Happy New Year

Just wanted to send a happy 2009 to everyone.
Thanks for sharing in our life and loving my family.
Here's to health, happiness, a life full of family, fun, friends and a closer walk with the Father.

Such a blessing!

Every woman I know wants to be pursued. Every woman wants to feel longed for and loved. Most look to men, friends, kids or work for praise, validation, love, purpose. God wants us to come to him and look to him for those things and so, so much more. I have struggled with finding each and every one of those things since I quit work to stay home with the boys. Only a few really know about my struggles in this area (just trying to keep it real today).
I know that God has been pursuing me and desiring me to have a sincere, true change of heart. A change of thinking toward him and his goals, plans and purposes for my life. A life that looks to him for my validation, love, purpose, praise. This has come at me in so many different ways lately. I have felt God pursuing me, urging me to come to him, pulling at my heart and my spirit to come back into true fellowship with Him. I have spent so much time (totally wasted time, might I add) thinking of ways I could do things that would fulfil me as a person. Ways I could volunteer, work part time and still be with the boys, ways I could work full time and still have as much time left over with the boys and with Eric. But those things just don't matter because they are not God's plan for me.
I have been trying to do things my own way for way too long. I have been looking to my husband to affirm me. I have been looking to my children to validate me. Not only is that ridiculous and unfair of me, it is a whole lot to put on a 4 year old and a 19 month old. It is not fair to them. It places a responsibility on them that they should not have to bear. I plan to apologize to them for doing that. I know that they will not understand me, but I need to do it.

The following verses were one of the (many) ways that God spoke to my heart this week. I read this on another woman's blgo and it was like she was writing it just for me and speaking straight to my heart. I pray that it bless you as well.


I made her. She is different. She's unique. With love I formed her in her mother's womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember with great pleasure the day I created her. (Psalm 139:13-16)
I love her smile. I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh and the silly things she says and does. She brings me great pleasure. (Psalm 139:17)
I made her pretty and not beautiful, because I knew her heart and knew she would be vain. I wanted her to search out her heart and to learn it would be Me in her that would make her beautiful and would draw friends to her. (I Peter 3:3-5)
I made her in such a way that she would need Me. I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be, only because I want her to turn to Me in her loneliness. Only because I need for her to lean to and depend on Me. I know her heart. I know if I had not made her like this she would go her own way and forget about Me, her Creator. (Psalm 62:5-8)
I have given her many good and happy things because I love her. (Psalm 84:11 and Romans 8:32)
Because I love her, I have seen her broken heart and the tears she has cried alone. I have cried with her and had a broken heart too. (Psalm 56:8)
Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone, only because she would not hold My Hand. So many lessons she has learned the hard way, because she would not listen to My Voice. (Isaiah 53:6)
She is mine. I made her then I bought her because I love her. (Romans 5:8)
I have to reshape and remold her, to renew in her what I want her to be. It has not been easy for her or for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)
I want her to be conformed to My Image. This high goal I have set for her because I love her. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

One last thing (if anyone is still with me)..... another thing that really spoke into my life was the Christmas Eve service at our church. It is available online and if you have 45 mins or so, I would really encourage you to go and watch it. I will be praying to see a flip of your cardboard.... just go watch and you'll understand! :) www.watermarkradio.com Click on "What in the World Was He Thinking" on 12/24/08. Enjoy.

Still here!

Yes, I am still here. It has been almost 2 weeks since I have blogged and it has been a VERY full two weeks.

12/16 - K&E's 8th wedding anniversary

12/17 - Miles' last day of school for 3 weeks and Mason's class Christmas party (which I was in charge of.... it went very well and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves)

12/18 - Found out E made Partner at his firm. Dinner out that night to celebrate!!!

12/19 - 12/20 - Night away in Ft. Worth to celebrate anniversary and partnership (Boys at Nana and Papa's). We stayed in a B&B downtown, went to 4 Day weekend improv club and a late dinner at Lonesome Dove (AMAZING food, by the way!!)

12/21- 23 - Boys and I prepared for Christmas. Wrapped all the gifts. Played with friends.

12/24 - Spent day with K's family. Christmas Eve service at Watermark - best Christmas Eve service I have ever attended! Made cookies for Santa, had dinner together, opened presents, even heard Santa and his sleigh bells outside the window at Nana and Papa's house.

12/25-26 - Mason found his Santa gifts before the rest of us got up. He then hid under the dining room table and ate one of the cookies that Santa left behind..... sneaky kid! We opened Santa's gifts and gifts from Mommy and Daddy. Spent the rest of the day with E's family and stayed the night to spend a little extra time with his sister, bro-in-law and niece.

12/27 - Started taking down the Christmas decorations. Mason was really unhappy about this and kept telling me it was still Christmas. He also took a bunch of ornaments out of the boxes (that I had already put away) and put them back on the tree. UGH!!! Double work for Mommy. I also went through their toys and put away anything that was too young, not played with or torn up. It was nice to have the cleansing of toys.

12/28 - Church this morning (more on that later -- really good points were made). I visited some friends at the hospital that had a baby yesterday (after only 6 hours of labor -- so not fair!!!). She is precious and so tiny (6lb 9 oz)! I had to leave because I could literally feel my uterus doing flips and felt the pull of my heart wanting to experience that new life inside my tummy again..... sigh. Just not sure if that is going to happen again though. How do you know when your family is complete? How do you know if another is more than you can handle? E feels that we are complete, but I just don't know yet. Shouldn't I know already and shouldn't we feel the same? I will be 33 in a few weeks. So, we don't have a ton of time left to figure this out. Sigh. I just don't know.

Sorry to end on that sad note. I have been struggling a lot lately with be satisfied with our family, where we are (not perfect but striving to be loving and good examples for our boys), and what we are not. Christmas was hard seeing all of the girly presents going by and all the girly dresses for our nieces. I love our family how it looks right now and can't imagine it any other way, but my heart still longs for a daughter. Sigh.
E took Miles to the park. Mason lost that privilege because of some bad behavior this afternoon. So, he and I are hanging out at home. Maybe we'll work on putting up the rest of the Christmas decorations.

Four days in a row! Lots of randomness...

Wow, four days in a row of posts. I have not done that in a while.

Mason's school Christmas party is tomorrow. I know that this is probably silly, but I am really excited. For him, of course! I remember Christmas parties at school and how special it was to get to have cookies and parents there.

Since I am the class room mom, I have had the fun of organizing the party. We have 2 crafts, a story and, of course treats. There are 8 kids in the class, 6 of which are boys. So, I was pretty selective in the craft and ruled out (quickly) anything that used paint, glue, glitter, or anything else messy! At Christmas, that makes for a really short list of crafts. But, I found two easy ones and I prepared them last night.

About 3 miles away from my house, at my bestest friend Keely's house, it is a winter wonderland. I'm talking several inches of snow everywhere. Looking at my back yard, there is nothing but dead grass. No snow to make it all look pretty. Just a wet patio, bare trees and dead, yellow grass. How did that happen?

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY, Dylan!!!! We love you!!!!! (That's Mason's girlfriend/future wife.)

Happy 8th Anniversary, Eric. I love you and can't believe it has been 8 years.

Pics of Kim and I at the race on Sunday:

This is at around mile 5, I think.
This is at mile 10. Yes, we were totally walking at this moment. At that moment, 10 miles was the farthest I had ever run at one time. Another 3.1 miles felt like 30 more!

Just because I think that my kids are the cutest in the world(and it is my blog), here are a couple of Christmas card picture out-takes:

Like the new layout? Mason is totally in love with all the Rudolph videos this year, so I thought I would change it for him. :)

Weather

Yesterday's high: 80 degrees (with wind gusts up to 45 mph)
Current temp: 28 degrees (with wind chill of 17 degrees)

HUH??? I guess I should be elated about yesterday's weather (and wind) for the run. Had this cold front come in a day earlier, I would NOT have run. My blood is too thin for running. I have to leave soon to go pick up the boys from school. They'd better be glad that I REALLY love them or it would be tempting to stay here on the nice, warm, comfy couch........

Went for a run this morning (updated)

So, I went for a run this morning with Kim and 17..... thousand.... of my closest friends! :)
Seriously, I am in much better spirits today and SO SO SO glad that it is over. I could have run faster. But, I enjoyed the run. I enjoyed having so many people around me running. I enjoyed seeing all the different people out there -- all ages, races, physical abilities. I enjoyed the cheering (although there were definiely places that were quiet and spectators were sparse!). I enjoyed the time to chat uninterrupted with Kim. Kim, thank you for coming into town early, running with me, encouraging me the entire 13 miles, never making me feel like I was failing, (even when our pace was painfully slow), and especially for not kicking me in the shins like you threatened! :)
My good friend Irini joined us at mile 10 and without her chatter, energy and encouragement, I honestly think that I would have either just quit or totally stopped and walked. Thank you, thank you, thank youk, Irini!!!
Eric, Mason and Miles were able to see us 3 different times (one benefit of running slow!) before the finish line and once, Mason even ran along with Kim and I for about a minute. The people around us thought he was SO cute (which, of course, he is!!!) and it was sweet for him to cheer momma on. I needed it right then. It was such a pick-me-up to see their smiling faces.
The first several miles were mentally challenging. I was really feeling that there was no way I would be able to finish the entire 13.1 miles (Kim kept reminding me about that extra 0.1 mile!!!). We first saw the boys at mile 1.8 and I saw them first. The funny part was that I could not recall their names. All I could say was "baby mine Mason". I will probably never live that one down and it certainly caused some laughter around us. I was mentally fighting a battle at that point though. However, by the last several miles, it was more a battle of my body. I was tired. Until today, the farthest I have run was 10 miles, and that was last Sunday. However, just past mile 12, I came up with the word "vindicated". Again, I will not live that one down with Kim and Irini. Caused some good laughs again!
Ok, I am going to spend some quality time (on my rear on the couch) with Miley-Moo. Daddy and Mason went to a birthday party for one of Mason's school friends. Miles and I are going to hang out and enjoy the quiet of this Sunday afternoon.
Have a great week and I will post some pics once I get them downloaded (that would require walking right now and, well, that hurts!) and from my mom.

******************update:
I just heard on the local news that a 29-year old woman from Austin died during the marathon today. They don't yet know why she died though. Please keep her family in your prayers. What terrible news to end this day on.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is my half-marathon. I have not written about running in a while. Did you think that I stopped? Maybe I just decided not to train for it any more. Well, I am still running. And running. And running. I honestly didn't know if I would make it to this point. But here I am.
I would love to say that I am excited and ready and can't wait to get out there. Well, I am. But, I am more ready for it to just be over with. (Just keeping it real!!) I am more looking forward to about noon tomorrow, or maybe 1PM when I can lay down and take a nap, satisfied that this goal is complete.
I am proud of myself that I stuck with it and that I am about to accomplish my goal. Several people have asked me if I plan to run another half or a full-marathon. Let me just say now very clearly..... NO. I have no desire. I think that I just did this one to prove to myself that I can. I will be quite happy to cheer on Eric from the sidelines and maybe one day cheer Mason and Miles as well. But, that's it for me. Resident cheerleader, coach, spectator.
I am looking forward to exercising because I want to, not because my schedule tells me I have to. I am looking forward to doing something other than running -- biking, elliptical maybe. Or, I could just walk. Novel idea, I know.
This week is quite a busy one for our family. I hope to have lots of fun posts, good news for everyone (no, I am not pregnant -- don't even go there), and cute pics. If my camera doesn't totally die on me - it is getting close.
Say a prayer for me in the morning. The weather should be nice, even a little warm in the 60s during the race. Today was really windy, so I am just hoping it won't be tomorrow. Kim, Eric's sister, came into town early to run with me, so it will be nice to have someone to chat with and keep up with tomorrow. Maybe we can finish a little faster than I have been running the last few weeks!

On the home front, Mason is well - just a little cough left. He always bounces back so quickly! Miles is over the pnemonia (finished his meds today in fact). However, the meds caused him to have AWFUL diarrhea starting Wednesday night. That wasn't the worst part. It was the diaper rash from all the diarrhea that has been the worst. There have been lots of tears (his and mine) and while I would like to say that we have a handle on it, we really don't yet. Hopefully now that the medicine is finished, he will start getting better. Poor little guy just can't get a break!

More soon!!

Best in Baby Scrapbooking

If you have known me for very long, you know that I am not that creative. I try but usually fall a little short. However, for some reason, I love to scrapbook. I love to create pages that capture the moment and showcase our pictures of the boys. I wish I had more time, but do the best I can.
I love to read Jessica's blog - she has a beautiful new baby boy and is an amazing scrapbooker. She is doing posts this week about products she loves, showcasing layouts of her sweet boy (you know I have a soft spot for baby boys!!!), and giving lots of tips and hints. I am learning so much and am getting inspired to start scrapping again. Go visit her (see the button on the right) blog and have fun!!!

Sick

Miles was sick. (Had a virus and then pnemonia.)
Mason is sick. (Had to pick him up early from school today. He's sleeping now.)
Mommy is also sick. (Thanks for spreading the love around, Miles!)

Ran 10 miles yesterday. Feel pretty good today. Considering.
Half-marathon is Sunday. Hope this cold goes away. VERY VERY SOON.
Don't really feel like writing right now. Just want my headache to go away......

Raffle-way

What's a Raffle-way? It's a raffle/give-away.
One of my favorite blogs is www.mycharmingkids.net.
MckMamma is so funny and down-to-earth. She has 4 kiddos -- ages 3, 2, 1 and newborn. Yep.... crazy!!!! The newborn, Stellan, is an absolute miracle. Go read about him and their precious family. It gives me goosebumps every time I read her blog or see pics about him.

Anyway, she is doing a raffle-way. For a new camera, lens, bag, lots and lots of good stuff. If you have seen my camera lately, well, you know it is just SAD. I would LOVE this camera. It is actually the exact one I have had my eye on for a while. But, it is pricey. So, go, look, enjoy, maybe enter yourself into the raffle-way for the amazing camera. The button is on my sidebar.

My blog's personality type

From http://www.typealyzer.com/
ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.
The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

REALLY?? Does everyone else agree with this? Leave a comment and let me know.....

Advent

We are celebrating the Advent season in our house this year with a Jesse Tree.
So, I'll be sharing our daily story with you all so you can enjoy this new tradition with us! I'll also try to take a picture of each of our ornaments so you can see our interpretation (some are quite loose interpretations!) of each story.
Today: Isaiah 11:1-2
Where the term "Jesse tree" comes from.

Reading:
God has a plan for everything. Long before Jesus was born lived a man named Jesse. Jesse had seven sons; the youngest was named David. When David grew up, he became a great king of Israel. God had a plan for Jesse and for his son David, even before they were born.
Jesus was also part of Jesse and David's family tree, born many, many years after David. People waited a long time for the birth of the savior. The season of Advent is a season of waiting for us, too. We wait for Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
It is hard to be patient, especially when we are waiting for something wonderful like Christmas! But it is important to learn to be patient, and to trust that God has a plan for us, too.

Talk about:
Why is waiting so hard?

Prayer:
Dear God, we thank you that you have a plan for each of us. Help us to be patient as we wait for Jesus' birthday.

I'm thankful for ....... #4

I am so thankful for my family. I was blessed with an amazing family. My parents have been married for 41 years and were an awesome example of what a Godly marriage looked like. They also made sure we attended church every week (multiple times a week, usually!) and that we knew that we have a Heavenly Father that loves us and is concerned about us. They supported me in every activity I desired to do - Missionettes (at church), piano lessons, trumpet lessons, marching band, jazz band, band trips, Quest classes in elementary school, and the list goes on and on. They were at every Mesquite High School football game for my 4 years there (and an additional 3 for my older brother). They were always faithful to attend, cheer, encourage, and ust be there - for me and all my friends. I don't know how many kids at MHS called them "mom" and "dad".
I also have 2 older brothers that LOVED to torture little sister (And, for the record, they pulled me off the bunk bed when I was 2 - causing my broken wrist. I REFUSE to acknowledge that I "jumped".) :) My brothers married fabulous women and I am blessed with 2 amazing sis-in-laws. AND, they have made me an aunt 3 times -- Kaleb, Maddie and Hannah always make me smile. I love getting to see them grow, learn, explore, and challenge (haha -- torture!!!) my older brothers!!!
I have talked about my precious grandmothers before -- Nennie and Mema.

I also have an amazing family in my in-laws. I am fortunate enough to have loving, Godly mom-in-law and dad-in-law in the Kimballs. They have never treated me like an in-law, just another daughter. I love that. They are amazing parents and grandparents. It has been so fun to see them come alive since the boys have made them Mimi and Grandpa. They are so fun and never fail to drop everything and get on the floor to play with M&M. I am so grateful that my boys have 2 sets of grandparents to model God's love and a long-lasting loving marriage to them. When I married Eric, I received my third sister-in-law. Like her parents, Kim has never failed to treat me like a sister. We love to talk, shop, run, play, shop, and have pedicures (did I mention shop???) together when we are in the same town. Ben, Kim's husband, is a great guy that always keeps us laughing. I didn't realize how much until I was in the hospital after having Mason. K&B came into town to meet their first nephew and Ben had us laughing SO hard, my c-section incision hurt so badly, I was crying and had to get additional pain meds! I literally laughed until it all hurt!! That leaves sweet Emilyn. Em, you are a precious child and I miss that we are not closer and able to spend more time together. I love that you and Miles are so close in age (1 month and 1 day apart) and hope that you will be close friends your whole life. Your sweet smiles make me so happy and those beautiful, big brown eyes melt my heart. I can't wait to see you very soon -- 3 weeks!!
I am thankful for my entire family!

Mason-isms

Two funny stories about Mason today:

mason woke up from his nap to the sound of the heavy-trash truck.
he likes to watch it, so he opened his blinds (i could hear him from the den).
suddenly, he came running into the den gasping and sobbing. i knew he wasn't hurt but it took a couple of minutes and a couple of tries to figure out what he was saying through the heartbreaking sobs.
finally, i realized it was "they took our new pumpkins, mommy"
he was devistated!!! he was not just crying but sobbing.
he totally did not understand that daddy put the pumpkins out there for the trash men to take.
poor guy.
ahhhhhh, the simplicity of life through the eyes of an almost 4-year old!

this morning, as i was getting mason dressed, he was squealing right in my ear, so i nicely told him to be a little more quiet as he was hurting my ears.
on the way home this morning from running a few errands (including picking up our registration packets for the Turkey Trot on Thursday!!!), it was close to lunch time and i was trying to keep peace and quiet in the car, so i started making silly car noises. that almost always gets a few laughs and sometimes participation from mason and even miles at times. this time, mason says "no thank you, mommy. that hurts my ears."
what can you say to that? there really is no come-back!

miles is sick. again. he has been running a fever since saturday night. no other real symptoms of illness though. clear runny nose and associated cough. some throwing-up yesterday, but he does that everytime he gets congested. could be teething. should i take him to the doctor before the holidays? his fever was 101.6 before naptime today. i am not sure what to do. he isn't eating much and has been napping for just over 3 hours now. any thoughts? anyone?

I'm thankful for ....... Mason's version

Mason had a project at school - a turkey that they decorated with feathers and paint. In the middle it says:
"I'm thankful for....."
Mason's response:
"my trains and my brother."

I'm so glad he included Miles, but probably is more thankful for his trains than his brother most days! :) Thought that this might make you smile - it did me! :)

I'm thankful for ....... #3

I am thankful for Miles.
I hardly even know where to start on this one. Miles is such a joy. He has a personality that is HUGE. He lights up a room and lights up our lives with his very presence. He loves people, loves to be held, LOVES his daddy and brother, loves to be active, LOVES to be outside, loves shoes (yes, you read that right). He almost always has a smile on his face and loves to play.
Miles is able to do all this despite being sick most of his first 13 months of life. He started getting ear infections at 4 months and did so almost constantly until we had tubes put in his ears at 10 months old. He started having reflux at a week old and while mostly controlled, we do have the occasional spit-up still. At 4 weeks old, Miles became constipated and that is also an issue that we continue to have to keep close tabs on. (All his sitters/MDO workers think I am crazy at first, as I ask many, detailed questions about his poop each and every time I pick him up!!!)

Miles will be 17 months old in just a few days (on the 26th). He loves Mason so very much. He follows him everywhere and tries to do everything that Mason does. I have a feeling this is going to get him in some serious trouble soon! He tries to climb on everything that Mason does. In fact, he loves to climb on anything he sees. I have walked into our den to see him standing on the coffee table, jumping on Mason's bed (they were nicely playing trains when I walked out a few moments earlier), standing on the train table (no, it probably isn't that sturdy), standing on our bed........ I could go on for a while, but we'll stop there. Back to Mason -- they are going to be best buds very, very soon and I am so happy that they are close in age, even though the last 17+ months have been so trying and tiring!!!

Miles LOVES shoes. He is always putting on shoes (doesn't matter whose - in fact, the bigger the better as they are able to go on easier) and clomping around the house. He wears Eric's dress shoes, my heels (he does pretty well in them), my flip-flops, Mason's "running shoes", slippers, any and all shoes are fair game. If he doesn't want to put them on that day, he will simply carry them around the house. I find shoes in all the wrong places and looking for shoes to put on before we leave the house is an activity that has to start at least 10 minutes before we actually need to leave!!!

I could go on and on and on. But, I have two precious boys that I really want to spend time with. Have a very THANKFUL week!

I'm thankful for ....... #2

I am thankful for my hubby, Eric.
(And, just so that noone wonders, Eric and I did not have a bad day today like Mason and I did yesterday. No fights, misunderstandings, etc. Just thankful for him!!)
Eric is a hard-worker. He is very concerned that he always do his best - no matter what he is doing.
I love the way he can come in after a long day at the office, take his tie and shoes off at the door, put down the blackberry (surgically remove it, put it down - whatever!), and get in the floor and play with the boys. Mason loves to be chased around the house and Eric will not only chase him around, he will pick up Miles and let him play along. They all three fill the house with laughter.
Eric is an encouragement to me.
He is a motivation to me as well. He has gone with me on several of my long runs and has pushed the boys in the double stroller while running 4-6 miles (very, very) slowly to stay with me. He puts up with my complaining about how much I hate running and encourages me to get on out there and just do my best.
As most know, Eric is a marathon runner (show-off :)!!) and last December, he qualified to run the Boston Marathon. Not everyone can do that and, in fact, few are able to complete that goal. Eric set his mind to it, trained very hard for several years and finally was able to meet this huge goal.
There are so many things I can say about Eric. But, I will stop now. Just know that I love him, appreciate him, and am blessed by the husband, father and friend that he is.
I am thankful for Eric.

I'm thankful for ....... #1

Several of the blogs I read are doing a daily post about the things they are thankful for. I think that is a fabulous idea. For me, it is so easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day things and forget to look at the bigger picture. Not seeing the forest for the trees.
Mason and I had a terrible, awful, horrible, worst day in his almost 4-years of life today. It was not one that I care to repeat or remember. I broke down and cried a few times it was so bad. I felt like I had failed. Failed him. Failed myself. Failed Eric. Just failed. Failed at teaching him how to have good behavior. Failed at teaching him there are consequences for bad behavior (because if I had succeeded at teaching him there are consequences, he surely would not have continued with the bad behavior, right?). Failed to find the right punishment. Failed to remain calm and cool under pressure. Failed Miles. Just failed.
(Yes, there is a point and I am getting back to the thankful part!! Hang with me!)
So, the first thing that I would like to share that I am thankful for is Mason. He challenges me. He makes me laugh (no, really!). He has a gentle spirit and a generous heart. He is so much like his daddy and that means that he will one day be an amazing husband, father and friend. He is a faithful friend and a doting brother. He loves to laugh. He is focused and will not move on to the next task until he is satisfied with the first. He has amazing manners and remembers to use them often.

I would like to share one story to illustrate his generous spirit. Mason's preschool class is doing a Christmas fundraiser - Go Nigeria! They are collecting dimes (one dime will feed a family for a day, I believe) to send to Nigeria. They sent home a pamphlet explaining the need and it had pictures of kids. I decided to use this as a teaching time and showed Mason the pamphlet and explained that the kids are hungry and do not have a pantry or refrigerator full of food like we do. We got down our spare change bucket and looked through it together for all the dimes. I was finished at that point. Mason had bigger ideas and a bigger heart. He insisted that we go get his piggybank and look through it for more dimes. He wanted to give the hungry boys and girls his money. If you know Mason, you know that he loves to get money (coins, he hasn't figured out that dollars are worth more yet!) and he loves to put it in his piggybank. We have never taken money out for any reason. He came up with the idea on his own. My momma-heart was so proud of him.
After the day we had, it did my heart so good to remember all the things I love about my big-boy. (And, if you have not seen him recently, he is HUGE!!) He is a handful and a challenge. But, I love him more than I can express. Thank you, Father, for blessing me with Mason.

Caffeine addiction?

Yep, I got it.
I had a check-up at the doctor's this morning and it called for bloodwork. So, I had to fast from midnight last night until my appointment today (not until 11:15). No food. More importantly, no caffeine. It was almost 1pm before I finished at the drs and found the nearest source of caffeine. By that time, I had a migraine coming on. Seriously??? Am I that addicted? Apparently so because I started feeling it hurting around 10am. This is one of those "it's not going away until I sleep" headaches. Great. How many hours until bedtime? (The boys and mine!)
..........................................................................................
Oh, and apparently Miles did not get the memo. So, I'm going to be clear.
Dearest Miles,
Love of my life. Baby of mine. Sweet boy. I pay someone to keep you 12 hours a week. That is all the time that your poor, hurting mommy gets to be away from you. All week. I love you. But, I would really appreciate it if you would start scheduling your poops for during that 12 hours and not the first two after you get home from said time away from me. Saving two really stinky poops for me this afternoon where I am trying really hard not to toss my cookies is not really nice.
Love always, Mommy

............................................................................................
Me: Mason, please take this diaper to the trash for me, ok?
Mason: That stinks.
Me: I know. Please take it to the trash.
Mason: What is it?
Me: Miles' poopy diaper. Please take it to the trash.
Mason: Oh. Can I look at it?

(Huh? Seriously. Only a boy would want to look at a poopy diaper.)
Me: No. Trash. Now. Please.

Dear friends with boys after having girls (yes, Keely and Irini, that would be you two),
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! I can't wait until they get older! You just wait.....!
Love, Your supportive friend Kendra
.................................................................................
Before my head splits in two,
Saturday's run: 9 miles -> 1:48:48 Slow, SO windy, but I did it. I made it all the way around White Rock Lake. I have wanted to do that for several years. Goal completed.
Shorter run Saturday
Next long run, Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning - 8 miles

runs

Tuesday: 4.5 miles -- 46:50
Thursday: 3 miles -- 33:58
Saturday: planned 9 miles
It is 9.33 miles around White Rock Lake, so I am going to head down there in the morning for my run. It is an asphalt running path, so it is much better on the knees and hips than concrete. After Tueday's run, my IT band (runs from your knee to hip) hurt so badly, I could not walk. It was really, really tight. I stretched it and used this big foam roller -- let me tell you - that hurt just as badly as trying to walk! It is better once it gets warmed up and stretched out, so I am hoping for a successful run tomorrow. (Let me clarify that I define successful as making it through the full run and not dying in the process! :) ) I did read that long runs should not be done for time, only to put in the mileage and get the body used to running farther and longer. With all that said, I am hoping to complete it in 1:45 or less. I know it probably seems like a little thing to most people, but please say a prayer for me to finish it well and strong and without too much pain. I really want to accomplish this goal and be able to show myself and the boys that I can do this and the value of challenging goals.
Oh, Mason's poison ivy rash is looking so much better today. I am hoping it will be totally gone in another week!

Dr's report and words

Mason does not have an infection, just poison ivy. Nothing to do but wait. And, hope that the two sets of pictures scheduled for next Saturday (the 22nd) do not show his battle-scars. :)

Miles has several words, finally. He has been really slow in starting to talk. He has made noises for a while, but now says words that we can understand. He says bye-bye, daddy, doggy (although those sound very, very similar!), Go (as in ready, set, Go -- yes, we do a lot of running and chasing in our house), UP (as in pick me Uhhh-Puhhhh!!!), mommy (I hesitate to put this on the list, because I rarely, rarely hear it), No (this one is more "Nahhhhhhhh" than N-O, but it is crystal clear what he means).

Mason's first soccer season came to a close last night. I am happy to have our Saturday mornings back for a while. I do plan to start him again in the Spring, as long as he is willing and having a good time. At 3-4 years old, that is really what matters to me.

Ok, off to put two handsome boys in the bathtub to kill some time, I mean spend some quality time, before Daddy gets home and the sandman comes to visit! :)

Saturday's run

8 miles - 1:30:50
A little slower than I hoped, but I am still getting used to running outside with hills and terrain changes and not on a treadmill that is nice and flat and forces me to keep a pace :)
And, for the record, my training schedule only had me running 7 miles, but I was able to go 8. I have never run that far in my life, so I am pretty proud of myself. And sore. Very sore calves. Sunday my knee hurt all day, but I rested it and iced it, so it is much, much better today, thanks for asking :)!

Please say a prayer for Mason. He got a scratch on his cheek at school sometime last week. Other than the fact that it looked bad because it is on his face, it was really a non-event. We get lots of bumps and scrapes. Saturday morning, he woke up with a little patch of poison ivy (confirmed by our neighbor - a doctor) on the same cheek, about an inch below the scratch. Again, sorta a non-event because he was not really even aware of it, was not scratching it or anything. Well, today I had to pick him up early from school (around 11) as he was scratching it and it has spread and covers most of his cheek, including all over and around the scratch. It is warm, indicating a possible infection and fever? So, we are going to pick up Miles in a little while and head to the ped's office. They can't see us until 3:30, so I am just letting him rest. He put himself to bed around noon (odd behavior), hardly ate any lunch (again, odd behavior), and has been asleep for over 2 hours (really odd behavior). I am not really sure what the dr. will say, but I am a little worried about our big guy. Please say a prayer and I'll update on him later. Maybe I can get him to let me snap a photo - it's pretty nasty looking though.

My favorite Halloween candy!

I know, I am a slacker. I have not updated the blog in a week. Things have been busy and I just haven't been motivated to post anything. I have thought about it a few times, but just didn't. Sorry!
Maybe this will make up for it.....

The view from the front seat to the back of the Pil0t. Just makes me smile :)

Please say a prayer for my run Saturday. I need to run 8 miles and am just intimidated by it. I know that I can do it physically, but I fight against my mind telling me otherwise. This will be the farthest I have ever run also. So, from here on out, I am in new territory!

Mon - 4.5 miles - 49:10 (done)

Tue - Bike 7 miles (done)

Wed - 4 mi - 40:40 (ran out of time to finish a full 4.5 per my schedule) (done)

Th - rest (happily done!)

Fri - 45 min cardio (bike or elliptical)

Sat -- 8 miles (I'll post my time later)

The time change really affected the littlest M&M. He fell asleep while eating his lunch Tuesday. This was at exactly 12:00 noon. This is the first time I've had a child fall asleep in the highchair, so I had to get a picture!!!

Saturday is also my 10 year SMU reunion. Where did the last 10 years go? Eric and I are going to the game, but the boys are staying home to take a good nap. I might need one too after that run.....

Sunday is Mason's last soccer game. I am glad he did it - he usually enjoyed the games. But, I am glad to have our Saturday mornings back!

I voted.

Did you???

Come on..... I did it this morning while not feeling great and with two little boys with me. If I can do it, anyone can! It is our right, privilege, duty.

Wordless Wednesday - Fall fun at the Arboretum

Run times

Not much to talk about today. But, I wanted to post my running times.
Saturday - 6.5 miles -- 1:11:11
Monday -- 2.5 miles -- 29:11
Tuesday -- 6.75 miles on the bike
My legs still felt bad on Monday after Sunday's run. I decided to run anyway. One mile into the run, I knew that I had made a bad decision. So, I headed back home and through sheer determination (and a little Johnson-stubbornness), I made it 2.5 miles. Running and walking. My legs were so sore and tight, it was difficult to even walk normally. Today, my schedule said to run 2 miles or crosstrain. So, I decided to ride the bike. I did that and did weights, which I have not done in a long time. So, it was a nice time at the gym. Will probably rest one more day and try for the 4 miles (on the treadmill) on Thursday.

Taking the boys outside now to enjoy the beautiful 65 degree afternoon! :)

So frustrating

I am very frustrated today. Mostly with myself. I went to the gym on Monday and my iP0d battery died a few minutes into my run. I put it in the cup holder of the treadmill. After the run, I was tired and in a hurry to go pick-up the boys. Yep, you guessed it. I left it sitting on the treadmill, apparently. And, someone decided to take it rather than turn it in. So frustrating on so many levels. First, that someone would take it. Second, that I left it and just wasted the money. Third, that I have to do a 6 mile run on Saturday without any distraction. And, my runs will only be getting longer and longer and more painful. Sigh.
Mason was also sick last night. Threw-up twice in the night. Seems fine today, thankfully.
Eric is out of town until tomorrow night. Here's hoping tonight is a little quieter. It is, afterall, Thursday and that means Gr*y's anat0my. Can't miss that! Thankful for the DVR in our house......

It's official!

I registered for the White Rock half-marathon. On Sunday, December 14th, I will be running 13.1 miles. I am so excited. SO excited!!! :) I didn't think that I would be so excited. In fact, I have put off registering for several weeks because I was just not sure if I could do it. But, I am just biting the bullet and having faith in myself that I can do it.
So, Sunday -> 5 miles - 57:00
Monday -> 4 miles - 41:30
:) Have a great week! Mason has a make-up soccer game at 6:15, so I must go make some dinner for the boys quickly.

Getting back into routines

We returned home Monday afternoon. It has been a crazy 48 hours!
Miles missed Mason. I mean MISSED Mason. He will almost not get more than 5 feet away from big brother. It's pretty cute. Mason doesn't seem to know what to do with the lack of personal space.
Miles is also getting used to be around mommy again. For about the first 24 hours we were home (Monday night until bedtime last night), Miles wanted nothing to do with me. Again, I mean NOTHING. He hardly let me hold him - he would just fight me to get down. Very odd behavior for my little cuddler. In fact, when I got out of the car to pick him up Monday evening, he shook his head "no" to me and put his hand out to push me away. I am not kidding and not exaggerating - my dad saw the whole thing and can back-up my story. Talk about breaking a mom's heart. I just wanted to grab him up and kiss him all over. (I finally got to do that last night as I put him to bed.) He only wanted daddy and Mason. What is up with that?????

Miles is such a climber. He is going to be our first to go to the ER (well, I guess he already did the night of his seizure -- I mean for a broken bone or stitches). He will climb on anything and everything. I walked into Mason's room yesterday morning and he was jumping on Mason's bed. I actually caught him mid-jump. He can jump pretty high, so part of me was proud. :) Most of me just freaked out. There should be no doubt that he will give me a run for my money.

Mason has a soccer game tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, we will be able to get him out on the field this time. He hasn't played in over 2 weeks, so hopefully he will be excited.

Lots of rain here today and cooler temps tomorrow. Too bad I am not in good enough shape to push the boys in the jogging stroller as it should be in the 50s and 60s all day. Would be a great day to go out on a run. I have to do 3.5 miles tomorrow.

Miles is in Mason's room crying, so I should go check on him. I promise to post pics from our trip. Just have to get them downloaded still..... in all my spare time! :)

Back from Chicago

We returned home from Chicago last night.
I missed Miles. I really missed Miles. I have not ever missed a kid like I did him on this trip. I had a really hard day on Saturday, in fact.
But, enough about that.
We had a great trip. We went to the park. We went to a fall carnival where Mason enjoyed a petting zoo. He also had a great time on an obstacle course bounce house. He did such a great job on it and we had to pull him off it several times.
Eric had a great run on Sunday at the Chicago Marathon. He finished in 3:31 which put him in 2246th place overall. Considering the registration is capped at 45,000 runners and it always fills up, that is SO stinking amazing!! It was another very warm day, with temps over 80 at the finish of the race. Thankfully, the city was much more prepared than last year and had plenty of water, wet sponges, misting areas, etc. And, nobody died this year. That is ALWAYS a plus!
Seriously, I am very proud of Eric and even more excited that his training is done. At least until he starts getting ready to run this race........

Speaking of training.....
Friday: 5 miles - 57:58
Sunday: too many miles walking around Chicago chasing to see Eric run by and pushing Mason (all 43 lbs of him) in the stroller. I consider that a serious workout!
Tuesday: 3.5 miles - 35:30

October 8th

October 8, 1999.....
9 years ago today.....
Eric and I met.
We had our first date. Yes, a blind date.
We had dinner at Mi Cocina.
We went to SMU (where he was in law school) and walked around campus.
We went back to his apartment (at the edge of campus) for a potty break. (I immediately noticed it was incredibly clean. Especially for a boy.)
He drove me back to my apartment and we talked a while longer.
He kissed me on the forehead.

Things were so simple then. Who would have thought that we would be married and have 2 beautiful boys.
It does not feel like it has been 9 years.
So much has changed.
Then: I was an engineer. I was working at Nortel Networks. I had just started my MBA. I had my own apartment and drove a new convertible Mustang GT.
Now: I am a mom. I still feel like an engineer some days. (I had to wash the cover on Miles' car seat and let me tell you -- it took me almost a half-hour to get it all put back together. That is insane!) I have my BSEE and MBA degrees. I am a room mom, a soccer mom. I drive a Honda Pilot with two car seats (and probably many cheerios and toys) in the back.
So much has changed.
I am so blessed.
I never would have guessed how blessed my life would be in just 9 short years.
And, I look so young in pictures 9 years ago. When did I start looking old??? How did that happen???? :)

On a roll

I was on such a roll last week - posting every day. Well, the weekend always throws me off. Well, the weekend and a sick baby. Miles is still getting over his cold. He's home from school today and we have had a fun morning playing.
Ran 4 miles yesterday. Around 48 minutes. I stopped the timer I was so bummed. And hot. Eric pushed the double stroller and the boys and looked effortless (he should - he runs a marathon next Sunday). We went out around 2:30. Did I mention it was hot? Really. Really. Hot. At least I went out there and did it. I am supposed to run 3.5 miles today, but with the rain, I just don't see me getting out in that with Miles in the stroller. We'll have to see how runny his nose is and if we can possibly make it to the gym this afternoon for me to run on the treadmill.
Anyway, a blog I read often is "Life with My Special Ks". Today is her first blogoversary and she is doing a fun contest. Since I love to win things, I am linking to her in hopes of winning a fun basket of pampering things for mommy. I deserve a little pampering lately. Too many snotty noses in our house lately. I just feel gross most of the time!
Have a great week. If I run today, I'll post my time later..... we'll see if I make it!

Miles is sick

Miles seemed to feel yucky yesterday, had a runny nose, didn't eat and was generally fussy.

Last night the fever started and he didn't sleep well. Lots of coughing.

This morning, more fever (+101), cancelled all plans for the day, went to see the pediatrician. No strep, just a cold or other random virus. Yucky yellow runny nose, clear ears (thanks to the tubes, I am sure), fever not breaking, only eating snack-type foods, fussy, red, runny eyes.

He did sleep for a couple of hours late morning, so I am thankful for that.

I went through Mason's old clothes and apparently, he hit a huge growth spurt from 12 mo clothes to 24 mo clothes. He had very few 18 month clothes. How did that happen? I found a few things that will fit Miles once the cooler weather sets in (seriously - how is it still over 80 degrees in October?). We may have to start buying a few things soon though - unles he hits a growth spurt. He has not really put on any weight in the last month though (maybe a few ounces), so we'll have to wait and see on that one.

And, here's a picture of the sick boy. Look at his eyes - all red and watery. He is smiling, but that was very short-lived! And, he has 101.7 fever right now.

Two runs

Wed - 3 mi - 29:49
Thurs - 2 mi - 19:24

I have finally mentally and physically broken the 10 min/mi barrier for 3 miles. I have never been able to do that before yesterday (I don't think). So, I am pretty proud of myself today.
I put out our fall decorations this morning and hope to go through Mason's old clothes to pull out fall things for Miles. I love fall. I love cooler weather. Too bad it is still almost 90 degrees out.......... Next week, Chicago, here we come! :)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

If you know Mason, you know that this is THE perfect shirt for him.

















And, if you know Miles, you know that this is the perfect shirt for him.












And, here is Baby Jude. Yes, the one that is making me want another yummy little boy of my own. :)

Shhhhh..... don't tell Eric

Despite my last post about Miles cutting teeth and being a bear..... well, I have baby fever. I know, I know .... what am I thinking? I know our house is too small for another kid. I know that I have my hands full with two VERY active boys. They are into everything and demand SO much attention right now.
But......
Three friends have had babies this week and they are all so yummy! One more is scheduled to deliver early next week. I received two other baby shower invites this week and buying tiny clothes and cute shoes and fun baby toys, well, it just pulls on a girl's uterus, uh, heart. :)
I should just take a deep breath and NOT smell all the sweet babies sweet new little heads. But they are pretty sweet..... :)
Shhhhhhh..... don't tell Eric I said all that! :)

PS.....
Wed - 2 mi - 21:00 - had 0.5 mi at 9:15 pace
Thu - 3 mi - 32:00 - just trying to get used to mileage again
tomorrow (or Sunday) - first long run of 4 miles

Miles - cutting teeth

Miles is a bear today.
I got a good look in his mouth this morning and he actually looks like he is cutting all 4 molars (one on top is actually partially cut through the gum). This is only weird because he only has 5 teeth so far - 3 on top and only 2 on bottom. So, I am not sure if the other 3 (1 top and 2 bottom) are also cutting/moving in addition to the molars, but they all look red and swollen.
Yesterday evening and all night last night, he ran fever (ranging from 101-102). Today has been lower, but still some fever. And, all he has done is scream. All day. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, is making him happy. How many hours until bedtime (his and mine!)????
PS....ran 3 miles yesterday in 33:00. That actually was my goal pace (yes, it was slow) since I am still healing my heel. Will run again tomorrow - 2 miles per my training schedule.

Going on a run

Today marks the official start to my half-marathon training. I have to run 3 miles. Heading out now to get the torture finished...... :) I expect a very (very) slow time.
Kendra
PS..... Nennie had her knee replacement surgery this morning and is out and doing well so far. Such a blessing and answered prayer!

Monday

Today has been such a MONDAY!!!
Woke up at 2:45 am and listened to Miles cough for .... a few hours. Held him a while so he would be upright. Helped as long as he was upright. Hope tonight is better.
Took my grandmother to the hospital for her pre-op testing (she is having a knee replacement next Monday) and admitting. Proved to be frustrating..... long story! As part of her pre-op procedure, I had to take her to radiology to have a chest x-ray done. When we walked into radiology, I quickly had a flash back. I remembered that this was the same place I had carried Miles to for a chest x-ray the night we rushed to emergency after his seizure. She was taken into the same x-ray room and I waited in the same area where I waited in fear that night as I held my baby and wondered if he was going to be ok. It brought such overwhelming anxiety and wonder if he would have another. I don't live in the fear of another, but my thoughts do go there when he feels warm. I take his temperature more times that I would probably be comfortable admitting. This verse has come to mind several times today:
Psalm 55: 1-2, 5, 22
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;
2 hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
5 Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.
22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Such an amazing reminder that he is ok with the fact that we worry. He is ok that we are scared. He made us with those emotions. He also tells us to give it to Him. He will never let the righteous fall. Wow! That is an amazing truth. An amazing gift. Lets me breathe a sigh of relief. Father, I give Miles and his health and his precious life to you. Please protect him and give him continued good health. Thank you for taking my anxiety and my fears and replacing them with your peace.

On my way home from Mesquite, the ABS, VSA and Brake lights on my car came on. Called the dealer/service dept. His response: "Well........that doesn't sound good. Probably should bring it in." Really? Thanks - that was most helpful. So, after Eric gets home tomorrow night, we will be dropping it to the dealer Wednesday morning and will be sharing a car, well, for an undetermined amount of time. Great. Joy. What else?????

Happy news: I did my first run in over a month. And, thanks to Ike, the weather is cool enough in Dallas to run outside. Yippee!!! So, I ran 2.3 miles in about 30 minutes. I walked a while at the start to get warmed up. It was SO nice. I might try to do it again tomorrow, but will have to have the boys in the stroller. We'll see how that goes.....! So, half-marathon training is officially back on. YEA!!!!! 13 weeks until my run - the White Rock Marathon (I'm doing the half only!) on December 14th. That is just 2 days before Eric and I celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. Where did 8 years possibly go????
Also, Mason is on a soccer team - the Kicks - through the YMCA. His first practice is this afternoon at 5pm and his first game is Saturday at 9am. It was supposed to be last Saturday, but all games were cancelled due to Ike/rain. So, I am adding to my list of titles - now, Soccer Mom. :) I'll be posting plenty of pics of him playing.

"Cinderella"

This morning, Steven Curtis Chapman was on the The Early Show and talked about his daughter, Maria, that was killed in the family's driveway in May, just after she turned 5 years old. He wrote the song "Cinderella" just a while before then for his 4 girls, 3 of which are adopted. His story and the family's testimony and hope in Christ is an amazing example for every Christian out there.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/10/earlyshow/main4435192.shtml
He was also interviewed by Dr. James Dobson and it aired in August. I can't imagine losing a child. I would like to think that my faith would remain strong, but I think that the reality would be that I would be so angry with God. I know that as I processed through Miles' seizure and the reflux problems and months of ear infections, I was angry with God that he allowed him to be sick and didn't heal him immediately. I was angry as I held Miles in the middle of the night and listened to him cry out in pain for hours. He was so little to have such discomfort. I know that things could have been much, much worse, but I also knew that they could be much, much better. It was a long first year for Miles. And for our whole family. But, we still have Miles and we get to enjoy his smiles and his silliness. We get to watch him grow and learn and bring joy to our lives every day. The Chapmans don't get to see their Maria again. At least not until heaven. I have had to ask for forgiveness for my anger and my questions. I thank God for both of my beautiful children. I may never have my own "Cinderella" and I am coming to terms with that. But, I do have two amazing blessings chosen for me and Eric by God himself. That's enough for me.
Psa 127:3 (The Message)
Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?

Meet Emily

This is Emily...











Mason seems to have a new crush.















I can see myself in 10+ years (better be closer to 15-20 years!!!) posting this exact same post but it would be a girl named Emily. A real girl. And Mason will be looking at her with the same love and admiration in his eyes. :)


















I've been replaced. Already..... :(

Google search

With the site meter I added, I can see how people found my blog. One person did a google search for "hillcrest chuch dallas mdo" - makes sense since Mason attended their MDO for 3 years. One person googled "be patient be patient don't be in such a hurry" song and found my blog. TOO FUNNY!! Remember this post........? Hummmmm.....it doesn't seem like much has changed in almost a year. Miles stills screams when sitting in his high chair waiting to eat. Mason is still also very impatient, but is now an impatient 3 1/2 year old that goes into the pantry or refrigerator to get what he wants (and usually makes a huge mess in the process). Interesting to see how things will look in another year. If only I had a crystal ball...... :)

Miles

Who is this big boy and where did my baby go????
Seeing him looking so big makes me want another baby to hold.........

Over a week!

I cannot believe it has been over a week since I posted. We are all doing well. Miles cut tooth #5 - finally! He is working on #6 now and is SO fussy! He is congested and has a runny nose. He doesn't want to be held, but put him down and he will fuss about that too! Mason is doing better adjusting to school. He seems to enjoy it and is learning so many new things. Eric has been working a lot and had a very successful presentation this morning in NYC. Can't wait until he is home with us tomorrow! The boys miss him so much. So does mommy.
Nothing else really to report. We're just staying busy and enjoying the rain today. Oh, and the cooler weather is GREAT!

Halloween

Mason and I just bought the boys Halloween costumes.....

Mason is going to be:







and Miles is going to be:













Ok, so Mason picked green, but I just realized that the green M&M is a girl (look at the eyelashes). He really insisted on green though, not blue. Is that bad? Did anyone else notice that? Should I change the order???? I need comments and advice on this one!!!

Saturday evening, 6:30PM

..... is it too early to put 2 little boys to bed??????

Eric spent all afternoon outside with the boys while I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned! It feels nice to have a clean house, but I really hate the process of cleaning. This morning, Miles had his first swim lesson (at the Y). There are 10 kids and their parents in the class. I guess at $30 for several months of lessons, I can't complain. But, that is a lot of kids! He seemed to really enjoy it. He was just really tired towards the end and fell asleep on the drive home.

Have a great, long weekend! Happy Labor Day everyone!

Pics of Miles' hair - first haircut

He was more excited about the sucker than the haircut!

CURLS!!!

As promised, here are pics of Miles - post first-haircut. He still has curls, so I am VERY happy! The top is loose curls still and the back is tight ringlets. Now, maybe it will all grow out together evenly so he won't be accused of having a mohawk anymore!
OK, well, I have tried for 15 minutes to get the pics uploaded and blogger is just not letting me upload. I'll try one more time, but you may have to wait to see them!


Oh, and just for the record, I LOVE car lines. Mason's school does carpool lines. I was unsure of how it would work, especially with a 3 year old. Let me tell you, it works well! They have 6th graders (and a teacher) at the drop-off point and the pick-up point. The students get the kids out of the car and walk them to their class in the morning. Eric is taking Mason to school this morning (thank you, honey!) and doing the carpool drop-off for the first time, so I am anxious to hear if it helps distract him from the fact that he is at school and will keep him for crying. In the afternoon, I pull up to the curb with my number (identifying Mason) hanging from the rearview mirror. A student brings him to the car, helps him in and also buckles him in. I never even have to get out of the car. HOW GREAT IS THAT??? I don't have to get out. I don't have to get Miles out. Life is great!!!


OK, I have to go get Miles up. Today is his first day of school at CCDS. 6 hours..... 6 hours of quiet! All for me! :)

Haircuts

Today, we get haircuts. Yes, that is plural on purpose. Miles is getting his first haircut. I have had far too many people call him a "her" lately. When Mason's teacher asked me yesterday how old "she" is, it put me over the edge. So, we are going to get a trim today. But, if those curls go away forever, I will be SO mad at myself for cutting it and not letting him be curly a while longer.......... let's hope for the best! I'll post pics later today (hopefully).
We are also visiting Miles' new mother's day out school this morning. We'll see his class and meet his teachers. Should be exciting. He starts tomorrow. I will have 6 hours (almost) of non-kid time. This will be the first day since July 31 that has happened. Not that I am counting....! :)
Mason had a great day at school yesterday. He laid down at nap time and even fell asleep. (Friday he got in trouble for not wanting to stay laying down - the teacher had to count to 3 - Mason told on himself on the way home Friday.) There were no tears at drop-off, so he received a new train for being a really brave boy, just like the engines are really brave. :)

New school

Wednesday, Mason and I visited his new school and his new classroom. We met his teacher, Mrs. R. She is fabulous and she also has 2 boys, so I feel like she will be great with Mason. Thursday, I attended orientation and picked up our car line tags. I am SO excited about having the option to pick up Mason in car pool line. I will no longer have to get Miles out of the car, go in the building, get all Mason's things and haul all those things plus two boys, my keys and usually my phone back to the car, buckle two boy in their seats and finally leave. I usually have worked up quite the sweat (who needs a gym membership when you have kids???) -- especially in the warm (HOT) summer months!

Today. Well, today was Mason's first day of school. He woke on his own at 7am. I woke Miles up a few minutes later. I fed both boys breakfast and then Eric dressed Mason while I dressed Miles. We took a few pics of the boys:

What a difference a year makes. This was the boys on Mason's first day of MDO last year:

Mason rode in Daddy's car and was excited to walk into the building. We were a few minutes early, so we stood in the hall for a few minutes. Mrs. R met Mason at the door. We hung his backpack and lunch bag on his hook. Mason started figuring out that mommy, daddy and Miles were about to leave and he was NOT happy. The water works began. We said quick goodbyes (this is always the easiest on everyone) and then of course stood in the hall for a few minutes. Ms. Burns, the admissions director, was outside his class and said a quick prayer over Mason and that he would be comforted and have a great first day. That was when mommy's water works started. I had to pass his classroom a few minutes later and he was sitting in Mrs. R's lap, but he was no longer crying. I went to my very first room parent meeting (more on that later!) and again had to walk by his classroom on the way to the car around 10am. He was sitting in the circle on the floor listening to Mrs. R read a story. By the time I got Miles in the car, Mason's class had gone out to the playground, which I was parked right next to. I moved the car a little in hopes he would not see me. He seemed hesitant and a little stand-offish for the first few minutes. He did climb up and started going down the slide before I left, so that was a good sign. I just realized I did not make him go to the potty before I dropped him off, but I am sure he was still in the same clothes on the playground. So, hopefully he was not too shy to go to the potty there or tell his teacher he needed to go....!!!!

I'll report on the remainder of the day's activities this weekend.

Busy week

Mason starts school on Friday. I can hardly believe it. Because the school he is attending (Grace Academy) goes from K3-6th grade, it has PTF, lots of activities and fun field trips. We are officially entering the world of school tomorrow. We go to meet his teacher in the morning. Thursday morning, the boys are going to stay home with a sitter while I attend orientation and find out about fun things like car pool lines and car pool tags. (I am actually really excited about this because I won't have to get Miles and myslef out of the car to take Mason into the school and pick him up from his classroom!!! The 6th graders walk the k3 kids to and from their classroom!) And Friday is his first day of school. I am excited but a little nervous about how he will adjust to a new school, teacher, friends.
Miles starts his new school next Wednesday and we meet his teachers next Tuesday. He is so fussy the last few days. I think he might be trying to finally cut some more teeth. He still has just 4, so we are due. Past due. I keep saying that, but he actually has a runny nose and is waking in the night. So maybe. Just maybe! :)

Nennie

Just a quick prayer request this morning. My sweet, amazing grandmother, Nennie, is 87 years old. She is needing to have a knee replacement done. For the first time ever, she is having to use a walker to get up and down from sitting and around her home.

She was required to have a stress test (chemical, not on the treadmill -- that would be crazy!) done prior to the surgery to ensure that her heart would carry her through the surgery. Let me say again that she is 87. And, she does have a known problem with her heart (one of the valves does not close all the way, causing regurgitation of blood backwards.... that's my total non-technical, un-educated version of the problem), but some other problems showed up in the testing earlier this week. She is seeing a cardiologist this afternoon to discuss the findings and see what course of action should be taken (for her heart only -- the knee replacement is on hold, if not cancelled all together).

She does not yet know most of this as my mom did not want her to worry prematurely (she has extreme high blood pressure as well and is a worrier.... apparently I get it honestly!).

Please say a prayer for my Nennie, my mom (who will be taking her to the dr this afternoon), and for the doctor - that she will have answers and careful words when explaining to my grandmother the problems and possible solutions/outcomes.

I am not trying to be morbid, but again, she is 87 years old. She has lived a long, healthy (until the last few years), full life. She is an amazing woman of God and an amazing prayer-warrior for our family. I always know that she is behind the scenes, alone in her apartment, praying every time that Miles has a doctor appointment or even just a fever (which still makes my heart skip a few beats, even 2 months later). She does this for each and every member of our family: 3 kids (one of which lost her battle with breast cancer 14 years ago) and their 2 spouses, 9 grandkids and their 7 spouses, 9 great-grandkids and 1 spouse, and one great-great grandson on the way.....that is a lot of prayers, time and love for her family!!! (I think I counted correctly.... don't shoot me if I didn't!!!)

Selfishly, I am not ready for her to leave us yet.

If any of the family is reading, I encourage you to write down your thoughts about our Nennie or leave a comment here about here.

"I want to go running"

Now, normally the only one that says these words, or anything near these words, in our house is Eric. I rarely want to go running. I try to run 2-4 times a week, depending on what is going on and if the boys are both healthy.
Today, we needed to get the boys new shoes. Mason hates to try on shoes almost as much as he hates having his feet measured for shoes. So, I decided to get him interested in the process (or at least not fighting me on the process) by telling him we needed to get him running shoes. Like Daddy. You would have thought I told him he was going to get chocolate ice cream with cookies in it. He was quite interested. We got his old shoes off, feet measured (11 1/2, almost 12, wide), picked out some new ones and put on socks while we waited for the shoes. He tried on one pair and decided he was in love. He was not taking them off. He was not trying on another pair of shoes. He loves his new running shoes. Just like Daddy's. Then, he decided he wanted pink crocs. But that is another story...................
Miles also got new "running shoes". After we got home, I realized that I picked out the exact same pair of shoes for both boys. What are the odds? I mean, at least I was consistent in what I liked. But come on.... of all the shoes in that store, how did I pick the same shoes (not on purpose and about 10 minutes apart) twice?
Also wanted to add that shoes for little boys are VERY expensive.
Mason and Daddy just went on their first ever run together. Mason made it about 4 houses down before he stopped. They walked a little ways and then ran some more then turned around in a cul-de-sac and headed back home. I have a feeling that this will be the first of many runs together.

We're home

Clearly, the week got away from me while we were away.
Tuesday, I had all 3 kiddos while Kim went to the office. Yeah, no time, at all, to blog that day!
Wednesday, we went to the playground and Farmer's market and then the boys had pics in the afternoon. (More on the pics in a minute)
Thursday, we went to the beach at Lake Michigan. Mason loves the water. That we knew already. Miles also LOVES the water. I think that he actually loves the water more than his older brother. I could not keep him out of the water. Even when his chin and his entire body were shivering from the cold, cold, cold water. He also loved playing with the toys in the sand. Unfortunately, he liked the ones the cute little girls sitting next to us brought with them and not the ones that mommy went and bought special for the trip. Go figure. Miles is a flirt anyway! That evening, some good friends of Kim's (M&C) came over and kept the 3 kiddos while we had a manicure/pedicure, shopping and a quiet dinner. These awesome friends have no kids of their own so probably didn't know what they were getting into. Mason actually told C at one point to call mommy (after telling her to call daddy and then kim) to ask about a snack. He kept M & C laughing and on their toes by negotiating with them all evening -- snacks, drinks (volume and type), bedtime.
Friday, we had to pack up and say goodbye. The flight was SO much better than the flight out. I had a bottle of milk for Miles so that his ears would not hurt. He drank it and then just sucked on the bottle off and on through the whole flight. Mason's DVD player ran out of juice the last hour of the flight. So, the last half hour or so was rough as the boys were antsy, tired (neither slept a wink!) and ready to get up and move. But, there was no screaming like on the way there, so it was a great flight and we weren't "that family"! :) Always a great day!!!

So, we did the boys pics while in Chicago. I would try to describe the experience, but the photographer really does it best on her blog. Look here.....
http://leighwilcoxsonphotography.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/oh-brothers/
go on.... you know you want to! Leave me a comment and let me know which is your favorite. I can't decide!!!

We spent a somewhat quiet weekend. Had a baby shower for BabyJ- my best friend's soon-to-be-son! We had a yummy dinner out that evening with friends. Sunday was church, play, lunch, naps, swimming, dinner and bed. Not a bad day!

This is our last week before Mason starts K3 next Friday. But, next week is full of activities getting ready for school (final swim lesson on Tuesday, meet the teacher on Wednesday morning, Orientation on Thursday morning). So, we're enjoying time with just the 3 of us at home this week. Ordered Mason a new backpack and lunch bag at LandsEnd and Miles a nap mat this afternoon. Just have to find their first-day-of-school outfits now. So exciting and sad.

I promise to upload pics as soon as I get them from my sis-in-law. We used her camera in Chi-town as mine didn't make the trip. Oops.

Chicago - day 1

We made it to Chicago yesterday. Yes, we were "that family" on the airplane. Miles did great for about 20 minutes and then screamed for about 15. It was a full-on scream, tantrum, mad-at-the-world fit. It was not pretty. I assume it was related to the pressure changes and his ears hurting, but who knows. He fell asleep for about 25 minutes and then cried for about 5 minutes before I got him to play. So, the last hour and a half of the flight was quiet but long. I think I looked at my watch every 5 minutes! He cried some on arrival also as the pressure was changing, but not the screaming he did on the way up. Everyone on board was so nice and one lady even stopped to tell me what I great job I did with the boys. I was just relieved that I did not get thrown off the plane without a parachute!
Yesterday evening was quiet - Miles napped, we went for a walk, had dinner, bathed 3 kiddos, got 2 to sleep at a decent time and Mason watched a Thomas video and fell asleep around 9:30. Miles woke at 2am and wanted to play with Auntie Kim. After about a half hour, I put him back in bed, hoping for the best, but prepared for a bunch of screaming. He laid right down and went to sleep. I was almost annoyed! Ha!!
It is raining today, so the pictures we scheduled are postponed to Wednesday. So, we went outside this morning and played in Emilyn's new playhouse. (We were mostly out of the rain under their big tree.) Em just woke up from about an hour nap and Miles has been sleeping about 20 minutes. So, lunch is next and then we're going to attempt to go to the park before afternoon naps.
Tomorrow, Kim is going in to work, so I am going to have all 3 kids all day. Wish me luck! I think that I will be going to bed early tonight! :) More updates later!

I'm a dork!!!

Ok, I admit it. I am a dork. I cried at least 5 or 6 times today. It all started in the car this morning on the way to the grocery store before taking the boys to school.... I knew then it was going to be a very, very long day!

Why all the tears? Today was Mason and Miles' last day at mother's day out. I know what you might be thinking and no, I am not selfish enough that I cried about just that fact. It is their last day of MDO at Hillcrest Church. Mason is moving on to preschool next year at Grace Academy and while I am so excited about that fact, I am also sad that he is leaving the wonderful, loving care of the ladies at Hillcrest. All his teachers have been wonderful, loving, caring, amazing women of God. I will miss their influence on my children's lives. Miles is moving to a different MDO program so that he will be in school the same days as Mason (for Mommy's own sanity).

The other reason I am so sad today is that for the past three years that Mason has attended MDO, he has had the best classmate in his best-friend, Dylan Jo. They have been in the same class all 3 years. We had to fight and argue to make sure that happened, well, a few times, but they were and like their mommies, they would have it no other way. Dylan is Mason's safety-net and Mason is Dylan's safety-net. On those days that Mason doesn't want to go to school, all I have to say is "Dylan is going to be at school. Don't you want to play with Dylan?" and he changes his tune and looks for Dylan to play with. Next year, Mason and Dylan will be going to different schools. I can't even tell you how much it breaks my heart - on SO many levels. I want to preserve this precious first-friendship for forever for them. It is such a pure, honest, true friendship and I just pray that it stands even though they will make new friends at their new schools. I love the way each of their faces light up when they see each other. Even though they will at some point not like to play with each other due to "cooties" and other such boy-girl things, I want them to always love each other the way they do now. Dylan's mommy and I are just going to have to make sure that they spend quality time together.

This is one of the very first pictures I have of Mason and Dylan together - Easter 2005. I'll add one of the two of them today, their very last day of school together. Ever. I'll post very soon, I promise! (And, yes, I am crying again. I told you I am a dork.)