Friends Like That

I came across this video on youtube and since we've been out of town for the last 6 days, I probably should be unpacking and doing laundry instead of blogging. So posts this week may be of the random sort.

The video is a little long, but let's face it, if you are taking time to read the blog then you probably have some time to kill. It really starts at the 1:48 mark. The amazing thing (she mentions this at the end) is that all of the participants were from all over the country. The main guy sent out lyrics & tapes, coordinated dance moves, and planned everything secretly to surprise their friend. She is a blessed woman. Just in case you don't pick up on it, she has a theater background.

Flash Mob At Church

Our pastor is preaching through the book of John. Last Sunday his text was John 4. The woman at the well. Some are familiar with the story of her transformation. But looking further we see that God really used her story to impact her entire town. These people saw such an amazing change in this woman they had probably shunned and mocked for years that they had to come and see for themselves. One person. A catalyst for changed lives.

Our church is far from traditional. They've done some pretty crazy things to illustrate sermon points. I think that's a good thing. To illustrate the above point, there was a flash mob dance in church to a lyrics altered version of The Black Eyed Peas song "I've Got a Feeling".

A flash mob is a group of people who get together at a specified place to do something (usually dance) to the surprise of onlookers. One of the most recent ones was during Oprah's season opening show on the streets of Chicago. I don't have the video of the one from our church, but it was the same dance. Picture the dance below in the first 15 or so rows in the church. Fletcher was in church with us and got to see it too.

Note: For those readers who may have little ears nearby, the original song is very catchy, but the lyrics are a little suspect. Our church changed the lyrics for Sunday. Just so you know.

The best quality video is on Oprah's website here. Watch the girl in the audience in the very front and center. But if you don't feel like clicking over, here's a taped version.

Thankful

I have so many things to be thankful for today. Here are three of my biggest blessings. One of the three was behind the camera.

Ok so I'll say what you might be thinking. Yes, I realize Luke's sweater is a little big. In some of the pictures he looks like he is missing hands. But it is such a cute sweater and I was afraid by this time next year it will be too small. So he wore it anyway.

I hope you and yours take time today to reflect on God's many blessings in your own lives.

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

Another First

But not nearly as cute or fun as first words or first steps.

Monday morning.
I'm getting things ready for our trip. Laundry. Mail hold. Making a list.
Luke is watching TV or so I thought.

Fast forward**.

Operator: This is Poison Control. How can I help you?
Me: My child just ingested hand sanitizer.
Op: How much?
Me: I'm not sure.
Op: Can you smell it on his breath?
Me: Yes.
Op: How old is he and how much does he weigh?
Me: Two years old and 32 lbs.
Op: How big is the bottle?
Me: 12 ounce pump bottle
Op: How much is left?
Me: About 4 ounces. But I know it wasn't full.
Op: How long was he alone with the bottle?
Me: I'm not sure.
Op: Is it on his clothes?
Me: Yes, and on the kitchen counter.
Op: Do you know what brand it was?
Me: Purell
Op: (calmly) Now that does have alcohol in it.
Me: I know. What do I do?
Op: Did he throw up or gag?
Me: No
Op: Since it was a pump bottle and he's two it was probably difficult for him to get a whole lot in his mouth. But I'm going to walk you through a series of steps. First, take a wet washcloth and wipe out his mouth. Inside his cheeks, tongue, teeth. I'll wait while you do that.
Me: Ok. I did that.
Op: Now I need you to get him to drink 4 ounces of juice and something sweet like a cookie or candy. Alcohol can cause hyper(or hypo) glycemia in this case so we need to get his blood sugar up.
Me: I have apple or orange.
Op: Apple. I'll wait for you to give it.
Me: Ok he is drinking juice and eating marshmallows. (Luke is enjoying himself since he had already had a snack and hadn't had lunch and I just gave him straight up not diluted apple juice and 4 jumbo marshmallows.)
Op: Now you need to observe him for the next two hours for unusual behavior. Typical drunken behavior. Slurred speech. Staggering. If that happens, then either call us back or go to the ER. No naps until the two hours have passed.
Me: (thinking OH MY GOD I'VE JUST POISONED MY CHILD) Ok.
Op: Do you have any other questions?
Me: No.

**I thought he was watching tv. He had pushed the barstool to the kitchen counter, climbed up on the counter to get to the phone. When I walked into the kitchen, he was playing with the phone which is a no-no. I went to get him down and saw the hand sanitizer pump, then smelled it. Then saw it on the counter and on his clothes. Then smelled his breath.

The rest of the day he was fine. No signs of anything. At 11:30 that night he woke up with a 102 fever. I don't know if the two were related or not, but after I gave him some Motrin he slept all night and woke up ready to go.

I'm not sure if this is a phase or a lifestyle for him. :-)

Ode to the Purple Chair

So while we are on the subject of furniture...
We have this purple chair. We acquired it from Grandma and Papa Charlie right before we moved here. It is smaller than a loveseat but bigger than a standard club chair. Probably would be called a chair and a half. It has a matching ottoman. The fabic is purple with an embossed palm tree pattern.

My kids love this chair. I do too. It has been in Luke's room since we moved here. But we recently moved it to Fletcher's room when Luke got his new furniture. We sit and read books on it. When I'm not looking, I am almost certain, the boys jump off of it. They don't know I know that. It has taken a beating from them, but it is still holding strong. Believe it or not, if we squeeeeeeeze, all four of us fit on the chair at night for Bible time. Sadie sometimes joins us. I laugh at the thought of us living in this big house yet all of us are squeezed onto 8 square feet of space. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I probably should look in to having it recovered. My boys are too wiggly for slipcovers. Plus, that size is hard to find. I've tried a few that didn't work.

How much do they love this chair? When we moved it into Fletcher's room this weekend, he asked me if he could take it with him when he moves out. Like a good mom, I said "absolutely."

Little does he know he already has another chair that he will most likely acquire. Seeing that he's already put his mark on it.

Six Hundred American Dollars

Now that we've transitioned Luke from his crib to his toddler bed, I've been wanting to find some furniture for his room. Most of his clothes were stored in baskets under his changing table. That was fine when he was a baby and the clothes were little. But now that he is getting bigger, he really needed some kind of dresser or chest with drawers.

Then comes the dilemma. Do we purchase new furniture that he might bang up, scratch, or color on. After all, he is only two. Or do we try to find something cheap at IKEA that will work for a few years and then buy something else when he is a little older. What to do?

So I started searching craigslist. The area where we live is a very transitional area so people alwasy seem to be moving in our moving out or downsizing or leaving the country. So there are some good deals on craigslist but they go fast. Some stuff is either really old and ugly. Some stuff is cheaply made - particle board and veneers. Some stuff smells like smoke.

On Friday all of that changed. I found a queen bedroom set which included the headboard, footboard, nightstand, three drawer dresser and mini-armoire. It was Ethan Allen and it was about six years old. Nowadays most of Ethan Allen's stuff is made overseas and is that veneer/particle board stuff. But this stuff was made in the good ol' USA and was solid wood (pine, we think). Great condition. Very heavy. This would kill two birds with one stone in that it would provide a nice bed and nightstand for our guest room upstairs and it would provide storage for Luke's room.

The best part? They wanted $700 for it all. My negotiating husband offered $500 and they met in the middle at $600. I *hate* negotiating. He thrives on it. Of course, he reminded me as we pulled up to their 6000 sq. foot house that they probably don't really need the money.

The pictures don't do it justice. But I am so excited about it. It is hard to find nice looking furniture for boy rooms. This stuff will last for a long time. The wood is dark enough that if it does get scratched or colored on, it won't show. If it does show, we'll break out the brown Sharpie marker.

Of course, now with new furniture I think we need to paint Luke's room and get new bedding for the guest bedroom. Maybe I can convince Kevin since I just saved him so much money.

By the way, Luke is doing great in his toddler bed. He loves getting into it every night. Believe it or not, he stays there until we come get him. We tell him to call for us when he wakes up, but he just sits in his bed and plays with his animals until we come. Let's hope this trend continues.

Oh, Dear!

Kevin had a work related dinner Thursday night so it was just "me and the boys" for our nightly routine.

We read the story of Hannah praying for a baby and how God answered her prayer and gave her Samuel.
Mom: I like the story of Hannah because I know what it is like to really want a baby and pray and ask God for a baby.
Fletcher: I like that story too.
Mom: Do you know what happened when Mommy prayed for a baby?
Fletcher: Me and then Luke.
Mom: That's right. You are both answers to our prayers.
Fletcher: I am going to pray for a baby girl.
Mom: You mean when you become a parent.
Fletcher: No, I mean right now... a baby sister ... then we could give her back to God like Hannah did.
Mom (big gulp - not ready for this): Well, right now Dad and I are ok with just having two boys. We don't want to limit God, but He would have to be really clear about adding to our family.
Fletcher: I'm going to pray anyway.

And he did.

Deep breath. No, we are not pregnant. No, we are not pursuing another adoption. In fact, just two days ago I took all of the nursery bedding (quilt, bumper pad, matching curtains, etc) to a consignment store because we took the crib down. And we've offered the crib to another family.

By the way, later that same evening Fletcher asked me how old I would be when he was 15. When I said "50", he almost fell off the stepstool. "Really???" Yet another reason why we feel like our little family is complete.

I'm just not sure what else to say.

Venting

Ok here goes.

We live in a somewhat rural area outside of a large city. I say "somewhat rural" because there's a Target, grocery store, Radio Shack, etc right down the street, but there are also fields with horses and farmland with corn. It is an odd mixture.

There are lots of people here who have moved from different places. Some from Florida, some from California and many, many, many from New York and New Jersey. Some of our best neighbors are from NY.

Now I am not one to stereotype, but the driving around here is crazy. Keep in mind that I used to live in Houston where traffic was horrible. But the driving habits here are worse. I don't know if it is a particular group of people or not. Many blame the bad drivers from NY and NJ. People cut each other off. No turn signals. Ridiculous tailgating. Running red lights. Ignoring stop signs. Driving on the curvy country roads at high speeeds while talking on a cell phone and veering into the other lane. Keep in mind that I don't even drive in the high traffic areas. The above mentioned things happen right around here. I've never claimed to be the best driver in the world, but I do try to be safe.

Case in point: Wednesday Luke and I are driving home from the grocery store. It was a rainy day and the streets were a little wet. We were on one of the main roads around here. Just a straight two lane road with several side streets. All of those side streets have stop signs because the main road has the right of way. I see a man in a van heading to the stop sign on one of those side streets going kinda fast given the fact that he was supposed to be stopping soon. I just continue to drive. I don't speed up. I don't slow down. I'm just driving the speed limit. He slams on his brakes and flips me off. Wait. What? He flips me off? For what? I'm generally a nice person. I guess he was planning to roll through the stop sign and get on the main road. Since I didn't slow down for him, he got angry. Or maybe from his perspective I sped up so he couldn't pull out (I didn't). I just don't get people sometimes. Then it makes me sad to think that he may have so much stress in his life that his only outlets are bad driving and flipping off moms driving SUVs.

You will be happy to know that I resisted the urge to look in my rearview mirror to check out his license plate to see what state he was from.

Ok. Rant over.

Those Things

I am 5' 7' tall. I think I used to be around 5' 8" but my spine has compressed or curved and I've lost an inch. I realize that both of my boys are going to be tall. Tall is good. They will most likely be taller than me sooner rather than later.

Right now when Fletcher hugs me, the top of his head comes about to my stomach. Why is this important? Wait for it...

He hugged me the other day.

Mom: Wow, bud! You are getting so tall.
Fletcher: I know. I'm all the way up to here. (measuring with his hand on his head to my stomach)
Mom: That is tall.
Fletcher: Pretty soon I'll be up to those things (pointing twice)

I'll let you use your imagination to figure out what "those things" are.

Every Light In the House Is On

For awhile now we've had a single step type step stool in the kids bathroom for Fletcher to use. When we had this house built we opted for "his height" cabinets in all of the bathrooms. Those are the tall ones. Great for tall people, but difficult for little people. Now that Luke is old enough to get to the sink too, I decided we probably needed a step stool with two steps so he could reach as well. I left the old one in the bathroom.

Switch to Luke's room: Luke had been climbing on one of his toys to turn his light switch on and off. Then one day he got the brilliant idea to use the old step stool. It makes him just tall enough to reach it. I have to hand it to him for thinking to do that on his own.

Now he carries his little step stool all over the house turning on ALL the lights and the fans that he can get his little hands on. Then he goes and turns them off. Then back on again. I should probably stop him, but he is having so much fun doing it "all by himself" which is a huge deal in the mind of a two year old.

So Kevin, now you know why our light bill is going to be ridiculoulsy high this month.

Don't Lick The Railroad Track

We have a neighbor friend who also has a fancy schmancy camera similar to Kevin's. We've said several times that we should try to get together and swap family photo sessions. You know how it goes. Unless you hire a professional photographer, it is very difficult to get a good family photo. So we found a cool place**. Kevin figured out a good time (right before the sun goes down). And off we went. I won't share all of the pictures because we'll use one for our Christmas card. But here are a few fun ones from the day.

We decided NOT to do the traditional white/khaki, black/denim, white/denim, black/khaki color combos just to see how it would turn out. Unfortunately, when I bought Fletcher's green sweater I just sort of guessed it would match my green sweater. I didn't bother to check until picture day. They don't match. Thank goodness for PhotoShop!

She and Kevin are both still learning so some of the photos are blurry or off center, but I included some of those anyway since they were still cute.

I wish we would have taken more of these with Luke more centered. That's him way up in the air. It is nice to have a really strong dad.

We had fun playing around trying to see what might make a good photo.

Kevin took a series of photos of Luke sitting on the track. Before I realized it or could stop him, Luke leans over and licks the railroad track. See the spit in the photo below? I guess it was shiny and he wondered what it would taste like. Silly boy.

**When I suggested this spot, I thought these railroad tracks were no longer in use. I was quite surprised that they were. Kevin and the other family wanted to stay (and use caution) since we were already there. We had not one, not two, but three trains come by after we finished our pictures on the tracks. The bridge went over the tracks and the boys were looking at the train in the picture below. Had I known it was still a working railroad, I would have never suggested it. I had bad dreams all night on Saturday about trains.

I had put a pack of Smarties candy in my pocket as a bribe for Luke. Yes, I will totally bribe my children with candy if it means getting a good photo. I told Luke he had to smile for a piece of candy. The picture below is his candy smile. So genuine. Doesn't look fake at all, right?
Unfortunately, I was taking the picture and it is a little blurry.

Happy Friday and Happy Fall

The fall colors around here have been beautiful this year. As I drive I pick out favorite trees that are turning colors - bright oranges and reds are my favorites. I should take pictures, but it has been raining here for three days straight. That hasn't happened here in a really long time.


Instead of pictures of trees, here are a few pictures of more fun we've had this fall. We went to a party for the kindergarteners at Fletcher's school. The host family raked up a giant pile of leaves for the sole purpose of the kids jumping in them. How cool is that? We brought Fletcher's Gigaball (a gift from Aunt Dee and Uncle D) so the kids could roll to their hearts content. Add a hayride and a bonfire with roasted marshmallows. What a fun night!

Here We Go

Attempt number 1: Dog interference. Attempt number 2: Luke misunderstands what "Hold it up" means.

Attempt number 3: Luke decides running is a better idea.

Attempt number 4: Dad tries to help to no avail.

Attempt number 5: We're losing Luke.

Attempt number 6: Mom decides photo shoot is over.

Oh well... we tried Aunt Dee. Really, we did. Happy Birthday (that's what the banner says). We love you and we hope you have a good day. I thought about having 50 attempts, but that might give something away. Oh wait...did I just type that?

Shoeboxes

For the past several years we have participated in Operation Christmas Child where we fill a shoebox with toiletries and toys for a child somewhere in the world. Fletcher really started to understand it last year and enjoyed filling the box for a boy about his age. We prayed for the child who would receive the box and prayed that he would come to know Jesus. Each box also includes the gospel in that child's language.

This year we are participating as well through Luke's preschool and our church. Samaritan's Purse, the organization that sponsors this effort, is doing something new this year. If you donate your $7 per box online through EZ Give, they will allow you to print out a barcode to put on your box to track it to see where it ends up. I think Fletcher will really enjoy this since they've been studying different countries in school.

Second, one of the processing centers is near where we live so we are going to an Open House there in December to see all of the collected boxes and learn how volunteers sort through them and get them ready to go out into the world. Fletcher will enjoy this too, but I think I am more excited about it than he is. Eventually, I would love for all of our family to volunteer at the processing center, but volunteers have to be 13 years old or older so it will be a few years for us.

If you have children, consider putting together a shoebox. More information can be found here.

Little Things

There are so many little things I hope I always remember about my children -

The way they smell after a bath
The sound of Luke's little feet running down the hall to keep up with his brother
The way Fletcher prays these detailed prayers then abruptly ends them
The way Luke calls every single insect, piece of dirt, and ball of fuzz a "lady bug" but it comes out "wady bug"
The way they scream and laugh when they wrestle with Kevin
The way Fletcher pretends to already be sleeping when I go in to kiss him goodnight
The way Luke giggles when I tuck him in right up to his chin
The four of us eating together at our table and talking about our day
The way Luke likes to go check the mail and says he has "two mails" if he gets more than one thing
The way we go on a walk and we put one of them between us holding hands and we say "one, two, three" then swing them high into the air. And they ask to do it again and again.
The way they both wake up in happy moods ready for the day (I could learn something from them)
The way Fletcher brings me flowers (or weeds that look like flowers) because he knows I like flowers
The way Luke brings me the pink play ice cream because he knows I like pink
The way they both "help" Kevin get dressed and it takes twice as long
The way they both love books and going to the library
The way Fletcher changes clothes the second he walks in the door from church or school
Tickle Time
Playing Superman on mom or dad's feet, high in the air
Sitting on ducks
Bible time together at night on the purple chair in Luke's room - just the five of us (Sadie too)

Moved To Tears

A little background info: Ever since he was born, Fletcher has listened to music at naptime and bedtime to fall asleep. Specifically, he has listened to a CD called Bedtime Prayers: Lullabies and Peaceful Worship by Twila Paris. When we moved Luke to his toddler bed from his crib, we borrowed Fletcher's CD player and Lullabies CD so Luke could listen to it too. Luke loves the CD as well and says, "Turn dat ting on" (pointing to the CD player) when he gets in his bed.

So I bought a new CD player for Fletcher and decided to make him a new CD as well. They've been studying classical composers at school so I thought he might like a CD of "famous" classical music. I happened to have one on iTunes that I had downloaded for free awhile back so I made him a copy.

This may be the longest background info in the history of blogging.

Anyway, the first song on the CD (should CD be capitalized or not? It looks weird to write cd.). Wait. Where was I? The first song on the CD is "Canon in D". As we were listening to it, I told Fletcher that song was in our wedding. Later, Kevin heard it and said, "That song was in our wedding." Kevin thinks he should get extra husband points for still remembering eleven and a half years later that this song was in our wedding.

Well, the next time Fletcher starts playing the CD before bedtime, he starts crying. Really crying. Real tears. We cannot figure out what is wrong. I'm thinking he is sick. Kevin picks him up and asks why he is crying. I kid you not, this is what he said: It's just that this song is so lovely, it makes me cry. I wish I could have been there at your wedding to see it.

Yes, he used the word "lovely."

This is from my child who rejoiced with Kevin when he killed a deer. Then went with Kevin to the deer processing place to pick up the venison and watched the other hunters bring their field dressed deer in from the field to be processed and didn't blink an eye. He did say it smelled bad. Same child who didn't bat an eyelash when we went to see Charlotte's Web and Charlotte dies.

At first I thought it was just a random thing - the crying. But now he cries every single time he hears that song. He will turn on his CD in the morning before 7:00 (he isn't allowed to come out of his room until then) and we can hear him crying. It has gotten to the point that he asks us to skip that song when we start his CD at night. I showed him our wedding pictures thinking that would help, but I think that made it worse. We do have a video of our wedding, but it is on VHS and we don't have a VCR and we aren't getting one for that. I told him I would look in to converting our wedding tape to a DVD so he could watch our wedding.

I'm glad to know my boy still has a tender side. Who knew "Canon in D" could have such an effect.

I Want Her Job!

My neighbor who lives across the street from us is a toy rep. Yes, a toy rep. I didn't know toy reps exsisted. My brother-in-law is a pharmaceutical sales rep so I know what he does. But what exactly does a toy rep do?



Well, she calls on toy stores and tries to get them to purchase some of the toys from the toy companies she represents to resell in their stores. These aren't standard brands you usually see at Target or Walmart. Most of the brands are from more unique toy stores on stuff you might see online.



The best part about her job? Samples. Toy companies send her samples to take with her on her sales calls so the toy store owners can get an idea of the quality, color, size, etc.



How is that beneficial to me? Once or twice a year she has a toy sale at her house right across the street. She sells all of her samples in preparation for all of the new samples she will receive. The samples are brand new. The UPS truck is constantly at her house.



Her prices are great and as I mentioned before, the toys are somewhat unique. It is a great way to stock up for Christmas and birthday presents.

This super cute peek and play block set (which won several toy awards) retails for $40.

I bought it for $5.

This wooden stacking block set from Ryan's Room retails for around $30.

I bought it for $5 too.

I could have spent more than I did. But I restrained myself.

The only hard thing is that she has two daughters and when we are invited to one of their birthday parties, I have NO CLUE what to get them because they really do have everything!

One More Pumpkin Patch

On Friday my friend and I took our kids to a nearby pumpkin patch and farm. This farm has it all figured out. In the summer it is a U-Pick Strawberry Patch. In the fall it is a Pumpkin Patch and petting farm. In the winter it is a horse drawn carriage ride/Christmas Wonderland/Pick a Tree place. I think they throw in a few private parties too. Not a bad way to make money.

On the wagon ride.

Luke and his friend Ella.

Feeding the baby animals. Luke fed them too but I had to help him so I don't have pics of that. There would have been a time not too long ago where Fletcher would have freaked out if that little lamb ate out of his hand. He's come a long way in the bravery/try something new department.

The hay bale maze for the kids.

Luke trying to hide in the maze.

Trying to impress the ladies.

Mom tries to get one good brotherly love picture, but Luke was done.

Sooner Rather Than Later

Instead of a gymnast, picture Luke. Instead of a high bar, picture the rail to Luke's crib. And now picture Luke with arms straight like hers leaning over the edge of the crib rail. Leaning. Far. Feet not on mattress. I have a slight heart attack. He did this when I went in to get him after his nap Monday afternoon.

Insert note: Children have a higher center of gravity because their heads weigh more than the rest of their body so the chances of him falling out on his head are pretty high. Good to know we sort of even out as adults.

Back to story: I was going to wait until Luke was closer to 2 1/2 to take him out of his crib and put him in a toddler bed. With Fletcher we did toddler bed and potty training right about the same time. But because of the above incident (it actually happened twice), we decided that Monday night was the night to move to a toddler bed. We just couldn't risk him flipping out. The boys' schedules are all messed up anyway because of the time change so why not add another change. Luke did remarkably well. We made a big deal of his "big boy bed" and new sheets with construction vehicles on them. He stayed in his bed all night. It took him awhile to fall asleep, but once he did, he was out.

As Kevin and I were falling asleep Monday night I was reminded of something else I had read recently on another blog (but I can't remember which one). The writer/mom was saying that as parents we measure alot of firsts - first bath, first tooth, first smile, first food, first steps, first words. But we seldom measure the "lasts" because we don't know it is the last - last bottle, last time to wear a favorite outfit, last time to rock him to sleep. I did get a little weepy realizing that Monday afternoon was the last time he would sleep in his crib and I would get to go in and take him out of his crib. Maybe I was alot weepy. (Kevin said he would remind me of this when I changed the last poopy diaper.)

I'm gonna miss this.
This picture was taken when Luke first learned to pull up in his crib. Long before I thought he could do it.

We'll get big boy bed pictures up soon.