Perseverance!

Hallelujah! Brayden takes a binky and you would not believe how our lives have improved!!! It happened about a week ago, on Monday actually. I have been trying to get him to take a binky since birth and he is just NOW realizing that I know what I am talking about! He LOVES it! I can't believe the subtle differences in our day because of this sneaky little invention! For instance, rides in the car; the other day, I was driving to the store and it was COMPLETELY silent in the car. A FIRST! He doesn't usually scream or anything, but he has always been a bit fussy, especially if his brothers aren't back there to talk to him and entertain him. He is just so blissfully PACIFIED now! And, isn't that what these things are for?

Each day now I actually have time to put on my makeup, gather a couple coupons on the way out the door, even eat lunch, without the fussiness that used to resonate. AHHHHHHHH! I love the binky situation! I also love that he can really take it, or leave it. He appreciates it when he has it though. FINALLY!

Getting a Jump Start on Thankfulness

Lately I feel I have been getting a little head start on the season of GRATEFULNESS and THANKSGIVING. I have so much to be thankful for this year. In my mind a little list plays over and over again. I want to focus on my two oldest boys for this post though. I haven't done many posts specifically about them lately. I guess it is the "new" mommy in me that wants to capture all those FIRST moments and feelings with baby Brayden. But, those two BIG BOYS have been busily going about their little lives lately, being amazing and growing too fast too. So for today, for this post, I am going to focus on them.

Yep. These guys.

Lately I have been painfully aware of their rapid speed in growing and maturing and becoming MEN! Not only are they outgrowing their clothes faster than I can replenish the supply, but their little minds are growing ever more keen to the craziness of this cruel world faster than I can intercept. I am convinced that this is the hardest part of being a mother, watching them grow and change and not being able to hang on to their innocence. Conner just lost TWO teeth in as many days! His little face has been altered before I even have had a chance to remember what it looked like before! Thank heavens for digital cameras.

Where in the world did THESE days go? When their little faces were barely getting used to those new BABY teeth?

Gosh, this seems like just yesterday! Where has the time gone? Looking back, I would not have changed a thing, except for maybe I would have ENJOYED it more. Maybe I would have been MORE PRESENT and less eager to get on to the next phase.

If you can't tell from this photo, the boys were admiring their pet snail (he lasted one whole day). We found him at the park and the boys insisted we bring him home. I didn't realize at the time, but life is a lot like that snail. It seems to creep by ever so slowly at times, and then, it is gone before we even realize it or can appreciate it.I remember I was glad to see that snail go, but I am not so glad to see my boys grow up. Recently I was able to spend some QUALITY time with each of my boys, on separate occasions. These times just sort of FELL into my lap, and honestly, they were a wake up call to me. Steve took Lewis on his very first hunting trip. . .


And while they were away, Conner and I stayed home and took care of Baby Brayden and spent some special moments together. During our three days of one on one time together, I was reminded of a few things about my sweet Conner. I thought it was curious that some of his little personality traits kind of CAME OUT OF HIDING once his best sidekicks (Lewis and Dad) were hundreds of miles away. One of his best traits is his GREAT ability to work, HAPPILY! He loves to take on a job, especially cleaning or organizing. He was such a great helper with the simple little tasks that he sometimes complains about when Lewis is here with him. I think since it was just him and me, it made folding laundry more special! He even helped me put away the summer clothes and organize the cold weather things. He. like me, appreciates a job well done!

Another thing I was able to RE-appreciate about Conner during our days, was his creativity. I promised him we would put out the Halloween decorations and he was ALL about it! I had to TONE DOWN some of his ideas, but he happily agreed and we got it all done before the baby woke up (that was our goal)!

We had such a good time just doing the simplest of things, but I also felt the need to do something special for him (equal to that of hunting since Lewis and dad were doing that). We went out to eat at Pirate Island Pizza (his choice) so he could blow money on the arcade games and rack up as many tickets as possible! He doesn't like to spend them all on one BIG, cool prize either. He likes to bring home a bunch of little treasures (junk) and this makes him so happy. The next night we decided to get a movie from the Red Box and watch it together after the baby went to sleep. He had a hard time staying awake, but REALLY wanted to because it was just us! What a cute little boy. He really does appreciate the simple little things in life and I wish I could bottle him up and keep him this little forever!

So, that is the story of Conner and me and our TOGETHER time lately. It was so great to have those few days with just him. Then, Steve and Lewis came home on Sunday and by Sunday night, Lewis had a fever and cough. I know. . .SWINE FLU scare for sure! I kept him home from school (obviously) the next day and we sort of banished him to the basement. Steve stayed home from work that day and kind of looked after him and kept him away from the baby and me. He also took him into the after hours night clinic that night. Luckily, Lewis didn't have H1N1, but he did have the regular old flu and an ear infection.

So, Tuesday I kept him home from school again. He was still banished to the basement, but he went the whole day without a fever and was acting more like himself again by the afternoon.

In between bursts of much needed rest, we spent time together watching a movie, doing homework and practicing his story for the Storytellers Festival coming up. He has been so cute lately with wanting to do EVERY SINGLE activity he hears about at school. He came home last month begging to be in the school choir which requires two mornings per week of early morning practices. The day he came home with THAT idea, there just so happened to be a choir concert at the high school in which some of my young women were performing. I decided to bring Lewis along. We had a super great time, but he decided he wanted to wait until 5th grade to commit to choir. What a funny boy. Anyway, about a week before his bout with the flu, he came home with this Storyteller's Festival permission slip in which he begged me to sign. I can totally see Lewis being GREAT at this endeavor, but it's going to take a LOT of practice. He has decided to learn a fairy tale to perform. He wants to do Rumpelstiltskin, but I am trying to convince him to do this super funny version of Rapunzel which I think would be hilarious! I haven't convinced him yet, but he is realizing there might be some benefits to doing Rapunzel since it rhymes and might be easier to remember. Nonetheless, it was fun watching him practice his budding storytelling skills!

Also during his days of banishment, I found Lewis happily involved in the activities he does best; reading and drawing.

He is quite the little artist and has been "INTO" drawing and anything artsy for as long as I can remember.

He has filled more notebooks with drawings and doodles than I can even count! I am amazed at his creativity and what he comes up with. When I was his age, I swear I could draw three things; A clown, a dog and a house with a rainbow and tree along side it. He has drawn HUNDREDS of different things and they are all amazing and full of character. Here is a sampling of some of his "sick day" drawings:

Pretty great huh?! I think he must be in a Halloween sort of mood and I am loving the way he is using black outlines and coloring in the images. It is so cute. He has a variety of different drawing methods, from pencil sketching to ink to full color. Something for whatever mood he's in at the time.

Well, even though being sick is NO fun at all. I have to admit, I did enjoy being able to take care of Lewis a little more than usual. He is so big now and independent. It was kind of nice to be NEEDED a little by him to take his temperature, bring him meals and administer his meds. By Wednesday, he was still not able to go to school and he was also nixed from being able to square dance in his school's "Harvest Hop" which he had been practicing for and anticipating for weeks. We ended up taking him to the Hop (since he was fever free) but he was only able to watch his brother and his classmates dance from the side lines.

He said he felt sort of sad for not being able to actually dance, but he said it was kind of fun being able to stay home and take it easy for a few days. After all, he had had a BIG weekend (his first ever DEER HUNT) and he is usually so wrapped up in all his football, scouts and piano activities, that it was nice to have some time to chill. Plus, being a SUPER TERRIFIC nine-year-old is pretty hard work too!

Yep! I am certainly so thankful for these little/big dudes! I am happy with the boys that they are and the men they are becoming and I am SOOOOOO happy they are mine!

The Reason

Here's the reason I was out of bed more than five times last night and the night before last and the night BEFORE last.

Here's the reason I have averaged a mere five hours of sleep on said nights and have awesome dark circles under my eyes.

Here's the reason I have been seen sporting a hat rather than any type of hair style the past few days.

Here's the reason I have been devouring any and all books, magazine articles and online articles regarding sleep and growth spurts and teething etc.

Here's the reason I get up in the morning, look past all the tiredness, piles of laundry and unfinished to do lists and somehow manage to smile!

It is funny how tired I can be and still be so happy to have them in my life. Really, what would I do or BE without them?

I guess I'll quit complaining now and get back to my motherly duties!

Happiness is. . .

having a grateful heart.

Dear Baby

Dear Baby,

What do ya say to having more moments like this one? This little moment of pure calmness and happiness and joy. It was a little peek-a-boo game that you spontaneously invented two mornings ago. Here's what we did: You put the blanket on your face, pulled it away, looked over at me, smiled, waited for me to smile back, then stuck that blanket back up in your face again. It was a little, cute cycle that carried on for a good five minutes (just long enough for me to get some makeup on). What a good time we had! Back and forth with the smiling and the giggling and the pure contentment. You were so patient waiting for me to give you my undivided attention.

I have tried to get you to play this little game with me again lately and have been unsuccessful. I am met with moans and groans and fussiness when I try to (put on that darn makeup each day) put you down for five minutes. What made you think of this game on this particular day? The game that took me by such surprise and made me glad I had the camera nearby to capture it? It was so lovely baby. You putting your blanket up to your face and pulling it away again to find your mommy sitting there, smiling and laughing at your cleverness. Sort of like peek-a-boo.

What do you say baby? How about we try this game again tomorrow. I had such a good time. I know you did too. Love you tons!

XOXO,
Mom

I wonder. . .

Do you ever wonder what babies this age are thinking about? When I see his little eyes all lit up like this it makes me wonder. It's gonna be awhile before he'll be able to explain it all to me. For now, we are just playing the guessing game.

I'm glad I still have SOME leverage.

The other morning I woke up to the sound of rustling paper and then the quiet click of our bedroom door closing. I looked over at the door and saw this message waiting for me. I giggled, for three reasons, ONE; the cleverness of the note itself. TWO; the fact that it is signed "Love, Conner and Lewis" and THREE; out of pure relief that I still have some leverage with those boys. Lately I have been feeling a little ignored by them, like requests, orders or things I ask them to do come across as mere "suggestions" to them. When did this start? I can't remember, but I DO remember, not so long ago, when anything I said WENT. I didn't have to ask thirty times for the toys to get picked up. I didn't have to ask thirty times for them to come inside. I didn't have to use the line, "Just wait until your dad gets home. . ." I was able to HANDLE them, keep them under control, get RESULTS! So, the other night when I was in their room and looking, once again, at the endless sea of toys and clothes and paper and JUNK that they accumulate, I lost it! I said, "Boys, I am going to throw ALL of this stuff away tomorrow while you are at school. I have HAD it! I have bought you bins, totes, boxes, shelves, caddies, drawers etc. and they are ALLL empty and everything is right here on the floor!" Oh, I went on and on and stated my case. Reminding them of the dozens of times I have asked them to keep the UNDERNEATH part of their bed completely empty (I hate random stuff under the bed) and also reminding them of all the places we set up for all their things. It really isn't that hard to keep their room clean, there is a legitimate place for everything, they have just been so lazy. So, I gave them the ultimatum. Right before bed, I told them about my house cleaning plans for the next day and this cute little note was their plea to give them ONE MORE CHANCE! So funny.

So, I went downstairs that morning and LO and BEHOLD, their room was clean! They had spent the morning refilling their totes and shelves and drawers. They hadn't FORGOTTEN where everything went! I couldn't believe it! Did it take LOSING my cool to get these results? I guess it had been awhile since I showed them my limits. Now they know. Hopefully they won't take my pleas for cleanliness as a mere suggestion anymore! I love it when they hold up their end of the bargain and it makes life so much easier (and better) when everything (for the most part-I am not Hitler or anything) is in its place and nobody is being ignored. Ahhhhh.

Absolute Cuteness

Um, I really could eat him.

Wake me up when September ends.

What a CRAZY month. There was a LOT of TRANSITION going on and I am just glad we survived.

Here are the highlights:

1. Preschool started back up. I am teaching a class of 14 students two days per week. It is just the right amount of work. Brayden has been AMAZING. I get him good and tired the morning of preschool and feed him right before it starts. He has been sleeping through the entire two-and-a-half-hour sessions. Sometimes he even sleeps for three hours! I am so grateful for this. The entire preschool dynamic fits so well with my life right now. I LOVE it!

2.  A new church calling for me. Young Women's AGAIN! This is my fifth time serving in this capacity. In the past I have either been the First Counselor over the Mia Maidss or the Second Counselor over the Beehives and once I was the Mia Maid Adviser. This time it is First Counselor so I get to hang with the 14-15 year-olds.I like this age group so much and they are a really GREAT group of girls. This whole thing has really caught me way off guard though. I thought I was enjoying my "cushy/easy" calling of being Steve's Cub Master assistant. I didn't realize how much I needed to be back in this type of calling (one that is physically and spiritually demanding). It has been a good thing thus far. Very busy, but the good kind of busy.

3.  Solid foods and a bigger boy! September has been a turning point for Brayden. He is getting physically stronger and better able to control all that excess fat and body weight he is sporting. He is trying to sit up like a big boy and just LOOKS so much bigger to me. He is past that sweet little newborn stage. He's old news now. When we go to the store, he doesn't get the oohs and ahhs that he used to. He is just your average, ordinary baby now (well in the rest of the world's eyes anyway). To us, he is still the miracle child, center of our world. Anything he does is cute and spectacular and we are LOVING him to pieces! He seemed to turn over a new leaf this month and has fallen into a GREAT routine. LOVE this kid!

4.  Miss Maria's baptism. What a great event! She is a special lady to our family and we had NO IDEA she was even investigating the church. She works for Steve at the school and was my aide in Kindergarten. She is the Grandma to Jayden, one of Lewis AND Conner's best friends. Talk about a good example of Christ-like love-this woman is the epitome. It makes sense that her heart would be softened to the gospel. I am so glad she was able to recognize the spirit and go forth with this important step. Her grandson was her inspiration. He was baptized a month or so ago and was so at peace with it and has been such a sweet example to her, she decided if he can do it, she can too. I loved what Jayden said in his prayer at the conclusion of the baptism. He said, "Please bless that grandma can STAY strong." Isn't that perfect? He is wise beyond his years, that boy. Staying strong is definitely the trick and it isn't easy, but it is worth it! We are so happy for this family and can't wait to see what is to come from this huge step in their lives.

5.  September has been an endless blur of homework, yard work, piano and football practices/games, project after project and the other day-to-day meals and household tasks. It has been fun trying to juggle it all, but it has definitely been a change from our laid back summer. I hope we can hold up 'til May!

6. With the change of the season and the nip in the air, I have been spending extra time shopping for warmer clothes for the family. It has been tricky trying to go back to our "EXTREME BUDGETING" lifestyle after two years of being a two income family. Before I taught at Beaver Dam, worrying about money was just a way of life and something I was used to. During the time I was teaching at Beaver Dam, we had two blissful years of going to the store and buying whatever it was we needed without having to clip a coupon or bat an eyelash. We ate out, we traveled, we went out to the movies. It was heavenly! Perhaps the best blessing from me working though (and possibly the reason that whole experience happened for our family in the first place) was being able to pay for our baby. He was PRICEY! The daily meds I had to take ALONE would have been over a thousand dollars per month had I not had that teaching job and the insurance that came with it. Although we are STILL paying down the medical bills, they are not near as steep as they would have been, so hidden blessing there. But, now we are BACK! Back to reality. Trying to pinch every penny and make every penny count. I HATE it! Fortunately, I do have a few tricks. This picture represents my BEST money saving secret. I bought that whole pile of clothes for less than $5. I used my Old Navy bucks and got Brayden a whole mountain of warm weather clothes (plus a cute little dress for me). I use the Old Navy Visa like I would a debit card. I use it on EVERYTHING I buy and pay it all off when the statement comes. Each time I get the bill in the mail, it has ten to twenty dollars worth of Old Navy bucks (just as good as cash) in it. I save them up and then go on a little shopping spree when our family needs clothes. I have been able to do four or five pretty big shopping sprees with this method. It is awesome. So much better than sky miles or something I will never use. You can always use new clothes! Cha ching!

Well, that is it. Septmember in all its CRAZY glory! I am so glad it is over. I am looking forward to a much calmer October, now that some of the bumps in the road are out of the way and all these TRANSITIONS have been tackled!