Out of the mouth of babes...I mean Jbird!!!

As Jbird was sitting in his room for a time out, he said 'he is the meanest brother in the whole world, the absolute meanest brother in the whole world'.

Jbird asked if he could have dessert. I told him he could have 2 cookies, which he replied "two in each hand?"

We delivered a few goodies and Christmas cards to some friends. Jbird was excited to get out and go up to the doors to drop off the treats. At the first house, he rang the door bell and when Mr. Jim came to the door, Jbird said "trick or treat" (instead of Merry Christmas).

"Mom, my head is tired'

JB wanted to try sitting in a regular chair for dinner. Of course it did not go well and as I was buckling him into his chair, he started babbling. Jbird said, 'mom, JB just told you that you were mean'. I laughed as I thought to myself, probably...

The other day when everthing was coated with ice, he looked at the grass and said "this snow looks like frosted mini wheats'

B was talking about braces the other day (the kind you get on your teeth) and Jbird said "Evan use to have bracelets in his mouth"

In exasperation the other day, Jbird said "for carin' out loud" (instead of crying out loud). Of course B was quick to correct that one.

Transplanted

I have been transplanted. Back to my ol' stomping grounds of North Dakota. The land of snow drifts. The snow and wind came last night. I would shovel and 15 minutes later, you could not see where you had just been. When you walk down your driveway and in one spot the snow is 1 inch deep and the next step it is 18 inches. Yet oh so beautiful.

I kicked the boys out of the house and into all the new snow. Even fresh air for 10 minutes. They quickly undug the shovels.

(notice the sandbox turned into shed for the winter...)

Being a middle unit, it can be hard to find places to put all the snow from the driveway.

Jbird got a hair cut the other day. When we left the house the next day, I made him wear a hat. Every time he gets a haircut, it takes about 2 weeks for it to start looking good. Right out of the shower it is so curly and looks wonderful but if the curl relaxes at all, it is a mess. When he was sitting in my friends' chair getting it cut, he begged her to cut it short like she did for B. I was able to hold it off again. He has the most amazing color/highlights in his hair. I can't picture my Jbird without his longer hair or curls.

Today some friends came over to play (three girls ages 3-7). It is so nice when the kids start getting old enough that they can just take off and play and not run back to us every 5 minutes for something. They attempted to leave just before lunch be we talked them into sandwiches and they stayed another 2.5 hours. We even made snow icecream. Not the best thing when it is 10 degrees outside but the snow was so perfect for it.

JB had therapy today. Our goal this week is to work on the 'b' sound. He still has about 10 sounds (vowels and consonants) in his arsenal. The last couple of days he has been really good about using the sign for 'me/mine' and the sound 'p'.

Our current sleeping arrangements!

B and Jbird neither one minded spicy stuff when they were little. So, as we were eating chips and salsa the other day, JB wanted in on the action. We gave him a chip and then watched as he dipped it into the salsa. He took a bite and about 10 seconds later his little hand covered his eyes and then moved over his mouth and his eyes then got really big. It was too cute.

The other night I was tired and JR was already in bed. The older two were watching a Christmas movie so I set out to take a bath. I told the boys when the movie was over if they would turn everything off and then head upstairs. (B is really into getting more 'responsibility'.) I was very pleased when they followed directions. They were sound asleep in their beds when I got out of the bath. So fun watching them grow up and gain more independence, although they already have a lot, being wired that way. Sure makes being a parent to them easy in lots of respects.


Most nights Jbird ends up in bed with us and on the rare occasion B will also wake up and come join us. I have never encouraged them crawling into bed with us, especially when really young, but most nights there seems to be a game of musical beds going on. I will wake up one night and be getting kicked, so instead of carrying one of them back to their own bed, I will go crawl into an empty bed in the boys room. Sometimes the boys will lay in our bed and read before going to bed and if one of us does not carry them to their room, you never know who will end up where. At this stage and being the age that they are, I know it won't last forever, so I sort of don't mind. Unless it is one of those nights where they are constantly moving and kicking the covers off. (I sleep with a down comforter on our bed every night, not because I am cold, I just like the weight of it. It was a habit I continued through nine months of pregnancy, even in the middle of summer).

Two nights last week JB did not sleep well. He woke up with loud sudden screams. I went to get him and saw that B's bed was empty (he was in ours) so JB and I crawled into B's bed. Thinking JB would go right back to sleep. No, something was up and he was awake for the next 2 hours. But bless his little heart. He just sat in bed, in the dark, with me, while I slept and he played quietly. Just happy as can be by himself. The second night he did not sleep well but I was sacked out and did not hear him. JR went to get him and brought him into our bed (yes, no other kids in there). When JR and I started stirring in the morning, JR pulled the covers back to find all three of the boys in our bed. JR said "looks like a refuge camp in our bed". We both laughed at that! By the way, our bed is a queen size bed - so all three of them joining us in one night will not last for long I am sure of that!

For Christmas Jbird got a spiderman shower bath mat. Last time they were in there taking a shower, I heard them fighting over who got to stand on the dance floor and dance under the water. Too bad I could not have figured a way to video tape through the shower curtain.

For those wondering why there have been a lot of posts lately - my dad and sister seem to start giving me grief if I don't blog within 4 or 5 days. So, trying to please them!! Also getting better about keeping a running list of things to blog about with them and trying to take my camera with me more places. Probably won't be able to keep up with the one post a day for long, but who knows.

Snow fort

The other day JR helped the boys start a snow fort. They have had a great time going out and trying to make it higher. The thing is, we need some more snow (hopefully coming tomorrow) before much more progress is made. But I sure like how they have been using team work to get it built.

In that first picture, yes, that is a canoe hanging on the fence. A recent acquisition. One of the perks of JRs job is that he manages 2 different properties in a resort community. One of the properties is higher end condos and the owners have some very nice things. JR hits it off with all of them, so they pass their 'leftovers' to us for us to either use, sell or whatever we want to do with them, as long as we haul them off. This canoe is $1100 one seater canoe that is supposedly pretty fast on the river. Not the most ideal with small kids so hopefully we can sell it and get something more accomodating for the kids and our summer enjoyment.

One of the other things we recently got was this....pretty nice (although JR must be doing some work on the cabinet door). Actually if I was able to pick out a cabinet at a furniture store, this is exactly what I would buy!


And the latest thing he brought home, was actually from a friend moving that did not want to mess with moving it (I am sure JR has already started designing a box for this for whenever we move...)


The only bad thing with the fish and the elk (the one he just shot) european mount is that our ceilings are so short, that we don't really have a good spot to hang them. The bottom fish is about 32 inches.

I was going through some of B's school papers that he brought home for Christmas Break. I assume to practice handwriting, he had written a letter to Santa. As written....Dear Santa, I would like legs that have peple. I wil sav a lot uv cuces. Love B, your friend B. (Translation, I would like Legos that have people. Iw ill save a lot of cookies.)

Because I tend to stay on top of the house during the week, I find I have been lazy the last couple of weekends, in all areas. For Christmas lunch, I threw an elk roast in the crock pot, which I knew the kids would not eat. So, what did they have for Christmas lunch, our gingerbread house. (In my defense, Jose worked part of Christmas day, so we were just snacking all day and did not have an actual sit down lunch, or dinner for that matter.) I look the other way when there is a mess and am not as good about having the boys clean up. Sunday I tried something different. I gave the boys one job each (ie pick up the green cup over by the couch) and then told them to come to me for their next job. I started counting how many jobs each of them did and before long, they were hustling all throughout the house trying to out do the other one. Too bad JB is not old enough yet to fully get in on the action. And then because they still were loud and crazy, I made them run our stairs 5 times. They better sleep well tonight.

JB seems to be feeling better. Still is preferring not to talk, although at times he surprises us. But it does tell me he is one little strong willed kiddo.

Jbird has been really sweet lately. Voluntarily offering people pieces of his gum and bandaids, insisting when they refuse. He has initiated calling up/skyping some family to thank them for his Christmas gifts.

On that note, I got smart this year and kept most of Christmas consumable or things needed. The boys love the character bandaids but hate to pay an extra dollar just for a super hero on the bandaid. So, they got some in their stocking. I bought them some of their favorite treats that I normally don't buy. I bought Jbird a new pair of shoes (seems the velcro on hand me downs eventually wears out). He was so excited, he said "mom, a NEW pair of shoes". Poor kid - always getting hand me downs. Jbird is so hard on clothes, JB will probably end up getting new clothes as he grows up.

Last night the older two had a fire with JR.


JB hung out with me while he finished his dinner.

Christmas

A very lazy quiet Christmas. The boys were in their pajamas all day! Opened a few presents, played games, colored, watched movies and just hung out. I was even able to enjoy some peace and quiet while I worked a few logic problems. (Yes, I got a logic problem book for Christmas and love taxing my brain!)
Took a picture last night before the Christmas Eve service.

Yes, JB just got his very own cowboy hat and he loves it. It is so fun to watch him walk. I realized who he reminds me of...ET, the way he shuffles around. As we were cleaning up the trash from presents, I asked him to put something in the trash. He picked it up and went straight to the trash. Now, though, everytime he picks up anything, he shuffles straight to the trash. Sure hope he does not throw anything important away and it goes unnoticed.
Jbird has really enjoyed coloring the last couple of days. He will have me color one half of the picture as he colors the other half. He stays in the lines very, very well for a 3 year old. He sticks his little tongue out when he is concentrating. He told me at one point that I was not doing a good job staying in the lines!
With very little on the calendar the next 7 days, looking forward to just hanging.
Hope you all had a blessed Christmas and celebrated Jesus' birthday!

A crisp, cold morning. I love it when you can see all the ice crystals....

B got out of school on Wednesday (22nd) and goes back on the 3rd. After thinking for weeks about what to do for his teachers, I think I have stumbled upon the perfect gift that we will give every year now. I have discovered a bread machine cinnamon roll recipe which is so very good. One recipe makes about 12 rolls that are 5-6 inches in diameter (and our family of 5 can devour them before lunch time - so yummy). I thought no better gift than a homemade breakfast treat for the teachers on their first day of Christmas break. They all loved the idea and so easy to make! Here is a picture of his teacher's gift to the students.


I love the foot and hands to make the reindeer!

This past weekend the cub/boy scouts had a sledding event. Boy, it was cold, probably in the teens. But you know the scouts, always prepared. So we bundled up and went out. Here is how JB enjoyed the day.


I was thankful that they had a big wool blanket that I could throw on top of him. He just laid in the sled taking it all in. (I don't know if this is true with all scouts, probably, but starting with the boy scouts, in 4th grade I believe, they camp out once a month, regardless of the weather. They were camping out at the sledding hill that night, so they had fire pits, hot chocolate, chili, etc for all of us. I have been really impressed with the organization as a whole. I sure hope that B will stick with it, for all the many wonderful things they learn (service, discipline, preparedness, etc)

The frustrations on the speech front with JB are growing! We spent about 20 minutes this morning trying to get him to say 'p'. Something I know he can say. Either he is regressing or his will is almost stronger than mom's and he is not even 2 yet.. I sure don't want to think about him regressing but I certainly don't want to think about dealing with that will. Looking forward to his next speech session to see what the therapist thinks.

Took JB to the doc the other day. Just has not been 100% and come to find out, he had a terrible ear infection. The doctor could not believe how calm he was about it when she was pulling on his ear. Maybe he has a high pain tolerance.

Going to candlelight Christmas service tonight, then will come home and open one present (yes, several have now been gotten into - not sure why but how it makes me mad.) Hopefully it will be warm enough tomorrow to maybe go sledding or the boys have been wanting to go ice skating. Don't even have plans for a Christmas dinner, maybe just pick something up from the store tonight on the way home from church. After Thanksgiving, when the boys did not eat much of what I fixed, not going to spend lots of time cooking anything 'special' at this point. Maybe in a few years or so, when they have a greater appetite.

one more video

This video did not post on the last one.....

Videos

Finally got some videos posted. Probably 3-4 minutes total......

Here is a short clip of B playing the instrument during the Christmas program. Notice the concentration and his foot tapping.

I just loved watching them do this song. Cracked me up watching how B counts with his fingers and then how he would mouth on the 'side' words....

The sun was out earlier this week, so Jbird, JB and I took our first 'walk'. JB loved it. (By the way, I know my child needs another haircut, I know he looks like a girl and I know his cousins want to put a dress on him, but I don't care. I love those curls and I am keeping them as long as I can. I can't imagine my Jbird without them.)

Christmas program

Tuesday was B's Christmas music program. I got smart ths time and took the video camera AND tripod. That way my hands were free to tend to the other two. Here are a few pictures. (Still trying to remember how I download my videos ....)


To my surprise, for one of the songs, B came forward and played an instrument. It was the only instrument played during the song (besides piano). He told me he volunteered to do it. He was so cute, when he started playing it (not sure what IT is called), you could see him focusing so hard on getting the beat. He did great the whole song...never lost the beat.

Sick but on the mend

We continue to be healthy, except the occasional cough and runny nose! Praise God!
This was the last statement made on the previous post. Guess what, the next day the school called me and told me B had a fever and I needed to pick him up. Jbird also had a fever and Joseph had a cough. It was a quiet weekend. All day Saturday Jbird laid on the couch, not talking, just dozing. I was thankful Sunday morning to see him being chatty again. I went to the store and stocked up on Advil and orange juice. Pumped them full of it all weekend. Seems to have helped! I have managed to stay healthy, which is awesome :-).

JB is loving being up on his feet and dancing. He goes around and around in circles. Really cute when he finds the Santa hat and then seeks out any musical tunes he can find.

Jbird is starting to mimic older brother more and more. He is even starting to pick up on some of B's pickiness when it comes to food. JB on the other hand just throws the food he does not like or when he has had enough. I will tell him no, he will catch my eye and slyly push more food off his tray! Amazing how you don't have to teach a child to be defiant.

We were recently listening to the story of Samson in the bible. (The lightbulb went off.) I asked Jbird if he knew why Samson was so strong. He told me because he had long hair. I reiterated how Samson got his strength from his long hair and then reminded Jbird about how strong I think he is with his long hair! I just am not looking forward to the day he wants to cut his curls. They just make Jbird J!

Tomorrow is B's music program at school. Maybe I can get some video and post all the snippets from the last week or two that I have been taping.

Laying low

Lots of hanging at home time this week. Actually our schedule has opened up that Wed is the only day we have a standing appt. And that is just fine with me. Probably a good thing B is in school and I have to take him, otherwise I would never leave the house.

I have not found any more nativity figures in JBs diaper (which was put there by older brother). Last night was the second time I put JB down for a late afternoon nap (4:30) and he slept all night. 14 hours - he must be in a growth spurt. If I could somehow get the older two to follow suit. They so need the sleep. Every one got great reports from the dentist. It appears that B's bottom teeth are starting to loosen up a bit. It was mentioned that he might need some spacers to allow his teeth to come in, we will look at that further at our next appt.

My revamped laundry schedule is working awesome. To my surprise, I am only doing about 4-5 loads a week and that includes towels and sheets. (I guess as the kids get bigger the clothes will get bigger) I have decided to break down the whole house so that just about everything gets monthly attention. Every week day I have about 3 'chores' to do, that probably take no more than an hour. I figured the hardest month will be this first month, since I am tackling some things for the first time. But if I can make it work for me, should really help out and take it a step further of feeling like I am even more on top of my house. Would also be nice to head into each weekend without feeling like I have a lot of stuff to do around the house and can just enjoy all the kids being home.

I love listening to Christmas music. If I could figure out a cost effective way to pipe it through the whole house all day long I would. I put in a CD this morning and the boys went crazy. Dancing around the house and singing along. Yeah - they are going to love (Christmas) music as much as I do! Have considered pulling out the keyboard again to see if any of them might take an interest to it. Sure would love it if any of them were musically inclined!

We continue to be healthy, except the occasional cough and runny nose! Praise God!

Christmas stuff

Our tree fell over the other day. No one seems to know how it happened. I had laid my Christmas stockings under the tree and when the tree fell over, a candy cane landed on top of some of the stockings, the candy cane got wet and now the stockings have red stain spots on them. Not to mention the handmade stockings were made mostly of red fabric, which ran too. Oh well, it will remind me each year to make sure the tree is secure.

JB was fussy recently. Could not figure it out, then finally checked his diaper to see if he was dirty. I found several of the nativity figures inside his diaper. It seems that older brother had selected a few to put down the back of his diaper and of course, JB could not reach them. I would have been cranky too if I had Mary and a shephard boy in my diaper.

The cutting of the pinewood derby car has begun. Will be interesting to see the final outcome. B wants to put lots of things on it, but he just does not get the concept of the more things attached to the car, more likely the slower it will be.

This past weekend we went to the local festival of lights. Saw the Grinch at the library. My boys obviously did not know who the grinch was, so brought the book home. Have checked out a few chapter books for B. He is really enjoying reading right now and I love reading the books to him. Won't be long before he is reading full chapters to us.

This next week is my last week for bible study. Then my days will really free up. Wednesday will be our only weekday where we have anything planned. Hopefully that means lots of hanging out with the kids. We head to the dentist on Monday. Sure am interested in talking with him about B's teeth. They are a very tight bunch. Don't see anyway a permanent tooth will have room to come in (not that he has lost one yet...)

Decorating the tree

We pulled out some popcorn to eat as we decorated the tree and guess who camped out there.....


The work in progress....


The presents have already been tampered with. I don't know why it so bothers me when people spoil surprises. Guess it is time to put them all up until 24th.
J and JB got into a baby powder fight. Now I remember why I always try to close to top when I am done with it. Of course they both thought it was hilarious!

JB is walking up a storm today. Seems to be more on his feet than his knees. And he has kept his shoes on!

Our Christmas tree outing

We set off Thanksgiving weekend for our annual Christmas tree hunt. We have found a forest service road that has a ravine about 1-2 miles in that has lots of trees within 100 yards of the road. So, the last 4 years we have harvested our tree from that area. We know the road and the area well. We were excited because this year my mom was here and was going to experience her first 'cutting down a Christmas tree' experience.

Because we got rid of our 4 door 4WD, most of us piled in the van and drove to the forest service road. There we met JR and we all piled into his 2 door 4WD Toyota pickup. The three boys in the small area behind the seat,


Granny in the front with JR and I climbed into the bed of the truck with all the snow. Away we went. As we approached our turn out where we park, we realized the road had not been fully plowed and there was a lot of snow on the shoulder of the road. There were some people coming up behind us, so in haste to get out of the way, we pulled off on the left side of the road so they could pass. Well, here was the result......

So, JR stayed behind and fought with the chains and the truck while we played in the snow (see us in the background of the above picture-the clump of trees in the upper right is where our tree came from). We brought a sled for JB, who loved it. Poor guy, it was the first time he had a snowsuit on and he could not move much.



B found a great tree and I retrieved the saw, cut it down and drug it out.

Yes, by the time we finished playing and I got the tree down to the road, JR had gotten the truck out, but only after an hour and 15 minutes of digging, cutting down branches for traction, digging, inching forward and backward, more digging, taking the chains on and off, digging and praying. For some reason we did not have the shovel in the truck (digging by hand) and JR had not worn snow pants. Needless to say he was soaked so he headed back to the house with JB, while we took the other two sledding.



J's hat kept sliding down over his eyes but it did not stop his smile

Caught B's wipeout on film

Consoling him before we decided the day had had enough adventure and energy spent. We needed to head home before someone got hurt.


(for some reason having problems now downloading, so will post the rest of the day and pictures hopefully tomorrow.)

Thankful

Thankful for a God who knows me better than I know myself.
Thankful for a God who knows my every thought and still loves me.
Thankful for a God who always has my best at hand, even though from my viewpoint it does not appear 'best'.
Thankful for a God who is a refuge and hiding place in the storms of life.
Thankful for a God who is big enough to handle my questions, fears, anger, doubt.
Thankful for a God who is slow to anger.
Thankful for a God who always offers His forgiveness.
Thankful for a God who will never leave me or forsake me.
Thankful for a God who knows my every need before it is spoken.
Thankful for a God who promises me eternal life.
Thankful for a God who created the universe yet is concerned with little ol' me.
Thankful for a God who loves me without conditions.

Ketchup, zippers and poppy seed

Winter is here. I was out this morning and it was 11 degrees, blowing snow and about 3 inches on the ground! This afternoon took the boys to Mickey D's to run and play. I think they did more screaming and laughing than anything!
Jbird is so proud of himself. He can now zip his jacket by himself!
Went up to B's class on Friday. I just love hanging out with them. I love being called B's mom. Some of them were horsing around on the playground before lunch, when they were suppose to be lined up and quiet. I had made a comment that the first part of the line should go on inside to lunch and the other half of the line should have to stand out in the cold for a little longer. The aides overheard me and thought that was a great idea. They asked me who it was that was not in line. I told them from B and backwards. B was not too happy with me but I told him his mom 'ratted' him out.
A few days ago we headed to Burger King, JR's restaurant of choice. For the first time, we let JB dip french fries and nuggets in ketchup. He thought that was very good. The next day I gave him some chicken with some ranch in the side of the bowl. Before I knew it, he had dumped all the chicken out and was licking the ranch out of the bowl. For most of this week, he has had some diarrhea on and off. I thought it was getting better. Oh no. While he was eating in his chair today, he had a blow out..... all the way down his pant leg and onto the floor. What was really bad, he had 2 poppy seed muffins for breakfast. It was gross - the pick him up by the armpits and carry him at arm length straight to the shower gross.
JR attempted to start on the elk today....did not go according to plan. Thankful for the meat that will soon be in the freezer (or if the weather keeps up, can store it in the back yard) but ready to get rid of the yuck smell in the garage. It will probably take the better part of 2 days to process it. My mom just might get in on some of the action, as she arrives on Tuesday.
Been trying all week to get some video downloaded but maybe a project for Monday. Off to lay down with the boys and then take a bath and read a book.

The elk

JR camped out last night and then got up early to hunt. I don't know much of the details, but he got a bull elk and a doe. He was about 2 miles back and it took a long time to cut it up. He did not get the elk very far, so ended up calling some friends who came and helped him with the quarters and JR gave them the doe!

Christmas photo

I am so wanting to use this as our christmas photo, but will just post it here for all to enjoy! He did calm down and we got a good one later on!

school

Yesterday I went into the classroom. B's teacher has volunteers lined up every other week to come in and help with 'stuff'. Usually time consuming projects the teacher has to get ready for the kids to do. I have never really had a teacher as a good friend, so I don't know the time that goes in to preparations, decorating room, changing out seasonal stuff, etc. Every day after lunch the class sings a song about loose, wiggly, lost teeth. Any student that has lost a tooth has the opportunity to tell the class about it and then they get a gold chocolate coin. B is one of two who has not lost a tooth yet. I also heard, while I was in the classroom a few girls walking around the room singing the "k-i-s-s-i-n-g" song. I sort of smiled, as I thought back to those days. Then I heard the teacher tell them that that is teasing and is not allowed in the school. Sad, how things have changed.
JB has been waking up before the others lately. When he wakes up and does not hear any other noises, he just lays in bed and laughs and babbles. Not sure what he is laughing at but love hearing him. However, when he hears any sounds of someone up, you can hear him scramble to his feet and start whining for someone to get him out. Have noticed some eczema type spots on his back. Jbrid gets these when he eats dairy and eggs, so not sure if we have a third boy allergic to dairy (milder allergies, but none the less).

B has started taking spelling tests at school. So interesting to be on this side of it and see how the fundamentals are taught. He has always spelled the words right but always gotten docked for how he wrote his letters. This week he only made 2 mistakes and that was mixing up a b and d. He was so excited when he showed me he spelling test. He gave me a huge hug. Makes all the practicing at home worth it. He is getting fluent at reading. He still tends to do much better when he is reading word lists, versus words in a book. He still tries to look at pictures and guess the words. He has also been eating a lot these days. Sometimes I look at him and try to determine where he put all that food - just an indication of what is to come. We are also working on counting money. I did not realize what a chore that would be. For a kid with amazing memory, he has a hard time remembering what is worth 5 cents, 10 cents, etc.

Jbird is growing too. I have already pulled out his 4 year old pants. (He will be four in March). One pair of pants is cargo type. They make him look so grown up, knowing his legs are long enough for pockets on the side of pants. Last night a friend of ours was having a CD Release Party (she just made a CD of Amy Carmicheal poems). She gave a mini concert and the boys had never been to a concert before. Jbird sat there with his ears covered saying how loud the music was, yet he fell asleep in my arms. Afterward they had cookies and I could not even get him to wake up for that. I found out he is getting too heavy for me to carry great distances.

Off to run a few errands and try to get the 'christmas' photo.

Miscellaneous

B's joke for this week, which he tells every day is "why did the bird fly south?"....because it was too far to walk. Two tough questions he has asked recently are "is Santa real?" and "how do you grow hair on your chest?". I understand the Santa comment with the holidays here, but the chest hair.....



JB is starting to initiate walking. If you ask him to stand up and walk, he proudly shows off his 6 or 7 steps before crashing to the floor in squeals. He had speech today and she could not get him to communicate with his hands but he did make a lot of vowel sounds, but not really any consonants. He sure is babbling a lot at home.



Jbird and I have gotten lots of couch time the last couple of days. He likes to watch PBS and I sit with him for a few minutes, holding him and playing with his hair. It always works---he goes to sleep and then I just sit and hold him. That is one thing I like about the winter. When the weather is warm and sunny, I feel bad being inside but when it is cold out, just bundle up under the covers and hang out. His friend Johnny is over right now. I just love to hear them talk amongst themselves. Recently John asked Jbird if Jbird dreamed about him. They are both into the 'you cheated' stage. Johnny was trying to convince Jbird that he was strong. Jbird would have nothing of it...telling him he was not strong enough to lift a heavy box. Johnny said 'yes, I am....see' to which Jbird turned around and said 'i am not looking'

The laundry is done for the day and I have actually emptied the ironing basket. Off to do a few more projects while JB is napping!!!!



Friday I am headed into B's classroom, always look forward for opportunities to get to know more of the kids.

Snowfall

As you can tell from the pictures...the snow is here. Why is it dark in the photos? Because it was 6:30 in the morning! I sure hope they will be this gung-ho when they are preteens to get out and shovel. B actually wanted to go outside at 5:45 but I told him it was too early to get out of bed. At what age do they start wanting to stay in bed and not insisting that the whole family gets up when they do??

Yes, seems like daylight savings time has confused their little bodies. They are going to be just fine, but waking up an hour early. I sure hope it stops soon!

One of Jbird's favorite things to say these past few days...he was walk up close behind me and say "so, mamma, how are YOU today". So precious. We have also been working on being a servant around the house. The most favorite way to serve our siblings....bring them their toothbrush with toothpaste on it. Whatever it takes!

B got a 'dog tag' yesterday at school for perfect attendance this quarter. He was so excited. He saw me across the school yard and came running to me saying guess what I got today. Oh the little things that so excite him.

Snow is coming

We are in the 60s - AGAIN. However ***sigh***, it appears it will all come to an end tonight. Snow is forecasted for tomorrow and into the week. It is hard knowing this is the last day above 40 we will probably have in the next 4-5 months. One person that is excited, is little Jbird. He wants to build a snowman. I am ashamed to say that I have never been a 'let's bundle up and go outside' kind of mom. So, my kids have never built a snowman. However, I vow to make that different this winter. We will build snowmen, snowangels and I plan on even initiating sledding. Now that the boys are getting older and don't require carrying them up the hill (JB is the exception)!

JB is taking more steps but still prefers to crawl. He needs to hurry up though....almost all of his pants have holes in the knees. Yesterday I was doing some work upstairs and knew it was quite downstairs. However, I was hopefully. I should not have been. When I got down there, JB was standing on the step stool, with a pile of honey and pecans on the counter. Needless to say, he was enjoying his sweet dessert. He now has his first psuedo word. He says "pa" for up.

It is amazing what entertains the boys. They found some kid magazines and decided they needed to cut out pictures and decorate the doors in the house. A few magazines, scissors, step stool and tape kept them busy for an hour. I took the following picture. I tried to get them to smile but Jbird informed me that he was not going to turn around because he needed to focus.


The days have been so nice this week we have spent time outside riding bikes and playing tennis, basketball, football and soccer. Whenever Jbird wants to go outside, he will say 'it is such a gorgeous day, we need to be outside....'

I have managed to keep my laundry room clean for a week. No clean clothes laying around but everything put up. It is probably anal, but I think I have come up with a system that works for me. I wash pants, underwear and pajamas on Monday and I wash shirts, socks, towels, etc on Thursday. I load up the washing machine the night before and put it on delay start so that it starts early in the morning. The first load is ready for the dryer about the time I wake up and then I switch it out and start the second load. Most mornings, all the clothes are clean by the 9am. I find I am more motivated to fold the laundry right away when I am folding like articles of clothing. And I don't have to think throughout the week 'I need to do laundry'. It is working for me.

JR went out hunting yesterday and did not see anything. I think most hunters are waiting for the snow to fly to bring the animals down. Less than 3 weeks left of the regular season!

Off to enjoy our last warm weather until probably mid April or early May.

Teacher Conference

(I know the grandparents like updates, so will try to post more often - but might be nothing but the mundane...)
I put hard sole shoes on JB for the first time and he did not like it. He very seldom has on shoes and when he does they are soft soled. He just takes socks and shoes off. With the colder weather and snow coming, trying to get him used to it, but quite the battle.

Jbird has been exhausted of late. Actually all three boys were out by 7:00 tonight.

Had B's teacher conference today. I found myself more than once laughing at what the teacher said, cause it is so B. They have all the kids in first grade divided up into 3 different math and reading levels and then each teacher is assigned a different level (so their homeroom teacher might not be their math or reading teacher). B is at the low end of the first level in reading and at the high end of the second level in math. Seems that he puzzled the teachers initially in reading. He often guesses at words, instead of trying to sound them out. Your first thought is that he cannot read but he does fairly well. With familiar words he is a great reader but with unfamiliar words, you never know what you are going to get. They had the hardest time finding an appropriate reading group for him. I asked her if she felt like he was going to be one of those students that knew the material but did not test well and she said possibly, something to watch for. One of the comments that she added on the report card was that 'B is a fun, enthusiastic learner and adds much to the discussion but needs reminders to talk less and work more. He also struggles with other children who aren't following directions and becoming very concerned for them and making his concerns known.' Just cracks me up. So when I got home I told him what she had said about his volume in the classroom and needing to be concerned for just himself. A few minutes later he felt the need to tell me something about J and I reminded him that we are working on being concerned with just himself. He made it very clear that he was only working on that at school but that at home he could worry about others.
Oh, I am so excited to see what path God has for this guy! He has such a strong personality and an enthusiasm that is contagious!

Candy Galore

It is November 3 and I am comfortably wearing shorts!! The best fall anyone around here can remember!

We always end up with so much candy. I think I have finally gotten smart this year and figured out how to handle it so it does not cause huge issues in our house. Because of B's recent 'choking' on hard candy, I pull out all hard candy and then other candy that would not melt (suckers, nerds, etc) and put them aside to put in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes! This way kids who never have candy can have some of ours and I don't have to buy candy. (I also told someone recently that I have never bought candy for Halloween. We get very few trick or treaters and if some come after we get home, I give them some of my boys candy - I am learning to be frugal!


I always use to hear 'can I have candy'. So I decided this year they get 3 pieces of candy (I figure three of the small pieces is still smaller than what they would get in a regular size candy bar/package). Every morning, once their beds are made, pajamas put away, they are dressed for the day and brush their teeth, then they can pick out their 3 pieces of candy for the day. They can eat it whenever they like, but fortunately, they are learning to space it out and save one for morning, afternoon and after dinner. This works out great because I don't hound them about getting dressed and they are learning to ration their candy and not eat all at once.


Was outside with J today. I was on the ground holding the football and was amazed that he can actually kick it with some distance. His coordination and balance has always amazed me. He is convinced there are touchdowns in baseball and that in football you say 'ready, set, go' instead of 'down, set, hut'. No arguing with that guy!

Speech went well today. She is focusing on playing with JB and finding out what sounds he does make. She worked with him some on 'more' and how it is used. She did notice, which I had never noticed, that he does put his hands to his chest when he is trying to say/indicate 'me'. So we are really praising whenever he uses any sound or gesture that is close to what it should be.

Halloween

Saturday we went to a local high school football game - one of the small rural towns is in the playoffs. The boys enjoyed it. They did not know what to think about all the screaming people and the cheer leaders. JB enjoyed the band. JB sat very quietly in my lap, while the boys stood by the fence (we were on the first row of the bleachers). Half time I put JB down to let him move a bit and it was all over. He knew then that he did not have to sit, so corraling him the rest of the game was hard. At one point, he crawled over to the chain link fence and soon found himself a few inches off the ground. He had figured out climbing up and had a very firm grip. I would have loved to have seen how high he would have gone, but did not want to alarm any of the other parents, who had already called B off the fence.

Sunday we went to B's last soccer game. The team we played Sunday was the team we played at the beginning of the season. We got creamed that first game. Their coach is very competitive and pushes his boys, too much so in my opinion. So, was quite surprised to see us score first. Twice during that first quarter the other team flat out blew it on what should have been hands down easy, run away goals. I could not believe how frustrated the other coach got. I was so hoping, and should not have been, not that we were going to win, but the other team would lose. We ended the first quarter up 1-0. Then in the second quarter, the other team scored 5 times in 8 minutes. I have no idea what the end score was, but it was pretty one sided. At the end of the game, our coach gave the boys medals. As he put B's medal around his neck, he told B he was an animal out there and played really well, if he could just learn to kick the ball in the right direction. We all laughed. I could not believe how aggressive he was, charging the ball the whole 8 minute quarter. He was one kick away from making a goal.

We then headed to the mall to trick or treat. Total chaos. One store was out of candy so they were giving away perfume samples. When we got back to the car, J decided to spray his perfume all over the car. We then headed to a church fall festival and then hit a local neighborhood for some door to door. I did not even get a picture, but B was Spiderman, J was Jedi and JB was a dog. Time to hit the stores this week for deeply discounted costumes for the dress up box.

JR got two does while hunting Saturday. He was on private land and got them fairly quickly because he was home by noon and the ranch was over an hour away. He said that at one point he started to take a shot and for some reason did not. As he got closer, he realized there had been a hunter hiding in the trees in the exact area he was eyeing some deer. God watched out for him.

Yesterday I ran into a casual acquaintance. I had seen her 2 weeks ago and we exchanged phone numbers but I had forgotten to call her the next week. Anyway, she asked me if I did bible studies and I told her yes. Then she said that maybe we could do one together. An open invitation! (thinking about Marquis' mom and this gal together....)

JB starts speech tomorrow and I have B's teacher's conference on Thurs. Will be interesting!

Speech Therapy here we come - again

Took JB in for an evaluation with a speech therapist - the same one who worked with Jbird. Jbird started at 18 months and JB is almost 15 months, but the speech therapist said that there is a bigger gap between when JB understands and what he can communicate than Jbird. She witnessed several of his screaming fits over frustration. So, next week he starts for 45 minutes once a week. She is really good with the kids and I anticipate that JB will make fast progress.

Our last soccer game this weekend. So glad since it is getting colder! Also ready to finally put the soccer balls, shoes, etc up and out of the garage. I finally got the laundry room reorganized and was able to move all of the boys' clothes in there. No more hauling clothes back and forth, I can conveniently put them away as I fold them. JR is getting out this weekend and hunting. Still has not seen anything but this weekend should be some rain/snow and hopefully that will drive the animals further down the mountain.

At the grocery store with 2 younger boys yesterday. And I saw it coming. I noticed a college student with a patch over his eye. Jbird commented that he had the pirate thing on. I tried to dismiss it and then as the guy walked back by us, Jbird again pointed it out. The guy just kind of smiled and I mentioned that it looked like he had an owie. I thought for a split second I could compliment him on his 'costume' but decided not to. I am fortunate in that they have never said anything too embarrasing in public, except B and Jbird now, have commented on eye patches.

Helped out in B's classroom today and was there for the halloween party. B insisted on wearing his spiderman costume, that he wore 2 years ago. Just cracked me up how small that thing was but he managed to keep it on.

B has been wanting to invite a classmate to AWANA. I have drug my feet about calling his mom for weeks. I don't know them and I always had an excuse for not calling. This past week I finally made the call. She was so excited. Her son Marquis was even more excited. I guess he has been asking lots of questions lately and his mom is not at a place where she is ready to go back to church. Talking with her further, she is a newly single parent, has her 6 year old, gave up a daughter 4 years ago for adoption and has a 3 year old son that was just diagnosed as autistic. She is going back to school and does not have any family or friends locally. Marquis had a blast at AWANA and wants to keep going. He is also going to church with us this Sunday. Just a simple reminder from God about never saying no for someone else. What might appear intimidating, could just be God working in someone's life, even a 6 year old!

PIctures

The boys and I headed off on the city bus recently. Rode it to the college campus to feed the ducks and walk the camput. Hit the local museum where the boys enjoyed the kids area...lots of pretend play. We were gone all day and I was worn out! Check out the photos.
B in some of the dress up clothes at the museum.
Jbird hauling in all of the fish they caught to cook it inside the tent.

This one cracks me up and he even looked through them the right way - instead of turning them backwards.


Here are a few pictures from our recent BMX track outing.




Bought a training wheel bike for Jbird this past week. We were at Target and it was a few dollars less than Wal-mart so I bought it. It was in a box and it said only 15 minutes to assemble. That should have been my tip-off but it wasn't. It took me 45 minutes and then JR still had to do one thing with the bike before it was ridable.

We went to another store and was met by a friendly sales associate. She was talking with the boys and asked if the boys were shopping with mom or grandma today. Our eyes locked and I bet I looked at her for a good 10 seconds. The boys said mom and then she kind of laughed and said 'you just don't know these days....I became a grandma at 34'. I told her I knew of several that had become grandmas at 34'..... but (you always err on the side of caution. Better to give a compliment than an insult).

Later that evening, we were in the car. I had given B some hard butterscotch candy because he had been coughing. He was eating one in the car and he started making weird noises. I looked back and he was grabbing his throat and saying he was choking. (I was not too concerned because if you are making noise, you are not all out choking). So I pulled into a nearby gas statoin parking lot. He was very scared. He was crying, telling me to call the police and ambulance, saying he did not want to die, etc. I tried reassuring him to no avail. He then started spitting/throwing up. Like a good mom, I cupped my hands, thinking I was going to catch it! Not sure why I thought that would work, but could not think of anything else since we were in the car. After he continued on and on crying and screaming to call 911, I told him I wondered if it was stuck in his throat. I went into the gas station where we were parked and bought cheetos. He was able to eat them just fine. We continued on down the road. A few minutes later he was gagging again. I pulled over quickly and opened the back door. As I hurriedly hopped into the car, I hit my head on the doorframe. I had my glasses on top of my head and it hurt, real bad. I screamed out loud and started crying. B sees me on the floor and starts screaming and crying "mom are you okay, mom...". I assured him I was fine but just needed a moment. Things eventually settled down but I sure don't want anyone eating hard candy again for a while. 5 days later I still have a knot on my head.

B's knee and hip issues have disappeared. I have not asked about them and have not seen any limping, except right after riding his bike. This morning B wanted me to read a Clifford book. He picked it up and surprised himself that he was able to read most of the words. He was very excited. Had another soccer game. They lost but B did great again. Still getting so excited that he is kicking the wrong way at times, but he is in the game and charging the ball. One more game to go. Will be nice to be done as the cold weather is moving in.

Jbird is convinced he is ready to cut his curls. Makes me sad just thinking about it. My fear is that he will find scissors sometime soon and do it himself. I will have to keep going in there when he is asleep to try to get the tangles out of the back - otherwise can't get him to sit still.

No more steps out of JB. He does have what I think are 4 molars. Seems early, I thought they came at 2 years.

Another quiet week in store for us.