Day Two

I neglected to share two other interesting tidbits yesterday...

We discovered after digging a big hole for the kids to play in on the beach that Topsail Beach is a "no dig beach."  Yes, I said a no dig beach.  What in the world does that mean?  Apparently you can't dig a hole larger than twelve inches wide and you must cover back any holes you dig.  How did we find this out?  We received a nice little warning from the beach police and had to fill out paper work in case we didn't fill it in properly.  I guess they would then hunt us down and lock us up.

Landry decided to work on potty training and decided the next best thing to the toilet was Sam's shiny blue crocs.  And she filled them.  To the top.

Here's a little video from today...don't forget to pause the playlist.

First Day

A run down of the day's events...

Jack popped his head up to greet the day at 7:00 and soon woke Sam too. They both woke up happy which is surprising considering it was nearly midnight before they fell asleep.

We hit the beach and Sam ran wild while Jack stuck close to his Daddy. He still doesn't think the ocean is that great and after a little while he was ready to head in and nap. Jack and Jody snuggled up for a four hour nap. Yes, four hours.

Sam stayed on the beach all day. I had my chair pulled up to the edge of the water where he was running and jumping the waves. Suddenly a big wave knocked him down and he rolled over in the water. My heart sank, I screamed for him and I was up and out of that chair in .5 seconds. I grabbed him and he just smiled, sand caked all in his hair and plastered to his face. I turned to see Mama and Allyson laughing. Apparently my exit from the lounge chair was a little lacking in the grace category.

Later, Cade, Sam and I headed to the house to clean up. I told the three older boys I'd take them to the park before dinner. Sam and Cade were to go straight to the outdoor shower to rinse off. I went to put my bags down and saw Sam climbing the stairs heading inside. I told him he was suppose to be in the shower with Cade. He took a few more steps up and realized what I told him and turned to come down. The next thing I heard was a loud bang and I saw my child flipping feet over head down a flight of stairs. I can't describe that feeling. Pure panic and horror. I screamed his name, he stopped a few steps from the bottom and the proceeded to begin tumbling again. I reached him as he hit the last step and I grabbed him fully expecting a broken arm, gashed head or worse. His elbow was the only thing bleeding. Thankfully, he only scuffed his belly and scrapped his arm and elbow pretty bad. He also had a knot beside his eye with a small scuff mark. I am amazed that he wasn't badly injured. He literally flipped down 12-15 wooden steps. Thank you God.

Later, Sam told Ally about his fall. His exact words were, "Ally, I fell down. I was flipping and Mommy was screaming, but I feel better now."

Oh and speaking of steps, Jack fell down the last few steps inside yesterday and has a lovely bruise under his chin and a small carpet burn on his lip. Man am I glad we live in a ranch.

The big boys and I headed to the park and walked out on a dock looking for fish. Cade spotted a lizard on the back side of a rail. It took a good ten minutes before we could get Cannon to see it. Sam still couldn't spot it. Later we saw some small crabs along the water's edge and Cade and Cannon saw them pretty quickly. Again, Sam couldn't spot them. Cade, in a very serious, matter of fact voice said, "Um, Lala. I think Sam may be blind. You might want to see about getting him some glasses."

After dinner, Ally and I took the kids back on the beach. We ran races and searched for shells. Jack took a spill and insisted on running the rest of the time holding my hand. So we ran, holding hands, his other arm pumping like a serious sprinter as he yelled "Go! Go! Go!" He still managed to wipe out at least three more times even while holding tight to my hand. I'm not sure how that happens, but then again, I am talking about Jack.

On the way back towards the house Landry and I were pulling up the rear. A lady, probably in her seventies, was walking toward us. She gave me a very strange look and appeared to be looking down her nose at me like those annoying people do when my children are misbehaving in a check out line and they feel I need their judgement or approval. Anyway...I looked ahead to see Allyson shaking her head in embarrassment, Sam by her side. I asked her why that woman looked at me like that. She said it might have had something to do with my son seeing this lady walking in his direction and in his best "scared to death" voice yelling "Ally, Ally" while pointing at this lady and saying she "was gonna get" him. Apparently she scared the you know what out of Sam for whatever reason. I gave him a little lecture on "just because someone is walking in your direction doesn't mean they are going to get you or that you should point and squeal in fear."

What a beginning to the week. As I say often, never a dull moment. Why should vacation be any different?.

Vacation

We are at the beach for a fun filled week with the whole family.  After a lot of packing, we headed out after lunch today.  Nana and JP were waiting for us and Ally and the kids pulled in shortly after we did.  Sam and Jack have been so excited about coming to the beach.  The closer we got, the more excited they became.  I would say, "We're almost there," and look back to see them doing their best "very excited" face each time.

We unloaded and headed out to the beach.  I am happy to report that Sam is happy as a clam (no pun intended) and runs straight into the water and even tried to ride a few in.  What a difference a year can make...last year he stayed inside for most of our vacation.  Jack, on the other hand, is not as in love with the sand and water as he was last year.  He didn't like the way the sand felt between his toes and when he stood at the edge of the water and felt the current pull against his feet, he had a small meltdown.  Anytime he would try to be brave and head back to the water, he would see the water rushing in and would do a very quick pivot and high tail it back towards the dunes.  So it looks like our trip may be similar to last year with one boy loving the sand and surf and the other loving the cottage and air conditioning.  Oh, and as I type this at 11:30, Sam is crying and begging to go home because he "really, really loves his home."  What can I say, the boy really, really loves sleeping at home.  And that's fine by me.   I just hope we don't have six more nights of crying and begging to sleep at his house.  We'll see.

Remorse

Sam has been out of sorts the past few days.  I don't know if it's the confusion with Daddy being home all week or the fact that we haven't done much this week but stay inside and hang out with Jody, but something is definitely off with him.  He is being rebellious and stubborn and is not listening to us at all. He has had numerous spankings and time outs and he still continues to act out.  He got in trouble all day for not listening to us and failing to do what we asked of him.  Jody and I are both scratching our head, wandering what has happened to our sweet, well-behaved boy.

Tonight he misbehaved over and over again.  He screamed and refused to come inside.  He hit me several times in the back when I told him to come to me.  He ran from me and laughed when I refused to chase him.  When he got close by, I gave him a firm pop on the fanny and sent him inside.  He whined and screamed over having to take a bath and the screamed when it was time to get out.  He refused to go to the den to get his pajamas on and when his Daddy made him come to me to get dressed, he snapped at me that he was not talking to me.  He then told me he didn't love me and folded his arms in defiance. Practicing a little reverse psychology, I told him that since he didn't love me and he wasn't going to talk to me, I was going to leave for a while.  I proceeded out the door as he shrieked and begged me to stay.  I walked out on the porch and sat in the glider, knowing he would be right behind me.  He ran out the door screaming for me and ran into my arms, sobbing.  

I told Sam how very much I love him and how I hate spanking him more than anything in the world.  I also told him that he must listen to me and his Daddy and we will not tolerate him being disrespectful, hitting or saying hurtful things.  I told him how much it hurts me for him to say those things and act so ugly.  He said okay but still showed very little remorse.  He headed to bed with Daddy while I did a little work on the computer.  Soon I heard him calling my name and when I came into the bedroom my little one said,"Mommy, I'm sorry I acted ugly.  And hit you.  And wouldn't let the water out of the bath tub.  And said I wouldn't talk to you.  And I don't want you to ever go away.  'Cause I love you."  "Oh, Sam.  Thank you, honey.  That makes me so happy.  I love you too."  "Okay, Mommy.  I need some milk, please."  I returned with milk and he said, "Thank you.  And Mommy, I really love you.  And Mommy, I really like you, too."  

Remorse.  In it's sweetest, purest form.   I love this boy to bits and it is truly heartbreaking when, in an overly tired, angry fit, he acts so ugly and says such hurtful things.  Especially when I would never dream of saying these things to him and spend all of my days loving him so completely.  And, yet, all that heartbreak quickly washes away when my old Sam returns, offering words of love and seeking forgiveness.  He wraps his arms around my neck and gives me one of his perfect hugs and suddenly, all is right again.  I pray we will always grant each other this same forgiveness so easily and so readily and that we never forget the power of those special hugs.

Manning the Garden

My poor husband has re injured his back and is in tremendous pain.  Jody has been dealing with a protruding disc that causes extreme pain since November.  Recently he has received two epidural shots into the disc to relieve the inflammation and help him recover.  He was doing remarkably well over the last few weeks and we were hopeful that a third injection and the possibility of back surgery was not in our future.  Unfortunately, Jody damaged the disc again on Saturday while doing nothing more than emptying a trash can at the barn. He had to be taken by ambulance to the emergency room on Sunday after finding no relief with pain meds and bed rest.  The ER doctor felt it was a pulled muscle but I knew it had to be more.  I have never seen him in this condition before and knew it was more serious.  He gave him stronger medication and sent him home. 

Today we went in to see his back specialist and she confirmed our fears that he had indeed re injured his disc.  He was given a shot immediately to relieve some of the pain and will receive another injection into the disc tomorrow.  If he is not better in two weeks, we will meet with a surgeon.  He is in intense pain and is really suffering.  The boys, especially Sam, are so worried about him.  Sam constantly asks him if he is feeling any better and makes sure his Daddy is covered up and warm at all times.  Tonight Jody went to bed early in Sam's bed (his first attempt to sleep in bed) and the boys kept going into the room for "one more kiss" and to make sure he was covered up and warm.  It is quite sweet and the three of us are anxiously awaiting the day when he is pain free and feeling better.

It has been a tough few days with little or no rest for me.  I miss those little breaks I used to get when Jody would take the boys to check the cows and work in the garden.  The boys are missing playing with Daddy too.  We desperately need him to get well soon.  Tonight Jody told us we had to go pick the squash and zucchini because they quickly grow too big and aren't fit to eat.  I was also instructed to chop the weeds in the rows and check all the plants for signs of bugs.  So off we went, me and my two little men, to help Daddy by taking care of his garden.

Sam was happy to hop of the gator and show me that he is quite good at opening the gate.  He is extremely careful not to hit the wires and seems to take great pride in his important job.

I was happy to discover cute little round watermelons popping up under the heavy vines.  Summer isn't complete without cutting into a fresh, homegrown watermelon.
Our tomato plants are growing beautifully and we will gladly be donating these to whomever would like them.  Jody only eats tomatoes occasionally and I never eat them so we will be passing these out to any tomato lover we know.
I was thrilled to see our corn, my absolute favorite, is growing wonderfully and is now taller than me.  I can't wait to throw that fresh corn on the grill and plan to serve it at nearly every meal.  Sam and Jack love it too and could each eat their weight in it (just like their Mama).
The boys wandered up and down the rows looking for rocks and sticks.  Sam buried his beloved little bear in the dirt and we had a hard time finding it but thankfully avoided a melt down when we found him buried in between the corn rows.  Jack ran wild as usual soon ended up back on the gator pretending to drive.  Both of them thought they'd show off their ability to make silly faces for me all while looking ridiculously adorable.

I checked the plants and found no vegetables.  None.  I thought I must be losing my mind and proceeded to get down on my hands and knees and dig through the vines of each and every plant.  I found one lonely little zucchini.  One.  We headed back home and I asked Jody what I could have done wrong only to find one stinking veggie.  He was as clueless as me as to what could have happened to our overflowing plants.  Maybe the cows got in the garden.  Or it could have been Landry lamb who had already managed to devour every plant in G-Ma and Poppa's garden a few weeks ago.   Or maybe, just maybe, my husband asked his Dad to pick veggies for him on Sunday and in his drug induced fog forgot this and instead sent his wife and children hunting squash and zucchini in his freshly picked garden.  Maybe.

The Heart

As I sat at my computer, my little one tapped me on my shoulder and said, "Look Mommy.  Look at what I drawed you.  It's a heart."

"Oh, Sam.  I love it.  You did such a great job.  That is a beautiful heart."

"Mommy, I drawed a heart because I love you."

"Oh, Sam.  I love you too, buddy."

More than he will ever know.

My Daddy

How do I describe all that is my Dad and all that he means to me?  I am certain I cannot articulate just how wonderful he is and how blessed I am to call him my father.  But today, on a day when we celebrate fathers, I will try.

My admiration for him has grown tremendously since having my own children.  Only after experiencing the intense love of being a parent, could I understand just how special my Daddy is.  Falling in love with my boys was easy, natural and instant.  This is what happens when you become a parent, you catch that first glimpse of your baby and life as you know it is forever changed.  The moment they are placed in your arms you become fully aware that this tiny being has taken control of your heart and you begin to understand the beauty of unconditional love.

My Dad wasn't there to see me draw my first breath.  I wasn't swaddled and placed into his awaiting arms.  We didn't have that moment, the moment where he gazed into my newborn face and made endless promises to me.  Promises of love and protection from a father to his tiny, new daughter.  My Dad didn't catch his "first glimpse" of me until several years later.  He missed my first cry, first words, first steps.  He married my Mom when I was four, a stubborn, difficult little tomboy who questioned his authority and tested his patience.

Only after having Sam and Jack, could I fully understand what a special person it takes to raise a child as your own years after they are born.  And while I know that I could eventually fall in love with any child, I know that when that child is yours, your own flesh and blood, and you have been there for every minute of their life, that love comes easy.  So for him to have walked into our lives (Allyson was six when they married) and love us in the manner that he has loved us is remarkable.  He chose not just to love and care for our Mom, but to also happily accept a ready-made family.

They never had that special time alone before welcoming children into their lives.  We were always there and he never made us feel like this was a problem or a burden.  I'll never forget what he said about the first time he saw Allyson and me.  He was picking Mama up for their first date and there we sat, side by side in the chair as he walked in to get her.  He said we were the two prettiest things he had ever seen, sitting there so quietly, like two little angels.  They fell in love pretty quickly and were married months later.

And we were a family.  We were safe, protected and loved.  After being married a short time, I can remember asking him what we could give him for his birthday.  He responded without hesitation that the best gift we could ever give him would be to call him Daddy.  And we did.  And he was our Daddy.  He soon adopted us and gave us his name and we were so excited.  I can remember practicing writing my new name for hours.  We were embraced by not only him, but his parents and siblings and were overjoyed to share their name.

I can't imagine where I would be today if he hadn't stepped into our lives.  His love has shaped my life.  I am thankful for his guidance and wisdom.  He is undoubtedly the finest man I know and I am so proud to be his daughter.  He exudes integrity and compassion.  He is kind and generous.  He loves God and his knowledge of God's word is astounding.  He never says anything negative or derogatory about others and is a wonderful listener and counselor.  

We experienced our fair share of bumps in the roads during my teenage years and I am sure I have disappointed him many times.  Those days are a distant memory and we now share a wonderful friendship and admiration for each other.  We share a love of music and we both equally enjoy a great movie or book.  He wrote and recorded a beautiful song for me and we danced to it on my wedding day.  That song and the letter that he wrote me when he presented it to me are a treasure that I will always cherish.

He is an amazing, wonderful person and I know that he shaped my life more than anyone else.  When I found out Sam was a boy, I knew instantly that I wanted to name him after my Daddy.  Samuel "John" proudly carries on a name that dates back several generations in the Paschal family.  One day I hope Sam will understand what an honor it is for him to share that name with his grandfather.  I feel tremendously blessed to know him as my Daddy and to call him my friend.   Happy Father's Day Daddy...I love you.

For Them

For their Daddy, whose job of taking care of them and protecting them, doesn't go unnoticed.   And to his Daddy and their Poppa for showing him how, I thank you.  They thank you.   Two fathers living a life that clearly shows them, "everything I do is because of you..." Happy Father's Day.

(Don't forget to pause the playlist, please.)

Caterpillars

Yesterday while outside, I discovered that one of my flower beds was full of caterpillars.  I called Cade over because I knew he would love to catch them for his butterfly house.  Cade and I worked quietly gathering them all, but soon the other boys saw what we were doing and joined in.  We found over thirty caterpillars and in all different sizes.  After catching them, the boys decided they needed a quick dip in the bird bath, you know, in case they were dirty.

Sam was very interested in helping catch the little creatures and would hold them happily for the longest time.  But suddenly the caterpillar would move or fall onto his shirt and he would scream like a twelve year old girl until his Mama removed the tiny thing from his hand, arm, shirt, etc.  After a few of these breakdowns, Sam decided he was happiest admiring the caterpillars from a distance and thought that his killer whale toy was the perfect spot to watch them crawl around.  Yes, this is the same boy who insists he could beat up a mountain lion and a bear and a crocodile.  And I'm sure he could, as long as they don't have a caterpillar with them.

Pals

Just an ordinary day...and a perfect opportunity to be silly and laugh your pants off with your best buddies.

Recently

Our garden is overflowing with squash and zucchini and in turn we are eating lots of fresh vegetables at dinner.  They are growing faster than I can cook them which means I better learn how to freeze vegetables, quick!

Sam has recently learned to open the gate leading to the cow pasture.  In the short time I've lived "farm life," I've learned that opening the gate is a dreaded task.  Sam can now carefully unlatch the chain and swing the gate open for his Daddy.  He can then pull the gate shut and latch the chain back, all while being sure not to touch the electric wires.  While this makes me nervous and I shutter as I watch, worrying he will be shocked, his Daddy is overjoyed.  I have no doubt that Sam's ability to open the gate now ranks right up there with first words, first steps and potty training to his Daddy.

Jack showed me that there really is no food that he can't use to make a huge mess with.  After growing tired of scraping oatmeal off the floor, table and chairs every morning, I thought I'd try blueberry muffins for breakfast.  Seems like a safe choice, I thought.  My littlest quickly showed me how wrong I was as he proceeded to do a little eating and a whole lot of crumbling of his muffins.  Lesson learned: there is nothing this boy can't use to make a massive, time-consuming mess.
Jody took the boys on their first "fishing trip" to a pond down the road from our house.  It was a short trip, very short, as they returned home within thirty minutes.  They caught three fish, including a pretty big catfish, which scared them both and led to the quick return home.
Because Crate and Barrel dishes are easy to replace, Jack moved on to some irreplaceable items from foreign countries in his quest to break at least one thing a week.  He found the small, decorative bowl that Allyson brought me from Japan and thought it needed smashing.  Jody tried his best to glue it back together and while it is together, it is clearly obvious that it was once in several pieces.  A few days later, he shattered a small glass dish a friend brought me from Italy.  This special piece, however, could not be put back together.  

I also discovered that Jack has an amazing ability to unscrew lids that are very, very tight.  How at his young age he does it, I'm not sure, but he does.  He has removed the lid of a brand new bottle of washing detergent and dumped it's contents onto my bedroom floor and unscrewed the lid of a bottle of spray and wash, again brand new, and dumped it all over the den carpet.   To further show off his super-human, lid-opening ability, he demonstrated his talent at opening any size item.  Many mornings we hang out in our bed for a short time until Jack demands to be fed breakfast.  He will often hop on and off the bed, run to the den and retrieve a toy and bring it back to bed. This particular morning he was doing his normal running around and when he returned to bed, I had cuddled up beside Sam and nearly dozed off.  Nearly, I repeat.  Until I felt a grainy shower being dumped over my head.  I turned to discover Jack had gotten the full, plastic jar of cinnamon sugar (by pulling up his small chair to the counter and grabbing it), removed the lid and poured it on my head, covering me and the sheets.  Not one of the best ways to greet the day I might add.  He, however, found it hilarious.  And he always makes disciplining him difficult because he truly finds humor in doing these things.  And he also finds humor in my reaction and my screams of "Jack, NO, NO!"  So while I'm trying to parent, he runs away and returns laughing so hard that his eyes are barely open, his pointer finger is out and he then, of course, begins his mocking Mama routine.  And I am left to "discipline" this face...

Every day is a new adventure around here.  And there is never a dull moment.  Never.

Little Legs

These sweet little legs, bruised and scraped, short and long.  These legs that are rarely still and promise days full of running, jumping, dancing and skipping.  They endure falls and tumbles as they search for new adventures and excitement.  These legs that run to greet me, bringing me priceless hugs and kisses.  Just one of the endless things I love about my little ones.

More Rewards

We left bright and early this morning for our big zoo reward trip.  Sam and Jack were both very excited and didn't even mind such an early start.  It was ridiculously hot and pretty crowded by the time we arrived at 9:30.  Sam looked around at all the people and with sweet innocence  asked, "Hey, Mommy.  Did everyone here stinky in the potty?"  He was certain that everyone there was being rewarded for finally being potty trained just like him.

The boys were thrilled to catch a few close glimpses of a few of their favorite animals...  

but unfortunately spent a lot of time looking for animals that seemed to be hiding or too far away.

And we also saw a lot of backsides, like this, from several uncooperative animals.

We took a break for lunch, where Sam spotted the carousel and begged to ride.  We, of course, obliged and he quickly picked out the large polar bear for his seat...

and was instantly giddy with excitement.

Jack, you know the one who is usually my wild child, well, he found the animals a little too big and scary.   Showing rare caution, he chose the safest seat on the carousel instead.

Sam was thrilled to catch a quick glimpse of his beloved bears...

which was the sole purpose of our trip.

He even sweet talked his Daddy into two animals from the gift shop, a polar bear and a gazelle.  Not to left out, Jack grabbed a zebra and a rhino and was very happy with his purchase.

We had a wonderful time and the excitement really wore Sam out.  We looked over to find him asleep, sitting up on the couch at 7:30.  Jack, on the other hand, is still kicking at 9:30 and is enjoying giving himself mini facials with a quick open of the dishwasher where the steam covers his face, he yells "hot," and sprints into the den.  And then he repeats the process.  Over and over again.  So much for an early bedtime for me.

Splash

One would think

that after doing this

over and over

with the same result,

that my intelligent three year old would stop pulling the rope.  Nope.  Just one of the many ways my son manages to stay very busy at the pool.  Very busy and very happy.  A little water up the nose isn't stopping him.  And I'm not complaining.  If he's happy, I'm happy.

It Begins

We enjoyed our first day at the pool today.  We went one afternoon last week for a quick visit and for the boys to check the place out, but today we spent several hours enjoying the water.  The pool really is awesome and is perfect for young kids.  A large part of the pool is under two feet and includes three small water slides, fountains and contraptions that allow the kids to dump and spray water.  Sam and Jack have the best time and love being able to walk around in the water.  They both show even more confidence and are quite comfortable in the water. Being able to put their feet on the bottom and stand when they feel like it really makes a huge difference.  Our summer has officially begun and today was a wonderful start.  If you don't count Jack's altercation in the baby pool with a little girl who didn't enjoy having her princess tea set dumped out and scattered about, today was pretty perfect.  Perfect indeed.

My little swimmers...

So happy....

Loving the slide...

He slid over and over and over...  

Covering up the fountain...

Sam swimming under the water...

A rare, still moment...

Jack decided to give the slide a try with his big brother...

Good times...

The fab five...