Donuts Anyone?

I have to give a shout out to Wilson - the little guy has done a great job of potty-training, specifically poo-poo training lately!!! His reward (simply b/c he is grossly underweight and it's one of the few things foodwise he gets excited about) is a "Big Donut"!!!! On Friday afternoon he did it - on his own he poo-pooed in the potty - now, we've had the tee-tee down pat for awhile now, but he was just too stubborn or afraid or whatever, to get the "other" down. Not anymore, I am proud to say that over the last 5 days, he has worn underwear all day and not had a single accident!!!!

But before you get too excited, I will say that the last 2 days, he has waited until I put a diaper on him at nap time and immediately once I left his room, he has pooped in his diaper. I don't know if this is a coincidence (probably not) or if he is holding it for the long-awaited diaper (likely).

I am not ready to attempt "bedtime" training with him yet, mainly because he still goes to bed at naptime and bedtime with a bottle full of whole milk - the only 2 FULL bottles and his main source of nutrition ALL.DAY.LONG - if you've read my blog for awhile, or know him personally, you know that this has been an issue for him his entire life. He is tiny and does not like to eat - ANYTHING!!!!! So for now, I am not going to sacrifice that bedtime bottle for a dry night. It'll come soon enough. I am just starting to see him "get" the whole BIG BOY idea and turn his nose up, so to speak, at babyish things. I have a feeling he will give up the bottle on his own before long, striving for "bigger things in life."

You see those 2 little nibbles out of that doughnut? Yep, that's all he ate - I'm telling you, he's not a big eater, though the medicine is helping some - he has an appetite, just doesn't eat MUCH. On a good note, the donut reward seems to keep working - usually he grows tired of a food after a couple days and it no longer excites him, but not these - he works HARD for them!!!! Another note about that medicine, Periactin, (more for my recollection than anything else) - I have gone to giving it to him only once a day at bedtime. It is an antihistamine that has the fortunate side effect of appetite stimulant, but like other antihistamines, makes him sleepy. He did not fall asleep when I gave it to him in the morning, but it did make him VERY IRRITABLE - after a couple weeks of seeing him act like the tasmanian devil and hearing his teacher tell me he was just "ill", I decided the benefits did not outweigh the negative side effects and put him on it just once a day. His attitude and demeanor have been MUCH better!!!!

Emma Claire, on the other hand, like her mommy, can inhale a doughnut in 5 seconds flat - I won't tell you how many I've eaten since last Friday. Let's just say, AS A FAMILY, we've gone through 2 dozen in 5 days and the children don't get more than 1 a day and Will has one now and then - I have no willpower when it comes to those soft, warm, sugar and fat-filled, melt in your mouth deliciousness!!!!!

This little guy hasn't yet got to taste the goodness of doughnuts, but his first birthday is coming up VERY SOON, so we will see what kind of sweet tooth he has!!!!!

COLD

Henderson wore this pretty Spring outfit yesterday - and was comfortable in it all day long

Today...he wore a sweat suit to school and will still freeze when he gets outside

CRAZY Alabama spring weather
But isn't he a doll? he could definitely pass as a girl - and I can get away with dressing him "pretty" for only a short time now.

Warm weather come back soon - I miss you!

Blue Angels and a Beautiful Day!

These are not the Blue Angels, just some preliminary planes, but I forgot to get my camera out for the Blue Angels - they were SO FAST!!!!

My own little "airplanes"!!!!

This weekend, the Blue Angels were in town - we did not venture out to the airport with the other 150,000 people, but we did got to a park NEAR the airport and enjoyed the fast and loud planes along with a MAGNIFICENT spring day and friends and family! And thank goodness we DID NOT go to the airport....from the reports from people who went in Sunday School this morning - unless you had a special parking pass, you had to park about 10 - 15 miles away and take a shuttle (aka school bus) to the airport. Apparently when it was over, it took most people 3 hours to get to their cars...and those who HAD their cars, it took 1.5 hours to get home - 10 miles away!!!!! The children had fun and we had a GREAT view!!!!!

The GANG!!!!! (minus me, aka photographer)

After spending 3 hours at the park, yes we were about cooked, we picked up some tacos from Taco Casa (YUM!!!) and some TCBY and headed to Nana's house (aka Will and Ellen's mom), we ate dinner and the children played another 2 and a half hours outside!!!! On the way home I told Ellen that this had been just about the most perfect day - I started the day with a tennis match, had some free hours at home with all the family and then had a peaceful and fun time outside with all my children and SIL and MIL, while Will enjoyed some time on the golf course.

The "big girls" teaching the "little big girl" some cheers!!!!

Doing the "funky chicken"!!!

I hope your Saturday was just as fun - now we're stuck in doors while it's raining and "yuck" outside and bracing for this silly cold front to come through. Good news is, we are going to our church's Palm Sunday Easter Program and Communion tonight - I can't wait!!!!!

2 Little Helpers

I had 2 eager helpers last night in the kitchen! We made the German Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake from Kelly's Korner Recipe blog They were great helpers, but had just had a bath and ended up quite sticky from all the licking and dripping that was done! FYI - a box of powdered sugar, electric mixer, and a 2- year old and 4 -year old DO NOT MIX!!!!! What a mess - but so much fun! We laughed and giggled til our stomachs hurt (from the laughing, not the sugar - I think). It turned out great, but VERY rich!!!!!

Sorry, I forgot to take an "after" picture!!!

I am reading Jesus Who Is He, by Tim LaHaye - anyone read it? It was published in 2006, so it's not new, but I came across it in my church library this week and thought I would venture away from my normal Christian fiction and try some non-fiction. Who better to read about than Jesus? Especially during Easter week!!!!

TIME.SLOW.DOWN

Guess who's 11 months old today???? Can it really be????

Sweet Henderson is feeling MUCH better! No fever, no fussiness and not even a runny nose!!!!

I love you sweet man - but slow down - you're about to turn 1 which means I won't have an "infant" anymore - never again. It's bittersweet. Last night after helping teach 3 year old choir, the teachers were all meeting together just chatting and our director was talking about her oldest daughter going to prom and graduating and going to college soon. All the details about picking out dresses and boys and classes and all the things that go with older teenagers was exciting and a teeny weeny part of me longed for that type of relationship with Emma Claire - that going from being the "mom" to being the "friend". But then I quickly snapped out of it and realized how quickly time passes and it just re-emphasized the need to make every moment count. My children will never be this age again.

With all the dirty diapers and potty training mishaps and toys scattered all over and sippee cups spilling and going to bed with bottles (still - 2 of my children) and hugs and kisses in the morning (and when saying good-bye) and bedtime stories and kissing boo-boos and tying shoes and putting in pigtails. TIME.SLOW.DOWN.

Lord, please help me to enjoy EVERY MOMENT, good and bad, stressful and exciting. Help me to realize this is their NOW. I can never get these days back. Help me to balance love and discipline, being a mommy and being a friend, taking control and giving independence. Guide me, give me strength and endurance and patience and most importantly LOVE. Amen.

Just a few snapshots from this morning - Happy 11 months Henderson!

***and Yes, he went to school in his pajamas - Will goes to Men's Fraternity (a men's bible study at our church) on Thursday mornings at 6:00, so it's just the children and me - to school and work by 7:00 - you do what you gotta do!!!!


!!!! Can I tell you how excited Wilson was to get to wear this jersey today??? I may never get it off of him!!!!

Musings of a Princess

Last night, while we were sitting at the kitchen table, going over kindergarten workbooks - trying to get Emma Claire ready for school this August, she said,

"Mommy, sometimes, I think this eye gets worried (pointing to her eye), because it gets a tear in it all by itself."

How sweet is that??? Seriously, sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with love for this girl that I can't breathe. She is sweet and silly and sensitive and serious all at the same time. I pray that God will continue to work in her life and make her more and more like Him everyday.

(one of her more serious moments)



****I took Henderson back to the doctor yesterday, after I had to wake him from a 5 HOUR NAP!!!!!! Can you imagine???? That's pretty much how he's been sleeping since Friday. BUT, after an exam and a CBC, all the Dr. could find was that both ears are infected. He got a Rocephin shot and a new antibiotic. Hopefully he's on the mend.

Bird Feeders and Rabbit Teeth

Yesterday, my SIL, Ellen, brought her 4 children over after school to visit and play - of course the kis had a blast, as always!!!! Wilson donned a pair of "play" work goggles - look at how they are upside down AND caught his upper lip - showing his "rabbit teeth" - it was so funny - I haven't laughed that hard in a long time - and he even left them on long enough for me to grab my camera!!!!

The pictures really don't do it justice - it was stinkin' hilarious!!!!!

This little guy is still very sick - we were tricked into thinking he was better when the fever went away for about 30 hours, but IT's BACK - 103 as of last night and you can tell he feels horrible. His nose is pouring and his breathing is labored. I'll be calling the pediatrician first thing this morning (as soon as they're open, b/c technically right NOW, at 5:30 am, IS first thing this morning).

I helped the children make bird feeders (using what we had in our home). Their lessons in church on Sunday were on Creation and noticing God's creatures and nature, so this was a fun way to get them involved - not that they need much encouragement - they ALL have a natural fondness for God's little critters!!!!

We just gathered a few pine cones from the yard and spread peanut butter on them and then tore up little pieces of bread and stuck it to it! I didn't have any yarn on hand, so I used two pipe cleaners instead. I chose red, in hopes that it would attract some pretty birds!!!!

Notice the bread smeared with peanut butter in the "humans" (as Emma Claire would say it) hand. Really, anytime she's referring to people, she ALWAYS uses the word "HUMAN" it kind of freaks me out sometimes - the other day we passed a horse farm and she said, "Look! There are humans riding those horses!!" Not people, but humans - what 4 year old says that?

There is a 90% chance of rain today, so I hope the birds (and squirrels) get hungry fast!!!!!