I just hope there's not a line

I really love the "spiritual" conversations I have with Fletcher. He asks good questions and comes up with some interesting conclusions. This was our dinner conversation:

Fletcher: Mom, we'll be in heaven someday, right?
Mom: That's right
F: A long time from now?
M: Well, the Bible tells us that God has our days planned out and when our time here is done He will call us home to heaven
F: He's not going to CALL us

I immediately realize Fletcher is envisioning a phone call from God saying "Time's up."
But before I can say anything else ---

F: He is going to BRING us up, up, up into heaven. He's not going to CALL us.
M: Yeah, ok
F: And his throne will be there.
M: Yes, and we will be able to worship him there and sing with other believers and see people who have gone there before us.

At this moment, I am so proud of his grasp of God and heaven. I am marveling at how smart he is and how he really does listen.

F: Mom, what do I do if I have to go to the bathroom when I'm there.
M: I'm sure God has that all figured out.

Well, at least he's thinking ahead.

Throwback Thursday

The date: August 28, 1993 (although in these pictures he is obviously a little older)

The place: Katy, Texas

The mood: I always remember the day my nephew Brian was born. I was living in Houston at the time and I was supposed to move apartments close to the day Brian was due to be born. Thankfully, when I had to move (which I seemed to do ALOT), my brothers, my brother-in-law, my dad, my mom, and my sister would come and help me. Of course, they moaned and groaned about it - all in good fun - saying they wished I would hurry up and get married so my husband could take over. Anyway, the morning of the move, David called me to say he couldn't come. I said, "Yeah, right. Let me guess. You are going to tell me Monette is in labor." She really was but I didn't believe him. I thought he was being lazy. He finally convinced me. So we moved all day and Monette had Brian that evening . Since the whole family was in town helping me, we all were able to go see him at the hospital.

He is 15 years old today. He loves sports and is playing football this year at his new high school. Practices are rough but he is toughing it out. Fletcher loves Brian because he is his cool older cousin but also because Brian will talk to Fletcher and play with him which is HUGE in the mind of a 4 year old. We hope you have a great freshman year, Brian. Happy Birthday. We love you.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

It has rained for two days straight here. We definitely need it since it has been so dry.

However, we also haven't had a vehicle for two days. It's been in the shop getting a couple of things fixed. So we've been hanging out at home.

The natives are beyond restless.

The native dog refuses to go do her business in the rain.

The natives' mommy is about to pull her hair out.

The icing on the cake?

On Monday Luke learned to smack his food when he eats. Yes, the very thing your mother tells you NOT to do at the table. He smacks every single bite. Numerous times. It is LOUD. It is like Chinese Water Torture. I don't know how to make him stop.

Because he has no teeth, I have to dice up everything he eats into bite size pieces. Today for lunch he had hummus on a tortilla, grapes (cut and peeled), a piece of turkey and some goldfish. So there were about 45+ pieces of food total. Imagine 45+ loud continuous smacks over a 15 minute period only stopping long enough to drink a sip of milk.

It's a good thing these natives are cute.

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset
Quickly fly the years
--- song from Fiddler on the Roof

This weekend we turned Luke's car seat around so he's facing forward now. He looks like such a big boy. He had such a good time looking around at his world whizzing by (Kevin was driving) in a whole new way.

He would rather have whatever food I am eating on my plate instead of baby food out of jars even though he still has no teeth. Have you ever seen a baby try to gum a piece of pizza?

I gave him his last bedtime bottle a few nights ago. Now he drinks milk out of a sippy cup and doesn't even seem to miss his bottle. We read books instead.

Before you know it I'll be dropping him off at college. . .

With his dentures.

Please excuse me while I go cry "the ugly cry".

Happy Birthday today to Papa Charlie. We love you!

Literally

Fletcher has been having some issues with whining lately. Recently, one evening we needed to change up the order of our evening activities. Kevin was going to give Fletcher a bath while I was making dinner as opposed to our normal routine of baths after dinner.
Fletcher was whining to me, "But I don't want to take a bath right now. I want to play."

In my frustration after an entire day of whining about everything, I said rather emphatically, "You are going to do what your dad asks you to do and not whine about it. I don't care if he asks you to stand on your head!! You are going to do it and not complain!"

Long pause. . .

Silence. . .

Thinking. . .

Wait for it. . .

You know it's coming. . .

Fletcher said in all seriousness, "Well, Mom, I don't really know how to stand on my head."

I forget how very literal they are at this age.

Let Him Eat Cake

Of course, I just had to post a few pics of Luke's birthday cake (cupcake, actually). He still has a few more celebrations to go but these turned out cute. He had NO PROBLEM whatsoever digging right into his cupcake after we got rid of the candle! Yes, that is frosting in his hair and in his ear.

And just in case you were wondering -- NO -- he still doesn't have any teeth. Not one or any signs of one coming soon. But it doesn't seem to stop him.

And yes, we do plan to trim his hair now that he is one. But we really like the rockstar look so we might not cut much.

Throwback Thursday

I didn't have to "throwback" very far for these pictures...

The date: around May 22, 2008 for the first one and just recently for the last two

The place: Louisiana

The mood: Who can't get excited about a new baby in the family?

This is my great-nephew. His name is Bear. Isn't he a cutie? His mom is my niece Traci and his dad is my nephew-in-law (is there really such a thing?) Cade. Bear will be three months old tomorrow. He came into this world only weighing 4 lbs 15 ounces. He was a tiny little guy who barely fit into any of his clothes - even preemie sizes. However, in just three short months he now weighs a whopping 11+ pounds. Look at the rolls of fat on that middle picture. I predict he will be a big ol' boy just like his daddy!

Welcome to the world, Bear. Your Great Aunt Rachel (and family) can't wait to meet you in person!

Happy Birthday, Luke!

Luke,
This has been the most wonderful year with you. You fill our home with so much joy and laughter. We are so thankful everyday that we get to be your mommy and daddy! God loves you so much and had a great plan for your life.
Happy birthday, buddy!
We love you! Mommy & Daddy

The song that is playing is called "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts.
Here are the lyrics:
I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,
But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.
But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.
This is my wish I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

All Geeked Out

I was a math education major in college. My friends in Houston used to make fun of me mercilessly in the summer when I had to go to continuing education conferences. They called them "Calculator Conventions". They asked, "What do you guys do? Sit around all day solving equations and telling math jokes?"


Once a geek, always a geek.


After my post last week about saving money, this is what I did this weekend.





It is my coupon binder. It is divided by sections like Canned goods, Dairy, Personal Care, etc. The coupons are in baseball card holders - nifty, huh? Easy to see the coupons and easy to see the expiration date. It zips completely closed so nothing falls out.


I took it to the grocery store Sunday night. By the way, Sunday night is a good time to go to the grocery store. Not many people there and plenty of available cashiers. A nice lady stopped me in the aisle and ooohed and ahhhed over my binder, saying what a clever idea it was and how she needed to do something like that. I didn't tell her, but I stole the binder idea from some other coupon savvy bloggers.

Between my coupons (my grocery store doubles coupons up to $1.00) and the sales going on at the store, I ended up saving over $40.00 on this trip. Not a bad start.

Got any good coupon jokes?

Swishy swashy swishy swashy

How often can a mommy read a book in one day without going crazy?

Luke's favorite book is "We're Going on A Bear Hunt". I think it is bordering on an obsession.

First, he finds this book on his bookshelf. I sometimes try to hide it, but he still finds it (just being honest). It doesn't matter that there are 25 other age-appropriate, compelling, colorful board books on his shelf. He chooses this one. Every. Single. Time. He can be happily playing with other toys, but if he sees this book, he drops everything and wants to read it.

After he finds it, he brings it to me wherever I am in the house (including the bathroom). Then just like the garbage truck, he backs into me and sits down. He hasn't mastered the backup beeping noise yet, but the boy knows how to find a lap! He lifts the book up to my face and waits for me to read it. I read the highlights on each page because he loves to turn the pages. He gets really excited when they find the bear and have to run home. Luke waves bye-bye to the bear on the last page.

I have it memorized. Fletcher has it memorized. Even Sadie has it memorized.

I love the fact that he loves books too just like Fletcher. And I know babies like repetition. But this is getting a little ridiculous.

So if anyone knows how to teach a dog to read. . .

Pretty in Pink

Sometimes I know immediately what I am going to blog about on any given day. Other times, I'm just not sure. That was the case for today's blog. The kids haven't done or said anything especially funny. I haven't taken any good pics or videos lately.

But then, lo' and behold, it's like the perfect blog topic dropped into my lap email inbox. It was like manna from heaven.

I have several nieces and nephews - 10 to be exact - ranging in age from 8 yrs old to 28 yrs old (and one great nephew). My 23 year old niece, Amanda, lives in Houston and just got her first apartment. Apparently, she's been having a bit of a roach problem. Most of the roaches were congregating in Amanda's closet. Roaches in Houston don't give up easily. They have built up an immunity to almost anything that tries to kill them. Well, Amanda and her roommate decide to go to Wal-mart and take it upon themselves to fix the roach problem until an exterminator can be arranged.

This was their solution.

Someday, someone will appreciate their creative ingenuity. I had no idea pink duct tape existed.

Betcha can't guess Amanda's haircolor.

P.S. Amanda, if you read this, thank you for the best laugh I've had all week. Love you!

Throwback Thursday

The date: sometime in late 2000

The place: Jacksonville, FL at Grandma & Papa Charlie's house

The mood: Staying up late, eating popcorn, loving life. Even Sadie had her own bowl of popcorn.

These cute kids are my nephew Graham and niece Anna. Their mom, Stacie is in the background. They were probably around 3 yrs old and 1 yr old, respectively, in this picture. Sadie was still a puppy, but had already discovered the wonderful world of popcorn.

Graham will be in 5th grade this year and Anna will be in 3rd grade. Fletcher adores Graham and Anna. We miss them so much! But we get to see them in a little less than a month at Stone Mountain! Whoo hooo!

A whole new world

I have to admit that I usually fly by the seat of my pants when it comes to grocery shopping and making meals. I've developed a bad habit. I usually have enough on hand to put something together, but often I go grocery shopping and get a bunch of stuff and then come home without the ingredients for a complete meal. I end up running to the store a few times during the week which is a bit ridiculous! I find myself staring into the pantry at 5:30 pm wondering what's for dinner. Kevin comes home at 6 pm.

Some of you are thinking, "Hellooooooo. How old are you? How long have you been married? How long have you had kids? Did you take Home Ec in high school?" I know, I know. It is really pathetic.

Kevin very lovingly pointed out that our grocery bill was out of control. For a family of four (one who still eats baby food and one who doesn't really count as a full person), we were way out of line with our budget.

So I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. First, we are planning our week of menus. Not just dinner, but Fletcher's breakfast, lunch and snack as well. I let Fletcher choose a dinner meal, Kevin picks a meal and then I add one or two more knowing that we'll have leftovers at least one of the nights. I'm also starting to go grocery shopping once a week for the entire week once our menu is planned and ONLY getting what is on my list. I've cut coupons before but I end up letting them expire before I use them. Now I am trying to match coupons with specials and match meals with what is on sale. I've gone shopping on the past two Sunday afternoons while the boys were napping. It is not my favorite time to go, but at least I can take my time. My goal is to plan things two weeks out and only go shopping in between for things like fresh produce or milk or bread if we run out.
My sister-in-law Stacie is doing the Grocery Game and is starting to save alot. I've heard you can get great deals at CVS with their Extra Care Bucks but I'm not there yet. Baby steps, right?

The menu is posted on the refrigerator so everyone can see it. So far Fletcher has really liked it. He told me the other day, "Mama, I like making lists with you." A boy after my own heart!

I'll let you know how things go. I also welcome any suggestions, ideas, tips, tricks, checks, cash, etc.

Here's a shout out for the cool calendar on the right on the refrigerator. The artist name is Kris-10. She sells other stuff too, but I really love her calendars. I don't know her personally. These make great inexpensive but very practical teacher gifts for Christmas. They are beautiful & very colorful. Each month has a Bible verse with it. I suppose if your kid's teacher is an atheist this wouldn't go over so well. But I love mine and plan to get more for 2009.

Hooked on phonics?

This weekend Fletcher was helping Kevin put in shelving in the upstairs closet. This is what I heard:

Fletcher: Yong ke che ming foo din hong li be sun no chow he ling sao me
Kevin (trying not to laugh): What are you saying there, buddy?
Fletcher: I'm talking like they do in the Olympics.

Perhaps we should enroll him in a Chinese language course this fall since he is a quick study.

Lighting the Torch

On Friday Fletcher and I spent some time "studying" the Olympics. We saw where China was located, talked about the Olympic rings on the flag and what they represent, talked about what sports are in the Olympics, etc. We made a torch and some medals. We also watched the people running with the torch on youtube (I left out the Paris and London protestors). We watched a few of the medal ceremonies from the past Olympics so Fletcher could see what we had been talking about.

So, of course, before we watched the Opening Ceremonies Fletcher ran with the torch down our street and we made a pathetic attempt at a "medal ceremony". We caught most of it on video. Let's just say that the picture in my head and the way it actually turned out were verrrrrry different, but highly memorable. God bless my husband for putting up with my crazy ideas. The bronze medalist was just not very cooperative!

Olympics 2008

The Olympics start tonight. I am so excited. In honor of the Olympics, we are going to order Chinese food and let Fletcher stay up for awhile to watch the opening ceremonies. I have never been a huge winter Olympics fan, but I love the summer Olympics. I love watching gymnastics. I remember Mary Lou Retton in 1984 and I even vaguely remember Olga Korbut in 1972 and of course Nadia Comaneci perfect 10's in 1976 and Kerri Strug winning vault in 1996. Many of these great Olympic moments are posted on youtube.com if you are looking for another way to waste time today.

I think Fletcher will enjoy watching the swimming and track & field competitions since they are short and it is easy to see who is winning. Plus, those underwater cameras are awesome - especially when they do those funky turns on the wall!

In case you were wondering , I've decided not to post on the weekends so that I don't get too caught up in this blog and neglect my family. So we will see you on Monday.

Throwback Thursday

The date: September, 2005 (Fletcher was not quite two years old)
The place: Our deck in Tallahassee, FL
The mood: Well, it looks like Sadie is viciously biting Fletcher's hand off and we are just taking pictures of it all. However, that is not the case. Fletcher was eating out of the box of Cheerios which are Sadie's favorite treat. He was occasionally sharing one with her every once in a while. She got a little impatient and ate one that was stuck on his hand. Kevin snapped the picture at the exact moment. Note the large quantity of Cheerios already in Fletcher's mouth. We also got this picture a few minutes later. Note that Sadie is still completely focused on the box of Cheerios just outside of the photo. Speaking of Cheerios, on this night, my neighbor was babysitting for us. She called me at the restaurant. I immediately thought something was wrong with the kids so I stepped into the bathroom to take the call. It went something like this ---
Rachel: Are the kids ok?
Jen: Yes, the kids are fine. They are both sleeping. It's Sadie. She keeps whining in her crate. Do you think she needs to go out?
Rachel (relieved that the kids are fine): Well, she wants her nightly Cheerios. They are in the pantry. She gets a handful of them.

Loud laughter on the phone

Jen: Your dog eats Cheerios? Are you serious?

Rachel (somewhat embarassed at how ridiculous this must sound): Yes, she gets them as a treat after the boys go to bed. It's like her reward for putting up with them all day.
Jen: Well...ok...we'll try that

It worked and she quit whining.

That boy. . .

Things Luke has done this week:

Moved the lamp in the living room which is normally next to Kevin's chair to the middle of the living room floor without knocking the lamp over.

Disassembled his video monitor on the top shelf of his bookcase and walked into the office chewing on the antennae part. Yes, it still works.

Managed to get stuck under the barstool while retrieving a toy.

Managed to get stuck under the kitchen chair while retrieving a toy.

Managed to get stuck under his crib --- are you seeing a pattern?

Pulled the lid off one of those large plastic containers and then pulled the container on top of himself. This was my fault. I left it on the chair in his room. He didn't get hurt but he was so MAD!

Now before you start judging me. . . It's not like I leave him alone for these great lengths of time. He is just into everything!

But wait, there's more:

Has learned to open shut open close open close open close the new plantation shutters.

Figured out how to climb up and stand in the little chair in his room to open close open close his own plantation shutters.

Took all the diapers out of his basket on his changing table and spread them all over the room.

Took all his books off his bookshelf.

Threw all of his stuffed animals out of his bed at naptime.

Got his foot stuck in the baby gate. I think he was trying to climb over it.

Figured out how to throw toys into Fletcher's room through the gate.

Figured out how to take off the cabinet safety locks in the kitchen if they are not on tight enough.

Played in Sadie's water bowl.

Learned how to open the flip top lid on the trashcan in the office and throw away toys.

And it is only Wednesday!

The Bully and the Mama Bear

Fletcher is going to something called KidsPlay at church for four weeks this summer on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I guess it is kind of like Vacation Bible School and it gives him the opportunity to do something fun while I stay home with Luke for his morning nap.

All had been going well until one day when Fletcher told me he didn't have a good day. When I asked him to explain, he said that a little boy named Joe** hit him on the playground. I had to ask the obvious question -- "Did you do anything to him to make him hit you?" (I know my child is generally sweet, but not exactly an angel.)

Even as I was asking the question, I was really thinking that Joe's parents are probably unstable crackheads who let their four year old stay up late and watch Ultimate Fight Club lovely people.

Fletcher assured me that he had done nothing to him. The teacher put Joe in time out on the playground. Joe is not in Fletcher's class. I guess several classes are on the playground at one time.

I asked Fletcher's teacher about it since we are also going through that lying/pretending/making stuff up that didn't really happen/imagination phase. She said that Joe did hit Fletcher and confirmed that Fletcher didn't do anything to him. She also said that they were having some issues with Joe, but were "helping him work on his behavior." Translation: this little hellion is making all of us miserable and we will be glad when he is gone.

When I picked Fletcher up on Thursday, he told me that Joe had spit on him. The Mama Bear in me was ready to have my own Come to Jesus Meeting with little Joe.

This parenting thing is so hard and he is only 4! I don't want other kids to be mean to him. Fletcher is a pretty easy-going kid and most kids really like him and get along well with him. I want him to stand up for himself, but in a way that is not mean or pushy. I also don't want to be THAT parent that freaks out about everything because I know how kids can be. They need to learn to work it out themselves, but at what age do they have the skills to do that? At this age some kids have impulse control issues and behavior challenges. The reality is Joe's parents are doing the best they can just like we are.

Today on the way to KidsPlay, Fletcher said that he hoped Joe would not be mean to him today. I suggested that we pray for Joe to have a good day. So he did. I encouraged Fletcher to be a peacemaker and show kindness to Joe. And Fletcher said, "If that doesn't work, then I'll just run away from evil."

I said, "His name isn't Evil, it's Joe."

**The names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

A boy and his blanket

Now that Luke thinks he is a walking pro, he has decided that he likes to walk around holding something or dragging something. His current object of choice is this blanket that Kevin's company gave us when he was born. It is a HUGE somewhat heavy fleece type blanket when it is unfolded. When it is folded and secured with its little straps, it looks like a doggie pillow. I've had it sitting on the chair in Luke's room, but every day he pulls it down and drags it around the house with him. On the bright side, it does act as a great cushion when he falls.
P.S. He is also starting to give "loves" and "hugs" which is the cutest thing ever!