My 12 Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas (of a mom to three)
by, Yours Truly

On the first day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the second day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the third day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the fourth day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the fifth day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the sixth day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, six slimy sneezes, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the seventh day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, seven signs of sickness, six slimy sneezes, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the eighth day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, eight screams and cries, seven signs of sickness, six slimy sneezes, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the ninth day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, nine "I'm telling Mommy"s, eight screams and cries, seven signs of sickness, six slimy sneezes, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the tenth day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, ten temper tantrums, nine "I'm telling Mommy"s, eight screams and cries, seven signs of sickness, six slimy sneezes, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my kiddos gave to me, eleven "I don't want to"s, ten temper tantrums, nine "I'm telling Mommy"s, eight screams and cries, seven signs of sickness, six slimy sneezes, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my kiddos gave me to, twelve nervous breakdowns, eleven "I don't want to"s, ten temper tantrums, nine "I'm telling Mommy"s, eight screams and cries, seven signs of sickness, six slimy sneezes, five stinky hugs, four sloppy kisses, three runny noses, two dirty socks and a waterfall in the bathroom sink!!!!

Jaxsonism of the Day

Me: "Hey, Jaxson, listen!  You know this song.  Who sings it?"
Jaxson: "Justin Bieber?"
Me:  "No, it's a girl."
Jaxson: "Oh.  Michael Jackson?"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!  As we approach Thanksgiving I realize I have so many things to be thankful for.  My sweet Eli was coughing in the middle of the night last night, and he came into my room and woke me up.  I was so frustrated, because Jaxson had been in my room twice already, and then Eli came in.  Was I going to get any sleep?!?!  Why don't they ever go to their daddy's side of the bed?  Why is it always me that gets woken up?  As I pulled myself up out of my dreamy sleep to give Eli a sip of my water, he snuggled up next to me.  With his eyes closed and with a sleepy voice he kissed my cheek and said, "I love you, Mommy.  You're my best friend."  How could I be grumpy and complaining to myself over lack of sleep when I have three of the sweetest babies in the world?  My Eli reminded me that those these sleepless nights are rare, they will soon be over completely, my babies will be grown, and I'll no longer be their best friend.  I need to cherish these little moments with them and everyone else in my life.  I have a wonderful family, and this Thanksgiving I'm celebrating having each of you in my life!

I Triple Dog Dare You

We had a really great time on Halloween.  The kids absolutely love dressing up (so does mommy), and they were so excited to actually go trick-or-treating this year.  I don't have memories of trick-or-treating as a kid, because we were usually at our church festival.  After the mass chaos of a church carnival last year, we decided to skip that route this year and let the kids do some good old fashioned trick-or-treating.  It was so much fun!  We pulled Shiloh in the wagon, and the boys went door to door.  Jaxson was the official doorbell ringer, and Eli just stood there and looked cute.  The boys did great, and nothing could scare them!  Well, except for the biggest, most scariest dog of all time that looked a little bit like this...

Now that Halloween is over, we're looking forward to an exciting Thanksgiving with the family in Fort Worth, followed by Christmas!  What?!?!  It will be here before we know it!  Only 52 more shopping days!  In the spirit of the cold weather we have this week, the conversation arose about the scene from The Christmas Story where the boy is triple dog dared to stick his tongue on the flag pole.  Jaxson was so curious about this, so I showed him the movie clip via YouTube.  OMG.  (Note, I'm not a big fan of the phrase OMG, but there really are no other words in this case.)  That boy had a major meltdown.  He thought it was so scary, and he never wants to stick HIS tongue on frozen metal!  We tried to show him how an ice cube can sometimes stick to your tongue or lip, and he cried even harder thinking we would mame ourselves forever with a little old ice cube.  That kid is so funny.  Might be a tad bit of a wuss, but he sure is funny!

No More FaceBook

I really enjoy blogging, but thanks to all the time I spent on FaceBook, I don't do it very often.  It's always been easier to update my FB status with something I want to share than to come here and blog.  But no more!  I realized that I spent way too much on FB.  I mean, do I honestly care what someone I haven't seen in ten years is doing every step of their day?  Do I really think they care what I'm doing?  Nope.  Yet I spent too much time reading statuses and updating mine.  And most of what I read makes me mad or annoyed, yet I continued to read.  I had to get rid of it.  FaceBook is the devil!  I can spend all that time doing more important things with my family.  I'm redefining my life these days.  I'm working on getting healthy and fit, and I want to spend more time doing things that matter like playing games and wrestling with my kids and reading my bible.  So anyway, I won't be posting on FB anymore when I've updated the blog.  So, if you want to know when I've added a new post, please subscribe to my blog and you'll be notified.

BURRRRRRRRRRRR!  Baby it's cold outside!  This weather has me excited for the approaching holiday season.  We watched our first Christmas movie last night.  Of course we watched Coraline first to celebrate the Halloween season, which can give you a creepy feeling.  So we evened it out by watching Veggie Tales Little Drummer Boy.  Eli and I thoroughly enjoyed The Little Drummer Boy, but Jaxson said it was for babies.  Guess my boy is growing up.

Anywho...I'm going to curl up with my baby girl and enjoy our quiet moments together while the boys are at school.

Pardon Me, Captain

Since Jaxson is turning five this weekend, I've been sitting here thinking back on some of my favorite memories of him since he was born.  I thought I'd share some of those with you.  You can thank me later.

• The first night we had Jaxson home from the hospital was one to remember.  As brand new parents, we were clueless.  He was perfect in the hospital, and of course when we get home he screamed all night.  After going through all the things I could think of, I wondered if he was sick and decided to check his temperature.  On our bed.  Without anything between him and our covers.  Needless to say, the thermometer caused an explosion of pee and meconium all over our bed.  No fever!  And for the record, no three day old should have that much pee and poo come out at once.  I'm just saying.
• Jaxson was four months old when he started coughing and making a very strange noise upon inhaling.  His face was bright red, and he just wasn't breathing well.  I patted his back and tried to burp him, but nothing.  It was getting worse, so I called the pediatrician, who advised me to call 911!  With the 911 operator on the phone I tried everything to fix Jaxson.  I was beating his back while holding him at a 45 degree angle with the floor in case he had something lodged in his throat.  Nothing was helping, and he just kept making the strangest sound while trying to breathe.  It was terrible.  I tried to nurse him to get him to calm down, but he couldn't swallow the milk.  Finally, the fire department showed up.  The captain himself ran into my house and picked up Jaxson who promptly burped in his face.  Then he stopped screaming, his breathing returned to normal, and he smiled at the captain.  So there I sit on the couch crying.  Was I crying because I was relieved Jaxson was okay, or was I crying over the embarrassment of not being able to burp my own baby?  Or was it because my boob was still hanging out from when I tried to nurse him?  Who knows, but man did I cry.  I can only imagine the words in that fire truck on their way back to the station.  
• When Jaxson started learning to talk we had some good times with him.  Like most children, Jaxson made the wrong sounds for some letters.  For instance, instead of frog, he would say a certain four letter word.  One day the two of us were grocery shopping at a particularly busy time of day.  Jaxson spotted a frog, and begins yelling, "F#$%, F#$%, F#$%" over and over.  And over.  I realize what he's trying to say, so every time he yells, "F#$%" his crazy mother yells, "FROG" as loud as she can.  I don't want people thinking I say the f-bomb in front of my baby!  Imagine walking down an aisle at the grocery store hearing nothing but, "F#$%, FROG, F#$%, FROG, F#$%, FROG!"  Sheesh.  Come to think of it, maybe I did say a four letter word after the incident with the fire captain.
• Want to hear about Jaxson's first two major boo-boos?  Yep, my fault.  Once we were playing, and I threw him a little too hard.  Face first into the cabinet in his bedroom.  Oops.  The second time I put him on the top of a slide and said, "Don't slide down until Mommy is at the bottom to catch you."  Yeah, he didn't listen.  He flew off the end of the slide and bit into his lip.  Mother of the Year Award.
• When I was potty training Jaxson he refused to poop in the potty.  It was the last bit of control he had, and he refused to give in.  He would just poop in his underwear.  Finally, two weeks before his third birthday I told him that he could NOT turn 3 until he pooped in the potty.  No Polar Express party, no hot chocolate, and definitely not turning three.  He looked at me long and hard, said, "okay" and pooped in the potty on the spot.  Little turd.  Pun intended.

Really, I could go on and on with hilarious stories about my life with Jaxson.  He surely keeps me on my toes!  I love him more than he'll ever know.  It seems like I just had him yesterday.  Time flies.  How can he be 5 already?!?!?!  FROG!!!!

Poopy Stink

What a couple of weeks!  Most of you know that I got very sick and had to get my gallbladder taken out last week.  I happen to be one of the wussiest people on the planet, so this was quite traumatic for me.  However, we survived, and I'm happy to say I'm feeling much better today!  Can you believe I'm actually going to spare you the details of my sickness and surgery?  Let's just say, I've never felt that bad.  Ever.  And I'm so glad they ripped out that stinkin' gallbladder.  The end.

There's just one problem.  The doctor actually told me not to lift anything over ten pounds for a month.  Is he kidding?  In my sickness (I was literally laying in the exam room moaning) I took a moment to laugh at him for suggesting such a thing.  Obviously he doesn't know that I have a chub of love baby at home.  We said, "That's impossible!  We have an eight month old at home.  An eight month old that weighs over twenty pounds!"  He said to wait at least a week or two and then to move VERY slowly and carefully while picking her up.

Okay.  It's just a week or two.  How hard can it be?  Well, let me tell you.  It's really freaking hard.  Not because I don't have help, because our parents have been extremely helpful the last couple of weeks.  In fact, if it weren't for them things would have been much harder on my husband.  It's just so hard to not be the one to put her to bed at night or to pick her up first thing in the morning or greet her from her naps with a big hug.  She's my chub of love!  I want to pick her up and spin her around and squeeze her.  Sigh.  I guess I'll just have to be good and wait five more days.

In the words of my three year old, "Poopy stink."  That's all I have to say about that.

What Am I, Four?!?!

Nothing can bring out the kid in me like my children.  Most of you read that and think oh that's sweet, but that's not the kind of kid I'm talking about.  Yes, I have many moments of running through the sprinklers, belching until my boys are in hysterics, and participating in wrestlemania, but I also have the moments of acting like a stubborn four year old.

My very own four year old and I go toe to toe quite often.  Perhaps it's because he's in this stage where he's wrestling with moving into boyhood while still needing his mommy, but I think the most obvious reason is that he is my mirror image.  Yes, he looks like a lot me physically, but it's his strong willed personality I'm referring to.  I like to blame it on his daddy, but I'm afraid he's 99% me.  Stubborn, emotional, independent and wild and crazy describes us both.  We'll have a day where he'll push all my buttons and drive me crazy, and then I'll notice myself pestering my husband and jumping out to spray him with a spray bottle of water, and I think, oh yes, this is why my son behaves the way he does.  It's all MY fault!!!!  Now he is a very good boy, but you know when you spend five days in a row with someone exactly like you without a break you tend to go a little crazy.

Just the other day I got into an argument with him.  Not a grown up argument, but a four year old argument.  The kind that could go on forever.  I said something he didn't agree with, and he says, "Nuh uh."  And I said, "Uh huh."  And then he goes, "Nuh uh," and I go, "Uh huh."  "Nuh uh."  "Uh huh."  "Nuh uh."  "Uh huh."  And after an entire minute of this I had to snap myself back to reality and wonder who's the adult here, because it surely isn't me! 

Now don't worry, these things don't happen very often.  Most of the time, my son and I get along great.  He loves his momma up to space and back, and his momma loves him more than she can count.  BUT, we do have our moments, and I have to remember that it's all my fault!!!

Never Let Go

Yesterday we were driving in the car, and a song that we all know from church came on.

"Oh no, you never let go, through the calm and through the storm.  Oh no, you never let go, every high and every low.  Oh no, you never let go, Lord, you never let go of me."


Jaxson was singing along on the "never let go" part.  When the song was over, the following conversation took place:

Jaxson:  "Hey, Mom, never let go!"
Me:  "Okay, buddy."
Jaxson:  "No, really.  Never let go, okay?"
Me:  "Let go of what?"  (This is going to be a proud moment for me, as my son tells me that God is always there for us.)
Jaxson:  "The monkey bars."
Me:  "Ummmmm, what?"
Jaxson:  "Never let go of the monkey bars."
Me:  "Well, that's true, bud, but I think the song is talking about how God is always with us.  He never lets go of us."
Jaxson:  "Nope.  It's the monkey bars.  Never let go of the monkey bars."
Me:  "Okay.  Thanks for the tip."

Happy Father's Day

I'm one lucky girl.  There are so many wonderful fathers in my life.  My dad is just the best.  Talk about a man who has lived his life as an example for others.  It's inspiring, really.  You've read my take on losing my mother, but I can not imagine the pain that would be caused by losing the love of your life.  Not only that, but then having to continue raising your children on your own.  Wow.  My dad has been through what I can only imagine is the darkest time of his life with such grace and optimism.  I know he was hurting, but he did his best to stay strong for my brother and I and pull us back on our feet as a family.  He stood tall and continued to be a strong foundation for our family.  No matter what we have gone through, good times and bad, he has set an example to us in his relationship with Christ.  My dad has shown that with Him by your side, you really can do anything.  My dad has continued to be a great father to my brother and I and is also a wonderful dad to my "new" brother and sister.  Never would anyone look at their relationships and have the word "stepdad" come to mind.  He has been a real dad to them, too.  I love you dad; you're the best!

And of course, I'm married to a great daddy.  There is no one on this planet that could be a better daddy to my children.  Lance is also an inspiration!  I hear so many women complain about their husbands, and sometimes I actually find myself feeling bad that I can't join in the conversation!  Imagine that.  Why in the world would I feel bad about a thing like that?  Maybe I feel bad for those women who are missing out on what a husband and father is supposed to be.  Lance works so hard for us every day, and then comes home to work even harder.  He's not one of those guys who comes in and wants his dinner hot and then sits on the couch while I continue to care for our children.  Nope.  Not my guy!  He comes home and jumps right in.  Ladies, he even does dishes.  No matter how tired he is, he gives the kids a bath every night and tucks them in bed.  Don't get me wrong, he's not perfect.  There are definitely days where he talks to the boys a little more sternly than other days, but even in those times he's still a step ahead of other dads!  My boys are so blessed to have such a wonderful example to look up to.  They'll learn so much from Lance, like how to treat a girl and how to do hard work with your hands around the house and hopefully how to have a good golf swing.  Of course someone had to teach them to pee on the tree in the backyard!  And my daughter is lucky to have a dad to show her not to ever accept anything less than a boy who will treat her like the princess she is.  She will learn from watching him how a man is supposed to treat a woman, so she can seek a partner that will treat her with the same respect that her daddy treats her mommy with.  I could go on and on, but really, who wants to read about that?  Just know, that though I don't often "blog" about my husband, he's just the bestest daddy in the world and I'm lucky to have him in my life.

Sixteen Years

Let me preface this blog post by saying that God has given me an amazing woman to step into the mom and mimi roll.  It hasn't always been easy for any of us, but over time we've formed a wonderful relationship, and my children and I are blessed to have her.

I can remember it like it was yesterday.  I was about to spend the night with my best friend and go see Clueless in the movie theater.  I went back to the hospital after registering for my sophomore year of high school.  Stepping off the elevator to see the look on my uncle's face, I knew my mom had died.  Friends and family were crowded in an empty hospital room crying and loving on each other.  The long drive home.  Sitting in the front yard with friends who tried to make me smile while the grown ups sat inside.  Feeling devastated.  Numb.  Angry.  Confused.  So many emotions for a fifteen year old girl with her whole life ahead of her.  Going back to school and seeing the kids whispering.  Of course they were whispering.  What do you say to a girl whose mom just died?  That's one of those things no one thinks they'll ever experience, and it had just happened to someone they know.  The one person who acted like nothing had changed quickly became my best friend while I pushed away everyone that looked at me with sad eyes and said, "I'm sorry" for what seemed like the hundredth time.  The days dragged by, but eventually time began to pass a little faster, and I learned how to smile and have fun again.

In August it will be sixteen years since my mom died.  I still miss her terribly.  I think about her every single day.  Most days I have happy thoughts filled with great childhood memories.  But some days are still hard.  Sometimes the smallest thing can trigger a hard day, and I'll cry and cry.  This doesn't happen very often, but I think that even when I'm old and wobbly there will still be hard days where I miss my mom.  She visits me in my dreams, and sometimes I wake up thinking it was all a mistake.  She's going to walk in the room and say, "Good morning, Bitsy." Of course I know this will never happen; I'm not crazy.  It makes me sad that she'll never get to know my children, but then I think that the God I know and love has allowed my mom to watch over us and let her see things in my children that I have not seen yet.  Having a little girl was a big deal to me.  I hope and pray that I can grow old and experience things with my daughter that I didn't get to experience with my mom: her first date, her high school graduation and moving into her college dorm room, her wedding and the birth of her children.  I hope to experience the little things with her like her first pedicure, and I hope she'll be able to talk to me about all the things that are so huge to a teenage girl like how girls can be so cruel and how she has a huge crush on the popular boy who doesn't know she exists.

While I still find myself asking God why He let this happen, I know I'll never know or understand why.  I just know that God needed a special angel, and my mom was the one for the job.  I also know that I'll see her again one day, and in that I find peace.

Did I Shower Today?

I knew I'd be busy with three kids, but I didn't know exactly how busy.  My house is usually a mess, and sometimes I'm still in my pajamas at noon.  There are dishes in the sink, and when was the last time I had a proper shower?  The laundry is piled high and I can't remember if I brushed my teeth or just the kids' teeth, so I'll have to do it again.  While I love my children more than anything, and of course I did actively choose to have three of them, I just don't have any time to myself.  If I'm not changing diapers, playing with transformers or cleaning my house, I'm working on stuff for my job at the church.  I love scrapbooking, but the last time I had a chance to sit down and work on it was when Eli was just a few months old.  Quiet time with my homeboy (that'd be Jesus) has gone by the wayside.
Many people are talking and starting to ask questions, so I'm just going to throw it out there.  In light of my busy schedule, it's time for me to move on from my position as Children's Ministry Director at church and focus on being a mommy.  While I have loved my job, it's time for me to be a little selfish.  I'm swamped at home, and I need to create a little time for myself.  Jaxson will be at Carver next year, and Eli will be at St. Stephen, and I want to be able to be a good classroom mom and PTO member for each kiddo.  I want to play with my kids and not worry about who is teaching Sunday school this week.  I want to be able to scrapbook and not think of preparing lessons for Sunday.  I want to get back into the schedule of having my quiet time each day.  I'm excited that God has given me the opportunity to stay home with my babies, as they are a precious gift from Him.  While I think that these are my children, I know that they are really His, and He has just trusted me to take care of them and raise them to follow Him.  So that's what I'm going to do.  Thank you, God, for trusting me with three little lives.  Help me to love them like You do and watch over them as You do.  Help me to train them up to follow You and handle them with care.  There is no greater gift that You could give me, and I thank you.

Excuse Me?!?!

My boys crack me up.  They never cease to make me laugh with the crazy things that come out of their mouths.  These are just a few of their recent shenanigans.

Proof that Jaxson Already Thinks Like a Man
Jaxson: "Mom, your boobies are huge."
Me:  "Whaaat?"
Jaxson:  "Your sunglasses.  I mean your sunglasses are huge."

Proof that Eli is Still Innocent
Random Girl: "My mom's name is Melissa."
Eli: "Well, my mom's name is Mommy."

Boys Will Be Boys
Jaxson: "Eli, did you know God made everything?"
Eli: "Yep.  Everything."
Jaxson: "You know what that means?  It means he made our butts!"
Eli: "And our poop!"
Jaxson: "And our wieners!"

You can imagine that this went on for quite some time, and I struggled not to join in their raunchy conversation.

Lily Gaga
Jaxson: "Don't be a drag, just be a queen.  Don't be a drag, just be a queen."
Me: "Oh my.  Let's not sing that anymore."
Jaxson: "But, Mom, I really like Lily Gaga.
Me: "Her name is Lady Gaga, and I probably shouldn't listen to that."

I'm Baaaack!

After taking more than a year off from blogging, I'm back!  It was a nice break, but I've come to realize that blogging is sort of an outlet for me.  I can use it to do all sorts of things.  I can brag about my beautiful family, praise their accomplishments, tell their funny stories or just bitch and moan about the joys of motherhood.  Whatever I'm saying, writing is somewhat therapeutic for me, so let the crazy antics begin!