Detox

Hubby's on a diet and we're all suffering with supporting him.   No really, I have been saying for months now that I would like for all of us to start eating better and cutting out sugar.    Yesterday, I made our tea using Stevia and the sudden lack of sugar is making some of us go crazy.  I knew Little Man was addicted to sugar, but I didn't realize detoxing would make him go postal!!     Look at what he did to my flower pots!!   Yikes.   (Yes, he was immediately disciplined for this.)  

The Great Room Swap, 2009

Well, he did it! Hubby built some new bunkbeds for the boys and he did it within just a few days also! We stained them a dark walnut color to hide any impending crayon or bite marks, and it looks really nice. Hubby put the stain on dark and then wiped it off a bit, so the effect is pretty cool, I think. We set them up last night, and the boys slept in the Room Formerly Known as Baby Girl's Room last night.

They were excited, she on the other hand, was NOT. She was pretty irritated at being up later than normal anyway, but when we moved her crib to the opposite wall, she started having a fit. When she realized her "bubbas" were in her room to sleep, like for the whole night, she completely lost it. There was much wailing and moaning and gnashing of teeth! I didn't realize my almost-14 month old Baby Girl was so against change!! Wow, that was an eye-opener! My normally very compliant little one suddenly became irate at sharing her room. It literally took her ALL night to settle down. At 2am, I gave in and did something of which every parent is sometimes guilty or wishes they had the guts to do! and she slept peacefully after that. (Can you guess what I did?) And I had some myself, thankyouverymuch.


Right now, we're attempting the First Naptime with the new sleeping arrangements. Pray for me! We are going to turn the other room into a more functional school room/play room.

Slight delay....

Sorry for the slight delay in posting! We have just been so busy having FUN! I am just now sitting down and logging on to the computer to actually check on my little ol' blog. It's only been a week! I have a lot to tell you about, and hopefully I will have some pictures downloaded by then.

Until then, here's an awesome post from KimC at Life in a Shoe. Have any of you ever heard the "I wish I could stay home with my kids, but we just can't afford it..." comment? I sure have, and let me tell you, it's a very uncomfortable comment. We didn't become independently wealthy the day our oldest son was born - suddenly affording me the opportunity to stay home with him. It was a tough decision and took a LOT of personal sacrifices, on my part and Hubby's. That dual income was a nice, shiny addition to our spending habits. It helped me buy plenty of clothes, helped pay for two car payments and lots of dinners out. Suddenly having to put the brakes on that was a shock to the system for our brand new little family.

We didn't have a very good plan in place, however, when I left work. I also didn't have the full support of my husband, which would have been a much wiser decision. But, in the end, we are so glad that I have been home to take care of children, instead of placing them in the childcare system. I like Kim's post and her response to the idea that being a Stay-at-Home-Mom is somehow a matter of winning the "coin toss" in life. It's not always easy to give up those kids-free lunches, or the grown-up conversations that can be had at work. It's not easy to spend your entire day talking about Elmo, or changing endless diapers, or even being in charge of your children's education. But, the rewards are eternal, and I am so glad that I have this chance to watch my children grow up from a front row view!

"Not Me" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Wow, I haven't done one of these in a while. Let's see, what all hasn't been going on around here?

I told you about the tattling that we NEVER experience in the last post. We have NOT been having a stressful first few weeks of summer at our house! This is NOT due, in large part, to the fact that the boys are extremely competitive and argumentative, and any other -tive you can think of! They do not go outside to play, and come back in and out at least 15 times to tattle on each other. One of them is not always in a perpetual state of anger/hysteria/tears about something the other one did! My children are always kind, loving, and sweet towards each other, right?

I have NOT been begging, groveling, and coercing Hubby to puh-lease help me figure this Sibling Rivalry mess out! He came up with a handy, dandy "punishment" jar, from which the boys have to pull out a small slip of paper with a special discipline on. (This is in addition to the old handy, dandy spankings that still get administered!) XMan did not have to pull from the jar FOUR TIMES IN THE FIRST 2 HOURS!!! He did not also figure out the gracious "Get Out of Jail Free" slip that Hubby thought would be nice, and commence to searching for that one each time.

I am NOT totally enjoying the peace and quiet that VBS is affording me right now! We took XMan to VBS this morning and had a totally uneventful trip to Wally World! No screaming, no fighting, just the two little ones being quiet and cute for the other customers. I am NOT completely looking forward to the rest of the week being like this... Not me!

I have NOT been struggling with the housework, kids fighting and just life in general lately... So, when my Hubby answered me honestly when I posed a question about the State of the Housework with this comment, "Well, it has room for improvement," it did not make me want to go curl up in a ball and sob. It might have, but I was too busy referee-ing the boys to go do that anyway!

So, what has NOT been going on at your house? Let me know I'm not the only one!

Let's tone down the tattling a bit, shall we?

We were riding in the car the other day and saw a something wild, it was like a wrecked truck/caved-in roof/something crazy like that. Can't remember what it was, I've slept since then...

I exclaimed, "Wow, look at that [whatever]!"

From the backseat, Little Man hollers, "Not me! Shayvay* did it!! Not me!!"

And so it goes, daily. The "I didn't do it"s and the "Not me"s are all I hear lately! Sigh.



*Shavay is 2 y.o. speak for big brother's hard to say name. Haha.

How to get yourself sent to your room: In one bite or less

To accomplish this mission, you will need:
- One plate full of french fries and fish sticks
- small amount of ketchup
- one (un)willing little brother

When your little brother, who rarely eats anything other than bread or potato products actually begins to eat a fish stick, and your mother stops mid-bite to see if he will actually eat it, you should then say in a taunting voice, "Hey, did you know those have little FISH in them?!"

When he is horrified, stops chewing and spits out the only meat he might have had that week fish stick, you should snicker with delight, because you just wanted to see if you could eat his anyway.

That should do it. You should probably be in your room in 10 seconds or less, loudly lamenting your choice.

Peer Pressure: The Missing Ingredient to Potty Training

So, one of Hubby's aunts just stopped by to bring us a present for the baby. She had her 3 y.o. granddaughter with her and Little Man was completely excited to have someone to play with. (Hubby and XMan were off running errands.) While I visited with Aunt M in the living room, the kids ran off to play - I stupidly assumed - in the boys' room. (Mistake #1: I should've shut the door to the baby's room!)

We chatted for just a few minutes, maybe 20, and then she needed to run on home. While we were finishing our conversation, Little Man comes waddling into the room, pants around his ankles, diaper dangling and says, "My pants felled off!" Hmmm. Ok. You're wearing a belt, they didn't fall off.

I was like, "Why are your pants down, son? What are you doing?" I didn't really get a straight answer...and yes, you can laugh that I was actually expecting one from a two year old. So, anyway, we walked them out to the car, waved goodbye and went back in.

A few minutes later, I went to Baby Girl's room to fetch a diaper and that's when I saw THIS:
They hadn't been in the boys' room at all. They were in the baby's room and had found the spare POTTY in the closet!!! Yes...I think he tinkled on the floor. *Sigh* Apparently Little Cousin got it out and told Little Man to use it. And he did.

I might borrow her for a week.

Name That Photo

Somebody please give me a caption for this picture! Grandmommy bought both of the boys a bear that these cute magnetic hands. They 'play' peek-a-boo, or they look like they're praying...or they hang from the fridge apparently!! XMan was the proud inventor of this particular move. What should I name it?

School will be cancelled until Mommy gets her head back.

So, this morning's school session was a hilarious attempt at education. First of all, I have this severe head cold/bronchitis thing going on. When I am not wheezing and barking, I sound like a muffled fog horn. So, we are working on phonics this week, and the topic today was "blends." Bl, Cl, Pl, you get the picture.

It sounded much like this:
"Ok, today we are working on bwendsth. Say Bwlh. Say cwluh."
"What, Mom?"
"Bwlh, B and L together."
"But, you don't sound like you're saying 'bl'."
"Ok... Fine... Just color the page. "

Then we moved on to a cut-out of a dragon fly model. It looked really cool, and I thought the boys would enjoy it. Normally, without the effects of 20 psi going on in my head, I might have been able to pull this thing off without a hitch. But, the little slits and slots, and whatever were just too much today. I ended up whipping out the packing tape and just taping the things together! Seriously, it was so intricate I would have rather gone back to my high school calculus class than do another one of those! (The kicker? It was from a kid's meal at Chic-Fil-A!?) It ended up being for naught anyway. The boys took to the air and crashed them into each other repeatedly until there was nothing left but maimed thoraxes(thoraxi?) laying on my living room floor. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

I am going back to couch. See y'all/you guys later.

Playing around with the camera...

Trying to figure out all the stuff on the new camera... Here are some shots I used the "sports" mode on. (and two more for good measure!)

How to Cheat Win at Hide-n-Go-Seek

How do you beat your older brother at the games he always wins? Games like playing Hide-n-Go-Seek in the dark?? Out smart him, that's how! Way to go, Little Man.

Boys

I am sort of almost done unpacking suitcases and organizing all the new toys. More exciting posts soon to come! Maybe. Here are some funnies from my crazy boys in the meantime...

We bought the boys a trampoline for Christmas. I thought it would be a great way to get them outta my hair sometimes burn off some energy. It has already been a success! We also made sure to buy the big safety net enclosure so the 2 y.o. wouldn't fall off of it. Good idea, right? So, when I look out the window today, who do I see running around the rim of the trampoline, on the OUTSIDE of the net? That's right, the 2 y.o.!!

I have a sore throat and was losing my voice this morning. When I explained to XMan that Mommy wouldn't be talking very much today, he had all the answers. He exclaimed, hand gestures and all, "Oh Mom, Mom! I know just what you have to do! I had this once, and what I did was not talk for 2 days. Then on the 3rd day, my throat was fine!"
(Are you rolling? Because I was!)

I'm sorry son, but if you ever had the same illness and didn't talk for 2 whole days, I am sure I would have written it on the calendar. Or fainted.

In which the dog poops in the car, the car blows up and *somebody* wrote on the baby's head....

Today I learned that "anything that can happen, probably will." Oh wait, I already knew that.

This morning, we headed out to go take the dog to the trainer's house, an hour away. We had to take her in the car because Hubby needed the Suburban. So, here I go with three children and a giant dog (who hasn't ridden in a vehicle since the hurricane, and she was scared to death then!). Of course, she was freaking out and kept trying to climb on the dash. It would have been hysterical any other time, but I was trying to drive & she obviously wasn't going to fit on dash! Big breed pups are so funny, b/c they think they are the size of a chihuahua! (And, most chihuahuas think they're the size of Mastiffs!)

She then began to drool all over the new GPS, which Hubby is gonna love. So, I gave up trying to read thru the slobber & turned back to my printed-out instructions. Reading paper + dog in front=not good driving skills.... my apologies to the guy in the black Ford.

Then, the poop happened. (Can you say "poop" on the internet?) I pulled into a parking lot & fertilized their grass for 'em before moseying on down the highway. What? You would've done it too! Once we had her all settled wayyyy out in the country for her "stay-cation," we headed back towards the city to run one more errand before going home.

Finally, we were on our way back home, heading for a well-deserved quiet time! Wouldn't ya know it was going too smoothly?? Smoke starts pouring out from under the hood and the tailpipe. Hmmmm, de ja vu...... I cruise on into a Shell and we set up camp waiting for someone to come rescue us! Which was Hubby, after Nana went and found him for us. (Cell phones! What good are they when they're out in your truck?)

But, I am glad it was warm today and not freezing cold. It would have been very cold in the car before too long with the engine off. I am also glad I am nursing Baby Girl, I didn't have to worry about running out of formula or anything while we waited. We had also just eaten lunch, so the kids didn't need to eat a gas-station meal, yum. While I was waiting with the kids, I started brushing Baby Girl's hair and noticed that someone (I'm not sure who, but I have a really, really good idea who) put a blue ink mark on top of their sister's head!!

To that little person...Beware: If I you ever draw on your sister again, there will be consequences young man! Much harder consequences than when you drew on the table, or the wall, or the fridge, or your clothes, or the floor, or the....

So, anyway, lately my Calvary always arrives pulling an auto-hauler!!

Kicking it Old School

This morning, XMan had his Lincoln Logs out and was somehow incorporating those into his Star Wars game....couldn't figure that one out. But, then he saw a quick glimpse of the "Little House on the Prairie" episode Mommy had on and exclaimed, "Look, Mom! That looks just like my wagon! They really did ride around on Lincoln Logs!" Haha!!

Sears Return Policy

We've been having the age-old problem of little boy clothes wearing out way too soon. A good pair of jeans has holes in the knees before they even make it out of the bag, it seems! I posted a question about it on the Above Rubies forum and got several responses. Most women have tried to use the iron-on patches like I did. (Thanks Mom, for helping iron them on!) Unfortunately, some of the patches lifted up when they were washed. I thought about sewing the patches back on, but the jeans don't fit over the sewing machine. A few women that responded actually hand-stitched the patches onto the torn knees. One even suggested making her sons do the stitching to remind them to be careful. Ha! But, I don't think I need my 5 y.o. wielding a needle just yet. (Especially if you know my 5 y.o.) We might have to resort to stitching them back on for now....
(In the meantime, I hung up anything that is not intended for play clothes in the closet, out of sight!)

But in the future, I will be doing this:

Apparently, Sears has a Kidvantage program that states, "If your kid's clothes or shoes wear out before they outgrow them, Sears will replace them with an identical size item or similar item of equal value in the same size. Your receipt is required to replace worn-out Lee and Levi's jeans."

It doesn't cost anything to have the Kidvantage card, so I got one when I bought two pairs of boys jeans the other day - the kind with reinforced knees! I plan to hang onto my receipt and try this if the need arises. Has anyone else ever used the Sears Kidvantage policy and had it work for them?

Not Me!!!

Yawn....I think I am awake enough to do this.... It's catching up to me now. The newborn, the toddler, the kindergartner..... But, I do not have doubts that this is exactly where God has planted me! (That one's for real, I'll start the denial in a minute!)

So, last week, I did NOT watch as my toddler vetoed his cinnamon roll in favor eating his napkin!!! I think he may have been having fiber issues, he was all kinds of "stopped up." Sorry, son, I know when you're 12 that will be humiliating....but YOU ate the napkin!!

I also did NOT demand-feed the newborn all week long, just to get some quiet.

Last week did NOT involve way too many trips away from the house. Which obviously means that all of my housework got done! As far as school goes, we're so far ahead we could just go onto First Grade. Ha, haha.

Well, gotta run, XMan just informed me that Little Man is NOT eating a new catalog I just got in the mail!!! (What is up with this, man??)

Click on the box up there to go see more laughable non-confessions!

Attention Span

Lately, Little Man has been acting like a normal toddler and trying out his new-found personal opinions. (Read: temper tantrums, etc.) Daddy was home to witness some of this and he promptly started correcting him. He was giving a great speech about behaving and all.

He finally finished it with, "Now, where did I tell you to go?"
(Answer: my room.)

Little man's answer? A spunky, "WalMart?!"

Things you hear with a 5 year-old around...

There's a stomach bug going around yet again & we may have it. Lovely. Last night, XMan was in the potty for quite a while, so when he came out, I asked him if he was okay.

His completely normal 5 year-old boy response was, "Yeah...But, I sure hit the jackpot on poop!!"

Sorry, had to share.

Did you guys hear about the woman who gave birth to her 4th child in an Evacuation Shelter bathroom?????

Yeah, well, it wasn't me... But some woman did! I heard about it on the radio. You go girl!

In other news, the kids and I successfully made it to NC last night! We stopped just over the mountains, at my aunt's home in the foothills of NC. I am so thankful she lives here, we could never have made the drive all the way into Charlotte, or further to my Mom's house. We were some tired and cranky travelers yesterday! There is definitely a limit on how long a 5 yr. old and a 2 yr. old can be in a car together, with limited amounts of entertainment. I think we broke that limit, oh, the first day!? Overall, I drove 732 miles yesterday to get here. We drove from Little Rock, passed by Memphis and Nashville, got turned a round a wee bit outside of Knoxville, and finally made it over the mountains into NC. (FYI: Lenoir City, TN on TN Hwy 321 is NOT the same as Lenoir, NC off of NC Hwy 321. Just in case you ever go this way!)

We saw some interesting things long the way. Especially one town that will forever be imprinted in my memory. BUCKSNORT, TN. Does anybody know someone from Bucksnort???? Please, please tell me if you do!!! I am so curious to find out- if you live in Bucksnort, are you a "Bucksnorter," or perhaps a "Bucksnort-ite?" Maybe even a "Bucksnortian"?? Obviously we can tell the favorite pasttime of Bucksnort residents, it simply has to be deer hunting!!

Speaking of deer, we also crossed over "Forked Deer River." Hmmm, I have always just heard a forked deer called: venison. Maybe "Venison River" didn't sound as appealing....

While the boys and I were braving the interstate highway system, Hubby was making his way back down to our little hometown. He made it astonishingly at the same time I did. Since I had a much greater distance to go, this is a little funny. Apparently the insane screaming and bickering noises from the back seat of the car making me want to hurry up and get there wind was helping me along! But, we are very excited to find out that our home is not only intact, but has had no visible damage!! Who knows if the plumbing, etc. will work but it wasn't working too well beforehand. Power is still out and won't be on for at least the week.

Once we get the "all clear" we will make our way back down to Tejas. Until then, my pregnant self is staying put with family members who have refrigeration and air conditioning. Not to mention, when I walk outside right now, there are NO MOSQUITOES!!! (Cue: Angels singing.) The scenery was so beautiful driving back through the Appalachians yesterday. But, after being in FlatLand for almost two years now, I was starting to get a little dizzy from all the curves. I am not sure we'll drive home the same way. Actually, I would prefer not driving home at all. I (half-jokingly) asked Hubby if he would mind if I took the car to CARMAX and sold it. Then I could just buy plane tickets home...

Ok, well I have someone volunteering to play with the children and let me sleep, so I must be insane for typing on this computer right now! Talk to you guys later!

It's a Hard Knock Life

This afternoon, I sent a picture of Little Man over the phone to one of my good friends. She jokingly remarked that he looked "just a little mischievous." I was laughing as I replied that he is "wayyyy more than a little mischievous!" She has no idea how right she is!!

Because, just recently (since Saturday?), Little Man has:
- convinced the kid next door to let him sit on his bike, without training wheels.

- fallen off said bike, resulting in a 2-bandaid stitcher-upper.

- reached through the fence into neighbor's non-lit burn pile, covering himself in ash. (Don't ask why the burn pile is right beside our fence!)

- Liberally applied "Off" into his eyes, twice. Which resulted in Mommy & Daddy holding him under the faucet washing eyes, liberally. (Don't ask how he kept reaching the "Off," that was big brother's doing.)

- leaned over the edge of the playground and flipped 4ft to the hard ground. Which resulted in a new black eye and a an ice pack for 1/2 an hour. After which he went back out for some more!


Hubby summed up the boys & their differing personalities tonight at dinner. He put it this way, "One day, when we're ready for dirt bikes, XMan will be making sure everyone has their bike & helmet and is ready to go; Little Man will be lining them all up so he can JUMP them!"



"Who me???"