Praise You In This Storm

Some of you have already seen this on FB but I wanted it on my blog, too. You know, in case Mr. Zuckerberg decides he doesn't like being the youngest bazillionaire and does away with our treasured networking site. It could happen. He's a very smart cookie - or so the movie portrays him that way, among other things. It's also backed up on my phone but I'm not great with keeping that in one piece so I'm taking precautions.

Quick note: after I recorded him singing, his first question was, 'Are you going to put me on Facebook?'

Ouch.





This is his favorite song of late and he asks me to play it over and over and over and over in the car. Sometimes I'd like to change it up but him listening to this song seems to initiate some great discussions between us so I'm okay with the repetition. Every now and then, I'll even catch a hand going up in the rear view mirror and I know it's him following the song - raising his hand and praising the God who gives and takes away.

Moments like these are absolutely priceless.

To hear d2's Claim to Fame, go here.

Big Dave

Going through some pictures I've finally uploaded to my laptop, I found one of sweet d2. Though I have no recollection of snapping the shot, I absolutely love it. It just really captures him. And looking back through my blog, it occurs to me that I don't have many posts that are just about him. Well, with the exception of the multiple ER visits we had that were nearly back-to-back on the same eye. Otherwise, he stays under the radar where news is concerned. I would like to attribute that to the fact that he is so laid back and just an all-around easy kid and, well, most of my rants are about my 'challenging' children. An excuse, yes, but truth nonetheless. I also find this to be a good time to reflect on my little middle guy, given the fact that I registered him for kindergarten this past week. Bitter sweet moment, indeed, and more to come in the next few months.

*d2 was my smallest baby at 7lb 6oz. He now weighs 35lbs and it appears that he will remain with his father's slender, Gumby-like figure and likely with a wicked metabolism to go with it. Who wouldn't love to have that? Eat whatever you want and gain NOTHING. Way better than my pudgy frame that the other two have inherited.....

*d2 loves his daddy. Loves everything about him. And who wouldn't? He does have the coolest dad EVER. He just can't wait to tell him that extra special detail about his day when we get home, he loves being body slammed as we walk in the door and he will lay awake in his bed 2 hours past his bedtime for his daddy to get home from a game, just to ask him if he won and kiss him goodnight. Am I jealous? Not a bit. That is their special relationship. And I wouldn't change a thing.

*d2's favorite toy, at the moment, is his GameBoy DS. Though a hand-me-down from d1 when Santa brought him a real DS, he is perfectly content. That's just how he is. If we're trying to decide as a family where to eat dinner, he doesn't care. When picking out a movie to watch, he's usually got an opinion but is willing to watch whatever d1 wants. That's how it is with most everything. Note: we don't always let d1 have the ultimate choice but sometimes it's just easier. Another excuse. He also has a love for his talking Woody doll. Woody sleeps with him in his TS3 bed tent {which, at the moment, has some funky odor coming from within and might have to vanish very soon} along with a hippo, a dinosaur and some little furry-looking rat. Not sure where the last 'thing' came from....

*d2 loves puzzles. What a breath of fresh air. A child that enjoys calm activities. I attribute that to the overconsumption of Dr. Pepper I drank while he was in the womb. Might seem like a reverse effect but I drank the most {of the three} and he is the calmest. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come to that conclusion. And no, it has NOTHING to do with him being the smallest. I can't help it if he got his father's lanky genes.

*d2 loves to sing, particularly on the commute to work. He apparently has a special fondness for 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' I guess, because he wants to sing it all year long. I'm surprisingly okay with it. Maybe it's because he has developed the cutest Southern twang. Or maybe it's because he still has a munchkin voice - very high pitch but super duper cute. Now, at 15, he might not think the high pitch thing is cool but right now, it's precious.

*d2 has one heck of a memory. He remembers every little detail from every bible story he learns at church. He can also tell you how many time outs each friend had at school as well as why they were in time out and what they were wearing that day. My very own RainMan. It's funny though, that when I ask him if he had time outs, he doesn't have nearly as many details on himself as his peers. Kinda weird.

Though he is laid back and enjoys calm activities, he is definitely still very much a little boy in his actions. He picks his nose and thinks it's fun to show his gold. He loves to get dirty and make holes in his pants {though I don't think he's going to love the patches I'm about to iron on}. And just last night he peed in the tub. The tub that he was sharing with his two brothers, one which still finds bath water to be the same as drinking water. No, we weren't happy but it's certainly not the first time and likely won't be the last.

He's our Laze. Our Lazy Daisy. No explanation for the names, other than that D1 comes up with these bizarre nicknames and I somehow end up joining along and shouting 'Lazy' and not even thinking about it. I'm sure once he has a Daisy as a classmate and realizes that they don't have a common anatomical feature, he might forbid us to ever call him that again but until then it shall remain.

And that's all I have time for now. I'm home from church today with baby and the never ending cough and, at the moment, he's using my table runner as a scarf and trying to hide puzzle pieces in his diaper. I know I should redirect but it's so peaceful right now. He's found something to keep his attention for more than 45 seconds and it doesn't involve food.

Score One for the Good Guys

Twenty bucks. It's two matinee movie tickets and a super small Sprite. It's a used Wii game. Better yet, it's five happy meals. To a young child that has $20 of their own, they feel rich. Just ask them. They'll tell you.

Recently, d1 came home with a flyer for BackPack Buddies, a program within his school that provides weekly food care packages to families in need. They were asking for monetary donations and he said he wanted to give. I assumed that was his way of saying, 'Get the checkbook out, Mom, so I can do my part.' Imagine my surprise when he left the room and came back with a twenty-dollar bill from his piggy bank. Don't be misled - he's not some loaded 6-year-old with a fat stash. It was the last bill he had. I'll just be honest. I tried to talk him out of the large charitable donation. I offered to play banker and make change for his big bill so that he didn't have to give it all. He refused. Talk about a flood of emotions.

To some of you, this may seem unworthy of a post. To me, it's monumental. We've always known d1 had a big heart and, despite his rough exterior, is a very sensitive guy but giving was never a big strength of his, especially if it meant he had to sacrifice. Ask him to share a bite of ice cream? Not a chance. A toy? Dream on.

Maybe it was also because I felt like we were finally doing something right. Now, we know that children are naturally born with a selfish nature, some more than others. Clearly. We know that it's our job as their parents to mold them into Christ-like individuals so to see the fruits of our labor in such a selfless act was rewarding in so many ways. I feel it's the beginning of great things for my boys.

Am I bragging? Duh. Wouldn't you? If you will look back, I haven't always blogged about such positive steps in our parenting walk. It's often been a struggle to have the glass-half-full perspective when you are battling sleep deprivation and icky toilet water butt (thanks, J). This parenting thing is hard work so when we can claim a victory and kick Satan in the face, you better believe we're all over it and praising God as we go....

Archiving Some Funnies

Since he was a little guy, d1 has said he wants to be a farmer. A recent conversation of ours went like this -

Me - 'Do you still want to be a farmer when you grow up?'
d1 - 'Yep, I'm going to grow crops, drive tractors, milk cows and raise chickens. My chickens will lay eggs but not the kind that turn into chicks. The ones that we eat.'
Me - 'And then one day you'll get married and have lots of kids running around your farm.'
d1 - 'Well, I want a wife but no kids. They just get in the way and they'll stomp all over my plants.'

Okie dokie, then.


And then there's d2 and his career plans. Not long ago, we were driving down the road when we had a similar conversation. When I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he started rattling off several occupations, one being a 'worker man.' And by that, he meant the guy on the side of the road in an orange jumpsuit. Maybe it was the clicker-picker-upper the 'worker' carried that sparked his interest in that job. Who knows. Bless his heart. One day I'll let him know that he long ago aspired to be a convict on work release.


Let's not forget little man, the rock star in the making. This week, we realized some of his babble isn't just babble. He's singing his first song. Twinkle, Twinkle? Huh uh. ABC's? Nope. He's way more advanced than that. He's got the chorus down to the Montgomery Gentry hit 'There's One In Every Crowd.' In the car, in the crib or in the kitchen, he screams, 'Hey y'all!' So what if it's not preschool appropriate. It's funny.

Probably better than d1's first song. A Kenny Chesney classic. The one where she thought his tractor was.....

OK, fine. I need to re-program the radio stations.

Blizzard of 2011

For a few days, the weather team has been calling for a winter storm for the Southeast. No big deal to us. We're what some might call professionals when it comes to snowfall. We are from the Midwest. This is what we know. Note that I said know, not like. I'm speaking for myself, D1 loves it. Like I said, the threat of bad weather doesn't intimidate us but I can understand why others not accustomed to this stuff might want to grab a few things from the store. However, I can't seem to wrap my head around the 'milk and bread' thing. It's even on the radio. 'Winter storm headed to the Upstate, be sure to get your milk and bread before settling in for the snowy weather.' Really? Because if we don't have milk or bread, we....might.....starve? I guess those could be considered some generic essentials. For my family, it might look a little different. If I'm going to be stuck inside for a few days, I want to make sure I have cereal, diapers and creamer. Cereal can be eaten with or without milk, diapers are obvious and creamer is to keep Mommy happy. I am a much, much, MUCH happier person after my four cups of cream-with-a-little-coffee concoction and if I'm enclosed with this energetic bunch, I need all the help I can get. And as the saying goes - 'if Momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy.'

I have to say that I expected the forecasted 6-8 inches to end up being closer to a 1-2 inch dusting so imagine my surprise when I awoke at 6am {thanks, d3!} to at least 4 inches. Unfortunately, the boys did not get the memo that it was a snow day that allows for extra sleep and our day started pretty early. Breakfast was eaten and cleaned up before 8am and they were ready to hit the battle field. Although I didn't drive in to work, I still had some tasks to complete for my job so I set up shop on the dining room table and, while the older boys ventured out, d3 and I stayed in and watched through the windows.

d2 all bundled up




Please take note of D1's facial expression in this picture. Welcome to my life. He is such a goof. Never a dull moment. Ever. He wanted me to make sure I captured this look.




My Snow Angels




D1 was awesome in helping to entertain them while I worked. They did some Wii, played a couple of rounds of Sorry Sliders, made some Snow Cream, even tried a nap {FAIL} but these kids were just wound so tight and acting like escapees from Marshall Pickens. Just out of control. Somehow we ended the day with only one bloody lip, which is a miracle given how many screams I heard throughout the day. d3 has really mastered the art of those blood-curdling screams - when he doesn't get away with stealing a toy from one of his brothers, it sounds a lot like he's being stabbed. Holy smokes, he has a set of pipes.

Don't let these pictures fool you - they paused long enough to say 'cheese' and then it was back to business as usual.






This morning, I thought how nice it would be to have time to catch up on some housework. Yeah. That didn't happen. Oh, wait. Now that was a false statement. I did clean the toilets but only because I went to use the one in the boys' bathroom and thought to myself how a urinal in the men's room of a truck stop was probably cleaner. Why can't we get this figured out? Where is the disconnect? You pull down your whiteys, you sit, you pee, you flush. Something tells me that is not the sequence of events when one or both uses the toilet. Maybe I need a hidden camera in the towel rack to determine the perp. Something's gotta give. I can't stomach this much longer.

We ended our snow day with a movie night - Toy Story 3 starring Woody and Buzz. Super cute movie but since when are animated movies doubling as tearjerkers? I was almost to the subtle hyperventilation stage when Andy was giving his toys to Bonnie and then found Woody in the bottom. Seriously, friends, I had to turn my head away so that I didn't upset d1 and d2 with my crying. {d3 was rummaging in the pantry for something to eat, as usual, and I just didn't care anymore} I don't know if it was the whole 'kid going to college' saga that I will one day face but it was gut wrenching. I think the last time I cried like that on a movie was when Josh Hartnett died on 'Pearl Harbor.' Whew. I was a mess then, I was a mess tonight. Glad the boys weren't paying any attention to me. Oh wait, no worries. They rarely pay attention to me or at least when I'm speaking to them.

So who's excited for snow day #2? Uh huh. Yeah, me too.

Busy Little D's

To my two little athletic d’s, Mommy loves you so
And because I’m solo when your daddy coaches
This you need to know

Running you around all week
Is not an easy task
Feeding you dinner in a rush each night
I often want to ask

Is it really worth it?
Do you really need this meal?
I think a small snack would suffice
I mean, c’mon, let’s be real

You complain about the veggies
You whine about the drink
You make such a wicked mess
And so I often think

That if your father coached
Winter, spring, summer and fall
You would likely play nothing
No baseball, no basketball, no football

Your practices are torture
Much thanks to baby boy
He has no concept of sitting
He cares nothing about a toy

He wants to run and run and run
In the hallway or on the court
He has no fear of being injured
Only wanting to play the sport

It’s not that I’m unprepared, oh no
I pack Goldfish, cookies and juice
He just eats it all so quickly
Only wanting to be free and break loose

Fortunately, for everyone
Daddy's season ends soon
It really couldn’t come quick enough
I think I'm turning a loon

Though you are young and don’t understand the challenges
One day, rest assured, you will
But, for now, have mercy on dear ole’ Mom
And go find me an energy pill……

Greater Things

As many do at this time of year, I would like to reflect on 2010 and set some new aspirations for 2011. Last year, our big event was the selling and buying of houses. Now we are centrally located to everything and loving our new pad. Even though many said it couldn't be done, it happened. PRAISE THE LORD for God's perfect will! Other than that, we stayed busy with the everyday life of raising three young boys in a crazy, mixed-up world but one thing is for sure - we had many laughs along the way. There's definitely no shortage of that in this family.

Looking back at last year's list, I'm feeling okay about it. Even if statistically I only managed to tackle 42.86% {or 3/5} of my goals, I'm content because they were some that mattered most. Toning wasn't one of them, scrapbooking was a definite FAIL and the simplyfying of life? Um, sure. Just disregard every blog post prior to this. I'm pretty sure the majority of my ramblings in 2010 were, in some way, shape or form, related to the fact that our lives are very full. Full-time jobs, youth sports, coaching, bible studies, weddings, birthday parties....kind of wears me out just writing and re-living them but I have slowly come to accept that it is the way it is for awhile. It's life. And I'm good with it. Some days more than others.

Now for the ones I do feel succesful with --

*My knowledge in couponing grew and has truly paid off. I have lowered our monthly grocery bill by almost half. Just over a year ago, we spent roughly $450 a month on groceries, diapers, etc. Now, on average, we spend $250 at the most and the rest goes into savings. Cha-CHING! Yes, it takes a little time. Yes, I often make trips to a few different stores but if I save $200 a month, it's totally worth the effort. It's amazing how much we can actually get FREE - toothpaste, shampoo, oatmeal, pasta....and it varies all the time, which keeps it interesting. I'm not one of those crazy couponing freaks that stockpiles 47 boxes of cereal in my pantry {just 12} but I do like to take advantage of a good sale paired with coupons. It has become a cheap thrill, literally.

*Next on the list of sucesses was the time I spent studying scripture. Though I'm no bible scholar - obviously not if I still find myself flipping to the Old Testament for Revelation - I definitely feel my knowledge is increasing when one of the boys asks me a question and I can confidently answer them. That's not to say that d2 doesn't have to correct me every now and then but I just chalk that up to the kid having a photographic memory. I'm proud, of course, but sometimes it's embarrassing how the kid knows the smallest details to a parable. Way to go, SS teachers! And though I still don't spend as much time as I should every day {which will roll into my new list}, it did increase last year from prior years and I think I'm making progress. Inch by inch, right?

*And finally, time with my boys. Ah yes, and not just time but 'quality' moments. I really tried to be intentional with this one because, honestly, it's not as easy as it sounds. When they are all screaming, spitting or pooping in the tub, it's hard to smile and 'let it be.' It's hard to not send them in the play room while I spend an hour scrubbing the carpet from a taco sauce mishap. Well, this one I DID take the time to clean up but I did give d3 his own towel and he pretended to help. And I did communicate with him during our time together. We did talk. I said things like, 'This is NOT okay. Our plate is NOT a frisbee. Mommy is VERY sad.' And he said things like, 'Mie mie maul' in a very oriental-sounding way. For the record, this is his new phrase and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what he's saying but he definitely knows because he says it all.the.time. And this time we spent cleaning is perfectly fine because we spent it together. Don't judge. It counts. What I did work on was not so much talking but listening to them, letting them help me make dinner or do laundry, and just bonding with them in whatever way they would allow. I know that if I don't make the time for them now, they likely will not make the time for me when they are older. Here's to my future full of conversations on flatulence, fast balls and foxy girls. Awesome.


So how do I envision my 2011? I hadn't really thought about it much until Pastor Paul brought it up in Sunday's message. He talked about priority, specifically regarding our time, our resources and our relationships and it occurred to me that this was it. This is the area of my life that I need to focus on. Here's how I plan to do it --

1) Time - Right now I feel like I am stretched thin and though it's definitely true, I also know that I have free time that I could be spending in the Word and not on We TV, following the Bruce family as they dig out of debt on 'Downsized.' I need to push myself, discipline myself and surround myself with the armor of God. I also plan to get back to bible study as soon as basketball ends {28 days and counting} and I know the ladies will hold me accountable.

2) Resources - I've noticed how it's always an interesting topic when tithes and offerings are discussed in the church but it's IN THE BIBLE. We give because we are given. Our family firmly believes that if you take care of God's business, He will take care of yours. When we were first married and new believers, I didn't understand how in the world we could carve out 10% of our earnings to give back to the church. I mean, that's A LOT. I will tell you that when we first started, I was petrified. We were newlyweds, I was in grad school and we had a baby on the way. How on earth would we make this work? Sure, Jesus performed miracles but that was then and this was now. It's all about loaves and fishes, people. I recall a month where we were running very short but we still gave our tithes. We had faith that the money would come from somewhere. And then the craziest thing happened. I received a check in the mail from my part-time job from TWO YEARS EARLIER. A check that I apparently had never picked up. Seriously? I don't just forget pay checks, especially when I was a struggling college student living on beans and weenies but I clearly didn't question the random check. I knew it wasn't a coincidence. From then on, it was clear who was in control. For this year, I aspire for our family to continue in our giving and increase it over last year. I don't think this just applies to monetary giving, either. I think this goes hand in hand with our homeless ministry. We have helpers coming out of the woodwork and donations from here, there and everywhere. It's amazing the resources we are finding where this is concerned. Give in your offerings but also give of yourself to those in need. I wholeheartedly believe in it.

3) Relationships - Besides the obvious within my own little family of five, I want to reach out and build relationships around me. I have such a great group of friends that encourage, uplift, and inspire me and I not only want to grow those relationships but want to be those things to others. I feel like my life, from the day I was born, has been anything but normal but I know that it all happened for a reason and, in time, I know it will be revealed. Heck, maybe it is now. Hard to say.

There it is. My goals for 2011. A little different from 2010, maybe a little deeper. Deep is good. Keeps me honest and on my toes. I feel that this year is going to be a great one, a year full of big things. Amazing things.

What changes are you making in 2011? Do it BIG. Make it COUNT.

It's Not Child Labor If They Love It

This is for you, Laura......proof that camo CAN be cute. It's also to show that it's never too early to instill a work ethic in a child. Especially when he so thorougly enjoys it....





P.S. This was moments before D1 shredded our U-Verse cord by running the Rainbow over it. A cord that we later learned cost $75 to replace. Once I pointed out how the replacement cost was EXACTLY the same as his monthly allowance, he got some electrical tape, needle nose pliers and went to work. Twenty minutes later, we were back in business. My very own MacGuyver......