Life is Beautiful...

...when they're asleep.

Nothing Cuter

There is nothing cuter than a little bottom with "Mo-Mo" or Buzz or Woody on it.  I just want to squeeze that cute little hiney EVERY. DAY.  Even if it is terrorizing my pantry.

And, every day he insists upon putting his shirt on backwards. Which is even funnier because he never wakes up in the same clothes that he went to bed in.  WHAT does he do at night??

Early Present

JBS is an amazon. OK.  Maybe he's not that tall. But, he is tall and he outgrows his clothes like none other!  JLS and WHS are growing, but as they grow their waists stay the same.  So, I have a 5 year-old who can still wear 3T around the waist (shorts are doable), but needs 5-6 for his shirts and pant length.  And there is WHS, my 2 year-old who I caught wearing 12 month pants comfortably.  The kicker was when his cowboy boots were removed, they only made it to his shins.

JBS is lean, as well.  But he grows proportionately to his height.  In fact, he is getting thinner as he grows taller.  The gist of all of this is that JBS has already outgrown his bike that we bought him just two years ago.  So, we bought JBS a new bike.  We ride bikes every day to school, so it was certainly warranted.  And, I felt so sorry for him, watching his big body pedaling an obviously small bike for his build.  So, Babe and I decided this was the year of the bike.  And a bike he got.  Yes, it is a little too big for him, but by golly, he will hopefully be able to ride it through 6th grade, which is the last grade we will be riding bikes to school.

For now he is thrilled to have more gears (that he doesn't know how to work) and that he can pedal backwards. Way cool.

And because JBS has been promoted, so have JLS and WHS.  They are as thrilled as having brand new bikes as well.  JLS pedaled faster than his little bike could carry him.  He was ready for JBS' old bike.  And WHS...WHS never had a use for his tricycle.  As soon as we put him on JLS' old Spiderman bike (two bikes ago), he took off...and fast!

He puts on his own helmet, rides alone...he WANTS NO HELP! A fiercely independent little WHS.

Since we refer to all bikes and cars by colors, we now have a fleet of bikes.  The red bike, the orange bike, the blue bike and the Spiderman bike.  I am MORE than thrilled to be giving away the tricycle and all scooters that fill my garage.  Aaaahh!

Home Depot Party

JBS celebrated his EIGHTH birthday at Home Depot on Friday.  Uncle Paulie made the CUTEST invitations and all the guests were so excited to come.  They were so thrilled that NO ONE declined and we had a party of 19 little boys.  It was so crazy and so fun.

When they arrived they all went to the back of the store to make their project, a pencil box.  Thank you to all the parents to stayed to help us out.  I am not sure it could have been accomplished without all the extra hands!

We went inside to the training room to have cupcakes and ice-cream...

 JLS was just as thrilled for JBS to be getting knew presents.  He knew very well, he would be joining in the fun at home!

And this one was more than thrilled to be partaking of the cupcakes!

By the end of the party...this momma was pooped.

Over and out.  It was a wonderful party and everyone had a great time!

A Mom

I am here!  I know I have been absent, but there has been just cause...it has been a long and brutal two weeks starting up my diet again.  I have posted at My Intestine-mony about my journey and the last couple weeks if you would like the gory details.

As for today, the stories have still been coming with my 3 little toots.  And I hope I can remember them all to post them.  On the way to school the other day, my angelic little JLS asked me if Jesus had a mom.  I said, "Yes! Jesus' mom was Mary." To which he said, "NO!  When he growed up did he have a mom?"  And I said, "Yes.  Mary was still his mommy when he grew up.  Just like I will still be your mom when you grow up."  Obviously very frustrated that I was not understanding where he was going he said again, "NO! I mean like when Daddy grew up he got you as a mom!"

This states very clearly that men truly do just move from one mom to another.  However, the sweetness in his statement is precious.

"No, honey, Jesus didn't have a wife.  But Dad was pretty lucky to get me for a mom, huh?"  Then he smiled that sweet smile where his eyes squint and the edges of his mouth turn up and he just giggled to himself.

Yes, Again.

So...I am back on my strictest of strict diets...the Candida Diet.  While I had HUGE improvements after I was on it last time, after two years, I have inched back into the problem zone by being lax in my eating.  With all the ulcer and bleeding issues, I knew it was time to start healing again.  I also knew last time I did this diet that I wasn't rid of the yeast.  I still had some symptoms, although MANY symptoms disappeared.

I started January 3rd with ease.  The 4th, I was moving slow and fatigued.  Yesterday was getting yucky...I was really tired and starting to get nauseous.  By last night my stomach was bloated and in a great deal of pain.  Sleep was scarce.  I hated for it to happen, but once again, Babe had to miss work because by this morning I was not functioning.  The nausea was horrific, the pain and bloating was awful and there was no way I could take care of the kids, a potty-training kid at that.  Until about 4pm I slept and puked (sorry!).  But that, again, was the yeast revolting and needing to be fed.  It's crazy!  All I have eaten is lean protein and veggies and I am nauseous and vomitting.  So, I know something good is happening.  Since 4pm I have actually been able to hold a conversation and sit up in bed.  I am really hoping that I am over the hump.  Please, Lord!

This morning, I couldn't even tolerate WHS in my room.  His noise, his movement on the bed....ugh to think about it.  I have really missed him all day and could hear Babe taking care of his cute little self all day.  By this evening, I was feeling a little better and called WHS to come crawl in my bed with me.  When he crawled in bed, he had a bruise on his head.  I asked him where he got it and he said as clear as a bell, "I don't know.  Dad dropped me!"  A day without mom in charge always makes me nervous.  (He really bumped his head while playing in the hot tub with Daddy.)

He crawled across me and stepped on my tummy, which conjured a big, "Owwey!" from me.  He looked at me and said, "What hap-pened?" I told him that my tummy hurt and that mommy was sick.  He started to crawl out of bed and said, "Big hug, Mommy" which melted my sick little heart.  And he ran out of the room to the den with the big boys.

A few minutes later my sweet angel came back and I welcomed his little Elmo-undie-wearing hiney back into my bed.  He unexpected slapped a very cold icepack on my tummy and held it tight.  It startled me a little and he said, "Mommy. Tummy. Hurt."  Sweet little angel knew I was hurt and ran to the freezer to get me an icepack.

I love that child more than words can express!

A Proud Man

For quite awhile, WHS has been occasionally using his potty to go to the restroom.  I knew he was ready, but this momma wasn't quite ready to dedicate the time.  However, on Saturday, he went to the bathroom on his own, took his diaper off and pooped in his potty...with no one present! It was ridiculous to put him back in a diaper.  Thus, we have been diaper-free for two full days and he is doing great.  While I am THRILLED to potentially not be changing diapers after doing it for EIGHT years, it makes me just a little sad. Not for long, though.  Not only will I not be changing diapers, but I will free up more cabinet space and soon I won't have to carry a diaper bag every time I leave the house!  What a thought!

There is nothing cuter than his tiny little Mo-Mo (Elmo) bottom running through the house. When he has to use the potty, he yells, "Potty, Momma! Potty!" and he runs to the nearest potty holding his bottom and his front, never sure of where it's going to come from, I guess.  He is hilarious.  And after each successful tinkle, he insists on changing his own potty (as we hold our breath!) and raises his potty with pride to show us whats there. We have at least corralled him to the bathroom area now.  He used to run to the den with is potty as I fell all over myself to grab the potty and prevent spillage in my den!

Proud baby WHS and proud Momma.