A few smiles for the day...

When I was in college, I decided to work at an "internship" one summer for a car rental place.  I was a business management student and thought I might learn about managing a business from this opportunity.  Plus, it was a paid internship - an added bonus.  Well, I soon learned that interns were just another person on staff to help run the business throughout the busy summer months.  I didn't learn too much about management that summer - except maybe a few things that I shouldn't do as a manager or leader in a company.  I did however find that it was much easier to get through my days of wearing a dress and pantyhose in 100 degree heat with 200 % humidity by committing to finding something positive every day.  Some days I had to really look hard, and some days it was just obvious.  I did get to meet some interesting people and hear some pretty crazy stories, too. 

Throughout that summer, God showed me many things to be thankful for and often gave me a reason to smile amidst a situation that wasn't all that great.  Now, life is VERY different for me; but I still like to try and find positives when I can.  I also love to laugh about little things.  Right now, most of the things that I find humorous come from my kids and the things that they say and do.  Today was one of those days that was just full of different things that made me smile.  It really made the fact that I don't feel 100% (or even 80% for that matter) kind of escape from my mind. 

I woke up surrounded by our dog, son, and daughter.  Both kids told me that they got really cold last night and felt better sleeping with me.  When this happens, it is not uncommon for someone to kick and for me not to get any sleep at all.  However, somehow we all slept pretty good.  We dropped Kaylee off at school right on time this morning and then went home to get dressed for the day before taking Braden to school.  While I was finishing my make-up, Braden came into the bathroom.  He said, "Mommy, my back is all itchy.  Will you scratch it, PPPPPLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSEEEE???"  (He has bad allergies and we are trying to figure out what is triggering them.  It is not uncommon for him to itch all over his body!  Poor kid!).  I scratched his back and then put some lotion on it, which usually helps.  He then responded with, "Oh, wow that feels so much better!  Thanks mom!  UGH, why did GOD have to make me have such dry skin anyways!???"  I just had to laugh at that one. 

On my way home from his school I decided to drive through McDonald's and get some breakfast.  While I was at the first window paying I noticed that the lady in front of me paid and then drove off.  She then quickly slammed on her brakes, put her SUV in park and hopped out of the car.  I guess she didn't want to bother backing up through the drive thru, so she just walked back to the window and got her coffee.  I guess she REALLY needed her coffee this morning! 

After I picked the kids up from school, I brought them home for a snack and some down time before dance.  I told them that they could each have one blueberry muffin and a drink so that they would not ruin their supper.  When it was time to leave for dance, Braden was no where to be found.  Finally, I found him coming out of my room with a big smile on his face and his hands cupped together.  He clearly had something in his hands that he was trying to hide.  I asked him what he had and he just looked at me with his big brown eyes and a huge smile and said, "Mommy, I coudn't get un-hungry by eating just one muffin.  I had to eat one more to make sure that I would be un-hungry till dinner!"  Gotta love a four year old's made up words! 

For Kaylee's down time she decided she would play on the Wii.  She started out playing Mariokart, but decided to switch to her Little Pet Shop game soon after.  I was resting on the couch and quickly reminded her that she needed to not only put Mariokart up, but put it in the correct case (I'm not so sure why that is such a hard task).  Then, I heard her say under her breath, "Awww man, I got busted by the old lady again!"  She is only SIX!  Where on earth does she learn this stuff anyways? 

Needless to say, today was full of little smiles or huge laughs, and I am very thankful for that!  

Our first lost tooth!

Well, Kaylee finally lost that first tooth - it hung in there from Thanksgiving until the week after New Years.  She somehow managed to eat anything and everything that she normally does without it falling out.  Finally, Matt told her to come over so that he could look at it and he basically just lifted it out of her mouth.  It was so ready, and I was so glad he did it.  I'm not one to touch other people's mouths - even my own kids - ESPECIALLY when they might bleed a little.  YUK!

Anyways, that night Kaylee was to have her first visit from the tooth fairy.  She was so excited and could hardly go to sleep.  Of course she asked me to write a special note to the tooth fairy and ask her to please leave the tooth so that she could keep it as a keepsake.  She said to ask if the tooth fairy would mind cleaning the blood out of the tooth.  (I nixed that one by saying - "She's not in the tooth cleaning business.  That is the job of the dentist.  She just passes out rewards when you lose teeth!  Whew!"  She also told me that she would rather leave her tooth on her dresser because she was afraid that the tooth fairy might not be able to find it under her pillow.  (I kinda think that she was a little freaked out by the fact that some "fairy" might be digging around under her pillow while she was trying to sleep.  However, she did not want to admit that because she might lose out on a surprise).  As I was telling her goodnight, she was full of all kinds of questions about the tooth fairy.  "Mommy, what does she look like?  How will she get in the house?  Should I leave my window open?  What if she can't find my tooth?  etc..."
We finally decided that she was really really small and she flew in through the a/c vents.  That satisfied her, and off to dreamland she went.

That same night, sometime around 2 or 3 am, I looked over my shoulder to see Kaylee standing there with a huge smile on her face.  She was holding a purple certificate, a dollar bill, and a gold dollar coin.  She announced to me, "Mommy, she came!  She really came!"  Then, she quickly went back to bed and off to sleep until the next morning.  I guess she just needed a little reassurance, but was too tired to spend too much time dwelling on it.

Well, now we are about a month past that evening, and sometimes we still talk about the tooth fairy.  The other night, we were at the dinner table and Kaylee said, "Mom, I've got a question."  (That is a VERY common phrase we hear around here, so who knows what will follow most days).  I said, "OK, what is it?"  Here is how the rest of the conversation went...

Kaylee: "Mommy, the tooth fairy is really really small, right?"

Me:  "Yes, she is."

Kaylee: "Well, then how in the world does she carry a big purple piece of paper, a dollar, and a gold coin?  That is really really heavy for a small fairy!"

Me: "Well, I guess you are right.  Maybe she doesn't carry it with her.  Maybe when she gets here she uses her fairy wand to create it."

Kaylee:  "Maybe so, but I just think that is absurd!  She is too tiny to carry all of that stuff.  I just don't get it."

Conversation over!  I have quite the analytical child on my hands.  Last year it was, "Mommy, there's no Easter Bunny!  It's just a person in a costume.  I know that because Braden took his glove off and I saw a real person hand under there.  AHHHH!   Just go with it kid!  Oh well, I know that this analytical nature will come in handy some day, but seriously - this early?  :)

One of "those days!"

We've all had them, some more often than others, some more dramatic than others, and they all stink - "those kind of days."  The days that nothing seems to work right.  The days when you are really just better off going back to bed and pulling the covers over your head.  Yep, I had one of those days today.  It was not fun. 

We got up and got ready to take Kaylee to a birthday party.  She was so excited about going to this party that she picked out her outfit 2 weeks ago!  She has been counting down the number of "sleeps" until the party for well over a week.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I was able to use the party as quite a bargaining tool when she did not want to help pick up after herself or keep her room clean this week.  But hey, whatever works, right??? 

Anyways, Braden and I left Kaylee at the party and went on a "Mommy and Son date" to get him some Yogo's, one of those lollipops that has an airplane on top, and to go play at Chick-fil-A.  (Isn't it nice when $10 can make a kid's day?  I'm sure it won't forever so I will appreciate it now).  After our date and the party, I planned to take the kids shopping for an hour or so.  I am getting down to the final weeks of pregnancy and wanted to get a few little spring outfits for Kaylee to wear to school once the weather starts to warm up a bit - nevermind the fact that it was 28 degrees this morning!!!  (I know I won't be able to get out for a few weeks once the baby arrives, and school will go on).  Before the shopping trip, I decided to pull over and top off the van with some gas.  Of course, leave it to me... a "quick" stop for gas turned into an afternoon drama that completely changed the course of our day.  I swiped my card first, and then realized that my hands were so cold and the gas cap was jammed so much that I couldn't get it open.  I tried to cancel the transaction, but the pump was messed up and would not cancel.  I couldn't get any help, and didn't want to leave with my bank account basically exposed to anyone who pulled up next.  (I guess that is another argument for Dave Ramsey's "pay with cash and cash ONLY" debate!)  Anyways, I fought the cap and finally got it off, filled up the tank, and went to put the nozzle back on the pump.  Unfortunately, something was wrong with it and it continued to spray gas out after I pulled it out of my tank.  (NO, I was not still holding the handle).  Luckily it wasn't facing me, but a nice northerly wind allowed quite a bit of it to blow back on me and my shoes and the van.  I tried to clean as much as I could off, but the window cleaner was frozen solid and I was limited to paper towels.  I got back into the van and explained to the kids that we needed to go back home for a while.  I told them that "Mommy is just having a rough morning" and we need to take a break for a while.  I didn't cry, but really wanted to.  (Sheer exhaustion will do that to you, and I had lots of those "bring tears to your eyes" moments today)! 

We got home, I changed clothes and took my shoes off, but still couldn't get the gas smell to go away.  I ended up taking a LONG hot shower and finally felt better.  After a nap, while the kids laid on the living room floor and watched a movie, I decided we would try it again.  We loaded up the car and went for some late lunch/ early dinner.  The plan was to eat and then try to stop by a few shops.  Of course, as soon as I sat down by Braden, he started to fan his corn with his arm as if that would cool it off quicker.  Instead of cooling his corn, he flipped his RED Hi-C drink over into the bench we were sitting on.  It was one of those spills that you think is just in one place, but then you realize it has gotten under EVERYTHING once you pick it all up. Yep, it was all over my purse and behind him.  I just wiped it all up as good as I could and we left after we ate.  When we got into the van, I banged my knee on something pretty hard.  Of course, I was cold and that made it hurt that much more.  I just burst into tears at that point, and both kids froze.  They asked what was wrong and I told them that I had just had a bad day.  The gasoline, the cold, being tired, the drink spilling, feeling very out of place at times, and then hurting my knee all just added up to frustrate me.  Kaylee then responded with, "Mommy, why don't we just go on home tonight.  We can shop for me another time."  She asked what I was going to do about my shoes and I told her I would probably have to throw them away.  Her response was so sweet.  She said, "Mommy, we don't need to buy stuff for me then.  We need to look for some new shoes for you.  I'm so sorry you have had a bad day." 

We just went home after that.  The kids went to bed without too much of a fuss - they've been pretty good about that lately.  I have just sat around and accomplished pretty much nothing, and that is okay with me today.  It has been good to be inside where it is not 28 degrees, away from the awful gasoline smell, free from any messes for a little while, and enjoying the quiet.  Tomorrow is a new day and we are going to attempt it again.  That is IF the morning goes smooth.  We'll see. 

Goodnight "Big Mommy!"

We told the kids that they would be having a baby brother or sister this spring way back in August or September.  It was kind of hard to hide the fact that I was feeling HORRIBLE from morning sickness for so long, so we decided it was best to explain to them what was going on.  They have been super excited about the new arrival, and can hardly wait for it to get here.  In fact, there have been several days that they have said, "I just wish it could be born today!"  Of course, I'm pretty sure they don't have much of a clue how much this will change their lives either. 
Over the past few months, they have really taken interest in my growing belly.  Kaylee LOVES to put her hand on it and wait for the baby to kick her.  She giggles with delight each time she feels it move.  Then, she kisses my belly and says, "I Love You Baby! I can't wait to meet you!"  It makes me so happy to hear that.  She has asked me at least once a week how big the baby is (from the time it was not much bigger than a lima bean).  She has been fascinated with it.  I know she is going to be a great big sister once again.  This time, however, her role will be more of a helper or a role model than a playmate.  (She and Braden are only 23 months apart, so they are usually best buddies).  Of course, we don't know the gender of the baby yet, so that will surely determine her reaction as well.  She already told her dance teacher that if it is a boy she will dress it up in a dress, put a wig on it and bring it to me as her "little sister."  Oh goodness!  I will have to watch her close!
Braden has been my little right hand man throughout the past few months.  He never got disgusted when I was puking my guts out.  Instead, he stood right there at the bathroom door and "coached" me through each time.  He would say, "Mommy, take deep breath-es.  Then, go get some of that medicine from the fridge."  (He was talking about Maalox).  I guess that was his way to show that he cared - never to leave my side.  We spent lots of mornings on the couch watching Bob the Builder, Mighty Machines, or All About Lumberjacks and trying to wait out the sickness part.  He was so sweet.  As I started to show a little more, Braden became more verbal about my changing body.  He never held back.  Sometimes, he would say, "Mommy, your tummy sure is getting big."  One day he looked at me and with those big brown eyes and a smile on his face he said, "Mommy, I Love you very much!"  I answered with, "Oh, Braden, I love you too."  Of course he then had to follow it with "No matter what size you are..."  I just had to laugh and go tell Matt.  He had no clue that he had said something that would send most women to tears.  He was just trying to be sweet.  Another day, he knew I was getting ready for a doctor's appointment and he said, "Mommy, go get the doctor to make sure that the baby is getting all of its parts put together the right way in there.  I know it is getting fat though, because your belly sure is getting HUGE!"  Yet again, another chance to laugh.  The other night he came in, looked me in the eye, and then rubbed my belly like you would see them rub a Jeannie's lamp on a cartoon.  Then he asked, "Mommy, would you PLEASE let me watch Bob the Builder tonight???"  I guess rubbing the belly is the way to get what you want????  Well, tonight I told him goodnight and said, "I love you big boy!"  He looked up at me and said, "I love you too Big Mommy!" 

The excitement never ends around here!  There is always a story and always a cute saying that these kiddos are coming up with.  I can hardly wait to see what number three is going to be like.  Braden already has the nickname at their doctor's office of "the little comedian."  This little guy or gal sure has some big shoes to fill. 

What a way to say "Happy Birthday!"

Well, I got "the call" from Braden's school yesterday afternoon.  The office called to tell me that my poor little guy had thrown up at school.  I don't think in all 17 years of my education I ever threw up AT school.  I always felt bad for the kids that did, and even worse when I was teaching and it happened to a kid.  I mean, throwing up is no fun, but doing so away from home is just plain horrible!  Luckily I was on my way towards the school (I planned to pick up a quick lunch, eat in the parking lot, and be there a few minutes early anyways).  I just skipped the lunch part and hurried to his aid.  All the way there, I imagined that he was covered in vomit and sobbing for his mommy or daddy.  When I got to the school, and into his classroom, I found Braden sitting in a chair in the middle of the room.  He was talking up a storm with his teacher (the rest of the class was outside at recess), and was still in the clothes I sent him in that morning.  I had to ask for details - did he have a fever, did he make it to the bathroom or at least the trash can, had he eaten lunch, did he even have an appetite, etc???  I was trying to figure out if this was the awful stomach bug that tends to travel through an entire family before it leaves the residence; or if it was the result of a cold that has lasted for WEEKS and has just made him nauseous to the point that his little tummy finally gave in.

Here's the story I got...  First of all, Braden lit up when he saw me, smiled, and ran over to give me a hug.  He then got really quiet and told me that he "sthrew up" ALL OVER his friend, Valerie.  I think I was in complete shock at that point.  I mean, it's traumatic to throw up at school in front of everyone, but ALL OVER a friend!!!  Much less, the friend is a little GIRL!  I didn't know who to feel worse for... Braden, Valerie, the teachers, or Valerie's mom.  His teacher was there as he told me the story and she agreed, "yes, it was all over her, but luckily the second time he made it to the trash can."  My heart sunk.  I felt so horrible, so we just quickly gathered his things and went on our way.  As we got away from the classroom, Braden's lip started to quiver (as if he was trying to talk and couldn't fight off the tears that got in the way).  I got down on my knee and asked him what was wrong.  He said, "Mommy, I sthrew up all over Valerie and her Birthday clothes and ruined her birthday sticker!  I'm so sad!  And, my Daddy left me to go on a trip yesterday and I want him back!"  I was crushed for him, because he was truly devastated and it hurts to see your child hurt like that. 

We went on home, got me a quick lunch on the way (Braden was asleep before we left the parking lot), and then picked up Kaylee from school.  He never did throw up again that night, and even begged for Chinese food for dinner.  (I decided a plain tortilla and a few bites of a pear were more along the lines of what he needed).  He did fine, and crashed that night.  He even woke up this morning feeling much better.  I'm still scared to death to send him back to school, because I don't want him to have to deal with that again.  We'll see what the morning brings, and hopefully before too much longer we will ALL be able to laugh about this pathetic little event.  I'm pretty sure that Valerie won't forget it any time soon.  (In fact, her 4th birthday might be a pretty memorable one). 

The perspective of a child...

Out of the mouth of babes...  I never know what is going to come out of my kids' mouths - quite often it is something pretty funny.  Usually it is something to do with their perspective of life - which is rather different than ours.  I remember this happening alot when I taught school as well.  My students would say some of the funniest things and I was so thankful to be there to hear them. 

This past week I was able to go to enjoy Kaylee's Christmas party at school with her.  It happened to be on her 6th birthday, and also at the same time that Braden had his class party.  Thank goodness for Matt - he went to Braden's school and I went to Kaylee's.  We then met up and got to enjoy her dance party together as a family.  Yes, she had a Christmas party with her dance team on the night of her birthday.  However, she didn't think it was a Christmas party - she told her class at school that her dance team was having a birthday party for her that evening!  We actually celebrated her birthday with Matt's side of the family the next evening by going to the movie to see "The Princess and the Frog" (cute movie by the way) and then eating dinner at his Aunt's house.  Needless to say, after two solid days of ALOT of attention on Kaylee combined with a pile of unopened Christmas presents under the tree, Braden was about to explode with jealousy.  He wanted to open a present and wanted it NOW!  Oh, this is going to be a long week.  I fully expect to walk into the living room some day this week and find every last present under the tree opened by Braden.  I won't be happy if it happens, but I do secretly think it would be funny - kinda like a dog watching a child's plate of food for the perfect opportunity to walk up and steal it. 

Anyways, back to Kaylee's school...  I haven't gotten to spend much time there this year because I haven't felt very well most of this semester.  There were several days that I barely made it from the house to the school to pick her up and home before being sick again.  It was not fun, and hopefully it is all behind us for now.  I was so happy to get to see her in the classroom that I hear all about each afternoon.  As I walked in the doors  of her classroom she ran to greet me with a huge hug and then dragged me over to a chair that was right by hers - she had saved me a seat!  While the kids were enjoying their Christmas snacks, I got to talk to Kaylee and meet several of her classmates.  As she introduced me to them, she informed them that, "my mommy has a baby in her tummy..."  One of the little girls then followed with the funniest response I have gotten so far.  She looked at me and said, "For real!? You got a baby in there?  Can I touch it?"  She then put her hands all over my stomach and smiled.  A few minutes later she was back to eating her food and added, "My momma just ate her a whole bunch of maccaroni and cheese to get her a big tummy.  Then, all of a sudden one day she went to the hospital and POOF out came a baby!"  I was the only adult that heard this - the kids just went about their party, but I thought it was the funniest thing I had heard in a while. 

This weekend we have tried to lay low and stay out of the craziness of Christmas shopping.  It has been such a nice break from all of the rushing around we have done over the few weeks between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break.  Sometime during the day yesterday Kaylee came to me and said, "Mommy, do we get a Christmas break from Church too?"  I had to explain to her that, "No we don't get a Christmas break from Church.  The whole reason we celebrate  Christmas is also why we go to church."  She nodded and went about her day. 

Then, this evening I heard her getting into the silverware drawer in the kitchen.  I knew what she was doing - trying to get a bite of her left over birthday cake.  (I told her she could have some after dinner, but I guess that wasn't soon enough).  Anyways, I shouted out, "Kaylee - get out of the kitchen.  You don't need to be playing in there."  She came to me and said, "Mom, did you know that there was not even a knife left in the cake?  I was just putting one there in case someone wanted a piece!"  Right, and I was born yesterday...  By the way, go wipe the crumbs off of your mouth and no more until after dinner.  :) 

Just another "do nothing" day

There is never a dull moment in our house.  Today we stayed home and basically did nothing.  (Nothing productive, that is).  However, the kids kept me busy smiling and laughing most all day long. 

This morning, Kaylee accidentially hit her ankle on the wooden base of our bed.  She hit it right on the bone where it hurts really bad.  Of course there is really nothing you can do for that, except maybe some ice and time.  However, she decided that a bandaid would make it better.  So she went to her backpack, pulled out her "secret stashed bandaid," and put it on her ankle.  Seeing his big sister get to wear a bandaid made Braden decide that he wanted a bandaid, too.  He asked me for one and I told him "No, you aren't injured, so you don't need a bandaid."  I then went on making breakfast.  Within about 2 minutes, Braden came running to me crying.  He had a red face and huge crocodile tears.  I asked him what was wrong and he told me that he kicked the wall and then jumped off of the chair in the living room to get "injured" so he could have a bandaid too.  SERIOUSLY?  I guess that is a little boy for you.  By the way, he did not get a bandaid and forgot about the whole thing very soon.  I sure am glad I didn't say that he needed to be bleeding to get a bandaid - who knows what he would have done then.  

He really is a pretty smart kid.  He is pretty quick with his thoughts and responses, even though he is only four.  Today he informed me that he is going to be a "chef-cooker" when he grows up.  I asked him what he is going to cook and he looked at me as if I was the dumbest thing that ever walked on this planet.  Then, he responded with, "FOOD!"  (Duh)! 

This evening we were eating dinner and Kaylee started talking about the Christmas song, "A Baby Changes Everything."  I asked her if she knew that it was talking about Baby Jesus and she said it did.  Then, Braden interrupted and said, "they were going to pay their taxes and had Baby Jesus...  A tax is money that they take from you."  I have never talked to him about this so I assumed he learned this in school.  I asked if he did and he said yes.  Then he followed that up with, "so am I a genius or what?"  I have my hands full! 

Actually, they both love to learn new words.  Matt is really good about talking to them about the meaning of things and using every opportunity he can to teach them something new.  The other morning they heard the word "tradition" on TV.  Kaylee asked me what a tradition is and I told her it is something that we do over and over that not everyone does.  To see if I made any sense to her I asked her what some of our traditions are, like what do we do that is special at Thanksgiving or Christmas.  She responded with, "Taco Tuesday is one of our family's traditions!" 

Yes, there is rarely a dull moment.  When there is, or when it gets really quiet; one of two things has happened...  They are either asleep, or they are busy working on something that is going to soon become yet another "story" of ours.