Beware

Be afraid. Be very afraid. There are two wild (and ridiculously adorable) animals on the loose around our house...a ferocious tiger and a scary gorilla. Let the Halloween festivities begin!

Happiness

My Oldest

My oldest, I adore him. He is sweet and passionate and overflowing with kindness. And I really adore my talks with him. I wait, anxiously anticipating what he'll say next.

Like...

"Mama, I can't wear that shirt today because it's just too sleeve-y." (I have no earthly idea what that means.)

From the back seat of the car...

"Oh, my gosh Mama, look, look! I have hair growing on my big toe. I'm almost a Daddy now!"

After I handed him a pair of boxer briefs to put on...

"Mama, I don't want to wear no long sleeve underwear today!" (In other words, he preferred standard briefs that day.)

While drifting off to sleep, he sat up, glared at me and said, "Mama, you know why I love you so much?

"Why, honey?"

"Cause you're just so soft. So soft. I just love you."

"Mama, I'll be back in just one minute. I have to go to China."

"Mama, I can spell my name. S-A-M."

Shocked (and feeling terrible because I haven't even thought that it may be time to teach him to spell his name) I gasped and said, "Sam! How did you learn to spell your name? That is so excellent!"

"I don't know, Mama. I just knowed how."

"Well, you sure are smart. How did you get to be so smart?"

"Mama, that's just how God made me."

After a night of getting in trouble over and over (which is very rare) and a few spankings, I tried to reason with him.  I explained why it is important for him to listen to us and that we love him and expect him to obey us.  He said, "Okay, Mommy.  I know.  I know.  But, (holding up five fingers) you really only need to spank me one time, not all these times, over and over.  Okay?"

"Hey, Mama.  I don't want to be Sam anymore.  I want to named Abba."

"Abba, honey?  Really?"

"Yes, Abba?"

Tonight we picked him up after Bible study and he came up to me and said, "Mama, all these people are still calling me Sam and my name is Abba.  Tell them my name is Abba."

Man, I love him.  A lot.

Surely Not

Surely this is not one of the intended uses for kitchen tongs...

A Good Thing

Maybe it's a good thing that we're welcoming another boy into our family in March. Because my two sons get a little wacky around girl stuff and don't quite know what to do with themselves. Like yesterday at Landry's birthday party when I looked outside to find Jack driving a truck with a baby doll tucked tightly under his arm and Landry's new dressy pocket book placed nicely in the back. My attention was soon diverted to my oldest who was trying his best to run through the driveway in Landry's new silver, sparkle princess shoes. Yes, another boy is just what we need around here.

Joe Mama

A few months ago, Cade and Cannon taught Sam the joke:

"Do you know Joe?"

"Joe Who?"

"Joe Mama!"

It has been an ongoing exchange between the three of them and Sam loves asking adults like Nana, Mema and G-Ma if they know who Joe is. Jack must have been listening very closely these past few months...

I have been trying to teach Jack to say his first and last name. He caught on quickly and would say with great enthusiasm, "Jaaaccck Stand-leeeey! But the other day when I asked him," Jack, what's your name?" he said without hesitation, "JOE MAMA!" And that is what he now proudly says his name is. Every single time I ask him. And he does it with great pride and his signature chuckle. And I just keep on smiling...and laughing at this son of mine.

Lulu

Happy Birthday to the princess in our lives. The beautiful, spunky, sweet, impeccably dressed little girl I adore. Two years old today and full of such promise and hope. I wish for you another year filled with baby dolls, pink toenail polish, big hair bows, swimming mermaids and days spent playing with fairies as you rule the world with your magic wand and pixie dust. I love you, sweet girl.

Two Year Well Check

Jack went for his two year well check yesterday and is happy and healthy at 31.4 pounds and 35 inches tall. Ironically, Jack was my bigger baby, nearly a full pound heavier than Sam and one inch longer, but he is now two inches shorter and three pounds lighter than his big brother was at two. He entertained Dr. Mann and thought it was hilarious that looking at his private parts was part of the exam. He yelled out "Ding Dong! Ding Dong!" until Dr. Mann was soon chiming in and saying "Yep, that's your ding dong. I see it Jack. Yep, that's your ding dong."

I found out earlier in the day that there was an opening at preschool and Sam was free to start in November. I was excited but reserved, knowing that Sam would have a hard time understanding why he was going to school with Cannon but wasn't in his class. I talked it over with Dr. Mann and he reassured me that we were fine to wait until next year and that the biggest benefit is social skills. "Sam will be fine waiting until he's four," he said. During this discussion Jack was bouncing up and down on the bench, making faces at his reflection in the window and laughing for no known reason. "Oh, and by the way," Dr. Mann said, "you have nothing to worry about with that one (pointing to Jack). He appears to have no problems in the social area." Boy, he nailed that one. Jack is my very social, very funny, very outrageous, two year old. And I could just eat him up. All 31.4 pounds of him.

My Little Stinker...

Flattery

Jody and I were recently watching a movie that showed a pregnant lady. She had a rather large belly and appeared to be pretty far along. Sam was snuggled up sweetly in my lap...

"Look at that woman's belly, Sam. She's going to have a baby too. Mommy's belly is going to get that big."

Without a second of hesitation...

"Your belly's gonna get as big as your heini?"

Thanks, son. I appreciate it.

So Clean

"Jack, what are you doing?"

"Brushin' teeth."

Five minutes later...

"Jack, what are you doing?"

"Brushin' teeth. Dora toothbrush."

"I think that's long enough, honey."

"Jack, why is there toothpaste everywhere? You can't use that much, son. You just put it on your toothbrush, honey."

"I made mess, Mommy."

"I see that, son. I sure hope you got your teeth nice and clean."

"Ook, Mama, Ook. Sooo clean!"

Even Better

Is there anything better than both your babies in your lap, smelling divine after a bath as they cuddle quietly with you, just before drifting off to sleep?

Yes, there is...

It must be holding both your babies in your lap, both smelling divine as they sit still and cuddle and watching your youngest sweetly rub the head of your oldest, slowly putting him to sleep. Yes, that is even better.

State Fair

We headed out bright and early Friday to the State Fair. Jody, me, the boys, G-Ma and Poppa, Aunt Boo and Papa all enjoyed our day together. We did a lot of eating, saw lots of animals and old farm equipment and rode rides before calling it a day. The boys had a wonderful time with their grandparents and their great-grandpa and Boo.

The boys started the day with a sausage biscuit. Jack, like always, quickly pulls out the meat and tosses the biscuit...

Papa enjoyed a biscuit too...

Sam was freezing, so Jody had to buy a shirt for him to wrap up in. I felt like an awful mother when we got there and it was freezing. All the other children were bundled up in winter coats and hats and my poor boys were shivering. Luckily, it warmed up.

Jody bought me a roasted ear of corn, the only thing I really, really wanted to eat. I stepped away and came back to get my corn only to find Jack tearing into it.

We went through an area with handmade crafts and Sam ran up to me after we came out of the building. "Mommy, I was telling you there was a bear in there and you didn't hear me," he said. I apologized for not hearing him and back we went inside. He marched straight up to the correct booth and pointed to a bear, tucked way behind other animals. I don't know how he even saw it. Needless to say, the little carved bear came home with us.

Jack got up close and personal with some livestock...

Poppa showed the boys a giant waterfall...

The boys did a little light reading when someone gave them a free bible...

Jack took a little target practice...

And then we headed to the rides. I had to ride a couple with the boys and on the snake roller coaster, I was quite certain the baby was going to be shaken loose from my belly. They loved the carousel...

And then they took a spin around on a dump truck...

We ended the day with a train ride, my two sweeties perched happily in the caboose...

After finding a stuffed Dora for Jack and a toy dog on a leash for Sam, we called it a day and headed home. Another wonderful day...

Five Years

Five years ago at this very moment, I was preparing to walk down the aisle. And today was a day spent with him and my two boys. Five years, two beautiful boys, another on the way. Our life is so blessed and I am so lucky.

Fashion Statement

Sometimes it's tough getting dressed...especially when all you friends are outside waiting on you to play. Hence, the "very rushed, pants tucked into the socks" look Sam sported the other day. Nice.

Thrilled

I am absolutely thrilled to be welcoming another boy into our family. I think people assume that after two boys a mother is desperate for a little girl. Don't get me wrong, a part of me longs for a little girl. That being said, I love having boys. I have always said I wanted four boys. I am a "Boy's Mama." I love playing sports, don't mind getting dirty and enjoy being outside. Boys are a perfect fit for me. Boys just work for me. After Landry was born, I found myself wanting a girl for the first time in my life. She was just so delicate and dainty and I couldn't get over how pitiful Corey was over her. Yes, I decided, that's what we need around here. A girl. That's what Jody needs, a little girl to leave his heart in a puddle like my boys leave mine. And maybe one day, we'll have a girl, but if not, I'm okay with that too. For many reasons. Like...

-I can still put all those boy clothes that I've spent a small fortune on to good use...

-We can travel the world with the money we'll save by not having to pay for any weddings...

-Boys adore their Mama...

-I don't have to change the name of my blog...

-Landry can retain her crown as the queen among all these boys...

-All these boy toys can be reused...

-The nursery is already painted blue (although I'm pushing to paint it red)...

-No beauty pageants...

-I'll have my own landscape crew in about ten years...

-We already own three classic trucks. Three boys, three trucks, works out perfectly...

-And most importantly, a boy means another one of these...

and the one thing I already know. It's a love like no other.

Blessings

MY

THREE

SONS!

Jack's Birthday Party

Jack had a wonderful Dora/Diego birthday party. He was happy and laughing the entire time, with no nap and a cold. The food was delicious, all four sets of his great grandparents came, his favorite cousins and his friend Madi were here to play with him and Sam and he got lots of new, fun toys. I felt terrible about my cupcake ordeal and broke down and ordered a Dora/Diego cake last night. It was pretty simple, with plastic figurines perched on top, but Jack loved it. He loved my cupcakes too and even made me feel good by eating one for me. Most of the kids tried one of my creations but needless to say, I tossed the majority of them into the trash after the party. The more I looked at them, the more I saw Diana Ross and the Supremes. The party ended with Jack and Landry stripped down to their diapers, jumping in and out of the ice buckets for the drinks. We all sat back and marveled over their toughness. Jack ended that activity by deciding it'd be really funny to pee in the bucket they were playing in. Both the boys were up at 6:30 this morning and have played hard all day. By 6:00, they were both snuggled up asleep in bed. They never get up that early or go to sleep that early. Never. So who knows what time my day will start tomorrow. Maybe 4:00? Who knows...