My Pumpkin Doodles

Happy 4th Birthday Isaac!

2011-11-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Isaac. You are turning 4 years-old this year and becoming quite the big guy. I am amazed at how much you have changed this past year, probably more so than any of the boys thus far. I mean, we had days early on at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 that were tough. You were not always the most agreeable kid. Frankly, you were kind of a hellion. But boy, in these past sixish months, you have grown so much. You are much more reasonable and really quite logical. You are super smart and that is very evident in the conversations you and I have. You are funny and expressive. You are really a great sidekick during the day.
We moved to Frisco this summer and you took that all in stride. Although you talk about missing “Arkansalt”, as long as your brothers are with you, you are fine. You took swimming lessons this summer in Texas. It was a nice break from the extreme heat. The class had four students and you were the only boy:). You weren’t sure you wanted to go to any of the lessons but you always went and did just as you were told and overall, you seemed to enjoy it.
In August, you began preschool at the Musical Arts Schoolhouse in Frisco. Moving late in the summer made it questionable whether you were going to even get into a school but God always takes care of us and gives us things we didn’t even know we were looking for. Ms. Lacy is your teacher on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons. She calls you and the other students “friends”. As with most things, you are not really excited about going but when I pick you up, you always tell me that you had a great day. Your class spends 45 minutes in each of the following areas: art, music, theater, academics, and dance. I ask you quite often about dance class. All you tell me is that you dance “big boy dance” not “girl dance”. I am not sure what that means. I may have to sneak a peek one of these days. I think you have found a place you feel comfortable and a teacher you really like.
And I am not sure, but I think all this creative time has really had an impact in your personality. You have become SO expressive. You are a ham these days. You love to have dance parties with Mac and I swear, if you lost your hands tomorrow you would lose your ability to talk too:). You talk quite a bit and get frustrated if someone doesn’t know what you are talking about. You tell lots of jokes that don’t really make any sense but you are super funny when you don’t mean to be.
Although things are getting a lot better between you and your siblings, you still give your brothers fits, especially Sam. You might just give him a heart attack one of these days. You found his button early and push it frequently. You love him but like to drive him batty! In the new house, you share a room with Sam. You two are forming a great friendship and making wonderful memories but neither of you know it just yet.
You have the smarts and abilities of an older kid but the reason of a 3 turning 4 year-old. That can get you into hot water with the older boys and even with Mac. He is just enough into your business that I am not sure you care much for him these days but for the most part you look out for him. Sometimes you’ll almost kill him trying to keep him out of harm’s way but it seems your heart is in the right spot.
This week, you start basketball. You have never done anything like this before so you are not quite certain you are capable but I am sure you are gonna be a champ! You get dragged to all of Sam and Will’s extracurricular activities so it will be kind of nice for you to have your time to shine. I will let you know in another blog how it turns out.
Really Isaac, we have had some rough days with you. You are incredibly stubborn and carry an attitude with it. But over the last several months, you have become such a sweet, young boy. You are a great snuggler and come to our bed often in the middle of the night. You won’t hear your daddy or I complain because we love having you there.
You have soft, sweet eyes and a gentle smile (with a dead tooth or two:)). You have personality that will take you places. Coming up third in line, I am excited that you are beginning to take on a world of your own. You are figuring things out and the world out with it. Your brain is always working and I am never surprised but usually tickled at what you come up with.
You still love your cold milk and need help getting the lights on in the “bafroom”. You eat very little variety. You pretty much just eat yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, anything sugary, bananas, the little oranges, chicken, chicken, and more CHICKEN. Oh, and you eat grilled cheese too but no other sandwiches and no cheese outside of the grilled kind.
You are a complicated bug Isaac Chism but I love you. You are precious, and I know God has some amazing things in store for you. By the way, the other day you asked me, “When is Jesus gonna shave?” I cannot wait to see what you do with all of those gifts He gave you. I know it is going to be amazing!
I love you buddy! Happy 4th Birthday Ike:).

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Happy 10th Birthday Will!

2011-10-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

Happy 10th Birthday Will. Wow! It seems like forever ago that we brought you home but then again, time sure has flown by. This past year has been especially crazy. With only about 30% of your support, we moved to Texas. I say 30% because there were parts of moving that interested you like having an upstairs and getting your own bedroom but the other 70% of you was pretty happy back in NWA. Although it was actually the second place you lived, Cincinnati being your first, NWA was the place you called your home. It was what you knew and where you loved. Your dad and I both know you well so we knew that moving would cause a few bruises but we just really felt like right now, Dallas is where we should be.
So in the past year, you have been busy. You had Mrs. Powell for 3rd grade and you loved her. She was a wonderful teacher who really made you feel comfortable to just be you. Your writing improved tremendously from 2nd grade maybe not because you gained so many new mechanics in her class but possibly because she encouraged and loved on your just in the right way to bring out the best and most creative parts of you. So, thank you to Mrs. Powell.
Now you have Mrs. Theos. She had an uphill battle with you when the year began because 1) you were in a new school, a totally new environment where you weren’t quite certain of yourself and 2) she wasn’t Mrs. Powell. Well, you are about 2 months in and although those first weeks were rough, you are rounding a corner and I think your path is looking clearer to you. Mrs. Theos is not Mrs. Powell. She is not as cuddly or lovey but she is going to be a teacher that challenges you and really develops you in ways no other teacher has. She is a no nonsense kind of teacher. Right now, you don’t exactly appreciate that but as your mother, I do. She is going to make you expect things from yourself. She is going to help make you great!
This summer you chose to take a break from soccer and try baseball. Unfortunately, it has been one of the hottest summers on record so the practices have been brutal. And honestly, although you can do anything you want to do Will Chism, athletics are just something that at this point, you have to work a little harder at because they are not quite as natural as academics or social types of activities. So you are not totally loving baseball because it is hot, time consuming, and quite frankly, hard for you. The first few weeks and even first couple of games, it was pretty apparent that you weren’t digging it but I think you are feeling more comfortable in a lot of areas of your life now and that is bleeding onto the baseball field. You are still learning every single game but you are playing ball now and seeming to enjoy it more and more each game:).
Will, this move has been the toughest on you. But we predicted that before we even committed to moving. We knew it would be hard on you but we also knew that you would find a way to work through it and be a stronger and more compassionate kid for it. And, you are beginning to do that. Three months in, your attitude is improving tremendously and therefore, your schoolwork is too. Your teacher is not always the enemy anymore, sometimes mommy is;). Your steps are lighter now. Your heart is open again. Your smile is genuine. I think you are beginning to understand that as long as you have your God and your family, you have your home. And that is the most important lesson you could have gained from this experience. It is also exactly what Daddy and I have been praying for you. We love you Will Chism, and cannot wait to see what other plans He has for you. Happy Birthday big guy!

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Happy 7th Birthday Sam!

2011-09-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

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Happy Birthday, Sambo! Today we celebrate the amazing gift God gave us seven years ago. Today we celebrate you.
The past year has been full of big events. You finished your first year of school at Bernice Young Elementary with Ms. Norris, a teacher that you were kind of afraid of and then began your second year of school but this time at Ashley Elementary with Mrs. Woolford. I am not sure if you are just more certain of yourself this go round or if Mrs. Woolford just gives off a different vibe, but either way, you are not scared anymore.
This year you also finished soccer and swim review (it annoys you and Will if I call them lessons because you know how to swim;)) and began baseball. Unfortunately, you began playing in July in Texas. Most of your practices were in 100+ degree weather so you weren’t lovin’ it but were a trooper and stuck it out. With a lot of practice on your part and patience on your coach’s part, you are getting the hang of it and starting to like it. You actually get a bit excited about it, and that makes me happy and you make me proud.
Because we moved, you got a new bedroom and a new roommate. Now you share a bed with Isaac. He knows you well, how to get under your skin, and how to make your blood boil. You two get tangled up in little disagreements more than any of the other boys but you guys are getting better and might actually be enjoying one another more and more. I think you would prefer to still share with Will but seem to be settling in okay.
You still love playing the Wii but now prefer to play with the neighbor boys or your brothers which is a nice change. You still run as fast as possible into the living room when you first get out of bed afraid you might be missing something. You still have the most infectious and wonderful laugh I have ever been around. (Your daddy and I love to hear you in the back seat of the car. Will can get you so tickled.) You don’t come into our bed in the middle of the night very often anymore but when you do, you still snuggle up as close as you can to Dad or me. You are a great bedfellow!
Academically, you are bright and an amazing reader. Your handwriting is still a bit difficult to read and you could care less about lines on the paper;) but it is all improving. You are extremely tough on yourself and get frustrated if you have to redo homework. I don’t think it is the fact that you have to take the time to redo it but that you didn’t do it just right the first time. I hate correcting you because you are already awfully hard on yourself, and I hate to frustrate you when I know that you are doing your best.
Honestly, I hate correcting you in general. If I say something to you about poor judgment or a mistake you might have made, you quite often get these big tears in your eyes. It is very sad, pathetic really. I have really never seen anything like it. You can be fine one minute and then huge crocodile tears the next! I think acting might be for you:).
Sam, you are an awesome little boy. You have a very tender heart and are a ton of fun to be around. Your laugh and excitement can light up a room. Your anger can also bring one down but we won’t talk about that. You are such a sweet boy with great intentions but can be thrown off track if someone, aka Isaac, tries to annoy you. You are also very honest which tends to make you very funny! You are a precious, precious gift, and I am so very thankful to God for giving you to me so that I could be your mommy. I cannot wait to see the plans God has for you. I know they’re going to be awesome!!!!
Happy 7th Birthday Sam.
PS – Here is a letter that I gave to your teacher, Mrs. Woolford. She had asked for a little background on all of her students. Here is what I wrote:
Dear Mrs. Woolford,
Sam is the second oldest of our four boys. As one of our middle children, he seeks a world of truth and justice. We work hard to create as much “fairness” as we can, but we remind him regularly and he experiences regularly that life is just not fair.
Sam is our son that most lives and leads with his heart. Therefore, he can be our emotional child at times. When he is sad, you can tell and when he is happy or excited, he is fun!
He is a bit more shy than the other boys when he is new to a situation but quickly warms up, finds his place, and falls right in line. He follows rules and really thrives in a structured environment.
Sam is an awesome reader and enjoys chapter books. The expected reading level for the end of Kindergarten in Arkansas was 4. Sam finished at a level 24. His fine motor skills, however, are a lot less developed, and this is the area we hope to see tremendous growth. His writing skills in terms of mechanics are poor but we know that with practice, he can and will improve. (As you might have noticed, his poor penmanship was probably inherited.)
We would also love to see an overall increase in his confidence level. He is not as self-assured as his older brother, Will, who Sam swears hung the moon! Sam can close up out of fear of an authority figure. We are working on teaching him to ask when he has a question and volunteer when he knows the answer.
Overall, Sam is a genuinely sweet boy. We are new to Texas so more than just your classroom is unfamiliar to him. We have been praying for our boys, their new school, and their new teachers (Mrs. Theos & you). If there is any way we can help make this year and/or Sam’s transition smoother, please just let us know!

Thank you,
Brent & Ashlee Chism

The Rest of Us - Brent, Ash, & Mac

2011-09-13T08:16:00.001-07:00

Brent is loving his new job at Dr. Pepper. He loves the pressure of making important decisions that can make or break you. I on the other hand, would hate it. I like someone else to make the decisions and just tell me what to do But, Brent is doing his thing and doing it well. He is getting great feedback and has found a place that he feels comfortable and valued. And that makes me happy!
Mac & I are trying our best to find a groove. Mac is a very busy boy, very busy boy. He keeps me on my toes. I feel like I get very little accomplished in the day because he is tough to run errands with and at home, I have to keep my eyes on him all the time. The only way I am writing this blog right now is because he is asleep. And when he rests, it is so very peaceful.
All in all, these past few months have been whacked out busy, but you know what? It has been wonderful! Our family is making a major life change and it is so exciting to see what is ahead. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we dearly miss our friends in NWA, our house, school, church, and being close to family. But we have so much to be thankful for and excited about. We are so very blessed!!!!!

Buy Me Some Peanuts & Cracker Jacks

2011-09-13T08:14:00.001-07:00

Sam & Will started baseball. They have only played in preseason tournaments up to this point so it will be interesting to see how the regular season goes. So far, my boys are making HUGE strides. They had never played or even been interested in baseball before this year. I am not sure they were interested in playing even this year but they had to choose a sport, and I guess they were tired of soccer. Well, it has been an eye opener for them. They really knew very little about the game at all (not for lack of effort on their father’s part). But in such a short time and with great pain, they are getting it. Although Will thinks we are pushing sports for scholarship opportunities, we really just want them to understand the game, feel comfortable playing it, and be willing and open to all things new. You know what, they are doing just that. I mean, I am amazed. It has been SOOOOOO hot here this summer. Many, many days of 100+ heat with 2 hour practices and they have complained a little, but really given it effort and are doing their best. I am SO proud to watch them, cheer them on, and to take them home, even when Sam hit the ball and ran to 3rd

First Day of School in Texas

2011-09-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

The boys started 1st & 4th grade at their new school, Ashley Elementary. Being new, we weren’t sure what teachers to want or not want, so we were indifferent when we were assigned Mrs. Woolford for Sam and Mrs. Theos for Will. They have been in the classroom for 3 weeks now, and although they have had some bumps, it is going to be a great year. Sam seems to really like his teacher. At the end of each day, I ask how it went, and every day, he says, “Awesome!” Will on the other hand has had a bit more of a slow start. I am not sure it is his teacher but possibly that each year gets progressively less fun and more intent on work. That just bums him out Having been around both their teachers a couple times now, I know that this year will be challenging, full of growth potential, and one to remember!
Isaac started Preschool this year. He is attending a musical arts preschool. He spends 45 minutes in each of 5 areas: academic, music, art, theater, & dance. His class meets from 12:00 – 3:45 on Tuesday-Thursday. He complains every day that he has to go but when I pick him up, he is in a super good mood and speaks of the awesome day that he had! I am hoping to sneak over sometime to check out the dance class. I can only imagine the fun that looks like!

Summer 2011

2011-09-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

Over the Summer, we were very busy trying to sell the house and wrap our brains around the idea that our home on Firefly Catch would only be “ours” for a little while longer. This was the home that we built to live in forever. We brought three of the four boys home from the hospital to this house. It was the place we made some of our closest friendships, some of our most wonderful memories and within a short time, we would call somewhere else home. It was sad but it was also very exciting. God has always taken care of us. I am not sure we have always understood His plan or gone along with it happily but He has always taken care of us. And even in our sadness, we could see He was working.
My mom, Nana, stayed with us most of the Summer. Nana & Pawpaw relocated to NWA, yes just as we were relocating out of there, so Nana stayed with us to help in Brent’s absence. We loved having her. I think she loved being there too. Although, there were days (house showing days), that she was wishing she was staying somewhere else. We took home showing to a whole new level of crazy! Trash cans out, hampers out, dirty clothes out, soft music playing, all lights on, blinds open, shower curtains open, baked goods on the table, and always something to drink! Yep, doing that enough times could definitely get you a visit to the crazy house!!
Thankfully, a wonderful family purchased our home and that allowed us to purchase a home in Frisco, TX. So, on July 11, 2011, we closed on our new home in Texas. We have been here just under 2 months and God has taken care of us. We see it every day. Sometimes it is in a big way, other days in a small little way. We struggled with choosing a house here. Heck, there are SO many choices. So feeling confident in our choice was difficult. But again, God has taken care. We have a couple new families that just moved in about the same time as us. They each have 2 boys. (Probably asking too much for any household to provide a playmate for all my kiddos;)) Two of the boys are just Will and Sam’s ages. Another boy is just in between Will & Sam and still another is closer to Isaac’s age. So, for all intents and purposes, the boys are taken care of. Almost every single day, the doorbell rings and a little boy is on the other side asking the boys to come out and play. And that is wonderful!
This summer we have spent special time with family, celebrated friendships that will last a lifetime, said goodbye to our old home and found comfort in a new one. Brent spent his first weekend with all three boys, ALONE and I got to have a special time with my college friends right here in Dallas. When I look at the pictures in this slideshow, I realize how much life we live, how tremendously blessed we are. There is love and fun in each of these photos. This summer seemed to fly by but in looking back at the pictures, we savored our time and hold those memories and people so very close. God is a great God!!!

Sam graduates from Kindergarten!

2011-09-13T08:05:00.001-07:00

Wow! You have a baby, husband takes a new job, sell a house, buy a house, relocate your family and then wonder where the time went;) I mean, so much has gone on, I have a ton to write about but getting the energy to do it is my problem. But today is a new day. I am gonna get some writing done!
In May, Sam graduated Kindergarten. I think it is really funny but super sweet that they make such a big deal of finishing the big K. The ceremony was held at Harber High School in the auditorium. The kiddos sang, danced, even did sign language. I don’t remember getting emotional at Will’s graduation. I am not sure if it was because Will is always my “go along with it even if I don’t like it” kid and Sam is so not that kid. Seeing him really singing and signing, simply participating, really hit me. I think that on that day, I also realized what an awesome school the boys attended, one that would allow and encourage such a beautiful and spiritual experience. I think I am also just getting more sentimental in my older age. Regardless of the reason, I was a bumbling idiot there, crying like a baby. It was super special!

Happy First Birthday MacArthur! (Macadoodle)

2011-05-24T06:48:00.001-07:00

I just saw that except for one little post this month, my last posts were in February! I am shocked by that because at first, I cannot even begin to figure where the time has gone. But then, I think about the blog that I am writing and the child I am celebrating and it all makes sense. MacArthur Reid Chism, you were born on your Nana's birthday. (Thanks for getting me out of buying a present last year;)) So this year, you are celebrating your 1st year on Earth while she celebrates her 60th! And let me tell you Mac, it has been a year!
First, you are a precious boy. You are almost ALWAYS smiling. I mean, you get annoyed from time to time when you want to be held or when Ike climbs on your back and attacks you, but other than that, you are a happy baby. Your smile is so big and sweet, you practically can't see your eyes when your flashing those 7 pearly whites. I think that amazing smile was a real gift given to you from God because honestly, without that to melt Mommy's heart, you would be in a world of hurt!
You are the busiest of all my babies. You could care less about television or toys. You instead love all things that aren't for your playtime. We keep the trash can either tucked away under the kitchen table so the lid won't open or we put it up high out of reach because you LOVE playing in it. I have caught you pulling out wrappers and picking little bits of food out of them. Gross! You also love toilet paper and tissues. You love to unravel the rolls and unload the boxes. You like to eat the tissue. Again, gross!
You and Nana's dog trade toys quite often. I am not surprised when I find you with a dog bone in your mouth or a chew toy in hand. You are constantly in a drawer or cabinet you are not supposed to be in. We have taken to rubber banding them shut but you still manage to get into mischief.
You love going outside especially when your brothers are out there. Although, you are quite content to be out there by yourself.
When it comes to food, you eat veggies but you love fruit, especially blueberries and bananas. I worry you will turn into Violet from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, just one giant blueberry we have to roll down the hall;) You love ice cream too. If you see someone eating it, you go crazy mad hollering for your share.
Your sleeping has been GREAT lately. You have been a pretty good sleeper from birth, at least compared to my other kiddos. You continued to wake up for feedings long past the age you should have but you got over that a little over a month ago, and it has been smooth sailing ever since.
You are walking these days. I am not sure it is your preferred mode of transportation but it is the first one you go to. If you fall, then you just crawl the rest of the way. I LOVE seeing you walk. You still walk with hands raised high, a smile on your face, and you make a sound of delight that brings me such joy!
You are a bear to change and dress. I practically have to sit on your to get your diapers changed. You are always trying to get somewhere.
You don't really like the car seat and usually protest when first put in. But you are a pretty good car rider and love having Will sit next to you. When we get to our destination and you see me through the window coming to get you, you kick with such delight. I LOVE it!
Your brothers really love you. Ike has his moments of frustration with you but that is really to be expected. He is trying so hard to fit in with the "big boys" and find his new place as not the "baby" but the big brother. Sam and Will think you are amazing and cute. They just can't get enough of your laughter. Really, I don't think any of us can.
You chatter a lot in your tiny, sweet voice. Sometimes I stand outside your bedroom when you are just getting up from a nap and talking to yourself to just absorb as much of those precious sounds as possible. I know that one day all too soon, those little noises will be gone. I look forward to the day you that you and I sit down and talk about your day at school or your favorite games to play but I will miss the little chattering.
MacArthur, I am tired. I am really mentally and physically exhausted most of the time. But you know what Mac, I am blessed. You are such a gift to our family. We were a family before but once you arrived, our family became complete. I am excited to see all the plans that God has in store for you and your life but I am going to try and savor all of these moments with you while you are still just underfoot usually hanging onto my legs. (We have both become quite good at maneuvering through the house together like this.)
Happy Birthday Mac! Thank you for being patient while I figure this "mommy of four boys" thing out. Thank you for delighting in my arrival and making me feel like the most important person in the world. Thank you for the pure joy you bring to our family, sweet Macadoodle:) Again, Happy Birthday:)

Camp Invention

2011-03-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today my son, Will, came home with 4 paper clips, a golf tee, and some other little round wooden thing. He said that he needed some tape. (We should buy stock in scotch tape. That is the "go to" adhesive tool for Will.) Anyway, about 2 minutes later, he had made a dragonfly with his potpourri of items. Two weeks ago, he made a compass (the kind you use at school not the kind you use in the woods) out of a pencil, a ruler, and a rubber band. I asked him if he needed a compass because we do have one somewhere in this house. He said, "No" but that he just wanted to build a compass. And that is my Will. He is always creating something. No, the things he builds don't always actually work, like the Ben 10 car he made out of a cardboard box, but his mental wheels are always turning:)
He is an out-of-the-box kind of thinker - fairly creative - always has been. But until a few summers ago, I don't think he felt confident enough to just create something. I am not sure he really knew where to begin or how to see something beyond what it actually was. But, a couple of years ago and every year since, he has spent a week at Camp Invention. And now, he sees the potential in the practical. I am not sure what their motto is but I think that is kind of what Camp Invention is about. It is about thinking outside of the box to solve problems. It is about using your creativity to expand your possibilities. Whether it is building a floating vessel out of recyclables or taking apart a piece of electronics to then assemble into whatever a child can imagine, Camp Invention challenges the kiddos minds to see the possibility in everything. I like that, and Will has loved it. As I write this, Will has requested some popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and any and all things crafty. I am not sure what he is up to but I will soon find out.
I must admit that I don't always appreciate the tornado of a mess he creates but I do appreciate that he is creating. Even if he builds me a life size Spongebob Squarepants with moving parts, (Where in the world does that fit into my home decor?) it doesn't matter to me. I'm just thankful that he is able to see the problems and potential out there, and that he is ready and willing to take it all on. Kudos to Camp Invention:)

Party!!!!!

2011-02-23T12:45:00.001-08:00

Well, we did it! Will got his braces off today, and I didn't hardly cry. I got a little teary when Miss Jill showed us the before and after pictures but I so didn't go into soap opera drama:). I kept it together and just savored the fun of the moment. And when I say, "Fun", I mean "fun"!
The office takes braces off just one day a month. I guess because they do it in a big way. Dr. Landers wears a tuxedo. Woo hoo! His wonderful assistants wear fabulous evening gowns. Gorgeous! There are balloons and a big banner. There is a table of fun glass jars filled with all the things a child should avoid when wearing braces. (I think we get a "C" for that effort. I mean I get Laffy Taffy but who would have thought that cheese balls were off limits? They are heaven covered in artificial cheese dust!) After Will got his braces off, he got an oriental take out box to fill with these sugary delights. Oh, and then there was Miss Jill acting as the "Party Pic Man" taking all kinds of photos. (Party Pic Man was a reference to my high school dance days:))
What a nice way to celebrate a special day. I am not sure Will caught it all in the office. I think he was distracted by the television screen in the ceiling. But once we got in the car, it began to sink in. He began thinking about those before and after pictures and he got it.
He was not a fan of the braces. Neither Brent nor I had ever made a big deal of his teeth before the braces so I am not sure he understood the purpose. He got used to them and rarely complained, but today got it. He was grinning from ear to ear. I offered him the rest of the day off from school to hang with me and celebrate. He chose to go back and show off his big deal:) I cannot even explain how happy inside that makes me.
I think I get why Dr. Landers does what he does. Up to this point, I honestly thought it would be kind of yucky working in all sorts of mouths. Today I saw how his work creates a new confidence in these kiddos. It was fun to see the delight in Will's eyes.
Today was a great day. Thank you God for giving us the resources to afford such a wonderful gift. Thank you Brent for committing to our family that you would take care of us in every way. And thank you Dr. Landers, Miss Jill, and the other very special ladies that have worked on Will's braces this past year and a few months. He is walking taller this afternoon because of each of you:)

That's Unfortunate:)

2011-02-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

A little background maybe for better understanding but more for sympathy for the story that follows;): I am a morning person. I mean I am not a 6:00 am morning person, but mornings are good for me. It is when I historically have been at the peak of my mental sharpness. Since becoming a mom, the fact that I am a morning person hasn't changed but that peak I just spoke about has leveled off somewhat. I have four kiddos and usually one or three have found their way into our bed at some point during the night. (I kind of hate it but kind of love it all the same.) That being said, although I am not quite as sharp as I used to be in the mornings it is still when I am make the most efficient use of my time and it sets the tone for my day.
So a few months back, I was on it. I mean I was getting the kids ready for school, my husband ready for work, the house ready for any unexpected visitors, & myself ready to actually exit the car. (I usually take the kids the 4 blocks to school barefoot and in my pajamas never really considering what I would do if the car broke down or if I was in an accident.) This was a day I was ready for. And since I was clean, I decided I might as well show that off so I decided to make a surprise visit to my in-laws at work. My father in-law has an optometric office in Shell Knob that they work at on Tuesdays. So, I scurried around finishing my last few tasks before heading out to meet them for lunch. At this time, my youngest, Mac, was about 3 months old so I needed to nurse him just before departure. As with many young babies, Mac was quite regular during feedings, and it was always a guess as to what kind of trouble we were going to be in. On this day in particular, I was about half way done feeding when I began to feel a warm sensation on my leg. After I shut my eyes and said a small prayer, I lifted Mac to survey the damage. Oh no! It was everywhere, on Mac, the bedspread, my jeans. Well, I decided to clean up in that order. I changed Mac which unfortunately involved washing his face and hair because of course, on this day, we were wearing an outfit that had to go up and over;) Then I stain sticked the bedspread and threw it in the wash praying that mustard color would come out of my light colored bedspread. (Why I continue to choose colors that are so unfriendly to boys is a mystery to me! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!) Lastly, I needed to address my clothing situation. As I mentioned, Mac was only a few months old at this point so my clothing options were limited. I still had only one pair of jeans that fit without total muffin top so changing was not an option. It was all about spot cleaning for today:) Thankfully, it all wiped up fairly easily. I was out the door within just about 20 minutes with only a wet spot on my thigh as evidence of the disaster of doo doo that just took place.
Lunch was great. My in-laws were really surprised by our visit and happy to see us. After we returned home, I proceeded to take my jeans off so that now they could be washed properly. I mean, the stains were gone, at least I thought, but the jeans needed to be scrubbed for simple peace of mind. I took them off and laid them on the washing machine. Yep! It is as it seems. I guess in my haste, I failed to check the backside. Yes, I walked around for roughly 8 hours (a few mom and pop shops, lunch at a real restaurant not a drive-thru, from the front to the back room of my father in-laws optometric office and back up front again) with mustard yellow poo in the sweet spot of my backside. No one said anything. I mean, okay, I can hope that those people at the optometric office had severely poor vision and just couldn't see the offense but what about everyone else? Maybe they didn't notice? Nah! Ot did they just feel too bad to tell me? I had two little boys, ages 3 & 3 months, on hand so maybe people just didn't have the heart. I don't know. They probably thought, "That poor girl has her hands so full she has not the time nor the sense to check the mirror." Or worse, "That poor girl ain't got even the time, the sense, nor the control to just stop and "go".";)
Ugh, Shell Knob is a small town. Thankfully, my father in-law is the only optometrist there so even if they wanted to, they couldn't hold it against him. Heck, maybe they feel bad for him, know he must have a lot on his plate with a daughter in-law like that. "Girl probably ain't got the sense to get out of the rain!" Sadly, after four boys, they might be right about all the above:)

Am I ready yet?

2011-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

We have eight more days, and I am really excited and really nervous about that. We have eight days until Will gets his braces off, and he has no idea what that means. I mean, he is nine so he knows what the braces coming off means but he really has no idea. He's happy about it but happy about it because he is in the third grade and few other kiddos in the third grade, if any, have braces. So, he is not in the norm and sort of views himself as a "nerd" because of the braces. (I am not even going to tell him that one day, not too long from now, glasses will be in his future too;)) I do try to tell him though that, years ago, braces were less common so yes, they fell victim to the stereotype of "nerdiness" but that has changed. And that although he is one of the few kids his age to have them, that will soon change too. So for Will, getting the braces off means the freedom to eat all the chewy, deliciousness the packaged goods world has to offer, and it also means that he might at least get one foot out of "Nerdville".
I, on the other hand, think that next Wednesday means so much more. I see my son as amazing. (I am his mother. I should see him that way.) I see his humor, his brilliant creativity, his sweet heart. I see the man that he will be, and that is why I am filled with excitement and nervousness for next week. Because getting his braces off, for me, will just reveal more of the beautiful man he will one day be, and that is wonderful, exciting. But it also means a reminder that he is already nine years-old. Last time I checked, he was nine months and taking his first few steps, and then practically running the next day. He was five and walking into his first day of Kindergarten, smiling and certain. He is now nine, and taking another step toward becoming an awesome young man. So I am nervous.
I am quite certain that Dr. Landers, his orthodontist, has no idea what emotional bomb he will have on his hands next week. Has he ever had a mom cry about such a non-event for most people? His office has been so very kind and done such an amazing job with Will and his overbite, underbite, and tongue thrusting. They have been so patient and welcoming when we arrive and that is saying something. I have three other boys ranging from ages six years-old down to nine months. So when we enter the building, we make a scene;) I can only imagine how they must prepare for our appointments. They probably built the new building and loaded it with video games, televisions, and all the fun a kid could ask for outside of Disney World just to keep my kids from climbing the walls and their mother out of therapy! (Sidenote: The last visit, my three year-old walked in the door and exclaimed, "This is paradise!" Yep, he said that at the dentist's office. Hard to believe, I know.)
So is Dr. Landers prepared? Yes for Will, maybe for me. Am I ready for it? Most of me, the big girl in me says, "Yes". But that other part of me, that one that can still see and hear my two year-old look up at me and say, "Well yook (look) at you Mommy, I yove (love) your belt." says, "Nah."

Where has the time gone?

2011-02-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Sadly, it has been a few months since I last posted. I am not saying that people are waiting on pins and needles for the next post, but this is sort of my attempt at a journal for my boys. I am terrible at diaries, and my handwriting is pathetic. Typing/blogging is my best option for getting down my thoughts and recordings of our life as I see it. The boys might have other memories of how things went down but I am the mom so what I say is truth:)
So to catch up - It is early February and Christmas has come and gone. We were blessed to see all the extended family this year during the holidays. We hosted some and were hosted by others. We had a jolly time!
We celebrated Christmas a little early this year with the whole Chism family. To kick the festivities off, we did the Polar Express Train ride in Branson, MO. My kiddos have seen the movie and liked it but my brother in-law, his wife, and children LOVE the movie. So the idea of trains, hot chocolate, cookies, Santa Claus, and the mystique of the Polar Express sounded like a wonderful way to begin our holiday. And really, it was. Somehow during the boarding process, we snaked seats in this upper section of the the train car. There were so many of us (7 adults, 1 girl and 6 boys) that no one else thought it a safe or sane idea to join us up there. They were all VERY smart people. So, we had this whole area to ourselves. The kiddos could roam freely, somewhat and just enjoy the magic of the lights and sounds of Christmas. Although the ticket prices are definitely something you have to plan for, it was really a special night that I know most of the kiddos (Mac's just 9 months so he gets a pass:)) will remember...and the adults too. The rest of the weekend was full of food, presents, and laughs. We really had a great time just being, eating, and making Christmas memories.
On Christmas Eve, my side of the family came to NWA to celebrate. It is the first time in several years that we have all been together on Christmas. We usually celebrate in hitches. (Plane tickets are cheaper that way;)) So it was really special to get to celebrate with some of our usual family of 6 traditions with a family of 9 and then family of 13. We were crowded but it was fun. Will and I prepared yummy sweets for our guests. He wasn't interested in helping with the real food. He just was frank about it and told me that "desserts were his thing, not vegetables". (And I thought he was hangin' in the kitchen to be with his mom. Now I know it was really about licking the bowl:)) Anyway, the weekend was simple but wonderful. Because Nana & Pawpaw currently live in Florida, when they come to visit, we kind of just "be". We don't go out much. Again, Nana and Pawpaw live in FL so they although they love time with the grandkids, they ain't lovin' December in Arkansas. We played the game Pit which was a lot of fun. It is a great game because it takes all of about 2 minutes to explain, and it is pretty kid friendly. My niece and nephew played with us. My nephew is 9 and from time to time would not play exactly straight. I am not sure that was because he is 9 and not totally getting the game. I think he got the game but used his age to his advantage. In the end, we laughed until we tinkled, ate until we were miserable, and loved until we couldn't stand it anymore:)
Our Christmas was merry. We spent time with family. We talked about Jesus birth and celebrated it with cake. We enjoyed the magic of the season. We were blessed!

Happy Birthday Ike!

2010-11-30T11:16:00.001-08:00

Isaac, you turned 3 this year and what a year it has been! There have been some big highs and some big lows but without a doubt, the year wouldn't have been as spectacular or interesting without you.
We call you Hurricane Ike because when you come barreling through, we brace ourselves and prepare for one massive path of destruction. In your defense, I am not sure you are much more messy than any other toddler but you are following Will and Sam who are two boys that play rather neatly and organized:) You are loud and spirited. You are pretty fearless and tough. You are quick witted and too smart for your own good. You are sweet and loving. You are funny, really funny!
You spend a couple of days a week at Kids Day Out this year. You were not keen on the idea for the first few months but you have warmed up to it and always come home with a smile on your face. Mommy is VERY thankful for KDO because not only does it give me a little down time and you a little time to socialize, it is also the place that really brought potty training home for you. Thanks to Will, I promised myself to never push potty training on you boys and just let you go as you were ready. (It helps me rest easy at night knowing that dating won't be a problem even at 16 if you are wearing a pull up:)) So, getting you out of diapers was far from my mind. But I think your teachers took a gentle approach and seeing your friends do it made you want to as well. So, you are the first of my boys to be potty trained before 3 years-old. Way to go Ike!! Now you go like a champ. Our only problem now is convincing you that you do have to hold the apparatus in order to aim with much accuracy and that wiping is required as is washing your hands.
Your brothers are into aliens and Wii games. So, you are into aliens and Wii games. I am amazed at your ability to retain names like Humungousaur and Water Hazard although you pronounce them Hugemungousaur and Wazer Hazard:) and the patience, confidence, and success you have with the Wii. There is no game that you aren't willing to tackle. I do get summoned in from time to time to try and get you out of a pinch and onto the next level. And although I do my best, sometimes I am a help and other times, you send me away I guess figuring you are more likely to get it done that me.
You love Mario and Luigi. You pronounce them "Maweo" with a slight Italian accent and "The Wigi". You were Maweo for Halloween and several days after that and that was your birthday party theme.
You are not shy about making your feelings or opinions known. You are very certain about your choices which is a characteristic you got from your daddy, not me. I am proud of you for it too. You are not wishy washy that is for sure. You are also quite vocal about how you are feeling. You scream at will and right now tell us quite a bit when we say, "No" to one of your requests, "You are making me cry."
You still talk a lot in your sleep and holler out which makes you kind of annoying to your roommates:)
You have about 6 or 7 things on your menu that you like to eat: cereal, oatmeal, pizza, chicken nuggets, milk, chicken nuggets, and more milk. You aren't interested in trying anything new. The Lord knows we have tried. So, if you forever have to order off the kids menu at restaurants, don't look at Dad or me.
Ike, you are my busy boy. You are always up to something. That doesn't mean it is a bad something, just something. You play VERY well by yourself but love a partner although at times you drive them up the wall. You know just how to get under Sam's skin, and I know you like to do it;) If there is controversy in our house, it is usually between you and Sam. You are the best of pals one minute and the worst of enemies another. One of these days, you will just be the best of pals.
Isaac, you are one crazy smart little boy. I know you will use it for good rather than evil and for that reason, I cannot wait to see the plans God has for you. You are the dancer, singer, all out entertainer in this family. You are rarely shy and love to make us laugh. You appreciate a smile and readily offer up kisses. You like to tell us when you are gassy because you know that always gets a laugh. You can wear me out physically and emotionally but my days are more fun and interesting with you in them. I love you so much little buddy. Happy Birthday!

Happy Belated Birthday Will!

2010-10-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Last week, your dad and I gave you $10 to take on your class field trip to War Eagle Cavern and spend in the gift shop. We told you to get what you wanted but to not feel obligated to spend it all just because you had it. As an incentive to be responsible with your $10, we told you that whatever leftover money you brought home, we would split with you. That afternoon, you came bounding in the door excited to show us the treasures you had purchased. You bought a stuffed bat ($7) for Mac, 2 small velvet bags ($1 each) for Sam and Ike, and 2 bags of precious stones ($1 each) to fill the bags. (I guess the cashier found you sweet because she gave you a $1 discount so that you could purchase all these items.) So, with the $10 we sent with you to buy something for yourself, you came home with nothing but gifts for each of your brothers.:) I guess I wasn't surprised because this is the perfect illustration of who you are.
Your classroom at school has partnered up with Sam's class this year. Every other week, your class goes and does activities and reads with their book buddy from Sam's kindergarten class. Given that scenario, most kiddos would choose someone other than their little brother to partner up with but you chose Sam. I am not sure if you picked him for yourself or if you did it because you knew that he would be disappointed had you chosen someone else. Either way, you make me proud.
Will, Dad has been traveling for work quite a bit lately. Out of your own desire and out of a bit of necessity, you have stepped up and really helped out. Unfortunately, quite a few times lately, your being the "man of the house" has caused a bit of frustration with your "mom of the house". You might be 9 years-old but your heart and your head are far ahead of that. This is part of what makes you spectacular but also part of what makes you so very challenging, not bad challenging, just "I gotta be on my game as your momma" challenging.
You have a wonderful 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Powell. She gets you and because of that your writing and penmanship have improved tremendously from last year. You are still in a bit of a rush with your work so you make silly mistakes. And you are always making plans in your head so you miss a few instructions here and there but again, Mrs. Powell gets you, so she is working hard to keep gently polishing you, helping to make you shine:)
You have played soccer and basketball this past year pretty much against your wishes. You aren't yet nearly as competitive with others as you are with yourself and you aren't currently in love with sports. But, that is okay. It is okay if you never love sports or get an athletic scholarship to college. However, we do want you to know how to be a team player, how to be a humble winner, and how to be a gracious loser. We want you to learn to honor your commitments even when you don't feel like it.
Will, although you have been in my heart ever since we first found out that I was pregnant 10 years ago, you have only been in my house for 9 years. I wouldn't say that the time flew by, but looking back, I don't know how we got here so quickly. You are a precious gift with a very true heart for others. I really think God took the goodness from Dad and the goodness from me, added them together and made one great creation.
I love your sweet spirit and your soft heart. I love your laugh, and that when you giggle too much, you almost always get the hiccups. I love that you enjoy sharing a room and a bath with your brothers, at least for now.;) I love that when you can't sleep, you come to my bed. Although you won't snuggle with me, you will share what is on your heart. I love your complexity, and I love the simple way you live by your heart. I love you bud, and I know that right now you may not be able to see all of the gifts God has blessed you with. One day you will, and God is going to do great things through you:)
Happy 9th Birthday Will.
PS - You got braces this year, and although you are kind of annoyed by them, you have been a trooper and wow, are you ever handsome:)!

Happy Belated Birthday Sam:)

2010-09-28T20:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Belated Birthday Sam! Although this blog is late, our happy wishes for you and the upcoming year were not. Year #5 was a good one full of fun memories.
You lost your first tooth, well teeth really. Your two front teeth were injured from a fall many years ago. They became infected a few months back and the dentist had to remove them. Although it originally broke my heart when you fell and injured those two teeth, they became a part of you. They were symbolic of the way you fully live life. You, although hesitantly at times, run full on into it with every ounce of energy. I was sad when the dentist pulled your teeth. (You referred to them as your gray tooth and your brown tooth.) I was sad that day because they were a reminder of my little two year-old boy running down the hall with his pacifier in his mouth. You tripped over your blankie and busted your mouth. You cried until a popsicle saved the day. It didn't save your teeth, but it saved the day.
You went to church camp for the first time this summer. You were a little uncertain about it and cried the first day. But you leaned on Will the rest of the week and did amazing. I knew you would:).
You also started kindergarten. I was so nervous for you. Although I knew you would do great once you found your feet, I worried it might take you awhile to find them. Boy, did you prove me wrong. Although you don't enjoy the long days, you have found your groove now. You are making friends and becoming so much more self-assured. I guess I should have known better.
I think that is the lesson I am learning with you boys. I can fret and worry about you, but God always takes care of you. When I think you are already amazing, you manage to come out even better, stronger on the other side.
I love that you climb in the car each day after school full of stories and little tidbits. You seem to have a new friend everyday. You don't always know their name but I guess that is a minor detail for you. Right now, it's about just having fun and learning about life with them. In a day or two, you'll learn their names.
I love the little songs you sing about how to spell the different color names. I love the pride you showed in yourself when you drew your first stick person this year. (You weren't much into art in preschool:)) I love that you think it is funny that your school name tag says, "Samuel Walker" even though you are "Samuel car rider":)
I love that you were Batman for Halloween and for several months that followed. (I got my money out of that costume.:)) I love how much you look up to your big brother, Will, how you play superheroes with Ike, and how you said early on that Peanut (Mac) was gonna be "your" buddy.
I love you Samboy. I love your sweet toothless smile. I LOVE your infectious laugh. I love that you are always honest no matter how much that hurts;). I love that, almost every night, you ask to sleep with me because you just feel less scared there. I love that when you ask for something and are told, "No.", you reply, "Uh, I was just kidding." And even though it can be frustrating at times, I love that sometimes I can ask you a question and get a response totally unrelated because you just got other things on your mind.
I love the emotion you bring to life. Sometimes it is a bit dramatic but really, your heart is always in it:) Your expressions sometimes...craziness!
You turned 6 years-old this year Sam. Your daddy and I are SO very proud of you. We are proud of your soft heart, your sweet nature, your rowdy spirit, and your love for Jesus. Tonight I heard Will say to you, "Sam, do you ever feel like someone is watching you?" Your reply, "Yeah, God is always watching us.":) Thank you Sam for challenging me and making me a better mommy. Thank you for making our family GREAT! Happy Birthday buddy!

Sam's First Day of Kindergarten & Will Goes to 3rd Grade

2010-09-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am a little, okay, a lot late in writing about the first day of school. Honestly, I am a lot late on a lot of things right now. I am not sure where the time goes. Well, I know it goes toward taking care of my children but they do sleep. Then again, when they sleep, I sleep. So again, I am a lot late on my writing but I am trying to turn over a new leaf and catch back up. So, here goes.

Sam and Will are off to school. Sam was placed in Ms. Norris' class. She was Will's Kindergarten teacher too so although Sam wasn't really interested in getting this school thing going, it is going, it is familiar, and it is good. The mornings are still rough even beginning week #3. Sam has never been one to rush out the door in the mornings. I am sure one day he will be a coffee drinker. He likes to sit and savor that time. If school started at 10:00 am, I think I would get a totally different a.m. attitude. I say a.m. attitude because when I pick him up at 3:00, he is really pleasant and has lots to share about his day. So far, in his 3 weeks, he has decided that PE is fun but tiring and makes you sweat which he is not a fan of. He has seen a child or two vomit which was less scaring to him than it would have been for me. He has caught the eye of a few of the ladies in his class. When teased about it by his brother, his response, "Will, sometimes that happens!":) He is making friends but still a little standoffish to the boy who speaks no English. I just don't think that makes any sense to him at this point. But really, that is our Sam. He is always honest and you can read his face like a book. He is a fun kid to be around and always up for some fun, well except for early morning fun. So, although he is a bit shy in new environments, we knew he would do well and find his place. Go get 'em Sam!

Will began 3rd grade this year in Mrs. Powell's class. She seems to get Will and appreciate the gifts that God has given him even if they are not always classroom friendly. She is tapping into the things that excite him which is a real treat for us. Because this is year four at BYE, Will has many familiar faces in class. Will is a friend to everyone so no one is a stranger. Against his wishes, he is beginning Spanish this year and will continue with Gifted and Talented classes. Really, it's hard not to be excited about a great teacher when he is in class, but so many extras outside the class that the days are always changing. Will was sweet to Sam those first two weeks of school, encouraging, explaining, and walking him to and from class. We are SO proud of the boys. They work together most of the time and really look out for one another. They have yet to realize the blessing that God has given them in each other;) But one of these days...

Here are some pictures of the first day. Mixed in you will find some of Will's first day of Kindergarten. I didn't blog back then but I did take pictures. Even though he didn't have a big brother to navigate the way, Will was also very excited about starting school back then. As I mentioned, he had Ms. Norris too. She took great care of our Will boy which is why he still holds a place for her in his heart. I know she will take special care of our Super Sam too!
PS#2 - You will see Paw Paw in the pictures from this year and Will's first day so many years ago. He just doesn't want to miss that first day of Kindergarten. Thank you Paw Paw for being as excited as we are!

Welcome Home Mac!

2010-06-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome MacArthur Reid Chism! You are 3 weeks old today so I guess a "Happy Birthday" is in order:)
You arrived 10 days early from your June 4 due date on May 25, 2010, Nana's birthday. The day began like any other except that we were preparing for Nana's arrival from Florida. She was hoping to be here for your birth so she came a little over a week early. Little did we know what a great day she chose! We saw Dr. Gorman the day earlier for our normal weekly appointment, May 24, and he was pretty sure we would be back in another week for our regular visit. So when I began having pains on Tuesday, I didn't think too much of it. I had a few on the way to the airport to pick up Nana, and they continued throughout the afternoon. None of them were extremely bad just more of a pause in the day's normal activities. After about 3 hours of contractions that were very inconsistent, I called the doctor to find out when I should begin taking these seriously. I was told by the nurse that since this was baby #4, Dr. Gorman would like to see me.
So off to the hospital we went. Nana, Will, Sam, & Ike drove me to the doctor's office, and Daddy met us there. Dr. Gorman checked things out and said that I had progressed quite a bit since the day before so he was going to send me downstairs to be monitored for awhile and then Dr. Partridge, the doctor on call, would make the call. Nana took the boys home while Brent and I went down to triage. Down in triage, we filled out our paperwork, answered a series of questions, dressed in a stylish, backless gown, peed in a cup, and got hooked up to the monitors. After an hour and a half of being monitored and increasingly painful contractions, the nurse came in and said that although I was 3 1/2 cm dilated and having regular and lengthy contractions, they were not consistent and I had not dilated any further. Some were contraction 2 minutes apart while others were 7. The nurse told us to go ahead and go home to eat dinner and relax maybe even take a bath. I will say that I was a little frustrated. I didn't necessarily need to have a baby on Tuesday, May 25 but my contractions were pretty painful and regular in my mind. How could I go home and take care of 3 kiddos with this level of discomfort? She said that I might be back tonight or in two weeks she didn't know but it would be when the contractions came at consistent intervals. I am sure that I was pretty annoying at this point because I asked several times how I would know when it was time. (I have had 3 other babies and none of them came with consistent contractions until after I was at the hospital in full labor. In fact, with Ike, I never felt a contraction. They told me my water was spilling out and I needed to have him within 24 hours. I got an epidural and never felt a contraction;)) The nurse assured me that when it was time, I would know. So, we signed out of the hospital, made a phone call, got in the car, and began our drive home.
I had a contraction leaving the parking lot at about 6:15 pm. We got on the interstate with a contraction at 6:18 pm and at 6:22 pm, as we were exiting the interstate, my water exploded in Brent's car. Now my water broke with Will and it was like little bubbles bursting every few seconds. With Ike, my water was leaking. Never have I had my water explode before. It was strange! So Brent quickly looped around and got back on the interstate heading back to the hospital. When we arrived at triage, they cut off my roughly 15 minute old arm bands and fitted me with new ones. I filled out that same paperwork again and answered the same questions before. "Yes, I still feel safe in my own home. No, I did not take up smoking in the past 15 minutes;)" I got a new gown, hooked up to monitors, and that nice nurse came back in. She reminded me that she did say that when it was time, "I would know". I guess that is why she is paid the big bucks because I certainly knew:)
At this point, things began to move quickly, not quickly enough for my taste but quicker none the less. When the nurse reexamined me, I was now at 5 cm and she confirmed it was my water that I experienced. (Good thing for me. I think Brent and Coca-Cola will forgive me for my water breaking in the company car but probably not for peeing in it:)) As the process continued for preparing to have a baby from an administrative standpoint, my pains were becoming increasingly worse. Brent was pacing, concerned I wouldn't get my epidural. The nice nurse doing my IVs seemed concerned about that as well because he got my bed rolling down the hall, and I am certain that this wasn't his job. I got to the delivery room and waited for the man only 2 to the Lord himself, the anesthesiologist:) (Unfortunately, to get an epidural, you have to wait for blood work to come back, so I waited for what seemed like forever.) After that sweet man gave me my epidural, the nurse came right behind him to check me. Oops! Seems in that short amount of time moving from triage to the delivery room, I had progressed to 9 cm. Now I am a big fan of epidurals and anything to take away the pain but had I known that I was only a cm away from having this baby, I might have gone for it. When that sweet doctor was administering those lovely drugs, I thought I was at a 6 and I couldn't figure out how or why someone would be able to handle another 4 cm of this. I guess even though I went through most of the labor with the pain, my after the baby was pretty relaxing:)
Anyway, Dr. Partridge quickly came in prepared to deliver our baby Mac. I pushed once, and then she asked me to push half that hard. Out you came Mac! I was moved into that room, hooked up to machines, had all my stats taken, given an epidural, and pushed 1 & 1/2 times all in less than about 45 minutes. I guess you showed them Mac! You didn't care about dates or time between contractions. You were ready to come and so you did.
You weighed in at 7 lb 13 oz (same as Will & Sam). You were 20 1/2 in long (same as Sam) with lots of black hair. You were perfect. Daddy was there waiting for your arrival along with Nana. This was the first of her grandchildren that Nana was in the delivery room for the birth. (I hadn't asked her before. I actually didn't think anyone outside of the medical profession, and the daddy would want to be in there. There is alot of crazy stuff going on in that room.) Mama Fran was also going to be in there for your arrival but you came SO fast that she and Papa got there about 10 minutes after you entered the world. Pawpaw was driving from Florida so he got there the very next day to see you.
Since that Tuesday in May, we have felt overwhelmed, tired, loved... really a mix of so many emotions but mostly we have felt blessed. You are a perfect, sweet baby who loves to be held. Your brothers find you fascinating and love to touch and talk to you. Ike has a few mixed feelings. He has lost his place as the baby but we spend each day trying to convince him that this is all that he lost:) So, he loves you but he hasn't quite figured out the benefit of being an older brother. He will though, in just a short time:)
Our family is complete. Your daddy and I had always talked about having four but we took that one baby at a time. Thankfully God had that in His plans too. I look at you and see each of your brothers. No, you don't necessarily look like any or all of them but I see the promise in you that I saw in each of them. I love having you in my house under my care but I cannot wait to see what God has in store for you. You are a child of God. He loved you from the beginning and will until the end just like your daddy and me.
Happy Birthday MacArthur. You are a delight!

Will's Leg Length Discrepency

2010-02-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I am totally cheating here but Brent wrote an email awhile back updating some of our friends on Will's appointment at Shriner's Hospital on February 19, 2010. He copied me on the email, and it really touched me. So often as parents, we present ourselves to our children in a way that looks like we have all the answers. Even when we don't have the answer, we use the old standby, "because Mommy and Daddy said so".
When I read Brent's email, I got teary because I feel as he does. I question my God and lack the faith we both desire. I am copying Brent's email onto this post because I want the boys to one day read this and know that we both struggle daily in our walk. We don't doubt the fact that there is a God or that He works in every part of our lives. But we try so hard to have control of it. We try to make sense of it. We don't intend to but sometimes we put our God in a box. I guess I want the boys to know that walking with God doesn't always mean the person is upright with shoulders back, head held high. Sometimes the walk is more of a crawl. And God already knows this about us, and I believe that He rejoices in the fact that we are simply still moving with Him. I want my boys to always be moving with Him no matter the posture. Anyway, here is Brent's email:
"Dear Friends -
Update on Will's leg length discrepancy. As you may recall, we discovered Will's uneven leg length a few years ago. Two years ago, we went to Shriner's Hospital in St. Louis, and they told us that the difference was 3/4 of an inch. Projected out to a full grown man, they estimated that this would result in a 3 inch difference in leg lengths. This would require a major surgery called Illizeroff, which involves breaking of the leg and lengthening it for a period of 9 months.
We were disheartened, but knew Will could handle adversity and we started to pray for healing.
I'll admit, I'm not really certain that I believe that God miraculously heals people today. I tend to think that ceased with the apostles, but I also believe that our God can do anything, so I figured why not pray for healing.
This weekend we went back for a visit to Shriner's 2 years later. More x-rays and tests were done. The doctor came in and said, "Well I'm not sure what happened, but the discrepancy is no worse. In fact, it may actually be slightly better". We asked what may have caused this medically, and he had no answer. We asked if this happened often and she said, "No - not often at all. We don't have a medical reason for this".
I don't know if Will's leg will go back to even lengths totally or not. I don't know for sure that God kept the legs from getting worse. I am weak in faith, and tend to lean on my own understanding, so I don't have a good explanation for this. I worry that it may start growing at differing rates again.
I don't know what will happen, but I know we prayed and things are better and the doctors don't know why. That makes me happy. And I hope that God did this. And I believe he can on most days. And on the other days, I imagine He does His work regardless of my weak faith.
Praise God"
)--Here are pictures we took on our visit to St. Louis/ Shriners. We spent the night in a hotel and took the boys to the Arch, The City Museum, & The Crown Candy Kitchen. Granny and Papa went with us to help with Sam and Ike while Brent and I saw the doctor with Will. They were a great help and fun to have with us. Thank you Granny and Papa!

The Holidays

2010-02-03T06:16:00.001-08:00

Wow! I guess it was before Thanksgiving since I last had the time or mental capacity to sit and write about life. Don't get me wrong, it happened. I just haven't had the energy and sometimes the nerve to talk about it;) But in a nutshell, the holidays were busy for us as are for everyone else, and I say this with an attitude of gratitude. We were busy because we have been blessed in wealth of food, health, family, and spirit. Throughout the past month and a half, we were surrounded by loved ones and each of us had reason to celebrate life, the season, and the birth of Jesus. Now, I am not sure our faces or attitudes displayed all that joy all the time. Frankly, life with all its blessings can be crazy and frustrating. And life with over stimulation and a full week of unexpected snow days and sickness has its moments of difficulty. But in the end, we sure had fun and are so very thankful that we were blessed to spend time with so many of our loved ones. It only took a month and a half to fit them all in and to finish celebrating but we did it, and we have special memories to prove it:) Enjoy!
P.S. - I will be in severe trouble if I don't explain my mother in a cowboy hat and scarf. We were celebrating the new year and drank a little too much virgin lemonade:) We got wild and made her a cowgirl!

Happy Birthday Ike!

2009-11-18T15:16:00.002-08:00

(The song "One Little Slip" by the Barenaked Ladies was used in your slide show because you and Sam "sing" it in the car when you are watching Chicken Little. It is the sweetest rendition.)
Today is your big day Isaac. (Hold on to your hats world, Ike is 2 years-old:)) Although you are the third son in our family, you are such an individual. You have an energy and spirit all your own. You love any adventure, and I am certain there isn't anything that you think you can't or shouldn't do. You follow your brothers everywhere, and fortunately for you, they think that is fine. If they are on the bunk beds, you want to be on the bunk beds. If they are eating at the counter, you want to be at the counter, even if you aren't eating. Unfortunately, we only have two bar stools so you holler at Will until he gives in and gives you his chair. You have learned quickly that Will is much easier on you than Sam so you don't even attempt to get him to move:) Wherever they go, so do you.
Although you love following your brothers, you have no problem blazing your own trail. You love playing ball. Basketball, baseball, golf, any kind of ball is your game. And you don't care if the boys want to play which they usually don't. So you just grab Dad or me and you are ready to play. I can't even count how many hours your dad and I have sat in the living room wearing your little baseball cap and little glove fielding balls you bat off the ottoman like it is a tee. You are also our outside kid. If I am in a hurry to get out the door, I have to carry you out to the car and not open the garage door until you are strapped in your seat because if I let you walk out on your own and you see an opening, you are off on the scooter car burning a path out the driveway.
Unfortunately, you didn't decide to sleep through the night until just a month or so ago. Strangely though, you have always been my easiest child to get to bed. We just rock a few minutes, and then in your bed you go. You might talk to yourself for an hour, but you have almost always put yourself to sleep. Why you waited so long to sleep through the night then is a question for that Dr. Ferber and his Ferber Method.
Your vocabulary has come alive lately. You have been chatty for awhile but just lately you really began throwing out all kind of thoughts that most people, not just mom, can understand. Some of those things we understand clearly from you but we laugh because they might be things that weren't so clear to you from us. For instance, for awhile you had a bad diaper rash and hated being wiped. So to try and get you clean as possible, I would distract you by tickling you in that area while wiping. I would even say something like, "tickle, tickle." Then you began saying, "Tickle, tickle star." It took us awhile to figure out what you were saying because it was a little confusing but I guess to you "tickle" and "twinkle" sound alot alike. You are also a good guy to have on hand right now because if anyone lets out a toot, you so sweetly say, "I farted." I think you think that it is all one word and you had to have learned it from Sam. He is probably the only one in the house that announces his flatulence.
You love to sing. You love to dance. You love books. You love Miss Pattycake and Boz. You love to make a mess in the name of exploration and discovery. You are almost always ready to party. I am certain you will find trouble in the years ahead. Fortunately for you, you have a sweet look of innocence in your eyes so I am sure most of it will go unpunished.
You are a delight Isaac. Your smile is genuine. Your spirit is contagious. And although our house is full of boys, it would feel very empty without you. Happy 2nd Birthday Isaac. We love you.
PS - While Mommy was out of town, some of your relatives got ahold of you and played dress up. You were the prettiest little girl Mommy never had:)

Halloween Happenings

2009-11-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from all our Halloween adventures. It is a potpourri of pics from the past week so I will kind of give a rundown of what is in the slideshow.
-First, Ike had a dress up day at Kids Day Out. Mom didn't quite have the costumes ready yet so he had to go as Bob the Tomato. (That was made back in the day when I actually used a pattern:) I am too cheap for that these days!)
-Sam also had a party at his preschool. After two nights in a row of 1:00 am+ bedtimes, I had all their costumes ready so Sam went as Batman. He dressed at 7:25 am that morning and didn't take it off until after 6:00 pm that night, even the gloves and mask. When he did take it off, there was sweat running down the inside of the mask. He is a Batman nut!
-The boys went as Batman, Robin, and the Joker. These costumes were Will's idea. After I bought all the stuff to make them, Will informed me that he didn't really want to be the Joker. I asked him why he suggested it then if he didn't want to be it. He told me that he thought it would make Sam happy. I then had to explain to Will that many times in life, it is great to make others happy but that he should never do it at the expense of his own happiness. That is a life lesson I still haven't learned;) I did offer to make him a different costume since I hadn't yet begun making them but he didn't really have any other ideas so he found peace with the Joker. And, since Sam wore his costume for all of Friday and most of Saturday, I think Will accomplished his goal of making Sam happy:)
-We trick or treated at Brent's work on Friday and in our neighborhood with some great friends on Saturday. Our neighborhood is crazy busy on Halloween but I think that just makes it more fun. And doing it with friends makes the night a real treat for the kids and the parents.
-I took the boys out to the pumpkin patch earlier in the week to pick out a pumpkin to carve. That was fun and the day was beautiful. The boys were even very willing to take the pictures. Oh, I guess I did bribe them with ice cream but I am sure they would have smiled just as much without the bribe. Boys love pictures;) Oh and the two pictures with Ike's pants down, I forgot his belt:O
-Lastly, we spent Friday evening carving our pumpkin. I use the term "we" very loosely. Will was SO excited to get going on the pumpkin. He drew the face, I carved but then none of my boys would help clean the pumpkin out. They wouldn't even put their hands in it! It should bother me that my boys thought it was gross to touch the pumpkin guts but really, that cleanliness helps out in so many other areas of my life so I was ok with it. In the end, I cleaned it out and the boys still seemed to think it was a fun time watching. Brent took the pictures.
All in all, it was a very busy week. It was a rough week but when I look at these pictures I think about how one day very soon, I will miss a week like this, chaos like this, my boys like this.
Happy Halloween!

Welcome Little One

2009-10-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

With each one of my children, I have kept a pregnancy journal. I am not sure I really had something profound to say but I did one when I was pregnant with Will. That was when I had ample free time and ample brain power. I am sure I had some profound thought or secret to life back then. Well after becoming a new mommy with Will, I quickly realized how little I really knew and how thankful I am that I have God backing me. So since Will, I have tried to keep a journal with new each pregnancy to more document the little things rather than bless them with my vast understanding of the world or my body. (And by doing the journals I don't have to feel guilt for not doing one for the other kiddos or wonder if children #2, #3, and #4 question if I loved child #1 more:))
Well, I haven't yet found a journal for baby #4 and today I felt compelled to write a little something to our newest "Little One". So, I am introducing Baby #4 into my blog. So welcome Little One.
You are right now the size of a piece of rice, maybe. I saw you on an ultrasound two weeks ago and you are fantastic. I am already short of breath, nauseous most of the time, and needing a nap just about every day. Rocking Ike to sleep makes me sick to my stomach and it takes me forever to eat because I feel the need to burp after every bite:) You are 1/8 of an inch and you have a beating heart. You are spectacular and I am blessed. The road to a family of 6 has been bumpy. I feel a little strange when I fill out patient forms and fill in that this is my 7th pregnancy. (Our family is gonna liken itself to the Duggars when we get to Heaven.;) But I know that I am blessed.
So I was thinking the other day how much my feelings during pregnancy parallel my relationship and feeling toward God. I wanted to share it with you because I thought that it would tell you a little about my feelings toward you and a little about my relationship with my God.
So here goes: You are living inside me. I can't see you. I can't always feel you but I know you are there. You are always with me no matter what. I am not always wearing that "pregnancy glow" because sometimes I am just too tired. But then other times I am alive with the idea that you are mine and I can't wait to meet you. It will be a day that I never will forget. You are wonderful and each day that I spend with you, talk to you, know you, my life feels a little richer, a little more meaningful, and a lot more peaceful. My cup overflows. You are delightful and all of us are waiting for you arrival. No one really knows when you will get here but boy will we celebrate on that day! What a day it will be:)

Happy Birthday Willboy!

2009-10-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Will. Tomorrow you will be 8 years-old and just typing it makes me teary eyed. I guess we get caught up in the now and the joys and challenges that the now brings with it. So all of the sudden, 8 years have gone by. And let me say that you are a delight. Please do not misunderstand that you do have your moments of totally irrational behavior when our only but best option is to fall on our knees in prayer but really, you are a great kid.
This past year has been full of adventures and discovery. This past year, I think you figured out that currently, sports do not come as easily to you as many other things. And because of that, you have little patience for them. Unfortunately, I am sure Dad and I both see your point that things that are frustrating are not a lot of fun and really why do something not required if it is just going to frustrate and maybe even cause a blow to the ego. But, we can't say any of that to you right now because you, your body, and your mind are constantly changing and the world still has a million possibilities for you. And we want you to be able to grab onto any and every one of those that you desire.
So sometimes you were willing and other times resistant but this past year you played soccer, basketball, tee ball, golf, and competitive swimming. Some of these lasted a season, some a month, and some a day which is why we could fit it all in a year. Some of these were a great fit, some with a little practice would be a good fit while others were just not your game. I will tell though you that one of my proudest moments as your mommy was during the swimming tryouts. Within the past year, you became a really confident swimmer so you were ready and willing to give the team a try. In the tryouts, you had to swim each of the 4 strokes required for 2 lengths of the pool. (That is 8 pool lengths.) I didn't even know you knew a stroke. But you got out there and worked and worked. The last lap back, your were pretty much dog paddling to not drown but you never gave up or took the smile off your face. I can't even tell you how big I felt inside seeing the strength and determination of my Willboy.
You know the areas in your life that require a little more work but you also know the areas in which you excel. You didn't care much for 1st grade. You loved your teacher and the social aspect of it was right up your alley but academically, you were done around Halloween. You are like your father. You know things that I have no idea how you know them and that which you don't know, you pick up quickly. So yes, you were bored out of your gourd for most of the year but you learned some valuable life lessons: 1)Most of the time in life, you have to wait on others. It stinks but you do. 2)Everyone has a gift, you may just not appreciate it as much as they do 3)There are rules to follow. Whether they make sense or not, there are rules. 4)Some of the things you do just seem like a waste of time but you have to do them anyway. That is just part of life. 5)Everyone is special and unique. Love them anyway:)
You are an amazing boy, Will. You have a sweet heart, and I fear the day it gets broken for the first of many times. You are a good person who sees the good everyone. You don't see differences in people but potential. You are extremely good to your brothers and probably more responsible with them than Dad or me. (I have been typing this for a few minutes now but stopped to get you some cold medicine. I walked in the the living room to find you tucking Isaac under a blanket on the chair and giving him a sippy cup you had just filled with milk for him.) That is who you are. You are great. Yes, you have moments when the world defeats you and you crawl underneath your bed in frustration. But for the most part, you are my easygoing, even tempered Will. You are funny and mentally challenging. You are a teacher and a student of life. You are my Willboy, and I am so of the boy you have become.
Happy Birthday Will!
Here are some other highlights from this past year:
-Camp Invention - you loved the challenges that it provided and the quest for thinking outside the box. You have already asked to go back next summer.
-Guitar Lessons - you are doing really well with this. You could be great if you actually practiced:) I have been trying a few different motivational techniques to encourage practice. So far, I have been unsuccessful but I am still trying.
-Pokemon - Neither Dad nor I understand this game/cartoon and maybe that is why you like it so much. Gone are the days of Handy Manny and The Backyardigans. But, you still will sit and watch Veggie Tales or Tom and Jerry with me and the boys.
-Scootering from school - You are dying for independence right now. You would love to ride all the way home alone but I just can't do it. Yes, it is only about 6 blocks but it still 6 blocks. So right now, I run your scooter up to school before the ending bell and then you scooter with a friend 1 block to a friends house where I meet you. It is not ideal for either of us but a compromise we both can live with.
-Silver Dollar City - You think this is one of the best places on Earth. I decided to include this highlight because you are practical and I know pretty soon you will change your mind and see it more as the slightly expensive haven for bad crafts that it really is. But the funnel cakes and frozen lemonade are delicious!
-Clifford - Best friends come and go but Clifford is still the tops.
-Pictures - You are my picture kid. I never have to ask twice. I just say, "Smile" and you do. I have lots of great pictures of you but you are always willing to give me a grin!
-Ice Cream - You eat ice cream with such abandon. You get it all over your face but you don't care. It is about getting every last bite! (You get that from your dad too!)
-Swimming - This was the summer that you dove right in. You have been swimming for awhile but this was the first summer when you just let yourself go and even did it without the swim mask:)
-Sight Words Folder - This year you had to recognize 1,000 sight words, 100 at a time. I guess you were getting tired of the process because one of the times I noticed words that I hadn't seen before but had "signed" my name to. Well, you can figure it out.

Happy Birthday Sam!

2009-09-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sam, it is your 5th birthday today. You have been asking how many days until your birthday for about two months now. Well, it is finally here buddy. You headed off to preschool today with treats in hand to share with your classmates and a goose egg on your forehead from running square into a cement pole at Sam's club last night and a gash on your arm from the fall you took the night before while walking into Chick-Fil-A. Honestly though, this is exactly how I would have pictured you walking into school today. This is just who you are. You are extreme but you are spectacular and fun.
When you are excited about something, you get really excited and want to share it with others so that they will experience that same joy. Unfortunately, there are many times that others do not seem to have the same appreciation for things as you do which then breaks your heart. You often cry loudly shouting something like, "You hate me!" or "Then I will just never play with you ever again!". Because you live in a world of extremes, it is kind of hard to know when you are faking it, a little sad, really sad, or when your heart is broken. You have always been able to cry big crocodile tears with really little effort. (Maybe acting is in your future.)
You get angry from time to time and when you get angry, you get really angry. Most the time you just growl and scrunch your face up but you have been known on more than a few occasions to run after a brother or two and pummel them in the head.
You play hard. You rarely walk anywhere. At this moment your front teeth are both chipped and dead, you have a massive wound on your arm, knot of your forehead, knot on the side of your head (Monday at preschool), and red scar on your peenie (somehow you fell off the toilet about nine months ago and the toilet lid got ya).
You ooze love. You are my hugger and always have been. You're the snuggler. I don't think you left my lap until after you turned 3 and that was only because Isaac arrived and kind of took that spot. I am not sure you liked him enough at first to share the space;)
Sam, you are a wildly emotional child but you are a delight. I always know how you feel. Sometimes that is frustrating and requires me to work harder as a mommy but most of the time, it is just plain amusing. You are a funny kid. I NEVER know what you will say. In the past year you have told our carpooling friend that her car smelled bad, a good family friend that he was a "little bald", another good family friend that she drove like your grandma, and another carpooling friend that you knew I was a secret agent because I have a secret compartment where I put my sunglasses:) I can count on a good laugh or red face from you almost every single day.
So thank you Sam. Thank you for keeping me humble and in regular conversation with God. Thank you for bringing such joy to our family. Thank you for coming to me in the middle of the night when you are scared and actually believing that I, little ole mommy, can keep you safe from the scary guys. Thank you for being my little buddy!
Happy Birthday buddy! We love you.
PS - A couple of other little Sam notes from the past year:
-You only eat peanut butter sandwiches because, although you like jelly, you don't like getting your hands sticky.
-You won't drink milk out of one of the cups in our cabinet because the duck on it has a dirty face. For that matter, every time you finish eating, you ask if you have anything on your face. You also get grossed out if Ike is sitting next to you with a dirty face. I mean like you make gagging sounds and everything:).
-You take forever to go to the bathroom, especially in public restrooms, and you will talk about anything and everything while you sit and we wait.
-You told me the other day that it was my fault that you need to play Indiana Jones on the Wii all of the time. If I had not bought it for you, then you wouldn't have to play it so much.
-You are an awesome reader and you have been for several months now. Good job buddy!
-You always take your shoes off and place them right in the entry way. This doesn't sound like much but I can't get any of the other people in my house to do this.
-You started swimming like a fish this summer. You ditched the life jacket and love the freedom! Yea!
-You were frustrated the other day because you were struggling with something on the Wii. When I tried to help, I myself had a couple of failures so you said, "Now you feel my pain."
-You love to tell jokes right now. You love it so much that you are willing to tell the same one over and over to the same person over and over just in hopes of getting a few more laughs.
-You don't really like girls right now. You say that they "make you nervous". That's ok with me though. You made sure to clarify that it was only "wittle girls not big ones like me";)
-You were obsessed with Ninja Turtles for most of the past year which is why there are so many pictures of you with swords. You were a Ninja Turtle:) Then you moved onto an Indiana Jones obsession. You carried your woven belt around because mommy was too cheap to buy you a whip. Now you love Batman. You have a mask and Batman boomerang. Just wait until you see what you are getting for your birthday:)

First Day of 2nd Grade

2009-08-19T07:01:00.001-07:00

Will is starting 2nd grade today. I am excited, nauseous, sad. The first day is always tough for me when Will heads out. As a kid, I loved the first day, new pencils, new lunchbox, new shoes. Of course there was always the little bit of apprehension. Will I know any of the other kids in my class? Will I like my teacher? But probably even before lunch, I would find at least one friend that I knew would soon be one of my best friends and I would know for sure that when I grew up, I would be a teacher:) But, now it is not me on my first day, but my eldest child, the family peacemaker, Sam's best friend, and Ike's protector. So I am sad to not have him around all day for the next 9 months. I am nauseous because I want him to find that best bud and love his new teacher. I am excited because this is Will's chance. It is his time to go and expand his world and create unlimited possibilities for his life. It is his time to not be the big brother or the oldest child. It is his time to be kind, funny, and/or helpful to someone else and maybe show them a little of the Jesus that lives inside him. Will is an amazing guy and as his mom, it hurt just a little to leave him at school today. But, as his mom I also felt pure joy at the beautiful boy he is becoming, the confidence he holds inside him, and the boundless opportunities that await him. Go get 'em Will!

We've Got Company!

2009-07-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Nana and Pawpaw came to visit for the Fourth of July holiday. I am proud to say that on this visit I actually remembered to take pictures. I guess I always get caught up in the moment and just forget to grab the camera. I still didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked but I now have a goal for next time:)
Anyway, Nana and Pawpaw flew in on the Fourth. There was some confusion as to where they actually landed though. Springfield got a new airport. Not just a new terminal, a whole new airport. This caused confusion for those of us picking them up and especially for those flying in. However, we did retrieve them eventually so that was good;) We didn't do anything majorly adventurous while they were here, although I think Nana thinks my life is one treacherous activity after another, but we spent time together. With my parents in Florida, we rarely get to just do life together. This week, we went to the movies and tee ball games. We watched fireworks and ate popcorn. We went to Steal Your Dollar City (Silver Dollar City) with The Fleischman family for a day in the sun. It was really hot but great fun none the less. For a week we just got to be. My children got to spend time with their Nana and Pawpaw, and they loved it.
So thank you Nana and Pawpaw for spending a week of your vacation time with a very exhausting, unpredictable, but in my opinion, entertaining crowd. We love you and miss you already.

You're Gonna Miss This

2009-06-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures that our family took last August. Yep, I said last August. It has been a whole year, and I still haven't ordered any. But the other day I was looking through them trying to figure out what to buy and I was struck by how quickly the time has flown. It is almost time to take new pictures (yearly thing) and I haven't even bought these!
I guess in the day to day life of being a mom of three young boys, I have lost track of time. Some days the time just flies by and other days I am counting the minutes until bedtime. I think we all do it. We make plans for what is coming next and lose what is right now. So, before we take new pictures and none of these get seen because they are old, here is my family in August of 2008 (Brent, Ashlee, Will 6, Sam 3, and Ike 9 months). Enjoy!

The Beach With My Boys

2009-05-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

We have spent this past week in Destin, FL. My in-laws, Bill and Fran, graciously and crazily (is that a word?) spent their time and money planning such an event. It was our family, Bill and Fran, and Kevin and Jenni and their three children. Honestly, the idea of 6 children 7 years-old and under on a 30+ hour roadtrip gave me a bit of anxiety. But, was I going to turn down a week at the beach because of a little or a lot of madness? Of course not, I have three boys. Madness is a part of my daily life. And my plan was, if one of them gets unruly, put him in a different car with some other unsuspecting poor soul;)
Anyway, we headed down last Saturday morning (5:00 am expected departure time - delayed, 5:40 am actual departure time). There were hopes of children sleeping the first few hours and maybe a 8:00 am breakfast. Well, none of them went back to sleep. So, breakfast was at 7:00 am. And this was a little glimpse into how the rest of the day would roll. We were not guided by schedules, maps and arrival times but by small bellies and bladders. We had one vomit, Ike, but he seemed ok before and after the event. I am not sure if he was carsick or just got to coughing and gagged himself. (He tends to do that.) He was in the car with Kevin and Jenni during that fun time. Sorry K&J but thank you Jesus!:) There were the usual stops for gas and food. We also had two sudden roadside stops to pee (Sam). It is hard to work on scheduled potty stops with Sam. If you ask him if he needs to go his response is always the same, "Yes, I need to go. I always need to go." So he might go then and then again feel the need 10 minutes later.
Honestly though, even with 6 small kids and it taking us 16 hours in the car each way, we really had very little drama. We only had one crying issue and that was because Ike was sitting next to Eli and Ike is obviously a bit of a torturer. He felt the need to continuously touch Eli. He wasn't pinching or hitting, just touching. Anyone with an annoying sibling knows that this innocent touching is the worst kind of torture. (I think Ike could work with the Pentago in some interrogation techniques. Unfortunately, I am not sure that Congress would approve of his heinous tactics.) So, Eli stood this annoyance as long as any 2 year-old should be expected to and then he cried the sadest cry I have ever seen. Sorry Eli!
Here are some pics of our trip. We had beautiful weather and the condo we stayed in was great for beach time, nap time, and then beach time again. It was really a wonderful week. In the 16 years that I have been dating Brent, I have only really traveled with the Chism family a handful of times. And to go against every stereotype of in-laws, I really get along well with the family that inherited me. This was a trip comprised of one family (Bill, Fran, Brent, and Kevin) that has become three families (Bill, Fran,) (Brent, Ashlee, Will, Sam, Ike) (Kevin, Jenni, Lexi, Aaron, and Eli). And although our ages and upbringings make each of us individuals and we see and deal with life differently at times, we are a family. And it is our love of Jesus and for each other that makes us the same and that love made this week great. So thank you Bill, Fran, Kevin, Jenni, Lexi, Aaron, and Eli for giving our family a really fun time and some wonderful memories.

Flying Kites and Jesus

2009-04-27T04:25:00.000-07:00

You will see pictures in this post of everyone in the family but little Ike. He had already gone down for his nap when I thought about the kite I had randomly purchased one day several months ago. Ike loves being outside. Rain, snow, sleet, he doesn't care. He just wants to be out there running free. So although I write this post with a smile on my face, I am a little sad that Isaac missed this sweet time for our family. We missed him:)

Yesterday was beautiful, and Brent and I were looking for ways to get the boys outside. There are many, many kids in our neighborhood. Unfortunately, not many of them live right around us. So, my boys, mostly Will, resist going outside. Will doesn't like getting hot and Sam really doesn't like being dirty. (They are obviously my boys!) I guess they figure if it is gonna probably be just the two of them anyway, might as well stay inside cool and clean. That being said, Brent and I still work hard every nice day to get them out into the fresh air. So, yesterday after listing ALL the glorious things to do outside without much response, I remembered our new Diego kite. This idea actually got a cheer from the boys and the $3 purchase made for a nice little family activity.

Ok, so now that I have explained how we got there, I wanted to share what most made me smile about flying the kite. It was a little comment by each of the boys that made us pause with pride that they are listening but laugh about how simple the message is for them.

Brent was flying the kite and doing a masterful job at that. The wind was really blowing so at times the kite would dip and dive. A gust of wind came along that caused the kite to spiral to the ground. Before Will could get to the kite to help get it going again, it rose off the ground and was back soaring again. Will came running back yelling, "It rose again. It rose again like Jesus!" So then Sam responded, "Fly Jesus, fly!" ;)

We are taught to bring The Lord into every part of our day. Good job Will and Sam.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

(Let me preface this blog by saying that I get the true meaning of Easter. But I will be honest in saying that although I am not of the world, simply living in it, there are times when my humanity overtakes me and the line between in and of becomes blurred.)
I am seven years into this parenting thing, and I think I have finally found a peace about the Mommy side of Easter morning. You know, the "Easter outfit". I guess the first few years went off without a hitch. Will was an only child and so it was easy to get one child coordinated and ready for his big Easter debut. But, the last few years we added children and it has messed me up. I mean, don't get me wrong, I spend hours thinking, plotting, and pounding the pavement looking for clothing that color coordinates the boys with Brent and I. And each year I wake up Easter morning feeling excited and prepared. Then, the boys wake and those positive feelings spiral downward quickly into Negativeland. This year looked to be no different.
I woke early so as to be ready early so that we could all be ready early and actually get a picture before church. (In years past, I have run short on time and settled for a picture after church which then resulted in disappointment because at least one child was asleep or heading that way and the other or others would sit for a picture but were coming down off of an Easter candy high and so their need to make Mommy happy was nonexistent.) The boys woke in fairly good moods and at a fairly descent time, especially for not going to bed until 10:30 pm.. (They were having somewhat of a sleepover with their best bud, Dad.) But, their attitudes turned sour when it was time to get dressed. Will didn't want to get dressed because he thought his shorts looked goofy. (They were blue and green plaid. Oh, the horror!) Sam was upset because his clothes were cold. What? Ike just didn't want to have anything to do with clothing. After much discussion of the quality of Will's new duds and how many children in other countries would love to wear plaid, a blow drier to Sam's shirt and shorts, and pinning Ike down to the floor in a wrestling type move seen only on the WWF, the three were dressed. They were not happy but dressed. Unfortunately, by this time we were running late so it was a quick look in the Easter baskets for a photo opportunity and it was out the door for church. Another year and another no photo of my family before church when reason might still exist. So, off we went to church and afterward we tried to take some pictures in the lobby in an attempt to avoid some drama. (This also allowed me to threaten to not take them home if they didn't sit for the picture;))
Well, here are the results. There are five people in the pictures when there should be five and three when there should be three. No, not everyone is looking at the camera. No not everyone is happy about being there but, they are there. I have told you this long story and this is the point: This is the year that I am ok with all of this. The pictures aren't perfect but we are not perfect. And one day these photos will remind me of life back in the day when each day was a challenge and an adventure. This was life when no matter how hard I planned, I was never prepared for the unexpected or the overwhelming. This was a time in my life when I needed Jesus the most! Who else can I blame or ask to explain this madness I call my life?

Oh, Isaac!

2009-04-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

I know that as a defense mechanism we sometimes block things from our memory so that we can simply continue to move forward in life and feel the sunshine on our face. I can only assume that this is what I have done with all memories of Will and Sam when they were 16 months-old. I find it amazing that I could forget a chaos similar to the tornado we lovingly call Ike. Although he is precious and I love him very much there have been several days lately that I am not sure that I like him a whole lot.
He is just everywhere! If I leave the kitchen, he moves the chairs so that he can climb up onto the table and chunk fake fruit across the room.

If I take my eyes off of him to tend to something or someone else or even just look in the opposite direction, he scurries to the plastic drawer to begin unloading it into the trash! (The other morning I found 4 plastic containers, 12 magnets, 2 learning toys, and his pajama bottoms in the trash!)Today, he figured out how to make the water dispenser on the refrigerator. I think I would have been alright if he had just filled a few, even several, cups for a nice cool beverage for any and all of our neighborhood friends. But instead, he was filling them and then dumping them on the mat in front of the refrigerator. Luckily, I caught him between cup #2 and #3.

I don't know. Except for the fruit throwing, I guess he is figuring the world out and doing as he sees done everyday at our house. (No lies, I might not be a fruit lover but I ain't hatin' on the fruit either:)) He is the third child so he receives a third of my attention. I guess I should be thankful he hasn't discovered matches or the weed eater! (Hmm. It is still only lunchtime.)

PS - Here is a funny pic from the other day. Ike had woken up that morning and had wet all over the bed. I cleaned him up and off we went with our day. A couple of hours later, I was rocking him for nap time and saw his pants were wet. What! How is that possible? Well, I took him to the changing table and when I went to grab the legs of his pants, I discovered our little problem.

I think in my haste to get Isaac ready that morning, I failed to attach the diaper correctly. I guess as the morning went on and the urine accumulated, the weight was just too much to bear anymore. So, south it went, right down to Ike's ankle! It was so full and fluffy. I don't know how his little leg could breathe with that diaper clogging the pant leg. Anyway, lesson learned. Mommy, take your time and double check things!

Playing Catch Up

2009-03-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since my last post. So this post is to catch up on the last month or so. If it seems scatter-brained, no worries, that is kind of the last month or so in a nutshell:)

(Will) Right now, Will is done with school, maybe not physically but definitely mentally. I am not sure how or when it happened, but he just sort of checked out sometime after Christmas and has no intention of cheking back in until at least second grade which makes life sort of tough around here. Most mornings are rough and I spend about 3 days a week explaining that it is not me making him go to school but the government and if he doesn't go, then I will go to jail. I think I finish most mornings with, "Now would you like to see Mommy go to jail?" I know that a time will come when he does wish for me to spend some time in the slammer to get me away from him, but thankfully, that time is not right now. So, Will slowly gets out the door each morning but I am certain that on his way to school he is making plans to run for office at his earliest convenience so that he can change this great injustice in America. Will is a no nonsense kind of kid. He can spot busy work from a mile away and he has little tolerance for it. He has a very good teacher who is trying her best to keep Will engaged but at the end of the day, she has 21 kids at all different stages so some busy work is necessary.

Brent and I both hate the fact that Will is bored at times with school and that he would just rather drop out and shovel cow manure. (This the the job I told him he would have if he left school. At first, it was inspirational and motivated him to get up and off to school. Now, he is considering it as a real life path if it means he can stay home:)) We feel bad about his current feelings but our prayer is that through these less than desirable times, he will learn how to adapt and make the best of each and every situation. This is definitely one of the top things Brent and I hope to teach the boys. School is one of the first places we see that life isn't always fun, people aren't always nice, and many of them don't share the same goals and or family values as us. School is where we learn math, science, and art but it is also where we learn patience, true tolerance, empathy, and a love for people so very different from what we know but whom Jesus loved equally to us and gave His life for them just like He did for us.

Outside of school, Will is doing great. He is still very sweet to his brothers and probably takes better care of them and is most likely more attentive to them than his mother:) He has always had a soft heart and a desire to serve. That hasn't changed and our family is blessed by it.

(Sam) He has had a tremendous change of heart these days. Sam is in preschool and has really disliked it for most of the year. He is a real home body and would rather hang here as go anywhere and actually do anything. But, about a month ago, Sam decided he would like to spend most of his time at school. In fact, there have been days when he wanted to go back after just getting home. I was really shocked by this drastic change in attitude, and I was hesitant to ask about it in case he forgot that he hated preschool and my question was simply a reminder but I went for it anyway. His answer for his new found excitement for education, Ninja Turtles. The school has Ninja Turtles, the Chism house does not and that is the way it will stay:) Sam wants to play with Ninja Turtles and to get to do that, he has to go to school. Yeah!!!!! So, the lesson learned here fellow parents: Don't buy any new toys for your house, buy them and take them to school!

So, Sam is happy and really a pretty easy going kid these days. He is still the snuggler and loves quality time. He talks and talks and is really pretty funny to listen to. He picks things up from Brent, Will, and I and to hear our thoughts come from a 4 year-old is a treat! You would think that would make him fun to take places and he is but I do it with definite reservations especially if we are going to be around people we like. Lately, Sam has decided that honesty is the best policy. Now, I am too a fan of honesty but it is one thing when someone asks you a question and you tell the truth. It is quite another when you volunteer information such as, "I don't like riding in your car because it smells funny." or "When I hugged you, I saw that you were a little bald." The hard part about all this besides possibly losing friends that we love or being the target of one of his honest moments, is that he really isn't trying to be mean, he is just telling you how he sees the world. So, we are working hard to keep him from sharing things with others that I guess are probably honest and obvious but still encouraging him to share his thoughts and feelings and maybe with just Mommy and Daddy:) P.S. - I said that Sam picks phrases and such up from us earlier in this post. To be clear, I am pretty certain that none of us (Brent, Will, or I) have told someone that their car smells funny or that they are bald.

(Ike) Isaac is on a terror. I do love him very much but he is working me silly these days. When we are at home, he is like a puppy. He turns over trash cans, pee pees on the carpet and chews on most things including the couch and his family. He loves unloading things like the refrigerator magnets, the pantry, bathroom cabinets, and the plastic container drawer. If he is quiet, there is cause for concern. He is usually up to trouble. When we go out, he unloads things in public too like the stocked shelves at Walmart, the books at the library, and greeting cards anywhere he finds them and this is the worst. About the time I find where one stack of cards go, he is off unloading another stack! I am having trouble keeping up with the Ike lifestyle. We rarely go to Walmart anymore. My mind and body get exhausted just thinking about it. I plan on trying again two years from now, when he turns 3!

Ike is working on his vocabulary. He has about 6-7 words I can understand but my favorite is "chich-in". That is Ike speak for chicken. He is learning all the time and just wants to explore his world, thus the unloading of our house and also a mad dash for any passage way to the outside world! He loves to walk and I would love to allow him that opportunity but most of the time he wants to go left if we need to go right. If we are in one area, he wants to be in another. He is on the move. These days he also is less interested in going to bed. (I guess there are drawers and cabinets that have gone 2 hours untouched.) Used to, I could rock him with a bottle and then place him in his bed with a kiss and he would roll over and fall asleep. Now, he takes his milk and snuggles up to me. (I love that part.) We rock and rock. Just about the time I think he is ready to "give up the ghost", he pops his head up and grins the biggest grin. I am not sure if it is an "I love you SO much that I just needed to communicate that to you before I go to sleep." or if it is a "Gotcha!" I am leaning on the first option. So, most bedtimes and naptimes involve a little crying but nothing that DFS needs to be contacted about.

Brent and I are good. Brent is still hard at work trying to share the news of Coca-Cola to every man, woman, and child that shops at Walmart:) I am obviously busy with the boys. We are blessed beyond belief and are just trying to keep up with all of those blessings!!!

What did I do today?

2009-02-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

Most days, Brent comes in the door and very innocently asks about how my day was or what we did that day. So often I begin listing off the days activities and although Brent doesn't question where the time went, there are many times that I do. So, here was an article I read that I thought maybe gave me a little better understanding as to how I lose so many hours in the day:) Enjoy!

Tell Me About It by Carolyn Hax : Friend really doesn't get the kid thing

● Carolyn:
My best friend has a child. Her: Exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .
OK. I've done Internet searches; I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please, no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners. . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them every day. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day, and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail?
I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events), and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy — not a bad thing at all — but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth?
Is this a contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids, and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.
— Tacoma, Wash.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.
Or you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
Internet searches?
I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand — while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom friends are either lying or competing with you — is disingenuous indeed.
So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries and questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family members and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting the constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything — language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity, empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy — and then when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, you wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend — a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends or marvel at how much more productively she uses her time.
Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.

More Peenie Stuff

2009-02-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Honestly, how many posts can I write about peenies? With three boys, I am sure the number is bigger than I or anyone else wants to guess, so please forgive me. The peenie is a regular part of our daily discussions which means that from time to time I will post about it. However, I will just try to not make back to back peenie posts in the future:)
The other night at approximately 5:53 pm I heard an annoying sort of crying coming from Sam down the hall. I say annoying not because I was annoyed he was crying but because it just wasn't a full on cry but just a whiny sort of noise. At that very moment I was actually changing a pasty, poopy diaper which made me wonder what Sam could possibly be whining about that was worse than my current situation. About a minute later Sam rounded the corner with his pants around his ankles. I looked up to see his "Sammie" (ok, we don't call it that at home but I was kind of tired of saying peenie so we will use both interchangeably during this post:)) bleeding. I mean, the thing was in trouble! And, I am not sure that until the moment I looked at it, Sam had either. Maybe it was a defense mechanism until he could seek first aid, but at about the same time I looked at it, Sam did and then the crying, real crying began. I tried to ask him was had happened and got bits and pieces of a story about closing the toilet lid on it and then something about falling off the toilet. It was all very confusing and nauseating really. I decided that the details of the injury could wait but that some medical attention was needed. Unfortunately, that wasn't really what Sam had in mind. He didn't want it touched or looked at unless it was by Jesus himself who could heal it in an instant! So, I did the only thing I knew to do that would maybe help which was spray it with some numbing medicine (It is the stuff they give women when they have babies to help heal her precious region but I would never tell the boys that what works for my parts also works for theirs!), I gave him some Advil for the pain, popped some popcorn and started a movie. Honestly, I knew only two of the four of these steps would help Sam but I just needed a moment to think and was hungry. Just kidding! Anyway, since this is not my area of expertise, I decided Brent needed to be involved in this so I tried his cell but of course since this is like the one part of the body that the boys have that I don't and therefore I will never understand, he didn't answer. He had decided to try an exercise class at the gym that started at 6:00 pm and of course this injury happened at 5:53pm. So, next I tried cleaning the region without touching which meant spraying it down with a water bottle. Sam seemed ok with it. His only complaint was that my head was in the way and he couldn't see the movie. So, after careful assessment and a few calls to my parents and Brent's parents, I decided that it would probably be ok just needed a little TLC, Advil, and vagina numbing spray:) Well around 7:00, Brent arrives home and I inform him of the situation. He gave it a quick once over and informed me that I should have taken Sam to someone. In my mind I am thinking about how I could have possibly carried a 1 year-old on one hip and a 4 year-old who can't bend or wear pants because his penis is bleeding on the other? (The 1 year-old can walk but he currently likes to walk in the exact opposite direction of anywhere I need to go.) But, I didn't say what I was thinking, instead I said that I was fine for Sam to go somewhere I just needed some help watching the other kids. He then said something about me specifically needing to take Sam because after all, I would be caring for it during the day and things. Ok, that made sense. I made a call to the doctor and got an appointment for 8:00 pm. As we waited to leave for our appt. time, Brent kind of wandered around but said very little. I thought to myself that maybe he was mad that I hadn't taken Sam somewhere already. I asked him what was wrong. He proceeded to tell me that he was sick to his stomach. No he didn't have food poisoning or the flu, it was Sam, well Sammie that was making him ill! The thought and idea of Sam's injury was making Brent nauseous. He couldn't even look at Sam without feeling sick which was the real reason why I was taking Sam to the doctor and not Brent.
Boys! I think that this is what God meant when He said that He would create a helper for Adam. Had I been out of town, Will would have had to call 911 because I am certain Brent would have needed medical attention had he needed to address Sam's unfortunate injury.
So, Sam and I went to the doctor. She took a look and thought that proper cleaning, ointment application, and time would remedy this situation. When I returned home and told Brent of the doctors treatment plan he questioned if it didn't need a stitch. I told him that I didn't think so and that I was sure that the doctor would have suggested it if she thought it was necessary. Brent's response, "It was a woman doctor? It figures!"
Although Brent has no problem with females physicians, he clearly felt that had it been a male doctor, more attention would have been given to this particular ailment! Mind you that Brent has never had an issue with my male doctor removing one of Brent's children from my girlie region. He doesn't mention how wrong it is that a man invented the tampon. Strange? Personally, I found it all, not the injury but Brent's reaction to the injury and treatment, humorous. I guess what he is saying might not be practical but maybe makes sense. When it comes to medical problems, women physicians should not take care of penises because we will never fully understand them. On the other hand, male physicians should never tend to a woman's brain, they will never fully understand that:)

Reincarnation and peenie glue

2009-01-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

Our nighttime ritual at the Chism house is that I get the boys ready for bed and then hand off to Brent so that he can read and pray with them. We used to take turns doing the reading and praying part but I had a tendency to fall asleep before the boys and crash for a few hours which meant that the night was a bust for getting chores and things done. So, Brent has taken over reading duties but he has been out of town recently so I have gotten this pleasure. Last night I was laying with the boys and we had just finished reading books and saying prayers but I was not quite ready to leave them so I hung around for a few minutes.

Somehow Will got on the subject of babies and where they came from. I got in a bit of a panic and thought that my idea of hanging around was no longer a great one! But, I decided that someone gets the heavy questions and I might just want to be the one to get them. Brent's parenting philosophy is a little less delicate than mine which is great in some instances but maybe not for the Birds and Bees conversation with a 7 and 4 year-old:) So, Will proceeds to explain to Sam that when people die they go to Heaven for 40 days until a mommy and daddy decide they want a baby and then at that time they go to be in the mommy's belly. (I think Will's school is putting WAY too much emphasis on recycling these days!) Anyway, when the baby is to be born the doctor gets the baby out of the mommy's tummy and cuts the thing that connects to the peenie. (Obviously Will knows something about the chord but we haven't really explained it well enough. All he has seen in his two baby brothers is that they come home with injured belly buttons and peenies. So, I think he believes the chord runs from the belly to the peenie and it clearly damages both ends.) He then explained that the doctor uses some sort of glue to fix it all.

Voila! That is how you get a baby! At least that is how my 7 year-old saw it yesterday and now my 7 year-old and 4 year-old both see it that way today:) And honestly, I just didn't have it in me to correct any of the story. Brent asked me why I didn't tell Will about Heaven and the whole non reincarnation thing. Well he obviously knows about Heaven and if I at that point, alone without a safety net, tried to say no to reincarnation, I know that I would have gotten the question of where babies really do come from. I mean I have answered that question already by saying that God gives mommies and daddies babies. I thought that was a good answer. Clearly I didn't figure that my son would see God as the master recycler and just send one, a used one, down from Heaven! So, I decided that for that moment in time, I was going to have to let this one slide. We'll let Daddy handle this one when he gets home, delicately or not so delicately, it lets me off the hook;)

Baby Steps

2009-01-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, the holidays are over and things are finally getting back to normal. Well, normal for us anyway:) So, I am working hard to catch up on all of life that fell behind before and during Christmas. That includes a post about Ike's first steps. Yeah!!!! He took a few Christmas morning and has been building ever since. Crawling and being carried are still his preferred modes of transportation but I am sure that won't be for long. I love the early steps, so exciting and fun. It is really sweet to see him in the middle of the living room just stand up and walk. It makes me smile to see him try to chase after Will and Sam at a turtle's pace with a drunken sort of sway to it. Good job buddy! You will get the hang of it soon enough and then, "bar the door" 'cause here comes Ike!

Bragging on Brent

2008-12-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

(Picture of Brent with a co-worker, the Coke Polar Bear, and Ryan Seacrest.)
I spend alot of time talkin' 'bout my kids because I do love them dearly and each day one of them does something that shocks, amazes, or frightens me. So, that gives me a great deal of material to work with. However, I do want to take a moment to brag on the other love of my life, Brent. He works very hard for our family and very rarely do I see the fruits of his daily labor except for the paycheck. But, I now have a little nugget for us all to share in. It is a commercial that he helped create for Coke/Walmart. That is what he does, marketing for Coke on the Walmart team. Unfortunately, it is only shown in movie theaters. I am sure no one in Coke knew that Brent would help make a commercial that was so much fun and would really capture the holiday spirit (the secular version:) Otherwise, I am sure they would have spent bookoo advertising dollars to get it on the boob tube. Anyway, check it out. (The jingle was written by the same man that wrote the FreeCreditReport.com commercials.) PS - You might want to pause the music listing on the side of my blog so that you don't have chaos o' music!

Happy Birthday Ike!

2008-11-24T14:34:00.001-08:00

Isaac you are ONE!! Where did the time go? I will be honest in saying that this first year did not fly by but did more of a mall walk:) You have waited until after your first birthday to make a habit of sleeping through the night, so time and Mommy's brain were slowed a bit.
But regardless of quality sleep, you are a joy. God has really taken care of our family. He does not give you more than you can handle and He knew I needed you. You are the easy going third child I could have never hoped for. I joke when people talk about what a good baby you are and say that you are just happy that you didn't get left at the grocery store which is a good possiblity with Mommy these days. I think I make the joke because Mommy doesn't do well with compliments but also because you are an exceptionally happy baby and I can't really explain it. I would like to think it is because you feel an overwhelming amount of love from Daddy, Will, Sam, and me. Sometimes that love is shown through a baby house made just for you by your big brothers and other times it comes more in the form of a noggin embrace with a slight rocking sensation from one of your brothers but I won't name names. Either way, you just smile and roll with it.
You are interested in walking but still holding out. I am sure it will be no time before you are off chasing after Will and Sam hoping to be included in their games. You are built very different from your brothers. You are more squishy and we love it. We loved your other brothers just the way God created them but we are enjoying your fabulously fleshy legs and your round bottom:)
Your eyes are very soft like a mean thought would never cross your mind. They are just very sweet and innocent. Feel free to toilet paper our house and then point at your brothers. I will totally have your back!
You say a few words like mama, dada, and ball but that doesn't stop you from getting what you want. You just point, make a noise, and look at your handler with those sweet eyes and we wander around trying to find exactly what it is you had in mind. I am not sure if we find whatever it is that you were wanting or if you finally just settle because you know we are a lost cause.
Ike, you are truly a delight, and I am very thankful that you have found a way to overlook my shortcomings. When I put your food in a bowl on the floor like a puppy because things are just too crazy to stop and feed you like a civilized person, you eat and play right under my feet. At nap time, when I can't rock you nearly as long as I would hope, you lay in your bed, hollar once, and then babble yourself to sleep. When you didn't wear shoes during months 6-11 because I just couldn't find the right box in the attic but I knew it was there so I couldn't bring myself to buy new ones, you ignored your urge to pull your socks off so that I didn't look like a half-brained mommy, just one with a child who didn't like shoes:)
God is a great God and I see Him every day in you. You are a sweet, unassuming spirit, and I am so thankful God chose me to be your mommy. Happy Birthday Isaac!

First Haircut

2008-11-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, after 4 comments in one week about what a pretty little girl I had, I decided it might be time for a haircut for Isaac. So last week, Brent and I took all of the boys to Tubby's Barbershop for a trim. As you can see in the pics, Ike did great! He just sat so still like all the big guys. Daddy and I were so proud of the little nugget. I think he was hoping for a lollipop at the end like his brothers received but instead he got all his sugar from Momma! Maybe next time Isaac:)

Fireman Will

2008-11-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

There was great excitement at The Chism house yesterday. I am sure many of you were celebrating a presidential victory. Some of you might have just been celebrating the fact that all of those political ads will finally be over;) We, on the other hand, we celebrating Will and his "Fire Escape Plan" win.
A few weeks ago, the fire department came to Will's school to talk fire safety. At the close of their presentation, they promoted a contest for the students to draw up a fire escape plan for his or her home. Well, since I was a pathetic mom during the last extra curricular activity (essay on being a Student of Excellence), I decided this would be something good for Will.
As usual, I thought Will did a great job with his plan. I believed he should win but then again, most of the time I think my children should win. Well, low and behold, Will won! We got a call from the Assistant Principal, which I might add is a terrible thing to see on caller ID, saying that Will's plan was chosen over all the other students in his school and the prize was a ride to school in a firetruck. Woo hoo!!!
Yesterday morning at 7:00 am, Will was picked up at our front door in the fire department's Hum V (spelling?). After a few photo ops, he was off to McDonalds and then the fire station to chat it up with the guys! Then at about 8:15 am they brought him to school with his classmates waiting anxiously outside, cheering him on. I had hoped to get video of this but I am technologically ignorant and I missed it:( It was really cute though. He might as well have won the presidency with the reception he received. As they pulled into the parking lot with the sirens and lights going, his classmates clapped and yelled, "Yea Will!" It was precious.
I have got to give some major praise to The Springdale Fire Department. They really made this a spectacular memory for Will. We felt that the fire department went so far past what we would have ever expected. Yesterday was a very special day for Will. A memory was created that will stay with our family for a very long time:)
Congratulations Fireman Will and Thank you Springdale Fire Department.There was great excitement at The Chism house yesterday. I am sure many of you were celebrating a presidential victory. Some of you might have just been celebrating the fact that all of those political ads will finally be over;) We, on the other hand, we celebrating Will and his "Fire Escape Plan" win.
A few weeks ago, the fire department came to Will's school to talk fire safety. At the close of their presentation, they promoted a contest for the students to draw up a fire escape plan for his or her home. Well, since I was a pathetic mom during the last extra curricular activity (essay on being a Student of Excellence), I decided this would be something good for Will.
As usual, I thought Will did a great job with his plan. I believed he should win but then again, most of the time I think my children should win. Well, low and behold, Will won! We got a call from the Assistant Principal, which I might add is a terrible thing to see on caller ID, saying that Will's plan was chosen over all the other students in his school and the prize was a ride to school in a firetruck. Woo hoo!!!
Yesterday morning at 7:00 am, Will was picked up at our front door in the fire department's Hum V (spelling?). After a few photo ops, he was off to McDonalds and then the fire station to chat it up with the guys! Then at about 8:15 am they brought him to school with his classmates waiting anxiously outside, cheering him on. I had hoped to get video of this but I am technologically ignorant and I missed it:( It was really cute though. He might as well have won the presidency with the reception he received. As they pulled into the parking lot with the sirens and lights going, his classmates clapped and yelled, "Yea Will!" It was precious.
I have got to give some major praise to The Springdale Fire Department. They really made this a spectacular memory for Will. We felt that the fire department went so far past what we would have ever expected. Yesterday was a very special day for Will. A memory was created that will stay with our family for a very long time:)
Congratulations Fireman Will and Thank you Springdale Fire Department.

Oprah and Eliot

2008-11-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

I am not sure how many of you saw Oprah last week, Oct. 29. It was a show on miraculous kids. Toward the end of the program, they featured the Mooney family. I have mentioned them in emails to many of you. The Mooneys live in Fayetteville and attend our church. Their little boy, Eliot, was born with Trisomy 18. The Mooneys are an amazing testament to faithfulness in God.

"Not a pulpit. Not a slick presentation. Not a best-selling book. But a six-pound boy with Trisomy 18. God found great pleasure in taking a lowly thing in the eyes of the world and showing truth.” - Matt Mooney

If you haven't heard me speak of sweet Eliot before or just want a reminder of how God can work in even the tiniest of creatures, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

Halloween

2008-11-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Obviously the boys were Alvin and The Chipmunks for Halloween this year. They decided on this last year sometime and I thought it would be a great and easy costume choice. Well about a month ago, long after Mommy had her heart set on the Chipmunks, Will began to waiver and wanted to be superheroes instead. Now, without using guilt, I talked with Will about the fact that his brother, Sam, was still thinking they were going to be Chipmunks. I also explained that Mommy has limited sewing skills and wasn't sure how to make superhero costumes on such short notice. (I didn't mention to him how wonderfully perfect I thought they would be as the Chipmunks. Will is the tall, thinker in the group. Sam is the middle, kind of energetic one. And Ike, he is the smaller, rounder, snuggler. I also knew deep inside that this might be the last year that I could get them to all go as something coordinated and cute.)
Will being the more than I could ever hope for reasonable one in our family, got back into the idea of the Chipmunks and we promised to look for superhero costumes when they went on sale after Halloween! He seemed happy with the compromise. Sam got to be Alvin. Will got an extra costume out of the deal and Isaac was oblivious to it all.
I am not sure if you picked up early in this blog about how easy I thought these costumes would be. Unfortunately, the "easy" costumes I planned were not quite as easy as I thought. I was anticipating purchasing all the parts and just putting it together. Well, I clearly hadn't thought it through so I actually had to make turtlenecks. Although the Chipmunks my boys know wear hoodies, the ones I remember wore turtlenecks down to their ankles and they don't make many patterns for turtlenecks. So I had to sort of make my own pattern up so I was pleased as punch that they turned out and didn't fall apart. (I have had a few issues lately with homemade curtains so I don't feel at all bad about the pride I feel in the costumes;))
Anyway, my Dad, Pawpaw, came to spend Halloween with all the grandkids. We convinced him to be "Dave" in our Chipmunk gang. It was wonderful to have him here to trick or treat with us. He was Isaac's handler:)

Happy Birthday Will!

2008-10-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Will, where do I begin? Well, you are a joy. You have been my little buddy for as long as I can remember. You were my first child so I apologize for many early parenting mistakes. Despite my best efforts to be a perfect parent and falling totally short, you are an amazing little boy and an awesome big brother! In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that you are one of the most thoughtful people that I know and you are only 7 years-old.
Ok, so you weren't the easiest baby. You really didn't care for sleep. As a new mommy, I couldn't understand why people said that babies slept a lot. I would put you in your crib and you would just lay there and look at me. Again as a new mommy, I followed all the other good mommies at that time and enlisted the help of Babywise. Well, after a few weeks of working so hard to get that schedule just right, I learned that I was still Babydumb and you were just going to do all of this at your own pace. For at least the first year, you woke up every night only for a few minutes not really to eat, just to say "hello". I guess I should have known that this was an early clue into your personality. You were Mr. Social then and you still are to this day.
You have a tender heart which worries me because I know that you will have your fair share of heartbreak. But it also blesses my soul to know that your tenderness will make you a tremendous friend, husband, and daddy. I can see it already in the way you play with Sam. You are so patient and play with him even when he is being a bit bossy and unreasonable. I see it when you run to rescue Ike from the frustrations he encounters as a crawling baby with little control over his world. I even saw it very early on in your first phrase to me. We had not lived in NWA for very long so I was a little low on friends and lonely. Most days, it was just you and me. So, when you looked up at me at only about 2 1/2 years-old and said, "Well yook at you. I yove your belt", my heart was lifted.
Will, you have a sparkle in your eye. Of course there are times when you feel defeated and in those times you throw your head back, mouth open, and just howl. (It is kind of funny to watch.) But so much of the time you see the endless possibilities in the world. You make rocket ships out of boxes and plan on them flying. You have lemonade stands and stay open for hours on end because people that pass by promise to return and you know in your heart they will because when you give your word, you keep it so why wouldn't they? You believe the tooth fairy recycles baby teeth and gives them to younger babies just cutting teeth. And although you are certain your leg length discrepancy makes you run faster, you still hope that maybe you will find another boy with one short leg and then you can just trade:)
You like organization and cleanliness. I rarely have to ask you to clean up more than once. You just stop playing, look around, see the mess, and get to it. You do mumble under your breath now and again about how Sam never helps and I am sorry he doesn't have quite your enthusiasm for tidiness. You button your shirt all the way to the top and have as long as I can remember. I have tried explaining to you that most people don't do that but you really don't care. So, I have gotten over it and now realize that everyone else is just boring. You climb everything in our house including your dad and are rather good at it. I know you have a future in Cirque du Soleil. Unfortunately, Sam sees you do these stunts and isn't quite as balanced as you which is why he has the grey tooth:(
Will, I have treasured these last 7 years. There have been some rough times. We found it appropriate that the first chapter of The Strong-Willed Child was entitled, The Wild and Woolly Will. But, we have had mostly sunny days, and I can't imagine life without you. Sam and I wander around aimlessly some days waiting for you to come home from school. You are the rubber band that keeps us together and organized. I am so blessed to be your mommy. I love you. Happy Birthday Will!

PS - I chose these two songs (Lemonade and Cartoons) by Chris Rice to play for your birthday post. I picked them because they are just positive, happy, and fun songs. Will, that is exactly the way I see you!

Pay It Forward

2008-10-07T18:52:00.001-07:00

**This is copied from http://thelumpkinsfamily.blogspot.com/**

THE RULES: The main focus is doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and pay it forward.I will send a small, fun gift to the first 3 bloggers who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three will post this information and pick 3 people they want to send something to and then the game will continue!!If you are interested in participating, be one of the first 3 bloggers to leave a comment!! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found, anything you want!! Just a gift that will make the person's day!!You have to promise that you will then post about this on your blog, link back to me, and then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog. Doesn't this sound like fun!!??

Happy Birthday Sam!

2008-09-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

So, my post is a little late for this one but life got overwhelming the last week or two so I am taking a pass.

Sam you are 4 years-old now and you are awesome. You are one of those kids who just makes people smile. I never know what I might get from you. There is no hiding who you are or what you are feeling. You are my boy who will crawl up in my lap for a snuggle and hug one minute and then the next whack me in the head for no particular reason. You are not a morning person or a night time person. You are a middle of the day kind of guy. Until about a year ago you were a huge mama's boy. There was no one in the world like me in your eyes. Now, I am chopped liver and your big brother can't be beat. Most days you won't let me take your picture and find it entertaining to make me work for a photo. Shoot, we bought a faster camera just so that I could get a shot or two of you from time to time. One day when you have serious middle child syndrome and try to complain that we just didn't love you enough and take pictures of you, know that it was not for lack of effort. In fact, I get leery on Kid's Day Out and preschool photo days because they seem to always make mommies prepay. I just never know what you will do. So far, most of the time you have not even faked a smile. Don't get me wrong buddy, you are a happy little boy. But, you know what you want and want to do and anything outside of that is simply a distraction.
You are boy down to the bone. I am reminded of it everytime you smile. One of your front teeth is grey (dead) and the other one is a creamy white color (also dead). Those teeth are chipped too. You just run head first into life. Most of the time, not if, but when you fall down you pop right back up and say, "I'm okay. That didn't hurt." You take some pretty good spills but you rarely stop for medical attention. You might miss something:)
You are an amazing part of our family. You provide so many laughs. I never know what you are going to say or if you are going to say anything for that matter. You can spend hours in silence simply pointing at what you want. (When you were just beginning to talk you left part of words off. We worked hard to figure out what you were trying to say and at times you just pointed. We later found out that you spoke broken like that because you just couldn't hear. We got you tubes and away you went. Our house has not been the same since! I love it!)
I do treasure our conversations. Some days, you are very quiet but others, I can't get a word in. I can pick you up from preschool and they will say that you didn't say one word but then you get in the car and you talk nonstop all the way home! And boy, your take on the world is spectacular.
Right now you are a bit bossy but in a funny kind of way. You might ask me a question but before I can even answer, you tell me what to answer. You ask me for something to eat knowing all the while what you want. But, you want it to be my idea so you make me list off a series of items. Then when I list that one you wanted you reply, "Well, ok!" as if I talked you into something. You love silly words like diaper and underwear. I can't have a serious hygiene discussion with you because you simply think it is all hilarious!
You are a treat my friend. I love you more than I could ever explain. You are sleeping right now with a batman mask on that you got for your birthday. I see many days ahead that I will be taking a superhero to run errands.
Happy Birthday Sam! Thank you for an amazingly humbling and wonderful 4 years. Every day is an adventure with you. Mommy loves you.

PS - I chose this music (Funkytown and Bad Day) to start things off because Alvin and The Chipmunks are some of your favorites. At times I think you believe you are Alvin.

Ike

2008-09-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a moment to recognize the smallest member of our family, Isaac or Ike. He is only 9 months old so his current actions rarely make the blog. So, I wanted to get him a little face time and let you know what a truely joyful baby he really is. I love all of my boys but if I am honest with myself and you, Will and Sam were a little tough in their baby years. They seemed rather annoyed that they couldn't do all the things their little minds thought of doing. Today, they are amazing and really very good and sweet little boys. I am thankful I didn't set them out in the "Free Puppy" box.
Ike on the other hand is really quite content most of the time. He just really desires love in its truest form and asks for little else. Ok, so he wants food alot but he gets a pass there. He is a growing boy! Anyway, the boys dress him up as King Isaac so they can be his knights. We dress him up as a Steak and Shake waiter. Through it all, he just sort of grins and rolls with it. He is a delight and I wanted to give him a moment in the spotlight. I think I also wanted to get this down so that if and when he does hit a difficult period and I am ready to pull his and my hair out, I will be reminded that he has quite a deposit built up in the bank of goodness.

PS - I am sure most of you watch the news and are aware of a little storm brewing out in the ocean, Hurricane Ike. He looks to be a booger of a storm and he may actually be bearing down on the part of Florida where my parents live:( (Say a prayer for them.) I am a little concerned for us here in Arkansas too though. I fear that we also should be preparing for Hurricane Ike. He is a little storm right now but in no time he will gain strength and we better bar the doors and windows because Hurricane Ike Chism will be tearing this place up!

Lemonade

2008-09-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we went to Springfield to relax and hang out with some family. There are details that I could share and will when my blogging window is not so small (sleeping baby!). However, I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of the kids and their entrepreneurial spirit.

I think one time, a couple of years ago, Will requested to have a lemonade stand. Well, that day was like 25 degrees so I told Will that although it was a very good idea we might want to wait until it was hot so that people would want some refreshment. Hm mm, he took that to heart and now on every 95+ degree weather day, he wants to have a stand. This was the case last week but we were heading out of town to Springfield, so I suggested having one at Granny and Papa's house since they get a lot of traffic on their street. That seemed like an OK idea to Will so I am not sure it this qualifies us as a franchise or chain or even him as a traveling salesman but we were open for business on E. Vincent St. (I am thankful the government only requires paying taxes over a certain amount because I would hate to try to figure out how to pay in AR and MO;))

Anyway, here are some pictures of the little business. There was some false advertising involved when they listed the stand was for the poor. The kids might feel they are poor but I would beg to differ. There was also a little confusion on how to split profits. These kids are no dummies but with some gentle negotiating, everything worked out great and no feelings were permanently damaged.

In the various pictures you will find Sam(3), Aaron(3), Lexi(6), and Will(6).

PS - For those CFOs out there, the kids did alright. Granny and Papa have some very nice neighbors who took pity on the children and wanted to help out the "poor". I think Granny and Papa lost money though. Granny provided the supplies and lemonade making expertise and Papa ran security duty (they are 6 and 3, you never know when one of them might want to flag down a car by just jumping into the street!).

Vacations

2008-08-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

Part of the reason why it took me a month to post was because we were barely home. We had a couple short trips here and there but our major trip was to Florida for Brent to attend a conference for work and for the boys and I to see my parents and sister. We flew into West Palm Beach near my parents' home in Port St. Lucie. Also, my sister, Heather, lives in Stuart, FL. We had a fun time both in Orlando and seeing the family. I took many pictures but I think I missed the best one. Unfortunately, my hands were full at the time. As we exited the airport at the conclusion of our trip Brent looked at me and said something about the effort required to travel with such a crew, 4 suitcases, 3 car seats, 6 carry-ons, 3 children, and 2 not-so-smart parents!

Technology

2008-08-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so when I found out that even my 50+ mother had a facebook account, I realized that I might need to get with the times and sign up too. So, yesterday I did just that. I filled in enough info to get started and quickly began accumulating friends. Oh fun!

It makes you feel so popular, everyone asking to be your friend. It is like school days again, well, except for the fact that I have no idea what to do now. I have these friends but I am not exactly sure what to do with them. In fact, I am not sure what facebook is about. I guess if I was single and wanted to meet strangers, this is a way to do it. It is sort of a cyberclub maybe? I am not on the hunt, so I guess this is a way to chat with my friends but I haven't figured out how that is different from email or even my blog for that matter. And, do I have to keep up on my facebook like I do my blog? You see how well I am doing at that lately;)

Then, there is this way to say what you are doing at that moment in time. Boy, does that make my life seem boring. I only wrote once today about what I was doing because I didn't feel that making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or breastfeeding was facebook worthy.

I will admit that it is fascinating to try and find people but it is also time consuming. I could sit all day and try and think of old school friends but I do have children to feed so instead I just wander through the day completing tasks thinking, "Hm mm, I wonder if she's on facebook." I guess I need to make a list or maybe my friends will find me.

And, I think you should be required to post at least one picture of yourself to help a girl out in her search. I am looking for friends and the generic grey, shadow outline of a man really doesn't help me know if that is my friend Tiffany from long ago. But on the other hand the generic man is nice in some cases because call me prude, but I really don't want a friend who posts the opening pic of herself mugging on some man. First, gross. Second, I can't even see your face to see if you are my friend!!!! Clearly, there are reasons why it has taken me so long to get into facebook. First and foremost, I am really not cool enough!

What do we do now?

2008-08-18T09:17:00.001-07:00

Well, Will is off on his first day of first grade! It was a big day for me. I was a bit nervous about him getting up, remembering all he learned last year, having someone to sit with at lunch, getting ink all over his hands from the full page note I sent in his lunchbox, you know all the usual, first day worries, right?

Well, if my son had known how to do it, I think he would have liked to have given me the finger just so that I would take my papparazzi picture taking butt home! No, he was very sweet and very patient. My worries were for nothing. Will was, well, Will. He was fine. He was happy to go. He was willing to smile on the porch in his first day outfit with his backpack, without his backpack, with his lunch, without, you get it. He let his dad, mom and two little brothers follow him in all the way to his classroom and even smiled for one more photo:)

So, what do we do now? Sam and I are again lost for a day or two until we figure out what to do without Will around. He is the activities director. He is the social commissioner. You see, this is one of many reasons why I don't home school. Will needs a break from us. He needs us to get a life!

So, here we go...

PS - I do know that I have a third child, Ike, but he was not mentioned because he loves Will but he kind of enjoys a little extra attention!

Big Will in the Big Leagues

2008-07-11T06:21:00.001-07:00

Will just finished up his second season of teeball. It went quite a bit better than the first. Last year, he wanted to play but then changed his mind just after the organization cashed the check. So like all good parents, we took that opportunity to teach him about commitment. I don't think he really cared about commitment so we ultimately had to bribe him. Neither Brent nor I care what activities the boys participate in but we do care about making commitments and giving everything legal and moral in life a chance.

Well, I guess last year wasn't a total bust because he was ready to try again this year. (We didn't even negotiate a deal before he took the field!) The games were 3 innings long and Will was usually interested for 2 of them. But come the last round, you might find him covering his face with his hat or using his glove as a mask. I am not sure the pros can even field balls when their vision is obstructed. So during those times, unless the ball smacked him in the head or dropped right at his feet, he was very willing to let his teammates get it;) There was also a time or two where we found him to be, what looked like, digging a hole in the dirt to China. I guess he was hoping they weren't playing teeball there! He really did seemed to enjoy it though. His favorite parts of the game are the postgame snacks and the end of the season trophy:)

Here are some highlight pics from the season. The season is made up of 3-4 games a week for only a few weeks. So it was over before we knew it. We did have some of our close friends and their children make it to a game. It was a wonderful treat and gave Will a whole cheering section which I know made him feel special! So, thank you to The Bakers and Stays for your support. I promise to be at your child's first lemonade stand or dance recital, whichever comes first!

PS - One other little funny, with only two games left, Will decided that he wanted his name on the back of his shirt. So we put "Will" just above the #7. That evening's game, everytime Will went up to bat, the crowd cheered for "Will". Everytime someone yelled his name he would literally stop midstride or midswing to check the crowd to see who was yelling his name. He looked so puzzled because he knew it wasn't his parents or anyone else he knew yelling so how they knew his name was extremely confusing!

(If you want to hear the music I chose for this slide show, put your mouse pointer on the word "slide" at the top of the slide show. A speaker will pop out from the right side. Click on the speaker and the song will begin. To stop it, repeat instructions.)

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Our 10th Anniversary Trip to Hawaii

2008-07-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

Since I am new to the blogging world, I am still figuring out how all of this works. So, after about 3 hours of work and neglect to my children, I have made a slideshow of our pictures from Hawaii. It is not all of them though. I do have to feed my kids sometime tonight! I hope you enjoy the pics.

(If you want to hear the music I chose for this slide show, put your mouse pointer on the word "slide" at the top of the slide show. A speaker will pop out from the right side. Click on the speaker and the song will begin. To stop it, repeat instructions.)

Video Crazy

2008-07-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

So I just figured out that I can send the videos from my phone to my email and then download them to my blog. Yes, I am a stay-at-home mom so these fantastic advancements in technology are a little new to me. Anyway, Isaac normally has this sweet little voice but every once in awhile he goes into his lower register and that is his little demonic voice. Sometimes, he actually talks in that lower range but other times, it just comes out unexpectedly. Maybe this is insight into his personality, I don't know. But, it does make his brothers laugh!

Laughter

2008-07-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

This is one of the worst videos you can find but it wasn't without effort. Sam hates being photographed or captured on video. So, I did my best to be subtle which means that I got some really bad shots but if you listen carefully, you will see what I had hoped to get. Will and Sam are really not only brothers but great friends. Will has an amazing ability to make his brothers laugh and Sam's laughter is just contagious. Both Brent and I pray that the boys will remain good friends as they grown up and that Will's gift of humor and Sam's gift of contagious laughter will stay with them throughout their lives.

Brain Damage

2008-07-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so that blob in the video is my 7 1/2 month-old in his Jumperoo. I think he is a little out of control and I know that some form of brain damage is taking place but he just loves the thing! In fact, it is his new favorite place, well besides the boob. Anyway, his brothers hate it because he gets so loud and crazy that they can't hear the tv or each other for that matter! But, we let him jump anyway. It is our way of getting back at them for the daily torture they inflict upon us;)

Cardboard Testimonies

2008-06-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what I did before youtube, probably more housework and cared for my children. But, now I have discovered a whole new way to spend (waste) time. Who needs clean clothes? As for my children, they ate yesterday so they will be fine!!! Just kidding.

Seriously, check out this video. It makes you think hard about what your cardboard testimony would be and whether you could stand before everyone to share how God really saved you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

Perspective

2008-06-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me well should know that exercise has never really been my thing. Up until about 4 months ago, I relied heavily on my good gene pool to stay in shape. Now that the girls have been a food source x3 and my belly resembles a balloon that got blown up and then slowly leaked air but never fully deflating (you know, slightly bigger than its pre-air day and now wrinkled and when you press on one area, it forces the remaining air to blow up another part of the balloon.), I decided that genes were not enough. So, I have begun going to an exercise class called Bodypump and I really love it. As often as I can, I go because it makes me feel better and they have child care. I will do anything for 2 hours if someone will watch my children!

Anyway, so I took the boys to the gym, and then we raced over for Will's second t-ball game of the season. When we arrived at the field, we found out that the game had been cancelled due to rain this morning. Normally, I would have praised the Lord for making rain and cancelling the game but I had already dragged my three children and all the gear that they and a t-ball game require out to the ballpark. So, as not to waste all of our efforts, the boys and I decided to play at the playground nearby for a little bit. I will remind you that it had rained this morning and now the sun was out which was creating quite the steamy evening. Oh well, we were having fun and I was already sweaty so no big deal, right?

After as much of a sauna session as we could stand, we hopped in the car and headed out. Well the boys wanted to get some dinner which seemed fine because we looked and smelled like normal fast food clientel. Unfortunately, when I asked the boys what they wanted, Will jumped in with The Marketplace Grill. I was at first surprised because he informed me the other day that The Sizzler was his favorite restaurant and Dennys is second. I think he is an old soul! Anyway, I thought why not? It is Kids Eat Free month at Marketplace so this would be as economical as any other spot. So, Will, Sam, Isaac, and I went on in to the Marketplace. The boys were amazingly good. I mean they are good boys most of the time but they are still boys so the quiet that was our table was really impressive. They ate well, colored pictures, and even gave me their steak knife as soon as they discovered it instead of first trying it out on the tablecloth. We were a sight. I was such the proud mom. I think at one point my head could have exploded from all that pride. We left without incident not even when the boys asked for ice cream and I declined their request.

As I drove home, I was still beaming so I gave my mom a call just to tell her of my awesome parenting moment and that I was certain that I would be the talk of the restaurant. She agreed that we probably would be the talk but maybe for other reasons that I had believed. She reminded me that I did go to a real sit down restaurant in my tank top and exercise shorts with my three sweaty and slightly dirty children on the Kids Eat Free night without a daddy. Hmm, kind of sad really. I bet the next time I go there, they will have a collection can with our picture on it requesting donations.

My Madness

2008-06-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

I try to make sure that I only write when I have something interesting to say or a funny story of the boys. I guess my hope is that one day I will print all this off as little trinkets of thoughts for Will, Sam, & Isaac. Well, today I am breaking my rule and just writing because my brain is so frustrated that I must vent and you all get to hear the madness in my head. So, here goes!

As some of you know, Will has a leg length discrepency of about 7/8 inch. We have known about it for a few years now so each year we take him to the Orthopaedic doctor to have him remeasured to see how it is doing. This year we also took him to Shriner's hospital in St. Louis to have a second opinion. I don't think that we doubted our doctor here, we just wanted to know that we were doing all that we could for the time being. (As a side note, I do want to say that if you ever get a chance to support Shriner's Hospitals, please do so. The people and the work they do there is amazing and it is totally free.) Anyway, we have been told that besides our periodic visits for x-rays and measuring, we will just wait until Will is in his early teens and if the length discrepency has not improved, then he will have to have a lengthening procedure that is crazy and as Will's mommy, I cannot think about because it makes me cry.

So, in the mean time we are doing our best to make sure that we do all we can to give Will every advantage and opportunity and this is where the madness begins. Oh, but let me first say that this length issue does not in the least bit hamper Will. He has a lift in his shoe that just makes him more comfortable and really gets his hips level but outside of that he is as rowdy as any little 6-year-old! Now, back to the madness.

We took Will to a chiropractor simply because when a person has such a large difference, we figured that his poor back has to be taking a beating and we wanted him to feel great! It's hard because Will has always had this difference to some degree so he mostly feels ok because well, this is all that he has ever known. For instance, until August, he didn't have a lift that made his hips level and he rarely complained of discomfort. Now that he has the proper lift size, he won't go without it. He now knows the difference and how much better it makes him feel. So, this was also the logic behind taking him to the chiropractor, to help him see how great he could feel.

Well, it all seemed like a simple and great idea. But, nothing is simple when insurance is involved. Our insurance company denied Will's visits saying that chiropractic care for spinal manipulation in children under the age of 12 is unproven or "experimental". Now I can go to the chiropractor for spinal manipulation when it is much more difficult to fix because my bones are old and they will pay for that. But my child who has the chance for tremendous improvement is "experimental". How frustrating it is to pay every month into a system for healthcare that really only cares about treating the current problem and sees little value in preventing future ones. Maybe they hope we will be with a new provider by then.

Regardless, whether the insurance company pays their part of not, if we feel that this will help Will, that is what we will do. He is our child and we will do everything possible to give him a great life. And I promise you, if a year from now Will's spine is straight and we can attribute it to these chiropractor visits, this stay-at-home mom will be marching her 3-child-bearing hips to the steps of United Healthcare with my x-rays in hand to share with them my thoughts on their policies and what is included in my Certificate of Coverage. Ooo, I am SO scary, huh? Well, it will make me feel better anyway!

A Good Laugh

2008-06-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so people send funny attachments and links all the time, and I am thankful for that because I usually do get a good giggle and life should be filled with as many laughs as possible. So, now I ask the same of you. Please take the time to click on this link. I would bet a fair amount of money that you won't be sorry;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_apWD7a4ZLk

Hawaii

2008-05-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have given Brent a hard time in the past for being a hoarder of Skymiles and Hotel Points. Well, I can make fun no more. He saved up enough to send us to Hawaii for our 10-year anniversary. We were gone for a week and although I love my boys and cannot imagine life without them there were some real perks to our time away.

1) I was able to go to bed when I wanted to because I knew that I would determine the time I awoke. (Sadly enough, I still got up at 7:00 am most days because my body and my boobs made me. I was hooked up to that breast pump so often I felt like a cow at a dairy farm!)

2) We only ate at one restaurant in Hawaii that you could order by number and that was just before we left the island. We were trying to reacclimate our bodies getting them ready for the real world again and I secretly just missed it.

3) When getting ready to go anywhere, I only had to factor in time for how long it takes ME to get ready and what I would wear. I didn't once have to ask anyone if they brushed their teeth, needed to go potty, wiped, or washed their hands. (If Brent failed to do any of the above, that was his issue. This Mommy was on vacation!)

We had a really nice time and I enjoyed just about every moment. I did drop my cell phone in the swimming pool:( All that being said, I think both Brent and I had just enough Hawaii by the end. Although we are husband and wife and have much fun together and enjoyed reconnecting. We are a family of five and we were missing three. I mean, Brent and I are funny but the boys, they are FUNNY!

My Oldest Son

2008-05-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

The other day we were driving to Will's graduation from Kindergarten. Yep, you heard that right. Anyway, I was frazzled as usual to get everyone ready and out the door on time. (We are always late everywhere so I have reason to stress.) As we headed toward the school, Brent tried to put my nerves at ease reassuring me that we were doing fine on time and not to stress. Will was in the back seat obviously overhearing part of our conversation. There was a pause so Will jumped right in, "Is Mom stressed because her oldest son is going to be walking across the big stage?" ;)

Warriors

2008-05-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

I knew life with all boys was going to be interesting so I guess I should have saw this coming:

A couple of days ago, the boys were playing in the driveway with their bikes and plasma cars. It was an amazing day, so I just left the door to the garage open as I came in and out because Isaac was napping. I heard the boys yelling, not in pain but more angry like. When I walked out, I saw Sam wearing a plastic fireman's hat and waving a fat, wooden stick (a log of sorts). Will had his bicycle helmet on and was grasping a large metal shovel. They were shouting at the little boys across the alley from our house who were also wearing costume but they had plastic swords. I asked Will what he was doing with the shovel. He said that they were going into battle against these little boys. Before the other little boys' mommy could call DFS on us, I called the boys inside and replaced their battle weapons with what seemed a bit more appropriate and safe. I took their picture with the modified uniform.

Enjoy!

I Was Tagged Again But This One Was Different, So Here Goes!

2008-04-21T19:11:00.001-07:00

Seven interesting, weird, or otherwise facts about me, hmmmm:

1) I am currently obsessed with the Body Pump class at my gym. At first, I was religious about going because the gym had child care and I was willing to do anything for an hour to myself. However, the other day I slipped on a pair of Sofee shorts (yeah, that takes you back to your cheerleading days doesn't it!) and I actually saw a little bump of a muscle above my knee cap:) I don't own and never really have owned muscles in my life so this was a major achievement for me. Now, I am motivated to see what pops out next? Although they never say I am working the boobs, I hope that is next for sure!
2) I am also completely obsessed with the beef Chalupa from Taco Bell. It would seem that #1 and #2 are opposites, which they are. But, since this is the first time in my life I have ever exercised, I think my brain thinks I should reward myself for the effort. So, I find myself at the TB more times than I would like to admit!
3) I have secretly started watching the Bachelor: London Calling. I say secretly because my husband thinks I DVR way too much as it is so I haven't told him that I found one more show to watch late at night after the kids go to bed. I caught a glimpse of it one night and saw how delicious the Bachelor is and his accent is quite fantastic, so I am hooked. I will also say that watching it makes me feel much better about my position in life. You see, I have missed several seasons of The Bachelor and in my absence, the women have gotten nuts! I mean they are showcasing talents that really should be saved for a circus act. It is GOOD stuff!
4) I once entered a contest through Bop magazine to try and win Donnie Wahlberg's jeans. He was, is a member of New Kids on The Block. I had to write an essay and was certain I would win. But no, some other bimbo, teeny bopper won them. Bummer!
5) My favorite scripture is Proverbs 30:8-9 "Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
6) I fall asleep very quickly anytime, anywhere. In fact, I have at times fallen asleep in the middle of a prayer. That might not be unusual except that I have been the one saying the prayer outloud to my husband!
7) I sit in the sink everyday to put my make-up on. I guess one day I got tired of standing and didn't have a chair. So, I decided to try the sink. Yep, even 9 months pregnant, I lifted me and my big old belly onto the counter! It isn't always pretty watching me get out but a girls got to do what a girls got to do!

So here are the rules:
- Link the person who tagged you
- List the rules in your blog
- Share seven interesting, weird, or otherwise facts about you
- Tag seven people to do the same
- Link their names in your blog
- Leave the people you are tagging a message on their blog letting them know they have been tagged.

So I am tagging: Jenni C., Keri B., Katie D., Lana M., Wendy C., Whitney L. (I am cheating and only doing 5.)

I Was Tagged!

2008-04-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Jenni, tagged me with this little get to know ya. So, here it is!

What was I doing 10 years ago?:

Oh my, ten years ago, I was finishing up college along with plans for my wedding, May 23, 1998. That means that I was sort of doing school work but mainly doing crunches because I thought my body needed work, and I couldn't imagine going to the beach with my new hubby looking like the Harding Cafteria Queen. Boy, doesn't perpective change after three kids! I am again doing crunches because for our 10 year anniversary, I am going to the beach with my hubby again. I am working hard to have that Harding Cafeteria Queen body back;) I think God thinks that is funny and wishes me well in this endeavor!

Five Snacks I enjoy: in a perfect non-weight gaining world

1. Cinnamon roll from Braums (they serve those things warm no matter whether it is 8:00 in the morning or 8:00 at night (sadly enough, lately I know this to be true!))
2. German Chocolate Cake with the coconut frosting on top but chocolate frosting on the sides;)
3. Ruffles potato chips/french onion dip
4. Skyline Chili dog (a Cincinnati thing)
5. A Coke fountain drink

in the real world:
1. Fiber One bars (yummy)
2. Fiber One cereal (I try not to eat #1 & #2 in one day. That might be traumatic to the system!)
3. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich
4. Nestle Raspberry Water (Brent can't figure out why I can't pick a nice Coca-Cola product to love, like Dasani. Unfortunately, Dasani flavored water just isn't the same!)
5. Coke in a bottle, Coke in a can, Coke from a fountain - It is my guilty pleasure!

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Take all my family on fun trips around the world
2. Pay for my family to go on mission trips during the Summer
3. Have my own "Big Give" show like Oprah
4. Buy a baby video monitor or a Nanny so that I don't have to get out of bed everytime I hear Isaac whimper!
5. Have the girls put back where they belong. Breastfeeding has not been kind to them! (Okay so I am probably not brave enough to really have that done but if I can dream that I am a billionaire, I guess I can dream that I am brave too!

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Exercise equipment demonstrator at the mall. Strange, huh? Yeah, I think my boss was a pervert but I was 16 and didn't see it.
2. Assistant to the Football Operations Manager and Assistant in Recruiting at the University of Notre Dame. Go Irish! (Great job! Worked hard but got paid like I didn't!)
3. Regional Office Coordinator for Pharmacia Pharmaceuticals (Great job! Didn't have to work to hard but got paid like I did!)
4. Mom
5. President and CEO of Pumpkin Doodle

Three of my habits:
1. moving my feet at all times when I am sitting down. Whether it is wiggling my toes or circling my whole foot, something connected to my ankle is always moving.
2. spell words in my head all day long. I spell each word 5 times or 15 times if it has an "A" in it because in my mind there are three ways to write an "A" so I have to write it all ways 5 times. You don't have to say it. I know. It is a sickness!
3. checking the doors at least three times each before we go out of town. Then about 10 minutes down the road I ask Brent if he shut the garage door. He loves that because then it makes him question whether he really shut it or not. So, then we have to call our friends, the Bakers, and ask them to drive by sometime to make sure we did. Funny thing, we have never left it up but I always worry I might!

Five places I have lived:
1. Springfield, MO
2. Searcy, AR
3. South Bend, IN
4. Cincinnati, OH (atually Cold Spring, KY)
5. Springdale, AR

People I will tag: Mary Jo P., Mandy B., Amy Mc., Melissa H.

Sweet William

2008-03-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post this story simply so that I wouldn't forget it and so that I could share it with Will.

A few years ago, shortly after my Granny passed away, I was lying in bed with Will (not yet 4 years-old) reading books and trying to get him to sleep. After the stories, we said our prayers. During my portion of the prayer, I got a little weepy. Will asked me why I was crying and I told him that I was missing my Granny. I explained that she had passed away and had gone to be with God in Heaven. About a minute later, I heard sniffling from Will's side of the bed. I asked him why he was crying. He said, "I just miss that (pause), What's her name again?" (me: "Granny?") Oh yeah. I just miss Granny so much."

I think Granny would have enjoyed that moment so much. Actually, I know she did!

Follow-up to Will's Museum

2008-03-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Some of you might have read about Will's museum. Well, shortly after the exhibition of such fine pieces, Will informed me that there had been a robbery. Luckily, Will was able to get some photos of the thief during the heist and was certain he could solve this mystery and catch the devil!

Oh, he makes me laugh!

I Love The Midwest

2008-03-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

I will begin by saying that today it is amazing outside and God is awesome! Unfortunately, on the most beautiful day in a very long time, I have a very sad, very sick child.

Sam woke this morning with an earache, so I did what any good mom would do and took him to Wal-Mart:) If this decision seems puzzling, you are not alone. When Sam asked where we were going, I told him we were going to the doctor to make him feel better. Since he is a toddler, he asked again where we were going and this time I told him that we were actually going to Wal-Mart to see the doctor. He responded in all of his toddler wisdom, "That is not right. Wal-Mart just has food." So, as I dressed Sam, I shared with him that Wal-Mart is a world unto itself. Right or wrong, you can get your tires rotated, your nails and hair did, your check deposited, your picture taken, your flu shot, and bananas all in one spot. (I could have mentioned that you can get your eyes checked too but my father-in-law is an optometrist so I cannot and will not speak of and do not know about the quality of that service;)) After Sam got over the confusion and probably sadness of the Wal-Mart reality, he hopped in the car and off we went.

Ok, so let me be clear in saying that a doctor in Wal-Mart is not a first option but it definitely should be in a list of options for any desperate mommy. Our regular pediatrician couldn't see Sam until tomorrow and short of storming the clinic with threats of leaving Sam there unsupervised until he was seen, Wally World was our choice! So, we visited the clinic inside the store and I will say it was strangely fabulous! I mean when can you go to the doctor on no notice, get a buzzer like you are at Applebees to let you know your exam table is available, and actually get some shopping done, or many of the other things I listed above, while you wait?

Okay, so we got done with the doctor and went to find Tylenol to go along with our antibiotic cocktail to get Sam back in fighting condition or heavily sedated. Either way would make this sleep deprived momma happy! Now, here is where the story is amusing in my opinion, and I think this is what makes the Midwest so fantastic! My items were limited so I chose the "check yourself out line" because I secretly think I am always faster than the cashiers:) Anyway, because we live in a curious world, once my Tylenol Cold was scanned, an alarm went off and the little cash register supervisor had to come and type a secret code and my age into the register so that I could purchase this medicine. I am not sure what the age requirement is for this type of drug, but make sure you take an ID with you just in case. So, after clearance from Clarence, I opened the box and started reading directions so that I could give Sam his medicine right there. I guess Clarence is actually Dr. Clarence because then cash register supervisor man returned to help me with dosing instructions. He took the box from me and asked Sam's age. Upon realizing that Sam's age required asking a doctor, Clarence then did some quickie math in his head and recommended 1 teaspoon. I agreed with his prescription and told him that I would also check back in with the clinic doctor to verify but sadly enough as I explained this to him, I worried that he might be offended that I was going in for a second opinion. So, I spoke with the receptionist at the clinic about the dosing. I guess she is a doctor too because she told me what she gives her granddaughter and obviously felt comfortable with her recommendations because she told me 1 teaspoon and sent me on my way not offering to check with the attending physician. Ok, strangely enough, I felt comfortable too with the conclusion that the clinic receptionist, Wal-Mart cash register supervisor, and I had come to so I proceeded to head for the door. However, I did not get out of the doors before Dr. Clarence (cash register supervisor) stopped me to verify that his dosing instructions were correct, I guess so that he would be prepared for the next customer;)

Now, I titled this blog "I Love The Midwest" because I am not certain but I feel quite comfortable in saying that this whole scenario could not and would not have played out in many other areas of the country or world for that matter. I love the Midwest, and I love Wal-Mart for making my life so much more interesting at such a low price:)

Oh, celebrities and all my hotness

2008-03-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture from Brent's tryout for American Idol!

Just kidding;) Actually, this photo was taken the day my water broke! Some of you might know that Brent is now in marketing for Coca-Cola and they were sponsoring Wal-mart's monthly meeting. These things usually have some celebrity there to help with the presentation so Brent, on Coke's dime, flew Ryan Seacrest in for the meeting. Ryan drinks Coke and totally shops at Wal-Mart so he seemed like the perfect fit! Also you know, Coke, American Idol, Ryan Seacrest. Anyway, I am sure Mr. Seacrest was uneasy about havin' some barefoot, backwoods, Arkansan give his hair a fixin' so he also brought along his stylist. Smart move, Ryan!

Now, Brent is a sweet husband and is always trying to show his lady a good time so he invited my big, 8-months pregnant butt to meet Ryan and his crew. (Just as a side note, the other two times Brent has hooked me up with celebrities went about the same way. I met Elizabeth Hasselbeck 8 months pregnant which was great since she had just been on Survivor and hadn't eaten in some 30 days. I on the other hand hadn't eaten in some 30 seconds! So she was emaciated and I was a Thanksgiving Day float. The second celebrity event was for Britney Spear's, before she had some issues, CD release party in NYC. At that time she had a smokin' body and was dating Justin Timberlake. I, however, was lactating because I was only 6-weeks post delivery with Will and actually had to pump before we went to the party. Hot! I was trying to be cool dancing next to JT and Ms. Spears while all the while leaking breast milk on my sparkly top!)

I digress, so after visiting with Mr. Seacrest for awhile and him requesting I wait to have the baby until after the Coke function, this butterball turkey went home. And, being the pleaser that I am, my water broke during the Coke function but I denied it until Ryan was on his private plane back to LA before I went to the hospital.

So, does that help explain Isaac's middle name, Seacrest? No, that is not his middle name, it is Emerson you goobs:)

99 Balloons

2008-03-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a video, 99 Balloons, that I watch to from time to time. This couple attends our church, and although I have never met them, they are such an example to me. They have a strength only God can provide. We are never alone! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

Hello Everyone!

2008-03-11T07:56:00.001-07:00

I am adding this post just so that Isaac gets some face time. Since he is still under 4 months and really scared at the reality of living in this zoo, he is a man of few words. So, until Will and Sam enlighten him on the ways of the world, he might just get a lot of pics with few words.

God Loves It All

2008-03-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

I remembered a story about the boys from awhile back that made me smile so I wanted to share. (This is my way of journaling for the boys so I quite often might refer back to another day, month, or year. Also, having 3 boys who are 6 years and under, it is better for their health and mine to many times reflect on the funnies of our journey rather than the bumps we encounter each day!)

One night Brent was putting the boys to bed. Will and Sam share a room and it is really a challenge to get them to settle down. Sleeping is not the priority but talking, wrestling, hitting, burping, passing gas, or dressing in cowboy costumes seems to be. Anyway, Brent had read to the boys and it was Sam's night to pray. He was a little younger at the time so often he was encouraged or prompted as to what to say. He got as far as "Thank you God for our food, family, friends, and .....". Will being the ever sweet brother tried to help and whispered, "and Jesus". Sam, always trusting Will, quickly responded with what he thought his big brother said and added, "Oh yeah, and peanuts."

Bless the boys. I know God loved that little addition;)

Help!!!

2008-03-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

Help! Since I am so late to this blogging game, I am now having to look through all old emails and find blog addresses. If you have one that I haven't listed, please send me a little note so that I can add it to my list.

(Ok, so this shout out says that I have not referenced many blogs to date. Truthfully, the less I looked, the less guilt I felt about my blogging shortcomings.)

Will's Museum

2008-03-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

(This is a story that I have told some of you but I feel obligated to include it in the blog so that one day Will will have it for himself.)

Here are some photos of Will's museum he built in the baby's room. The first one includes his tribute to Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" and "Lonely Lisa" (don't know if that is his twist on The Mona Lisa or if he just misheard the name). There is a photo of Abraham Lincoln's toys he played with as a boy. The book was George Washington's that he read everyday as a child. The crib contains a the blanket that Washington's brother used as a baby. There is also a photo of the Greatest Chair Ever. When asked who sat in it to make it the Greatest Chair Ever, his response was that he didn't know but that he just found the chair. Ok? The last pic is of his open and closed sign. So, don't just show up thinking it is like Walmart and open 24 hours. This is a serious establishment!! Where does this kid get this stuff? (Yes, most of the pics contain a strip of tape to rope off the areas that you are not allowed to enter!)

The Happy Face Monsters

2008-03-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

Brent was out of town on business for a few days last week. This meant that I was left with the three boys for about 50 hours. On the second night, I was bathing Isaac and left Will and Sam alone for about 10 minutes to get into their pajamas since they were finished with their baths. Well, one Sharpie later, the Happy Face Monsters were born. I am not sure I am qualified to be solely in charge of my children for more than about 8 hours:)

Handy Manny

2008-03-06T12:52:00.001-08:00

Ok, so morning is the toughest time of day for our family. We have such little time to accomplish so much! Being the fantastic parent that I am, when I can only deal with one child at a time, I do what every great parent does and turn on cartoons. One of Sam's favorites right now is Handy Manny on the Disney Channel. Manny is the sweetest little Mr. Fixit with about 7 tools that assist him in his work of saving his neighbors from catastrophes such as no light bulbs at the new movie theatre, a sock eating dryer, or poor little Alex stuck at the top of the playground! Anyway, all of this sweet and simple fun has gotten my kids all into tools and fixing stuff. So, Sam loves the tape measure. We have allowed him to play with it but given him several warnings about the sharp sides of the tape. You are told many times as a child not to play with scissors or knives but no one ever addresses the tape measure. That being said, we felt like a warning was good enough. Well, not so much;(.

Yesterday as I was just starting my blog, Sam came in whimpering. I looked over to see his hand full of blood. I ran him to the bathroom and did exactly what I wasn't supposed to do and put his hand under the water. This caused the loose skin to move and my son to scream at the top of his lungs!!!! Bad Mommy! I regrouped and realized that a wet cloth along with pressure was probably more appropriate. Next, I proceeded to drag him through the house to try and figure out a course of action. I searched and searched for something that my son would allow me to do to make it better so that he would stop crying. After 15 minutes of looking, I found that each time we passed the living room where the cartoons were on, he stopped crying. So, there you go. All we needed for his dangling thumb was a wet washcloth and more Handy Manny!

As I set there holding his hand in place so that it would maybe miraculously crow together before a commercial break, I started thanking God that this minor injury took place with the tape measure because this would break Sam's obsession without any major trauma. However, I was too grateful too soon. About 10 minutes later, Sam looked at me with stale tears in his eyes and wanted to know where the tape measure was. I told him that I had put him to bed for being bad and hurting my Sam. That worked for about 5 minutes. Then Sam asked for it again at which time I gave the same reply. But, this time he assured me that the tape measure was sorry. That it was finished crying and should get to leave his room:) I am sad to say that he forgave that tape measure for practically removing his thumb from his hand more quickly than he forgives his brother for getting dressed faster than him. Oh, pray for us!

PS - The picture of Sam is him displaying his injury but his bandaid is flesh colored so it is hard to see. Sad, my son is the same shade as a bandaid!

Here we go!

2008-03-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it has been done. I have been broken. For months now, I have fought off you blogging freaks but I am weak now, so I surrender.

I was hoping that this along with scrapbooking would be like the banana clip and twisty beads. The were both quite the trend but evetually died. Now looking back, we can't believe we even went there! Unfortunately, this is not looking like the case, so out of total guilt, I am on board. I fear that one day my children will wonder how much I really loved them and if any of their life happenings really mattered to me. I know they will wonder why I even had kids if I wouldn't bother to journal about it!

Well, that is my intro. It is a little insight into my crazy head. You are at the skycab area of the Ashlee Airport. So, know that this is just the entrance and that you will be exhausted by the time you reach the gate!