Boys

I found a quote when I was expecting my second boy and it read: "With boys, you always know where you stand.......................Right in the path of a hurricane."

It is oh so true at my house and I imagine at every other house full of boys. They fight, "duke it out", say what they mean and mean what they say. They are mad, then are shortly over it. One minute they are throwing punches and the next they are chum-chumming over a hamburger.

With God sending another boy our way I can say that I don't think there is anything rougher, dirtier, or stinkier than a boy, but it is just the way it is supposed to be. So bring on the stinky outside smell, the growing boy appetites, the endless rough-housing, and the age-old question "Where in this house is there a FLASHLIGHT? Seriously". Mama's got a lot of loving to do.

Soggy Broccoli

I had a Dr.'s appointment yesterday. Before I went home I stopped at the hospital cafeteria, browsed through the options. Overcooked manicotti, soupy, soggy broccoli and cauliflower, cheesy potato casserole, philly cheestesteak, various sandwiches, pies, and of course the soup and salad bar. Holy moly. I have a confession. I LOVE cafeteria food. While I was browsing I ran into a few hospital employees that I know, and one asked, "What are you doing here?" (and she meant the cafeteria and not the hospital bc she's knows why I was at the hospital). I told her I come every time I have an appointment, whether it is breakfast or lunch, mealtime or not, I almost always stop for tea or something. Anyway, it WAS lunchtime and I got myself a ladelful of the broccoli and cauliflower and an even sloppier scoop of the potato casserole. Mmmmmm. The potato casserole was so creamy and cheesy and salty and the onions in it were huge and crunchy. Sure, at the appointment just a few moments earlier, I learned of a 5 pound weight gain, but that didn't stop me. We liked it. I remember one time when my husband and I were dating he said, "I LOVE cafeteria food", then I knew;)

I even stay one extra night in the hospital after I have a baby to have the extra help of the nurses, rest my body, and call in my big breakfast of choice for one more day!!!!!!!!

Una cerveza, por favor

BEER BREAD

3 c. self-rising flour
2 T. sugar
1 can light beer

Mix flour and sugar. Add 1/2 can of beer. Stir. Add other half. Place in greased loaf pan and bake at 375 for 55 minutes. Crusty on the outside, soft in the middle. Serve with unsalted butter. None of that fake stuff. Don't be afraid!!!!!!!

14 early signs you are with child

14 early signs you are with child:

1. Even though you WANT to be asleep on the couch, you tell your kids you are just resting your eyes and could they please not wave the toy hammer in front of your face.

2. You desperately want the bathrooms to be clean, but every time you go in you can’t wait to get out because it isn’t that clean, and the thought of dragging out cleaning supplies and rags just makes you tired.

3. Your husband asks if you have any plans for dinner and you wonder why everyone in this house is hungry all the time?

4. You hold your breath when you go into a public restroom in fear that if one little particle of that sticky, bubble gum air “freshener” makes its way into your nostril you may toss your cookies.

5. You let a pound of hamburger go bad in the fridge because if you even look at it you start to dry-heave.

6. You strive for that happy medium between not too full and not too empty on the stomach meter.

7. Your one year old starts to lean over the toilet and make gagging sounds all in imitation of you.

8. You put the kids down for a nap, turn off all the lights in the house, turn off the phones, and go straight to your bed, wasting no time.

9. Your usual calm and collected self turns into mommy the monster.

10. You sit and wait for the day you will muster up the energy to clean.

11. You get online and get a bid for someone to come clean your house, just once. You decide it is too much money, good grief, you can do it. One week later, it still isn’t done.

12. Your husband asks what we have in the house for dinner and you tell him whatever he wants as long as he promises not to cook hamburger or eggs.

13. You wonder why the often urge to pee results in such a little amount.

14. Mannerisms/comments from strangers/repeated noises that didn’t use to bother you all of the sudden make you close your eyes and count to 5 before you say anything.

Change my Heart

Every couple of weeks I make a "to-do this week" list. I like adding "this week" because it gives me a 5 day time frame rather than 1 day. Right now the list beside me says clean bathrooms, vacuum, donations to pink door, deliver bed to Lori, get bed for S, new shower curtain liners, clear out pantry, change air filter, store (and under that the list is diapers, milk, clorox wipes, Bruce floor cleaner). Today two things I got accomplished from my list: cleaned one bathroom and made a trip to the pink door. Ok, technically I didn't get to cross bathrooms off because I only cleaned one. Since I was already over that way I exchanged a pair of boxers for Josh (I know), and by that time we were hungry and I stopped at Taco Bell. After a load of dishes, a load of laundry, filling up the kiddie pool, picking a few tomatoes that didn't have huge bites out of them from the rabbits, serving a well-rounded breakfast of nutri-grain bars and yogurt, helping H through his "poopy-hurrt, poopy-hurrrt" dilemma, answering questions about a neighbor (who is wanting to leave his electrical business and do SOMETHING I can't quite recall) from a guy that stopped by from the Bureau of Investigation, the morning was over. We ran those errands then came home and scarfed some refried beans and nachos. We were (they were) swimming a little while S heard a big truck in the front of the house, so we went and watched the Oversized Load be slowly manuevered down our street and around the corner. The boys were mesmorized. We went inside, dried off, read Llama, Llama Red Pajama, There's a Wocket in My Pocket, Snow, and Missouri's top 50 Bugs book, then placed each booger in their respective beds and sat down at the computer. And I looked at this list. Uhmmmmmm.........ya that will have to do for today. I just don't feel like doing those other things. I know. I know this is not what God intended, it is not the attitude I should have. I know it is wrong. Today I just don't care. Change my heart, O God. Put a fire in me. Make me more like You. Help me see your Sovereigny as I do this homework for Bible Study tomorrow. Because You are sovereign. What does that mean? In charge? You can do anything, You are in control? Teach me, Lord.

Torn

Oh, it wasn't long ago that I had a toddler toddling beside me, wanting to do all the things that I do, wanting nothing else but to be "heard" and feel understood. Now that toddler is a little boy who CAN do some of the things I do, wanting nothing else but to be "bigger".

He now has a little brother that not only wants to do everything mom and dad do, but mostly everything that little boy (the one that is one head taller than him) does. Every puzzle, every climb, every light switch, every tower, every sentence, every sound...

And when he can't, he's frustrated.

And when his hands don't have the motor skills, he's frustrated.

And when he's on his tip-tip-toes and is still not tall enough, he gets a step stool:)

Conked

BEFORE


AFTER