I Am Thankful . . .

Thanksgiving . . . the holiday of giving thanks for everything we have in our lives. I'm just so thankful for so many things this year . . .

• My children - that they are happy healthy and are able to drive me bonkers on a daily basis
• My family - that we can not only spend Thanksgivings and other holidays together, but spend those ordinary sit around and chat over dinner days together
• My husband - that he values his family more than anything, that he is a wonderful father to our children, that he makes us all laugh and smile everyday
• My job - that it provides for our family and even though I truly dislike it on most days, the comfort it brings knowing I don't have to worry about job security is priceless in this economy.
• My babysitter - she has truly helped raise my children to become the amazing individuals they are today. How do you thank someone for that??? She has amazing patience and a kindness I have only seen in select people . . . we are so lucky to have found her!
• My home - I absolutely LOVE our home . . . the comfort I feel when I walk inside the door, the smells and the sounds bring me endless joy and during this holiday season I feel it even more as this house fills with friends and family.
• Health - Thank you Lord for bringing us health and healing this year and allowing all of our closest family members to be with us this holiday season - there is nothing better than to watch the littlest family members interact with the oldest generations . . . what great memories that makes!
• Happiness - I am truly happy and contented with my life right now and I am so thankful for that feeling . . . the feeling that I am right where I belong with my two children and my loving husband living close to family.

I know there are more things than just this list contains. It would take me days to capture all that I am thankful for this year. I love the holiday season - spending time with the people that matter the most to you - making memories and traditions . . . these are the times I cherish as a mother, wife, and friend.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving . . . to take the time to really think about what you are thankful for.

I Am Blessed!

I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but for some reason God blessed me with the best friends in the world. I grew up an only child, and I can remember times when I longed for a sister - someone to play with, tell secrets to . . . well God must've heard my prayers because although they are not blood . . . I have two wonderful sisters in my life.

I can't tell you what growing up with a sister would be like . . . I didn't have one. BUT I can't imagine it would be any different that growing up with my two girlfriends. We laugh together, cry together and even drive each other nuts . . . and as we've grown older together I've realized how important they are in my life. We've watched each other move away, switch careers, switch boyfriends, have children - and through it all we've remained a threesome connected by our utmost love and respect for one another.

I had the pleasure of hosting a "girls' weekend" this weekend and I truly can't express how much fun I had!! For a moment I felt like I was in high school again, just being silly and acting goofy and laughing until I cried. And even though we may not talk everyday or every week . . . when we all come together in the same place it's almost as if time stood still . . . we pick up exactly where we left off and each time we leave each other, we leave with a new appreciation of how we are each an exceptional woman.

Wendy, Julie . . . thank you so much for coming! I had the best time . . . and I'm truly lucky to have two "sisters" like you. May we grow old laughing, crying and acting like idiots together.

Just Me & My Kids

Brian left tonight for his "man trip". I call it the "man trip" because only a group of guys would drive all the way down to Nashville to catch a football game and THEN as if that wasn't enough driving - from Nashville they are heading down to New Orleans to catch another football game. Only men would do that! I don't even think most women would do that for the best shopping mall in the world . . . ok - maybe some would, but not me.

It was strange saying good-bye to Brian tonight. As he was packing and the kids were rushing around trying to help I just felt sad. I wasn't sad because I wished I could go, or because I didn't want Brian to go . . . just sad because I won't have my best friend around for four whole days. And as corny as it sounds . . . as he was saying his goodbye's I actually got a bit choked up! He walked out the door and I really felt like crying . . . and it's only for four days!!!

I don't think I've been alone in this house for more than one night - and I realize I am certainly NOT alone since I have the two little munchkins with me, but sleeping in my bed alone is something that I am not looking forward to. The house always seems so lonely and a bit scary at night when it's just me and the kids.

Plus, it's just nice to have a reinforcement around to help out with kid-related things. Tonight is a perfect example of how things just take soooo much longer when I am by myself. We didn't eat dinner until almost 7:30 and then came baths and by the time I got the kitchened cleaned, the kids cleaned and hair dried, teeth brushed, stories read and hugs & kisses given it was almost 9:15! I am bushed and it's only night one . . .

Here's to a safe trip and a speedy return. I miss you already Brian and it's only been four hours.

Love you.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

So on Tuesday, Brian and I attended our very first parent-teacher conference. It's strange even writing those words! I still can't believe my little boy is in school!!!

I don't want to BRAG . . . but this is my blog so what the heck! I can't express how proud I am of Kadin. As a parent it seems like I'm always questioning what the heck I'm doing. Am I messing him up for life, am I teaching him how to be polite and respectful? Am I showing him how to be a good person and am I setting a good example? Am I making sure he is thankful for all that he has in life and am I teaching him to give back to the people that don't have as much?

There are days when I'm sure I'm failing. We all have those days as parents when we are at our wits end and the days seem like years. We all have those embarrassing moments when you want to turn away from your child and pretend - just for a moment - that the child climbing inside the clothes rack and knocking all the shirts to the floor at Target isn't yours. When that nasty **** word slips from your lips and little ears seem to pick up on it so the next day you hear him repeat it while he's playing with his toys.

Then there are days like Tuesday - when you attend your first parent-teacher conference and your son's teacher confirms that you are indeed raising an intelligent, polite and delightful little boy. YES!! And then you remember that you really knew that all along, but it sure is nice when someone outside of Grandma and Grandpa tell you so.

If I'm being completely honest - I never really worried about Kadin when it came to intelligence. I could tell from a very early age that Kadin was smart - in fact I think he's too smart sometimes. What Brian and I always worried about was the social aspect of school. Would Kadin fit in, would he make friends, would he be accepted? Kadin came home from school in the beginning and told us that he didn't have any friends - that no one would play with him. It's hard when you're dealing with a 4-year old to completely believe everything he said. Was this true? Did he really not have any friends?

So we asked Kadin's teacher if he socialized with other kids. She said yes, BUT sometimes he became too aggressive and the kids would shy away from him. Well we were very relieved when she told us on Tuesday that Kadin has made a LOT of progress with this and is now playing much better with the other kids - AND Kadin finally comes home and talks about things he's done with other kids at school.

I'm so proud of Kadin. It was so surreal to watch him show Bella around his classroom . . . as he told her things he did during the day. My mind wandered to when she will be old enough to attend school . . . knowing Bella is my last baby . . . how the times when she still wants hugs and snuggles may soon be coming to an end. I guess that's a whole other post . . .

To Be Fair . . .

I'm going to be honest . . . . being a parent has put me in many positions where I simply don't know what to do. My children have begun being competitive for things . . . who gets to brush first, who gets to take a bath first, who gets dressed first . . . each of them wants to be the first to do everything and of course because there is only one of me . . . they obviously both cannot be first.

Here is a dilemma I have found myself in lately . . .

Kadin and Bella fight over who gets to brush their teeth first. In the evening I will yell - "It's time to brush your teeth!" and usually they both come running from wherever they are. Now that is still the case, but now it has turned into a competition. Bella will start to run, but of course she is smaller and slower than Kadin - which Kadin is fully aware of and takes complete advantage of this. He ends up zooming past her and beats her to the bathroom - to which Bella has a complete meltdown.

The scary part . . . . . I had no clue what to do about it! At first I reprimanded Kadin for zooming past her on purpose. Then the next time I scolded Bella for not always having to be the first to brush, but it just continued to be an exhausting battle every single night. I really wish kids came with instruction booklets!!!

So - to try and combat the competitiveness, Brian and I have tried to come up with fair ways for them to pick things. So when Kadin and Bella were fighting over who got the pink toothbrush (yes my son LOVES pink - and I'm ok with it) Brian put them both behind his back and made Bella pick a hand. (she lost by the way) Or - now they have to take turns being first to brush - Kadin goes first in the morning and Bella goes first at night.

So tonight was bath night - and we knew there was going to be a fight over who got to take a bath first. So Brian came up with this . . .

Brian: Kadin & Bella come here!

Kadin & Bella: Yeah!

Brian: We're going to play a little game. I'm going to think of a number between one and ten and you have to try and guess the number. Ok?

Kadin & Bella: Ok - yeah!

Brian: And whoever gets closest to the number will get to pick whether or not they want to take a bath first - ok?

Kadin & Bella: OK!

Brian: Ok - Kadin pick a number between one and ten.

Kadin: Eight

Brian: Ok - Bella pick a number between one and ten.

Bella: Looks blankly at Brian.

Brian: Ok - pick one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine or ten.

Bella: Ten!

The number was nine . . . . . do you see a slight problem with this game????

So after they played the game again . . . Kadin won and decided that he wanted to take a bath first. So Bella - being the keen little girl that she is - realized that we indeed have two bathtubs so why can't they each take a bath in a different tub . . . .

SO - then the arguement became who got to take a bath in which tub . . .

Trying to be fair is near impossible!!

Kelsey Briggs

I'm sure most if not all of you have no clue who Kelsey Briggs is. In fact - I didn't have a clue either until yesterday.

I found my way on to YouTube and was looking at various videos of people paying tribute to their children who had passed away. Mostly what I was watching was babies that had either died at birth or died shortly after birth.

Then I came across this tribute to a little girl named Kelsey Briggs, who died before she turned three years old. When I first began to watch I thought it was sad like all the others I had watched before. Then I began to read the story along with the pictures . . . and the horrible truth surrounding how this little girl died became a reality for me.

Kelsey was killed by her step-father. He abused her for months until he finally took her life all the while her mother stood by and watched.

I sat staring at my computer screen watching the pictures scroll by of this beautiful little girl and I just started to cry. I don't understand how someone could do the things this man did to an innocent child.

I'm not exactly sure why I'm posting her video, but ever since I watched it I can't get her out of my mind. I can't stop feeling the anger, and deep sadness for her family and the complete unfairness of a child taken so young and still so full of life.

After I watched this I dried my eyes and went and watched my kids sleeping. Tears were streaming down my face as I looked at Bella . . . and thought about how my heart would break if anything happened to her. How Kelsey reminded me of the spirit and liveliness I see everyday in my own children. So if anything I hope that maybe this makes you appreciate your own children a little more . . . maybe you can go give them that extra hug and kiss.

Make sure your kleenex is handy . . .

Look-A-Likes

My friend Emily inspired me to look back at some of my children's baby pictures tonight. On her blog she posted a picture of her oldest daughter when she was a baby and now her new daughter. Those two kids look identical - now it helps that they are in the exact same chair wearing the exact same outfit, but still they could easily pass for the same kid! Check this out and see what I mean!

So I was thinking back to when Isabella was born and I remember both Brian and I were struck at how much she looked like her brother. Aside from the fact that we dressed her in frilly pinks and ruffles - everyone who saw her instantly thought of Kadin when he was a baby.

So I perused through some early pictures of both kids and found these two pictures. I think they are both around the same age and I thought it was funny that they are both sitting on the Boppy. Now of course you can easily tell which is Bella because of her frilly shirt - but I still really do think my kids looked alike in those early months.

Yarn and Fuzz

Ever since I can remember, Kadin has had three favorite blankies. We affectionately call them yarn and fuzz. He actually has two blankies we call fuzz . . . they are both fuzzy soft (hence the name fuzz) and are light baby blue. One is a checkerboard pattern and the other has stars and moons on it. His absolute favorite by far is yarn . . . it's got teddy bears on it and carefully placed throughout this blanket are pieces of yarn woven in (hence the name . . . yeah I think you get it!)

He has had these three blankies since he was a baby. It appears he has outgrown the fuzzes, but yarn is still close to his heart. Yarn goes almost everywhere Kadin goes . . . he goes in the car with Kadin back & forth to Iola (he doesn't go in the school though, he waits in the car) he goes to the store, to restaurants, to Grandma's and to bed every single night. There is actually one night I can distinctly remember when we where staying at a hotel for something and we couldn't bring yarn because Kadin had had a pee-pee accident the night before and yarn was dirty . . . that poor boy was just beside himself and he could not fall asleep.

I don't remember exactly how yarn became Kadin's favorite or at what age, but I know it's been a L O N G time. We always tell Kadin about how we got yarn from a lady that Daddy works with and how she gave us yarn as a present when he was born. I realize now that just saying that really didn't mean a whole lot to Kadin . . . I don't think the words alone made him understand truly how long he has loved that square of fabric.

So, I showed him some pictures . . .

This first one is Kadin napping on his Boppy, which is laying on yarn.

This one is of yarn laying in the hallway. Kadin used to drag him everywhere!

I wish I could truly describe the look on Kadin's face when he saw his blankie in those pictures. It was a look I can only describe as complete disbelief. He kept muttering about how he couldn't believe he'd had yarn for so long and he'd go and look at the pictures and then go and spread yarn out on the floor of his room and look . . . almost as if to check and make sure that what he saw in that picture was actually the same blankie he held each night before bed.



I'm not sure how long Kadin will hang on to yarn . . . I'm certainly not in a rush to get rid of him. In fact Kadin is watching television and snuggling with yarn right now. It's funny how Kadin has grown so much since we got that blankie. We used to wrap him up in that thing and now when I cover him up at night it barely covers his toes. It's seen about four sets of replacement yarns now since in the early years Kadin used to chew them off . . . and it's been washed more times than I can count. Pee-pee'd on, threw up on . . . yet through it all has been a friend and sense of security for my little boy.



So - thanks yarn for all you do. I hope to wash you for many years to come!

The Dreaded Flu Shot!!

I decided on a whim that tonight after work I would take the kids to the mall to get our flu shots. Don't ask me why a mall would be a good place to give flu shots - perhaps because the mall is so dead that no one will hear all the little kids screaming . . . or maybe it's because there are so many empty spaces - they can have their choice of which one to use . . . whatever the reason we went - to the spot that used to house The Buckle clothing store. It was very strange to me to think that back in high school I would drag my parents to The Buckle and have them buy me the most ridiculously priced clothes EVER. I could almost see myself trying on those GUESS jeans for $70 - and my parents happily shelling out the dough to get them. I'm dreading the teenage years!

Sorry, back to the flu shots. So my plan was to not tell the kids why we were going to the mall until I absolutely had to. So of course they didn't think anything of it and we're walking through the mall and come to The Buckle - aka flu shot central. Kadin sees all the chairs and people waiting . . . . he looks at me and goes "what is this place?" Brian and I just look at each other and ignore him.

So I go to the desk and the lady loudly asks . . . "here for a flu shot today?" Well, someones little ears heard the word "shot" and immediately Kadin began to panic and cry. So I'm thinking - great now not only do we have to wait for our turn, but we have to wait while we listen to Kadin whine the whole time about how he doesn't want a shot!

Thankfully the lady behind the desk felt so bad about exposing the truth about our visit - she allowed my kids to take a toy before their shots to distract them. Well she was a complete genius because my children spent the next 20 minutes chasing little smiley faced balls around the completely empty mall. Have I mentioned that our mall is really lame???

Anyway . . . it's was finally our turn and as we walked to our curtain I warned this poor woman that she was going to have a live one on her hands. She quietly asked . . . "which one?" "The boy" I quickly stated. She got us settled into our cubby and Kadin quickly started to panic.

First Kadin wanted to go first, then he wanted to go last, and then when "last" finally came he didn't want to go at all! Big surprise! That kid was simply hysterical!!! First he refused to take his arm out of his shirt . . . and when I tried to get it out he stiffened up like a dead person with rigamortis - man that kid is strong!!! So Daddy gave it a try and we finally got his shirt off and I could tell this woman was a little frightened to try and stick a needle into the arm of a boy who is flailing around like a fish out of water. She kept saying "now, you're going to need to really hold his arms tightly." Well no kidding . . . can't you see that we're trying here???

Three minutes of intense screaming and thrashing - me with a death grip on his arms and Dad holding down the legs and it was over. Kadin got a cheetah colored band aide and had successfully terrified any small child in the waiting area that was next in line.

Oh . . . what? You're wondering how Bella did? Hmmm . . . what was it that she said . . . oh yeah I think she said . . . "I'm exited . . . I'm happy!" (I'm not kidding - she really said that!) Not a single tear shed. Amazing . . .

It's Important.

Let your voice be heard . . .

VOTE TODAY!

What Did You Say?

The kids were very excited to help make cookies the other day. I was using up some of those frozen tubs of cookie dough and found that I had two whole tubs to make - sugar cookies and double chocolate chunk.

Kadin was already at the counter with his cookie sheet making round balls of the dark double chocolate chunk dough . . . Bella grabbed her chair and took her spot right next to Kadin. She got up and took one look at Kadin's cookie sheet and yelled - "aaahh! Poo-poo?"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kadin and Bella were playing in the living room.

Kadin: Ouch! Bella!
Me: What happened?
Kadin: Bella hit me in the head with one of her princesses.
Me: Well I'm sure it was an accident.
Kadin: No it wasn't! She did it on purpose!
Me: Honey, I'm sure she didn't mean to do it.
Kadin: YES SHE DID! She did it on purpose.
Me: Ok.
Kadin: Oh great . . . I think I have to dial 1-9-9-9 . . . .
Me: What?
Kadin: Oh, I mean 9-1-1

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Bella was intently staring at my neck the other day. She was moving my hair and feeling my skin with her fingers.

Bella: Mommy . . . what that?
Me: What honey?
Bella: What that? (as she points to my neck)
Me: What are you pointing at?
Bella: Nipple? Nipple mommy?

She thought the tag-mole on my neck was a nipple. Priceless.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The whole family was in the car on the way home and Kadin's throat-clearing fetish was in full effect. He was clearing his throat every couple of seconds.

Me: Kadin . . . honey . . . please stop doing that.
Kadin: I can't.
Me: Well you have to try.
Kadin: I have a frog in my throat.
Brian: Kadin - I realize you need to clear your throat, but why don't you try and do one big one and then stop and give your throat a rest for awhile. You are probably just irritating it more by clearing it every five seconds.
Kadin: (clearing his throat really loudly as Dad suggested - then a minute later he starts clearing his throat again)
Brian: Geez Kadin - stop ok?
Kadin: I CAN'T!!
Brian: Crying out loud you sound like you have Tourette's Syndrome!

Long pause . . . the car falls silent.

Kadin: What is tordent's snyndrom?

We all burst out laughing . . .

Farewell October!

Adios my favorite month of the year! My how you've come and gone so quickly! I enjoyed every minute! What better way to close my favorite month of the year with my favorite holiday of the year . . . have I mentioned that I LOVE OCTOBER!!!!

Kadin the pumpkin - 2004

Kadin the dinosaur - 2005

Kadin as Superman and Bella as a chili-pepper - 2006

Kadin the dragon & Bella the chicken - 2007

And finally . . . . Kadin as Batman, Bella as Snow White and Grandma as a bottle of mustard! - 2008

What A Night!

It seems to be one of those days when things just don't seem to go right. I'm sure you've all had them . . . you go to the store for something, but you just can't find what you're looking for or you have a taste for something but you can't put your finger on what it is . . .

Today I had a few simple missions for myself. I needed to go to one of the dollar stores and find some cheap baby items to finish the decorating on a baby shower gift. I needed to find a banner that said "Welcome Back!" for my boss who is returning to work after being gone for nearly a month. And after spending a good portion of the night up with Bella who couldn't seem to stop coughing - I needed to find these AMAZING vapor chest patches that I had used the last of last night.

So - I get Bella off for her nap, Kadin settled with his Transformers movie, and Daddy happily watching football in the comfy chair and I am off to attack my missions.

Get to the dollar store and I can't find my banner or the baby things I wanted. I guess when you are only willing to be cheap - it limits your options a little. So I browsed the store anyway and picked up a few small things. I then headed off to the drug store to find those life-saving vapor patches. Seriously, they were the ONLY thing that worked last night. So I figure that Walgreens would have them . . . no. Ok - so I try the grocery store . . . no. What in the world . . . why can't I find these stupid patches?!?

So, I go home and look online at the Triminic website because I at least knew what brand they were and all I have to say is . . . to anyone at Triminic - why in the world would you no longer produce a product that actually works on a cough!!!!! Seriously - do any of you people even have children???

Uggh! So not only can I not get my miracle patches now I have to venture out again because I am NOT facing another night without some sort of reinforcements for this nasty cough - which when I get home Brian tells me Bella didn't nap at all because she couldn't stop coughing. Yeah - enough said.

So all four of us pile in the car for our second trip to Walmart this weekend - and we head over to the drug section. Nothing - can't give her cough syrup - she's too little . . . there is absolutely nothing there that is going to help my poor coughing baby. Sigh . . .

So since we are there, I take Kadin to look at some Autumn jackets and Brian takes Bella to the automotive section. Kadin and I have zero luck with the jackets - big surprise and we find Bella and Daddy by all the car parts. I notice that Bella is crying and Brian gives me one of those looks.

Me: "What happened?"
Brian: "She dropped that on her foot."

He proceeds to show me this heavy metal object - honestly I'm not even sure what the heck it was for, but when I picked it up and held it in my hand my heart almost stopped. This thing literally had to weigh about 35 lbs - and the thought of dropping that on my toe made me cringe and then looking down at my poor little girl with snot dripping out of her nose and tears streaming down her face - the thought of her dropping that on her little toes made my heart break.

I carefully take off her sock and find four red little toes. They honestly didn't look that bad, but she sure was whimpering. So we leave Walmart with NOTHING - and head home to ice Bella's little piggies and eat supper.

When we get home I notice that she is limping when she walks - and not only is she limping she's whimpering as she's limping as snot is pouring out her little nose as tears are streaming down her face. It was the saddest sight. I get out the ice pack and set her up on the couch with her foot propped up on a pillow, Kadin at her side telling her it will be alright. (yeah - he was that cute) I take off her sock again and this time I see that her little red toes are now little red swollen toes. Hmmm . . . Brian and I look at each other and pretty much knew we were going to be making another trip - this time to Urgent Care.

So to make a long story short - Bella arrived back from Urgent Care with 25 stickers and one wrapped foot. Luckily she doesn't have any broken bones, just some nasty bruising . . . and she's convinced that her "band aide" has made her foot all better.