IN-fections!

For at least a month, I have made a weekly visit to our pediatrician. I love our pediatrician, but I don't like hauling the crew to the doctor's office every single week. I do everything I can to only have two at a time, if not one. However, today, I took all three boys to get their ears, noses, chests, and throats inspected before Christmas. We have had chronic, well, snot for weeks and I am sick of it! We really think that our Christmas tree set everyone's allergies off. Albeit beautiful, as soon as we exchanged gifts with Babe's family, Gambo and family helped me take "Little Rockefeller" down and move it outside. I was sad to take it down so early, but the big boys' cough and runny noses improved drastically overnight. (I was also extremely grateful for the great help I had taking down the giant tree.) However, the secondary infections beat us to the punch. The results of today's doctor's visit: JBS, double ear infection, JLS, sinus infection and sweet little WHS, ear infection.

The good news is, antibiotics have already been started for all three and we are hoping for a healthy Christmas day!

Here is to a healthy 2010!

Christmas and Baptism

Busy times in our household this weekend. Babe's family arrived last Thursday night for our Christmas celebration. We had a lot of fun with two new babies in the house and three bossy older siblings :)

Before Babe's family left, WHS was baptized on Sunday at church. This is our first child that was not born at St John in Oklahoma and not baptized at First United Methodist in Tulsa, where Babe and I were married. It is kind of neat that we baptized our babies in the same church where we were married, but WHS has the only claim on being a Texan. We love our church here and really enjoyed seeing a different baptism. We actually were a part of a strictly baptism service. There was a short message, two songs and the rest of the time was spent baptizing babies.

WHS did a great job. He never made a peep and that was that. As I told Babe, it's too bad we can't "check" our baby off the list as getting baptized and going to heaven :) If only it was that easy to make a mother rest in the peace that her child will choose heaven! For that, we will continue to pray and trust that God has all that figured out...for all three of my sweet boys.

Not only were Babe's parents able to make it to the baptism, but his sister and her two girls, Babe's aunt, his maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother. Who said we didn't have any family down here? We certainly weren't the people who reserved 54 seats, but we still had a fan club in the pews!

God Love The Hubs

I have often wondered if Babe had a little OCD in him. I know I do and he knows I do, but it hasn't been acknowledged in him...until recently. My first indication was getting in Babe's head. This is a daunting task for some, but what I mean is that he fixates on thoughts....for weeks and months at a time. For example, he couldn't stop thinking about how he wanted me to get a minivan for cost-effectiveness, space, etc. For months, all I heard was how he was going to sell the Burb and buy a minivan. It got to be so much that even though I was digging in deep on this one, I finally told him to buy the stinkin' minivan, I couldn't stand to hear him talk about it anymore. Enough already!

I have finally witnessed his obsessiveness being channelled in to a functional activity...and I LOVE it! I am a firm believer that a man should take good care of his shoes. Keep them polished, etc. Poor looking shoes really reflect a lot about a person. Unfortunately, Babe wasn't the best at taking care of his shoes and he knew it bugged me. Since we have been in Houston, he has taken a greater interest in keeping his shoes up to par. These city folks must put the pressure on him. Over the last couple months, he has actually started polishing his shoes himself. I have an old-fashioned shoe shine kit and he asked me to show him how to polish his shoes. (My Dad used to pay me to shine his shoes...) When Big Daddy was here, I put him in charge of teaching Babe how to shine his shoes. Together, they spread out and polished shoes. It was a real bonding moment. Evidently, Babe was discussing shoe shining at work and the guys he worked with that went to "The Academy" taught Babe how to "bull" his shoes, like they do in the military. From that point on, Babe has hardly missed an evening that he hasn't come home and spent his few short waking hours "bulling" his shoes. He polished all of his shoes, and all my boots, too. It became obsessive. But, our shoes look great! He has purchased polish and an automatic shoe buffer and rags and the list goes on...

A few weeks ago, he told me he was going to wax the car. After some time, I went outside and he was giving the Burb the clay treatment, cleaning and shining the wheels (for a LONG time) and waxing the car. Again, he purchased a buffer and new wax and rags and special sponges...the list goes on. He waxed both cars and boy do they look great! He talks about the clay and the wax. A lot.

I kid you not. I walked in the kitchen last weekend and Babe was using his electric buffer that he used to wax the car...to polish the granite counter tops! When I told him how hard my mom was laughing when I told her this, he said, "Why is that funny? You don't think that is normal?" Normal? No. But I kind of like abnormal...

I definitely like him channelling his "disorder" into great outcomes for our shoes, our cars and now our counter tops! Need something polished? Send it our way. We certainly have all the necessary equipment...

Sick, again.

Poor little JLS is sick again. I noticed he was hot when I carried him to bed Saturday night. On Sunday, he refused to take any medicine and had a raging fever, by our guesstimates. We wouldn't know, as he wouldn't let a thermometer close to him. He slept off and on on the couch all day long. You know something is wrong with JLS when something grounds him to the couch voluntarily. After his 4 hour nap, he woke up gibbering and jabbering like my good ole JLS. I was so happy to see him so perky. He didn't stop talking until he fell asleep, so he was definitely feeling better.

At 3am, I heard him crying for me and when I arrived in his room he had thrown up. It wasn't much, but enough to require a 3am change of clothes and sheets. As I was leaving the room, he said, "You didn't tuck me in! You didn't say pwayers!" So, we said our prayers again and sang the Bible song (aka Jesus Loves Me). I didn't hear from him again until he came traipsing in to my room at 7am. I asked him immediately how he felt and he said in his usual staccato speech impaired language, "I alright, Mommy, I no frow up in dees jammies."

All is well that ends well...

The Tree

Or, as Babe refers to it, "Baby Rockefeller." This year's tree turned into a debacle before it ever entered our house. I don't want to talk bad about it, as it is a beautiful tree, but here is how it all began...

We went to Home Depot the day after Thanksgiving to buy our tree. I was so excited to be able to have an extra weekend to decorate for Christmas, as we are usually not home for Thanksgiving. When we arrived at the tree sales, the tallest section read "10-11 feet." This was the perfect height for our foyer, as it is open to the upstairs with a perfect spot by the stairs. I told the man that I wanted the tallest and the fullest tree he had, assuming that would be none other than 11 feet. He looked and pulled out a big tree, cut the cords off the tree and we took it. It looked nice and healthy so we didn't look any further. As we were getting ready to pay for our tree, I noticed it was tagged "5-6ft" and I told the man helping us. When he wheeled it to the register, the woman said it was the tree company's mistake and she had to sell it as marked. We tried! So, we got our "eleven foot" tree for $20. Seriously.

As we drove home with it on top of the Burb, I wondered how they tied it on that it was spreading over the sides and even the windshield. I just thought they positioned it funny. Then, Babe and I lugged it to the bucket of water next to one of our front trees. When I saw that it was taller than the porch roof, I started to get a little nervous...

A few days later we lugged it inside to the official Christmas Tree location and it rocked my antler chandelier umpteen feet high. This tree was no eleven feet, it extends higher than the second story floor! It is so wide, we can't push it all the in to the "slot" and it extends into the walkway further than what looks comfortable. I absolutely dreaded putting lights on this tree before I ever began. The task was so daunting, I quit before I ever began. Step stools only reached the middle of the tree, my standing on a ladder didn't even reach the top. Thus, I threw the lights at the top. (There is at least 1-2 feet not lit and thus not visible in the picture.)I even skipped decorating the back of the tree, which I can't stand! Bless its heart. It is a beautiful tree, but much too big for our entryway. Much to big for me to decorate...I even considered paying someone. It's that overwhelming!

Our guesstimate is that our tree is 15 feet tall, marked as a 5-6 ft tree and cost us $20. Baby Rockefeller is beautiful, but sometimes bigger isn't always better....

Oh, and, yes, it might be leaning a little to the left...

Progress

JLS is making steady progress with his "eating therapy." Wouldn't it be nice to be forced to eat? I take new items to his appointments every week for his therapist to work on with him. Yogurt, peanut butter, bread, cheese, Pediasure (aka milkshake). The list goes on. He has done an outstanding job with her at therapy according to his therapist. However, when JLS comes home, the storm doors shut and seal. There's no getting food in JLS' mouth at home.

We have, however, made progress on the "mental training" front. We talk all.the.time. about how he needs to eat better so he can grow big and strong. This will make you grow big and strong. That won't make you grow big and strong. He has recently taken a huge liking to peanuts...hard and crunchy, of course. I am pleased, however, for him to be getting protein from something! He asked me if peanuts made him grow big and strong and I told him they did. His response (keep in mind it is still in his speech impaired little voice), "No buy me wheats, nola bars, ma'am crakers, only buy me peanuts because they make me grow big, big, big, and strong, strong, strong."

Amen.

So Proud

Today, I was putting WHS down for a nap in his room...rockin' and drinkin' (him, not me.) JBS sweetly came in to the room and told me JLS needed help in the bathroom. "Wapping his boddom" to be specific. I was so close with WHS, but JLS couldn't wait. I started to find a place for WHS to sit when JBS offered to hold him. I hesitated, knowing I would be upstairs, but JBS is so good with WHS and really wants some responsibility. So, I agreed. I made him promise not to stand up with him, propped WHS in his lap and raced upstairs.

When I returned, JBS was holding WHS perfectly in the rocking chair feeding him his bottle. He said, "Mommy, he started crying, so I gave him his pacifier and he didn't want it. Then, I gave him his bottle." And there WHS was laying lopsided in JBS' arm sucking his bottle like nothing was wrong looking at me out of the corner of his eye with a twinkle in his eye.

WHS has a long life of brotherly love ahead of him. As for JBS, I am so proud of him. He's such a great big brother...

Angel Baby

I cannot get enough of this child. It might be that he is number three and I finally feel like I know what I am doing raising a child. Or, it might be that I know this one is my last, God willing. For whatever the reason, this baby has me wrapped around his tiny little finger...he also has total control of his Daddy and two big brothers.

WHS lives to snuggle, be cheek-to-cheek and be held. He is the snuggle puppy of all snuggle puppies. We must figure out how we are going to say, "No" to him someday so he grows up to be as sweet as he is today. Can someone please guarantee that?

His First Food is...Oatmeal!

As it turns out, our entire family had a feast on Thanksgiving Day. I took WHS to the doctor on Friday and it turns out he had a double ear infection. Poor baby. The price we pay for having two loving, adoring and snot swapping big brothers. I was thrilled to know there was an explanation to this perfect child's lack of sleep...day and night. I got a little cocky when he slept from 7pm to 6am just before the sickies set in. I thought I was home free!

Unfortunately for all of us, but mostly for WHS, he didn't tolerate the first antibiotic well. He cried and cried and slept even less at night. I knew something was wrong. The nurse on call was ZERO help telling me he needed to be crying for at least 2 hours before she could help me. Isn't that neglect? I called again Sunday and they told me to take him to an Urgent Care. All I needed was for them to switch the antibiotic! I didn't go to Urgent Care and called once again Monday morning. Guess what? Our pediatrician wanted to switch the antibiotic.

We had one more issue we addressed at our appointment that Friday. Yes, it was constipation. The formula WHS is on helps prevent his awful reflux by actually thickening in his stomach. It does wonders for his reflux, but this, of course, leads to difficulty having a bowel movement. We have been through the gamut of Karo Syrup, extra fluids, suppositories and now Miralax. He finally suggested we start eating to help keep the reflux down so we can hopefully wean off the excellent, but constipating formula.

We brought the trusty high chair down and oatmeal it was. Once he figured out that something solid was entering his mouth, he really liked it. Now, he chows on his bowl of oatmeal. He loves it! He loves it so much, it puts him to sleep within minutes after eating it. Full tummies are our goal. Full tummies equal sleep for Momma. I am certain now that he is doing better with the new antibiotic, we will all be well-rested again very soon. Come on, eleven hours!

Run, Forest, Run!

Rather, Ride, JLS, Ride! Since JLS turned three in May, I have been encouraging him to ride his bike without training wheels. When he turned three, he decided he was a "Big Boy" and decided to use the potty, get dressed alone, sleep in JBS' "Big Boy" room, and take the training wheels off his bike. May 18th was a big day in his short little life! He got on his bike once and that was it. Since then, he wouldn't touch it. He has, however, become quite an expert on his Razor.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, Babe told JLS to hop on his bike. So, he did. He hopped on his bike, he rode it a few feet, he tucked his head, put his elbows out and he kept on riding. He never looked back, never fell, he just kept riding faster and faster. That was it. As with potty training. JLS decided to ride his bike, and so he did. All the neighbors crack up as a black streak flashes in front of them, "Was that JLS?" He is a little munchkin on that bike, but his little legs are pumping ninety to nothin'.

While JLS might be more of a "challenge" to raise as a child, that strong will and determination will hopefully take him far in life. For the time being, we have the wonderful opportunity of harnessing that "passion" and helping to steer it for the good....

A day in the life of JLS.

Thanksgiving Dinner

A week ago I had no plans of making Thanksgiving Dinner at our house this year. Number one, I have never made Thanksgiving dinner before! It sounds crazy, but we have always been at our parent's house for Thanksgiving. Number two, I am still barely, if at all, cooking for my family post baby. Thanksgiving dinner seemed a bit overwhelming. Number three, it's basically just Babe and I...a whole lotta food for two! I started thinking about it and then I felt really guilty knowing that when Thanksgiving Day rolled around I would regret not cooking the traditional meal for my family. So, I started to plan.

By the time I got to the grocery store, my plan of "just a baked chicken" had evolved in to the whole shabang...Turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes, and the list goes on. I warned Babe that this would be my first, but I would give it a shot....and he had to be in charge of WHS. So, I got to cooking with JBS as my fab helper and we pulled it off. In fact, I was pretty

impressed.

The Turkey...Babe found the "recipe" on Allrecipes.com. Can't call it much of a recipe, but a few herbs and olive oil...the most moist turkey I have ever had. It was delish!

The Stuffing...Stuffing is very important to me. There are so many ways to go wrong and since I had never made it before, I was worried. I told Babe if I could make the stuffing anywhere close to Mom's, I will consider this meal a success. I did it! It was fabulous...with my homemade chicken broth (from Pioneer Woman/Hyacinth).

Sweet Potato Casserole...didn't make with marshmallows and that was the one request by Babe for next year...

The token "green" on the table, Green Bean Casserole...

Cranberry sauce....

The family favorite...Pink Stuff! So good!!

Corn pudding...

Pumpkin Pie with Streusel topping....I don't do Pumpkin Pie, but Babe requested this recipe and it was devoured, primarily by JBS!!

So, I pulled it off. I walked with a skip in my step for the day. I was most excited that I used my silver for the FIRST time. I only have 5 place settings, so I could use it for this family of 5...4 eaters, or should I really say 3 eaters. I also used my Turkey Plate for the turkey...first use.

I just love it when I get to use those wedding gifts!

Thanksgiving Break

We had a fantastic weekend...it felt like a week that we had Babe home from work. He took Wednesday and Friday off, so five straight days of Daddy. We loved it. He said tonight he is going back to work to get a break. While we are an exhausting bunch, we have lots of fun together.

This year was Babe's family's turn for Thanksgiving. However, they had a full house with extended family and Babe's sister, AJ, also has a new baby...13 days older than WHS. If we made the haul to Oklahoma, it would have been 15 people with 2 newborns under the same roof. Babe opted to stay here. I was sad at first to not be with family, but as the weekend came, I really appreciated the extra time to spend stress-free with Babe, enjoy our Thanksgiving and get ready for Christmas.

In an effort to completely be thankful this Thanksgiving, the boys and I made "Thankful Turkeys." JBS's turkey included things like: Mommy and Daddy, my brothers, God loving us, food...very thoughtful things to be thankful for. JLS's turkey feathers were filled with the following: Batman, Spiderman, Bulkhead (Transformer), Optimus Prime (Transformer), colors, chickens (He meant turkeys), Grammy and Big Daddy. Excuse me? How did Grammy and Big Daddy fall within the ranks of the Transformers and, and...Batman? Wow. Grammy and Big Daddy took the cake this weekend. Not Mommy who slaved away at Thanksgiving dinner and Daddy who plays baseball with him on a regular basis, but Grammy and Big Daddy.

Well, come to think of it, I am thankful for Grammy and Big Daddy, too. We have so much to be thankful for this year, including our friends and family, our job and our health. Thank you Lord for everything!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

My Dad is a retired commercial airline pilot. When he retired he couldn't sit still and had a few missions to accomplish...to check off his never-ending checklist. As a pilot you get "checked out" to fly different types of planes, which Dad can fly quite a few. Once he retired he proceeded to take the class to drive a backhoe, (yes, a backhoe), he got his commercial driver's license for the fun of it and on top of that the next notch to drive a bus. He took the course at the police station to become a volunteer police officer where he also decided to get a license to own a concealed weapon...watch out! He is very "up to snuff" when it comes to courses to take and complete. He has a cell phone from 1993, but he is otherwise on the ball.

A year or so ago, someone at the local technical school where he lives made it known they needed a bus driver. So, guess who took the job? Why? We aren't sure, but he loves it. He's the best bus driver ever. He won't tell you, but Mom tells me he takes the kids pizza and candy...no bus driver of mine ever did that!

The boys think it's so cool that Big Daddy drives a yellow school bus. Every time we see a school bus, JBS tells me it's just like the one Big Daddy drives. Yesterday, JLS looked up at the sky and saw the white streaks behind a jet way up in the sky and said in his garbled language, "I see Big Daddy's plane!" JBS looked at him and said in his bossy tone, "No, JLS, Big Daddy doesn't fly planes anymore. He drives buses these days."

Enough said.

Heartbreak

JBS is a tried and true lollygagger. On school mornings we are really working on getting ready more quickly. The boys like to play when they get up and my philosophy is to get ready first and play later. That way, when its time to go, we are all ready, right? JBS has been doing a much better job of getting ready when told to do so and completing the job.

One morning, JBS was running really late. We were walking out the door and he still didn't have his clothes on. I told him to hustle it up! He said, "But you won't leave me Mommy, right?" I said, "I will never leave you honey, but I expect you to be ready when it is time to walk out the door."

To which he replied, "But you left me at the "Y" that one time..."

As much as we would like to forget that awful day, it's never going to be forgotten. And when he is a teenager, he is going to hold it against us for good!

World Series

We have been settling into our first season of Orwall T-Ball well. As a parent, I was pretty nervous considering all the stories we had heard about intense parents and coaches. More so, I worried about JBS and his age difference, rather his grade difference. Because of his birthday, JBS had to play on the 6 year-old team. This shouldn't be a problem, but when we got to the first practice most of the boys I talked to were in the First grade...JBS is only in Transitional Kindergarten. After the first practice, JBS said, "Mom! All those boys are six!" He had never worried about his age before and he looked just as old as the boys on his team. However, Babe and I could see a big maturity difference. Most of those boys have been in a sit-down classroom for two years now and JBS is still at a pre-school. I never thought much of JBS' maturity, but when I thought about it, his best friend is his 3 year-old little brother....

Each game I would hold my breath hoping his energy and silliness would settle down just a little to blend with the "big boys." By the end of the season his silliness had improved as well as his game. We had a wonderful coach who was good and focused on the game, but balanced teaching the game and having fun perfectly. He was clearly a good coach, as our team made it to the World Series! I was secretly hoping to lose after the first game so we could be done with all this T-Ball biz. However, that game was one of the most exciting T-Ball games I had ever watched...really! It was a screamer! We won that game, advanced, and won the next game and found ourselves in the Championship game! It was very exciting. Unfortunately, the game turned in the last inning for the other team. We were SO close! Yet another exciting game.

We are at a "wait and see" point with JBS and T-Ball. He came from being the biggest and the best on a less competitive team to running with bigger and better ball players. I think it was intimidating for all of us. While Babe wants him to love the game, I keep reminding him that JBS is ONLY FIVE! The pressure here in the T-Ball/Baseball world is intense. In fact, I was told that we were "too late" with JBS when we missed playing at 4 years-old. Seriously? I really don't want a piece of that unless JBS just loves the game.

In the meantime, he LOVES tennis and is pretty darn good if I might say so myself.

Feeding Therapist

Tuesday was our big day. JLS is 3 1/2 and his eating options are limited to granola bars, mini wheats, and peanut butter crackers...all things hard and crunchy and only grains. I buy the heck out of Kashi. I had hoped that by this age he would have outgrown his pickiness. I should have seen the light, as when he was a baby, he only ate three flavors of baby food.

I was talking to a friend here one day who is a speech therapist and she told me that "they" now believe there is a correlation between infant reflux and picky eaters. Poor JLS went 5 months with untreated reflux before we figured out it wasn't the bottle or the formula or the 10 other formulas we tried. So, I made an appointment with the recommended therapist.

When we arrived, she was as sweet as could be and instantly JLS liked her. (really good sign) I felt a bit like an idiot as she is an Occupational Therapist and I know nothing about how to treat feeding issues. So much for that expensive education! She let JLS run around the gym and play on the equipment while we discussed his issues. His issues are that he only eats the above mentioned foods and absolutely refuses to try anything new. He REFUSES to let it sit in front of him on a plate. Refuses means knock down, drag out fit. For the record, I am not the least bit patient when it comes to fits.

I was bracing for the worst and apologized to her in advance for what may happen during our session with JLS' strong-willed personality. I told her to move forward at her own risk. She asked him if she could put her fingers in his mouth to feel his muscles. He opened right up. (My jaw dropped.) Then she asked him if he would bite on something and he did it. (Seriously?) She asked him if she could touch his tongue with another tool. He did it. She used the words "good" and "compliant" more than once and said how much better he was than other patients. Was she really discussing my child? JLS will typically come around after a few appointments, but it's always rough in a new setting. The little toot would do each of the things she asked and then look at me with a deceptive little smile and squinted eyes.

Then, she brought out the food. Now, I was really preparing for the worst. She offered him two choices of applesauce and he chose one. She offered to spoon it or if he wanted to...he wanted her to. And the gates of Heaven were opened as he opened his mouth and allowed her to put applesauce in his mouth without batting his pretty little eyelashes. This is where I started to feel silly for even coming. She did acknowledge that lots of times kids do things for her there that they won't do at home.

I am not sure much is really wrong besides being an opinionated little toot. She did say he had a little sensitivity on his tongue, which would explain the crunchy-only foods. So, she gave me a plan for home....always positive experience, awarded for touching, swiping the mouth and putting food in mouth every time. Try new soft foods every day. I had new motivation and was ready to get this show on the road. I was so excited about the applesauce that we tried that first that very evening. He willingly opened his mouth and allowed the applesauce to pass his lips, then my boy became the boy I know and love. He puffed his cheeks out and started screaming, refusing to swallow the applesauce. Trying to keep it "positive" I allowed him to spit it out and applauded him for trying it.

So, we have a very long road to hoe. We are making a rewards chart and reward every positive moment for this little toot. I can see him trying, as he really wants to grow "big and strong like JBS." Gratefully, we get to see our OT once a week...I am still praying for miracles, as she seems to be a miracle worker in her setting.

Trying it at home is another story...

Cracker-Nut

Last weekend my mom and sister came down to go to the Nutcracker Market with me. I warned them ahead of time of what to expect, but I am not sure it really sank in. Yes, the Nutcracker Market is big physically, but more overwhelming is the MASS of women pushing and shoving and butting their way through. We went a day earlier this year hoping that the people would be fewer and the traffic lighter...not. I had fun. They swore they would never come back. This is despite the multiple bags of loot they left with! I think they will come back, but it is certainly not on Oklahoma scale. Everything IS bigger in Texas!

Yesterday when JBS and I got in to the car, the car seats were rearranged and he said, "Mom, who sat in the back when you went to that Crackernut Market?"

Now, my new favorite word is Crackernut. And a Crackernut I am. This nut CRACKED yesterday. Am I crazy for having three kids, specifically boys? Actually, WHS is fine, its those "big boys" that are becoming a force to be reckoned with. Alone, the boys are fantastic, but together those boys can sure stir up a whole lotta lotta. I made it to two doctors appointments yesterday with 2 boys and one with all three. I was exhausted when we got home. WHS was a bit out of sorts from being gone all day. The boys were loud so I threw them out back to play until dinner. As I was "relaxing" on the couch feeding WHS and catching a few glimpses of Devine Design I looked outside. The boys were throwing what I thought to be dirt. I looked a little closer and the TOOTS were digging ashes out of the bottom of the grill, throwing them in the air and running through the ashes. Seriously? One of those toots is also an asthmatic child. That was the last straw. I lost all my marbles and I entered Crackernut mentality. JLS cried the minute my eyebrows furrowed which is typical. JBS, who typically giggles even when he gets in trouble, shed tears. (Is it bad that at that moment, I considered that success as far as letting him know how S.E.R.I.O.U.S. I was?) Of course, we ended in a huge bear hug of tears and commitments to be better (both of us). But, I tell you what, when those two get together, the world could end and they wouldn't know it for all the running, giggling, jumping, climbing and noise.

I had always dreamed that my boys would be perfectly polite, law-abiding, mother-minding, and CLEAN human beings. Boy did I get that wrong. Somehow, I still love those imperfect, law-breaking, mother-testing, DIRTY boys to pieces...even amidst total chaos.

Gingerbread Workshop

Two weekends ago, I took the boys to the Junior League's Gingerbread Workshop during their Holiday Market. We did this last year and loved it. We met our sweet friends from our old cul-de-sac which always means fun. We had two neighbors that we loved to play with and each of them have two boys...6 crazy boys together + one on the up and up!

The workshop is so much fun for the kids. They iced Gingerbread cookies and had their pictures taken with Santa. They got their hands painted (as opposed to their faces) and played putt-putt golf for a prize. All the boys had a great time. And, as always, it was great to have all the boys together again.

The gang is all here! All the brothers lined up accordingly...

JBS icing Gingerbread cookies...

Patiently waiting their turns to get their arms painted...There were all sorts of cute Christmas choices on the selection sheet. However, both my boys picked the snake...it was cute snake, but a snake none the less.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

I'm Going to Miss This

I have mentioned the song, "You're Going to Miss This" by Trace Adkins before. It runs through my head at least once or twice a day and I love that it reminds me to soak up these precious moments with my wild and crazy boys no matter how "un-precious" that moment may seem at the time. While my boys are boisterous, wild, and destructive at times, they are angelic (when they sleep...kidding), thoughtful, and they have beautiful hearts.

Someday all too soon, I'm going to miss little WHS and his cute cheeks (both on his face and his bootie) and how sweetly he looks at me every day. I will miss that he prefers me to rock and snuggle with him all day long...That certainly is worth all the sleepless nights and tired, unproductive days to follow....

Someday, I am going to miss little JLS when he doesn't fall asleep in the middle of playing with Woody and Buzz. And when he comes up behind me to give me a hug and kiss my cheek. Or when he runs through the house holding his bottom yelling, "Potty! Potty! Potty!" Those sweet and funny moments make all the tempered moments go by the wayside...

I am going to miss JBS as he plays so quietly alone outside while the little boys sleep. I will miss him "Building factories" and dragging me outside to see it all. I will miss his insisting upon me singing to him every night and holding my hand as I tuck him in bed. Someday soon he won't want to hold my hand...sniff sniff...

I often get so caught up in the business of my day and my urgency to get things done, or get on the computer or go to bed! that I breeze past the most precious moments of my day...the moments that aren't going to last forever. For all the craziness and hooligan moments we have with three boys, we surely have many times more sweet and endearing moments.

I don't wish for any other place in life other than where I am right now...even if it includes the mad chaos that goes along with this life. I love my chaos!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

When Grammy and Big Daddy were here for Halloween, JBS and I were unloading the car. As I was lugging the never-ending supply of toys, bats, balls, shoes, backpacks and trash out of the car, JBS started yelling at me. "Mommy, Mommy! There are lots of caterpillars over here!" We recently had a cinch worm on our Bell Pepper plant and it grossed me out completely. I have evidently never seen a cinch worm and it was huge and disgusting. I bit my lip and slowly approached the "caterpillars" thinking I would see dozens of nasty cinch worms.

Lo and behold, they were caterpillars...they were MONARCH caterpillars! It was amazing. Knowing how rare it was to see such a thing (at least coming from Oklahoma) I told JBS to get Grammy and tell her to bring her camera. I bought this Butterfly Weed in the spring because it was so beautiful. I had no idea it would truly attract the butterflies. I continued investigating the at least 20 caterpillars on my bushes. As I was snooping through the bushes, I came face to face with a Monarch Chrysalis. I have seen cocoons, but I have never seen a chrysalis. It was amazingly beautiful. If I had questioned my monarch caterpillar knowledge, I confirmed that it was a monarch by seeing the chrysalis...I could see the orange and black wings thru the cocoon. An amazing testament to the beauty of God's earth.

The next morning, we checked on the caterpillars and the Monarch had emerged from his cocoon.

A few caterpillars are still munching away at my bushes and have completely stripped them of their leaves. My guess is that the others have crawled off to build their cocoon somewhere. One thing for sure, I have seen dozens of beautiful Monarchs fluttering in my garden in the last week.

I love this picture because if you look very closely at the bottom of the leaf, there is a newly hatched baby caterpillar. The beginning and end of the very hungry caterpillar all in one shot...

And this, I love. Caterpillar at top, the Monarch and the chrysalis the Monarch emerged from all together! Isn't that amazing?

What a site to behold...

For the record, Mom took all these pictures. We both want a macro lens for our camera's now, but she did a great job with what we had!

4 a.m.

Last night WHS fell asleep after his bath in his swing at 6:30pm. (My first child that actually likes the swing...) I usually start putting him down at 7 or 7:30. When I picked him up out of the swing at 7:30, he wouldn't wake up. So, I carried his little bootie to his room, rocked him and snuggled for a minute and put him in his crib thinking it was going to be a LONG night with him falling asleep so early.

I went to bed at 9:45pm and woke up next at 3:58am! I panicked at first thinking something had to be wrong. As I jolted out of bed I heard WHS starting to stir in his bed. My precious toot slept 9 1/2 hours last night! (according to the Itzbeen) I was giddy with excitement when I got to his room and I guarantee I have never been so excited about a 4am wake up call! I fed him another bottle and he slept until just after 7am. THIS I can handle. Please let it last...

Maybe God is going to bless us with an early sleeper considering the pain and toil we endured with sweet JLS. Our sleep expectations are so low after #2 that I am pleasantly surprised by WHS' sleeping marathon. Praise the good Lord! I am too old for any more severe sleep deprivation. Too stinkin' old..

Sweet Sweet Boy

I didn't know it was possible for my sweet little baby to be so good. Actually, if I can actually recall almost 6 years ago to JBS, he was a pretty great baby. However, he was my first so I had nothing to compare him to. It all seemed hard back then. Then, JLS came along and the next 2 years are still a blur to us all. I also didn't know it was possible to function, albeit barely, on so little sleep for so long of a time.

Now, there is WHS. The only time he cries is when he is hungry. Gratefully, he isn't as hungry now as he was before I stopped nursing. The sweet little guy is finally filling up when he eats. I wish I could say, "Oh, yeah! and he sleeps through the night already." I don't tend to have the kind of baby that starts sleeping all night at 6 weeks. JBS took 5 months and JLS took 2 years! WHS, however, does love to sleep. He will sleep 6-7 hours on his first stint of the night. This would be absolutely wonderful if I went to bed at 7pm like he does...I wish! Oh, how I wish!

I hold great value in a schedule for so many reasons. All of those reasons pertain to keeping my boys and myself happy and under control (most of the time.) For poor WHS, it is so difficult to keep a nap schedule as we are dropping the boys off and picking the boys up from somewhere all the time. I am not sure if it is our crazy schedule (or lack of one) and the fact that he is always sleeping in his car seat, or if it's just his reflux, but he loves to sleep as long as he is sitting up in his bouncie, car seat, or better yet, in my arms. When Big Daddy came for a visit last weekend, WHS found his new best friend to snuggle with...Big Daddy! Mom and I were in and out of the house over the course of 3 hours and on Big Daddy's shoulder he slept and slept and slept.

Now, put him in his bed during the day for a nap and he'll give you 45 minutes to an hour. Really and truly, it might just be too quiet in there, as he sleeps best in the middle of total chaos. As much as I hate the thought, he gets the most rest and I get the most done with the bouncie close by. As soon as he grows out of this awful reflux, we will work on nap time in the bed.

We'll see how that one goes...For now, I just like to watch his sweet little face while he sleeps, no matter where he is!

Happy Halloween!

We had so much fun on Halloween. Not only were Grammy and Big Daddy here for the festivities, but our sweet friend, Renee, came over as well. The boys got dressed and ready to go early, as our neighborhood was having a big block party on our cul-de-sac. The neighbors rented a big blow-up slide and everyone brought food. They even had a hayride going in the woods. The kids had a blast. It was a gorgeous evening and even turned a bit chilly. Yes, it got chilly in Houston!

The boys had a blast trick-or-treating, or "chick-or-cheeting" as JLS would say. In fact, little Spiderman had so much candy in his bag that when he lifted it to put it on his shoulder, he fell over. It might have been the funniest moment of the night.

Everyone had a great time. We each got our fill of candy and then, the candy went right back out on the porch for the other chick-or-cheeters so their teeth can fall out. I love this method and am hoping it can last a few more years before the boys figure it out...

The hayride...

The slide...

The boys...

The chick-or-cheeters...