Finally, a bike rider

Ellie not being able to ride her bike had become, in Tom's mind, a symbol of his failure as a parent. The more he insisted she learn, the more she dug her heels in and refused. Finally, last Saturday, we threw the kids bikes in the car and headed to the empty church parking lot. I kid you not, I had Ellie riding her bike within the hour. I think I was more proud of myself than I was of Ellie!

Christmas Day in Photos

Typical baby...more interested in the packaging

Christmas morning at home

Anxiously awaiting gift opening

Afternoon with Nana

Christmas Eve traditions

My parents and older brothers and their families went on the Disney cruise for Christmas this year, so we had a smaller crowd for our annual Christmas Eve get-together.  I took advantage of the reduced numbers and volunteered to host it at my house.  We tried to continue with tradition, but it just wasn't the same without my dad doing the narrating of the Nativity story and telling the "Pack for Santa's Back."  My little brother did his best, though, and a good time was had by all.  The adults were feeling rather lazy so we put Ellie and her cousin Kinleigh in charge of assigning parts for the Nativity and dressing up the kids.  The costumes they assembled were pretty funny.  Oh, and we got to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus this year when we ate the cake since Mark wasn't around to voice his objections and declare it sacrilegious.

Yet another SeaWorld trip

We made our annual trip to San Antonio/Sea World on the 22nd.  This time, we decided to stop at this safari place on the outskirts of San Antonio.  It was awesome!  The animals would come right to your window for you to feed!  You were supposed to keep your hands/heads inside the car and just drop the food on the ground.  The animals didn't really get that memo.  One ostrich reached his head into the car and snatched the bag out of Tom's lap.  Then, when we rolled up the window, it kept banging its beak against the window!

And this zebra would open its mouth wide for you to throw food in, swallow, and then open wide again.  We were laughing so hard.  Definitely a place we will go again, especially since they are expanding next year.

Jack got a virus on the trip and was running a high fever and having coughing fits.  He was still in a great mood and game for anything, but he would also throw up occasionally.  Like in front of the hostess stand at Joe's Crab Shack.  She just handed me a roll of paper towels and was all, have at it.

SeaWorld was just meh.  I think because we have done it once or twice a year for the past several years it has just started to lose its appeal. Not for the kids, but definitely for Tom and me.  Or maybe that's just because we watched Blackfish right before going.

Sunday Best: Matching Ties edition

My side of the family is so large that we draw names for Christmas. My oldest brother's family drew my little family and they sent us a box full of neat things, but my favorite were three matching ties for Tom, Jack, and Sam. You know how I love to do the matchy-matchy thing with my boys!

Let the Christmas celebrations begin

My father-in-law is having surgery this week to remove a tumor from his pancreas so we celebrated Christmas with him on Saturday. We have added two more kids since last Christmas. I love seeing our numbers grow. Kids always make Christmas more fun.

Tom's pic was so bad I had to edit to save my marriage

That evening was the Christmas party at my church. Sam was too tired from his long, napless day so he stayed home with Tom. They were doing a Who-ville themed party. It was really cute. Mark even dressed up as the Grinch.

Jack, who adores Uncle Mark, was a little leery of getting too close to him in his get-up. Ellie and Jack were both excited about seeing Santa, but Ellie had to play it cool while we were waiting in line.

It didn't stop her from giving Santa very specific details as to what she wants for Christmas. She also drank two cups of loaded hot cocoa from the hot chocolate bar and two full plates of desserts. Naturally, she got sick to her stomach and we made an early escape before she ruined the party for all.

Family Photos!

I got to see a preview of my family photos yesterday. I was really happy to finally have a family photo of all five of us, but I actually liked the individual shots of the kids the best. I feel like they are so photogenic! I mean, they are my kids so I obviously see them through the mommy-filter, but I am pretty sure they are cute kids.

My very favorite photo was a total fluke.  Ellie told my photographer friend that she wanted to get a picture of us lying down, but then she climbed up on my back.  All the while, Jack was running laps around us.  I was telling him to stop, but I am so happy she caught this moment.  When Ellie saw this picture, she was not pleased.  She said Jack ruined our special picture and that she didn't get a picture of her running laps around Daddy and the boys.  Poor girl.

Secret Santa: Cat Burglar style

This is our second year doing Secret Santa and Ellie and I are having a blast!  Last year Ellie had an all black outfit she would wear, but this year she upped her game and put on her catsuit and a mask.

Also, I never tell Ellie to pose for pictures...she does that all by herself. We took family photos on Sunday and the photographer was really impressed with Ellie's posing skills!

An unwelcome guest

Mornings can be a little crazy for me, but I have a routine down.  First, I take all the bags and stuff out to the car.  Then, I come back in, grab the kids, lock the front door, and load all the kids up in the car.  I am only detailing this out for you so you will understand why the events of yesterday occurred.  I loaded up the car with the stuff and went back for the kids. However, Jack was having one of his meltdowns so I left him and took the baby and Ellie out.  While I was putting Sam into his car seat, Jack came out and I buckled him in. I was on autopilot by this point so I just got in the car and drove away.  When Tom got home in the afternoon, he found the front door wide open.  Like all the way open.  We live in the corner house on a somewhat busy street, so it was not the best thing ever.  He checked our alarm app on his phone and saw that our motion sensor was activated at 12:55 and did not go idle again until 1:20 (it normally goes on idle about 1 minute after I leave).  So, someone was in our house for about 20 minutes yesterday.  They didn't take anything, but they also didn't bother closing the front door when they left.  Tom took the biggest kitchen knife we own and searched all the rooms upstairs before he would let me go up and take my nap.  Needless to say, he wasn't too happy with me.  Especially since I did the same thing once before at our old house.  Except that time our neighbor called the police and they came and checked our house out (and shut the door behind them when they left).

35

Today is my birthday.  I am the big 3 5.  As Tom so kindly pointed out, I am closer to 50 than I am to college.  Nice.  I actually don't have issues about aging.  Maybe when I hit 40.  And my birthday is pretty low key.  I don't even tell my students because I just want class as normal and not have to deal with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday or Feliz Cumpleanos.  Plus, I have a killer cold and just want to coast through the day.  Lest you think I am a total curmudgeon, I did celebrate with the family last Sunday.  My parents bought my niece and I a giant ice cream cake from Cold Stone.  It was delish.  Plus, I got the BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER...24 hours in a hotel ALL BY MYSELF.  Just me. No one else.  I can sleep or I can read or do whatever and no one will interrupt me.  I can sleep like a big X in the bed.  I won't have to get up in the night to take care of Sam or even have to wake Tom up so he can go take care of Sam.  As you can see, I am just a tad excited about my birthday present.  I am feeling pretty optimistic about 35...even if it is almost 50.

Dear Sam at 8 months

Dear Sam,

You are now 8 months old. This past month you have mastered eating finger foods, sprouted another tooth (for a grand total of 5), and have started getting up on all fours.

You have a laser-like focus on any object within your line of sight and you will find a way to get to it, whether it be by rolling, scooting, or screaming. And heaven forbid anyone try to take something away from you because you will then erupt in righteous indignation. You are a generally a happy kid, though. You love to play peek-a-boo, and will take a blanket and cover your whole head.  You do your adorable, dry chuckle every time you reappear. Your sister is still the best at making you smile and laugh. You like being around Jack, too, but sometimes he can be a little too exuberant for your tastes.

Despite the amount of time and attention you take, your brother and sister never seem to resent you for it. Instead, they fight over who gets to play with you. You usually are content to play happily on the floor with your toys, but if I walk into your line of sight, you immediately start fussing for me to hold you. This is just a mommy-thing and you don't do it to anyone else.

You are still a little chunk and my arms ache from hauling you around. You outgrew your infant carrier so now you are in a convertible car seat. You wear 18 month clothes and your feet are too fat to fit into shoes. In other words, you are completely adorable and I can never resist nibbling on your cheeks.

Sambo, sometimes this past month was difficult.  The days and nights when you were teething and would scream every time I laid you down, or the hours on end when I had to hold you because you feel feeling especially needy.  At times, I felt like I was somehow failing you as a parent, but then you would give me one of your giant grins or nuzzle your face in my neck, and I knew that we would be okay.  I love you forever, baby boy.

Mama

Deck the halls

Giving thanks

I'm thankful for impromptu dance parties in my living room.  I'm thankful for sticky fingers caressing my cheek, declaring me to be "the best mom ever."  I'm thankful for gummy, toothless grins. I'm thankful for bright flowers picked from the neighbor's yard and presented as gifts. I'm thankful for strong arms wrapped around me, making me feel safe and loved.  I'm thankful for laughter so hard it brings tears to the eyes. I'm thankful for the presence of impressionable minds, reminding me to always strive to be better.  I'm thankful for family that appears whenever there is a need.  I'm thankful for the comfort of prayer.  I'm thankful for large gatherings of loved ones.  I'm thankful for quiet evenings at home with the one I love the most.  I'm thankful for the promise of a new day and fresh starts.  I'm thankful.

One tired turkey

I am doing my post from my phone. I hate typing on my phone. I know I should do a nice Thanksgiving post where I write about all the people and things I am thankful for, but I am just too tired. This has been a hard week. Sam has been so fussy. He won't go to bed or down for naps. He just cries and cries. He isn't sick so I am guessing he is teething. And now he is crying again. Hopefully tomorrow I can write a nice, thankful post. I sure would be thankful if my baby would just sleep already. Or at least stop crying.

Pirate Sam

Sam wore his eye patch for two hours today and, after some initial rubbing, he actually seemed happier wearing it. I did a lot more research on Sam's type of strabismus and it seems like vision therapy is the way to go. We are fortunate in that he still uses both eyes and the drifting is intermittent so there isn't as much pressure to do the surgery immediately. I am going to order him some cuter patches, though.

Strabismus

I spent 3 hours at the pediatric opthamologist's today. I feel like the picture accurately depicts the way Sam and I felt about it. So, here is the thing, ever since Sam was born, he has had crazy eyes. Now, I know babies have issues focusing so I gave it 6 months, but still his eyes would drift outward. Not all the time, but when he was tired or trying to look at things far away. I don't think most people even notice it, but I was worried it would get worse with time. The eye doctor gave me some patches and I have to patch Sam's eyes for 1-2 hours a day, alternating eyes. Then, most likely, he will need surgery. But, I have been doing research on the surgery and the success rate doesn't seem all that high. Many times multiple surgeries are needed and often the kids just end up cross-eyed with glasses. I don't even know what else to say about it, just that it is stressing me out.

Mom2

Ellie borrowed my phone and took a picture of Jack in her bed reading a book. Sometimes I refer to Ellie as Mom Two.  This is because I pass on some of my parenting duties to her.  Like today when I was trying to get a little cleaning done.  Jack and Sam were supposed to be napping, but neither were cooperating.  So, I handed both kids over to my 7 year old.  She tucked Jack into her bed with a book and kept Sam entertained on the floor with toys.  What would I do without my Ellie?

Thanksgiving break

I am so happy to have a week off from school. My plans are to organize my house, sell all baby stuff that Sam has outgrown, and read a lot of books. Oh, and spend quality time with my kids and husband. Perhaps I should have listed that first.

So far I have read two books and organized the playroom. Oh, and I snuggled with my kids in my bed while we watched/listened to What Does the Fox Say 5 or 6 times. Totally counts as quality time.

Organizing

Day 1 of my Thanksgiving break and I spent a good portion of it organizing the playroom. Yes, that picture is organization in progress. Everyone knows organization comes through chaos. Oh, and the bed is Jack's. I moved him into the playroom because Sam kept waking him up. My ultimate goal is to have my boys share a room. A very organized room.

Thankful

You guys.  I don't want to jinx myself, but my kids have become fairly manageable to take grocery shopping!  They stay by the cart, they don't throw fits for things they want, and Jack has stopped his old antics of throwing food in my cart without my knowledge!  Sam can still be a bit of a wild card, but mostly he is content to just ride along with a pacifier in his mouth.  I feel like I have come a long way from those days when I used to threaten to beat Ellie or had to leave a cart full of groceries behind.  I am sure Sam will start being a giant pain in the butt soon enough, but for now, I am THANKFUL that I can go grocery shopping without feeling suicidal.

Another way that my kids are awesome is that I have never really had to worry about them getting into things they aren't supposed to.  Like, they never colored on walls or got into my makeup or snuck food out of the fridge.  For the most part, they are rule followers.  Does that mean they are perfectly behaved? No way.  But I just feel THANKFUL that I can usually count on them to do what they are supposed to do.  This is very useful when I want to take naps.

Oh, I thought of one more thing kid-related thing I am THANKFUL for...they are great in the car.  I don't have a DVD player or anything, but they are just good car-riders.  Jack and Ellie have both been on long road trips with us and they really enjoy being in the car.  Even on short rides to places, they are just really chill once they get in the vehicle.  The jury is still out on Sam, but he did great on the airplane!

So, yeah, I think my kids are pretty fantastic.

Catching Fire premiere

14 grown women feeling young and free.

The Penny

I got my hair cut and highlighted today. This is the picture I showed my stylist. I was going to put it next to a picture of how it really looks on me, but I got distracted by how crooked and messed up my face looked in all my selfies! I asked Tom why he never told me about my crooked face and he insists it isn't. I think he feels it might be a trick question. Like, does this outfit make me look fat? But, he can just be honest...the camera doesn't lie.

Bullets of Randomness

• Ellie asked what I was doing and I told her I needed something to write about.  Her response? "Why don't you write about your AMAZING kids?"
• Jack is a man of habit.  His current thing is he has to watch What Does the Fox Say multiple times before going to bed.  Ellie discovered  What Does the Sock Say so now they watch/listen to that, too.  They combined their birthday monies from Tom's dad to buy a Kindle Fire (Ellie's idea) so now they have more ready access to those annoying songs/videos.
• A few weeks ago I realized that we do not have a family photo of all five of us.  Not even a snapshot.  This made me so sad that I scheduled a photo shoot for December 7.  And now I am stressing about what we should all wear.
• Tom and I have started alternating nights on getting up with Sam.  Except it seems Sam always sleeps through the night on Tom's turn, but wakes up for pacifier reinserts on my night.  How does he know?!
• I requested 19 books from the library today.  I hope they don't all come in at once.  They are all autobiographies except for 2.  I am addicted to autobiographies.  I don't even have to know who the person is, I just like to read them.  It is like voyeurism in literary form.
• I will be glad when November is over.  I am too lazy to blog every day.

When your kid is smarter than you

This weekend, Ellie was arguing with the ref during her soccer game.  She was making valid points, but still, she needs to know NOT to argue with the refs!  She had a similar situation at school where she was trying to tell the sub what she was supposed to be doing.  Ellie thought she was helping and the sub thought she was being disrespectful.  This led Ellie's teacher to remark to me during our Parent-Teacher Conference that "Ellie could run a small country."  I really do stress the importance of not correcting adults and respecting your elders, but Ellie has been putting Tom and me in our places since she was 3.  And her logic can be hard to argue.  I find myself often resorting to the old standby, "Because I said so."

I ain't no soccer mom

Today was the last day of the soccer tournament. We weren't back from Dallas in time for the first game so Dianna took her. It was the best Ellie has ever played. She was hustling like crazy and she scored the team's only goal. It was also her first goal of the whole season and of course it happened when we weren't there. We made it to the second and final game, though. She didn't score, but as goalie she let one by that ended in her team losing 0-1. I am just so glad the season is over!

Pearl Jam 2013

The last time Tom and I were at a Pearl Jam concert was 10 years ago. A lot has changed since then, but, fortunately, Pearl Jam never changes!

Jammin'

Tom and I have another little trip planned for this weekend and I am really excited about it.  We are driving to Dallas for a Pearl Jam concert.  Tom is a huge Pearl Jam fan.  No, really, he is even a member of their fan club.  I know their music and I have been to a concert pre-children, but I am more excited about getting away than I am about going to the concert.  I don't know, crowds and noise are just not my thing these days (unless it is a New Kids on the Block Concert, then you know I am there).  Anyway, we are leaving tomorrow morning and going to the concert in the evening and then hurrying home Saturday morning because Ellie has her final day of the soccer tournament.  (Can I just say how ready I am for soccer to be OVER already?)  It is a 4 hour drive to Dallas and I am even looking forward to that.  So, yay for 24 hours of kid-free time with the hubs!

School Pictures

Jack - Preschool - 4 years

Ellie - 2nd grade - 7 years

Sam, you're the man

Before Sam was born, I worried that the kids would be jealous of him.  I don't know what I was thinking.  They cannot get enough of him.  Ellie wants me to bring Sam into her room each morning to wake her up, Jack wants me to take pictures of him with Sam at every opportunity, and both of them want to be the one to make him smile.  In fact, they fight over who he looks at.  Jack will get right in Sam's face, blocking his line of sight, and then Ellie will get upset and complain to me about it.  Jack has a song that he learned from Ms. Rebekah that he sings to Sam whenever he is fussing.  It goes like this, "Sam, Sam, you're the man, you're the man for me."  I keep waiting for the novelty to wear off, but as Sam gets older and more interested in people and toys, it just adds to his appeal.

On being kind

Lately, I have been making a concentrated effort to be more kind.  Ever since Sam was born, I have just felt so exhausted and when I am exhausted I tend to be cranky.  I have noticed that I have not been speaking very kindly to Tom and the kids.  So, each morning and throughout the day, I have been reminding myself to be kind.  But I seem to forget and then catch myself midsentence.  I find a lot of my interactions with the kids looking like this:
 
I TOLD YOU TO STOP SCREAMING…in your brother’s face, sweetie. That will make him sad.
GET DOWN OFF THE COUNTER RIGHT…now, please, baby girl. I sure would hate for you to get hurt!

The kids are looking at me like, is she bi-polar?
 
I don’t yell, but my tone is just…not nice.  I hate that sharp, angry edge it takes when I am cross, but I feel like the harder I work at it, the worse I get.  And poor Tom, he gets the brunt of it.  The kids have the small, helpless thing going for them, but Tom just gets full on cranky mama.

Sunday Best

I love dressing my boys in matching clothes on Sundays.  I love it so much that I might do it every day of the week until they get old enough to stop me.

Soccer Saturdays

Our Saturdays are usually spent watching Ellie play soccer. Today was day 1 of tournaments so she had two games today. Tom and I decided to tag team it and he went to the first game while I stayed home with the kids. Then,  he stayed home for the second game. Watching Ellie play without the distraction of a crying baby or a whiny four year old was awesome!   They lost, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself. People who just have one child have no idea how easy they have it.

Everything is better in jammies

I am really phoning in the NaBloPoMo challenge tonight.  I am always completely brain dead on Fridays after a long week of teaching.  Tonight I am watching some of my nieces and nephews and I requested that they arrive in their pajamas so we can have a pajama party.  Movie + popcorn + pajamas = my kind of babysitting. 

Airing my clean laundry

Where does your freshly washed laundry go?  Our laundry goes on our living room couch so I can fold while watching my shows. Clearly, I have not been watching much TV lately. One thing I dislike about my house is that the bedrooms are all upstairs, but the laundry room is down. It just takes so much more effort to haul all those clothes upstairs to hide in my bedroom. On weeks like these, I live in fear of unexpected visitors. I mean, not only is the clothes mountain embarrassing, but where would they even sit?

My Ellie-belly

Reading Harry Potter while dressed as Harry Potter

 I love this picture of Ellie that I snapped while she was waiting to leave for Trunk-or-Treat.  She is now on the fourth book, Goblet of Fire, which is my favorite.  I think she is starting to get a little confused, though, because she is asking me more questions.  I have also noticed she keeps looking back in previous books to remind herself of things.  I hope I haven't made such a big deal out of her reading these books that she feels pressured to keep reading even when their difficulty level exceeds her comprehension.  Or maybe I am just over thinking it all since I teach reading and a lot of effort goes into matching students up with books that will challenge, but not discourage.  I am neurotic, I know.  I will just let her be and enjoy that she is reading something that we both love.

Here is another sweet pic that I snapped just this morning.  Ellie is not easy to wake (6am is early for us all), but she is always much happier in the mornings if I bring Sam in to wake her!

4 year check-up

I took Jack and Sam to the doctor yesterday for vaccinations.  Sam was just getting his follow-up flu booster, but Jack had to get his 4 year vaccinations.  I am so paranoid at the doctor's office.  I won't let Jack touch anything...no toys, books, chairs, nothing.  And I made him sanitize his hands at least 5 times while we were there.  Seriously, this is why I skip all of their well-child checkups unless they are due for shots.  Anyway, Jack was surprisingly charming with the pediatrician and did fairly well with his vaccinations aside from a short moment when I wasn't holding his arms tight enough and he reached down and GRABBED THE NEEDLE OUT OF HIS THIGH!  When it was Sam's turn, I just left him strapped into his infant seat and made them do the shot there.  No way was I trying to hold down another child because clearly I was not up to the task.  Anyway, here are Jack's stats for my record-keeping purposes:

Height: 41 1/4" (73%)

Weight: 40lbs (81%)

His stats aren't as impressive as Sam's, but he is holding his own.

Boosterthon

Ellie's school does a Boosterthon to raise money.  Basically, you go around asking people to pledge money for each lap you run with the maximum being 35 laps.  The catch is that these aren't like laps around the track...they are small laps.  So, it is very likely your child will run all 35 laps.  Ellie came home two weeks ago all fired about about getting pledges and she was determined to call everyone on my contact list, but I told her it was rude to ask people for money. Her response was, "Well, that's kinda how a Boosterthon works, Mom. I mean, I guess I could sell cookies or something."  I posted that on Facebook and actually got some unexpected pledges!  The Boosterthon was today and she did all 35 laps.  Smart people like my mom just donated a flat rate, but for the suckers like my sister who pledged $1 a lap?  Well, today might have been pricier than expected.

Dear Sam at 7 months

Dear Sam,

You are now 7 months. I really love this stage. You are so happy and smiley. You love to sit and play with your toys. Although you aren't crawling, you can wriggle and roll your way to whatever you want. You are one determined little man.

You are getting better at feeding yourself some finger foods. You love food and seem anxious to eat what we are eating. Your love of food shows... you are now wearing 18 month clothes. You are still the cutest,  rolypoly baby ever.

You have started to show a preference for people, especially your mama. I love how you get excited to see me and reach for me when I come into the room.

Baby boy, your addition to our family has been such a blessing. You teach your brother and sister to be gentle and kind. You teach your dad and I to slow down and to be patient.  I am so thankful you are mine.

I love you forever.

Mama

NaBloPoMo

Way back in November 2007 I participated in National Blog Participation Month (NaBloPoMo).  I have decided to do it again this month in the hopes of getting myself back in the habit of blogging again. I love looking back at old blog posts. Now that I have a baby again, I always go back each month to see what Ellie and Jack did at that age. It is amazing what you forget. Plus, I use Blurb to turn my blog into books each year and Ellie LOVES to read them. She is constantly referencing stories I wrote about when she was young. It makes me want to be more diligent in documenting Jack and Sam, as well. With that being said, here it is, only the 2nd day of the month, and I was about to go to bed without blogging. Now, I am attempting to type this out on Ellie's Kindle Fire because I am too tired to go downstairs and get the laptop. I have my doubts how successful I will be at NaBloPoMo.

Obligatory Halloween Pics

October 29

I attempted to get a cute pic of the kids at the pumpkin patch.  I even brought my good camera...that was completely dead. So then I had to use my phone.  My dreams of a picture-perfect fall photo yielded the following results:

Oh, was I supposed to center them in front of that background?

Really, Jack?  Picking your nose?

I have no words

That evening, we took the kids to Trunk-or-Treat at the church.  Sure, NOW they pose willingly.

October 30 - Painting Pumpkins
Because carving is just too messy. And I feel like knives and children don't mix well.

October 31 - Halloween