Official and Random News

Tear, tear, sob, hiccup...it's official. My beloved firstborn is enrolled in VPK for next year. I am so excited for him, because he is so excited. I'm also sad because it doesn't seem like he's old enough to go to school yet. Alas, it is what it is and its going to be wonderful. We found a great place for him to attend with people who love the Lord and love children. Ayden is having a hard time understanding that he has to wait until August. He's like, "Okay, Mama, we can go home and get my backpack, and you can put a peanut butter sannich in it. Then I can go to school!!" He's such a cutie!!

Our weekend was pretty slow-paced. Thank you, Lord. It was a really hectic and busy week and it was nice to be home. I got up BEFORE the crack of dawn on Saturday to go walking at the park with my friends. They are training for the River Run...and I'm crossing my fingers hoping that I can do it, too. But, the RR is 9 miles and we only went 3.5 and if I can be honest, I was a little sore yesterday. Leanne sets a breakneck pace, especially for this seriously out of shape chick! After walking, I came home...so Jesse could leave. He took 20 students to the City Rescue Mission to volunteer. Have I mentioned we have awesome, great, wonderful, super, fantastic students? We do. Anyway, the boys and I stayed home and I did laundry, laundry, laundry. But, I got it done! We ended the day with dinner together and Jesse and I watched the Olympics after putting the boys to bed.

Yesterday was a great day in the house of the Lord. A great Sunday School lesson followed by a wonderful worship service. We sang The Revelation Son. If you know the song, you know it was good. This Baptist girl was thinking about busting a move in the middle of the sanctuary! We had lunch with a group of our students and then came home and relaxed....boring, I know. But, we liked it!!

Tonight we are having a sweet couple over for dinner...so I need to get busy! Have a great day!

Oh wait, Leanne...I almost forgot....yesterday at lunch Ayden took a bite of mac n' cheese and burned his tongue. There was some serious whining going on last night. He wanted me to kiss his tongue. I had to gently break the news that there are just some things mamas don't do. And kissing the tongue of their 4 year old is definitely on the list. Then he wanted me to take him to the tongue store to get some medicine. Where do they come up with this stuff? It cracks me up!!

Please Don't Eat the Daisies

Happy Saturday!! I was up and at 'em early this morning for a brisk (can I say brisk?) walk at the park with a couple of friends. Its the only girl time I've had lately, so I'll take it! Jesse and the students are working at the City Rescue Mission today, so its just me and the boys at home. And my, oh my, are they all feeling boyish today!! They aren't being disobedient (for the most part)...just really busy. Camden started pulling up last night. Yep, at the ripe ol' age of 7 1/2 months, he thinks he's big enough and he's doing his best to keep up with his brothers. I'm still trying to get used to him crawling and picking up anything he can get his chubby little fingers on and promptly put in his mouth. Now, I can't rely on my strategy of putting things up higher where he can't reach them. Hmmm.... Then, I fed the older two their lunch at the table while I was busy doing a few things. I heard Ayden telling Landon not to make a mess, so I thought I'd better investigate. Jesse got me some really pretty flowers for V-Day that have been sitting on the table all week. I guess Landon decided they'd been pretty long enough because he picked the petals off some of the daisies. Grr... On the plus side, he DID NOT eat them...which is saying something, because that child will eat just about anything! He stands over Camden's shoulder while I'm feeding him his baby food and mooches as many bites as he can. You'd think now that he's had the real stuff he wouldn't want to go back, but it makes no difference to him. Oh well, I've decided Leanne's right... One of these days they won't be little and I won't have these stories to tell, so I'll enjoy this season...there's way more good than bad anyway!

To My Old Friend Nap Time

Dear Nap Time,
I'm not sure why you've felt the need to desert me. Maybe you didn't realize just how much I appreciated you. Do you remember that I have three...three...little boys? Do you realize that they very much need naps for my sanity and their safety? I'm weary from my morning and when you come, I very much like the quiet and the time to myself and the hour or two to get things done. It takes a lot out of a person to help entertain imaginary friends, which, by the way, change on a daily basis depending on the movie that Mr. A has on the brain. Then there's Mr. I'm-Entering-the-Terrible-Twos-And-Constantly-Pushing-My-Limits-And-Am-Showing-Myself-To-Be-Just-As-Strong willed-As-My-Older-Brother. Need I say more? I know...but I will. The little man is all over the place picking up any minute particle off of the floor and instantly putting it in his mouth. Today he swallowed something without me even knowing. I guess it didn't make his tummy feel very well because he promptly threw his lunch up all over me. I'm sure you now realize why I was so ready for you to come today. But, you didn't. You left me alone. No nap for one, 30 min. for another, and a blessed hour or so for another. Please, please old friend, come back to my house. We'll all be in much better moods and so many problems could be avoided if everyone was well rested. Consider it, at least? Don't make me beg...

Meet My New Friend...

Ayden has a new friend.

Apparently, they are the best of friends.

They do everything together.

I even got to meet him tonight.

Ayden asked me to shake his friend's hand.

I turned to do just that.

Only, there was no one there.

He prompted me again.

"Momma, he's sitting in this chair. Right next to you."

Oh.

"His name is Goliaf."

He's invisible.

Hello, imagination.

What a Day!

Yesterday, my friend had ONE OF THOSE days with her little boy...one where she took a picture of him sitting on TOP of their van and sent it to her husband's phone asking how his day was going.

Today has been similar for me...

Camden is crawling, and he's also incredibly good at finding minute little particles of...well, everything, on the floor. So, I spent a good portion of each day trying to keep the older boys' toys picked up and in their room so Camden doesn't choke. Today, I've had to take away Ayden's shoe, Landon's shoe, a string of carpet that came loose, and someone's dirty sock. Only the sock didn't make it to his mouth. Gross.

Then, there's Landon. Landy. Landy-Lou. Landon-Shmoo as his daddy calls him. Oh this child. He tried to take a toy away from Camden. Mr. Bossy and Protective Older Brother Ayden wouldn't let him. So, Landon bit Ayden. WHAT?! Yep, on the neck...he didn't get him bad though because Ayden smacked him and made him fall down. So then they were both trouble. We had to do the "we don't bite or hit" talk.

Just a few minutes ago, Ayden was playing in the floor with Camden. He's very good at that. And even though he and Landon have their moments, he's a very good big brother to both of the little ones. But, anyway, I look over and Ayden is (albeit gently) putting his hands around Camden's neck and rocking him back and forth saying, "Show me a big smile..." I'm trying to tell Ayden that this is not a good way to play with the baby...much too rough and all that...all the time, Camden is giggling like a little school girl (I guess school girls laugh a lot...). Ayden said, "See, he likes it!"

Sweet Sounds

I just had the privilege of my very own concert! Landon has been in his toddler bed for about a week now, and so there is a battle at bedtime to get him to stay in his bed. At first it was going really well...and now, well....now its not. Its been taking well over an hour for him to fall asleep because he's up every 3 seconds. So, tonight, soon after putting the boys to bed, I heard a sound coming from Ayden's and Landon's room that sounded like toys being moved around. I marched myself that way, prepared to do battle. But, Landon wasn't out of his bed. Neither was Ayden. The sound I heard was Ayden smacking his fist on his palm. Then, I heard "...ve rains came down and ve floods came up, and the house on the rock stood firm...." He finished that song and went straight into "Only a Boy Named David," then "This Little Light of Mine," and "Christmas Bells Are Ringing." I very rarely get the treat of hearing Ayden sing as you might remember from this. He's definitely not a performer...unless he's in the mood...which he is...a lot...unless I want him to...then...not so much. Anyway, at the end of his singing, Landon tried his own version of one of the songs (I think he was saying "the house on the sand went SMASH!). Then, Ayden saw me and told me to come and sit on his bed so he could sing to me. What is sweeter than a four year old singing "Jesus Loves Me?" Now that's what I call a good ending to the day...