Sunday, November 22, 2009

Introducing...

Our newest YELLOW belt!


...and our newest nursery member AND ear tubed baby.


At William's 1st grade Thanksgiving party, Naomi nuzzled her way into the group.


William has been driving me crazy...and making me laugh. How do kids do those two things so well together?
I took the kids to Toys'R'Us a couple weeks ago to check out the toys they want for Christmas. Of course, the boys went straight to the lego aisle. After three minutes, Naomi got bored and started meandering to other sections. Jake followed. We quickly found the train table and the two kids started playing excitedly with the trains. William wouldn't leave the lego aisle. He was just around the corner and I kept checking on him intermittently. There he was. Standing between two full aisle of the world's greatest toy creation. A whole beautiful row in front of his eyes, and a second row behind his back. A six year old boy wonderland. I peeked on him once again.
"How are you doing, mister?" I asked.
His eyes didn't leave the plastic pieces of childhood bliss.
"I'm just living the dream."
Indeed you are my young boy.

Again he stood in the lego aisle. He ran out to me with a huge grin on his face. "Mom, mom, I think I am going to accomplish a goal today."
"What's your goal?"
"In my journal at school I made a goal to make a new friend."
"That's great, bug. You can do it."
The timing was impeccable. A short minute later, an uncombed blonde boy with his uncombed father made their way into the lego aisle with my 6 year old. I watched from the side.
My shy baby stared at the other boy as he accessed his goal.
"Do you want to look at legos with me?"
the boy didn't answer.
William didn't give up.
a little louder.
"do you want to look at legos with me?" William asked again.
the dad smiled. He pushed his boy over to William and encouraged him to go.
I heard William explaining the legos that he wanted. The boy was unsure.
A few minutes later the boys mother came and dragged him away.
William grinned at me.
"I can't believe I actually did it! I achieved my goal!"
"You sure did, bugaboo!"
"Jake, Jake, I did a goal! I made a new friend. Oh...it feels so good to make a goal. I feel so good."
Way to go, William!
What a BIG month for a BIG kid.

Friday, November 6, 2009

You Know You Have a SCREAMER when...

Apparently these are really cool shoes. Aunt Lindsey bought them for Scout months ago...and they finally fit. I think everyone deserves a rich aunt.



My heart sunk when Naomi was born and she didn't make a peep for about 30 minutes. She was just a soft-spoken little critter.
...and then we brought her home. ...and then she grew up.

You know you have a SCREAMER when...
1. your child SCREAMS when you don't give them what they want.....or......when you do give them what they want. They just SCREAM.

2. Your child doesn't do tones. Soft, gentle, sweet, angry, mad. It's all lumped together in one big tone. SCREAMING

3. You lie in bed at night and your husband can't understand why you are not making coherent sentences. Does he not understand that I have been SCREAMED at all day. I have been verbally abused for 12 hours. Do you wanna fight?

4. You bring your child with you to teach Sunday School. One of the girls in the classroom covers her ears with her hands. She said the baby was hurting her eardrums. I just kept teaching. Was it really that loud? I have a hard time making that judgement anymore.

5. When you go places someone always says, "oh, it sounds like someone is upset."
No, actually she's not. She's just SCREAMING.

6. On a two and a half hour drive, your sister, who loves your child just short of you and your husband, has to literally pull the car off the freeway and ask someone else to drive. She said she was losing her mind and couldn't take the screaming anymore.

7. On the same car ride, your other sister-in-law asks sweetly, " doesn't she know any better?"
your other sister-in-law turns around to face her and charms the whole car with an extremely animated version of five little monkeys, and your third sister-in-law sits quietly next to the SCREAMING baby and reads a book. She says she has a screamer too. I just prayed that no one would hit her.

8. You have to leave five minutes early to go anywhere. It takes that long to get her in the car seat. After the initial SCREAMING, hitting, thrusting her back with a small to intermediate temper tantrum, I can finally overpower her in a moment of weakness and thread her arms through the harness straps. Then it will take another five minutes for her to stop SCREAMING. All in all, about ten minutes of SCREAMING each time I get in the car.

9. As you drift off to sleep at 9:30 (it's not possible to stay up any later: you need the silence that only sleep can bring)) you wonder how in the world you can possibly listen to the SCREAMING one more day. Funny enough, you are just so grateful for one more day with your little SCREAMER that it just doesn't seem so bad.

10. I have a SCREAMER. Do you have one, too?

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

It's beginning to Look a lot like Christmas



I don't know about you, but we have caught the Christmas bug. Yesterday I found these jammies that I bought last year after the season. The kids were so excited. James and I have matching ones too!
During brag time last night Naomi went up to stand by William when it was William's turn becasue apparently she wanted it to be her turn (such a female) and then Jake followed her up there. They looked so cute I had to grab a picture.

Please Spread the Word...


William has really been taking to heart our recent talk about how fortunate we are. With the Thanksgiving season approaching, we are trying to be more grateful. Last night during FHE, he asked if James and I had any extra money.
"If you and mom have any extra money can you please buy some food for the homeless becasue do you know what? They have to find food in the garbage cans and it is really germy and has lots of germs."
He made this sign all by himself, so if you know of anybody...send them our way.