I really really want it!!

Elizabeth at The Whole Family is giving away a Solarveil sling from AP Stitches. And given that this is Texas and it's, oh, about 400 DEGREES, I would love to have a sling that is made to keep mom and baby cool. You should go enter, too.

Creepiness

The creepiest feeling in the world: stepping, barefoot, on a grape on the kitchen floor.

The creepiest sound in the world: a baby, who has only 3 teeth, learning to grind his single top tooth and one of his bottom 2 teeth.

shudder.



*Stay tuned early next week to catch a glimpse of our home makeover!*

A refreshing blast from the past

I was finishing up some grocery shopping last night when I came around a corner and saw someone I recognized. I turned to catch Sweet Hubby's attention to have him look at her. But I as I turned she and I made eye contact and the light bulb went off for both of us at the same time.

She was a close friend of mine in high school. I haven't seen her in at least 5 or 6 years. She was very pregnant and although she looked more "grown up" she was just as beautiful as I remembered. She was so surprised to see me with my baby (we moved away for a while and she didn't know we had moved back). I told her that Marc-Adam was #3 for us and she couldn't believe it. It was wonderful to see her and I'm so excited. We're making plans to catch up over lunch and shopping.

It really made my day.

And it can't have anything to do with hormones, right?

Today just seems to be one of those days. Lately I'm trying to be more real and transparent, but I still don't wear my heart on my sleeve and I'm pretty good at keeping my emotions and moods in check until I'm ready to deal with them. Not today.

Today, I've felt like crying. All day. All the emotions are just skimming the surface.

Now, don't get me wrong. There's nothing going on in my life that's particularly worth crying over. But everything seems to be affecting me.

I wanted to cry while listening to my favorite Christian radio station hold their annual fund-raiser so they can minister to the community while never having to play commercials. Just listening to the stories of people whose lives have been impacted by the radio station and listening to how a community can come together to really do the work of God makes me get all teary and red-faced.

I wanted to cry while reading this story. I can't imagine her family's pain and frustration. I can't imagine what must be going on in the mind of her little boy who is the same age as my Zachary. I want to cry when I think about what that boy went through before someone finally found him. Bless his little heart.

I wanted to cry when I finally came to the conclusion that my missing $10 bill probably fell out of my pocket at Wally World. (And I wanted to yell when I called the Wally World to see if they found it. The lady who took my call was oh-so-helpful with her immediate and flat, "No.")

I want to cry when I look at my messy, cluttered home and I know that I just can't do it all. I want so badly to be a good housekeeper, but I'm just not. I'm not sure I ever will be.

I want to cry when I think about all the things I want to do with my kids and all the things I want to do for them. There's just not enough resources or money, though. I'm learning to accept that.

Now notice that I've said that I want to cry. I actually haven't. Yet. I'm trying to hold it all back so the kids don't think I'm crazy. And there's no time for a pity party. Little boys don't enjoy pity parties because there's no presents or cake. So I choke back the tears for a little bit longer. But I can't help to think that a good cry would do wonders right about now.

Through the worst

Just wanted to give one more update on the TV withdrawal. There have been a few tantrums, and lots of whining and throwing of self on floor. And the kids haven't reacted all that well, either. But we're making it through and I think it's actually getting better. They are playing on their own much more instead of following me around all.stinkin'.day saying "What are we going to do next, Mommy?" We've done lots of fun things and spent lots of time annoying each other together. This morning we made home-made sidewalk paint. In the process we covered ourselves, each other, the kitchen and breakfast room in corn starch. Just to make sure that we had plenty to do later when we I would have to clean it up.

Now, the TV is a privilege, so they do get to watch it a little bit. One or two 20 minute shows a day if they stay in bed all night and take a good nap. I'm still considering cutting the satellite out altogether. I can't seem to bring myself to it. But it will probably happen soon.

I'm glad we did it. I feel much better as a mother without the help of Miss Spider, Diego, Blue, Mickey, and all of their colorful little friends!

In the eye of the beholder

A conversation I had with Stephen-

Stephen: Mom, you look beautiful today!

Me: Well, thank you sweetie!

Stephen: Sometimes you don't. But today you do.

Woohoo!!

What do you think? Did you think you had clicked the wrong button when this page popped up? I love love love my new look! I got it from Goofy Girl designs. Isn't it the cutest?! If you're itching for new design for yourself, go check her out! She's so easy to work with and got me exactly what I asked for!

I loooove my new digs!

Tsk, tsk

Remember this?

Well, he fell out of it today. Thank goodness that I haven't been putting him on the table or the countertop lately (since he's gotten so wiggly). I had him in it today while I was in the shower. I keep my eye on him the whole time I'm in the shower, but I leaned my head back to rinse the shampoo and that's when I heard the thud and the crying. Poor baby...he's fine, though. But in my efforts to comfort him, I may have gotten shampoo in his eye. *sigh* There goes any hope of Mommy of the Year award.

As if I ever had a chance.

Babywearing!

Steph at Adventures in Babywearing is having a giveaway for a $75 gift certificate to MamaKanga. MamaKanga sells some beeee-utiful slings, wraps and pouches. And because I'm looking to expand my babywearing repertoire, I'm hopin' hopin' hopin' to win. Check it out and add your name! (I've got my eye on this!)

It's like a whole 'nother language

I love the things my kids say, as I'm sure every mother does. But I especially love it when they come up with names for things that are totally different than what they're supposed to be, or just different enough to be funny. Here are the most common ones I hear.

Hearphones/Helmans are headphones (Stephen calls them 'hearphones', Zachary calls them 'helmans')

Candy birds-Peeps, the Easter candy

Tootie-cookie

Winslow-Frisbee (I have no idea, so don't even ask)

Then of course there's the "Finger that Points Up"-A foam finger

When Zachary asks for a "Man-aid", he's actually wanting a band-aid (specifically a Spiderman band-aid).

snoozie/swooshie-smoothie

So, for those of you that have kids (which I think is just about everyone who reads this blog) what funny words/names do your kids use?

No, not THAT finger

We went to an Astros game today. It was Sweet Hubby's early Father's Day present. He wanted to see them play the Cardinals so he got his gift a few weeks early. It was a great game and they won! So much fun. We decided this would be a yearly Father's Day tradition.

Stephen found out a few days ago that we were going to the game and he wasn't coming with us. He told me he wanted to go to a game one day...."And I'm gonna get one of those big fingers that point up."

After I picked myself up after falling out laughing, I told him that he could definitely do that.

I remembered today that he said that when we saw one in the gift shop. Sweet Hubby promptly picked one up and bought it after I told him. Then he called Stephen to tell him. You would've thought we had just told the child that we bought him Disney World.

I wonder what he'll point it at.

Our progress

Well, this is the 4th day that we've been TV-free. I'll admit, we haven't been completely TV-free, but darn close. Tuesday (the day we started this adventure) we didn't watch all day, but after Sweet Hubby got home, he started making dinner and I was feeding Marc-Adam and the kids asked if they could watch Reba. I was so proud of how well they did that I let them. And then we realized that a movie we rented for them a few days before was due and we hadn't all gotten to watch it, so we watched it together during dinner. It was fun and it felt like a reward.

And then Wednesday, Stephen kept asking if he was going to miss Cyberchase (a show on PBS he's recently found and loves). I told him probably and I just felt so bad ("suckaaa"). I knew we were going over to my in-laws that afternoon and since I'm not extending the "No TV" rule to the grandparents' houses, I made sure we were at their house by the time Cyberchase came on. They were glued to it like they never have been before. It was fairly humorous. But I didn't break my own rule.

Yesterday was completely TV-free.

Today, they haven't even asked for it. Zachary didn't even cry this morning(prior to today, he's cried about it every time he wakes in the morning or from a nap). My mother-in-law bought them a Diego movie yesterday and I told them that they've been so good about the TV this week that they could watch it after naps. But once it's over, it's over. I'll admit that it's been a rough day. I'm cranky and tired and would love nothing more than to turn on the TV for them so I can crawl up on the couch and close my eyes. But I haven't. And I won't. We've come this far and they need to know that I'm following through even when I don't feel like it anymore.

I have to say, too, I never knew how much chaos the TV added. The boys are calmer and are playing together more. I'm calmer and getting so much more done (go figure...most of the time the TV wasn't even on something I would watch) and I'm doing things that I never would have done with them if they were still plopped in front of the TV. Wednesday we played "War" with every pair of balled up socks we could find until we were all sweaty and out of breath. Stephen's been putting on little plays and we've had jam sessions with every instrument (and a few non-instruments) we own. I'm learning so much more about them and having such an awesome time spending this time with them.

But oh, how I miss Fox News. I miss not knowing every single bit of news that comes across the little blue ticker. But we're doing this as a family and nothing more would get done if it was on Fox News all day instead of the kids' shows.

So in case you were wondering, that's how it's going. If things stay this way, I might just cancel the satellite altogether and save that $60/month. That's a whole bunch of money around here!