS "body odor". I took a moment, to "sniff", my armpit. We had just gotten back from a party and I HAD to be sure that it wasn't me. I can just see me, walking around all night, visiting, serving food, chatting...all while stinkin like a boys locker room!

The "sniff" determined, I was in fact safe. Who was the culprint? My son. My oldest son. The boy is 7. He won't be 8 until July....was it possible the smell was coming from him!?!? I asked him to let me smell his armpit. He found this hysterical and gladly shoved his "pit" into my nose.

The odor was in fact eminating from his little pit. WHAT?!?! I thought I caught a glimpse of this same smell from him just a few days earlier, but chalked it up to playing outside, boy "funk" and being overdue for a shower. There was no denying it this time. The child stank!

I sent him to see his dad. I told him to tell his dad to smell his armpit...he ran giggling to his dad. I heard my husband tell him "NO WAY" and S explain that mommy said you HAVE TOO!! It was quickly decided the boy had some serious "funk" and that we needed to take care of it!

Matt took a moment to show S how to use deodorant. I told him I'd get him some special kid kind. I walked away, chocked up and teary eyed. S wanted to know why on earth I was sad he had to wear deodorant. Matt explained it was because it meant he was growing up. S thought this was ridiculous! He thought this was one of the coolest moments in his life!!

He then announced I needed to measure him (we have done this on the inside of our linen closet door since S was a year and a half). He was certain since he was wearing "big man" deodorant that he'd most likely grown! I told him we'd do that tomorrow and that he needed to get to bed.

This morning, before he got dressed, he walked into the bathroom, excitedly opened the deodorant and applied a small amount...again, my eyes teared up. I'm not ready for this!!

My Three Reasons

These three boys are the reason why I get to celebrate Mother's Day! My sweet little boys!

I am so thankful for these children. I begged the Lord for a baby after I had a miscarriage with my first pregnancy...on Christmas Day. We struggled for a year to conceive again, with no success. After a simple test, the doctors informed me that "they had no idea how I ever got pregnant the first time" and that with these results the possibility of us conceiving without some SERIOUS help was 99% IMPOSSIBLE!

Three days after we were told these "results", I was able to call that doctor and inform him that, we serve the God of the 1% and that I was indeed pregnant!!

The last 7 and a quarter years, I have spent with a child outside of my womb, have not been without difficulty. There are MANY trying times with my boys...daily...hourly some days. I struggle, like many mothers to overcome the "mommy guilt", that comes along with parenting.

I often tell Matt that I'm worried we are "messing them up", in the worst way! I can only hope that the Lord will continue to honor our heart and we can continue to strive to raise three Godly men!

Questions

This is my nephew. One of them. He's 5.5 years old.

Today, while my sister stayed at the house with the youngest of the group and the older ones were at school, I took this sweet boy with me to run errands. He NEVER stopped talking and was full of questions. Some of them were too funny to not blog about. The best question was, by far,: :Auntie, are you pregnant, or are you just fat? This question was asked with no malice and was quite genuine.
The list is the questions that also were asked:

What do babies float in when they are in the bellies?
How do they fit inside there?
Do you have a mom and a dad when your in the belly? I mean in the belly with you?
How old are you when your a new baby?
Can people starve to death like cats?
How long does it take them to starve to death?
Can you buy this for my teacher?
Can you buy this for my teacher?
Can you buy me this candy?
How much does this cost?
Why are you buying that?
Are we almost done?
So, if I don't eat, I'll die?

Just a few small questions for an outing with Auntie!

Interview with a 7 Year Old

S brought me home a backpack full of Mother's Day gifts today. A lovely flower, a sweet card and an adorable "flower" card that you can pull the flowers out of the vase and they have little "coupons" on them.

He didn't hand me an interview sheet though. A questionaire of sorts. Not because he was embaressed, but because he forgot. It made me laugh! Spelling errors are included on purpose! I'm not sure how the child get's 103% on all his spelling tests each week...

My mom is special because: She is nice

I like it when: My mom tucks me in.

My mom can do many things; I think she's best at: Doing lawndry....perhaps this is a combination of yard work and laundry?!?!

My mom has a great smile! I like to make her smile by: Saying nice things.

My mom is as beautiful as a : Bute Fly (butterfly)

My mom is smart, she even knows: Math - I'm horrid at Math. In the eyes of a 7 year old, I am clearly a Math genius!

I LOVE this boy!

If These Walls Could Talk

If these walls could talk, you would hear things like this:

We DO NOT pee out the back door!

No, you can NOT have Diet Coke for breakfast...even if mommy does!

Why are your clean underwear still here, instead of on your backside?!?

What on earth possesed you to do that...and what were you thinking? Those are two regular questions!!

Don't throw dirt at your brothers.

Just because it's an accident, doesn't mean you don't have to say I'm sorry!

No, you can't have candy before dinner.

Yes, you can have candy before dinner.

Put the cat down.

Get off the cat.

Stupid cat.

Pick that up.

Put that down.

Where on earth did you find THAT!?!?

Stop jumping on the bed.

Get that out of your mouth!

Why are you sleeping UNDER your matress?

Sometimes

Sometimes, I feel disconnected from life.
Sometimes, I stay in my jammies all day.
Sometimes, I nap on the couch in the morning, while O watches cartoons.
Sometimes, I make yucky food for dinner.
Sometimes, I let my kids run amuck.
Sometimes, I yell at my children.
Sometimes, I am mean to my husband.
Sometimes, I don't pick up my dirty clothes.
Sometimes, I don't do laundry for a few days.
Sometimes, I have an EXCESSIVE amount of laundry to do.
Sometimes, I don't answer my phone...on purpose.
Sometimes, I purposely ignore my children.
Sometimes, I stay up to late.
Sometimes, I spend too much money.
Just a few confessions....just to keep it real!

My Baby

What a difference FOUR YEARS makes! My baby boy is FOUR!! The thought of my baby being four is such a bittersweet thing!

I am thrilled at the healthy preschooler O is. He's as rough and tumble as any other boys I've ever met. He is more than able to hold his own! He is certainly the youngest of three boys!
As a mother, I am proud and thrilled of my boy. I am also sad that the years are going by so quickly.
I can remember, as if it were yesterday, the day he was born. I started contracting while watching a show with my mom. I dismissed it. I spent the next several hours trying to sleep and hoping the pains would go away. Sweet boy wasn't due for another 3.5 weeks and I wanted to keep him in for each and every day I had left! I was enjoying being a mom of two little ones and was hoping to enjoy my last Easter holiday with the ease of only two little ones on the outside!
He was my littlest peanut, who at his early debut, still weighed in at nearly 7 pounds! 6lbs 15 ounces to be exact! He was a little shorty though - 18.5 inches!!
He's still a peanut! He weighs a whopping 32 pounds and is quite short for his age. He stays in the 25th percentile for height and a little less than that for weight.
Other than his eye issues, he's completely healthy. He has to have a tooth pulled soon, but is a champ at the doctor and the dentist! He is such an easy going kid! He actually had two fillings put in his teeth...I'm a bad momma, who let my desire to keep him a baby, ruin his teeth!
He loves to run, ride bikes, play with his brothers and his friends. He is currently in his "mommy attachment phase" and prefers to never leave my side...unless, he's going with his grandma!
He LOVES super hero's and can often be heard declaring "When I grow up, I wanna be a FATMAN". Fatman is otherwise known as BATMAN. He idolizes his big brothers and wants to do whatever they do!
He loves to spell his name, he can count to 25 and say his ABC's...but not on command. He loves books and still prefers Thomas. He has also taken a liking to CARS and Toy Story.
He's my little buddy. We spend most every day together. He's a delight and a wonderful addition to our lives. He makes us laugh...a LOT! We love him and are so thankful for him!

Here Chicky Chicky!

Six Baby Chicks

Our family has six new members...at least for the next few days. We intended to only get four...than five...and the boys won a sixth with their arguement, that we can't have an odd number...this way they all have a friend!
Their names are...Godzilla, Mario, Alvin, Theodore, Chicklette, Chicken Jimmy...we each picked one...even daddy! We all agreed on the sixth one!
I am using them for a photo shoot this weekend, I will be taking them to the school on Monday to share them with M's class and then they will be donated to a local farm/petting zoo.
They are lots of fun, even more work and really noisy little things. George the cat is super curious about the chirping noise coming from behind the door...let's hope he stays on the OTHER SIDE of the door!

Sweet S, was so excited to go to church on Sunday morning! Our pastor, asked if S, would be interested in going on stage and shooting some soccer balls into a goal. We had a missionary in, from Vapor Ministries. He was helping to raise funds for their ministry, which builds sport facilities in extremely poor towns, as well as fresh water wells.
For every goal, that S and another girl, kicked in the net, the church would dontate 5 soccer balls. They kicked 10 in. S was soooo excited!
While we were driving to church that morning, I called my mother in law to let her know what was going on. Since my father in laws fall, she hasn't been able to make it in for service. S, heard me talking to her and chimed in from the back...
YEAH MOM...CAUSE I ALWAYS HELP POOR PEOPLE!!
I then told him, that we aren't supposed to brag about helping people. We do it because it's the right thing to do.

After church, we were talking to the pastor and the missionary about how well S did. I was saying that I wished S would play soccer again this year, but that he doesn't want to play. S gave pastor a high five and told him:
I don't want to play soccer, but, I'll break out my soccer skills for this!!
Yes, my son said...break out my skills...nice!

I lost again

Again, I lost the coveted, "Mother of the Year", award. This time, my actions, caused bodily harm to my child. I am of course being overdramatic, but if you take a minute to check out M's face in these photos, you will see that some "harm", was in fact done.


The story is simple enough. We attended a birthday party. It was Sunday evening, after church. We stayed a little bit late...I think we left at 9. If you are our children, that is late. Our boys are in bed and typically fast asleep by this time. Most nights, they can be found in their beds, reading by 730 and lights out by 8. Yes, we are those parents, the ones whose kids are in bed while it's still light out...but we have THOSE kids that don't sleep in. They are up by 7am, regardless of their bedtime.
We got home and M, appeared to be asleep in his booster seat. I grabbed an armload of stuff, opened the van door, and tickled him. I told him to wake up...it was time to go in the house. Our boys OFTEN fake sleep in the car. They do this so that we will carry them in. We do oblige them and do this, but not as often. The older two are 7 and 8 and well over the acceptable "carrying" weight. Most nights, I say something silly and they laugh, with their eyes closed, and "wearily" drag themselves out of the van. This night was no exception...or so I thought.
M, giggled, opened his eyes and threw his head back with laughter. I picked him up and set him down on the driveway. He started whining that I wouldn't carry him, but I told him I couldn't. We had too much to carry in the house that night. I started toward the house, when the whining turned to screaming. My husband then started yelling to me. I turned around and saw M, laying face down in the driveway. Yes, face down.
I dropped my stuff and ran to pick him up. I got in the house and started to asses the damage done. Matt came in and kept asking M, why he did that...we couldn't figure it out! When Matt came around the van, he said M, was sitting on his knees with his hands in his pockets. He must have sat down like that on the driveway after I set him down.
Matt said the next thing he saw was M tip over...face foward. He didn't even try to put his hands out in front of him. He just feel. If you know M, this story isn't that unbelievable...in fact...it's not surprising either.
I checked his sugar, after determining that his face was ok. His sugar was fine and M said he felt fine too. I got him ice, jammies and a drink and put him in his bed. I asked him what happened and his explanation was this:

"I don't know mom. All I remember thinking is that I was REALLY, REALLY tired".

We are thinking that, he wasn't fully awake when I put him on the driveway. He must have sat down on his knees...and then fell asleep.

No mom of the year award for me folks.

All in a Name

While rummaging through my memory chest, I stumbled on a piece of paper full of boy and girl names. I can only imagine that I spent quite some time, penning these first and middle names down. I'm certain I put lots of thought into it. I am thankful, that none of my children were named these names....

Girls - these names were especially hideous...at least most of them:
Alyssa Tace - what the heck is TACE?!?
Ashlyn Kylie - not horrible names alone...but together!?!?
Jessalyn Kyrie - again...Kyrie?!?!
Mekennah Corin - ok...this name I would actually use! I love the name Corin.
Michela Callie
Kaylin Alay - what is Alay...
Terriel Grace - TERRIEL...WHAT ON EARTH - grace is a great name!!
Kirstin Dahae - Dahae..I got nothin.
Michaella Alexius
Tessa Grace - I still LOVE LOVE LOVE the name Tess.
Avery Tess
Avery Denise

Boys ... I used none of these names for my three sons. In fact, they weren't even discussed. Thankfully, they are horrid and out there.
Blake Kendal
Trevor Barret - Barret...hmm...he wouldn't hate me for that one would he?!?
Curt Baden - Baden...ummmm...yeah.
Brendan Scott
Chad Garret - which is my cousins first and last name...I don't think he would have been born when I wrote out this list!!
Zachary Taylor
Austin Tyler
Cody Barret - boy, I really liked that Barret/Garret thing
Jonathan Matthew
David Michael
Blake Bannon...Bannon...not to be confused with Dannon yogurt.

Memories

I went through my Hope Chest last night. Not the one that I started when I met my husband, but the one from Jr. High and High School. It's an ugly black trunk, that I painted with brightly colored finger paints. I'll have to remember to take a photo of it...just for a memory.

I went through and threw out old dried flowers...especially if I couldn't remember who they were from. I have some old corsages that were dried and petals had long fallen off. I found a few old books from my Marriage and Family class, as well as my Home Ec classes. I threw those away too...I'm not sure why I saved them. Maybe, I thought I'd use them...I did laugh at the test we took on Pregnancy and Child Birth...I got a D on it!! Maybe, that's why my first two children are only 13 months apart, I didn't understand how that whole process worked!?!?!

I laughed and laughed last night at some of the notes, trinkets and newspaper clippings I kept! Matt couldn't believe all the stuff I saved...some stuff he didn't understand why on earth I'd kept it...others he was jealous of and wished he would have saved more of his memories!

I smiled at notes from my grandma, dad and mom. I teared up at cards from my Mamaw..I miss her horribly and wish she could have met my boys. She would have ADORED them! It was fun to read my old diary and laugh at the drama that surrounded my teen years!

My favorite notes were the ones that my cousins and a friend of mine all wrote back and forth...we pretended we were married, to our then TRUE LOVES, and that we had super successful careers as mothers, pediatricians, presidents and great musicians. Our spouses were equally successful and famous! It made me chuckle to think we thought we could have SEVEN children, be pregnancy, juggle a house, a job and a marriage and still have time to jot three page letters to our dearest friends!! Little did we know, the reality of that situation!!! It was fun to pretend though! The three of us were avid readers back in the day...and it shows in our writing! Such imagination!!

It also made me stop and pray for my boys! I hope, they can avoid some of the heartache and drama of high school! I want them to love and enjoy their teen years, but I want them to stay teenagers!! I hope that the fact that they are MALE will cut out some of the drama for them. I'm certain many of the boys we ladies were crying over, didn't think twice about our "breakups" and then were off to play ball with their buddies!!

If only they'd learn from us...and listen. I know I didn't' listen to my parents about all of it, so I can't imagine my boys will listen any better! Let's hope my husband is better prepare for teenagers than I am! Thankfully, I still have a few years to prepare myself!

Hair Dont's

I was "styling" S's hair this morning before church. He asked for a mowhawk...no problem, I told him. Thankfully, "faux hawks" are equally in style right now, a little gel and hairspray and we were set.

After I was done doing his hair, he told me that some boys wear their hair long...like to their shoulders. I told him that was true. He then informed me that when he's a teenager, he wants to wear his hair like that. I told him, when he was a teenager that would be fine (I didn't have the heart to tell him that with his hair, he's more likely to just grow a GIANT afro, than long hair).

I also informed him, that he would be wearing his hair long like that, any time soon. I don't have a problem with long hair on boys, I just don't prefer it on S. M has had long hair off and on for years and I like it on him. S's hair really does grow kind of crazy...

He walked out of the room and announced he was going to grow his hair like that as soon as he was old enough and that he wished I'd let him grow it long now...I told him to just enjoy his faux hawk!!

Sometimes

Sometimes you:

Forget to do laundry for a day...or five.

Have your husband get your van stuck in the snow/mud, TWICE, one hour before two families are scheduled to arrive at your house for the evening.

Lay on the couch for almost an entire day...and you don't feel guilty about it.

Let your kids stay in their pjs all day for two days in a row, because you aren't going anywhere, so why would you dirty more clothes...especially if you aren't going to do laundry for five days.

Have a friend over, who opens a 2 liter of Cream Soda, and it explodes, ALL OVER YOUR KITCHEN...and you laugh hysterically as she mops it up as quickly as she can.

Hear a song on the radio, so perfect, that you have to call your husband and tell him to listen to it right away...and he forgets!

Take photographs at your Alma Mater and you see students who were in Elementary school when you graduated and they are TEACHERS and COACHES at the school and you feel REALLY, REALLY old!

You sit at home in the afternoon and watch a cheesy Disney Movie about a teenage love story...and feel a LITTLE bit dumb, when you feel oddly choked up during the film!!

Like Father...Like Son

I love how S is making the same face as his daddy....this was a SERIOUS game of Wii Just Dance! Such a fun game!

How He Does It

M was showing us all how he doses himself for his diabetes! His big brother is being silly in the background until he spots his daddy coming to get him...then he's OUTTA THERE! We are so proud of M and how well he does with his diabetic care! We also praise God for the leaps and bounds that the medical community is making in this area!!

Seriously Clark?!?

Sometimes, my days are filled with nothing. Dull, boring, mundane, nothing. I sit on my fat butt and stare. I look out the window, I read a book to O, I pick up dirty clothes, I make lunch, I sit on the couch some more, I play on the computer, I watch tv, I yell at O, I help the boys cross the street after school, I listen to tales from their school day, I yell, I sit some more, I throw together a meal, I sit some more...see, nothing exciting.

Some days are SERIOUSLY full and busy. I run non stop, from place to place, appointment to appointment. We go full throttle sometimes. Some days are just regular...a little busy and a little dull, all at the same time. I like all of these days. Sometimes, a dull day is especially nice, after a succession of busy ones and vice versa! I enjoy the down days more when Matt's home with me though!

Some days/weeks around here are filled with things that only happen in movies or in silly story books. Others have often commented on how "funny" my tales are. Most of the time, we find them funny too. Maybe, not at first, but afterwards we sit and laugh! Most times, I really do laugh at the things that happen around here...otherwise, I just might have a nervous breakdown and cry!

There was the time that I plugged the sink so that I could fill it with water. My plan was to mop the floor. My children had another plan. I had a serious breakdown of the chain of command. The kids took over...momentarily and it was BAD! Once the situation was dealt with, I walked back into the kitchen to the sound of a waterfall...only, I don't have this type of "water feature" in my home. In fact, I don't have any type of water feature...unless you include my bathtub. I turned the corner and saw the kitchen sink over flowing. It was a water fall...only, it was flooding my wood floor. Laminate wood floors and water are NOT friends. This situation was not immediately laughed at...now, it's funny though.

I can't tell you how many times I've over flowed out laundry tub. A stray sock that lands in there...a forgotten wash cloth, etc. These times were not always "no biggie", especially, in our old house. It was a first floor laundry...the "flood", leaked through the wall and into our new carpet and padding. Not funny at the time either.

More recently, there was the nervous breakdown I had while driving. It involved, gagging and puking and a bloody nose. I puked in a the snow in a parking lot...a small parking lot, that was not far from the glass front RV center. I bet the employees enjoyed that one...van pulls in and they think, A CUSTOMER. WRONG!! Fat lady exits vehicle, red swollen eyes, holding a McDonald's cup that SHOULD be full of sweet tea, but is only full of...icy puke. Woman begins to heave in your parking lot, then her nose starts bleeding....yikes! I'm just thankful, no one came out of the place to see if I was ok. That would have been had. I actually got in my car, once the breakdown was over and started laughing. Yes, laughing.

Extremely recently, was the cat drying incident. Upon discovering a load of towels and sheets that were left in the dryer for several weeks...or days...lets go with days, I closed the door and turned the load on the "fluff". Our dryer is old. It's been "fixed" several times now. It looks and sounds old too. I heard a funky, thump, thump, thump, and just assumed the towels had gotten wrapped in the sheets and formed that "ball" that sometimes happens. I thought I'd give it another second to see if it worked itself out...thump, thump, thump...thump. Nope. I almost walked upstairs and decided I'd better untwist the sheets or they'd never dry right. I opened the door and MUCH to my surprise....out CAT JUMPED OUT! Yes, he hopped right out of the dryer, looked at me with a confused look on his face, and RAN AWAY! I laughed...a lot. I went to check on the cat right away, and once I determined that he was indeed ok, I gave him a kitty treat, told him to stay out of my dryer, and sent him on his way.

The next night, our oldest son, yes, our OLDEST son, blew up our extra television. The power button is missing and he thought it would be a wise idea to stick a long piece of metal in that hole. He's lucky he didn't get seriously hurt. Where the long piece of metal came from, I couldn't tell you. I have a house full of boys...these weapons and such, come from places and things I didn't even know existed. In fact, they have been known to use those cheap white curtain rods as hockey sticks....or guns.

We got caught in a traffic jam last night. We hardly ever experience them on the way home...our house is a ways from the BIG D, so we have less traffic going south than we do north. Last night there must have been an accident and we arrived, just as the slow down started. Out of nowhere, M, starts having a fit. He was convinced we were NEVER going to make it home and that we wouldn't be able to get back to our house. We were sad for him at first...then annoyed at the whinning. After being assured we'd make it home for the 15th time, he seemed to calm down...only to start crying because he was thirsty...he's SIX folks. Six. That's not a typo...he's SIX, and he was crying because he needed a drink....but not so thirsty that water was what he wanted.

I'm hoping the rest of my week will remain relatively non interesting. I'm not sure I can handle any more "fun" days.

As We Age

I was reading a friends blog about getting older...ironically enough, she's much younger than I. I was thinking about getting older and remembered, that in the last few years, I have had several...Man I'm Old, moments.

One of the funniest moments was when we were at Cedar Point with friends. We used to go to that theme park and spend hours riding rides and playing games. Barely stopping to eat and staying at the park until close and not wanting to leave. This time, we loaded up early, before dark in fact, and drove to find a place to eat. Our kids whined about the early departure, but we promised ice cream so that helped! We sat, exhausted and starving at the restaurant. We complained about how thirsty we were, how long the lines were, how our feet hurt and then we looked out the window and laughed at our matching mini vans, parked in the parking lot!

I have now become, glaringly aware of the fact that MANY doctors are now either my age or YOUNGER than me! When on EARTH did that happen!?!? I remember thinking when you must be an OLD man/woman to become a doctor! It takes YEARS AND YEARS of schooling to become one, so you must be old and haggard to be a doctor! Now, I am shocked at not only how young they looks, but how old, and insulted they are, when you ask them how old they are!

I know wake up with random aches and pains. Things that didn't hurt the night before, hurt when I wake up in the morning. Things hurt...I actually limp and or hobble for a moment, hunched over just a bit, until I feel like I can stand up straight and walk like a human again.

I no longer am able to ride roller coasters or any other type of "spinny" ride. Spinning or being upside down is not my friend. In fact, even to spin my kiddies around in a circle causes some serious dizzy/nauseated spells!

I have found myself, on many, many, occasions, saying, "TURN THAT DOWN".

Target Shopping 101

I was shopping at my favorite store: Target. I just had O with me. The older boys were playing Wii at grandma and grandads. I was sent on the mission to pick the PERFECT treat for Valentines Parties at school.

For M, we decided on candy bracelets...who doesn't love a delicious piece of jewelry. For S, we picked a nice combo bag of Skittles and Starburst. Both boys have peanut allergies in their classroom, so we shyed away from the chocolates, just in case.

I was looking and pricing like a wild woman. The boys don't have small classes. They are large. This means buying multiple bags for each class. This makes me and my wallet very unhappy!

I finally found what I wanted on the top shelf. I reached up to grab a bag and the whole silver rack, that keeps the LARGE supply of candy from falling off the shelf, fell to the floor. O started laughing at this point...

I reached down to grab it and put it back...before I could pick it up off the floor, the bags started falling...first one bag, then two, then five, ten...and so on. It was a big candy mess. Of course, seeing as Valentines day is a matter of days away, the aisle was quite full too.

One lady, no lie, turned her cart around and walked away. One lady laughed...as did I. Another lady, smugly said to her young son: "It looks like SOMEONE is having a whole lot of trouble over there"...I just smiled and started picking up my candy. One older lady made her grandson help me clean up the mess.

The story in itself would be funny...but what makes it even better is...smug lady, walked over to the shelf next to me, reached for a bag of candy, her shelf holder thing fell off and so did her WHOLE shelf of candy...I smiled and walked away.

Just One of Those Things

Yesterday, I had one of those days. I woke up feeling "funky", thrilled that the boys AND Matt had a snow day, but less than thrilled to be babysitting. O had a much needed dentist appointment scheduled for that afternoon, and Matt and I worked it out so that Ella would be napping and the 4 older kids would play, while I took O to the dentist.

O and I left 30 minutes before the appointment, just in case the roads still weren't clear. We had no problems navigating the roads and made it to the building with 12 minutes to spare!

On the drive there, I noticed that our windshield wipers weren't working well AT ALL! In fact, during the drive, the drivers side one ripped almost totally off! Thankfully, I had a new set of wipers in the van. The passenger one has been "going" for quite some time, and I picked up a replacement a while back...we just still haven't replaced them because...well, that's how we roll around here.

O was sleeping in his seat, so I decided to take a few minutes to change the wiper...well friends, I am normally quite good at things like this. It's nothing for me to do these simple tasks. How hard can it be. HARD FRIENDS! It took me the entire 12 minutes to get the stupid thing where it would at least "wipe" and not fly off the van while I was driving.

I woke O up, got into the building and realized I'd gone to the wrong place. I rushed back to the van and started off to the RIGHT building. I called to tell them I would be a few minutes late for the appointment and they told me I'd have to reschedule. UGH!!! I tried not to be frustrated when the receptionist told me: "Next time, make sure your on time"...I wanted to ask if the dentist was going to be on time to see us when we got there and not make us wait for a half hour...but I refrained.

Out of nowhere, the tears started to flow. In a matter of seconds I felt like the biggest failure. I'm not sure why, but I felt like a horrible mother. O, so needs to see a dentist for his "crazy" tooth. Thing is nasty and I'm quite sure it's rotten. I kept driving, while crying, which I don't endorse. Then out of nowhere, I started gaggging...and coughing...and gagging. All of these things are normal when I cry. I'm not at all a pretty "crier". It's a nasty, hot mess for sure!

Thankfully, we are pigs and our van had a McDonalds Sweet Tea cup in the cup holder...it still had ice in it...but that didn't matter. I grabbed that puppy, right in time to throw up into it! I decided at this point it would be good to pull over.

My nearest stop was an RV Center! I pulled into their FULL GLASS front building, jumped out of my van and continued to vomit all over their driveway! I stood there until I was certain I was done. I walked to grab some fresh snow to at least cover my mess and realized I also now had a bloody nose! This is an evil trick that my body likes to play on me sometimes...I throw up...and get a bloody nose! It happened all the time when I was pregnant with O. Not pretty...puking and bleeding. NICE COBINATION!

I cleaned up as best I could and drove home. I apologized to O half a dozen times for not going to the appointment (that he cried about going to). O, yelled to the front seat: "You got puke in your mouth"...and I just nodded yes. We drove home in silence.

It was one of those days. Remarkably, I felt a ton better after my mini nervous breakdown!!

Worlds Best

If there was an award to be given for the "Worlds Best In Laws", mine would win hands down. They are saints. I wouldn't think twice about taking a vacation with them, entrusting my children to their care, or even living with them if we had too. I spend lots of time with them, voluntarily in fact. Many times, I even hang out with the WITHOUT my husband!

My father in law, is the bald one in the back row. His name is Larry. Well, Laurence really. He's S's namesake. S is so much like him...it's kind of frightening at times. They are two peas in a pod!
My father in law suffered a brain aneurysm 9 years ago this February. He was working, teaching a class at Easter Michigan, when he said he had a headache, passed out and had a grand mal seizure. We were told he wouldn't live...he did. He actually baffled doctors with his recovery. Other than a blood clot once he was home, his recovery, though LONG and hard for everyone, especially my mother/brother in law who still lived at home. Larry's only evidence of this, is a scar on the right side of his head and some short term memory loss. The miracles that occurred surrounding his accident then are numerous...too much for one blog.
Well, yesterday, February 2,2010, my father in law had another accident...he was changing a light bulb on the outside of a building. He is a meticulous man. The slightest thing will irk him until it's fixed. He's a bit of a perfectionist. He's a brilliant man and a hard worker. He had to retire after his first accident and spends lots of his free time helping other people...that's what he was doing yesterday.
He didn't follow the "ladder safety rules", he so meticulously drilled into his three sons and went up a tall ladder, in the snow, without telling anyone, and without having anyone hold the ladder. He reached the top rung of the ladder - approximately 10-12 feet and the ladder slipped out from under him.

He fell...the concrete below him broke his fall.

THANK THE LORD...he just "happened" to be working on the side of the building that faces a doctors office. There was a nurse sitting at her desk and saw him fall. She immediately called 911 and grabbed a few other ladies and went to check on him. He was unable to move and barely able to speak at this time. If they hadn't seen him ,he could have laid in the cold snow for a long time. He fell on his cell phone and couldn't reach it.

The ambulance came to pick him up and drove him to a hospital that NONE of us would ever go too, but they felt he was in too much pain to drive him anywhere else. They told my mother in law that he was too badly injured for them to touch him....they did nothing at this hospital but give him pain meds and transported him to a much larger hospital...still not our favorite, but a hospital nonetheless.

After a LONG night, he was finally diagnosed with a jaw that is broken in three places. Completely severed in fact. It's an open fracture - which means a bone actually broke through the skin on the inside of his mouth. At last count, the fall knocked out 3 of his teeth. He will have plates installed in his jaw to repair it and then will have his jaw wired/barred shut.

His hip/leg was dislocated. He had to have a pin put in this leg and is in traction for the next 4 days. You would think, in this day and age, that we could have come up with something a bit less primitive than hanging large weights from a persons limb, while they are suspended in mid air.

His leg is broke and his hip is fractured. Shattered would be more of an exact definition. He will have surgery on his hip in 3 more days.

He's facing 30 days in rehab, AFTER he is released from the hospital. He's a strong man...so much so, that his elbow had an open wound...a nasty open wound. The pain form his other injurys was so intense that he was waving, touching and moving his arm around all night. He was proud of that cut!

We continue to pray for his healing and for strength for both he and my mother in law as they face this process!