My Mom...

My Mom got an implant last week... Yes, you heard me right - an implant. But it isn't the implant that you are thinking... ;) She had cataract surgery. For the last few months her eye sight has progressively gotten worse due to cataracts. Last Thursday, my mom had the cataract removed and a new lense implant put in to her right eye.

The boys were really worried about her and so Christian made this for her:

(feel better)

My Mom is doing really well now and is VERY happy with her eye sight... She can't wait till February till she gets her left eye done!

Wordless Wednesday

Another performance...

... brought to you by Jakob & a few of his classmates!

A few weeks ago, the boys' principal caught me in the hall and said that he wanted to talk to me. My immediate thought is "Oh, dear. What happened now?" He said that he had seen a performance by Jakob and 3 other classmates that day and wanted to see if they could do the play in front of the school board. WHAT??? Seriously? That was the second time the principal had caught me and told me how impressed he was with Jakob's Spanish speaking skills! I was quick to agree and say that I thought Jake would love to do participate.

Last night was the performance... and here are a few of them showing their musculos to their maestra before the show - boys will be boys!

This is one of the 2 performances given by Jake and his classmates:

I think that I have a performer on my hands... although, I think that that has been proven before last night!

They all did very well and the school board was VERY impressed... We are talking about 1st graders speaking Spanish better than some adults (I would doubt if there were more than a few that understood!)

After they were done, most of us went to DQ where the principal treated us all to ice cream!

All in all, it was a great night and it was great to see how well Jake is doing in his class -

GREAT JOB JAKOB!!!

Christmas Program

The ever-present annual School Christmas Program was last week... This year the school decided to be smart and split the school into 2 groups and have 2 programs so that the parents and kids of the whole school don't have to cram into a small space! Hooray! However, for some of us, we had 2 kids and were supposed to be there for both productions... ug. Right idea though!

When Chris got dressed, he found this shirt, put it on and said, "Look, mom! I am Grandpa's boy! He likes plaid, right?" Sooooo stinkin' cute! Of course, Jake followed suit and found his own "Grandpa-ish" shirt to wear.

And after the program there is always the crazy on-the-stage-being-silly picture!
They both did a great job singing and doing the motions to their songs... I am still hearing them days later!

Merry Christmas!

Finally, we aren't waiting till the last minute to get a tree, get it decorated & looking pretty! We did wait for Isaac to be napping/asleep, which made it a little easier to put everything on the tree... but I do feel a little bit guilty about that!

Chris and Jake had fun pulling out old ornaments and remembering them...

... and Isaac had fun in the morning checking it out and exploring "with his eyes not his fingers"!!! ;)

Another Snowy Year?

I hate to admit it, but I think that we might be in for another snowy December! Here I am sitting in front of the computer at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and it is 27 degrees outside! HELLO!?!?! Yes, it is December, but 27 degrees??? And, to make matters even worse, it is extremely windy, supposedly a wind-chill down to 12-18 degrees! Oh. Dear.

Needless to say I am determined to do whatever I can NOT to get stuck in my house for 10+ days, without leaving, with 3 rambunctious boys!

Belated Birthday...

Ok. So I am a slacker. My sister posted something about my son's birthday before me. That stinks! Belated or not... I HAD to put something to commemorate my youngest's 2nd birthday!

A lot has happened in the 2 years of this little boys life, good and bad. But throughout it all, he has been the light that makes us all smile and laugh.

Happy Birthday to my Isaac Joseph!!!

God has definately increased the laughter!!!

Grandma's Birthday, part 2

So last night we went over to my parents house for my Mom's favorite dinner, Chinese (just so happens that that is my favorite meal too! Yum!!!). The boys wrote cards for her, and Christian's was just too funny...

Happy Birthday!!!!!

It's the F word

the terrible F word!

Stop showing me the card before I go crazy!

NOOOOOO!!!

Fifty-eight!

There I said it,

Are you happy now?!

Every time that we (Grandpa, Grandma or I) heard Christian read this we started laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes! He made that up all by himself, with no help from anyone!

-------------------------------------------

For her birthday, the Owings family, the Sypkes Family & the Slemmer Family gave mom this:

... which may seem a little strange, but she has been wanting to make a fountain in her backyard with a huge cauldron. This is just another piece for her to be able to make that fountain.

At the end of the night we even had a little bit of entertainment!

Happy Birthday!!!

Today is my Mom's Birthday!!!

To a wonderful Mom, awesome Grandma and so many other things...WE LOVE YOU!!! Hopefully your day was as fabulous as you!

I Love my boys

Just because I love them... Their smiles, laughter, personalities.

... and because sometimes I need to be reminded of why I do what I do.

I am so very proud to be called their mom and wouldn't change a minute of the last 9 years for anything in the world.

Couch, cleaned!

For all those that saw the aweful mess that my wonderful youngest made on my couch...

... Thanks to my mom, who worked very hard to get all that vapor bath out of it!!! Isn't it beautiful???

Another ER Trip

Tonight we had an unexpected ER trip... (although what ER trip isn't unexpected???) Isaac started complaining that his neck hurt - he was VERY insistent and unconsolable for 20-25 min. I called my mom (who wouldn't in this circumstance?) and proceeded to talk to her for a bit, trying to figure out what to do. The decision was made for us when he started to puke. ER here we come - again. By the time Mom and Dad arrived I had made several phone calls, and Isaac was lathargic on my shoulder having puked 4 times. C&J were safely staying the night at their friends (thank you Friday's!!!). Bags packed, we loaded into the van and mom drove while I kept careful watch over my sick boy.

After telling what happened 4 times to 4 different people, Isaac getting checked out (no ear infection anymore, sounds good, no wheezing, tummy not tender, neck not tender - moves easily) Doc gave him anti-nausea med and 15 min. later Isaac was nearly bouncing, drinking Gatorade, then eating a whole twin pop. Doing much better.

Fast-forward 3 hours - now we are home. Isaac is asleep in his bed, a little disturbed that he can't have his blue "B" because it is in the washer. He might have the Swine flu, but he is definately contagious. Strict instructions to go back to the Dr. if he is still puking in 36 hours or has taken all the miracle anti-nausea med that we were sent home with... time will tell.

By the way. This makes 12 ER trips with for this mommy... and I am SURE it won't be the last.

Ok. Retraction.

The following post is a retration/correction to the previous post, "Just Joking".When I was writing that post, my Mom said that she was sure that it was Chris and not Jake that told that joke. I was just as sure that it was Jake and not Chris... Well, she was right. Yes. I am admitting that my MOTHER is right. (I know, it is in writing now and I can't take it back...) It WAS Chris that told the "roast beef/pee soup" joke...

So, sorry Chris for thinking that it was Jake!

SIlly things

In an effort to record the little things in life that I would never remember on my own:

Mom and I are doing a deep clean of my house. The landlord is going to be coming sometime in the next week and we are making the house "pretty". I was looking under the dishwasher because it sounded like it was leaking... to find that there is no leak, but there is something that causes me to roll on the floor laughing like crazy!

There, back in the corner, was a little "nest" of candy, crackers and other misc. food things... made by a little lost hampster at some point or another.

If I tell my boys about this, I will forever get the "maybe it was the hampster" excuse when I ask about some "missing" food... Oh dear.

Just Joking!

A joke told in the van on the way to the Doctors office on Sunday:

Jakob: Mommy, Grandma. I have a joke for you.
M&G: Ok, what is it?
J: What is the difference between roast beef and pea soup?
(Chris chimes in: Oh, No Jake! Not that one!!!)
M&G: Uuuhhh. We don't know, what?
J: Everybody can roast beef but no one can pee soup... (total look of anticipation on his face)
M&G: (laughing hysterically)
J: Was that funny?
M&G: (still can't answer, laughing too hard!)

Then both boys proceed to try to come up with similar jokes to make us laugh even more... which only ends in silliness and weird jokes.

Oh. Help.

After I sit down for a quick check on my computer this morning, this is what I walk into in my living room:

This is courtesty of my fabulously curious almost-2-year-old. Unfortunately, it isn't just juice or water or even coffee. It is Vapor Bath. Yes - soapy, smelly, slimy vapor bath all over my couch and floor, and I have NO IDEA how to even begin to clean up...

Pray for me. This is NOT a good start to my day.

Just a few...

... random pics, because I can!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

From my 3 monsters to all of you!!!

One Motocross Racer

Fantastic Four's "The Thing"

and the cutest Cow you will ever see!

We saw this HUGE pumpkin in our cul-de-sac this morning...

And it wouldn't be Halloween if there wasn't some sort of meltdown (by someone other than mommy, of course!)

Evening reading time

As I have blogged before, Chris HATES to read outloud. Unfortunately, it is part of his homework so it continues to be a nightly battle. He did, however, enjoy this:

Isaac was a little put-off by the fact that Chris wouldn't read HIS book, but was still ok to sit next to him and read to himself...

Fall is here!

I must admit, I hate to see Summer go. However. I will not miss the hot weather. I will miss the lazy days of no school, sleeping in and letting the boys have at the neighborhood. I am loving that both Chris and Jake are in all day school and I have just Isaac here, who takes 2 2-hour naps (YEAH!!!). I do love fall for its beautiful changing leaves, the cool mornings and the crisp evenings.

This is a tree just down the street from me that I have been meaning to take a pic of for more than a week. I finally did it!

And a spider web that had the morning mist clinging to it...

Welcome Fall. Don't be to harsh on us. Keep the sickies away, friends close and hot cocoa in our mugs to warm us on those cooler days.

Blessings to you all!

Fire Truck Ride... Oh yeah and pancakes!

So. We went to the Fire Department for the Pancakes, but the best part was the Fire Truck Rides!!! The boys were SOOOOOO excited (including Isaac) to see the trucks up close and personal. Then we got on...

The first time we went Chris sat in front... yes, no pic of that, Grandpa had the camera. This is our second trip - neither Chris or Jake could stop smiling the ENTIRE time!!! They asked the driver very polite questions, like what would happen if there was a fire when we were out on the ride? He said that we would just have to hurry back and get everyone out of the truck and get to the fire as fast as they could. He was very nice and explained in "kid terms" the many components of the truck.

Isaac got to go only with Mommy, so we went twice. He was so facinated by the seats and the things around us, he hardly said a word the whole time, which is rare for this child!

Chris and Jake went 3 times, and would have kept going if I would have let them... We went torwards the end of the day so there were hardly anyone there and no one in line for the most part!
I don't think that they had ANY fun what-so-ever, but I think that I will have to drag them to it next year to torture them even further... Hahahaha!

Shop-ping

Tuesday Mom and I were going to go shopping. Isaac was with us and in trying to leave Mom's house, we were telling him, "Let's go Shopping!!!" Trying to make it sound much more fun and exciting than it actually is. Much to our surprise, Isaac got all excited and kept trying to get us out the door! After a few detours - closing up the house, quickly getting a new load of laundry in before we left - we were finally walking out the door. Isaac heads straight for Grandpa's SHOP, still repeating "shop-ping, shop-ping"... All Isaac had heard was "shop", not the "-ping" part and had assumed that we were going to go and do this fun and new thing in the shop... Poor kid. We had to open the door and show him that no one was there, before he would even THINK of going to the van. You could tell that he was kinda disappointed, but got in the van willingly anyway.

Makes you wonder what else they think is one thing only to be disappointed that it is completely different!?!?!?

What a way to start the morning...

We weren't doing too bad in timing. Boys had had breakfast. Jake getting his shoes on. Chris completely ready, he just needed to grab his backpack. I went out to start the van and get it warm... Started it, accidentally pushed "lock" instead of "unlock"... closed the van door. OH. CRAP. Of course, my extra key is in my wallet - inside the van. UG. The only extra key is Grandma's. Across town - a good 15 min. I call, apologizing. She says she is on her way...

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START THE MORNING!!!!!

ARG!!!

Why does homework have to be so hard?

I was sitting at the table with a certain 8-year-old (ahem) who LOVES to read. However, his homework is for him to read a book, whatever book he likes, outloud to someone. Therein lies the problem. OUTLOUD. He will read book after book after book, but tell him that he needs to read it outloud to someone and he becomes a whining, fit-throwing, 2-year-old!

I sit him at the table. I tell him that he needs to read outloud to me. Whenever he is ready, just let me know... It doesn't take long before he realizes that Jake is outside playing with the neighbor boy, having fun and he won't get to do that till he does what he is supposed to do... Reading begins. Finally.

Funny. This fight has happened almost every week for 4 weeks... Here's to praying that he learns and remembers for next week!

22 months old and...

... this little monkey (oh my am I really saying this?) is potty training!

I bought this potty chair on Friday, and this morning before he got into the bath, he peed for the first time... REALLY???!!!!! We celebrated, clapped, cheered and he got 1 M&M... for which he wanted and tried to pee some more.

Really? Am I really posting about this? Yup.

And he is only 22 months old... Yeah, I am in for it. OSM.

Fun with Jake

This last Wednesday, Chris stayed after school for his first choir practice. Jake was quite upset that he couldn't stay with Chris, so we had a little bit of Mommy and Jakob Time. It was really fun! We started off getting a few snacks from home and then Jakob directed me to one of his favorite parks... Discovery Meadows. There was hardly any other people there so we pretty much had the place to ourselves...

Jake had a lot of fun sliding and then climbing back up to the top...

Us at the top of one of the structures

Jake hammin' it up for me...

And then Jake had the most fun jumping off of the swings while I took pictures in rapid succession... This is just ONE of the ONE HUNDRED that I took - we both agree that this is the best one!

All in all we had a lot of fun - and I don't think that Jake will mind very much if Chris isn't there with him next Wednesday!!!