Dinner Comment

A conversation at our dinner table last night.
Jacob: (in a curious tone, looking at David) "Daddy, where hair go?"
David: (in a sarcastic tone) "Very funny, Jacob."
Jacob: (giggling) "Jacob funny."

The Result of a Very, Very Busy Weekend

Can we say "behind on laundry"??!!

This past weekend (well, week) was way, way busy (fabulous, but busy). And this is one of the results. This is all clean (and somewhat organized in piles). And there's one more load in the dryer. Guess what I'm doing tonight...and probably all day tomorrow! Gotta love the kids' contribution to the work...the toys surrounding the piles. But, to give Matthew credit, he helped me bring the laundry downstairs, sort it, and put the first load in. Jacob helped me clean out the lint trap in the dryer almost every load. Now if I can teach them to keep from making so many dirty clothes...

Fun on a Snow Day

Daddy's master construction skills were hard at work today. Take a look at what he made (inspiration from Family Fun magazine and boxes supplied by Papaw). It's a kitchen. We need to paint it, and get some play food. The boys are having fun cooking and baking and having a restaurant!

Tribute to Jacob

Oh Jacob...while you are talented in so many ways, a gifted sleeper you are not. Since Matthew was itty bitty, David and I always kind of patted ourselves on the back for the great sleeper we created. He slept through the night early and has been a good sleeper ever since. He can sleep through just about anything (I will never forget the night that we shut the boys door so tight that Jacob couldn't get out. He was so upset and we found him SCREAMING in Matthew's ear, "Brother, open door!" and he totally slept through it. Jacob on the other hand, just has not had that natural born sleeping ability. We were humbled...it wasn't us that made the good sleeper. It's just the way he came. Jacob took longer to sleep through the night (only a month or two, but they were a LONG month or two). He wakes up so easily. Even as a baby, we couldn't go into his room while he was sleeping because he would wake up. We combined the boys into the same room probably 9 months ago, hoping it would help both boys. Matthew was claiming he was lonely, and Jacob wouldn't stay in his bed. It helped some, but I'm sure many of you have heard us complain about the lack of sleep we've had, thanks to Jacob. We have tried every method you can think of to keep him in his bed. In the fall, he was coming out of his room several times each night, for various reasons. We recently moved him from a toddler bed into a twin, and that has helped a lot. He only comes out maybe once a night (but to give him credit, it's not every night, and he's a lot better). But he fights going to bed, for up to two hours some nights. He went through a phase where he just had to be near us. And eventually, we just let him. He would fall asleep in the most hilarious places, often bringing with him every "lovey" in his bed. And being the good parents that we are, we took pictures to show him when he's older. He now is falling asleep in his bed, but still takes a very long time to go to sleep, often not falling asleep much before us! Here is our tribute to our not so gifted sleeper:

At the foot of our bed, taken from our bathroom.

 In his doorway, with absolutely everything but his mattress and sheet.

 Hallway.

 Hallway again.

 We were probably sitting at the kitchen table when he fell asleep here.

 An uninvited guest in our bed. He did this while we weren't nearby.

 Undoubtedly the most comfortable place in the house, under the kitchen table.

Middle of their room, George as a pillow.

Hallway, with absolutely nothing to make him comfortable.

One of my faves, hanging off the top of the stairs. We were in the basement and wouldn't let him come down.

This just makes me want to curl up and sleep....not.

I am pretending, but for awhile, this was a good way to get him to sleep at naptime. And really, how could I pass it up? Those snuggles come with a limited time warranty on them!

This one is a fake. They are pretending.

Middle of his room.

His most recent trend, stripping after we say goodnight.

He went through a phase where he insisted on falling asleep on the couch, and we'd later move him to bed. Sometimes it's just not worth the battle (especially late at night when you're tired!)

And about the lack of posts...sorry. Life's busy. I'll try and get better, but it's not on my list of new years resolutions. Ironing and reading are.

A PIcture of Heaven

A month ago, Matthew could not draw. He felt like he couldn't do it well, so he would just scribble. Well thanks to his preschool class (and his awesome teacher, Mrs. K), his writing and drawing and coloring has improved SO much. I have been so impressed with what he has started doing. He has a journal that our cousins gave him for his birthday that he likes to draw in. He often does it at rest time. Again, the beginning pictures are just scribbles. Today he drew this picture. He came to me, telling me it was "so, so cool!" and was very excited about it. He told me he even drew daddy's "scruffies". When he explained the picture to me, he told me it was all four of us in Heaven. So sweet...my heart just melted. It's all yellow because it's Heaven. There is a small place of red and he said he tried to blend the colors, but they wouldn't mix because they were crayons (well, he didn't say "blend"...I can't remember his exact words). Then this evening after showing David the picture, David went in his room and found his book called Dangerous Journey open to this page. He was drawing his own version of this picture. Again, my hearted melted some more. Don't be surprised if you come to our house one day and see it in a frame. Maybe it's just because I'm his mom and I am naturally proud of him, but you have to admit, it's sweet. Here is his artwork next to the book.

Some other comments he made were that originally he forgot to draw arms, but he went back and added them. When I asked him why my hair was sticking up he said he didn't know how to draw it back (in a ponytail). In the picture here is our order: David, Jacob, Matthew, Mary.

28 Reasons to be Thankful on my 28th Birthday

I have had such a great birthday! All day I've been thinking of all the things I have to be thankful for and why it has been such a great day. So I decided to make a list. Here we go!

1. Spending the day with my two sons. They were so well behaved and so sweet all day. They're just pretty awesome.
2. My husband decorating the house early this morning with two birthday banners - one in Spanish and one with Cars on it :)
3. Getting a package in the mail, even though it's Veterans' Day and I shouldn't be able to get mail.
4. Not having H1N1 this year like I did last year.
5. A birthday  nap...if you know me, you know I love to sleep.
6. A nonfat, decaf pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks that I paid for with a gift card.
7. Lunch at McDonalds - I love that place more than I should.
8. A free birthday scoop of ice cream from Graeters.
9. Another free scoop of ice cream from Graeters.
10. Another free scoop of ice cream from Graeters.
11. Listening to Christmas music on the radio.
12. GORGEOUS weather - abnormal warm and sunny
13. I just looked at my list and realized I had nap written twice...I must have really enjoyed it today :)
14. My mommy brought me cookies while I was teaching dance tonight so I could share them with my students.
15. Melissa, the other dance teacher tonight surprised me with Graeters cookies (the tea ones...one of my favorite kinds of cookies. yum!) and a card.
16. "Help" opening my birthday present. Why would I want to open it myself?! ;)
17. Facebook to remind us all of each other's birthdays when we otherwise would have no clue.
18. Over 70 facebook wall posts about my birthday.
19. My two-year-old randomly bursting out in song throughout the day to sing me "Happy Birthday" (that said child is still wide awake and won't go to bed as I type this at 10:30 pm), and hearing David and Matthew both sing Feliz Cumpleanos (happy birthday in Spanish)
20. Matthew saying to me this afternoon, "Mommy, you're treating me so sweet today. You're treating me like it's my birthday. You let me get a happy meal and pick the flavor of ice cream (at Graeters). Thank you so much!!! (and he gave me a kiss)"
21. Being able to open the windows of the house on my birthday when it's usually too cold.
22. Birthday hugs from all three of my boys.
23. Baby Samad is on his or her way (even though he or she won't be born until the day after my birthday!)
24. Matthew finding a magazine picture of a cute purse and wrapping it in his "ba" (his blankie) and bringing it to me as  "present" and being very sincere about it.
25. A brownie cake with M&M's spelling "mom", made by my three boys.
26. Sugar, because I've had a lot of it today.
27. Phone messages and texts from people I love.
28. Celebrating my birthday on Saturday with family and prime rib :)

I'm sure I could go on. I just feel so blessed and had such a wonderful day. Thanks to all of you who made it that way. I feel loved.

Halloween