My own version

I'm a huge fan of Pioneer Woman. Her blog makes me laugh out loud, and that is one of my favorite things to do in life. If you are not familiar with her blog let me just give you a quick little background. She lives in the middle of nowhere, is married to a cowboy who she posts pictures of in his chaps because she likes it, and has four kids who she posts pictures of in their natural habitat.

Here's my life's version....

Yes, seeing my husband in his loops and face-mask does it for me. It's even better when he wears a white coat. I think it has something to do with the power and success of it.

And then there's my children in their natural habitat, or what visiting their father at work looks like anyways.

Kindergartener

My "baby" started kindergarten today. I'm happy and sad all at the same time. It's great to have him in school but, he grew up too fast. Anyways, here are the mandatory first day of school pictures.

Showing off his new school duds (he has to wear a uniform, LOVE IT!!)

Walking to school. We were all so excited.

Standing outside his classroom, I've already lost his attention he couldn't wait to get into class.

Sitting at his desk humiliated that his mom was still there taking pictures. But in my defense, look how many other parents are there, and I was the first one to leave, so I did pretty darn good. I also didn't cry. My bottom lip quivered as I left the classroom and I let out a strange whimper as I stepped off school property, but I kept it together for the most part.

On Friday I was trying to get my oldest revved up about school and asked him if he was excited to start kindergarten, he responded, "yeah, and so are you 'cause we've been driving you CRAZY!"

If the fortune cookie says it........

We went and got Chinese for dinner tonight and of course had the complimentary fortune cookies. My fortune read "Cherish home and family as a special treasure"
My oldests interpretation...."Guess we're all going to become pirates."
After all, where there is treasure, there is always pirates!!!

I just had to share

Here's my little Ethiopian child, roaming the desert in search of food. Can anyone who knew him as a baby believe how skinny he is?

I think this is the best purchase we have ever made. I laugh for hours.

Clothes are completely overrated anyways.

Yep, still laughing.

3 years

This was me and my baby 3 years ago today.

And this is us today, on his birthday present.

Happy Birthday Toot! We love you!!

The weight of the world

My oldest child carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. I really wish he didn't, it makes me wonder what kind of nervous conditions he'll develop as he gets older. Anyways, here's an example or two of what I mean.

Last night I was laying in bed with him after tucking the younger one in. My husband made the mistake of turning the hall light off and my youngest quickly jumped out of bed and turned it back on. My oldest then made the comment "We need to teach Mac to sleep without the hall light on because he's wasting all our energy. Because if we're not careful we'll run out of energy and wont have it for other things, like video games!!"

When we were at the pool a couple weeks ago my husband took the youngest to the lazy river while my oldest was in the whirl pool (I stayed out and sort of watched, I get dizzy just thinking about it). When the oldest got out he quickly inquired as to where his younger brother was. When I explained he had gone with daddy the oldest asked "does daddy know my brother can't swim?" I honestly get the distinct impression sometimes that he does not trust us with the care his younger brother.

Today shortly after breakfast I suggested that we go get an icee, it's hotter than H-E-double hockey sticks here, (115) and it's the only way to stay semi-cool. My oldest quickly reminded me that "we just ate breakfast and we shouldn't already be eating again because then we'll be really full and that's not good for our bellies!!"

I expect some comments people

I need help people, and I'm not just talking about the professional psychological help that has been suggested to me over, and over. I need help coming up with a name for my blog. You see, I'm starting to get a few random hits from people I don't really know, I love this, but I feel the need to protect my children. So, I need you to help me come up with a name for my blog. I'm looking for something anonymous, something catchy, and something that makes sense for my blog.

Please people, help a sister out.

He's my difficult child

Let me start by saying that I love and adore my youngest, but he is difficult!!!! Especially when compared to his older, almost always perfectly behaved, brother. He really hit a new level of bad this last weekend though.

We had taken the boys to the local pool for an afternoon of swimming. As the evening came to a close we decided we would each take one child to the dressing room to change them. I got the youngest, which he was fine with until he realized the older one was going with dad. He started screaming and pulling a fit before we even made it to the dressing room, but I was not deterred. After all I'm a fantastic mother and I could handle the fit.
We get into the dressing room and he is screaming and kicking and thrashing. I lay him on the bench, throw my leg over him and get him undressed. It was easy. Then I tried to get his clothes on....The kicking and screaming escalated to the point that I could not get any clothes on him and eventually he even kicked his way out from under my leg. He then started running and screaming around the locker room. Still I persevered, first I tried reasoning with him, "it's too late to go with daddy, your naked and daddy is gone, you just need to get dressed now and then we can go find daddy." He screamed louder and tried hitting me. Then I tried threatening, "if you don't get dressed right now we're not going to Subway for dinner." He screamed harder. Then I did something that I really honestly never do, I spanked him, twice on his bare bottom!!! He kept right on screaming and kicking as if nothing had happened. Finally I gave up and realized that I'm actually a horrible mother that has no control over her child and said "fine, lets go get daddy". So out the front door we go, my youngest still screaming for his daddy and yes, still completely naked.

This isn't the end of the story.

So we drive home, I'm lecturing him the whole way about what a naughty boy he is and listing all the things he did that were unacceptable. When we get to the house we tell him he needs to go to bed because of his behavior. He starts crying and screams "NO, I'm not going to bed." So I have to grab him by the arm and drag him up the stairs kicking and screaming. I plop him on his bed and tell him how unacceptable his behavior is. Then through tear drenched eyes, with his chubby little hands on his cheeks he weakly asks "Are you mad at me mommy? Why?"

I dunno what I'm gonna do with him.

Magic trick

Wanna see a really sad trick?

In this first picture you have my baby, in all his floppy hair, big-bellied glory. And then with one hair cut......

He's a big boy :(