explorers

this is where my boys were made to be. outside. splashing in puddles, getting muddy, discovering nature, and running wild.

therefore, when i take them to, for example, old navy, things rarely go as i plan. they are still in explorer mode, and i am in "quick find something as soon as possible while looking mostly at the kids, the price, and lastly the size" mode when we shop together.

the instance i would like to share with you today happened on monday while i was trying to find a little something for my mom who is currently being hospitalized for detox. first, what does one purchase on such an occasion? nothing seems right because the situation is just not right. errr. so here i am frazzled and collecting shirts and lounge pants for my mom who refuses to see me, while my boys are hiding in clothes racks and taking in all the sights of the holland old navy.

and then, maxer found a yet undiscovered place: a door covered in red lettering. ever the curious little boy, he opens it and a loud blaring alarm sounds. so loud both boys start crying and most of the staff come running.

the emergency exit max found sounded the fire alarm.

i was right there. not even a foot away, but it was not close enough.

i profusely apologized, started sweating, and headed for the cash registers immediately.

upon returning home and describing the scene, brad asked "did you find me any golf shirts?" rather than burst into tears of frustration, confusion, and forgetfulness, i replied, "i thought we could do that together!" (the exclamation point was used here to muster up false enthusiasm so brad would think that was my intention all along and will surely be a super fun activity for him and i to share. sadly, it was not effective)

moral of this story: next time we need something from old navy, we are going to grandville.

great wolf lodge

more like awesome wolf lodge, cause we had such a beautiful time there on thursday night!

unfortunately, my camera is broken, allowing me to only use that tiny viewfinder window in order to take pics instead of that nice digital screen. this is more of a problem for me as i cannot just keep one eye closed so i have to nonchalantly use one hand to close one eye and take the pic with the other hand. this is a lot to ask of a pregnant blond. ps- the camera is broken on account of me pretending to ignore that the boys are playing with it in order to have a phone conversation or fold like one shirt. too bad!

anyway, i was able to capture 2 cute pics that will hopefully contain enough delicious boy smiles to demonstrate how very much fun we all had.

here is maxwell the courageous; so called for his bravery exhibited by going down every slide at great wolf. kids, and adult slides alike, this child was an animal. he dragged brad around that place and would not stop despite the shivers that were overtaking his little boy frame. this is a pic of him swimming the lazy river type attraction. though lazy does not describe maxer's demeanor while bouncing along to the current. at one point, brad was checking out so i had both boys in this river thing trying to hold on to wes for dear life and follow after the big boy bopping in the water ahead of me. my hips are still sore from this maneuver that required huge steps and balance.

this is me and wes. bear was really entertained by it all. he did venture down the kiddie slides several times, but needed one parent at the top to position and shove him down and another at the bottom to catch. his fave was floating in a raft with me in the lazy river thing. he would just chill and take all the action in. i so enjoyed holding onto him and relaxing in a tube while feeling the babe kick. precious.

spending time bonding with the fam amidst waterslides, water splashes, and water really just was all around excellent!

life

our family has been anticipating the premiere of the show life since we first saw the commercials for it weeks ago. last night, our wait was finally over as oprah narrated some random challenges and we watched wide eyed some beautiful miracles of nature. the boys, all of them, were absolutely riveted to the screen, marveling over god's awesome creation. as i was watching my miracles watch the miracles of nature onscreen, i found myself more entertained by maxer than the actual production. he is a wise little boy that one. here are some of his astute observations.

while watching ibex precariously running around on cliffs: " how'd them get down there? maybe he's lost."

after the venus flytrap captured a fly in its clutches: "that makes my life so scary!"

during the segment featuring frogs: " how it gets up there? he needs his friends. he's sticky snails so that he can climb"

at each commercial break max would ask brad "daddy, where your show go?"

we were thoroughly entertained with the show and the boy.

redonkey

i seriously adore abbreevs (abbreviations). i have a lot to say and using smaller words or phrases to get the job done allows me more time for more storytelling and opinion giving, two things i am very good at :) by good at, i mean i do very often and quite enjoy. so aside from the ush (pronounced youj, meaning usual), i frequently have attempted to abbreviate the word ridiculous. it does not work very smoothly. after several awkward usages of "ridick", i abandoned my efforts.



brad despises my habitual abbreviating. he considers it lazy and cannot stand it. however, to annoy me as i have annoyed him, he utilizes the term "redonkey" as an abbreviation for "ridonkulous". eew. each time he does this i cry a little inside. his plan is working to reform me of abbreviating. last night brad employed "redonkey" several times and so i was inspired to blog about all the ridiculousness happening in my life. here is a list of things either brad or i commented as ridiculous over the last little bit. get ready



~the amount of times my boys have watched the movie bolt since we rented it on sat evening.



~we lost the remote to our directv. who does that?



~the fact that brad wants to name this new precious baby stan. that's right, stan.



~the forecast for snow on sunday. broken hearted over this.



~the level of destruction two such adorable and small ish boys can make. (so sorry about your tv val :))

~i need as much, or maybe more, sleep than my 18 month old. hey, growing a kid takes A LOT of energy, and sleeping is one of my talents

~how dangerous it is to walk in our carpet. remnants of starburst, poptart, cereal crumbs, or other foodstuffs are sure to find their ways into your socks or bare feet. gross.

~the number of flies already in our house after just two days of milder weather. thankfully, both brad and max are on a mission to locate and kill all of these pesky bugs.

oh this world is full of craziness. our life especially. and we love every bit of it!

Sprining Ahead

well the clocks are an hour ahead, and we celebrated the momentous occasion with beans for breakfast. my sister beans, not the food beans. her spring break had come to an end, and we were honored she chose to breakfast with us on her final day before back to school. during our feast of eggs and bacon, we solved a lot of the world's problems. well, not really solved, but we did address several issues. we enjoyed and encouraged one another enough to get along until the next visit. beans is such a beautiful and intelligent woman full of interesting perspective and good times. i adore her, and her visits.

my other sister, kelsey, has the same uplifting affect on me. whenever we chat, i am both amazed and impressed at her wisdom and insight. she is 16 years old and i am eager to see what god has in store for this lady because i know it is big.

then there is my bro, alex. the st. louis police officer cleaning up the streets and changing the world one gansta at a time. he is clever, witty, and incredibley profound. his visits home are so fun and thought provoking.

the beautiful relationship i share with my sibs gives me such hope and anticipation for my kids. my sons are already bff, complete with inseparable playing and inconsolable fights.

the little babe still cooking is sure to be blessed by having a max and wes for big brothers. i certainly am blessed to be their mama!

life is good

when there is tragedy around, the very sweetest things in life seem even more precious. coming home to my refuge of a house and being surrounded by lots of lovin boys reminds me on a daily basis how blessed i am.

my friends are willing and desiring to come and journey alongside me. my family is supportive and brokenhearted with me. my children, well, they remain adorable and very challenging.

brad is very instrumental in reminding me that it is a beautiful thing that my life doesnt stop so i can process things. my life is full, so full of fun and wonder and yes, sadness sometimes.

while we are waiting to hear back from the oar representative, i am reveling in the peace i find in christ jesus, i am delighting in the change of seasons, i am enjoying the fact that we are returned from getting groceries and i am planning to change my look completely by the next time we visit aldi's so the workers do not recognize me as the woman who let her kids run out into the parking lot alone while she chased them down with the cart. sigh, some things just dont change.

"Mom"

this term of endearment is one i cherish. i am honored to have two beautiful boys who call me mom. i hear them utter, shout, whisper, and lovingly say mom many, many times a day. most times, my heart just melts at the thought of the gift i have been given in this role of mothering these adorable boys.

now, when they scream "mom" just preceding the pukes like max did this week, my heart is less melty and more pained at the call to watch my baby suffer through the flu. yet, even then, i am so thankful it is me he wants. (however, i am happy to share this burden with the dada who has also been called before certain vomits)

bear has a cold he has been battling and calls for some comfort in the nighttime from his mom. i am tired and cozy in bed, yet drag myself out to snuggle with the sicky. i hold and comfort him before nestling him back in his crib and finally getting some rest. though his calls for mom might be met with loud sighs from me, i am so grateful it is my arms that provide his security and reassurance.

perhaps some of the reason behind how seriously i take the call to be a mom comes from my own fractured relationship with my mom. she has not been there for me when i call mom, instead, addiction answers. recent events have again brought her sorry fight to the forefront of my mind and life. my heart aches with desire for her to be well, and grief for what we have lost as mother and daughter. the coming days will be filled with additional discussions, professionals, efforts, and tears as we prepare to present her with one last choice for healing.

i praise the lord for his mercy and grace as he demonstrates the full measure of his faithfulness in my life and the life of my mom. i anticipate the day when there will be no more tears and no more hurt from this devestating disease of alcoholism. until that day comes, i fight for my mom and my own health in a world of sin and sickness. i take comfort in knowing i am not alone, but have the power and love of the creator by my side.

"You, my God, open your hand and satisfy the needs of every living thing" psalm 145:6
jesus, i am in need, as is my family, please help us to look to you for satisfaction and peace.

Look Who's Talking

sweet baby bear is learning, and utilizing, more words each and every day.

he has certainly mastered mom, and calls me to his crib every morning and naptime. he addresses me in such a commanding tone whether it is to show me something or just get my attention, it is a serious matter for the baby bear.

"all done" and "down" are other directions he says and expects immediate results.

wes says "num nums" for food, "minaMIN" for vitamin, a lispy little "es" for yes and a very clear "no".

wes has "uh-oh" and "oh-no" and "ouch" covered as he is quite accident prone. when i ask where his owie is located, he always points to his left hand and needs a kiss.

"pop", "dada", "beebee" (baby), "buh bye", "mas" for max, "eyes", are examples of his expanding vocab.

weston also uses his own little chitter chatter that he seems shocked that we cannot understand what he is asking for or telling us. bear will also repeat most everything you ask of him in an adorable little accent. the other day i was watching 18 kids and counting, thinking how in the world do they do that without cartoons, and one of the kids said eyes after which weston repeated "eyes" right away. a good reminder how impressionable this little man is already! having kids certainly inspires me to be the best godly example i can provide for their lives. i fall way short, but am also really wanting to demonstrate grace and mercy, so it kinda works out allright. :)

bear and i always get a little bonding time in the afternoon as maxer continues his nap a little longer than weston does. it is beautiful to get this alone time with my youngest (for now) and really admire the miracles god is doing already in his development. what a cute marvel he is, thank you jesus for blessing me with a walking, talking, bouncing baby boy. ( who just dumped my bowl of cantaloupe into the laundry basket full of clean clothes...) oh boys! makes me wonder about this baby #3, a house full of 3 boys? oh boy oh boy oh boy! we will have to wait and see

With Independence Comes

TROUBLE!

maxer has been achieving great things in the potty. he has been so self-sufficient that i have let him be alone in the bathroom, yet at the ready for the wiping assistance when needed. well, that was a mistake. this morning he had climbed the linen cabinet shelves to find some nail polish, open it, and paint the counter. (how does he even know what nail polish is? i so rarely wear it though i love the finished look of newly painted nails. my sis in law always has them so cute and i appreciate that very much. i digress.) all this happened in the time it would take to pee.

thankfully, max willingly cleaned up the polish and it readily came off using remover. a special thanks goes to bear for being such an assistant to a mess which he, for once, had nothing to do with making.

wonderful weekend

the week was full, and the weekend began even fuller. i worked on fri evening, brad on saturday, plowing had to be done, nursery duty called, and on and on. by the time i arrived home to wild boys on sat evening after spending it with 40 of the other wildest children attending ridge point's nursery, i was spent. thankfully, brad anticipated my own exhaustion, and his own after two nights in a row as primary caregiver to the two cutest boys ever. he had taken the boys to blockbuster and rented some movies. we plugged in up and snuggled down.

thus began an evening of entertainment and tears from me. sunday morning, we woke up and made cinnamon rolls together. after the delish feast, we all made "nests" in our bed and cuddled together under the comforter.

around lunchtime, we pulled ourselves from the down and got ready to fulfill my first craving of this pregnancy; a strawberry schipper whip from captain sunday. for those of you who have not been preggers, let me just clarify what a craving is: an overwhelming need, an obsession, one can hardly think of anything else. anywho, so brad indulged my desire for a slush mixed with ice cream and it was awesome. never before had i tasted one and today it sounds gross, but we preggers thrive on being random and unpredictable!

we went to arby's for lunch off the new dollar menu, though this did require several trips back up to the counter for more. then we stopped at family fare for a frozen pizza for supper.

driving home in the veen with the sun shining and the boys sleeping in the back, i looked over at the love of my life and realized why this series of relatively insignificant events made my heart so content. it was him. brad celebrated the fact that i desired to eat something, anything with this baby; he laughed at the boys' antics in public, and he gave up his one and only day off to make it a day of fun for the whole fam. thank you jesus for such a man and such a day.