Sick Days and Cuteness

My boys handle being sick very differently. Evan only lets it get him down if he's in pain or has a really high fever. Braeden on the other hand, gets a cold and ends up on the couch. The reactions are very fitting to their overall personalities.

 Evan using being sick as a chance to play the Wii

 Braeden using being sick as a chance to do nothing

Maggie isn't sick, but I couldn't resist posting these pictures of her from today. 

She's holding it there with her mouth

 Her cheesy smile

My pretty girl

I'm glad that Evan is better and Braeden is on the mend because today we're finally getting some snow and I'd hate for them to miss the chance to play in it. It's supposed to be warmer and rain this weekend so I don't think it will last all that long. Maybe we can even get Maggie outside playing in the snow for the first time ever!

Worth Reading

I've got nothing today. Unless I write more about the stomach bug takeover. Even I don't want to know more about that. However, I do want to share a friend's blog with you. If you want to read a blog by an amazing writer and feel great about yourself when you're done, check out my friend Sara:

http://aplacetowrite-mwr2sbr.blogspot.com

Her writing occupies a place in my heart that was begging to be filled. I am so thankful for her and the way she has helped me through inspiration, motivation and love.  ♥

Ugh

The stomach bug has arrived at our house. I hope it does its business and moves on quickly. So far three of us are sick and I'm doing my best to keep it away from Braeden and Maggie. I know it's a long shot, but I need to be hopeful about something. I really dislike being sick, especially when I have to take care of four other people. I did get to rest for a little while tonight and I feel quite a bit better as a result. Too bad Evan had been resting with me and decided to let 'er rip all over me. At least we made it halfway to the bathroom and it wasn't all over my bed. These are the small success stories of a day like today. Thankfully, my mom took Braeden and Maggie for a few hours so that I could take that rest. Living two minutes from my mom has exponential perks. If you know her, you know just how lucky I am. I am hoping for a decent night's sleep tonight. That is of course assuming no one else joins the puking train. Tomorrow will be better, I just know it.

Update: Another little man down at 11:00pm. And whereas Evan just mans up and deals with being sick, Braeden is a bit more like his daddy, so he requires a bit more TLC. Night two of sleeping on the floor between their beds and holding a bowl every so often. Thank goodness I'm feeling better.

Keeping Up

I went through many phases of my life trying to keep up with those around me. In elementary school, it was all about having the cool sneakers. Early on, Kangaroos were the way to go. They had a pocket in the side and everything! Then it was on to the Reebok high tops with the double velcro at the top. They had to be all white. Remember those? You could get them in the J.C. Penney catalog. Surprisingly, I actually had both of those pairs of shoes. The shoe craze I was never allowed to participate in was jelly shoes. My mom was strongly opposed, and looking back, I can't really imagine that wearing jelly bracelets on your feet was all that comfortable. I don't know for sure; maybe it was like a foot massage all day long.

In high school, it was clothes and how much freedom your parents would give you. I did okay with pegged pants and ugly sweaters (think early 90's), but going to parties was something other people did. I could have been running sprints, but I was not going to be able to keep up in high school.
Skip ahead to adulthood and parenting.

Once you have children, the keeping up becomes more about women trying to keep up with other women. Why can't I manage my house the way she does? How does she possibly put a home-cooked, nutritious meal on the table every single night? Why aren't my children as well behaved as hers? Why am I tired ALL THE TIME and she looks like she could run a marathon? The comparisons are endless and quite frankly, exhausting.

I don't believe this is based on the need to compete with others or the need to outshine other women in any way. Well, I suppose it is for some people, but for most I think it's simply about our perception of how well everyone else is doing. I know I'm constantly excusing myself for the way my house looks if someone stops by unexpectedly. Or why there are dishes in the sink two hours after a meal was finished. I put so much pressure on myself to keep up. But who am I keeping up with? It seems that the more people I meet, the more I find they are most often, just like me.

We all struggle to meet expectations that we don't even know who set. Maybe our mothers or grandmothers. Or perhaps June Cleaver on TV. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to put a meal plan together, but either schedules or appetites throw it out the window. My kids eat about 5 different foods. It's pretty hard to mix that up. I end up with leftovers of leftovers because Roman and I only want to eat the same meal so many times in a row. I'm also always on top of my kids in public. In turn, I'm probably way too lax at home. Wouldn't it just be easier to live somewhere in the middle?

Do you find that you're willing to talk about this, but not let anyone actually see it? You can be dropping off at school, at a sports practice, or just about anyplace else you see your friends. You find yourself saying how "your house is always a disaster too" and "don't feel bad, my kids eat hot dogs at least 3 times a week". But yet, if you know that same person is coming over, you clean your house and try to make sure you have a balanced meal planned for that night. I know I can't be the only one caught up in this.

No, I'm not saying that my house is ridiculously dirty; it's not. We like to call it "lived-in". And I do try to feed my kids food with nutritional value. But I am no super mom for sure. I get tired. I get lazy. I get overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done. Why do I spend any of my precious energy worried about what other people can or cannot do?

In reality, everyone struggles with these same insecurities and worries. Keeping up with our own families is plenty of work and the people who matter most in our lives don't particularly care about the cleanliness and food options available at someone else's house. As long as I keep up with loving and caring for my husband, children and myself, I am a success.

We are all in this together, doing the best we can. And that should be enough.

Evanisms

Yesterday we were driving in the car and Evan said "I see a choo choo". Silly me, I looked for a train. I should have known he was talking about the cemetery we were driving past. My parents live on a street that crosses over train tracks right before it ends at a cemetery. Braeden loves trains so when there isn't snow, we often drive down the road to look for trains and drive around the cemetery so we go over the tracks twice. For a while I kept wondering why he always said he saw a choo choo when we rarely do. Then one day we were on a different road and he said he saw a choo choo. That's when I figured out that he was calling the cemetery the choo choo. I bet you're wondering how many more times I will use the word cemetery before I move on. I'm done now.

Evan loves "buckle". With this one, there is no clear association (at least for me) as to why he calls corn on the cob "buckle". He used to use buckle exclusively, but now he tends to interchange them or correct himself by saying corn. It makes me sad that he's already leaving his "Evan words" behind.

One of my favorite things he says is the word my. In Evan language, this is pronounced "muh" very emphatically. If you ask where he lives, he replies "muh house". As is appropriate for an almost 3 year old, he's pretty possessive so we hear a lot of "muh fill in the blank". I can't stop laughing when he gets all mad at Braeden telling him that "Maggie muh sista." To Evan, they clearly can't both be her brother. After all, he only has one of each. Makes a little sense actually. But even "muh" seems to be fading some as he focuses on trying to pronounce words correctly.

This we hear at least 50 times a day. "I play game?" A typical conversation goes like this:

Evan - "I play game?"

Me - "Not right now"

Evan - "Mommy say yes?" (Insert cute face and head tilt)

Me - "No"

Evan - "Say yes" (now getting frustrated, not so cute face)

Me - "Not right now"

Evan - "I play game?" (cute face returns)

REPEAT

I love this child so much and I truly can't believe he will be 3 so soon. There have been so many big changes this year that if I don't write some of them down, they will be distant memories before I realize they're gone. A couple of weeks ago I sent in his paperwork for pre-school next year. How did we get here so fast??

A Fun-Filled Friday with Friends

Friday was a busy, but fun-filled day. Roman and I went with the boys to meet up with some friends from Connecticut at the Butterfly Museum. Maggie had a nice relaxing day snuggling with my mom. I don't think she's ready for low flying butterflies just yet. Wendy and Katrina got stuck in traffic on the way up which gave us time to let the boys walk around Yankee Candle for a while before we headed over to the museum. Braeden loves to follow the trains through the different rooms and watch them go through tunnels and over bridges. The elaborate decorations and room themes are lost on him due to his eyes being constantly focused near the ceiling. I felt so free walking around without having to hold, push or carry anyone or anything. Even Evan was really good and walked around without running or touching things he shouldn't. I paid for that freedom a little later. Let's just say, Evan does not care for butterflies.

Evan when we got to the Butterfly Museum

He did attempt to look at a bird while we were inside

But in his defense, I didn't really like it either. I'm not a fan of anything flying around near me, especially around my head. I know several people who travel quite a distance to go to Magic Wings, but I don't think we'll be going back anytime soon. Katrina and Wendy had fun even though I'm pretty sure we rushed them with our barely 10 minute adventure inside. I had one child in my arms and Braeden dragging me by the arm towards the door. Point taken boys. I'm with you.

Braeden did pose for a few pictures inside near the butterflies. He tried to smile, but these days there is always some sort of contortion involved. I'm hoping that's typical 5 year old behavior.

Katrina was pointing out butterflies

 They were both so happy to get a chance to see each other

Before we left, Evan enjoyed the movie they were showing..HA!

After our very short $28 walk through the tropics, we headed to Friendly's to get some lunch. No one can cover their eyes at Friendly's. All 3 kids had to sit on one side with Wendy, so Roman and I had a whole big comfy side all to ourselves. The day was like being on a date!

After lunch we came back to our house so the kids could play. Braeden, Evan and Katrina spent some serious time making booby traps. That's really putting Jake and the Neverland Pirates to good use boys (and girl). Such a fun day. Hopefully we'll get to hang out with those Letsch ladies again soon.

Music to My Ears and Soul

I absolutely LOVE listening to my kids sing along to their favorite songs. I can't stop smiling when they are rocking out to Kidz Bop in the back of the car. Every time we get into the car, both boys are automatically saying "My Kidz Bop". Evan's favorite cd is #18, while Braeden's favorite cd is #21. They know all the songs and sing along to them all. Maggie "sings" along too, which makes it even better. Right now their favorites songs are:

Evan - Just the Way You Are (originally by Bruno Mars) - He sings this song all the time while he's playing and I've even heard him singing it to himself while he's trying to fall asleep. It is beyond precious. I could listen to him all day long. This song is his favorite, but I'm constantly amazed by how many songs he actually knows. He can sing most of the songs on both of the Kidz Bop cd's.

Braeden - Moves Like Jagger (originally by Maroon 5) - Every time I start his cd he asks me to switch to this song. He loves to sing and will sing along with most songs, but this is definitely his current favorite. Like Evan, he knows all the songs on both cd's. He can also be found pretty regularly belting out Christmas carols all year long. So cute and sweet.

I have learned as a mom that nothing really soothes the soul like singing and dancing. I have always danced around the house with the kids, singing songs and being silly. They love it and so do I. It is so freeing and makes me feel totally rejuvenated. It's a great activity for all of us and shows them that it's fun to be silly and let it all out sometimes. I hope that they continue to love music throughout their lives. It sure does make it more enjoyable!

These pictures aren't related to the post, but I think they're sweet.

 Evan is always ready to help

I love the way Maggie is looking at Braeden

My Heart Melts

Braeden drew this picture of our family on the wall of the shower last night. That boy melts my heart.

Not Quite Care Free

I grew up in a fairly typical family setting. I had two wonderful parents who loved me, one brother and a dog. Oh and I had a couple of hamsters along the way, but I'm pretty sure they would much rather have lived their lives out in someone else's house. We had what I would consider a pretty classic American family, or at least it was way back in the 1900's. You're mind is automatically going back to about 1910 right? But to our kids, the fact that we lived before 2000 and the Internet will probably never cease to amaze them.

My life should have been that of a care free child. I had nothing to worry about. I knew I was loved and I always had enough food and clothes. Perfect. But some of us, like me, aren't wired that way. While most of the time I lived out that happy childhood, there was always a bit of worry in my little brain. I carried anxiety that wasn't necessary for a child to have (this is strictly in my own opinion). Obviously, it is possible that everyone had these same issues.

When I was little I had nightmares. I won't go into specifics because, well, I don't want anyone to have me committed. But, they were recurring and even though I told my mom about them, I just couldn't get whatever was causing them out of my brain. I have always been able to remember my dreams, often more vividly than I would like. I work lots out in my head at night. I have found that when I am on anti-depressants for the post partum depression, the dreams become more vivid and scary. It's as if my conscious brain is blocked by the medications from dealing with what I see, hear and read during the day, so my unconscious works on processing it all at night. I am aware as an adult that my dreams cannot hurt me, but I was terrified as a child.

I lay a little of the blame for my childhood anxiety on the pamphlets given out at school. Do you remember the one where the man would drive by in his car, stop, and then get out and offer you a lollipop to get in his car? Or say that your mom had sent him to pick you up? I'm sure the propaganda was meant to instill a sense of fear, but for me it was terrifying. We lived close to school so I was a walker. Let me tell you, every single day I was watching the street for that car that was going to slow down and try to snatch me. Other kids were walking along, playing with friends, laughing. Not me, I was not going to be caught off guard and taken away from my family forever.

Vacations are fun right? Yes, I loved going to the lake with my family every summer. Who wouldn't? But, I couldn't get this one worry out of my mind while we were away. What if someone breaks into our house and hurts the dog? What if she is in pain and no one knows until my grandfather gets there to feed and walk her? Seriously, this fear was with me the entire vacation, every year. Not a thought about the stuff in our house if someone broke in, just, please don't hurt the dog. I needed to be there to protect her. I felt the need to protect. If I wasn't there, who would be?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my vacations swimming and boating and learning to water ski. It was idyllic; just what summer should be when you're a kid. And speaking of swimming.. this is how I know that fear roots itself deeply in me with a grasp so tight that I've had to fight for years to get out from underneath. I don't swim in any water with fish anymore. I haven't in years. When I was little, like all dads and brothers, my dad and brother would pinch me underwater and tell me that fish were biting me. It should have been a game. I mean really, I could see them doing it. But my brain registered a fear of fish right then and there, and I still cannot go in water that I can't see clearly to the bottom of to check for fish. Wish you were me don't you?

I can't change any of those pieces of my past. I accept that. It's not something my parents did, or something I did to myself; it's just who I am. Do you have any childhood fears that never left? That you now realize are unnecessary, but are so deeply rooted that a part of them will never go away? I bet we all do. I just hope yours didn't control your life quite the way mine did.

Bowling We Will Go

This morning, my sister-in-law Stacy and I decided rather spur of the moment, to take the kids bowling. Evan absolutely loves bowling on the Wii. Braeden had a birthday party at the bowling alley last weekend and I told Evan that since he couldn't go to that, we would take him sometime this week. Okay, I admit, I forgot that conversation. But when Stacy called to see if we wanted to go today I jumped at the chance to let Evan have a go at bowling in a real bowling alley for the very first time. Makes it look like I didn't forget after all. He was SO excited. He actually did really well for an almost 3 year old. My utmost admiration for whoever invented bumpers. They really make the kids feel like rock stars.

Braeden, Jason, Evan, Jacob and Ethan ready to bowl

 Jason was pretty serious

 Evan is amazed to be holding  a real bowling ball

 Off it goes

 Braeden.. well, I can't explain his facial expressions today

 Ethan is all about form

 Jacob was great about helping the younger kids

This has to be one of my most favorite series of Evan pictures ever. It's as if you can see the concentration and determination to will that ball to knock down all the pins. He actually did get a couple of 9's. He bowled a 61. Not bad for the first time in his life.

 Throw the ball..

 Anxiously watch as the ball slowly makes it way..

 Will it to knock down those pins!

 In case you were wondering, Maggie was there too. She preferred to dance to the rockin' bowling alley music.

Evan was done with everything by this point. And again Braeden, what's with that face??

We all had a really good time. The kids all needed to get out and our bowling alley is constantly giving out free passes so we only had to pay for the shoes. Budget friendly and fun. That's my kind of day. Tomorrow it's off to the butterfly museum. 

Big Week

Maggie Grace, you light up my life. I am so amazed every day at the little person that you are. Content, joyful and tolerant (thank goodness) of your big brothers, you very easily adapt to whatever is going on around you. You have had a very big week this week and I'm so happy to have a place to actually document these exciting moments as they are happening. You started waving bye-bye. You really enjoy waving at everyone you see.

Recently you have been making the ma ma ma ma sound to try it out, but on Tuesday you said it intentionally (in a rather demanding way I might add). Apparently I was not getting the food to your mouth fast enough. Speaking of food, you completely prefer to feed yourself which makes for some interesting meal times. You really need to get some teeth so you can have a more interesting variety of finger foods. By the looks and feel of it, that might be sooner than later. Your brothers didn't get teeth until 7 months either, so I'm not surprised it's taking so long.

I also saw you try to clap yesterday. You aren't quite there yet, but you enjoyed trying. I love watching you try new things. It's almost as if I can see your little brain putting the pieces together.

For the Birds

February vacation in New England guarantees one of two things: we'll be sledding every day or it will feel like April. There really seems to be no in between here. The weather so far this week has been in the mid-forties and the spring fever is palpable. We have yet to have another snow storm after the foot we got the week of Halloween. The kids have been riding bikes and playing in the sandbox all "winter" long. A few weeks ago I found birdhouse kits for Braeden and Evan at an amazing price at a store in town.

It took 3 attempts, but finally they considered their work masterpieces and let them dry so that Daddy could help them assemble their houses and hang them up outside. I don't have pictures of the assembly, but I'm sure Roman did the work and the boys may or may not have watched. Evan will usually give it a couple more minutes than Braeden, but it's Daddy's way or the highway and the boys generally choose the highway.

Today in the beautiful spring-like weather, the birdhouses made it to their new homes. Braeden very proudly hung his outside of the living room window so we can see it.

Evan, however, chose the "pee tree" on the other side of the house for his birdhouse. (I know, I know, but if you have boys, you totally understand).

Now we wait and watch to see if any birds will see these beauties and decide to call them home. 

Exactly

“I'm not telling you it's going to be easy - I'm telling you it's going to be worth it.”
― Art Williams

When I saw this, I thought, you're exactly right Art Williams. I don't know who you are, but I believe you're onto something here. His sentiment is exactly how I feel about starting this blog. The writing for me is easy. Deciding what to write and how much to share? Not as much.

I want to be truthful. I want to empty my soul and find myself a better person through the process. I hope to be able to help others by sharing the experiences I have had and letting anyone else who might feel the same way know that they are definitely not alone. It often feels that way, but there are always people who want to be there for you even when you can't see clearly enough to recognize them. I want to reveal my whole self through reflection and straightforwardness. I can do these things. I KNOW it WON'T be easy, but if the relief I already feel sharing the little that is published so far is any indication, it's going to be worth it in countless ways.

What I don't want, is to make this a pity party. I am not writing from the poor me perspective and I truly hope that you don't see it that way. I hope to fill this blog with love and joy, interspersing the struggles I've been through to accomplish the list above. I am at a very good place in my life which is why I feel comfortable exposing my whole self to the world FINALLY. 34 years in and I'm ready to talk.. I don't want anyone to read and think that I am unhappy. I couldn't do this if I was. It would be too hard to face friends who are reading my writing if I wasn't up to the challenge of owning my emotions, struggles and fears. I don't want anyone to treat me differently. As I've said, I'm in a better place than I have ever been and this blog is meant to hold me accountable for walking the walk to go along with talking (writing) the talk.

I do hope that maybe if you've known me for a long time, you can think back and realize that if I wasn't there for you at a time when you needed me, or I didn't show up at your wedding, or didn't call often enough (or at all), it was NOT because I didn't love you, care about you or want to share in your life. I just couldn't. I was paralyzed by my fears and anxiety more times than I can tell you. But I'm fighting back now. This is my life and I will live it to the fullest that I am able. I am doing this for my family and my friends, but mostly for me.

And while I know it's not going to be easy, it will be worth it one hundred fold.

10 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

My friend Jen is a Mary Kay representative. One night at a party she introduced a new game. Everyone had to pick a number. After we all chose a number, she gave us that number of m&m's. We then had to tell her one thing that she didn't already know about us for each m&m we had.

I thought I'd share 10 things people probably don't know about me:

1. I am afraid of the dark (very)
2. I am ambidextrous 
3. My first choice for college was Georgia Southern University
4. I would adopt every child in the world who needed a home if I was able
5. I have no idea how to use a hairdryer to do anything but dry (I cannot style my own hair)
6. I would get so bored at my first job out of college that I would fall asleep
7. I have suffered from post partum depression after all 3 of my kids
8. I cannot stand the taste of wine
9. My car was stolen when I lived in Boston
10. I had my "ah ha" moment with God on February 6, 2008. My life has been forever changed as a result.

The Plan

I saw this on Pinterest last month. With the way I've been feeling moved to make some changes in my life, it seemed like just the motivation I needed to move on and actually go for it. Here is a short list of what I hope to work on in 2012:

1. Blog - So far so good. It was a big step, but one that is already feeding my soul. The response by the people who have checked it out is worth a post of its own. Thank you.
2. Work on (or off) the baby weight - We all make this wish after a child is born, but since I am now officially done having babies, this goal should become a priority.
3. Reach out to friends more - I love my friends so much, but I am not good about showing it or maintaining the bond very well. Due to my struggles with anxiety and fear, I tend to stay in my own bubble, watching and cheering them on from afar. It's time to step up and become more involved. Again, a (or many) post(s) of it's own.
4. Make more time for my own activities - This will certainly help with #3. If I'm willing to step out of my own shadow, I can probably do well in this area. Over the last year, I've found lots of different crafting areas that I really enjoy. So many of my friends enjoy the same activities so I'm hopeful to be able to carve out some time to spend with them no matter what we do.
5. Volunteer for more - This one is really a wish list item. There are so many reasons that hold me back from being successful here. One is me. I would love to be more involved, but it comes down to putting myself out there in unknown-to-me situations and that is a huge struggle. Also, I have three kids who take up most of my time and would need to be cared for by someone else while I'm gone.

I will not make any promises to myself or anyone else, but I will do my very best to try and accomplish at least some of this list. 2012 - Just Do It!

Valentine's Day

What fun it is to decorate in shades of red and talk about love constantly. I love to do Valentines activities with the kids. We make hearts for the windows, cards for grandparents and of course, valentines for school. And with the help of Pinterest, all of these things have gotten even easier, so I have so many wonderful ideas I'd love to put to use.

Braeden and Evan like solid chocolate, but aren't really into sweets otherwise. So instead of buying them candy that they won't eat, I made them these buckets this year. (They do have some Lindt chocolate balls).

Braeden told me his was "just perfect." Yay! I love to be creative and try to come up with things that look cute and they will really like. Each of the boys got a book, a movie, and some sort of art activity, plus the chocolate balls.

Maggie got some snacks, some socks, a book and the stacker toy. Evan had been refusing to let her play with the one we already had. It was so funny. Every time she would play with it, he would stack it all back up and just hold it in his lap. It seemed simple enough to just get Maggie her own.

No Valentine picture of Evan because he wasn't in the mood. I'm sure there are many other years that he'll be more cooperative and I will definitely have my camera ready!

To my surprise, I even got a gift this year. Roman and I don't usually exchange, but I was thrilled to wake up to a Got All Your Marbles necklace. It's such a simple piece of jewelry that can be changed up to go with anything. Thanks honey, you rock.

The kids and I made some Valentine Swirl Cookies too for the occasion. They were lots of fun and looked really great. Since I wasn't blogging a week ago, I didn't think to take a picture of them. Next time.

We had a great day. Now it's time to "pin my way" (this makes sense for all the Pinterest users out there) to St. Patrick's Day.

Sunday

I wish I could say I was one of those people who look forward to Sunday. A day to go to church, worship with a community and get refreshed and ready for the week to come. Not so much around here. Sunday for me starts crazy and uses up most of my energy by 9:00am. I know other people with children probably feel the same way. Get the kids ready, keep them clean and then get them all to church looking like the Norman Rockwell family that we are not. Here is our big strike-out every single week:

Strike 1: Get there on-time. We do manage to do this most of the time. However, Sunday is the one day of the week that I usually have to wake the kids up. If you're a parent, you know that that is basically strikes 2 and 3 right there. No child is fully cooperative when you wake them up before they are ready. Then everyone needs to eat and get dressed. Not an easy task when we have to be there by 8:00.

Strike 2: Keep them quiet. Go ahead, laugh now. It's easier than facing the reality. My kids are 5, 2 and 7 months. Quiet is not an option. And to make this all that much harder, we not only don't have a nursery option, but we also don't even have a standard Catholic Crying Room. Our priest would rather the kids stay with the congregation. REALLY?!?!? So much for anyone hearing what he's saying. Today I actually gave Evan my phone to play a game on in desperate hope that he would play quietly. The upside is that he did stay in one place, but he also cheered for himself. Loudly.

Strike 3: Keep them still. Obviously if I can't keep them quiet, I certainly can't keep them still. As a result, it isn't all that unusual to have a bumped head or one child pinching the other with all their might. Which results in retaliation and inevitably someone crying. Loudly.

By the time it's all over I am anything but refreshed. I am simply thankful that it is all over. I'm sure God understands, but what about those people around us who would actually like to hear? I'm told that they wouldn't sit near us if it bothered them. I have a faint faith that that is true. I don't mean to imply that my kids are overly troublesome in life. They really aren't. They are just bored sitting in one spot and listening to lots of talking that doesn't make any sense to them. I would be too.

Maybe it should be more than a sip of wine at the end. Oh wait, our church doesn't do wine anymore either.

I think I just struck out looking.

Happy Sunday!

The Real Stars of the Show

I feel like I'm the announcer at the circus, though I'm sure the circus person has a much more important title than Announcer. Anyway, allow me to introduce why I haven't slept an entire night in just over five years...

Braeden is my oldest having just turned 5. This amazing boy made me a momma for the first time.  I love him beyond words. He is sweet, compassionate, helpful and loving. Of course he is also stubborn and a very picky eater. He has always been a rule follower, which is good and bad. I love that he respects boundries, etc., but there are also times I wish he would just be a kid and go for it. He loves school and spending time with his friends. He has always been a Thomas the Train fan (and I think fan might be an understatement) and in the last year has added an interest in cars and monster trucks to his activities. Thank goodness, I can only play trains so much.

The second time around, I figured I was more prepared. I already had this mothering thing down. I knew how to change and feed a baby. I had all the stuff I needed. Yeah, piece of cake. And it was.. for the first year. Then Evan started to become the spirited, always moving and touching boy that is now about to be 3. I love him immeasurably, but man oh man does this child give me a run for my money! He's not by any means a hard child to handle, just busy, busy, busy and also quite stubborn just like his brother. Well, let's just let the picture below introduce you to the real Evan..

And I suppose it's important to know that Evan loves the Wii so much, I used time to play as his motivation for potty-training. Well done Momma if I do say so myself.

And last, but absolutely not least, my beautiful baby girl. I was quite content with my two boys when we were lucky enough to find out that our family was growing again. We had never learned the gender of a baby, but I really wanted to know this time. The ultra sound tech found the baby and said "now you know". Now I know what? I've never seen this part of an ultrasound before lady. Is it a boy or a girl?? And by the amazing grace of God, it was my sweet little girl. I never knew how much I desired a daughter until I had one. It doesn't change anything about my love for my boys, but I'm glad we didn't give up after Evan. What would our life be like without Maggie? She is all smiles, barely cries, sleeps great and is desperate to crawl these days. At just 7 months, she's all about feeding herself, which is rather difficult with no teeth, but she's giving it her best. I love her determination!

Oh how I love these babies. I am a very lucky woman. A very lucky woman indeed.