Last Day of the Year

Steve and I went on our second actual date of the year today.  It was fabulous...a movie and lunch and the grocery store.  When the kids asked about the movie, Steve said, "It was an adult movie." 

It's not what you think. 

 

And now we are celebrating the last hours of 2012...

 

Here's to an early New Year's Eve...

 

Cheers!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

You're Tellin' Me!

Yesterday I mentioned that E likes to pretend she's pregnant.  She's watched The Nativity Story, and she's fascinated with the scene of Jesus being born.  It features only above the waist shots, but Mary is laboring and delivering a child.

I keep things real around here, so I couldn't help myself anymore when she kept saying the baby came out of her tummy.

Me:  You know, babies don't come out of tummies.

E:  What do you mean?

Me:  Mommies push babies out of of their vaginas.

E:  (WIDE EYED!!!)  Oh.  That's a lot of work!

Using His Brain

Sometimes four-year-old girls pretend to be things.  It's just a normal day to have E crawling around barking when she's in puppy mode.  When she's not a puppy, she's a pregnant woman laboring and delivering a stuffed animal.  You know, just the usual four-year-old pretend stuff. 

This morning, she was pretending to be a baby...all goo goo and gah gah.  Despite me telling her to use her big girl words, this went on for awhile.  J turned to me and said, "Her Wernicke's Area is not working today." 

Snow Day!

 

On a normal day, the school bell would just be ringing. 

 

Well, snow days aren't normal, so we're having leftover pizza and hot chocolate after already playing in the cold.

 

 

 

The fun has only just begun!

A Collection of Random Thoughts

Well, the weather outside is frightful.  Usually I hate snow, but since I have nowhere that I have to be, I'm really hoping that we can declare tomorrow an official pajama day.

I had high hopes for an organized Advent season.  I really never factor in our ridiculously busy lives when I'm formulating these nice plans, so there's nothing organized at all going on here.  However, we've had lots of Christmas activities...What God Wants for Christmas, holiday pizza (a Pinterest steal), a story about candy canes, checking out Christmas lights, singing at church, cookies, Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, conversations about giving, praying, music, tree, lights, stockings, nativity scene, giving. 

 

J's letter that he included in one of our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes...

I'm hoping to try to squeeze in a few more seasonal things, too.  A snow day tomorrow might help me out with this.  Almost five days 'til Christmas!  I'm thankful that my cousin, L, and I finished all the shopping on Black Thursday/Friday.  We even hit an unexpected sale. 

 

It was as awkward as it sounds too.

Apparently everyone else in my house is banking on school being called off tomorrow also.  No one is sleeping yet.  I'm blaming the weather for E's restlessness tonight.  It certainly couldn't be the cookies she just ate.

My random thoughts were just interrupted.  We just received the call...the call informing us that there is no school tomorrow.  J is excited...really excited.  So am I.  Sleeping in tomorrow!

I'm excited about the snow day, but I'm more excited that I get a Christmas break this year.  The holidays and my work schedule lined up really nicely this year, so I decided to take advantage of it.  My break began yesterday at 4:30 pm, and it doesn't end until January 7, 2013.  I kicked off my time with a run followed by dinner and a beer.  Ah, now this is the life. 

I happened upon this today amongst E's coloring pages.

It made me wonder if our country's past leaders were perhaps more liberal than I think. 

My heart has been heavy ever since the news from Connecticut broke last Friday.  Identifying with this tragedy has come far too easily for me, and it has left me thinking about so much.  I could add my two cents, but I'm not sure I've even been able to adequately begin to process this.  I do know that this has left me hoping that the Mayans are right because the very thought of parenting in this world makes me shudder.

The kids and I just started reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Just a few pages into it, they both declared that they were hungry.  I see a chocolate party in our future.  We can get an early start on that tomorrow since I won't be needing the chocolate mint cookies we baked for MOPS.  That's a true snow day bonus in my book.

Have a happy snow day!

December 6, 2012

Last week was a busy one for us.  Lately every week is busy, but this one was busier than busy.  On Wednesday, I had five different things on the calendar.  I'm pretty sure I said, "Hurry up!  We're late." at least a million different times.  My poor kids probably hear me shouting this in their sleep.

 

My day went a little something like this...

normal morning routine-walk J to school-finish getting ready-doctor's appointment for me-stop at the pharmacy-to the Y for E's swimming lesson (I ran)-home-lunch-doctor's appointment for E-back to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions-quick stop to buy E boots since her favorite shoes were pretty much falling apart-home-walk to school to get J-back to Y for J's swimming lesson (I ran a little on the treadmill...I hadn't had time for a shower yet anyway)-home-bath and get ready-dinner with uncle and aunt-cousin's basketball game-home-normal (but much later) bedtime routine

 

After a day like that, it was no wonder we all slept in a little the next morning.  J was the first to arise.  I heard him out in the living room and expected that he would soon be waking us all up in an excited fashion.  I stayed under the blankets for another fifteen minutes, but nothing from J.

 

It turns out that he didn't notice the pile of wrapped up presents that he nearly had to walk around to get to the chair.  Once he did notice, our house was buzzing with excitement.

 

St. Nick made his annual visit leaving behind sugary cereal and candy in the stockings...

 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!!!!!!

Daddy's stocking had a roll of toilet paper.  That St. Nick sure is a funny one.

 Fun, fake cookies and donuts...

 Ninjago NRG Cole...

 PJs...

 Tea set...

 LSU shirts...

 Movies and a game for the family...

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 

Comic Relief

After a pretty heavy week around here, I came across a forgotten list of a few things the kids have said over the past several months.  I'm in need of a little comic relief, so here we go.

**  About an hour into our trip across our great state to see the mountains this summer, E said with great disdain, "I'm so tired of seeing corn."

**  On the same trip, J deviated from his norm and ordered a hamburger Happy Meal instead of the chicken nuggets.  He wanted just a plain, ol' burger on a bun, but instead it came with ketchup, pickles, and finely chopped onions.  He was more than disappointed when he said, "This isn't a Happy Meal at all!  It has ketchup, pickles, and rice.  What's happy about that?"

**  J was describing something and said, "Cool as in cold, not as in cool like your fashion style."  He is probably the only person in this entire world that would describe my sense of fashion as "cool".

**  J:  Oh my!  A fifty-something-year-old is riding a bike.  Now that's impressive for someone that old.

**  E the day before her birthday:  I don't think my clothes are going to fit when I turn four.  I am tall for a three-year-old you know.

**  E while watching Super Why:  I know they say book club, but it really does sound like butt club.

** Me after one of J's football games:  J, what was that one weird pass play about?
     J:  Well, the guy wasn't where he was supposed to be, so I panicked and threw a sloppy pass
          just like Taylor Martinez.

**  One night at bedtime, E asked me, "Mom, do you love me when I'm in trouble?"  Of course, I said, "Yes, I do."  She followed that up with another question, "Will you love me when I go to jail?"

**  J:  Wouldn't it take forever to get to football practice if we didn't have cars like in the past?
     Steve:  Yes it would.
     J:  Yeah, take that past!

**  E:  Did you go to Hop 'n Bop when you were three?
      Me:  No, they didn't have that where I grew up.
      E:  Oh, you should have lived here.

**  Me:  J, you need to study your spelling words.
      J:  I don't think I need to.
      Me:  Well, you should at least look them over.
     J:  Mom, I'm 100% sure I'm going to do outstanding.

**  J decided to go play outside, and E was mad that he wouldn't play a game with her.  She shouted out the patio door, "J, you've got to love one another!"  Somebody has been paying attention at Sunday school.

Dreaming Big

Yesterday morning the Powerball billboard that we drove by displayed the estimated jackpot of $500 million. 

J:  Does that say five hundred million?

Me:  Yup.  That's a lot of money.

E:  That's awesome!  Then I could buy a real American Girl doll.

Blessings and Hurdles

 The hurdles are as big as the mountains sometimes, but yet God's blessings remain abundant.

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.    -- Deuteronomy 31:18

What's Up?

Don't ask me.  We've been so busy lately that I'm not sure what's up or down or left or right.  Aside from the normal, crazy schedule that keeps our family running in circles, we've been kept even busier with a daddy traveling for work and lots of photo editing.  Oh, and puke...lots of puke which consequently leads to lots of laundry...lots of laundry. 

As I wrote to a friend earlier this month (before the puking because that's never good), "It's a good kind of busy, but it does leave little time for some important stuff (laundry, basic grooming, catching up with friends)."  Or blogging. 

Honestly, I've never felt so disorganized in my entire life, but I guess that goes along with this stage of life.  Someday I'll probably miss the things that drive me crazy...mounds of laundry, crap everywhere, a bathroom covered in kid's toothpaste, no plan for dinner...ever, Sharpie on the table.  Yeah, I'm not sure if I'd ever miss any of these things, but for now, I'll just try my best to let go. 

Photo credit

Home!

Steve is back home, safe and sound.

 

He had a work thing in Quebec. 

I briefly entertained the idea of tagging along, but after discovering airfare was over $700, I decided to stay home.  I was really quite content with this decision.  Canada is cold.  Arranging childcare sounded like a big headache.  Seven hundred big ones is a lot of money to spend for a destination that has little appeal to me...or so I thought. 

 

Here's the hotel (the building on top) that he stayed in...

...so long to contentment!

Seven hundred bucks doesn't seem so expensive after all.

 

As if that wasn't enough, he sent this picture along with a text message:

Our meal tonight, fillet made at our table and crab bisque soup.  Definitely worth the $84 the company spent on it.

 

 

My reply:  I had pickles and banana bread.  So there.

And he continued to rub it in by sending picture after picture.



 

I replied with this picture and message:  Enjoy your beautiful surroundings because this is what you're coming home to.

 

Because he loves us (and his company wasn't going to pay for extra, unnessary nights in the castle), Steve returned to our palace. 

 

I was giddy with excitement when he arrived home because I love him (and because my patience was more than thin after flying solo for the week).  The kids were super exicited to see Daddy because they love him (and because they needed a reprieve from their impatient mom). 

 

Life is so much better when Daddy's home.  The bedtime stories are funnier, too.  "Jack and the Talking Turd"...what's not funny about that?  Too bad Steve had some weird skin reaction all weekend that left him sleeping off the 'round-the-clock Benadryl.  Regardless, it was good to start getting back to normal...

whatever that is.



Well, That's Better

The school year started off a little rough for our little man.  How did I know?  He talked (and complained) about the daily happenings a lot...and he sadly cried about it for many consecutive days.

 

It took a little time to iron out the wrinkles and to get a plan in place (Here's a big shout out to some very incredible teachers and staff members...you all rock!  I've been so impressed, and we are all truly grateful to have such fine people working with J.), and now he seems much, much happier at school.

 

How do I know?

He doesn't really talk about the daily happenings...such a boy!

 

Since things are going so much better, I haven't felt the need to have such frequent contact with his teachers, so I really enjoyed getting the low down last week at parent-teacher conferences.

 

Everyone was spot on when describing J, so I'm happy that he's consistent and keeping it real in school.  He's the rule follower and enforcer, and he willingly participates (almost too much at times) in class discussions. 

 

A huge contributing factor to J's happiness is his mentor.  He eagerly looks forward to his daily hour when he and another classmate of his work with her.  He loves his mentor and I know he does, but I rarely get many details.  Again, he's such a boy.  I've given up on the daily interrogation as an attempt to get some information, so it was fun to get a little more insight as to what that hour looks like.

 

Here are a couple of excerpts from the written report we received from his mentor...

 

He is very rooted in reality.

 

We just completed a large unit on monsters. J's initial reaction to the idea of this unit was wonderful:  "How will we learn about monsters?" he said, "They're not real, so there aren't any facts!"

 

The Venn diagram that accompanied the monster unit...

 

and one of the spelling and vocabulary lists...

 

How do I spell relief?

a    h-a-p-p-y   f-i-r-s-t   g-r-a-d-e-r

 



 

Question of the Night

E:  Daddy, do you think it would be okay if a whale ate me, and then shot me out of its blowhole?

Steve:  Ummm...

E:  You know, like a killer whale, and then I'd get shot out of its blowhole.

All Moms Have Them

While the sneaky kids were "quietly" plotting to spy on me tonight, I overheard E say to J, "Just remember, she has eyes on the back of her head."

Happy Halloween!

Here's a few things I know to be true:

 

** High school sports even trump long-standing traditions in a small town.  In the village of H, Trick-or-Treating activities were moved to Sunday because the football team was scheduled to play on Halloween.  That was awesome for us.  Twice the fun, twice the candy.  Everybody wins!

 

** It's really fun to have cousins that are the same age and gender.  The mermaid, the dancer, the creepy clown, and Attila the Hun really do have fun together.

**  It's pretty much impossible to get a decent group picture with four children.  I've been trying for years without much success.

** Making costumes without the ability to sew forces one to be creative.  It's amazing what you can do with hot glue, Velcro, and safety pins.

**  My nephew successfully fulfilled his vision of being a creepy clown for Halloween.  Shudder.  Hope this picture won't come back to haunt him when he's on his own campaign trail some day.  Vote for J!

**  Four is fabulous!

 

 

**  There is no better candy out there than Reese's peanut butter cups.  In fact, we had to remind our kids to go for the good stuff if they had the opportunity.  Steve came up with a catchy mantra to help them remember:  If it's orange and square, put it in there.  

**  Although we got two pumpkin buckets full of candy tonight, I seriously considered going out to buy candy.   It was a beautiful night for Round 2.  Atilla the Hun, accompanied by a mermaid, pillaged the neighborhood hoping to seize and consume every piece of candy that was encountered.  They were happy with their haul, but there was not a Reese's PB cup to be found.  Can you believe it?  I think it's time for us to start going to the neighborhood association meetings so we can bring up the important issues.

 

**  It's fun to dress up and get candy.  Happy Halloween!

 



My Heart Hero

It's been well over a year since my boyfriend had his little heart repaired. 

Surgery was so successful that one would never even know this handsome prince had a congenital heart defect. 

 

Praise God!

 

He's active...

and cute...

 

and active.

Did I already mention that he's active?

 

He's also a little bit famous.  His story was featured on the local news, and most recently he and his family were stars in the video for Midwest Heart Connection's annual gala.

 

 

It has been such a blessing seeing God's beautiful plan in action.  This little guy surely has a piece of my heart.  Love him!

 

 

See for yourself how E IV is doing now.  I guarantee you will smile (and maybe even tear up a little).

 

Hearts of Hope 2012 video

(scroll down to the bottom of the page)