Giving Thanks

Well, Advent has already begun, but we're a little behind around here because I have been sick.  As you can imagine, when mama is sick, the little boys don't think to sweep the floor or fold the laundry.  My sweet husband took care of me, the boys, and the house all weekend so we're not as far behind as we could have been.  I know, he's a keeper.

It was a bummer to be sick for most of the long weekend with Joe at home, but on the other hand I was so grateful this darn cold came upon me when it did.  Because I'm quite certain there is NOTHING worse than trying to take care of small children when you can hardly hold your head up.

SO, in summary, the tree is finally decorated,  we got started on Advent tradtitions a little late, I am feeling a little better, and my husband is a rockstar.

Moving on.

The blog that I intended to write over the weekend is as follows.

This year we made a Thankful Tree.  (Pinterest is the origin of almost all of my good ideas.  If it's not Pinterest, it's another, much-more-creative mom.  I don't come up with anything on my own).

I wanted to find some branches from the yard and put them all in a nice big vase and make little cicrle ornament-type things, just like the one I saw on Pinterest.

Then I realized that a tree like that would last approximately 22.3 seconds in my home full of busy little boys.

So, instead a cut a tree out of construction paper. 

Each day the boys would tell me one thing that they were thankful for and I would write it on a circle and they would stick it on the tree with double sided scotch tape.

Joe and I added a few of our own, but we soon realized that the boys were getting really into this (Roman usually did at least 2 a day and sometimes 4 or 5) and we were going to have a full tree rather quickly, so mostly we just said ours aloud.

Here it is on the last day of November:

I just had to share the things they were thankful for.  So sweet, so funny, so them.  You'll see what I mean.

In no particular order:
Roman:
Ryan, Kathleen, and Eliza
Veggie Tales
Aunt Chelsey
Kyra
Uncle Tony
Christmas trees
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus
Chrissy
Danelle, Brooklyn, and Jadyn
Paulette
Aunt Theresa
Grandma Wilson
Suzee, Phil, Joe, and Adrian
Melissa Haberer
Aunt Angie
God
Baby Duke
Linda
Shadow
Aunt Mary
Grandpa Tony
Katy Hyatt
Katie Darby
Grandma Suellen
Trees with red leaves
Jesus
Libby
Christina Nichols


Judah:
treats
Father Jim
Grandma Susan
Donuts
cars
playing
Jon
Sedona
Grandpa Bob
pirate ships
the park
Maggie
Daddy
Nemo
Popcorn

Psalm 92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning, your faithfulness in the night.

A few things I'm thankful for:







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mega lips = mega kiss



Mama's Minivan

Y'all. 

Wednesday was a big day for our family.

We bought a minivan. 

I feel like a lost a little part of my youth just typing that sentence.

A MINIVAN.

I don't know why I have this mental mountain to move, but I do.  I know plenty of hip and happenin' moms who drive minivans, so I shoudln't have a problem with it.  But I do. 

It's some kind of weird emotional mid-life crisis or something.  But don't worry, I'm not going to start going out to clubs and dancing on tables or anything.  (Can you imagine?  I'm positive I would be laughed out.)

ANYWAY, I am done with the freaking out.  Now I'll tell you why my minivan is very nice and very practical.  I can't say that I love her yet, but I'm starting to like her.  Yes, this is a relationship and apparently, it's a SHE.  Interesting.  Didn't know that until I typed it.  I guess naming her Stuart is out of the question, Mary.  :)

Here is mama's minivan.  Well, not really.  Because I definitely don't know that gentleman behind the wheel.  But this is the 2005 Toyota Sienna in a lovely blue/silver color identical to ours.

As long as I'm inside the minivan I love it.  It's kind of like what I would imagine Inspector Gadget's car would be like.  There are all these secret compartments everywhere and buttons that open doors and a kid mirror that pops out of nowhere.  I always find myself saying "hey, what's this do?" and it's always something pretty awesome.

It's got a lot more space than I was expecting and everything about it is very convenient.

Joe had been trying to sell me on the minivan idea for a couple of years, but when it came down to it, what got me to go test drive was sheer numbers.  This van is a year newer than our Blazer was and has about half as many miles on it...we will have a cheaper monthly payment, cheaper insurance and better mpg.  I couldn't really argue with that.  It wouldn't be very fair for me to object to the wisest financial decision for our family.

Sigh.

I'll let you know if we give her a name.  And if she grows on me.  I think she will.

PS - can I really pull off starting a post with "y'all"?

A Month of Little Boy Moments

Really?  More than a month since my last post? 

That's pretty lame.

So, here's what's been on my mind, in no particular order:

• How do you keep a crazy, CRAZY two-year-old busy all day when you can't go outside?  Also, how do you keep the items in your house in one piece with said two-year-old in the house all day?  Does anyone know the answer to this question?  Because I need some help, y'all.  (I'm just practicing my southern vocabulary for Christmas with Joe's fam).  I mean, other than bungee cording baby gates, refrigerators, and closet doors shut, removing bar stools from the counter, and putting child-proof knobs on every door.  Because I've already done all of that. 
• Parenting is pretty much 100% transition.  All the time.  I know I've said it before, but it is just so true in my life, I think especially with many small children.  We change our routine/what works every day.
• Silas is getting pretty close to walking.  He takes about 3 steps between people, although he doesn't have much desire to attempt it without someone prompting him.  Fine by me.  He slept 10 hours straight last night!!  (I'm not going to kid myself into thinking that will happen again tonight, because, please.  That would be too good to be true)  BUT, at least for my kids, more sleep = about to do something new.  Exciting and YIKES.
• I feel like I had a lot more to say (although I'm sure the sleep habits of my baby has you on the absolute edge of your seat).  We may come back to this topic (What topic?  Random thoughts?)

Moments with Judah:

• calls Mr. Potato Head "Mr. Head".
• he pretty much is either eating or destroying something.  Or spilling something.  Or tackling someone.  But I think we've pretty much covered that.  Examples (all usually while I'm nursing or changing Silas OR cleaning up a previous mess made by, you guessed it:  Judah.): 
• getting 8 pieces of bread out of the bag.  And eating three of them.  FOR A SNACK.
• climbing on the counter, pulling a glass out of the cupboard, and dropping it on the floor.  Of course it shatters.
• filling a cup with water, either from the fridge door or the bathroom sink, and then spilling it on the floor (or putting some in his mouth and spitting it out).
• carrying either of his brothers (yes, he can lift Roman) across the room or pulling them to the ground and laying on top of them.  He better play for the NFL.
• All that craziness being said about Judah, I wish I could explain his charm in spite of it all.  He has such a very sweet side.  While reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?  I said, "Teacher, Teacher, What do you see?  Judah, what does the teacher see?" I expected him to say children but he said "fwenz!" (friends!)

Moments with Roman:

• The first week of school we read The Story About Ping.  It's about a duck who lives on the Yangtze River in China.  The next week we were driving over a bridge and Roman looked out on the water and declared very proudly "The Yangtze River."  We had a good laugh over that one.
• Reading a children's Bible "Mom, Jesus has a crazy mustache".
• says "chilly bar" instead of "dilly bar".
• calls his big wheel his "bike trike"
• Mary came to visit a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about someone who was a boy scout.  She asked Roman "Is Daddy a boy scout?"  Roman responded "No, he's a hero".  :)
• After Halloween Roman was, well, let's just say slightly affected by the candy.  He was running through the kitchen yelling at the top of his lungs and Joe yelled after him "Roman, is that the High Fructose Corn Syrup talking?"  He yelled back "Yes it is!"

So, that's what we've been up to...Trying to keep Judah from burning the house down and trying to detox Roman from all the Halloween candy.  Oh, and trying to enjoy the last days/weeks of a baby who can't get up and run away from me.  :)

I love them so.