New shoes

Ethan got new THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE shoes Thursday; he wouldn't even take them off to go to bed!

Heart check up day

Getting ready to go......

Going into X-ray

That's Ethan's chest!
EKG time
The FAMOUS (and nice) Dr. Jason Su

Ethan Did MUCH better this year than last; he cried the entire time last year. We had gone over what would be done, and told him if he did a good job and was good, he would get a train.....that did the trick!

Updo Dolly

Callie, who normally gripes and complains when it's time to do her hair, came into the bathroom this morning and held all her hair up and said "we should do it like this" I told her we could curl her ends and pull it up and gave her a small idea and she was totally on board. 

She walked around VERY Audrey Hepburn like, admiring herself in the mirror and informed me "we should do my hair like this EVERY DAY"..............this from the girl who won't hardly let me COMB it!! She got SO many compliments at church, hopefully she got "in touch" with her INNER GIRL; cuz SHE'S been MIA since she was about 2!!!

My Pretty Dolly.

WOW!

I love music. I love music with a message. Every childhood memory I have, seems to have a song attached to it, whenever there was a choice between music; and ANYTHING else when I was a teenager, music won HANDS DOWN. I love how I can be instantly transported to a specific place in time through it.

I was at the cannery on Tuesday, and the last hour and a half I was taking the canned spaghetti off the main belt and sending it to the next stop where it would have a label placed on it. I was by myself and my mind wandered to when Cody and Spencer were just boy's, little boy's. For some reason, I spent that whole time thinking about them as little ones, seeing random scenes pass through my head, and it was emotional for me.

When I got into my van to come home, I turned on the radio to this:

Let them be little:

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.
So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise, Give them love every day.
Let them cry, let 'em giggle, Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is: Please,
let them be little, 'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise, Give them love every day.
Let them cry, let 'em giggle, Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

So innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.
So, let them be little,'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,Give them love every day.
Let them cry, let 'em giggle, Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.
Let them be little.

I cried ALL the way home; sobbed really. I literally couldn't stop crying. When the song was over I turned it off and contemplated how much I LOVE these boys.

I am grateful for all the time in classrooms, scout activities, bike rides, room mother parties, singing with them at bedtime, reading stories, watching musicals, swimming and various other activities I made the time to invest in while they were little, for they were only that way for a while.

I gave them hope, gave them praise, gave them love every day,
I let them cry, let 'em giggle, let 'em sleep in the middle,
and I was honored to do so.

Cooking, sewing and playing games with Grandmommy

Grandmommy is the GREATEST.

Grandmommy has more energy than I do.

Grandmommy is the GREATEST.

We FORBID Grandmommy from leaving the state!

Dolly's first day of school!!

Pony on the leg
....Twirling
Pretty Dolly in the flowers
Dolly and Daddy
A Mommy and her Dolly

This is where she asked us to QUIT taking pictures! 

My cute dog!

We WUV our Watte!!!

Olympic NIGHTMARE

I remember watching the olympics when I was a girl. I LOVED gymnastics, and then went on to participate in the sport. BUT I am not an olympic enthusiast sadly. 

This was taken WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT, opening night. I worked, but that didn't stop my adorable husband from RECORDING it and wanting to watch it WITH ME

OY. I ordered a pizza, it was gonna be a lloooong night:(

Hi MOM!

How cute is this picture? The kids in a jetted tub with jetted bubbles, they had SO much fun.

Ever present question?

I find I am mentally asking myself this one question OVER and OVER again; variation on a theme questions like:

Why do I try.......................?

What's the point.................?

Why bother........................?

And the answer usually ends something like, "ARGH, I DON'T KNOW WHY? GUESS I WON'T."

This kind of "thinking" doesn't last long, but I am amazed some day's at how easily this kind of thinking will lead to other uplifting questions like:

Why are you so bad at this mothering gig.........?

Why aren't you AS SKINNY as so and so..............?

Why aren't you Martha Stewart yet.........................?

You see where this is going?

 These are my general feelings the past few day's. I have TWO TEENAGERS, YEP, THAT'S RIGHT....... (dramatic pause). TWO, who are probably going to drive me to drink  (more diet Mt.Dew that is).  I never seem to know what to do, or say to the never ending barrage of needs, wants and ARGUMENTS that I seem to just "find"myself swimming (more like suffocating) in.

 What's worse? I remember being a teenager; and when I take that trip down memory lane, I picture that scene in a movie where the birds peck their victim to death!

Oh, woe is me

Ladybug, ladybug...

My Mother in law gave me a gardening magazine for Mother's day, one of the projects was ladybug's made out of BOWLING BALLS! They turned out cute, the kids enjoyed the week-long projects, as that is how long something this simple takes me these days!!

A bit rattled, and hugely grateful

I have never posted anything "heavy" here, I have gratefully had nothing heavy to post, but two day's ago, I had an experience with Ethan that rattled me; and then I just "happened" on two blogs that further shook me.

On Monday we met our good friend McAfee at the pool, we affectionately call this "McAfee Monday" and it's a tradition that we all look forward to, since summer started we have gone to the pool and watched the kids and ate and soaked up the sun. We took a little friend of Callie's to the pool Monday, Raja and the kids were having a great time, I had them come over and have a corndog and drink, and then the girls we're ready to get back at it. I had taken off floaties so they could eat comfortably, and when they ran off, Ethan ran off behind them. I can tell you that I am ON TOP OF IT at the pool, my eyes are with them constantly, and if one gets away for a second I am up and looking, and it's usually one went down the slide, or ran through the tunnel and was seconds away from reappearing; I do not take it lightly when we go. I usually have a headache when we leave from darting eyes and concern.

 When the girls ran into the pool, I was already behind the three of them, so it was never that I didn't know where he was, but as he got onto the steps I thought to myself "if he jumps off that step, he will not be able to come up on his own" and as soon as I thought it, he jumped; and now I am RUNNING. When I get to the steps, I can see that he is under and he is looking up with his arms flailing around and I am almost blocked by all the kids right in my way, and now I am pushing kids out of my way (which I am sure a few people thought I was a moron for a second) and I don't care, the look that I can clearly see on my Ethan's face is terror. My point here is that from the time he took off, to the time I reached him, was probably 20 seconds, 25ft approximately, and it was never that I didn't know where he was, I had the luxury of those seconds and knowing  EXACTLY where he was, but it was only a matter of seconds that separate "ok" and drowning.

Ethan was scared speechless; he literally did not say a word, he clung to me and then would not return to the pool, he opted to stay by the picnic table and play with his trains. This was in itself a very creepy experience but as I checked a few friends blogs that evening, I somehow landed in two blogs of people who have lost little children to drownings, this summer, one just last Sunday morning in Las Vegas, the other in a spa that had only been at the home for 5 days.

Seconds. Not minutes. I was so deeply saddened by what I read on these blogs that I came home from work and got on my knees to first thank GOD for my own child/children and then to ask for peace and comfort on behalf of these other two families who did not get the benefit of precious seconds. Sure makes you think, and grateful.

I have added the names of the two blog spots I happened on, as I am very impressed and touched by the attitude and message that each has presented in the face of great grief and pain, and my heart just goes out to these parent's, in particular, these Mother's who have lost a piece of their very hearts and beings.

Please keep these families in your prayers.

www.adailyscoop.blogspot.com

www.mwalburger3.blogspot.com

Starting school means a backpack

Of course Callie had to get "something"
Ready for school!

After Ethan got out of school we asked him if he wanted to go pick out a backpack, he was so excited and hollared "YEAH, a pack-pack" After many picks, he settled on Batman and a box of animal crackers for good measure.

FIRST day of pre-school

Walking in...
Guided by Sissy
Giving Miss Becky a picture
Sitting at his chair
Hugs and love from Sissy

How time does fly. Ethan started pre-school today. He's totally ready for it and was excited. My baby is growin up doggonit! 

A moment of sanity in exchange for late night insanity....

So, the fact that he took a nap that afternoon was quite lovely, UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND HE'S STILL AWAKE. Notice the picture frame he brought with him so he would "feel" like he was in his OWN ROOM!!

Creative take on things?

My artiest, Spencer decided to have some fun. Notice Batman in the sky? The MOM tattoo? Ah, how sweet. I always wanted to be immortalized in ink. I'm SO PROUD :)

It's SUPER (BADLY DRESSED) BOY!

Well, Ethan decided today was the DAY, "I'll get it MYSELF Mama" and off he went to get his own clothes. Yellow shirt, red shorts; and RED SOCKS? I tried and TRIED to get him to take 'em off, to no avail. Luckily for me, he and Callie ran through the sprinklers and got wet, then he wanted them off.  Good thing, as I just couldn't imagine running the afternoon's errands with him looking like Superman's RETARDED, 2nd cousin's kid :)