The Western Theme Continues

Before the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins, trailriders from all over the state ride into the city. They try to recreate the old West, and along the way make stops at different places, one of which is our church. The preschool and daycare kids get to go out and see the cowboys, horses, wagons, Native Americans, and hear a band perform. Mom and I took Coleman and Spence yesterday to see all of this.

The trailriders came through our church parking lot.

Coleman's favorite thing was listening to the drummers who were part of an elementary band.

Native Americans from the Alabama Coushatta tribe visited with the kids.

Coleman reluctantly petted a horse.

A cameraman from a local news station interviewed Mom and me. We were possibly on the 6 o'clock news, but I forgot to watch and record it!

Coleman the Performer

Coleman was in his first program today. The dayschool had their annual Go Texan Luncheon and the six classes rode into the gym on their stick horses then performed songs and dances. Since Coleman only attends his class on Wednesdays, he didn't even know he was going to be doing a dance. He got a little frustrated because he didn't know what to do. Then the song part came. He knew the song really well, but he just stood there. He was so cute though! I can't believe he's big enough to be in a school program. Where did my baby go??? Here is the video from today.



Here is our little performer tonight. He's very selective about his audiences. Hope you enjoy!

Life With My Boys

I struggle to keep the house clean, so I now have a maid! Actually two. I'm not sure if they help more in making messes or cleaning them up.


Sunday afternoons were meant for napping. Daddy can sleep for hours. Coleman, however, was up about 30 seconds after this picture was snapped.

Brian, with the help of his lovely (but quite weak) assistant, completed stage 1 of the backyard fort assembly this past Saturday. Some friends of some friends had a playground that their kids had outgrown so they gave it to us. We were glad to get it considering it probably cost them about $3000 when they bought it 8 years ago.

Coleman and Spence enjoying a ride on the tire swing.

Here you can see what the entire part that we've completed looks like. The next step will be to add the slide. Then there's some more stuff that goes up top.


Here is how Spence entertains himself while I cook dinner. At least he's not pulling on my pants leg!


Coleman thought his chips needed to be sawed in two. He did some sawing on the burger next.

Life with my boys is always fun and exciting! I never know what's going to happen or what Coleman will say next. And forget getting a real maid! We'll probably have to save that money for speech therapy. Coleman has gotten into the habit of over-pronunciating his "l"s. For example, he pronounces chocolate "chloclolllate." And clothes is "callllothes." I made the mistake of laughing at this when he first started, now we're trying to get him to stop.

Enough About Me

I realize I have not posted any pictures of the boys recently or even given much of an update on them. I've been going on about pickles and the trials of being left-handed. So sorry. Coleman is doing really well with his potty training. Some days he wears the same pull-up most of the day. He's even been going poop quite a bit in the toilet. Sometimes he thinks he's done after the "one" drops in the toilet. I'll tell him to sit there a little longer and see if he's done, but he insists he's finished. Then a few minutes later he'll do some more in his pull-up. Today, he did a little in the potty and said he was finished. We looked at his chart and saw that he only needed to go poopy once more and he would get a monster truck. About 3 minutes later he said, "I need to go poop again!" We went back to the toilet and he did! Then he announced that he wanted his monster truck. I tried to explain to him that this was part of the earlier poop and that it didn't count as a separate poop. A mere technicality.
On to a less disgusting topic, Spence still has a limited vocabulary, but he's starting to make many animal sounds when Brian and I read to him. He loves to dance. Hopefully we'll get some video up soon. I was unsuccessful at getting any cute pictures of them today, but here's what I got:

They enjoyed watching a Hap Palmer music video this afternoon.

Spence playing with an old phone. He and the phone are from different centuries!

What a sweet face!

This picture was from a few weeks back. He wouldn't smile for the camera today.

Thoughts From This Southpaw

Ok, ok. I admit I was overtaken by a moment of silliness with the pickle post. I did, however, enjoy all your comments. You just feel closer to someone when you know where they stand on important issues like these. Thank you, thank you for letting me get to know you on a deeper level. But now, in all seriousness, I must let you know of a recent act of discrimination against me and my people. Kitchen gadgets are now discriminating against the lefties! I'm trying to replace all my old spatulas, big spoons, and spaghetti scoopers to go with my nice new kitchen. I've had the hardest time finding a new spaghetti scooper. Are people not cooking spaghetti at home anymore? Or are they in such demand that the stores can't keep them stocked? Today I was in a kitchen store, which did not have a traditional spaghetti scooper, but a new kind that looks more like a comb. (I'm sorry I don't have a picture. I did a search but nothing came up.) I thought it was pretty neat so I was going to purchase it, but then I realized that it would probably be difficult for me to use being left-handed. I asked the lady who worked there, and she said that I would have a hard time using the gadget properly. She sympathized with me, saying that she had a left-handed brother, so she's always looking for left-handed kitchen gadgets, and to ask next time I was in the store. How are people like me, and Jay Leno, and Carol Burnett, and George H.W. Bush, and Larry Bird, and Julia Roberts, and Sarah Jessica Parker, and Monica Seles (who's going to be on my favorite show DWTS!!!) supposed to dip spaghetti? Well, all those people probably have right-handed personal chefs, but it's a matter of principle. It's bad enough that we get ink all over our hands when we write and that in school we had to search for that one left-handed desk in a classroom full of right-handed desks. If you come across a lefty today, give him or her a big hug and say, "You're special." Apologize for the struggles that he or she faces on a daily basis. If you are left-handed, be proud! Here's a little joke for you.

Bobby was spending the weekend with his grandmother. She decided to take him to the park on Saturday morning. It had been snowing all night and everything was beautiful. His grandmother remarked, "Doesn't it look like an artist painted this scenery? Did you know God painted this just for you?"

Bobby said, "Yes, God did it and he did it left handed."
This confused his grandmother a bit, and she asked him,
"What makes you say God did this with his left hand?".

"Well," said Bobby, "we learned at Sunday School last week that Jesus sits on God's right hand!"

I Respect You, But I Don't Understand You

This is what I say to all you anti-pickle people. Tonight we had sloppy joes. They are becoming a family favorite in our house. There are some foods that just aren't worth eating in the absence of a pickle, and sloppy joes are one of them. Coleman saw the pickles on my plate and said he did not like pickles. As a self-professed picky eater myself, I have to respect this. But I just don't see how someone could not like the pickle! Before eating my burger at a restaurant, I carefully remove the top bun and strategically place the pickles so that every bite includes some. When eating the McDonald burger, I eat around the pickle, saving it for the last two bites.

This love of pickles was inherited from my father. He doesn't have to rearrange pickles on his burgers because he orders extra pickles. I once walked into a burger joint in our hometown and was welcomed with, "Hey, you're Pickle Man's daughter!" If the fact that he was affectionately known as Pickle Man doesn't convey his love of pickles, I don't know what does!

Brian is not a pickle man. This works to my advantage when we go to restaurants where the pickle spear is served on the side. Free extra pickle for me! And at home, the pickles are all mine. I do hold out hope that Spence will take after my dad and me and love pickles, but if not, life goes on.

And by the way, when I say pickle I am referring to the dill sort. I do not eat sweet or bread and butter. Leave a comment telling me if you are pro-pickle or anti-pickle. I would love to know!

What's Under Your Bed?

You know it's time to clean up and get organized when, while hanging up a week's worth of clothes that have been lying on the floor, you stub your toe on a cordless hedge clipper that's poking out from under the bed.
And a kitchen update:
Coleman says the new sink will be ready to use as soon as Daddy puts the batteries in.

The Magna Doodle Says It All

Later in the day, Coleman wanted to draw on his Magna Doodle. I wanted him to go potty. We compromised. I drew a picture of him going potty, then he went!

I told him to stand by the toilet, but he wanted to stand ON the toilet. I think he's trying to say, "I'm conquering this porcelain giant!" Or maybe he just wanted to climb on the toilet.

It Has Arrived!!!

Yes, I'm a dork.

I've noticed I've been uttering some strange things lately. These are things you could only possibly say while your kitchen and master bath are being remodeled.

• Just a minute Spence. Let me go heat up your spaghetti in the bedroom.
• Please put your dishes in the guest bath. I'll wash them when there's no room to brush our teeth.
• Maestro, here's your filtered water from the fridge!
  

He Loves Jesus and Chicken!

Cruising down the road, listening to Christian radio

Coleman: What's this song about Mommy?
Me: He's singing about how much he loves Jesus. We love Jesus too, don't we?
Coleman: Yeah. (brief pause) I like chicken.

Comments from a Three Year Old

Mommy: Why is your pull-up wet? You just tried to go potty.
Coleman: That's what my problem is.

Mommy: Coleman, can you go get the laundry basket so I can take these towels out of the dryer?
Coleman: (after bringing the basket to me) I saved the day!

Mommy: Would you like a blueberry?
Coleman: They have chocolate in them?


And an update on the other precious child. Mr. Snots is using his superpower (having an overabundance of snot) to entertain during lunch. When I laughed at a string of snot connecting his nose to his banana, he realized he was pretty funny and started trying to replicate the situation.

Speaking the Truth

Warning for Nana and Grandma: Your oldest grandchild is not perfect!

Yes! Two posts in one day! Tonight Coleman wanted some chocolate but I told him no because he didn't eat all his dinner. He said, "I might ask Daddy." I told him not to because I already said no, but he ran into the other room and asked Brian anyway. I heard Brian say no, then a few seconds later Coleman ran back into the kitchen and said, "Daddy said yes!" I took him straight to time out and we had a talk about obeying and what it means to tell the truth. Later while saying prayers and talking at bedtime, the subject of forgiveness came up. I gave an example of forgetting to do something for Daddy but Daddy would forgive me because he loves me. Then I told him that when we make mistakes God will forgive us. He said, "I might ask God for some chocolate." If that works, I might ask for some chocolate, and some skinny thighs too!

I know Coleman doesn't grasp the concepts of grace and forgiveness, but he's at an age where he can start learning. I've really realized that today. My wonderful cousin Rhonda sent an email that linked to a Brandon Heath video of his song "I'm Not Who I Was." If you've never heard this song, it talks about how someone hurt him in the past, but now he's able to forgive. I had just watched the video this morning, then the song came on the radio when we were in the car. Coleman asked, as he sometimes does when a song comes on, "What's this song about?" I always think, "Oh, he's not going to understand," but I try to explain in the simplest terms what the songs are saying. That's been great for me! It makes me stop and really listen to the words. Sometimes all I can say is, "They're singing about Jesus." But today I got to try to explain how when someone hurts you, you should say "it's ok" and be nice to them. Oh how I pray that God will give me words to say that Coleman can understand, and that as he grows he will desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord. Actually, I pray that for all of us! Have a blessed evening.

Fabulous New 1 Minute 13 Second Workout!

Yeah, it doesn't work. I've been trying to get back into going to the gym, but it seems the streak of sickness has no end. We got kicked out today after I had been on the treadmill for a little over 1 minute because Mr. Snots' (as we so affectionately call Spence now) nose wouldn't stop dripping. It's not a nasty green or anything, but I can understand why they paged me to come get him. That Dancing With the Stars workout video is looking better and better.

I love getting Coleman's perspective on things. I mentioned to him that I saw some big kids at the gym today and I wondered why they weren't at school. He suggested that maybe an excavator tore down their school. You never know.

{from Brian}
Coleman probably got the idea from the video below.

Every night we watch some sort of YouTube video; from R/C cars to monster trucks to motocross to excavators to building implosions. The other night after watching several building implosions (check this one out), Coleman said, "They're not going to come and do that to our house, are they?"

I think we need to stop watching cool implosions on YouTube.........

Don't Let Them Turn Out Weird

I often catch myself in the middle of a strange behavior and think, "I hope the boys don't get this from me." Tonight I was running the bath water and it was a little hot, to which I responded, "hachiwawa." Lovely. I was wondering the derivation of this word, so obviously I googled it. How did we survive before internet? Apparently I've been using this nonsense word incorrectly. Other hachiwawa-ers seem to use it to mean "wow." I just use it to describe something as hot. Maybe I originally thought it was "hotchiwawa?" All this just to say, "I hope my children don't say this word." I guess I should stop saying it.

From this post I'm guessing you can tell things have been slow around here. Potty training has been going pretty well. For the first few days Coleman would just stand over the potty and say he tried. We didn't push, since this was all we had asked. But now he goes almost every time. I've definitely seen improvement. With all the new Hot Wheels he's been getting, I've been going behind his back and weeding out old ones. That was said in confidence. He hasn't noticed...yet.

If Only He Were Authorized

Tonight we were in Lowe's hardware store picking up some tile for the kitchen remodel. Coleman loves those really tall ladders on wheels that the employees use for retrieving items way up high. They have this sign attached:


Coleman: What does that say?
Mommy: It says, "No little boys allowed."

That's essentially what it's saying, right?

Spence is mostly feeling better, although there is a constant stream of snot running from his nose. He's also drooling an awful lot, so maybe there are some more teeth making their way in. Coleman has gotten two Hot Wheels for trying to go potty every time I've asked him. Yea! Here are a few pictures from the week.

Mommy, I'd feel better if you'd just hold me 24/7.

Coleman washing the dishes, with no regard for the next water bill.

Maybe if you'd build a fire in that thing I wouldn't have to wear my hoodie inside the house.


"The Essence of Freakiness"

Combination Present(s)

{From Brian, the Guest Poster}

Amanda's birthday/anniversary/Christmas present is starting to come along.
Maybe I can milk it for Valentine's Day, too.

Bribery, Sweet Bribery

I've got to get back to the gym. Want to know how I know this? Today I was teaching a 3 year old music class and this little girl said, "Do you have a baby?" I replied, "Yes." Then she said, "In your tummy?" I've got to get back to the gym.



Instead of going to the gym while the boys were at daycare, I went to Wal-Mart. I had to buy mass quantities of Hot Wheels. We will be using them to bribe Coleman to go potty. I decided, and Brian agreed, that if Coleman will at least try to go potty every time I ask him during the day, he will get a Hot Wheel after dinner. We'll see how this works. I figure after a while, I'll up the anty and he'll have to really go, not just try, to get the prize. Then eventually he'll have to poopy to get it. In a week or so I'll either be singing the praises of Hot Wheels or returning a sackful of them to Wal-Mart. Time will tell.

Why Did This Excite Me?

The boys took a 3 hour nap today, so I was able to clean the bathroom! Not just wiping off the counter and closing the shower curtain so no one can see in. I'm talking putting on my nastiest, grungiest clothes, grabbing an old toothbrush and the Clorox, and getting down on my knees in the shower. I'm a little bothered that this has become exciting to me. I should be bothered by how filthy the shower was.

Hugs, Kisses, and a Cold

I missed playing cars, dump trucks racing around the living room, watching Coleman do 180s and landing on his knees, DVDs about vehicles, and drum solos.

I enjoyed playing with baby dolls, pretending to grocery shop, dressing little girls in pink, and watching Annie and a DVD about mermaids.

Emily and Callie are so precious!

I was welcomed home yesterday with hugs, kisses, and a cold. Poor Spence is sick. He had a fever over 102 last night, so this morning I took him to the doctor. He does not have another ear infection, just a cold. He felt a little better today. I just can't quit hugging these sweet little boys!

Coleman got a magna doodle for his birthday, and he calls it his little computer. He tells me what to draw, I draw it, he approves, and then erases it and tells me the next thing to draw. Yesterday, he said, "Draw Lightning McQueen. Draw jungle drums (something he saw in an old Superman cartoon, see below). Draw my dump truck. Draw me puking in my hands. Draw me licking my finger." He's been obsessed with puking ever since his little stomach bug. Every night he tells me, "I'll call you if I puke." What better way to say, "goodnight?"

No, I Don't Want Another Baby!

I'm having such a wonderful time here in Oklahoma visiting Callie and her family. She is a very good baby. She rarely cries, eats great, and I've only seen her spit up once since I've been here! I was afraid that I would come here and leave wanting to have another baby, but I don't feel that desire. I'm sure Brian is saying, "Thank goodness." I miss my boys SO MUCH, but I think it's good for them (and me) to see that I can go for a few days and they can survive. Maybe they are even having fun without me. Tomorrow I get to see them and ask them, well at least Coleman, about all the things they did while I was gone. I can't wait for those first hugs...

Gone For How Long?

I am leaving today to go to Oklahoma to meet Callie and visit her family. I'm having a little trouble remembering how I thought I could be away from my boys for 5 days! Mom assures me she is looking forward to being here with them this week. So that makes me feel better. Once I get there and start helping out with the baby and Emily, I'm sure I'll be really busy and that will take my mind off of it.

I'll be back Saturday, but if you can't wait, you can see pictures of Callie on Theresa's blog. I love you guys!!!

Happy Birthday Coleman!

I can't believe Coleman is three years old. This morning I showed him pictures of the day he was born. He liked that. We had such a wonderful day! Coleman could hardly wait for his friends to arrive. When they did, all the boys played and played. Then we had cake and ice cream, opened presents, and went to the fire station. The firemen gave us a fire safety talk and then showed us where they eat and sleep while on duty at the fire station. This was all fine, but then they opened the door to where the fire trucks were. Oh yeah, that's what the kids wanted to see! Each one got to sit in the driver's seat of the fire truck. How exciting! Here are some pictures from the party.

Coleman's Fire Truck Cake

Coleman Driving the Fire Truck

Isabelle, Keller, Richard, Wyatt, Eric, Coleman, and Samson

Coleman and the Firemen

Now that he's three, I told Coleman that there are no diapers for 3 year olds. He was pretty upset about that this morning, so he walked around half naked for awhile. Then he decided he wanted a monster truck sticker for going potty. He could only get this if he put on a pull-up, so he did. He has been making several trips to the potty during the day, even #2 once! Grandma sent a whole bag of M&Ms for this accomplishment. Thanks Grandma!

The Facts About Kids

Here are three facts I observed about kids today:

• Fact #1: Kids talk really loudly, especially in public.
• Fact #2: Kids say whatever comes to their mind or make comments on everything they see.
• Fact #3: If you don't answer them, kids just keep repeating their questions or comments over and over... and over.

Today we were in Wal-Mart stocking up on snacks and getting last minute party stuff. There was a black lady with Vitiligo. Her arms were pretty much solid white, but her face had many irregular patches of unpigmented skin. As we walked by her, Coleman started saying, "Look! That lady painted all over her face!" I was unprepared for this. I tried ignoring him. Refer back to Fact #3 to find out how that worked out. Yeah, not so good. We were not stopped in the aisle picking something off the shelf beside her, or I might have tried to respond to him somehow. I don't know. I'm sure she is used to kids making comments or asking her what's "wrong" with her face. I don't know if she politely answers them or tells them to get lost. We were whizzing down the aisle trying to find our last few items, so I just kept rolling, yelling back at Coleman to come on. Now I think I was probably the rude one. I think when he gets up from his nap I will explain to him that God made each of us different and we are all beautiful to him. When we see people that look strange to us, it is not nice to point and say, "Look at that!" But it's always OK to ask Mommy about it later. This probably won't stop him from pointing out and commenting on the next person he sees in Wal-Mart that looks different in some way, but at least it's a start.

Let me know some things your kids have said and how you've responded. I need your wisdom!

A Perfect Fall Day

Today was a perfect Fall day, the only problem is that it's Winter! I did not let that bother me though. Today was beautiful and the boys and I had a great time outside. Coleman found a bottle of bubbles so we went outside to blow them. Then I noticed how many leaves were in our yard. We have several Bradford Pear trees and they're really dropping their leaves now. I got the rake and made a big pile. Coleman had the best time jumping in it. Spence liked to sit in the pile and see what kind of goodies he could find to put in his mouth. I'm thankful for such a beautiful day, even if it didn't fit in with this season!

You're Going to Stick Him How Many Times???

Today Coleman and I went back to the allergist. Coleman had to have a skin test done. They poked my baby with 15 needles in his arm! It was horrible. They had him sit on my lap and I put my arm around him and "tried" to hold his arm still. One nurse stood in front of him and tried to keep his feet from kicking and keep him from looking at the needles. He screamed, cried, kicked, and begged for mercy. It was heartbreaking. I am reminded at times like this to be grateful that my children do not have major health problems where they are in the hospital and having lots of tests and being poked and prodded all the time.

The verdict: he is allergic to dust mites, mold, ragweed, and several trees and grasses. We will keep him on Singulair and look into ways to fight irritants in our home such as using special covers for his pillow and mattress and allergen air filters. If these measures don't work, he may have to start taking allergy shots. I pray that we don't have to do that! Just guessing, but I don't think he'd be too happy about having a shot every week.

He milked the hurt arm for all it was worth, getting cookies, McDonald's, and a trip to the mall to play. He tried to talk me into stopping for donuts, but I resisted.

Today's Favorite Pasttimes

Pulling all the clean laundry out of the basket and dragging it around on the, um, not-so-clean floor.

Then walking around with it on his head.

Laying on the couch and watching America's Funniest Videos (which he calls The Baby Dog Show)

Welcome Callie!

My wonderful friend Theresa, who many of you know, had a beautiful baby girl today. Her name is Callie, but I don't know if I'm spelling it correctly. Congratulations Theresa and Jason, and big sister Emily! I'm very excited that I get to meet Callie next week. I'm going to visit on the 14th. Yes, I will be leaving my sweet boys for 5 days. My dear Mom will be staying with them though, so they are in good hands. I'm sure I will stay so busy that I won't have time to be overly sad at not seeing them.

Last Leg Curse

We are back home again! Why does the last leg of the trip always seem to be endless???!!! We arrived in Salt Lake with no problems. We had a little bit of time to kill, so Coleman was running along when all of sudden he stopped and puked. I had someone call for a cleanup, then we were on our way. "Cleanup in Terminal B!!!" We got to our gate, only to discover that our plane was there, but the crew had not arrived from Wyoming. It was going to be delayed about an hour and a half. And with no regard for our naptime! Luckily Salt Lake airport has some play areas for the kids. After a while, we went back to the gate, it was delayed another 30 minutes, so we asked for lunch vouchers and they honored our request. We were just about to board the plane when Coleman puked again. We told him we'd show him what a barf bag was when we got on the plane. We boarded, taxied for what seemed like hours, then just sat. The pilot came over the intercom to inform us that there was a problem and we would be going back to the gate to have the mechanics do what should be an easy fix. Everyone sighed. I was frustrated also, but quite glad that they found the problem BEFORE we took off. I'm all for getting any airplane issue resolved before cruising at 35,000 feet!

So now we're home. We all enjoyed sleeping in our own beds last night. Coleman and Spence didn't wake up until 8:30 this morning! We met my parents for lunch and to retrieve Maestro. He's as stinky and sweet as ever. Thank you Mom and Dad for keeping him! Now I've started on the first of about 5 loads of laundry and have begun taking down Christmas decorations. From the looks of our living room floor, I need to start weeding through the boys' toys and putting some away. They made out pretty well for Christmas! I just wanted to thank everyone for reading the Jesus Blog during December. I look forward to keeping up the blog this year. And I enjoy reading my friends' and family's blogs. Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year!

We have been having such a wonderful time visiting Grandpa and Grandma. I can't believe I haven't posted in a week. Let me think what has happened...

We arrived at our gate at the airport Christmas morning and were surprised to see a special someone on our flight. Coleman said, "Look! Santa!" We thought there was a picture or something, but it was Santa! He had been working at a mall in one of the suburbs and was flying back home. That was quite a treat.

A few days after Christmas we went to Fairmont, a hot springs resort. Coleman can say he went down his first waterslide in 25ºF temperatures (about 10ºF wind chill). It was great, until it dumped you in the outside pool and you had to walk back indoors. Here's a sign you don't see at Texas pools:

We've also enjoyed seeing Lucy, our dog that came to live with Grandpa and Grandma after Spence was born. I was explaining to Coleman that Lucy was our first baby, before we had him and Spence. He looked at her for a second, then said, "Now she's a dog." Ha! She was just a dog at our house, but here in Montana she's the princess.

We have one more full day here, then it's back home. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful Grandpa and Grandma who live in a beautiful place. This is what winter should be! I guess we'll arrive back home and put our sweaters away until the next visit!

Our family by the 23 foot tall tree at Fairmont.

Coleman jumping in the indoor pool, which is heated to 92 degrees by underground geothermal hotsprings.

Riding the Great Northern Carousel

Reading with Grandpa and Grandma

Aunt Jeani sent Coleman this Spiderman costume. Spence thinks his big brother looks pretty funny!

Happy New Year everyone!!!