Baby Fix

No, the title of this post is not what you think it is. We had that taken care a long time ago! Actually, we are heading to Kansas to visit my sister and her family this weekend. I am so ready for a baby fix I can't stand it!!! I love babies, especially little ones. I could totally do 0-12 months all over again. I can't wait to get my hands on baby Emmett! Our niece, Brooke was in St Louis last weekend but I wasn't able to get my hands on her for long. Just didn't work out.

Also-an update for this week. I now am the mother of 3 boys. Well at least one girl that looks like a boy! Avery decided it would be a good idea to cut her hair and now she totally looks like a boy, Lloyd Christmas from "Dumb and Dumber" at that!! I know it will grow so she'll just be wearing a lot of bows for awhile.

Happy Memorial Day!

Flag Football

The boys wrapped up their flag football seasons this past weekend. Chases's team only lost one regular season game. They played 3 games this weekend which culminated in the Super Bowl. He scored a touchdown on Sat and one on Sunday as well as a 2 point conversion. His team finished in 2nd place in a game against their biggest rivals in flag and tackle.

Owen's team started off looking like the Bad News Bears. By the end of the season they ended up at .500 and won the Super Bowl! They really looked like a team that knew what they were doing! Owen has transformed into quite a football player. His first game on Sunday they won 22-21 and Owen scored all 22 points! In the Super Bowl they won 15-13 and he scored all 15 points! It was so fun to watch this little guy just tear up and down the field. Afterwards, he would just humbly toss the ball to the ref and go take his spot for the next play.

I like football but I really LOVE watching my boys play!

coming to an end

I can't believe it but Avery has actually been sleeping in her crib since she was a baby. Macie moved to a bed before she turned 2. The boys started climbing out of their cribs at age 1. For some reason, God has blessed us with this stroke of good fortune. She's goes down easily, stays down and has consistently slept a solid 12 hours in her crib. Just recently she has started climbing out when she wakes up. The crib is the one thing left that is really "baby." Strange how some rites of passage are embraced and others not. I'm glad to be done with the diapers, nursing, crawling and middle of the night wakings but this is one passage I am not quite ready for.

In a funk

I admit it, I'm in a funk. I'm struggling. It may seem like a surprise to many because I really do put on a good front. I'm just feeling really beaten down by the people around me lately. Not the ones close to me or even the ones that really matter but by people in general. Part of my problem too is that I have such a small group of people to lean on and none of them are here. Locally I have one or two people and our lives are so busy that it seems we never get the chance. I long for a neighborhood where people are supportive of each other instead of always tearing each other down. I can't even drive down my street without feeling anger, hostility or judgment towards me and from me. I know I need to move on and just focus on God and his plan but it's just so hard. I feel like I am constantly being evaluated for how I look and what I do. I feel myself retreating into my home and just trying to keep everyone safe from all the outside crap. I will sort it out, I always do, I just need to get my head on straight and my heart full again.

Exhausted

We have been so busy lately that I really haven't had time nor inclination to write. There have been plenty of things to write about though. Once I catch my breath again, I'll put some thoughts down on paper, er I mean keyboard.

Words

Being the youngest of 4, Avery hears her fair share of words that I'm certain the others did not hear let alone use at her age. Also, being as vocal as she is, she has started to try them out. Her favorites are mostly potty words like butt, poop and pee, but she has also added shut up and stupid to her repertoire. She lights up with delight knowing these are taboo and loves to get a rise out of me and Stewart. On Friday she tried them out at school. Her teacher calmly and gently asked her not to use those words and gave her suggestions for other words instead. End of story.

Fast forward our drive home from school. We stop by the grocery store and are in the check out line. A woman gets in line behind us and Avery exclaims and points "mommy, her butt is big!" I try to ignore her, hoping the woman hasn't heard her. I pull her closer to me hoping she will just stop. She says it again, "look how big her butt is!" At this point I am certain the cashier and the lady have heard her. I bend down and gently remind her that we don't use those words. She looks at me very seriously and says, "but mommy, her butt is huge!" I am dying. First from embarrassment. Second, because she was defending herself, implying that she wasn't merely using potty words to be silly but that the woman's butt was really huge. Third, she was right! Sometimes there is just no arguing with a 3 year old. The art of tact will be our next lesson.

Tic Tac

All of our kids love orange tic tacs. They are the treat they get when they come with me somewhere and behave really well. Avery was eating some the other day and came over to me saying "ouch". She looked fine. She then pointed to her nose and said "tic tac." Sure enough, she had lodged an orange tic tac far beyond reach. Just far enough that I could see it but not far enough that it would go down into her throat. Her nose starts running orange. I calmly had her blow her nose several times. Nothing. Tried a few more times. Nothing. Called the neighbor who is a paramedic and asked him for advice. He suggested I call the pediatrician. I'm on the phone with the medical assistant sounding like a complete idiot when it finally dissolves enough to dislodge. Seriously, what is up with my kids sticking things in their noses??