Kids say the darndest things...

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Kids are such a joy...and if you have one in your life, they're probably like mine and make you laugh all the time. I like to try and write down a lot of the funny things my kids say so I can look back and get another laugh at it down the road.  I'd like to show them how silly they were one day.

I even had T-shirt made for part of Hubsy's Christmas gift that has a funny thing E said on it that we laugh about all the time.  You know, it just grew into one of those things for us :)

A lot of them don't even make sense which is partly what makes them funny.

Buddy

During bath time (which is normally filled with bubbles), he dunked his head and came up with bubbles all stuck to his hair but he didn't know it.  He came in the bedroom and I laughed and 

told him to go look in the mirror.

L: " Mom, I looked like an old man!  I almost had a beer!"

We were talking about how I am the only female in the house, now even our dog is a boy.

L: "That's not true mom, there is my fish."

Me: "Oh yeah, how can you tell which fish is a girl?"

L:  "The big bossy one"

Bubba

While performing "surgery" on the bed.  (Weird right?)

E: "Don't worry, you're going to die soon but we'll try to fix it".

I hope being a doctor is not in his future or he may need to work on his bedside manner!

During one of the bazillion times a night he gets up and comes over to our room.

E: "Mom, my teeth are making a strange noise, I need you to check them"

Say what?  That boy can come up with some fantastic excuses for coming over to our room.

After eating.

E: Look how fat my belly is, do you think I'm having a baby?"

A sweet one.

E: "Mom, Jesus really DID die on the cross for us"

Many of E's have to do with his bowel movements.  

You may want to stop reading now, you've been warned ;)

E: "I think I'm having diarrhea because of the different sounds coming out of my butt"

E: "My poop looks like Mickey Mouse"

Hope you got a chuckle like I did!

Letter to E

Sweet Little E,

You are a wonder.  Just when I thought my heart couldn't get any bigger, you came along.  We may have had a rough start, you and I, but you have added so much love and laughter to our lives.  I can't imagine our family without you.

You're 3-yrs-old right now going on 65.  Your so funny about this age thing.  Half the time you act like an old man and yet you totally have a Peter Pan complex about growing up.  Believe me, I would keep you little forever if I could.

You're our little fireball.  You never know what is going to come out of your mouth.  You've added so much humor to our days and I thank God for that.  You're really getting into conversations and will go on and on and on if we let you.  You'd rather play than eat.  You'd rather play than go to the bathroom.  You'd rather play than go to bed.  Your world revolves around playing and I'm grateful that we can indulge you most of the time :)

You adore your brother and want to do everything he does.  You hate when he gets to do something that you can't.  Be patient little one.  One day you will be as big as L, if not bigger.  I want you to enjoy being little as much as you can.  You've started preschool this year.  I am in denial about that.  What happened to my baby?  Lucky for me you are snuggly and loving more now than ever.  You always want to do something "just us".  You love to help me.  Especially at the grocery store.

You recognize some letters.  You think anything that has an "e" on it must mean it's yours.  You are OBSESSED with the color blue, and we give in, you always get the blue one.  You like to do things yourself Mr. Independent.   You have the most beautiful brown eyes and long lush lashes.  You think Jesus lives in the attic.  You say that food is "delish".  You like to dance around naked after a bath.  You are simply so much fun to be around.

You love music, particularly country.  You sing along amazingly well and get most of the lyrics right.  You have a mechanical knack and love to put things together.  Blocks and puzzles are your favorite. Your smile lights up a room and all our family adores you.  You are a bright and creative little boy....and tons of fun. 

I'll love you forever.
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be

You'll always be my little spider monkey and I will forever treasure the joy you have given me.  I try to tell you how much I love you and you always say "I know".  But I know you don't REALLY know yet but hopefully one day you will understand just how deep it goes.

Love,
Mama

Letter to L

Dear L,

I wanted to take a moment to write you a letter.  Maybe one day you will look back on it and smile.

Quite simply, I love you.

I hope you one day understand just how much power and meaning that phrase has.

You are now 6-years-old and moving on to 1st grade.  No longer a little boy.  And I can see the evidence every single day.

You have really blossomed in the last 6 months.  Your athleticism has grown leaps and bounds.  I think it's the result of being in school and keeping up with the other boys.  You are now riding a bike with no training wheels and are drunk on your new found freedom (as I knew you would be), wanting to ride it every day.  Your balance and strength have improved.  You take way more physical risks than ever before, which just about stops my heart sometimes.  Your daddy is loving this new phase.  The two of you are always out in the backyard playing catch of some kind.  And let me tell you, you can throw a mean football boy!

Your little brother wants to do everything you do.  He adores you even though you are annoyed with him most of the time.  But every once in a while you do something so incredibly sweet for him and it reinforces my hope that you will be the best of friends when you are older.  You definitely like to be in control of the situation and have things your way but your generous heart shines through just as much.  Like how you never want me to feel bad or cry.  And always telling us how much you love us.  Boy I will NEVER tire of that!  You always want some one-on-one snuggle time with both me and daddy before bed.  And you fall asleep the second the door closes.

You love me.  And I love it.  There is always a happy face for me when I come home.  You constantly tell me how pretty I am and what a great mom I am.  Remember this and do the same for your wife. You're gonna make a fine husband one day for some lucky girl ;)

You are starting to roll your eyes at me when I act goofy but more often than not you join in the fun.  I love this about the age you're at right now.  You and me can be total goofballs together.  You have quite the imagination.  You tell awesome fish tales and then say "seriously guys", it cracks us up.

You are reading and writing now and love to write in your little notebook.  You never want to throw anything out, and you want to keep every scrap of artwork or school project you ever made.  We've given you a bin to keep things in but it is already too full!

You are handsome as the devil and I suspect that will never change.  That chin dimple is gonna getcha in trouble with the girls one day but for now you still think they're gross.  Except for mom.  But I'm not really a girl according to you.

You love nature and science and are always asking questions.  I wonder if one day you will be a scientist of some kind.  For now you want to be a farmer like your Grandpa, which is totally cool with me.

You have blessed our lives immensely and I want to cry when I think of you being a grown man with a life of your own.  When those days come, just remember that I have loved being your mother.  These years of being a little family are without a doubt the. best. days. of my life.

You rock my world L.
And I just wanted you to know it.

Love,
Mom

6+ years and still waiting to sleep

I have been waiting to sleep for 6 years now.

*Sigh*

Will it ever come?

Ok, maybe I'm being a tad dramatic but really...just a tad.

I don't know what it is with my boys but there is always some sleeping issue and they end up waking me and Hubsy up sometimes 6 or 7 times a night!

It varies from true night terrors to just not being able to sleep.

The other night L (my 6yr-old) was already on his way to our room when he thought he saw a giant rat in the hallway.  He screamed for me and I've never heard that kind of utter terror in his voice.   I thought surely he must have had a limb cut off!  OK, not likely but I was half asleep after all. 

Thankfully it was just a rat (sort of).

Don't even get me started on E.

That boy will resist sleep AT. ALL. COSTS.

His excuses for coming to our room are endless, and some are really hysterical, except that I'm being woken up and I'm not exactly the most pleasant person in the middle of the night.  They usually don't become funny until reflecting on them once I'm already up and showered.

Then we went and got a puppy that can't go all night without being let out to pee.

What were we thinking?

Needless to say I was BEYOND grateful to Hubsy when he offered to have a sleep-out in the living room with both boys the other night.  Oh and he took the night shift with Seamus too :)

Long live the monster tent!  Even though it takes up half my living room , it provides days of new adventures for the boys every time we bust it out.

I had 9 blissful hours of totally uninterrupted sleep and man was it heaven. 

HEAVEN I say!

I may or may not have taken an additional 2 hour nap later that day too. 

I admit nothing.

How about you?

Do you or your kids have trouble sleeping?

How do you deal?

And since Seamus is just too cute, I'll leave you with this pic.

Have a great week!

Like weeds

My boys are growing like weeds.

It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day.  

Me Hubsy and I are always talking about those days where all the sudden one 

of them seems to have aged a year all the sudden.  

You start to realize a little more roundness is gone from their face.  

They've mastered a new skill.

They all the sudden do something you've been begging them to do forever, 

but this time they do it without you even asking.

Gone are the Backyardigans, Little Einsteins, and Diego....

they've moved on to alien fighting teenagers and superheroes.  Sigh.  

I will miss those Backyardigans for sure.  Such good music ;)

But that's all part of the plan right?  

This moving on.  

To the next stage of life.

Why can't it go a little slower?  

Why can't I have more hours in the day to soak up their littleness?

My heart breaks at how much they've grown up and yet I am immensely proud of them.  

The little men they are becoming.

I'm so blessed to be their mother.  

I could not have asked for two cooler kids to raise.

They were handpicked for me and Hubsy ;)

But with this new stage comes a lot of fun.  

We get to be goofy with them and shout out songs at the top of our lungs in the car.

We can even go sans nap on occasion.

It's a good time to be their mom.
A good time to share with them and teach them the next steps in becoming themselves.
They are such special little men.

And they have my heart forever.

Simple and Sweet Mother's Day

We've been so busy lately that a simple and sweet 

Mother's Day was just what I needed.

Friday started it off perfectly with a Mother's Day Tea at my son's kindergarten class.  Songs and poems and cards and sweet kid voices....what more could you ask for?  The absolute best part was having L say "I love you Mom" and "I'm so glad you're here" about 20 times while I was there.  

MELT. MY. HEART.

I recently won a Mary Kay makeover (more on that later) and was treated to some good old girlie fun on Friday night trying all sorts of wonderful beauty products.  Man it really makes my cheapie stuff seem well, kinda crappy.  I little pampering sure did this tired mama some good!

Saturday evening I got to spend some time with my awesome Mom just relaxing on the porch and we may or may not have gone out for ice cream ;)  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures!  My bad. 

I guess I was just too busy enjoying my time with my mom.

Sunday I was greeted by two adorable boys yelling Happy Mother's Day!  Then my sick Hubsy proceeded to make us all a scrumptious breakfast of homemade waffles.  What a man!

I got these lovely gifts from the kiddos.

After spending some time with my lovely MIL, Hubsy took us out for Chinese.  One of my favorites.  

I just can't get enough General Tso's :)  And the boys weirdly love Chinese even though they are generally picky eaters so the fact that everyone is happy and we don't have to "work" 

to get a meal in is such a treat.

Felt taco

We went home for a family nap (aka food coma) then I enjoyed some crafting with the boys.  We made some felt play food.  It was so nice to just stop and do something simple and fun with them.  After that it was business as usual.  Laundry, cleaning, packing school bags and lunches but little did I know Hubsy had one more trick up his sleeve....

Such a sweetheart.  

And what do I do?  Yell at him for spending so much money.

After he reminded me that gifts are to be accepted graciously, 

I straightened up and thanked him properly.  He thanked me for being such a good mom and picking up the household slack while he has been working such crazy hours lately.  

Nothing could have meant more.

Isn't that what Mother's Day is about anyway, letting all moms know how appreciated there efforts are?

 the laundry

 the nose wiping

 the listening

 the boo boo kissing

the hugs

the meal preparation

just being there

Big or small...

it ALL means so much.  

We should be proud of the job we do.

I hope all you moms out there were made to feel appreciated and loved this Mother's Day!

We're so blessed to have been given this title of  

Mother.

Sometimes they just need a Mama

Me: "Please try to stop crying"

E: *sniff* *sniff* "o-tay"  *sniff* *moan* *sob*

Me: "It's ok sweetpea, mama's here"

My little man woke last night crying.  

This is not necessarily unusual.

He's a lot like me, we don't do well when awoken from sleep.

I went to his room, told him everything was ok, tucked him back in and 

left the room expecting the crying to stop.  

Because usually that's enough to do it.  

But not last night.  

He kept crying. 

I started to get frustrated because I didn't want him to wake L up (who's been having sleeping issue of his own lately).  I went back in and told E to settle down, there was nothing wrong.

We try to encourage self-sufficiency in our kids where sleeping is concerned.  Not that we will never lay with them but once you do it (like when they're sick or what have you), they wake every night wanting you to come lay with them.  This may sound harsh but we just can't co-sleep all the time, then me Hubsy and I end up not sleeping and things can get pretty cranky around my house in a hurry.

There was just something about the way E was acting that I knew the usual process wasn't going to work.  So I scooped him up in my arms and rocked him a bit.  And as I did so I kept thinking "Thank you God for giving me this one more time".  My frustration at his crying vanished and I was suddenly so thankful that this little man, who is growing up all to quickly, was content to be rocked again.  

It was such a blessing for me.

I caressed his sweet head and after a moment he told me he was settled.

The sobbing stopped.

His little eyes closed.

And he whispered "I love you".

Often I get so caught up in teaching them something...patience, self-sufficiency, etc...

that I forget that sometimes they just need me to be their Mama.

Just be with them.

There in that moment.

Sharing whatever they are going through so they know that they are not alone.

Sometimes that is more powerful than actually fixing whatever is going on.

After all how many times do I still want my own Mom?

Not to necessarily fix my problem, I'm too old for that, just to simply be with me, 

so I know that no matter what I'm not alone.

Struggling

Just breathe.

Tread water.

Pray and be faithful.

A new struggle is surfacing.  

This is a hard post to write.  

I love my L with all my heart.  

He has such a big heart and can be so loving.  But I don't know who this child is lately.  

This week we have hit a new low.  Not that we've never had behavioral issues with him before but we're facing a new challenge and I'm not sure how to handle it.

There is lying.

There is sneaking.

There is disrespect and backtalk.

And not in small doses or I wouldn't be writing this.  The first thing that comes to mind is maybe new exposure in school.  I really can't think of anything else that has changed that may have brought on this level of increased bad behavior.  He's using words we've never used at home and certainly don't approve of.  He's lying about almost everything.  I get lying, I understand why kids (and adults) do it.  But he lies about things that don't even make any sense.  Like things he wouldn't even get in trouble for regardless of his answer.  And the backtalk.  OOOHH the backtalk, dished out at every turn.  It almost feels like living with a rebellious teenager.  Of course E is soaking all this up and emulating his big brother which just compounds our frustration.

What could be different about kindergarten versus preschool?  Is there really that much difference from the 6 hours a week he was in preschool last year to the 35 hours a week of kindergarten? 
I just don't know...

But I do know that this too shall pass, it's just going to be one
of those struggles we need to go through.

And it surely won't be the last.

I pray for the right words to say to L, the right actions to take, and peace in our home.

Favorite Things Friday - Playtime

finding joy

My favorite thing from this week was playing Play-doh with my boys.

Really playing.

It was so fun to forget about being an adult for a little while and make all sorts of sweet play-doh goodies with my two favorite little men.

My hubby had to work late one night so I promised the boys we would get out
the play-doh (all 25+ colors) and just play.  

So we did.

L's super chocolatey ice cream delight

My version of a mini wedding cake... I know, don't quit my day job ;)

Not sure exactly what E was creating, I think he was ripping the play-do into pieces for "sprinkles".  I would normally get upset when the colors get mixed but I've learned to let it go, I mean if they don't care that they are mixed why should I?

He he he...do you have any special toys/games you like 
to play with your kids?  
Or the kid-at-heart in your life?

Am I a stable mother?

Man this whole full-time working mom/kid-in-school thing is kicking my butt.  

And I can't quite figure out why.

I even had to buy a planner to keep up with my son's school stuff plus my own responsibilities.  It's not that he has a ton of homework in kindergarten but you add to it that we have to remember a towel every Monday, gym clothes on Monday and Thursday, alphabet book due every Friday, field trip permission slips, fundraisers, and parent projects, you can see how things are a bit busy.  I just can't keep it all straight.

Let's just say I have not been handling all this added stress very gracefully.  When I don't feel pinched for time, I am an attentive and loving mother.  But when I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off (like that visual?) my frazzled nerves tend get the best of me...and everyone else gets the worst.  I don't exactly work well under pressure. 

I want to be a "stable mother". 
I want my kids to be able to come to me with anything and know that I will accept them and love them without flipping out.  Recently L has started to ask me if I'm mad every time he makes a mistake.  That speaks volumes and has got me thinking.  Then I came across this post from Lori at Always Learning and it has helped me immensely. 

It speaks of being a emotionally stable mother which can be hard at times but is extremely important.

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. 
Proverbs 14:1

When we let our own emotions rule, our beloved family can suffer.  That's the last thing we mamas want but it can be all to easy to do.  So take a moment to recognize if you are letting your emotions rule you and make the choice to be joyful everyday.  

You'll see an instant improvement when you do...I know I have.

ready or not....

My precious first born....how are you starting kindergarten already?

Wasn't I just rocking you in my arms?

Weren't you just learning how to walk and run?

And now you're flying.

I feel like kindergarten is the beginning of a roller coaster unlike any I've ever been on before.  Speed is the number one attraction this ride boasts.  Soon I'll be packing you off to college or maybe into your own home.

OK so maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but that's what it feels like.  Of course I want him to grow up to be a  loving/responsible man but can't he stay little for a while longer?  

I know...despite my tears...he must grow. 

L will be attending all-day kindergarten, everyday...so it really feels like full-on school years have begun.  And he'll have homework and projects and gym class and Spanish.  

I'm not ready for this.

But he is. 

He's so excited about school and his teacher. 
As I was getting him dressed in his uniform this morning he asked me not to cry. 
Thankfully this made me laugh instead : )

Fly on my sweet boy. 
I cannot (and will not) hold you back.

1 child....34 birthdays

Can I just say that 1 child is so much easier than 2...not better mind you....just easier.

Last night my older son L spent the night at my mother-in-law's so we had the evening with just E.  Not that this is the first time L has spent the light elsewhere but it is indeed RARE.  My husband and I kept remarking on how easy it was to just have 1 child.  

No spats to break up.  

Less demands.  

And just quiet.  

We wanted to do something special with E so we took him to a new park and let him go wild on the playground.  He had a blast.  Then we took a ride in the Jeep with the top down and got him some ice cream.  

I think the little man was in hog heaven :)

After we got back I home E and I placed race cars down the hall.  I was the Batmobile and he was Speed McQueen.  I had so much fun playing this simple little game with my baby boy.  It reminded me how important it is to have this one-on-one time with my child.  Somehow we still seem to have this time with L but not much with E.  Being as he is the second child, we really haven't had much time where it was ever just him and I.  I was surprised to realize that I have been feeling guilty when I love on E because L would be sitting right there and I was afraid he would feel neglected so I often cut the snuggles short with E to keep L from feeling bad.  I've been doing this unconsciously and and it just hit me when I was snuggling and loving on E last night.  I dearly love both my children and don't want either of them to feel neglected but I don't think shorting E on the snuggles is the way to go.  I'm SO glad I realized what I was doing so I can change it. I'm gonna love on them both freely now.

We called L at grandma's to say good night.  We had him on speaker phone but he didn't realize we could all hear him.  He and E talked for a few minutes which was completely adorable...then he went and really melted my heart.  He asked E to tell me that he loves me and Happy Birthday (which is today but I won't see him until after work).  I can't describe how in love with my boys I was last night.  

One near and one far but both in my heart.  

They are such gifts.

So that leads me to today, which is my 34th birthday, and finds my very emotional for some reason.  I just want to cry about everything...my blessings...my disappointments.  I guess reminders that time is ticking away will do that to you.

How about you?  

Do you welcome birthdays or dread them?

I guess I do a little of both :) 

Happy Wednesday!

Favorite Things Friday

Some random things that have brought me joy this week...

Love notes

Since my husband is off during the summer, I don't see my kids before I head out the door in the mornings.  So I have started to leave my oldest some little love notes all around for him to find when he wakes up.  He loves them so much he doesn't want to throw any of them away, he posts them up on the fridge.  I have to get rid of most of them because we have no space but I let him leave some of them on there.  Makes me so happy that we this little connection even when we aren't together.

Backyard Bravery

L wanted to go outside to play the other night.  He said "Can we go outside Mother?  I just adore the evening air".  What 5 year old talks like this?  Cracks me up!  So I took them outside to play and L wanted to try swinging on the rope swing starting from the TOP of the playset.  He said "I'm kinda scared Mom, but I think it will be fun".  He gathered his courage and took the leap.  You have to know my L though, he will normally avoid it like the plague if it is even remotely scary and just refuse to try.  He's very happy in his comfort zone thank you very much.  So this little moment of bravery really made me proud of him.

Mac N' Cheese please

I came home from work to the wonderful aroma of homemade mac n'cheese being made by my mother-in-law (what a woman!).  While this is not exactly diet food, who can resist an awesome surprise meal that they did not have to cook?  I tried to stick to a small portion but man I enjoyed every bite!



Spooning with E
My little wiggle worm actually asked me to snuggle him and promptly assumed the spooning position.  Melted my mama heart!  He's rarely still long enough to snuggle in any way.  Man I soaked it up!



Friendship

I had a great visit with my lovely longtime friend Dana.  We've known each other since I was 11, lived across the street from one another actually but became good friends once we hit highschool and we were both on the rowing team.  We've been great friends ever since!  She is such a positive and uplifting person to be around, I just can't help but smile when I'm with her.  Unfortunately we don't get to see each other as much as we would like but when we do, it's like no time has passed at all.  She is a true treasure in my life.



A new purchase

We just love camping so much we decided to buy a pop-up camper.  Our recent trip to Pymatuning showed us that our boys are at the age where we can really start branching out and taking longer trips.
And they LOVE IT just as much as we do.
My awesome husband sacrificed his dirtbike to help fund the camper cause.  He said the bike was just for him but he was going to sell it and do something with the money that we could all enjoy.  And he made a huge profit - gotta love that!  So alas we are now the proud owners of this cute little pop-up.  Watch out campgrounds of America - here we come!

Go check out Rachel's Favorites at Finding Joy!

Favorite Things Friday

finding joy

A few favorite things from this past week....

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Sticky little boys

This is what I came home to the other day.
Look at the PBJ all over E's shirt!
And yes, that is jelly on his ear and his knees. 
Normally I would have heaved a deep sigh at the laundry
nightmare this is sure to cause but honestly it just had me laughing :)

 *
Farm fresh

This is my loot from a recent trip to a local farm.  Everything looked so delicious it was hard to decide what to get.  So far we've had the corn on the cob, green beans, blueberries, apples, and nectarines plain...and they were great!  So fresh and flavorful they didn't even need dressed up with anything.  My husband made a bacon and spinach frittata with the farm fresh eggs...delicious.  All that's left is for me to attempt to "pickle" the pickling cucumbers, little nervous about that one ;)

*
The Falls

The new area where the pool used to be is coming along really well.  Remember that handy husband of mine?  This is all thanks to him.  He built the retaining wall (on half is visible here) and reconstructed the fire pit which would hold about anything BUT a fire in this pic. And the waterfall?  Needs some more rock before we can call her done.  But when the water is on, it falls just beautifully.  We're thinking of having a "who needs a pool anyway?" party :)

*
A new little project

I'm excited to get into a new project (especially one that is little, easy, and will provide me a sense of accomplishment within hours).  We got this dresser for E's room for FREE....boy do I love that word!  Some new paint and knobs and it will be sporting a new look.  I'm thinking bright red for this baby, will go great in his room.

*
Old school cartoons

My boys are all the sudden into old cartoons that I used to watch when I was kid.  I actually sat and watched Tom and Jerry with them for a half hour the other night.  I'm getting a huge kick out of them asking to watch these instead of the usual modern day pals.  Sorry Dora and Diego but I mean YOU emPHAsize EVery OTher SYLLabLE, and it just drives me nuts. 
I prefer the physical comedy provided by Tom and Jerry and Bugs and pals so its much nicer to have these on in the background.

*
 Sandal tanned little feet

I love seeing the little stripe of tan on his feet from his sandals.
It reminds me that he is running around like a little boy should, enjoying his second summer.

*
Finding this little gem

I ADORE this and just may have to make a print with this saying on it for in each of my boys' rooms.



Have a great weekend!

Approaching the throne

The bathroom looms ahead with all its mysterious power....I am a little hesitant as we approach the throne.  I've seen my big brother do this lots of times but still, my little heart is beating fast.  Can I do it?  Alas I am able to get up and sit on the potty seat with Mommy holding on "so I don't fall in".  Then I realize "wait a minute, this is not so bad after all."

No this is not my bathroom.  I wish!  Source: Pinterest  Yes, I have jumped on the bandwagon.

Potty training starts today!

I must admit for some reason I am more nervous about starting this process with my younger son than I was with the first.  You'd think I'd be at ease seeing this isn't my first go around taming the potty beast but none the less I am not looking forward to it.  I am not entirely sure he is ready but with my husband home from work for the summer, it is a good time to give it a try.  He sure was excited to get his "big boy pull-ups" last night.  So we'll see how things go.  If it doesn't work out we'll take a break and try again in a few months.  Wish us luck!

Any potty training tips you'd like to share?

Kids say the darndest things....

There's a book I often recall with fondness when my kids say something outrageous...Kids Say the Darndest Things by Art Linkletter.  The funny, crazy, adorable things that can come out of the mouths of babes are certainly to be treasured.  Documenting these little sayings is a great way to do just that.   My sweet friend Cory over at The Hedricks does these adorable posts of the cute little things her daughter says and so I thought I'd give it a try.

1.  My Big Boy out of nowhere says: "Mom, this is gonna be really nice for you!" 

Me: What's that?"  I'm thinking he must have picked me another flower from the yard, but no...

Big Boy: "I'm falling in love with you!"

Now where did he hear that I say!

2.  This one happened to be in the car on our way to the ER recently with my Little Boy.  It was about 12:30am.  He was sick and sleep deprived.

Little Boy:  "Mom, why is the moon following us?"

My husband and I just chuckled but never really answered him.  So a few minutes later.....

Little Boy:  "MOM!  WHY is the moon FOLLOWING US!  He was so angry about it, it was so funny!

3.  Let me preface this by stating that I have a "beauty mark" on my right cheek....

Big Boy:  "Mom, what is that?"

Me: "A mole."

Big Boy: "Why is it there?"

Me: "That's just the way God made me."

Big Boy: "We should buy another one for the other side."

4. My Little Boy has a hard time staying in his room after I put him to bed. As I was carrying my Big Boy up to bed, my Little Boy came out of his room....again.  In a VERY exasperated voice....

Big Boy to Little Boy: "GO TO BED!!!  You need your beauty sleep."

5.  While reading a bedtime story....out of nowhere...

Big Boy: "Mom, do bees poop?"

Gotta love the minds of little boys...contemplating the big questions!

6.  My husband is a teacher and my Big Boy just finished his first year of preschool.  I was unexpectedly home for the day with the boys and when my husband was leaving for work...

Big Boy: "Dad, please call me when you have snack time."

I guess he thinks everyone gets to have snack time :)

What funny things do your kids say?

Summer is here....it's official!

Most people say that Memorial Day is the unoffical start of summer, well for us it is the annual church Street Fair.  Festivals and fairs are one of my favorite things about summer but we usually stick to only two or three of them. I wish we could go to more....the music, the laughter, the smells....aaahhh.

Summer officially starts for us with the street fair at one of the local churches.  This is the church of my husband's family and many years ago, this is where we had our first "date".  Well, I guess it wasn't really a date but this is the first place we "hung out" at back when we were 18 and thought we were so grown up.   I laugh watching the teenagers there now and wonder if I was ever that ridiculous....yep.....I was.

Fast forward 15 years and now we are taking our kids there to enjoy the rides, games and fair food....hello funnel cake!  It's really a special thing to both of us to be able to bring our kids here and always sparks memories of our fist summer together.  Not to mention we also got married at this church so there's a lot of our history there.  I love being able to enjoy something from my past with my kids now, it's a cool feeling.  Who knows, maybe we'll even be taking our grandkids one day!

What are your summer kickoff traditions?

Favorite Things Friday

A few things I'm loving these days....

1. My Bodycology fragrance mist in Coconut Lime.  My husband says I smell like a Pina Colada.  I can think of worse things...I bought this on a clearance shelf at Wal-Mart ~ love it!  Light and fresh!

2.  My new Target Mossimo sandals.  I wear them constantly now.  They seem to go with everything and are so comfy!

3. This Feta and Poppyseed Salad....perfect for spring.  Mixed greens, feta cheese, sunflower seeds, raisins, and poppyseed dressing.  Can you say delicious!?!

4.  This song by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.  I love the raw sound of her voice.

5.  Handpicked flowers from my boys.  Buttercups and columbine...they bring such cheer to the house and a bright smile to my face.

6.  These pretty little lace mirrors from  Sunny Inspirations on Etsy.
I may be getting quite a few of these to have on hand for gifts.  Love them!  So dainty and perfect for your purse.

7.  This T-Shirt from Neena Creates on Etsy.
I love the romance of all her items...check out her shop!

What are you loving?

Finding Joy