Say What

I clearly have been horribly about keeping up on my blog. I always say, I need to write that down before I forget...sadly, I forget. Lot's of growing and changing has taken place in our home in the last few months.
O, has started school. My baby is in kindergarten. I am a sad momma! A proud momma, but a sad one.
M, has turned 8. The age, I'm convinced is straight from the devil. There is something about 8. It's NOT my favorite age, at all.
S, is 9 and growing like a weed. If I had to guess, I'd say he'll be as tall as me in another year or so - not that being as tall as me is any type of great accomplishment.

The boys have said and done some silly, funny and well, odd things...
S, thought he was being helpful, and decided to empty the fire pit. I, without thinking, told him to just empty the ashes into the trash at that back of the garage. No problem...except for the small fact that we had a fire less than 12 hours before. Fast forward two hours, I look across the street (while at my moms) and notice smoke coming from behind the garage. Sprint - yes, fat girls can sprint when they need to -my house. My garage is on fire - thankfully, just the back of it. A passerby saw the smoke and called the fire department. They were there and had the fire out in just a few minutes. I, felt like a major moron - but they were kind and assured me that this type of thing happens all the time...I don't believe them.

O, after just a few short weeks of school, was sent to the principals office. Yes, my 5 year old. He felt the need to color his arms, add a mustache to his already adorable face, and color his entire tongue blue. Although, his teacher, the principal and myself, found this event to be quite funny, he still lost Wii and computer for the day. The principal informed me that she didn't think that would be the last time she'd see little man in her office!

M, is FULL of imagination. He's always battling someone, building LEGO's or writing stories. He has a HUGE imagination! Most recently, while messing around in the morning, Matt told them to stop messing around on the bed and get dressed. M, did not heed this warning and continued to play. MAtt grabbed the blanket and yanked it off of him. M jumped up and proclaimed: "SHOW YOURSELF YOU PHANTOM"...."I AM THE EASTER BUNNY". This proclamation was met with hysterical laughter from MAtt and I, and a reminder that it was time to get ready for school.

Matt signed, M's planner the other night before school. M looked at it and asked: "What is this...some sort of Chinese symbol for Thisse?!?!"

O, told his teacher that he was going to "eat her up". She said, that must mean that you like me O. He said: "Nope, it means that I LOVE you"!

O, told a friend of ours that he had a girlfriend at school. He said, she's his girlfriend because he pretends to be Sonic the Hedgehog and she pretends to be Amy...oh, if dating could only stay that simple!

There are some expressions and words that my boys get wrong. I hate to correct them because they are so cute and they will only be little for such a short time...S still has 2 that he has a hard time with.
"You scared me out of the daylights" - you scared the daylights out of me
"Pacifically" - he means specifically.
I love that he wants to use big words...although he is 9...maybe I should start correcting just a little bit more

WARNING

Confessions:
I don't proofread my blog.
I have horrible grammar and spelling.
I often misuse the words: your and you're.
I don't wash my hair every day.
I often leave my dirty clothes on the floor.
I never put my vacuum away...I have come to see it as room "decor".
I yell at my kids...I've even told them to "shut up" on more than one occasion.
I spend too much time on the computer.
I'm a photographer...but I don't really know what I'm doing half the time.
I HATE unloading the dishwasher.
I despise when people sleep without pillowcases or sheets on their beds. I find it disgusting - but remember, I don't wash my hair every day, so...
I would home school my kids if my husband would allow it.
If I home schooled my children, they would NOT be smart.
I hardly ever cry.
I hate when people sing to their spouses at their weddings...or to me...it makes me laugh.
I am not romantic...at all.

11 Years

Matt and I just "celebrated" the 14th anniversary of our first date. 14 years together. Our first date, was a result of, me agreeing to do Matt's laundry. Yes, all my woman's lib fans, I agreed to do Matt's laundry, in exchange for dinner and a movie. 14 years later, and I'm still doing his laundry - and he's still buying me dinner and taking me to movies. I think it was the best load of laundry I ever did!

In June, we celebrated 11 years of marriage. I don't always feel old enough to have been married for 11 years...sometimes. When I stop to think that we both were 21 when we got married, I believe we really aren't quite old enough to be married that long! I can't even begin to think about my boys being married at 21!! I cringe at the thought, but, we were ready.

I love Matt, more today, then I ever thought I would. I love him with a love more true and deep than I thought possible. We still laugh at God's timing for our marriage.

Grew up at rival high schools. Lived less then 7 miles apart our whole lives. We met in Florida, while both on our senior trips. My grandma actually cut his picture out of the newspaper for me before I left for college. She pointed out how handsome he was and how we would maybe meet at college. I quickly pointed out to her, how I'd already met him and that he was a dork. I also informed her that with 3,000 freshmen, we'd never meet. Less then a week at school and there he is!! Almost 700 miles from home, and I meet the man I'm going to marry!!

In our 11 years of marriage we've had a lot of experiences...not all good...but all things that brought us closer to each other and to the Lord.
*A miscarriage
*A year of infertility
*Three sons
*A serious bout of post partum depression, aniexty, OCD and panic disorder
*Almost losing my father in law twice - once to an anerysism and once to a serious fall.
*The loss of a job
*Serious pay cut
*HUGE promotions
*Purchasing 2 homes
*Surgeries
*A son diagnosed with a chronic illness
And many more events in our life - both wonderful and trying. Through each one, we've clung to each other and our faith in Christ. Together, we've come out on the other side, strong and rejoicing in God's blessings on us and our marriage.

Just recently, Matt and I went on a date. We went to ship a package at UPS, Target for bread and dish soap, Kroger and out to dinner. In that time, we talked, laughed, high fived and had a great time. It dawned on us, later that evening, that we not only had a fantastic time, but that we had a fantastic time doing nothing, together!

I love our simple life!!

Life.

Life is going by far too quickly! I swear, I blink and another week goes by. Summer has breezed by. I feel like it's not been much of a summer for the boys, and I HATE feeling like that. I've had a busy summer with photoshoots and Matt's work schedule has been crazy too.
We've taken the boys camping and had a blast with friends. We went to Michigans Adventure while we were there and to the sand dunes at Lake Michigan! The kids had a blast at both places...I enjoyed the ease of the theme park to the difficult climb up and down those dunes. My fat butt did not appreciate the exercise! I would love to make that a yearly vacation spot. We did have a disaster with our tent the first night though. There was a thunderstorm and some heavy rains. Our brand new, "leak free" tent, was not at all leak free. In fact, as soon as the rain started, the windows started to leak. After the windows the doors started leaking. Before long, it was actually RAINING inside our tent. The rain fly proved useless. Needless, to say, that tent went right back - the day we got home in fact. We solved the rain issue, with a GIANT tarp we bought in town. Our tent was quite a sight for the rest of the trip! Thankfully, we only had one small rain after the big one, but better safe then sorry we figured!
We've had a few trips to the beach here and some park trips, but that about sums up life around here. Just a few small things here and there. We won't be able to take our yearly lake trip this year, which has proven to be a big disappointment all around.
O starts school with the boys this year. I'm sad. Bittersweet really. He's grown up so fast - yet he's still my baby. M is excited to be a 2nd grader and S, is officially a 4th grader. Upper El for him now! He has two years left in elementary and then he goes to Middle School....gasp!
Not sure what I'll do with all my new found freedom during the day. Maybe, my house will stay clean for more than an hour or I'll go to the gym. Perhaps, I'll just hang out at the schoool all day and hope for small glimpses of my children...that sounds more my speed!

Summer is Here

Proof of summer:

Musty smelling swimsuits found on bedroom floors
Enough sand/dirt in my bathtub at the end of the day to build a small sandcastle
Lot of mosquito bites
The smell of bug spray, sunblock and bonfires
Bare feet
Frizzy hair
Boys with dirty finger nails
Momma with dirty finger nails - need to invest in some good gardening gloves!
Loads of extra laundry from dirty/wet boy who think they need to change several times a day
I've already found THREE pairs of socks laying in my lawn
Extra room in drawers and closets because clothing takes up less space
More room in shoe bins because the shoes are much less bulky
Freckles on three little faces...and two big ones!
Blackout curtains to make the bedrooms appear like it's much darker out than it really is - it's hard to go to bed at 8 (since the boys have another week of school) when it's still light out!
Thunderstorms and tornado sirens
All things I love that signal the start of summer...well, except for the whole tornado siren thing!

Little Man is FIVE

My baby is FIVE. When did this happen?!?! Where on earth did the time go?!? I cringe when I see the Kindergarten registration packet that is sitting on my desk right now. I took it from the school office last week and got choked up. How am I going to do this?

O's my little buddy. It's been just he and I for the last two years. We do everything together. We take naps, eat lunch, go shopping, read books. He's my sidekick. He's extremely easy going about a lot of things, which has made my life a whole lot easier. O, has been known to sit with me, in a hospital room, while we visit with my grandma, for 6 hours and not get into any trouble. We took a backpack with snacks, books, a few toys and a coloring book. Add the hospital TV and he was all set. He chatted with great grandma, colored, picked out a sandwich in the cafeteria, etc. He just goes with the flow.

He's got a temper on him, I assure you. He's spoiled in many ways - but he just does, well, whatever. He's like me in that aspect. I think O, can have fun doing just about anything. He's ok with a large or small group. He doesn't need a whole lot of "stuff" to keep him occupied. He's much more social than the older boys were at this age.

He's a ham. He's super silly. He's always talking in a silly voice. He loves to play pretend or to dress up as his favorite character. I'm corrected a dozen or so times a day when I call his name. "Mom, I'm Darth Vader, not O" or "I'm Nightwing Batman"...it changes often, sometimes within minutes.

He jumps everywhere. He has no "walking feet". We try, but I think he may be physically unable to walk. If he's not running or jumping, he's sleeping.

Everything has sound effects. Everything makes a laser gun or light saber. He's all boy.

He's also, tough as nails. This child can fall, slip, hit his head, twist his ankle, and smash his finger. He may cry for a second and then is over it. He doesn't want to stop moving long enough to deal with it. That being said...he does have a certain love affair with bandaids that is starting to get pricey.

He's had stitches once, his head glued once, and a home repair job on a few cuts that probably should have been "professionally" done. His brothers have never had ANY of these moments...not because they aren't as brave or daring, but because...well, I'm not sure why. He's also had his share of black eyes, bumps and bruises.

O has little to no fear - still. He'll jump off his swingset without thinking. In fact, just yesterday, I looked out of the corner of my eye, into the living room. I was standing at the kitchen sink, when I saw what looked to be, a blue shirted "bird" fly from my window sill across my living room. It was no bird, only a certain little boy who thought he'd try to fly. I assure you, NONE of my other children have stood on my window sill and "flew" across the room. I always tell Matt, I think, O may shorten my life span a bit.

He does have a few odd "fears" I suppose. He's still afraid of helium balloons and not a huge fan of regular balloons either. Someone tried to give him a balloon for his birthday - he politely declined. What kid turns down a balloon...mine. Birds are also not a big favorite of his. Why??? Who knows. I think it has something to do with the flock of seagulls that once dive bombed us in the Walmart parking lot. I had parked in a spot where someone had dumped french fries and those birds WANTED those fries I tell ya!

O is just a cool kid. Matt and I say that all the time. He's so different than his older brothers. In many aspects, he's a lot like me. I think he has a lot of my personality. O was not planned and came a bit earlier than planned, but he has added such joy and depth to our lives. He was a great surprise!

O has added a new and fun dimesion to our family. He's outnumbered us. He tipped the scales in the kids favor. Matt and I our officialy outnumbered!

Diabetes Stinks

Sometimes, being the parent of a child with a chronic illness stinks, BAD! Please, don't get me wrong. I am by no means complaining. I know that M's disease(s) are manageable and much better than other things we could face.

Is is annoying to nag your child to check his sugar, yes. Does it get old, changing wet sheets from sugars that run to high and cause accidents at night, sure does. Do I hate having to stop M from running to play because he has to be dosed right away, I sure do. Do I dislike having to stay up an hour longer than normal to recheck sugars that aren't right late in the evening, yeppers. Am I grateful that it's only diabetes - you bet!

It's not the inconvenience of his illness that's the most difficult - it's the mental pain for M that's the toughest.

He was so young at his initial diagnosis - just a few weeks after his 4th birthday - that I don't think the gravity of his illness was real to him. It was just something annoying he had to do. He had to take 4 shots every day and get his finger poked even more than that. He had to eat when he wasn't hungry and couldn't eat when he was. It was a pain in the butt for him - literally!

With his pump, things got easier for him and us. He can function more like a normal child. He can eat when other kids eat and what they eat. He doesn't have to have special food or treats and it takes him just a minute or two to check his sugar and dose.

As he gets older it's starting to bother him more. He knows he's different. You can only convince your child that their illness makes them "special" for so long. I think he's to the point where if diabetes is "special" he'd rather be regular. He doesn't like that instead of going right out to recess after lunch with the other kids, he has to stop and check his sugar and or dose himself. He doesn't appreciate that if he's in gym or computers when it's time to have his afternoon check, that he has to leave early to take care of it. It's annoying he says. We've told him - tough luck duck, that's life for you right now - and we move on. He seems to accept it.

We've had moments of heartbreak with M though. A few years ago, during a bad high sugar spell, M felt horrible. We couldn't get it down, he had ketones...it was a mess. He fell on the floor and cried.."why won't God just heal me now mommy". I hated that.

He's asked similar things since then to us and his grandparents. He doesn't understand why God won't make him better. Having a theology discussion with a 7 year old about how the Lord chooses to answer our prayers in different ways is tough, I assure you of that.

We hit an all time low last month when M started crying. He was sitting on his bed and the tears just started to flow. When I asked him what was wrong, I expected an answer like, S hit me or O took my book/toy. Nope - what I heard was: "Mom, I'm scared I'm going to die soon, before everyone else because of my diabetes"....rip mommas heart out right then.

I scooped him up right away and took him the living room to talk with us. We did our best to explain that as long as he took good care of himself and his diabetes that he could live a long and healthy life just like everyone else. I didn't bother to explain how we were told that people with Type 1 diabetes typically have a shortened life span of 10 years because, well, I don't like to think of it like that.

We talked to him about all the changes and advances the medical community is making and how many wonderful things are on the horizon. He seemed to accept that and wanted to be sure that everyone was still praying for him to get better. We told him they were.

I wasn't ready for it. M, is our laid back, fun loving kid. He doesn't worry much about anything. He lives in his imagination most days. He loves to play pretend and make up wild stories about super hero's and Star Wars. Reality almost seems too much for him...maybe it is. It's too much for me most days.

One Day

One day I'll get disciplined and loose the weight I desperately need to loose.
One day I'll get motivation and paint the two rooms that NEED painted and the one room I want to paint...wonder which one will get done first?!?!
One day I won't yell at my children.
One day my children will obey the first time.
One day my house will be clean all the time. People will be able to stop by on a whim and I won't have to panic to grab any dirty socks, random toys or dishes while the people exit their vehicle and walk to my door.
One day I will know what is on TV during the day besides Nick Jr. and Disney shows.
One day I will grocery shop and not buy fruit snacks, Trix yogurt and Lunchables.
One day I won't have to hunt under boys beds and in their little covers for all the white socks and their mates.
One day I won't have to wonder how all the water, dirt, mud and rocks get in my house.
One day I won't trip over trains and matchbox cars or step on LEGO'S.
One day I won't have to buy toothpaste that cost almost $4 in order to get my children to brush their teeth.
One day I won't have to yell things like: let go of the cat, don't jump from the top bunk to the other bed and get your hands out of there!
One day I won't have to panic at 7am about how I'm going to sneak the "tooth fairy" money under the pillow of an already awake child who is searching frantically for it!
One day I won't grumble under my breath as I clean the bathroom and wonder how pee got THERE?!?!

Today, I will enjoy these things - because ONE DAY, I'll miss this!

Put Down the Controller

He's 4.5 - well, almost 5. He's full of fire. He's all energy and all boy. He NEVER stops jumping, flipping, running and punching. He has even taken to watching TV upside down. He stands on his head on the couch. I'm beginning to wonder if I watched TV like that if I'd be thinner...experiment time!

He's obsessed....OBSESSED, with the Wii. Matt and I somehow stood firm and didn't buy one until this Christmas. M and S were 7 and 8 respectively. They seem to do better with it. O is another story entirely.

As soon as his eyes are opened it's "Can I play WEGO STAR WARS" if I say no, it's "Can I play WEGO BATMAN then". When we tell him no watch out. Stomping, screaming and crying insue. It is typically short lived, as most of O's tantrums are, but it's not pretty. It obviously is a problem for him.

Days he plays for a long time, he's a mess too. He crys more, yells more and paces. He starts doing his "wego" moves on me. Trys to punch and kick like the men on the game do. At first it was...cute. Now, it's annoying.

I've been monitoring his play much more lately and he seems to be doing better. I don't want him to be addicted to these games. He LOVES electronic games - so much in fact that he said the following things to me:

"Mom, why won't you let me play any ELECTRONIC games today?"

"Ok, I played Candy Land, Imaginext and played in my shaving cream. NOW can I play Wii?"

I fear I haven't worked with him like I did the older two boys. He's so much different than the other two. His personality is so much different even. We've always said - as horrid as it sounds - he's been the most like a "regular" kid. The other boys are brilliant and tons of fun, but they weren't without their eccentric things.

Although Owen did have an irrational fear of birds and balloons. The balloon thing was soooo annoying! Had to leave more than one birthday party with a screaming toddler. It did save a lot of money for his birthday parties though! He still isn't a big fan of balloons.

Maybe, he's too much like a "normal" kid for video games. Stupid electronic games.

Random

Stolen

10 years ago I was: a newlywed, who had just experienced a miscarriage.
5 years ago I was: mommy to two small boys, about to be a mommy of three.
1 year ago I was: probably posting a blog ;)
Yesterday I was: at the hospital with my sister Mary and my sweet nephew Asher.

5 snacks that I enjoy:
1. Chips
2. Hummus
3. Granola Bars
4. Cheese Its - which I never buy because I'd eat the whole box
5. Popcorn with Ranch seasoning.

5 songs I know all the words to:
1. Jesus Loves Me
2. How Great Thou Art
3. The Sponge Bob theme song
4. Be Thou My Vision
5. Put A Ring On It

5 things I would do with a million dollars:
1. Tithe
2. Invest
3. Put some away for the kids
4. Share with family/friends
5. Build a new studio and get a new camera

5 favorite TV shows:
1. Greys
2. Ace of Cakes
3. Private Practice
4. The Nanny
5. Teen Mom

5 things I am thankful for:
1. My family
2. Friends
3. God
4. A home
5. My husband - I'm certain there is none better suited for me than him!

2 names I go by:
1. Mom
2. Beth Anne

2 parts of your heritage
1. Italian
2. Yugoslavian

2 things that scare me:
1. Centipedes
2. Being afraid

2 of my every day essentials:
1. Diet Coke
2. My SSNRI ;)

2 things I am wearing right now:
1. Nightgown
2. socks

2 of my favorite bands/musical artists (at the moment):
1. Bruno Mars
2. Hillsong

2 things I want in a relationship (other than real love):
1. Honesty
2. Laughter

2 truths: (stole answers from votemom)
1. No word from God will ever fail
2. Satan already lost

2 physical things that appeal to me in the opposite sex:
1. Good teeth
2. Dark Hair

2 of my favorite hobbies:
1. Reading
2. Taking photographs

2 things I want really badly:
1. A new camera
2. For my sons to grow up to be men of God.

2 places I want to go on vacation:
1. Africa
2. Disney!!

2 ways I am stereotypically a chick:
1. I hate squashing bugs
2. I like to talk. A lot.

2 things I normally wouldn't admit:
1. I don't wash my hair every day
2. I play games on Webkinz.

2 things I am thinking about right now:
1. I need to go to bed.
2. I'm overly sensitve.

2 stores you shop at:
1. Target!
2. Walmart

2 people I would like to see taking this quiz:
1. Matt - although I'm certain he won't.
2. My sister Nancy

2 people I haven't talked to in a while:
1. My sister Sara
2. Julie

Oh my O!

O had a week. A traumatic week. It started on Wednesday with stitches in the head. By the following Wednesday, we'd puked, had another wound and a bad reaction to a vaccine!
Friday (2 days after head wound), O was messing around in our friends family room. He somehow (he later told me, it was S, doing a "spin ball move", that went horribly wrong, that caused the injury), hit his ear - the high part in the cartilage - on the corner of their coffee table. He actually completely pierced his ear - all the way through the cartilage. Poor boy...bloody, nasty ear, lots of crying and a bloody, silk pillow. Thankfully, ears heal quickly, and his ear looked better before his head did!
Sunday evening 4 days post head wound and 2 days post ear wound), the puke fest started. Poor boy - wounded ear, bandaged head and now add vomit. Felt horrible for him!
Monday, we went to the doctor to try to get the stitches out and it was a no go. Due to the need for a double closure - that wasn't done and a few to few stitches, the head was still bleeding a little and not ready to be "unstitched".
Wednesday rolls around and his head looks great. Go to the doctor and stitch removal begins - only the middle stitch was soooo tight that it was hard to get to without cutting the skin around it! He also need a DTaP. Lucky kid - stitch removal and a shot...he hit the jackpot!
He got his shot - by the end of the night, we was limping with a HUGE lump. Two days later, we had a 6.5 inch, hot, swollen, and red welt on his thigh. Fun stuff I tell you.
We went to the doctor on day three, when the reaction was at it's peak. They said they thought it was just a reaction, but we should do antibiotics just in case...I waited another day with no meds and his leg was significantly better. We are still on the mend, but have gone more than two to three days with no major injury.
Fingers crossed that O's "streak" is over for a while!

Bumps and Bruises....or Blood and Stitches

O may be the death of me. That child, in his 4.5 short years of life, has had more "injuries", than the older two boys have combined. We've had our head "glued" shut once, and numerous trips to the drug store to buy "butterfly" band aids and an attempt at glue and steri strips here at home. This child has had multiple "goose eggs" on his head too.
He's a daredevil. He NEVER stops moving. In fact, he's now taken to watching TV, in a headstand position - on the couch. If he's not standing on his head, he's either jumping, flipping or running in place. It's insane. I wish I possessed his energy and inability to sit still. I'd be much thinner.
We keep saying we need to sign him up for gymnastics - this was more solidified, when, while at the grocery store, I found him hanging upside down from the handle on the shopping cart - it was one of those carts with the attached seat for two kids. He's a monkey. I call him that all the time.
This last week, has been especially difficult for little O. Poor boy. I, as a mother of three boys, had my first experience with a head wound that would NOT stop bleeding and stitches.
It took three of us to hold little man down and one doctor to "stitch" - at least that's what she called it. I'm not at all impressed with her "work", but at least it's not a gaping wound anymore!
We arrived at church early on Wednesday. A friend and I took our kids out to eat for dinner and when we got to church, I was taking the boys to the bathroom to wash their hands. I went in the door and I THOUGHT O was right behind me. I walked into the door, heard a THUD, and then howling. Poor boy was crying his little heart out.
I scooped him up and asked what happened - he couldn't stop crying long enough. S, told me that he'd ran into the edge of the bathroom door...WHAT?!?! Who runs into doors?!? Then I remembered that he is my child and I've done it too.
Blood was now draining from his head and after a quick blot, it was determined that stitches would be in order. I could tell, this was far from a trip for a simple "gluing" and steri strips or butterfly bandages weren't going to cut it.
Once, arrangements were made for the older two, O and I were off to the ER. Urgent Care wouldn't see him because it was a "head trauma" and they won't treat children with head wounds. Thankfully, I remembered hearing this and called, before going to one.
Once at the ER, the cut was cleaned a little better and we could get a better look...uh...yeah. It was FAR deeper than I thought at first. So deep in fact, that the doctor took a while to decide if two layers of stitces were needed. I asked her if the whitish yellow "pieces", I saw hanging out of the cut were what I thought they were. She assured me that I was correct and that they were indeed pieces of "subcutaneous tissue - or fat". YUCK!
They had difficulty getting O totally numb. I am not a squeamish person. I have a tough stomach when it comes to that stuff, but by the time they were done inserting the needles into his cut and holding him down for so long, I thought I might be sick. Thankfully, I was not.
He was stitched and good as new. He enjoyed his pack of licorice I let him get and was more than thrilled when I told him he didn't even have to share it with his brothers - he was SHOCKED to find out that the pack of licorice includes TWO BARS of yummy goodness and not just one!
Two days later, his head is healing nicely - lots of bruising and swelling, but all in all, it's doing well.
O, my monkey butt boy, fell of my friends couch and managed to hit his ear on the corner of the coffee table. He not only hit his ear - he managed to actually slit the upper cartilage and puncture it right through to the other side. We still aren't sure if this was an attempt to get his ear pierced, but either way - a wound to the ear, also bleed TREMENDOUSLY.
Thankfully, ears heal quickly and today it looks so much better!
I'm considering buying him a helmet and face mask. Perhaps I should wrap him in bubble wrap too...