oh how the years go by {avery turns 6}

Dear Avery,

When I think about you turning 6, my heart aches a little.  It's not that I'm not enjoying you at this stage in your life, because you always bring joy to my life, but my heart aches because these years are going by so fast!  I cannot begin to describe these past 6 years and how much I have enjoyed being your mommy.   You, my dear baby, are amazing! Your zest for life is beyond my soul’s comprehension. I am in awe of every accomplishment you have made, every new thing you've learned, and your powerful and gentle spirit.  I often times call you "grandpa" because you always think things through, ask numerous questions (more like 100's of questions), and you always take your time.

Son, you are wise beyond your years.  You have a heart of gold and are one of the most passionate people I know.  You pray for those around you, you worry about those who are ill or hurt, and you always want to make sure everyone is okay.  Your little brain is like a sponge--you love to learn new things and you soak up life to the fullest.  So far, you enjoy school and are eager to learn.  I hope this doesn't change.  You are a brilliant little boy.

As of today, you say you want to be a Coca-Cola truck driver.  You love the Coca-Cola trucks and are always excited to go see them at Chris' work.  I'm sure that whatever you decide to do in life, you will give it your best!  You've always had a tremendous work ethic and for that I am grateful.

I want you to know that mommy is always here for you and will always, always, always love you no matter what!  You make my days brighter and you fill my heart with so much love.  I hope you have an amazing 6th birthday and remember mommy loves you more than there are stars in the sky!

I love you, Avery!

Love,
Mommy

snowflakes and earthquakes

We have had crazy weather as of late.  Never in my 20 something years of life have I experienced a winter like we've had so far this year.   A month or so ago, schools shut down because temperatures rang in into the negative numbers.  No snow, no ice, but bitterly cold!

A few weeks later, we enjoyed our first snow fall of the winter.  We didn't get a lot of snow (or what us southerners call "a lot"), but it was enough to shut schools down once more, and we did manage to get a day off from work.  In fact, it became so chaotic in parts of our state that there were major traffic jams and states of emergencies. 

A few weeks after our first snowfall we had what the weather folks were calling a "catastrophic" snow storm.  Schools shut down prior to the snow, businesses let employees go home early, and there wasn't a lick of bread or milk in any store around these parts.  At our house, we received about 5 inches of snow.  That's "a lot" to a southerner.  We were preparing for an ice storm, but luckily, we manage to stay in the clear, but parts of our state got hit pretty hard with ice.  We enjoyed a few days off work and school and had many hours of cuddle time, cooking and baking, and playing in the snow fun!

If all this crazy weather wasn't enough, last Friday we experienced a 4.2 earthquake.  It scared me to death.  My first thought was Jesus was coming back!  It was the most bizarre feeling.

I love snow and I certainly wouldn't mind a few more flurries before it gets too hot, but Mother Nature can keep her earthquakes.

And if all that wasn't enough, we were in t-shirts and flip flops this past weekend.

Go figure!

 

clean thoughts

Some sing in the shower, some quickly jump in and get out, some dance, but for me, I meditate.

It's my prayer time--- my deep, life changing, thinking time.

Jesus and I have a lot of heart-to-hearts while I'm in the shower. I figure if I'm cleaning my body on the outside, I might as well clean my heart as well.

Sometime I cry out to Jesus while I'm shaving my legs. Crying in the shower makes it easier to hide the tears. Sometimes I praise Jesus for the blessing flowing in my life. Praising Jesus in the shower is refreshing, especially when I get those 15 minutes of quiet time. Sometimes I talk to Jesus about my shortcomings as I wash away the germs of my daily life. And it all rejuvenates my soul.

This morning, while I was meditating in the shower, my thoughts went to being a mommy. Of course, as any mother would know, if you get those 15 minutes to shave your legs, washing your hair, and bathe yourself uninterrupted, you're lucky. There aren't many days I get in the shower without hearing "mommy!" Sometimes it annoys me. I just want 15 stinkin' minutes to myself. But today, this particular morning, it made me happy. It put my life in reality.

That sweet voice calling "mommy" was my precious gift from God. To him, I'm the best at everything. I'm the one who heals all boo-boos, makes the juice in his sippy cups sweater, the one he calls in the middle of the night when he wakes up. I am this sweet child's mommy. {Chills!}

I don't know why this particular morning felt different. Maybe it's because I've been stressed and didn't stop to relish in this amazing opportunity to be called "mommy." Maybe it's because I hear it so much and it generally means he's gotten into something  he shouldn't have, or he's requesting juice two seconds after I sit down to relax, or it's disturbing my 15 minutes to shower. But today, I really heard "mommy" for the first time in a long while. And you know what? It felt amazing!

Please don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I'm one of those moms who watches them sleep and thinks about how lucky I am, but I'm human too. I want "me" time. I want a break from "chores" every now and then, I get tired of cleaning spoiled milk out of lost sippy cups, sometimes hearing "mommy" 100 times a day can get overwhelming, but this is my life, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

I love my shower time, I love my time with Jesus, I love my time cleansing my soul, and this morning I loved hearing "mommy" from the sweetest 4 year old I know!

zumba, nothin' in the wumba

So I started Zumba this week. My neighbor invited me and I'm oh so glad she did. I've only gone once {going again tonight} and it was like going on vacation.

So refreshing, I tell ya!

Anyway, I tell Avery mommy is going to the gym {Zumba} now and he just doesn't quite get it. Of course, I try to explain that mommy's belly jiggles too much, and he ask if there is a baby in my tummy. Nope, no baby here, I explain.

{I really need to teach my child that not everyone with jiggly tummy's have babies in them. Remind me to get on that discussion soon asap. Thanks.} 

If any of you know how 4 year old's work, this conversation was not over.

So we begin the discussion over why there wasn't a baby in mommy's tummy, how babies get in tummies, and how babies get out of tummies. Lord, you didn't prepare me for this.

I keep to the basics. There isn't a baby in mommy's tummy because God hasn't put one in there and the doctors cut mommy's tummy open to get the babies out.

And of course he explains to me he wants a baby brother. I explain that when God puts a baby in mommy's tummy, God decides if it's a boy or girl. He didn't really get it. So I asked if he would like a baby sister one day. He said no, just a brother. I explained again that only God decides if it's a boy or girl, and then he told me he didn't want a baby in mommy's tummy anymore.

End of story.

If mommy can't make it a boy, then he's not having it.

I think I'll just continue going to Zumba and get rid of the jiggles and worry about the womb another day, or year.

chickenpox party {anyone?}

Avery has the chickenpox.

Many people have asked me if he was vaccinated.

My answer, "yes!"

However, don't let the term "vaccinated" fool you.

It is still very possible for your child to get chickenpox even after vaccination.

The vaccination doesn't prevent the chickenpox, it helps reduce the risk and seriousness of the virus.

So, we are now home bound and in quarantine.

At least 10 days out of school.

You have to wait until ever blister is scabbed over for you to no longer be contagious.

We have lots of oatmeal baths, lotion, and snuggles prepared for this outbreak.

 

Hopefully, little dude will have minimal itching.

Please say a prayer if you get a moment!

sandy toes & salty kisses {beach trip 2012}

We went to the beach the other week.

We all had a blast.

We soaked up the sun.

We put our feet in the ocean.

We made sandcastles for hours.

We ate lots of good food.

We made memories that will last a lifetime.

Doing the Hoakey Croaky

{Warning: Don't read this if you have a weak stomach.}

No one is safe at our house at the moment. Not even the dog. Ever since Sunday morning, little A has had some crazy stomach critter. I thought these things lasted 24-48 hours, however, the sleepless days and nights I've encountered this week have proven otherwise.

Poor little fella had never thrown up before. Spit-up from milk as an infant, yes, throwin' chunks like a 50yd pass, not so much. He did not know what to think and told me it was "tuky." My heart broke for him. He ran a fever for two days, had 3 puking spells and only a few poopy incidences, but it was enough to keep him down most of the week.

As if one pukey-poopy person in the house wasn't enough, the dog started in on the fun too. Yes, the dog. I really thought I was losing my mind. Was this really happening? Not only were bed sheets going in the wash constantly, but so were the rugs in the bathroom. At one point, I was in the bathroom cleaning up dog poopy and throw up, Avery was on the toilet with the cha-cha's, and the cat was in her litter box leaving a present. It was pretty crappy. No pun intended there folks.

Oh well. What fun is life without curve balls being thrown at-cha?

Last night I started sanitizing the house. I Cloroxed all the door knobs, Avery's bed and mattress, and sanitized my floors. I really don't want this ooeey mess. However, if for some reason I do catch this madness, I want to puke off about 20 pounds. Is that too much to ask for?

Any-hoo, if you attended the birthday party last weekend at my house, beware. So far 2 other kiddos have had the Hoakey Croaky this week. So it's going around with a vengeance. Be careful friends...it ain't pretty!

Hope everyone is having a fab-ol-lish week! Remember to keep your hands washed well. Lots-o-germs floating around.

what it is to be a mother

I hope all of you mama’s out there had a fantastic Mother's Day. This past Mother's Day, I woke up with a different attitude than I had had in the past. I didn't wake up thinking, "oh it's just another day." I truly absorbed my day with my family and most importantly my kids. It took me a long time to fully grasp what it means to be a mama. No one has the right to be a mother. Being a mother is a gift, a privilege, and an honor.

A Gift 

When I found out I was going to be a mom, I was terrified. How could God possibly think I could raise a baby? Geez, I could barely pay my own bills and I only had $72.43 to my name. However, as soon as I listened to that precious heart beat going lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub I knew this sweet child was a gift. God gave me Avery to make me a better person, to bring joy into my life, and to bring light into my world when the days seemed oh so dark.

Two and a half years later, God brought me Trevor, a thriving 6 (now almost 8) year old who has brought even more joy to my life. To watch my boys grow and bond together warms my heart like nothing else possible. Never did I imagine this life and never did I think this would be my life, but God knew. God planned this all just for me and I wouldn't trade a single second of it.

A Privilege 

It saddens my heart to think about the precious woman out there who yearn for a baby and who have lost their babies. I didn't fully understand what a privilege it really was to be a mom until I lost a baby myself. Eight sweet weeks in my womb was not near enough time for me and my sweet angel. It was that day that I realized how privileged I was to have carried Avery for 9 months and to have him here and thriving. Yes, there are so many days I get frustrated and want to have a pity party because of the tantrums, the messes, and the disobedience, but at the end of the day, as long and stressful as it can be, I thank God for the privilege to be a mother.

An Honor 

I am reminded often that our children aren't really our children. They are God's children and God allows us to raise them and he entrust us to mold these sweet babies into Godly children. It's an honor to be a mother. It's an honor that God chose me to mold and shape two, sweet, boys into men of character and dignity. It's an honor to have been given this amazing gift of motherhood and it's a privilege to be not just a mother, but Trevor and Avery's mom; two little boys who God handpicked for my life.

 I love you boys very much and I thank you both for the joy you bring to me every day!

chirp chirp {bird houses}

My kids love all things artsy and crafty. When it comes to our arts and crafts projects, we aren't the most environmentally friendly folks. I could not tell you how much paper we go through a month from tracing, painting, and building things. But you know, the kids are having fun, we have tons of masterpieces made, and I love the fact they can express themselves in such ways. We can't hug trees all the time, especially when there is art to be made.

The other week, we went outside of our paper makin' skills and we painted wooden bird houses. Ooooo! Ahhhhh! Yes, there was much excitement in my children's eyes; so much in fact, these little jokester's woke me up at 7:30am on a Saturday morning to paint these bad boys. The actual idea of buying bird houses came from little ole' Avery. He drank a juice box one day and then wanted me to cut a hole in it for birds. I was quite impressed that he came up with the idea. I haven't seen where they've done this at school so it was amazing to see what his little brain came up with. I didn't think the cardboard juice box would withstand Mother Nature, so I headed to the good ole' Hobby Lobby and picked up what would soon be bird house masterpieces.

Look at the kiddo's working so hard! I wish I could concentrate that well at the crack of dawn.

No birdies are residing in these beautiful houses yet, but we check them often and are anticipating the sweet sounds of chirp.chirp.chirp soon!

one fish two fish red silver fish blue fish

Our family has multiplied by 3 now. We have now added 2 fish tanks and 3 fish to our family. Chris and I have been implementing positive reinforcement rewards to the kiddos for good behavior. Avery had to sleep in his own bed for 3 nights in a row (without mommy), get 5 smiley faces on his behavior chart, and try broccoli (which he loved!) to receive his prize. Trevor had to have good behavior, clean his play room and keep it clean during Spring Break,  and try new foods (hated broccoli) to get his. Needless to say, Trevor received his prize before Avery. It seems Avery doesn't like to sleep without mommy in his room, even when being bribed, but he finally made it and now both boys have fish tanks and fish.

We introduce to you, Muddy, Buddy, and Little Rat.

I'm not sure if the arrow is pointing to Muddy or Buddy, but the other fish was hiding out in his fake seaweed. Little Rat seems to be enjoying his spacious home and has been a swimming fool.

I'm not sure how Muddy and Buddy got their names, but Trevor is mighty proud of his new pet friends.

Avery thinks Little Rat is the coolest. I keep asking him where Little Rat's name came from and his reply, "Mal-Mart" (Wal-Mart). I don't think he understands the question, but it's cute to hear him say it nonetheless.

According to Avery, the little ship in Little Rat's aquarium is his school. He goes there while he's at school. He even went up to the aquarium this morning and said, "Wittle Rat, have funs a 'tool, I loves you." Melted my heart.

Just pray neither one of the boys ask for a snake, lizard, or frog next time. This is about as close to an amphibian or reptile as I'm going to get!