Merry Christmas!

Update

Ok well I now realize it has been a long while since I posted. (My usual email from Rusty reminding me that I need to post must have gotten lost in the net... LOL)
I realize that I have not posted since we moved. So I figured I better get an update up.
We are now all settled into a nice house, in a nice neighborhood. It has 4 bed rooms, which is great for us, because now the kids have separate rooms and we still manage to have an office. :)
So almost everything is unpacked. We are still looking to get Mike another book case. Mike claims that most of the boxes were my craft stuff, but, I think the people who helped us move can verify that there were a lot more boxes labeled books (Not to mention that books are a LOT heavier than crafting supplies). Other than that, everything else has been unpacked for awhile now. For those of you that know me, you know I had most of done with in a week. Guess it's that A type personality... LOL
We even managed to find something fun to do with some of the moving boxes. Mike had fun making this "maze" for the kids to play in.
Things have actually been pretty slow here... The kids and I spend a lot of time at the park. Now that we have one only three blocks away, it seems such a shame to waste the wonderful Arizona weather indoors. Mike is working. We go to Church, and spend a lot of time with family. Pretty boring life really. LOL
I remember posting earlier this year, that this was the Chinese year of the dog, but in our house it was the year of the germ. This seems to be holding true. We managed to stay well through most of the summer, and then BAM... the germ strikes again. We even had to change plans at Thanksgiving. We were supposed to go see my folks, but ended up staying here and spending the holiday at my in-laws. Not that, that is necessarily a bad thing, as my MIL is a wonderful cook, and Mike's family is great. But it still stinks to have to change plans at the last minute... especially when you are sick.
Anyway, I cannot believe Thanksgiving is over. It's almost Christmas. WHERE DOES TIME GO?
Can someone please answer this question? I look at my kids and I think..."Wow, they are getting so big... How did that happen?" <Sigh> They grow up so fast. I was reading some of the back issues of this blog... Alexa's first steps, Timmy's mispronunciations... Where does it all go? Alexa is running around like a pro athlete now and Tim can actually hold a conversation with you. They do grow up so fast.
Mike's niece just had a baby. He is so cute. I was thinking as I was holding him... "How come I can barely remember when my kids were this small?" and then I thought "Well that's because Tim was NEVER this little!" Her baby was born at 7 pounds 9 ounces... Tim was 9 pounds 1 ounce. There is a big bit of difference there... LOL. Now Lex was just over 7 pounds, so at one point she was that small. It all seems so long ago. But I would not trade the last 3 years for anything. It is amazing to see how far my kids have come from the time they were born, and so dependent on us for everything, to these independent little people, who everyday learn something new, and try to apply it. (Like learning how to unlock the door and closing it promptly when the alarm sounded).
Anyway, I do have a few new pictures that I am posting. But I would not get used to the idea of to many more. My camera is dead... and I mean really dead. I am borrowing my MIL's for the moment. So you all may have to get used to actually reading the blog, not just looking at the pictures. :)
Anyway, I will try and get better about posting and I am sure there will be lots of pics floating around, as the cameras seem to come out for the holidays.
So I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving, and just remember... my birthday and Christmas are right around the corner... feel free to contribute to my camera fund.


Just kidding.
Happy Holidays!

Where does the time go?

Ok, so I realize that I missed the monthly deadline for posting (Thanks Rusty for being my alarm clock) But I have a good excuse... No really I do... You ready... Ok, here goes...
Life.
Yes that's right you heard me... Life. Life happens, and right now my life is pretty busy, and all in boxes.
I am sitting right in the middle of a big pile of boxes, as we continue to pack and get ready to move this coming weekend. That is a job in and of its self. But try doing it with two very curious and active toddlers. I feel like I have repacked the same box all week. In goes the book and as soon as I turn to get another one, out it goes, in the grubby hands of one of the kids. (sigh) Oh, the kids are having a blast... They are being chased all over to get said book back, and then there seems to be a lot of tickling and laughing involved in order to actually get the book back in the box. I guess anything that involves tickling and laughing cannot be all bad. It just does not make for an environment where a lot of packing gets done.
Also, several of us have been sick this week, so that has not helped any either. We all seem to have recovered fine. It was nothing major, but just enough to make you want to do nothing but lie around for about 24 hours while you recover.
Then of course there is still the day to day stuff... You know... Life. The house still needs to be picked up so we are not tripping on toys, dishes still need to be washed, bills still need to be paid... Well you get the idea. LIFE. It happens. It happens a lot in a house with two toddlers.
(But I would not not have it any other way!!)
Well these are my excuses for not getting a blog posted within the monthly time frame.
What's your excuse?

Monkey see, Monkey do, Monkette do...

Tim and Alexa have reached the imitation stage of their growth. Last night, for example, at dinner, I finished before the kids did (Mom sneaked some broccoli in to their food, which slowed them down big time). I relaxed a bit as a dad is wont to do after work, so I reached my hands back and folded them behind my head and sighed deeply.

Seconds later, my son decided to do the same thing, sigh and everything.

I chuckled as he did this because he then said, "I'm being like Daddy!" I lost it completely, however, when seconds after that, my daughter, Alexa, tried to be like Timmy, but, instead of putting her hands behind her head, she simply put them on top of her head and breathed in and out kinda fast (that was her sigh).

After that, any sound I made or any movement was quickly imitated by my son. And, seconds later, Alexa would attempt to imitate Timothy.

It was hard not to see the life lesson there. See, as a parent, I am responsible for how Tim acts and what he learns from me will inluence not only his own life, but his sister who idolizes him. Long gone are the days of excuses where I could say that my actions affect my own life (not that it was true then, either, only now it is empirically false). The joy of being a parent is something that does not go away. But the responsibility of a parent is that ever present companion to joy.

Every night we try to read to the kids. We first get my Bible, sing "Deep and Wide", "Jesus loves me" and even throw in "Itsy Bitsy Spider" because they love it so (yeah, I know...its not all that spiritual). I then read from the Bible, we sing some more, and then I read from a story (Chronicles of Narnia, currently).

Tim has gotten to the point that he can sing and do the motions really well. He also likes to "pray like daddy." So, when he prays at dinner, he even though his mom leads him in the words, he is always looking at me for approval. Wow! What a delicate responsibility there!

It will only be a matter of time before Alexa does the same. May God be pleased to grant me wisdom, patience, and consistency while Shannon and I do this parenting thing.

On the move

Well we finally get things back to normal here, (Depending on your view of normal that is... LOL), and then things go awry AGAIN!
We are moving.
Yes we who have been in out humble abode for almost 8 1/2 years, are moving. Actually this is not necessarily a bad thing. We have been talking about this for sometime, and trying to figure somethings out, but in the end... The best decision all around was for us to move.
It's a little scary though. The thought of having to go thorough all your stuff, and pack it all up, and get rid of things...
Plus with the kids it will be interesting. This is the house they have been in all their lives. (Granted their lives have been relatively short, but still.)

Anyway, so just keep us in prayer about that. (And if you really want to help, please send all donations to Shannon Porter. )
Just kidding.
Anyway, I will hopefully be posting more now that things are normal for the moment. I know there will be lots of packing and things to do, but we still have sometime to before we have to be out. So that should leave me more time to blog right? ROFL

Home!

I can honestly tell you that there is little worse than being stuck for days in a room, ill with what seems to be an infection, away from your family, helpless to care for your family when trouble arises, and just passively wait for things to get better. There are certainly worse things, but considering that my wife and kids are a great part of my joy, it is truly difficult to be apart from them.

What is truly disconcerting about all this is that the doctors could not precsely nail down what it was that was the problem. The fact that I responded to antibiotics and seem to be on the mend gives them reason to believe that it was an infection of some type, but they could not fully discern the problem.

On another note, I am grateful that my family jumped in to help Shannon and the kids while I was held up. I am grateful that Shannon's mother came up from Yuma to help Shannon with the kids when it was thought I would be here through the weekend.

So, what is it like to spend 6 days in the hospital? Well, I determined that I could be scared, concerned, impatient, frustrated, and an overall nasty patient. What I chose to be was a pleasant, friendly, appreciative patient who made it clear he appreciated the diligence and professionalism of all who cared for me.

Almost unanimously, I was considered the favorite patient to the degree that nurses were glad that they were assigned to my care.

Don't get me wrong, I was every bit as scared and impatient since there remains so much that is uncertain about my condition. However, I chose to conquer such feelings with faith in God to deliver me, or to be glorified in whatever happened to me. I chose to honor God by beeing a cheerful patient and to make the nurses and aides laugh and feel appreciated. They have such a hard job to do and they do it sometimes 12 hours a day. Sometimes 16 hours a day.

All I have to do is lie there and heal.

A man can have his dignity removed by being poked and prodded, having to rely utterly upon another for his health, and others for the care of his family. A man can feel undignified by all the tests and the less than manly robes. But the greater sign of dignity can make whatever condition he is in a place of joy and and happiness regardless of the situation.

I had the nurses, aides, and doctors busting a gut when they came to visit. I made sure that they understood that they were appreciated. And, they frequently went above and beyond their normal responsibilities to make sure I had answers, comfort, and returned respect.

I occasionally told all the nurses to come to my room at 6 so we could have a poker game, or to decorate the floor with a marathon theme and that I would challenge any other patient to a foot race.

One aide asked how I could be so joyful. I told her that I think it bad policy to anger anyone who might come at me with sharp needles and stuff. Just then, my wife and kids came in and I said, "That's how!"

I spoke with fellow believers and sought to encourage them. I even asked permission to visit with other patients if I was to be here through the weekend considering that many patients had no friends or family visiting them and here I was getting "Daaaaaadaaa!" from ALexa and "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" from my son. Or, some nights, my folks would watch the kids and Shannon would watch a movie with me.

I was tempted to return today and visit some of those people today, but I consider myself still in recovery.

I serve a merciful and gracious God who has blessed me with a great family. I am a blessed man despite physical ailments and I have much to be grateful for.

I must say, on a final note, that one of my best friends is a woman whom I have seen only once. She is a Canadian (don't hold that against her) who checked our blog, saw what was happening to me, and did some massive internet detective work to track down my phone number, call Shannon and finally get ahold of me. I felt appreciated more than words can say for that kind of effort. Thanks Nads!

I should be back at work on Monday if all goes well.

Mike

When it rains it pours

Ok well as I have been reminded... (heheh thanks Rusty!) it has been almost a month since I last posted.
This one will be short, for as I sit here, it is 100 degrees in our house, as our air conditioning went out this passed weekend. So right now things are pretty miserable here.
On top of that, for those who do not know, Mike went to the ER this passed Saturday, and was admitted with kidney and blood pressure problems. He is still there and they are running tons of tests to figure out what is going on.
As I stated... When it rains it pours...
But yet, in the rain comes some refreshment also. God has granted Mike and I a wonderful family, who has taken myself, and the kids, in during this time. They have really stepped up, so I can spend time with Mike, and take care of the house. For that I am EXTREMELY grateful!
The kids have been troopers though this all as well. They love being at Grandma, Grandpa's and Uncle Jim's. To them it's been one huge party. They have lots of people to play with, and the rules tend to bend a little more at grandma and grandpa's...LOL So the kids are having a blast. They do miss daddy though... Especially at night, since Mike is always the one that reads to them before they go to bed.

Anyway, I will try and get another post in once we are all home and cool. (Hopefully both will be very soon!)
Thanks!

Been awhile

Ok I know it has been awhile... Here is a current picture from our trip to NY.
I will get some more stuff posted soon!
Enjoy!

Where are the Moms and Dads these days?

I hope you can forgive that neither Shannon nor I have written on the blog. There has been so much happening that it has been hard to keep up with. I took a brief break from blogging, actually. I needed to consider how to write this. There is just no way to make it polished the way I want. So, here:

Several weeks ago, I had a very difficult Friday. Reading the news and researching some contemporary issue at the time, I came across a radical feminist site that was commenting on the "justifiable shooting" of the Tennessee minister by his wife.

This justification, as it was detailed, was based upon (are you ready?) a single picture of the whole family where the second youngest daughter is the only one not smiling. From this out of context picture came some of the most loathsome comments directed at a man who is not alive to defend his name. They were certain, based on that picture "which tells the whole story" that he had abused her, and he had abused his wife, and she did what any mother would do to defend her girls and killed him. She was a martyr (if a martyr can be so while still alive).

Stunned that anyone would make such irrational claims because of their masterful clairvoyance into the matter by a snapshot of a girl not smiling (because she was...sick...grounded...recently pinched by her sister...any other option here?) I reeled even further when I found out that they iconized Andrea Yates as well. They claimed she was abused and that her husband was to blamed, and they continually wrote to her to encourage her to live (women have got to stick together, we are told). Additionally, they offered further disdain for Yates' ex-husband who recently got married. "He was smugly smiling there on his wedding day while Andrea rots in jail somewhere" was one of the comments. Imagine that: A man smiling on his wedding day.

Here is where this blog becomes serious for a moment.

I had only heard, in times past, that Andrea Yates killed her children. In fairness to that web forum, since I never followed the case, I decided to look up recent details of the case since, perhaps, there were details that were not known by the press that may have come up.

I found a website that detailed everything, using her confession as the basis of the reconstruction. You may know the details, I did not. Andrea Yates deliberately and methodically drowned her five children without mercy or compassion.

Andrea called her oldest son in last. He was a good brother, concerned over his siblings and asking how the baby was. He realized something was wrong and tried to run for his life. She caught him, dragged him in the bathroom where she had filled the tub, and forced him under. He put up a fight and got away more than once, coming up for air. Then, just before he went down for the last time, he managed to mutter, "I'm sorry!" He was so scared that he could not even control his bodily functions.

I sit in tears recounting this. A baby boy had no idea what he had done wrong, but asked forgiveness anyway, afraid to die; knowing he would die after seeing his siblings already dead. It just should not be. When a child is scared, he should be able to cry out, "Mommy!" That's what mine do. Mommy is supposed to make everything right--everything safe. That's what a Mommy does.

I could never conceive my wife doing anything like this. Not she who broke her arm while protecting her son from a fall the day before she gave birth to him. Not she who stayed up all night with him when he was sick and could not breathe well. Not she who nurtured her little girl to health recently when Alexa was sick (as well as Shannon, BTW). My wife is a lioness to her cubs and will protect them with her life.

But, I am a new father, with a son of two years and a girl of one. When I read that account, I could not see any other child than my own son in the grips of that mad woman. And, as I fought my tears, while still at work, I must confess that the wrath of this father wanted to come down like Thor's hammer in a way you simply cannot imagine.

It took me a few seconds to get that image out of my head. I immediately called Shannon for no other reason but to hear her tell me what the kids were doing. Alexa was in her lap trying to type on the computer and Timmy was jumping up and down shouting something about Rocket from Little Einsteins.

That night, Shannon, who has never seen me take the ugliness of mankind so personally before, took us out to eat at a pizza place, just so I could watch the kids run around and play, giggle, laugh, and make friends with other kids who were also happy (what a sweet and wise woman).

How could anyone do that what Yates did? I simply cannot fathom. I simply cannot fathom.

I do understand she had been off some prescription drugs and I am aware of how that can drastically affect someone to the point that you believe another person is in your presence (I have seen it in my own wife). I would like to think that this was the thing that drove her to madness. However, this death by drowning was something she had attempted two years prior.

I will not dwell on the case.

I have recently followed a number of articles where children had been killed by parents or adults in cold calculated ways. I recall a certain Smith drowning her children in a car, I recall a newborn baby found in a canal right down the street of a California hotel I was at (three blocks away), dead and decaying, said to have been dumped while still alive. In the last few months, I have read of newborns being dumped in dumpsters, toilets, trashcans, in a bunch of trees, in canals, and in cars during summer.

All this happens in Arizona as well (all stories mentioned in the last sentence of the previous paragraph were local), a state where someone can drop off a child in a safe environment with no accountability or responsibility and the child will be cared for. No prosecution will occur. It was designed to prevent the very thing we see on a routine basis (is this not the way of man that even laws in their favor are broken?).

In such an environment, why do we see what we see? I must observe that life has been devalued and subordinated to the convenience and "rights" of bigger and more powerful people called adults. Is not the ease of killing babies who are born and alive the natural outcome of the arguments for abortion?

Children die by the millions because of the selfishness of men and women who value their lifestyles over life itself.

It may have been one thing to have Andrea Yates, affected by some type of drug, or the reduction thereof, but everyday with full faculties involved, our babies are put to death.

I just put my daughter to bed. When Shannon was still pregnant with her, our doctor told us of some abnormalities within Shannon's blood work, which indicated a strong likelihood that Alexa would have developed abnormally if she even made it at all. He started to bring up the subject of termination (our sanitized and emotionally neutral word for killing) and Shannon interrupted him with utter rejection. That is our baby, don't you even talk to us about that!

Oh, how I wish parents would have such love.

My final rant (and, this is truly Rant Proper since there is no cohesive flow) is just a simple thought.

Perhaps life had to be devalued so that sex could remain meaningless and worry-free. Perhaps, since sex is for fun and pretended intimacy these days, and the responsibilities of sex get in the way of such "fun" that a strategic and methodic justification of getting rid of the problem (rather than, of course, simply controlling ourselves) had to be developed under the guise of "rights" and "freedom" and "reproductive liberty."

Is there any irony to the thought, "Give me reproductive liberty and give me death"?

My son came up to me today and for no immediate reason said, "I love you, Dad!" My daughter does her best to say things like that but can only blurt out, "Daddy!" Last night, Tim climbed up in my lap and watched TV with me. Alexa joined Timmy and me for "Storytime with Daddy." She is old enough. I plan to order a special Daddy and daughter book I saw, just for us.

I could fill pages and pages of how happy they make Shannon and me. I could write volumes of how happy I am because of Shannon, Timothy, and Alexa. I could just go on and on. Never once in my life did I consider them an inconvenience. When I found out that they were on their way, I simply grew up and made sure that my life joined me.

For all the pretended excuses for why children are killed, whether in the womb or out, whether by an Andrea, Deborah, some lame excuse for a father, or doctor, I must say the beautiful baby boy jumping up and down to the Wiggles right now, and the baby girl hugging her "baby" in her toddler bed this very moment are the most compelling reasons why life is simply beautiful. It should never be considered a choice. That is just dumb, I do not apologize. It really is dumb and perverse. It should always be considered a reason to rejoice.

I just cannot contain myself...

Please forgive this "stream of consciousness" blog, but I have the best kids in the world.

Here it is Saturday and I am doing some reading, writing, and studying at my desk, which is my habit, and the kids are watching TV. I had been watching cartoons with them and goofing off, which is half the purpose of a Saturday morning (the other half being waffles!!).

As I am about 8 feet in the middle of a Greek participle (and anyone who has studied that language knows exactly what that means), I am drawn back to this plane but the persistent tugging of my shirt by my daughter. As I become aware of my daughter, I also become aware that she is giving a little lioness roar (actually, it is more like "rawr" but you get the idea).

When she sees that I am paying attention, she reaches up for me to pick her up. While I am holding her, she continues roaring. I start to chuckle because I had not heard her do this in a long time. Then, she pointed up at a picture her great-grandma had oil painted and continued to roar. I realized that the painting is of a little lion cub sleeping.

Now, it took me a few seconds to understand what was going on, but without Shannon or myself having really emphasized what a lion is (except when the zoo or TV ocasioned it) and only less frequently doing the roaring, Alexa was able to connect a semi-abstract painting of a lion cub with the roar of his bigger father.

I was impressed. She continually amazes me as to how perceptive she is. Since she does not talk very much it is easy to miss that she pays very close attention to everything.

So, there we sat, for about 15 to 20 minutes, just roaring back and forth. She would point at the lion and roar, then I would find a lion on the computer and I would roar, then she would get excited and giggle and then roar.

And now, my little lioness is lying in bed, asleep.

While she has been asleep, Timothy had a snack. Shannon gave him extra snacks "to share with Daddy." So, he comes to me and breaks out the fruit snacks. "Here, Daddy, and orange one." Then, he walked over to Mom, "A green one!" So he gave mom the green one. She mentioned that she liked the green ones, so he looked for another green one and gave it to her.

Then he had some more for himself. "A red one, Daddy!" "A green one!" The green one went to mom.

When he had only three left, I told Tim he could have the rest. "A red one, Daddy!" Yes, he gave it to me. "Another red!" He gave that one to me. "Another red!" He gave that one to me...I gave it back saying he could have it. He then handed it to his Mom. He would not hear another word about it, the matter was done.

Such a giving child.

I hate to inform the rest of the world of this simple fact, but I have the best kids in the world.

Attack of the Claw/Attack of the Books

Ok, so it was not really a claw, and it was not really an attack. Although it was a coordinated attempt on the part of mom and dad to cut Timmy's nails. Now, you would have thought Grendel himself was coming after Timmy by the way he reacted toward my cutting his nails. Although Shannon tells me that the way he acted toward me was *considerably* more mild than when she has tried it herself or even her mother when she was here.

My strategy was to give Tim a pillow (which he covered his face with) and let him watch cartoons. Then I had mom come over to comfort him. Sort of worked. Sort of didn't. But, to be honest with you, what was hardest for me was not the movements of Timothy. They were easy to predict so I did not hurt him. Nor was it the crying. What was most difficult was my own laughter. Let me explain before you think that I am a sadistic father.

Whenever Timothy knows that he is in trouble, or thinks he is in trouble, he runs through his entire family lineage aloud hoping someone will hear him and come to his rescue. So, when I was clipping his nails, he was crying, "GwampaUnaJim" which, being translated is Grampa and Uncle Jim. See, in later Timothean dialect, the phrase "GwammaGwampa" has been displaced with "GwampaUnaJim" to indicate that the place we visit is cleary Grandpa's, and Uncle Jim plays with him there.

Once they did not come to his rescue, he went through the list, "GrannyGwamps" which are his Grandparents in Yuma, "Brian and Megan" which is his uncle and future aunt in New York.

By this point, I am only slightly chuckling. Then, in his most emphatic scream, he yells, "Alexa!!!" So, desperate was he to get away from those clippers that he was willing to call upon Alexa to rescue him. Baby sister to the rescue!!

Ok, Shannon and I tried hard to suppress even our earlier chuckles because we both still remember what it was like as a kid to have "The Claw" come and get us as well. But, we
completely lost it when he called upon the Mighty Alexa!

Last night, as I had been recovering from the flu (102.9 at its worse), the kids were trying to play with me and it crushed me having to turn them away. So, knowing that dad likes to read (because they see me do it alot) Alexa brought me a book from my library.

I chuckled and thanked her and started to read the book since she brought it too me. She has good taste since it was Charles Spurgeon. However, the trend continued. [Interjection: As I write this, Alexa brought me her Barbie doll...and held her up by her hair. I had to chuckle at that.] Ok, where was I? Oh yes, after I had accepted one book, next, Alexa brought a computer book that was about half her size. Then another theology book, a philosophy book. Not to be outdone, Timothy started bringing bigger books.

Not really in the condition to stop the flood, I had a great idea. "Shannon, see that notebook that is on its way over to me by the lovely hands of the blueyed Alexa? Why not get two pencils and have them draw?"

Worked like a charm. Alexa seemed more focused, but Tim was more creative. He first said that he spelled his name. Now, what impressed us was not the scribbles on the paper that looked nothing like T-I-M but that he told us that he was spelling T-I-M. He had never done that before. My son can spell his name.

Then he drew a "kitty." Alexa just drew and drew her little heart out.

I was still feverish so I could only partially enjoy things as they happened. But, these things I write that you may enjoy them as well.

I wonder if I have blackmail material against Timothy for a future girlfriend for the "Alexa" thing.

Time goes by...

As I sit here I am reminded of how fast time goes by. Some days seem to fly past with out hardly time to catch your breath. Yet there are days, like today, when one can sit and enjoy the time, and reflect.
As I sit here, my wonderful son is sitting in the living room, playing with his cars, and dancing to one of the songs on his Dog Train CD. I like this CD as the music is adult friendly and even though the words to the songs are cheesy, Tim really likes it. Anyway... I digress...
Tim is growing up so fast now. He can hold actual conversations now, almost all of audible. When he gets really excited or frustrated, he mumbles, but for the most part he has a pretty good vocabulary. It's amazing that just at Christmas, there was still so much of what he said we could not understand. Time goes by...
He seems to understand a lot more now too. More than even a few months ago. It is amazing to realize how fast he is growing at this stage. Time goes by...
Lexa too, has come a long way in just a short amount of time. At Christmas she was barely taking those first tentative steps by herself. Now I look at her as she "waddles" all over the house, and I am amazed. She is so independent now. She wants so much to be like her big brother and do all things he does. Time goes by...
They were out in the back playing yesterday. As I watched, Tim would go and play in the sand box and then go on to something else. Lex was right behind him the whole way, watching and trying so hard to imitate what he was doing. It was very cute!
It also made me realize how much she looks to him for how things are done. And it made me realize that Mike and I have long road ahead of us. Tim is going to be so influential with Lex, so we really need to make sure we are raising him right. It's kind of scary... I mean the world is so big, and there are some really not nice people out there.
But you know what... Our kids will be ok. I think all parents have this belief that their kids will be ok. They will learn how to survive in the world. They will live, love, laugh and be happy. I think as parents we all want these things and more for our kids.
I want my kids to know the Lord. I want them to work, and be responsible and yet still be able to have fun in life. I want them to marry for love, and never know heart break. I want them to live life to its very fullest and still have enough to give something back. I want them to realize that money is not the ultimate success story. These are just some of the things I want for my kids. I know some of these things will never happen. But I have hope that through time and prayer that most of them will.
Time. It all boils down to time. "Only time will tell..." "Time flies..."
So when you look at that way, it's good to take some time to reflect on things. Especially things that are important to you.
So, I hope everyone takes some time to just sit and reflect, and hopefully realize how much time we spend on things that are not so important, and maybe start moving around some priorities.
I have. In fact I am ending this now, so I can go read a book to my daughter, who just came over and handed me one, and then threw up her arms up for me to pick her up.
Take care~

Officially a soccer mom

Well this passed weekend I officially became a soccer mom.
I always figured that someday I would be one of those sports moms who drive a (cool) mini-van and bring the best snacks to the games, and all of my kids friends just think I am the coolest/prettiest mom ever. (That must have been some dream.) I guess I just never figured it would happen when Tim was 2!
It was, however, so much fun to see all these little kids out there in their new bright blue tee shirts, trying really hard to kick the ball, and running with all their might, parents chasing them, trying really hard to not snicker when their kids missed the ball or decided to just run the other direction. (I say that because Tim did manage to do both of those things and it was hard for Mike and I to not laugh out loud.)
I was surprised at how many 2 year olds were out there. Come to find out we are not the only parents looking to focus our toddlers energy into something positive. It was nice to know were normal (ok I realize that the term normal is a relative issue... Since "normal" for us is not "normal" for everyone... But come on give me a break here).
Anyway Tim had a blast. He loves to kick the ball. So that part of it was no problem. He is just not used to things being so organized. I, also did not realize that parental involvement, meant so much work. I think Mike and I got as much of a work out as Tim. Tim did get a little grumpy towards the end as he was getting tired. But over all the experience was a positive one.
I am looking forward to the next 5 weeks. (I say that now, but I'll have to let you know at the end of the 6 weeks how things go! LOL)
Anyway, not much else going on this week, but I am sure we can find some cute antidote from the kids to post later on in the week.
Take care!!

Update

Ok I know it has been about 10 days since my last post... But I have a good excuse. Once we got back form visiting my parents, my kids (once again) were sick.
Ok you know how this is the year of the dog in the Chinese calendar? In our home this is the year of the germ. I kid you not... There have only been a handful of weekends that ALL of us have actually been well... At the same time. It's awful. So this time it's been Lexa. Poor thing started running a fever the day before we left to come home. Yesterday was the first time she seemed to really feel better. Although the clingyness that comes from a toddler being sick, was still there in full force. I would start to bend over to put her down and she would start in "mamaaaaw" Have you ever seen that Sharpie commercial, where the mom tries to put the baby down and as soon as his toes hit the floor he cries, yet when she picks him up he is all smiles... That is Lex. (sigh)

Anyway, we had a good time at my folks.... The kids always have a good time with their granny, gramps and Great-grandma's. (They know who spoils them) Every time we stop by their Great-Granny Tim wants Ice Cream... And of course he get it. But that is especially what Great Grannies are for.
My mom was doing exercises one of the mornings were there and Tim decided to join in. She had him stretching, and bending , and doing leg lifts...LOL. It was pretty funny to watch. But they had a good time.

My mom has a piano at her house too. Tim and Lex both like to go in and "play" on it. My mom took the opportunity to give a quick lesson... Although it looks like Lex is the only one paying attention. Heh.
Anyway we made it home and since Lex was a feeling a little better we went to Arizona Museum for Youth. We went to a Tot and Mommy class. It was fun. They have areas all set up with different things going on... A block area, book area, sensory play area, puzzle area, and so forth. It was a lot of fun. Tim is so good about helping Lex. He is such a good big brother. He helped her put one of the puzzles back together. It was so cute!
She is on that high learning curve too. She wants to explore everything... EVERYTHING. But yet she still does not want to venture to far from mom.
Life at our house is interesting because of that. I have one who points to everything and yells when she wants something, and one who is in super discovery mode, who constantly asks "what's that mommy?" But I love it. It means my kids are growing, and they are learning (I better be careful though, one day soon they will be smarter than me)
Anyway, Tim starts Soccer tomorrow, so I know there will be more to blog about this weekend.
Till then take care!

Off to see the Wizard....

Ok we are not really going to see the wizard, but we are off to see my folks.
Just wanted to post that, so no one who accidentally wanders in here and starts reading our blog, suddenly realizes we have not posted for a week. LOL!
I am sure when we get back next week there will be lots of photos and stories to tell (like on the last trip, how Tim screamed the last 30 minutes of the drive because he wanted his cup, which he (deliberately) threw on the floor and I could not reach it).
So I say to all those people... I will be back, with more posts early next week.
So relax and have a great weekend.

Fun with the kids

Well this week has been an adventure to say the least.
We started off with Tim taking an art class at the Youth Museum. It was interesting to say the least. It was fun, but I think it was more of a learning experience for me, than for Tim. He is only two after all, and at this point his main interest is being able to play in the sand box, or watch the Wiggles on TV. But I thought we'd give it a try. I did find out, however, that he likes to paint, and glue things. He had little interest in some of the other activities, but the idea that he could put paint on his hand and then make a mark on the paper was fascinating to him. (As long as he does not figure out he can do it at home on the walls.) As was the idea that he could make something stick together. He made a Lion mask and it came out very cute... He likes to pretend now that he is a lion..."Roar!"

Poor Lex was stuck in my lap the whole time. She is such a wiggle worm now that she is walking all over. That also made it hard to concentrate fully on Tim. Like I said it was a learning experience.
After the class however, both kids were rewarded with a trip the play area in the museum. It's very fun. It's set up for kids ages 5 and under. There are all kinds of rooms... A puppet room, a kitchen, a play garden, and even a slide. There is also an area for the very little one's. Lex was not sure about this until she saw herself in the mirror.
Then she was happy as a clam in the ocean.

We also had fun the other day, playing with Tim's Elmo doll. He had not pulled it out in some time, and now that Lex is mobile, I decided to get it out. Oh man. She was cracking up. Of course, as with most siblings, once Tim saw that she had something, he wanted it too. He actually took to showing Lex how Elmo danced. It was SOOOOO cute. He imitated Elmo and then tried to get Lex to do the moves too. I was laughing so hard my sides hurt. They are so cute when they play together.

They have been doing that a lot lately. Just playing and hanging out together.
I caught them both in the living room the other day just reading books, side by side, It was a proud mama moment (just the sheer fact that Tim was not trying to wrestle her to the ground). I really do hope that they continue to be good friends.
Anyway like I said earlier this week has been an adventure for all of us! And just think we get to do all over again next week. (I wouldn't have it any other way!)

Imagination

I have to be honest and confess that there are some games that my son plays with me that I have absolutely no idea what he is doing and what we are doing. I have no idea where he got the idea for it, I see no connection to anything that we have ever watched or done. I am completely lost.

But, it does not seem to matter at all to Tim since whatever I am doing, I seem to be doing it right. He laughs, giggles, "wheeeees!" and repeats whatever it is that we are doing...over and over again.

I must say that his imagination has a complete life of its own and this makes for an exciting time. You see, he is creating his own understanding and his own way of doing things. He is making connections in things that I have not seen before. I used to try and show him how to do things but now I am content to let him show me how to do things even if it is nothing like what he is "supposed" to do (such as play on a keyboard with coherent notes).

Yesterday was a most impressive time for me to see the imagination of my son in full bloom. There is a website that has Elmo showing the letters (with some type of action) whenever the keyboard is pressed. I happened to notice that Tim was attempting to imitate Elmo but I though nothing of it and went into the living room.

Later, Tim came in and started rummaging through his toys. I figured he was done and asked him if he wanted me to turn Elmo off. "No, Daddy!" came the puzzled reply. Finally he found what he was looking for: two small rounded sticks.

I followed him back into the kitchen to the computer and watched him press "V" which has Elmo play a violin. Tim, as best he could, tried to emulate Elmo and the violin with those two sticks.

My jaw dropped. I had not seen him with his own imagination and inventiveness with such clarity and flair until now. I asked Shannon if he had done anything like this before, and she was certain he had not.

There he stood, playing his violin for all to see. Then, after Elmo was done, Tim hit the "V" again with the stick so he could be ready faster. Not only a creative imagination, but a problem solver, too.

He is also becoming very affectionate. Today, for no obvious reason (I had given him nothing for some time) Tim came up to Shannon and me individually and hugged us saying, "Thank you Daddy!" and "Thank you, Mommy!"

We think that he was in just a very happy mood and was just telling us he loved us. If I ever need to be in a good mood, there are these wonderful kids who do a great job of putting me there.


My walking girl is just tearing up the house now. She is still not as talkative as Mr. Timothy "I'm trying out for Rush's Job" Porter, but she is being much more deliberate with her words. And, she really likes to be read to. She has a wonderful trick that Daddy is always a sucker for. She finds a book and brings it over to me. She hands it to me, I take it, then she throws up her arms so that I will read to her.

Yesterday and today I have been getting alot of attention requests from this little girl and couldn't be happier.

I will tell you that we have great kids. While driving around the other night, the kids played with each other and giggled and laughed and talked to each other. Tonight, Timothy was teaching her how to play with some of his more complex toys.

Have I ever mentioned that life is good?

Waiting

Well I have been waiting for Mike to produce a post. I have been bugging him now for a week... I guess you all will just have deal with me for another post...

So we finally get Tim well, and not 24 hours after that Lex gets sick. Ever been stuck in a revolving door? That is how I feel. Remember the posts at the first of the year where I wondered if this was a precursor to the rest of my year? So far that has been accurate. There have only been a handful of weekends in the last 3 months that someone in our house has not been sick. I am not sure what it is. Maybe this is God's way of keeping us home more... But why on the weekends? This is the one day of the week when we have the whole day together as a family... And we have been stuck inside most of it. (Sigh)
Well, hopefully things will change here in the next few weeks. Tim starts playing soccer the end of March, and the kids and I are taking some Mom and Tot art classes at a local Youth Museum during March and April. May will be pretty slow, But then there is June.
June is the month I know Mike and I have been looking forward to now for some time. Mike's brother, Brian, is getting married to a wonderful gal. (We are so excited!) In New York. Yes, Mike and I will be braving the fight to Buffalo, NY with two toddlers in tow. A true vacation. I am so psyched. (LOL I say that now, but we'll see after we get back how much fun we really had with two toddlers in tow.)
Then 2 weeks after we get back from NY, the kids and I are going to visit my parents in Yuma. I will be helping out at my parents church (Immanuel S. Baptist) by teaching the preschoolers during Vacation Bible School.
My kids have gone ever since they were in utero. The first year I taught I was pregnant with Tim. I have taught every year since. It's always so much fun, and I just get so attached to some of the kids before the week is over. I am so grateful God has allowed me this wonderful opportunity to help spread His word.
So the next few months should prove to be a challenge and a blessing.
Well, now you know there will be lots of pics and antidotes over the next few months... So make sure to check back often.... Take care!

I love my kids

My kids sure are cute these days!
They are both in a very fun stage.
Both kids have taken an interest in the computer as of late.
It's so cute. Tim likes to play with Elmo on the computer... I think it's great. He is learning his letters and numbers as well as the layout on the keyboard. He can type almost as fast as I can...LOL!
Lex also has taken an interest. She likes to sit on my lap and "type" IM's to daddy at work. She is so funny because she tries so hard to use both hands and really type. It got to the point I had to give her an old keyboard, just so she would not want to be in my lap on the computer ALL the time.
They are also in the love phase. I guess it is appropriate since they were both born in Feb. (The month of Love) that they are so loving towards each other.
Tim has just been so affectionate... It really is cute. He is such a good big brother. He can be a little rough, but he makes up for in effort. Lex just laps it up. She loves the attention... Drama Queen that she is.
I am very glad they get along... Check back me in a few years when they are teens to see how long it lasted! :)

Sick toddler

I know I have not posted all week. Sorry.
We are dealing with a sick toddler though. For the last 4 nights Tim has been up most of the night getting sick. It's weird, he seems fine during the day.
He and Lex had their Dr. visits the other day and the Dr. said it was some kind of virus. I think we are going to take him back in tomorrow (or today, Thurs., as the case may be) and have him do a more through check out. We will keep you all posted.

Lex on the other hand is great... She finally managed to put some weight on she is now 17.5 lbs. Wohoo! (Up from just under 16 lbs. 3 months ago) So that was nice.
Now if we can just get her up to 20 lbs, then we can turn her car seat around. Heh
Anyway, we will post more once we get Tim back to the Dr.
Everyone, take care!

A Trip to the zoo

I took the kids to the zoo yesterday. It was so much fun. I had not been to the zoo in ages.

Tim had a blast. He loved seeing all the animals. Although I think some of them scared him, as he is used to only seeing them in books, and did not realize how big they were in real life. He impressed me though when we were looking at the Lions. They had pictures posted of the all the lions they have at the zoo, there were three, a lioness, lion and then another lioness.
He looked at the pictures and told me "Mama lion, daddy lion and another mama lion." I was like wow, I never taught him the difference. Apparently Mike had been working with him on that. It was a proud moment.
He was very fascinated by the mice, and the petting zoo. He also like the farm area they have. He got to "drive" a tractor, and play in a barn area that was made up just for toddlers.

Tim also had an interesting interaction with one of the baboons. It came right up to the window and was nose to nose with him. Tim loved that. He would turn and look at me and smile and then go back to looking at the baboon.

Lex on the other hand was a little unsure.
Even with all Tim's excitement, she did not want me to put her down to much and was content to view things from the wagon. Even though, she too, liked to watch the mice scurrying about and she was also fascinated by some of the birds in the bird sanctuary.
Well I think in the future there will be many more trips to the zoo... This was a very good experience, for all of us!

Birthday #2

Mike's family decided to wait and give the kids their presents the day after their big party on Saturday.
So we went over Sunday afternoon to let them open presents... Oh my. They were so excited. They got some new toys. Tim got a truck and Lex got a new doll. They also got a plane with some of the "Little People" in it.

They both liked that.... A lot. (in fact they are in the other room as I type this fighting over it... BRB)
Ok back...
Anyway, I just wanted to post some of the other pictures of them with some of their new birthday toys.

Birthday Bash

Wow was it a busy weekend. Who knew that planning a kids party could be so crazy!
But it was well worth it.
We had both the kids Birthdays parties on Sat. at Saguaro Ranch Park. It was a perfect day, there was a breeze and the weather held at just below 80 degrees.
The kids we so excited to see all their friends and family at the park. They got to go down and play at the play ground while the adults set up and talked. We had my good friend Christy's kids go with the little one's, to make sure they stayed out of trouble. It worked out perfectly.
We grilled up some burgers, and hot dogs, and we had chili, chicken pockets, and cupcakes.
Oh my were there cup cakes. I managed to get the frosting off the first one I gave Lex... But awhile later her Grandma was near and had a cupcake, and before we knew it she grabbed that thing frosting and all, and was trying to shove the whole thing in her mouth. What a mess.
Tim on the other hand from the beginning was not going to let us take the frosting off. So he was a mess too...It was pretty funny.

They got some really cool stuff... Lex got a barbie doll (she had been going around the house playing with Tim's G.I. Joes so it seemed appropriate), and her very own chair.
Tim got a wiggles book and a water gun (the weather is nice here, but I think we will let it warm up a little more before we use it!) and they both got lots of clothes and some gift certificates. So they were set!
It was a great day!
Hard to believe that Tim is officially two and Lex will be a year on Fri.
Wow, this last year went by fast... I can't wait to start planning for their party next year. I think I will start in September.

Overwhelmed

Ok in the last few months I admit... I have been overwhelmed with stuff. Yes just stuff, you know that every day stuff... Dealing with the house, kids, hubby and so forth.
I wanted to write something that would express how hard things have been, and how I have managed to make it through with great grace and composure. But I think I will write about my life instead.
I really do not have it terribly bad, but it has not all been easy. It's hard when you are alone all day with an almost 2 year old who is just starting to form audible words, and an almost 1 year old whose main form of "talking" is yelling at the top of her lungs when she wants something. Also, I think most stay at home parents feel like they are just plain out of the loop. We long for the days of lingering conversations with others... Including our spouses. Yet, most SAHMs do realize that their spouses are working hard just so we can stay home.
Mike and I got into an argument this weekend. Yes we do argue... Just like every other couple who has been together long enough to know that they do not agree on everything. I admit, some things he said really hurt me. It took me awhile, however, to get over my pride, and really start thinking about some of the things he said. One thing he said was that I rely to much on others for my happiness.
It's true. I really do.
When things are going well, my kids are happy, my hubby is happy, my house is clean... Then so am I. I feel like I have done my job well, as wife and mother. But when I have had a rough day with the kids, and Mike comes home grumpy, and the house is a mess, then I feel like a failure. I feel like somehow it's all tied to me.
In a sense it is. I have heard the comment many times that the mom/wife sets the tone in the house. "When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" was a statement on a plaque at local craft fair. It's true. I have noted that the kids and Mike seem to react to my moods, inasmuch as I react to theirs. I need to re-learn to be happy in All situations.
I used to know how to do that. When I broke my arm, I was like that. I knew there was a reason for it, and that some how God would use my broken arm for his glory, somehow. I was thankful for all that I went through. God granted me much grace during that time. I am not sure what has happened since then. I feel like life is slowly spinning out of my control. Control is a big issue with me... Mike also pointed that out to me. BAM! Another reality slap in the face. One much needed.
I have also been thinking a lot about my walk with Christ, and how that has and has not affected situations like the argument above. It made me realize that I have not been doing what I need to be doing. It's kind of like exercising... You know you need to do it and that's good for you and that you feel pretty good after, but you still don't to do it. I feel like that. It's not that I don't like studying about God and reading my Bible. It's just that I get so convicted, that my convictions stop me in my tracks. So, I never even make it to the part where I come to the feet of Christ and ask forgiveness and I feel better.
I finally made it to that point today. And wouldn't you know it... I DO feel better. I feel better because I no longer have a huge burden on my back. I feel better because I know that with God all things are possible, even me getting rid of my foolish pride, and giving up some of my oh-so-precious control.
Anyway, I am not even sure why I am writing this other than I wanted to show Mike and others that I really am trying to make things right in my life.
So I guess I should get on with it... My life that is... hehe

Another day at the park

With the weather being just about perfect here, we have once again taken to spending time at the park. We recently bought a wagon, and that has been a life saver. Tim has not wanted to sit in the stroller for some time. Yet, he is perfectly content to sit in the wagon. He also likes to kick his sister, so that may have something to do with it...LOL

Alexa also loves the wagon, but now that she is mobile she wants to be out and exploring everything. She loves to get around after her brother. I think sometimes he likes it and other times I think he would prefer her to hurry up...LOL. Typical brother. But over all they do seem to have fun at the park.

This picture was taken while Lex was sitting in the wagon. I just has to post it. She is so beautiful.

Anyway, I know in the next few weeks there will be lots to post. The kids are having their Birthday party next weekend,we are also hoping to make it to the zoo in the next few weeks and then there is Valentine's day. The SAHM group I belong to is having a Valentine's Day Party, so there will be lots of pictures.
So make sure you check back...

Ol' Tim and Li'l Lex

When I was a child one of my favorite books to read was _Where the Red Fern Grows_ which is a story about a boy and his two dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann.

Set in the Ozarks, this boy earns, buys (risking his life to travel to get them), and trains his two dogs to hunt 'coons (raccoons).

I have very fond memories of that book and one day wish to read it to my children. But, perhaps you are wondering why I remembered this book. Well, I'll tell you: Old Dan was characterized by strength, boldness, determination, and passion. But, he was also characterized by such courage and tenacity that he could easily be fooled by the cunning raccoons who made an artform out of evasion and escape.

To balance Old Dan, there is Little Ann who has far less size and strength, but is a match, if not superior to the tactical thinking of the coons. Old Dan can be fooled, but Little Ann can keep up with the best of them and outthink them to boot.

It was not that Old Dan was dumb. When the dog took time to think he showed considerable brilliance. His problem is that he was too passionate to take the time to think.

Little Ann was able to step back and thing things through before engaging and possibly get trick or trapped. She had to. She lacked the significant strength of Old Dan and had to rely on strategy. She assisted Dan while Dan lead the charge. While the coon was engaged in combat against Dan, Little Ann would often surprise from behind or above.

Why did I think of the book?

The other day I was watching a jealous Timothy run and take away a book that Alexa was reading and start to read it himself. Mind you, up until she had it he was oblivious to it. You know the drill.

I am not kidding when I say this, but Alexa had an expression of patience while she reached over and grabbed another toy, a truck, and rolled it once and let it go. While she was in mid-roll, Tim had dropped the book that he wanted so badly moments before and started playing with the truck.

And there sat Alexa, who, having tricked her brother into grabbing a different toy, continued to read that book as though nothing had happened.

Clever girl.

Updates??

Ok so it's been almost a week and no more updates. LOL Guess that means things are slow around here right? NOT!
Actually things really have not been to bad... Just busy... Normal everyday, busy.
We are doing what we are supposed to be doing.
Mike is working, I get to stay home and take care of the house and kids. The kids are growing and learning.
So I guess in that respect things really are slow around here.
Anyway, I should have some new pics to post in the next few days... Lex has been really cute walking with her bike/walker thingie, and Tim's new verbal skills are cause for a new blog. So there are things for us to blog about, I guess it's just finding the time and the energy to sit down and do it... (I know ironic when you consider that I am currently blogging. But blogging about things being slow is not as hard as finding specific things to blog about...LOL)
So, there will be more specific articles to come in the next few days...
Till then take care

General updates

Ok so now that this month is halfway over things are looking pretty good.
We have all been healthy for over a week now, Mike took care of the kids last weekend (see post below), so I got a nice and much needed break, the kids are becoming more independent every day, so I actually feel like I can get some things accomplished, (including concentrating on my business).
Wow, that's actually accomplishing a lot for the first 3 weeks in January. LOL
I was leary at first that this year was going to be a good one. We started off the year with all of us being sick, and it seemed like things might have gone down from there. But my Hubby came to the rescue. After a night out with out the kiddos, and all of us being healthy, I can finally get around to celebrating what I think will truly be a great year.
Both Tim and Lex, will be celebrating Birthdays in Feb. Hard to believe. (It's even harder to believe if you look at Lex, she is still such a tiny thing... Almost a year old and not even 16 pounds yet). So we are looking forward to that.
Both are becoming much more independent. Tim is making great strides in his understanding, he is learning things with great speed, and enthusiasiam. Lex also is trying her hardest to be more independent. She is finally walking some, and her vocabulary is coming along as well. Tim is such a great big brother. He loves to help her and dote on her... He also likes to pick on her and lay on her and try and wrestle her.... Ahhhh, siblings. Yet, I am not sure they would know what to do with out one another. Lex has never known any different, and Timmy was little enough that he adjusted to her presence with relative ease. They are best buds, and I am thankful they get along.
Mike and I are also doing well. Mike is busy with work, and his ministry work at Alpha and Omega Ministries, plus teaching Greek one night a week. Pretty busy guy.
I, on the other hand have all the time in the world.... HAHAHAHAHA!
Yeah right... All the time in the world to take care of the house, hubby, kids and try to get some business stuff done in between. But it's all good.
God was good to us in 2005, and I think 2006 is looking bright with possibility.
Let's just hope we all stay well enough to enjoy it.

A night with the boys...

Every so often Shannon likes to go out with one of her friends to do...whatever to moms do whenever they are away from their kids (which, if I am not mistaken, amounts to talking about the kids). When those times come, I tend to volunteer to watch the kids so that Shannon's friend does not have to pay for a baby sitter.

So, here I was the other night with four kids, three of them boys and then Alexa. Amy, Shannon's friend (well, she is mine, too) has twin boys. James and Patrick showed up and immediately James started gravitating toward Alexa. While she was eating, he was hugging her, trying to lift her out of her seat, feeding her...

"James, you and I need to have a talk," said Dad in a deep, rumbling voice as he cleaned and oiled his shotgun.

What was most disconcerting is that Alexa was not refusing his advances. But, it was truly funny to see Alexa playing this up for all it was worth. As the song goes, "And everywhere Alexa went, James was sure to follow." It was as if she knew he would do just about whatever she wanted him to.

Breathe Dad...just breathe.

Well, eventually the balance of testosterone in the room won out because after a while of James fawning all over Alexa, Timothy, the rowdiest of the group, got the guys to chase, jump, wrestle, climb, tackle, tumble, and rumble all over the house.

One would give chase and the others would run, then another would pursue, and this would end in a cataclysmic thunderous crashing of heads and elbows. So long as I laughed or said, "Jump up, you're OK!" they would be fine (I made sure they really were fine, of course). Had I given a gasp at any moment then all would be lost and the tears would start rolling.

I have noticed that boys tend to realize early on that crying takes away from their playtime, so they suck it up and go for broke. Yes, it is that "Y" chromosome that places such magnificent healing powers into the mind of the boy. And, yes, sometimes it is only in the mind of the boy that they are ok.

To be sure, I was careful not to make them think that they were ok when I could easily tell they were not. Sometimes I would have to call halftime and inspect the troops (he said as he mixed his metaphors).

Now, what was most fun about this is that "the boys" wanted to get rough and tumble with me, so one played football, another jumped and tackled me, and another played catch with a splash ball. Such times!

Poor Alexa by this point was moving here and there trying to avoid getting squished. I think she is learning that walking and running has its advantages (she can walk, she just hasn't really decided she wants to, yet.)

So, Daddy and Alexa would play in between rough-housing with the others.

Alexa has a completely different manner of dealing with trauma. See, with Timothy, a thermonuclear blast can be detonated an inch from his ears and he will look up as if to say, "Huh? You call me?" Any stern speaking to him requires a bit more "umph" than with Alexa. With Alexa, Shannon can say in a calm, but stern voice, and say something such as, "Alexa, don't drop your food on the floor" and within seconds the water works fall.

She seems to be very sensitive. Of course, Shannon's dad tells me that he never really had to discipline Shannon. He would look at her in a particular way and she would know she had done something wrong and sometimes even break out in tears.

Hmm...I am sure if our respective parents were to compare notes we would find a very lopsided, if not unanimous opinion as to whom which child takes after on the behavior front.

Well, back to the night in...

What really seemed to be the pinnacle of the evening was when Timothy, instinctively knowing what time it was, started shouting with typical Timmy Excitement (TR) "Read!" Yes, after Alexa (wiped out by this time) was put to bed, Tim knew it was time for Story Time with Dad.

I figured the Patrick and James, unaware of this tradition, would have kept right on playing, but they seemed especially infected by Timothy's enthusiasm (it really is contagious, even for Shannon and me).

So, all balls were dropped and the TV turned off (smooth except for a moment where Patrick tried to turn it back on). And, soon, all eyes were on the book Tim picked out, which was not the Chronicles of Narnia at first. It was a book Shannon had bought him for Christmas ($1.50--what a fabulous investment!). In a short time, I had all three kids roaring like lions, barking like dogs, quacking like ducks, and two of them telling me colors.

Suddenly, they wanted more books, so Patrick got one, James got one, Timothy got one...they could not get enough! Finally, I started to read The Chronicles of Narnia and they started to settle down and drift off.

Sometime late in the night, Shannon and Amy came home from doing...whatever.

Yeah, a night in with the boys (and girl) was quite an experience.

One note about Alexa:

She may have been outnumbered and dodging feet and limbs for her life, but she held her own. We had quite the fun time just looking at books and pictures for half the night while the other kids were playing. She is getting used to being the only girl in our circles.

Nap Time

Nap time in our house has become interesting. My son is getting wise to my tactics of getting him to take a nap.
It used to be I could go in there and threaten him with a time out, and he would lay down and go to sleep.
Then it escalated to actually putting him in time out.
Now he just looks and me and laughs, when I put him in time out. (sigh)
Ok let me clarify something, my son has a tendency to destroy his room if left unchecked at nap time. He will stay in the room, but will manage to pull out EVERY toy and book off the shelf. He also likes to climb on the window sill next to his sisters bed (Although is learning that is an automatic spanking).
I have thought about taking everything out of there. Unfortunately we are cramped as it is.
I am guessing that consistency is the key here, but if anyone out there has any suggestions, PLEASE let me know.

This to shall pass.

Other wise things are pretty normal around here, we are just taking things a day at time.
The kids are both growing up, and learning a ton... (so are Mike and I as parents.)
So there is not much else to report for the moment.
Thanks for stopping by and take care!

Those static cling sheets really work...

Ok things are a little better this week. Now that the holidays are a few weeks behind us, and our schedule is back to normal. It also helps that we are all on the road to recovery, after being sick for the last few weeks. (Except poor Lex who is teething and is pretty miserable, but there is not much to be done about that... Poor baby!)
I told Mike the other night.... "The first two weekends in the new year I have been stuck at home with sick kids, I hope this is not the way the rest of my year goes."
So far things are looking better for this upcoming weekend... But it's only Monday so we'll see.
We are now in the process of planning the kids birthdays. Hard to believe Tim will be 2 and Lex will be a year. Where has the time gone.

It seems like it was just the other day Lex was so tiny. (oh wait she still is tiny...LOL) But you know what I mean. They are growing up so fast. Both of them are on that high learning curve. They are learning something new everyday. It's amazing. I am loving the fact that they are both able to entertain each other. However, it does not last long, as Tim likes to torment his sister by laying on her, and pushing her... And so on. Although, she managed to get in a good hit of her own the other day, right in the nose. LOL!
Well this Feb. ought to be interesting. I just hope we have room for all their stuff...

Static Cling

Have you ever had static cling?
You know like when clothes come out of a dryer with no Bounce sheet, and the sock that perpetually sticks to every other piece of clothing. Especially the clothes you are wearing.
That is how I feel right now about my kids.
I love my kids don't get me wrong. But I am so ready for a break.
The holidays were fun, but busy, and now that we are into the new year, we are already experiencing sickness in our house. So things have been a little clingy these days.
I took Tim to the park today, and left Lex with Mike. He told me when she got up from her nap, she crawled around the house long enough to realize I was not there... And then she became almost despondent. As soon as I walked in the door and she heard my voice, I heard her start crying.
We have a game we play in our house... It's called "Let's count the seconds till Lex stops crying after mom picks her up." Her average is 3 seconds to stop. (sigh) And it's not like I spoil her. There are lots of times I let her cry it out.
Tim is getting better. He is, at least to some degree, able to let me out of site for awhile. But then he has his static cling moments too. Usually those seem to coincide with me holding Lex or doing something equally as important.
I really do love my kids.
But I need a break (sigh)

Christmas

Whew! The holidays are finally over.

It was great to see my family and spend time with them. We spent Christmas eve at my Uncle's. He owns horses, and took the kids to see them.

Tim was a little scared at first, but after while he warmed up to them. I think he did not realize the actual size of the horses... He was fine after awhile and liked to wander up and down the stalls and look at the horses. Lex was great. She even let my Uncle put her up on one.
After a wonderful dinner, we exchanged gifts.
It was a lot of fun... Of course the kids made out like bandits. They also got to help everyone else open up their gifts, so that just added to the fun.
After all that was said and done, there was play time...
My cousin has a son who is only 4 month older than Tim, so they got to play. Lex was busy relaxing with my Grandma. All in all it was a wonderful evening.

After all that we went back to my folks and opened presents. I swear we managed to double our load coming home. The kids made out there too. (But as my grandma likes to say they are not spoiled.... Just well loved)
Anyway it was a great Christmas, and a wonderful time to spend time with Family.
The next project on the board is the kids Birthdays... I hope we can make enough room in our house for all their stuff by then... :)