Mosu's in Heaven

I think sometimes we all need to just sit back, relax and take a cue from the kids. Their great-grandfather passed away this morning. And, although we ready for it, my kids were happy. Mosu got to go be with God and Jesus! I told Nate this morning that Mosu is having breakfast with Jesus and he said, "He's in Heaven? Right now! Uh, I want to go too! Why can't I go to Heaven and have breakfast with them?!" He was quite upset to hear that he probably will not be joining them soon, but he was very happy to hear that they would be waiting for him. When Lex came home from school, I sat down and told him that Mosu died this morning. He just sort of stopped and looked at me and then said, "so he's in Heaven with Jesus?" I answered him, "yes" and he just said, "Okay!" and took off playing. They weren't sad at all. They were just happy that he got to go to Heaven with Jesus. I guess that really is what we should all be happy about. Our time here on Earth can be short or long, depending on what God has in store for us. But, in the end, we know where we're going and that it's going to be awesome!

N-A-T-E = N-O-P-E

I forgot to write this memory down when it happened...so here it goes...

A few months ago we started working on Nate spelling his name. I would sort of sing the letters and clap my hands...N-A-T-E, N-A-T-E. He had it down pat. That is, until he was asked how to spell his name. He would gladly spell out N-O-P-E.
I have to admit, this is classic as I *never* told him how to spell this. The only thing he can spell is Nate, so the fact that he can spell nope, is well, just too darn funny!

The cat is going to lose his recess

Yep. That's what I was just told by Lex. I walked into the living room and Lex was writing his numbers on the chalkboard. He turned and told me, "I am trying to learn (teach) the cat his numbers and he won't sit still and learn. If he keeps doing this, he's going to lose his recess."
All I could do was smile and drink some coffee. Seriously. Love. These. Kids. :D

Heaven and how to get there

Nate got his new big boy bed the other day from Grandma Florida. It is Mosu's (Nate's great-grandfather) bed. I talked with him tonight about it being Mosu's bed and he asked if he could talk to Mosu. I had to explain to him that Mosu is really sick and old and that he is going to be leaving us and going to heaven soon. Nate got a very concerned look on his face and asked how he was going to talk to him and see him. I tried my best to explain to him that Mosu would be waiting for us up in heaven and that we could talk to him when we got there. He asked some more questions about Mosu and not going back to Grandma's and such. I then asked him, "Nate, do you know how to get to heaven?" He got all excited and said, "Yep. First you get on the train and you go up, up, up into the sky until your reach the clouds. Then, you go over clouds, and more clouds, and more clouds and more clouds until you get to heaven." What an awesome answer for a 3 year old! I love it! I then asked him if he knew what the key to get into heaven was. He said, "yea, you have a key that God gives you and you use it to open the big door." I then explained to him that the real key was to love God and love Jesus. He said, "oh! God is Jesus' father, right?" "Yep" I told him. "Yesssssss, I finally got it right!" I tell ya, times like tonight make up for the stinkerness he possesses during the day.

been a while...yet again

I haven't written anything down for almost two weeks. It feels like two months have passed. As a family, we have just been so busy. Lex is in school all day everyday, Nate is on school for a few hours twice a week. Erik is busy doing two jobs and I'm busy with one full time one plus lots of extras. They all take up time. I feel like we are on survival mode during the week and then we get to finally LIVE during the weekends. Well, clean up and live :)

The boys are growing up and maturing so fast! We had a great Halloween. They both decided to be skeletons and had a blast trick or treating (or in the words of Nate...trigor treating!). It's just so fun to be able to watch them grow and learn and become their own person. I am so lucky I get to be their Mom.

Zombies

Erik spent some quality time with Nate the other day. After some time together, Nate apparently told Erik that he was the best Daddy ever! Sweet, huh? Keep reading...
Earlier in the day, I was on a work call. Now, mind you, I hadn't seen or heard from Nate in forever. He and Lex have this uncanny ability to come running with every disaster and emergency possible when my work phone rings. Because, you know, needing to tell me you need to wash your hands repeatedly and in the loudest voice possible is an emergency. Boy, I really digress...
Anyways, Nate not only had a massive temper tantrum while I was on the phone (picture me hitting mute every time I'm not speaking while mouthing to Nate to knock it off). So, he got into a bit of trouble after that. The point of my story is here, it really is.
Erik asked Nate if I was the best mom ever. Nate said, "Yes, she is. But don't touch her work phone." Erik asked him why not? "Well, Dad. She starts to yell. Then, while she is yelling, black clouds come and cover the sky and then rain falls and then snow falls and then the zombies come."
Huh? My yelling has quite the effect on him. However, apparently my yelling zombies aren't scary enough to get him to stop touching my work phone and/or tantruming while I"m on it.

It's free, Mom!

Lex had his first experience with the snack bar at school today. He knows it's there, but I don't give him cash. He normally packs his lunch and snack and if he does buy, he knows he has to give his number for his account. He told me today that he must've gotten in the wrong line and the lady asked him what he wanted. Well, he was at the snack section so he told her a cookie and, "You know what, Mom? She didn't even ask me for money, for my name or for my ticket! I didn't have to give her any dollars! It was free! I get free cookies at the snack bar!" I tried to tell him that it wasn't free and he had money in his account. He said, "No, it's free for me. I had to give her my number, but she didn't ask me for my account or name or money! It's free!" While he's telling me this his arms are going a mile a minute and his eyes are bulging!
Guess we need to have a talk about snacks and money this weekend...

I think I scarred my children

I would like to say I'm joking, but I'm not. You see, in January of this year, we decided to get a puppy. The kids had been begging for one! Erik and Nate went out and picked one up. We found an add in the paper for a mix. They brought him home and the kids were in love. He was a gorgeous dog and we named him Hunter. He looked just like a tiger. When we walked him, people would literally pull over to the side of the road and tell us how gorgeous he was. Looking back, that is the only thing this poor puppy had going for him. He was truly impossible to train. We tried everything! We watched videos. We bought special collars. We bought the treats. We did the positive training. We exercised him and tired him out. We did it all. This is one puppy who did not want to please his owners. At all. After going for long walks or playing he would come in and go potty on the floor...right in front of us while LOOKING at us! The boys would be afraid to come down in the morning because of him jumping on him. Both boys have scars now because of Hunter. Literal scars on their body. After his behavior got worse (I don't know how it could have) and he started biting (thank God no blood was drawn!) we decided he was not fit for our family. We couldn't trust him with the kids. As a family, we decided that we were not the family for Hunter. We gave him away to friends of ours and it got worse from there. He ended up attacking the father there and their full grown son. I feel absolutely horrible. I don't know what else we could have done to save Hunter. But, through all of this, the kids have talked about getting another dog. We decided we would not get one for a few years until the kdis could help more and be more responsible. But, what can one do when an opportunity gets dropped in your lap? You seize it! So, we are now the owners of a four year old Boston Terrier named Charlie. He is absolutely wonderful and the perfect dog for our family. The kids were nervous at first because they were scared to death they were going to get hurt (physically) again. It's been a few days and they have finally realized that Charlie listens, will not run away, will not bite them and will not hurt them. I feel horrible that I scarred my children physically and mentally from a dog who was not meant for our family. But, it was a learning process for all of us.

Communion in the eyes of a three and five year old...

We had Communion this Sunday. It was a bit different than normal. When Pastor Steve was talking about it, Nate knew what was coming. He instantly started telling me, not so quietly, that he does not like dipping his bread into the juice. Over and over and over again. I am telling him that we are doing it differently this time and he can have them separately which soothes him. Anyways, we get up to the alter and he prays with me and we have the bread and juice and go back to our seats where he is talking about it. I tell him the bread is for the body of Jesus and the juice is for His blood. He stands on the seat, grabs his belly and starts moaning saying, "Oh, I have a bellyache now. I just drank blood!" Obviously, he doesn't get the connection yet...

Fast forward 10 minutes later when Lex comes in for Communion. We go up front and pray and he takes his bread and juice and comes back with me where I am informed by him that "I am still hungry. That wasn't enough of a snack."

Seriously. I should take our show on the road.

More boots...

Last spring, I bought Nate a pair of cowboy boots that were on sale. He LOVED those things! Wore them all the time. With everything! Finally, this summer, they just got too small to wear. He refuses to give them up though, so they sit in his closet. I found another pair of used boots and picked them up today. I showed them to him when we got home this afternoon and he has yet to take them off (3.5 hours later). I cannot believe how much this kid loves his cowboy boots! I love it. He looks absolutely adorable in them!

Ah, a mini-crisis in the morning...

My morning started with a conversation with Lex about what he wanted for his snack and his lunch today. He then asked, "Can you pack me something good and not that healthy stuff you've been giving me?" All I could do was laugh.

Then, later on, Nate came into the kitchen crying. I was trying to figure out was going on as he was kicking his feet and yelling, "It hurts!" Come to find out it was his nose. I immediately think he fell while running and hurt his nose and then he pointed UP his nose. I see a little piece of yellow. My thoughts instantly go to "what truck/car piece is yellow?" Ah, but then I remember what he was eating...Reese's Pieces. Yep, my son stuck one up his nose. So, I try to get him to blow and try to melt the candy. It worked. I kept having him blow and blow and eventually the candy piece came out. Ah, what a life I lead...

My life is not what I thought it was going to be

...it's so much better! I used to live by myself, exercise a minimum of two hours a day, go to work and pour my life and soul into my students and take classes. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love teaching. I loved my students. I loved pouring my everything into them. I had no intentions of being married, I mean really! I was a modern career bound woman! Who needed a husband and kids to hold me back?? It was the rest of my life that sucked...only I didn't know it at the time. I *thought* I was happy. My house was beyond organized. I don't mean a little, I mean my JUNK drawer was organized! And then, I met Erik. Okay, my organization didn't go completely downhill then, but quite a bit. But, my happiness level sure went up! Something about him made me WANT to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him. And then, I got this urge to have kids. What the heck was that about?! Anyways...fast forward a few years later...

God gave us two boys! Boys! I know I'm not the girly type, but boys?! And, quite spirited ones at that! I joke all the time that's a damn good thing they're cute because boy-oh-boy! My house is crazy. I really mean it. Last night Erik and I were in the living room talking for a bit. The boys have plastic bats and they were going in between making the bats fly (across my living room) and shooting off their nerf guns. Either one, I realized that Erik and I were moving out of the way like it was second nature so we didn't get hit. Ah, but it's not the boys themselves you see, I realized they get it from their father. As I was on the phone later, Erik was throwing peanuts at me in the kitchen from the dining room. Genetics?

So, yes, my house is a bit, um, unorthodox to say the least. But, we sure to do laugh a lot.

Nate is in pre-school!

Yep! My baby is officially a big boy. We got there the first official day and he got a little nervous. I had to keep reminding him that I would be back to get him, he knew his teachers and he has friends in school. His Spiderman backpack looked so big on him. Almost like a little kid trying to play dress-up. His teachers came down the hall to get them and the kids lined up. He wanted me to walk down the hall with him but I just kept telling him that I would be back to get him soon and that he would have tons of fun. He took a big breath in and said, "Okay, Mommy." I gave him a kiss, told him I loved him and down the hall he went. So incredibly bittersweet.

Reading the Bible tonight...

While doing our nightly Bible reading, I answered another 90798789 questions from Nate as to why we can't see God in the Bible stories, only the other people. Then, I answered some questions from Lex as to how He sees and hears everything. His response? "How does he do that? Does he have video cameras or something up there?"

Oh, the things that I have washed...

One thing that people don't tell you when you have kids is how your laundry life will change. Yep, laundry life. I don't mean when your baby is a baby. We all either bought the special baby detergent and/or washed it separately from the rest of the family's clothes. I mean, when your baby(ies) are into regular clothes. Yep, your laundry life will change. Suddenly, whatever amount of socks you think you have, it will automatically double (at least) and, along with that, you won't be able to find matches. You will try every.single.trick. out there and I would bet you my afternoon cup of coffee that at least one sock will come out without it's mate. My Mom used to keep a big basket full of unmatched socks and about once a month, while we were all in the living room, the dreaded basket would come out and the match-up game would begin. Guess what's started in my house now?! Seriously, save yourself the agony. Go out right now and buy yourself a special sock basket just for this occasion. You may not need it now, but you will.
Another thing that has changed in my laundry life is that I no longer wash just the normal household items such as blankets, towels, clothes, etc. I have also been known to wash, and sometimes dry; blue tooths, cell phones, crayons (these are fun in the dryer!), white board markers (another fun one!), rocks, shoes, barbies, hot wheels, toothbrushes, candy wrappers, cat toys and a myriad of non-wearable items. I've decided to stop being upset about it and treat it like a game. All the money is mine! :)

I've been dubbed a "small Mommy" by my children

Yep. They have no both officially realized that I'm short. Um, I am a full five feet and one and a half inches!!
Lex first noticed it about a year and half ago. He, out of the blue, asked me about eating more so I could grow up and be bigger like the other Mommy's. Um, kid, I eat enough, trust me on this one. So, we had to have "the talk" about how not everyone is tall.
Fast forward to the other day. Nate, out of the blue, asks me why I am a "wittle Mommy." I ask him to explain and he tells me that I am "wittler than the other Mommy's." Freaking great. Today as Nate and I were out doing errands, he managed to point out to me every.single.short.person. Yep. "Look Mom! She's a wittle Mommy too! Just like you!"
So, I am now either a small or little Mommy. According to them, maybe one day I'll get bigger like them. Thanks boys. Thanks.

Fashion

One day Nate will really care about what he wears and what he looks like. But, until that time, I keep taking pictures of him and writing things down for the use of blackmail. If you can picture me, I am laughing and rubbing my hands together. :)
Anyways, today he opted to wear underwear (it's an option on days if we are not going to church or school) backwards. Of course, what boy wouldn't when they put the picture on the butt?! A pari of shorts (backwards), a Rolling Stones t-shirt that consisted of a large tongue, his yellow rain jacket, flip flops and sunglasses. What a site!

Independence at it's finest

Elli decided that she would walk home with Lex for a while. However, today she had cheerleading practice so I decided to walk up and meet him. He was waiting at the door with the lady in charge and I hear him say, "there's my parent." As he proceeds to walk PAST me he says, "I have papers for you" and then proceeds to walk a minimum of twenty feet ahead of me the entire way. Um, I think he's okay to walk by himself. He does love me, right???

Sleeping with puppies

Both boys still sleep with puppies at night. I'll start with Nate. He has two puppies from Build-A-Bear. Both of the puppies have full outfits so that the actual cost when I check out is around $50 a bear. Nice, huh? And I couldn't have come up with this idea why?? I digress...
I mention the outfits because neither. puppies. have. clothes. on. Dang, I am apparently quite upset by this whole clothes for animals things.
Anyways, Nate goes to bed with both of his puppies. His "regular" puppy and his "new" puppy. He hugs them both and that's how I find him when I check on him before I go to bed.
Lex has a puppy that was given to him by Erik's dad when he was about 2 months old. He sleeps with this thing all the time. It is so ratty and loved. Apparently, it kept falling on the floor during the night so Lex used his brain to fix that problem. He just shoved the puppy in his boxer shorts with his head sticking out. Kind of like a kangaroo and her joey. Yep. I just compared my kid to a kangaroo. I went in the other night to cover him up and this is how I found him. I literally had to run out of the room because I could not control my laughter. I doubled over and laughed for a good five minutes. Oh, the things that I find in this house...Blackmail!!!

Lex goes to kindergarten!!!!!

He came downstairs at 6:32 AM fully dressed. I'd say he was a tad bit excited. He quickly brushed his teeth, ate his cereal and then was ready for Elli to pick him up and walk to school. I informed him that I wanted some pictures of his first day and he wanted me to take them right then so as I did not have to walk to school with him. I'm trying to find comfort in the fact that he is an independent person. He really does love me, right? So, we get all ready, backpack on and lunch box in hand and head outside to snap a few shots. I think I got three and he told me that was plenty. *sigh*
So, Heidi gets here with Elli and he is out the door telling her to take the shortcut and, "Let's go!" I literally had to call him back to tell him good-bye so as I would not do it at school and to remind him that I would be walking behind him today and where I would meet him after school. Nate cried the entire.way.to.school. because he wanted to walk WITH Lex not behind him. Oh, fun times. And, because Nate wanted to wear his backpack like his brother, people thought he was going to kindergarten and I"m yelling at this kid going to school for the first time. Did I mention fun times??
Anyways, we get there and he is to go into the cafeteria where he meets up with some friends. I take them all down to their room. Lex is off like a flash. Pretty much wants nothing to do with me. A bit independent. I said that, right? So, I managed a few more pictures that he didn't notice. Then, I told him we were leaving. No tears!!! I asked for strength last night during my night prayer and He gave it to me. No tears in front of Lex. Be strong.
So, as I get ready to leave, he called me over and gave me a kiss and told me he loved me. I told him I loved him too and would see him later. Walked back home and was strong with no tears.
Now, as I writing this. I am crying like a baby. My baby is growing up. This is good thing. No, this is a great thing. I have had the pleasure of raising a wonderful young man. I can sit and think of all the things I could have, should have and would have done differently over the past five years but I refuse to do that. I will choose to think of only the positives, how we can grow and where we will go in the future. I am a lucky, lucky Mom.

Nate fought the door and the...door won

Well, not really. I just can't stop singing that song lately and it fit for what happened to him this weekend. We were at Eisenhower for their open house. Nate managed to run right into an open door and slam the left side of his face into it. There was a red mark and small bump, but he seemed okay. He woke up this morning and looked like a boxer! (It doesn't help that he has a sweatshirt on with the hood up.) His left eye is all swollen and bruised. Poor kiddo. He hasn't complained at all. What a trooper!

Rough night sleeping

Full day kindergarten is right around the corner. I've known this. I've prepared Lex for it. I thought I prepared myself for it. And then...last night it hit me. He's going to be gone all day long! He is so ready and so excited for it it's almost crazy. I am so incredibly happy that he's independent and ready for this monumental step in his (and mine!) life. He told me he didn't want me to walk with him on the first day. He's walking with his cousin, Elli. *sigh* I am happy for this step. I really am. Just last night I started thinking of all the coulda, shoulda, wouldas of the last five years at home with him. I got a little teary last night thinking about it. But, I can't think of the past. I can think of the good things. Is he spirited? Hell yea! And, I wouldn't have that any other way. I let him be a kid! I let him be all boy! For the most part he's respectful. I did say he's a kid, right? He finds the positive in almost everything. I can say with all my heart that he truly enjoys life and it is so visible on his face. He prays every night with me. He prays for other other people. He gets as much (if not more) joy watching people open presents that he purchased for them than opening his own gifts. I think overall we've had a pretty damn good five years at home together. I really am one lucky Mom.

The Leamon boys tired out baby Simion

Yep. They did. We went up to visit for the day. We got there right around lunchtime. The boys were so excited to see Aunt Hollie and baby Simion. (Poor Simion will forever be baby until this family has another one to dote on.) They played with toys and then devoured lunch. Then, it was outside to run around in the yard and take a little walk in the woods. More playtime back home while Simion laid down for a nap. We decided now would be a good time for some pool time. After that, it was more playtime and then dinner! Who doesn't love a dinner of mountain pies and s'mores!?! More playtime in the yard. At that point, Simion stopped playing and laid right down in the yard. Hollie busted out laughing and took a picture of him and said she was going to label it, "A Day with the Leamon's." Apparently, he doesn't normally get that tired that he just has to lay down and rest in the middle of the yard. He did it three times within the hour. I guess my boys tired him out. He ended up being up about two hours past his normal bedtime. And, the Leamon boys were completely out within twenty minutes of their house. A good, no, a great time was had by all!

I must be doing something right...

Yesterday we were all outside doing some yard work. As I was walking across one area of our yard, in which a certain dog we no longer have dug holes in, I fell. I mean I FELL. I could feel my ankle twist and knew right away it was going to be bad. So, I tried, in the whole millisecond I had, to throw my weight off of that ankle. I went face first to the ground. Like a plank. Yep. Thank the Lord, my face didn't hit because I would have easily broken my nose. Pretty sure I jammed my shoulder right up into my neck. (To say I'm sore today would be an understatement.) It hurt so bad that I literally couldn't see anything and my face sort of felt numb. Lex ran right over and asked if I was okay. He then said, "Here, give me your hand and I'll help you up." I couldn't even move. I had to lay there for a few minutes. He yells, "Nate! Come over here. Mom tripped and she needs our help." I managed to get up and thank them. Then, they both went over to another part of the yard and picked some some wild flowers for me because, "they will make you feel better." Man, I love those kids.

Reality

I think I am going to have a huge reality dose next week when Lex goes to school. Nate will too. The boys had a really hard time around mid-summer when they realized Bailey wasn't coming back here for school. Last summer, they were okay with her leaving because we constantly talked about when she would be coming back. About mid-July they started to ask again. We've had to really talk to them a lot about her not coming back here until Christmas time. It was hard for them. Really hard for them. They would both tell me how much they missed her and how they wanted her to be here so they could do different things with her. I want to take their pain away. I think Nate is going to go through that again (and me) when Lex goes to kindergarten next week. He's been here with us all day every day. Now, he'll be gone five days a week from 8 until 3. That's going to be a hard pill to swallow. With the boys being here by themselves this summer, they've had some serious bonding time. I've been trying to prepare Lex for school and, in turn, he's been preparing Nate for him not being here for hours during the day. We'll get it through it. It's life. But, it's definitely going to be bittersweet. Now excuse me while I have good cry because my babies are growing up...

New school shoes

Went out a few weeks ago and got Lex his new school shoes. He wanted a specific pair of light up ones. These were the most expensive pair of shoes I have ever purchased for him. But, I do believe in buying the kids a good pair of sneakers as they usually last all year long. I told him he was not allowed to wear them until he went to school. He gladly agreed and put them up in the shoe holder on the back of the door and they have stayed there ever since. I then went out about two weeks ago to buy Nate his school shoes. He's starting preschool so I figured it was time for him to get a pair of good shoes too. No hand-me-downs this year. He also wanted light up shoes. He was super excited to see them and wanted to wear them immediately outside. I told him he could not wear them outside until school started, but he was welcome to wear them in the house for now. He refused to do that because we "don't wear shoes in the house, Mommy!" Why is it they pick certain times to listen to the rules????

Nighttime...will it ever be normal?

I admit it, we co-sleep. When the boys were brought home, they slept in their bassinet in our room for six months before we moved them into their own room in their crib. When they woke up, it was just easier for all of us, to just bring them to bed with us and then we all got sleep. Both boys were out of their cribs and into the toddler bed with they were between 24-26 months old. Both boys realized at around 3 years of age that they could GET OUT OF BED and come into ours in the middle of the night. I admit, I would just lift them up into the bed, cover them up and go right back to sleep. Erik did the same thing. Now, however, it's still happening. Lex is five. About a year ago, when I felt him coming into bed (I should have said IF), I would get up and take him back to his room. He wanted me to lay down with him for a minute, so I did (he is in a twin sized bed). Now, if I don't get up right away, he'll just climb into bed. If Nate is already there, he'll just sleep at the bottom and I won't know until I go to turn and my covers won't move. Nate, is now 3, and is still climbing into our bed. I don't mind; however, if he can't sleep, he wants to talk and/or sing. Yep, the ABCs, twinkle, twinkle, etc. Yep, singing. I love sleeping like this, most of the time. I do not like being woken up because *I* moved wrong on *my* pillow. I do like waking up and realizing that I have a whole six inches in which to "spread out" while everyone else in my bed is comfy. I have been leaving my bed and going to sleep in Lex's bed by myself. *sigh* This too shall pass. Enjoy them while they are little. Soon, they will be grown up and won't want to cuddle with me.

Fighting over the vacuum

Yep, you read that correctly. The boys were actually fighting over the vacuum cleaner and today and who go to do the sweeping. At first I was irritated that they were arguing and then I realized that this could seriously work to my advantage. I started Lex downstairs sweeping. Then, I took Nate upstairs and let him go at it with the upstairs vacuum. (Don't ask about why I have two vacuums, that will come out later.) It was pure bliss. Two vacuums running at once and I was sitting down!!! Honestly, I think they did this for a good 45 minutes. :)

A quick prayer for rain

We haven't had a Wii for the past few months. Erik went out and bought one the other day. Lex is obsessed with playing video games. Yesterday, I "forced" him to go outside. This is the child, who normally, I have to force to come inside! So, needless to say, it's a bit of a change. Today he wakes up and wants to play the Wii. I let him, for a while, and then tell him it's off. He wants to know when he can play the Wii again. I tell him he's not playing again during the day unless it's raining. He says to me, "I'll be right back. I have to do something private." He walks out the backdoor and I hear him whisper, "Dear God, I really want to play the Wii again. Can you make it rain soon so I can? Thank you. Amen." Then, he walks back inside, looks at me with a sly little grin on his face and says, "I'll be able to play again soon."

Praying for the Word of Boys

Well, I've been reading the Bible daily again. It's so great to read it with new eyes. The last time I read the Bible I was in high school. Now, I feel like I am so different in my walk with God. I feel like a different person and, add to that, a mother and wife. It's just unique to me to see this Living Word in a different perspective.

So, along those same lines, I'm going to pray for my sons. I pray daily, but I'm going to try something a bit different. I'm going to pray for 21 days following The Warrior Prayers-Praying the Word for Boys; 21 Days of Prayer for Sons-Fall 2011. Here is the link to the facebook invitation: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=249108918441695. Will you join me?

I'm excited to post daily on this. I cannot wait to go back and read this blog with my sons in years to come and see the exciting changes that have taken place in our walk with God and our life overall.

bed time

Every night before bed, the boys and I have some alone time. I sit on the floor next to Nate's bed (he's still in a toddler bed) and we go through the day together. We talk about our favorite parts and then we pray together. Lots of hugs and kisses and he's out within a few minutes. Then, I'm on to Lex's room. I lay next to him and we talk about the day and our favorite parts and we pray together. I have come to realize that this time is really special to the three of us. Although we are together a lot, this time is different in so many ways. It's just hard to explain. It's one of my favorite parts of the day. :)

This and That

The other day the boys and I went for a walk/bike ride. My bike is broken, so I walked. Anyways, Nate and I brought up the rear while Lex was ahead. He was waiting for us at the end of our driveway when Nate and I got there. I thought I heard him say he had to go pee so I told him I would go unlock the door. He informed me that he already did. "What do you mean you already did? The door is locked." He informs me, "I went in the yard." Now, keep in mind, we live right in town. "Buddy, you cannot pee in our backyard!" "Oh Mom, I didn't pee in our yard, I peed in our neighbors yard." Oy!

Last night, Nate was upset because Lex either hurt him or hurt his feelings, I can't remember which. So as he's crying on my lap I ask him if we should give Lex to another family (a running joke for us). He shakes his head no. "Are you sure you want him to live with us?" Nate looks at me, with tears in his eyes and says, "No, he needs to find a new house." I ask him where Lex should live. He asks me, excitedly, "Can we build him a tree house out back to live in?!"

Pretty sure the world is ending

This is what I told my husband last night. For the past few days the boys have been getting along. I don't mean getting along most of the time, I mean ACTUALLY getting along! I know, right? Let me give some examples of this. The past few months, Nate has decided that whatever Lex picks up, he instantly has to have. And, with that, he is going to cry, yell, stomp and refuse to leave my side (while doing the aforementioned) until he gets that toy. I try hard to talk him through it, how Lex had it first, talk with Lex about sharing soon, etc. Lately, when this happens, Lex will hold onto said toy for just another minute or two and then say, "Here Nate, I'll find something else to play with, you can have this." He's not saying it to get Nate to stop crying either. I asked him! He honestly just wanted to share with his brother, his words! I'm kind of at a loss for mine.
They've been saying good night to each other, helping each other, sharing with each other, playing nicely with each other, well, you get the idea. I'm telling you, I don't know what to think of it all. Except, it truly lets me sit back and watch them enjoy each other and I get to fully enjoy that. I feel like now they are really "brothers" in all sense of the word. I'm one lucky Momma!

M.O.B. Society Blog Hop

I've been reading the posts from the MOB Society for a few months now and decided to link up today. Why? It's just a feeling I have that I should be doing this and this is the right thing for me right now. My walk with God is still in the new stages, but I sure did jump in feet first! Let me start at the beginning with me...

My name is Catrina and I am the mom of two incredibly spirited little boys. Surprisingly, I never wanted to have kids, now I have two! Boys at that! Our family is the new "normal" meaning I also have a step daughter who lives with us 50% of the time. She just moved back to her Mother's house for her custody time (more on that later). I started this blog in hopes to write down all of the funny, and not-so-funny daily moments in our lives that I wanted to remember when the kids were older. One day, I want to form this blog into a book for the kids so they have something to look back on. I don't write as much as I should, but I have goals to write a minimum of three times a week.

I have the incredible opportunity to work full time from home...best of both worlds! I also work closely with our children's minister at church.

My boys do not necessarily have a favorite book at the moment. They like to read about everything and anything.

My best friends and I started a business called Off The Hook Chicks. It's a crochet business. It's small and we started on facebook. We had/have a giveaway when we reach 250 fans on facebook, but we are far from it. I know we'll reach it when the time is right for us. We're working on getting an etsy store started soon. We love creating one of a kind handcrafted items such as hats, baby blankets, scarves and those types of things. I have several people in my life who have cancer right now and I feel a calling to work on prayer shawls and to create baby blankets for those babies born who do not have much.

I know, I'm sort of all over the place on this blog. I would like to blame it on the fact that I have only had one cup of coffee so far this morning. But, who knows! :)

I'm excited to get to know other Momma's who worship God and raise boys. Thank you for stopping by!

Crappy Mom moment

I guess if I want to capture the not-so-funny moments with the kids then I should capture mine too. *sigh*
I woke up the other day with a massive headache. I mean, hurt like heck headache. And, of course, the kids chose that day to not listen to a darn thing I said, screamed at each other and yelled all morning long. I started the day talking calmly and doing the good Mother stuff. After about an hour, that went out the door. Fast forward three more hours on the way to Warren. The kids were fighting non-stop in the back over everything. EVERYTHING! They had a bottle of water and were sharing it. By sharing I mean holding on to it until the other one screams bloody murder and I yell at them, yes YELL, at them to hand it to their brother. This continued for about 10 straight minutes. I finally calmed down, told them that the next time they argued like that I was throwing the water out. Now would be a good time to write down that I have always said I make promises, not threats. If I say it, I will do it. Well, I did it. I took the water, rolled down my window and dumped it out. Both kids were in shock. Lex started screaming. Nate tried telling me they were sharing. Erik was stifling a laugh. Yes, mother of the year right there for ya.

Writing things down to remember them

I've been bad about writing things down here. I want to remember all the awesome and funny (and not so awesome and not so funny things) that have happened in our family. Lately:

Nate has decided that he can tell us when he is mad/angry at us. That's fine. The problem? He just randomly tells us. No particular reason. He'll just walk in the room, tell one of us he's mad and doesn't want to speak to us right now. Um, okay?

Lex has started talking a lot. I mean A LOT! I walked home with him from the pool the other day (Erik brought Nate home in the car) and he talked the entire way. Not a problem. I can tune out, er um, listen. But, he didn't just talk, he asked questions. The. Entire. Way. Home. Again, not an issue, I just had to really listen and answer. Then, as we are about 100 feet from our house, he informed me that I talk a lot. What?!

Our new vehicle

I have been battling Erik for a few years now about what I want for MY vehicle. I want a van. I want to be able to take all five of us, plus others. So, a few years ago, we traded in our five seater for a....Dodge Durango. *sigh* Yes, it fit seven. No, it was not a mini-van. So, I only gave him a slight hard time about it. It was a manly family vehicle. Fast forward a few years. He has to drive some hills to and from work so he needed the Durango for the AWD drive option. I get a Buick Century. It's a vehicle. It got me from point A to point B. But, Bailey could not fit in the back between the two car seats so we all couldn't take that vehicle, even though it was awesome on gas. We go out looking at vehicles yesterday. Did I mention looking? Not buying. Looking. Um, yea, we came home with a mini-van. Part of me is ecstatic because it is exactly what I wanted and brand spanking new. The other part of me is scared sh*tless because this is the first car payment we have had in years. It will all work out. I love my vehicle. The kids love it. Erik even loves. God is good!

Because I am the Mom and I said so

Yes, this summer I have been saying this... a lot. More than I would like. Actually, before children, I swore I would never say it. I mean, really! What kind of Mother would not take the time to calmly explain to her children the reasoning behind every action? This one, that's who! I'm a real Mom. I do sit and explain things to my children. I break it down so they can understand it. But, I'm sorry, there are times that kids just need to do what I say and when I say it. I do not want to explain why I want them to pick up their shoes that we have all tripped over 896797786 times, they just need to pick up their shoes! Whew! Boy, that felt good to get that out.

Laughter, the best medicine

The boys are slowly starting to adjust to Bailey not being here. Randomly, Nate will decide to save part of his dessert or something for her, but it's getting fewer and farther in between those incidences. Lately, they have been getting along splendidly. When they do fight or argue, they handle it on their own. It's been awesome! We bought a large trampoline for the backyard. When they are on it, all we hear is laughter. Erik has been home with us for two weeks now and he's relieved of work stress (for now) so he's really been able to enjoy family time. At night, while we sit out back and watch them play and hear the incredible belly laughter erupting from them, he says, "THAT is the best sound in the world." I agree 100%.

Capturing and remembering moments

There are so many things that happen on a daily basis that I would love to try to capture in my memory and remember forever. I would love to say, "I will never forget such and such" but we all know we can't remember everything. I'm hoping to write down lots of these things in this blog in hopes to create a blog book for my children. This is where random posts take place.

The other night Nate was on his way to bed. I had to do a double take on his, um, bedtime outfit. He had on spiderman boxers, no shirt, a viking hat and was wielding a teddy bear fly swatter in lieu of a sword. Ah yes, a scary man he was.

The other day in the car Lex and Nate were arguing. I thought they were talking to me so I asked what they were talking about. I was informed, by Lex, that they were having an argument with themselves and that it did not involve me and it was private. Yes, those were his words. To say I was a bit taken back would be an understatement. They continued "arguing" with low voices for the next few minutes and then informed me when they were done. I guess this is part of growing up, huh?

As the summer days move on and it gets closer and closer to school time, I am reminded just how precious time is with them. Lex is going to be gone full days in just two short months. Nate will be heading off to preschool for a few hours a week. This house is going to be eerily quiet. Part if me is so incredibly happy that they are growing up to be well rounded, excited for life boys. But, the other part of me wants to capture them as they are because they are my babies and I love them just the way they are. I have truly enjoyed every stage they have gone through (I didn't say every day). They are excited to "get big." I was informed by Lex that they will always be my babies and that even when they grow up and get their own house that they will still always come and visit me and spend Christmas with me. This was quickly agreed by Nate. Ah, bittersweet. Now, excuse me while I go have a good cry.

Breakfast foods

When I had Lex, I had grandiose ideas of what my children would and would not eat. Well, let's just say, when you add more kids into the mix, those ideas often get thrown out of the window. Recently for breakfast they have had; freeze pops, chips, cold pizza, leftover cold chicken tenders, sugar cereal, hot dogs, peanut butter sandwiches, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and, well, you are getting the point. Now, I do not feed my kids crap all the time. We do so in moderation! Joking, people, joking. Sometimes we all just need to let loose and let kids be kids. Who says they have to have cereal every morning? Bailey is a pancake eater, but we don't have that daily. The other two, not so much. Nate prefers dry cereal. Lex prefers leftovers. Somedays, I am just happy they are eating something. Other days, it's non-stop. It's all about flexibility in this house.

Overheard today...

Some background information...when the kids are put in time-out, they are allowed to come out when they are calm and ready to talk about what happened. We discuss w hy there were there, what they could have done differently, etc.

Fast forward to about an hour ago. Lex has taken on the big brother thing BIG TIME this week. If he doesn't want something done, Nate doesn't do it. We try to not intervene all the time because we want the kids to work it out, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Like today. Lex was in time out on the stairs. From the kitchen I hear him tell Nate, in a whisper, "When I am done sitting here and I am done talking to Mom, I am going to take you into the living room where it's private and slap you!" I guess perfectly behaved children would be too much to ask for, huh? And, probably boring! These kids keep me on my toes!

All about Heaven

1. Lex: Mom, what do you think I would find at the end of a rainbow?
Me: I'm not sure buddy. What do you think is there?
Lex: Hmmm....probably Heaven.

2.Nate lost his grip on his balloon and he was crying as it sailed away. Lex came over to him, hugged him (!) and said, "Don't worry Nate. Your balloon is just going to Heaven and God will keep it safe for you there. You can play with it when you get there." Nate instantly stopped crying and smiled and said, "Yea, God will keep it safe for me." He STILL talks about his balloon in Heaven.

Look Mom, I'm pregnant!

Yep, these are the words that came out of my three year old last night. As he was getting ready for bed, he decided to put a ball in his pants and pretend he was pregnant. He kept rubbing his belly saying, "my baby is in here." While he was brushing his teeth, he said that his baby was crying. I asked him if his baby was born. He looked at me funny and said his baby was still in his belly. I then asked him if his baby was like a baby kangaroo where he keeps it in his belly for safety. Nope. His baby was still in his belly but it was crying because he hit his belly on sink so he had to just move his baby over to the side of his body. Ah, if pregnancy was that easy! :)

Checking accounts

While having a chit chat with Bailey a few days ago, she mentioned that she wished our driveway was redone and nice and smooth. I explained that we would too, but it takes some money to do that and we need to save up. She asked, "why don't you write a check?" I explained to her that I can't write a check unless their is money in the account. She then proceeded to tell me, "well, when I open an account, I'm just going to ask for a million dollars in it." LOL...ah, I think I will too with my next account.

I like to move it move it

Ah, the joys having boys. I hear Bailey and one of her friends saying, "la, la, la, la, la!" extremely loudly followed by, "Stop it!!!" Needless to say, my nosey self had to go look. There they were sitting on the swing with their hands over their ears. Why was that, one might ask? It was because both boys were standing in front of them, dancing and singing a song to the tune of "I like to move it move it." But my boys, cannot keep things the same, no, they had to change the words to "I like my penis." Yes, my three and five year old, were singing:
I like my penis penis
I like my penis penis
I like my penis penis
I like my...
Penis!!!

This is obviously not from my side of the family...

She sounds like a bear!

The kids absolutely love sleeping downstairs on the pull-out sofa bed on the weekends. They get to stay up late watching movies, chatting and cuddling together. This past weekend, Bailey must've fallen asleep quickly and hard. As Lex was playing this morning, he all of a sudden said, "Bailey sounds like a bear!" I just looked at him and asked what he was talking about. He said, "When Bailey sleeps, she sounds like this (insert loud fake snoring noises)." I just laughed and laughed. Maybe we should tape this! :)

Thursday morning madness

This morning has been rough already. By 6:30 this morning, before anybody had even gone downstairs, I had already told two of the three children that there would be naps. Yea, that's called a rough morning. The boys either loved each other tremendously and wanted the world to hear them or they hated each other. And, again, wanted the world to hear them. Bailey wasn't exactly thinking and that was causing some issues. The past hour or two has been much better. But, I would like to capture the moment that finally had me giggle. Not the most appropriate laughter, but my son didn't get hurt and ended up laughing, so it was okay.

Lex wanted to take the dog out by himself. Now, picture him with boxer shorts on, Bailey's scrunchie around his calf, and flip flops on. He's holding the leash, which is retractable, but goes out to 20 or 30 feet. Hunter was standing close to Lex when one of the cats flew past them. Yes, you can imagine what happened. Hunter lunged for the cat and took off like a bullet. Lex saw it coming, but didn't have time to brace himself. He held onto the leash for dear life, which in turn, pulled him to the grass and pulled him about a foot or two. I saw it from the doorway happening in slow motion. If I had it on film, we would be $10,000 richer. I stifled a laugh and Lex cried from the shock. Then, he stood up and said, "Well, I sure wasn't expecting that!" Just another day in the Leamon household.

Baptism

Bailey asked this week to get baptism. It was bittersweet. Meaning, I absolutely loved the fact that she accepted Christ on her own and asked him into her heart and now she was asking to be baptized! She matured so much it was amazing to see! I hadn't told the Pastors at our church, so she was a last minute add that morning. There were some teary eyes that morning, including ours.

"Don't die"

On Sunday, Lex started to ride his bike with no training wheels. Now, we've been working on him starting by himself without our help. While I was upstairs today, I was watching Lex and Nate in the backyard. Lex was asking Nate to hold the back of his seat, which Nate did willingly. A couple of times, Lex fell over and he, surprisingly, did not get upset with Nate. He just kept explaining how to hold the bike. After a few times, Nate said, "you can do it, Yex, just don't die." Oh, to see what goes through his mind.

Mother's Day 2010

It was an awesome day all around. I got to sleep in a bit, which is always a treat. The worship music at church was just fabulous and uplifting. Afterwards, we all met at my grandparent's house for a brunch of sorts. The kids just all got along great and had an awesome time playing with each other. When it was photo time, Lex got cranky and told Lex he had to smile because, "it is Mother's day and it's the law!" I loved it! After a long, fun-filled day we came home and after three tries, Lex started to ride his bike all by himself with no training wheels. In his words, "there's nothing stopping me now!"

Rain and Patience

We've had some rain lately. Okay, a lot of rain. Some days I think it would be more beneficial to have a boat in lieu of a car, but that's for another day. I have realized that with the kids being inside, I have a lot less patience lately. We had a few nice days and everyone got to get out and burn off some energy. Moods were up. Attitudes improved. Smiles were in abundance. Lately, that's just not been the case. Everyone has been short on patience in this house, myself included. I decided last night to try to make some changes within myself to help this. I need to not get so upset so quickly. To stop and think before I speak. Novel idea, eh? So far, although it's only 11:07 AM, it's worked. Laugh if you want, but we've already been up and at 'em for five hours today. I have told the kids that I am not repeating myself repeatedly to get their attention or to do something. They will go directly to their rooms and sit on their beds. When they are ready to comply, they may join us. We've done this in the past and it has worked wonderfully. Why did we get out of this? Laxness on our part. It happens. It's part of a cycle that every family goes through. Consistency is the key and we need to maintain it here. Although sometimes chaoticness is consistency (we're all still in our pajamas) it gets us through the day happier and closer as a family. And, that's one of our goals. Today's goal is to get dressed. Although, we may just bathe and then get into clean jammmies before bed. Nothing wrong with that occasionally, right? Now, I must go. My three year old is opening up my nail polish and smelling them...

Alexander is 5!!!

It's hard to believe, but he's five years old. I say it again, the last five years feel like they have flown by! He's so ready for kindergarten, it's scary. He just wants to grow up and be so darn independent already. Part of me is ready and part of me is definitely not. He's such a little man at times, a sarcastic one at that. I guess he comes by it naturally. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for him.

Nathaniel is 3!!

My baby woke up Monday morning as a three year old! It is so hard to believe how fast three years has gone by and how much he has grown up. I look at him in awe and wonder at times and ask where my baby has went. I'm not allowed to call him baby at all anymore. I'm very lucky in the fact that he's still a kisser and a snuggler. But, boy oh boy, does he repeat everything his brother does. I have a feeling they are going to be very close. He was so fun to watch open his presents this year as he fully enjoyed every one of them. I don't want to jinx myself, but his behavior has been better the past two days too! He's so excited to go to preschool already too. So bittersweet to watch him grow up. He is so smart, witty and adventurous! I can hardly wait to see what the next year has in store for us.

Hunting

Ah, my little hunter Lex. Nate got a play shotgun for his birthday. (What Lex doesn't know is that he is getting one on Sunday for his.) Anyways, Lex spends a lot of time watching the hunting channel. A lot. He had the shotgun, pumped it and walked through the living room saying, "Today, we will go hunting for cats. We are going to need to walk 20 miles to find some cats." He then proceeded to talk us through shooting the cats. It is so funny to watch them emulate things like this.

Too big for their britches

Yep, I said it. There are times when I think these kids are just too darn big for their britches. The things that come out of their mouths is unbelievable at times. In the past week:
Nate has made up the word dogalicious when something is good.
Nate has decided that he and Lex should have the same name so he calls them Alexaniel.
Lex can beat Erik in the racing game and calls him a cranky old man when he looses.
Lex has taken to calling me "baby girl" as a nickname.
Have I mentioned that they both like to sleep with only pj bottoms on and no shirt? I thought I had until the teenage years for this.

You are my sunshine

I've been catching Nate singing lately and it cracks me up! Today was:
You my sunshine
All my sunshine
Make me happy
When cars are gray.
Never know dear
How I love you
Don't take my sunshine away.

Made me smile.

Growing up

I would like to start by saying that NONE of these children are sleeper-iners. Yes, that is a word...to me. Bailey used to start her day between 4-5 AM. I could set my alarm clock by both Lex and Nate as they awoke between 5:45 and 6:15 AM every morning. We tried everything to get them to sleep in. Putting clocks in their room so they could see the time. Having them stay up later. Everything. No matter the time they went to bed, the morning started at the same time.

Lately, however, they've been sleeping in. Sadly, our first thought was not, "oh, they must be tired." It was, "oh, they must not be feeling well." But, then, it started happening more and more frequently. Bailey still gets up early, but she can easily sleep in until 7 or even 7:30!! Nate has been known to sleep in until those times also! Lex, on the other hand, can sleep until 8:30 if given the chance! Honestly, I don't know how this change has happened. I don't know what caused. I am chalking it up to growing up. Bittersweet for me.

Been a while

Life at our house has been crazy, to say the least. The two older kids are in karate two days a week. Bailey is in girl scouts. Erik is super busy with school, activities, borough council, meetings and going to band practice. I am becoming more involved with the church and will be on the ballot to try to get on the school board. We have something every single day of the week. I was doing well going to the gym in the evenings and that has sort of fizzled out due to the fact that I am either gone or home because Erik is gone. Busy, busy, busy. Let's see, what else. Oh, Naterator is signed up to go to preschool two days for two hours each day. Lexinator is signed up for kindergarten! Full day! What a change that will be. Bailey will not be here next year, so that in it's self is going to be a change. Our biggest change is that we got a new puppy a few weeks ago. So, we now have three children, three cats, two fish (one didn't make it), and a puppy. To say our house is equivalent to a zoo would be a bit of an understatement. I am constantly tripping over someone or something! But, it's our life and I love it!

Getting along?

As I write this, the kids have been up for 3-4 hours already. And, if you can believe it, they are getting along! Seriously! The entire time! I'm pretty sure a miracle has happened in this house and I will gladly take it! The kids have all been whiny, cranky, crabby and downright rude at times this entire week. So, this is a nice, no, an AWESOME change of pace! AND, I went in the living room and they all cleaned it up, without being told!! Maybe I need to pinch myself. On second thought, if this is a dream, I'll take it gladly! :)

Radio in my face

I was siting and talking with Nate today during lunch when all of a sudden he started opening and shutting his mouth while having a funny look on his face. I asked him what was wrong. He pointed to the back of his jaw and said, "there's a a noise right there." I said, "Oh, that's your jaw cracking." He kept opening and shutting his mouth for a few more times. He then looked at me and said, "I think I have a radio in my face right here (pointing to his jaw). Out of the mouths of babes.

Say What??

I know I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I still shocked at some of the things that come out of my four year old's mouth. For instance, while walking to school today, he told me he can walk through the snow because he has boots on and they are protective. Um, where did he learn that at? Then, we walked by a house that we had walked through before (it is for sale). He said, "remember when we walked in that house? It sure is beautiful in there." Wow!

Add to that, my two year can now find his own movies and stuff on Netflix through the Wii. Talk about bittersweet.

Beer anyone?

it's only Tuesday and it's been a rough week already, I will admit that. I must look a little haggard. The boys just opened up the fridge and asked me if I wanted a beer. Um, if my two and four year old are asking me to drink, I'm thinking I might need one.

Nate and being sick

Nate has been sick all weekend. He was up during the night on Thursday coughing and wheezing. By Friday morning, his nose was running full force, but at least the wheeziness had stopped. But, now on Sunday, he has been complaining that his teeth hurt. New molars? Anyways, that's not the funny part. I have a bag of emergency M&Ms in my office and Nate asked if he could have some. I told him not right now. He gets this so serious sad look and said, "but, it will make my teeth feel better." He knows which cards to play early, doesn't he?

Enjoying life and happiness

It's been snowing here again. I know, big surprise for January, eh? Anyways, it's been that big, fluffy, sparkley, pretty snow. As the kids and I were leaving the other day, I watched all three of them, at the exact same time, open up their mouths and stuck out their tongues to catch the snow. It was so cute to see!!

Last night, as Lex was praying (he started this a while ago when he started having nightmares) he started it by saying, "Dear God, thank you for our happiness." He then goes on to thank Him for our food and drinks and asks for all of us to have good dreams. Adorable!

Eating while sleeping

Nate has been falling asleep in our bed lately and when we go to bed, we carry him to his room. Then, about three hours later, he climbs back in our bed. :)

Anyways, last night as I picked him up to move him, his eyes half opened and he picked up his hand and and made a motion like he was putting something in his mouth. I sort of giggled and just watched. Then, he put his first two fingers in and licked them clean and then the last few fingers. All of this while sleeping. It was so incredibly hard to not bust out laughing and wake him up. I wonder what food he was dreaming of...

The sickness

Apparently this house is not immune from the stomach bug that is going around. Last week, Nate went to bed just find and woke up 20 minutes later vomiting in bed. This is the first time he has ever thrown up, poor baby. After getting everything cleaned up (Erik did it, I can't handle puke), Nate told us he couldn't sleep in his bed. So, I slept with him on the floor of Lex's room (he was downstairs sleeping). Then, every time he got sick in one particular area (he made the bucket each time!) he told me he couldn't sleep in that area because it made him sick :( Thank God we only had one night of this with him. He was sleepy and clingy the next day but about 20 hours later, he was back to himself.

Then, Sunday night, it hit Lex. This is only the second time he's ever gotten sick like this himself. He made the bucket and/or the toilet each time. I had to sleep on the floor with him too. Again, about twenty hours later and he's back to himself.

Bailey told us last night that she's bracing hers to come. *sigh* Part of having kids, right?

Ten things pregnant/new moms are NEVER told...

1. Those cute dressers that fit those tiny baby clothes will be absolutely ridiculous in two years down the road when you can only fit two shirts in them.

2. All the time spent buying cute "matchy" outfits (tops and bottoms) will only be worn when *you* dress them, not by the hubby. Even if they are put away together on the same hanger.

3. Don't ever use the word "outfit" to describe your husband's work clothes as he's leaving.

4. You will never go to the bathroom alone again.

5. You will always refer to going to the bathroom as going to the potty.

6. You will eventually find yourself watching kid shows when there are no kids in the room.

7. Playdoh and barbie shoes make really loud noises as you vacuum them up.

8.Local and world events will happen and you will have absolutely no clue.

9.You will find yourself discussing poop and not be grossed out by it.

10. Don't ever ever ever say, "I would never..." because one day you will.

Night time and the morning

I'm starting to wonder what happens at night when I sleep. The other morning I woke to find Nate in footy pajamas and party beads on. Hmm...... Makes me wonder.....

This morning I came down to Lex wearing only a pair of underwear. Nate, on the other hand, was wearing three shirts and a pair of shorts. Should I mention that it's snowing outside??

Arguing

Why? Why must they do it? Why do children insist on arguing constantly? Here is what just took place at my house:

Nate wanted another orange. I told him I would get him the orange as soon as he went potty. I explained to him that he hasn't gone in a while. He whined. He argued. He yelled. He refused to go potty. This went on for a good 20 minutes. Finally, I said, "Fine. I'll get you the orange, but you better not pee in your pants." I turn around to start peeling his orange and what does the child say? "Okay. I be wite (right) back. I need to go potty." And, I gave up coffee why????

exercising

Today, I started a regiment of exercise. I need to lose weight and be healthy not only for myself, but for my family. Lex came downstairs this morning and told me I looked like the girl on the tv because I was sweating like her and doing the same exercises. I told him that maybe one day I would be think like her. He got very upset and yelled, "No! I like you being you." That was the best compliment.

Enjoying Life

I have realized that my children are quite spirited. Bratty? Nope. They just love life and everything about it. And, on the chance that it's not something they like, oh, they let us all know nice and loud. Does that part embarrass me? Sure. But should it? Nope. I have decided that if we all lived life with as much energy and zealous as my children do, we'd all be a lot happier and probably have a lot less stress.

My kids do not like to sit still. Very rarely does this happen. Does it make it difficult to get things done, go to dinner, go shopping? Sure it does! But if I change the way I think and talk to them during these stressful situations, it doesn't have to be nearly as rough on them, or me.

One of my goals this year is to really learn to live in the moment. Laugh. Enjoy. Love. I want to be more like my kids.

Bailey is going to be so excited!

Last week at the airport, Bailey *REALLY* wanted a pair of $45 boots from Crocs. I had a hard time justifying that money as her feet are growing rapidly. She was disappointed, but okay with it. Well, wouldn't you know that about 45 minutes later as her and Erik were walking through a store at the airport, Bailey looks down and sees some money just laying on the ground. A fifty dollar bill!! Erik told her should could have the money, but she had to put it in the bank. I convinced him to buy the boots for her as a surprise. So, when she gets here later tonight, she'll get them!