No Better Place on Earth...

2012

2012-01-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

I am just horrid at keeping up on this blog. I remember when I would post daily - or at least weekly. One of two things have obviously happened: I've either gotten two busy with the daily things of life OR our life just isn't that exciting anymore. Maybe, it's a little bit of both.

We are thankful for a new year. The boys still remain healthy - not counting the occasional bout of strep throat or a cold. Max's diabetes is still well controlled and we've been able to avoid thyroid medication again.

I'm a horrible mother for multiple reasons:
1 - my children have not been to the dentist in almost a year.
2 - I'm pretty sure we've eaten junk for dinner on more than one occasion in the last two months.
3 - I can't remember the last time I gave any of my children a vitamin.
4 - I don't always remember to MAKE them brush their teeth twice a day...in fact, some days, I'm not sure I remember to remind them once. Gross I know. I'm thankful, I can remember to at least brush mine.

O was sent to the office again. This time for kissing two kids in his class. They said the kiss was not an issue. It was just that he has to learn that he can't just walk around kissing people I guess. He didn't get in trouble at home - in fact, it was all I could do at the school to not burst into laughter.

O continues to learn and grasp new concepts quickly. I love listening to him read and seeing the stories that he writes in school. My favorite one was his story about the squares. He drew a picture of a single square and said..."the square is lonely". He drew three more squares and said: "The square found two friends"....that was the extent of his story. I love his imagination and thought process.

S has had lots of questions lately about the end of the world. I remember feeling the same way when I was his age. I was always afraid I wouldn't be able to grow up and get married. I wanted children. I also remember feeling guilt for not wanting Jesus to come back before those things happened. I still would love to see my children graduate and get married and have children...but I digress.

S has had lots of good questions. Many we don't have the answers for. We have relied heavily on: We trust that God will take care of us and only He knows when He will choose to return so we have to be sure our hearts are ready. For know he seems ok with that answer.

M continues to be an emotional hot mess. Eight is just a rough age all around. My sweet, cooperative little boy has turned into a whiny, screaming banche. It's not pretty. He can go from 0-60 in a second. He always feels horrible after he calms down from his fits - which have been known to last for close to an hour. He apologizes, without being prompted and tells us he loves us a million times afterwards. Matt and I are working on consistency and patience as we deal with these behaviors, but it's tough.

Matt often works long days so it's a little tougher on the boys and I some nights. All of our patience wears thin on those days. We are thankful for Matt and the hard work that he does each day to provide for our family - but we sure do miss him!

I'm staying busy doing a little bit of everything...photography, subbing, crocheting, making headbands, being a wife and a mother...a jack of all trades I guess. I have lots of fun ideas spinning in my head and don't always bring them all to fruition but when I do, I get really excited!

That's about the extent of our simple life right now - which is just fine with me!

Say What

2011-11-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

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

2011-08-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-08-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-06T07:20:00.001-07:00

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

2011-03-03T06:55:00.001-08:00

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

2011-03-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

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...

Safe Keeping

2010-12-29T18:11:00.001-08:00

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

2010-12-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

*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

2010-12-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-09T07:08:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-08-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-22T20:49:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-01T18:41:00.001-07:00

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

What's that Smell?!?!

2010-05-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Six Baby Chicks

2010-03-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-09T06:07:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-23T19:43:00.000-08:00

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?!?

2010-02-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-11T17:10:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

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!

Never

2010-01-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

Just a SMALL list of some things I never want to do:

Go to jail. I never want to do that. I don't think it would be fun...even a little bit fun.

Have any teeth pulled...or go to the dentist for that matter. If I could NEVER go back to the dentist, that would be ok with me.

Take Compazine again. That was no fun. I guess you have to try something once to know you have an allergy to it, I wish there was another way for that one.

Go to another Haunted House. I'm not sure why I ever paid someone to scare me. It seems pointless, especially when watching the news scares me enough.

Become President or have one of my children become President. I know many people would say that would be a great honor for them/children to hold. NOT I SAID THE PIG! I'd prefer NONE of my children go into politics.

Have another child diagnosed with a chronic disease...I'm thankful for the disease we were "given" and that it wasn't something far worse...but one child is enough!

Run out of my SSNRI. That's bad. It's bad for me and those around me. Withdraw from that medication is NO FUN AT ALL! My princess pills make this world a far better place for everyone around!

Just a few things I never want to do...

Doors

2010-01-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

Our children seem to have a problem grasping the concept of doors. Not how to use them, or what they are for, although, they often forget to close them. We've come home or received a phone call on more than one occassion, notifying us that our back door is open. No surprise there. Thankfully, we live in a nice area and my parents live across the street...not to mention we live 1/2 mile away from the police/fire departments!

They are often confused about which is the back door and front door in our house. I know why they are confused. We rarely use our front door, and have been known, on occassion to block it entirely. I know this isn't a safe practice, so you can save the fire code lessons. We have 13 windows in our house...all on the first floor, so we are good with exits. Anyhow, I will tell them, go unlock the back door for your grandma, and one will run to the front. I'll tell them, I said the back door, they look at me, for a moment, like I'm speaking French, and then run to the "other" back door. My oldest has actually refered to the back door as "the other front door".

Today, while eating dinner, O asked for ketchup. I should have already had it on the table. O eats ketchup on almost anything, as I imagine most children do. I had just sat down and we told him he could go and get it. He gladly hoped up and ran to the fridge. We all kept eating and he announced, in his three year old manner: "The ketchups not in dis fidge". Daddy told him to look in the door....

O slammed the door to the fridge and took off toward the back door. We heard after a minute..."It's not back here"...Matt told him, in the door O...the door to the fridge. O then took off running towards the front door!

After we stopped laughing, Matt took O and explained to him the concept of the "refridgerator door". The ketchup was found and all was right with the world!

One Time

2010-01-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

One time, I laughed so hard, while on a date, pop came out my nose....or was it a milkshake?!? Either way, we were dressed "fancy" and something came out my nose.

One time, I fell into a hole. My husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, kissed me for the first time, and I stepped right into a hole...I should have known then, he was the one!

One time, my two older boys locked me out of the house. I was on the front porch doing something and S, who was around 2.5 at the time, locked the front door and couldn't get it unlocked. Thankfully, my parents live right across the street and have a key. Trying to explain to a 2.5 year old how to unlock a door, through a window, doesn't always go so well.

One time, well, more than one time, we've had to put a child through our kitchen window to come and open a door because, we accidentally locked ourselves out.

One time, I had an allergic reaction to Compazine and thought I was going to loose my mind. I actually considered ripping my own IV out and leaving the hospital in my gown...with the back hanging open and everything!

One time, I ate ice from my pop. Which isn't a big deal, except for we were in Russia at the time...and the ice is made from their water and I ended up with HORRIBLE diarrhea. When I say HORRIBLE...I mean HORRENDOUS, AWFUL, INSULTING diarrhea.

One time, when I was around 10, I went to my neighbors house and thought my mom heard me. We were dancing to music and her mom was running the vacuum. When I went home a little while later, police men were at my door and my parents were NOT happy. They didn't hear me and actually walked up and down the street yelling my name...when I didn't come, and they couldn't find me, they called the police. I was in BIG trouble.

One time, I had an AWESOME purple bike with a white banana seat that had a rainbow on it. My grandma bought it for me from a man who sold bikes in his front yard. He still sells bikes from that house, as well as, the occasional lawn mower, snow blower or misc. item. It's on Eureka Road...anyhow....someone stole the bike, not long after I got it. It was in our back yard...I was sad.

One time, I dozed off in church during prayer...I hit my head on the pew in front of me. It was loud and quite embarrassing.

Why We Love Hotels

2010-01-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

Mommy Brain

2010-01-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

Sunday, we were trying to get out the door for church. I was finishing up a few things in the house and I told the boys to go outside and get in the van. Matt and I walked out and as I would have expected, the kids were not in the van. They had found a large patch of ice and were skating around on it.

As Sundays seem to go, I was not in the mood for disobedience, I shouted for the boys and it sounded something like this: "Get in the GARAGE right now". Only I didn't hear that. I heard, in my head, "Get in the van". The boys stopped, looked at me, and then resumed their ice examiniation.

I of course was furious and yelled: "Get in the house....I mean...van...right now". They loaded in the van. Meanwhile, Matt is standing outside the van door, laughing hysterically. I was not laughing, until he told me what I said.

He informed me that I told the kids to get in the garage...no wonder they didn't listen to that one. Somedays, I'm not so sure I'm not loosing my mind!

Not so Fast

2010-01-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Every Friday, I go to the boys school and help. We spend most of our time in M's classroom. Since he's in Kindergarten, it's more O friendly and his teacher doesn't mind if I bring him. We have been doing this, every Friday, since the beginning of the year. O has, on a few occassions stayed with my mom, but for the most part always comes with me. He's like the little class mascot. All the kids love him and M's teacher is super good with O and really patient. She lets him join in the circle time if he wants and most nothing in her classroom is off limits for him.

Honestly, O kind of has the run of the school. Mrs. S., M's para, has snacks for O when he wants them, he once fell asleep under a table in the office copy room, and just this week, I couldnt' find O for a second, and found him in the hallway being pushed up and down the corridor by the schools principal, Mr. C!

This Friday, O was searching frantically for his "train pack". I helped him find his train backpack and he packed a few trains and then instructed me that he needed a drink and a snack to put in their. I put them in, he put his coat on and then wanted to carry it on his back like his brothers.

We got to school and went about our morning routine. O even made the penguin craft I was making with the kids. He will be a pro a the whole kindergarten thing when it's his turn...well, hopefully anyway!

The kids were talking about lunch and O told me he wanted to but pizza in the lunch room with his brothers and he informed me that he would be staying at school. My heart sank. I am SO not ready for another one to go to school! It's hard enough having the older two away from me all day long. I like having my little buddy with me during the day. He's good company and gives me someone to talk too...or at least talk at.

The good news is, when I said it was time to go, O was more than happy to grab his pack, wave bye to his brothers and follow me out the door! Thankfully, he still has two years until he starts school!

JDRF Walk

2010-01-13T06:14:00.000-08:00

In October, we participated in the JDRF Walk for a Cure. M was REALLY excited that have a special day for kids with diabetes! We simply walked this year and checked out the "festivites". We plan to fundraise this year.
M was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago with Type 1 diabetes. His diagnosis came as a total shock to us. There is no family history of diabetes. We pray daily for God's healing for M and others with diabetes, but also think it's important to actively participate in helping find a cure.

Ballet Lessons

2010-01-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

I saw a ballet for the first time on Saturday night. My MIL bought tickets for my sister in law, my niece Gillian, and myself. It was a surprise Christmas gift for all the girlies in the family! Since we are sorely outnumbered by boys...11 to 4...she thought it would be a nice thing for us to do.
We decided to make a night of it and went to a yummy dinner at Johnny Carino's before the show began. Their Cesar salad was delicious and I have a great pasta dish for dinner with sundried tomatoes, shrimp and chicks...mmmmm!
This post isn't about my dinner, as delicious as it was, so I will continue!
I learned a few things about ballets. They are as follows:

First and foremost, something MUST be done about MALE ballet attire. Not the males in attendance, but the dancers. There pants were quite visually insulting. I thought, at one point, poking my eyes out would be better than watching them dance in their spandex tights.

One would think...just don't look there. It's a ballet folks. The point is to watch them jump and twirls and leap and squat and bend and jump some more (all while wearing bright white spandex tights), all of these things are done with LEGS, which are attatched to...well you know.

A simple costume adjustment would fix this problem...a simple "flap" in the front would be better than nothing. The chronic "wedgie" they had from the tights was at least bearable...but the front...not so much.

On a postive note, the ladies costumes were gorgeous. We saw Swan Lake and I found the Swan costumes stunning, especially the black ones they wore. The were unbelievably gorgous and glittery. It was exactly what I thought they would look like...the ones I saw as a little girl...the ones I would have died to wear. Now people would die if they saw me in one.

Some ballerinas are HORRIBLY thin.

Ballet dancers have HUGE leg muscles...even the skinny ones. They are all muscle.

I'm not sure how the girls stand on their toes like that. I know I've read/heard that their feet can become horribly disfigured after years of dancing...I can believe that.

Watching a ballet on tv is NOTHING like seeing on in person. It doesn't compare.

After the first 3 acts I was kind of done with the whole thing. I found the last dance wonderful though!

The whole story of Swan Lake was difficult for me to grasp for some reason. It was hard for me to envision the prince dancing in the palace with a swan and the queen just being ok with it all...I know it's a fairy tale!

I know why I am a "boy mom". At several points during the ballet, I actually found myself grinning at the thought of some of the dancers leaping in the air and then bouncing off of each other! Only a boy mom would think of things like that.

I feel it needs mention again...the male dancers looked extremely inappropriate...there has to be a better alternative for them.

Bad Dreams

2010-01-05T05:53:00.000-08:00

M woke up the other day and came into bed with us...as do all the boys. We aren't those parents who are up, dressed, coffee in hand when our kids wake up. They are, our alarm clock!
He told me he had a bad dream. I told him he was fine and then fell back asleep...as I normally do. Matt is a champ and always gets up with the kids...even if it is a bit begrudgingly at times.
Matt told me later that M had a bad dream and that S had encouraged him. It took me a minute to stop laughing about the "bad" dream and then I was proud of sweet S and his kind heart!
M had a dream that all his friends had super powers and he didn't...I guess for a 6 year old boy, that is a BAD dream.
S told him that he was special just the way he was and that he didn't need super powers. He told him that we'd love him no matter what!
Such sweet brothers...at least for that moment. I'm quite sure a few minutes later they were fighting about something!

Hear

2009-12-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

I love to hear:

My oldest son pray. He prays deep and meaningful prayers. Prayers that I'm certain please the Lord! He's such a special boy.

My youngest son belly laughing. He's really come into his own and has developed quite the sense of humor!

My children talk to each other. We have overheard many interesting conversations between the boys!

My boys encouraging each other. Despite their tempers, tantrums and tattling, there are moments of encouragement and love between the boys. I cherish these moments!

My husband pray with our boys. He prays with them each night before bed and they WILL NOT let him forget. I love what he is teaching our children.

My husband teaching. He makes me so proud. He loves doing so and the Lord has given him a great gift.

The sound of rain...as long as I'm inside.

Crunching snow...such a cool sound!

Where Babies Come From....just in case you wondered

2009-12-20T06:36:00.000-08:00

M and I had a chance to talk the other day. Somehow, in a rare moments, just the two of us were riding in the van together. We got on the topic of getting married and having babies. I decided to ask M some questions...seeing as he's only SIX, I wasn't sure of the answers that I would get. I was shocked at how certain he was of each answer! He's such a smart boy! Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Do you want to get married when you grow up?
M: YEAH! I want to have a wife...this is the part where I told him he had to have a job before he could get married...just thought I'd start drilling that in him now.
Me: Do you want to have kids when you grow up too?
M: Yes! I want to be a daddy when I get bigger!
Me: How many kids do you want to have?
M: I think 3, just like we have at our house.
Me: Do you want boy babies or girl babies?
M: I think I'd like some of each.
We are silent for a minute. Somehow, we go off topic and talk about mistletoe for a minute....
M: Mom, where do babies come from...
Me...uh...well...ummmm...When a mommy and a daddy get married, Jesus puts them in her belly. This answer worked for the older one...hopefully, it will work now (fingers crossed tightly)!
M: No, I mean HOW does Jesus get them there?
Me: I stammer all over myself, mentally debating on whether or not I should have this "talk" right now. I decide no...and answer like this: When a mommy and daddy are married and love each other, they do stuff alone together..
M: What kind of stuff?
Me: Sheeshh....Just stuff, by themselves.
M: I KNOW!!! Like when you and daddy go shopping together and stuff like that!
Me: YES!!!
**I do realize that M may never step foot in a store with his girlfriend for fear of pregnancy...but that's ok!
We now go on to have a brief conversation about a car that looks like the Transformer Bumblebee.
M: How do the babies get food in the mommy's belly?
Me: Through their belly button
M: Are you serious mom?
Me: Yes, it's called an umbilical cord.
M: That's just RIDICULOUS!!
Me: Do you want to grow a baby in your belly M?
M: NO WAY!! I'm glad it's just the mommy's who do that!!
Smart boy huh!!

Target

2009-12-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, while shopping at...Target (as if you were surprised), I was in the check out line and getting ready to pay. I made sure I put everything on the belt, gave the cashier all the toys that O had thrown into the cart while I wasn't looking, and even handed her the one that I had let him play with to stop a tantrum...yes, I'm that mother. It happened to be my favorite cashier, so she smiled, took the stuff and quickly hid it while O wasn't looking.
She scanned my coupons, bagged my order, and chatted for a brief minute. I did a split tender. I often do that...part cash, part debit. I've been using photo money to pay for Christmas gifts this year and didn't want to use Christmas money on laundry soap..after all, who is laundry soap a gift for?!?!
I finished paying and she handed me back my change. I stuck it in my wallet, found my mom, bundled O and walked to the car. We got in the car and I stopped. I told my mom that I thought the cashier gave me back too much change. We looked, counted, checked the recent, recounted my money and it was decided that she did indeed give me back too much change...$20.00 in fact! I handed her $60 in cash and she rang in $80. She gave me back a $1.80 in change, when in fact, I owed her almost that much!
I went into the service desk and explained to the man what happened. He thanked me profusely for being honest and took the opportunity to tell him, despite the difficult time our family is having financially right now, the Lord has been faithful and provided for us. He looked at me like I was crazy, smiled and made a phone call to his manager.
He hung up the phone and told me that his manager said not to worry about it....WHAT?!?! They told me not to worry about it and have a nice day! What a blessing!! I guess honesty is the best policy...I had a clear conscience, had the opportunity to tell someone about God's faithfulness AND got a free Christmas gift!

2009-11-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

One of my first Christmas ornaments. My mom gave this to me a few years ago to hang on my tree. It's 30 years old and I love it!

Sweet baby hands "decorating" the tree. I use the term loosely...it was more like setting ornaments on the branch and then letting them fall to the ground while you ran to grab more.

Gracie...my sweet niece. She and her mommy made me this little paper angel when she was just two years old. She's 9 now and has been such a blessing to me! She was so excited to hang it on my tree for me and thrilled that I saved it all these years.

Daddy's job...putting the tree topper on! When I bought it we only had two little boys...I had to add a third snowman to make it right!!

The finished product!!

Bigger and Bigger and Bigger

2009-11-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

I made each of our boys an ornament their first Christmas. I cut their handprints out of fabric and glued them to an ornament of some kind. We made one for each of the grandparents and great grandparents. My mom has one she made with my on MY first Christmas..30 years ago!!
I love having the boys hold their ornaments each year and see how much bigger...or BIGGUH as O says it...that they get each year!

Not Me

2009-11-16T06:04:00.001-08:00

Therapy time.....

I did not buckle O into his "big boy" car seat this week to see how he did. I know he's not quite there on the weight yet, so I'd never try to use the booster seat.

Since I didn't use the booster feature on the seat, I did not, while driving down a BUSY road, feel a tap on my shoulder. I didn't look in the mirror to see my 3 year old dancing around the back of the van. My children NEVER unbuckle their seat belts while driving.

I am not still wearing the same shirt that I slept in two nights ago. I did not, decide on Sunday morning that it looked and smelled clean still and wore it to church. I always wear clean fresh clothes.

I did not justify wearing the afore mentioned shirt because I was "teaching the preschool class" and would just get dirty anyway...

I certainly did not tell S to, "just go get the pants you wore to church yesterday", because I was too lazy to go and get the clean jeans out of the dryer. I always have everyone's school clothes set out and ready to go each morning.

I definitely did not yell "shut up" to my 6 year old this weekend. I am always composed, kind and loving.

O did not have to go and get his head glued shut this week. While having his head glued shut, I did not place two large paper clips in his hair like make shift barettes. The docotr didn't glue the rubber glove to his head either. At one point, I did not have a son, with two giant paper clips, a bloody head, and a rubber glove hanging from his forehead....

We did not traumatize S, after he caused the bloody head either. WE certainly didn't make him look closely at his baby brothers bloody head and tell him that he would now have to get NEEDLES in his head....we did not overhear S in the bathroom praying for his baby brother a few minutes later...that moment did not make my heart happy.

I did not beam with pride when M's para told me that during a lock down drill at school this week, he told the other kids not to be afraid because: "JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH US"...I am a modest mother who is never ultra proud of her babies!

Who Isn't?!?

2009-11-10T06:16:00.000-08:00

I took O to the doctors to get his head fixed and was greeted by a HUGE sign that read like this:

***If you have ANY of the following symptoms, please see the staff at the front desk and a mask will be provided for you, free of charge:
**Coughing
**Body Aches
**Fever
**Chills
**Fatigue
**Vomiting
**Diarrhea
**Severe Congestion

GREAT...I need like four masks just for my ailments and I'm quite sure I don't have influenza of any kind...piggy or regular!
It's fall in Michigan. The high temperatures have ranged from 40 degrees to 71 degrees - all in the last WEEK!! If you have even a touch of seasonal allergies they have been thrown into the funk to end all funks!!
Cough - check, Congestion - check, Stomach upset - check (I ate McDonalds today)...Fatigue - CHECK, CHECK, CHECK - not that I'm a mommy of three boys would be a contributor to the fatigue thing...
The nurse and I were joking when O went back into the room. I told her who doesn't have at least ONE of those problems right now! You'd think they'd have to raise their rates just to provide masks to all the people who would need them!!

Gotta Get Me Some

2009-11-10T05:58:00.001-08:00

I have gotta get me some of that awesome glue they use at the doctors office. You know that stuff that glues open flesh back together....that's some good glue!

Here is how our Monday evening unfolded:
Dinner was finishing on the stove and in the oven.
I was vacuuming the rung
Daddy was changing out of his work clothes.
The boys were playing in their room.
Mommy hears a scream and cry...over the hum of the vacuum cleaner...that's NEVER good.
I tell daddy to please go check on the boys.
I hear daddy yelling: "WHAT HAPPENED?!?!"
I turn off the vacuum.
I go to boys room to hear the story that goes something like this:
**O was playing with my big dolphin
**I told him to give it back and stop
I'm sure you can finish the story here.
I grabbed O from daddy when I saw the blood on his head...and not just a little blood. It was by no means as bloody as I would have thought though. For this I am grateful.
I took O to the kitchen counter and attempted to wash off the cut. I pushed his sweet little boy curls off to the side and saw that stitches were DEFINITELY in his future.
We've had two other moments where they were debatable and we chose to "tape" them shut...this one was not "tapeable"...is tape able a word?!?
We took O to show S his head and explained to him that O would now have to go and get a needle in his head to fix the damage. S was significantly traumatized and started crying.
I also heard S in the bathroom a few minutes later praying for O, then he took O his Jesus Fish necklace to wear. It was a sweet moment. S apologized and all was well. M kept bringing him all the toys he thought he'd like to play with and kept looking at him with the horribly concerned look in his eye.
We loaded the van when the bleeding was all done and went to...McDonalds. Yes, McDonalds. O requested a cheeseburger for dinner (remember, I was in the middle of making dinner). We ran through the drive thru and headed to the doctors.
I was thankful our doctor's office was still open so I didn't have to mess with the ER or Urgent Care.
We were greeted at the door of the doctors office with a GIANT saying you to get a mask if you think you have the flu...that's another blog in an of itself!
We go in and asses the situation. After a conversation with the doctor about how I don't care if she has to cut the front of his hair...she is relieved that I don't care...and we decided to glue instead of stitch. It would have needed at least 4 stitches...I thought two...guess I was wrong!
The nurse comes in and rubs some numbing cream on the outside for us. I place two LARGE paper clips in O's hair to keep his hair from falling in the bloody and creamy mess. He looks hysterical running around the office with two giant clips in his hair!
The doctor comes in and tells me about how I have to be super careful to NOT touch the glue while she is working. She says I'll be stuck for a week! I agree and we go on our merry way. She did awesome, even sitting on the floor next to me and O while I read O a Thomas book.
Round 1 of glue didn't work. Dr. Kramar went to stand up to get more glue and realized her glove was indeed stuck to Mr. O's forehead.
He was quite a site...two giant paper clips, a bloody head and a rubber glove glued to his forehead! I wish I would have had a camera at that moment!
Round two of glue proved a success and no gloves were glued on that time!
O was a champ! He didn't fuss or fight...well he did when the glove was glued to his head. I guess he didn't like that. Before we were even home, O had the bandaid and half the steri strips off the cut...let's hope that awesome glue keeps holding!!

Thousand Words...or Less

2009-11-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

If a picture paints a thousand words, than these two photos speak volumes! These two pics may be my favorite photos of the boys! It couldn't have captured their personalities any better! S, isn't paying a lick of attention, which is par for the course. M, is smiling...probably because I promised him doughnuts if he'd smile. O, well, O, is being himself. My ham of a child. Always silly and just bored with the whole thing!

Not Me Novel

2009-10-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

I did not do the following things this week nor did I have enough of these moments to fill several weeks of posts!

*Pull over in a parking lot to allow my three year old to pee in an old Chuck E Cheese cup. I always make my children use the bathroom in designated facilities.

*Realize, while driving home from a photo shoot, that I had forgotten to pick up my youngest from the babysitter. I NEVER forget about my children.

*Eat an entire bag of dark chocolate Chex Mix...in one sitting. That stuff is NOT delicious and I am not a piglet!

*Have to rewash two loads of laundry because I forgot to switch them to the dryer...I'm always on top of housework.

*Let my oldest boys go to school two days without having their hair brushed. My children are always perfectly "coiffed" before leaving the house.

*I CERTAINLY did not, TWICE in one day, misplace my car keys, AFTER unlocking the doors and putting O in his car seat. I am not that absent minded and can remember where I put things...especially 5 minutes after I put them there!

*During a yard sale this week, I did not look up to see O, standing, "nakey butt" in the door way with a roll of toilet paper. He did not declare, loudly, "I pooped, come wipe my butt". I also did not have a yard full of people at the time! My kids have perfect manners.

*My son did not come home sick from school on Friday with a fever. Once he was home for a bit and I rechecked his temperature, he did not come back with no fever. The school is always on top of those types of things.

*Upon arrival at my husbands work party this Friday, we did not sit in the van and watch people enter the party. We also did not scope out the dress of the people who were entering. I also did not take off as much of my costume as possible when I saw how few people had dressed up...I am confident enough in myself to rock a Halloween costume regardless of everyone else.

*I did not make my 7 year old stuff his foot into a sock sized for a 3 year old because there were no others clean. We always have clean clothes and plenty of appropriate footwear.

*My poor husband did not get accused of saying a "swear word" during a presentation he did at church on Sunday...his saying "Jack asked me to"...Did not get interpreted Jacka**....poor guy. He did not think it was really funny either. We always have full decorum and are professional.

Just a few of my moments...there are many, many more!

Silly Sayings

2009-10-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

My kids make me laugh...they also make me want to cry, yell, pull my hair out, etc. O has this adoreable little way of saying things, mostly things that are sassy, and it makes Matt and I laugh. At least for now. We are certain that in a few short years, it won't be funny any more. Like when we tell O, please don't walk across the top of the couch - that is pushed up against the windows - because it isn't safe. O's reply: "I cannot fall". Or the conversations that go like this, O, please put your glasses back on...where are you glasses...and his response is: "I did not hide them mommy"....funny and cute now, but I can see into our future and almost hear our sixteen year old son...and somehow it isn't so funny.

What was funny was S today. He was getting dressed for school and I was helping him. He told me he wanted to wear a belt to school. He found a belt, tucked his shirt into his jeans and came to show me his new look. I had to hold back a chuckle at his look...he had tucked his bulky shirt into his slim jeans and looked..well...silly. I of course assured him that he looked handsome. The response I got was unexpected, but horribly funny. He told me: "I know I look handsome, I just looked in the mirror and ALMOST WHISTLED AT MYSELF"!!

S HATES when people laugh at things he says, unless, he is telling a joke, and it took everything Matt and I had to not laugh hysterically!!

And M....M can't stop acting like a Transformer long enough to say much...everything has to do with Transformers. Even getting dressed involves sound effects and songs!

My boys do make me laugh!

Not Me

2009-10-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

This week was an interesting week...but today alone had enough NOT ME moments to fill a book - or at least a blog!

Today, I did not, in an attempt to log onto our online banking acount, cause the bank to freeze our account. I know all our passwords and enter them correctly the first time.

Upon realizing that the account was frozen I did not have to hurry and dress to take my kds to school and drop my husband at work so that I could get to the bank as soon as it opened.

I definitely did not raid M's piggy bank to get enough cash to put in the gas tank so I didn't run out of gas before I got to the bank...I always have enough money for essentials.

I certainly did not rush to the bank to find out that my error alone froze the account. I did not laugh and breathe a huge sigh of relief!

I didn't realize that in my haste to get out the door this morning, that I had given S, NIGHT TIME cold medicine before he went to school. I am always prepared and aware of what I'm doing.

I did not call the school right away to tell them that if I HAD given S, that medicine, he could call home if he just seemed too sleepy....the secratary did not laugh at me and assure me that this isn't the first time it's happened!

O, DEFINTELY get bit by my mom and dad's dog.

After, calming O, from the dog bite, he didn't get, I didn't hear M screaming. I went downstairs to find that S, certainly hadn't thrown a rock and hit him in the chin with it. My kids know that we NEVER throw stones.

After cleaning my house up and while making dinner, M and O, didn't come in the house, covered in a wet sandy mess. They did not keep their dirty shoes, socks, pants and shirts on and trapse through my house stomping (or so it seemed) with every step. My sons know the proper way to come into the home and what to do when they are dirty.

Just a few of my not me moments for this week!

Simple Life

2009-09-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

After 6 years with more than one child, I now am back to a full day with only one little one - except for the days that I babysit.
I had little time with S alone. 13.5 months to be exact. I spent nine of those months bent over a toliet puking, but that's another story...
I had little recollection of life with only one child. My days have been spent with at least two little ones for as long as I can remember.
Now, it's just me and O...and I'm shocked at how suprisingly easy and smooth our days are. He's my little easy going buddy. He rolls with it and goes with the flow. We've been able to take naps together, watch cartoons, clean a bit, go to the store, and even had our first lunch date the other day, granted it was Taco Bell, but O enjoyed his "cheese taco, cimanin twists and black pop", which is translated to a cheese roll up, cinamom twist and a pepsi - yes, Pepsi.
O is horribly spoiled. His older brothers hadn't even tasted a soda at his age...he asks for it daily.
Since it has been just me and O, I now know why only children can be so easily spoiled. It's so simple to only buy one treat, one book, one of everything! It's a lot cheaper than buying things in threes. I'll have to keep this in check before my sweet, easy going boy, becomes a big monster.
I love listening to his sweet little voice chattering away while he plays trains and pretends to be a conductor. Today, we had a conversation while eating lunch. I asked him why he wasn't eating his spaghettios...he infromed me that: "his mouf was broke", he told me: "it wasn't broked to talk or eat his butter bread". It was just broke to eat his other food!
He's such a sweet little boy, we miss our brothers horribly during the day...in fact, after a few hours O starts asking for them. It is nice to have the two of us alone all day though!

2009-09-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we took a trip to tour the Henry Ford Estate...it's beyond gorgeous! My mind tends to wander and can only imagine what life must have been like in this mansion and on the beautiful sprawling acres. The man was a genius - pure and simple. He had a channel made that led to a boat dock under his house. He powered his house using the water from the Rouge River...not to mention that whole car thing he came up with....

Before we toured the estates and grounds (which by the way is free), we walked the nature trails at the U of M. The boys love doing this, especially since their daddy used to do it when he was a kid. They had fun spotting deer, chipmunks and other wildlife. I had fun, NOT freaking out when a snake slithered in front of me...I am not at all a girly girl and can be seen catching bugs FOR my boys, but something about snakes....EEEKKK! I loved this shot in the clearing.

We had a wonderful picnic lunch and I made another attempt at capturing some pics of the boys. I am still in awe of the fact that, I, Beth, get paid good money to take pictures of other peoples children. People are happy with the pictures I take....children smile, look sweet and are generally cooperative for these shoots. My children on the other hand...are not. I did get a few good shots - considering I took 550 pictures that day, a few were warranted.

It was a wonderful and relaxing time with the kids...except for the time that I actually stompped my foot in frustration - much like a 4 year old - because the kids wouldn't smile or look at me at the same time!
The curiosity that my boys show about the outdoors is so refreshing. S, loved looking at the uprooted trees, fallen limbs and rock bridges. M, loved looking for acorns to collect and had fun spotting chipmunks. O, just ran, tripped, and ran some more. He would not stop, despite our protests, touching each and ever leaf along the trail! Poison Ivy and Oak are no strangers in this "neck of the woods" and O didn't seem to care about it's possibly presence!
I am so blessed to be mommy to these boys and to share their lives with my husband!

Bumps and Bruises

2009-09-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you take three hyper boys to dinner and let them all have chocolate milk....then you:
Buckle them in the van and drive to help move furniture for a few minutes - all while making boys sit in car seats...then you:
Allow them out, with several warnings and requests to calm down, for a brief moment while you take care of some things for your inlaws who are out of town....
You get:
Loud thud
Screaming
Blood
Brusies
Hiding child
Tattleing child
Crying child
Thankfully, the crying child was pacified with a spider man ice pack. He called his eye his: "spider eye", all night, while holding his ice pack on.
The tattleing child was calmed when he saw his little brother was ok, but was all too excited to tattle.
The hiding child was found, apologized, scolded and rescolded for: Throwing his youngest brother onto the chair. This act in and of itself is unacceptable, and he knows better, but he's a boy and boys rough house. The problem was O didn't stay on the chair, he bounced off, hit his other brother on the way down and landed face first into the carpet. To add insult to injury, he was wearing his glasses.

His eye was looking much better, until this morning. Less than 13 hours after his injury, the same place on his eye/head was injured again. This time, by his momma! I was babysitting (surprise), and went to help put him on the bench seat. I tripped over the high chair leg and bumped into O. This had a domino effect.

E spilled her food and O fell into what I thought was the bench. Unfortunately, I was wrong. He bumped that poor section of his head on the corner of the window ledge. He looked at me, with a bloody head/eye, and I immediately apologized and scooped him up.

We cleaned the wound and assesed and reassesed the situation. Does it need stitches, yes it needs stitches, it's such a small wound though... We called for reinforcement and had grandma, the stitch expert, come and take a look at it. Her assesment was: "Oh, that little thing. It's just a small puncture wound. It could use a stitch or two, but why put him through the trauma of stitches for such a small cut". I agreed and figured either way he'd scar...besides he's a boy and scars are cool right!?!? He could tell all his friends it's from the time he got in a fight with his big momma or something fun like that.

All about O

2009-09-09T20:03:00.001-07:00

"I can't see mine eyes mommy"...this was said to me while we were walking down a dark hallway.

He has also taken to naming his bowel movements and announcing the size of each one. Today, in fact, it was in the full mall bathroom.

O was so sad leaving his big brothers at school the other day! He cried and asked to stay with them. When I told him he couldn't stay, he begged for me to get them and bring them home.

His newest word: Nervous. Yes, nervous. My three year old has decided to start using the word, nervous. He also uses it in the right context!

His new favorite colors are black and blue. He only wants "black" things. Black doughnuts(chocolate), black Kool Aid (grape) or black suckers (root beer).

He has an obsession with: Diet Coke/Dr. Pepper and chocolate. He LOVES chocolate.

He is a fantastic puzzle builder.

He loves to "read" books too.

He has learned his name now. He sounds completely adoreable saying his full name! He also knows his brothers names!

When you ask him: "Whose boy are you?", his answer is ALWAYS, "Thomas" - as in the train. Not mommy or daddy, not even grandma or grandpa's boy. Thomas...sheesh.

He wants "twoof" of everything - which is two. We also drive a "lan" or van. I'll drive a "lan" if it gets better gas mileage!

Six

2009-09-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

This photo, almost perfectly captures the personality of this sweet, little six year old. It's not the best picture of him...it doesn't show how adoreable he really is, with his deep dimples, long eyelashes and sweet smile, but it does show how animated and silly he can be.

Six short years ago, our lives changed for a second time when Mister M was born. He tried to sneak into the world 4 weeks early, but our doctors put a stop to that...mommy was secretly glad. It would have made him and his brother just one year apart and I needed that extra month!
M's birth was uneventful - just the way I liked it. I woke up early on that cool September morning, showered, did my hair, got dressed and finished packing my bag. I kissed my sweet, newly 1 year old son, and was off with my husband. It's always such a surreal moment, leaving for the hospital with only two in the car, and coming home with three. It didn't change with M either. It's shocking to realize they let you leave the hospital with a HUMAN! Anyhow...
I went in for my scheduled c section. I was so excited for the nausea to end. The puking never stopped with this child. The nausea was relentless. Thankfully, they found some great medications to at least make it bearable. I was convinced, M was going to be born with two heads from all the meds I had taken!
He came out screaming and just as sweet as can be. He had the smallest little face and the sweetest features. His dimples were almost as adoreable as the little cleft in his chin! Despite my poor diet and weight loss, he weighed in at 8lbs with a 14.5 inch head. He was ten days earlier than his big brother, but gave him a run for his money with his size!
He smiled early, sat up late and walked even later! He chattered and babbled away long before his older brother did, but had no interest in doing any physical activity other than eating.
He was a horribly fussy baby. We would often get him to stop crying and then be afraid to move, for fear that we'd wake him! He slept like a champ at night though! He was our last to sleep through the night, but did so before 10 weeks.
He found his voice early and used it often. He was an easy toddler. He played quietly and well on his own. He has survived many attempts on his life by his older brother - including the great Fruit Loop caper - his "big" brother gave him a mouth full of Fruit Loops when mommy wasn't looking. No biggie...unless the baby is 3 months old, with no teeth.
M taught himself to read at 4. He knew all his letters and sounds by 2.5, as well as his colors and shapes. He is a brilliant child. He is reading at a level 17 at the start of this kindergarten year. The requirement for passing is 3 or 4. He's completely self taught too. He blows my mind! He in forever learning something knew and loves to do it.
He's often off in his own world though. Playing well on his own - or with others. He is kind and gentle, but loves to instigate.
He's as clueless as can be about common sense issues though. He has been known to wear his pants, unbuttoned and unzipped - that is if they aren't on backwards, for a full day. He can been seen, daily, with his shoes on the wrong feet, even flip flops, which I'm not sure how those work on the wrong feet.
He's a sweet boy with a kind heart. He had money from his birthday the other day and asked if he could buy his brother S a Happy Meal. The next day he wanted to buy his baby brother a milk shake.
We are blessed to have this child in our lives and continue to pray for Gods healing touch on his boday. He's broken our hearts with his prayers for God's healing and has made us laugh, asking for the date that God's gonna make him better!
He's a silly, Transformer loving child and he adds such immense joy to our lives. We thank God for him!

Boys

2009-09-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

These five rascals are just a smidgen of the men in my life...or so it seems.

I am surrounded by males, thankfully, my sweet niece Sadie, has helped to even out the numbers a bit more, but, by no means, are they even.
In all, I have 11 nieces/nephews. Six of them are boys...add my three and that's NINE little boys at all of our family gatherings. My boys birthday parties MUST be held outdoors! Thankfully, their birthdays, with the exception of O's, who could possibly go either way depending on the weather, since it's early spring.
All those boys can sure wreak havoc. Thankfully, we have a large yard, with lots of dirt to play in.
Don't get me wrong, the girls in this family can hold their own. I have FIVE, sweet nieces. They love dolls, finger nail polish and hair bows, but they can run, jump and throw dirt just as well as the boys!
Our life is full. We are blessed. Not only with our own children, but with wonderful, nieces and nephews to boot!

Introducing

2009-09-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

My sweet niece Sadie Rose, arrived today at 8lbs 4oz, 21 inches long. She made me an auntie for the ELEVENTH time so far! My sister Mary was a champ. She did a fantastic job!

Shut Up and Drive....

2009-08-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

Well, until you get a flat tire.

Matt and I decided to leave for vacation right after church on Sunday. He had to teach in the morning, so we loaded up most of the car on Saturday night, made the final adjustments in the morning and headed out after church.

The lake house in only 3 or so hours north and we love this trip. It's my favorite yearly vacation spot...and not just because the lodging is free (Matt's uncle owns the house). It's on a private lake, it's quiet, clean and perfect for our family. My in laws go with us each year and it's a perfect trip....except for the year that O got pneumonia when we were there.

Anyhow, we decided to get in the car and drive for a bit before we stopped for lunch. The kids were whining and complaining that they were starving. After we reminded them that they were NOT in fact starving - just hungry - we decided to start looking for a place to stop. We were looking for signs on the freeway (you know the ones that tell you what gas stations/restaurants are on off the exit), and mile after mile there was nothing. We only 50 miles or so from home so you would think Matt or I would know of somewhere to stop...well, we didn't!

We went mile after mile and found nothing. Matt finally decided to pick an exit and just get off...he choose wrong. There was nothing for MILES! We ended up back tracking two exits, got back on the freeway and finally found something - no thanks to road signage. The children did not, in fact, starve to death, but they did gobble up every bit of their lunch!

We hopped back in the car, drove a mile or so down the road and the tire pressure light came on...hmmmm. It's done that before and the tires just needed air. We looked out the windows and sure enough our back passenger tire was almost flat! We pulled off at the exit and headed to the nearest gas station...which apparently was the only gas station in the Detroit area that didn't sell Fix a Flat.

We filled the tire up with as much air as we could and sped down the street to another station...Matt bought the Fix a Flat...that didn't work and tried to fill up the tire as we figured out a place to go....only this station didn't have a working air hose!! We jumped in the car and sped BACK to the gas station with the air/no fix a flat.

The two attendants at the station didn't have a definite idea of a tire place, but told us they thought one was an exit back...we went an exit back...no tire shop. Not to mention it's a Sunday afternoon....everything is closed.

We pull off at the exit, pull into a gas station and start using the Blackberry to find a Walmart service station....apparently, no one in this area knows where anything is. This proved to be difficult and frustrating.

The decision was made to put the spare tire on...poor Matt, it was at least 1oo degrees with the humidity and it kept raining off and on...it was an odd weather day. After a few minor glitches we had the tire changed.

During the time Matt was changing the tire, I was taking the boys to the bathroom, buying Matt a GIANT water, calling tire places and yelling for the boys to stay out of the massive dirt pile in the parking lot - this last part didn't go well!

I called several places and found a Walmart open that had a service center. One problem...they didn't have the right size tire that we needed. The next Walmart was close to an hour away and the service center would have been closed by the time we got there. The tire they had was only a tad smaller and they said it wouldn't be a problem...thankfully, they were right!

The good news about the smaller tire was that it was a fraction of the prize of the size tire we needed. $150 dollars cheaper in fact! We were finally on the road, crabby kids and all!

Thankfully, the rest of the drive went smoothly and we made it to the house in record time...SEVEN HOURS LATER! The boys actually did quite well and didn't add any stress to an already stressful situation!

We thank to Lord for our safety and for only a flat tire and not a blown tire! He once again had His hand of protection on our family!

25 things...about Matt!

2009-08-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

I've already done 25 things about me - it's time for one about my sweet husband!

*He is a phenomenal father. He's a better father to our children then I could have ever hoped/prayed for.

*He HATES nailpolish and lip stick. He thinks both are pointless - which is good for me!

*He helps do dishes, put away laundry and wakes up with the kids in the am...sometimes begrudgingly, but he does it!

*He wouldnt' be caught dead in sandals or flip flops. I once made him buy a pair of sandals - he wore them approximately twice.

*He has an uncanny ability to remember large amounts of "useless info.". He is a trivia contestants dream!

*He loves to sing, an hum, and listen to music. He's often told to "plese stop that", by his mean wife.

*He has horrendous handwriting. I expect our oldest son to surpass his ability in the next year or so.

*He put his nose to the grindstone and finished his college degree. He stayed up late, worked hard and studied on saturdays while the kids napped. We were all so proud to watch him walk across the stage and recieve his diploma.

*He crys at movies...he'd deny it and say he had something in his eye....it's adoreable!

*He doesn't seem to notice that I have gained 100 or so pounds since we got married! I tell him all the time that I "falsely advertised", but he doesn't seem to mind.

*He is getting more gray hair and I LOVE it! I think gray hair is horribly attractive on a man!

*His feet grew and he grew an inch after we got married. I guess that means we married young!

*He adores all things GOOGLE.

*He once tried to teach me to drive a stick. I don't know how to drive one.

*He showed me how to change a tire - we now have AAA.

*He will only eat apples, bananas and grapes. No other fruit will pass his lips.

*He doesn't like cake - unless it's chocolate and even then it isn't his favorite.

*He is an avid reader. He has helped to instill this in our children too!

*He once agreed to paint our living room with me over our anniversary!

*When we were newly married, I often had problems falling asleep at night and would have excess "anxiety"....Matt would often stay awake until I fell asleep..he never complained.

*My dear sweet husband can't cook. He reads the directions to make Mac N Cheese and actually uses measuring cups when he cooks it...he even uses the timer!

*He HATES playing games...board games, card games...he isn't a game player. He enjoys playing Chess and a good Trivia game here and there, but that's it. He's even been known to throw an entire pile of cards off the table when he's loosing.

*He plays with our kids in the few hours he's home from work more than I do in a full day.

*His drive to provide for his family has overidden his desire for a new job.

*He loves chick o sticks. Enough said about that one.

Life

2009-07-30T21:10:00.001-07:00

I had to ask a complete stranger if the Transformer lunch box I was holding had the Auto bots or the Deceptecon's (no, I don't know how to spell it)emblem on the front of it...rest assured, I picked the good guys!

I have taught O to point to his "crazy eye". He points to it and says "My crazy eye no sees good"...he then shows me his good eye and tells me that it "sees great". Yes, I'm a terrible mother that has her son calling his eye crazy. I'm certain his therapy bills will be extensive when he's older.

I was CONVINCED the other day that O had taken up cursing. I was close to grounding grandma from seeing the boy! He was telling me: "I itch it"....it sounded JUST like "I SH**"! I kept making him say it over and over until I figured it out!

M told S the other day: "You scared the DAYLIGHTS and the NIGHTLIGHTS" out of me! I loved it!

S was mistaken for a 10 year old the other day! Someone driving by (that we knew), thought that we had a friend over playing. He's getting so big!

I am shocked and dismayed at how quickly the summer has gone by. I have caved and bought a few school supplies with each pay. I was sickened to see them out the first week of July and swore I wouldn't buy ANY until mid or late August - but the deals have been to good to pass up - Transformers backpack & lunch box - $14!! Crayons - Crayola even for $0.19, notebooks for a nickel...can't beat those prices!

S would not stop whining about his undies not fitting. After tossing him countless pairs and NONE of them fitting right, he put back on his other pair. I went to the dryer to find him a new pair - yes, I had to go to the dryer to find a clean pair. I threw him a pair and he gave me the pair to check...sure enough, they would have been to big - they were a pair of his daddy's undies! How that happened, I'll never know!

I actually picked up and WORE clothes off of my bedroom floor today. Yes, I wore clothes off of my floor. I can't remember the last time I did that - college maybe?!?!

Things My Children DID NOT DO:

2009-07-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

This week, my children DID NOT do the following:

Stay up past 10 for a week straight - even though it was VBS week and we were at the church late each night. We always go to bed early.

O certainly did NOT strip down to his BARE BOTTOM in the church during a dinner. My children are always fully clothed and on their best behavior.

O also did not bite our friends son this weekend! Our children are perfectly behaved and non violent.

S certainly didn't pick a CD player instead of a $50 gift card when his name was chosen in a drawing...after all, he already has an MP3 player and knows that $50 would be a great thing!

Just a few fun tidbits from our week!

Sweet Boy

2009-07-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had VBS at church this week. It's always a fun time, but it's a crazy busy week! The kids are up late each night and up and going early the next morning. Clothes go unwashed, toys remain on the floor and dinner may or may not consist of cereal or fast food!

This year, our sweet S, decided that he wanted to ask Christ into his heart. Matt and I have been very cautious in this area with our children. Our desire is for them to make a genuine and well thought out decision to follow Christ. We want nothing more for our sons than to have them love and serve the Lord with their whole being. I pray daily that they will grow to become great men of God.

We've been cautious in our approach and have carefully worded our conversations with him. We don't want our children to make the decision based on fear or guilt like many of us and people we know and have encountered have. We want the decision to be theirs, true and heart felt. One that results from their desire to become like Christ and serve Him, because of what He has done for us.

That being said...one night, S went forward during his lesson and stated that he would like to accept Christ as his savior. A friend of our led him through and she later told Matt and I that he seemed to understand everything that was said and answered all the questions. We didn't press the issue and S didn't say anything about it.

The next night, S went forward again and said that he wanted to be saved. Another dear friend of ours led him and fielded questions from other children who also had come forward to get saved. Our "worry wart" was ultra concerned about "going to hell where there is fire and it's really bad". Matt assured him that he would not go there if he was one of God's children and quickly asked him what made him go forward again to be saved.

His answer, in typical S fashion, did not surprise me. The poor boy is such a worrier. He over analyzes everything - just like his mamma. He told Matt that he knew that Jesus said "yes", the first time he went forward and asked him into his heart. He said he went forward to ask again, because he was worried Jesus might say "no" if he asked again. He just wanted to be sure. Daddy talked with him about it a bit and that was the end of the conversation.

Today, during the service, they were talking about the children that accepted Christ during the week. S, leaned over to his grandma and said: "I was one of those kids who got saved this week". I was THRILLED to hear that he shared that with someone. I hope and pray that S continues in his walk with the Lord and grows to be a man of God!

We then did a drawing for several prizes - one of which was a $50 gift card to Toys R Us. One girls name was drawn and she chose the FM radio - why we were giving away a radio is beyond me....anyway... Sam's name was drawn next. I was CERTAIN he'd pick the gift card....WRONG!!! He not only didn't choose the gift card, he choose the CD player - despite the fact that he received an MP3 player last week for his birthday! Although I was shocked, I wasn't totally dismayed. The fact of $50 more dollars worth the toys in our house made me quite unhappy. I was also certain that I would NEVER get away with using the money for backpacks and school supplies.

Once he had realized what he had chosen, he wanted to trade. I assured him that noone would trade and that his prize was a good one. We told him to be grateful for what he won or that we'd give it to a child who would be grateful. The entire evening he played CDS and listened to music!

Similar

2009-07-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

The man behind the magazine is my husband. He was tired of me snapping photos of him like I was the paparazzi, and he was Brad Pitt...or George Clooney, or perhaps....

Matt and I have many similarites. The most obvious being how much we look alike. We could quite easily, be mistaken for brother and sister - more so than my own brother and I. We both have dark curly hair and big eyes. We both have a cleft in our chin - mine has since disappeared under the double and triple chin I now have! Our baby and toddler pictures often look similar - and NO we are not related, we are certain of that - although both of us have a native american background. Thankfully, we are from different tribes, in fact, I think our family tribes didn't get along!

Our parents both have the same anniversary. No lie. We tried to get married on that day, but would have had to wait several MORE years to get married and we were certainly NOT doing that! His parents have been married longer than mine - almost 37 years and my parents almost 31! It's a good act to follow!

What also strikes me as odd, is our parents addresses. I know it sounds dumb, but my parents address is 22111...his parents is 11177. Oddly similar and easy to memorize!

My sister in law and I both have moms named Nancy and the same family last name...her maiden name was my grandmother's maiden name. Again, no relation, just a SUPER common last name!

Just a few interesting, yet odd facts!

I have a SEVEN year old!

2009-07-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

Today, I have a seven year old. How did I get a seven year old....when did seven years go by? Where was I at?? Was I here? Did I get abducted by aliens when I wasn't paying attention?!?!

I swear - well, I don't swear, but I promise, it feels like only yesterday that I was writhing in pain, begging for someone to just "cut this thing out of me". It seems like only a moment ago, I was holding my sweet newborn in my arms and mumbling sweet nothings and some sort of drug induced nonsense. Those 42 hours of "labor and delivery" were quickly forgotten...well, maybe not forgotten, but overshadowed, when I held my 8lb 15ounce - 15 inch head and chested, moose. He looked rough - but not worse than I!

He rolled over in the hospital - the doctors and nurses assured me this was a new born reflex action...I wasn't convinced - which was a good thing. He continued to roll over from birth. Within our first week home, he was pushing up on his arms and lifting his head high to look around. He was nosey then and he's nosey now! Grandma chose to refer to it as inquisitive!

The boy fought sleep like no other - he still can fight sleep, but when he's out, he's out! He was a champ of a sleeper at night. He slept through the night before he was 10 days old! He kept up that trend, sleeping 12 hours at a time before he was 3 weeks old. He slept with his hands "folded" in prayer all the time. He loved to keep one are straight up in the air too..he used to make us laugh!

He didn't smile until late and babbled even later. He sat up by 3.5 months, crawled by 6 and walked at a year. He excelled in anything that involved motor skills. He was slow to speak, but when he did, he spoke in sentences. He did the same thing when he learned to walk. He wouldn't let you help him at all...no walking with fingers, no push toys - he literally stood and walked across the room one day and never looked back.

He made a great "monster face" that would crack up a room full of adults!

He is still our "inquisitive" boy. I can't tell you how many times he's reminded to "mind your business". He now tells me, "I know...mind my business". He's a bright boy whose inquisitive nature has paid off in many ways.

We now see that he struggles with anxiety like his momma and has a touch of what the "professionals" feel is OCD - like mother like son. We also know that this age is a prime age for lots of anxiety and worry so we help him work through it and keep an eye on him!

He finished first grade at the top of his class and continues to excel. He often surprises me with the things he knows...and the things he comes up with! He has an extensive vocabulary, but can still be overheard saying things like: "floorhead" instead of forehead...and I just don't have the heart to correct him!

He struggles with anger, but will protect his brothers. He loves his cat George and his cousins. He is a great friend and has many of them! He loves football, soccer, racing...anything "manly". The boy can pray like nobodies business! His prayers are so heartfelt and genuine. He makes me proud and often makes me want to applaud at the end of his prayers - but I know that isn't quite an appropriate response, so I muster a hearty amen and smile at my boy.

He LOVES music. Any type of music. His latest craze is Toby Mac. We are particular about what we allow him to watch and listen to, and Mr. Mac, seems to be right up his "rocker/rapper", alley - I like it too!

There isn't much in the form of music that he doesn't like and you can often see him, in the rear view mirror, jamming on his air guitar and singing his little heart out. He feels the music and has since he was a little boy. He's had rhythm like you wouldn't believe since he was a toddler! In fact, as I type this blog, he is sitting on the couch across from me, belting out some Chris Tomlin - thank you Aunt Sissy for the new MP3 player!!

He was my much prayed for baby. We begged God for a child, a son in fact. He heard and answered our prayers - which is why his name is Samuel - meaning "God has heard". I look at him and often have a difficult time fathoming just where the time went. I feel like I blinked and he was potty trained, I blinked again and he started school, I'm afraid to blink again for fear that he'll be leaving for college and getting married and then...oh my, bringing over grandchildren for me to babysit!! Thankfully, I'm getting a bit a head of myself, but in reality that time will be here before I know it!

He is my baby, my first born. Matt and I had so many fears and concerns. We weren't sure what we were doing. It was an odd feeling - leaving for the hospital with just the two of us and coming home, FIVE days later, with another life. A human being. They let us leave the hospital with a HUMAN!! It seemed so odd and foreign.

Matt walked him around the house that day, showing him all the rooms and telling him about our house. He was/is such a hands on daddy. He fed and changed our sweet boy and encouraged me on days when I felt like a horrid mommy. He still does all these things!

Sweet S...oh that boy. He makes me proud and frustrates me, often in the same two minute time period. He is passionate and kind. He loves to have company and play with friends. He's my first born son. I asked God for him and He answered me...far beyond what I could have asked...or even dreamt of!

Not Me Monday

2009-07-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

This week, I did not -

*Drive with the window open, with my head sticking out, in order to let my hair dry some on the way to church. I am not a dog, and I certainly am always ready in plenty of time to leave for service.

*Allow our child to swim in the kiddie pool that we thought he only "peed" in, to discover several "floating objects", that looked quite a bit like what we had for dinner the night before. I am always sanitary and vigilent with my children.

*Not do laudry for three days. I stay on top of things around here. We always have clean clothes waiting for us in our drawers.

*Get halfway to a photo shoot on Friday, only to have the mother have to cancle due to a car breakdown...when this didn't happen, I did not stop briefly, to attempt to come up with something else to do while my inlaws had the kiddies. I always want to rush right home to see my little ones!

*Have the police department show up at my house when a friend set off a "firework", that sounded like a crater should have resulted by the blast! We would never allow anyone to do that at my house! We are responsile and law abiding citizens.

*Sit for ten minutes trying to "transform" a Transformer, only to give up and say: "Your going to have to ask your Uncle Joe later today to figure this one out...he's good at playing with toys". I never give up and pass these type of responsibilities to innocent relatives...even if they really do like to play with toys!

Not Me...Tuesday!

2009-06-29T06:03:00.001-07:00

I certainly did not have to stop at a rest stop - again - to let my little ones go potty this last week. It has never happened before...we always use the potty BEFORE we leave the house, and even if we DO use the potty before we leave the house, we NEVER have to go again, less than 15 minutes later.

I also did not, experience, yet another reason to long for a second toliet. I did not have a poor child have to throw up in our bathroom sink while his daddy used the toliet. We always have excellent control over each and every situation in our home.

I definitely did not have a group of adults laugh, with me I hope, when I did not say that I had to go potty. I always use grown up talk when I am with a group of grown ups!

I did not have my brand new, over priced, external flash, overheat on me while shooting a wedding this weekend. I NEVER have things like that happen and am always prepared for the unexpected.

I also did not, while shopping at the DOLLAR STORE, have to leave my entire purchase at the counter when I couldn't remember my pin. I have an excellent handle on all my accounts and numbers.

I certainly did not, laugh with the children, who were taunting me while I was photographing them. I did not laugh and then quickly cover my hind end, while the kids chanted: "We can see your underpants"! My panties are always covered!

I also did not have a week full of unpleasant "Not Me" moments!

Missed It

2009-06-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

I missed my post...the one I wanted to do about our wedding anniversary. Perhaps it was the doctors appointments, photo shoots, laundry or trip packing that caused me to forget, but never the less, I forgot!

On June, 16th, my dear husband and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. It seems like yesterday that we met, yet, I can barely remember a time in my life that he wasn't a part of it.

Our love story is unique...it has the Lord's hand print all over it. I had just ended a long and insanely serious relationship and was heartbroken at best. I packed up and got ready to move 630 miles south, to the gorgeous state of Virginia. A state I would move to in a heartbeat to this day...but I digress.

My second day on campus, I ran into a young man that I had met once before....

On my senior trip, to Florida, I bumped into a group of people that I knew - at the water park, Wet n Wild, none the less. We were climbing the stairs to the Black Hole, water slide. This group asked me if I was Beth...and I confirmed that I was. We were two groups from small, rival, Christian High Schools from Michigan. We chatted briefly as we waited for the ride and that was the end of that.

Several weeks later, my grandma cut out a picture in the paper. This picture was of a young man, that she thought was dashingly handsome. She handed me the newspaper clipping and said: "Look Bethanne, this handsome guy is going to Liberty too, maybe you'll meet him". I assured her that with 3,500 freshman, I'd most likely NEVER run into him there. I also informed her that I HAD in fact met this young man and he was a DORK!

Well, second day on campus, I hear someone call my name. I turn and see...you guessed it, the same group I ran into in Florida a few months before. The five of us, became fast friends and did everything together. I, oddly enough, didn't seem to think Matt was nearly as dorky as I recalled him being, in fact, I was quite drawn to him.

His personality and sense of humor enthralled me. His love for the Lord was contagious...one problem, he had no desire to go to college in the south and bring home a girl that lived 7 miles from his house and went to his rival high school. That just wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to go to school, meet himself a southern bell and woo her. Instead, he met a Northerner, who was anything but a southern bell!

Our first date was 12 years ago this August...and it was anything but conventional. Matt asked me to do his laundry - in exchange for dinner. I counter offered with dinner and a movie and he accepted.

Our relationship can be summed up in an interesting story that went something like this...when Matt was hemming and hawing about dating a northern, I told him I was done with the drama. I told him something bold and outrageous...something I never dreamt I would say. I told Matt that he wanted me, but he just didn't know it yet. I told him to loose my number until he realized that he wanted to be with me...two days later, my phone rang and a romantic "will you go out with me" moment was born...the same moment that was recreated for our engagement. Matt always tells everyone that I chased him until he caught me...which is quite appropriate for our courtship.

The love story has ups and downs from there. It has hiccups, drama, laughter and tears, but it ended with a fairy tale wedding and the story continues with three wonderful sons and an incredibly blessed life.

From Michigan, Florida to Virginia, the man I'd fall desperately in love with, lived less than 7 miles from me my entire life....it would take the Lord 18 years and many states to prepare my heart for this Godly young man, and I thank Him for His timing!

In our 9 years of marriage, we have faced some incredibly difficult times - thankfully, not in our marriage, but with our families and friends, job situations, financial and health issues.... We have also experienced numerous times of bliss and joy!

There is no one else I can imagine wading through these waters with, in fact, I can't think of anyone who would have waded them with me!! He is my best friend and my biggest cheerleader. He is a better father to our children than I could have ever imagined or even wished for. He's everything on my "list" and a few things I didn't even know I wanted!!

Life with boys

2009-06-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

S asked me another one of those questions today..the ones I just don't have a good answer for. I feel like I should be able to answer these questions, but often find myself at a loss!

He asked me the following question: Mom, after we die, when we open our eyes, will we be in heaven? I answered, yes, I thought that would be what will happen.

I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't have a question deeper than that one...I was not so lucky. The next question was: What does heaven look like?
I told him that noone really knows, but that it's beautiful and bright and shiny. He seemed ok with that answer.

Then he asked me where heave was...before I could answer he told me that it would be cool if it was in outer space.

He quickly changed gears and told me to plug my nose because we were getting ready to drive past the "compost dump"!

M has proven to be as interesting as ever. He's always coming up with something odd and or random.

We were at a graduation party this weekend. I looked over and saw M with his arms spread wide. He wasn't saying anything, just sitting there. I asked him what he was doing, he answered and then I tried not to laugh hysterically. He said, rather matter or factly, that he was "being a T". Ahhh...alrighty then.

That same night, Matt had gone in to discipline him. Matt was telling him how he needed to behave and listen, etc. In the middle of the conversation, M looked up at Matt and said: "Dad, are these sheep on my blankie?" Matt tried not to laugh and quickly finished the discipline and came into the living room.

O has continued to talk up a storm. He is constantly repeating things his older brothers say...which isn't always a good thing! Today in fact, he informed me of the following: Mommy, your butt stinks. Yep, that's me sweet baby boy!

Love Affair

2009-06-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

I love the last day of school - I always have, and now enjoy it for my children.
I love syrup faced kisses from little boys.
I love being able to have my windows open.
I love the small of rain on the pavement.
I love listening to my boys laugh.
I love to get a great deal.
I love to hear my children say please and thank you.
I love to hear "I love you" from my little ones.
I love when my husband does the dishes without complaining.
I love spending time with my family.
I love an icy cold Diet Coke.
I love color...all things bright and pastel.
I love my boys sweet curly hair.

Just a few things I enjoy...

Boys

2009-06-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

S was so concerned about the weather on Monday. It was field day and he didn't want it to rain - as was fore casted. He asked Matt if he asked God to make it not rain would God do it. Matt told him that God could make it not rain, and that it was ok for him to ask, but it still might rain if God says no.

We heard S in the living room, praying his sweet heart out. His prayers are deep and heart felt. He usually starts with "dearest our heavenly father" and proceeds to thank God for his blessings and then politely asks God for his request. He was saying: "please, please, PLEASE God, don't let it rain. Take the rain to, to, uh, to, anywhere that isn't Michigan". It was sweet.

It did rain that day, off and on. The school thankfully, still did field day indoors. The sun came out bright and shiny later on that day. We were driving to a birthday party and S said: "See mom, I guess God did answer my prayer, just a little bit later in the day". He makes me so proud.

I was cleaning the windows outside yesterday - God bless the makers of Windex Outdoor. I love that product. It makes cleaning the 13 or so windows outside much easier. The boys were outside with me for the majority of the cleaning. O decided that he wanted to go inside and wait for me to be done doing windows. O was standing inside of the screen door (which currently has the storm window in it) and watching me clean the door. He started cracking up...I looked to see what he was doing and he was standing up against the class with his mouth wide open. He was moving around with the water and trying to catch the water in his mouth...he looked a bit confused when none came through the glass. It was cute. His older brothers, saw me laughing, and of course decided they would go inside and do the same thing...somehow it wasn't as adorable.

I love that M & S, still refer to each other as Bud or Buddy. They hardly ever call each other by name and simply call each other "Bud" when they are playing, talking or even fighting. O isn't included on the "buddy" name tag though...poor guy. Hope he doesn't feel too left out. I was worried as the boys got older that they would stop calling each other that, but it has been several years and they are still doing it.

O has become our little chatterbox now. The boy who we thought would never talk, hardly ever stops. He even talks in his sleep now. Last night, he kept crying and yelling out. I went in to check on him and found him sitting up, crossed legged, staring at the wall. I asked him if everything was ok and he kind of looked right through me and said yes. I asked him if something hurt and he said yes. I asked him if his belly hurt - yes, his throat - yes, his head - yes, his hair - yes...you can see where that conversation was going. I layed him back down, covered him up and sat with him for a moment to see if he'd calmed down enough. After a moment, he started yelling - with his eyes closed - and shouting: "Give it back me"....he must have been fighting with his brother in his sleep.

I love that O is at the stage where he gets his words mixed up...for example:
"I catch you up" - I caught up with you.
"Give one me mom" - Give me one mom...of course this is preceeded and followed with a please and thank you.

He loves to tell me that he loves me and that I his favorite. It makes my heart boom when he walks up to me, grabs my face and says "I wuved you mommy"...he's such a lover.

Yesterday, he told Matt, "I bigga and bigga and bigga" (I'm bigger and bigger and bigger).

M has become our little hinter. Instead of coming right out and asking for something, we will often have a conversation like the one that occurred yesterday when M found a pack of Smarties:
M - Look what I found mommy
Me - Wow, that's great, Smarties
M - Whose are these
Me - I think they are one of your brothers
M - they sure look yummy
Me - yep
M - What do you think you are going to do with them
Me - nothing, put them away.
M - do you want to eat them?
Me - no, M, you can eat them....
M - so I can have them?

These conversations occur frequently. He'll say something like, "Man that cake looks good"...instead of just coming out and asking.

S, is almost done with first grade. He makes me so proud. He is at the top of his class still and as bright as can be. I am dumbfounded at how quickly the time is passing. I can remember his birth as if it were yesterday, yet I feel like I blinked and he's almost 7....

I love my boys...they make my life so full!

A New Career

2009-06-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

The children's choir at our church preformed their spring musical last week. The two older boys were supposed to be in it. S decided halfway through that he would have nothing to do with going on stage. He chose a new job: to help Nichole, direct, lead and do motions for the kids. We begged, pleaded and yes, even bribed, the try to get him to do it. He loves to sing and has such a wonderful little voice. He feels the music and sings his little heart out.

Unfortunately, his nerves got the better of him and he didn't do it. He did however, sit in the front row and sing his fool heart out. He also did the motions and helped Nichole!

M, on the other hand, agreed to the bribe - a dollar and a pack of plastic snakes - and went up to preform. I have decided that he may make it as some form of entertainer...a rock star, a singer, a dancer, or most likely a "jester" of some kind. The child would jam during times when they were supposed to stand still. He played air guitar, spun in circles and even decided to lay down at one point.
I do believe he sang a few words and even did a SLIGHT motion or two. He stole the show though. We must have had a dozen or so people come up to us afterwards and talk about how fun he was to watch and what a cool kid he was...we just smiled, said thank you and then shook our heads. We'd honestly expect nothing less from M. He is our unique child. He marches to the beat of his own drum...and he has his own drummer...that plays a different song than everyone else.

*At one point, he spun so much we thought he was going to tip over. He stopped, made a face and swayed a bit...thankfully, no such accident was had.
Below are a few photos of M doing anything BUT what he was supp. to do.

Not Me

2009-06-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's time for another instalment of Not Me Monday. Head over to MckMamma's blog to read MANY more of these moments!

I did not, forget to post a NMM last week. I did not think think that Monday was really Sunday, because my husband was home all day. I am not that easily confused.

I definitely did not decide the moving around THREE rooms in our small, but perfect, three bedroom home, sounded like a good idea. That would just be insane.

My mom and I, did not proceede to move the above mentioned three rooms around. We would certainly be certifiable if we did that.

I most certainly did not break my bed last week. I am not so fat now that flopping on my butt, when the ceiling fan startled me (I was standing on the bed to do something and didn't realize it was on), and hear a horrible cracking noise and fall to the floor, along with the box spring and matress.

I also did not allow my children to play in the hose on numerous occassions this week, just so they would stop asking. I NEVER give in to their pleading and whining. I always stand my ground and would never allow them to play in the hose in 72 degree weather.

I did not catch O, swimming in the dogs pool, at my mom's house this week. I would never let the boy play in the doggie pool.

I certainly did not arrive for a photo shoot 30 minutes early. I did not proceede to drive around the gorgeous neighborhood to kill time. I did not decide that I probably looked like a criminal casing the area and finally park and sit in the car for a few moments....until I had to go potty so bad that I just couldn't take it any more.

I did not have to leave the room, so as not to laugh at my oldest son today. He most certainly did not tell me: "If any of the kids are ABSTINET, today, I will have extra treats left over". I always immediately correct errors like that one!

Jesus Wants the Rose

2009-05-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Matt found this wonderfu clip a few weeks back and I just now thought to post it. Please take minute to watch this: Matt Chandler Clip.
It is well worth the three and a half minutes it takes.

Pudding, Phrases, Persistance and Plights

2009-05-28T06:11:00.001-07:00

While at my nieces Kindergarten graduation this week (why do K5's have a graduation ceremony anyway? It's kindergarten. You learn letters, eat snacks and make crafts), O had to go potty. I quickly snatched him up out of the pew and jogged with him to the potty. He informed me that he didn't want help and that he could "do it myself". I left him to it and decided to take advantage of the potty break myself. I walked back over to his stall and found him perched, rather precariously, on the toilet. As I reached to help him, he fell in. I started laughing, he did not. I grabbed him and placed him on the floor. I noticed his poor shirt was soaked in the back...he didn't seem to mind. It then took me a moment to figure out where the lovely "floral" smell was coming from. It was O. There was a hanging toilet bowl thing in the bowl and he must have landed on it. It was fun to take him back into the ceremony soaking wet and reeking of toilet bowl freshener.

S, is still having a difficult time adjusting to...well, life really. Everything seems to be a huge ordeal. Life has seemingly dealt him a bad hand and he's quite verbal about it. If this is six, what will sixteen be like?!? Please, if you know, don't tell me!!
The other day, his cousins were over visiting and I heard yelling and screaming. This is not an unusual event for this batch of cousins. We spend a ton of time together and they tend to behave more like brothers and sisters, than cousins. S comes storming up the stairs and says to my husband:
S: "Dad, wheres your phone. I need it now"
M: "What do you need my phone for?"
S: "I'm calling the adoption place to come and get me"

My first response was: "Let me look up the number for you", but I refrained.

Today, O was eating chocolate pudding (yes, I'm sure it was chocolate pudding). I gave him a spoon and let him have at it. I looked over after a minute or so to see him covered in pudding. I had given him a spoon and reminded him to use it. O's response was: "No poon, eat with hands", and he went back to it. None of this would have been a huge deal had I not JUST gotten him dressed for the day.

M, bless his sweet, unique little heart, is still stuck in the Transformers costume phase. He is persistent too. I've gotten him out clothes daily, encouraged him to wear them, even offered to help him change. He insists that he's fine in his Optimus Prime suit and will just wear that. He has even made a small hole in the suit so his insulin pump can fit through. That way he doesn't have to take it all they way off to get dosed. He has it all worked out. Today, he spilled on it. He told me that was ok, because tonight at bedtime he would just take it off so i could wash it. I thought that meant we could wear something else tomorrow... He corrected my thinking and said...that way it will be all clean for me to wear tomorrow. Maybe, it won't be clean in time. This suit, is the second one. Grandma, bought him a new one this week at a yard sale...thanks grandma. Thankfully, he's been leaving the mask at home - although he told me he was going to wear it on our trip to Kroger for milk later.

Just a few moments in our life!

MUST SEE

2009-05-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

If you have children, know children, or were once a child you must watch this:

CLICK HERE

It is hysterical and quite close to the truth...I think I've had similar conversations with my own children!