Random

Sam's latest obsession is bull riding. He sets up rodeos, or "radios" as he calls them, complete with the barn, fences, bull and cowboys. It is a game to see who will win each ride, the cowboy or the bull. Jody records bull riding and they watch it together at night. He says he's going to be a bull rider when he grows up. To which I reply, "Oh, son. Please no." He is still sleeping on the top bunk every night and loves it up there. He also gave up his "soft cups" (Nuby sippie cups) and now drinks from hard sippie cups. This is monumental. I made the mistake of transitioning him from the bottle to Nubys and it's all he would ever drink out of. He was a soft cup diva, refusing other cups and always requesting, "Milk in a soft cup, please." This is a big deal around here, trust me. The other day when Jack was acting particularly crazy, Sam asked me, "Mama, can't we just send him somewhere? Like animal kingdom or something?" Sam's favorite of the seven dwarfs is Doc and he doesn't understand why Dopey doesn't have a beard. "Does he not need to keep his chin warm too, Mama?" Yesterday on Mema's porch Sam was drinking a Dr. Thunder, a knock off Dr. Pepper. When it was time to leave he said, "Wait, Mama. I haven't finished my salt and pepper."  He and Jody found a small turtle near the chicken coop the other day and he now lives in a little dish by the kitchen sink.  He named him "Turtle Lee," a nod to his love for his cousins.

Jack is becoming even more and more a Daddy's boy these days.  He asks me every morning, "Where's my Daddy?"  When he's hurt he cries for his Daddy not me.  Yesterday I noticed a splinter in his finger and tried (with him kicking and screaming) to get it out.  He quickly, and loudly, told me, "No, Mama!  My Daddy gets out my splinters!"  Jack absolutely loves Snow White and constantly asks to watch "the witch movie."  Grumpy is his favorite dwarf, probably because he says "shut up," Jack's favorite new saying.  He says "shut up" a lot and has received spankings, time outs and stern looks, with no avail.  He even told an old lady at church to "shut up" when she told him how handsome he was.  When you tell him, "We don't say shut up," he says "Me and mean Grumpy say shut up."  Thanks for that Walt Disney.  Jack is obsessed with the sliding doors on the van and I fully expect them to be broken by June.  He shuts the door on Sam every single day.  Sam screams, I fuss, Jack laughs.  He loves fruit loops and likes using them as his hay bales to feed his toy cows.  He hooks the fruit loops on his tractor fork and feeds his herd.  The other day he asked me for a bowl of fruit loops while I was nursing Will.  I told him he would have to wait just a minute until I finished feeding Will.  He then said, "Mama, just give me some fruit loops out of your boobie, okay."  Oh son, if I could make fruit loops out of my boobie we'd be in business buddy.
Will is now smiling and starting to coo.  I can always tell when a big grin is coming because his eyes light up. He grins so widely, showing a mouth full of gums.  There really is nothing like seeing your baby smile.  I live for those smiles.  They light up my day.  He is still enjoying his rice cereal at night, although it doesn't make him sleep any longer.  His eyes are still blue but I just can't believe they will stay that color.  He has a pretty rough case of baby acne right now but my doctor reassures me it will be gone soon.  He tried not to laugh when I asked him if this meant he would have acne when he's older.  He reassured me it wouldn't.  He's used to my nutty questions and concerns.  At his one month checkup I questioned the way Will's stomach looked.  I thought it looked funny at times, with a small bulge around his belly button.  I was sure it was a hernia.  Dr. Mann told me, "Oh don't worry about it.  As soon as he can do some crunches that will go away."  He thinks I'm crazy, I'm sure.  Will still hates his car seat unless he's asleep and will scream until he either falls asleep or we arrive home.  He gives me the cutest stink eye when I go to get him out of his seat, eyebrows arched and glaring at me as if to say, "It's about time, lady." His hair appears to be thinning and it makes me so sad to think he'll probably lose his hair.  Sam and Jack lost theirs too and it made me sad to see their baby hair disappearing too.  He is focusing on objects and staring at things for the longest time, taking everything in and learning so much. It's just about time to pull out some of the baby toys which I can hardly believe.  He is growing so fast.  
Me...I am continuing to adjust to life with three young boys.  It is a whirlwind of exhaustion and immense joy and I am so abundantly blessed.  Oh, and I really want an iPad.  I have no idea what they are good for, but I really think I need one.