crush

do you remember your first crush?
I remember thinking Stephen was cute (so cute!) in the 3rd grade, and I was so sad to have to move away at the end of that school year and be away from him ... although I can't ever remember saying 2 words to him.


love is funny that way, right?




my Samuel is in 2nd grade, and has informed me of some rather big news -
"mom, I almost married a girl at school today"
"really?  does she know about this?"
"no.  but she's so beautiful!"
"did you get a name?"
"her name is Faye and she looks like she's from China"


hahahahahahahahaha!  gotta love kids.


"well does she speak Chinese?"
"no"
"she is probably just as American as you are."
"she's so beautiful.  she wears these little red heart earrings."
"does she know how much you like her?"
"no, but maybe you could buy some flowers for me to give to her.  what do you say?"
"I say, why don't you draw her a picture of some flowers?"
"mooooooom, no way."
"let's give this some time.  school just started 2 weeks ago."
"I'm gonna try and sit next to her tomorrow."


I totally missed back to school night due to illness, which also means I missed my chance to meet this future daughter-in-law, along with her parents.  I've heard of high school sweethearts, but ... funny to think about Sam growing up, getting married, and making me a grandma.  although I do mention it to him from time to time so he kind of gets it ... but then again, not really.


wish me luck!

un-potty training

... kind of like an un-schooling approach.


looking back, I think I did it all wrong with my first son.  I tried candy, but I think that just officially turned on his sweet tooth.  I tried a sticker chart, and he was nothing but destructive with it; peeling all the stickers off to put everywhere and anywhere else but back on the chart. I then tried pull-ups, thinking the [almost] big-boy-like undies would encourage him to do it the "right" and "normal" way, but it turns out the pull-ups were introduced too early and he just didn't get it.  when he got a tad older I tried again, but because my timing was off from the get-go, it screwed it all up.


*sigh*


today, Sam wears night time pull ups to bed.  that kid sleeps like a brick.
I tried to wake him before I go to bed for a potty trip, but for awhile, waking him triggered night-terrors by messing up his REM sleep cycle ... so that was out.  if you have seen your child have a night-terror then you KNOW its just not worth it.

now its Elliott's turn.  I have not pressured him AT ALL about using the potty.  


it makes me think of my pre-kid days when hubby and I had dogs instead.  it was a big decision to get a 2nd dog, because before real, human kids, these are your kids.  turns out getting a puppy after already having a trained dog was the easiest thing ever; the baby copied his "big brother" with everything.  and so, his potty training wasn't even a chore.
I've been secretly hoping this would be the case with Elliott.  he is so in love with his brother and copies everything, just about.  these last couple of weeks he's been doing really good.  I've even taken him out to the store with undies on ... yes, its a big deal.  


of course there are accidents; we're still in the "be sure to bring extra everything" stage, but that's ok.  my officially/unofficial un-potty training is working out wonderfully.  its one of those things that every child gets ... eventually.  so why fight it?


do you have potty training secrets?  I'd love to hear them ... comment away.

... its just apart of life ...

bedtime is a usual battle of the wills in our house.  your house too?
sometimes its just 1 or 2 times of me saying "ok, so what is our bedtime rule again?"  and unanimously they say "stay in bed"  so they get it ... but do they care?  other nights its more like 10-20 times.  sigh.


last night, after the usual 1-2 time lecture, Samuel comes out crying.  I knew it wasn't his "hurt cry," it wasn't his "freak out, I'm scared cry," it was one I wasn't too familiar with.  how funny, he's 6 1/2 years old and here's new one.


he comes out to hug me tightly and says, "mom, I don't want you to ever leave me.  I don't want you to die."  my heart instantly breaks.
I do my best to reassure him that part of my purpose for being alive is to be his mommy.  "God has a plan," is what I kept telling him, and reminded him of why we are thankful every night in our prayers for THIS day.


he has asked about death before, but without much concern.  for whatever reason he has taken it one step further.
I suppose I could look at it in a good way; he's thinking, he's applying principles and following through ... sort of.  but of course we all know where that "what-if thinking" gets us ... usually unnecessary anxiety.


I can't help but think of my favorite movie - Forrest Gump - and recite those words his mother told him as she lay in bed with cancer.  "death is just apart of life.  its something we're all destined to do."
I wouldn't say I'm comfortable with death, but when I think of it as the way God designed it, it brings a little more peace.  yes it will be sad to leave my loved ones, and enter in to an unknown, BUT I do look forward to meeting my Creator.


my 2 cents -
unless there is some freak accident, I don't have the sense my time to go is anytime soon. I have been told so many stories of that 6th sense kicking in when their time is near ... to me, that 6th sense is from God and its more than just a voice inside your head.




how have you handled the "death talk" with your kids?

cuuuuuuuuuuuute

I love love love when kids loose both of their upper-front teeth!  well, my big boy lost 1 of them tonight. he was SO SO SO excited!

they talk sort of funny, they sluuuuuuurp noodles (and whatever) else through there, but what I love the most is all the pictures.

those big 'ol grins without teeth.  maybe it reminds me of those baby pics ...  no need to worry, it is not triggering that!  no more babies for me.  really.

and here he is ... not willing to smile "normally" ... this may be his "normal" face ... I think he will be the class clown, don't you?

what does the tooth fairy bring your kids?

Birthday Fun!

For my family and friends that keep up with us here, enjoy pics of our big boy Elliott!

Considering our circumstances, we kept it low-key ... well as much as you can with 5 kids and sugary cupcakes. :)

a gift & card from his big brother

"Dear Elliott.  I am glad that you are turning 3."

so sweet.

He got "Let's Go Fish" game.  He's been pretending to fish everywhere (in the car, off the bed, outside) so this really was the perfect gift for him.

I love the tongue ... it helps him concentrate you know. :)

You can see how proud he was to do it all by himself!

*awwwww*

He got to choose who played with first, and he didn't want anyone but his brother.

*awwwww*

Then his Aunt Elizabeth (almost 6 years old) could play next with him.

sugar!

Elliott & Aunt Elizabeth

Samuel and Aunt Victoria (almost 9 years old)

Happy Birthday to Elliott!!

ps. I'm getting really good at fishing too ... we've been everyday.

after Xmas but before NYE

Sam doesn't like to be referred to as a baby anymore.  not even a little boy.
he's a big boy now, and he's acting like it ... in a good way.
his body is catching up too ... again in a good way, not in a gross, smelly way.  not sure when THAT day is coming.
in fact, I'm kind of scared of that day, but I digress ...


one day, out of the blue, Sam's tooth was waaaaay loose.  if it was ever a little bit loose, Sam didn't realize. when he discovered how loose it was, he'd show EVERYONE, and of course play with it endlessly.


eventually, little by little, it was hanging by a thread.  it made him giggle all the time; you could easily hear the excitement in his laughter.


do you remember that as a kid?  I do.

one night, Matt asked him "let's just pull it out"  and to my surprise, Sam said "SURE!"


Matt barely tugged at it, and it came out, so easily.  Sam was anticipating some pain because his eyes were shut tight, like he was about to get a shot or something.  he said "are you gonna do it?"  and then there was such a look of delight on his face when he saw Matt already had it in his hand.  


then he said "I'VE GOT TO GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!"  and we heard him screaming & giggling from the bathroom.  it was such a moment for him.

I asked him if I could keep it safe for him until bedtime ... we decided to do the tooth fairy thing with him after all ... but he insisted he could keep it safe himself, and of course come bedtime, he didn't know where it was.  he was bummed there'd be no visit from the tooth fairy, but I think he was still more excited that he lost it at all.  so no trauma.


in fact, we're all keeping an eye out since it may just turn up somewhere!