Our Trip to the Atlanta Zoo

Last week I put my brave face on and me and the little d's drove to the Atlanta zoo. We've been wanting to make a trip down there but we had an extra special reason this time....our good friends, T & S (from MO) were in Atlanta for the week while S's daddy was in training. T and I worked together in the past and had MANY playdates. S and d1 are the same age and have always played so well together. We often talk of their arranged marriage.....S comes from such good parents. Her momma's an accountant and her daddy is an Air Force captain. Can it get any better than that for in-laws????

The day was absolutely perfect and the layout of the zoo was great! Everything is so close in proximity, which is good because d2 would NOT ride in the stroller. I was either carrying him or running him down. He was a little on the naughty side, which is a bit unusual for him. I hope he's not getting SICK.....We did have a little injury timeout, although I think it scared me more than him. I placed him next to a Yogi Bear sign and thought he would stand still.....not so much. Just as soon as I got the camera up to take the picture, he went head first off the ledge. Not to fear, his fall was stopped by the park bench. He didn't seem to mind, barely made a whimper but I was FREAKING out! The lady sitting there told me to relax about 5 times and that it looked much worse than it actually was. Yeah, whateva!

So, back to the love story.....d1 was SOOOOOO well-behaved. I know most of my posts are rants about his horrid behavior and how he doesn't listen and play well with his brother and all the hitting and spitting that occurs. Well, boy did he surprise me!! He held S's hand the entire day and I didn't have to tell him once to stay with us; it was unbelievable.....I know that boys act well when they are trying to impress a girl but I didn't realize it started at age 3!! I need her to come stay with us awhile to keep this boy in check! How precious is this picture?????

When we were leaving to head home, we said our good-byes and promised we would see each other again soon. It didn't seem like a big deal but it was very clear that d1 doesn't understand the distance between us because he asked me if we could come back to see S at the zoo soon! :( It's so strange that kids at this age can care for someone so much (other than Mom & Dad) because you could see just how much they love each other as friends. I'm thinking a fall wedding would be beautiful................

Easter 2008

This Easter was our very first spent in the South....and it was a great one! We visited Uncle Bob's on Saturday and spent the entire day with Grandpa and lots of other relatives in Woodruff. d1 had lots of fun riding on all of Uncle Bob's toys....I think his favorite is the orange tractor by far. Both boys did get to catch a slow, safe ride on the 4-Wheeler (although it just makes me numb with fear, even in the safest conditions). Of course, in the midst of all the chaos, I forgot to grab our camera.....UGH!! How irritating!




On Easter Sunday, the boys woke up to find that the Easter Bunny had visited our house while they were sleeping and left them a few fun toys to fight over. We attended church and then after our nice, relaxing Sunday naps, we got up and played at the park for a bit and then came back and colored eggs. Yeah, I know....a little behind but we didn't get home early enough Saturday night to do it.....and the boys are too young to know the difference so we went with it. Here are some pictures I did sneak while they were dying the eggs with D1.....it was quite a mess at times but nothing too disastrous....

How Did They Do It?

Honestly! How in the WORLD did women raise families of 4,6 & 8 children? If I could travel back in time, I would be very interested to see how they managed to stay sane. Seriously, there weren't "happy pills" like there are now so how did they manage to keep themselves together all the while dealing with a crazy flock of children? I really used to consider myself a strong woman but these days, I feel like the weakest link by the end of the day. All (mostly) due to the screaming and fighting that occurs in my house....no, no. Not between me and the hubs but between the two little DD's that have sprouted horns on their little heads. Below you will see a "Before" shot that was taken at the beginning of one particular day....and this really fits ANY given day in our household....

Awww, aren't they sweet??? HA! Fast forward, oh....maybe an hour and you will find a different picture....

I used to be able to say it was all the older one's actions but these days, it seems pretty split. Little d2 has figured out how to get under d1's skin. The only difference is that a good, stern "NO!" brings d2 to tears. With d1, we are still trying to figure out what makes him tick (and what will deter his behavior). We cannot figure out how to curb his aggressiveness ~ he's not like this with any other child, just his lil' bro. We have tried everything from time-outs (does NOT work with this one), spankin's (we love and believe in THE Dr. Dobson but he needs to meet this "Strong-Willed" child), reward systems, taking things away, etc. Everyone tells me it's the age and at this point, I'm ready to agree because if it's not, then OH MY GOODNESS!!!! At least with that theory, I have a light at the end of the tunnel. To all of you that have successfully raised boys (without having the neighbors calling CPS), GOD BLESS YOU!!! And I'm open to suggestions.....