Praises...

I made a dent in the clothing pile in my basement. That place where I take things that are outgrown and store the things that are still too big.

The boys greatly enjoyed throwing piles of clean folded laundry in the air and rolling on them. This was not a praise at the time...but this evening, after I had a long hot shower, I realized that one day, I will not have little boys who take pleasure in such silly things and I will look back on today and somehow miss it.

Boys who enjoy being right with their Mama all the time. Again, this one too became a joy after the hot shower.

A husband who comes home after work, takes the kids out to play, and tells me as I can use all the hot water in the house if I want. I like this guy! I didn't use all the hot water, but I tell you, I am grateful for every drop I did use!

The ability to put this day in perspective now rather than looking back years from now.

Playing outside.

Neighbors that we haven't seen for a while.

Friday night movies on the Disney channel.

Quotables...

The hot water quote mentioned above does deserve rementioning. "I've got the kids, we're gong outside, you use all the hot water in the house." (hhmmm, maybe I just smelled really bad?)

Dax, 15 minutes after tossing all the clothes in the air and rolling on them, he scooped them up, brought them back to me and said, without provocation, "Mommy, I'm sorry I took your clothes and threw them in the air, here they are for you." Finn responded by pushing the pile back on the floor...but hey, gotta look for the little joy of that great apology!

After a very difficult getting to nap day, Dax stumbled out of bed and came out to the family room, looked at me with his sleepy eyes and his bed head and said, "I love you, mommy, will you hold me?"

Is Spring Coming???

There is no baby in this stroller, I promise!

She looks tough, but she's actually just pointing out her bruised elbows...
Coming & going, he's become a master on the scooter!

My happy observer... Finn & Sophie having a moment...Praises...

Playing Outside!!!!

The excitement that a peek of spring can bring.

Chatting with friends.

Catching up with family.

Watching the kids improve their skills on various types of wheeled objects.

Finn still happy to sit in a stroller (I know it won't last long!)

Mike staying awake long enough to discuss Lost.

Quotes & such...

Mike, "Wow, I'm so not confused anymore" sarcastically commenting on the revelations in tonight's episode of Lost

Dax, "Can he ride on the back of my fire truck, mom? Can he play with me??" Hopefully asking for Finn to play outside. Dax has been planning all the things he will do with "Finny" when he is big enough for as long as "my baby, Finny" has been in this world. "He will ride my bike. he will ride my scooter, he will ride with me on the fire truck, he will chase me". And soon...soon it will be so, you can see it in Finn's anxious little grin!

Finn...I'm not sure he gets enough air time in this section. Seems Dax fills most of the space, 2 year olds are quite quotable. Finn's days are coming, I see them right around the corner. My little baby has gotten quite big!

and although he still looks so sweet and innocent much of the time...There is this side of him...this is the side of him I found standing beside the toilet today patting the lid with this same half goofy grin on his cute little face.
I think if he could say more than a handful of words he might have said "Inspector John, from the land of Geotrax needed a closer look at the toilet bowl, mom, so I assisted he and his clipboard on the descent. He reports that we have hard water and you should maybe clean the toilet more than once a week to help prevent the orange buildup..."

Of course, for the moment I'm just making him quotable...soon he there all on his own! For now, I think I'll just shut the bathroom door and send the inspector back to the train station after a nice hot shower.

Praises...

Today is my good friend Amy's birthday! She thinks she's old, I think she's not so much! I even found a postable picture of her, the kind most women like where you can't really see her face, as to protect her privacy...hehe. I was blessed to spend a couple hours with Amy on Sunday, it made me remember how much I miss her! So Happy Birthday Amy! We love you!

March is full of birthdays! Good friends, great grandparents, cousins, uncles, good friend's kids, etc... so, know I love you all and Happy March birthday! This was a month God sent some amazing people into this world! (I'm partial to April & May too, but I'll share those later!)

Dax left church and only cried on his way to the car!

Chicken nuggets, the promise of which stop Dax from crying!

Spending the morning sorting baby clothes for other people!

Extra hands while waiting for Daddy to come to church & during dinner! I't sfunny how little things make life easier!

Jr. High drama! Because, although not fun for them, or for me when I have one of my own, I do so enjoy watching it all unfold! It makes me smile!

American Idol not voting off people I like

Husbands who do dishes without being asked!

Husbands who change the sheets so that their wife doesn't have to come home to a bed filled with oatmeal and yogurt. (Wish I'd been here to blog about how the bed got filled with oatmeal & yogurt!)

Being able to walk through my almost normal days.

Phone calls from mom when she's getting to to baby step through a few minutes of normal in the middle of her crazy days.

Going to bed in a warm bed with four other people sound to sleep in my house peaceful & happy.

Quotables...

Dax, the on going sun saga... Today he found his sun glasses, or at least a pair that Lily has that she may or may not have given him. He promptly put them on and said "Mommy, can you turn on the Sun?"

Praises...

Hot Showers (I think we way overlook that praise!)

Watching little children love each other.

11 month olds who learn an instrument (ok, so it was the Kazoo)

2 year olds who play quite a nice rhythm on the guitar.

Dads who hold their tongue when their children's musical talents almost make them crazy.

Reconnecting

Everyone finally asleep! (wonder how long it will last?)

American Idol night (don't laugh!) Not that you all care, but, my favorites are...





Isn't it amazing how fast they get this stuff on YouTube??

Praises...

Today was Monday, I had no where I had to be other than here with my guys!

Bruises can turn into beautiful shades of color resembling eye make up, which totally amuzes 2 year old boys!

Only one breathing treatment for Finn. Althouhg he did manage to spit up in the nebulizer...is it bad to remist spit up? (I washed it and started over, I'm not that big of a slacker!)

Husbands who come home from work in really good moods for no reason.

Boys who go to bed almost on time.

Girls who get their chores done almost on time.

Chats with mom.

Quotes and such...

"Mom! he's walking!!!" From Dax, about Finn...but alas, he means with his handy dandy little push cart, not with his two feet alone. He has the strength & balance, but so far lacks the faith.

"WHAAAOOO WHOOOAA, thats what my baby says!" Dax, many times throughout the evening for no real reason.

Musical Interludes...

Cutest song sung by a carful of 7th graders...



Cute song from MacBook Air commercial I can't get out of my head so I'm sharing...

Weekend Praises...

Calm ability to deal with blood & screaming child at same time!

Short wait at Medpointe! (short being less than an hour!)

Mom's Day Out..perfect place to drop Finn on my way to Medpointe.

The women who babysit for Mom's Day out!

A great doctor who knows just how to deal with a two year old with a ouchy.

A big sister who is actually kind to her little brother because of his injury.

Afternoon nap between blood and up all night!

A little boy sitting on the potty...trying, makes for great pictures!

Husband who lets me run off with other men & children for the whole night!

Kids who will let me hang out with them.

A car full of giggles and loud music to keep you awake!

Playing all night long!

Being surrounded by great teenagers & adults trying to create a great environment for them.

Long Saturday naps to make up for playing all night long!

Great friends. ( I know I use that one a lot, but sometimes I am just overwhelmed by how blessed I am in that area!)

Long Sunday afternoon drives for long Sunday afternoon lunches.

A husband who tells me to go even when I'm feeling a little bit guilty leaving him again!

Interesting road trip conversations.

Already having a nebulizer machine and meds when the littlest guy starts having asthma attacks. We're gonna hope it an allergen.

Little joys in the journey even when the road is bumpy and people are not so warm and fuzzy!

Quotables...

"Dear lord, please allow _____ to keep her Pie hole shut" This just made me giggle. This was a silent prayer sent up in church Sunday, I will however keep the prayer & person being prayed for private! =)

"Honk it's Grandma's Birthday!" written on a large white sheet. "Honk, Sarah, Honk!!!" screamed by women who are entirely too old.

"I'm sorry I'm speeding...but I really have to Poop!" Bumper sticker that brought on quite a good giggle.

"Daddy, can you turn off the sun?" Dax to Mike "No, I can't turn off the sun." Mike to Dax

"Only Mommies can turn off the sun." Dax...the ever amazing saga of who can turn off the sun.

"I'm all better now, lets go home" Dax, 5 minutes after arriving at Medpointe after lunging into the car seat LATCH and gashing his eyebrow open.

"These funny band aids make me feel much better" Dax's response to people asking him what happened to his head. He thinks those steri strips are the best band aids ever and hasn't tried to take them off yet.

Praises...

Today Dax spent all day in the same pair of underwear! He wore them to church & nap. He says he wants to be like Max. I'm excited!

Girls Scout Cookies. See Captain Underpants above eating a thin mint? He was even willing to do chores for one of those!

Crazy ladies who come to take care of our kids even with braces on their feet.

Being in a place to serve along side women I really like.

Grandparents and the time we were blessed to have with them.

Great friends.

Glimpses of the future of who Lily will be.

Husbands who don't mind picking up dinner.

Escaping reality even for a few hours here and there.

Kids willing to share their long stories with you...

Remembering to stop & listen to the stories.

Quotables... Memorables...(or what Dax had to say today)

Forgotten from yesterday, but worth logging ~

Finn hit Dax for the first time, intentionally. Sure there has been some hair pulling and a bit of growling, but today Dax hit Finn and Finn picked up a block and hit him right back. I'm glad to see him sticking up for himself. Although, I'm scared to see what coming! Wrestlemania? WWF? Nothing like boys!

I hear Dax's voice from the living room yell "No, no, Finny, you can't eat dead bugs!"
He came running full spead to the back, "Mama, I need a wipe!" He grabbed a wipe and took off again towards the front. "Finn, dead bugs are yucky!" I see him come back around the corner with the wipe held out in front of him tenderly. "I got it Mom, no let my Finny put it in his mouth, I throw it in trash!" Thats my boy, brotherly love at it's finest!

Back to today ~

This morning on the way to church Dax asks "Mama, please turn off the sun" I replied, "I can't turn off the sun, buddy" "Yes you can! PLEEEESE!" I said, "I don't have the power to turn off the sun!" He was sure I was wrong, "Yes you do!". "Only God has the power to turn off the sun" I told him, At that point we were sitting at a stop sign. I turned the corner and the sun was no longer in his face. "You do have the power, mommy, you do!".

My house was brimming over with noise this afternoon. I kept walking away and it kept following me! I was hiding out in the boy's room, on the phone when Dax came running in with a picture he'd drawn. He announced proudly that he'd drawn "an airplane and a cow with a penis!" I guess the potty training is on his brain! I laughed, wondering if this was the right time to explain that cows don't have penises, decided not while I was on the phone! My friend Sarah (who I was talking to at the time) told me I should take a picture of his artwork and blog it....so here it is. The left side is the airplane, the right is the cow...not sure how to label the parts though!

My Favorite American Idols for this week...

This week's theme was the 80's and I must say I was not impressed by the selection of songs that were offered up, but these were my favorite performances.

Praises...

People who can read your mind! I woke up this morning and thought of three people I wanted to call today, 2 out of the three called me....weird!

Catching up with old friends.

2 year olds that sometimes do chores.

A big chunk of today included big boy pants!

A daughter who came home in a helpful mood.

No fighting with above mentioned daughter....that is always a good addition to any day!

Friends who drive said daughter home from school on cold days!

Dax's love for church. (those of you witnessing the meltdown upon leaving, are testimony to this love!)

Hanging out with the youth tonight.

Getting something out of youth group...hey I'm not just there for the fun!

Phone calls from a mom on the road who took some time out for herself today.

The sister in law who drove her.

Snuggling while watching American Idol.

Quotables...

I'm drawing a blank, I'm sleepy, maybe I'll come up with something tomorrow!