Mom, do not come in here.

These are the words that both scare me and crack me up. My office is in the nook next to the kitchen. The living room is on the other side of the house. My kids are extremely independent. *Slight digression....The first time I realized this Bailey was 6 and Lex was 18 months old (give or take). Our house in Las Vegas was a ranch style type house. I was in the living room, which was in the middle of the house, with the kids. Bailey decided she was done and wanted to be alone so she got up and went into her room at one end of the house. Lex must have decided he wanted to be alone too because at the same time, he got up and toddled down the hall to the other side of the house to his room. Both of them shut their doors at the same time. I literally just sat there in awe. Nothing's really changed since then. Back to the current... Kids are STILL independent and spend a lot of time by themselves or with each other. I'm not really needed/wanted (that's a whole 'nother post). Sometimes Nate will come in to my office, hold his hand up to me and say, "Mom, do not come in the living room! I need a towel." I am sooo happy that he is independent enough to clean up his own messes for the most part and mature enough to do it and tell me. Part of me is scared to death as to what I might find. Guess that adds the element of surprise to our day, huh?

Tattoos

The parental units in this house each have two of them. It's actually been a bit funny when the boys realized that we didn't draw on ourselves and it doesn't come off. We have explained, lots, that they are permanent and they are not to be taken lightly. I didn't get my first one until I was 30 and Erik got his when he was 32. They are actually matching and we got them in Hawaii on the last day of our honeymoom. I love them. There are so many memories with them and I'm so glad we got them together. A few years ago, I got the kids' names in a scrolling anklet with cherry blossoms in between. I love it. I thought long and hard about what I wanted. I have absolutely no regrets. I'm close to being ready for my third one. I want a cross on the inside of my right wrist with Isaih 41:13 somehow put on it (For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear: I will help you). I read this a while ago and it has stuck with me. God is calling me to be his servant, to be a better mother, wife and person. I hope if my kids choose to get tattoos, that they really consider it long and hard before they do. I hope that we have a great enough relationship with each other that they trust me to talk with me. I hope that I have listening ears and an open heart.

Pulling A Leamon

I've been told by many people that I should write a book about REAL parenting. Maybe one day I will. I've been told by many people that we should have our own tv show. Um, besides my family, nobody should see me in my pjs that much so that one is out. My family has coined a new phrase, "A Leamon." To the "outside" world, my kids may look hyper, may look wild, may look out of control. To those that know us, know my kids are happy, love life, love people, love exploring and love laughing and being on the go constantly. And yes, they are respectful (most of the time-they're still young). I am not joking when I say they are moving non-stop from the time they wake up to the time they go to bed. I'm okay with that! Really, I am. There has been moments when I wasn't and I had to get past that. There have been close calls with my kids and they have come sooooo close to getting hurt, but they didn't and they didn't stop either. That, my friends, is pulling A Leamon. It's sort of a joke with the family now. If somethings gets knocked over, they pulled A Leamon. Someone almost got hurt, they pulled A Leamon. You get the picture. At first, it was a bit hurtful to my heart, but I don't think it was meant that way, so I had to push those feelings aside. I'm not a hover-type parent. I want my kids to explore. I want my kids to get hurt. No, not badly. I want them to see what they did wrong and how they could do it differently the next time. I don't want them to give up and they don't! They are persistent little buggers. As more memories come to me, I want to write them down so the kids can read about them. And, so when I embarrass them as teenagers, they'll know why. :) I want my kids to know that, as much as they will not believe me at times, I really did try to focus on the fun, positive stuff. I wasn't always a crankly lady who needed more coffee.

The best of friends and the worst

I have realized that it is possible for these boys to be both the best of friends and the worst at the same time. They have been playing with each other wonderfully for weeks now. But, when they decide they are done. They are D.O.N.E. and everyone can tell. They have also been sleeping in each other's rooms with each other every night for over a month now. They are awake for an extra hour fighting and then laughing, but I don't stop them. I absolutely LOVE hearing them belly laugh at night. It is pure joy to me.

A wee-wee

A conversation I had with Lex the other day. Lex: Mom, I want to do a wee-wee. Me: A what?? Lex: A wee-wee. Me: Use it in a sentence. Lex: I want to do a wee-wee. Me: Um, that's not exactly helping me. Say it slower. Lex: A weee-weee. Me:(trying not to laugh) Sorry, bud, I'm not getting it. Lex: On my bike! I want to do a wee-wee on my bike. Me: A wheely!!! Lex: Yes, that's what I said!

I hope...

I hope my kids: *remember the good times and not the bad. *have fun with their lives. *do what their heart and God tell them to do. *always believe. *always pray. *remember that we may have had a messy house but we had a fun house. *that we spent time talking every day. *that we ate dinner together as a family daily. *that we did things together has a family. *that we were non-judgemental. *are non-judgement. *have peace in their lives. *count their blessings. *give blessings. *enjoy life to the fullest!

A happy mouth

I try to drink a healthy smoothie everyday for breakfast. Today Nate helped me make mine and after a few minutes he aksed for a sip of mine. He decided he loved it but wanted to make his own. So, he got out three strawberries and broke up a banana and whirled it up! He drank a few sips of it and said, "Wow! I had three sips and my mouth is so happy now!" Man, I love this kid!

Lent

So, I'm, uh, a bit behind on writing things down. I try to remember, but we are so busy living that sometimes I don't get to write as much as I would love to. So, I try. Anyways, a few weeks ago Lent began. At WINK (Wednesday Is the Night for Kids) at church, we had a really great discussion about Lent, the meaning, etc. I loved listening to the kids talk about it and deciding if they were going to give something up or not. Nate didn't quite "get" it and I didn't expect him to fully understand it or give anything up. Lex, well, he told me he would give up playing with Nate. Not quite the answer I expected. So, we talked about it some more and I just don't think he fully gets it yet either. I, on the other hand, gave up Facebook. The first few days were HARD! I mean really, really, really hard. But now, i seem to be okay with it. I have realized that I spend way too much time on there. I've been a lot less frazzled with the boys and that's an awesome thing for me to realize. I still spend tons of time online because of work (a full 40 hours) but I am definitely relearning how to enjoy life with my kids again. As I write this I am on my laptop on the couch, with some yarn in my lap while watching the boys race each other on the Wii. I can't race as it makes me sick to my stomach, but I'm with them and that's what counts...for all of us.

Wow! What a large bowling pin!

The boys and I had to go to Erie the other day and we drove past the large water town by the Millcreek Mall. I had to stifle my laughter and Nate exclaimed, "Wow! What a large bowling pin! That person would have to be really big to knock that down!" Ah, to view the world like this again...