Thanksgiving Recap

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving...family time, beautiful weather and fun with the boys.  We had three stops on Thanksgiving...Jody's Mema and Granddaddy's house, lunch at Papa's Place and dinner at my parent's house.  Delicious food and great company.  We are so blessed.  Sam and Jack loved all the food and the attention.  Sam spent Thanksgiving afternoon doing what he loves...working. He helped rake Keen-Keen's yard and refused to come home until he was finished. He came home dirty but with six hard-earned dollars in his pocket. We decorated for Christmas on Friday and had a little tree drama.  My prelit tree (which is only two years old) only had two working light strands.  We tried for hours to make it work.  I even went to Lowes and bought some strange tool that was suppose to repair the strands that refused to light up.  It only fixed a couple.  Jody said it didn't really need lights..."just put ornaments in the area where the lights should be working." Can you feel my frustration?  Finally we gave up and went out to buy a real tree...and I am so glad.  It smells great and nothing beats the real thing.  December is sure to be an exciting month...but then again, everyday is exciting around here.

My Blessings

Multi-tasking..eating corn and climbing steps...

Tractor time

Hard at work...

Blessed

In honor of Thanksgiving...

I am thankful for:

My boys...my husband...my parents...my sisters...my grandparents...my family...my in-laws...my husband's family...God's grace...the wonderful opportunity to be home every day with my children...my house...our land...my health...my boy's health...laughter...kisses and hugs from little ones...food on the table...being warm at night...the pitter patter of small feet...the innocence of a child...safety...books...hearing Sam sing...Jack's cuddles...freedom...abundance...love...farm life...sunshine...conversations with Sam...my children's love...my life.

I am blessed beyond measure...the list never ends...

Blessed beyond words...

Sam's Thank-Yous

Last year I bought a "Give Thanks" chart at Pottery Barn Kids looking forward to the year our family could use it.  It has a slot for each day of the month and cards to write on and stuff in the pockets.  I was excited to pull it out this year knowing that Sam could tell me things he is thankful for and we could record them on our chart.  

Every few days I would ask Sam to come over and sit with me so we could do his "thank yous."  He would ramble off a few things and enjoyed watching me fill the pockets.  Many days he said the same three things: "Mema, Papa and tractors."  When saying his blessing or his bedtime prayers these are always the three things he thanks God for, with the occasional "food", "cows" and "Mama, Daddy and Jack" thrown in.  So it took a little coaching to get 30 different "Thank Yous" out of my sweetie, but we did it!  And I must say it was an extra special blessing for me to hear his sweet words of thanks.

Sam's Thank Yous:

Mema

Papa

animals

tractors

  Keen Keen

G-Ma

Poppa

Mama

Daddy

Jack

Nana

JP

God

cows

food

Ally

Cade

Cannon

Landry

milk cups

MeMe

Robin

Sasha

Brad

Chad

Aunt Boo

Johnny

sunshine

barns

songs

Little Pistol

Jack has been a terror the last couple of days.  A little pistol.  My sweet, happy, easy going buddy has left the building.  The new Jack fusses, screams, hits, throws tantrums and refuses to sleep.  He has no patience and his frustration level is off the charts.  Last night was so bad, I thought I would pull my hair out.  I tried until 2 am to get him to stay asleep longer than 20 minutes.  Finally after trying everything, he and Jody ended up snuggled up together on the couch and I got 5 hours of sleep.  After an unbearable morning, we were back at Dr. Mann's office.  Jack was in last week for a double ear infection and I was convinced the antibiotic was not working.  "There is something wrong with him Dr. Mann," I pleaded.  He checked his ears.  Crystal Clear. Great. "Are you sure this isn't behavioral, Angela?" he asked.  Uh-oh.  What if my sweetie has done a 180 and become a little terror...what will I do?  Will I lose my sanity?  I told him I knew in my gut he just doesn't feel good and after inspecting his snotty nose and bad cough, we had a diagnosis.  Sinus infection.  Lovely.  Dr. Mann asked if Jody or I have sinus problems.  Jody does and apparently these problems can be genetic.  Nice.  So a new antibiotic for Jack and a renewed sense of hope for Mom...maybe my sweet boy will be returning from his unapproved vacation soon.  We miss our old Jack around here.  Tonight was no easier than this morning.  He stinkied in the tub, threw a fit when I made him get out, spit out his medicine and refused to let me put his pj's on.  As I hovered over him, fighting with him to get him dressed, I looked him in the eyes and said, "Where is my sweet boy?  Where has he gone?"  Sam, who was curled up with Jody in the recliner, didn't miss a beat and called out, "I'm right here Mommy.  I'm right here."  Thanks for lightening the mood, Sam.  Mommy needed it.

Missing this little boy...snotty nose and all.

The Paper

Today was a busy day.  I spent most of the day running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done...get the boys up and ready for church...mow grass...plant pansies...do four loads of laundry...straighten the house...change the sheets on my bed from Sam's accident last night...run to Target to find plain white shirts for the boys for family pictures at my grandparent's house...clean out the car...get the boys dressed and ready for Thanksgiving at Jackie and Granddaddy's...oversee Jody's wardrobe choices...load the car with changes of clothes, a cake, coats and my camera...manage to actually take a shower and put on decent clothes.  Yes, it was a busy, busy day.

But today, something absolutely stopped me in my tracks.  Filled my eyes with tears.  Made my heart flutter.  As I was cleaning out the car, I grabbed Sam's coat that he wore to church.  Underneath the coat was a crumpled sheet of paper.  And on the paper was Sam's crayon scribbles and the words:

1.  "I am thankful for tractors."

2.  "I am thankful for my Mama."

I stood right there in the driveway taking in the precious moment of my discovery.  I ran in to show Jody my wonderful surprise and then proudly posted the artwork on the refrigerator.  Later, I asked Allyson about the picture.  She said Corey told the story of the First Thanksgiving today in children's church.  All the kids colored a picture and she called them up one by one and asked them to tell what they were thankful for.  She then wrote this on their paper.  She said Sam immediately said he was thankful for tractors...no surprise here, he thanks God for tractors every time he prays.  But she said later he did the sweetest thing.  He came back over, tapped Ally on the leg and said "I'm thankful for my Mama, too."  So she added it to his paper (thanks, Ally).

It was the best present I could have received.  It made my day...perfectly put things into perspective.  This is why I run around trying to do everything for these boys.  So that one day I can show up on a crumpled piece of preschool artwork.  Wonderful.  Perfect.  Priceless.  And I'm not even complaining about finishing a close second to farm equipment...

Sam,

Thank you for the most wonderful surprise today.  I thank God for you everyday.  I am proud to be your Mommy and love you more than you'll ever know.

Hugs and Kisses,

Mama

Movie Night

Tonight was family movie night.  We all got in our pj's, found our favorite seat and settled in for Kung Fu Panda.  I popped popcorn...Sam proudly had his own bowl and even got to sit in Daddy's chair to eat.  Jack was not too happy that Sam had popcorn and insisted that he have some too.  So he climbed in my lap and I broke each piece into tiny, tiny pieces and feed it to him like a little bird...oh, the things you do for love.  Jack then sweetly climbed out of my lap and onto his Daddy who was sprawled out on the couch...apparently this is the best seat in the house...laying flat out on top of Daddy.  The boy's attention span didn't last long, they watched long enough to eat their popcorn and roll around a little on Daddy and they were done.  Jody watched the whole movie and enjoyed it...1 for 4...maybe we'll do better next time.

Enjoying Daddy's chair...

Loving his popcorn...

Best seat in the house...

Why?

Why is it so hard to get the oatmeal in your mouth?  A small bowl of oatmeal..a spoon...and a big mess!  This is why I shutter every time I fix a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.  It results in a bath and me on my hands and knees removing sticky oatmeal from everything in a five foot radius of where sweet Jack was sitting.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub...

...singing in the tub.  Sam has always loved singing.  He sings in the car, in bed, at the dinner table...everywhere.  Now he loves laying in the tub, submerging his ears and singing at the top of his lungs.  He usually belts out a beautiful rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." I guess it is like when the professionals press their ear shut to hear themselves better.  Maybe a singing career is in his future.  Whatever the reason, he loves the way he sounds.

Monkeying Around

Today was a wash out, so Bec and I loaded up the boys and we met Ally and her crew and Michelle and Cole at Monkey Joe's.  It is a fun place full of large inflatables to jump on.  The kids loved it.  I think the big slide was their favorite and I must admit I had fun sliding down too...getting up there was the problem.  Try climbing up a very bouncy flight of stairs while pushing the butt of your 2 year old who is ahead of you and with your one year old on your hip...it is hard!  Ally and I actually got stuck in one of the bouncers with all five of our children...I fell at least three times trying to crawl up the wall and help the others over.  We could have won some serious dough if someone could had videoed our failed attempts to master the inflatable toddler obstacle course !

Icee Break...

Sweaty Sammy

Always the life of the party...

Guilt

As mothers, we always seem to have an overwhelming sense of guilt about something.  Was I too hard on him?  Should I leave the kids to go do something by myself?  Is that the best punishment?  Is that really healthy for them to eat? Is that too dangerous?

Yes, guilt is a way of life when you become a mother.  But I've got a new one for you ladies.  How about the guilt of losing the envelope full of your child's precious baby hair from his first haircut?  Yes, the first haircut.

I am losing my mind searching for this envelope full of Jack's sweet, soft hair.  And it was a lot of hair. Remember, we were working on a mullet prior to the haircut. I have looked everywhere and finally told Rebecca tonight that it was missing and she may need to snip a few pieces of the top for me to place in the little envelope in his baby book.  Okay, she says and then feels the need to remind me that the hair in the missing envelope was the hair he was born with.  

Gulp...born with...his baby hair...I am a horrible mother.

Many of you (men) may be thinking, "It's just hair.  Heck, Jack won't even care if you saved it or not."  But I am sure all the mothers understand.  That is a very important memento that is to be saved...forever.

Sam's first haircut clippings went straight into the baby book that same night...Jack's ended up in an envelope floating somewhere around this house.  More guilt.

So I ask that those of you that read this, stop and say a little prayer that this guilty Mom may find that treasured envelope full of Jack's baby hair.  I'm hoping for a miracle.

Sam...

Have I told you lately how much I love you?  I know not a day goes by that I don't give you thousands of kisses and say hundreds of I love you's.  But do you really know?  Do you know that I love hearing that bedroom door close every morning and the patter of your feet running up the hall to find me?  I love that you crawl right into my arms for hugs and kisses...every single morning.  I love talking to you as we drive in the car.  You are so smart and I hang on your every word.  I am amazed at how much you already know and how much you learn each day.  You are my best buddy and I cherish our talks.  I love your smile, your laugh, your silliness and your stubbornness.  I love watching you run, explore, scream with excitement and make new discoveries.  I live my days thru the wonder in your eyes.  Do I tell you enough how much I admire your heart and your kindness?  You are so sweet and loving.  You have a huge heart and care so much for others.  I pray that the world never tramples on your spirit and takes away your compassion.  Do you know how proud I am of you?  I am proud of your accomplishments and your wonderful attributes.  God blessed me with an exceptional son the day you were born.  I look at you, as beautiful as you are, and still can't quite believe you're mine.  Mine.  My son.  I had a part in making you.  I carried you with me for nine months anxiously anticipating your arrival.  And in the instant I saw you I knew you would then carry me with you...forever.  When you're away from me, remember I'm still there.  When you start school, go to camp, stay at a friend's house, go to college, move away, get married and start a family of you own, remember...I'm always there.  Every minute of every day.  I love you more than I can say, write, hug or kiss.  You make my life a wonderful place just by waking up each morning. Thank you for being all I could hope for...I love you...to the moon and back.

Date Night

I had a wonderful date tonight with the most handsome little gentleman.  Sam and I went on a "date" with Ally and her boys and Michelle and Cole.  A special night...my first "date" with Sam and his first trip to the movies. He was an angel...sweet and loving and so excited.  He was amazed at the size of the movie screen and stood there staring at it, mouth wide open, for the longest time.  He was pumped over his own popcorn and m&ms (no sharing with Daddy this time) and his bright red icee.   All the boys did perfect...Cole and Cade watched the movie quietly...Sam and Cannon tried to watch quietly.  It was quite funny to be engrossed in the movie and hear Cannon and Sam decide they need to discuss something...LOUDLY.  Thirty minutes into the movie Sam yells to Cannon, "Hey Cannon.  Wanna go to my house and play with my tractors?"  "No Cammy, you come to my house and bring your tractors."  "Otay, Cannon."  Later, Cannon announced to me, in his loudest Cannon voice,  "Ya Ya, somebody needs to clean up all this popcorn" as he proceeded to stomp on the kernels and grind them into his shoe. They bounced from seat to seat and I felt like I needed to offer a refund to the poor folks in front of us who at any moment were apt to be jolted in their seat by "DD and Cammy" jerking on the back of their chair.  They became a little bored at the end and I thought we were going to have to make a run for the exits a couple of times, but we stuck it out.  I loved my night with my little man and look forward to many more "dates" in our future.

Our Handsome Dates...

A little "Ring around the Rosey" before the show starts...

Sam's amazement over the giant screen...

Loving his snacks...

My Best Buddy...

13 Months

My baby is 13 months old and overflowing with personality.  I could climb into the recliner, cover up with a blanket and watch him all day...he is that funny and entertaining. How did I get so lucky?

13 Months

pointing...running...refuses to give up his bottle...nicknamed "Swiper" because he loves taking things and running...says Mama, Dada, Nana, this, kitty kitty, hey there, bye...breaks it down when you say "Dance Jack", all he needs is tap shoes and vest and he could perform a mean "river dance"...laughing...loves eggs, corn, spaghetti, Chick-fil-a nuggets, popsicles and potatoes...funny, funny, funny...wakes up prettier than the night before...loves to take his shoes and socks off...pees on the floor every time he gets out of the tub-every time...has started hitting back-watch out Sam...does the cutest thing where he points his toes in, knees together and squats all while laughing at himself...loving...eyes getting darker and darker...will climb out of the tub when you turn away...cuddly...cries when he can't stay outside...tries to tickle people...will "sing" sometimes, especially at night when I sing to him...loves dumping his milk all over his pants...likes being sticky, sweaty and dirty...becoming Daddy's little buddy...loves his Sam...pure joy.

Older Women...

Sam loves them.  And I'm not talking 8 or 9 year olds.  Sam's favorite women are in the 70-85 age range.  Yes, Sam has a thing for a few older ladies he frequently sees at Papa's Place.  They are his great-great aunts and are the sisters of Sam's beloved Mema.  They adore Sam and they light up each and every time he walks thru the door.  They are some of Sam's best friends and he loves the time he gets to spend with them.

Lou-72

Although Lou is unable to walk alone and spends her time in the big recliner in Papa's Place, Sam will still crawl up in her lap and give her some love.  He likes stealing snacks off her tv tray and loves it when she wears her "gold toe" socks.  When the other ladies help Lou to the bathroom, Sam is right there, one hand on her walker, helping her every step.  He also makes sure she gets back to her chair safely and is comfortable.  Sam's favorite thing about Lou is when she has to take her medicine.  She has to "snort" the medicine up her nose, which needless to say he thinks is hilarious.  He can do a great impression of Aunt Lou "snorting".

Colleen "Keen-Keen"-83

Sam spends as much time with Keen-Keen as he does Mema and he sure does love her.  She is our neighbor and Mema's cooking partner.  Sam loves Keen-Keen's chicken salad and homemade chocolate icing.  She takes him to the barn to visit the animals and for walks to hunt for golf balls.  Sam absolutely loves going to Keen-Keen's house.  Her house is cozy and full of interesting trinkets.  There are bowls of candy on every table, which Sam thinks is just perfect.  She is an official great-grandmother to my little boy...he is very lucky to have five living great-grandmothers to know.

Edna-86

Edna is the wild one in the bunch and she and Sam have the most fun together.  86 years old and probably less than 86 pounds, Edna acts like a 12 year old.  She get on all fours and chases Sam around.  She sings and dances and makes funny faces.  She lets Sam chase her around with the fly-swatter and will run at full speed and jump on top of the freezer to get away from him.  Yes, at 86 she can jump on  top of the freezer!  Sam loves riding the gator down the road to Edna's house to see if she is out on her porch.  Her great-grandchildren have recently moved away and she says Sam and Jack are her "adopted" great-grandchildren now.

My little boy is blessed beyond words to count these women as family.  They are his heritage and I count my blessings that he can grow up knowing them and loving them.

Sam & Lou

Edna, Sam & Keen-Keen

Time to Vote

The boys and I met Jody at the polls today to vote.  Luckily, there was no wait.  We walked right in and right out.  Jody had Jack to help him cast his vote and I had Sam.  I tried to explain to Sam what we were doing.  I told him we were electing our president and in 16 years he'd be able to vote too.  He showed little interest in my political lessons and was more intrigued by the machine you feed your ballot in to.  

Sam was excited to get an "I voted" sticker.  I told him I voted for John McCain.  So for a few minutes he said "I voted for John McCain."  Soon he was telling people he voted for Johnny Cash.  John McCain, Johnny Cash...hey, sounds the same to him.

I told Sam John McCain was running against Barack Obama who Sam refers to as "I rock ya mama."  Again, it sounded right to him.

And it turns out Sam may have a political future.  According to Cannon, Sam should be the next president. Cannon really wanted to go with Ally to vote and he was convinced Sam should be our next president.  Man, Cannon really thinks highly of his cousin doesn't he? 

"Aba"

Sam is in love. Her name is Ava but he sweetly calls her "Aba." He's in love and Mama's heart is broken. I was certainly not prepared for him to become interested in girls at the tender age of 2 and a half. But it happened. Saturday at our party Sam met Ava and he fell for this sweet little girl. Ava has been to our house a couple of times before...her Dad went to school with Ally and me and Ally is still friends with him and his wife. Ava is older than Sam by a few years but sweetly plays with him and all the younger kids. I remember at our Fantasy Football party all the older boys followed her around like little puppies. Cade and Cole hung on her every word.

And now she has mesmerized my Sam. She sat beside him on the hayride and when we all got off to get pumpkins she ended up on the other side when we all sat back down. Sam asked me where the "hurt lady" was. I didn't understand him and so he pointed to his arm and said "the hurt lady." You see, Ava's arm is broken and she has a bright pink cast. I showed Sam that Ava was sitting on the other side now and he said, "No, Mama. Aba sit with me." Little did I know this would not be the only time he asked for her.

Later I looked to find Sam and Ava riding in the wagon. Sam had managed to get in the wagon with her and talked Cannon into pulling them both around. Sam's Daddy will be proud of his ability to manage that. When Ava grew tired of the wagon ride she ran into the backyard to play on the swingset and she had two little boys tagging close behind. Sam and Cannon both proceeded to follow her around the play area, hanging on her every word and movement.

That evening after everyone went home, Sam looked at me with panic and said,
"Mommy, I lost her."
I thought he was speaking of a toy or stuffed animal.
"Who, Sam?"
"The girl with the hurt arm, mommy."
Gulp. I am not ready for this I thought. Jody and I asked Sam about "Aba". He told us he liked her because she was "so, so nice."

All day Sunday "Aba" wasn't mentioned. Then it happened. We were all snug in bed ...Sam and Jody watching John Deere Days and me reading. And he thought about her.
"Mommy, I want that girl to come to my house."
"What girl?"
"Aba. The girl with the pink arm."
I was reading the new book about Jon and Kate plus 8 (my favorite show) and he pointed to Hannah, one of the 4 year old sextuplets, and said, "There she is Mommy. There's Aba."
Hannah is half Asian so there really is no resemblance but she does have dark hair like Ava and he was convinced it was her.
"She's my girlfriend, Mommy."
Gulp. Gulp.

I had no idea I could be jealous of a preschooler but I am. Pitiful, huh? A sweet little girl with dark hair and freckles and a bright pink cast. Yes, she has stolen Sam's heart. And I am trying to cope...

A New Tradition

We had a wonderful time Saturday at our Fall Festival. The weather was perfect and we hope all the kiddos had as much at the party as we did planning it. Over 20 kids came and joined us for a costume contest, lunch, a hayride, a creepy trip to the monster lab and loads of other fun. A tradition has begun!

Here are a few pics...I didn't get a chance to take many, we were having too much fun!

Sweet Ella

Sweet Morgan Kate

Beautiful Parker

Cade had his game face on for the costume contest...and he wins 1st place!

Sam finds the perfect pumpkin!