Trimming the Bear Claws

Colton absolutely cannot stand to have his toe nails cut. Even at the mention of this he freaks out. If he knows it's coming he'll try and talk you out of it at any cost or runaway and try to distract you in hopes that we'll forget. He does okay with his finger nails but the toes are a very different story. He cries and cries, kicks his feet around and is pretty down for a decent time afterwards. The best theory I can come up with is that he just doesn't like his feet being touched. I also don't like my feet or toes being touched but my reaction is far different than his. Aunt Bee has seen this incident occur a few times and decided to get this on film for the simple fact that it IS really funny! In the video you can see Courtnie hasn't a care in the world for her brother's dramatics but Cameron eventually comes to his side to love on him. Jason and I are just the parents and find this ordeal irritating but still see the humor, as does his Aunt Bee.

Bed Making Skills

I've always wondered why Jason is so insistent on making the bed the minute we roll out. Teasing him about this has been fun and (if I'm going to be honest) irritating at times. But then I realized that he may NEVER see the bed actually made! Because of this realization, I decided to take a few pictures to capture the different stages our bed endures on a daily basis. Maybe he will know for sure, without a doubt, that I do know how to make a bed and do this very regularly.

Bed made first thing in the morning:

Colton at rest time:

In the evening before the kids go to bed, or when they go to bed:

I'm thinking Courtnie kicked him out of our bed. I never heard bickering so he must have been guilty!

Garden Update

We are absolutely loving our garden! The kids and I are learning very much about this process, about patience, and about good nutrition. So far a few of my tactics are working - getting the kids to learn and care about nature and gardening and trying foods and liking them especially since you put in the hard work. For instance, Colton refuses to eat strawberries. Except when we personally pull them off our plants, rinse them and eat them outside. Our lettuce has grown back and so far no more caterpillars. You can see in the picture half the lettuce is gone now but we will be planting more seeds soon. The cucumbers are exploding at the moment and need to be split - Aunt Bee get your extra space ready!! Our watermelon has since grown a flower so we should soon see how watermelons grow. Our hot peppers... lets just say we haven't lost hope yet. they aren't dieing but not exactly growing either. Time will tell I guess. Here are some updated pictures. I'm certain at this point I've convinced Jason that I CAN do this!! I hope to build an above the ground garden in the back (we need to be able to keep the wildlife out of our foods).

Watermelons:

Peppers:

Cucumbers:

Strawberries:

Lettuce:

More Neighborhood Friends!

Guess we'll be needing a new sign on the streets. We woke up to three ducks this morning in our yard. Two were actually in our grass and the other was in the street in front of the house. I had Cameron get out of the car to make sure they werent going to walk in my driveway while I was backing out. At the same time, our neighbor was stopped patiently waiting for this lonesome duck to get out of the street. For a good 2-3 minutes that duck just stared at our neighbor with no intentions of moving. He finally moved out of the way some so the car could inch by. After Colton and I dropped the kids off at school we went back outside and fed the ducks our bread (which was all of 2 slices left!). I'm certain I was a pleasureful sight with my orange tshirt, gray pants, and purple slippers and Colton was just wearing his wonderwear. But it isn't often we have ducks roaming the neighborhood! We were on a mission!!You might think we live in the middle of nowhere and quite honestly I sometimes ask myself that very question. We have so many different animals and critters around here! Here are just a few we've seen - a diamondback snake wrapped around the tree in our backyard, skunks are very present around here (this smell is heavenly, especially when it consumes the inside of your house), turtles, ducks, rabbits, coyotes. It's like living in the country but right here in the heart of a suburb. The kids and I love it. I never imagined myself loving nature and all it's wonders but I truly do.

Meet Dunstan

We have a new family member.... Meet Dunstan!

He's our new pet turtle! Our neighbor's dog found him scared and tuckered inside his shell and asked if anyone wanted a turtle. Of course I hollered "yes" because I am dying for some sort of pet. I like Champ and all but he's boring. So we brought Dunstan over to our flower bed and patiently waited for him to come out and do some tricks for us. He never did. All he did was bury himself next to one of our bushes, literally digging roots up from the ground creating this huge hole. Kinda cute for now. Not sure how I'll feel if/when he actually digs up the entire bush. We brought him out to play tonight and he wasn't very cooperative. So we put him back in the dirt and he sat there for awhile, and slowly came out and quickly walked back to his hole. I ran inside and made a bowl of strawberries, lettuce and blueberries for him to munch on. Really I was just trying to coax him out of his shell but that too wasn't successful. We've left him alone for the evening but I can't wait to see is he ate tomorrow. He is so darn cute with his brown shell with white spots.

Just in case you're curious, Dunstan is an English name which means "hill of stone", "brown stone" or "brown hill with stones". I found it to be very fitting! If you have any tips for raising turtles, please let me know. I'd like a few more so they can mate. How cool would that be?!?!

PS - My caterpillars died. It serves them right I guess, they did eat my lettuce! Without permission.

My Dearest Sister, My Friend...

My sister saved my day! And do you know just how often I say this? Darn near everyday. We are 10 years apart in age and its been in the last 2 years or so that we have grown close. So close these days that I talk to her daily and see her almost as often. My kids adore her! They talk to her as a best friend and confide to her even. I love it! She is constantly rescuing me so that I can go to an appointment child-free (gynecology, dermatology, ophthalmology just isn't for children) or even giving me a few moments to myself (like getting my eye brows waxed). She spoils them rotten with hugs and kisses and feeds them healthy stuff, she even says no to candy! She gets them singing and dancing and full of smiles but demands respect and kindness at the same time. In more ways than I realize, she is like a mother to them when I'm away.

But last night, she came to MY rescue rather than my kiddos. Jason and Cameron went camping and I am totally and completely not a fan of staying by myself. I just wasn't made to be alone! I scare myself with made-up noises and visuals, convince myself of things that are next to impossible of happening, I even pick fights with Jason in hopes that he'll stay behind. I'm so sorry Babe. I recognize my own insanity, forgive me. But I did good last night! I was sad to see you go but I put a smile on my face and was happy for you. I made it!!!

This year though I put on my big girls panties and dealt with it! I asked Jason's mom (another one of my rescuers) to keep Colton and Courtnie for the night so I could have time to myself and clean, clean, clean. And I did just that. But with the help of my dearest sister. She sacrificed a night to come help me clean and then we shared a much-needed night together. This house was CLEAN; I would've eaten off the floor! I haven't seen my house this spotless in awhile. Sure it's always sanitary but somehow the kids always manage to make a mess of some kind somewhere. As most mothers know, while we are cleaning one room another room is being completely destroyed making it look all the while like we haven't done a darn thing at home.

At one point in the evening we heard a lovely song playing..... the ice cream man! We ran out there like two little kids on a hot summers day waiting for him to stop at our house. We finished our cleaning, put a cleaning face mask on and watched a couple of chick-flicks with our ice cream. We also had some Facebook fun, which also entertained some of our mutual friends. It was an incredibly enjoyable evening.

Thanks B for coming to my rescue. I appreciate you more than you know. You may not realize this, but I look up to you so often. You are a strong Christian woman and I am so very proud of you. I look forward to watching you enter your adult years and seeing what God has in store for your life. I'm certain He has big plans for you! You are an incredible friend, sister and aunt. I am super proud that my kids have you to turn to. You're a shining light in their world and their smiles in your presence remind me of your importance in their lives. I look forward to the day you have little ones and we can repay you for all you have done for us. I love you so very much and look forward to our next girls night!!

Dinner Prayer

Prayer time has always been eventful at our house and it has been so fun and such a blessing to watch the kids grow and mature over the years. I can still hear Cameron saying his "God is great, God is good..." prayer and Jason saying the prayer after him. And I remember Cameron's prayer maturing to something more than the repetitious prayer and watching in awe as our oldest child spoke to God like he was sitting right there next to him. Then Courtnie learned the "God is great, God is good prayer...". During this season of our lives, Courtnie would say her prayer and then Cameron would say his, and sometimes Jason would still say a prayer after both kids had their turns. Now Colton has grown up and learned the same "God is great, God is good..." prayer and he too always wants a turn. In this current season though, Courtnie's prayer has matured and she still wants her turn to talk to God and give her thanks. Today's dinner time prayer can get quite long, leaving our food sometimes cold. But none of us mind. Courtnie and Colton share nights on who prays first with the other following and sometimes Daddy ending with his own prayer. Colton has told Cameron that his turn to pray is at nighttime and when Colton tells us how things work, well, we usually just agree. (Hey now, you live with him and see how often you'd disagree with him!!) I have been wanting to catch this event on video for awhile now but I always forget. Last night I decided was the night I was going to capture the moment. Courtnie started before I could start my recording but I got most of it. Prayer time always ends the same way - high fives all around! Almost 11 years later, I am still so amazed at a child's love for Christ and their thanks and blessings. Most nights I fold my hands, watch my children and listen to their words as they speak so sweetly to their Lord, and try to keep my tears from flowing down my face. Faith like a child's is priceless.

Week-long Fasting

At church the other week, the congregation was challenged to fast from something for one week. We discussed this over dinner with the kids and they were excited and up for the task. My choice was easy to make - sweets and snacks. I absolutely LOVE something sweet and even snacks throughout the day. Jason said he would fast from salt which is a big deal for him. Cameron was quick to say he would give up TV for a week. While Courtnie was a bit reluctant to let go of her TV watching, she agreed in the end to not watch TV for the week. Colton wasn't given a choice and joined his brother and sister in their fasting choice.

We're proud to announce the week has passed and we all survived. The kids are convinced that missing one week of TV means that every show they have ever watched is now just re-runs and old news. Jason and I both lived through a long week without the things we love; we might be skin and bones now but we survived none the less.

This led us to a few conclusions - although I feel the need to have a snack every evening and some sort of chocolate after every meal (kinda like an after dinner mint), I don't necessarily NEED them. And Jason too. He really really wants that salt but he made it through without it. Maybe now he can just have a dash of salt with his food instead of a bit of food with his mound of salt.

The kids - having that TV off was awesome!! Jason and I loved it so much. The kids fought less even though before they fought about other things than the TV. I guess even just the white noise of the TV was a bit hectic. Jason and I are going to discuss some sort of upcoming TV schedule for the kids which will be far less TV. Our kids already watch very little TV but I totally enjoyed them watching nothing. Maybe we will look into it being a privilege?!

In honor of Mother's Day today - I'm having a snack tonight =)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I love to read this book! It's a fun read and it so enjoyable for the kids especially when you have them taste everything the caterpillar tasted as you read along the story. And there are so many other fun activities to do that center around the theme of the book.But we have our very own "The Very Hungry Catrpillar" and I don't like him much, or his 3 other family members. We grilled out dinner last night - steak and chicken with baked potatoes, beans and salad. I go to my garden, which is growing VERY nicely, to clip some lettuce for tonights dinner. Do you know what I found? Half of the lettuce had four caterpillars just making a home and eatting our lettuce. That's not all... they poop too!! I just sat there and stared at the lettuce and pondered what to do with the little beasts and their tiny black balls of poo. I decided to go ahead and cut the lettuce they hadn't found and then completely pull the lettuce they had loved on and start over.

Then, I captured the little guys. I now have caterpillars in my house, feeding them (with my very own lettuce which they clearly enjoy), and waiting for them to turn into their chrysalis' and possibly into butterflys. Better to forgive right? So rather than stomp on them and curse them for eatting my meal, I took them in and gave them a good home.

We got them all cozy and situated in a plastic container and I put a stick in there and some lettuce to munch on. We woke up this morning and those boogers ate all the lettuce over night. The jar is now full of more poop. Seriously? I have never seen any of God's creatures eat and poop as much as caterpillar. Amazing. I'm very tempted to put some other kinds of foods in their jar (apples, pears, plums, strawberries, oranges, chocolate cake, ice cream, pickles, swiss cheese, salami, lollipops, cherry pie, sausage, cupcake and watermelon) that the caterpillar in the book ate, just out of curiousity. I'll keep you posted if we decide to go this route.

In the mean time, I am going to make a homemade insect repellent to spray on my fruits and veggies so these little critters will stay away from all my hard work. They're kinda like extra children - something else to keep my eye on, to feed, they eat MY portions, get things dirty, and take over my kitchen space.

I have NO hard feelings, can you tell?

When will it be Monday again?

I'm in the shower enjoying the quiet and alone time when I hear a loud crash coming from somewhere other than where I'm standing. Colton comes running into the bathroom crying saying "I knocked it down! I knocked it down!" So I jump out of the shower, wet and soapy, into the bedroom and frantically look around for whatever has fallen. Colton keeps walking. and walking. and walking. There I find myself bare and exposed in the living room with the front door wide open looking at the disasterous mess one child has made. As I go to turn on the light to further examine my youngest son's demolition capabilities, three light bulbs go out, leaving me with just one bulb to brighten my day. I mean living room.

This accident occured from a one-man football team with a 4 year old Captain. He has the absolute worst throw of anyone I've ever seen. When he throws somehow the ball goes backwards. Strangest thing ever. I never doubt my children's abilities though (especially when it comes to destroying my things). You know what his father said to him? "Was it a good throw son?" For real? I'm glad he wasn't mad at him, but how about a firm talking to? A stern face? Or showing him WHY we don't throw balls in the house? I'll keep my fingers crossed. Maybe I missed a piece of glass and when he steps on a piece it will remind him to have a little talk with his precious youngest son.

So really.... who needs all those decorations anyway? Or lights? Do you see the broken glass and mirror pieces? If there is any truth to the superstition, Colton has a few years of bad luck to endure. Wait. That would be a few years of bad luck for me! Why oh why son?? The good news is - my two picture frames that fell survived with only a few scratches and dents, Hemingway pulled through as well and the candle wasn't lit at that time. Oh yes, and Colton also made it out unharmed.

But wait! Let me back track to our fine morning.....

It was just as eventful. As I'm getting ready for my day I hear the older two yelling at eachother. Generally, they get along well but this morning they were complete enemies with no room for making up and liking eachother. I go in there to assess the problem and Courtnie is trying to talk to me - her face is red, her body is shaking and she's throwing her trash on the ground. This girl is pissed. Apparantly Cameron was trying to help her with Colton's breakfast and grabbed the plate from Courtnie. I settle Round 1 with Courtnie glaring at her beloved brother and Cameron huffing at me with his chest all puffed up. I get back to getting myself ready and here comes Colton to tell me the latest disagreement. Once again, I go back into the kitchen to both kids fuming. This time Courtnie wouldn't get Cameron's vitamins while she got hers because he wouldn't help with Colton's milk. Ah! We ended Round 2 with a nice discussion about being kind and doing things for other people because it's just the nice thing to do. I'm totally convinced it went in one ear and out the other; their lack of eye contact and glares at eachother was a total giveaway. We left for the day and I never had breakfast because their bickering too all my extra time.

So here's to a fun weekend with more rain. I guess we can play football in the house now! There isn't too much left in the living room to destroy at this point.

When is it Monday again? I like Mondays.

ETA - It just dawned on me! I should stay out of my own bathroom!! Apparently, when I head that direction chaos breaks through. That's it. But too bad it won't happen. I'll have to think of a way to stop this madness.