Growing up Friends

The Frog Princess

2010-07-28T13:37:00.006-05:00

My girlie LOVES a critter! Yesterday she found a poor little toad, and begged to keep it. Being the softie that I am, I of course told them they could keep it...TEMPORARILY. So they spent the entire morning making a comfortable home for "Froggie, the Frog".

They were in and out the door a million times that morning gathering and working on making his home just perfect. Every amenity was thought about and provided: food, water, recreation, companionship.....AND......
and of course, ACCESSORIES!! Froggy's name was quickly changed to Frogalina, and donned a beautiful purple fairy skirt for the rest of the day. It was a sad, sad, moment when it was time to set her free. I'm telling ya, SAD!

10 Things I ♥ About Summer...

2010-07-14T23:53:00.004-05:00

10. Sleeping late. Even when my the troops don't...they're usually good to turn the T.V. on and let me snooze on the couch for at least 30 more minutes.

9. Not wearing makeup. My kids could care less if I am sporting mascara or lip gloss!

8. Mondays. Tim is off work on Monday's, and we get to spend the day together. Just us. We drop the munchkins off at summer care, and can do absolutely whatever we want. Nice.

7. No need for laying clothes out for the next day. I mean really, who cares if we get dressed or not?!

6. Swimming like fish. The kids love to swim, and it is an easy fun activity for all!! They would spend their entire summer in the water if I'd let them.

5. Embracing my insomniac ways..who cares what time i go to bed--see # 10.

4. Fresh tomatoes and sno cones. Well, not necessarily together. But those are my two most favorite summer treats. :)

3. Saturday yard sales. We load up the little monkeys, get doughnuts, and play movies in the van while we scout out the "perfect sale"!

2. Never knowing what day it is..every day is a Saturday!!!...well, except for Thursday afternoons when we miss Will's occupational therapy because I've completely lost track of the days.

1. Being a stay at home mom...well, when it's not driving me crazy of course! No really, I love getting to stay home and just be a mom. Right when we get in a groove, it's time to go back to work and school...I better go enjoy these last couple of weeks home!

Long time no blog...

2010-07-14T10:40:00.004-05:00

Ok, it's been months since I've posted! And before that, posting were very sporadic. The ease and speed of facebook has replaced my need to chronicle my life via blog. But, my husband has been assuring me that someday I'll regret giving it up. I hate to admit he's probably right! I do use this blog as a scrapbook of sorts, and I often refer back to it to remember important dates of things happened in our life....

All that to say, I'm back!!! Here's a quick picture post to take a peek at a few of the things we've been up to over the last few months...

** Miss Caroline has been quite busy growing up! Seriously, this kid is at a fun age. She's loosing teeth like crazy too!

** Will and Jack have been lil' ball players this summer. They both loved T-Ball. Who knew they'd both be left handed batters?!

** We went to Tulsa for a couple days and went to the zoo and the aquarium. I told the kids that sometimes I wished I had a shark cage to put them in at home!!

** My little hunter/gatherers. Well, technically just gatherers. They loved the blackberries so much, they all ended up with tummy aches!

More summer fun posts to come. After all, summer is almost over! Omg...as I typed that, my heart raced and I got sweaty. I ♥ summer and I don't want it to ever end!!!

Ahh....Spring Break

2010-03-23T11:40:00.003-05:00

Finally, some rest and relaxation! Well, if you can call it that with three kiddos on the loose! Really though, I am so enjoying being home with my kids and spending spring break home with no plans. We needed this time together....things have been crazy busy at school this time of year, which leaves less of mommy to go around. Our days have been filled with crafts and playing. Hopefully, I'll blink, and it'll be summer break...or is that wishful thinking?!?

Edible playdough....yummy!!!

Loving on daddy before bedtime. Melts.my.heart.

Recycled crayon project. Aren't these "crayon cookies" cool???

Bypassing naptime for some mostly quiet movie time.

To my sweet little 6 year old....

2010-02-25T08:16:00.002-06:00

I can't believe you are six today!!! Where has the time gone? Everyone always told me that "they grow up so fast"....well, it is so true! It seems like only yesterday I was rocking you to sleep. Now you're reading me bed time stories. You are growing up before my eyes...and I'm enjoying every minute of it! I hope you have a wonderful birthday today. I love you!!!!!

bittersweet

2009-12-15T19:36:00.009-06:00

How bittersweet it is to be celebrating the birthday of my little guys. I can't believe they are growing up so fast. Oh, how I miss those baby/toddler days, but love the "big kid" stage they are entering upon too! Happy birthday to my sweet 4yr old boys!

Will,
Here are just a few things I love about you on your 4th birthday:

You have such a unique and awesome sense of humor.
Your determined spirit helps you overcome many things that are difficult for you.
You are a leader, and think for yourself.
I consider you my miracle boy. When I was told you had CP, I often wondered if you would ever do things that other "regular" kids do....like ride a bike or play ball. It brings tears to my eyes as I watch you on your fourth birthday playing Wii boxing. I feel so blessed that you are unaffected by the CP, and do EVERYTHING any other kid your age does, even if it's a bit harder for you.
You march to the beat of your own drum (or trumpet), and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Jack,
Here are just a few things I love about you on your fourth birthday:

You are such a sensitive and lovable little boy. You still suck your thumb and need your silkie. It melts me.
You are such a mama's boy, and you still let me rock you when we watch tv.
I consider you to be my "bonus baby"...twin b...and thank God you were given to us.
You idolize your brother and sister. You want to be just like them, even though it drives them nuts most of the time.
You are "all boy". You love sports, trucks, trains, and ALL things boy!

To both of my boys,
Here are just a few things that I love about you being twins/brothers on your fourth birthday:

I hear you in your beds at night whispering and giggling.
You look out for eachother, especially at school.
Even though you may fight, you never hold a grudge.
Your conversations crack me up. Half the time I have NO IDEA what you guys are talking about, but you seem to always know what the other is saying.
When we're out and people who don't know you well ask which one of you is which, you try to trick them.

I love you boys!!! Happy Birthday!!!!

Girls will be girls......

2009-11-08T09:51:00.001-06:00

.....and boys will be boys!!!

They are definitely beginning to develop more defined roles around our household. :)

Trick - or - Treat

2009-10-31T21:25:00.003-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

We had a blast trick-or-treating this year. They really "got it" this year, and were super excited. They are at the perfect age. Easy to get in and out of the car, and big enough to actually walk down our street to trick-or-treat. They got tons of candy....so much that it just might last until next Halloween. Anyway, here's some pictures of our big night.

Little miss precious ladybug!

I love this picture of miss thang from the back. I think her little antennae poking up are too cute!

And little Will has run around screaming argh! since we got his costume weeks ago.

I couldn't get Jacker to stand still for more than 2 seconds so I could snap a picture of him...hence the blurriness of this shot. :)

Warning: Picture Overload!

2009-09-10T13:48:00.003-05:00

Wow, have things been busy around the Thomas house!!! We are all starting to adjust to starting school again, but we're not quite into the groove yet! If I could keep everyone well things would be much less stressful around here. Someone has been sick pretty much since school started! We did manage to sneak away for a little r&r over the long weekend. Here's our weekend in pictures.

Thanks Pootie and Icky Pop for letting us come and stay with you for the weekend. We had a great time and the kids are still talking about it!

Caroline is a Kindergartner!

2009-08-19T21:59:00.002-05:00

Well, my girlie started Kindergarten today!!!!! Again, too tired to go into too much detail....but....
she was pretty apprehensive at first (didn't cry though thanks to Pootie's bribing), and ended up LOVING everything about her first day! She can't wait to go back tomorrow. YAY!

A day of firsts!

2009-08-17T20:28:00.003-05:00

Today was the boy's first day of pre-k. I'm sure you can tell by the pictures how it went. I'm exhausted, and too tired to give all the details. Oh, and I just found out today at lunch that on Wednesday (the day I was expecting my classroom to be full of 20 kindergartners--ya know, a day and a half away) my room will be actually full of 1st graders.....which is why I'm too tired to blog. So much to do, so little time!!!!

New addition!

2009-08-05T14:01:00.002-05:00

This sweet little babe is the newest addition to our family. Konnor was born this morning 7lbs 4oz), and is just as precious as his big brother! My kids can't wait to get their hands on their new little cousin!

Sleeping peacefully....while he can...Karsen sure was "loving" on him at the hospital. Poor baby doesn't know what he's in for! ;)

Proud papa with his boys!

Are you kidding me?

2009-08-01T18:52:00.002-05:00

This is how daddy dresses us when mommy's not home to pick out our clothes!!!

When I got home this afternoon, this is what my children looked like. Their daddy is responsible for this creative little ensemble. The looks on their dirty faces with unkept hair says it all! I thought it was actually kinda funny when I thought that they had only been to grammie and pa's house for a visit. Then he tells me that they went to Sam's to pick up a few things....he assured me that they looked much better and more "put together" sitting in a shopping cart. Are you serious? I asked him if he would EVER wear one of those outfits himself. He only giggled and said that after he got them dressed, he knew it was wrong, but didn't have any better ideas!

I'll be sure to leave clothes out next time I'm gonna be gone for a while!!!!!

All Boy!

2009-07-26T10:11:00.004-05:00

This....

and this....
led to all this fun!

My dear little Jack has become OBSESSED with tools of all sorts. He started asking his daddy for screwdrivers and such, and Tim would give them to him, just thinking he was pretending. Well, that's what we get for thinking! This little guy meticulously unscrewed many many screws from his train table, and just couldn't get enough! He tried to unscrew the bolts from his bunk bed! So....

We made a deal with him...no more real tools in exchange for some cool new toy tools. Needless to say, they're a hit with everyone!

Movies, anyone?

2009-07-23T11:31:00.003-05:00

Our first movie experience as an entire family was an absolute success! I have taken the kids to the movies several times by myself, but this is the first time Tim has ventured out with us. We went to see UP. It was pretty good, and the kids loved the glasses and were GLUED to the screen, and their seats! The funny thing was, we were the ONLY ones in the theater!

2009-07-17T09:42:00.002-05:00

active

adventurous

adorable

and.....

WEARING. ME. OUT!

so....

if you're looking for me....

CHECK THE LOONEY BIN!!!

I'll do it if you do it....

2009-07-13T10:29:00.002-05:00

ONE, TWO, THREE....

JUMP!!

WE DID IT!!

The kids are little fishes this summer. They love the water, and are so easy in the pool! They have these swimsuits that have floaties built in, and they work beautifully. These pictures were at my mom's house. They can't touch the bottom at all in her pool, but absolutely love floating around and jumping off the side in their "muscle suits". We usually go swimming 2 or three days a week, and it is always fun for all!

Much needed time with my girlie!

2009-07-09T23:11:00.003-05:00

Caroline and I headed out on the town for a much needed girls night out. She and I very rarely get alone time, and we decided we were overdue for some fun time together. I adore this little girlie!!Here we are ready to head out to go see Hannah Montana at the movies. I giggle when I look at this picture because I think we do NOT look like mother/daughter. Lately more and more people have told me that she looks just like me, but I just don't see it. I guess I need to pull out pictures from when I was her age to compare!
Absolutely mesmerized by the HM movie! She didn't eat any of her popcorn because she was too busy watching!
Next stop: to paint some pottery, of course! This was right up her alley. She is so artsy, and we painted forever! That silly purse she is painting in this picture got painted over SEVERAL times. It ended up being blue with polka dots and fireworks.

Then we topped off our evening with a little ice cream. The perfect ending to a perfect night with my little sis. We're definitely gonna need to do this more often!

What we've been up to lately....(a long, long post!)

2009-07-06T23:25:00.007-05:00

Wow, these past few weeks have been a whirlwind at the Thomas house. We have been super busy just playing and enjoying our summer. It has been so much fun to stay home and hang with the kiddos over the past month. School is quickly approaching though, and I can't believe my baby girl is starting Kindergarten. How is that possible?!? Anyway, here's a look at some things we've been up to around here...(brace yourself, this is a long post!)

Bunk Beds!!! The boys got bunk beds. Jack is still not quite so sure about sleeping in them, but he has a grand time playing on them. They double as a pirate ship during non sleeping hours. Too fun. They take turns sleeping on the top (even Caroline), which is apparently a big deal!

Here is Miss Thang modeling her new dress I made her for the 4th of July. I have taken a more active interest in sewing, although I still need lots of practice....and a new sewing machine (hint hint honey!). It's great fun though, and I'm having a blast experimenting with my new seamstress skills. Hopefully I'll learn to sew a stitch STRAIGHT soon....I guess crooked seams give my pieces character, right?

The kiddos have swam like little fishies this summer. These pictures are at Kakie's house. She is gracious enough to let us swim at our convenience. Willie thinks this is "one" of his pools. Too cute. Caroline is super close to being able to swim alone. Just a little more practice, and she'll be on her own in no time! This is such an easy activity for me do do with the kids alone. I just hang out on a raft, or in a ring while they wear themselves out. It makes for a nice long afternoon of napping!

Several nights a week, William wakes up having nightmares. He swears that monsters are in his room trying to get him. Poor little guy gets distraught over these said monsters. This picture was the other morning. He woke up in his monster tizzy early in the morning before Tim went to work, and he let him crawl in bed with mommy. Daddy happened to snap a picture us two sleeping beauties!

Having popsicles in the pool at our house is one of our favorite activities. On this day, Katie Mae came over to swim with us. Pettigrew usually brings her kids for a play date at least a couple times a week. It's been good for both the kids and the mommies!

We do a lot of outdoor activities when it's not too hot! Here they were painting murals on the back deck. Quite the little Picasso's don't ya think? We usually spend mornings outside playing and jumping on the trampoline before I can't take the heat anymore. They do pretty good playing out back and entertaining themselves on their own....Thank goodness!

Just hanging out and being silly....what Jacker is best at! At least he has on a helmet instead of pink dress up clothes (which is often for all of them around here). He is probably watching Transformers on the TV, which has become an obsession for ALL of them. They love anything that has to do with Transformers, and we have begun quite the collection--which is way expensive for silly plastic figurines!! Caroline and Jack have taken an active interest in watching Hannah Montana too. Caroline is just into it, and Jack loves the pretty girls! Will could care less.

This little brood of ducks, or geese (whatever they are!) visit our house daily. Yep, that is our front yard. Crazy, I know. They come every morning, and then usually in the evening too. The kids were obsessed at first, but now just say in passing, "look the ducks are in the yard".
Ok, I feel like I can begin blogging regularly now that I am "caught up". I was feeling overwhelmed because I haven't posted in so long, and had too many pictures. But I did want to post, because I wanted to be able to look back and see how I spent my summer days....because I WILL forget when life happens.

Speaking of which, we went to the dentist last week and got a good report on all three kiddos. Yay for healthy teeth!!! Okay, I'm done.

Long time no blog...

2009-07-04T11:47:00.006-05:00

I know I haven't posted in FOREVER....just yesterday Tim asked me if I was "done" with blogging. Absolutely not!!! We have just been so busy playing and enjoying the summer that it has kinda taken the back burner. I have a bunch of pictures saved that I plan on posting in the near future of some of the fun things we've been up to.

Until then, here are some pictures of the kids enjoying their new sandbox. Tim filled up the bottom part of their swing set with sand, and they LOVE it. He also hung their new helicopter swing we picked up from a yard sale about a month ago.

I love this picture of the boys on the teeter totter. They kept balancing each other out. I'm guessing they weight the same these days. Too cute.

The ONLY good thing about having a broken dryer...

2009-06-22T10:56:00.005-05:00

is watching my little boy idolize his daddy, and try to be just like him.

Thank goodness Tim is so patient, and doesn't seem to notice the obnoxious "talking drill" Jacker is using.

Now, hopefully "they" can figure out what's wrong with my poor dryer, and get it working SOON!

Thank you Tim...

2009-06-21T10:52:00.005-05:00

...for constantly putting together transformers.
...for wiping noses and bottoms.
...for scaring the monsters away.
...for tucking sweet little ones into bed.
...for your patience, when mine is gone.
...for your love that shines through.
...for the special relationship you have with each one of our babies.
...for getting up early every Saturday and Sunday so I can sleep in.
...for financial and emotional stability.
...for roughhousing, even though it makes me nervous.
...for your gentle nature.
...for being such a role model.
...for being the best father any mother dreams of!!!

Points to ponder...

2009-06-17T23:08:00.002-05:00

...Being a working mother is HARD.
Being a stay at home mom is equally as HARD.
Both are very fulfilling, albeit in very different ways.
I am very grateful that I get to experience both of these worlds.
If I had to choose, I'm not sure which I'd pick!...
so, I'm guessing I'll probably just stick with teaching school so I don't have to pick.

Child labor.....

2009-06-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

They've got to earn their keep, right????

Our day in pictures...

2009-06-10T21:27:00.003-05:00

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE being a teacher in summer?!?

Did you know?

2009-06-09T09:13:00.002-05:00

That every minute of every day for the past 18 years I've had this on my lips? Yep, carmex. Love it. It is like a security blanket for me. I have a tube of it stashed EVERYWHERE. For my 30th birthday, Pettigrew bought me 40 tubes of this stuff and gave one to each of the kids to give to me. It was supposed to be kinda like a gag gift, but I seriously was super duper thankful. It is one of the best presents I've ever gotten. Anyway, just wanted to give you a little glimpse into the seriousness of this addiction. These are just the few tubes I found lying around...there is no telling how many are actually stuck here and there. All this to say....
I quit! I have been carmex free for almost 3 days now!! Why, you might ask? Well, I get really bad cold sores, which I had this past weekend (and still do-ugh!). Anyway, I would put carmex on, rub my lips together, and they would spread around. Yuck. Then I met this lovely little earthy shop owner in Eureka springs, who convinced me that the carmex was attributing to the length and severity of the cold sores. So, I gave it up. It's been really hard, and I want to scream! But, I hope it will be worth it in the long run.
The kiddos did the honors of squeezing out the tubes into the trash before they threw them away. So fun....for them anyway! Although this whole post seems trivial to most, it is a huge moment in my life. I'll keep everyone posted as to how this whole thing plays out!

Meet Rolie...

2009-06-08T10:53:00.005-05:00

he's dead. This is what Caroline looked like when she discovered her pet rollie died...

One last picture with rollie before he is gone forever.

Digging a final resting spot.

Just a little deeper....

Just perfect...now may he rest in peace.

The perfect flower to adorn the grave of dear rollie.

Oh, and can you tell I got a new camera and am loving taking some new pictures?!...even if it is of bugs!!!

10 years

2009-06-05T00:24:00.006-05:00

When Tim and I began dating I was 19 yrs. old and still living at home. One day my dad walked in the room to see me trying to program a phone number in the cordless phone. We had just started dating, and my dad made an ugly comment something to the effect of he didn't understand why I was programming his number in the phone, he's only temporary. This infuriated me, and to just irritate me more, my dad and brothers began to call him "temporary Tim".....

.....Well Dad, if you're reading this, we've made it 10 years (12 yrs. since that incident)--so, I'm thinking you were wrong with the whole temporary thing! Ten years! I can't believe it.

When I was a little girl, I used to dream about getting married and having a family of my own. I'm living that dream (only sometimes it's a little LESS dream like than I had envisioned :)...and I can't imagine sharing my life with anyone else!!! I feel like we have kinda "grown up" together. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are the most patient, loving, and kind husband and father a girl could ask for. Thank you. I'm looking forward to spending the next 10 50 years together. Now we're off on a little getaway to take a break from the kiddos and enjoy some alone time together. Thanks mom and grammie for watching the kids!!!!!!

Oh, and mom, I'm expecting a picture of Tim and I in the Sunday paper. ha ha! (I always said that I was gonna put our picture in the paper if we made it 10 years)

Look who got a new computer...

2009-06-02T13:18:00.003-05:00

Caroline's Graduation

2009-05-27T23:57:00.006-05:00

This past week was my girlie's pre-K graduation. I can't believe she'll be starting Kindergarten in the fall. Oh, how fast she is growing up! She and I had so much fun getting her all ready. She just giggled and stared at herself in the mirror as I curled her hair and put lip gloss on her. She was genuinely sweet all evening (which doesn't happen often-ha!), which made for a memorable night.
This was her before we left for the program. She's modeling her new graduation dress. Click here for the whole story behind the dress.

Singing on the stage at the program. She was a very serious and timid little singer, but did chime in on every word of every song. But I could tell it was kinda stressful for her. She had a solo (just a few words), and did AWESOME!!!

Ahh...now the fun part. Refreshments were served, and the stress just melted away!

She was so proud of her flowers I surprised her with. It was so cute to see how happy those silly flowers made her! I feel like she looks about 8 in this picture....definitely doesn't look like a fresh five year old.

Caroline and her BFF Sydney. These two are inseparable. I love to watch her chat and interact with her little friends. They all definitely act like they are five going on fifteen! It left a lump in my throat as I watched her playing with all of her little friends tonight. She has been in school with them since she was 18 months old....now they will all be going to different schools for kindergarten. There are a couple of her little friends that we will probably keep in touch with though.

I'm having problems trying to post the video of her singing, but I'll keep trying....she only sings a few words. But, those few words are absolutely adorable!! I was surprised and impressed with Caroline's sweet little voice. She sounded pretty good! Grammi says she thinks that she could be as good as cousin Mary someday if she'd break out of some of that shyness.

Anyway, we had a great time tonite, and we got a lot of mommy daughter bonding time in. Fun stuff!!

Will and Jack's Graduation

2009-05-27T21:50:00.009-05:00

Today was the boy's preschool graduation program. It was great fun. ~~Both of the boys~~ One of the boys had a speaking part and ~~they~~ Will sang a few songs. Then they got diplomas and had refreshments at the reception. I just can't believe how big my babies are getting!! Can I just tell you, these two melt my heart!!

This was after the program was over. They gave the kids out candy for doing so well....I'm guessing Jack got candy for just being so dang cute.

This is Tommie, Will's girlfriend. They are absolutely smitten. She has him wrapped around her little finger. She says jump, and he says how high??

This first video clip is of Jack trying to explain to BOTH of his teachers that he had changed his mind, and would NOT like to talk in the microphone. The teachers spent about a minute or so (which seemed like FOREVER) trying to convince him, but he was having NO part of it. It just melted me, and at the same time it was gut wrenching....I could see the terror on his face, and his little lips were just quivering. I wanted to run up to that stage, scoop him up, and make it all better. Oh, and please watch Will (far right in blue shirt) at the end....he lifts up his shirt and shows his belly to everyone. Silly boy.

The next clip is of ~~them~~ Will singing. Please notice that Jack is still traumatized after the whole speaking part situation (which was at the beginning of the program). He turned around toward the teacher the rest of the time, while everyone else sang and carried on. He pretended like he wasn't there. It was precious......both of them. So fun to get to see them side by side in a situation like this, and look at how differently they react to the same situation.

The last video is of Will saying his speaking part. You can't hear him very well....I took the video with my point and shoot camera. But, he did the closing prayer, and a fabulous job I might add. It went something like this:

Let us pray (I didn't get that part on video). Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for this day and we love you. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen. It was the cutest, sweetest thing ever!

Only 7...

2009-05-19T23:03:00.002-05:00

...more days until I get to hang out with these precious little faces all day every day for a couple months. I'm sooooooo ready!!!

I'm "that" Mother

2009-05-14T23:13:00.002-05:00

Yep, I let Jacker wear THIS to school today. It was totally not worth the fight this morning...and really, he thought he was being quite fashion forward, and I didn't have time to argue with him!!!

Heavy Heart

2009-05-13T21:36:00.004-05:00

There is a "situation" with one of my kiddos in my class that is weighing very heavy on my heart and mind right now. I can't go into details, but I can tell you that I've not experienced anything like this in education thus far.....and it's tearing me up.

So.....if you're reading this, and if you're the praying type......Please say a prayer for this child and their family.

C.E.L.E.B.R.A.T.E.

2009-05-11T20:46:00.013-05:00

We are celebrating Will today, with a little trip to the ice cream shop....

because....after 3.5 years of hard work
....today marks a huge milestone for him/us.
My baby boy graduated from.....
physical therapy!!!!
Yay Will!!!!!!!!!!

I am teary eyed as I type this. For those of you who know us, know that little Willie has gone to physical therapy every week since he was three months old. He has mild cerebral palsy, and has always been developmentally behind his age group of peers. Well, not anymore (when it comes to gross motor skills)!!! Today was his yearly re-evaluation for P.T.....and he no longer qualifies. This is like a dream come true for me.

When we got the diagnosis of cerebral palsy (he was about 18 months old), I was filled with many emotions. I was crushed, of course. I wanted to have the ideal "perfect" child....and this made me admit that my baby wasn't "normal". On the flip side, I knew that it could be so much worse. I DO realize this, and thank God every day that he is able to run around and play. We have worked so hard, as a family, to help Will get stronger....and to be able to do all of the things his brother and sister do. Well, today was our payoff. He still will be seen by our physical therapist one time per month, and will still go and get fitted for the braces he wears on his feet. Once a month seems so refreshing!

Now our focus will be on Occupational therapy. We go every week to work on fine motor and sensory integration issues. We have a long way to go in both of those areas, but feel confident we will make progress.

We have decided to go ahead with the developmental evaluation in NW Arkansas. We were referred by our O.T. and Pediatrician. They will be conducting a series of screening inventories to determine the possible causes for some of Will's social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive issues. I wasn't sure if I was going to go this route, but we decided that it was best for our family to move forward with the testing. I guess I am struggling with this decision because I just feel confused. I have a hard time articulating to others, the problems we are encountering. I often wonder if the brain injury he has is a factor. I have read some things about kids with PVL often have behavior and social issues. So, that may be just it, although I'm not sure. But at the same time, I need some help parenting. I need tools and strategies that will work for our family, and help me to be a better mother. But......more on that later, when I finish filling out the PAGES of paperwork for the appt.

Anyway, I'm so proud of my little boy.....and commend all of his hard work and always striving to be independent. Hopefully, this is the first of many huge accomplishments he will make in his lifetime!!!!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:56:00.008-05:00

I can't imagine my life without these children it it. So much of who I am is defined by being "mom". This Mother's Day I feel so blessed to have such beautiful, happy, and healthy children. I love you Caroline, Will, and Jack!

OMG!

2009-05-07T17:48:00.003-05:00

Can you please look at this poor baby? This morning Jack woke up and was complaining about 2 mosquito bites he apparently got last night. He was pretty swollen then, but this is how the bites progressed throughout the day. Oh, and did I mention he is severely allergic to mosquito bites. See for yourself.

This first picture doesn't do justice to the amount of swelling. Do you see how his right ear sticks out, and the left one doesn't. Yep, it's that swollen.
Doesn't that look miserable? He whines about the one on his ear more, but messes with the one on his wrist more. His daycare called about 10 am. and said he had fever, and that they were oozing. Miserable!

Here you see how far underneath his ear he is swollen, and the massive area on his wrist. Tim took him to the pediatrician. I thought we should just start out mosquito season going on in....so they wouldn't think I was just being dramatic in the future when I call and say that we have fever due to mosquito bites.....And it WILL happen in the future. UGH! Anyway, we're on a steroid and an antibiotic. Hopefully he will be feeling a little better soon.

sink bath

2009-05-06T18:47:00.004-05:00

I couldn't resist posting these cute bathtub pics....I figure the kids are finally to the age where I'll have to stop taking pictures of them in the tub. So, here's probably our last bathtub pictures. They have recently discovered the fun of taking a "sink bath". We haven't taken sink baths in ages. But, everyone still fits, and they beg to get in it. I can't believe how fast these kiddo's are growing up. It seems like yesterday when the boys were tiny, and I used to lay them in this sink together for a bath.

Top 10...

2009-05-05T22:54:00.007-05:00

Top ten reasons why I am OVERWHELMED with my life right now (because this is my blog and I can vent if I want to!).....in no particular order:

10. Rain...my kids are stir crazy and I think they're gonna blow at any given moment.

9. Rain...my students at school are stir crazy (they haven't been outside to play in over a week) and I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!

8. ELDA testing. You fellow teachers know what I'm talking about.

7. My children's preschool. I'm having major issues with some things going on there. Let's just say that I'm not happy in the least, and counting the days (14.5 to be exact) until we walk away for good.

6. New carpet at school...which means that EVERYTHING in my classroom has to be boxed up by the last day of school...EVERYTHING! Every item on every shelf must be in boxes. Do you know how much crap Kindergarten teachers have????

5. New Grant. We have this new grant at school, and it is very time consuming and deep. It is great, but it requires a lot of research and studying. I am up EVERY night until at least 11:00 "working and learning" (as we call it in the classroom) to build a new foundation for every aspect of my professional life.

4. Schizophrenia. Ok, not really...but sometimes I feel like it. I feel like I am being pulled in so many different directions. Sometimes I can't decide what task on my "to do" list is most important, or most attainable......so I do nothing. Yep, nothing. Well, maybe facebook or blogging, but that's important too right?

3. Will. The Occupational Therapist recommended that we have William screened again with a developmental psychologist. It has been about a year since all of that grueling testing (cognitive, behavioral, developmental, autism spectrum testing) . The neuropsychologist said to come back in 9 to 12 months to check for progress. I just kinda put it out of my mind and tried to forget there were any problems (denial is a happy place), but was reminded by an outside professional who has much experience with children w/ disabilities, that she was seeing many behavioral/social/emotional/cognitive "red flags".....OUCH!

2. My house is a DISASTER. Laundry, mess, and clutter have taken over!

1. I feel like a bad mother. I am so busy with work and day to day survival things that I forget to enjoy my kids. It's not their fault that I have a lot on my plate. Every day I pray for patience. Usually by the end of a long school day my patience is gone, and my family feels the brunt of that. I am doing my best.....I just hope it's good enough. Thank goodness children are so forgiving, and don't seem to notice I'm frazzled. I thank God for them every day, and am so blessed to have happy, healthy kiddos.

So, there you have it. Hopefully I'll pull myself out of this funk I'm in, and have a trivial, normal, day to day post soon. Until then....thanks for listening!

PS. My computer has powered off at least 6 times while I have been typing this post. DAMN RAIN!

Silliness with Sissy!

2009-05-02T20:34:00.003-05:00

Today was girl's day out for Caroline and I. We went shopping for her a "graduation" dress. She has preschool graduation coming up, and is obsessed about a new dress. Here's how the obsession started........

In December, she had a Christmas program at her school. There was a note that went home informing parents that the boys need to wear slacks and the girls should wear dresses. Well, the note went home on a day that Tim picked up the kids. So.......it got thrown in his truck and I never even knew a note about proper attire even existed. Therefore, the day of the program, I sent Caroline in red and white striped leggings and a precious Christmas shirt and a big red bow. She looked absolutely adorable......

But---all of her friends had on "program dresses". She was the only girl there without a dress on. You can imagine the drama! And she has been traumatized ever since. I told her that day that the next program she had a school she could pick out any dress she wanted. Well, today was the day to make good on my word.

I went with the mindset that she could pick out any dress she wanted, no matter how much I hated it or how hideous it was. We tried on A LOT of dresses. And she finally picked the perfect princess dress for graduation (that will have a navy blue graduation gown over it ;) ). It DEFINITELY would not have been my choice.....but it could have gone much worse!!!

Anyway, here's some silly pictures we took before we left today.

Random C.U.T.E.N.E.S.S.

2009-04-25T22:26:00.004-05:00

Do you know how RARE it is to snap a shot of all 3 of my kiddos to look at the camera at the same time...AND smile????? Pretty rare.
All the time people ask me if Will and Jack are identical....are you kidding me??? I don't think they even look like brothers these days, much less twins!! They share the same birthday, which is basically where the likeness between the two end. Do you notice the same, but different clothes???? I'm branching out....although it's about to give me an anxiety attack. I think you have to be a twin mama to understand.

Yes, Caroline is playing with her pet worm(s). She got it today at my mom's house...thanks mom! Did you sense any sarcasm there? Ok, there has been more drama and fighting over this worm...It was in the van in a bucket of dirt, tumped over and fell out (did I say thanks mom?)....but it didn't just fall out--it fell into the crevice where the seat (if it were actually in the van) would anchor to the floor. Meltdown of course. Daddy saved the day and dug the little guy out. But, there's dirt all over the van now (Mom, have I thanked you yet?) and then we had a new meltdown about there not being enough dirt for the poor little worm. So....daddy to the rescue again. He went outside and came back with a bucket of dirt...AND ANOTHER WORM!!! (Mom, I'd like to say thank you for this one as well. No need for extra dirt if...you get the point!) So now we are a two worm family!!!

hello, it's Heather....I'm hacking in to Jenna's blog....

2009-04-23T19:59:00.004-05:00

and you better believe she has NO IDEA! (ha! she gave me her password when i redid her blog- heehee) So, it just occurred to me that, although yesterday was Jenna's birthday...she somehow forgot to mention it on this little bloggy blog. So, being that sweet sister-in-law that I am.....I decided an intervention was necessary. SOOOOOO, let's all wish Jenna (Nenna, as my family calls her) a HHHAAAPPPPPPPPYYY 31st BIRTHDAY!!!!

ok...it's the only recent pic of Nenna I had on my computer...it's at Easter, and she is gettin' her grove on to the Cha-Cha Slide!

Go Jenna...It's your birthday!!!!

hrk

Those were the days....

2009-04-20T23:17:00.005-05:00

....when all I had to worry about.......... was which dress up clothes I was gonna wear!!!!!!!
Oh, to be young and carefree again!!!.....and to not stress about posting a picture where you can see all the trash lurking under my couch. Couldn't crop that out! Oh well, that's just how I roll.

****BTW--I took Will to the doctor today. I noticed a rash on him last night. It didn't go away, so we headed to the pediatrician. It was strep throat......WHAT?! We've had strep throat PLENTY of times around my house. I know what the strep rash looks like. But, usually the rash is accompanied by sore throat, fever, crankiness, etc. So, I never anticipated it was scarlatina. Will's symptoms.....only a rash!! So weird. He doesn't act like there is a thing wrong with him. Good for me---bad for daycare. He has now effectively exposed his entire class! So, you might ask, is he going to school tomorrow? You better bet he is!!!! I mean, the damage is already done, right?....and he'll have already had 3 doses of antibiotics by the time he goes to school in the morning.

OUCH!!!

2009-04-18T08:53:00.004-05:00

Jacker was NOT smiling about this when it happened!!! That is a bite mark--that broke the skin and was bleeding profusely and is now swollen, though on the mend. This happened on Thursday at school. I am not one of those parents who gets all in a tizzy about biting....it happens, I get that. I just wish it didn't happen to my kid!!! None of my kids have ever been biters, (thank goodness) because I'm sure that would be just as hard as your child getting bit.

BUT...don't you think 3 and a half is a little old to still be biting?

Happy Rainy Easter!

2009-04-12T09:33:00.004-05:00

Rain can't spoil our Easter fun! This year the Easter bunny hid eggs on our screened in porch because of the rain. So....when we got up, we headed out to hunt for eggs. Then we went inside to check out our treasures. Later in the morning, Tim looked outside and saw eggs in the front yard too!!!! We have no idea how they got there, because we were just sure that the Easter bunny only hid eggs on the porch. Hmm.....such a mystery. Of course we collected those eggs in the rain--and had a blast!

Twas the night before Testing...

2009-04-06T22:06:00.006-05:00

My very own little five year old helped me sharpen many, many, many.....

bright yellow pencils........
So........
My five year old students at school

can SIT QUIETLY AT A TABLE .....

and fill in the bubble answers to a standardized test....

for 1 HOUR AND TEN MINUTES.....

of PURE torture (for them AND me)!!!!!!

Just to repeat this whole process again the next day. Ugh.

My Painting is finished!!!

2009-04-01T21:22:00.004-05:00

Those of you who read my friends and families' blogs know about the oil painting show we went to not so long ago at Lesli's house. Well, this is the picture I had painted. The second shot is the painting of it. I love it!!!! I was nervous at first because they weren't sure if it would turn out okay because it had three people in it....but I am so pleased with it. I can't wait to get it and see it in person.

This is such a great representation of my kids and their relationship they have with each other. It speaks to me in many different ways....and is very symbolic of each of their personalities. It makes me love the painting that much more!!!

Grace...

2009-04-01T00:20:00.006-05:00

...Yep, that's me. I'm sporting this uber cool big, bulky, itchy, scratchy, wrist splint these days.
What happened, you might ask?..... Well, this happened....

No, it wasn't any one's birthday, but Caroline found this banner and desperately wanted to have a pretend birthday party. So, being the cool mom that I am, said sure honey I'll hang birthday decorations for nobody's birthday party. Anything to keep the peace, right?

Well, as I was hanging these lovely decorations (Sat. evening), I stepped down off the stepstoool -backwards, of course- and on to a toy fire truck. That truck rolled right away, with me on it! Are you getting a visual? Yep, I fell.....HARD.

So, when it was still throbbing Sunday afternoon I headed to ProMed. I had xrays and it is not broken....but he said that where the bones connect on the right side of my wrist, there is a big gap between the bones and that I have more than likely torn ligaments. So I'm sporting this nifty wrist brace for almost 2 weeks. And let me tell ya--it hurts!

If it's not better in two weeks I will need to get an MRI to see what's going on in there. But--surely I'll be healed up way before that. Until then, I'm taking anti-inflamitory meds to help the healing process. I guess it's always something around here!!!

Baby Henry

2009-03-26T13:25:00.005-05:00

My BFF Heather Pettigrew delivered her sweet baby boy today. Mama and baby are doing great! Hop on over to her blog for more pictures of this little guy.

Rainy day fun ö

2009-03-24T13:26:00.005-05:00

Today was a "yucky blucky" (stole that term from Junie B. Jones--all you moms of young ones are with me aren't ya?!) day outside. It was rainy and wet, so we decided to make our own fun inside. I stretched old wrapping paper across the length of our kitchen wall and we painted a spring mural. They painted for about an hour......which is the equivalent of a full day for a toddler! The experience really captured, and kept, their attention.

Do you see how intent and focused they all are?

Caroline is such a little artist.

Jacker is a very messy painter.....but had a great time nonetheless. He is much like Caroline--very artistically inclined.

.....and then there was Willie. Willie wanted to be the boss of who painted what, and direct the whole operation. But when it came to the actual painting, he did a lot of asking for help and saying that he "couldn't do it bery good." By the end he had gained some confidence and was taking some artistic risks!

I ♥ this picture. It captures just how serious she is about painting.....and I love, love, love the profile. I could just eat her up!!!

TA DA.....The finished product

We ♥ doughnuts

2009-03-21T12:05:00.004-05:00

This =

Sugar
Induced
Silliness

And

Complete

Delirium

That goes

On....

And on....

and on!

Spring Break, and we're sick already

2009-03-20T18:20:00.003-05:00

I was so pumped about today being my last day of work before spring break.....Then I picked up my kids. The boys BOTH have fever. Ugh! What a way to start our break. I guess we'll be headed to the clinic in the morning. I'm guessing they probably both have strep throat because Caroline had it last week. The story of my life!!

Alive and Well....

2009-03-15T09:40:00.005-05:00

Yep, the Thomas family is still around. It's just that the Thomas mamma is crazy busy these days. We received a new grant at school, which has left me SWAMPED with things to do at work. Just when I thought things were slowing down, this week is parent teacher conferences, and Pettigrew's last week at work before she has little Henry....which means we'll be scrambling this week getting ready for a sub for the rest of the year! I guess it's always something!

Anywho, the kids are great. Caroline had a bout with strep throat this past week, but is almost fully recovered. Here are a couple pics. of the kids from this morning. This afternoon is Karsen's first birthday party, so I'll be posting more pics. later today.

I wished they loved each other and were this happy all the time!!!
Caroline is giving her pony a makeover. She's a girly girl!

Ahhh....

2009-03-06T23:32:00.005-06:00

That, my friends is a sigh of relief! I do believe my life has just gotten a bit easier. Will and Jack have learned how to put their clothes on ALL BY THEMSELVES!

I know, you're probably thinking I'm crazy to devote a post about something so trivial. But, this certainly makes a huge difference in the morning trying to get everyone ready and out the door on time! They are so proud, and seem to have a great sense of accomplishment. And now there's hope for me to get to work on time....maybe.

That's it for now, just wanted to share my happy dance. Now I'm off to bed to get my beauty sleep....I have a workshop early in the morning--yes, on a Saturday!!! :o

Records of Criminal Background Checks Run in Arkansas

2009-03-05T00:29:00.003-06:00

This is kinda scary. If you live in AR check out this site. All of my personal info. (ss#, drivers license #, birthday, etc) has been lost (and potentially exposed), along with about 800,000 Arkansans. This came to my attention through an email from work. The following is one of the articles linked to the email. You can read the original version here.

Records of Criminal Background Checks Run in Arkansas
Potentially Exposed

The Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS) was informed at the end of
January that a vendor providing secure off-site storage for electronic records and computer
files was unable to locate a DIS computer tape in its inventory. The tape contained information
from criminal-background checks run on approximately 807,000 people over at least 12 years.
The vendor, Information Vaulting Services (IVS), had records showing the tape in its
possession, but a thorough search of their facility failed to turn up the tape. Arkansas State
Police has investigated and to this point has found no evidence of an intentional security breach
or other wrongdoing. IVS believes there is little risk that this information has been
compromised. Nonetheless, since IVS cannot account for the tape, DIS officials have decided to
take the precautionary measure of alerting the public about the potential exposure of this
information.

"We have taken every step possible to recreate where the loss of these backup tapes
occurred, and these tapes were redundant, second extra copies, of information," Danny Palo,
Chief Operating Officer of IVS, said. "This is the first time in six years of service to DIS that this
has happened. IVS has immediately taken steps to tighten procedures that will virtually
eliminate the possibility of this ever happening again.”

Anyone who has undergone a criminal-background check in Arkansas since the mid-1990s, and wants to know if his/her personal information was included on the lost computer tape, can find out either by phone or on the Internet. By calling 1-888-682-0411 or going online
to notify.arkansas.gov, interested parties can determine if their name is on the list by entering
or sharing their first name, last name at the time of the background check and their date of
birth. No other personal information will be asked for, even for verification purposes. The call
center will be staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m.

While IVS stresses that it believes that there is little chance of this information being
compromised, anyone concerned can obtain a free credit report as provided by federal law. By
visiting annualcreditreport.com, consumers can check their credit activity through one of the
three major credit bureaus to look for any unauthorized credit activity. Consumers are allowed
one report from each of the three bureaus every twelve months.

DIS keeps backup copies of this information offsite to comply with federal standards and
to ensure that the information is accessible should the original versions become unavailable
through disaster or malfunction. In addition, DIS has encrypted backup information stored off
site for enhanced security.

Furry Friend

2009-03-03T00:09:00.004-06:00

Did you know I got a guinea pig? Yep, you heard me. Well, actually I got it for my kids at school. For those of you who know me well, you know that I am NOT an animal person! So, you may be asking yourself, how did this come to be? Well.......

At my school we got this mega money grant. Our school has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, to hire this ELL (English Language Learner) guru to come in and better equip us to teach our ELL's. Which is great because......80% of the students in my class are ELL's. Anyhoo....

We are learning to lower the affective filter in the classroom, and get these kids to feel emotionally "invested", yada yada yada. So, hence the class pet. I introduce to you.....

DIEGO

This picture just doesn't do him justice. He is the sweetest little guy ever! We have bonded, and he thinks I'm his mama. I know, just what I need...another little one to take care of! Heather, I just might have Diego painted at your art show coming up!!!

Thrifty

2009-03-01T09:23:00.005-06:00

Every Sunday morning I sit at the kitchen table and clip coupons from the newspaper. Recently the kids have become interested in how it works. So, if they go to the store with me, they get to hold the coupons we're going to use that day, and we talk a lot about how they help us save money.

I let them cut out the coupons that I'm not going to use, and they love it! I guess it's never too early to teach the the importance of saving money!....and sharpen their cutting skills. These pictures are from this morning.
Do you see how serious everyone looks? Lots of concentration going on. They sat for about 30 minutes cutting out their coupons and chatting about all the pictures.

This is what the table looked liked in the process! Gotta go....I'm off to clean up the mess.

Happy Birthday Caroline!

2009-02-24T21:44:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Little Miss Caroline! Wow, already 5! Here's a look back at previous birthdays...

This was her first birthday. What a cutie!
2nd birthday....I love that golden wispy toddler hair.

You can tell by the look in her eyes...age three is when she started to truly get her "sass" on!

4th birthday. This was the first time she had a party with school friends. It was so cute to see the developing friendships at age 4!

5th birthday...all grown up! She is becoming quite the little teacher these days. I'm still trying to decide if that's a good thing!?!

Caroline is sooooo excited about turning 5. She'll be even more excited when she wakes up and realizes that my "stay young forever fairy dust" doesn't work!! I love you sissy.

Seems like just yesterday...

2009-02-23T23:35:00.004-06:00

I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of our Caroline Grace. I have a hard time coming to grips with the fact that my BABY is turning 5 this week!!!! I keep teasing her telling her that I'm gonna get out the fairy dust that will make her little forever. Seriously though, 5???????
This was the morning I delivered her. Everyone always used to ask me if I was sure there was only one baby in there. Little did we know at the time.....yes, this body can stretch WAY bigger! ;o

She was the sweetest, most scrumptious baby I've ever seen. Actually, she still is! It seems as though my baby is growing up faster than the speed of light! Tonight, out of the blue she asked me when she was going to get her adenoids taken out. What? I guess it was just a reminder that she is growing up!

Birthday Girl

2009-02-21T19:50:00.010-06:00

Caroline is turning 5 on Wednesday, and we had her party today. It was at Cheer Xtreme, and a great time was had by all! It was so cute to see her with all of her little friends running around, squealing, and having a girly good time!

Blowing out her candles on her precious poodle cake...the cake has a whole nightmare story in and of itself. Another day. :)

Yummy yummy! She was in awe of all her presents.

Caroline and some of her BFF's. There were about 10 squealy little girls there. The only boys were her brothers and Karsen. I'm good with that for the rest of her life!!!ha

I could just eat this little one up!! He is just a doll....and so sweet! And Caroline just idolizes Ella, and looks up to her. It is so cute! Mary, as I was going through my pics, I realized I didn't have even one picture of you!! She got a workout hanging out with the boys and playing. Thanks for the help!

The boys had a blast, and when it was over Will informed me that he did NOT have plenty of time to play....and that he needed more time. So, I'm guessing he enjoyed himself!

All in all, we had a great birthday celebration and are planning on an early bedtime for the kiddos this evening. They are exhausted!!!!!!!

Hannah Montanna Madness!

2009-02-15T13:13:00.007-06:00

Caroline has recently become OBSESSED with Hannah Montana. So, now when the kids play dress up, she goes with a lovely ensemble like this one, and struts around pretending to be HM. Too cute. Not so cute when we are leaving the house and she wants to go looking like this. NO WAY! Not my sweet little 4 (almost 5) year old. So she reluctantly changes back to "Caroline" for her real life. The battle over clothes has already begun. My baby cannot grow up! She just can't. Make it stop!.....What's next, halter tops and prom?!?

Time flies...

2009-02-11T21:43:00.003-06:00

I was just thinking that I have not posted here in forever! Life has just kinda been passing me by lately. We haven't done much except for work, school, and the mundane day to day things. So, no new pics. of the kids. But, let's look at some old ones.

Where have the past 5 years gone? It seems like just yesterday (ok--maybe not yesterday) that I found out we were going to become a family of three. My, how time flies, and life just seems to take over! Now here we are 5 years later as a family of five. I still just can't comprehend how lucky we are to have 3 beautiful healthy kiddos.

I have loved each stage of my children's lives....but...I think when they were around 12-18 months was my favorite. So, here's a blast from the past!
OMG...Why didn't anyone tell me that I had a gargantuan baby?! When I look back at pictures of Caroline (she was 16 mos here) I realize why the pediatrician always told me to make sure I am careful with what she eats so she will fit into her prom dress. Who knew she would grow into a tall and thin little girl?! Look at the next pic to get the full effect of her chubbiness!!

Can you say cheeseburger? I sure loved this age, and I loved her little "rolls" even more! I was already about 3 months preggo with the boys when this pic was taken.

Again, I grow me some chubby babies!! I could just eat them up and squeeze those little cheeks! They were about 9 months here. Wow, I was lucky that they were such good babies! Maybe I'm paying for it now! ha ha

They were 16 months old here. I LOVE their hair here. It makes them look just so sweet. This was before the mobility (and trouble) that goes along with walking!

Look at this sweet baby-faced little Evan! She was holding Caroline, so she was almost four here. It seems like just yesterday I was going to her birthday party when she turned 1. She was definitely my best practice before I had my own kids! Then ironically, she and Caroline have many many similar personality traits.

Ella had just turned 1 in this picture. She was such an angel baby. I remember she used to put anything with a strap or a handle on her shoulder like a purse. That's why this pic. cracks me up. So fitting....and the pappy strapped to her (at all times btw)--LOVE IT!

Feeling a little better...

2009-02-05T11:21:00.004-06:00

I'm home with Jack today as he is still suffering from strep throat. He's acting a little better, but he's definitely not well yet. The extent of his playing has been laying on the floor coloring. Then he's right back in my lap. So basically, I've held the little thang all morning. But.....I've enjoyed every minute of it!

I will say, Jack is the sweetest sick child ever! He doesn't complain much, and just wants to snuggle. And it is so nice to get to spend some one on one time with him. It doesn't happen very often. When his brother and sister are not around to talk for him, he is quite the little jabber box!

Let's just hope we get some sleep tonight....The last two nights have been rough on Tim and I. We've been taking turns getting up with this sick kiddo who has been up coughing and miserable.
AND......Will was up a lot last night with a croupy cough, and he was pretty hoarse this morning (although he said he felt good). Let's hope he's not getting sick too!!!!!!!
Oh, and by the way.....I'm done messing with my blog layout/background for a good while now. I am in love with this one. Heather should definitely become a blog designer. She fixed this one up for me, and I think it fits me so perfectly. So, no more changes till summer! Thanks Heather!

Burning up...

2009-02-03T18:58:00.002-06:00

My poor little Jack is burning up with fever! He has strep throat and is just pitiful. We just got home from the pediatrician and he is laying on the couch watching TV....he looks absolutely miserable! Hopefully the antibiotic will start kicking in soon.

Odds and Ends

2009-01-31T19:13:00.004-06:00

Warning: This post is kinda all over the place. But hey, I feel like a lot of the time my life is a bit like that!

Tim is out of town for a long weekend getaway. He went with my brothers and all my guy cousins to my uncle's cabin on the river. They go every year, and it is something he really looks forward to. I'm glad he got to escape for a while and have a good time. But.....we terribly miss him--or at least I do! I don't always let him know how much I appreciate him. I just take for granted what a great parent and husband he is. Then I realize just how lucky I am to have to have him around!....especially when I have to do this parenting thing alone!!!

My house has been like a war zone for the past 2 weeks or so. I think maybe the cold cold weather has finally taken a toll on us, because we can't go out and play and burn off energy like we need to. The kids are fighting like cats and dogs! They are griping, yelling, and screaming at each other all the time. Which in turn, makes for a very cranky momma! I know that my kiddos are not at the developmental stage yet where they fully understand sharing and taking turns......but I am running out of patience and energy to model it for them. I just want to scream!!!....and sometimes do!

On a more positive note, Caroline got her report card last week. She is doing great in school, and seems to enjoy it. This is her report card:

Did you know that Caroline and Jack are obsessed with "crafts". They are constantly asking to do a craft. Will does not like crafty things one bit, but doesn't want to be left out when the other two get so excited. Tonight they were begging for a craft project. So, we colored Valentine pictures and then glittered them. I remember glitter projects as a child and I always thought glitter was just magical. Well, so do my kids. They had a big time, and you can tell it by looking at the traces of glitter glistening all over my kitchen!

I'm off to get everyone ready for bedtime routine. Since daddy's out of town, Caroline gets to sleep in the bed with mommy. It's a MAJOR treat for her (and me too), because it doesn't happen very often!

Happy Birthday Tim!!!!

2009-01-28T20:01:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to the best husband and father anyone could ever dream of!!!!!!!

Creature Comforts

2009-01-28T18:59:00.004-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted. There are two reasons for that.

First, our computer modem died, and we had to get a new one. I never realized how much I used this computer! I felt so disconnected from the "outside" world. Then the disconnect got even worse!

Our electricity went out in the ice storm. It went out about 2am Tuesday morning, and we got it back on Tuesday afternoon at about 4pm. The kids didn't seem to mind too much though. The later it got in the afternoon and the colder it got in the house is when I began to stress. Tim was at work--he is crazy busy at work when the weather gets bad, so it was just me and the kids. Brad brought us a propane heater, which was a lifesaver! When he brought it the temp. in the house was already down to 48 degrees. Brrrr. We bundled and managed, but are thankful for lights and heat again!

Speaking of ice storm, we have been out of school for 2 days. Any teacher's dream right? Not so much. The idea of being home is great, but the kids were stir crazy and are about to kill each other! We finally got out today and went to McDonald's play place(which has a whole other story to go with it--another post soon), and used up a lot of our stored energy.

Anyway, I'm so glad to have our computer back, and electricity for that matter, and am so glad things will be back to a normal routine tomorrow!

Oh--do you love my new look? Heather fixed me up with the new blog design. I love it. Thanks Heather!!

Kindergarten Mentality

2009-01-21T22:30:00.002-06:00

I love teaching Kindergarten. I couldn't imagine teaching any other grade.......except for today. The kids were especially honary today. I spent most of the morning reminding my kids (kindly, yet firmly-ha ha) that we come to school to work and learn, not to run around like wild banshees. So, by lunch I was already exhausted. But wait, today I had a working lunch to discuss assessments and interventions, blah blah blah.

Now for the good part. As the kids come in from recess the duty teacher tells me that there was problem after problem with my kids on the playground. So......we had a class meeting, to discuss our woes. Ya know, just lay it all on the table and have an open discussion (come to Jesus meeting) for everyone. So I say, "Ok guys, what was the problem at recess?"

Hands go up. Yes, Derick? (of course these are not my kids real names--but you get the picture)
Gracey stepped on my fingers.
Me-- Gracey, did you step on his fingers?
Gracey--Yes.
Me--Did you mean to?
Gracey--yes
Me--Can you tell me why you stepped on Derick's fingers?
Gracey-- Because Maria said she wasn't my friend.
HELLO....ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Next hand goes up. Paco, what happened with you?
Paco--Lizzy, Deena, and Izabella were pulling my sweatshirt and dragging me and choking me.
Me--Girls, is that true?
Girls--Yes
Me--Why did you do that?
Girls--We were just playing
Me--Well Paco, did you tell them to stop?
Paco--No.
GO FIGURE!!

And last, my favorite one. Javier, your turn.
Javier--Ethan put grass in my mouth.
Me--What??????
Javier--ya, he put grass in my mouth

Here's where I'm thinking, you opened your mouth long enough for a kid to shove grass down your throat? But I of course said nothing of the sort.....even though I wanted to!

Sure enough.....Me--Ethan, did you?
Ethan--yep
Me--Why?
Ethan--He was messin with me!
WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS!

A day in the life of a Kindergarten teacher!!! At least they're still young and innocent enough to tell the truth.

Traumatized!!

2009-01-20T18:50:00.004-06:00

For Christmas, the kids got the board game "Don't Wake Daddy". You move your pieces around the board and try not to land on things that will cause you to push daddy's alarm clock. To make a long story short, daddy randomly pops up out of his bed and "wakes up". Then you have to go back to the beginning if you're the one to wake him up. Sounds fun, right?

Tonight we decided to teach the kids how to play. The boys were having a blast. Caroline, not so much! It seemed that every time she spun the spinner, she had to push the alarm clock and daddy always woke up. She was scared to death!!! The first few times he "woke up", she jumped and screamed....as the game progressed, she hysterically cried and would not take her turn. She decided to sit out and watch. Do you see the look of horror on her face as she waits in anticipation while Jack pushes the alarm clock? Every time he popped up she just cried and cried. Something tells me she's gonna have nightmares tonight!!!!

Thank goodness for Monday!

2009-01-18T19:54:00.002-06:00

Thank you Martin Luther King Jr......Not just for being a civil rights activist, but for having a National Holiday in your honor--meaning no work for me!!! Yay!

Not only am I off work tomorrow, but I have cafeteria duty on Mondays. Meaning only duty ONE day for me this week.....even better!

Caroline

2009-01-15T18:04:00.005-06:00

Dramatic

Silly

Sassy

Bossy

Creative

Funny

Sensitive

Girly

Stubborn

Independent

Princess

Daddy's Girl

Smart

Attitude

Prissy

Shy

Artistic

Perfectionist

Entertaining

Exhausting

BUSY!!!

2009-01-13T19:56:00.004-06:00

I know, I know.....I have been slacking on my blog posts. Things have been very busy around here.

Things are in high gear at work, and I am spending a lot of time on school stuff. After Christmas break, Kindergarten gets to be serious business!!......You know, teaching 20 kids who don't speak fluent, if any English to read. If that's not enough to make you tired, I don't know what is! I shouldn't complain, hey, I'm happy to have a job....especially one I love!

I have not been snapping many pictures lately.....but I did take a video clip of the kids saying bedtime prayers tonight. I spared you the "God Blesses", or it might take all day to watch the video :)

Random Picture Challenge

2009-01-10T21:37:00.004-06:00

Okay, Lesli has a random picture challenge going. You're supposed to pick the fifth picture from your April folder and post it. After I read it I thought, April folder......are people organized enough to save their pictures and label them by the month? No way, not me, that would be too easy. But, low and behold, I found a folder named "April".....which is funny because most of my folders are saved by "subject" or "event". So, here goes.....

This is Caroline helping her daddy mop the floor. Take a good look at the floor with nothing on it......You won't see that around my house very often!!!! This picture is indeed pretty random.

Kids say the funniest things....

2009-01-05T18:42:00.002-06:00

Tonight at the dinner table Caroline said this out of the blue..... "Mommy, you know what happens when people get like a hundred?" Me, "What sis?" "Their face gets all soggy!!"

Priceless! A child's perspective sure is fascinating.

This 'n That

2009-01-04T10:19:00.007-06:00

Well, our winter vacation is officially over. Back to the grindstone tomorrow. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I'm ready to go back. I need some structure and routine in our lives again. All that being said, I will definitely miss being at home with the kids. Here are a few random pictures from the past week.

This was one of the pretty days this week, and they all decided that they would take turns hanging out in the doghouse. Of course I had to grab my camera and snap away!

It seems like the kids spent their ENTIRE vacation in dress up clothes. Whatever floats their boat!

Caroline found this little frog outside and was obsessed with it. She cried when we wouldn't let her bring it in. I guess she has a little tomboy in her after all!!

So long Sassy.....Sassy has been staying at our house for about a month now. We have been taking care of her while my friend spent the holidays in Mexico with her family. The kids and the dogs absolutely love her. We will miss her!

Skating....fun?...Not so much!!!

2009-01-02T10:39:00.004-06:00

The kids got skates for Christmas (thanks Pootie) and we headed outside earlier this week to try them out. Well, it didn't go so great. No one could stay upright. There was a lot of falling, and Will did a lot of crying. Jack was the best skater in the bunch!!! We quickly decided to ditch the skating and head to the backyard for some trampoline action. Maybe this spring we'll try again.

2008

2008-12-30T15:32:00.019-06:00

Here's a look at some pictures from 2008. How time flies! It seems like just yesterday I was having the boys and Caroline was just a toddler!!!!!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Advice, anyone???

2008-12-29T19:19:00.004-06:00

So.....Here's the deal. Jack is three years old now and still not potty trained! I have successfully potty trained two other children, but Jack is just having no part in this peeing on the potty thing! I know, I know.......he's not going to go to Kindergarten in pull-ups (I hope). But really, he's three.

He is more than ready, he's just plain lazy. He tells me he needs to go on his terms......like when he's not in the middle of playing. Most of the time he could care less if he is wet. This past week I have kept him in underwear for the most part.......and mopped up pee and changed underwear SEVERAL(ok--MANY) times a day. Every time he pees in his pants he just tells me that he needs new clothes......like it's no big deal! I thought, surely when he feels himself peeing down his leg he will want to stay dry--WRONG! Can you sense my frustration?

Here are some things I have tried:
* Setting a timer and taking him on a schedule--(I know, that's training me, not him...don't judge)
* Rewards for going potty (stickers and/or candy)
* I let him pick out his new underwear and made a big deal of it.
* Just waiting for him to tell me when he needs to go.
* Lots of praise....calling everyone we know to tell them he has peed on the potty.

Here are the things that have failed for us:
* See above list of ALL the things I have tried!!!!!!!!

HELP!!!! Any suggestions?

Merry Christmas

2008-12-27T11:06:00.003-06:00

We had such a fabulous Christmas! Thank you to all of our family for all of the fun stuff. The kids are still as happy as can be playing with all of their new things! I'll take pictures soon of them playing with all of thier new stuff.

Traditions...

2008-12-27T10:36:00.003-06:00

What a fun year to start some new Christmas Traditions. The kids are at the perfect age to understand the joy and excitement of Christmas.
This is Paco, our Elf on the Shelf. If you don't know about this cute little tradition, check out the link. We had such a great time with him this year! The kids were obsessed with him. Every morning the kids would jump out of bed to see where Paco had moved to. They did lots of "confessing" to Paco and asking him to ask Santa to forgive them. So funny!We also figured the kids were big enough this year to start the yearly viewing of Rudolf and the Island of the Misfit Toys. Tim wanted to start this each year. He has fond memories as a child of gathering with his family and watching this Christmas Classic. I had idealistic expectations......We would drink hot cocoa and snuggle in front of the TV. WRONG!!! Everyone spilled their cocoa, and were sticky from head to toe. Then they all fought and cried about who was gonna sit on mommy's lap. Too bad I don't have Three knees! It was pretty chaotic, but we finally settled down for the movie.......when there was only 14 minutes left!!! Maybe next year.

We made cookies for Santa, and the kids decorated them. Notice Will didn't have time to sprinkle sugar on them, he was too busy eating them as fast as he could!!!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

2008-12-21T09:24:00.001-06:00

Wooohooooo!!!!!!!! Winter break has officially started for me. I honestly needed the break, and am looking forward to spending two long weeks with my kiddos.

It's MY birthday.....no, it's MINE!!!

2008-12-14T18:58:00.007-06:00

This seems to be the conversation happening at our house. This is the first year that the boys are starting to figure out that they have the same birthday. It's funny to me that they really don't make the connection that they are twins, and have to share everything......even a birthday!

I can't believe that my BABIES are turning 3. Where has the time gone? It makes me so teary eyed to think that they are getting so big. I am looking forward to the time ahead of us, but I just can't figure out how they got so big so fast!!!!

We had a small party for the boys today. They had a great time. Jack just ran around the house screaming, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! So cute. Here's some pictures of birthdays past and present!

They blew the candles out together in perfect unison!
Do you see how thrilled Ella and Caroline look? Good thing their birthdays are coming soon!

This was a hit. Thanks Grammie and Pa. It's still running.......4 hours later!

Will loves this cool transformer mask!

This was their 2nd birthday. Look at those baby faces.

This was their first birthday. The curls and chubby cheeks absolutely melt me!

The day they were born. This is Will. It's hard to believe they were so tiny.

Here's Jack. This is/was hopefully the only birthday they will ever spend without each other!

Future firefighters.......

2008-12-13T19:15:00.003-06:00

This was the boys' birthday gift from Pootie and Icky Pop. OMG.......they love it!!! Jack was quite hesitant at first, but then drove it around like a maniac. Sissie loves it just as much as they do! I anticipate hours and hours of fun out of this truck.

This was one of the rare moments where Will is driving. Jack was mostly behind the wheel, which was just fine with Will. He was content to sit in the passenger seat and talk on the walkie talkie.
Caroline got the hang of driving really quick. She was such a fast learner!!

I just threw this one in because I think she's so dang cute!!

Clean up that mess!!!

2008-12-13T12:00:00.004-06:00

Jacker took all the popcorn from the bowl, and loaded it into his remote control dump truck. You can see what happened next. He spent about 20 minutes vacuuming up his mess!! Never a dull moment.

Jack's two favorite things.......

2008-12-10T20:42:00.003-06:00

His thumb and his silkie. It is still just as precious to me as it was when he was tiny! Here's a look back at some thumb and silkie shots. Can I just tell you, every one of these pictures melts my heart!!! I just might let him go to kindergarten with a silkie!!!

Gotta love Willie!

2008-12-07T18:35:00.002-06:00

The boys got new hats and mittens recently. Of course Will is obsessed with them. This is him after his bath, in his jammies with his hat and mittens on. Go figure!

Sick again

2008-12-07T14:18:00.002-06:00

Poor little Jacker is sick........again! Have you noticed a pattern in all my sick kid posts?? They're usually about Jack. The poor kid is always the one who is sick. He has an ear infection and a junky cough. We started an antibiotic today, so hopefully we'll be on our road to recovery!!

Tinker Bells

2008-11-30T16:29:00.003-06:00

Today we put up the small tree in the playroom and all their stockings. Let's just say that it got them in the holiday spirit. Check out the video below. They are all "on their stage" holding bell ornaments and SCREAMING the song, "Tinker Bells." It was so funny. It ended up just being a shouting match between the three of them--well, mostly Jack and Caroline. Too funny. Oh, and don't pay too much attention to their eclectic Sunday attire. Ha ha!

'Tis the Season

2008-11-29T12:50:00.004-06:00

Tim and I braved the crowd and went shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We went later in the morning, so it wasn't as crazy as I was expecting. We did get a few good deals on some gifts for the kids. The highlight of the adventure was lunch together......alone. Doesn't happen very often.

Then Friday night we put up the tree and I took some pics. of the kids in their Christmas pj's for our Christmas cards. Quite the eventful night.

The kids were really interested in the tree and ornaments this year. They intently watched as I unwrapped each ornament and wanted to know where I got it and who gave it to us. Every unbreakable ornament we own is on the bottom of the tree, placed carefully with love by one of these three little monkeys. Needless to say, the finished product is VERY bottom heavy.

This is an out-take from our little photo shoot.

Thankful

2008-11-29T12:40:00.004-06:00

This Thanksgiving I had so much to be thankful for.......and my family happens to be at the top of that list!

A much needed day with the kiddos

2008-11-26T13:33:00.005-06:00

I'm off work today and I have spent the day playing with my kids. I have been so busy lately that we have been just going through the motions of family life. Today has been different. We took the day to enjoy each other and have fun.

We did some fun crafts this morning, and then headed outside to play some games. They are getting old enough to enjoy games like duck duck goose, simon says, red light green light, etc. We had a great time together, and now everyone has settled down for a nap. Speaking of nap, I'm not far behind them!

Making macaroni necklaces
Caroline had so much fun, and was giddy when she saw her finished product.

Jack preferred mostly yellow macaroni.

This activity was hard work for Willie. But Mr. independent finished without help. Yay!

So proud!

The look of accomplishment!

Miss priss!

This was a turkey craft everyone enjoyed. Especially Caroline!!

Another weekend gone...

2008-11-23T19:07:00.006-06:00

I can't believe the weekend is already over. Time flies when you're doing nothing. Today we have just hung out and been lazy. Me and the kids, that is. Tim had to work today. Yuck!

Sat. morning Caroline and I went with Heather and Katie Pettigrew to breakfast with Santa at the Holiday Market. We had a good time. Thanks for the tickets Erin! Although, Caroline would have absolutely nothing to do with Santa. She preferred not to even get close! She did love the clown who was there making balloon sculptures.
Sat. night Tim and I had a date. We went to dinner and a movie. We went to see Twilight. I enjoyed the movie, but of course not as much as the book! We had a nice evening alone. Those are few and far between. Thanks Sue and Larry for babysitting.

Now I'm off to get clothes ready for everyone for tomorrow, and kids ready for bed. The story of my life ;)

Snips, snails, and Puppy dog tails

2008-11-18T17:13:00.003-06:00

Pettigrew found out today she is having a boy!!! How exciting!

CRAFTY

2008-11-17T18:11:00.004-06:00

Yep, that's me. I unboxed my sewing machine, and there's no stopping me now. I got a sewing machine for Christmas a year or two ago (thanks mom!) and unboxed it a few weeks ago out of pure necessity.

I wanted cute Halloween costumes for the kids, but couldn't afford them. So........I got the bright idea I would make them. So, out came the sewing machine. I've never used one before in my life, so it has been quite the learning experience. I am definitely a novice, and still can't sew a straight stitch, but the kids had precious costumes nonetheless.

I don't intend to sew for "real", but using it for crafty things is so much fun! This week at my school we are having 50's math night, and I made myself a poodle skirt. After some design (and sewing) challenges (thanks Sue!), I think it turned out cute. Now Caroline has demanded one too. Good thing I have some fabric left!

I LOVE THESE GUYS!!

2008-11-16T13:11:00.003-06:00

Seriously, the three most important men in my life! They both sure look like their daddy in this picture. We went to Lake Fort Smith this morning for some outdoor fun. We played on the playground and went hiking. Good times.

Daddy's little girl! And he just eats it up!

100th

2008-11-08T17:39:00.003-06:00

This is my 100th post!!!! It seems like yesterday I started this blog. How time flies! I am so glad I will have this blog for my children someday. They will be able to see what daily life was like as they were growing up. Besides, I have never kept a baby book or a scrap book.......so I guess this will have to substitute. Here are a couple recent silly pictures of the kids.

This is the boys hanging out on in the toy shelf being silly.
Caroline put together this ensemble herself. Can't you tell?

Words I thought I'd never hear.....

2008-11-07T21:00:00.002-06:00

It has been about a year since I got a phone call I will never forget. I was on my lunch break at work. I had just got my lunch ready, and happened to check my phone. There was a message from my OB/Gyn. When I called back, they said they were expecting my call and put me right through to my doctor......

"Jenna, I'm afraid I have bad news. You have cervical cancer."

At that moment, my world started spinning, and I was forever changed. Before I could even catch my breath, we were scheduling surgery. I have never been so scared in my life. It has taken me almost a year to process this life changing event.

Thoughts of cancer are now a distant memory for me, but the experience has made me the person I am today. I am so thankful that I am healthy, but still feel a twinge of sadness when I think that having another child is never an option for us. I wasn't even sure if we would have more children, but the mere thought of having that possibility taken away from me was daunting. I now believe that God works in ways we just can't comprehend. I feel that I was blessed with twins for this very reason.

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I am overwhelmed with all I have to be thankful for. Although my life is often hectic and chaotic, I never take a day for granted. When things get tough, I glance at my scars and am reminded of all I have been given in this life. I am so glad I have such a loving husband and three beautiful and healthy children!

Fun Fall Day!

2008-11-02T14:01:00.014-06:00

What a fun filled day we had today! Tim and I took the kids to ride bikes and fly the r.c. airplane. Then headed out for a picnic lunch and a nature walk. It was great to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Everyone was all smiles riding their bikes!

Daddy's gearing up to fly the plane.
It was the perfect day for a picnic.

The kiddos were very busy on our nature outing.

Daddy and his boys. Jack was worn out by the end of our little adventure!

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T20:22:00.007-05:00

DONE

2008-10-28T13:55:00.002-05:00

I am DONE with my poor little Jacker being sick. He started this sick business on Thurs. night, and is NOT over it yet. Tim stayed home with him yesterday, and we thought surely he'd be better today. WRONG!

Tim and I got maybe three hours of combined sleep last night. I am like a zombie today!! He was up all night throwing up. Poor little thing just ended up dry heaving by the end....ouch! I'm home with him today, and he hasn't thrown up anymore, but still doesn't feel good. I can't get him to eat anything, and he will barely drink a little juice every now and then.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that this doesn't spread throughout my family. Yikes!!